{"id":26585,"date":"2023-06-27T01:47:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T08:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=26585"},"modified":"2023-06-27T01:47:54","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T08:47:54","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-enter-the-video-store-empire-of-screams-collectors-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=26585","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! Blu-ray Review: ENTER THE VIDEO STORE: EMPIRE OF SCREAMS Collector\u2019s Set"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Arrow Video Blu-ray box set containing five movies\nfrom Empire Pictures is currently available.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back in the 1980s, home video and horror movies were all the\nrage. Major studios were producing tons of features and this era also saw\nindependents attempting to get in on the action. Charles Band was a filmmaker\nwho formed his own production company in the 1970s, but took issue with the way\ndistributors handled his movies. In 1983, he formed Empire Pictures and began\nfinancing and making films for theatrical and home video markets. They only\nlasted five years, but in that time the company released titles like Ghoulies,\nTrancers, Re-Animator, Ghoulies, From Beyond, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball\nBowl-O-Rama, Intruder<\/em> and many more. To be frank, most genre enthusiasts\nmissed their theatrical runs and caught up with these titles on VHS, where they\ndeveloped an adoring audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow Video have selected five lesser-known but noteworthy\nfilms for their new Blu-ray box set, Enter the Video Store: Empire of\nScreams Collection<\/em>. As expected, the titles have been given picture\nupgrades and arrive with some fantastic extras. Specifically, it contains The\nDungeonmaster<\/em> (1984), Dolls<\/em> (1986), Cellar Dweller<\/em> (1987), Arena<\/em>\n(1989) and Robot Jox<\/em> (1990). Once again, Arrow has done a great job and\nthe set itself is a blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first film, The Dungeonmaster<\/em>, is an early title from\nthe studio. While one might expect a low-budget knock-off of Conan the\nBarbarian<\/em>, Tron<\/em> seems to be a closer inspiration. It is actually a\nmovie about a computer programmer Paul (Jeffrey Byron) who obsesses over new\ntechnology so much that his girlfriend Gwen (Leslie Wing) begins having doubts\nabout their relationship. An evil wizard named Mestema (Richard Moll) pulls the\npair into a fantasy world where they must complete seven tasks in order to\nsurvive. Paul\u2019s only help is his computer, which offers advice and assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The movie is actually an anthology with seven different\ndirectors. It is quite hammy and dated (the lead\u2019s outfit is particularly\nill-considered) and the computer saves the lead\u2019s ass almost all the time, but\nsome of the segments do stand out and the film moves at a rapid pace. Monster\nfans will certainly appreciate the prosthetic monsters created by John Carl\nBuechler in the \u201cDemons of the Dead\u201d short, in which Paul must do battle with a\ntroll and creatures from beyond the grave. The best segment is \u201cSlasher,\u201d which\nis set in the modern world in which Paul is mistaken for a serial killer and\nonly has an hour to find the real culprit and save Gwen from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is no classic, but it does deliver B-movie fun. The\npicture has been given a 2K restoration and the extras are a blast as well.\nThere are three different cuts of the movie, including the pre-release version,\na US theatrical edition and an international cut (called Ragewar<\/em>). There\nis a lengthy interview with star Byron and a commentary track with the\nperformer. Byron details the start of Empire Pictures and the quick production\nschedule, talking about the extra responsibilities given to him by Band in\nputting this low-budget movie together. After wrapping production on\nUniversal\u2019s Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn<\/em> with lead Byron,\nthe two began shooting The Dungeonmaster<\/em> the following day. Each segment\nwas shot in roughly 24 hours by a different filmmaker. Curiously enough, each\nof the cuts orders the challenges differently. Byron goes into some of the\nshooting challenges and delivers plenty of interesting tidbits. The disc also\ncomes with a trailer and image gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dolls<\/em> from Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond<\/em>)\nis a genuinely great little genre film. The story follows a group of characters\nwho find themselves stranded at the home of a pair of elderly toy makers. It\nsoon becomes clear that the dolls are actually made from wicked, miniaturized\nhumans with a taste for violence. Those inside end up fighting for survival. The\neffects are surprisingly strong for an independent feature and the mix of fairy\ntale and horror works well. Gordon uses the camera well and presents plenty of\nwonderful angles and memorable moments as the leads come face to face with a\nvariety of creations. There\u2019s a giant bear attack that stands out, and all of\nthe elaborate attack scenes actually hold up and look better than some recent\ntitles with a similar storyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alas, when Dolls<\/em> was originally released, it wasn\u2019t\nas well thought of by genre fans as it should have been. They took issue with\nthe fairy tale elements and didn\u2019t appreciate the director veering away from\nhis previous, more graphic terror flicks. The late, great Gordon himself goes\ninto this himself in an archived commentary with writer Ed Naha. Gordon\nexplains the deep-rooted connection between childhood fables and horror and why\nthey both can coexist in the same picture. His argument is a very convincing\none. Of course, there are plenty of tales about shooting in Italy (Band\npurchased a studio there and many productions were shot on lots there). The\nmaking-of is also very enlightening, with many detailing how Gordon shot it\nback-to-back with From Beyond<\/em> on the same studio house set (which was\nredressed), as well as the impressive but time-consuming effects work that\npushed the film\u2019s release after the previously mentioned follow-up film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The disc includes a great many other bonuses, including an\narchival cast commentary and a new audio track with Empire Pictures alumnus\nDavid Decoteau, who goes on about his personal interactions with the director\nand their friendship. Additionally, an interview with Gordon\u2019s editor is\nfascinating and offers plenty of interesting details about their working\nrelationship on several projects. There are also film-to-storyboard\ncomparisons, publicity materials and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cellar Dweller<\/em> from John Carl Buechler was one of the\nlowest-budgeted titles from Empire and was released straight-to-video, but it\nhas managed to find a following due to its unique concept. An aspiring comic\nbook creator (Debrah Mullowney) travels to the artist colony where her hero\nColin Childress (Jeffrey Combs) used to work before being blamed for a murder.\nOnce there, she makes friends and enemies and learns that those who draw in the\nbasement studio can bring creatures to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is low-budget and takes a while to deliver any monster\nmayhem, but it\u2019s a likable picture with some great practical effects. One of\nthe interesting plusses is that the able protagonist is incredibly charismatic,\npossessing a likable self-assuredness that stands out among other titles of its\nera. There are some fun interactions between herself and the other characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those looking to learn more about the movie after viewing it\nwill find an excellent interview and commentary track with Michael Deak, a\nmake-up effects artist and friend of the late Buechler who played the monster\nin the film. He has some entertaining stories about the production and the\nperformers. There\u2019s also a great featurette about Buechler and his career that\nwill make many want to revisit his films. Additionally, there are promo materials,\npersonal set photos from Deak, and a sales sheet used to help get funding for\nthe picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The fourth Blu-ray contains Arena<\/em>, which was another\ntitle that was shot in 1988 as the company was in financial trouble and took a\ncouple of extra years to find a release. The movie is set around an\nintergalactic fighting league. A human short-order cook (Paul Satterfield) is\ndiscovered by a promoter (Claudia Christian) and ends up in the ring battling a\nwide variety of aliens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept is great, the fighting monsters are a joy to\nbehold and there are some fun moments. They certainly do some nifty things with\nthe sets, but it does feel like a movie in desperate need of a little extra\ncash to help sell its epic scale. In addition to a widescreen edition restored\nin 2K, there is also a full-frame version that emulates how most people saw the\nflick for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most intriguing elements are found in the bonus\nfeatures. There\u2019s a commentary with the director who details the many\nchallenges he faced in completing the film. It seems that the budget was cut in\nhalf at the beginning of production, and co-producer Irwin Yablans was a thorn\nin the filmmaker\u2019s side from the beginning, causing numerous problems. The\ninterview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson (co-writer of The Rocketeer<\/em>\nand the recent Da 5 Bloods<\/em>) is equally critical. He insists that the\noriginal screenplay was much sharper and that Band made significant changes\nthat ended up being a detriment to the finished project. He has other negative\ncomments about Band actions while the executive struggled to keep things afloat\nat Empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The final disc delivers another title from Stuart Gordon, the low-budget science-fiction opus Robot Jox<\/em>. It\u2019s set years after nuclear war has ravaged the world. In an attempt to prevent further human losses, governments use giant fighting robots to resolve political disputes. Robot pilot Achilles (Gary Graham) represents the American-influenced market, who must square off against Alexander (Paul Koslo) from the Soviet-influenced territories. Also involved in the fracas is Athena (Anne-Marie Johnson), a genetically engineer pilot ready to take over for Achilles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, the movie doesn\u2019t have as big of a budget as it\nshould, but it holds up surprisingly well and offers some thrills. The fights\nare interestingly rendered, the climax offers a big surprise and the movie\ndelves into some serious subjects with a surprising level of skill. The cast is\nalso great, with the over-the-top Koslo\u2019s work being a highlight. Lines like\n\u201cAchilles, I\u2019ve already killed you\u2026 up here!\u201d (screamed aloud as Alexander\npoints to his head) are entertainingly delivered and make a lasting impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Besides a 2K upgrade, the Blu-ray also contains some great\nextras. There\u2019s an excellent archived interview and commentary with Gordon in\nwhich he notes what prompted this venture into science-fiction (namely, his\nadmiration for Transformers<\/em> and Robotech: The Macross Saga<\/em>). He\nalso notes working with screenwriter and author and war veteran Joe Halderman\nto get a deeper understanding of and realistic tone to the characters. There\u2019s\na featurette on the elaborate visual effects and a commentary track from the\nvisual effects artists. Additionally, there are interviews with Gary Graham,\nAnne-Marie Johnson and Paul Koslo. And all note the unintentional connections\nwith later science-fiction robot epic Pacific Rim<\/em> (remarkably, the pitch\nfor this film\u2019s unrealized follow-up involved the surviving characters from all\nnations joining forces to fend off giant alien invaders).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graham talks about the shoot in Italy with some fun tales,\nbut notes that he still doesn\u2019t care for the film\u2019s ending. Although from this\nreviewer\u2019s perspective, that is what makes it interesting (especially\nconsidering the fact that both men are responsible for the deaths of so many\naround them). Johnson notes how ahead of its time the movie was and how much\nattention it still gets. There\u2019s much more, including promo materials, sales\nsheets and other bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if that weren\u2019t enough, the box also comes with a book\nfeaturing new writing on the movies, as well as double sided posters for each\nfilm and reproduction art-cards. If you\u2019re familiar with the films of this\nindependent studio, then you\u2019re guaranteed to enjoy the Enter the Video\nStore: Empire of Screams<\/em> Blu-ray box set. These films aren\u2019t all classics,\nbut they do deliver B-movie thrills better than many can claim, even today. The\nfilms all look a little sharper and the bonuses reveal more fascinating details\nand secrets about what went on behind-the-scenes. It\u2019s fascinating to watch and\nthe set comes highly recommended. Don\u2019t hesitate to pick it up if you can still\nfind it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Arrow Video Blu-ray box set containing five movies from Empire Pictures is currently available. Back in the 1980s, home video and horror movies were all the rage. Major studios were producing tons of features and this era also saw independents attempting to get in on the action. Charles Band was a filmmaker who formed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":26586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[112,342,927,1772,1836,3073,3365,4056,6028,6960,6999,9319,9774,10829,12732,17223,19229,20561],"class_list":["post-26585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-1980s","tag-80s","tag-albert-band","tag-arena","tag-arrow-video","tag-blu-ray-review","tag-box-set","tag-cellar-dweller","tag-dolls","tag-empire-pictures","tag-enter-the-video-store-empire-of-screams","tag-horror","tag-independent","tag-john-carl-buechler","tag-low-budget","tag-robot-jox","tag-stuart-gordon","tag-the-dungeonmaster"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26585\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}