John Waters fans, prepare to be happy. No, unfortunately Mondo Trasho isn’t coming out on special edition DVD, but his morbid tale of suburban butchery, Serial Mom, has finally arrived in an impressive package that makes HBO Home Video’s previous release of the film look positively anemic by comparison. Go ahead and use that old fullscreen disc as a coaster, because this is the version of Serial Mom that every Waters fan is going to want for their collection.

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Dark Sky Films has just released a new edition of Jim VanBebber’s violent cult classic Deadbeat at Dawn as part of their truly impressive four disc “Visions of Hell” DVD box-set (which also includes the unrated, two-disc special edition of VanBebber’s transgressive shocker The Manson Family), but those who still own the original Synapse release of Deadbeat at Dawn may not want to toss that old disc up on eBay just yet!

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It’s rare that audiences get to experience a film on a whole new level the way that the new Two-Disc Collector’s Edition of Stephen King’s The Mist allows. While viewers may claim further insight on certain films with repeat viewings – or perhaps regard classics in a different light when given the chance to catch them on the big screen for the first time, this is one instance where a modern movie has been given a whole new lease on life, ironically enough, thanks to the power of black and white. While the swapping of hues isn’t exactly a new technique - as anyone suckered into buying a colorized version of any old horror staple can attest to – what’s interesting about this release is that the filmmakers have gone the de-modernizing route by remastering the picture to present it as it was initially envisioned – in stunning black and blown-out whites.

The result is a different feel, a different look and an altogether different viewing experience that strengthens all of the film’s strong points while heightening the overall mix of pulp horror and pitch-black bleakness, making this version of The Mist one of the strongest genre outings in recent years – and among the best cinematic adaptations in Stephen King’s history.

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In my original review of I Am Legend, I dubbed the film “more of a tantalizing, middle-of-the-road misfire than an outright failure.” Having recently had the opportunity to view the alternate theatrical version of the film included in Warner Brothers Home Video’s upcoming two-disc special edition of I Am Legend, that original sentiment takes on even greater meaning than it did in the original review.

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