by Britt Hayes

Sam Raimi’s return to horror releases on DVD and Blu-ray today, starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long. The story follows Christine Brown (Lohman), a loan officer who is charged with evicting a little old woman from her home; unfortunately, the little old woman is really a gypsy and curses Christine to a life of living hell. While Drag Me to Hell didn’t do too well at the box office (a victim of poor marketing and lazy theater-goers – we’re looking at you), it received high praise. Raimi’s long-awaited horror comeback is scary and fun, and a must-have for any horror fan.  The unrated version comes with extra gore.

I don’t know anything about The Haunted Airman, but the cover art looks like total bait for fans of the film which must not be named. The Haunted Airman is a BBC film that centers around Toby Jugg (ha), an injured RAF pilot in post-World War II Britain who starts to lose his mind when confined to a hospital. I’ve been longing to see Robert Pattinson in something non-vampire, so this may be the ticket. I’m also looking forward to seeing him play Salvador Dali (my favorite artist) in the upcoming Little Ashes. As for those popular girly films he’s in, color me unimpressed. The Haunted Airman also stars Julian Sands and Rachael Stirling, and is available on DVD.

Ah, The Craft. I have such fond memories of this film. I remember watching it with my girl friends in junior high, and then we’d start our own “coven”, making members fill out applications. We would go to Waldenbooks in the mall with notebooks and pens, and look at all the witchcraft books, writing down spells we wanted to try. My mom used to get so pissed when I took dried herbs from the pantry and got the bottles covered in candle wax. I think every girl I know was really into The Craft. Hell, even my boyfriend watches it and has a good laugh when it’s on cable. The Craft stars Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True as a group of witches in Catholic school, with a bitchy turn from Christine Taylor as Laura Lizzie (the part where she loses her hair is so terrible!) Skeet Ulrich also stars, making this two films he starred in with Neve Campbell in 1996. I’m really glad his career is over. Just looking at him makes me want to take a shower. The Blu-ray doesn’t have many extras, but it’s a must-have if you have a player and a girlfriend in her twenties, or if you are a girl in your twenties, like me.

This is a long-awaited DVD release right here. Don’t waste your money in the theater watching the shitty new remake. Besides, if you’ve seen the lengthy trailer, you’ve already seen the entire film. No, this 1987 version is the only version, and it’s a classic. Terry O’ Quinn (John Locke from LOST!) is absolutely creepy in his chilling turn as Jerry Blake. Jerry just married Stephanie Maine’s mother, Susan, and expects nothing less than perfection from his new family. But when imperfection reveals itself in his new home, Jerry starts losing his mind, and Stephanie suspects that Jerry is creepier than he seems. This is the first time the original Stepfather has been on DVD, and it’s definitely a must-have!

Happy Birthday to Me was released a few years ago on DVD, but the original score had been replaced with something atrocious. Here is Happy Birthday to Me, original score intact, for your viewing pleasure. Virginia is a popular girl at a private school, but before her 18th birthday, all of her friends start falling victim to brutal murders. Classic, campy 80’s-style plot. I haven’t watched this DVD yet, but it’s worth a rent at the very least.