Sure, it’s a popular cult flick and is said to have inspired Sam Raimi to make Evil Dead, but is Equinox really a film worthy of getting the Criterion Collection treatment? There’s no arguing that a DVD release of the ambitious 1970 horror flick that started as a student film but blew up into a full fledged feature thanks to Blob producer Jack H. Harris being impressed enough to come onboard is long overdue, but a full blown Criterion Collection DVD release?
The longtime cult favorite tells the horrific tale of a group of young adults that venture into the woods for a picnic only to inadvertently get their hands on the infamous Necronomicon and find themselves being pursued by the forces of evil including a demon in the form of a park ranger and giant unholy monster known as The Beast. In addition to having been cited as inspiring Evil Dead, Equinox also launched the careers of Oscar winning FX master Dennis Muren and stop motion wizard David Allen, as well as actor Frank Bonner, best known for his role of Herb Tarlek on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” and Ed Begley Jr., who didn’t actually appear in the film but worked as an assistant cameraman. Monster master Forrest J. Ackerman even cameos via voice on a tape recording.
Being that this is a Criterion Collection release you better believe the DVD is coming fully loaded. Just look at this list of extras:
· Audio commentaries by directors Jack Woods and Dennis Muren
· Video interviews with cast members
· Deleted scenes, outtakes, and FX test shots
· A gallery of rare Equinox stills and promotional material
· The original Equinox trailer and radio spots for the film
· A video introduction by Forrest J Ackerman
· Director Jack Allen’s acclaimed King Kong Volkswagen commercial
· Two short films from the creator’s of Equinox entitled “Zorgon, The H-Bomb Beast from Hell “and “The Magic Treasure”
· A booklet featuring thoughts on the film by George lucas and Ray Harryhausen, plus an essay by Brock DeShane
But more importantly, the two-disc set will include the version of Equinox we’re all familiar with but the previously never released, never seen original cut of the film titled The Equinox: A Journey into the Supernatural.
Now being that this is a Criterion release you can expect to pay a steep price. Equinox is going to run you $39.95, MSRP.
No release date is set yet for Criterion’s Equinox set but you can keep on top of that and find out more about the DVD specs by heading over to Criterion’s website.
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