The first two installments to hit DVD are Stuart Gordon's Dreams In The Witch House and John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns. Gordon (Re-Animator, Dagon) has made a name for himself in adapting the macabre short stories of H.P. Lovecraft. The problem in working with Lovecraft stories is that they are so complex and multilayered that they generally don't come across that well in film. Ghastly tales dealing with outer-worldly “Elder Gods,” or the dense family histories of dysfunctional loners dabbling in dark arts are far too involved to fit into a two-hour screening format. Although there are a few decent ones (The Haunted Palace, In The Mouth Of Madness), there just really aren’t any great film adaptations of Lovecraft’s work. And this is where Dreams In The Witch House falls.

The story follows Walter Gilman, a graduate student renting a room at a rundown garret in Arkham (a fictitious town often used in Lovecraft tales). While there he meets his neighbor, a saucy single mom and her infant son, as well as a strange old man with an annoying habit of banging his head against inanimate hard surfaces. Walter starts having nightmares and finds that he wakes up in places other than his dilapidated room. His dreams include a babbling human-faced rat, witches and other ominous creatures. Soon enough, all goes awry and Walter faces the ultimate consequence of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gordon's deft direction and knack for special effects are evident, but the narrative meanders a bit, and just when true creepiness begins to set in, something corny like the schmaltzy rat—with a face that evokes slapdash car painter Earl Scheib (famous for his $99 paint jobs)—pops up to spoil the mood. Dreams In The Witch House is another valiant effort in adapting Lovecraft, but is unfortunately, not the genuine article. Pity, that. The DVD has extras including an interview with Gordon, commentaries and “making-of” featurettes.

Carpenter's Cigarette Burns is a different story all together. The master of modern-day horror (Halloween, The Thing) is back with something truly unnerving and bizarre. Cigarette Burns is the story of Kirby, a ne'er do-well theater owner who also happens to moonlight procuring rare films for the highest bidder. The eccentric bidder in this case is played to the hilt by veteran creeper Udo Kier, who commissions Kirby to find him the only print of the infamous Le Fin du Monde, which was long thought to have been destroyed after it initially screened decades earlier. Le Fin du Monde’s mythical reputation stems from the effects it had on its audience, driving those who saw it into a murderous frenzy.

Kirby is also a recovering junkie still mourning the death of his fiancé, and only has a few days to find the film so he can get the cash, and keep his theater. Carpenter’s twisted imagery—like that of an angel with its wings savagely decapitated—and Kirby’s eerie flashbacks, make this film visually gripping. There are also elements of noir, and enough gore to satisfy horror freaks of all stripes. All in all, it’s a solid combination of style and substance. Carpenter’s bonus commentary is useful in tying up the few loose ends that exist (yeah well, nothing’s perfect). The DVD also includes commentaries with the writers, and a couple featurettes.