Red was Here

"Hope is a good thing," for fans of The Shawshank Redemption, who have long prayed for a proper, full-fledged special edition to hit DVD. That day will come on October 5th, when Warner Home Video will release two new deluxe sets of the Frank Darabont modern classic. Although not a box office hit upon first release, the film did go on to garner multiple Oscar nominations (including a nod for Best Picture) and became one of the biggest home video hits of the 1990s. Given the film's much-whispered about troubled production (reportedly due to a certain star's bratty behavior) these upcoming DVDs will hopefully be good ones...

Warner will release the film in two new sets, both two-disc affairs boasting . a 1.85 anamorphic transfer, a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track and new audio commentary track with Darabont. The second disc will feature not one but two new 45-minute documentaries, The Charlie Rose Show episode featuring Darabont and stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, plus storyboard and still galleries, the "Shark Tank Redemption" short film spoof, theatrical trailers and ROM extras to be announced. A Deluxe Limited Edition three-disc set will also debut the same day, featuring a collectible slipcase package, a new book by Mark Kermode on the making of the film, and Thomas Newman's original soundtrack on CD. Retail will be $26.95 and $44.95, respectively.

And to help prime the pump for the new DVD, watch for a special two-week limited theatrical re-release to begin on September 24th in selected cities.

All Aboard for Fright! - 1:28pm

Just announced from Fox Home Entertainment is the studios September 7th lineup of scary movies, just in time for Halloween. Making their DVD debuts are first-ever widescreen releases of such gems as The Alligator People, The Boston Strangler, Island of the Dead, Reign in Darkness, the Marlee Matlin thriller Hear No Evil, Blood Moon, Creepy Crawlers, Basket Case: The Progeny, the 1996 remake of The Vanishing, and the last remaining Jamie Lee Curtis slasher flick not yet released on DVD, Terror Train. All are presented in their original aspect ratios and anamorphically encoded if applicable, and feature trailers. Retail is $14.95 a pop.

Fox Home Entertainment will also unleash yet another version of the original George Romero classic Night of the Living Dead on the 7th. Presented in its original 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio (in both black & white and colorized versions) and Dolby mono, extras include a new audio commentary by Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a "Celebrity Zombie" game, and bonus horror trailers. Retail will also cost you $14.95.

Swamp Thing - 1:28pm
 
Yet more horror announcements round out today's news, with three additional Monster Legacy Collection reissues due on October 5th from Universal Studios Home Video.

Joining the terrifying ranks of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man are three more favorites: The Creature from the Black Lagoon (which includes the original flick, Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us), The Mummy (the original, The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost and The Mummy's Curse) and The Invisible Man (the original, The Invisible Man Returns, The Invisible Man's Revenge, The Invisible Agent and The Invisible Woman). Each set will include the usual Monster Legacy extras and will deliver plenty of ghoulish chills for only $26.95 a pop.