This month’s Anchor Bay Upfront focused early on Hellboy: Blood and Iron (we’ve got a DVD review coming up soon;) but wait! there’s more! Never content to rest on their horror-laurels, we’ve got a couple other releases here to highlight for you. A bit of the ol’ issues-based horror, and some glorious, bloody vampires.
Right to Die
This latest Masters of Horror DVD sees Martin Donovan (Weeds) and Corbin Bernsen (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) squaring off over a Terry Schiavo impersonator, who seems to snag a big of Flatliners from time to time. After an horiffic car wreck, Donovan’s wife goes under. In an effort to spare her suffering, Donovan seeks a court order to end her life, but sometimes you just can’t keep a good dame down. Especially when dickish folks wrong her, or would try and benefit from her condition.
Right to Die was directed by Rob Schmidt, whose Eliza Dushku-sploitation flick Wrong Turn I enjoyed quite a bit. Instead of hick-horror here he’s tried his hand at something a little more poignant, and makes a good show of it. Bonuses include making-of featurettes, director commentary, original screenplay, and more
The Thirst
Guess what can slake it. Blood! It’s not as if the parallel hasn’t been drawn before, but here you go: two recovering drug addicts find themselves off the junk and on the iron-diet, caught up in a downward spiral of hunger and modest satisfaction. Unfortunately, while you can detox yourself from most of the harshest shit, there’s really no escaping the bare necessities of vampiric life.
There’s two actors that ought to snag your attention for this one: Adam Baldwin, who played Jayne on Firefly, and Jeremy Sisto, who I think has had at least a bit part in every single horror movie ever. Even from before he was born. He acts at relativstic speeds, or something. Anyway, while not adding anything new to vampire mythology, this bloody little thing gives the audience sex and violence by the spadeful, without asking much more than you enjoy yourself. Bonuses include commentary with writer/producer Mark A. Altman and composer Joe Kraemer, as well as behind-the-scenes info, a screenplay, and a fun little homage to our favorite vampie movies.