Back in the 1980s, the term “home video” actually referred to movies that had been transferred to honest-to-goodness analog videocassette tape. Keen-eyed genre mavens would excitedly trawl the aisles of their local emporium, often choosing between titles based on little more than lurid cover art and advertising hype.
One of the premier purveyors of the most cherished low-budget, unabashedly lowbrow entertainments was Charles Band’s Empire Pictures, staffed by a tightly knit “band of outsiders” whose names crop up time and again across the studio’s roster of deliriously enjoyable sci-fi and horror films. As it happens, Empire was a pure product of the decade, founded in 1983 and defunct by 1989, when it made way for Band’s next (and still flourishing) endeavor: Full Moon Features. Now, the fine folks at Arrow Video have gathered together a bumper crop of Empire’s output in their lavishly produced box set Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams.
One of the premier purveyors of the most cherished low-budget, unabashedly lowbrow entertainments was Charles Band’s Empire Pictures, staffed by a tightly knit “band of outsiders” whose names crop up time and again across the studio’s roster of deliriously enjoyable sci-fi and horror films. As it happens, Empire was a pure product of the decade, founded in 1983 and defunct by 1989, when it made way for Band’s next (and still flourishing) endeavor: Full Moon Features. Now, the fine folks at Arrow Video have gathered together a bumper crop of Empire’s output in their lavishly produced box set Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams.
- 6/26/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Remember the shelves of your local video store? Of course you do. Announced today, Arrow Video is tapping back into that nostalgic experience with a brand new Blu-ray release.
“Freshly restored for the digital era with a wealth of new and archival extras, these films have never looked better,” Arrow Video teases the set this morning, which is loaded with a collection of retro films from Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures.
Arrow explains, “In 1983, entrepreneurial producer and director Charles Band founded Empire International Pictures, which would go on to make some of the most memorable and beloved genre movies of the 1980s. Empire became a mainstay of video stores across the world with their catchy titles, outlandish art and Band’s wholehearted belief in giving audiences a good time.”
In The Dungeonmaster, computer programmer Paul Bradford is sucked into a fantasy world by Mestema, a demonic sorcerer in search of a worthy opponent.
“Freshly restored for the digital era with a wealth of new and archival extras, these films have never looked better,” Arrow Video teases the set this morning, which is loaded with a collection of retro films from Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures.
Arrow explains, “In 1983, entrepreneurial producer and director Charles Band founded Empire International Pictures, which would go on to make some of the most memorable and beloved genre movies of the 1980s. Empire became a mainstay of video stores across the world with their catchy titles, outlandish art and Band’s wholehearted belief in giving audiences a good time.”
In The Dungeonmaster, computer programmer Paul Bradford is sucked into a fantasy world by Mestema, a demonic sorcerer in search of a worthy opponent.
- 3/31/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
You know Chucky and Annabelle and Brahms and M3GAN… but do you recall the least famous killer doll of all? Probably not, because then it would be more famous, but you should know more killer dolls! While those aforementioned characters tend to get all the attention, and if you’re reading Den of Geek then you’ve probably seen at least one of the 10,000 Puppet Master movies, there is still a veritable toy store full of pint-sized killers.
It’s not hard to see why. On the surface, there’s nothing particularly scary about dolls, even if they come to life. After all, they’re only a couple feet tall – most of us could boot the stupid things across the room before they could do any damage. But the best killer doll movies use that sense of safety to their advantage, building tension by putting the monster in the room with unsuspecting victims.
It’s not hard to see why. On the surface, there’s nothing particularly scary about dolls, even if they come to life. After all, they’re only a couple feet tall – most of us could boot the stupid things across the room before they could do any damage. But the best killer doll movies use that sense of safety to their advantage, building tension by putting the monster in the room with unsuspecting victims.
- 1/7/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
The world of filmmaker Stuart Gordon is wide reaching in tone and content; crime thrillers to cosmic horror have filled the screen for decades. And then there’s Dolls (1987), which occupies a special place for lovers of fairy tales with dripping meat on its bones; it’s as weird as you expect it to be, but with a sweet underbelly that refuses to stay down.
Made quickly after Re-Animator (’85) but before From Beyond (’86) to utilize Charles Band’s Italian studios for Empire Pictures, Dolls didn’t see release until release stateside until March of ’87, and quickly came and went with little fanfare. Perhaps folks were still attuned to Gordon’s very specific Lovecraftian vibrations to appreciate something so different at the time. Time has been kind however, and the film is generally regarded now as one of his better efforts from a varied (and storied) filmography.
Our tale goes something...
Made quickly after Re-Animator (’85) but before From Beyond (’86) to utilize Charles Band’s Italian studios for Empire Pictures, Dolls didn’t see release until release stateside until March of ’87, and quickly came and went with little fanfare. Perhaps folks were still attuned to Gordon’s very specific Lovecraftian vibrations to appreciate something so different at the time. Time has been kind however, and the film is generally regarded now as one of his better efforts from a varied (and storied) filmography.
Our tale goes something...
- 5/4/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Stuart Gordon shot his first film, 1985's much beloved gorefest Re-Animator, in Los Angeles but then decamped to Italy to shoot Dolls, his second movie and second terror tale. While there, Gordon was also taken down a peg, or 12, by a local craftsman. "They didn’t shoot sound in Italy, they weren't used to that," says Gordon, whose other directing credits include From Beyond, Castle Freak, and 2005's William H. Macy-starring Edmond. "I remember there was one day when I was shooting something and there was a carpenter hammering in the background, working on another one of our sets—hammering and sawing.
- 11/12/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
Dolls is one of Stuart Gordon’s most ballyhooed directorial efforts, next to Re-Animator and From Beyond, of course. It was a Charles Band production, under Empire International, and produced by Brian Yuzna. It has been so long since the last time that I watched the film, that the only thing that I could remember about it, was the front cover of the VHS tape. This means that I don’t really have a DVD experience with Dolls, for which to compare the Blu-ray transfer of the film to. After revisiting the film, I can’t say that it is my favorite Gordon film, but it is highly entertaining for what it is. Dolls predates the Puppet Master series, which Band would later become known for, and is infinitely more enjoyable than any one of those films. I recently re-watched a couple of the Puppet Master movies, and none of...
- 11/11/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Holy cats creeps, I can’t believe ol’ Xiii is havin’ such a streak of good luck! The restless spirits of this recent Samhain must have taken pity upon yours cruelly, ‘cuz this week’s reviews are a horror hat-trick of pure fright flick gold! Don’t believe me? Just keep readin’ and see if ya don’t agree (oh, and you will agree… you… will… agree)!
Nightbreed The Director’S Cut
Release Date: Now Available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Written By: Clive Barker Directed By: Clive Barker Starring: Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Anne Bobby
Man o’ man, ghouls, Nightbreed has always been a bit like an all you can eat buffet, but instead of chicken wings and mac n’ cheese you get a bounty o’ beasts and craploads o’ creatures, which is good because you are not hungry, you are a monster maniac. And where the hell was I going with this analogy?...
Nightbreed The Director’S Cut
Release Date: Now Available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Written By: Clive Barker Directed By: Clive Barker Starring: Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Anne Bobby
Man o’ man, ghouls, Nightbreed has always been a bit like an all you can eat buffet, but instead of chicken wings and mac n’ cheese you get a bounty o’ beasts and craploads o’ creatures, which is good because you are not hungry, you are a monster maniac. And where the hell was I going with this analogy?...
- 11/11/2014
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Dolls is the latest cult horror title to receive the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray treatment from Scream Factory and they’ve provided us with the final list of bonus features for the November 11th release:
“Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife Hilary have the perfect play toys just for you! From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society) and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll) comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don’t Look Now), Ian Patrick Williams (Re-Animator), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (From Beyond...
“Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife Hilary have the perfect play toys just for you! From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society) and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll) comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don’t Look Now), Ian Patrick Williams (Re-Animator), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (From Beyond...
- 9/11/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
At the San Diego Comic-Con back in July, Scream Factory announced that Stuart Gordon's Dolls would soon be getting the Collector's Edition Blu-ray treatment, and today full details have revealed all the stuffing that'll be found inside the release. Read on!
From the Press Release
Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas, and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife, Hilary, have the perfect play toys just for you!
From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society), and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll), comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun, and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don...
From the Press Release
Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas, and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife, Hilary, have the perfect play toys just for you!
From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society), and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll), comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun, and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don...
- 9/11/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
I can’t wait for this release to finally come to fruition. It has been a long time since I have seen Stuart Gordon’s magical killer dolls film, so when Scream Factory announced it, they had my attention immediately. This is a “Collector’s Edition” so it looks as if it is getting the appropriate treatment. The artwork has been revealed, and the extras exposed. There appears to be a good mixture of both old and new. Including, but not limited to - all-new retrospective featuring interviews with director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, stars Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Ian Patrick Williams, executive producer Charles Band, and special make-Up effects artists Gabe Bartalos, andJohn Vulich and more! Check out the press release below, and pre-order your copy by either clicking here for Shout!’s website, or here for Amazon.
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Film by Stuart Gordon and Executive Produced by...
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Film by Stuart Gordon and Executive Produced by...
- 9/11/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Stars: Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine, Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason, Bunty Bailey, Cassie Stuart, Stephen Lee | Written by Ed Naha | Directed by Stuart Gordon
The second collaboration between Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna and Charles Band, Dolls was originally lensed as a “stop-gap” feature between Gordon’s debut feature Re-Animator and its follow-up, From Beyond – a filler piece if you will, to be shot at Charles Band’s newly purchased Italian soundstage (bought from Dino De Laurentiis no less) – from a script by Ed Naha, who had already penned one monster movie, the infamous Troll, for Band’s Empire Pictures shingle. Little did anyone know that the low-budget, quickly shot film would still, to this day, be regarded as one of the highlights of Empire Pictures horror output in the 80s…
And did I mention it just happens to still be one of my all-time favourite 80s horrors?...
The second collaboration between Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna and Charles Band, Dolls was originally lensed as a “stop-gap” feature between Gordon’s debut feature Re-Animator and its follow-up, From Beyond – a filler piece if you will, to be shot at Charles Band’s newly purchased Italian soundstage (bought from Dino De Laurentiis no less) – from a script by Ed Naha, who had already penned one monster movie, the infamous Troll, for Band’s Empire Pictures shingle. Little did anyone know that the low-budget, quickly shot film would still, to this day, be regarded as one of the highlights of Empire Pictures horror output in the 80s…
And did I mention it just happens to still be one of my all-time favourite 80s horrors?...
- 4/19/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
If you grew up in the 80s, you remember the first time you watched Halloween and Friday the 13th; you remember how dark the room was, how the popcorn tasted, and how many times you almost peed your pants from fear. You also probably remember the first time you saw Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator and From Beyond. Call me crazy, but I have much more vivid memories of watching Gordon’s not-so-popular horror gem, Dolls (1987). Picture this: during an all-girls sleepover in the heart of suburbia, my friends and I walked to the video rental store with a few dollars. While browsing endless titles, out of the corner of my eye, I caught the front cover of Dolls on VHS with the skeletal doll holding her gouged eyeballs – I couldn’t resist. That night I became the bravest girl in the fourth grade; I stayed up to watch Dolls alone in the dark,...
- 5/13/2013
- by Lianne Spiderbaby
- FEARnet
by Jesse Miller, MoreHorror.com
Inanimate objects come to life in Stuart Gordon's's Dolls, a gothic horror film. After their car gets bogged down during a violent, approaching storm, a family seeks refuge in a spooky old house owned by an even spookier old couple.
This family consists of a horrible step-mother (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), an even more horrible father (Ian Patrick williams) and their cute and bubbly young Daughter Trudy (A young Carrie Lorraine).
The owners, Gabriel and Hilary (Played by Hilary Mason and Guy Rolfe) take them in graciously. Early on, Gabriel reveals to Judy that he is a Dollmaker and has been for years. Indeed, the house is littered with an assortment of dolls, all shapes and sizes.
It's not long before there are more unexpected guests - A young, naive business man Ralph and two female hitchhikers he picked up from the storm - these two...
Inanimate objects come to life in Stuart Gordon's's Dolls, a gothic horror film. After their car gets bogged down during a violent, approaching storm, a family seeks refuge in a spooky old house owned by an even spookier old couple.
This family consists of a horrible step-mother (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), an even more horrible father (Ian Patrick williams) and their cute and bubbly young Daughter Trudy (A young Carrie Lorraine).
The owners, Gabriel and Hilary (Played by Hilary Mason and Guy Rolfe) take them in graciously. Early on, Gabriel reveals to Judy that he is a Dollmaker and has been for years. Indeed, the house is littered with an assortment of dolls, all shapes and sizes.
It's not long before there are more unexpected guests - A young, naive business man Ralph and two female hitchhikers he picked up from the storm - these two...
- 7/31/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
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