A Trio of New Indie Flicks and a Trio of Restored Cult Classics Hit the Market Today

If you’re looking for some new indie terror, this Tuesday might be a day to plan on a purchase or two. There aren’t many new movies arriving, but there are a couple of promising pics to look into, and a few restored films that are just waiting to reach a new generation. Take a peek at this week’s new releases below.

Beware the Lake

Tabitha is the new girl at school, who catches the eye of the local football hero. This gets her on the bad side of the high school cheerleading captain and she is lured to a secluded lake for drinks and a late night swim. There Tabitha is drugged, stranded and eventually murdered. But something brings Tabitha back to life, so she can take revenge on those who sent her to a watery grave.

Dark Silence

Craig moves with his daughter, Jennifer, into a new home after the death of his wife. It’s not long before the pair discovers the house is haunted by a dark presence that wants to take over the child. One day Jennifer disappears and Craig must face a terrible truth in order to find his daughter.

The Domicile

When Russell’s wife accidentally dies in their home, his mental state goes from bad to one of utter despair. As the ghost of his dead wife awakens, her spirit becomes aware of the sordid details surrounding his unfaithfulness, enraging this supernatural being to haunt him in every horrifying way imaginable.

Effects (AGFA – restored)

Cobbled together with loose change by George Romero’s friends, Effects is a mesmerizing D.I.Y. frightmare that no one talks about, but everyone should. A group of coked-up filmmakers — including Tom Dawn Of The Dead Savini, Joe Day Of The Dead Pilato, and John Tales From The Darkside: The Movie Harrison — gather in Pittsburgh to make a slasher. As filming begins and accidents happen, it’s clear that something isn’t right. And no one can be trusted. Landing somewhere between SNUFF and a student film by John Carpenter, Effects is a meta-enhanced takedown on the philosophy of horror that doubles as a sleazy and terrifying movie on its own.

The Slayer (Arrow 2-Disc Special Edition)

IS IT A NIGHTMARE? OR IS IT… THE SLAYER?

One of the most sought-after titles for slasher fans everywhere, The Slayer finally rises from the ashes of obscurity in a brand new 4K transfer courtesy of Arrow Video.

Two young couples set off to a secluded island for what promises to be a restful retreat. But the peace is short-lived: as a storm batters the island, troubled artist Kay begins to sense that a malevolent presence is here with them, stalking them at every turn. Is she losing her mind, or are her childhood nightmares of a demonic assailant coming to terrifying life?

Previously only available on home video in truncated or full screen versions, The Slayer whose nightmares-seeping-into-reality theme predates a certain Wes Craven classic by several years comes lovingly restored from the original negative in a stunning transfer that will be a revelation to fans both old and new.

Society (Arrow Limited Steelbook Edition)

After producing Stuart Gordon’s hit Re-Animator, Brian Yuzna (Bride of Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead III) turned his hand to directing with 1989’s Society, and gave birth to one of the ickiest, most original body horror shockers of all time.

Teenager Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) has always felt like the odd one out in his wealthy, upper-class Beverly Hills family. For some reason, he just doesn’t seem to fit in. But his sense of alienation takes a sinister turn when he hears an audio recording of his sister s coming-out party, which seems to implicate his family and others in a bizarre, ritualistic orgy. And then there are the strange things he’s been seeing glimpses of people with their bodies contorted impossibly out of shape… Is Bill going mad or is there something seriously amiss in his neighborhood?

Packing stomach-churning grue and thought-provoking social commentary in equal measure, Society is a biting horror satire which culminates in one of the most gag-inducing climaxes in all of horror history.