VCI Entertainment has announced that they will be bringing the classic horror film Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things to DVD on October 11, and on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray on October 25, 2022. Back before he became a staple of the Christmas season, director Bob Clark (A Christmas Story, Black Christmas) was cutting his teeth in the world of independent genre cinema. One of Clark’s earliest efforts was 1972’s Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things. Six theater friends decide to have a little fun by having a mock Satanic ritual. To do so, they head to an isolated island, dig up a rotting corpse, and perform the spooky ceremony. The group‘s director is disappointed when the initial ritual fails and continues to push it. Eventually he succeeds in raising the dead and soon realizes it’s not always best to get what you wish for.
Using friends from college and working with a measly budget of $50,000, Clark managed to complete Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things over the course of 14 days. The result is an effective zombie flick with one of the eeriest endings the genre has ever seen. Alan Ormsby, who co-wrote the script and starred in the film, deserves a fair share of credit for crafting the film’s creepy special effects. It’s a film that starts out as a dark comedy about college kids screwing around and quickly morphs into a story about hopelessness, a remarkable feat when factoring in Clark and Ormsby’s limitations and scant resources.
VCI Entertainment is set to release Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things in a brand-new 4K UHD collector’s edition set just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary. This new release will include an all-new introduction and Q&A with Ormsby, the brand-new feature-length documentary Dreaming of Death: Bob Clark’s Horror Films, and much, much more. VCI will also be releasing the film on standard Blu-ray and DVD. All three editions hit shelves in October, just in time for the Halloween season. Get more details below!
Synopsis: The SET-UP: Five young kinky actors and their artistic director come to a desolate and nearly forgotten burial island, complete with a morbid history of MURDER, RAPE, CURSES and DEMONS. Alan (Alan Ormsby), the brilliant but bizarre Director of the company, has brought them to this foreboding place to dabble in witchcraft; specifically to dig up a fresh corpse and use it in a ritual ceremony which is supposed to raise the dead from their graves. The PAY-OFF: It seems as though Alan has really gathered his “children” here, only to play a practical joke on them and then to party the rest of the night away. However, the joke’s on Alan. His bizarre ritual ceremony really does raise the dead from their graves…only they’re in no mood to party! NOTE: “BENJAMIN” CLARK is really “BOB” CLARK, the creative director behind the hit films PORKY’S, BLACK CHRISTMAS and A CHRISTMAS STORY among others. ALAN ORMSBY, though he turned in what has been described as “…one of the most obnoxious screen performances in history!”, has actually made a mark for himself as the screenwriter for such memorable films as MY BODYGUARD, CAT PEOPLE, KARATE KID 3 and PORKY’S 2.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- New 2022 Video Introduction and Q&A with Alan Ormsby
- New 2022 – 90-minute Video Documentary DREAMING OF DEATH: Bob Clark’s Horror Films, with many new interviews with cast and crew.
- Full Commentary Track with Alan Ormsby, Jane Daly and Anya Cronin
- The Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival, May 22, 2007 Q&A. A Video filmed in between a double feature showing of CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY… and DEATHDREAM at the Beverly Cinema.
- Confessions of a Grave Digger: Video Interview with Ken Goch.
- Extensive Photo & Poster Gallery
- ‘Dead Girls Don’t Say No’ Music video by The Deadthings.
- ‘Cemetery Mary’ Music video by The Deadthings.
- Original Theatrical Trailer and Radio Spots.
- New Special Liner-Notes Booklet written by Patrick McCabe.
- Collectible Slipcover limited to initial pressing.
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Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.