Rat Classics ‘Willard’ And ‘Ben’ Finally Coming To Blu-ray

When the idea of Academy Award-nominated horror movies comes to mind, you generally think of things like The Silence of the Lambs, The Exorcist, or Rosemary’s Baby. However, if you prefer the deeper cuts, you might think about Ben, which earned an Academy Award nomination for the song Michael Jackson wrote for the movie, about a murderous rat. If you’re not familiar with the film, the upcoming Blu-ray release from Scream Factory is the perfect chance to catch up on Ben and its predecessor Willard, coming May 16.

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Willard‘s synopsis is as follows:

“Willard Stiles (Bruce Davison, Insidious: Chapter 4) is a young man with a big problem. He lives alone in a crumbling house with his ailing mother (Elsa Lanchester, Arnold, Bride of Frankenstein). His boss, Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine, Escape from New York) is a vulgar, cruel man who stole his business from Willard’s father and is now working Willard to death at his factory job.

Lonely, depressed and isolated, Willard is on the verge of a breakdown when he makes a new friend: Ben, one of the many rats who inhabit his dilapidated home. Not only can Willard communicate with the rodent, but he can actually command him to do his bidding. Using Ben and his furry friends as instruments of retaliation, Willard commands his pets to carry out his vengeance…”

Ben‘s synopsis is as follows:

“When detective sergeant Cliff Kirtland (Joseph Campanella, Meteor) investigates the horrifying murder of Willard Stiles by a band of rats, he discovers that the rats are now an organized army, and he must destroy the murderous rodents before it is too late. But the rats, led by Ben, the only survivor of the Willard attack, take to the challenge with full force and little fear.”

Both discs will be packed with special features, including commentaries from the cast, original trailers, and interviews. Both discs will also feature 4K restorations of the original print.

In 2003, Crispin Glover starred in a remake of Willard as the titular character.

The two films are available now for pre-order by heading to Shout! Factory’s site.

Will you be picking up either of the films? Let us know in the comments!

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[H/T ComingSoon]