islandclaws

Given that this is now a full-fledged line, let's get a proper thread going.



CHOPPING MALL BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• AUDIO COMMENTARIES:
• Director/Co-Writer Jim Wynorski, Actress Kelli Maroney, and Co-Writer/2nd Unit Director Steve Mitchell
• Historians/Authors Nathaniel Thompson (Mondo Video) and Ryan Turek (Shock Till You Drop)
• Director/Co-Writer Jim Wynorski and Co-Writer/2nd Unit Director Steve Mitchell

• FEATURETTES:
• “Back to the Mall”
• “Chopping Chopping Mall”
• “The Killbots”
• “Scoring Chopping Mall”
• “The Robot Speaks”
• “The Lost Scene”
• “Army of One”
• “Chopping Mall: Creating the Killbots”

• Isolated Score Track by Chuck Cirino

• Trailer



Mythical gore classic Blood Diner and other Vestron titles finally set to arrive on Blu-ray.

For those of us horror and cult cinema enthusiasts who came of age in the 1980s, the Vestron Video brand was mythical. It still is, with VHS collectors always on the lookout for rare titles to add to their antiquated stash.

Among the myriad amazing international films distributed (and in some cases, financed) by the sadly long defunct Vestron was strange cinema legend Jackie Kong’s crazed, barf-tastic 1987 splatter comedy Blood Diner (read our recent words about the film here), a movie designed to honor the groundbreaking gore films of H.G. Lewis and a picture that is the holy grail for many ’80s genre aficionados.

But many of the revered titles – Blood Diner included – in the Vestron library have sort of gone missing, with fans hungering for proper releases of these amazing pictures.

Now, Lionsgate is primed to sate that starvation with their astounding Vestron Video Collector’s Series, a line of classic genre films newly remastered for Blu-ray release and armed with a wealth of mind-melting supplementary features.

And they’re starting the party with Blood Diner (which was released via Vestron’s scrappier sister label Lightning Pictures in ’87)!

Jackie Kong on Blu-ray! Finally! Hallelujah! Praise Sheetar!

And, like all future Vestron Video Collector’s Series titles will be available for a limited time only.

Each limited-edition feature, transferred from the original film elements to high-definition Blu-ray, is packed with special features including brand-new audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews with cast & crew.

Blood Diner’s Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99.

And best of all, Kong – who, throughout her career has been notoriously press-shy and elusive – has rolled up her sleeves and was personally involved in almost every aspect of this new release.

Says Jackie: “I supervised the mastering of the Blu-ray with the DP, so it looks incredible and has the intended color timing and exposures as the theatrical print release.”

Feast on these special features:

AUDIO COMMENTARY with Director Jackie Kong

FEATURETTES:
“Queen Kong”
“The Cook, The Uncle, and The Detective”
“Open for Business”
“Scoring for Sheetar!”
“You Are What They Eat”

Archival Interview with Project Consultant Eric Caidin

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Still Gallery

********************************

Chopping Mall & Blood Diner Blu-rays are set to street on September 27th.

Bluelitespecial

Since I love these type of movies I might check them out. Has the prices been set yet? Will they be cheap or will Lionsgate try to sell these at similar price points to say Shout Factory.

islandclaws

MSRP is $39.99 for both. No drop on Amazon yet but I believe BB has them for $27.99 each.

Ugly, I agree, but if they sell poorly we might not get more, so I'll probably bite once they're under $30.

clckworang

I'm really excited about the idea of this new line, but I'm not so excited about the pricing. $40?! Yikes. With Shout Factory, Twilight Time, Arrow (to an extent) and now Lionsgate, this is starting to look like the new normal.

While I'm happy to finally be getting the opportunity to buy many of these titles, the steep prices mean I'll probably miss out on many of them. It will be interesting to see what discounts, if any, we might see at some retailers.

hbilly

Chopping Mall and Blood Diner were released by Lightning Video, which was owned by Vestron Video. Still a neat line of releases but yeah, steep prices.

inri222

Hope they put this out

Josh-da-man

I don't remember seeing Blood Diner, if I did it didn't leave much of an impression on me, but Chopping Mall was a POS. I think I already have on one of Lions Gate's 8-movie DVDs, but didn't even bother to watch it.

Looks like Lions Gate is trying to create some kind of curated sub-label like Scream Factory with their back catalog of DTV crap.

The only LG title I might consider paying these outrageous prices for is an unrated Return of the Living III.

Adam Tyner

Blasphemy! I rented that over and over and over on VHS, even into college, and I love that movie to pieces.

rbrown498

I really can't imagine anyone who's ever seen either of these two movies liking one (or both) of them enough to fork out $40 (or $10, for that matter) for the "privilege" of owning it on Blu-ray. To quote the poster for Pet Sematary, sometimes dead is better.

Having said that, I just bought Rudy Ray Moore's Petey Wheatstraw--The Devil's Son-in-Law on Blu-ray, so what do I know? I expect Waxwork and its sequel, Parents, Earth Girls Are Easy, and Repossessed to show up sooner than later. I'd love, like inri222 posted above, for Ken Russell's Lair of the White Worm and Gothic to come out on Blu...but $40 is still too steep, even for Ken Russell.

Alan Smithee

This is the first time a 1980s video label has been brought back as a nostalgia thing!

DaveyJoe

There are tons of horror movie collectors that will snatch both of these up. They'll probably be $27.99 at Diabolik DVD, like Arrow titles are. There are many people on br.com claiming they'll pre-order both of them. Many of them are excited that Lionsgate is finally releasing some of their horror titles, and will support this line just to see some of their favorites get released. I'm going to grab both, and I hope they'll release Eyes of Fire in the future.

Shannon Nutt

Seems like 50 percent of the stuff I rented back in the 80s had the Vestron logo at the beginning.

(the other 50 percent had the Caballero logo )

clckworang

Like others have said, there's no doubt that these titles will sell. Horror collectors are pretty die hard. They'll definitely buy them.

Speaking of which, I showed a friend this news last night, and he was incredibly excited. He told me I had to buy them and that he was willing to chip in for them. If that's the case, I might be buying them after all.

Brian T

Would PAPERHOUSE qualify for a line like this, or is it with another company now?

Adam Tyner

It looks like it! When I look up Paperhouse for streaming on Amazon Video, it lists Lionsgate as the distributor, and the Vestron redux is their thing.

Adam Tyner

More...!

All over Return of the Living Dead 3, although I wonder which version it'll be.

Spiderbite

ROTLD 3! Hell yeah! I love that one. I will be glad to get rid of my DVD!

I am definitely in for Chopping Mall and Blood Diner. They just need to drop in price.

islandclaws

Killer lineup!

If they don't release the unrated ROTLD III, LG are fools.

Definitely in for ALL of these. Really hope Parents is on the horizon, too.

Inhumans99

I think Alligator is a Lionsgate/Vestron title...would be beyond awesome if this title was released on Blu (John Sayles story, stars Robert Forster and Robin Riker). I would bite the bullet and pay the full MSRP if that was the only price offered for Alligator.

DJariya

Surely they have to include this logo opening:

DthRdrX

Here is a list of everything they distributed.

DJariya

Funny I just bought a bootleg DVD of this classic Vestron title off an auction site:



I remember seeing this title in the video stores and wanting to see it, but my Mom wouldn't let me watch it because it was rated R. They claim this movie is the female version of Dirty Harry/Death Wish. This title isn't available on DVD either and has never been.

The lead actress is really hot. Classic 80's look.

Alan Smithee

Someone with time on their hands re-did the opening in HD- wonder if they'll use this on the discs?

Josh-da-man

Yeah, for $40 it had damned well better be the unrated version. No unrated, no sale.

Inhumans99

Doh! No Alligator on the list...oh well, I thought The Monster Squad would not show up on Blu and it did, so hope springs eternal.