Back in the VHS days of the 1980’s there was an awful lot of content passing through the shelves of the video shop. And in that classic exploitation fashion- more often than not the write-up on the back of the box was all hype with little payoff. One of the few names you could always rely on for at least great effects ‘n’ creatures, good campy horror/ sci-fi fun, and general entertainment was Empire. The label was set up by B-movie producer Charles Band- and it operated between the years 1983 and 1988. Releasing a total of forty-eight films- going from known B-movie/ classic 80’s fare like Re-Animator & Ghoulies, to more obscure-though-no less entertaining pictures such as Creepozoids or The Caller. Here from Arrow Video- both in the UK & Stateside- is a new five Blu-Ray boxset- bringing together a varied & largely consistent selection of films from the company's output.

Each of the discs comes in its own case featuring reversible artwork- with each film receiving a classy new 2k scan from the original negatives, as well a great selection of new & archive extras too. The set also features an eighty-page perfect bound book taking in new writing on the films from Lee Gambin, Dave Jay, Megan Navarro, and John Harrison plus select archival material. There are also double-sided posters for each of the films featuring both original and newly commissioned artwork. As well fifteen postcard-sized reproduction art cards, and Arrow Video store “membership card”.

First out of the set we have 1984’s The Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar, Digital Knights). And this is very much of a wacky-if at times confused- though largely highly entertaining fantasy, Sci-Fi, and horror anthology. It regards a computer whiz been sent on a series of adventures/trials by a demonic wizard to save his girlfriend.

In total, there are seven separate stories, as well as the wraparound- each with its own director. So, the directors onboard are Charles Band, John Carl Buechler, Michael Karp, David Allen, Peter Manoogian, Ted Nicolaou, Rosemarie Turko, & Steve Stafford. The total film (depending on which of the three versions presented here you watch) lasts between one hour and thirteen minutes, and one hour and seventeen minutes.

The film's lead character/ hero is Paul Bradford (Jeffery Byron) a twenty-something computer tech- who has invented his own female-voiced digital assistant X-CaliBR8, which he talks/ interacts with via his large glasses. When we first meet him, he’s sorted out a difficult computer issue and is just jogging home from work. On the way home he stops to get some flowers- gets back to his apartment, and fairly soon in walks his dancer girlfriend Gwen (Leslie Wing). Paul drops the marriage questions, but she is unsure as he’s so connected to X-CaliBR8 using her not only for work- but for everyday advice.

The pair go to bed on their disarrangement- but soon Paul awakens in a flame-licked, cracked earth, nighttime desert- wearing a grey, studded on-the-shoulders jumpsuit- with X-CaliBR8 on his wristband. Up on the hill is Mestema (Richard Moll) a widow's peaked, big collared and caped dark wizard (possibly the devil himself). Chained to one of the rocks is Gwen, and Mestema informs Paul has seven trails to go through to get her back.

The seven stories each run between a few minutes & nearly ten. He goes from an ice cave filled with all manner of monsters & serial killers. Onto a pumped-up 80’s metal gig with LA sleazy glam rockers W.A.S.P playing on stage- threatening to cut the chained-up Gwen. There’s an encounter with a huge stone figure brought to life, and an encounter with a serial killer in our reality- who you guessed it has Gwen in his sights.

The film is full to the brim with 80 campiness, as well as a host of rubbery monsters/ puppets, lots of laser beam action, and a general cheap-but-wonderful heady mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror tropes.

Acting wise Byron has a sort of boy’s own adventure hero/ Flash Gordon persona- which he pulls off well. Wing is a little vapid & flat, aside from a few moments of mock fear. Moll is wonderful hamming it up as the bad guy. The various support cast are largely good in the brief appearances.

All in all, The Dungeonmaster is an awful lot of fun- yes it looks clunky, cheap, wonky- but all the better for it. It’s a true romping ride of a film and a wonderful/perfect opening film to this set- as it nicely sums up the greatness of Empire.

On this disc, we get three slightly different versions of the film- the pre-release version, the US theatrical version (The Dungeonmaster), and the international version (Ragewar). I watched the first of these- which is the longest of the three versions.

On the new extras side, we get two things. First is a commentary track with Jeffrey Byron, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain of Schlock Pit. And this is a nicely chatty/laid-back affair- with general talk about the making of the film, and Byron as an actor & writer. We find out he started working on the film the day after he had finished the previous Charles Band film he was in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn- so they finished that midnight one day, and the next day at 5 am started this film- getting a shave/ haircut for his part. We find out the film was filmed in full over five weeks- though the last story was filmed a few months later. He points out bit-part actors in the wrap-around story- many of these were actors/ people he knew. We find out the apartment used was his own- which he lived in for many years. They discuss his other roles- he started off as a child actor at the age of seven in a Twilight Zone episode. Later on, they discuss key scenes, and the story he wrote for the film. We find out what he’s working on now, and much more. All in all, a most interesting track.
Otherwise, there’s Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own (15.07) which is a new filmed interview with Jeffrey Byron. There’s a selection of trailers and an image gallery.

Film number two in the set is 1986’s Dolls, and really it does what you expect/ hope from a film with this title. I.e., Some very well-conceived & still impressive killer doll action, which is set in a wonderful mix of the gothic, grotesque camp, and at points darkly funny backdrop.

The film was directed by Chicago-born Stuart Gordon- who has twelve features to his name. These went from the two wonderfully deranged 1980’s Lovecraft films Re-Animator (1985) & From Beyond (1986). Going from the sci-fi action of Fortress (1992), to the wacky family fantasy The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, through hit ‘n’ run comedy-drama Stuck (2007).  

The film opens by introducing the Bower family- there’s the around ten-year-old & pig tailed Judy (Carrie Lorraine), her smug & uncaring father David (Iain Patrick Williams), and her obnoxious-to-plain nasty stepmom Rosemary (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon). The family are driving along in a car in the countryside- there on vacation (maybe in the UK)- and the sun is beating down. Suddenly from out of nowhere the sky turns black & a nasty rainstorm sets in. Their car gets stuck so they have to make their way to a nearby/ standing on its own house.

They get into the house and find it’s owned by the seemingly kind & caring elderly couple the Hartwickes- taking in gangly and greyly-quaffed Gabriel (Guy Rolf), and his long grey-haired wife Hilary (Hilary Mason). The couple give the pair some food & warm drinks. And then in bursts the last three characters in our tale – tubby, but young at heart thirty-something Ralph (Stephen Lee), and two up-to-no god punk’s he gave a lift to-Isabelle (Bunty Baily) & Enid (Cassie Stuart).

Each guest is given their own room, and initially, all seems fine, if a little creepily quirky in the large rambling house as Gabriel is a doll maker, and the house is full of his work & doll body parts. But as time goes on the more unpleasant & nastier of the guests getting taken out by the coming-to-life dolls. We have multiple stabbings then many dolls dragging the body away, a brutal in-bed attack, a toy soldier firing squad, and even a man painfully struck down to doll size.

The doll effects are most impressive- as they look very realistic in their movements, they have some great facial expressions, and generally, they look surprisingly undated. Around these, we get a perfect length one hour and seventeen-minute film- which balances perfectly doll action, dark fairy to gothic vibes, a few creepy moments, and of course some great if fleeting gore.

For a low-budget film both the set design & dressing is very well realized. The small cast is all well selected, and all do great. In conclusion, I’d say Dolls easily stands as one of the great killer dolls films, as well as a damn entertaining 80’s horror film in general.

On this disc, we get two new extras. First off, we get an audio commentary from David Decoteau, Empire alumnus and friend of director Stuart Gordon. This is a very chatty affair- and to be honest not a terrible amount of the track focuses on Dolls- yes, he makes a few offhand remarks on what’s going on screen, but no many. That said if you're interested in Empire, Charles Band, low-budget filmmaking and Mr Gordon you enjoy what we have here. He begins by talking about how he first got involved with Band & Empire, and discusses going to watch Empire films in LA when they first came out. We find out Dolls played for two weeks in LA, and his recollection of seeing it then. He talks about how he & Gordon first meet- to later become friends. Later on, he discusses his other work with Charles Band, and more. It’s certainly an interesting/ worthy track- I just wish it had been more focused on the film to hand- with a focus on the film's production making.
Otherwise, we have Assembling Dolls (17.01) on-screen interview with editor Lee Percy- he worked on Dolls, Reanimator, and From Beyond. On the archive side, we have Toys of Terror (38.31) a making-of-doc from 2014- featuring Stuart Gordon & producer Brian Yuzna- along with a host of other folk connected with the film, and this is well worth a watch. Otherwise, we get a Film-to-storyboard comparison, a few theatrical trailers, and an Image gallery. 

Film number three in the set is 1987’s Cellar Dweller (aka Underground Werewolf). And this has very much a horror comic vibe- based around a demonic, towering, limb-ripping monster brought to life from a drawing. The film was directed by Belleville, Illinois-born John Carl Buechler- who is most known as a horror effects artist with nearly seventy credits to his name- such as Re-animator(1985), From Beyond(1986), Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood(1988), and Hatchet(2006). His director film credits run at ten- taking in fantasy horror Troll (1986), comedy horror Ghoulies III: Go To College (1990), onto family comedy fantasy Grandpa’s Place (2004).

The film opens with a flashback of thirty years- as we see comic book artists Colin Childness (Jeffery Combs) working late at night on his latest comic strip- which details a woman being attacked by a towering reptilic demon. Seemingly he is also using symbols and texts from an ancient pentagram marked grimoire. This causes both the monster & the woman to come to life- Childness throws a flame at the beast- it dies, but so does he & it’s declared that he was the murderer of the woman. Flash forward to the present-day 1980’s, and the large woodland cabin where Childness used to work has been made into a small art college. 

Along comes plucky brunette Whitney (Debrah Farentino) who wants to enrol and live at the art college. Begrudgingly Mrs Briggs (Yvonne De Carlo) the rather opinionated owner of the college lets her in. Whitney is fascinated by both Childness as an artist, and as the author of the Cellar Dweller strip- and she wants to make her own strip.

Also attending the rather small & strange college are a selection of decidedly quirky characters- there’s the mulleted abstract finger painter Phillip (Brian Robbins), blond ‘n’ bubble performance artists Lisa (Miranda Wilson), smug video artists Amanda (Pamela Bellwood) who has a past with Whitney. And most puzzling is Norman (Vince Edwards) who seems to believe he is a gumshoe PI from the 1940s…though it’s never explained why he’s at the college.

The film plays out in a fairly predictable manner with Whitney managing to conjure up the monster from the start of the film. This goes on a limb-ripping ‘n’ brain munching spree- taking out first one of the house occupants after another.

There is no doubt the creature effects & some of the gore are impressive- though at points the same shots of the monster are reused. The cast I guess is ok, with some decent hamming up here and there. But the problem/ issue with Cellar Dweller is basically it’s a maybe ten-minute anthology story stretched out to a one hour and seventeen film- and it really does feel like that, with some real pacing issues making the whole feeling more like it runs around the two-hour mark. I’m not sure what the issue was with the film, as with his early directorial job on Troll Buechler proved he knew how to make entertaining genre films. So personally, this is the least rewarding of the four films featured here.

On this disc extras wise we get the following new things. First up we have a commentary from special make-up effects artist Michael Deak who inhabited the Cellar Dweller creature suit, moderated by Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain of Schlock Pit. He begins by talking out how surprised he was that Cellar Dweller has become such a cult/sort-after film- believing when he made it was just going to go straight to the straight to VHS bargain bin. He talks about working with Jeffery Combs- who was one of the actors he worked most with. He discusses working in Italy for Empire, and how he had to be inventive on set- as they couldn’t get a few key effects-related items in the country- including superglue. He talks about how he first got into working in effects- with one of his first jobs being an intern on Day Of The Dead(1985). Later on, he discusses working on the Cellar Dweller set, and related stories. He talks about what it was like to wear the Cellar Dweller suit and other Empire productions where he suited up. Points out favourite scenes, and much more. A most interesting & entertaining track.
Next, we have Grabbed by the Ghoulies (16.03) a visual essay from Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain of Schlock Pit, covering the career of John Carl Buechler- going right from his early make-up work, through to his work with Empire, and beyond. An excellent tribute to this horror legend. Lastly, we have Inside the Cellar (16.30) an onscreen interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak.

With the disc has been finished off with the following archive elements: Original sales sheet, original production notes, VHS trailer, Empire Pictures trailer reel. Image galleries, including behind-the-scenes photos courtesy of special make-up effects artist Michael Deak.

The fourth film is Arena- it's a 1989 sci-fi action film, which is a blend of fighting sports drama and space opera. The film was directed by Peter Manoogian- who has to date thirteen feature films to his name. These went from mercery-led Sci-fi action film Eliminators (1986), onto aliens invading small-town America horror/ sci-fi Seedpeople (1992), though to mixed-race romantic drama The Painting (2001).

The film is set in a large space station- where humans and aliens live amongst each other. One of the key forms of entertainment on the station is arena fighting- which sees one alien species fighting against another one. There has not been a human fighter who has really done any good in the fights for fifty years.

We get introduced to our two lead characters- who are working in a short-order dinner on the station. There’s Steve Armstrong (Paul Satterfield) a tall, blond & blue-eyed twenty-something human, and Shorty (Hamilton Camp) a tubby, pointed-eared, and four-armed middle age humanoid alien. The pair fairly soon lose their job due to a fight with one of the customers.

Due to losing his job, Steve gets kicked out of his apartment- and lands up going to stay with Shorty in the hidden not often-visited level of the space station, where those on the bottom of the rung live. It becomes clear that Steve is a rather talented fighter- so after winning a few off-the-cuff fights female fight promotor Quinn becomes interested in him- she is played by Claudia Christian- who had one of the key roles in 90’s TV space opera Babylon 5.

And you guessed it, one thing leads to another he lands up having his first fight in the arena- he wins this fight, and starts a training resume so he can face the arena’s present champ Horn (Michael Deak) who’s a bad-tempered lizard humanoid. Added into the mix with caped and sliver-tanned baddie Rogor (Marc Alaimo), and his ratman henchman Weezil (Armin Shimerman)- who have been trying to manipulate the arena fights, as well as all manner of general dodginess.

The film runs at the one hour and thirty-seven minutes mark. And it’s a fairly entertaining romp- the alien fighter designs are well realized, as is the space station's look/ dressing. Yes, it’s clear it’s still a budget affair- but they spend it well enough. The fighters/ build-up to the big fight is done well enough.

Acting wise Satterfield rather reminded me of a blonder young Christopher Reeve and makes for a good hero of the piece. Camp is well placed as the gruff/wheeler-dealer Shorty. And Alaimo nicely hams it up as the bad guy. All in all, Arena is an entertaining and engaging sports drama meets space opera- sure it plays to the cliches of both genres, but it romps by well enough.  

On this disc, we get the following extras. Commentary track with director Peter Manoogian, moderated by Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain of Schlock Pit. This starts off somewhat stiff & confused- but as Manoogian gets into his flow we get some great memories & amusing anecdotes of him working in film- not just with Empire, but early work with Roger Corman. We also get a good idea of what it was like to work at the Empire Studios- which were around twenty miles outside of Rome. He talks about the difference between with working both Empire, and Band’s smaller-scale Full Moon Productions, and more. So, another worthy track- just hang it there for a bit.
Otherwise, we get Not His Arena (14.44) on-screen interview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson. Empire of Creatures (16.21) interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak. With the disc been filled out with an alternative full-frame presentation of the film, theatrical trailer, and image gallery.

Finally, we have Robot Jox. This is a 1989 sci-fi action film based after World War III. When all battles/ amassed violence is outlawed- instead matches take place between giant manned robots. These feature two large superpowers fighting over disputed territories. It was directed by Stuart Gordon. The film is an entertaining blend well realized giant robot effects and playful to tense control interactions.

After the mood-setting prologue regarding what happened in WWIII, and panning shots of post-nuclear ruin. We get a shot of two giant robots- one is on the ground with its human controller bloody & grovelling. And in the other is a clearly deranged blond hair man with a vaguely Eastern European accent taunting the other man before putting his robot’s foot down to crush the man. We zip back to the control room, and we find out the just crushed man was on the good/ American side. And there is just one robot handler/ driver left Achilles (Gary Graham)- a thin scared-faced man. In the control with him is ex-champion handler Tex Conway (Michael Alldredge) a tubby, cowboy-hatted, and teethy smiling loudmouth.

As things unfold the next match has been prepared- it will feature Achilles, and the man who killed the other handler Alexander (Paul Koslo). Along the films run, we have a match-watching audience tragedy, control room banter, possible love interest for Achilles with tough-mannish Athena (Anne-Marie Johnson), a few bar & apartment-based fights, and of course the giant robot action.

In all the film features two lengthy main robot fights- and these look very impressive for the time, and are nicely tense/ thrilling. Koslo character really does well as the deranged-if-slightly hamming villain of the piece- and you really start to wonder if he can be stopped/ what he’ll do next.

Graham is ok as the hero of the piece- though at times does come off a little smug & cocky. The supporting cast is ok- but I’d say the most memorable here is Alldredge, as the seemingly very loyal trainer- is great, really going over the top with his loud American speel. We do get a few moments of rather unpleasant misogyny, as well as a few racial swipes- though these are not too bad- and if you take this as a pulpy sci-fi action film from the 80s, these can be excused. All in all, Robot Jox is an entertaining romp- with a few quite surprising moments of fleeting bloody violence and a good dose of campy sci-fi ness. 

On this final disc, we do not get a commentary track- but we do get a good enough selection of new & archive extras. On the new side, we get Crash and Burn (17.09) onscreen interview with lead actor Gary Graham. Her Name is Athena (13.25) onscreen Interview with actress Anne-Marie Johnson. The Scale of Battle: David Allen and the FX of Robot Jox ( 26.35) an appreciation of stop motion animator David Allen by those who knew him, featuring contributions from fellow visual effects artists Steve Burg, Yancy Calzeda, Paul Gentry, Kevin Kutchaver, Dennis Muren and John Vincent.

With the archive side taking in a whole chunk of things. We have two commentary tracks one with director Stuart Gordon. And the other with associate effects director Paul Gentry, mechanical effects artist Mark Rappaport, and stop-motion animator Paul Jessell. Looking Back- interview with actor Paul Koslo. Original sales sheet. Original production notes. Theatrical trailer. Image galleries, including behind-the-scenes stills courtesy of associate effects director Paul Gentry

In conclusion, it certainly is most wonderful to have this box set- which really takes me back to my teen years- peering along the VHS shelves. With excellent crystal clear and well-defined 2k prints for each of the five films, as well as of course both the extremely worthy/ informative new & archive extras. Let us hope this sells well- as I’d love to see a second box set of Empire films. For pure VHS nostalgia/ 80’s low-budget excellence- this is easily one of the highlight boxsets of 2023.