In September of 2012, niche distributor Shout! Factory introduced horror fans to what they soon embraced as a genre godsend, Scream Factory. Under this banner, the sort of movies gorehounds grew up catching on the late show in muddy, edited-for-TV forms had new life breathed into them by way of Blu-ray upgrades and, in several cases, a boatload of bonus features. It's been over a year now since Scream Factory hit the scene, and their reputation as horror's answer to the Criterion Collection has become well-deserved, thanks to spiffed-up editions of such famous spooky selections as John Carpenter's The Fog and Joe Dante's The Howling. But the label's aim isn't solely set on the big boys, as Scream Factory has two little-seen genre jaunts in store for their followers this November.
 
EVE OF DESTRUCTION (1991)

In the not-too-distant future, Dr. Eve Simmons (Renee Soutendijk) has done the unimaginable. Years of research have resulted in the creation of the most sophisticated android ever made, one that thinks, bleeds...and looks just like her. But during a trial run in public, the automaton -- christened Eve VIII -- experiences a malfunction that sends her on a killing spree. Enter Jim McQuade (Gregory Hines), a no-nonsense military man who specializes in high-pressure, low-odds crises. Enlisted to help track down Eve VIII, Jim will have to work fast to find her and stop her from unleashing the ultimate trump card: a nuclear device quickly ticking its way to Doomsday.

I won't argue with anyone wondering what in the world possessed Scream Factory to add Eve of Destruction to its high-def horror library. It's not a legacy title like Halloween II or a cult favorite like Lifeforce -- in fact, I'm not even sure there ever was an audience for this. But as curious a choice as it was, I have to say Eve of Destruction was a lot more entertaining than I anticipated. Then again, one doesn't know what to expect from a movie in which a performer best known for his dancing prowess fights a killer robot, but it turned out to be good fun regardless, a solid blend of sci-fi cheese and serious thrills. Soutendijk has a blast pulling double duty as both a buttoned-down scientist and her homicidal creation, who turns out to be the living embodiment of all her repressed urges. Hines also turns in terrific work as his tough-as-nails hero, a hard-boiled soldier who takes charge with a surprising lack of cliched emotional baggage. Sometimes the effects can be a bit primitive and the dialogue a bit heavy on hokiness, but Eve of Destruction is a surprisingly well-balanced ride that knows when to lighten up and when to take things in a more intense direction.

 SPECIAL FEATURES:

-A theatrical trailer.

(Eve of Destruction will be available to purchase on November 19th.)

THE HORROR SHOW (1989)

After a rampage that claimed the lives of over 110 victims, serial psycho Max Jenke (Brion James) has finally been brought to justice. Detective Lucas McCarthy (Lance Henriksen) was the one who nabbed the nutcase, and despite still suffering trauma from his hunt, he's first in line to see Max take a seat in the electric chair. But unbeknownst to the law, a visit with Old Sparky is just what this killer needed to really unleash his bloodlust. All those volts pumping through Max's body only free him of his earthly constraints and unleash him upon the world as a vengeful ghost. First on his list is Lucas, who can only watch in terror as the madman's spirit tears his world apart and pushes him ever closer toward the breaking point.

The Horror Show is less of a thriller than a glorified test reel. It feels like a promissory note, a pinky-swear that, with a little extra coin, these filmmakers could totally do this all better. Thus, the flick doesn't have the most consistent tone on the books, veering from pitch-dark material to setting up Max as the latest wise-cracking villain to challenge Freddy Krueger's reign. James's effective performance is a big boost in selling Max as one unsavory dude, and an array of weird practical effects slaps his demented mug on everything from a roast turkey to an infant. But The Horror Show spins its wheels an awful lot to engage you very much, repeating the same schtick of Brion James sneering and Lance Henriksen being Lance Henriksen for an ultimately boring 90 minutes. In the end, it's neither a diamond in the rough nor a deservedly-buried blight upon the genre -- it's just a dime-a-dozen '80s slasher that's no better or worse off than all the other movies that were positive they had the next Myers or Voorhees to spring upon fans.
 
SPECIAL FEATURES:
 
-Feature commentary by producer Sean S. Cunningham, better known for bringing the Friday the 13th franchise to fruition (a track recorded on, appropriately enough, Friday the 13th in September, 2013).

-An interview with Kane Hodder, The Horror Show's stunt coordinator and four-time actor as Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees.

-An interview with actress Rita Taggart, who plays Lance Henriksen's wife and whose stories about having a blast on the set are quite the contrast to an often dark and heavy flick.

-A theatrical trailer.

-A standard DVD copy.

(The Horror Show will be available to purchase on November 26th.)