(MGM)
This excellent collection from the Master of Suspense comes packaged in a photo album book, which includes supplemental printed materials on each film.
The films range from the silent era (Jack the Ripper-inspired The Lodger) to early sound (Sabotage) to early Hollywood masterpieces (Rebecca, Lifeboat [written by John Steinbeck] and Notorious). Also included are lesser films: Young and Innocent, The Paradine Case and the dated Spellbound, which is notable for a dream sequence by Salvador Dali.
Grade: A-
—Mike Sebastian
Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection is currently available.
Shiver
(Dark Sky)
From the producer of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Orphanage comes Shiver, another little horror gem from a Spanish language director. Isidro Ortiz spins a scary little yarn about a teenage boy named Santi (The Devil’s Backbone’s Junio Valverde) with a severe allergy to sunlight. He and his mother decide to move to the countryside just as a series of slayings from an unknown creature begin to take place.
While Shiver may not have the big budget of Pan’s or The Orphanage, it’s a well-told thriller with some very creepy scenes. Its strength lies in its compelling characters and themes of family, love and redemption.
Grade: B
—Norman Mayers
Shiver is currently available.
The Zombie Diaries
(Weinstein Company)
The Zombie Diaries, which follows the fates of three groups of survivors of the zombie outbreak, offers a more intelligent approach to surviving the reign of the undead. Most of the characters in this Blair Witch-esque thriller make decisions that are logical for the situation they are in, a rare departure for zombie films. Unfortunately, the detached approach means there are few actually intense scenes.
Extras: commentary, deleted scenes and a making-of feature.
Grade: B-
—Jonathan Knell
The Zombie Diaries will be available Nov. 18.
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