Scream Factory, the horror-thriller offshoot of independent film distributor Shout Factory, has dated its upcoming Blu-ray releases of Daniel Mann's
Willard (1971) and Phil Karlson's
Ben (1972). The two releases will be available for purchase this May.
Willard
Synopsis: Willard Stiles (Bruce Davison, Insidious: Chapter 4) is a young man with a big problem. He lives alone in a crumbling house with his ailing mother (Elsa Lanchester, Arnold, Bride of Frankenstein). His boss, Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine, Escape from New York) is a vulgar, cruel man who stole his business from Willard's father and is now working Willard to death at his factory job.
Lonely, depressed and isolated, Willard is on the verge of a breakdown when he makes a new friend: Ben, one of the many rats who inhabit his dilapidated home. Not only can Willard communicate with the rodent, but he can actually command him to do his bidding. Using Ben and his furry friends as instruments of retaliation, Willard commands his pets to carry out his vengeance…
STREET DATE: MAY 16.
Ben
Ben is back!
When detective sergeant Cliff Kirtland (Joseph Campanella, Meteor) investigates the horrifying murder of Willard Stiles by a band of rats, he discovers that the rats are now an organized army, and he must destroy the murderous rodents before it is too late. But the rats, led by Ben, the only survivor of the Willard attack, take to the challenge with full force and little fear.
With an Oscar-nominated* theme song, Ben "presents some genuinely creepy scenes… [and] manages to deliver the goods expected of the genre while getting the audience all misty-eyed…" (TV Guide). Put your feet up – way up – and watch: Ben is an absolute must for everyone who likes a good scare!
STREET DATE: MAY 16.