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20th Century Studios’ and New Regency’s Barbarian Arrives on Digital October 25: "20th Century Studios and New Regency present Barbarian, the scariest movie of the year. From writer/director Zach Cregger, and noted horror producer Roy Lee comes a film both critics and audiences are raving about. The “exquisitely crafted scary story” is Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes™ and fans can enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes bonus features when the film arrives on all major digital platforms October 25."

Film Synopsis

Arriving in Detroit for a job interview, a young woman books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. From 20th Century Studios and New Regency, Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell,...

A new episode of the JoBlo Horror Originals video series Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? has just been released, and for this one we’re digging into the making of one of my all-time favorite movies: the 1987 horror anthology Creepshow 2 (watch it Here)! To find out what went into the making of Creepshow 2, check out the video embedded above.

Directed by Michael Gornick from a screenplay by George A. Romero (based on stories written by Stephen King), Creepshow 2 has the following synopsis:

Join our old friend, the rotting Creep himself, as he introduces this horror anthology which presents gruesome looks at three tales of horror: a hit-and-run driver in “The Hitchhiker”, a wooden Indian in “Ol’ Chief Wooden Head”, and four friends whose vacation on a secluded lake turns into a nightmare in “The Raft”. Creepshow 2 is a deliciously wicked roller coaster ride that will...

If you're already excited for Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator, do yourself a favor and check out a film it's sure to be compared to, and one that was made at the same time the dictator that inspired it was still very much in power, Charlie Chaplin's classic The Great Dictator.

The Great Dictator was Chaplin's first talky following the small bit of gibberish that was included at the end of Modern Times, which was coincidentally the first Chaplin feature Criterion issued on Blu-ray as they have only recently started adding the comedy master's films to the collection. And just like Modern Times, Criterion presents The Great Dictator with a flawless transfer and superb audio track and a bevy of features worth digging into.

If you're unfamiliar, The Great Dictator features Chaplin in dual roles, one as a Jewish barber and the other as a Hitler-esque dictator.

The Great Dictator Directed by: Charles Chaplin Written by: Charles Chaplin Starring: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie While The Great Dictator may not be as iconic as Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times or The Gold Rush, it's certainly still a classic piece of filmmaking that demonstrates how a master of silent movies makes the transition into sync sound cinema. While not technically a part of the 'Tramp' series of films, Chaplin still manages to update and reuse his classic character, dropping him into a dark setting -- the Jewish ghetto circa 1939 -- not realizing just how dark the real life counterpart to this story was going to get in the coming years. The film opens in battle during World War I as Charlie Chaplin (playing an unnamed Jewish barber turned soldier) bumbles his way through various tasks on the battlefield. It's classic Chaplin that at first seems slightly...

Chicago – Every time I’ve seen “The Great Dictator,” I’m amazed that it even exists. It is not only one of the great Charlie Chaplin’s most consistently funny films but it is a satirical masterpiece that is So daring that it’s amazing it even got made. It is a piece of slapstick comedy about World War II and Adolf Hitler. Think about that for one minute. Now, it was made in 1940 (a year before our entry into the war), but it was still a risky move to make a piece this politically and socially conscious and try and sell it to an audience who had grown accustomed to watching Charlie Chaplin fall down.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Now, of course, we can look back at Chaplin’s career now and realize that he was Always socially and politically conscious. “City Lights,” “Modern Times,” the very character of the Tramp...

Dreamworks Alex Pettyfer and Teresa Palmer in “I Am Number Four.”

Among this week’s Blu-ray offerings are few new titles, such as the sci-fi film “I Am Number Four,” and some classic releases, including Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator.” Take a look at just a few of the Blu-rays and DVDs we think are worth your attention.

Grand Prix (Warner Home Video) and Le Mans (Paramount Home Entertainment) – Although I don’t know enough abut actual auto racing...

"More than fifty years have passed since critics rediscovered Buster Keaton and pronounced him the most 'modern' silent film clown, a title he hasn't shaken since." So begins Jana Prikryl's terrific essay, "The Genius of Buster," in the New York Review of Books:

In his own day he was certainly famous but never commanded the wealth or popularity of Charlie Chaplin or Harold Lloyd, and he suffered most when talkies arrived. It may be that later stars like Cary Grant and Paul Newman and Harrison Ford have made us more susceptible to Keaton's model of offhand stoicism than his own audiences were. Seeking for his ghost is a fruitless business, though; for one thing, film comedy today has swung back toward the sappy, blatant slapstick that Keaton disdained. There's some "irony" in what Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler do, but it's irony that clamors to win the identification of the...

DVD Playhouse: May 2011

By

Allen Gardner

Blow Out (Criterion) Brian De Palma’s greatest Hitchcock homage, with a dash of Antonioni thrown in for good measure. John Travolta gives one of his best turns as a sound-effects engineer who unwittingly records a political assassination, then finds himself hunted by a ruthless hitman (John Lithgow, a memorably creepy psycho) after saving the life of the kindly, albeit dim-witted call girl (Nancy Allen, excellent) who was with the deceased. Terrific blend of suspense and very black humor, perhaps De Palma’s finest hour as an auteur. Beautifully shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with De Palma, Allen, cameraman Garrett Brown; Photo gallery; De Palma’s 1967 feature Murder a la Mod; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 2.0 surround.

Kes (Criterion) Ken Loach’s landmark 1970 film is both a heart-rending portrait of adolescence, and a pointed socio-political commentary on life in the North of England.