The Screaming Skull (1958)

“Welcome Blu-ray Release of a Minor Unsung Classic”

It’s time to follow the bouncing a skull as Eureka releases director Alex Nicol’s ‘AIP Does REBECCA - Sort Of’ on Blu-ray. The limited edition release of 2000 also comes with a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jon Towlson.

Eric Whitlock (John Hudson) brings his new bride Jenni (Peggy Webber) back to his country mansion. We learn that Jenni has just been released from a sanatorium where she’s been recovering from the death of her parents by drowning. It turns out Eric first wife Marion (a nice touch as this is adapted from the story of the same name by Francis Marion Crawford) also drowned, after first falling and hitting her head so hard she crushed the base of her skull.

Jenni starts the see the skull, and yes it screams. Or is it just the peacocks in the garden? Could the shifty gardener Mickey (director Alex Nicol) have anything to do with it? Or is it just another ‘drive the rich wife mad to inherit everything she owns’ plot?

Well, THE SCREAMING SKULL may have a few surprises in store for you as its story unfurls, surprises that will be extremely welcome to fans of the EuroGothic horrors that followed in its wake in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, the combination of small cast plus single location with impressive architecture plus lead actress role that requires extreme behaviour plus director playing a mentally challenged gardener will have fans wondering if Jess Franco was inspired by this one.

The film seems to have poor ratings on internet review sources like imdb but don’t believe them. The final twenty minutes of this contain at lease two bits that will cause anyone kindly disposed to this sort of thing to get shivers and then nod with pleasure at a job well done. 

Eureka’s disc comes with a 13 minute introduction by Stephen Laws who sets the scene nicely, and doubly so for British film fans of a certain age who will be able to easily sympathise with his hunt to watch this one, and his frustration at it never being shown on British television. There’s also a 29 minute piece from Mary Going on the film and gothic cinema, in which she compares it to Hitchcock’s REBECCA as well as mentioning the kind of ad campaign beloved of William Castle that the film used. Finally there are a couple of scratchy trailers sourced from Something Weird Video. 

THE SCREAMING SKULL is out on Blu-ray from Eureka in a limited edition of 2000 on Monday 19th October 2026

Plan Nine From Outer Space (1957) and Bride of the Monster (1955)

“Definitely Not the ‘Worst Film Ever Made’ ”

The BFI are releasing, in a two disc Blu-ray set, two of legendary director Edward D Wood, Jr’s unique forays into fantasy motion picture making. If you grew up during the 1980s then you’ll probably be aware of the renewed interest Wood’s movies were afforded during that decade, albeit as part of ‘Worst Movies of All Time’ lists. Well hopefully needless to say there are far, far worse films out there than Wood’s, and even if Eddie's do lack a certain technical competence, they are never less than watchable and also showcase valuable final performances (although it’s pretty much a cameo in one) of horror superstar Bela Lugosi. So let’s take a look at the set.

Disc One: Plan Nine From Outer Space (1957)

Aliens are determined to stop humankind before it can become advanced enough to making universe-destroying bombs. They do this by zooming over Hollywood in their flying saucers and bringing three people back from the grave. No it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but just sit back and enjoy the sight of TV ‘horror host’ Vampira staggering around a graveyard to little effect, pro-wrestler Tor Johnson as a police inspector doing his very best with the dialogue, fake-looking sets, a script that feels as if it was written in a hell of a rush and, of course, the sight of poor old Bela Lugosi in his last filmed footage. 

But there is something about PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE that keeps bringing people back to it, and it’s not a desire to poke fun at it but instead genuinely enjoy it for what it is. There’s a sincerity here amongst all the incompetence, a sincerity to entertain and a profound desire by Ed Wood to be a film-maker when such a career was probably beyond his abilities (although he does show some competence as an editor).

The BFI’s disc comes with two commentaries, an archival USA track from David DeCoteau and Ted Newsom, and a new British track from Ken Hollings and Vic Pratt. The opinions from either side of the Atlantic compliment each other nicely making them both worth a listen. Hollings returns for a 12 minute video essay Criswell Predicts 2026 in which he talks about the ‘psychic’ before moving onto other aspects of the film. There’s also Mark Kermode’s BFI introduction (four minutes), a 1950s documentary on UFOs (14 minutes) and 96 minutes of archival interviews wit Wood associates Dolores Fuller, Kathy Wood, Stephen C Apostolof and Joe Robertson. Bela Lugosi Leaves the Sanitarium is six minutes of newsreel footage of the star, and you also get a trailer and image gallery.

Disc Two: Bride of the Monster (1955)

As a bonus we also get what is probably Wood’s most accomplished film, with certainly his biggest budget. Somewhere in the everglades (probably) mad scientist Dr Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi) has been carrying out research to create a race of atomic supermen. So far he has made Tor Johnson, who needs to be controlled with a whip. Into his world come reporter Janet Lawton (Loretta King) and policeman Dick Craig (Tony McCoy) who put a stop to Vornoff’s experiments and ensure his pet octopus enjoys a hearty meal.

BRIDE OF THE MONSTER is almost a normal B picture for the era, but it’s the almost that makes it interesting, that and one scene where Lugosi has a monologue that’s moving because you know the actor is doing his absolute best for his director. It’s no classic (and nowhere near as odd as its sequel, NIGHT OF THE GHOULS) but if you liked PLAN NINE then you will very likely enjoy this too.

As with PLAN NINE we get two commentary tracks: an archival USA track from David DeCoteau and Ted Newsom, and a new British track this time from William Fowler and Vic Pratt, in which I was pleased to learn I’m not the only one to  have made the connection between Max Casella in Tim Burton's ED WOOD and Dougie Howser, MD.

Other extras include a bizarre three minute short film called WHITE LITE and a one hour Children’s Film Foundation production from 1972 called KADOYNG about an alien visitor. Familiar faces in that include Gerald Sim and Bill Owen. There’s also a trailer and image gallery. Finally, the BFI's set comes with a booklet that includes essays on PLAN NINE & producer J Edward Reynolds, Ed Wood's relationship with 'Bunny' Breckinridge, the climate in which the films were made, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, Ed Wood at the Scala, and a charming piece from Jan Mathey about actor Paul Marco. 

Ed Wood’s PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE and BRIDE OF THE MONSTER are out from the BFI in a double disc Blu-ray set on Monday 19th October 2026

Wuthering Heights: The House of the Damned (2026)

“Emily Bronte: Italian Gothic Horror Style!”

Yes indeed, while this new version of Emily Bronte’s novel is British (and boasts some fabulous location work), fans of classic horror cinema will most likely be reminded of some of the classic Italian gothics of the 1960s and early 1970s while watching this. And that’s meant as the highest of compliments.

Anyone who has read Wuthering Heights will know how easy it should have been to turn it into a horror movie. Yes despite AIP filming their own version in 1970 (with Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall) even that was light on the scary stuff. But never mind because here comes director Rebecca J Matthews (aka Becca Hirani) and writer Liana Failla’s operatic, blood soaked version that goes well over the top and probably isn’t the one to show your kids to introduce them to classic literature. Or then again, perhaps it is.

The story is told from the point of view of Mr Lockwood (Ross Townsend-Green), new tenant on the estate of Wuthering Heights, who calls on his landlord at ‘the big house’ to introduce himself, only to find the place populated by shifty servants and a very hairy and morbid Heathcliff indeed. Through a series of clever flashbacks and transition devices we are told the familiar tale, with more than a couple of variations in the plotting to keep things interesting.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS: HOUSE OF THE DAMNED is obviously low budget, but benefits immensely from the locations and the fact that everyone seems to be taking the endeavour exactly the right kind of seriously. Sky Cheema’s Heathcliff is closer in appearance to the novel that possibly any other version, while Townsend-Green gets the kind of role played by John Richardson or Mark Damon in any number of gothics of the 1960s. 

Matthews / Hirani piles on the atmosphere and sets out her table stylistically from almost the first scene. In the novel the first time we see Cathy (here played by Elle O’Hara) it’s her ghost tapping at the window. In WUTHERING HEIGHTS: THE HOUSE OF THE DAMNED Cathy’s ghost smashes the window, grabs Mr Lockwood and sprays blood everywhere. There. Now you know if you want to watch it. Rippingly good low budget modern gothic horror. 

WUTHERING HEIGHTS: THE HOUSE OF THE DAMNED is out from Signature Entertainment on Digital on Monday 19th October 2026

Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)

 

        After its recent theatrical run, the sixth in the INSIDIOUS series is getting a digital release (to buy or rent) from Sony. But before we look at it, let’s have another edition of Summarise That Franchise! Here they all are in chronological order, with links to click on for the ones I’ve already reviewed on here:

INSIDIOUS 3 (2015)

INSIDIOUS 4: THE LAST KEY (2018)

INSIDIOUS (2010)

INSIDIOUS 2 (2013)

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (2023)

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER (2026)

So the most recent film is also the most recent film, if you seen what I mean. This time around we’re introduced to dental hygienist Gemma (Amelia Eve, Jamie the gardener from Mike Flanagan’s HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR). As a child Gemma saw her mother apparently commit suicide by bashing her head against the bathroom wall. Now as an adult she’s having strange dreams, and somehow manages to bring back a brooch from one of them.

Meanwhile an extremely creepy trio of old people are wandering up and down the street, and when one of them comes in to Gemma for treatment, a second set of teeth inside the man’s mouth closes on her finger (featured in the trailer). This sends Gemma back into her nightmare land, which is confirmed to be the Further by Elise (Lin Shaye again) who, despite being dead, is able to communicate with Gemma through a medium.

It turns out Gemma can act as a ‘courier’, pulling things out of her dream / the Further in the same way Nancy Thompson pulled Freddy Krueger out in Wes Craven’s A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and this film has its own nasty villain wanting to use Gemma for exactly the same purpose.

The first act of INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER is surprisingly good, especially for part six of a franchise and, if it didn’t have the series name on it, could be considered the introduction to an intriguing and very well executed ghost story. Its problem is that it IS an INSIDIOUS movie, with all the expected elements that suggests. It’s also too long at over 100 minutes, which means those rictus smiley characters outstay their welcome by a good quarter of an hour. What the film does have going for it is that first act, which also features some of the most repulsive and well done horrible dentistry ever committed to film. You have been warned.

INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER is out on Digital to buy or rent from Sony now

The Last Boy Scout 4K (1991)

“Hugely Entertaining Action-Packed Neo-Noir”

Arrow Films are releasing, in separate limited 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions, a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative (supervised by director of photography Ward Russell and it looks fabulous) of director Tony Scott’s LA neo-noir that’s liberally peppered with violence, car crashes and explosions.

Joseph Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) is a down on his luck Private Investigator. His wife and child hate him and he spends more time sleeping in his car than at home. He gets the job of acting as bodyguard to exotic dancer Cory (Halle Berry), the girlfriend of disgraced football player Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans). When Cory is gunned down Hallenbeck and Dix resolve to find out why. 

Needless to say they uncover a web of corruption, all linked to American football, in this big budget, fast-paced, tightly scripted (by Shane Black), well-directed piece that’s one of the better action movies of the period. Part of that is due to it being less an actioner and more of a modern noir piece, at least in its opening half. Willis (the biggest action star around when this was being shot) and Wayans have great chemistry to the extent that by the time the film is over you find yourself wishing there was another film with these two characters.

For a movie this slick, glossy and seemingly effortless in its storytelling the revelation that it was quite the troubled production may come as a surprise to those who know little of its making. All of this (and more) is covered in the excellent extras on Arrow’s disc. First off is a new commentary track from critics Josh Nelson and Martyn Pedlar which is informative and chatty and is the equivalent of having two friends watching this with you who know all about the film. There are two very good career spanning new interviews with Shane Black (36 minutes) and actress Danielle Harris (32 minutes) who plays Hallenbeck’s daughter in the movie. French critic Stéphane Moïssakis, who literally write the book on Tony Scott, provides an excellent 30 minute talking head piece in which he discusses the making of the film and in particular Scott’s directorial technique and how it had evolved up to this point.

Shane Black at the American Cinematheque is a splendid 30 minute Q&A from 2024 which followed screenings of four of his movies. Amongst the subjects discussed are how he comes up with his characters, his relationship with producer Joel Silver, and his love of classic 1960s-era Dr Who. The interview flies by and you get the feeling he could easily have talked for at least twice as long and still kept it fascinating. 

You also get 23 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes from a recently discovered workprint (with comparisons to the final version included), trailers, an image gallery and the first and second drafts of Shane Black’s screenplay. Finally, Arrow’s limited edition set also comes with a reversible sleeve and a booklet featuring new writing on the film. 

Tony Scott’s THE LAST BOY SCOUT is out from Arrow Films in a new 4K restoration in separate limited UHD and Blu-ray editions on Monday 12th October 2026

Cujo 4K (1983)

        Lewis Teague's 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's novel gets an impressive 4K UHD upgrade from Arrow Films as a part of a new limited edition release. It will also include a collector’s booklet with new writing on the film and a reversible sleeve.

Cujo the St Bernard is out chasing bunnies when he gets his nose stuck in an old tree stump. Unfortunately it leads into a cave of rabid bats and before you can say Marilyn Chambers Cujo's had his nose bitten and he's developing a severe case of the runny eyes, the drools, and the being covered in what looks like mud.

This is bad news for Cujo's car repairman redneck owner (Ed Lauter) and his friend, and it spells trouble of the 'trapped in the car with her six year old son' kind for Donna Trenton (Dee Wallace), who finds herself under siege in her broken down old banger while a great big drooly powerhouse tank of a mad dog waits outside to get her, when he's not ramming the doors.

The early 1980s was the era of Stephen King adaptations. Most of them weren't very good, but CUJO actually is, thanks to good performances and a skilled team behind the scenes who went all out to make the best film they could. 

Arrow’s new limited edition set comes with two discs. Disc One is a UHD disc giving you the US theatrical cut in 4K. This is the version that was seen in the US in cinemas and then worldwide on TV screenings and subsequent disc releases. It includes the commentary track by Lee Gambin from Eureka’s 2019 Blu-ray release (now OOP) but Arrow’s disc goes two better by also including both the archival Lewis Teague commentary and the commentary with Teague and Jeff McKay.

Also on Disc One is a 2014 2o minutes roundtable discussion with Teague, Wallace, Danny Pintauro and Daniel Hugh Kelly, and also carried over from previous releases is the 47 minute making of, plus over three hours of interviews with Dee Wallace, composer Charles Bernstein, stuntman Gary Morgan, stuntwoman Jean Colter, casting director Marcia Ross, dog trainer Teresa Miller, visual effects artist Kathie Lawrence, and special effects designer Robert Clark. You also get trailers, TV and radio spot, and an image gallery.

Disc Two will be of great interest to CUJO completists as it gives us the International Cut. This is the version seen in cinemas outside the US (including in the UK) but which hasn’t had a physical media release since the days of VHS. And yes there are differences, with a shorter running time (about three minutes) and some different scenes. Disc two also carries over an archival Kim Newman interview in which he talks about Stephen King adaptations in general and CUJO in particular. It lasts nearly half an hour and is up to his usual excellent standard. Also carried over from the Eureka release is 100 minutes of Lee Gambin interviewing Dee Wallace at the Cinemaniacs and Monster Fest 2015 convention. It's slightly fuzzy and shot from one angle only but it's good to have.

The Bottom Line: Arrow’s 4K two disc set represents a substantial upgrade in image quality, carries over all the extras from the previous UK Blu-ray release, and has extra material from other previous releases as well. Excellent stuff.

Lewis Teague’s CUJO is out from Arrow Films on 4K UHD in a limited edition two disc set on Monday 12th October 2026