It’s my first Christmas as a newsletter-writer and so I’ve put together a Christmas Special for you which is a bit different to the usual newsletter! Although I will still be bringing you the news from Cult Labs (such as the fact that Arrow Video’s A Bay of Blood is out now!) I will also be bringing you the Top 10 Christmas Films as picked by the guys in the Cult Labs virtual office! But more on that a little later…

So, are you all set for the big day? I am. Flat is decorated, presents are wrapped, Christmas cake is baked and half eaten. I even made mulled wine in my slow cooker the other day and, even better, it actually tasted good. If you want the recipe that I used, feel free to ask (obviously as long as you’re over 18!). Actually, I’m super-glad that I was quite prepared this year. Merseyside hasn’t been too hot on the old grit and our roads and pavements resemble ice-rinks. There’s no way I would’ve got to the shops in one piece!

Now, on with the newsletter. So, curl up with some mulled wine and pongy cheese, and enjoy the fact that it’s Christmas Eve!

Sarah@Cult Labs.

FIRST EVER “YEL-RAY” REVEALED!

As most of you will already know, early in 2011, Shameless Screen Entertainment will be releasing Lucio Fulci’s New York Ripper on DVD and Blu-ray with a brand new HD transfer. There has been a lot of debate as to what the packaging will look like for the BD and now I have something of an answer for you!

A spy in Shameless’s super-secret Austrian BD case factory has snapped this sneaky pic of the proposed box. The artwork that you can glimpse is not final or confirmed. In fact, Shameless are asking your opinions on how it should look before they finalise anything. Mainly, what say you to the blue border around the artwork? Is it a cool way to differentiate Blu-rays or would you prefer to see classic Shameless red? Let us know at the official thread!

A SERBIAN CLIP

Over the last few weeks, Sam@Cult Labs has brought you several clips from A Serbian Film, all pivotal scenes in the the narrative build-up. The one I share with you today, “An Artist of F***” is perhaps one of the most important. As Sam puts it:

When the aging porn star protagonist of A Serbian Film meets his soon-to-be director, warning bells should have sounded. Any man who describes a hired dick as a “an artist of fuck” clearly has a screw loose. Other pointers might be the all black outfit and the vaguely satanic facial hair. Maybe the fact that he shakes hand and doesn’t let go for the remainder of the scene may offer a clue to the fragile sanity of the filmmaker. … This is the moment when a sensible person would turn back. Suspicions would be raised.

Of course, don’t just take Sam’s word for it. Head on over to the blog to check out the clip for yourself. To chat about the film, you can head to the official sub-forum, or to check out reviews you can visit the hubsite. A Serbian Film is in cinemas now and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray by Revolver Entertainment on 3 January 2011.

I SPIT A BIT MORE ON YOUR GRAVE

The remake of I Spit on Your Grave will be released in cinemas on 21 January 2011 by Anchor Bay. A brand new quad poster for this stunning remake (should be a contradiction in terms but for this remake it’s just not) has been revealed this week  and you can check it out over on the blog. The poster showcases some of the great reviews ISOYG has been getting, providing you with even more reason to go see it! Sam has also written a thoughtful piece on the blog about the notoriety of ISOYG in which he discusses how refreshing it is that, although the film remains controversial, it is not causing a moral panic. You can add your own thoughts by heading over to the official sub-forum.

TOP 10 CULT LABS CHRISTMAS FILMS

I had long decided that this week’s newsletter should be special because it’s a) our last one before Christmas, and b) going out on Christmas Eve. So I had a good think about what to do and began thinking about how I like to spend Christmas Eve. This is my second Christmas living with Mr. Sarah@Cult Labs and our general consensus is that the evening of Christmas Eve is best spent watching films while you wait for Santa to arrive. Speaking to the guys in the Cult Labs (cyberspace) office I discovered that they do pretty much the same thing and so we compiled a list of the 10 best Christmas films to watch while waiting for Santa. You might agree or disagree with this list and you can share your thoughts on the forums. If we’ve missed a gem off then be sure to let us know! So, remember that this list is no particular order and get reading!

1. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – A Cult Labs title up first. SN,DN is a classic Christmas horror movie about an angry young man on a murderous rampage while dressed as Santa. The film caused moral outrage when it was first released but thankfully we can now watch it in peace… “Naughty!”
2. Black Christmas (1974) – The remake of this seminal slasher is the antithesis to the ISOYG remake, showing us how not to make a good update of a horror title. The Bob Clark original, however, is an exercise in tension and is, in my humble opinion, even better than Halloween. The Christmas atmosphere just adds to the tension and will leave you chilled – just ready for some mulled wine!
3. Die Hard (1988) – For some people, it’s not Christmas until they’ve seen the advert for a certain brand of fizzy drink. For me, it’s not Christmas until John McClane knows what a TV dinner feels like. Possibly the best Christmas action film ever made, you get to hear Alan Rickman say “Ho, ho, ho.” and witness a somewhat irreverent version of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…” Best. Christmas. Film. Ever.
4. Groundhog Day (1993) – suggested by Almar@Cult Labs. Not strictly a Christmas film but, because of it’s wintery setting, it still makes for perfect Christmas Eve viewing. Groundhog Day also has the advantage over the previous three films in that it’s family viewing and can always launch that great conversation starter: “What would you do if you could live the same day over and over?”
5. Elf (2003) – suggested by Stefan@Cult Labs. Another family film now and this one sees Will Ferrell playing an over-sized elf called Buddy who comes to New York to find his real dad. This is possibly the most quotable Christmas film ever and usually causes Mr. Sarah@Cult Labs and I to start saying things like, “I’m sorry I ruined your lives, and crammed eleven cookies into the VCR.” Hilariously funny for big kids as well as small!
6. Scrooged (1988) – Couldn’t have a top Christmas films list without at least one version of A Christmas Carol. I’ve gone with horror, comedy and Bill Murray and picked Scrooged. What’s not to love? Bill Murray, Karen Allen and a redemptive tale of a Christmas grump come good. The ending is one of the cheesiest I have ever seen but who cares? This is a film with the line, “Well, I’m sure Charles Dickens would have wanted to see her nipples.”
7. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – suggested by Nosferatu@Cult Labs and Stephen@Cult Labs. No Christmas film list would be complete without Frank Capra’s classic fantasy. If this film doesn’t make you cry like a baby then I’m afraid you need a visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to melt your heart of ice and stone!
8. Lethal Weapon (1987) – suggested by Reaper@Cult Labs and Stephen@Cult Labs. Another Christmas action film for you here as Mel Gibson and Danny Glover learn to work together in order to bust a gang of drug smugglers. As the friendship between the two cops grows, Gibson’s suicidal Sergeant Riggs finds a reason to live again and so I suppose this could be a contemporary re-telling of It’s A Wonderful Life… Or it could just be a badass buddy cop action film set at Christmas. You decide!
9. Gremlins (1984) – Possibly one of the best Christmas horror comedies ever made, Gremlins features the unforgettable Gizmo and a classic 80s cast of Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates and Corey Feldman. It also feature the most macabre and yet hilarious Christmas story ever as Cates’s character tells how her father went missing at Christmas only to be found dead five days later, up the chimney dressed as Santa. Sick. But kinda funny…
10. Home Alone (1990) – suggested by iluvdvds@Cult Labs. For anyone who, like me, was a young kid in 1990, this was possibly the ultimate Christmas fantasy. Your family go on a Christmas holiday and accidentally leave you behind at the house where you get to do everything you ever wanted – unsupervised! Of course some pesky burglars would want to spoil your fun but I bet you could fight them off with some cunningly designed booby traps…

So that’s it for the 10 Best Christmas Films. As mentioned you can chat about these at the forums and post any that have been missed off. Hope this helps you decide what to watch while waiting for Santa to arrive!

KYLE’S COMP CORNER

Kyle has got a real treat for you this week as you can win a copy of Arrow Video’s forthcoming version of Dario Argento’s Deep Red! So wish I could enter but I can’t… Boo! If you want to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, head on over to the Comp Corner now! Good luck!

MODS & ROCKERS

Not much to say this week other than to wish all our readers and forum members a very merry Christmas from all of the Cult Labs mods!

The forum rules can be found here. If any of the mods (forum, technical, competitions, etc.) want me to include anything in this section next week then just let me know!

WELCOME NEWBIES!

This week I’m saying hello to CultCuts Magazine and Chucky! Welcome to the forums – hope you settle in nicely! If you’re new to the forum, why not head on over to the new members thread to introduce yourself?

AND FINALLY…

Before I go, here’s a little reminder that if you haven’t already signed up to receive this newsletter in your inbox each week, you can do so using this link. All this means is that every Thursday you get a little bit of me in your inbox. Not literally though. That’d be a bit gross.

Remember, if you have any comments, feedback or anything you’d like to see featured in the newsletter, PM me at Sarah@Cult Labs or drop me a line on the newsletter thread! Or, if you’re reading this as an email, just hit “reply”!

I’ll be back next week on New Year’s Eve with a special quiz of 2010 composed by Kyle so look out for that! In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas!

Until next week,

Sarah@Cult Labs.