A one-stop shop for cult classics, horror flicks and kiddie fare
Cult classics, horror flicks, rare TV shows and ... “Jem and the Holograms”?
One specialty video outlet dabbles in all of these genres, and their most recent announcement will have the geekiest sci-fi fans buzzing.
Shout Factory will release the first Blu-ray edition of 1984's “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” on Aug. 16. If you're thinking, “That sounds like an insane movie,” you're right — it stars Peter Weller (“RoboCop”) as a neurosurgeon/rock star/physicist who has to save the world from ugly red aliens led by an unhinged John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”). It also features a car that can pass through solid matter, Jeff Goldblum dressed as a cowboy, a memorable soundtrack and the coolest end-credits sequence ever filmed.
What else is in this crazy catalog?
Horror films like “Return of the Living Dead” and John Carpenter's “They Live,” each adorned with new artwork on the covers. Shout Factory also has forgotten gems, like the May 24 revival of the original Hannibal Lecter film, Michael Mann's “Manhunter.” The 1986 adaptation of Thomas Harris' “Red Dragon” stars Evanston's own William Petersen as FBI profiler Will Graham and Scottish character actor Brian Cox as Lecter. The package includes two different cuts of the film and new interviews with the stars, plus features on the cinematography and music.
The outlet is also where you can find boxed sets of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” episodes, kid favorites like “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” and “Power Rangers,” and even relics from Nickelodeon's vault — including all five seasons of the '90s dude ranch comedy “Hey Dude.” (Yippie-ty-yi-what?)
Check out the full catalog at shoutfactory.com.
Back in ‘Black'
The ladies of Litchfield prison return to Netflix for their fourth season of “Orange is the New Black” on June 17. Exactly one month earlier on Tuesday, you can get last summer's batch of 13 episodes on Blu-ray and DVD.
Why buy a show you can stream from Netflix? The incentives for superfans include a gag reel, two new documentary featurettes and episode commentaries. (Not to mention an HD picture that won't go all splotchy if your Wi-Fi is on the fritz.)
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.