Vinegar Syndrome

House of the Dead [aka Alien Zone]

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SKU: VS-236

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Slipcover Protector

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Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray/DVD combo. The limited edition slipcover was limited to 1,500 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

Four tales of intrigue and horror await anyone brave enough to enter the HOUSE OF THE DEAD... When a philandering husband accidentally finds himself lost during a rainstorm, he's taken in by an elderly mortician and is forced to learn the ghastly origins of four freshly arrived corpses: a scornful teacher whose students teach her a fatal lesson, an amateur filmmaker with a deadly muse, two dueling detectives attempting to solve a mysterious murder, and a bitter man whose arrogance costs him everything...

Directed by Sharron Miller (AFTER SCHOOL SPECIALS) and featuring atmospheric photography by Ken Gibb (DRIVE-IN MASSACRE), this low budget, Oklahoma made horror anthology features a collection of ghoulish vignettes ranging from wryly comedic to genuinely grim and unsettling. Barely released theatrically and only available in murky video sourced editions, Vinegar Syndrome presents HOUSE OF THE DEAD (originally released as ALIEN ZONE) newly restored from its original 35mm negative and on Blu-ray for the first time!

directed by: Sharron Miller
starring: John Ericson, Ivor Francis, Judith Novgrod, Bernard Fox
1978 / 80 minutes / Color / 1.85:1 OAR

Additional info:

Region free Blu-ray/DVD combo
Newly scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm camera negative
Audio interview with director Sharron Miller
Audio interview with writer David O'Malley
Reversible ALIEN ZONE cover artwork
English SDH subtitles

Overall rating: 4.3461537 / 5 from 78 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

This Blu-ray/DVD combo of House of the Dead, newly restored from its original 35mm negative, offers a collection of ghoulish vignettes. Customers appreciate the atmospheric photography, the cool and mesmerizing artwork, and the fun story. The film, while grainy, captures the essence of the horror anthology. Audio interviews with the director and writer add extra value.

Summary topics

Film Quality: 19%
Customer Satisfaction: 20%
Slipcase Art: 9%
Overall Artwork: 12%
Story Enjoyment: 10%

Review topics: ["looks","packaging","picture","buy","movie","anthology","film","story","artwork","release","lettering","slipcover","art","flick","blood","features","watch","horror","gem","segments","man","addition","title","poster","recommendation","transfer","exception"].

Review highlights

"Very unique horror anthology very good looking film if your into the weird give it a shot I kind of enjoyed it" — Hunter D.
"Comes with a cool looking sleeve with some nifty artwork and lettering." — Kresh R.
"The roasted red letters and blood on the front are nice." — Kevin K.

Reviews

House of the Dead

"My first piece of advice is not to listen to the alternate title “alien zone” because you’ll be bitterly disappointed, however if you’re a fan of anthology horror à la Amicus then there’s fun to be had. As with most pictures like this it’s a tad uneven but overall it’s an enjoyable watch with my favourite slipcover art vinegar syndrome have ever put out."

— Ben S. (5/5)

Intriguing horror anthology

"I’d never heard of the House of the Dead (aka Alien zone) , until reading up on horror anthology films on wikipedia recently, and was pleasantly surprised to see it was in print on Blu Ray,and thru…. Vinegar Syndrome. VS remains one of the best reissue labels for physical media, and I was pleased with the release. While it no longer had a slip cover that was fine. The release had remastered audio / video, and great featurettes about the creatives involved with the project. It was a lower budget release, but that was fine as the mix of cinematography and story, and use of camera and acting, made this an eerie and atmospheric film. I was very impressed."

— Christopher M. (5/5)

House of the Heebie Jeebies more like.

"Synopsis: An adulterous salesman accidentally gets dropped off in front of a funeral home during a rainstorm. The Mortician tells him how the bodies currently on display arrived. His tales include: A snarky child hating woman who gets some strange pint-sized visitors, A camera obsessed serial killer, the world's greatest detectives going head to head and a non-sympathetic man getting trapped and tortured in an abandoned store. Review: The wraparound and first segment are excellent as they are both tense and quite interesting. The little creatures in the first segment are especially ghastly. Carnage Count 1/5 Sleaze Score 1/5"

— Brett J. (3/5)

Wish I remained blind to this blind-buy!

"I found this one to be a tremendous slog. I love anthology-type films but this one — lacking a budget — lacked a decent script and a deft director. Yes, it was a blind buy and after watching it I wish I had remained blind to it. The lowest rung on the genre ladder."

— Paul S. (2/5)

House of The Dead

"Decent anthology. Great transfer."

— Bradley A. (4/5)

House Of The Dead.

"Great anthology movie. If you like weird low budget horror movies this title is for you !"

— PATRICE C. (5/5)

VS-236

"Another sale purchase to accompany the MC slipcover …."

— richard c. (5/5)

Great anthology movie. The House

"Great anthology movie. The House of the Dead was a great blind by. Loved the concept. Not sure why it was also known as Alien Zone but not a big deal"

— robbie t. (4/5)

Kids with monoteeth!

"Slightly entertaining, but, honestly, not worth your time. One of those anthology movies that teaches each character a lesson. The art is cool."

— Alex B. (2/5)

Fantastic Little Gem

"Enjoyed this one immensely! Took me back to the days of watching something like this on cable, or renting a blind buy from the video store. Great midnight movie"

— Jerry L. (4/5)