Enter the Video Store - Empire of Screams

Let’s be clear, the films of Charles Band – whose companies include Empire Pictures and Full Moon Productions – occupy a special tier of entertainment.  It’s one best appreciated by those willing to overlook the niceties of typical Hollywood productions for an independent spirit, often full of overly ambitious ideas and inventively low-rent execution.  And they were simply made for the Mom & Pop video store boom of the ‘80s and ‘90s.  Which explains Arrow Video’s beautifully packaged collection Enter the Video Store – Empire of Screams, curating five Band productions under the Empire banner.

 

The Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar) is an anthology of sorts as our computer programmer hero goes toe-to-toe against Satan in a series of deadly challenges.  Filmed immediately after Band’s second foray into 3D, Metalstorm, this one recycles the same lead actor but uses five different directors to break up the story into bite-size dramatic chunks ranging from a repeat of post-apocalyptic Road Warrior tropes to a head-banging face-off with heavy metal band W.A.S.P.  The choose-your-own-adventure style holds your attention for the brief running time, but it’s the least effective title in the bunch.

 

Dolls (1987) is yet another triumph for director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) who traps a cast of stranded travelers in the home of a mysterious toymaker whose creations have a mind of their own.  Staged like a dark fairy tale (with a wonderful performance from child actor Carrie Lorraine), Gordon’s film has just enough gore to put a scare into viewers of a certain age…but with the comic sensibility of the Old Dark House entries of the ’30 and ‘40s.  It’s a minor classic.

 

Cellar Dweller (1988) is a rough-around-the-edges quickie from special effects maestro John Carl Buechler about a cartoonist looking to recreate the dark magic the destroyed the career of her famous mentor (played in a quick prologue from Jeffrey Combs).  The centerpiece of the film is Buechler’s demonic creation which, thankfully, pops up every ten minutes or so to claim another victim. But the stakes never seem very high…personally or in the Lovecraftian sense.

 

Band and company take things to the next level with Arena (1989), a boxing movie set on a grungy space station that serves as the venue for the galaxy’s most famous ultimate fighting championship!   As one mechanically-upgraded monstrosity after another competes for the title, an underdog human fights for his chance to make history.  A real showcase for the work of Buechler, every shot in Arena is packed with colorful creatures and eye-catching details.  What’s surprising is the script and acting are top contenders as well.  It’s may be Empire’s most ambitious moonshot of the lot.

 

Or perhaps that title should go to Robot Jox (1989), another Stuart Gordon joint that pits 100-foot tall Gundam/ Voltron lookalikes to fight in lieu of national combat disputes.  I managed to see this one theatrically at the time of release where the effects and sets just didn’t hold up to such close scrutiny.  But it plays much better in a home environment where you can really appreciate just how much Pacific Rim stole from Gordon’s little upstart sci-fi adventure.

 

All of these titles have been released on Blu-ray before, but Arrow offers some significant upgrades, not the least of which is the cool collectible packaging.  Most titles are working from new 2K restorations (Cellar Dweller and Arena are the exceptions…but you probably couldn’t tell) and come loaded with new interviews and commentary tracks.  Of special note is Grabbed by Ghoulies, an appreciation of the work of John Carl Buechler, and The Scale of Battle, a round-table appreciation of stop-motion animator David Allen. Moderators Matty Budrewicz and David Wain do a fabulous job shepherding their celebrity guest speakers and packaging the Empire information into short featurettes.  This is a box set the celebrates the video store era in high style…so dig out that old membership card!