Full Moon Features has released a rather epic collection of classic horror/cult films from Empire Pictures’ robust history with the Empire Pictures Blu-ray Collection. Featuring 18 titles in a limited edition (600) box set signed and numbered by the legendary Charles Band, this collection is a great buy for fans of the label or the films. You get a nice chunk of classic movies including From Beyond, Dolls, Trancers, Ghoulies and Ghoulies 2, to name a few. The set seems steep at $250 but if you break it down you’re looking at less than $14 a flick. You’re also getting set specific packaging and a really well done box to hold everything in.
Let me let the folks at Full Moon describe it for you:
Every horror and cult movie fan who came of age in the 1980s still speaks in hushed tones about the late, great Empire Pictures. Founded by producer and director Charles Band in 1983, the fabled studio and distributor was responsible for a tidal wave of amazing, imaginative and profitable horror, science fiction and fantasy films many of which have become definitive works and high water marks of their respective genres. Now, as a gift to the legion of rabid Empire fans out there, Band and Full Moon (in collusion with Shout! Factory) will release The Empire Pictures Blu-ray Collection, a massive limited edition collection (only 600 are being produced) featuring 18 films on 15 discs (14 Blu-ray + 1 DVD) packaged in a stunning, sturdy and elegant black collectors box adorned with a collage of original Empire poster art. Inside there will be an exclusive 24-page book as well.
That sums it up rather nicely I think. The set really is gorgeous. I realize that I already have the majority of these titles from Scream Factory but, most have different artwork for the covers which is rather cool. This unfortunately, is the big misstep for this set. These titles are all already available so it might be a tough sell for someone, even a fan, to grab this set if they’ve already picked these titles up individually. If you haven’t grabbed them then I would definitely urge you to get your hands on this set.
I hope this isn’t the last of sets like this from Full Moon and Empire Pictures. I’d love them to get all the Puppet Master flicks on Blu and in a set similar to the DVD set they did previously and there are plenty more Empire Pictures films they can use for a Volume 2.
Overall, this set is a great collection of some classic 80s horror/sci-fi. Great features and a cool book full of info that fans will devour make this set a great purchase for those who haven’t already dived into the previous Scream Factory releases. those that already have might think twice about double dipping even if the packaging and artwork are a nice bonus. That said, the limited number of sets definitely make this a collectible release. It is NOT available in stores and only via Full Moon Direct and select conventions.
9 Stars: A great set of films collected in a rather stunning collection hampered by the majority being previously released.
Here are the titles included in the set followed by an unboxing video from our friends at Full Moon who were awesome enough to provide this set for us to review. Show them some love at FullMoonDirect.com.
Classic Empire films included in this set are:
METALSTORM
METALSTORM (3-D version)
THE DUNGEONMASTER
GHOULIES
TRANCERS
ELIMINATORS
CRAWLSPACE
FROM BEYOND
TERRORVISION
TROLL
DOLLS
PRISON
CELLAR DWELLER
CATACOMBS
GHOST TOWN
GHOULIES 2
ROBOT JOX
ARENA (DVD only)
Garon Cockrell is the Founder and Editor of Pop Culture Beast and host of The Pop Culture Beast Show. He founded the site over seven years ago to have a place on the internet to write about the things he loved. Since then, Garon has become a best-selling author (Demonic and Other Tales), an award winning screenwriter (Best Screenplay 2013 Motor City Nightmares Film Festival), and a cast member on the top rated podcast, Never Not Funny.