Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 22, 2023

The vagaries of fame and/or fortune can often be positively confounding, and in that regard it's maybe just a little odd that Charles Band has never seemed to have quite risen to the "immediate name recognition" factor of people like, say, Roger Corman. This may seem especially strange in that Band not only has tended to work in the same kind of less fulsomely budgeted B movie environment that Corman often has, with both sharing a penchant for somewhat sly, winking horror films, but also because Band founded not one but two "studios", Empire Pictures (the "subject" of this collection) and, after the demise of that enterprise, Full Moon Pictures, which continues to release Blu-rays to this day. When you add in the fact that Band hails from a really rather notable family which includes an at least somewhat famous grandfather, father, and various offspring and/or other relatives, the lack of general renown for Band becomes even more inexplicable. Arrow Video is coming to the rescue of this conundrum, however, with this elaborately packaged collection of several Band productions for Empire Pictures which should be of interest to genre aficionados, even if this set can't quite match the extravagance of Band's own Empire Pictures Collection release from several years ago, an immense offering which included all of these films on Blu-ray, save Arena, which was on DVD in that set. As fans will know (or can find out by clicking on links provided in individual reviews), the Empire set was not the only time some of these films have had prior releases on Blu-ray.

For reviews of the films in this set, please click on the following links:

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray review

Dolls Blu-ray review

Cellar Dweller Blu-ray review

Arena Blu-ray review

Robot Jox Blu-ray review

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews. Additionally, all of the keepcases come housed in a nicely designed box that measures approximately 7" wide x 6" high x 4" deep. The top comes off of the box to offer access to the keepcases. The box itself has a slipcover. The box also holds a perfect bound collector's booklet that is stuffed full of information about the films, along with several well written essays by the likes of Dave Jay, Megan Navarro and Lee Gambin. The booklet is kind of cheekily made out to be an "Arrow Video Magazine", in line with the "video store" ambience of this release.

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are probably no so-called "undiscovered masterpieces" in this set, but there is a great deal of good, old fashioned and frankly goofy fun. Genre aficionados in general and Band groupies (sorry, couldn't resist) in particular should appreciate this set, which may not match the massiveness of Band's own Empire collection, but which offers a quintet of kind of lovable lo-fi pieces along with excellent supplements and very handsome packaging. Recommended.