Robert Chipman
It’s that time of the year again! The skies turn greyer, the hours get shorter, and the sales become more abundant! If you enjoy film, you either welcome or dread this time of year. Almost every physical media label has a sale from early October through the end of the year. Barnes and Noble are doing its 50% off Criterion sale through the end of November, Severin and Vinegar Syndrome are prepping for their Black Friday sales, and Scream Factory just completed its Shocktober sale.
While I’ll be participating in most of these sales, even if my wallet begs me not to, this article will focus on my 2022 Scream Factory Shocktober sale pick-ups. Without further adieu, let’s get into it!
Deadly Blessing
Wes Craven is a legend in the horror genre, and while many of his films are not home runs, most are worth a glance. I’ve been aware of Deadly Blessing for many years and had considered picking it up on multiple occasions but never got around to it. It’s a film I have yet to check out, but any time you add a Wes Craven film to your collection is a good day, even if the consensus is that Deadly Blessing is a weak entry in Craven’s filmography. Seeing the disc under $12.00, I figured the time was right and added it to my collection. As a bonus, even though this release is almost ten years old, it came with a Scream Factory slipcover. Quite the surprise.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
And speaking of weak entries in a horror legend’s filmography, I feel Memoirs of an Invisible Man might be the worst film John Carpenter has directed. Mixing comedy with action and drama is tough for anyone to pull off successfully, and having Chevy Chase in the lead is a detriment. The film never gels and lacks the spark that John Carpenter gives to most of his movies—the finished product plays more of a cinematic experience from a “director-for-hire” than a full-fledged Carpenter film. Yet, John Carpenter is one of my favorite directors, and the completionist in me ordered it. There are worse movies in my collection.
Robocop 3
Yes, I know. Why the hell am I picking up Robocop 3? First off, the Shocktober price was fair. Second, as I mentioned, I have a completionist side, and: since I own the first two entries, I needed to complete the trilogy. Third, this was a disc I picked up more for the bonus material than the feature. I will be watching the finished product, but the more intriguing aspect is the production hell this second sequel to the original classic has endured. Purchasing a Blu-ray disc more for the supplemental material than the film, but sometimes that’s more interesting. And, similarly to Deadly Blessing, this Collector’s Edition of Robocop 3 was released many years ago but also came with a slipcover!
Battle Beyond the Stars
When Scream Factory announced their Shocktober sale, Battle Beyond the Stars wasn’t on my list. As I glanced through what was on deal, I saw the limited edition bundle of the steel book edition plus a lithograph and NECA figure for a heavily-discounted price; I couldn’t pass it up. I hadn’t seen this Roger Corman-produced film in many years, so what better time to revisit this low-budget movie than on a sweet deal with additional goodies to boot?
The REC Collection
One of the finest aspects of Scream Factory’s Shocktober sales comes from their box sets. Every time the Shocktober reels its head, I snag at least one box set to add to my collection. 2022 was no exception—adding the four-film box set of the Spanish horror series REC. While I agree with most that the films vary in quality and follow in the footsteps of other horror franchises with diminishing returns, the series is enjoyable enough to sit on my shelf. The films come in a hard-case box, each entry getting its own case and dedicated bonus features. Adding the REC film series to my collection was an easy choice with the Shocktober sale pricing.
Lastly, Scream Factory announced a limited edition t-shirt for purchase individually or free with a $100 or more in celebration of the site’s tenth anniversary. As my purchase cleared this threshold, I was able to snag a shirt. The Scream Factory Shocktober shirt has a December ship date. So, as of this writing, I cannot offer any first-hand details on this item.
Keep an eye out on my Feature Presentations column as some of these releases might make their way onto my list for review!
And that closes the book on my 2022 Shocktober purchases from Scream Factory! The films may not best the sexiest picks out there, but this sale is a perfect time to stock up on releases you’ve been meaning to get at a reasonable price or movies you are unsure of and are considering worth taking a calculated gamble on. Did you participate in the Shocktober sale? If so, what films did you add to your collection?
