VAMPIRE CIRCUS and SPELLBINDER Get Slick New 4K Releases from Imprint Films

Australia's Imprint Films label, part of their Via Vision line, has been doing good work for a few years now, releasing titles that weren't getting Blu-ray drops elsewhere.

They typically did nothing on the restoration front and just added new extras, but it was still a net positive for film fans. Recently, they've moved into the restoration market themselves with some solid results, and their latest celebratory moment comes with a beautiful new 4K UHD release of Hammer's 1972 chiller, Vampire Circus.

The men of a small village storm a castle to rescue a young woman and put an end to the land baron's reign of terror, and they quickly discover that he's actually a vampire. They put the bloodsucker down and go on with their lives, but years later a traveling circus comes to town -- and their past comes roaring back to haunt them.

Director Robert Young would go on to make 20 or so forgettable films, but his feature debut remains an absolute highlight in the Hammer catalog (and his own filmography). Vampire Circus is a terrifically entertaining and unapologetically mean tale of questionable people meeting a grisly fate. The body count here is off the charts, and you won't be sad about it.

There are heroic characters here, but unlike most Hammer vampire films, there's no Peter Cushing or Cushing-like performer to force our allegiance. Instead, we're thrilled watching people make poor choices only to be picked apart by some very determined vampires.

Young infuses the horror with sexuality and nudity, both tastefully done even when they tease the graphic, and it adds to the debaucherous nature of a village in need of cleansing. It's just a fun, bloody, R-rated romp that looks great all the way through to the end.

Imprint's terrific new 4K UHD release of Vampire Circus features a new 4K restoration delivering a truly gorgeous picture complete with Dolby Vision, and it's a winner across the board. The shadows are deep and rich, and the colors -- plentiful in the circus segments -- are bold and bright. The film's horrors are crisp and vibrant, making this likely the best the film has ever looked.

The hard-box release includes a hardback book filled with production photos and marketing materials, and the UHD disc includes two commentary tracks -- one by film critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, and one by film historians Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons. These tracks, like the rest of the extras on the Blu-ray disc, are ported over from previous releases.

The included region-free Blu-ray is the same disc/encode that was previously released by Imprint a few years ago. It's a solid disc, but the contrast to the new 4K is stark, meaning it's the UHD you'll want to watch the film on.

The Blu-ray includes the aforementioned commentary tracks along with a detailed making-of featurette, another piece exploring circus horror films, a featurette about Hammer's horror magazine, a poster gallery and motion comic, and interviews with director Robert Young, actor Sibylla Kay, and editor Peter Musgrave.

Hammer's Vampire Circus might not be considered top-tier for the studio -- although I'd argue it actually is -- but it's at least considered a cult classic and a film that's only grown in viewer opinion. 1988's Spellbinder, by comparison, is largely forgotten. That's a shame, as a recognizable cast and some solidly atmospheric thrills make for a compelling tale of witchy shenanigans and romance. Imprint's new 4K UHD release gives it a fantastic presentation that some might see as overkill, but fans should really appreciate the love it gets from the label.

Tim Daly stars as Jeff Mills, an attorney in Los Angeles who crosses paths with a young woman named Miranda Reed (Kelly Preston) when he helps free her from an abusive boyfriend. She spends the night at his place, and then many more, and Jeff has no complaints until things start getting weird. It seems Miranda's ex, along with several of their strange acquaintances, are determined to get her back into their fold -- and they'll do anything to make it happen.

Director Janet Greek chased up 1986's underseen rape/revenge thriller, The Ladies Club, with a slightly bigger-budgeted tale of love and dark magic. Spellbinder is a well-crafted thriller built on the backs of its two leads -- familiar, charismatic faces giving solid performances -- and it's bolstered by some genuinely creepy beats. One sequence finds chills in a windowpane that almost give Salem's Lot a run for its money regarding the world's scariest window-related image.

The script does a good job letting the characters build before unleashing the supernatural terrors. Genre-savvy viewers will probably suspect a third-act surprise, but the film still manages to keep you on your toes with some of its story turns. You'll wish Jeff did a few things differently, and a couple events that happen offscreen would have been cooler if we saw them, but enough thrills and fun practical effects remain.

Imprint gives the film a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative, and it's a real treat. Shadows are deep, colors are rich, and details are sharp -- it's not the kind of film you expect to see get such an impressive treatment, but fans will be grateful that it did.

The hard-box limited edition release includes a hardback book filled with stills and an essay by Heidi Honeycutt, as well as a softbound copy of the shooting script, complete with storyboards. It's a very cool addition that I wish more specialty releases would consider, as it's always interesting comparing a script with the finished film.

Both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray include an archival commentary track from Greek that sees her reflecting on the film's production. She opens talking about her original first reel being completely cut by MGM -- and being surprised by it at the film's premiere. It's an honest look back and a reminder that the best filmmaker commentaries are the ones recorded many years after a film's release.

The Blu-ray also includes four brand new featurettes including a detailed and engaging 30-minute interview with Greek detailing her long road to directing. It shouldn't surprise you how many walls she hit with men telling her that women can't direct movies. Greek's recollections of Preston include some sweet memories of her recently having met John Travolta and basically falling in love during this film's production. Make-up effects designer Rick Stratton and actor Anthony Crivello both share their memories on the film, and film/occult historian Heather Greene talks about wiccan (witchcraft) beliefs in the real world compared to what we typically see in the movies.

Kudos to Imprint for giving a film like Spellbinder -- a good, solid supernatural thriller that few people remember -- such a spectacular home video release.