Synapse Brings Us Stepfather II And More 42nd Street in September!

September is lining up to be a great month for devoted fans of true exploitation cinema. Synapse Films has set the wheels in motion for two more dynamic releases, the first of which is a continuation of their highly acclaimed 42nd Street Forever series. The latest entry, 42nd Street Forever: Volume 5, marks the venture pairing of Synapse with Austin’s “badass movie theater,” the Alamo Drafthouse.

Featuring the original grindhouse-style era of movie trailers, Volume 5 will contain such class-icks from the realms of martial arts (Sonny Chiba’s The Bodyguard, Sting of the Dragon Masters), sexploitation (Chatterbox, Caged Virgins), science fiction (The Terrornauts, Message From Space), crime and action (Zebra Force, Mission Thunderbolt), fantasy (The Fabulous World Of Jules Verne), horror (Terror In The Wax Museum, The Devil Within Her) and just plain ol’ good exploitation, too (The Manson Massacre, Moonrunners). Why, even Robert Downey, Sr.'s Putney Swope (?) is on this one — all courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse and Synapse Films.

Keeping up with the bar they raised on their previous installment, 42nd Street Forever: Volume 4, Volume 5 will be presented in anamorphic widescreen and feature an optional (and outrageous) audio commentary with Alamo Drafthouse owner Tim League and programmers Lars Nilsen and Zack Carlson, as well as a new featurette detailing the history of the Alamo Drafthouse (one of the last honest places to see these films on the big screen).

Another offering from Synapse in September is the arrival of horror classic Stepfather II on DVD. With the inevitable Hollywood remake/reboot of this cult series on the way to theaters, the timing couldn’t be any better to relive the originals (the first film will hit DVD in October from Shout! Factory). Lost star Terry O’Quinn returns from the original Stepfather as Jerry Blake. Having escaped from his own private hell in a mental institution, the psychotic murderer Jerry has assumed a new identity as a marriage counselor — and he may have just found a new family to call his own.

With a new anamorphic widescreen transfer, Stepfather II will boast a new audio commentary with director Jeff Burr (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) and producer Darin Scott. Additional special features will include a new featurette (“The Stepfather Chronicles: Daddy’s New Home”), an assortment of deleted/alternate scenes, a still gallery, and trailer.

Both titles hit DVD September 29 with a retail price of US$19.95, so be sure to mark your calendars for some bloody good fun.