In recent years, January has become the month for releasing films considered too weak to compete in the more profitable moving-going seasons (such as Summer and Christmas); with the narrowing window between theatrical and home video distribution, we are currently seeing those titles show up on store shelves – hardly an inspiring fact for fans of horror, fantasy and science fiction films looking for something new and exciting. And yet, against the odds, Tuesday, May 11 features the home video debut of an ambitious science fiction-horror film that earned some well-deserved kudos during its theatrical run this January (although it earned only a modest $30.1-million).
DAYBREAKERS expands on an idea presented but never fully explored in Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legendand its various film permutations, that of a society of vampires. Taking a science fiction approach to the material, writer-directors Michael and Peter Spierig use vampirism as a metaphor for capitalism, without ever turning their film into a simple-minded screed (a la the recent FURRY VENGEANCE). The film arrives on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD. The Blu-ray offers audio commentary from the Spierigs; a feature-length making-of featurette (as opposed to the shorter version on DVD); “The Big Picture,” a short film exclusive to the Blu-ray; storyboard and animatics comparison; posters (Blu-ray exclusive); a digital copy (Blu-ray exclusive); and a trailer.
The other January genre release making its home vid bow this Tuesday is LEGION, a religious thriller in which the arkangel Michael decides to help humanity avert the apocalypse (seems God thinks its time to rain some old-fashioned Sodom-and-Gomorah-type fire and brimstone on a worldwide scale).
Also out are special editions of Pixar’s TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2, timed to the upcoming release of TOY STORY 3. MALICE IN WONDERLAND, a modern, British re-telling of the Lewis Carroll story, arrives on DVD after playing in one U.S. theatre last month. And the Thai fantasy film LEGEND OF THE TSUNAMI WARRIOR arrives on Blu-ray; this was directed by Nonzee Nimibutr, whom hardcore Asian horror fans may remember as the director of the “The Wheel,” the second episode of the anthology film THREE (known as THREE EXTREMES II in the U.S.)