Scream Factory is easily my favorite DVD/Blu-Ray distributor out there. They put out these top-quality Collector’s Editions of incredible films from the past and present. Sometimes they’re releasing films we’ve all heard of and other times it’s forgotten hidden gems.
There are plenty of other companies that do this, but Scream Factory’s releases tend to have this extra special care put into them. I frequently purchase films from them, as well as get movies in the mail to review for this site.
I’ve compiled this little list of the Top 10 releases that Scream Factory brought us in 2015. All 10 of this are must haves in a horror buff’s collection.
#10 – Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits
Vampire’s Kiss is pretty infamous for being a Nicholas Cage movie with Cage at his Cageiest (and trust me … it is), but it’s also a pretty decent movie. It plays out almost like a vampire version of American Psycho, where you can’t tell if this man is undead or just bored. However that is not the reason why I love this set, it’s actually because of the 2nd film, High Spirits. I had never heard of this haunted house/family film before and it was a real treat. Just a funny, sweet, and charming little forgotten flick.
#9 – New Year’s Evil
In the 80’s pursuit to make a slasher film out of every holiday there had to be at least one inspired by New Year’s. The film is a weird one; it’s not particularly good, and the kills aren’t anything to write home about, but yet I love it anyway. What the movie lacks in quality kills it more than makes up in an absurd premise, a killer soundtrack and a pretty bad-ass slasher mask.
#8 – Troll/Troll 2
As far as a great buy you will watch over and over again… this Troll double feature is a must have. Not only does it include both of the Troll films (including the infamously terrible sequel) but it comes with the amazing documentary Best Worst Movie.
We give a lot of attention to house truly insane the sequel is, but I think we over-look how equally bat-shit the original is. Take some time to revisit both (as well as one of the best documentaries about filmmaking).
#7 – The Sentinel
Scream Factory isn’t all about the shlock. The Sentinel is a 70’s masterpiece filled with good gore, a creepy premise, some fantastic make-up and an amazing performance from Burgess Meredith. It’s everything that made these atmospheric haunted house films from the 70’s so beautiful. This low-budget and tragically forgotten gem feels like a mix between Rosemary’s Baby and The Beyond. Few films on the rest of this list come more genuinely recommended than this one.
#6 – Cellar Dweller/Catacombs
Catacombs is a pretty decent movie and I know plenty of people who considered it the better of these two films, but I will always be thankful to Scream Factory for putting Cellar Dweller into my life. The whole movie is pretty great but the first 10 minutes featuring Jeffery Combs and a killer monster from a cartoon he drew is just good fun.
#5 – Mad Max
Hot on the heels of the sleeper hit that was Fury Road, Scream Factory was able to release and amazing Mad Max Blu-Ray. The original Mad Max is the slowest and least bonkers of the franchise. I didn’t like it when I first saw it… but Scream Factory’s beautiful transfer returns the film to the legendary status of it’s sequels.
#4 – Carrie/The Rage Carrie 2
Be warned… this is not the original Carrie film. It is a combination of a made-for-TV movie that is … interesting but not very good and the criminally underrated The Rage: Carrie II. I Put off seeing this sequel for years until Scream Factory forced my hand by sending me a copy to review. It is probably one of my favorite movies I discovered this year. It’s super 90’s and left me feeling nostalgia towards a film I’d never even seen. The deaths at the end are brutal and fun and the performances range from good to great. It’s never going to be better than the original but I don’t think it was ever trying to be.
#3 – The People Under the Stairs
Beyond all reason, this is my favorite Wes Craven movie. You can have your Freddy, you can watch The Last House on the Left, you can have Ghost-face and the clan from The Hills Have Eyes, I’ll keep my crazy rich people in S&M gear. I rented this movie as a kid because I thought it was a completely different film (It wasn’t until years later I found out the movie I was looking for was the borderline unwatchable Saturday the 14th Strikes Back) and was so confused by it. However I couldn’t stop watching it. When I heard that Scream Factory was putting it out on Blu-Ray I knew I had to own it. They didn’t disappoint in any way shape of form. This is a top quality Blu-Ray of one of the most bizarre films ever unleashed on society.
#2 – Blood & Lace
When I requested Scream Factory send me a review copy of this movie it was because I mistakenly thought it was Blood & Black Lace. I was moderately disappointed when I realized I had been mistaken, but immediately the disappointment washed away when I watched the movie. What impresses me the most about this movie is that it’s so unknown. It’s a slasher film from 1971 that has the “Killer POV” shot a good 3 years before Black Christmas and 7 years before Halloween made the shot a famous troupe. The film is far from perfect but it’s fun and contains one of the craziest endings in slasher history (up there with Pieces).
#1 – Class of 1984
Adam from Horror Movie Night loves this movie. One of my earliest memories of him was him getting me to watch this movie and being disappointed I didn’t adore it. I enjoyed it, I just… didn’t love it. Than I saw that Scream Factory had released it on Blu-Ray and decided to buy it and give it a second chance… I’m glad I did. This film is full of colors, 80’s punks, over the top violence, and pure insanity. It’s exploitation at its finest.
It looks like 2016 is going to be another great year for Scream Factory we can look forward to releases like a double feature of The Curse and The Curse 2, Disturbing Behavior, Cherry Falls, Death Becomes Her, Manhunter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II & Return of the Living Dead (just to name a few). If I can offer some requests I’d love to one day see My Best Friend is a Vampire, Alligator & Alligator II: The Mutation, Mom and Dad Save the World and The Brian all eventually get the loving Scream Factory treatment.
Matt Kelly is one of the hosts of Horror Movie Night, has a daily blog called Every Damn DVD and thinks you should totally buy him something off his amazon wishlist.