I never got to do the full-on catch-up of some titles along the way that I wanted to, but here are some titles that I missed from the last two months that need mention....

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE & THE REMAKE (Blu-Ray and DVD)

Okay, no sane person, certainly not me (shut it), is going to sit here and be able to defend the original 1978 horror film "I Spit on Your Grave" as a 'good' film per say. I mean, it's a horrifyingly graphic depiction of a woman being extensively gang-raped by a band of rednecks, and then a slow revenge back upon them featuring a famous phallus removal scene. But next to the completely unnecessary 2010 remake, it's practically a masterpiece. When the original film turns to revenge, it's coldly and methodically straight-forward about it; it's oddly compelling watching these rapists who are SO dumb as to believe this woman actually liked the experience and wants more...as she draws them into her traps. But hell, after the longest rape scene in cinematic history, who WOULDN'T want to watch her get bloody justice? The remake features as much verbal misogyny as physical during the rape-y first half, and then the revenges are treated like something out of  "Saw"...way too silly considering. For most people I'd say skip 'em both and you'll be better off, but you hardcore horror fans know you're not gonna get through any serious discussion without the original film coming up at some point. Hey, at the very least, Anchor Bay gives it a respectably good-looking transfer and, you know, commentaries and such, for those who actually could sit through it a second time.

--CLICK HERE TO BUY I Spit on Your Grave [Blu-ray]

--CLICK HERE TO BUY I Spit on Your Grave [Blu-ray]

CHAPLIN (Blu-Ray)

You can't seriously sit and tell me that seeing Robert Downey Jr's Oscar nominated performance of one of the most famous and physically expressive screen actors of all time in the 1992 Richard Attenborough film "Chaplin" isn't a must-see. Don't bother trying because this was the moment when Downey went from a somewhat notable supporting actor in comedies into a top-notch can't-miss comedic actor...at least until he started turning up drunk in people's bedrooms. But come on, if I had a nickle for every time I woke up somewhere and didn't remember how I got there...but, no one wants to hear about all that old news. This bio of Charlie Chaplin, who was arguably the biggest movie star of all time, is wonderful, if a bit glossy, but deserves another look now that it's on blu-ray...or at least you'd think. No detectable upgrade from the previous DVD edition seems evident and there's no new special features to speak of. But still, the next best thing to actually watching all those classic films (like the absolutely wonderful recent Criterion version of the flawless "Modern Times"), is seeing this biopic, even if it's more notable for Downey's unforgettable portrayal than for actual historical accuracy.

--CLICK HERE TO BUY Chaplin (15th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

STAG NIGHT (Blu-Ray and DVD)

Just getting this out of the way right from the get-go, but painting the homeless of NYC as murderous monsters isn't, perhaps, the most responsible of social messages to be sending out with your movie. But, that's horror for ya: if there's a paranoia to be exploited, somebody's gonna exploit it. Such is the case with the mildly diverting "Stag Night", distributed through the reasonably reliable "Ghost House Underground" label. Simply, four guys coming from a bachelor party, along with two strippers, accidentally get off their subway train at a deserted station and find themselves running for their lives from an underground full of Rob Zombie doppelgangers. It's a silly and bloody romp that really isn't much more than another 'crazed, cannibalistic, inbred, rednecks versus irritating city kids' film with perhaps only actor Breckin Meyer's presence to make things seem more worthwhile than they really are. There's enough gore to keep the hounds from baying, but barely an ounce of originality to be found in a single scene within its dingy tunnels. Not scary, but perhaps good for a laugh or two from some less than convincing severed heads here and there. That's gotta be a recommendation for someone, right?

--CLICK HERE TO BUY Stag Night [Blu-ray]