Depending on what date you look at, the 1978 cult classic horror film Rituals is set to make its DVD debut courtesy of the folks at Code Red on either 11/17 (Amazon's date) or 12/22 (the date on Code Red's website), and this is one release that has been a loooong time in coming. The vhs version that has circulated and the one that would occasionally pop up on cable television is about to be replaced by the version in its full, unexpurgated, gory glory. This tale of five doctors who go into the wilderness for their annual vacation may smack of Deliverance, but this baby has a cruelty all its own, as the medics are offed one by one in increasingly ghastly ways. (Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen a cut of this that was complete.) Starring Hal Holbrook, this is one of Canada's great horror achievements of the 1970s, and worthy to stand next to anything that Cronenberg was producing at the time. I had given up hope that it might ever see the DVD light of day, so let this stand as testimony that, when it comes to your digital dreams, hope springs eternal; this one is at the top of my Amazon wish list!Check out this trailer; has "The Teddy Bears' Picnic" ever been used to such macabre ends?
2 comments:
This is exciting news! I've never seen Rituals and I always stayed away from bootlegs because I wasn't sure if I'd be getting the uncut version. Definitely getting this disc - can't wait to check it out!
This is good news!
Somewhere in storage I have an old VHS of this flick--and while the version I have has never not been quasi-incomprehensible, it was also very unnerving. I'd love to see a "complete" version.
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