Originally posted July 18, 2022
This week’s releases include an updated action flick; a classic horror film; a horrific revenge; and a zombie movie with unique origins.
Candyman (1992) (4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray)
When Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) hears about Candyman (Tony Todd), a slave spirit with a hook hand who is said to haunt a notorious housing project, she braves the gang-ridden territory to visit the site … and unwittingly ignites a string of terrifying, grisly slayings! But the police don’t believe in monsters and charge Helen with the crimes. And the only one who can set her free is Candyman.
This was a powerful horror narrative that emerged in the ‘90s. Not only did it feature a commanding, black antagonist, it relied on America’s sordid history to explain his brutal origin that resulted in an eternal monster. Moreover, there is a sexual overtone to the adversarial relationship between Candyman and Helen, which links them to the unpopular relationship that triggered his existence. In spite of all of Candyman’s menacing, the murders are committed off-screen and people’s versions of the legend create an even scarier killer than he physically presents. To this end, no one really knows what happens while Helen is blacked out, but the aftermath paints a horrific story.
Special features include: commentary with writer-director Bernard Rose and actor Tony Todd; commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman; commentary with director Bernard Rose, author Clive Barker, producer Alan Poul and actors Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen and Kasi Lemmons; commentary with director Bernard Rose, from “The Movie Crypt Podcast” hosted by filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch; “Sweets to the Sweet: The Candyman Mythos”; “Clive Barker: Raising Hell”; “Interview with actor Tony Todd”; “Bernard Rose’s Storyboards”; still gallery; TV spots; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)
Eraser: Reborn (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard (Dominic Sherwood) specializes in “erasing” people — faking the deaths of high-risk witnesses. With the technological advances of the last 25 years, the game has upgraded. Still, it’s just another day at the office when he’s assigned to Rina Kimura (Jacky Lai), a crime boss’ wife who’s decided to turn state’s evidence. As the two flee to Cape Town, South Africa, with a team of merciless assassins on their trail, Pollard discovers he’s been set up. Double-crossed and fueled by adrenaline, he needs to be at the top of his game, or he’ll be the one who’s erased. Permanently.
In 1996, Arnold Schwarzenegger had to save Vanessa Williams after her erasure went awry. Now, giving someone a new identity is made more difficult by the many ways someone can be identified. But in addition to practically staging someone’s death, Pollard has all the tech necessary to alter their digital existence — fingerprint and dental records are reassigned, and facial recognition software is tricked. The double-cross is pretty easy to see coming, though the value of the asset seems understated. The action is a mix of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat, often spanning multiple rooms and/or rooftops. To this end, the fact that they actually filmed in Cape Town gives more character to an otherwise mediocre action movie.
Special features include: “The Warrior and the Witness: The Making Eraser: Reborn.” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
Human Lanterns (Blu-ray)
When an unbalanced craftsman decides to get revenge on two Kung Fu masters by creating special lanterns constructed from the human skin of their dead relatives, all hell breaks loose in this gruesome tale of bloody retribution.
This is a pretty dark and sadistic turn for Shaw Brothers Studio as the antagonist uses his martial arts skills to provoke the masters and kidnap their loved ones. There seems to be significantly more talking in this film than other kung fu pictures as the masters are engaged in a war of words, publicly sparring as they try to disgrace each other. The chief of police is not particularly effective, though he does refrain from jumping to conclusions about who is responsible for the string of kidnappings in spite of all the finger-pointing. The murders incorporate horror and torture elements into the narrative, which are not typical of the genre and appear quite visceral. It’s a fairly disturbing narrative that aligns with other grisly ‘70s pictures.
Special features include: commentary by Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast on Fire Network; “A Shaw Story,” interview with Susan Shaw; “The Beauty and the Beasts,” interview with Linda Chu; “Lau Wing”; and original trailer. (88 Films)
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (Blu-ray)
A strange twist of fate brings two young travelers, George (Ray Lovelock) and Edna (Christine Galbo), to a small town where an experimental agricultural machine may be bringing the dead back to life! As zombies infest the area and attack the living, a bullheaded detective (Arthur Kennedy) thinks the couple are Satanists responsible for the local killings. George and Edna have to fight for their lives, and prove their innocence, as they try and stop the impending zombie apocalypse!
This is a fairly absurd horror narrative that unfolds on the English countryside. Edna is accused of crying wolf when she insists a strange man was chasing her, but it’s not long before the rambling figure attacks other people who surprisingly prove less speedy than him. The police are clueless, refusing to believe anything supernatural could be occurring and instead bending the evidence so all signs point to the new people in town. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the satanic panic movies, though not as audacious as the American films. The zombie element is certainly drawing from the iconic The Night of the Living Dead, from its depictions of the reanimated to their slow movements through rural areas, although the cause of their rising is an interesting one.
Special features include: two commentaries featuring authors and film scholars Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Bruce Holecheck; “Jorge Grau — Catalonia’s Cult Film King”; “The Scenes of the Crime”; Q&A at Fantastic Films Festival; TV and radio spots; and theatrical trailer. (Synapse Films)
