COLUMN: Aaron's Backstage Pass: Scream Factory's Terror Train and The Funhouse Collector's Edition

I just received another two amazing horror Blu-ray collector’s editions to review from Shout Factory.  

They are the next two releases from the Scream Factory series and will be out just in time for Halloween. What could I be talking about; well they are “Terror Train” and “The Funhouse.” These two films are movies that I had not seen for many years, because they were hard to find on DVD or VHS until now.

Shout Factory has released both movies with a bunch of great never before seen special features.  Both Blu-Ray’s and DVD’s have an alternate cover that can be switched around to show a different cover, which is really cool.

The quality of the movies are great. They are clear and sharp and are in anamorphic widescreen.

I have watched both movies several times since I’ve received them and I want to talk about each movie individually.

Terror Train

“Terror Train” came out in 1979 and was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween and Halloween 2), Ben Johnson (The Last Picture Show), Hart Bochner (Die Hard), David Copperfield and D.D. Winters (53 Pick-Up).  Jaime Lee just finished Halloween when she was casted for “Terror Train.”

The film is about a group of college co-eds who plan a masquerade New Year’s Eve party on a train.

They are all having a great time until they start getting killed one by one and they don’t know who is doing it. Every time you see the killer they are wearing a mask and they change it multiple times, so you have no idea who it is.

This was a great movie in my opinion. It was very thrilling and intense. It had you guessing who the masked killer was until the very end. I didn’t figure it out and I bet you won’t either. 

What I think make all of these special collectors editions great are the special features. Each DVD that is released in the Scream Factory series has amazing and very entertaining special features. 

“Terror Train” has a bunch of great features and they include:

• “Destination Death” – An interview with Producer Daniel Grodnik
• “Riding the Rails” – An interview with Production Executive Don Carmody
• “All Aboard!” – An interview with Production Designer Glenn Bydwell
• “Music For Murder” – An interview with Composer John Mills-Cockell
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Still Gallery

I really enjoyed “Terror Train” and I know horror fans will also. Another great thing about the Blu-ray “Terror Train” is that it comes with a regular DVD of the movie. So you get two copies of the film for the price of one. 
The Funhouse

“The Funhouse” is one of my favorite horror movies and I am so excited that it a special collector’s edition was finally released. It is a very creepy and scary story. I think that is why I like it so much.

“The Funhouse” was released in 1981 and is directed by Tobe Hopper who directed my favorite movie of all time, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”  It stars, Elizabeth Berridge(Amadeus), Cooper Huckabee(True Blood), Miles Chaplin(Hair), Sylvia Miles(Midnight Cowboy), and Kevin Conway as the Barker.

The story is about a traveling carnival with a dark past that comes to a small town. A group of teenagers decide that it would be fun to spend night in the funhouse.  They go on the ride and jump off in the middle of it. They hide until the carnival closes. They all witness a murder and are trapped in the funhouse with a crazy deformed monster trying to kill them. It is a very intense and creepy movie. 

This movie scared me when I was young and it still makes me uneasy watching it. The film has a dirty feel to it and it makes you feel like you are at the carnival walking through the dust and dirt and experiencing the horrors of the funhouse.

Shout Factory has given all of us horror fans something we have been screaming for. Blu-rays/DVD’s with amazing special features. The special features on “The Funhouse are amazing and I actually watched them a few times. They were that good.

Special features include:

• Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper, moderated by filmmaker Tim Sullivan.
• “The Barker-Speaks!” – An interview with Kevin Conway
• “Something Wicked This Way Comes” – All new interview with Executive Producer Mark L. Lester
• “Carnival Music” – An interview with composer John Beal
• Audio interview with William Finley
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV and Radio Spots 

I enjoyed the heck out of Shout Factory’s “Terror Train” and “The Funhouse.”  When they release movies they do it right and give horror fans something they want.  I can’t wait to see what they will release next.

For more information on Shout Factory go to www.shoutfactory.com

Aaron Chalich is a columnist for KSTP.com blogging about the lastest entertainment news.