101 Films Black Label has announced that they are to release one of David Cronenberg’s early classics to the Blu-ray format very soon. The film will come to the HD format on 26th August a day after it premieres at Frightfest.
If you’re unfamiliar with the horror classic, here’s a recap followed by the planned, extensive bonus materials. When Rose suffers terrible injuries in a motorcycle crash, she is taken to a nearby clinic run by Dr Keloid for experimental skin-graft surgery. At first, the revolutionary procedure proves successful, but it soon leaves Rose with a strange orifice protruding from her armpit and an insatiable thirst for human blood. Hell-bent on satisfying her bloodlust, Rose leaves a trail of insane and uncontrollably aggressive victims, as the unknown virus engulfs North America in an orgy of frenetic violence.
Brand new extras
- The Quiet Revolution: State, Society and the Canadian Horror Film – Part One: Gimme Shelter: Cinepix and the Birth of the Canadian Horror Film, a brand new feature-length documentary exploring the social contexts behind Canadian horror cinema from filmmaker and author Xavier Mendik
- Audio commentary with filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska (directors of the 2019’s Rabid reimagining)
- Limited edition booklet: Includes ‘The Birth of Rabid’ by Greg Dunning and ‘Stunned. Shocked. Exhilarated: Horror in the Early Films of David Cronenberg’ by Alex Morris
Additional extras
- Audio commentary with writer-director David Cronenberg
- Audio commentary with William Beard, author of ‘The Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg’
- Audio commentary with Jill C. Nelson, author of ‘Golden Goddesses: 25 Legendary Women Of Classic Erotic Cinema, 1968-1985’ and Marilyn Chambers’ Personal
- Appearances Manager Ken Leicht
- Young And Rabid – An interview with actress Susan Roman
- Archive interview with David Cronenberg
- The Directors: David Cronenberg – a 1999 documentary on the filmmaker
- Interview with executive producer Ivan Reitman
- Interview with co-producer Don Carmody
- Trailer
- Radio spots
This new-to-the-UK 2K restoration will screen at the Arrow Films FrightFest Film Festival on Sunday 25 August.
101 Films Black Label will also release 90s horror gem Skinner in all its sinful, sleazy and violent glory in a brand new 4K re-release.
Dennis Skinner seems like a normal enough guy but he has a very abnormal hobby. At night, he creeps through the back streets looking for potential victims, and when he finds one, carefully removes their skin with an elaborate collection of knives. Heidi, one of Dennis’ victims, is on his trail, waiting for a chance to get her revenge, but in the meantime Dennis has developed a crush on Kerry and wants to find a way to show her he really cares.
The film stars Ted Raimi (Spider-Man), Traci Lords (Blade), David Warshofsky (There Will Be Blood), Richard Schiff (Se7en) and Rikki Lake (Hairspray). Skinner is directed by Ivan Nagy (The Hitchhiker) and written by Paul Hart Wilden (Alone).
Brand new extras
- Limited edition booklet includes ‘Finding Skinner’ – Screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilden on the long and multi-faceted search for the ‘lost’ Skinner master
- Additional extras
- A Touch of Scandal – Interview with Director Ivan Nagy
- Under His Skin – Interview with Star Ted Raimi
- Bargain Bin VHS For A Buck – Interview with Screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilden
- Cutting Skinner – Interview with Editor Jeremy Kasten
- Flaying sequence out-takes and extended takes
- Trailer
Skinner will be available on special edition dual format (Blu-ray/DVD) from 23 September.
