Roger Corman’s Cult Classics titles for 2011

Disc Announcements, News

Fans of the Roger Corman’s Cult Classics series will be extra happy in 2011 as Shout! Factory continues the series with numerous double, triple and even quadruple features DVD sets. Twenty five films from Corman’s time running New World, Concorde and New Horizons have already been released including Rock N Roll High School, Star Crash, Slumber Party Massacre, Piranha and Death Race 2000. The upcoming slate gives fine cinematic moments from Pam Grier, Ron Howard and John Saxon. Here’s an overview of what to expect according to series producer Cliff MacMillian from his postings on various website bulletin boards.

First up are two sets due January 18. Sci-Fi Classics gives a triple feature of Roger Corman’s own directorial output from the late ‘50s. Attack of the Crab Monsters, War of the Satellites and Not of This Earth are fresh slices of strange creatures of the atomic age. The big bonus is dozens of trailers from Corman’s other directorial efforts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2qgCZch0Y

The double feature of Up From the Depths and Demon of Paradise presents two films about aquamonsters terrorizing Hawaiian resorts.

Fans of MSNBC’s prison shows will delight to the double feature of Jackson County Jail and Caged Heat on March 22. Both films tell the evils of what goes on behind bars. Caged Heat was the debut feature of Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs). This title was slated for a February release, but was pushed back so they could get a fresh commentary track from Demme.

A deep fried triple feature of Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Smokey Bites the Dust and Georgia Peaches explodes in April. These were the glory days of Southern action.

Around this time should also come out the delayed prostitution double feature of Streets and Angel in Red. Streets has Christina Applegate (Married…with Children) as a teen hooker. Kelly Bundy working the boulevard.

Forget the fireworks when Battle Beyond the Stars goes boom in July. The sci-fi epic reworks The Seven Samuri with Magnificent Seven star Robert Vaughn. Also along for the ride is Richard Thomas (John Boy Walton), George Peppard (The A-Team) and Sybil Danning.

While there’s been no definitive dates, there’s quite a few titles being packaged for optimal marathon viewing. Ron Howard’s greatest films finally get brought together with Eat My Dust and Grand Theft Auto. He proved he was not the sweet boy of Happy Days and The Andy Griffith Show when behind the wheel. The dirty Southern cop drama Black Oak Conspiracy hooks up with the Asian flavored action of Savage! A quadruple feature merges Fly Me, T.N.T. Jackson, Too Hot to Handle and Firecracker.

The most exciting of the sets will be a collection of Pam Grier’s women behind bars movies. These prison and female gladiator titles launched her career. Thrill to the excitement of The Arena, Women In Cages, The Big Doll House and The Big Bird Cage. Shout! is striking new transfers that will look so much better than previous releases.

The sword and sorcery twin bill of Deathstalker and Deathstalker II gets the bonus of Warrior and the Sorceress and Barbarian Queen. The DVD of the later two films is currently available as a Shout! Select title. There’s no release date yet so if you currently want to watch David Carradine and Lana Clarkson slinging metal, you can still order it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNB9PdNmWrc

There are still other titles linked to the series including Timewalker, The Velvet Vampire and the original Little Shop of Horrors. But no further details at the moment. Roger Corman’s Cult Classics shall turn any home entertainment center into the grindhouse experience.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.