A Desert (2025)

 

"Filled with Insidious Menace"

Blue Finch are releasing director Joshua Erkman's A DESERT, a film that could sit comfortably alongside Rose Glass's LOVE LIES BLEEDING in the offbeat desert noir genre. 

Alex (Kai Lennox) is a professional photographer famous for 'The Death of the New West', a book of images of abandoned towns and landmarks that are now crumbling and rotting. Hoping to repeat his success he sets off into the desert intending to deliberately lose himself in a maze of ghost towns and lost places that will form the subject of his next book.

Unfortunately he spends the night at a rundown motel where he meets the psychotic Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman) and his 'sister' Susie Q (Ashley Smith). Soon Alex has vanished and his wife Sam (Sarah Lind from A WOUNDED FAWN) employs private investigator Harold (David Yow from UNDER THE SILVER LAKE)  to find him, with ultimately horrific results.

A DESERT could be described as 'slow burn', but that would be by people for whom plot progression is the maxim by which movies should be judged. The film takes its time to allow you to drink in the gorgeous landscapes and the very real ghost towns that are the subject of Alex's obsession, such that we begin to understand his desire to capture them on the very old fashioned camera he lugs round with him. At the same time the film manages to convey a sense of creeping dread pretty much from the outset. The climax is suitably bloody and overall A DESERT is a fine entry in the offbeat desert noir genre.

A DESERT is out on digital from Blue Finch Releasing on Monday 24th November 2025

Horror of Frankenstein 4K (1970)

Studio Canal are releasing a 4K transfer of the one Hammer Frankenstein not to feature Peter Cushing as the Baron. It was originally released on a double bill with SCARS OF DRACULA which Studio Canal are also releasing on 4K at the same time, so you can recreate your very own 4K HD double bill of these two at home. If you want to. 

Rather than carry on from the high of the previous year’s FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, Hammer Films decided to reboot their franchise and go back to remaking the film that started it all, employing original screenwriter Jimmy Sangster to write (with Jeremy Burnham), produce, and direct. The result gives us a smarmy young Baron (Ralph Bates) whose drunken womanising git of a father (George Belbin) dies, allowing Frankenstein Junior to embark on a witless attempt to literally build a monster by numbers while seducing 1970s starlets. The result lumbers about for a bit before suffering an ignominious fate, leading to a final freeze frame shot of the Baron, who looks about as upset as someone who has just received an especially large and unexpected gas bill.

  The joys to be found in this one are mainly in the character roles. Dennis Price and Joan Rice are a delight as a grave robbing husband and wife team, and Jon Finch, inexplicably not cast as the Baron (now there would have been a Frankenstein for the 1970s) but in a far less interesting bit part as a policeman. Even composer James Bernard sat this one out, with soon-to-be Master of the Queen’s Music Malcolm Williamson (BRIDES OF DRACULA and CRESCENDO) stepping in instead. However if you fancy a little bit of black comedy with your Hammer horror this may suit. 

Archival extras include a Jimmy Sangster / Marcus Hearn commentary track and interviews with lead actress Veronica Carlson (14 minutes) and the monster himself, David Prowse (5 minutes). There's also a ported over making of (18 minutes), a stills gallery and trailer. New material is limited to a conversation between critic Clarisse Loughrey and actor / writer Isaura Barbé-Brown (34 minutes) who are very diplomatic about the film's shortcomings, and a 64 page book which features new writing on the film, the original press kit, and two posters.

Hammer's HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN is out on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Studio Canal on Monday 24th November 2025

Scars of Dracula 4K (1970)

 

Studio Canal leap in before Hammer to be the first to release a 4K transfer of one of the studio's Dracula movies. Admittedly it's the one at which some Hammer fans turn their nose up, but this edition, with its very appealing new cover art, is going to look very nice on the shelf along with all the others when they finally come out.

SCARS OF DRACULA was the fifth film to star Christopher Lee as Dracula and it's understandable that by that time the series was getting a bit tired. Usually at pains to maintain continuity, the use of a script possibly intended to follow the third film (DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE) throws any sense of this being a direct series follow on by having a bat dribble blood on the Count's ashes to bring him back.

Once he's up and about we take a break to meet the usual Bright Young Things, including hero Dennis Waterman, heroine Jenny Hanley and soon to be impaled on a spike Christopher Matthews, whose midnight dash from the bed of the burgomaster's daughter causes him to end up at Castle Dracula.

SCARS is, arguably, the low point of the series but that doesn't mean there's nothing to enjoy here. The little cardboard castle is quite charming and the set for Castle Dracula isn's bad either. John Elder / Anthony Hinds' script ransacks bits of Stoker but it's better to have a bit of Stoker in these things than none at all, and the concept of the Count's resting place being a room all-but inaccessible to anyone but him is nicely creepy. Composer James Bernard probably emerges the best from this, providing a score that deservedly received a dedicated CD release some years later.

Studio Canal's transfer looks splendid. SCARS always looked very crisp on their previous Blu-ray release but this is even better. Whoever thought we'd get to see Bob Todd in 4K? Archival extras include the Christopher Lee / Roy Ward Baker commentary track, a short making of (Blood Rites - 18 minutes) and a Christopher Matthews interview from 2006 (11 minutes). 

New is an interview with author (and relative of Bram) Dacre Stoker (17 minutes) who covers the material taken from the novel that was used in SCARS OF DRACULA, and a discussion between critic Clarisse Loughrey and actor/writer Isaura Barbé-Brown (31 minutes) which is very listenable and (surprisingly) finds some nice things to say about a film that has received quite the critical drubbing over the years. There's also a still gallery and trailer, and the set comes with a 64 page book containing new essays and the original press kit, as well as two posters. 

Hammer's SCARS OF DRACULA is out on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Studio Canal on Monday 24th November 2025

Dark Star 4K (1974)

 

Fabulous Films are bringing out John Carpenter's (and Dan O'Bannon's) DARK STAR, in both limited edition 4K UHD website exclusive and standard Blu-ray editions. 

The scout ship Dark Star is twenty Earth years and three 'real' years into its mission of finding unstable planets that could prevent human colonisation and blowing them up. Time has not been kind to the Dark Star or its crew of five, one of whom is already dead when the film begins. All the toilet paper has been destroyed, a beach ball-type alien rescued as a 'mascot' is keen to cause havoc, and an encounter with a meteor storm causes a communication laser to malfunction. When one of their talking bombs gets stuck in the bomb bay it may finally be all over for our increasingly frustrated / insane crew members.

Created on a shoestring (O'Bannon cites $55 000 in the extras), DARK STAR was made during what was arguably America's Golden Age of SF film production, one that began with the release of PLANET OF THE APES in 1967 and which continued with such US-driven thought-provoking pieces as 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, SILENT RUNNING, SOYLENT GREEN and PHASE IV until the release of STAR WARS in 1977 killed it pretty much stone dead, to be replaced with slick, profitable, but essentially non-challenging space adventure pictures. 

What makes DARK STAR stand out in this golden period is that it's a comedy, which must have been something of a surprise to audiences back in the day. O'Bannon would further develop some of the ideas here in his screenplay for ALIEN (1979) but in 1974 it must have seemed pretty radical to have scruffy astronauts bickering, dancing, getting bored and working in one of the most claustrophobic and cramped control rooms ever committed to celluloid.

Fabulous Films' disc includes both the original 71 minute director's cut and the 83 minute expanded theatrical release. DARK STAR has always been a pretty grainy film but the 4K here looks as excellent as it possibly could, with good detail and no picture noise even on the brightest monitor setting. Extras on the disc start with the 2010 documentary on the making of the film that's almost two hours long and which includes interviews with a bunch of familiar names including Carpenter and O'Bannon (his final recorded interview), Tommy Lee Wallace, Jeff Burr and producer Jack Harris.

Other archival extras include a commentary from 'superfan' Andrew Gilchrist, Alan Dean Foster talking about the film and his career for 35 minutes (essential stuff if you haven't read his memoir), actor Brian Narelle's behind the scenes stories and life and career overview (40 minutes), a 3D guide to the Dark Star ship, and a written introduction from O'Bannon that's rather fun. There are also poster and still galleries, written biographies of Carpenter, O'Bannon, Harris and Narelle and some trivia notes all ported over. New to this release is a booklet containing an essay by Michael Doyle from his forthcoming massive (and still increasing in size according to FAB publisher Harvey Fenton last week) book on John Carpenter and 'Commander Powell's Mission Log' which is also a nice bit of extra fun.

Fabulous Films, a company best known for decent reissues of older movies and TV shows, have pushed the boat out with their DARK STAR 4K UHD package. As well as the disc with all the extras above, the set boasts a slipcase around a rigid clamshell box that includes a sew-on mission patch, and a cardboard case containing 'mission files', which actually includes reproductions of the front of house still set, a double-sided UK quad poster repro showing that the infamous David Hamilton Grant was responsible for bringing this film to Britain, and a copy of the Bryanston Pictures press-book. Exceedingly posh and all very nice to have.

John Carpenter's DARK STAR is now available on Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Fabulous Films. The 'O' ring / clamshell / sew-on patch limited edition of 500 is only available from the Fabulous Films Website. 

Adulthood (2025)

 

Signature Entertainment are releasing director Alex 'BILL & TED' Winter's black comedy that veers more towards the black than the comedy.

Brother and sister Noah (Josh Gad from FROZEN and...er...PIXELS) and Meg (Kaya Scodelario from CRAWL) are reunited when their invalid mother suffers a stroke. Planning to clear out her house they make the unexpected discovery of a body walled up in the cellar. Assuming their mother must have been the perpetrator they dispose of it in a nearby quarry.

Unfortunately their mother has already confessed all from her hospital bed to her carer Grace (Billie Lourd). Grace then decides to blackmail Noah and Meg who, instead of going to the police, rope in their psychotic friend Bodie (Anthony Carrigan) to scare Grace. Grace then brings in an even bigger man to scare Noah and Meg, and things get worse and considerably bloodier from there.

An entertaining dark comedy that features useless (Noah), desperate (Meg) and just plain mad (Bodie) characters being thrown into a situation where no-one acts rationally, ADULTHOOD benefits from some decent performances and a script that will have you guessing as to where it's all actually going right up to the end. There's nothing outstandingly new or original here but if black comedies are your thing you won't consider your time wasted with this one. Here's a trailer:

Alex Winter's ADULTHOOD is out on digital from Signature Entertainment on Monday 17th November 2025

Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)

"Terrific Stuff for Fans"

Hammer continues its invaluable series of extras-packed 4K restoration releases with this three disc set devoted to the studio's first colour film. As an essential  bonus we also get the hour long 1969 WOLFSHEAD which was subsequently released in UK cinemas as a support feature in 1973.

MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST stars Don Taylor (Hammer's best Robin Hood, suggests David Huckvale in his commentary) in this tale of a plan to rescue Richard the Lionheart (Patrick Holt) from a prison in Germany. Unfortunately Robin ends up captured as well and the Merry Men have to rescue him. If you're a fan of classic British cinema and television of the period you'll find plenty of familiar faces here including Reginald Beckwith (NIGHT OF THE DEMON) as Friar Tuck, Ballard Berkely (Fawlty Towers) as Walter, and Leonard Sachs (The Good Old Days and KONGA) as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hammer's 4K restoration is so vivid the colours almost pop out of the screen, and pretty much the same can be said for the other movie to grace this release

WOLFSHEAD is probably better known than MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST because of its star David Warbeck and director John Hough. However if you've only ever seen available online transfers (or the VHS tape) be prepared to give your eyes a treat as we get an utterly gorgeous restoration of this Hammer piece from 1969. Other familiar faces in the cast include Roy Evans (the first face we see), Kathleen Byron (BLACK NARCISSUS), Ciaran Madden (THE BEAST MUST DIE) and Dan Meaden (THE CREEPING FLESH). 

Hammer's three disc set consists of one UHD and two Blu-rays. Everything is on the UHD, with the same content reproduced on Blu-ray disc one for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST and its associated extras, and disc two for WOLFSHEAD.

David Huckvale provides the commentary track for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST, which is enthusiastic, meticulously presented and highly informative, while Tim Worthington does the same for WOLFSHEAD. Other extras for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST include Neil Brand discussing Doreen Carwithen's score to MEN (23 minutes), Neil Sinyard talking about the film and its director, Val Guest (20 minutes), and Keith M Johnston and Melanie Williams discussing colour in British film (29 minutes). Swashbuckler is a delightful 31 minute discussion of the genre spent in the company of experts Barry Forshaw, Allan Bryce, Richard Holliss and Bruce G Hallenbeck. For WOLFSHEAD you also get the original VHS version if you fancy comparing, as well as a 27 minute excerpt from the 2007 BEHP interview with John Hough. 

Finally, the set comes with the usual luxury packaging and other extras associated with all the Hammer releases, including a book with new essays, posters and a slipcase to keep it all in (see below). This really is the way to do this sort of thing, and by concentrating on more obscure films as well as their famous classics, Hammer are providing an invaluable service in documenting the lesser-known side of British popular cinema of the period. Terrific stuff for fans of Robin Hood movies and British cinema in general.

Hammer's 4K Restoration of MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST is out in a limited edition three disc set (one UHD and two Blu-rays) with all the trimmings on Monday 17th November 2025

Maxxxine 4K UHD (2024)

Second Sight Films are releasing, in both limited and standard 4K UHD editions, the final film in writer-director Ti West's 'X' trilogy. They're bringing out the second, PEARL, as well, but not X because of rights issues which are sadly denying collectors the opportunity of a gorgeous box set of the three. 

MAXXXINE continues the adventures of porn star Maxine (Mia Goth) who we last saw in X. It's now 1985 and Maxine, having reached the peak of her adult film career, wants to move into more legitimate movies. She gets a part in 'The Puritan II', directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki). Meanwhile a giallo-like killer that has been labelled The Night Stalker by the media is slashing their way through victims that include workers in the adult entertainment industry and Maxine might just be next.

In one of the interviews on this disc Ti West talks about how he wanted the final film in the trilogy to be both as different from the previous two films as they were from each other, for it to be the most bombastic, and for each of the three films to be different in terms of cinematic style. He certainly succeeded on all three counts. MAXXXINE depicts the grungy side of 1985 Los Angeles (production designer Jason Kisvardy suggested a REPO MAN look and if you've seen that film you'll know what he means). It all goes quite crazy at the end but throughout this is a movie where restraint has gone firmly out of the window. 

Second Sight's 4K transfer keeps the grainy look of the movie and comes with a number of new extras, including a commentary track from Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes and new interviews with West (16 minutes), producer Jacob Jaffke (30 minutes), DP Eliot Rockett (21 minutes), and designer Kisvardy (24 minutes, audio only), while Kat Hughes provides a 15 minute visual essay.

There are a bunch of archival 'making of' extras that consist of around 30 minutes of cast and crew interviews including Goth, Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Giancarlo Esposito, Halsey, Lily Collins and Michele Monaghan. Finally there's a Q&A with Ti West at one of the movie's first showings to which he has brought Molly his 'emotional support puppy' for horror film dog lovers everywhere. Second Sight's limited edition comes with a 120 page book with new writing on the film, six art cards and a rigid slipcase. 

Ti West's MAXXXINE is being released by Second Sight on 4K UHD in both limited and standard editions on Monday 17th November 2025