Halloween Purchasing Guide July-October 2009

July 7

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Dead Wood LIONSGATE prebook 6-10; DVD $26.98 Thriller: Two couples spending a weekend in the woods become haunted by a dark evil.

The Deep SONY prebook now; BD $28.95 Horror: The '70s cult classic starring Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset as a couple who discovers hidden treasure bows on high-def.

Knowing SUMMIT prebook now; DVD $26.99, BD $34.99 Action: Nicolas Cage stars in this $78.4 million-grossing film about a time capsule with chilling predictions.

The Unborn UNIVERSAL prebook now; DVD $29.98, BD $39.98 Horror: In this $42.6 million-grossing movie, a woman fights a spirit that is taking possession of her.

July 14

The Haunting in Connecticut LIONSGATE prebook 6-17; DVD $29.95, two-DVD $34.98, BD $39.99 Horror: Based on a true story, this $55.3 million-grossing film chronicles a family's encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural upon discovering that their new home used to be a mortuary.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer SONY prebook 6-11; BD $28.95 Horror: The sequel starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. bows on high-def.

[Rec] SONY prebook 6-11; DVD $24.96 Foreign-language horror: In this Spanish film, a TV reporter and a cameraman follow firefighters to the scene of an emergency, where they face a lethal terror; with English subtitles.

July 21

Ghost Month NORTH AMERICAN prebook 6-16; DVD $26.99 Horror: A young housekeeper disturbs the ancient customs of the Chinese Ghost Month and accidentally awakens the vengeful spirits of the dead.

Messengers 2: The Scarecrow SONY prebook 6-18; DVD $24.96 Thriller: When a farmer places a mysterious scarecrow in his field, his luck changes for the better, but it might be at the cost of his sanity.

Skeleton Crew ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 6-18; DVD $26.97 Horror: Members of a film crew are unaware that they are about to become the stars of their director's real-life snuff film.

July 28

Acolytes ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 6-25; DVD $26.97 Horror: Two high school seniors looking to murder their nemesis stumble on a serial killer in this stalk-and-chase thriller.

Nobody Loves Alice: Director's Cut INDIE-PICTURES prebook 7-2; DVD $29.95 Horror: A woman tests her fiancé's fidelity with a new receptionist, who has a game of her own.

Repulsion CRITERION/IMAGE prebook 6-30; DVD or BD $39.95 Drama: Roman Polanski directed this tale of psychosis starring Catherine Deneuve as a fragile young beauty cracking up during a weekend.

Aug. 4

Cravings LIONSGATE prebook 7-8; DVD $26.98 Horror: A troubled teen must confront her immortality and lust for blood.

Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts FIRST LOOK prebook 6-30; DVD $24.98 Mystery: This two-disc collection features the best segments about ghosts from the Unsolved Mysteries TV series.

Aug. 11

Alien Trespass IMAGE prebook 7-14; DVD $27.98 Sci-fi/comedy: A murderous creature escapes from a flying saucer to destroy all life forms on the planet.

Last Resort LIONSGATE prebook 7-15; DVD $26.98 Horror: Five girlfriends head to the tropics, where they find themselves in a haunted resort with an ancient evil.

The Ninth Gate LIONSGATE prebook 7-15; BD $19.99 Sci-fi: Johnny Depp stars as a book dealer who must locate the remaining copies of a demonic manuscript.

Aug. 18

Final Destination Collection WARNER prebook 7-14; DVD $24.98 Horror: Released near upcoming theatrical Final Destination 4, this set contains the first three films in the franchise.

Aug. 25

Children of the Corn ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 7-23; BD $29.97 Horror: Stephen King's 1984 film about a cult of children who kill adults.

My Sweet Killer VANGUARD prebook 7-17; DVD $19.95 Horror: An ex-mental patient tries to hold his life together, but he begins to have increasingly real, obsessive dreams.

Sept. 1

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror WARNER prebook 7-28; DVD $27.92 Horror: This set contains Freaks, House of Wax, The Haunting and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Sept. 8

Creepshow WARNER prebook 8-4; BD $28.99 Horror: Five shocking stories in the style of horror comics from the '50s.

Freddy vs. Jason WARNER prebook 8-4; BD $28.99 Horror: In this 2003 movie, Freddy Krueger enlists the help of Jason Voorhees to do some killing on Elm Street, but when Jason won't step aside, it becomes a battle between the two.

Nature of the Beast ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 8-6; DVD $19.97 Comedy: In this film that debuted on ABC Family, a woman discovers her fiancé is a werewolf.

Sept. 15

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Collection WARNER prebook 8-11; DVD $14.96 Horror: This set contains The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

Oct. 13

How to Be a Serial Killer MONTEREY prebook 9-15; DVD $26.95 Comedy: A serial killer dedicates his life to killing those whom he believes don't appreciate their lives.

Godzilla unleashed on Blu-ray

Classic Media is bringing the original Godzilla to Blu-ray Disc for the first time with the release of Gojira, the '50s classic in which nuclear bomb tests in the South Pacific awaken a 164-foot-tall mutant dinosaur that threatens to destroy Japan. The film was released in the U.S. in an edited version as Godzilla: King of Monsters, in which scenes with Raymond Burr replaced scenes with an anti-H-Bomb message. Classic has gone back to the uncut original version, remastering it in high-definition. The disc will include special features such as interviews with experts on Godzilla. Viral marketing will appeal to consumers on comic book fan sites, blogs and related media. The monster movie “was the first of its genre,” says Robert Mayo, senior VP of home video for Classic. “We're planning for this to lead off the line of Godzilla titles on Blu-ray.” —Cindy Spielvogel

Sept. 22

Gojira (Godzilla) CLASSIC/GENIUS prebook 8-11; BD $29.93 Foreign-language horror: Ishiro Honda's 1954 black-and-white classic has been digitally remastered for release in its entirety on Blu-ray; in Japanese with English subtitles.

Treats for the young ones

Kids love Halloween, and for those who want to help kids celebrate the holiday, there are Halloween-themed volumes from series for young children. These special non-scary releases from Barney, Charlie and Lola, Eloise, Shaun the Sheep, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, WordWorld, Yo Gabba Gabba and other series were made especially with kids in mind. —C.S.

Aug. 4

Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors HIT/LIONSGATE prebook 7-8; DVD $14.98 Children's: The sheep and his fellow flock creep, sneak and behave like sheep in this collection of six eerie episodes.

Aug. 25

WordWorld: Kooky Spooky Halloween NCIRCLE prebook 7-28; DVD $6.99 Children's: In these two episodes, the WordFriends get their share of scares before Halloween.

Yo Gabba Gabba: Halloween! NICKELODEON/PARAMOUNT prebook 7-14; DVD $16.99 Children's: The crew learns what happens on Halloween, and the song “Too Much Candy” helps the characters understand that they should eat candy in moderation.

Sept. 1

Barney: Halloween Party HIT/LIONSGATE prebook 8-5; DVD $14.98 Children's: Barney and his friends decorate the gym for an exciting Halloween party.

HIT Favorites: Trick or Treat Tales HIT/LIONSGATE prebook 8-5; DVD $14.98 Children's: Five fright-free Halloween tales from preschool favorites Thomas & Friends, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fifi and the Flowertots and Angelina Ballerina.

Sept. 8

Charlie and Lola: What Can I Wear for Halloween? BBC/WARNER prebook 8-4; DVD $14.98 Children's: Nine episodes of the Playhouse Disney series about a brother and sister.

Eloise 3-Pack ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 8-6; DVD $24.97 Children's: Includes the three movies Eloise Goes to School, Eloise's Rawther Unusual Halloween and Eloise: Little Miss Christmas.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy Goes Boo! ANCHOR BAY/STARZ prebook 8-6; DVD $16.98 Children's: From the Nick Jr. preschool series, this title includes singing, dancing, trick or treating and kickity-kick ball, plus lessons on creativity, patience and responsibility.

Uni promotes fear this fall

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has a host of horror titles coming under its “Fall of Fear” Halloween promotion. The campaign will consist of more than 40 titles, including some new releases. Below is a sampling of some new editions in the promotion. —C.S.

Sept. 15

John Carpenter Master of Fear Collection UNIVERSAL prebook 7-28; DVD $19.98 Horror: Includes The Thing, They Live, Prince of Darkness and Village of the Damned.

Phantasm II UNIVERSAL prebook 7-28; DVD $19.98 Horror: The Tall Man is back with a vengeance in Phantasm II, available on DVD for the first time.

The Wes Craven Horror Collection UNIVERSAL prebook 7-28; DVD $19.98 Horror: Includes The Serpent and the Rainbow, Shocker and The People Under the Stairs.

The Wolf Man (1941) Special Edition UNIVERSAL prebook 7-28; DVD $26.98 Horror: The original 1941 version of The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr. is being released as part of the Universal Legacy Series.

Halloween Purchasing Guide July-October 2009

Godzilla unleashed on Blu-ray

Treats for the young ones

Uni promotes fear this fall

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