Friday, May 1, 2026

THE WAR GAME and THREADS - the Harrowing Masterpieces set for Worldwide UHD Premieres Of New 4K Scans From Original Negatives from Severin Films

SEVERIN FILMS ANNOUNCES PRE-ORDERS FOR THE MOST TERRIFYING NUCLEAR WAR FILMS EVER MADE

Harrowing Masterpieces THE WAR GAME and THREADS
Worldwide UHD Premieres Of New 4K Scans From Original Negatives

Severin Films today announced the Worldwide UHD Premieres of the seminal apocalyptic nuclear war films THE WAR GAME and THREADS. Peter Watkins’ Oscar-winning 1965 documentary drama THE WAR GAME – called “what may be the most important film ever made” by The London Observer – is presented in a 2-Disc Collection with 5+ hours of Special Features, a reprint of Watkins’ companion book and more. Mick Jackson’s milestone 1984 BBC shocker THREADS – infamously hailed by the British Film Institute as “the movie that scarred a generation for life” – is presented in a 3-Disc Collection with 7 hours of Special Features that include the award-winning 2025 documentary SURVIVORS: THE SPECTRE OF THREADS. Both releases include Limited Edition Exclusives and are available to pre-order now at www.SeverinFilms.com



THE WAR GAME (1966) 
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray 

In 1965, filmmaker Peter Watkins (PRIVILEGE, PUNISHMENT PARK) recruited 350 amateur actors, utilized direct quotes from civil defense manuals and employed newsreel-like recreations to craft a BBC documentary drama that depicted a nuclear attack on Great Britain. The network condemned the finished film as “too horrifying” and refused to broadcast it. Watkins’ masterpiece subsequently received a special award at the 1966 Venice Film Festival and won the 1967 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The BBC would not air his “chillingly different, enduringly brilliant” (The Guardian) classic until three decades later. “What may be the most important film ever made” (London Observer) is now scanned in 4K from the original 16mm A/B rolls for the first time ever, with more than five and a half hours of all-new Special Features and Limited Edition Exclusives that include an authorized reprint of Watkins’ 1967 The War Game book, collectible postcards, a replica of the UK government’s official evacuation pass and more. 

Special Features for THE WAR GAME:
DISC 1: UHD
- Audio Commentary With Film Critic Kim Newman And Director Sean Hogan
- Trailer
 
DISC 2: BLU-RAY
- Introduction By Filmmaker Alex Cox
- Audio Commentary With Film Critic Kim Newman And Director Sean Hogan
- Conflict By Design – Interview With Anne Davey Orr, Production Designer On CULLODEN And THE WAR GAME
- Who Banned THE WAR GAME? – An Interview With Peter Watkins Historian John Cook
- Games Of Fact And Fiction – Video Essay By Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas And Filmmaker Stephen Broomer
- THE WAR GAME At Cine City – Featurette By Journalist Eric Veillette
- Nuclear Britain – Interview With Attack Warning Red!: How Britain Prepared For Nuclear War Author Julie McDowall
- Archival Interview With Editor Michael Bradsell
- Peter Watkins Reflects On THE WAR GAME And The Media – 1983 Interview From The Australian Film Television And Radio School (AFTRS)
- Introduction To THE WAR GAME In Sheffield By Visions Producer John Ellis
- THE WAR GAME In Sheffield – Peter Watkins Recruits For A Proposed WAR GAME Remake In Unused Footage For The UK - TV Show Visions
- Trailer
- THE DIARY OF AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Peter Watkins Short Film)
- THE FORGOTTEN FACES (Peter Watkins Short Film)

Disc Specs for THE WAR GAME:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Runtime: 48 mins
Audio: English Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
4K Video: HDR10
Region: A/B/C





THREADS (1985) 
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray 

On Sunday September 23rd, 1984, THREADS was broadcast on Britain’s BBC2. Written by novelist/playwright Barry Hines (KES) and directed by BAFTA winner Mick Jackson, the film depicted the effects of a thermonuclear attack on the working-class city of Sheffield. Four months later, the film was shown on American cable TV. In both countries, the graphic horrors of detonation, societal collapse and nuclear winter were indelibly seared into tens of millions of homes. Over four decades it has remained “brilliant” (The Guardian), “unsensationally grim” (CineSavant) and “piss yourself terrifying” (The A.V. Club). For the first time ever, THREADS is now scanned in 4K from the original 16mm A/B rolls with 7 hours of Special Features produced by Severin Films. 

This collection includes a Bonus Disc of Craig Ian Mann & Robert Nevitt’s new documentary SURVIVORS: THE SPECTRE OF THREADS that explores the untold stories of the film’s impact on the people of Sheffield and throughout UK culture. 

Special Features for THREADS:
DISC 1: UHD
- Audio Commentary With Director Mick Jackson Moderated By Film Writer Kier-La Janisse And Severin Films' David Gregory
- Audio Commentary With Actress Karen Meagher And Television Historian Simon Farquhar
 
DISC 2: BLU-RAY
- Audio Commentary With Director Mick Jackson Moderated By Film Writer Kier-La Janisse And Severin Films' David Gregory
- Audio Commentary With Actress Karen Meagher And Television Historian Simon Farquhar
- Auditioning For The Apocalypse – Interview With Karen Meagher
- Shooting The Annihilation – Interview With Director Of Photography Andrew Dunn
- Destruction Designer – Interview With Production Designer Christopher Robilliard
- Interview With Film Writer Stephen Thrower
- U.S. Trailer
 
DISC 3: BLU-RAY
- SURVIVORS: THE SPECTRE OF THREADS – Feature Documentary On The Production Of THREADS And Its Effect On The People Of Sheffield, England
- Immediate And Real – Interview With Julie McDowall, Author Of Attack Warning Red! How Britain Prepared For Nuclear War
 
Disc Specs for THREADS:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Runtime: 117 mins
Audio: English Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
4K Video: HDR10
Region: A/B/C

THE ICONIC ADVENTURE CLASSIC, THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD ON 4K UHD ON JULY 21ST

THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD

THE ICONIC ADVENTURE CLASSIC FEATURING EYE-POPPING VISUAL EFFECTS BY THE LEGENDARY RAY HARRYHAUSEN
DEBUTS ON 4K ULTRA HD DISC JULY 21ST

It's an incredible cinematic adventure as the legendary Sinbad sets off on a dangerous journey to the mysterious Island of Colossus. His quest is to break the spell cast over his beloved princess by a diabolical magician. But before he can save her, Sinbad must battle an awesome collection of mythical monsters, the man-eating Cyclops, a saber-wielding skeleton, a ferocious two-headed bird called the Roc and a fire-breathing dragon. Starring Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Torin Thatcher and highlighted by the stunning visual effects mastery of Ray Harryhausen. 
 
DISC DETAILS & BONUS MATERIALS

4K ULTRA HD DISC
- Feature presented in 4K with Dolby Vision, restored from the original camera negative
- English 5.1 + English Mono

Special Features:
- The Harryhausen Chronicles Documentary
- Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC
- Feature presented in HD
- English 5.1 + English Mono

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Ray Harryhausen, Visual Effects Experts Phil Tippett and Randall William Cook, Author Steven C. Smith and Arnold Kunert 
- Remembering The 7th Voyage of Sinbad 
- The Harryhausen Legacy
- A Look Behind the Voyage
- “This is Dynamation” Special Effects Featurette
- Ray Harryhausen Interviewed by Director John Landis
- The Music of Bernard Herrmann
- "Sinbad May Have Been Bad, But He's Been Good To Me"  Music Video
- Photo Gallery

CAST AND CREW
Directed By: Nathan Juran
Produced By: Charles H. Schneer
Special Visual Effects Created By: Ray Harryhausen
Written By: Kenneth Kolb
Cast: Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, Torin Thatcher

SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 88 minutes 
Rating: G
4K UHD Feature Picture: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 1.66:1
4K UHD Feature Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA | English Mono DTS-HD MA

‘The Ginger Snaps Trilogy’ the cult classic feminist horror franchise gets a Standard Edition Blu-ray release on 5/25

THE GINGER SNAPS TRILOGY 

The Ginger Snaps Trilogy’ the cult classic feminist horror franchise gets a Standard Edition Blu-ray release on May 25th 

Ginger Snaps is a landmark in feminist horror and now the seminal movie is set for a highly anticipated Blu-ray release from Second Sight Films. Helmed by John Fawcett (Orphan Black, Saving Hope), the cult classic offers a fresh take on the werewolf and coming-of-age genre, with heaps of gore and a lot of heart.  
 
All three films are now set for release as The Ginger Snaps Trilogy Standard Edition Blu-ray, on May 25, 2026 from Second Sight Films. 
 
The first feature is set in the suburban Canadian town of Bailey Downs, where a series of dog killings piques the interest of a pair of outcast teens; sisters Brigitte (Emily Perkins – Supernatural) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle – Freddy v Jason) Fitzgerald. Then on the night of Ginger's first period, she is savagely attacked by a wild creature but even though her injuries miraculously heal, she’s left with a newfound desire to devour… 
 
Brigitte must find a way to save her sister from her werewolf ways and with only 28 days to do so, can she stop the creature her sister has become in its tracks, or will they both succumb to the animalistic instincts? 
 
Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, from director Brett Sullivan, sees Brigitte wrestling with her own transformation, as she is forcefully put into rehab and must identify friend from foe, all the while battling a male werewolf who’s stalking her. Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Orphan Black) and Eric Johnson (Smallville, Fifty Shades Darker) also star. 
 
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, from director Grant Harvey, depicts the ancestors of Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald in 19th century Canada. They must battle villagers and werewolves alike as accusations and attacks come at them from all sides. Can they make it out alive or will they yield to a lycanthropic life?  
 
Snap up The Ginger Snaps Trilogy Standard Edition Blu-ray from Second Sight Films before it’s too late. 

Special Features
Ginger Snaps
• New audio commentary by Mary Beth McAndrews and Terry Mesnard
• Audio commentary with director John Fawcett
• Audio commentary with editer Karen Walton
• Canadian Uncanny: Stacey Abbott on Ginger Snaps
• A Blood Red Moon: a new interview with director John Fawcett
• What Are You Wereing?: a new interview with Producer Steve Hoban
• The Art of Horror: a new interview with Storyboard Artist Vincenzo Natali
• Ginger Snaps: Blood, Teeth and Fury
• Growing Pains: Puberty in Horror Films
• The Making of Ginger Snaps
• Cast Auditions and Rehearsals
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
• Production Design Work
• Creation of the Beast
• Trailers and TV Spots
Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed
• Audio commentary with director Brett Sullivan
• Girl, Interrupted: a new interview with director Brett Sullivan
• The Bloody Lunar Cycle: a new interview with writer Megan Martin
• Behind the Scenes
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
• Audition Tapes
• Storyboards
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
• Audio commentary with director Grant Harvey
• Snap!: a new interview with director Grant Harvey
• Girls on Film: an interview with producer Paula Devonshire
• The Making of Ginger Snaps Back
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
• Grant Harvey’s Video Diaries

Title: The Ginger Snaps Trilogy Standard Edition Blu-ray Release Date: 25 May 2026
Run Time: 296 mins
Cert: 18 

COLONY MUTATION (1995) Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

COLONY MUTATION (1995) 
Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray 

Label: Visual Vengeance
Region Code: Region-Free 
Rating: Unrated 
Duration: 76 Minutes 50 Seconds 
Audio: English Dolby Digital with English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Tom Berna 
Cast: David Rommel, Joan Dinco, Anna Zizzo, Susan L. 

Colony Mutation (1997) is the sole feature film from Milwaukee based director Tom Berna, an ambitious shot-on-super 8mm slice of low-budget body-horror in the Cronenberg-ian vein, with some fun, if cheap-looking, stop-motion animation and gory set pieces that make this a gem of an imperfect microbudget horror. In it genetic scientist Dr. Meredith Weaver (Anna Zizzo) finds out that her husband Jim (David Rommel) has been having an affair with his secretary Jenny Dole (Joan Dinco), after he lies to her face about she loses her cool and throws a vial of an experimental mutagenic serum into his face. The serum has a wild effect, it starts to affect his mind at first, but that's just the beginning, it starts to cause his body parts (limbs, cock, head, fingers) to separate from his torso taking on a monstrous life of their own, and all of them now crave human flesh. Monstrously transformed Jim now stalks the streets in search of women to quench his hunger for human flesh! It's a pretty wild conceit for a cash-strapped microbudget flick, and boy-howdy does it overstretch its budget with ideas it's budget limitations could never hope to achieve in any satisfactory way, but that did not stop director Tom Berna from making it. 

What stands out is the passion behind this one, the twisted sci-fi/body-horror premise is truly interesting, there's psychosexual elements to it, but it is not executed with much of any style and the end result feels rough-hewn, a sketch of a something that with proper resources could have been terrific, but resulting in something far less that what i am sure was envisioned. The 8mm shot film is often wonkily or straight-up underlit and the stop-motion animated killer-limbs are pretty silly looking, but eve still, I sort of loved the can-do chutzpa on display, this is the sort of low-budget passion that makes me giddy, even when it doesn't exactly come together in the final mix of things, I just love that there are ambitious young filmmakers out there doing it with the limited resources they had available to them, and I think Berna is someone who probably could have had a bigger career, he was ambitious and his ideas were fucking cool, but the film failed to gain a following or get much notice, and he never got the chance to do it again, and that's a shame, because this imperfect little slice of body-horror shows a lot of potential.   

Audio/Video: Colony Mutation (1997) debuts on Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance in 1080p HD, advertised as being "New, director-supervised 2K transfer and restoration from original Super 8 film elements", presented in the original 1.33:1 fullscreen aspect ratio. This looks terrific, all things considered, when compared to the usual shot-on-video stuff we are used to seeing from VV, so getting a flick shot on super 8mm with a transfer from the actual film elements is a sweet treat! Colors generally look good, contrast can be a bit wonky at times, but it has a filmic look, grain is evident. It certainly cannot surpass low budget its source limitations, but I thought this looked terrific. Audio comes by way of English Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles, it's a bit on the thin side, which is not surprising, but effects, dialogue and the Patrick Nettesheim sound just fine.  Some slight hiss and noise are audible in spots, but this is generally a solid, straight forward audio track. 
Special Features:
- Region free Blu-ray
- New, director supervised 2K transfer and restoration from original Super 8 film elements
- Commentary from producer/ director Tom Berna 
- Audio Commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine
- Interview with director Tom Berna (22:21) 
- Interview with star David Rommel (30:15)
- Interview with music composer Patrick Nettesheim (12:38) 
- In the Director’s Chair: archival public access interview with Tom Berna (11:44) 
- Alternate original 1998 VHS version of Colony Mutation (82:42) 
- Alternate original 2013 DVD version of Colony Mutation (82:41) 
- Complete original script 3:27) 
- Image Gallery (0:46) 
- Producer teaser trailer (1:05) 
- Visual Vengeance trailers: Cyclops (0:58), A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1:21), Vampire's Embrace (1:19)
- 'Stick Your Own' VHS stickers
- Reversible sleeve featuring original VHS art
- Folded poster with original illustrated art
- Booklet with liner notes by Tony Strauss - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited edition O-Card with art by Justin Coons - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

Special features for this one include an Audio Commentary from producer/ director Tom Berna who talks about the film that made him want to be a filmmaker, Breakout with Charles Bronson, his film school experience, and shooting on Super 8mm because he could not afford 16mm. He also discusses how modern formats, Blu-ray versus VHS/DVD, is able to better reproduce the super 8mm image, and noting how the original VHS looked terrible. He started shooting the film in 1992, taking 2 years to complete, mostly shooting on weekends, his body-horror influences like Cronenberg, the Milwaukee film scene at the time, and the long hours they put into making this independent horror. He talks about how the  practical effects were made in Pittsburg then shipped to Milwaukee, differences in the original script versus what was shot, the score, casting the head and how that lackluster latex head ended up appearing in two other films, and he closes with the film's initial reception, and sequel ideas, and how good it looks on Blu-ray with new color-grade and in widescreen. We also get an Audio Commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine, which because of time constraints I was not able to take in just yet. 

Next is a 22-min Interview with director Tom Berna and then into a 30-min Interview with star David Rommel, who talks about how he ended-up in the film, his initial thoughts on reading the script, getting in the headspace of the character, and noting how Berna gave great feedback and direction, as well as discussing his early career and interest in acting, his favorite scenes in the film, the head and body casting process, and what he's been up to since making Colony Mutation. 

We also get a 13-min Interview with music composer Patrick Nettesheim, he speaks of ending up working with the director through director Mark Buchard of the infamous Coven, recording the score on n Ensoniq SQ-1+ keyboard, recording the rock songs on a Tascam, his method of scoring and composing, reading the script, notes from the director, and having not actually watched the film until it was released, He describes music is the telekinesis of emotion, wacky, creepy-cool, his favorite scenes to write for, working on a multitude of indie films at the time, his thoughts on digital vs. analog and B&W vs color moviemaking, colorizing black and white films, his own musical pursuits, and his non-profit www.guitars4vets.org work that provides free guitar lessons and instruments to U.S. veterans dealing with PTSD, physical injuries and/or emotional distress. 

In the Director’s Chair is a 12-min archival public access interview with director Tom Berna promoting the film, during which he speaks of his early love of making films at home, wanting a career in film, and setting out to learn as much as he could. He also synopsizes the film, noting the cast, showing clips of different takes of a scene while adding commentary, showing a clip of killing a real rat on film and expressing remorse that he did that at the time. He also discusses the state of cinema at the time, approaching pulpy sci-fi from a serious perspective, and expressing his hope that he will be able to sell the film and move to L.A. 

I nice add are two alternate versions of the film, we have the 
Alternate Original 1998 VHS version of Colony Mutation, and the Alternate Original 2013 DVD version of Colony Mutation, both running 82-min and change. The on-disc extras are finished-up with a 3-min Complete Original Script, 46-sec Image Gallery, the 1-min Producer Teaser Trailer, and a selection of Visual Vengeance Trailers for upcoming Visual Venegeance releases, including Cyclops, A Polish Vampire in Burbank, Vampire's Embrace. 


The single-disc Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Wrap featuring the original VHS artwork and a new artwork as well as a killer new artwork, inside you get the 'Stick Your Own' VHS Stickers Set featuring 12 mini-stickers, plus a Folded Poster with unique original illustrated art that sort of looks like one of those wild vintage Polish movie poster artwork. The limited edition first pressing also includes a six-panel, fold-out Booklet with liner notes by Tony Strauss, and a O-Card Slipcover with art by Justin Coons. 

Screenshots from the Visual Vengeance Blu-ray:










































Extras: 
















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