Laserblast 4-15.2: Antiviral, Ghosts of Georgia, Twins of Evil

Antiviral 2012 poster copy
This week’s Laserblast Home Video podcast features a review of ANTIVIRAL, the new science-fiction-horror film from Brandon Cronenberg (son of David), which made its Video on Demand debut simultaneously with its limited theatrical release on Friday, April 12. Also featured this week are reviews of THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA (now for sale on Blu-ray and DVD, two months after its own simultaneous theatrical-VOD release) and of TWINS OF EVIL (available as a wonderful Blu-ray-DVD combo pack from Synapse Films).
We round out the week with a rundown of horror, fantasy, and science fiction titles coming to home video on Tuesday, April 16, plus a roundup of overlooked recent releases.
This week’s releases include:

Previous releases include:

  • THE LAST JAWS on April 9. This is a DVD-R, manufacture on demand by Amazon.com, which previously made the film available under the title THE LAST SHARK (L’Ultimo Squalo) back in 2011. The new DVD is $12.99 – $7.00 less than its predecessor – but the DVD-R format suggests the disc would be made from available materials, not a restored print. For that price, you would be better off watching the film through Amazon’s Instant Viewing service for $1.99. As you might have guessed, this is an Italian rip-off of JAWS, which was released in the U.S. as GREAT WHITE – before Universal Pictures sued and got the film yanked from release. Long unavailable, the film offers a few psychotronic joys (e.g., the ridiculously massive 35-foot shark pulling a helicopter out of the sky) that make it a hoot to watch.
  • JOHN DIES AT THE END: now available on DVD and Blu-ray, having made a simultaneous theatrical-VOD debut a couple months ago.
  • PHANTASM 2: Don Coscarelli’s 1988 follow-up to PHANTASM, in a new collector’s edition Blu-ray from Shout Factory
  • FROM BEYOND: Stuart Gordon’s follow-up to REANIMATOR, in a new DVD-Blu-ray combo pack from Shout Factor.

You can find these and other home video release in the Cinefantastique Online Store. You can watch ANTIVIRAL here.


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ANTIVIRAL's Brandon Cronenberg: The CFQ Interview

Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gadon share a virulent form of fame in ANTIVIRAL.
Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gadon share a virulent form of fame in ANTIVIRAL.

ANTIVIRAL is set in an alternate-but-not-too-alternate universe where fame is everything, and the grand bulk of the economy seems built around markets in steaks cloned and viruses farmed from celebrities. The film marks the directing debut of Brandon Cronenberg — son of David Cronenberg — and while its biologic creepiness demonstrates a clear blood-line (we can’t keep away from these metaphors), its clinical ambiance and dark humor are all its own.
I got to sit down with Brandon to discuss the promises and dangers of being gifted a distinctive legacy, and how this first feature throws a stark light on our present-day cult of celebrity. Click on the player to hear the show.

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