The Outing / The Godsend Double Feature

Previously-released Shout Factory DVDs now come to vivid life in a Blu-ray debut under the Scream Factory trademark. "The Outing/The Godsend -- Double Feature" were originally part of the four film pack "All Night Horror Marathon" in 2013 and featured standard DVD transfers that were decent but unspectacular. I can say that these high-definition upgrades are definitely worth the price.

I wasn't really all that thrilled with "The Outing" upon first viewing this bizarre tale of a genie that gets released from a lamp and starts a murderous rampage. I now appreciate its camp value and, along with 1980s hairstyles, acting, and horror movie tropes, the 1987 film also known as "The Lamp" comes highly recommended. It's played mostly for laughs, and, being a film about a killer genie, it's impossible to take seriously.

Prior releases of "The Outing" were in a full-screen format only. Scream Factory offers up us this silly horror flick on widescreen for the first time.

"The Godsend" owes a tremendous debt to 1976s "The Omen." Kate (Cyd Hayman) inherits a baby girl due to unforeseen circumstances. Years later, Kate's children start suddenly dying mysterious and horrible deaths. Is the seemingly innocent and now older girl Bonnie to blame for the bloody carnage? The answer is obvious (we've all seen "The Omen" before) and the lack of humor and subtlety in "The Godsend" becomes the film's godsend, so to speak.

Even without any special features (save for a theatrical trailer for one of the films), the combo of "The Outing/The Godsend" still warrants a purchase.

"The Outing/The Godsend"
Blu-ray Double Feature
$24.97
www.shoutfactory.com