In any case, let’s turn our attention to the…. well…. rather dismal slate of releases we have to look forward to. Since Halloween is (rapidly) approaching at the end of next month, studios are getting into the their annually annoying habit of repackaging films that are already available. Also, Warner Bros. is being quite idiotic this week and putting out their older catalog releases in keepcases because they, unlike everyone else, had to put out their early DVD releases in awful cardboard snapcases…. morons. In any case, here’s what we’ve got this week gang:

THIS WEEK’S NOTABLE DVD & BLU-RAY RELEASES:

Battle of the Warriors [DVD] – Andy Lau stars in this epic tale of a mysterious stranger who aids a besieged city called Liang during a time of war. Massive martial arts battles ensue. This latest release from the Dragon Dynasty label is pretty much bare bones, but does at least include an audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan and offers English dubs and subs.

Crank 2: High Voltage [Blu-ray & DVD] – Jason Statham reprises his role as Chev Chelios, a guy who just can’t seem to catch a break. After taking down the goons that poisoned him with the “Beijing Cocktail,” a poison that would sap away his adrenaline until he died, Chelios’ seemingly indestructible heart is stolen and replaced with a rechargeable electronic one. So, once again, good ole Chev has to go on a spree of ridiculous sex and violence in order to get back what is rightfully his. The 2-disc special edition DVD comes with a trailer, audio commentary, and two featurettes, while the Blu-ray boasts all of that, as well as a “Crank’d Out” Commentary and gag reel.

Creepshow [Blu-ray] – The creative team-up of George A. Romero and Stephen King resulted in the creation of this awesome horror anthology film, which was inspired by the old EC Horror comics of the 1950s. While it is nice to see Warner Bros. putting classics like this out on a high-def format, it is quite annoying that they failed to put any extras onto the disc (aside from what is already on the current DVD release). Still, it’ll be nice to have this on Blu-ray, and at only fifteen bucks, it’s a worthy title to pick up.

Night of the Dribbler [DVD] – Code Red DVD picked up this never-before-released slasher spoof and put it out on a limited edition DVD. (Supposedly, only 1,500 copies have been made.) Directed by Jack Brayman (who is best known for “Zombie Nightmare”), this parody of slasher cinema features a killer in a smiling basketball mask that knocks off members of a high school basketball team. I couldn’t find any additional info about extra features or disc specs, but I’m sure Code Red gave this unknown horror flick plenty of lovin’..

Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive [DVD] – Universal puts out five of their classic horror flicks in this bare-bones boxed set, including “The Black Cat,” “Man Made Monster,” “Horror Island,” “Night Monster,” and “Captive Wild Woman.”

THIS WEEK’S CULT DVD & BLU-RAY RELEASES:
* Battle of the Warriors [DVD]
Bedknobs and Broomsticks [DVD]
Better the Devil You Know [DVD]
Black Hole / The Last Sentinel [DVD]
Bleach Movie 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion [DVD]
Catwoman [Blu-ray]
Classic Tarzan Collection [DVD]
* Crank 2: High Voltage [Blu-ray & DVD]
* Creepshow [Blu-ray]
The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb / Merlin’s Apprentice [DVD]
Freaky Farley [DVD]
Freddy vs. Jason [Blu-ray]
Fringe: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray & DVD]
Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-o-Lanterns [DVD]
Goosebumps: The Headless Ghost [DVD]
Greetings [DVD]
Halloween Triple Pack [DVD]
Harper’s Island: The DVD Edition [DVD]
Hell House: The Book of Samiel [DVD]
Hellraiser Triple Pack [DVD]
Hot Rod Horror [DVD]
Jinki Extend: The Complete Series [DVD]
Lady Ninja Kaede Vol. 2 [DVD]
Live Animals [DVD]
Mad Monster Party [DVD]
Mimic Triple Pack [DVD]
Nana: Uncut Box Set, Vol. 1 [DVD]
Nature of the Beast [DVD]
* Night of the Dribbler [DVD]
Night Stalker [DVD]
Over the Top [Blu-ray]
The Postman [Blu-ray]
Prophecy Triple Pack [DVD]
Red Garden: The Complete Series Boxset & OVA [DVD]
Requiem for a Dream [Blu-ray]
Rise of the Gargoyles [DVD]
Scream Triple Pack [DVD]
Sleep Dealer [Blu-ray & DVD]
Sphere [Blu-ray]
Uncharted [DVD]
* Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive [DVD]

WARNER BROS. TITLES – NOW IN KEEPCASES:
Contact [DVD]
Creepshow [DVD]
Deep Blue Sea [DVD]
Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen [DVD]
Fallen [DVD]
Masters of the Universe [DVD]
The Postman [DVD]
Sphere [DVD]
The Witches [DVD]

THIS WEEK’S NEW THEATRICAL RELEASES:
9 – Nine sentient ragdoll-things must survive in a post-apocalyptic world in this odd, but very cool-looking new film! The CGI animation looks great and the cast, which includes the likes of Martin Landau and Crispin Glover, is amazing! I have high hopes for this one and plan on seeing it when it hits the big screen!

Sorority Row – After a sorority sister is accidentally killed during a prank, a serial killer begins slaughtering those responsible for the girl’s demise. This flick sounds like an updated mixture of ye olde “Prom Night” and “Sorority House Massacre,” and… wait WHAT?! Son of a b*tch! This is a friggin’ remake of a 1983 slasher flick called “The House on Sorority Row.” Still, it looks kind of fun and might just be worth a matinee viewing.

Well that’s it for this week cult movie fans. If you didn’t see a lot to spend your hard-earned cash on this week, have no fear because next week… still pretty much sucks. The bulk of the DVDs that are coming out are reissues, though we are thankfully getting “Army of Darkness” and “An American Werewolf in London” on Blu-ray (plus “Phantasm II” finally makes its Region 1 DVD debut! WOOT!), and there’s only one movie in theaters that we have to look forward to, namely “Jennifer’s Body,” starring the ultra-hot Megan Fox. Don’t fret though because as we inch closer to October 31st, we will be bombarded with so much stuff that we’re going to have to sell off organs and body parts for cash! See you next week everyone! – Vault Master