Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. I’ll skip the full run-down on this film since it was as recently as August that I covered its theatrical run here. If forced to give a one-line summation, I’d say that when the movie delivers either laughs or action, it often does so impressively—but there are too many stretches where it does neither. Yet even if you’ve already seen this tale of ordinary-Joe-turned-hero, you’ll want to spend some time exploring the DVD since the folks at Anchor Bay have done one of their typical bang-up jobs. There’s an epic 48-minute long “making of” featurette which actually starts so far back in the creative process that you’ll hear the producers discussing why they chose horror as the genre for their first film collaboration. A remarkably detailed and clear segment on the making of the monsters seems like it would make a good primer for fledging filmmakers. It’s complemented by another piece covering a topic that I’d like to see included in extras more frequently: the music; in this case, Ryan Shore’s orchestral score, which is really rather rousing and wonderful. There’s also a brief bit on the premiere of the film at Sitges and, of course, a commentary track. If this was one of your favorite horror flicks of the year, as it seems to have been for many people, you’ll find that the DVD should help you relive the fun that much more. October 7

Beyond the Door. I may be giving away my advanced years and a certain amount of “genre cred,” but I have to confess that I’ve wanted to see this film since childhood, when the TV spots gave me a heavy dose of full-blown chills. Now, thanks to the incredibly complete and historically-minded job that’s been done by the Code Red label, I was able to wallow in nostalgia like a pig in slop. For example, just the way that star Juliet Mills introduces the film (her commentary is also classy and sweet) makes you want to give her a hug and a cup of hot tea. Of course casting her in the Linda Blair part in the first place was itself, well, if not exactly subversive, then at least naughty, as she was best known to American audiences at the time for her lead role on NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR.

All right, but is the film itself any good? It’s actually hard for me to say since I’m predisposed to finding so many of its aspects interesting.

Think about the most obvious way you might go about blending ROSEMARY’S BABY and THE EXORCIST and that’s what Beyond the Door in fact does: “Hey, let’s make the pregnant woman herself possessed and spewing green goo all over the place!” Yet there’s also much that’s original and downright disturbing in the film, some of which doesn’t even involve any head-spinning antics. For example, Mills’s “normal” kids are incredibly devilish in their own right, so much so that the entire film can be read as chronicling her character’s ambivalence about bringing an unplanned pregnancy to term (remember, this film was shot in the U.S. soon after Roe v. Wade). This is a reading born out by one of the earliest scenes in the film, in which she leaves her kids unattended in a supermarket parking lot—in a convertible, no less—while she blithely goes about her shopping. Loaded with almost too many special features to mention (although I should call out the superb video memoir by actor Richard Johnson), this DVD release is probably a must-have for connoisseurs of either Italian horror or ‘70s horror in general. September 16

Thirst. Don’t put off by the box art: this is not the umpteenth million standard-issue vampire flick you’ve ever seen. Far from it, in fact. Released in 1979, Thirst bears many signs of both ‘70s and ‘80s genre filmmaking, but somehow avoids their clichés. Indeed, Thirst is like nothing so much as a latter-day Hammer film in its intelligence and production quality. However, the film was actually made in Australia (though featuring non-Aussies such as Henry Silva and David Hemmings in key roles) during the period that Synapse Films is wisely highlighting with its recent releases. Thirst takes the idea of using “vampirism” as a metaphor for social and economic relations (e.g., vampiric capitalists/MNC’s/trial lawyers, etc.) and dramatizes it in terms that are boldly original. So instead of supernatural goings-on, the film uses the conceit of the old PRISONER TV series, except in this case “The Village” consists entirely of blood drinkers (and their domesticated food supply); and instead of wanting to coerce information out of the protagonist, the residents want to “turn” her. An even more apt parallel might exist with THE TIME MACHINE, in which the Eloi are bred into docile sheep by the cannibalistic Morlocks while ostensibly enjoying plenty of fun in the sun. So while there are no crosses, stakes, or moonlight vistas to speak of in THIRST, think hard about how nasty and effective the term “blood-cow” is.

The film’s many pleasures include Brian May’s brassy, enervating score, which comes across like John Barry on a minor-key jag. While terrific on its own, the pulse-pounding music also serves as the perfect counterpoint to Rod Hardy’s no-fuss, no-muss direction. Overall, Hardy’s work, along with that of DP Vincent Monton, is deceptively skillful (the gliding tracking shots are particularly strong). At about an hour into the film there’s a bizarre Sam Raimi- or Mario Bava-style sequence involving a possessed house, and for me it works. Still, its presence may irk others by pointing to the lack of such all-out horror in the rest of the film or simply by clashing with the prevailing mood up to that point. My recommendation is to check out the film and make up your own mind. October 28

Well, that's it. Thanks for reading and have a great Halloween...