DVD Late Show

INTRUDER (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-12-13T23:52:00.003-05:00

As a teenager, director Scott Spiegel made Super-8 home movies with his pals Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. And, like his talented friends, he went on to make films professionally, mostly for the direct-to video market. His first full-length feature was the supermarket-set stalk and slay thriller, INTRUDER (a/k/a THE NIGHT CREW, 1989), making its uncut home video debut on Blu-ray & DVD this week, courtesy of Synapse Films.

The evening shift employees at a small Michigan supermarket, have closed and locked the doors, and have been ordered by their bosses to conduct an all-night inventory in preparation for the store's imminent closing and sale. As the night crew set about their work, a shadowy intruder moves silently among them, and before long, the young staff finds themselves being brutally murdered, one by one.

Spiegel's film came out near the end of the 80s slasher cycle, and while there's really not anything particularly original about the story, it does have an engaging sense of dark humor, and a lively visual style, both of which were also evident in the director's later films, like FROM DUSK TIL DAWN 2 and HOSTEL PART 3. Produced and co-written by Lawrence Bender (PULP FICTION), the witty and suspenseful low-budget film also benefits from an interesting cast comprised of up and coming young actors including Renée Estevez (SLEEPAWAY CAMP), Elizabeth Cox (NIGHT OF THE CREEPS), and Ted Raimi (THE GRUDGE), director/buddySam Raimi (THE EVIL DEAD, SPIDER-MAN) and a last-reel cameo by Bruce Campbell (TERMINAL INVASION, BURN NOTICE).

Before its original release, the movie earned a bit of notoriety from a Fangoria magazine photo spread that showcased its graphic gore effects, executed by then-newcomers Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger (soon to be known as KNB and renowned for their effects make-up in films like FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN, HOSTEL and TV's THE WALKING DEAD). Unfortunately, when it was released on VHS by Paramount, virtually all of that material was excised, severely undercutting the film's effectiveness, and leaving its intended audience disappointed and dissatisfied.

This new Blu-ray/DVD Combo from Synapse finally brings INTRUDER to home video as it was intended to be seen, with every blood-soaked kill and gory thrill intact.

The Blu-ray disc sports a very solid, 1.78.1 widescreen, 1080p HD transfer that looks pretty good for a 20+ year-old, $130,000 indie horror film. Audio is a perfectly satisfactory, DTS-HD MA Mono. (The enclosed DVD is in Standard def, 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 2.0 Mono audio.) Bonus features include an energetic and entertaining audio commentary by Spiegel and Bender; SLASHED PRICES, a terrific retrospective documentary featuring most of the cast and key crew members; extended effects footage from the original workprint; outtakes from Spiegel's 8mm version of the story, NIGHT CREW; original casting tapes; theatrical and VHS trailers, a still gallery, and a video interview with INTRUDER fan and filmmaker, Vincent Periera.

As I mentioned above, the story's not particularly fresh, and the actual filmmaking is a little crude, with the low-budget and general inexperience of the director evident in the final product. But it's fast-paced and suspenseful, several of the "kills" are real show-stoppers, and it's honestly entertaining in a way that a lot of slicker, more-polished fright flicks aren't. Synapse's new edition is terrific, and highly recommended to 80s horror fans.

BUY: Intruder (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

BEHIND THE MASK

2011-12-08T01:38:00.005-05:00

Created in 1930, the mysterious crimefighter known as The Shadow had a long, successful career on radio, in pulp magazines & comic books... and a somewhat spottier career in the cinema. On radio, he was Lamont Cranston, a millionaire playboy and amateur criminologist with the hypnotic ability to "cloud men's minds," becoming effectively invisible. He was aided in his exploits by debutante Margo Lane and his chauffeur/valet, Shrevvy. In the pulps & comics, The Shadow was a cloaked mystery man with a pair of blazing automatic pistols. "Lamont Cranston" was simply one of the vigilante's many aliases, and Margo & Shrevvy were but two of an entire network of agents in his service.

The character first appeared on film in 1937, and headlined a cliffhanger serial in 1940. Six years later, Poverty Row movie studio Monogram acquired the film rights to the character, and released three, low-budget Shadow programmers starring handsome serial star Kane Richmond (SPY SMASHER, THE LOST CITY) in the lead. The second of these B-mysteries, BEHIND THE MASK (1946), has just been released on manufacture-on-demand DVD by the MGM Limited Edition Collection.

When an unlikable newspaper columnist with a sideline in blackmail, Jeff Mann (James Cardwell), is murdered in his own office, and multiple witnesses identify The Shadow as the killer, Lamont Cranston (Richmond) knows he has to find the real murderer and clear his masked alter ego's reputation. As he works his way through Mann's blackmail victims, his investigation is hampered by the "assistance" of his hapless manservant, Shrevvy (George Chandler) and ludicrously jealous fiancée, Margo Lane (Barbara Reed).

Directed by Phil Karlson (KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL) from a script by George Callahan (a veteran of dozens of B-movies, including several of Monogram's Charlie Chan films), BEHIND THE MASK is unlikely to please contemporary fans of the popular pulp character. As portrayed by the devil-may-care Richmond, The Shadow is neither as grim and dangerous as the magazine version, nor as sinisterly mysterious as the radio incarnation. In fact, the character rarely even wears his trademark black outfit on-screen. The overall tone of the film is comedic, with very little action, and the mystery takes a definite back seat to the screwball antics of Margo and bumbling sidekick Shrevvy.

Production values are on a par with other Monogram product of the time, with sparsely-decorated sets and thrift shop costuming. Karlson does manage a couple of visually effective sequences, however - specifically a nicely noir-ish, rainy opening and an entertainingly athletic third act fight scene - and at 67 minutes, the pace never really has a chance to lag.

The MGM Limited Edition Collection disc features a fairly worn-looking 1.33:1 "full frame" transfer (the correct aspect ratio). The image is somewhat soft, and there are specks and dirt evident throughout, but rarely to a distracting degree. Audio is a slightly muffled but adequate Dolby 2.0 Mono. There are no extras included.

Shadow completists and collectors may be interested in picking up BEHIND THE MASK, and the title should appeal to fans and collectors of 40s mystery series and Poverty Row thrillers as well. I wish that MGM had chosen to release all three Monogram Shadow films together as a two-disc set, but maybe if this one sells well, they'll offer THE SHADOW RETURNS and THE MISSING LADY at some later date.

BUY: Behind The Mask (1946)

DRAGON CRUSADERS

2011-12-07T05:33:00.002-05:00

The latest fantasy epic from micro-budget studio The Asylum and director Mark Atkins (PRINCESS OF MARS, DRAGONQUEST) is probably their best genre effort yet. DRAGON CRUSADERS (2011) is a lively and exciting mini-epic that benefits from a reasonably original story, a good cast, and gorgeous Welsh location work.

A small band of outlaw Knights Templar are accidentally cursed with a magic spell that will turn them - one at a time - into vicious, bat-winged gargoyles. The only hope of breaking the curse is to journey to the mountain stronghold of an evil wizard who not only controls a flock of fire-breathing dragons, but has the ability to become one himself.

With DRAGON CRUSADERS, Atkins fulfills the promise I perceived in his earlier fantasy epic, MERLIN & THE WAR OF THE DRAGONS, with a beautifully shot, well-paced, sword & sorcery adventure. Returning to many of the same picturesque and appropriately Medieval locations seen in MERLIN, and once again employing some very talented Welsh actors, CRUSADERS - shot in 14 days on a shoestring budget - plays and looks far more expensive than it is. Atkins' cinematography and editing are both very slick, and his screenplay is perfectly tailored to make the most of his limited resources.

The cast is uniformly solid. Dylan Jones (who previously appeared in various supporting roles in other Asylum productions, including MERLIN) is appropriately stoic and heroic as the leader of the knights, and handles the swordplay and riding with aplomb (the multi-talented Jones was also the horse master for the film). Sexy stuntwoman Cecily Fay makes a convincing (if tiny!) warrior woman, and Merlin himself, Simon Lloyd-Roberts, is memorable as the youngest of the cursed knights. Really, though, everyone in the cast is surprisingly good.

Production-wise, the costumes and props look fine, the digital creature effects appear to be somewhat more polished than usual, and Atkins makes terrific use of some truly impressive - and authentic-looking - locations. Composer Chris Ridenhour once again rises to the occasion, with another sweeping, epic musical score.

The Asylum DVD presents DRAGON CRUSADERS with a crystal-clear, rock-solid 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The viewer's audio options are 5.1 Surround or 2.0 stereo. Supplemental material consists of a "Making Of" featurette, a gag reel, and an assortment of trailers for other Asylum titles.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised with DRAGON CRUSADERS. We all know that I'm a pushover for fantasy material, but my expectations were far exceeded by Atkins' accomplished film. If you're an aficionado of dungeons and dragons and mystical tales of heroic deering-do, I suggest at least giving this one a rental - or checking it out when it makes its inevitable SyFy Channel showings. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and you may, too.

BUY: Dragon Crusaders

THE SNOW DEVILS

2011-12-07T04:42:00.000-05:00

The fourth and final installment of Antonio Margheriti's mid-60s "Gamma 1" sci-fi quadrilogy, THE SNOW DEVILS (1966), was recently released as a manufactured-on-demand title from Warner Archives, and while it's far from the best in that insane Italian space opera series, it contains enough quirky, comic strip charm to make it worth seeing.

As our story opens, the Earth is experiencing unnatural global warming, causing the ice caps to melt and ocean levels to rise, threatening coastal cities with submersion. At the same time, a United Democracies Space Command (UDSC) scientific station in the Himalayas is attacked and destroyed by forces unknown - forces that leave inhumanly large, bare footprints in the snow. Commander Rod Jackson (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, billed as "Jack Stuart") of space station Gamma 1, is assigned to investigate. With his first officer, Lt. Harris (Renato Baldini), he arrives in Nepal and sets out on foot with a group of (terribly stereotyped) native guides & porters to look for a missing UDSC officer and the source of the energy beams that are causing the planetary heatwave. What they discover is a cave full of futuristic weather-changing equipment controlled by an alien race of seven-foot tall, blue-skinned, hairy giants with a plan to reshape Earth into a new home for their people. Can Commander Jackson and his crew foil this invasion of sinister space yeti?

Filmed back-to-back with the other three films in the cycle (WILD WILD PLANET, WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS, and WAR OF THE PLANETS) in Rome for American producers Walter Manley and Ivan Reiner, and released in the US by MGM, this final "Gamma 1" adventure has some amusingly bonkers ideas, but is otherwise running on fumes. It's slower-paced and more talky than previous entries, padded out with stock footage, and far too Earth-bound. That said, the extraterrestrial abominable snowmen are a real hoot, and the movie does have a terrifically entertaining last reel space battle brimming with silver spaceships, swooping asteroids, and fiery miniature explosions.

The Warner Archive disc is on a par with the other "Gamma 1" titles, with a solid, if slightly worn and speckled, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and perfectly adequate 2.0 Dolby Mono audio. The American theatrical trailer is also included.

By itself, THE SNOW DEVILS is an offbeat, if occasionally sluggish, sci-fi adventure, with square-jawed heroes, sexy Eurobabes, primitive special effects, and some dodgy dubbing. But for fans of Euro-fantasy films of the era - and especially, those who are familiar with the rest of the "Gamma 1" series - it's a fun, final visit to Margheriti's unique and trippy vision of the future.

BUY: The Snow Devils

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL

2011-12-06T04:11:00.005-05:00

"Oh, hello officer, we've had a doozy of a day. There we were, minding our own business, just doing chores around the house, when kids started killing themselves all over our property..."

I first became aware of director Eli Craig's TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL (2010) when a friend linked to the trailer on Facebook. From that brief sample, it was clear that I would want to see the blood-soaked, backwoods black comedy when it became available. When the DVD showed up here at the Late Show for review, I had it spinning in the player within minutes of opening the envelope.

West Virginian native Tucker (Alan Tudyk, SERENITY) and his best pal, the shy, good-hearted Dale (Tyler Labine, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) are off to their "vacation home" in the mountains, an isolated, run-down shack/cabin, that they intend fix up, while squeezing in some night fishing for fun. En route to their cabin, they encounter a group of obnoxious college kids on a camping trip, who assume - based on the appearance of the men - that the hillbillies are chainsaw-wielding maniacs. When Tucker & Dale rescue one of the girls (Katrina Bowden, 30 ROCK, THE SHORTCUT) from drowning, her friends assume that she's been kidnapped by the guys, and proceed, in a series of disastrous - and hilarious - attempts to rescue her, to kill themselves off through sheer, hysterical stupidity. As city-bred co-eds keep snuffing themselves all around them, Tucker & Dale frantically try to make sense of the insanity...

I really enjoyed TUCKER & DALE, and thought it was the best genre comedy I've seen since Edgar Wright's SHAUN OF THE DEAD, which it tonally resembles. The screenplay by director Craig and co-writer Morgan Jurgenson is clever, suspenseful, funny as hell, and shows a clear affection and appreciation for the horror subgenre that it so savagely satirizes. The performances - especially those of Tudyk and Labine - are marvelous; multi-layered and genuine. Each act of violence is more hilarious - and gory - than the last, and the cinematography and editing are first-rate.

The DVD from Magnet Releasing sports a crystal clear, technically perfect, 2.35: 1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and robust 5.1 Dolby Digital audio. Extras include an engaging and entertaining commentary track by Craig, Labine and Tudyk, "Making Of" featurette, outtakes, storyboards, the theatrical trailer, and, best of all, a re-edited, condensed version of the film from the POV of the terrified college kids, "Tucker & Dale ARE Evil."

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL is a first-rate horror spoof, made with affection and considerable talent. Tudyk and Labine shine in the titular roles, and the movie is one of the rare few that actually lives up to the promise of its premise. Highly Recommended.

BUY: Tucker & Dave Vs Evil

ENTER THE NINJA

2011-12-06T04:09:00.003-05:00

Back in the late 1970s, martial arts champion Mike Stone thought he might like to get into the movies. To that end, he wrote a screenplay as a vehicle for himself, one that would showcase his fighting skills. Eventually, that script fell into the hands of Cannon Films moguls Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. The enterprising cousins saw the potential in Stone's story, and bought it - but decided that Stone lacked the International box office name recognition that would help ensure the film's success, so they cast another actor in the lead. That actor was Franco Nero and the film was ENTER THE NINJA (1981).

The movie begins as American vet Cole (Nero, DJANGO) completes his training at a Japanese dojo devoted to maintaining the traditions of ninjitsu. Caucasian Cole is at the top of his class, which really pisses off his ill-tempered Nipponese classmate, Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi, 9 DEATHS OF THE NINJA, NINJA ASSASSIN). Upon his graduation, Cole travels to the Philippines, where his old Army buddy Frank (Alex Courtney) is trying to run a cocoanut plantation. Unfortunately, Frank's being pressured to sell his land by a vicious band of thugs in the employ of a corrupt developer named Venarius (Christopher George, THE EXTERMINATOR, THE RAT PATROL), and has become a pathetic alcoholic. Frank's wife Mary Ann (Susan George, STRAW DOGS, VENOM) is trying to keep things together, but she can't do it alone... so, like every good Western cowboy hero, Cole sticks around to help out. After Cole kicks the asses of Venarius' hired goons a few times, the businessman calls in the big gun: the evil "black ninja" Hasegawa , and the two old rivals face off in a duel to the death....

Directed by Menaham Golan, ENTER THE NINJA is, by all subjective criteria, an awful film. The story is a mishmash of refried B-Western tropes, the photography and editing are sloppy, and the movie just plain looks - and feels - cheap. Nero (sporting a bushy porn 'stache) is dubbed throughout, and is all-too-obviously doubled in all of the fight scenes by Mike Stone. Kosugi's thickly-accented dialogue is nigh-incomprehensible. The usually reliable Christopher George camps it up dreadfully as the effete heavy, and Golan's direction is bland and listless.

But, all that said, ENTER THE NINJA is goofy fun, especially during the over-the-top fight scenes.

It was a tremendous commercial success in drive-ins, on 80s pay cable, and as a popular VHS perennial. It kick-started the entire "ninja" craze of the 80s, made a star (for a few years, anyway) of Sho Kosugi, and made millions of teenage boys buy "authentic" ninja uniforms and throwing stars from kung fu magazines. What it didn't do, unfortunately, was make a movie star out of Mike Stone.

Inexplicably missing on DVD until now, this highly-influential martial arts potboiler is finally seeing a MOD release from the MGM Limited Edition Collection. The disc features a very nice, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and perfectly adequate 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono audio. The (apparently remastered) source print is nearly pristine, with virtually no distracting specks or other defects. Picture quality is sharp & clear, with stable colors and strong blacks. The only extra is the amusing original theatrical trailer.

I've had ENTER THE NINJA on my "Most Wanted DVDs" list forever, and am thrilled that MGM finally made the title available on MOD disc. It's a terrible flick, but I have to admit that I love it - and I know a lot of other action buffs of my generation love it, too. Even better, the disc looks good. Now, if only they'd release NINJA III: THE DOMINATION...

BUY: Enter The Ninja

HORROR EXPRESS (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-11-29T17:35:00.004-05:00

Director Eugenio Martín's 1972 fright film, HORROR EXPRESS (PÁNICO EN EL TRANSIBERIANO) is, arguably, the most interesting and enjoyable 70s pairing of acclaimed horror film stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Long considered to be in the public domain in America, this British-Spanish co-production has seen dozens (at least) of crappy, washed out, battered-looking video releases over the years. Now, thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films, this Gothic gem finally receives the high-quality, high-definition treatment it deserves in an extraordinary DVD/Blu-ray Combo pack.

In 1906 China, Professor Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE RESIDENT) unearths a frozen fossil in the Manchurian province of Szechuan that he believes may be the "missing link." Determined to bring the fossil back to England, he crates up the creepy creature's remains, drags it to Shanghai and boards the trans-Siberian Express train, where he encounters professional rival Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, SHOCK WAVES). During the trip, an alien entity trapped within the icy corpse is released, possessing various passengers, absorbing their knowledge and memories, and then moving on, leaving blank-eyed corpses in its wake. The two British scientists set out to identify and destroy the creature, but their efforts are complicated by paranoia among the survivors and the arrival of an overbearing Russian military officer (Telly Savalas).

HORROR EXPRESS is a delightfully claustrophobic and suspenseful mishmash of Gothic horror, zombie, sci-fi and serial killer tropes, with a dash of 70s Satanic possession elements tossed in for spice. With a twisty, witty and constantly surprising screenplay written to take advantage of a detailed - and startlingly realistic - vintage steam train model built for another movie, HORROR EXPRESS is 90 fast-paced minutes of thrills, chills, and terrific performances by a talented, International cast. The special effects are remarkably good - and surprisingly gory - for a film of its vintage, and the production values are top-notch. The eerie score by composer John Cacavas is also noteworthy, adding considerably to the overall success of the film.

Cushing and Lee are in fine form, the two old friends playing off each other magnificently, and - unlike many of their 70s pairings - enjoying equal screen time and prominence in the plot. Eurobeauties Helga Liné and Silvia Tortosa provide lovely eye candy, and Savalas is a hoot as the arrogant Cossack, Captain Kazan, assigned by his superiors to investigate the murders on the speeding train.

As stated above, HORROR EXPRESS has seen many previous home video releases on VHS and DVD, including a fairly decent, non-anamorphic DVD from Image Entertainment back in the late 90s. For this new edition, Severin Films has used the original Spanish negative as the source of their 1.66:1 widescreen 1080p HD transfer. Clearly, the custodians of the negative didn't take particularly good care of it - there is minor damage throughout in the form of specks and small scratches. But the colors are bright, detail is astounding, and the overall visual presentation is light years superior to any previous home video release. Two audio options are provided: English and Spanish dialogue tracks in Dolby 2.0 mono.

Severin has assembled a nice batch of supplements, including an enthusiastic Introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, new interviews with director Martín, producer Bernard Gordon and composer Cacavas, and a vintage audio Interview with Peter Cushing, which can be played as a commentary over the film, and which covers the distinguished actor's film career in great detail. Finally, there's the creepy theatrical trailer, along with previews of three other Severin titles - PSYCHOMANIA, NIGHTMARE CASTLE and the forthcoming THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD.

This new HORROR EXPRESS Blu-ray/DVD combo is, by far, the finest presentation of the movie to date, and barring a future, frame-by-frame digital restoration, likely to be the definitive video version for some time to come. Fans of the film and or the Lee & Cushing team - even if they don't own a Blu-ray player - should pick it up; it's reasonably priced and the DVD contains the same fine transfer and bonus material as the Blu-ray disc, albeit in standard definition.

HORROR EXPRESS is a classic chiller, and highly recommended.

BUY: Horror Express DVD/BLURAY Combo [Blu-ray]

WILD, WILD PLANET

2011-11-29T05:45:00.004-05:00

I finally got my hands on Warner Archive's edition of the first movie in director Antonio Margheriti's "Gamma 1" Italian space opera quadrilogy, WILD, WILD PLANET (1965), and, I have to say, it certainly lives up to its bombastic title.

A mad scientist named Dr. Nurmi (Massimo Serato) is conducting illegal bio-engineering experiments for his employers, the CBM Corporation, kidnapping dozens of Earth VIPs in a conspiracy to create a new breed of superior human. The kidnappings are conducted by beautiful female androids - and their black-clad, four-armed, bald, sunglass-sporting, synthetic helpers - who shrink their targets down to the size of old G.I. Joe dolls, and stash them into briefcases for easy transport. This is obviously a problem, so the United Democracies Space Command (UDSC) assigns space station Gamma 1's square-jawed Commander Mike Halstead (Tony Russell) to investigate the bizarre abductions. The investigation becomes personal when the oily Dr. Nurmi determines that Halstead's main squeeze, Lt. Connie Gomez (Lisa Gastoni), is a "perfect specimen," and lures her to his secret laboratory on the mysterious planetoid, Delphos....

WILD, WILD PLANET is a colorful, low-budget interplanetary comic strip adventure, packed to overflowing with (appropriately) wild sci-fi ideas and early-60s "mod" atmosphere. As with the other films in the cycle (WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS, WAR OF THE PLANETS, THE SNOW DEVILS, all of which were shot back-to-back by Margheriti with WILD, WILD PLANET), the flick moves along at a lively pace, is filled with cheaply-executed special effects, and packed with lovely European starlets. The story is ridiculous, of course, and the dubbed dialogue is patently banal (and often unintentionally hilarious), but... you know, ultimately, it's cool, unpretentious, corny fun.

Interesting casting note: handsome Franco Nero (ENTER THE NINJA) appears in a supporting role as one of Commander Halstead's spaceman sidekicks, just a year or so before his starmaking turn in the Spaghetti Western classic, DJANGO.

The manufacture-on-demand DVD-R from Warner Archive sports a nice, relatively clean, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, and Dolby 2.0 mono audio. While neither audio nor video are exactly pristine, the flick looks quite good, and the dubbed dialogue and musical score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino sound fine. There are no extras on this disc, not even the entertaining trailer (which you can be easily found and enjoyed on YouTube).

WILD, WILD PLANET is an enjoyably offbeat and entertaining Sixties space opera. I loved it. Recommended.

BUY: Wild; Wild Planet

ZOMBIE (Blu-ray)

2011-11-16T02:01:00.005-05:00

George Romero's 1978 undead epic, DAWN OF THE DEAD, was a huge hit in Italy, where it was presented by co-producer Dario Argento under the title ZOMBI. It was so successful, in fact, that a group of enterprising filmmakers immediately produced their own, unofficial "sequel," directed by Lucio Fulci, and released under the title ZOMBI 2. This same movie was then exported to America, where it was known - and still is - by the title ZOMBIE. Now, the exploitation experts at Blue Underground have brought the film to high definition home video with a stunning new Blu-ray release.

A small schooner sails into New York harbor, seemingly abandoned. When the Harbor patrol investigates, one of the officers is attacked by a blood-drenched, cannibalistic corpse - a flesh-eating zombie. The corpulent creature is shot by the officer's terrified partner and falls into the bay. The police determine that the boat is owned by a scientist named Bowles, and contact his daughter Anne (Mia Farrow's sister, Tisa, of ANTHROPHAGUS). All she knows his that her father was on holiday in the Caribbean, and she hasn't heard from him in some time. Accompanied by a tabloid reporter named Peter West (British actor Ian McCulloch, CONTAMINATION), she heads for the islands to find out what happened to her father. Hitching a ride with a couple of American vacationers with a boat, they follow the trail to Matoul Island, where they discover a haggard Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE, THE HAUNTING), who is attempting to deal with a plague of reanimated, flesh-hungry corpses....

Famous for its shocking gore, apocalyptic tone, and its legendary underwater "zombie vs. shark" scene, Fulci's ZOMBIE has acquired a certain cult status among horror film fans. Although a bit slow-moving in the beginning and middle, it is an effectively unnerving film, with a lot of creepy atmosphere and some genuinely audacious zombie violence in the final act. The acting is mostly good, although some performances are undercut by some dodgy dubbing. Richard Johnson stands out, though, as the doctor trying to find a "cure" for the bizarre phenomenon as everyone around him succumbs.

The make-up and gore effects are primitive, but surprisingly effective, with a couple of definite show-stoppers - moments that were so shocking to the sensibilities of the late 70s, that ZOMBIE was labeled a "video nasty" by UK censors in the 1980s, and for many years was only available there in drastically edited versions.

ZOMBIE has had a long history on home video, usually in poor-quality, edited forms. Blue Underground's new uncut Blu-ray version is, by far, the best I've ever seen it look, with a bright, 2K HD transfer in 1080p 2.35:1 widescreen ratio, sourced from the original camera negative. Colors are stable and bright - but not over saturated, there are no obtrusive scratches, specks or other damage, and every gory second of Fulci's flick is intact. The transfer is so good, in fact, that if it wasn't for the 70s haircuts and clothing (and lack of annoying CGI), you'd think it was shot within the last couple years.

Disc one of the two-disc Blu-ray special edition includes the feature film, with a commentary track by actor Ian McCullough and Diabolik magazine editor Jason Slater, a video introduction by filmmaker - and ZOMBIE fan - Guillermo Del Toro, a couple of trailers, TV spots, and an exhaustive still gallery. Disc 2 - also a HD Blu-ray - contains eight featurettes, spotlighting various contributors to the film. One covers a reunion of the primary cast at a U.S. horror convention, while the rest consist of interviews with the film's writers, producer, cinematographer, production designer, make-up artists, etc. Finally, there's a 10-minute celebration of ZOMBIE by Del Toro.

Blue Underground's two-disc edition should satisfy fans of the movie and fans of Euro-horror in general. Media Blasters has their own edition of the film available, under the ZOMBI 2 title. I haven't seen that version, and I know it has different supplemental material, but I can't imagine it looks any better than BU's Blu-ray. Highly recommended.

BUY: Zombie (2-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray]

MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD

2011-11-10T23:08:00.006-05:00

"Listen, there's a bunch of people from the cemetery who are stark, raving mad, and they'll kill you and eat you if they catch you. It's like a disease. It's like rabies, only faster, a lot faster. That's why you've got to come and get us out of here now... right now!"

In the vein of HIS NAME WAS JASON and NEVER SLEEP AGAIN comes a new retrospective documentary about a fan favorite 80s horror film. In this case, it's a feature-length tribute to the late Dan O'Bannon's 1985 cult classic, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, titled MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (2011).

As with the aforementioned docs, MORE BRAINS chronicles the making of the zombie opus, from its early origins as a direct sequel novel & screenplay to George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, written by John Russo, through its acquisition by independent producer Tom Fox, to its eventual reshaping and execution by O'Bannon into the memorably macabre horror comedy it became. Virtually every principal involved in the film's creation and making is interviewed on-camera, and their recollections are skillfully assembled into a clear and flowing narrative. Production designer William Stout, writer John Russo, the make-up artists and almost the entire cast appear, and their continued enthusiasm and affection for the movie is contagious.

MORE BRAINS is narrated by actor Brian Peck - who played the role of "Scuz" in the film, and also appeared in both sequels (often as various zombies) - and includes interviews with actors James Karen, Clu Gulager, Thom Matthews, Linnea Quigley, Jewel Shepherd and Beverly Randolph (among others). There are plenty of interesting anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, a slew of rare photos and footage, special effects "secrets," and even a little dirt. If you're a true fan of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, the documentary is an exhaustive treasure trove of tasty trivia and tidbits.

Running four hours, the DVD from MPE Entertainment presents MORE BRAINS! in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Extras include featurettes covering the two sequel movies, including additional interviews with the cast and crew of those films, a Dan O' Bannon interview recorded shortly before his death in 2009, a Stacey Q music video, a video tour of the original filming locations, and trailers for the movie and the NEVER SLEEP AGAIN disc.

Obviously, MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD is intended pretty much exclusively for hardcore fans of that 1985 flick, and if you are such a fan, then you might want to check it out. It's very well-made, and is a fascinating chronicle of Eighties horror filmmaking.

BUY: More Brains! A Return To The Living Dead

DARK ANGEL

2011-11-10T04:36:00.005-05:00

Back in 1990, rising action star Dolph Lundgren followed up his lead roles in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and THE PUNISHER with a science fiction/buddy cop thriller that was released in the U.S. as I COME IN PEACE - a film known everywhere else in the world as DARK ANGEL. It's under that latter title that it now comes to DVD from the MGM Limited Edition Collection of manufactured-on-demand discs.

Tough Houston cop Jack Caine (Lundgren, COMMAND PERFORMANCE, THE KILLING MACHINE) loses his partner in a botched sting operation, and upon investigating, discovers that a seven-foot-tall albino extraterrestrial criminal (Matthias Hues, FIST FIGHTER) is on the loose. The alien is stealing heroin from the city's dealers, which he then injects into human victims until they die of an overdose, at which time he extracts the endorphins from their brains. Why? Well, apparently, human endorphins are a valuable narcotic "out there." Caine is partnered with an obnoxious, by-the-book FBI Agent named Smith (Brian Benben, DREAM ON), and together they hunt down the murderous spaceman, trying to put an end to his killing spree.

DARK ANGEL is a terrifically fun, fast-paced sci-fi cop flick in the vein of THE HIDDEN, loaded with well-choreographed and shot fight scenes, car chases, huge explosions and a delightfully bonkers plot. Lundgren is reliably entertaining in his stock tough-guy role, demonstrating some impressive karate moves. Benben is perfectly cast as the stick-up-his-ass Fed, and the imposing Hues is eerie and effective as the alien drug dealer. The stunts and special effects are state-of-the-art for a late-80s/early 90s flick, and still pretty impressive today.

The MOD disc from the MGM Limited Edition Collection sports a remarkably nice, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, that, while a little soft-looking (and that's probably due to the 80s film stock it was shot on), is otherwise pristine, with bright colors, solid blacks, and no evident specks, scratches or other print damage. Audio is a very solid Dolby Digital 2.0. The disc also includes a single bonus feature: the enjoyable International theatrical trailer.

DARK ANGEL is pure, over-the-top, Old School 80s-styled action movie entertainment, with an utterly insane plot, tons of goofy dialogue and plenty of bang for your buck. If that's your thing, you really should check it out. For those of you who remember the movie as I COME IN PEACE from its run on U.S. cable or its VHS incarnation, and have been waiting for it to hit DVD, you should be quite pleased with the quality of this MOD disc - it looks great, and it's nice to finally see it in its proper widescreen format.

Recommended.

BUY: Dark Angel

SCREAM 4 (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-10-21T05:37:00.002-04:00

Eleven years after the concluding chapter of the mega-popular SCREAM trilogy, director Wes Craven and original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, revisit the small town of Woodsboro, to introduce a new generation to the knife-wielding "Ghostface" and their particular brand of self-referential, self-aware meta-horror. That's right, kids, it's SCREAM 4 (2011), an accomplished but unnecessary sequel that offers little that's new, except for some fresh young teen grist for the bloody mill.

Ten years after the events of SCREAM 3, series survivor Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell, WILD THINGS) returns to her hometown for the first time since the original spate of murders. She's written a self-help book, and her publicist (Alison Brie, COMMUNITY) has picked Woodsboro as the final stop on her book tour. There, she is reunited with now-Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette), and his wife, former TV journalist, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox, COUGAR TOWN). Of course, it's merely a matter of time before someone wearing the familiar mask is on the loose, making threatening phone calls and running around with cutlery, terrorizing Sidney and the new generation of horror movie-obsessed Woodsboro teens, racking up an impressive body count....

As with the earlier entries, SCREAM 4 attempts to both comment on/satirize the conventions and cliches of the current cinematic horror genre, while simultaneously indulging in them. Williamson's script (with uncredited additions from SCREAM 3 screenwriter Ehren Kruger) dutifully decries the recent trends of "torture porn" and unnecessary slasher remakes, while essentially being a remake itself of the original SCREAM. There are a few moments of genuine suspense, and if you're a fan of the original films, it's fun to have the band back together (including cinematographer Peter Deming and composer Marco Beltrami). But, while SCREAM 4 is moderately entertaining, it's ultimately over-familiar and uninspired.

Technically, it's a slick piece of work, and the cast all deliver solid performances. The returning cast members appear to be having a good time, and the new kids - Emma Roberts, Lucy Hale, Hayden Panettiere (HEROES) - all acquit themselves adequately.

The Bluy-ray/DVD combo from Anchor Bay Entertainment of SCREAM 4 looks and sounds great, with a pristine 2.35:1 widescreen presentation (1080p on the BD) that's very pleasing to the eye. The Blu-ray disc sports a robust 5.1 DTSHD-MA audio track, while the DVD suffices with a very solid 5.1. Dolby Surround channel. Extras on both discs include an audio commentary track by Wes Craven and actresses Campbell, Roberts and Panettiere, a selection of deleted and extended scenes, an alternate opening and extended ending, a "Making Of" featurette, and a gag reel. The package also includes instructions on how to download a Digital Copy of the film.

I've read some pretty harsh reviews of this belated sequel, and while I don't feel that it really adds anything substantial to the franchise, I must admit that I enjoyed watching it and was never bored. All said, it's still slightly better than part 3, and about on a par with part 2. If you're a fan of the franchise, you'll probably want to at least check it out.

BUY: Scream 4 [Blu-ray]

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK - SPECIAL EDITION

2011-09-30T04:03:00.001-04:00

I've mentioned before that the Seventies and Eighties were the Golden Age of the "Made For Television" movie. Each major network had one or two nights of the week set aside for both theatrical films and TV movies. Every genre was exploited - from mystery to romance to sci-fi and action - but it's the scary ones that seemed to stick in people's memories.

One of these, director John Newland's DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, originally aired on October 10th, 1973 on ABC and, apparently, haunted the memories of many of those who saw it at the time, eventually leading to its recent, big-budget, theatrical remake. Now, to-tie-in with that aforementioned remake, Warner Archive has re-issued the telefilm as a made-to-order "Special Edition" DVD.

Lawyer Alex Farnham (Jim Hutton, NIGHTMARE AT 43 HILLCREST) and his wife Susan (Kim Darby, TRUE GRIT, BETTER OFF DEAD) move into her family's old Victorian mansion upon her mother's death. The house needs lots of renovation, and in the process of fixing the place up, she comes across a locked study with a bricked-up fireplace. Although her mother's crusty old handyman, Harris (film and TV character actor William Demerest) advises her to leave the room and chimney alone, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she soon inadvertently releases a trio of tiny, whispering goblins from their prison, three creatures with their own diabolical plans for the young, nervous housewife...

Reportedly produced at an accelerated schedule of just about two weeks, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK is a handsomely-mounted, low-budget chiller capably directed by Newland, who was best known as the on-screen host of the late-50s paranormal anthology series ONE STEP BEYOND, before turning his attentions to TV directing in the 60s and 70s. The special effects are generally pretty good, combining small actors in furry suits with eerie, gourd-like, full-head masks with over-sized props and scaled-up sets, although there are several instances where props and/or lighting don't quite match up with the master footage. And while the creatures aren't terribly convincing once you've seen them, Newland does manage to put across the inherent creepiness of diminutive, malevolent monsters who can run around a house unseen and underfoot, causing all sorts of nasty little - and lethal - surprises. The director also manages - with writer Nigel McKeand - to pull of a terrific ending.

It helps that Darby is very effective in her role of a mousey wife dominated by an overbearing, career-obsessed husband, terrified by the beings she's unleashed but unable to convince anyone of their existence. It's a very good performance and carries the film. Hutton is also good as her dickish spouse, and Demerest is reliably cranky as the handyman who knows more than he's willing to tell.

The title was among Warner Archive's early MOD release, in a bare-bones, no-frills edition. Now, as a tie-in with the new film, WA has discontinued that disc and re-issued it as a "Special Edition." This version sports a decent, if unspectacular, 1.33:1 "full-frame" transfer culled from a somewhat timeworn print. There's a fair amount of speckling throughout, a few scratches, and, it appears that a few frames are missing in one scene, causing an abrupt "jump." Audio is a satisfactory Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

To justify its "Special Edition" label, WA has provided an audio commentary by three "fans" of the film: Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton of the website, Dread Central, screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick (FINAL DESTINATION) and Sean Abley of Fangoria. The track isn't particularly well-organized or informative; the participants basically ramble on, commenting on what's on screen, spouting random bits of trivia and making snarky comments. I know the movie is dated, and certainly not scary to modern horror audiences raised on the high-tech special effects and gushing gore of more recent fright films, but a track like this adds nothing to the experience of the movie. I'm not sure any of these guys are old enough to have actually seen it when it aired, and they definitely had nothing to do with the making of it. So the track ultimately provides little in the way of actual information about the movie, and certainly no context.

The 1973 version of DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK isn't likely to frighten anyone but young children these days, and with it's 70s TV pacing (complete with regular fade-outs for commercials) and comparatively low production values, it's not likely to impress even them. But for fans and students of the genre who can place the material in its proper context, and enjoy the talent and craftsmanship that went into making it - as well as the cast's able performances - it is definitely worth seeing. It also might be worth picking up for those who are old enough to have been spooked by it when they were kids, either in its original airing or subsequent syndication showings. The story is still a good one, and still has - if you let it - the ability to creep its way into the paranoid portions of the brain....

Recommended.

BUY: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (Remastered, Special Edition)

SCOOBY-DOO: MYSTERY INCORPORATED - Season 1, Volume 3

2011-09-28T23:16:00.002-04:00

The best Scooby-Doo animated series since the 1969 original, SCOOBY DOO: MYSTERY INCORPORATED (2010), continues to delight and surprise with SEASON 1, VOLUME 3, containing four more great episodes from the show's triumphant first year.

The Scooby gang's hometown of Crystal Cove is the setting for these modern, new adventures, a small town that trades on its reputation for being "the hauntedest town in America" for tourism revenue. The regular quintet remains mostly unchanged: slightly-dim-but-enthusiastic Fred (the immortal Frank Welker), rich girl Daphne (Grey DeLisle), booksmart cutie Velma (Mindy Cohn), iconic slacker Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and the legendary Great Dane Scooby Doo (Welker, again), but this series also - for the first time - gives us regular glimpses into their home lives (we actually meet their parents!) and reveals what the local authorities - specifically Sheriff Stone (Patrick Warburton, THE TICK) - think of the meddling kids and their dog.

With smart, witty scripts, creepy mysteries, some welcome characterization and contemporary, anime-inspired character designs that both update and honor the Iwao Takamoto originals, MYSTERY INCORPORATED is a winner. The writers at Warner Animation have brought contemporary TV storytelling methods to the show; while each episode functions as a standalone mystery, there's a bigger storyline running through the series, hinging on the machinations of a shadowy figure known only as "Mister E" (voiced by Lewis Black).

The animation and design are excellent, and the voice-acting and music (theme by Matthew Sweet) are all above-average. It's a very slick toon, and works on multiple levels. Old-time fans of the franchise will enjoy the many in-jokes and meta humor - including references to WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS, THE TERMINATOR and H.P. Lovecraft - while kids will enjoy what they've always enjoyed about SCOOBY DOO: spooky mysteries, slapstick antics, and lots of running around.

Notable guest voices in this quartet of tales include Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND) as horror writer "H.P. Hatecraft," and author Harlan Ellison as, well, "Harlan Ellison."

Warner Brothers' DVD release of "Season 1, Volume 3" contains episodes 9-12 of the series ("Battle Of The Humungonauts," "Howl Of The fright Hound," "The Secret Serum," and "Shrieking Madness"), presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a perfect, colorful transfer. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Aside from a handful of previews, there are no extra features.

Fans of the Scoobyverse will want to check this one out, whether they have kids or not. It's a surprisingly entertaining and intelligent animated show that appears to have been made by people who genuinely love the original 1960s series and who've found a way to update it with respect and sharp humor. My only complaint is that there's only four episodes per disc; I don't get the Cartoon Network, and can't watch the episodes as they air. Waiting for the next volume is going to be torture!

Highly recommended.

BUY: Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated: Season 1 V.3

FRANKENHOOKER (Blu-ray)

2011-09-27T22:51:00.002-04:00

"Wanna date?"

Synapse Films is on a roll lately, unleashing, over the last few months, a welcome onslaught of much-anticipated, high-quality, new Blu-ray releases of favorite cult and exploitation films like THE EXTERMINATOR, MANIAC COP, and Frank Henenlotter’s delightfully twisted horror comedy gem, FRANKENHOOKER (1990).

When the fiancée of suburban New Jersey native Jeffrey Franken (the wonderfully wry James Lorinz) is dismembered and killed in a freak lawn mower accident, the aspiring mad scientist saves her head and conceives a bizarre plan to bring his beloved Elizabeth (pretty Patty Mullen) back to life. After a visit to New York City and a pre-Disney-fied Times Square, he decides to use the body parts of prostitutes to build a new body for Elizabeth. Securing the necessary raw materials (in a hilariously grotesque manner), he successfully resurrects his girlfriend, only to have her head straight for 42nd Street to turn some (deadly) tricks!

Cult fave director Henenlotter’s (BASKET CASE, BRAIN DEAD) final film to date is a deliriously funny flick that pays respectful homage to the Frankenstein movies of the past while simultaneously wallowing in crude, lowbrow humor and unabashedly exploitative sex and gore. The special effects are decidedly rubbery and cartoony, but that doesn’t make them any less fun; in fact, the unreality of the effects adds to the overall loony tunes feel of the film. Hell, what other movie offers the visual spectacle of "super crack"-smoking, exploding prostitutes?

Previously released by budget label Simitar in a full-frame, slightly edited version, and in 2006 by Unearthed Films in a very solid Special Edition DVD, FRANKENHOOKER has now been given the HD treatment by Synapse Films with a flawlessly remastered, uncut, 1.85:1 1080p HD widescreen transfer. Picture quality is remarkable, with solid blacks, sharp details in most shots, and a fine, unobtrusive film grain. Audio options include a robust DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and a very solid DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo mix.

In addition, the new disc includes all of the special features from the Unearthed DVD edition, including a fun and informative audio commentary track from director Henenlotter and Gabe Bartalos, and on-screen interviews with Patty Mullen (who looked even more beautiful in '06 than she did in ’90) and actress Jennifer Delora, who played one of the hookers in the film. Delora also contributes her scrapbook photos to the package. Rounding it off, there’s also a behind-the-scenes featurette on the film’s special effects, the theatrical trailer, and a production still gallery.

FRANKENHOOKER is unquestionably one of the most enjoyably ludicrous horror-comedies of its era, and well worth checking out. Synapse's HD presentation is highly recommended.

BUY: Frankenhooker (Blu-ray)

MASTER OF THE WORLD

2011-09-26T23:44:00.003-04:00

In the Fifties and early Sixties, French fantasist Jules Verne was big at the box-office. Disney's underwater epic, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA had been a major hit in '54, and a few years later, 20th Century Fox had great success with their big-screen adaptation of the author's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. In 1961, the B-movie specialists at American-International decided to grab for a piece of that action, and the result was MASTER OF THE WORLD, starring Vincent Price and a young Charles Bronson.

In the late 19th Century, a small, mountainside town in rural Pennsylvania is rocked by unexplained tremors and shocked by a booming, disembodied voice quoting scripture. An American agent named John Strock (Bronson) recruits an industrialist balloon enthusiast named Prudent (Henry Hull, WEREWOLF OF LONDON) to fly him over the mountain so he can investigate the strange happenings. They are accompanied by Prudent's daughter, Dorothy (Mary Webster) and her dickish fiance, Phillip (David Frankham, RETURN OF THE FLY). As they rise above the mountain's summit, they are shot down by a missile and crash on the peak. They awake to find themselves aboard an incredible airship, The Albatross, prisoners of a war-hating scientist named Robur (Vincent Price, WITCHFINDER GENERAL). As Robur and his crew pilot the airship around the world, dropping bombs on the armies and navies of all nations, Strock and his companions plot to escape and bring an end to Robur's violent anti-war crusade...

Loosely based on the novels Robur The Conqueror and Master Of The World, and adapted by acclaimed author & screenwriter Richard Matheson, AIP's entry in the Jules Verne cinema sweepstakes is an entertaining but clearly cut-rate adventure, with cramped, unconvincing sets, copious - and mismatched - stock footage, and rather poor, even by the standards of the time, special effects. The under-detailed model of The Albatross is mostly filmed in front of rear-projected stock footage, virtually none of which matches up with the angle or lighting of the model. Some of the stock footage is actually in black & white (tinted blue) and other shots are clearly from the wrong time period! What really surprised me is that the effects are credited to Gene Warren & Wah Chang, and the production designer was the talented Daniel Haller - veteran technicians who did much better work elsewhere! Obviously, the producers simply didn't give their team enough resources and money to do their best work.

While the movie is technically underwhelming, the performances are generally pretty good. The elderly Hull overacts somewhat, but his performance is balanced nicely by Bronson's quiet underplaying. A lot of people think Bronson is miscast in the film (and, rumor has it, he didn't like making it), but I thought he was great, playing his heroic role with dignity, strength, and a quiet charisma. Mary Webster is pretty and appealing, and Frankham makes a convincing upper-class ass. Not unexpectedly, top acting honors go to Price, who imbues his Robur with pride and pathos, and never hams it up, delivering his dialogue with passion and conviction.

The MGM Limited Edition Collection MOD disc, sports a handsome, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that is nearly pristine, with almost no speckling or scratches (except during the extended stock footage sequences). Colors are bright and blacks are deep and stable. It looks terrific for a fifty year-old, low-budget movie. MGM has also included the original theatrical trailer as an extra.

Fans of Vincent Price should enjoy MASTER OF THE WORLD. It's a fine vehicle for his thespic talents, and he's a pleasure to watch. As directed by action veteran, William Whitney, it moves along at a brisk pace and is never dull, making for a decent, all-ages matinee adventure. But it's a decidedly cheapjack production, and, unfortunately, looks it.

BUY: Mod-Master of the World

THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN

2011-09-22T02:44:00.002-04:00

"He seems to be getting stronger as he melts!"

This one is another sci-fi horror film that I originally discovered through Starlog magazine as a kid. Specifically, I recall that THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN (1977) was the cover story of Starlog #11, with a gory photo spotlighting the special makeup effects work of a very young Rick Baker. Now, this gruesome drive-in classic has received a belated DVD release, courtesy of the MGM Limited Edition Collection.

Astronaut Steve West (soap opera veteran Alex Rebar) is the sole survivor of a NASA mission to Saturn. Open returning to Earth, he succumbs to a strange form of radiation poisoning that causes his flesh to liquefy and drip from his body. Driven mad by the pain, he escapes from the secret medical facility in which he's been hidden away, and roams the California foothills, violently attacking random folks and consuming their flesh. Pursuing him is his doctor & best friend, Dr. Ted Nelson (perennial TV guest actor Burr DeBenning), using a hand-held Geiger counter to follow West's icky, sticky, and radioactive trail.

Written & directed by William Sachs (GALAXINA), this late 70s low budget throwback to 50s-60s sci-fi thrillers (the plot is nearly identical to MONSTER A-GO-GO!) is an utter mess - albeit an entertaining one - with a tissue-thin script, decent actors struggling unsuccessfully to make it work, and almost non-existent production values (the outer space "Saturn" mission is represented by public domain NASA Apollo footage and stock shots of solar flares - both of which are repeated several times). The cast - comprised almost entirely of familiar television character players - do their best, but the deck (i.e. Sach's script & direction) is stacked against them. As for the top-billed Rebar, he only has couple of minutes "face-time" and a handful of lines before getting covered in bloody goop.

Which brings us to the film's one genuine asset - the delightfully gory and gross "melting man" effects created by future Academy Award-winning makeup maestro, Rick Baker (THE WOLFMAN, ED WOOD). Baker created a series of disgustingly believable masks and gloves, in increasingly gloopy stages of decay, which Rebar wears over the course of the film. Baker also created the bloody results of the Melting Man's attacks, including a very convincing decapitated head and various other wounds and body parts.

Yep, this one's strictly for Old School gorehounds... and bad film aficionados with strong stomachs.

Released on VHS a couple of times back in the 80s and 90s, this new manufacture-on-demand DVD from the MGM Limited Edition Collection sports a remarkably clean and visually stable 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. I'm guessing this obviously remastered transfer was originally prepared for MGM's late, lamented "Midnite Movies" DVD line, because it looks remarkable for a low budget film of its vintage. Aside from the beat-up stock footage, the print is virtually pristine, with no notable speckling or scratches. Audio is a simple Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. The only extra is a trailer for the film, that appears to actually be a TV spot.

As mentioned above, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN is not a good movie, but I bet it played great at drive-ins where the adolescent audience's attention was probably focused elsewhere most of the time. The makeup effects, while a bit dated, are still fun; Baker's talent and craftsmanship is evident even in this early assignment. And, to Sach's credit, the film never gets too boring - any time it starts to drag, the viewer is soon treated to another "Melting Man' attack.

If this sounds like your kind of B-movie entertainment, this MOD disc - with its high-quality transfer - is worth picking up.

BUY: Mod-Incredible Melting Man

SWORD & SORCERY COLLECTION

2011-09-21T23:48:00.000-04:00

Ah, the 80s. When thickly-thewed barbarians and scantily-clad beauties with big... uh, hairdos... cavorted across the silver screen (and cathode ray tubes) swinging swords and slinging spells for the entertainment of teenage boys - and other arrested adolescents - everywhere. Now, thanks to Shout! Factory and its "Roger Corman's Cult Classics" line, you can re-experience that ancient era with the 2-disc SWORD & SORCERY COLLECTION, comprising a quartet of the legendary producer's shoestring swordplay sagas.

In DEATHSTALKER (1983), a blond barbarian hero named, well, "Deathstalker" (Rick Hill), is recruited by a deposed king to rescue a kidnapped princess (Playboy playmate Barbi Benton) from an evil sorcerer. With the aid of a couple of sidekicks - including a topless Amazon warrior (played by the late Lana Clarkson) - the mighty Deathstalker manages to defeat all enemies and ultimately win the day. Filled with bloody battles, female nudity and goofy rubber-masked monsters, director James Sbardellati (under the name "John Watson") chooses to play the material fairly straight. Unfortunately, choppy editing further muddles an already muddled story, and the impoverished production values and low-rent special effects tend to generate unintentional laughs. Still, it's a reasonably engaging male adolescent power fantasy, with plenty of R-rated violence and sex.

DEATHSTALKER is presented at 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, approximating the theatrical aspect ratio. The print is in pretty good shape, with only minor instances of dirt, specks and other damage. Audio is 2.0. Bonus features include the original theatrical trailer, a still gallery, and a commentary track by producer/director John Sbardellati, makeup FX artist John Buechler and actor Richard Brooker.

DEATHSTALKER II: DUEL OF THE TITANS (1987), directed by Jim Wynorski, takes a different approach, and is a lowbrow comedic spoof of the sword & sorcery genre, loaded with deliberately corny sight gags and jokey dialogue. In this one, a different Deathstalker (John Terlesky), a wise-cracking rogue and thief, finds himself pitted against an evil sorcerer (go figure!) who has created an evil duplicate of the kingdom's true princess (Monique Gabrielle, EVIL TOONS). As with the original, this Argentinian-shot fantasy is loaded with gratuitous T&A, plenty of action, cheap sets, and chuckles. The big difference is that in this case, the humor is mostly intentional.

DEATHSTALKER II is also presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, with 2.0 audio. This version is about 10 minutes shorter than the one previously issued on DVD by New Concorde (which was full-frame), and is, according to Shout!, director Wynorski's preferred cut. Extras include a commentary track by Wynorski, star Terlesky, and actress Toni Naples, and the theatrical trailer.

Disc 2 is the home of BARBARIAN QUEEN (1985) starring the DEATHSTALKER's Lana Clarkson in the titular role of Amathea. On the eve of her wedding, her village is attacked by vicious marauders who slaughter her people. Taking up a sword, she and her friend Estrild (pretty Kat Shea, who would go on to direct a number of superior exploitation flicks for Corman a few years later), set out to avenge themselves upon the evil ruler responsible for the massacre. Shot in Argentina by Héctor Olivera (COCAINE WARS, WIZARDS OF THE LOST KINGDOM), BARBARIAN QUEEN is a pretty standard 80's sword & skin flick, with lots of action and plenty of gratuitous nudity. Production values are nil, and the acting is atrocious, but it never slows down and is 70 quick minutes of B-flick entertainment.

BARBARIAN QUEEN is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with 2.0 audio. Two trailers for a couple of other Corman exploitation titles play before the feature. The only extras for this title are a selection of deleted/extended scenes and the home video trailer.

The final sordid sorcery epic in this quartet is 1984's THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS, starring David Carradine (CANNONBALL, CIRCLE OF IRON) as a nomadic ex-priest wandering an arid, desert planet with two suns. When he arrives at a small town where two rival gangs are constantly battling over the village's sole source of water, he soon finds himself playing both sides against each other in another YOJIMBO/A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS/LAST MAN STANDING retread - this time with bare-breasted sorceresses and lots of slo-mo sword fighting. Somewhat lethargically directed by John C. Broderick from a story by famed fantasy illustrator/production designer William Stout, there's still some fun to be had from WARRIOR. As usual, Carradine looks to be stoned during most of his scenes, but, as with the other movies in this set, there's an abundance of action and female flesh on display.

THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS is also presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) for the first time on home video. Audio is basic 2.0 mono. The only extras are the home video trailer, and a couple of other Corman coming attractions that play before the film.

If you grew up with these movies on VHS or pay cable, and long to return to that simpler era of fantasy filmmaking, before rampant CGI special effects and mandatory, family-friendly PG-13 ratings, this 2-disc set from Shout! Factory is a great package and a terrific bargain. Highly recommended.

BUY: Roger Corman's Cult Classics Sword And Sorcery Collection (Deathstalker, Deathstalker II, The Warrior And The Sorceress & Barbarian Queen)

THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. - THE COMPLETE SERIES

2011-09-13T05:53:00.002-04:00

At the height of the 60s spy-fi craze, one of the most popular adventure shows on television was THE MAN FROM U.N.CL.E., which ran for four years on NBC. It was so popular, in fact, that the network felt the audience would enjoy two U.N.C.L.E. shows every week, and demanded a spin-off.

So, during the parent program's third year, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E (1966) made its debut. Unfortunately, the network had miscalculated, and GIRL only lasted one season (and MAN took a ratings dive). Still, fans of the franchise have long desired the show on home video, and now Warner Archives has obliged.

The "Girl" of the title is sexy April Dancer (Stefanie Powers, HART TO HART) a glamorous, classy brunette with a knack for undercover work, employed as an agent of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a global security organization. Her partner is Mark Slate (Noel Harrison), a hip Englishman who handles most of the physical duties on their missions. As on the parent show, her boss is Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carroll), and he keeps her busy thwarting ambitious gangsters, nefarious masterminds, and the machinations of the International crime cartel called THRUSH.

Over on THE MAN FROM U.N.CL.E. the producers had made the bad decision to "camp up" the program in order to emulate the incredible success of the BATMAN television show, and, unfortunately, the distaff spin-off was forced to follow suit, with many episodes played almost entirely as comic capers. In my opinion, GIRL manged the tongue-in-cheek humor better than MAN, but TV audiences were not amused by the tone of either show. After a single season, GIRL was cancelled, and MAN only barely got renewed - for what turned out to be a truncated fourth year.

Still, watching the shows now, there's a lot of fun to be had. The characters are charming (and Powers is plain gorgeous), the production values are generally high (although, watching episodes back-to-back tends to reveal a lot of recycled sets, backlot streets and even effects footage), and while there are a few outright awful episodes, most are breezy, devil-may-care romps and a lot of fun to watch.

Guest stars include Robert Vaughn (the Man from U.N.C.L.E. himself), Boris Karloff (THE TERROR) in drag(!), sultry Luciana Paluzzi (THE GREEN SLIME), Michael Ansara, John Carradine, Fernando Lamas, Dom DeLuise, Denny Miller, Yvonne DeCarlo and many others.

Warner Archives has released GIRL's sole season in two manufactured-on-demand volumes. Volume One is a four-disc DVD-R set and contains the first 15 episodes in decent-looking, 1.33:1 "full-frame" format. The picture quality is generally pretty good, but there are a lot of specks and other minor imperfections throughout. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, and is perfectly adequate. Volume Two contains the remaining 14 episodes on four discs. There are no supplemental features provided in either set.

THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. is light television entertainment from the mid-60s, filled with bright "mod" fashions, jazzy music, charming leads, and plenty of chuckles. It's not the greatest spy show - and it's far from the best that the U.N.C.L.E. franchise has to offer - but it is genuinely fun. If you're an U.N.C.L.E. aficionado and already have the MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. box set that came out a few years back - or a fan of 60s TV spies, in general - then you'll almost certainly want to pick these up to complete your collection.

Me, I loved watching it, and am pleased to have it on my shelf.

BUY: The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series Part One

BUY: The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series Part Two

HICKEY & BOGGS

2011-09-12T18:16:00.004-04:00

"We gotta find that bitch."

From 1965 to 1968, actors Robert Culp and Bill Cosby (long before Pudding-Pops and Cliff Huxtable) starred in I SPY, arguably the most realistic and believable of the era's espionage adventures. While the witty banter between the stars is what most people remember, it was the only 60s spy show to actually deal with the realities of the Cold War. There were no world-threatening megalomaniacs with hollowed-out volcanoes or fictional organizations like SPECTRE or THRUSH; most often the heroes were opposed by the Soviets or Red Chinese. It was great show, generally serious, and occasionally quite dark.

In 1972 Culp & Cosby re-united for the private eye flick HICKEY & BOGGS, and while their chemistry remains intact, the film's tone is not only far darker than their TV series - it's positively grim.

Al Hickey (Cosby) is an ex-cop-turned-private investigator, broke, estranged from his wife and child, and deeply cynical. His partner, Frank Boggs (Culp, who also directed), is a divorced alcoholic who sleeps with cheap hookers and tortures himself by occasionally frequenting a seedy strip club where his ex-wife dances. The pair can barely keep themselves and their detective agency afloat. Then, one day, a wealthy client hires them to find a woman. The guy's a skeeve, but they need the money, and his cash is good. Unfortunately, the woman is also being hunted by the mob, who believes she knows the location of a cache of stolen money. Before long, people start turning up dead, and our protagonists find themselves caught up in a maelstrom of violence that they don't fully understand, forced to see it through only because there's nothing else they can do...

Written by Walter Hill (48 HOURS, EXTREME PREJUDICE, THE WARRIORS), Culp's 70s neo-noir is a decidedly bleak and cynical look at humanity. No one in the film is an innocent and no one's motives are pure. Even Hickey & Boggs are initially motivated only by money - which is literally essential to their survival. When they lose their client and events begin to take a violent turn, Boggs suggests that they simply run away. And in the end, it's only a desire for vengeance - ultimately hollow in itself - that keeps the duo on the case. As Hickey says, ultimately, "...no one cares. It's still not about anything."

HICKEY & BOGGS is a terrific - if depressing - film, and it's a shame that Culp never directed another feature. The cast is full of familiar and talented actors (including a very young James Woods and Michael Moriarty), stylishly edited, and well-shot by William Butler. It's also a film that requires a lot of attention from the viewer - nothing is spelled out or spoon-fed to the audience - but it really is a remarkable piece of filmmaking. It's too bad that it's been so hard to see... until recently.

It was not well-received by audiences and critics in 1972, and in the subsequent decades, it was never legitimately released on home video, and only sporadically appeared in television syndication. A few months ago, a nice, remastered print started showing up on cable movie channels, and then as an online download. Now MGM's manufactured-on-demand label has brought this underrated - and underseen - crime fiction gem to DVD.

The newly-released MGM Limited Edition Collection, high quality DVD-R presents HICKEY & BOGGS with a gorgeous, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. There is virtually no print damage or wear evident, not even reel-change "cigarette burn" markers. Detail, contrast and colors are excellent. The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is clear and free of hiss or distortion. There are no extras included.

HICKEY & BOGGS is a great, dark, private eye film anchored by a strong script and its two stars. It's challenging, and in no way a "feel good" movie, but well-worth seeing. Highly recommended.

BUY: Mod-Hickey and Boggs

MAN FROM ATLANTIS - THE COMPLETE TELEVISION SERIES

2011-09-12T17:16:00.002-04:00

In 1977, NBC followed-up four TV movies about the water-breathing superhero known as "Mark Harris" with a single-season, hour-long weekly television series of 13 episodes. Now, Warner Archive has brought that series to Manufacture-On-Demand DVD with the 4-disc, MAN FROM ATLANTIS - THE COMPLETE TELEVISION SERIES set.

As the series begins, there have been some changes made in the format used in the TV movies (reviewed HERE). Mark Harris (Patrick Duffy, DALLAS) has become more acclimated to the surface world and has taken on a more active role with the government-allied Foundation For Oceanic Research. No longer just a test subject for scientist Dr. Elizabeth Merrill (the lovely Belinda J. Montgomery, DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D.), he now command's the Foundation's deep-sea submersible, The Cetacean, and carries out missions at the behest of Foundation Director C.W. Crawford (Alan Fudge). Many of these missions consist of foiling the evil plans of capricious capitalist Mr. Schubert (Victor Buono) to accumulate wealth and power from the sea.

With the Cetacean's newly-redesigned command deck and presence of a regular bridge crew, the weekly MAN FROM ATLANTIS somewhat resembles an underwater STAR TREK (the show's creators had strong ties to that seminal sci-fi series), but the overall tone of the show was much lighter than either its interstellar inspiration or the preceding ATLANTIS teleflicks. In fact, while the show looks great - with consistently nice photography, great sets (the interior of the Cetacean submersible and the Foundation's underground headquarters are both really slick, by 70s TV standards), and marvelous, Old School miniature effects - the stories are no longer science fiction, and tend instead toward aggressively non-violent, kid-friendly fantasy.

With stories featuring mischievous imps, friendly (and unconvincing) sea beasts, misunderstood giants, and magical time-travel, as well as far too much Mister Schubert (who figures in 5 of the first 7 episodes) - a character that had been slightly menacing in the first TV movie, but was too genial, comic and physically unimposing to present much of a threat on the series - the weekly MAN FROM ATLANTIS lacks any semblance of dramatic weight or real sense of adventure. The cast remains appealing, and the character of aqua-man Harris is very likable, but the weekly show is a definite step down from the four TV movies that preceded it, and just reeks of network interference based on timidity and/or condescension.

Guest stars in this single season include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dee Wallace, Pat Morita, Ted Cassidy, Dick Gautier, Pernell Roberts, Rene Auberjonois, John Shea and Billy Barty, among other familiar faces.

Warner Archive's presentation is remarkably nice. I don't know how much actual remastering was done on these episodes, but the 1.33:1, "full frame" transfers are surprisingly bright and clean, with only minimal occurrences of visible speckling or other detritus. The episodes are complete and uncut, and spread across four discs. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono audio is clear and free of distortion or distracting hiss.

If you grew up with MAN FROM ATLANTIS and have the same sort of nostalgia for it that I do, the technical quality of these Warner Archive MOD discs is very nice, and definitely worth the somewhat higher price. But if you've never seen the show, or memories of it are somewhat vague, I'm not sure how well it will hold up. It is very much a 70s genre show aimed at a young audience, and while it's kinda fun and definitely charming, it's not really good science fiction. I enjoyed revisiting it and am pleased to have it in my collection; your mileage may vary (as they say).

BUY: Man From Atlantis: Complete Television Series (Remastered, 4 Disc)

CONAN THE ADVENTURER - SEASON ONE

2011-09-12T16:29:00.003-04:00

Know, O Prince, that in the times known as the early1990s, there was an age undreamed of. An age of weekday afternoon action-adventure cartoons, bad pop music and blurry VHS video. And, into that age, strode CONAN THE ADVENTURER (1992), an animated cartoon series based on the sword-swinging, head-crushing, wench-bedding pulp character created by Robert E. Howard.

Conan (voiced by Michael Donovan) is a young barbarian from the craggy Northern realm known as Cimmeria. His father, a blacksmith, has discovered a fallen meteor, the metal ore from which he has forged into a mighty sword and a variety of other weapons. The wizard Wrath-Amon (Scott McNeil/Long John Baldry), a priest of the evil serpent god, Set, comes in search of the precious "star metal" and curses Conan's family, turning them to living stone. Conan, with his "star metal" sword, sets out to undo the spell by vanquishing the sorcerer, his army of snakemen, and the evil Set. Along the way, he picks up several companions (all armed with "star metal" weapons) and a magic, talking phoenix called Needle, and discovers the extent of Wrath-Amon's ambitions and the secret of the "star metal"...

Produced for syndication by Sunbow (the production company behind Hasbro's TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE 'toons), CONAN THE ADVENTURER was a kid-friendly take on the famous barbarian, with a surprisingly clever and well thought-out over-story, decent characterizations, and reasonably accomplished late 80s-early-90s-styled animation. The character designs are credited to legendary comics artist, Russ Heath, and overall, the look of the show is pretty good. Under the guiding hand of story editor Christy Marx, the show plays pretty well, too, with a clearly-defined ongoing narrative and well fleshed-out characters. The voice acting and music are better than adequate, as well - although the theme song makes my ears bleed. (Oh, and the comic relief phoenix, Needle, irritates the hell out of me.)

To tie-in with the already released (and already gone, in most places) new Conan feature film, Shout! Factory brings the complete first season of 13 episodes to DVD on two discs. The 1.33:1 "full-frame" transfers are quite decent, clean and sharp, with bright colors and no distracting blemishes or print damage. There are no extras included. The only problem I can note is that the episode list on the packaging doesn't quite match the order presented on the discs. In all, though, it's a perfectly satisfactory package for fans of the show.

I enjoyed CONAN THE ADVENTURER. I'm a fan of the original Robert E. Howard pulp stories (and Marvel Comics' version), and I didn't really have any problems with the changes made for the cartoon. It was aimed at kids, after all. In fact, I was rather impressed with the thought put into adapting the material for a younger audience, and the generally higher-than-average quality of the writing. If you're a fan of the Cimmerian barbarian in other incarnations - or, more specifically, this one - the Shout! Factory DVDs aare worth checking out. Recommended.

BUY: Conan The Adventurer: Season One

MANIAC COP (Blu-ray)

2011-09-09T23:53:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite action/horror films ever, William Lustig’s MANIAC COP (1988), has finally received an HD upgrade and will soon be getting a welcome Blu-ray release, thanks to the fine folks at Synapse Films.

Previously issued on laserdisc by Elite Entertainment, as a fuzzy full-frame DVD by a budget label best left unnamed, and an excellent DVD Special Edition from Synapse, this new HD release is not only the finest the film has ever looked on home video, but includes all of the extras from the Special Edition DVD - with one unfortunate omission, detailed below.

When a psycho killer in a police uniform starts murdering innocent people on the streets of New York, the city is gripped in paranoia and afraid of their own police force. Soon, a young cop named Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell of EVIL DEAD and BUBBA HO-TEP fame) is wrongfully accused of being the "Maniac Cop" when his wife turns up dead and he’s arrested by his fellow officers. But while Jack may be an unfaithful jerk, he’s no serial killer, and it’s up to his policewoman mistress (Laurene Landon, HUNDRA, I THE JURY) and veteran NYPD detective Frank McCrae (the great Tom Atkins, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, LETHAL WEAPON) to find the real Maniac Cop – a scarred, Frankenstein-esque hulk named Matt Cordell (the imposing Robert Z’Dar of SOULTAKER) – stop his killing spree, and clear Jack’s name.

A stellar B-movie cast (which also includes William Smith, Richard Roundtree, Sheree North and Sam Raimi!), slick, noir-ish photography, a nearly perfect thriller script by exploitation vet Larry Cohen (IT’S ALIVE, Q, BLACK CAESAR, ORIGINAL GANGSTAS), a creepy, evocative score by Jay Chattaway, and gritty direction by William Lustig (VIGILANTE, UNCLE SAM) combine to create a top-notch, fast-paced entertainment, with plenty of thrills, impressive stunts and some genuine scares.

Synapse’s Blu-ray disc presents MANIAC COP in a brand-new, 2011 remastered, 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen transfer culled from the original vault materials. The movie looks amazing, with a level of clarity and detail unseen in previous video incarnations (and I've owned them all). The image is virtually blemish-free and sports only a fine, pleasingly film-like patina of grain. I noticed no black crushing, even in the film's many dark sequences, nor any digital artifacting. Audio options consist of DTS-HD MA 6.1 and 4.0 Surround or DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo.

There is a pretty good selection of extras included; unfortunately, though, the group audio commentary with director Lustig, writer Cohen, star Campbell and composer Chattaway that appeared on the laserdisc and earlier Synapse DVD is missing from this release, and that's a shame, because it was a great, entertaining and informative supplement. I wonder what happened to prevent its inclusion with this edition?

What you do get are several theatrical trailers and TV spots, a bunch of short scenes shot to pad out the running time for Japanese television (featuring actor Leo Rossi, of Lustig’s RELENTLESS), on-camera interview featurettes with Robert Z’Dar and Tom Atkins, and an animated promotional art gallery.

As you may have gathered, I’ve been a fan of this movie (and its first sequel) for years, and I’m thrilled to have this new HD edition for my Blu-ray collection - although the lack of filmmakers' commentary means that I'll have to hang on to my old DVD. If, like me, you're already a fan of MANIAC COP and you've got an HD set-up, it's definitely worth upgrading, though, because the movie has never looked and sounded as good as it does here.

Synapse's MANIAC COP Blu-ray streets on October 11th, and comes highly recommended.

BUY: Maniac Cop [Blu-ray]

THE 10TH VICTIM (Blu-ray)

2011-09-09T16:54:00.003-04:00

A cult classic from the swinging sixties, Elio Petri’s THE 10TH VICTIM (1965) is a fun slice of Europop, with an intriguing sci-fi premise that has proven to be somewhat prescient in recent years. Now, Blue Underground has given it an HD upgrade for Blu-ray, and it looks terrific.

It is the 21st century and the governments of the world have turned murder into a sporting event called The Big Hunt. Intended as a sort of pressure valve for society, volunteers sign on to hunt and be hunted by other players. Each volunteer is contracted to ten "hunts;" five as hunter and five as victim. Survivors receive huge cash prizes, and if they survive all ten hunts, they get a million bucks cash. When lovely Caroline Meredith (Ursula Andress) is pitted against Italian champion Marcello Polletti (Marcello Mastroianni) in her last hunt, she arranges to have her presumed victory televised for her corporate sponsors. Unfortunately for her, Marcello has no desire to cooperate.

An audacious mix of satire, farce, science fiction and romance, THE 10TH VICTIM is a genuinely unique film experience. Its tone, story and production design has influenced a wide variety of subsequent films, from DEATH RACE 2000 and THE RUNNING MAN to Mike Myers’ Austin Powers series, and predicted the "reality television" craze that plagues us today. For aficionados of 60s Eurocinema, it’s a must-see.

Previously released on DVD by Anchor Bay and Blue Underground, the latter company's new Blu-ray disc is newly remastered from the original negative and looks superior in every way to the prior standard-definition releases. Presented in 1080p at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the picture quality is remarkable for a 46-year old film. Color and detail are good, and it is virtually blemish-free, with a fine, non-obtrusive layer of film grain that gives the presentation a suitably film-like look. Audio is provided in DTS-HD Italian and DTS-HD Mono English (dub). Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available. Extras include a new-to-this edition featurette on Marcello Mastroianni, the U.S. and Italian theatrical trailers, and several still galleries.

A one-of-a-kind film, THE 10TH VICTIM is very much a product of its era, with a 60s "mod" vibe that may seem campy or dated today. But if you have a genuine interest in cinematic sci-fi satire, I strongly recommend checking it out. If you are already a fan of the film and are Blu-ray equipped, you may want to consider an upgrade when it is released next Tuesday.

Recommended.

BUY: The 10th Victim [Blu-ray]

THE EXTERMINATOR (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-09-01T00:58:00.001-04:00

"He's no taxi driver. He has no death wish. He's just an ordinary man they pushed too far..."

Back in the Summer of '81, I caught director James Glickenhaus' vigilante revenge actioner, THE EXTERMINATOR (1980) on a drive-in double bill with John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and I hadn't seen it again until popping the new Blu-ray edition from Synapse Films into my player a few nights ago. I remembered liking the movie as a High School sophomore, and I was curious how it held up.

During the Vietnam War, American soldier Michael Jefferson (the late, great Steve James, AMERICAN NINJA) saves his buddy John Eastland (Robert Ginty, PROGRAMMED TO KILL, HAWAIIAN HEAT) is from execution by V.C. troops. A few years later, the two men are working side-by-side in a food distribution warehouse in New York City, when Jefferson is attacked by a vicious street gang and left a paraplegic. Feeling a debt to his war buddy, Eastland sets out to get revenge on the gang responsible, and then carries on, "exterminating" every criminal he can track down. Tagged "The Exterminator" by the press, the vigilante is hunted by a dogged police detective (Christopher George, GRIZZLY, THE RAT PATROL), as he cuts a bloody swath through the city's drug dealers, sexual predators and gangsters.

Glickenhaus - who also directed the 42nd Street favorites THE SOLDIER (still M.I.A. on DVD), SHAKEDOWN, and Jackie Chan's THE PROTECTOR - paints a vividly grimy picture of late-Seventies Manhattan, and while modern audiences may find it a little sluggish between action set-pieces, THE EXTERMINATOR is a legitimate grindhouse gem, with some genuinely disturbing acts of violence and effectively staged action sequences.

Top-billed Christopher George manages to create an appealingly offbeat character despite his part being seriously underwritten, while the character portrayed by second-billed Samantha Eggar (THE BROOD) is utterly superfluous to the plot, and only exists to give George's character someone to flirt with. The charismatic Steve James is criminally underused, and ends up spending most of the film wrapped in bandages and unable to move or speak. As for the PAPER CHASE's Ginty, well, he's puffy-faced, clumsy and inexpressive, and I never quite understood how he became a B-action star... but his role in THE EXTERMINATOR led to quite a string of similar roles in both domestic and foreign exploitation fare.

Previously released on DVD by Anchor Bay, the exploitation experts at Synapse bring THE EXTERMINATOR to Blu-ray and DVD with an unrated, gorier "director's cut" that sports a remarkably clean and visually stable 1.78:1 widescreen HD transfer. Print damage and wear are virtually non-existent and colors and contrast are excellent. Detail is great - almost too realistic, considering the sordid, sleazy settings showcased in the film. Audio on the Blu-ray disc is offered in both DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo and mono options, while the standard DVD presents the same mixes in Dolby Digital. Bonus features include an informative and entertaining commentary by Glickenhaus, the original theatrical trailer, and a selection of TV spots.

THE EXTERMINATOR is not really a "good" movie, by almost any definition. But it is entertaining, offering a handful of visceral moments and shocking scenes, as well as a palpable atmosphere of late-70's urban sleaze that makes it both memorable and enjoyable as a gritty, unapologetic exploitation classic. For aficionados of the vigilante genre, it's definitely worth checking out. As for those who already consider themselves fans of the movie, Synapse's presentation is exceptional, and definitely worth the HD upgrade.

Recommended.

BUY: Exterminator (Blu-ray and DVD Combo)

CAPTAIN AMERICA

2011-09-01T00:18:00.002-04:00

For most of the 1980s, the film rights to Marvel super-hero characters Spider-Man and Captain America were held by Cannon Films, which found itself unable to bring the expensive properties to the screen, despite multiple attempts. As the decade came to a close, Cannon founders Menahem Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus came to a parting of the professional ways. As in any divorce, property was divided, and Golan found himself holding onto a certain Star-Spangled Avenger right as rival comic book crusader Batman was still breaking global box office records. Wasting no time, Golan's new company, 21st Century Films, announced CAPTAIN AMERICA for a Summer, 1990 theatrical release.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as planned.

In 1941, polio-crippled American patriot Steve Rogers (Matt Salinger) volunteers for a top secret experiment and is subjected to a "super soldier" formula developed by an Italian defector. Just as the experiment concludes, the lady scientist is assassinated by a Nazi agent, and Rogers is given a red-white-and-blue rubber costume and a plastic shield, and is code-named "Captain America" by the Army. On his first mission, he is sent to Italy where he discovers that the Axis powers' own super-soldier, a deformed Italian genius known as the Red Skull, has a rocket aimed at the White House in Washington, D.C. Moments after confronting the crimson-domed villain, he gets his ass kicked and is knocked unconscious. He awakens to find himself strapped to the aforementioned missile and, unable to escape his bonds, is soon on a trans-Atlantic rocket flight. At the last moment before striking the White House he is able to knock the missile off-course, and somehow traverses the entire North American continent to crash in Alaska (some fuel capacity!), where he is promptly frozen in the Arctic ice. He is discovered and revived in the 1990s, and soon finds himself once again pitted against the Red Skull, who is no longer red and heads an international cartel of businessmen, statesmen and military leaders that secretly rules the world...

As directed by bad B-movie specialist Albert Pyun (CYBORG, OMEGA DOOM), CAPTAIN AMERICA is an admittedly fascinating mess, with an unnecessarily convoluted, insanely illogical script that stubbornly refuses to make any semblance of sense and makes inexplicable - and inane - changes to the comic book mythos (the traditionally German Red Skull being Italian is particularly nonsensical). The movie does move at a decent pace, but the sets are threadbare, the costumes look cheap, and the action sequences are ineptly staged, badly shot and poorly edited. The Yugoslavian locations are occasionally picturesque, but also betray the flick's shoestring budget.

The cast is a mix of familiar, respectable American thesps like Darren McGavin (KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER), Michael Nouri (THE HIDDEN), Ronny Cox (ROBOCOP), Ned Beatty (DELIVERANCE), Melinda Dillon (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND), and Bill Mumy (BABYLON 5) - and a horde of badly-dubbed Croatian and Yugoslavian bit players. As the Red Skull, Scott Paulin (FORBIDDEN WORLD) sports the most ludicrous Italian accent ever committed to film, and camps it up shamelessly. Salinger actually isn't all that bad as Captain America/Steve Rogers - he looks suitably square-jawed and athletic - but he's saddled with a misconceived characterization (not to mention, unflattering costume design) that no actor, no matter how skilled or experienced, could make work.

Apparently Golan recognized what a nigh-incomprehensible trainwreck the movie turned out to be, and quietly abandoned his theatrical release plans (despite teaser posters having already been distributed to cinemas). CAPTAIN AMERICA finally crept on to VHS a couple years later, where comic book fans who managed to stumble across it at their local video store could rent it and gaze at it in dumfounded disappointment and bad movie aficionados could revel in its awfulness.

To tie-in with the recent Summer blockbuster re-imagining, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, the MGM Limited Edition Collection, the manufacture-on-demand arm of MGM Home Entertainment, has now made this first CAPTAIN AMERICA feature film available on DVD for the first time. Presented in its original 1.33:1 home video aspect ratio, and sourced from what appears to be the actual VHS tape, the visual and audio quality of this MOD release is nothing to get excited about. The picture is soft, grainy and overly dark, and the audio is flat and slightly muffled. The only bonus feature is the home video trailer - clearly sourced from a tape.

Obviously, if you've read everything above, you'll see that I cannot recommend this disc to any but the most die-hard Captain America fans and super-hero flick completists. If you are a true lover of crap films, you might get a kick out of it, too, but why risk it? Me, I'm glad to have it on my shelf, but then, I'm one of the aforementioned super-hero flick obsessives....

BUY: Captain America

TROLLHUNTER

2011-08-31T03:28:00.004-04:00

While I'm not a big fan of the "found footage" subgenre of horror films kicked off by 1999's THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, neither do I have any strong feelings against those kind of faux-documentaries, and have enjoyed - to varying degrees - similar movies like CLOVERFIELD and George Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD. The latest of these mockumentaries to grace my DVD player is the 2011 Norwegian monster movie, TROLLHUNTER, recently unleashed on DVD by Magnet/Magnolia Home Entertainment.

A group of college documentarians investigating a suspicious spate of bear attacks in the mountains and forests of Norway become fascinated by a strange man they believe is a poacher. They follow and videotape him, and soon discover that he is, in fact, secretly working for the Norwegian government as a Trolljegeren (troll hunter). That's right, the giant, bloodthirsty ogres of Scandinavian fable are real, and have started wandering out of their regular, isolated territories. The students persuade the troll hunter, Hans (Otto Jespersen) to let them accompany him and document his work, but soon find themselves risking life and limb at the gargantuan hands of the nocturnal titans...

As directed by André Øvredal, TROLLHUNTER is a fun creature feature that suffers from some of the same problems as many of these "found footage" flicks. A lot of the running time between encounters with the truly impressive and frightening trolls is comprised of repetitive back-and-forth banter between the young filmmakers, mundane minutiae, or "travelogue" footage shot through car windows. Now, admittedly, the Norwegian scenery is truly gorgeous, but after a while, it does begin to feel like padding.

On the other hand, once the characters begin interacting with the night-stalking trolls, and Hans starts to explain the nature of the beasties and his experiences with them, the film is riveting. The special effects are utterly convincing (the low-light, shaky, hand-held videography covers any flaws in the CGI animation perfectly), and the scenes with the trolls themselves - which look like they stepped right out of a grim fairy tale - are fantastic, harrowing, and chillingly believable.

And... the twenty-something documentarians of TROLLHUNTER are portrayed as considerably less self-absorbed and annoying than similar characters in other "found footage" fright flix, and that made the movie more enjoyable, too.

The DVD from Magnet/Magnolia Home Entertainment is solid, with an anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio in the original Norwegian and an English dub. English and Spanish subtitles are available. Bonus material includes deleted scenes, extended scenes, improv bits, and bloopers, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and still galleries. Trailers for various other Magnet/Magnolia releases are also included. The title is also available on Blu-ray, but I was not sent one for review.

Your enjoyment of TROLLHUNTER will depend, primarily, on your tolerance of the bouncy, hand-held, mockumentary style of the filmmaking, and your patience. But once the titular troll hunting kicks in, it's a genuinely thrilling, entertaining monster flick, and worth seeking out. I liked it a lot.

Recommended.

BUY: Trollhunter

BUY: Trollhunter [Blu-ray]

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN - THE COMPLETE SERIES

2011-08-31T02:41:00.000-04:00

"The year, 1994. From out of space, comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the moon, unleashing cosmic destruction. Man's civilization is cast in ruin. Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn. A strange new world rises from the old. A world of savagery, super-science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice. With his companions, Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword, against the forces of evil. He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!"

In my personal pantheon of Saturday Morning cartoons (subcategory: "adventure") few programs rate higher than 1980's sci-fi-fantasy, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN, which ran for two seasons on ABC.

As that awesome introduction quoted above says, THUNDARR chronicled the adventures of a brave barbarian warrior (actor Bob Ridgely, who, around the same time, also gave voice to TARZAN and FLASH GORDON), a smart, sexy and sarcastic sorceress (Nellie Bellflower), and a large, hairy anthropoid warrior (Henry Corden) as they roamed the post-Apocalyptic Earth, battling a seemingly-endless procession of power-mad, evil wizards and vicious mutants. What more could anyone ask of an adventure cartoon?

Produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, and created by veteran comic book scribe Steve Gerber (Man-Thing, Howard the Duck), this action-packed animated fantasy epic featured imaginative stories, appealing characters, great voice acting, and character designs by two of the greatest comic book artists to ever wield a pencil. Thundarr and his friends were visualized by the animation veteran Alex Toth (SPACE GHOST, THE HERCULOIDS), while virtually every other character (and vehicle, setting and/or prop) were designed by the legendary Jack Kirby (Captain America, The Fantastic Four).

While the animation lacks the slick sheen of modern, computer-assisted shows, and is a bit "rough around the edges," it's actually among the best seen on Saturday morning TV at the time, and far more polished than most other Ruby-Spears shows of the same vintage. It's apparent that the studio recognized that they had something good in THUNDARR and put some extra care and attention into it.

The Warner Archives 4-disc, manufactured-on-demand DVD-R set includes all 21 episodes from the show's two seasons, presented in their original 1.33:1 "full-frame" aspect ratio, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio. The film elements have not been remastered in any way, and show considerable age-and-neglect-related wear. On some episodes the otherwise bright colors appear faded, and most installments are dusted with specks and other minor damage. Overall, the picture quality is fair-to-good, and, unlike some off-air recordings, the episodes are complete. There are no bonus features included.

For my money, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN is one of the all-time great fantasy adventure cartoons, with solid, smart scripting, fabulous visuals and a classic hero. Sure, I wish that the bean-counters at Warners had green-lit a fully-restored and remastered, mass-market DVD release, but I'm personally grateful to see it on DVD at all, in an authorized and complete form. If you're a fan, buying the set is a no-brainer; even with its faults, it's far superior to any of the old bootlegs floating around the convention circuit. If you're unfamiliar with THUNDARR, but love Old School adventure animation, you might want to take a chance and order it - I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Recommended.

BUY: Thundarr The Barbarian (4 Disc)

AGENT 8 3/4 (Blu -ray)

2011-08-25T04:16:00.004-04:00

When James Bond came along in 1962's DOCTOR NO, he changed the way audiences enjoyed spy movies and the way that filmmakers made them. The success of the franchise also inspired a slew of imitators and spoofs, and one of the earliest - and best - has just come to Blu-ray disc courtesy of VCI Entertainment: 1964's AGENT 8 3/4 (a/k/a HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE), starring Dirk Bogarde and Sylva Koscina.

Nicholas Whistler (Bogarde, MODESTY BLAISE) is an unemployed, Czech-fluent writer living in England, when he is - completely unbeknownst to him - recruited by British Intelligence for a mission to Prague. He thinks he's on a goodwill visit from a London glass manufacturer, but the Czechoslovakian Secret Police - and everyone else - knows he's a spy. A female Czech operative, the comely Comrade Simonova (Koscina, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE) is assigned to be his driver and keep an eye on him, but before long, she falls for the handsome, hapless writer. By the time that Whistler finally realizes that he is, indeed a spy, he's trapped in Prague, hunted and pursued by the Secret Police, and only the lovely, conflicted Comrade Simonova can possibly help him.

Deftly directed by Ralph Thomas, AGENT 8 3/4 is a breezy, Cold War-era satire that evokes not only 007, but Hitchcock's espionage thrillers, as well. It's suspenseful and even thrilling at times, but also witty and occasionally farcical - which is why a lot of modern viewers might not be able to get a handle on it. The script is clever and sharp, and the cast, which also includes Leo McKern and Robert Morley, is exceptional across the board. Bogarde is amusing and convincing as the somewhat clueless unintentional agent who must rise to the occasion when his support system falls apart, and Koscina is just stunningly gorgeous. The cinematography is beautiful, even when portraying the drab, behind-the-Iron Curtain world of Communist Czechoslovakia. Overall, it's a slick, early-Sixties spy-fi spoof and highly entertaining, if you're in the right mindset.

VCI's new Blu-ray disc appears to be the same high-def transfer used by the UK company, Network, presented in 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p HD. Picture quality is astoundingly good - with the exception of one or two brief shots, detail and colors appear to be perfect. VCI offers two audio options: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono and an enhanced 5.1 remix. The only extras are a theatrical trailer (under the original British title of HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE) and a still photo gallery. The title is also available in standard-def DVD.

AGENT 8 3/4 (I have to say, I like the British title much better) is a great slice of sly Cold War pop culture, and a must-see for fans of 60s spy flicks. Highly recommended.

BUY: Agent 8 3/4 aka: Hot Enough For June [Blu-ray]

BUY: Agent 8 3/4 [DVD]

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD - SEASON 2, PART 1

2011-08-25T03:40:00.000-04:00

Although far too short-lived, WB Animation/Cartoon Network's BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (2008-2011) is a delightful, extremely well-written and produced super-hero animated series that portrays the Dark Knight in a decidedly "non-dark" manner. Each episode teams Batman with different DC Comics super-heroes for fun, funny and family-friendly adventures throughout time and space.

New on DVD is the third volume, SEASON TWO - PART ONE, and it includes an even dozen episodes, pairing Gotham's Caped Crusader (voiced by Diedrich Bader) with such heroes as Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Red Tornado, Aquaman, Green Arrow and... C-listers like B'Wana Beast and The Metal Men. It's to the production team's credit, though, that no matter how "lame" the character is (percieved), they find a way to make them shine and treat them with respect and dignity.

There are some terrific episodes in this volume, including stories that spotlight the Golden Age heroes of the Justice Society of America, and teen sidekicks Robin, Aqualad and Speedy (Green Arrow's ward). The high points, though, are probably "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure," which sees the Sea King and his family in an RV touring America, "The Super-Batman of Planet X," in which Batman meets his counterpart on an oddly familiar alien planet, and "Chill of the Night," an uncharacteristically (for this show) dark episode written by Paul Dini, where Batman finally finds the man who killed his parents.

Warner's two-disc DVD set includes the first 12 episodes of the series' second season, presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Picture and audio quality is perfect. Extra features are limited to promotional trailers for a handful of other Cartoon Network shows.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD is bright and colorful cartoon antidote to "grim 'n gritty" super-hero angst, loaded with all-ages action, adventure and smart humor. If you haven't seen the show, you're missing out. If you do dig the show, the DVDs would make a great addition to your collection.

BUY: Batman: Brave & The Bold - Season Two Part One

MAN FROM ATLANTIS - THE COMPLETE TV MOVIES COLLECTION

2011-08-25T03:08:00.002-04:00

In the spring of 1977, NBC aired a made-for-television science fiction movie about a mysterious man who was discovered washed up on a California beach after a storm. He nearly dies, but a beautiful marine biologist is able to save his life when she realizes that he breathes underwater. No one - not even the aquatic stranger himself - knows where he comes from; the best guess the government super computers can make is that he might be the last survivor of the sunken continent of Atlantis.

That telefilm, MAN FROM ATLANTIS, buoyed by the charismatic Patrick Duffy (pre-DALLAS) as the amnesiac sub-mariner, was a ratings hit, and the network commissioned three additional 2-hour movies, which aired throughout that Summer, followed by a weekly, hour-long series in the Fall. Now, Warner Archive has remastered and packaged those first four installments as "THE COMPLETE TV MOVIES COLLECTION," and fans of the series should be very pleased with the result.

In the first, MAN FROM ATLANTIS, the sea-born stranger adopts the monicker "Mark Harris," and helps the U.S. Navy foil the diabolical plans of super villain Mister Schubert (the always entertaining Victor Buono), who intends to conquer the world. In the second film, DEATH SCOUTS, Mark - now working for the independent Foundation For Oceanic Research with his lovely savior, Dr. Elizabeth Merrill (Belinda J. Montgomery), must deal with a pair of hostile extraterrestrial body-snatchers - the vanguard for an alien invasion force. In KILLER SPORES, a returning space probe brings a lethal microscopic life-form back to Earth, and in THE DISAPPEARANCES, the world's top scientists - including Elizabeth - are kidnapped by a mysterious organization.

All four TV movies are fairly entertaining, if a bit slow by today's standards, with decent scripts grounded in science and pseudo-science. Much mileage is gotten out of Mark's naivete/innocence and his "stranger in a strange land" situation. Duffy's charisma carries the flicks pretty well, and there's plenty of rather amazing (for the time) underwater action sequences, and plenty of classic, Old School special effects. Most notably, the unique submersible vehicle called The Cetacean, which is introduced in the pilot film as property of the villain, but is soon co-opted by the heroes, becoming Mark's mobile base of operations.

The two-disc, manufactured-on-demand DVD-R set from Warner Archive sports newly-remastered, "full-frame" 1.33:1 transfers. Picture quality is pretty remarkable for TV films of this vintage; there are a few minor nicks, specks and scratches, but nothing particularly distracting. Colors are surprisingly bright, and details are quite sharp. The 2.0 Dolby mono audio is clear and crisp, with no notable hiss or pops. Overall, it's a high-quality TV-on-DVD presentation.

I loved these movies when I was 13, and I am very aware that my nostalgia for the MAN FROM ATLANTIS colors my opinion of these TV movies today. If you grew up with the show back in the late 1970s - or just have a fondness for genre television from that era - you may want to pick these discs up. The presentation is extremely good, considering that the source material is 34 years-old. I happen to think they're a lot of fun, and you might, too.

Note: The complete 13-episode weekly series is available, too, and my review of that DVD set will be posted shortly.

BUY: Man From Atlantis: Complete TV Movies Collection (Remastered, 2 Disc)

TACTICAL FORCE (Blu-ray)

2011-08-12T17:19:00.002-04:00

The latest direct to video, shot-in-Canada, disposable Steve Austin action vehicle, TACTICAL FORCE (a/k/a HANGER 14, 2011), was released this week on DVD and Blu-ray by Vivendi Entertainment.

The premise is simple: an overzealous 4-person S.W.A.T. team, led by an L.A.P.D. officer named Captain Tate (Austin, THE STRANGER, HUNT TO KILL) is assigned to carry out training exercises at a shuttered military base out in the boonies. Unknown to them, however, the abandoned airplane hangar they plan on using is a meeting place for two rival criminal gangs, both of whom are searching for a mysterious briefcase stashed there by a weasel named Kenny (Michael Eklund, HUNT TO KILL). Armed only with paintball guns, the tough cops find themselves outnumbered... and outgunned... by the vicious gangsters. The bad guys don't have a chance.

Written and directed by Adamo P. Cultraro, TACTICAL FORCE is an unremarkable little low-budget B-actioner, with TV movie production values, professional stuntwork, and a serviceable - if implausible - script. It's not very logical, and there are some obvious plot contrivances (the team's inability to get their hands on a functioning cell phone or radio, for example), but it holds up well enough to link the fight scenes together, and the characterizations of the various mobster characters are reasonably entertaining.

What it does has going for it, though, is its cast. Stone Cold Steve anchors the film with his formidable physical presence, and Michael Jai White (BLACK DYNAMITE) contributes considerable muscle, martial arts moves and charisma to the mix as Hunt, another member of the S.W.A.T. team. The remaining two cops are portrayed by the always fetching Lexa Doig (ANDROMEDA, FIREBALL) and Canadian TV mainstay Steve Bacic (ANDROMEDA, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RAZOR), and acquit themselves quite adequately. The villains are pretty well cast, too, with notably nasty performances from Peter Kent, Candace Elaine, Michael Shanks and Keith Jardine.

Vivendi's Blu-ray edition of TACTICAL FORCE sports a very nice, 1080p HD 1.78:1 widescreen transfer and DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack. Bonus features include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a short piece on the staging of the movie's fight scenes.

TACTICAL FORCE is an adequate action time-killer with an interesting cast. It might be worth a Saturday evening rental if you're a Steve Austin fan, but don't expect to be blown away. There are some decent fights, but this is not a big-budget blockbuster action spectacle. It's more akin to the direct-to-video actioners churned out by Roger Corman in the 90s, starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson... just with better picture quality. If that's your kind of flick - and sometimes it's mine - you might want to check it out.

BUY: Tactical Force [Blu-ray]

DAMNATION ALLEY (Blu-ray)

2011-07-18T17:21:00.011-04:00

Back in 1977, 20th Century Fox had high box-office hopes for a big-budget science fiction film that they had scheduled for release that summer. That film was not George Lucas' STAR WARS, but a post-Apocalyptic road movie (very) loosely based on a novel by science fiction author Roger Zelazny, titled DAMNATION ALLEY.

After a brief nuclear war, the Earth is knocked off its axis, which, in conjunction with all the radioactive fallout, creates gargantuan environmental changes. Humanity is all but extinguished in the wink of an eye, leaving the ravaged, radioactive wastelands to giant scorpions, radiation-scorched scavengers, and mutant killer cockroaches. But, at an isolated Nevada Air Force fallout shelter, a small group of survivors, led by Major Eugene Denton (George Peppard, THE A-TEAM, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS), have built a pair of armored, all-terrain recreational vehicles - dubbed "Landmasters" - and intend to drive them cross-country to the Promised Land - Albany, New York. So, Major Denton and his sidekick, hotheaded Hell Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent, AIRWOLF), along with a couple of their pals, set out for Albany, picking up stragglers on the way, driving down Damnation Alley....

Directed by journeyman Jack Smight (AIRPORT 1975, MIDWAY, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN), this Aftermath action-adventure sports a fine cast; aside from Peppard & Vincent, the film also stars Paul Winfield (STAR TREK II), a young Jackie Earle Haley (WATCHMEN), and French actress Dominique Sanda. Unfortunately, the screenplay by Allan Sharp & Lukas Heller is pretty stupid, discarding virtually all of the Zelazny source novel in favor of an episodic, nonsensical road trip with glowing "radioactive" skies, photographically-enlarged arachnids, rubber roaches, utterly ludicrous pseudoscience - and an absurd "happy" ending. The sole redeeming cinematic element of the film is the Landmaster vehicle itself - a formidable, super-RV with a unique tri-wheel drive, armor plating and missile launchers. Built at a reputed cost of $300,000 - $350,000 by Hollywood custom car guru Dean Jeffries, the Landmaster is undeniably cool. Oh yeah, the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is great, too.

Shout! Factory brings this 70s sci-fi flick to Blu-ray and DVD with a new HD transfer, presented in its correct, 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Colors are strong, and details are fairly sharp, but the extensive use of primitive bluescreen compositing, stock footage, colored lens filters and animated opticals - combined with the film stock of the era - results in a very grainy and "dirty"-looking presentation. It looks vastly better than the pan & scan television prints of the film that most of us are used to, but it doesn't have the slick polish of today's special effects films. Still, Shout! has done a fairly remarkable job with this visually troublesome title.

Audio is a perfectly satisfactory DTS-HD master Audio remix. Shout! has put together a few decent supplements, as well: there's a commentary track by producer Paul Maslansky, three video interview featurettes focusing on co-screenwriter Alan Sharp, producer Jerome Zeitman, and vehicle creator Dean Jeffries. Finally, there's the original theatrical trailer and a TV spot.

I generally don't use the adjective "cheesy" when describing vintage genre films; too often it's just a euphemism for "old" used by those with a lack of perspective or appreciation for anything created before their birth. But DAMNATION ALLEY - from its dumbed-down script to its sloppy (even for the time) optical effects work - is a cheesy science fiction film. It's fun - no question - but it's not good. For every moment of genuine character development or attempt at pathos, there's a poorly-conceived action scene or carpet of rubber cockroaches being dragged by strings. I am genuinely thrilled to have it on Blu-ray, but I'm not oblivious to its failings. If you're a fan of the film - or 70s sci-fi/post-Apocalypse actioners - it's worth picking up. Shout! has done a fine job with the title.

BUY: Damnation Alley [Blu-Ray]

BUY: Damnation Alley

WOMEN IN PRISON TRIPLE FEATURE

2011-07-18T15:51:00.002-04:00

The final DVD release from Panik House (co-presented by the Internet's premiere celebrity skin site, "Mr. Skin") is the long-awaited, eagerly-anticipated WOMEN IN PRISON TRIPLE FEATURE, containing a triptych of sexy, sleazy, and satisfyingly sordid 80s chicks 'n chains flix, starring cult goddesses Linda Blair and Sybil Danning.

The gem of the set is CHAINED HEAT (1983), possibly the slickest and most entertaining of all WIP pictures, with an all-star exploitation cast. In this tongue-in-cheek paean to prison reform, Blair (ROLLER BOOGIE) is Carol, a relative innocent, who's been given a brief sentence on a minor charge. Once in the clink, though, she's caught up in a whirlpool of corruption, decadence, racial warfare, and the sexual interest of the statuesque lesbian Erika (Sybil Danning, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS).

Aside from Blair and Danning, the cast includes Tamara Dobson (CLEOPATRA JONES), Michelle Bauer (EVIL TOONS), Stella Stevens (SLAUGHTER), John Vernon (ANIMAL HOUSE) and Henry Silva (CODE OF SILENCE). The script, by Aaron Butler & director Paul Nicholas, includes all the usual WIP tropes and conventions, with more than a few lurid twists. Nicholas' direction is brisk and perfectly suited to the material, never missing an opportunity for nudity. That said, the film is not as gritty or grim as many entries in the genre, with a clearly intentional camp sensibility and slightly cartoonish tone.

Blair returns in RED HEAT (1985), a somewhat more serious, nastier take on the babes behind bars genre. Here, she's an American tourist who, due to a case of mistaken identity, finds herself tossed into a West German woman's prison, where she is subject to the usual parade of abuse by corrupt officials and sadistic inmates, while her desperate fiance tries to get her released through political channels. Co-starring Sylvia Kristel (EMMANUELLE, PRIVATE LESSONS), RED HEAT is a great entry in the genre. It's not quite as much fun as some others, but it hits all the right genre notes, with plenty of gratuitous nudity and sleazy cellblock action.

The third and final flick in this nipple/triple feature is 1984's JUNGLE WARRIORS. A planeload of gorgeous models are shot down over a South American jungle by a ruthless drug lord. Captured by his minions, the women are subjected to all the usual abuse until they are finally able to escape and turn the tables on their captors. Danning is on hand as the drug lord's (Paul L. Smith, DUNE) kinky half-sister, while the rest of the delightful B-movie cast includes the aforementioned John Vernon, the great Woody Strode (THE PROFESSIONALS), and curly-haired, "hero," Marjoe Gortner (BOBBIE JO & THE OUTLAW, STARCRASH). Well-paced, with lots of beautiful, sweaty girls and violent action, JUNGLE WARRIORS is a plenty of trashy fun.

Disc One of this 2-disc set contains CHAINED HEAT, presented uncut for the first time on U.S. home video. The 1.85: anamorphic widescreen transfer is quite nice, culled from a relatively clean and stable source print. Colors and details are strong and there's only minimal evidence of wear. The Dolby 2.0 Mono sound is clear and relatively free of defects. Extras on this disc include new video interviews with actresses Sybil Danning and Stella Stevens, the original theatrical trailer, and an introduction by "Mr. Skin."

Disc Two is shared by RED HEAT and JUNGLE WARRIORS, each presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The prints aren't quite as nice as that used for CHAINED, but they're better than any previous video/cable television presentations I've seen. JUNGLE WARRIORS also appears to be uncut, running a few minutes longer than previous U.S. home video editions. Both films enjoy solid Dolby Digital mono audio. The only extras on this disc are the respective trailers and Mr Skin intros.

This special, limited-run collection will only be available for a short time, so if you're a fan of the genre, you'll want to pick it up when it goes on sale this week. All three films are sleazy fun, but CHAINED HEAT is as close to a genre classic as it's possible to get, and well-worth the price of the collection on its own. Highly Recommended.

BUY: WOMEN IN PRISON Triple Pack (CHAINED HEAT / RED HEAT / JUNGLE WARRIORS)

GEORGE SANDERS SAINT MOVIES COLLECTION

2011-07-14T03:57:00.001-04:00

The character of gentleman rogue Simon Templar, alias The Saint, originated in a series of novels written between 1928 and 1963 by author Leslie Charteris. Often referred to as "the Robin Hood of modern crime," the character was a thief who stole from criminals, and who, simply for the excitement, often turned his questionable skills toward aiding the authorities (who never quite trusted his motives) in fighting racketeers and other nefarious criminals.

The debonair character was hugely popular, inspiring dramatic radio programs, comic books and newspaper strips, several television series and numerous feature motion pictures. Five of these features, starring British actor George Sanders and produced in the 1930s and 40s by RKO Studios, have just been released by Warner Archive as a two-disc, MOD DVD package: THE GEORGE SANDERS SAINT MOVIES COLLECTION.

The first film in the set, THE SAINT STRIKES BACK (1939), introduces both Templar and his New York police confidante, Inspector Henry Farnack (Jonathan Hale), as the Saint exposes a mysterious criminal mastermind in San Francisco. In THE SAINT IN LONDON (1939), Templar travels to England and foils a counterfeiting ring. In THE SAINT'S DOUBLE TROUBLE (1940), our hero comes face-to-face with his diamond-smuggling doppelganger (Sanders, in a double role). This one also has the great Bela Lugosi on hand to provide a little added villainy. In the fourth film in the set, THE SAINT TAKES OVER (1940), Inspector Farnack is framed by a criminal gang, and the Saint has to clear his friend's name. Finally, Simon Templar goes west in THE SAINT IN PALM SPRINGS (1941) to protect some very valuable postage stamps from thieves.

All five films are slick programmers, made with considerable efficiency and skill by RKO's B-film unit, and are well cast with a stock company of talented character actors. Aside from the suave, droll Sanders and crusty Jonathan Hale, several other performers appear in recurring roles throughout the series - and sometimes as different characters entirely. Actress Wendy Barrie, for instance, is the female lead in three of the five films - and plays a different character in each!

Previously issued on VHS in the 90s, this manufactured-on-demand set from Warner Archive marks the digital debut of these films on DVD. All five movies are presented in their correct 1.33:1 "full frame" Academy aspect ratio and sport Dolby Digital mono soundtracks. No restoration or remastering appears to have been done; all five films are littered with dirt, white specks, "cigarette burns" reel change markers, and other age-related print wear. Contrast is poor, and the image is generally on the soft side. All in all, they're still quite watchable, but they definitely show their age. No extra features have been included.

For fans of Golden Age Hollywood mystery series, THE GEORGE SANDERS SAINT MOVIE COLLECTION is certainly welcome, although it's unfortunate that Warners didn't feel it economical to restore the films for DVD. Still, they are highly engaging entertainments, with smart, twisty scripts, appealing casts and plenty of monochrome thrills. Recommended.

BUY: The George Sanders Saint Movies Collection (The Saint Strikes Back / The Saint In London / The Saint's Double Trouble / The Saint Takes Over / The Saint In Palm Springs)

BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (Blu-ray)

2011-07-13T17:35:00.002-04:00

In 1980, legendary low budget producer Roger Corman produced the most expensive film ($2M) of his career, a special-effects-heavy space opera in the vein of STAR WARS. That sci-fi epic, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, has just been re-released in a 30th Anniversary Special Edition (actually, shouldn't that be 31st Anniversary?) by Shout! Factory on both DVD and Blu-ray disc.

The planet of Akir is a desert world "with one green spot." Its inhabitants are peaceful farmers, who live by the nonviolent code of The Varda. Unfortunately, this makes them a tempting target for intergalactic despot Sador (John Saxon, ENTER THE DRAGON, QUEEN OF BLOOD), who strives for immortality by replacing his worn-out limbs and organs with transplanted replacements culled from beings like the humanoid Akira. He gives them an ultimatum - submit to his rule or be destroyed - then gives them time to ponder his "offer" while he scoots off to destroy a planet that has chosen to defy him. Desperate, the people of Akir send farmboy Shad (Richard Thomas, THE WALTONS, STEPHEN KING'S "IT") off in their only functioning starship, the sentient - and decidedly female - Nell, to buy weapons and recruit mercenaries to help them stand against Sador and his mutant armies. Shad scours the star system and ultimately returns with seven (give or take) alien defenders, but even with these valiant souls, the odds are not in their favor...

An unabashed mash-up of George Lucas' STAR WARS and Akira Kurosawa's THE SEVEN SAMURAI/Robert Sturges' THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, this satisfying and exciting space opera is graced with a witty, intelligent screenplay by John Sayles (PIRANHA, LONE STAR), a game cast comprised of veteran character actors and TV stars (Jeff Corey, Sam Jaffe, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, Morgan Woodward, Marta Kristen, Sybil Danning, et al), and remarkably accomplished miniature spaceship effects by a talented crew of enthusiastic young technicians, including James Cameron and the Skotak brothers. Wrapped up in a sweeping, Jerry Goldsmith-inspired musical score by a young James Horner, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS is probably the best of the STAR WARS imitators - and in some ways (dialogue and acting), it's maybe a little better.

Director Jimmy T. Murakami keeps things moving at a brisk pace, and - with his talented cast - maintains a breezy, tongue-in-cheek tone that doesn't preclude moments of genuine heart and occasional pathos. Sayles' script is intentionally funny, with lots of amusing wordplay and sly innuendo. Everyone in the cast hits exactly the right notes to sell their comic book characters and the comfortingly familiar story. Standouts include George Peppard's (THE A-TEAM, DAMNATION ALLEY) space trucker, Cowboy; statuesque Sybil Danning's (CHAINED HEAT) stunning and sexy Valkyrie warrior, St. Exmin; and Robert Vaughn (HUSTLE, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.) as Gelt, a professional killer somewhat modeled after the character that Vaughn played in the original MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

The special effects are a triumph of Old School/pre-CGI craftsmanship, with a variety of unique spaceship designs (especially Cameron's Nell), detailed tabletop miniature landscapes and plenty of fiery explosions. Corman, appalled at the prices quoted to him by established FX houses, ended up setting up his own special effects unit for the production, and then re-used/recyled the space shots from this movie over and over for the next couple of decades (along with Horner's score)!

The Shout! Factory Blu-ray "Roger Corman's Cult Classics" presentation of BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS is, in every way, a quantum leap over the original DVD release from Corman's own New Concorde label. That edition was non-anamorphic and sourced from a battered print that looked like it had been stored in a ditch behind his office for 25 years. This newly-remastered (from the internegative) 1080p, 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer still possesses a few random specks and scratches, but is otherwise remarkably clean and clear. Contrast and color balance are notably improved, and details are sharp and well-defined in most shots. Some of the special effects sequences are of noticeably lesser quality, but that's inherent in the FX technology of the time. Overall, it's a very impressive presentation of a 31-year old genre film. Audio options include a new 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. Bonus material includes the two fine commentary tracks from the original DVD release - one by Corman and screenwriter John Sayles, and the other by Production Manager Gale Ann Hurd. There's a new behind-the-scenes/retrospective documentary, a video interview with star Richard Thomas, a handful of still galleries, and the original trailer, TV spot and radio ads.

For fans of 70s - early 80s sci-fi (and traditional special effects), BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS is essential viewing. Smart, funny and bright, with a great cast, this cosmic adventure is endlessly entertaining. If you're already a fan of this flick, the new Shout! Factory special edition (especially the HD Blu-ray) is likely to be the definitive presentation for the forseeable future. I would have liked a few more bonus features, but it's a terrific package overall, and highly recommended.

BUY: Battle Beyond the Stars: Roger Corman's Cult Classics (30th Anniversary Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

BUY: Battle Beyond The Stars [Roger Corman's Cult Classics]

THE BABY

2011-07-11T17:06:00.002-04:00

One of the weirder mainstream movies from a decade packed with weird mainstream movies, director Ted Post's THE BABY (1973) is an offbeat and often disturbing thriller, now on DVD from Severin Films.

Ann, an attractive young social worker (Anjanette Comer, NETHERWORLD) is assigned (at her request, as it turns out) to a very unusual case - that of the Wadsworth family. Specifically, the only male member of the Wadsworth clan: Baby, a 25 year-old man with the mental capacity of an infant, who cannot walk, nor talk, and sleeps in an over-sized crib. Baby's mother (Ruth Roman, THE KILLING KIND) and his sisters (Marianna Hill and Susanne Zenor) resent the social worker's intrusion into their lives and her insinuations that they are deliberately preventing the manchild from developing mentally and physically (and of course, they are), and before long, decide that she has to go, so they can continue to care for Baby as they see fit. But Ann has plans of her own for Baby....

Director Ted Post was an odd choice for THE BABY, as he was best-known as a journeyman contract director, efficient but unimaginative. The sort of guy you'd hire for a Clint Eastwood Western (HANG 'EM HIGH), Chuck Norris potboiler (GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK), franchise sequel (MAGNUM FORCE, BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES) or network TV episode. Something like THE BABY, with its emotionally sick and abusive characters, implied incest, graphic violence, and unexpected twist ending, would seem to be far outside his comfort zone. Still, he does a fine job, allowing the cast to breathe life into their character roles, and keeping everything moving at a solid pace. The lack of intrusive directorial "style" actually benefits the film, as everything is shot and edited in a straightforward, natural manner, without swooping, shaky camerawork, dutch angles, flashcuts or slo-mo. Post doesn't need any tricks - he just tells the story.

Ruth Roman as the Wadsworth matriarch, is astounding. With an acting career dating all the way back into Hollywood's Golden Age, and classics like STRANGERS ON A TRAIN on her resume, Roman brings surprising weight to her role as the sinisterly overprotective mother and manages a nuanced, layered performance that makes Ma Wadsworth more than a stock B-movie battleaxe. Hill and Zenor, are also very good as Baby's sexy grown sisters.The script is intelligently structured and culminates in a final twist that I doubt you'll see coming. It's completely logical, though.

Severin Films presents THE BABY on DVD with a very respectable, 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. It's not impeccable, but considering its vintage, it looks very nice. Colors are a bit drab, and the image is occasionally a bit soft, but that appears to be inherent in the 70s cinematography and not due to any inadequacies in the transfer. Dirt and specs are minimal and unobtrusive. Overall, it's a fine presentation. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. Extra features include an audio interview with director Ted Post, a video interview with Baby himself, David Mooney, and the original theatrical trailer. Trailers for three other Severin titles (PSYCHOMANIA, IN THE FOLDS OF THE FLESH and the forthcoming HORROR EXPRESS) are also included.

For fans of the offbeat and unusual, THE BABY is worth checking out. It's a well-crafted film with great performances (especially by Roman) and a pure early-70s aesthetic. It's not for everyone, though. Recommended.

BUY: The Baby

THE HERCULOIDS - THE COMPLETE SERIES

2011-07-11T15:40:00.002-04:00

I've always thought that Hanna-Barbara's THE HERCULOIDS (1967-1969) not only had one of the coolest names ever, but was possibly the greatest concept for a Saturday Morning adventure cartoon ever devised.

Zantor (Mike Road) is something of an intergalactic Tarzan, living on the jungle planet Quasar with his mate, Tarra (Virginia Gregg) and son, Dorno (Ted Eccles). Unfortunately, their home appears to be the target of choice for every evil being in the universe (it's never explained why), and they are constantly besieged by armies of alien invaders, equipped with the most advanced weapon technology in the cosmos. Although this family of tree-dwellers would appear to be seriously outmatched, Zantor and his family have five secret weapons: a giant stone ape named Igoo, a flying, laser-firing dragon called Zok, an armored, ten-legged rhino/triceratops creature named Tundro, and two, shape-shifting, sentient bags of protoplasm, Gloop and Gleep. Whenever their lush jungle homeworld is threatened, these heroic monsters team up to defend Quasar and make short work of their interstellar enemies.

Extremely popular (it was repeated on the networks well into the late 70s and on cable for decades after that), and fondly remembered by those who grew up with it during their childhoods, THE HERCULOIDS is a great action/adventure cartoon - and how could it not be? A space Tarzan, heroic monsters, hordes of cool alien, robots and flying saucers/rocketships - it's got everything!

Each episode is made up of two ten-minute stories, and they're all pretty much the same, with minor variations. That repetitiveness means that the show does not lend itself to prolonged watching in single sittings - but then, it was never intended to be watched that way in the first place. Still, despite the repetitive nature of the plots, the incredible character and creature designs of comic book artist Alex Toth help keep it fresh. The man's imagination was boundless, and the variety of alien menaces that he came up with was astounding.

Long desired by fans, THE HERCULOIDS have finally made it to DVD courtesy of the Warner Archives manufactured-on-demand service. All 18 episodes of the original 60s series are included on 2 discs, presented in their original 1.33:1 "full-frame" television aspect ratio. The transfers are acceptable but not outstanding, with faded colors on some episodes, scattered occurrences of print damage like scratches and specks, and fairly omnipresent grime. In other words, no restoration or remastering appears to have been done, and these episodes look pretty much the same as they have in reruns for years. Audio is a clear but flat Dolby Digital mono. There is one extra: a brief retrospective featurette that previously appeared on Warner's SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS: THE 1960s disc.

If you're a fan of 60s Hanna-Barbara adventure cartoons - and/or this cartoon in particular - the Warner Archive edition of THE HERCULOIDS is long overdue, and should make a welcome addition to your DVD library, despite the less than stellar presentation and slightly high price. It appears to be complete, and none of the various image imperfections seriously impair the viewing experience. If you're not already a fan, I still recommend it - but bear in mind that all 18 episodes (36 stories) are almost exactly the same. The real enjoyment of THE HERCULOIDS comes from the endlessly imaginative characters/creatures and the comforting familiarity of the plot(s).

Personally, I love it and am thrilled to have it on DVD. Recommended.

BUY: Herculoids: The Complete Series

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN - COLLECTOR'S EDITION

2011-07-06T04:12:00.003-04:00

"I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!"

Of all the recent, retro-styled, faux-"grindhouse" exploitation flix that have come along in recent years (including Rodriguez & Tarantino's GRINDHOUSE double feature) perhaps the best - and most authentic-feeling - attempt to date is HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011), starring the great Rutger Hauer (SPLIT SECOND,WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, BLIND FURY) in the titular role.

The plot is simple: a nameless homeless man (Hauer, in an incredible performance) rides a boxcar into the small Canadian city of Hope Town - called "Scum Town" by its inhabitants - a community overrun by crime, and ruled by the savage crimelord Drake (Brian Downey) and his sadistic sons Ivan and Slick (Nick Bateman & Gregory Smith). After witnessing multiple acts of violence go unpunished and experiencing the local police corruption first hand, the Hobo gives up his dream of buying a used lawnmower from a local pawnshop and instead purchases a shotgun. With 20-gauge in hand, he sets out to sweep the streets clean with a righteous hail of buckshot.

The movie has its origin as a fake trailer created by director Jason Eisener for a GRINDHOUSE promotional contest back in 2007. That trailer not only won the contest, but achieved a certain amount of YouTube fame and was even picked up by a Canadian film distribution company, which showed it in theaters with some of its movies. Like that trailer, the feature version of HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is an incredibly fun, ultraviolent vigilante action flick that would have been right at home on an late-70s drive-in movie screen. Filled with outrageous characters, over-the-top violence and gore, plenty of black humor, and a surprising amount of heart, HOBO is, in my opinion, the most successful "retro" exploitation film of recent years.

Eisener's direction is lean and brisk. The digital RED videography is sleazily stylish, with bright, over-saturated colors and digitally-added film grain that nicely approximates the look of cheap 16mm film stock. The acting overall is appropriately broad, with B-movie veteran Rutger Hauer delivering one of the best genre performances of his career. (On my personal Rutger scale, I'd rate it just below his Roy Batty and on a par with his Harley Stone.) The charismatic Molly Dunsworth, as the abused hooker who befriends the Hobo, is also very good, bringing considerable depth to her role.

Magnet's 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD is a great package. Disc One sports a gorgeous 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and a robust 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack. This disc also contains two audio commentary tracks. The first features director Eisener and Hauer, while the other is a group commentary with Eisener, writer John Davies, producer Rob Cotterill, and David Brunt, who portrayed the Hobo character in the original trailer. This disc also includes a "Shotgun Mode" which allows you to view various behind-the-scenes sequences during the film, or on their own.

Disc Two includes an in-depth "Making Of" featurette, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, video blogs and camera tests. There are also interviews, an HDNet promo, the original fake trailer, the Redband theatrical trailer, TV spots and more.

If you're an exploitation film fan - and if you read this site regularly, odds are you are - HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN is definitely worth your time. As I stated above, I think it's more successful at capturing the "grindhouse aesthetic" than most other recent attempts, including such noble (and entertaining) efforts as MACHETE, BITCH SLAP, HELL RIDE, etc. It's not for the squeamish and it's not politically correct, but it is extremely entertaining and is highly recommended.

BUY: Hobo With a Shotgun (2-Disc Collector's Edition + Digital Copy)

BUY: Hobo with a Shotgun (Collector's Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

KISS ME DEADLY (Blu-ray)

2011-07-05T02:00:00.002-04:00

Arguably the finest film to be based on the writings of Mickey Spillane, director Robert Aldrich's KISS ME DEADLY (1955) has just received a new, restored and remastered release from Criterion on DVD and Blu-ray.

L.A. "bedroom dick," Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up a blonde in a trenchcoat named Christina (Cloris Leachman) that he finds running barefoot down a lonely road in the middle of the night. Shortly thereafter, his car is run off into a ditch, and he and his hitchhiker are abducted. The girl is tortured to death by unseen assailants, and both her body and the unconscious Hammer are put in his car and pushed off a cliff. Hammer survives and soon finds himself embroiled in a search to find a mysterious and valuable box - "the great whatsit" - a prize which he hopes will pay off big. Unfortunately, the slick P.I. is in over his head, playing a game far bigger than he can imagine.

Director Aldrich and screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides made no secret of their dislike of Spillane's novel and the character of Mike Hammer, who they perceived as a stupid thug. So their story portrays Hammer exactly that way, and ignores the various virtues of the literary version. In the film, Hammer is a sleazy operator who uses his secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper) to entrap married men in sexual honey traps, enabling him to go to their wives with incriminating - and profitable - photos. Despite Christina being murdered while in his company, he doesn't pursue the case out of any noble effort to find justice for the girl; he just smells an opportunity to make a score. Like his literary counterpart, this Hammer is often violent, but unlike the Hammer of the books, he's portrayed as a cowardly sadist who only beats up on those weaker than himself.

The Mike Hammer of Spillane's novels is an occasionally brutal, rough-edged hero, while this film's version is almost the very definition of an antihero. The movie's Hammer is deftly summed up in one line: "What's in it for me?"

Despite this deliberate misrepresentation of the character and the filmmakers' choice to almost completely discard the novel's plot, KISS ME DEADLY does portray the dark, twisted, Fifties noir universe of Spillane's novels better than any other film or TV adaptation of his work. Aldrich's direction is appropriately slick and stylized, and the cinematography of Ernest Lazlo perfectly captures the shadows and stark contrasts that visually represent the story's noir milieu.

The Criterion Blu-ray edition features a gorgeous, 1080p HD, 1.66:1 widescreen transfer that has undergone extensive digital restoration, removing virtually all evidence of print damage, dirt or wear. Contrast and detail are extraordinary, and far better than any previous home video release. I've owned this movie on VHS, laserdisc and DVD, and it has never looked this good before. Audio is in its original mono, but has been cleaned up, eliminating all pops and background hiss.

Supplemental features include an audio commentary by film historians Alain Silver and James Ursani, an odd video tribute to KISS ME DEADLY by REPO MAN director Alex Cox, excerpts from a 2005 documentary on screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides, a featurette on the locations used in the film, the alternate ending, and a slightly shortened version of the Max Allan Collins documentary, MIKE HAMMER'S MICKEY SPILLANE (originally part of the author/filmmaker's SHADES OF NOIR anthology film) covering the life and career of the legendary author. Finally, there's a 22-page booklet with extensive liner notes and articles about the film.

Ultimately, Aldrich & Bezzerides' KISS ME DEADLY tries to be an indictment of Spillane's work that also attempts to blatantly exploit the author's fame and popularity. The result is an "anti-Spillane" flick that somehow manages to depict his particular worldview better than any other. If you own any of the earlier editions of KISS ME DEADLY, the new Criterion version - though a bit pricey - is likely to be the definitive edition for the foreseeable future. It looks and sounds amazing, and is well worth trading up to. If you've never seen the film, and have any interest in 50s film noir, it is essential viewing.

Highly recommended.

BUY: Kiss Me Deadly: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

BUY: Kiss Me Deadly: The Criterion Collection

DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR (Blu-ray)

2011-06-30T05:46:00.002-04:00

Once again exploiting the B-movie adage that if one monster is good, two must be better, comes the Roger & Julie Corman-produced creature feature, DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR (2010), due on Blu-ray and DVD in a couple weeks from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

At an isolated Hawaiian laboratory facility owned by ruthless rich guy Jason Drake (the late David Carradine, CIRCLE OF IRON, CANNONBALL), two genetically-engineered, supersized reptiles - a "Dinocroc" and a "Supergator" escape from their cages and into the surrounding jungle. There, they immediately start hiding in absurdly shallow pools and lie in wait for attractive young tourists to show up to be eaten. A team of mercs hired by Drake fail to kill the raging reptiles, so any hope of stopping their bloody rampage falls to a pretty park ranger (Amy Rasimas), a government agent in a bad Hawaiian shirt (Corey Landis), and a professional gator hunter known as "The Cajun" (Rib Hillis).

Capably directed by B-movie veteran Jim Wynorski (under the pseudonym "Jay Andrews," for some reason) from a predictably unimaginative, rote screenplay by Mike MacClean (SHARKTOPUS), DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR is standard Saturday night cable TV fare, slightly better made and acted (if only slightly) than most of its SyFy Channel peers. Pretty Amy Rasimas is an attractive and likable lead, while top-billed Carradine pulled an easy paycheck for sitting next to a pool and talking into a prop telephone. The CGI special effects are adequate enough, if utterly unconvincing, and the lush Hawaiian locations - and various bikini-clad female extras - provide enjoyable eye candy.

I admit I was a little disappointed that the "dinocroc" in this movie, despite its name and appearance, didn't seem to be related to the one in the original, 2005 DINOCROC. At least, the script provided no clear link to the previous film. (I haven't seen SUPERGATOR, so I can't vouch for the other critter's pedigree). It seems kinda weird to make a point of using your existing monsters if you're not going to tie the films together (however tenuously), but what do I know? I just watch the things.

The Blu-ray edition from Anchor Bay sports a solid, crisp 1080p, 1.78:1 widescreen transfer and Dolby Tru-HD 5.1 audio. For bonus features, there's a rather by-the-numbers audio commentary by director Wynorski and producer Corman, and a "trailer." Presumably, the DVD edition contains the same content in standard definition.

What can I say? If you're one of the millions of people who tune in every week or two to watch these movies on SyFy, you'll probably like this one. For the genre as it exists today, DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR is, at least, a little better than most. I didn't get bored, and only rolled my eyes a few times at the inanities of the script (seriously, don't they have Google in California? Crocs and gators are reptiles, not amphibians, as the film's "expert" insists... sigh....). Further, I have to admit, found Miss Rasimas to be a very appealing young actress, and that definitely helped keep me watching.

BUY: Dinocroc vs. Supergator [Blu-ray]

BUY: Dinocroc vs. Supergator

THE LAST DINOSAUR

2011-06-29T01:02:00.001-04:00

One of my fondest sci-fi TV memories from my childhood was an ABC television movie-of-the-week called THE LAST DINOSAUR (1977). Now, thanks to the crew at Warner Archives, I've been able to revisit that experience on DVD.

An Antarctic oil survey financed by billionaire industrialist and big game hunter Masten Thrust (Richard Boone, I BURY THE LIVING) discovers a pocket of prehistoric flora and fauna in the crater of a dormant volcano, surrounded by mountains of ice and inaccessible by land. Using a drill-equipped vehicle called the "Polar Borer," Thrust personally leads a scientific expedition through the crust of the Earth itself into the time-lost land, accompanied by a plucky girl reporter (TV veteran Joan Van Ark), a Japanese scientist (Tetsu Nakamura), a geologist (Steven Keats, SILENT RAGE, HANGER 18) and his African "hunting guide," Bunta (Luther Rackley). After a disastrous encounter with a vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex, the group finds themselves stranded in the prehistoric jungle and must find a way to survive its myriad perils, including a tribe of savage proto-humans and the ever-present threat of the hungry T-Rex.

THE LAST DINOSAUR made its U.S. premiere on prime time network television, but this co-production between Rankin-Bass Productions (best known for their stop-motion holiday specials) and Japan's Tsuburaya Productions (creators of ULTRAMAN), was released theatrically pretty much everywhere else in the world, and this new DVD from Warner Archives makes that extended theatrical version available in the U.S. for the first time.

Written by comic book veteran William Overgard, THE LAST DINOSAUR is an entertaining lost world adventure with compelling characters, plenty of prehistoric thrills, and lots of dino-action. It's not particularly original, with elements borrowed from genre favorites like THE LOST WORLD, AT THE EARTH'S CORE and THE LAND UNKNOWN, but it hits all the right adventure beats, and even manages some decently-sketched characterizations and effective moments of drama.

Despite an awful toupee and ill-fitting dentures (I swear he adjusts them on screen more than once) Richard Boone is great as the egomaniacal Thrust, who, it seems, is the true "Last Dinosaur" of the title; an archetypical Alpha-male, unapologetic chauvinist and hunter, who despite his material wealth and success, seems out of step with modern society. As the token female, Joan Van Ark is attractive, tough and appealing.

The special effects are delightfully Old School, with wonderful man-in-suit dinosaurs, gorgeous matte paintings, and miniature sets/vehicles. They're not realistic or even remotely convincing, but they are damned charming and entertaining. My personal favorite effects sequence is the battle between the T-Rex and a Triceratops in a "dinosaur graveyard" surrounded by dino skeletons! I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the wonderfully corny theme song, a decidedly 70s-styled ballad by composer Maury Laws, sung by Nancy Wilson.

The Manufacture-On-Demand DVD from Warner Archive sports a very decent, 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby 2.0 Mono audio. The source print used - the extended International theatrical cut - is in reasonably good shape, with only minimal evidence of age-related wear. Picture quality is surprisingly good, except during some of the special effects process shots, but that's inherent in the old-school techniques used in the film and not any sort of deficiency in the transfer. There are no extras included.

THE LAST DINOSAUR is a product of its time, and unlikely to impress those who demand the slick CGI and lightning pace of modern fantasy films. But, if you're looking for an old fashioned adventure tale, it's a terrific flick, along the lines of THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, and a lot of fun. Recommended.

BUY: The Last Dinosaur

THE LONG RIDERS (Blu-ray)

2011-06-27T23:53:00.012-04:00

"All the world likes an outlaw. For some damn reason they remember 'em."

Walter Hill's excellent 1980 Western, THE LONG RIDERS, which chronicles the exploits of the James-Younger gang, legendary Missouri outlaws of the 19th Century, is now available on Blu-ray disc from MGM.

Hill's mostly-accurate post-Civil War adventure features some rather brilliant stunt-casting in that he chose real-life actor brothers to portray the various historical figures who made up the infamous outlaw band. James and Stacy Keach (who also co-wrote and co-produced the film) play Jesse and Frank James. David, Robert and Kieth Carradine play the Younger brothers. Randy and Dennnis Quaid portray the Miller siblings, while Christopher and Nicholas Guest assay the roles of Charlie and Robert Ford. Other cast members include Pamela Reed as Belle Star, and James Whitmore as the Pinkerton agent out to bring the gang to justice, at any cost.

THE LONG RIDERS treats its bank-robbing protagonists with considerable sympathy, but doesn't overly romanticize them. The episodic script doesn't really have time to indulge in much characterization, so the actors are charged with sketching out their characters through their performances - and they do so wonderfully. David Carradine's Cole Younger is particularly fascinating, especially in his unconventional relationship with prostitute Belle Starr. Director Hill (48 HOURS, LAST MAN STANDING, DEADWOOD) is a natural at this sort of two-fisted, manly action stuff, and his cinematographer, Ric Waite, gives the whole film a weathered, gritty look and feel. Ry Cooder provides the bluegrass-tinged score.

The MGM Blu-ray presentation of THE LONG RIDERS is virtually identical to the original standard DVD release, simply upconverted to 1080p high definition and Mono DTS-HD Master Audio. The 1.85:1 widescreen transfer is decent enough, but there appears to have been no restoration or remastering done. Details are not as sharp as one might expect on an HD release, and the source print is littered with dust specks and other detritus. Don't get me wrong - for a thirty+ year-old film, it looks quite good, and better than the DVD, but it's far from a showcase for the Blu-ray format. As with the DVD, the only bonus feature is the original theatrical trailer.

I'm a little disappointed in MGM's handling of this title, but the new Blu-ray is a decent catalog release. Sure, I'd love to see a fully-restored special edition, with a cast reunion and commentary by Hill, but that's not likely to happen. If you want to upgrade from your DVD, the price isn't bad, and the HD transfer is noticeably better. If you haven't seen it at all, I recommend you at least give it a rental.

BUY: Long Riders [Blu-ray]

BURN, WITCH, BURN

2011-06-27T16:55:00.001-04:00

The highly-regarded second film adaptation of Fritz Lieber's famous short story, Conjure Wife (after Universal's 1944 "Inner Sanctum" version, WEIRD WOMAN) finally comes to DVD with the MGM Limited Edition Collection edition of BURN, WITCH, BURN (1962). Originally intended for the studio's now-defunct and much lamented "Midnite Movies" line, this top-notch supernatural thriller should be a welcome addition to any gothic horror fan's video library.

College professor Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde, FLASH GORDON) frequently lectures his classes on the fallacy of the supernatural and how belief in witchcraft and spirits is complete hooey. So, imagine his surprise and dismay when he discovers that his own wife, Tansy (Janet Blair), not only believes in witchcraft, but has been using it to help his career and protect him from those who wish him ill. Furious, he orders her to destroy her collection of talismans and charms and cease her practices at once. Unfortunately, he may have been rash; the very next day he is accused of rape by one student, assaulted by another, nearly run down by a truck that appears from out of nowhere, and his wife seems to become possessed by an evil spirit! How does an eminently rational mind deal with and defeat the threat of the unnatural?

In part a satire on academia and its politics, BURN, WITCH, BURN is well-directed by Sidney Hayers (CIRCUS OF HORRORS), who manages to sustain a sinister air throughout. The black & white cinematography by Reg Wyler is nicely atmospheric, as well. The mostly-British cast is excellent, with American Janet Blair easily holding her own opposite the intense Wyngarde. Special effects are minimal, but mostly effective, and the musical score by William Allwyn is excellent. All of these elements, combined with a literate and intelligent script by acclaimed fantasists Richard Matheson & Charles Beaumont, result in an extraordinarily effective supernatural thriller on a par with Jacques Tourneur's NIGHT OF THE DEMON.

This edition also includes the distributor-added U.S. prologue sequence wherein the disembodied voice of Paul Frees warns the audience about the power of the witchcraft in the film they're about to see, and casts a spell to protect the audience from its evil influence. It's delightful hokum, and sets the mood pretty well.

Originally intended for the the studio's much-missed "Midnite Movies" line, the burned-to-order DVD from the MGM Limited Edition Collection is frankly beautiful, with a remarkably clean, remastered, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The black & white print is near-immaculate, with only minimal, intermittent speckling. Blacks are rock solid, contrast is excellent, and detail is exceptional. The Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is clear and well-balanced. Clearly, some work was put into preparing this film for disc. The only extra is the original theatrical trailer.

They don't make suspense thrillers like this anymore, and that's a shame. Smart, scary, and extraordinarily well-acted, BURN, WITCH, BURN is a must-see for fans of classic horror. Highly recommended.

BUY: Burn, Witch, Burn!

THE GREEN SLIME

2011-06-22T02:09:00.004-04:00

I'm beginning to dig into some more of the earlier genre offerings from Warner Archive's MOD collection, and with each disc I watch, I'm more and more grateful that this label exists. Otherwise, treasures like MGM's 1968 space opera, THE GREEN SLIME, might never have seen the light of day on DVD.

A giant asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, and the world's space defense forces come up with a desperate plan to save the world from destruction. A team of manly astronauts, led by heroic Commander Jack Rankin (Robert Horton, TV's WAGON TRAIN), will have to intercept the runaway rock, land on it, and plant nuclear charges, which will blow up the asteroid before impact. Sounds a lot like ARMAGEDDON, right? But in this flick, blowing up the asteroid is mere foreplay - the real action begins when the astronauts return to Space Station Gamma III. There, a tiny speck of green goo on one man's spacesuit soon grows into a multi-eyed slime monster that delivers lethal electric shocks with just a brush of its flailing tentacles. Worse, every attempt to kill it only causes it to reproduce, and soon the station is literally swarming with a horde of... Green Slime!

Astoundingly, this movie was financed and released by MGM the same year as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY from the same studio! Directed by Kinji Fukasaku (MESSAGE FROM SPACE) at Tokyo's Toei Studios, and starring an entirely Caucasian cast - including Richard Jaekel (GRIZZLY, THE DIRTY DOZEN) and sexy, flame-haired Luciana Paluzzi (THUNDERBALL, CAPTAIN NEMO'S UNDERWATER CITY) - this ridiculously entertaining outer space adventure is an unofficial continuation of a quartet of similar films shot in Italy by Antonio Margheriti (ALIEN FROM THE DEEP). Those films - WILD WILD PLANET, THE WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS, WAR OF THE PLANETS and THE SNOW DEVILS, all chronicled the adventures of the crew of Space Station Gamma I, as they battled various extraterrestrial menaces. These four films were distributed through MGM, and proved so profitable that the studio wanted another. This time, the once notoriously high-brow, "prestige" studio put up the money for the filming, and producer Walter Manley took the show to Tokyo, hired comic book writer Bill Finger to pen the screenplay, and set the action on Space Station Gamma III!

THE GREEN SLIME is a fast-paced, comic book space opera, filled with delightfully low-tech special effects, 60's mod production design/costumes, cornball dialogue, goofy monsters, silly soap opera, lots of explosions and a fantastic rock & roll theme song that will stick in your head for days. Horton and Jaekel play their parts completely straight, and Paluzzi is gorgeous in a silver minidress. It's pure, unsophisticated Saturday Matinee entertainment.

Previously issued on VHS back in the early days of home video, this delirious confection finally comes to DVD courtesy of Warner Archive. The film is presented - for the first time on home video - remastered in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, sourced from a remarkably clean and colorful print. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. There are no bonus materials, not even the great theatrical trailer (look it up on YouTube - it's a blast!).

I love THE GREEN SLIME in a completely non-ironic manner, and if you don't demand utter realism in your science fiction and can enjoy the charm and energy of this action-packed space adventure, you might, too. Of course, if you're looking for a cheesy flick to mock and have fun with, THE GREEN SLIME - with its obvious model space ships, overwrought melodrama and waddling rubber aliens - is good for that, too. Recommended.

BUY: The Green Slime [Remaster]

BURN NOTICE - SEASON FOUR

2011-06-16T17:23:00.002-04:00

The fourth season of USA Network's enjoyable and explosive action series, BURN NOTICE, is now available on DVD.

This season, ex-spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, BLAIR WITCH 2) and his colleagues/friends Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, BODY SNATCHERS) and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell, EVIL DEAD) are joined by Jesse Porter (Coby Bell), a former U.S. counter-intelligence agent that Michael, inadvertently, caused to be "burned" during an investigation into a vast, international criminal conspiracy. Jesse, unaware of Michael's role in his blacklisting, joins the trio of troubleshooters in their work helping the helpless of Miami, all the while trying to uncover the identity of the man responsible for ruining his life. Odds are, he won't be happy when he finds out...

As with the previous three seasons, BURN NOTICE continues to be one of the best - if not the best - action shows on television, with plenty of masterfully-executed car chases, gunfights and explosions packed into every episode. Add in a group of likable - and generally heroic - characters, charismatic guest stars, a compelling-but-not-overwhelming "mythology," and plenty of South Beach glamor (not to mention acres of tanned, bikini-clad female flesh), and you have some nigh-perfect escapist television.

Fox Home Entertainment brings all 18 episodes of the fourth season to DVD on 4 discs, each episode presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As in previous seasons, the transfers are excellent, with a nice film-like grain, bright colors and exceptional detail. Audio is a robust 5.1. Dolby Digital. Bonus material includes a handful of deleted scenes, audio commentary on the final episode, and featurettes on the stunt work and "Sam Axe's Guide to Ladies and Libations." There is also some promotional material for USA Network's WHITE COLLAR series: including the entire pilot episode, and the amusing "BURN NOTICE Roasts WHITE COLLAR," and "WHITE COLLAR Roasts BURN NOTICE" features.

As I've stated in previous reviews, I watch this series exclusively on DVD, so I'm always a year behind what's on the air. But the show is so good and so much fun, it's worth the wait to me to watch it uninterrupted by commercials and at my own (rapid) pace. Highly recommended.

BUY: Burn Notice: Season Four

BLACK DEATH (Blu-ray)

2011-06-16T04:11:00.001-04:00

A year or so ago, I reviewed director Christopher Smith's TRIANGLE, which I liked a great deal. It was one of those films that I not only enjoyed while I was watching, but continued to think about it for some time after it ended. Smith's follow-up, BLACK DEATH (2010) is completely different from TRIANGLE in setting, story and style, but it had a very similar effect on me.

It's 1348, and the bubonic plague has spread across every square foot of Europe, it seems, except for one, small, isolated English village. A sullen knight named Ulric (Sean Bean, GAME OF THRONES) is sent by the Church to investigate the village, as rumor has it that a necromancer lives there and is keeping the pestilence away. Backed by a squad of mercenaries and a young novice monk (Eddie Redmayne), Osric sets out on his holy mission, determined to bring God's wrath down upon the rural community and the heretic they follow. Unfortunately, when they reach the village, they discover that all is not as it seems....

Best described as a cinematic hybrid of WITCHFINDER GENERAL and THE WICKER MAN (the 1973 Robin Hardy-directed original, not the 2006 remake), BLACK DEATH is a grim medieval horror film with a palpable, ever-present atmosphere of dread that is both disturbing and blood-chilling. With exquisite cinematography by Sebastian Edschmid and exceptional performances by Bean, Redmayne, David Warner (TIME BANDITS), and Carice van Houten (REPO MEN) as the suspected witch that rules the village, BLACK DEATH is an ultimately satisfying and thought-provoking chiller, well-directed by Smith.

The Blu-ray edition from Magnet sports a stunning 1080p 2.40:1 widescreen transfer and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The image quality is astounding, with exceptional detail and perfect contrast - some shots seem almost three-dimensional - and there is a pleasant, film-like grain throughout. Extra features include four deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, interviews with the cast and crew, a HDNet promo for the film, and the original theatrical trailer. A Digital Copy of the film is also included.

I very much enjoyed BLACK DEATH, and while I'm not sure I'd call it a great horror movie, it is a very good one, and well-worth checking out. I look forward to seeing what director Christopher Smith serves up next. Recommended.

BUY: Black Death + Digital Copy [Blu-ray]

THE AMBULANCE

2011-06-15T00:01:00.008-04:00

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Why yes, eventually, I will. But I promise you, you'll be in perfect health before you die. Isn't that nice?"

I'm quite a fan of writer director Larry Cohen's films. From BLACK CAESAR to IT'S ALIVE to GOD TOLD ME TO, THE STUFF and Q, the man knows how to craft smarter-than-average exploitation fare, usually by finding a single strong, central "hook" and then extrapolating on it with intelligence and offbeat, black humor. One of his lesser-known efforts, 1990's THE AMBULANCE, has recently been made available on MOD DVD from the "MGM Limited Edition Collection," and although it's not one of his best flicks, it's definitely an entertaining ride.

Eric Roberts (SHARKTOPUS) and his astonishing mullet play Josh Baker, a Marvel Comics artist who becomes infatuated with a beautiful young woman named Cheryl (Janine Turner, NORTHERN EXPOSURE, CLIFFHANGER) that he sees on the street each day on his way to work. One morning, he gets his nerve up to introduce himself, and as they're talking, she suddenly has some sort of attack and collapses. Almost immediately, a strangely old-fashioned ambulance shows up and takes her away. When Josh can't keep his mind on his work, Stan Lee gives him the afternoon off, and that's when Josh discovers that Cheryl's not at the hospital - or any hospital in the city - at all. She's been kidnapped by an evil doctor for use in illegal medical experiments! Too bad the police don't believe him, even when the mysterious ambulance continues to prowl the city streets....

THE AMBULANCE is a satisfactory little thriller, perfect for late night viewing on Cinemax (which is where I first saw it). Cohen's script is smart and his direction is fairly suspenseful, and the cast - which also includes James Earl Jones and Meghan Gallagher as cops, Eric Braeden as the aforementioned evil doctor, Cohen fave Laurene Landon as Josh's neighbor, and appearances by Red Buttons and Stan "The Man" Lee - really shine, playing their parts straight, but with a slight twinkle in their eyes. There's also a great late 80s musical score by Jay Chattaway.

The MGM Limited Edition Collection brings this 90s cable and VHS favorite to DVD as a Manufacture-On-Demand disc, with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer sourced from a remarkably clean print. The picture is maybe a tiny bit soft, but the colors are bright, contrast is good, with only minimal dirt or wear. In fact, for a 20-year-old B-movie, it looks great. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, which fairly recreates the original Ultra Stereo soundtrack. There are no extras.

THE AMBULANCE is a good, goofy, B-movie fun, and well worth checking out. Recommended.

BUY: The Ambulance

MEGA PYTHON VS. GATOROID (Blu-ray)

2011-06-14T00:05:00.002-04:00

The latest low-budget megamonsterfest from the shameless inmates of The Asylum, MEGA PYTHON VS GATOROID (2011), will be hitting DVD and Blu-ray disc next week from Image Entertainment. Along with the usual cut-rate CGI monster action, this SyFy Channel hit offers the gimmick/stunt casting of 80s mall tarts/pop stars Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, who not only co-star, but provide a couple of catchy songs for the soundtrack.

The ludicrous plot goes something like this: the world's dumbest biologist (Debbie Gibson, MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS) "rescues" a bunch of pythons from a laboratory and releases them into the Everglades with no regard for the consequences of introducing a new predator species into an established ecosystem. These snakes inexplicably grow to giant size and start chowing down on dogs, forest rangers, poachers, and the local gators. This inspires the world's dumbest park ranger (Tiffany, MEGA PIRANHA) to feed steroids and experimental growth drugs to the aforementioned alligators, in order to give them a fighting chance against the snakes. Needless to say, these geniuses soon find that the mega pythons and gatoroids are breeding like crazy, and the only one who seems to recognize that this is actually a bad thing is visiting herpetologist Dr. Diego (A Martinez, L.A. LAW), who must find a way to destroy the unnatural creatures before it's too late...!

Directed by Mary Lambert (PET SEMATARY), MEGA PYTHON VS GATOROID at least acknowledges that it's ridiculous, and makes some attempt to play the material for laughs. Unfortunately, the intentional comedy generally falls flat, while the unconvincing computer animation and incoherent story frequently inspire derisive guffaws and ironic chuckles. But hey, as long as people, laugh, right? Seriously, I know these movies are produced at an absurdly accelerated pace and on incredibly meager budgets, but would it really cost that much more to actually do a second or third draft on a script once in a while? Or maybe go outside the in-house staff for a writer who actually understands character, plot structure and story logic - and can pen reasonably human-sounding dialogue?

As poorly written as it is, there is still some honest entertainment to be had. Gibson and Tiffany are attractive and enjoyably over-the-top - and their catfight/foodfight is the highlight of the film. Martinez manages imbue his character with some dignity, despite the ridiculous scenario and the inane dialogue he's given. Ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz has an amusing cameo, and for B-movie buffs, it's fun to see the climactic sequences shot at L.A.'s Bronson Canyon cave, despite the movie's ostensible Florida locale. As usual, the rousing Chris Ridenhour musical score is far better than the film it accompanies, and the songs contributed to the soundtrack by the two stars are both quite enjoyable.

Image Entertainment presents MEGA PYTHON VS GATOROID on Blu-ray disc with a 1080p HD, 1.78:1 widescreen transfer that is absolutely pristine; Troy Smith's cinematography is sharp and colorful. Audio is DTS Master 5.1. The only supplements are a "Making Of Featurette" and the trailer. It's too bad - I think they really missed some opportunities here; a commentary track with Gibson and Tiffany might have been a lot of fun, and seems to be a no-brainer. Given director Lambert's MTV past, it would also have been cool if she and the stars had shot a couple of videos to accompany their soundtrack contributions. And no gag reel? Oh well.

The DVD edition is identical in content to the Blu-ray, with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer in standard definition, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound.

As a movie, MEGA PYTHON VS GATOROID is pretty awful, but as mindless entertainment, it's reasonably successful. Ultimately, it's a tongue-in-cheek Asylum/SyFy monster movie starring two aging former teen songbirds best known for touring shopping malls in the 80s and a slew of CGI reptiles. It's not something I'm likely to ever watch again, but I had a good time with it, and you might too, if you keep your expectations realistic

BUY: Mega Python vs. Gatoroid [Blu-ray]

BUY: Mega Python vs. Gatoroid

MY GUN IS QUICK

2011-06-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

Legendary mystery writer Mickey Spillane's greatest creation - hardboiled private eye Mike Hammer - not only headlined more than a dozen violent, sexy novels, but also five feature films and several television series. Probably the least of these - and for many years, the rarest - is the 1957 Victor Saville production of MY GUN IS QUICK. Now, thanks to the MGM Limited Edition Collection, this low-budget B-noir has made it to home video for the first time.

Los Angeles P.I. Mike Hammer (Robert Bray, of the LASSIE television series), just off a long, tough case, staggers into a diner for a cup of coffee and a sandwich before heading back to his office and luscious secretary, Velda (sexy Pamela Duncan, ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS). He befriends a down-on her-luck prostitute called "Red," (the appealing Jan Chaney), and gives her some money for a bus ticket back to Nebraska. A few hours later, he's called to the office of homicide cop Pat Chambers (TV actor Booth Coleman), who tells him that the girl's been murdered. Hammer swears he'll find the girl's killer and in the course of his investigation, he finds that Red's death is tied in with a missing cache of stolen jewelry. Of course, he also meets a bevy of beautiful broads, battles a hook-handed tough, and engages in a few car chases, fistfights and gun battles - but that's all in a day's work for a tough private eye.

As a Spillane/Hammer fan since I was a teenager, I've wanted to see MY GUN IS QUICK for decades - despite its terrible reputation - but it's never been available on home video (as far as I can determine) and if it ever aired on television, I missed it. Now that I've seen it, I have to say that it's definitely not a good movie, but neither is it a particularly bad one. If anything, it's aggressively mediocre, with elementary camera work, generally poor performances, and a tired, predictable screenplay that eschews the vengeance-driven plot of the Spillane novel that shares its title, in favor of an unimaginative MALTESE FALCON retread.

Bray looks suitably tough, and throws a convincing right hook, but it seems like his idea of expressing Hammer's simmering, righteous anger is by shouting many of his lines at inappropriate moments. The rest of the time, he's just there, with no screen presence to speak of. The women are all beautiful, and there's some nice jazz interspersed throughout the score, but many of the sets look like they're from a 40s Poverty Row programmer, and the filmmaking itself is utterly devoid of style. Two directors are credited: Phil Victor (this was his only film), and George White (a veteran film editor with no other directorial credits). Not exactly the "A" team...and it shows. The movie is watchable - but that's about the best that can be said about it.

The MGM Limited Edition Collection MOD disc of MY GUN IS QUICK sports a surprisingly decent, B&W, roughly 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, and Dolby 2.0 mono sound. The print is in surprisingly good shape, with the only blemishes being some ever-present but minor speckling, and a couple of "cigarette burn" reel change markers. The print looks its age, but there's no major damage or dirt, and the contrast is good. No extras are included.

MY GUN IS QUICK is a cheap-jack and predictable - but relatively painless - low budget programmer that's difficult to recommend to anyone other than die hard Spillane fans and B-movie buffs. As I'm both, I'm glad I have a copy in my library, but that's the completist in me.

BUY: My Gun Is Quick

GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS

2011-06-13T00:05:00.002-04:00

In an efficient example of corporate synergy, Warner Home Entertainment has just released an animated tie-in to their forthcoming 3D, DC Comics super-hero film epic GREEN LANTERN - in this case, a cartoon anthology spotlighting the various extraterrestrial members of the comic book's exotic supporting cast, a galactic peacekeeping force known as the Green Lantern Corps.

In GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS (2011), the three thousand+ members of the power ring-wielding Corps are preparing for battle against a cosmic menace known as Krona. As they gather and plan for the upcoming conflict, various Green Lanterns - including Earth's Hal Jordan (Nathan Fillion, SLITHER, CASTLE) and top Lantern Sinestro (voice of Jason Isaacs) - share with new recruit Arisa (voiced by Elizabeth Moss) a half-dozen inspiring tales of heroism from the millennia-long history of the Corps. These stories include the tale of the first Green Lantern, the training of several of the Corps most legendary warriors, and the secret of the Corps' most mysterious Lantern, named Mogo.

EMERALD KNIGHTS is an enjoyable cartoon super-hero adventure flick, with gorgeous character designs, plenty of space opera spectacle, and exceptional action animation. The stories - by comic book and WB Animation vets including Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons and Alan Burnett - are exciting and well-told. The voice work is up to the studio's high standards, thanks to the long experience and flawless instincts of voice director Andrea Romano. Segment directors Christopher Berkley, Lauren Montgomery and Jay Olivia manage a stylistic cohesiveness while allowing each chapter to have its own look and style.

Warners offers GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS in a number of packages, but I have the single-disc DVD edition here for review. This version includes an exceptionally solid, technically flawless 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby 5.1 audio tracks in English, Spanish and French. On this single-disc version, the bonus features include advance looks at the forthcoming BATMAN: YEAR ONE animated feature and a trailer for ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. There are also promos for an upcoming GREEN LANTERN video game, a DC Digital Comics ap, and Mattel Toys. Among the trailers at the beginning of the disc is a preview of the live action GREEN LANTERN movie.

As with any anthology, some stories are better than others, and the creators presuppose that their audience already possesses a certain familiarity with the mythology that may confound newcomers to the franchise, but overall, GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD KNIGHTS a great entertainment and a lot of fun.

BUY: Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

BUY: Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS

2011-06-13T00:00:00.002-04:00

Escaping from the vaults of MGM, comes another vintage American-International Pictures teensploitation classic, 1958's HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS, directed by Three Stooges ringmaster-turned-B-movie maestro, Edward Bernds (THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES, QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE).

Innocent good girl Joyce (pretty Yvonne Fedderson, billed here as Yvonne Lime, I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) starts attending a new high school, and is soon recruited for membership in the Hellcats, a girl gang/club headed by bad girl Connie (sex kitten Jana Lund, FRANKENSTEIN 1970), and her surly, knife-wielding lieutenant, Dolly (Susanne Sydney, GIRL'S TOWN). Eager to be accepted by her peers and unhappy with the distracted parenting at home, Joyce joins the gang, and is soon wearing slacks, drinking, dancing and dating jocks. But when things start to spiral out of control, can the efforts of a caring teacher, her concerned parents or the love of a good boy (Brett Halsey, RETURN OF THE FLY) save Joyce from going down with the rest of the Hellcats?

At a brisk 69 minutes, HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS is an entertainingly earnest and amusingly outrageous "juvenile deliquent" exposé, filled with gorgeous young women, subtle lesbian innuendo, unintentionally camp performances (or are they unintentional?) and an utterly enjoyable jazz-rock score by Ronald Stein. Maybe this was shocking in 1958, but the Hellcats' depraved delinquency is charmingly wholesome by today's cynical, sordid standards, and that makes the whole thing that much more fun to watch. The late 50's suburban milieu is appealing, the naivete of the script is hilarious, and the third act detour into melodrama and violence keeps you on your toes. It's a drive-in classic.

Previously released long, long ago on VHS by MGM as part of their now-defunct "Midnite Movies" line, HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS comes to digital disc as part of the studio's "Limited Edition Collection" of MOD discs. Presented in 1.37:1 "full frame" format, the transfer is surprisingly good, with solid contrast, good detail and no serious print damage. The film is littered with white specs and other minor evidence of time-related wear, but is quite decent overall. There are no extra features.

Fans of 50s teen melodramas and juvenile delinquent exploitation flicks will probably love HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS. Although pretty tame by today's standards, the movie is charming in its arch performances, dated dialogue and camp innuendos. And... well, the assorted starlets are all smokin' hot in their tight sweaters and bobby socks. Recommended.

BUY: High School Hellcats

RON HOWARD ACTION PACK: EAT MY DUST / GRAND THEFT AUTO

2011-06-08T19:51:00.002-04:00

Shout! Factory's outstanding "Roger Corman's Cult Classics" line revisits two 70s country car chase classics starring Ron Howard, with their EAT MY DUST / GRAND THEFT AUTO double feature.

At the height of his popularity as "Richie Cunningham" on HAPPY DAYS, Howard was offered a part in a Roger Corman-produced, country car chase movie. Now, Corman says he didn’t actually expect the red-haired TV icon to accept, but Howard agreed to do the flick – if Corman promised him an opportunity to direct another.

The resulting film, EAT MY DUST (1976), went on to become one of the biggest drive-in hits of the era, and one of the highest grossing films released by Corman’s original New World company.

The plot – if I may dignify it with such a term – is simple: to impress a shallow, speed freak blonde in itty-bitty hotpants (soap opera mainstay Christopher Norris, AIRPORT 1975), Hoover Niebold (Howard), the son of the local sheriff (veteran character actor Warren J. Kemmerling, GODZILLA 1985), steals a stock car and takes her on a reckless joyride across rural Puckerbush County. Soon, his father and a bunch of deputies – as well as a posse of drunken race car drivers – are on the kids’ tail, resulting in plenty of high-speed pursuits, car crashes and other blatant traffic violations.

With, ironically, a pedestrian script & direction by Corman vet Charles B. Griffith, EAT MY DUST is pretty thin, nonsensical stuff. But I’ll give it this: it keeps moving, is never boring, and the ending is strangely perfect.

The movie was hugely successful on the drive-in circuit, and Corman wanted an immediate follow-up in the same vein. Howard was agreeable – but only if Corman lived up to his promise to allow him to direct the movie as well. Corman agreed. Immediately, Ron and his father, veteran character actor Rance Howard, began to put together the script for a fast-paced, funny car chase flick they called GRAND THEFT AUTO (1977).

Young Sam (Howard) and Paula (Nancy Morgan) are madly in love and want to get married. Unfortunately, Paula’s wealthy parents object – they intend for her to marry rich, spoiled Bigby Powers (Barry Cahill) instead. Paula’s the headstrong type though, and after storming out of her parents’ house, she and Sam steal the family’s Rolls Royce and head for Las Vegas to elope. Paula’s father puts a $25,000 bounty on his daughter, and soon the two young lovers find themselves chased by a motley assortment of pursuers – including amateur bounty hunters, inept private eyes, various cops, an ambitious radio DJ in a helicopter, and Paula’s spurned fiancé.

Of course the plot is just there to link the car stunts together, and it works marvelously. In fact, it’s great fun, with plenty of well-staged car crashes, comedic appearances by Ron’s whole family (or, at least, father Rance and brother Clint) and HAPPY DAYS mom Marion Ross, and even a little bit of pointed media satire.

Both titles were previously released on DVD by Corman's New Concorde label and by Disney/Buena Vista, but Shout! Factory has trumped all those previous versions with their new "Ron Howard Action Pack" double feature set, which presents the movies in their correct "matted" widescreen theatrical aspect ratios for the first time. Each film is on its own disc, and are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, sourced from good, although not pristine prints. There are random specks and occasional instances of age-related wear, but overall, they look quite good. Audio is a solid Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

Shout! has ported over all the extras from the previous additions and added more. EAT MY DUST includes a new on-camera interview with star Ron Howard, wherein he discusses both films; a Leonard Maltin-Roger Corman discussion; a "Making Of" featurette; a new featurette on Corman's go-to poster artist, the great John Solie; and the theatrical trailer. GRAND THEFT AUTO includes an audio commentary track by Howard and Corman; a commentary track by Ron's dad, Rance, who co-wrote and appeared in the film; on-screen interviews with Rance Howard and Ron's brother, Clint; another interview with Corman & Howard; another Maltin-Corman piece; and the original theatrical trailer and TV spots.

If you've bought any of the previous editions of these films, I suggest trading up; this presentation is the best yet, and includes everything that was on the earlier editions, plus new, properly matted, widescreen transfers. If you've never seen these films, they are good examples of the 70s car chase genre, and well worth checking out. GRAND THEFT AUTO, in particular, is a lot of goofy fun. Recommended.

BUY: The Ron Howard Action Pack (Eat My Dust! / Grand Theft Auto) [Roger Corman's Cult Classics]

DEMENTIA 13 (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-06-07T16:05:00.002-04:00

"The Most Terrifying Screen Experience Of Your Life! A Brand New Concept in Motion Picture Shock! A Thrilling New Creation of Terror Thru Sight and Sound, Filmed Entirely in the Shock-Packed Process of Dementia 13!"

Long a staple of public domain budget video labels, the Roger Corman-financed, Francis Ford Coppola-directed thriller, DEMENTIA 13 (1963) has now come to high definition Blu-ray, courtesy of HDCinema Classics/Cultra.

Poor Louise Haloran (Luana Anders, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM) has a sticky problem: her husband John (Peter Read) has died of an ill-timed heart attack, so she cannot legally claim his inheritance when his wealthy mother dies. Desperate to stay in the woman's will, Louise keeps his demise a secret, and upon her arrival at the family's Irish castle for her sister-in-law's memorial service, tells everyone that he's gone to work in New York. For a while, it appears that her ruse is successful, but, before long, John's elder brother Richard (William Campbell, PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW) begins to get suspicious....

Roger Corman had just completed shooting THE YOUNG RACERS with Coppola as his second unit director. Having come in under-budget, Corman offered Coppola a chance to direct a new picture with the remaining funds - and a few of the same cast members. Quickly written by Coppola and Jack Hill, the resulting film, DEMENTIA 13, is a twisty and effective - if occasionally confusing - blend of Hitchcockian suspense and gothic tropes. Despite the limitations of its impoverished budget and meager resources, the talented director manages to maintain a genuinely morbid and suspenseful atmosphere, aided immensely by the wonderful Irish castle location and a talented cast - not to mention the fine musical score by Ronald Stein (SPIDER BABY).

All things considered, DEMENTIA 13 is a surprisingly effective thriller, that makes up for any weaknesses in its script or limitations of budget through stylish direction by first-time director Coppola and strong performances from the leads. It's not a great movie, but it's a very good one - and particularly fascinating for film buffs interested in Coppola's nascent filmmaking career.

As with most of Corman's Filmgroup productions, DEMENTIA 13 was improperly copyrighted and fell into the public domain, leading to a slew of inferior home video releases derived from battered, beat-up, blurry prints (and the film wasn't shot on particularly good stock in the first place). In 30 years of video collecting, I've never seen a good, clear version of the movie. I had high hopes for the new Blu-ray/DVD Combo release from HDCinema Classics/Cultra, but, ultimately, it is something of a mixed bag.

The B&W film is presented in 1.78:1 1080p HD, with a newly-created (and unnecessary) 5.1. Surround Sound mix and a slightly better 2.0 track. (The DVD version included is identical - though not in high-def, obviously.) The 35mm source print - as all available prints of this flick appear to be - was in pretty bad shape, so the company performed extensive restoration and digital noise reduction. While this has resulted in the cleanest version of the movie I've ever seen, the digital scrubbing has also eliminated film grain - and much of the accompanying detail. In some shots, faces are indistinct white blobs. Contrast levels are also overblown - but that may be inherent in the film itself. This is probably the best the movie has ever looked on home video - and it's the only HD version currently available - but it's still far from perfect.

The only extras are a postcard insert, a "recreation" of the the original theatrical trailer, and a restoration comparison.

While it seems unlikely that there will ever be a fully restored, pristine edition of DEMENTIA 13 available, the HD Cinema Classics/Cultra edition is the best I have yet seen on home video. The transfer has its problems - and they may be unavoidable, considering the material - but if you're a fan of this early Coppola shocker, this is definitely the version to get.

BUY: Dementia 13 Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack

CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS - THE ORIGINAL MINISERIES

2011-06-07T00:37:00.002-04:00

I don't get shape-changing robots.

I mean, I do understand that they are robots which can change their configurations and disguise themselves as other machines, but the elaborate mythologies that have been crafted for these robot toys - and the TV shows and movies that support them - baffle me. So, if I can't grasp the intricacies of the TRANSFORMERS phenomenon, imagine how mystified I am by that of TRANSFORMERS imitators, like Tonka/Hanna-Barbara's CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS (1984)!

The five-episode miniseries collected in this set chronicles the saga of the shape-shifting Gobots of Gobotron, divided into two factions: The Guardians and the Renegades. As might be expected, the Renegades rebel against the peacekeeping Guardians, and, stealing a powerful weapon, escape to Earth. Predictably, a team of Guardians, led by the unimaginatively-named Leader-1, pursue them, and soon, the fate of planet Gobotron and its inhabitants lies in the hands of the Guardians and their human allies. But the Renegades have an ally, too...

Okay, I admit it. I'm too old for this stuff, and was even when they originally hit the airwaves and toyshelves of America. I still cannot grasp why alien robots would happen to transform into shapes that so exactly resemble Terran transportation - and even often have interiors custom-fit for Earthlings. Why in hell would they be designed that way? But, that said, I know that a lot of guys just a few years younger than myself have considerable nostalgic affection for these characters and their elaborate backstories. It just isn't my thing.

Still, if it is your thing, CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS isn't bad at all. The Hanna-Barbara animation is quite good for its time, with some decent character designs, and the voice work - by folks like Rene Auberjonois, Brock Peters, B.J. Ward and Frank Welker - is excellent. The story makes no sense to a jaded old fart like me, but it's action packed and the characters - both Gobot and human - are engaging enough.

If you are one of the millions of young men (or women) who rabidly followed their adventures during the 80s (and, as this miniseries spawned a 60-episode series and an animated feature film, odds are you are), then this MOD DVD-R remastered presentation of CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS is a great deal. It contains the initial 5-part miniseries - "The Battle For Gobotron," "Target Earth," "Conquest of Earth," "Earthbound, and "The Final Conflict" - in their original 1.37:1 "full frame" aspect ratio, with Dolby Digital Mono audio. The transfers are culled from remarkably clean source materials, and are virtually free of age-related damage or wear. Colors are bright, and detail is good. There are no extra features included.

For fans of the series and/or toys, CHALLENGE OF THE GOBOTS is recommended. The remastered transfers look great.

BUY: Challenge Of The Gobots

THE BIONIC WOMAN: SEASON 2

2011-06-06T18:01:00.001-04:00

The second season of Universal Studio's second "bionic" franchise, THE BIONIC WOMAN (1976-77) is now available on DVD, and despite some annoying audio issues that I'll discuss below, it's a fine presentation of one of the most popular genre shows of the Seventies.

Lindsay Wagner stars as Jaime Sommers, a former tennis pro and girlfriend of Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austin (Lee Majors, THE LAST CHASE), who, after a tragic skydiving accident, is equipped with cybernetic replacements for her damaged legs, right arm and right ear. With the enhanced strength of her new "bionic" parts, she becomes an agent of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, carrying out secret missions on the orders of her boss, Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson, FORBIDDEN PLANET).

This second season kicks off with an uproarious, glorious - and engagingly ludicrous - SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN crossover, "The Return of Bigfoot" (guest starring John Saxon and Stephanie Powers) and contains the ultimate (literally, as it was the last) SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN-BIONIC WOMAN crossover epic, "Kill Oscar," which also introduced the fan favorite "fembots." In between, we have Jaime posing as a female wrestler, a country singer, a policewoman, and a nun. In other episodes she trades darkly humorous quips with Vincent Price (WITCHFINDER GENERAL) and faces off with her own, surgically-altered evil "twin."

It's great entertainment, and holds up surprisingly well - which is a testament to the quality of most of the writing and Wagner's extraordinary talents as an actress. She managed to make even the most outrageous situations believable, and could create palpable chemistry with every actor/actress she performed with. Speaking of which, the great guest stars of Season 2 include Sandy Duncan, Ted Cassidy, Norman Fell, Hoyt Axton, Julie Newmar, John Houseman, James Hong, and Robert Loggia, among many others.

Universal has brought all 22 episodes of THE BIONIC WOMAN's second season - plus two crossover episodes of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN - to DVD with remarkably good 1.33:1, "full frame" transfers (oddly, the MAN episodes are of noticeably lesser quality, but they're not unwatchable, by any means) and 2.0 mono sound. On a few episodes, most notably, "Deadly Ringer, Part 1," there are severe audio problems, where the dialogue and music are almost inaudible. These problems are annoying, but intermittent, and as the studio provides English subtitles, the stories can be followed. I understand why a lot of consumers have been upset by the problem, but considering all the hours of entertainment available in the 24 episodes in the set, it really is a minor issue. Extra features include Audio Commentaries on select episodes with Lindsay Wagner and creator Kenneth Johnson, a retrospective featurette, and a still gallery.

Fans of the show shouldn't hesitate to pick this set up, despite the audio problems. I doubt that Universal would find it cost-effective to recall and re-issue the set, and the inconvenience really is minor. The episodes themselves are a great deal of fun, anchored and enhanced by the charming and always-appealing Wagner. Recommended.

BUY: The Bionic Woman: Season Two

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW

2011-05-25T01:08:00.003-04:00

Before she was TV's WONDER WOMAN, beautiful Lynda Carter was Bobbie Jo - a small-town carhop running with a latter-day Billy the Kid on a Southwestern crime spree, in Mark Lester's 1976 drive-in favorite, BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW, now available on MOD disc from the MGM Limited Edition Collection.

Bobbie Jo Baker (the gorgeous Carter) is a bored small-town girl who falls for a handsome drifter named Lyle Wheeler (Marjoe Gortner, STARCRASH, THE FOOD OF THE GODS). Accompanied by Bobbie Jo's best friend Essie (Belinda Belaski, THE HOWLING, PIRANHA, MATINEE), Bobbie Jo's stripper sister Pearl (Merrie Lynn Ross, CLASS OF 1984) and her boyfriend Slick (Jesse Vint, FORBIDDEN WORLD), they embark on a cross-country rampage of bank robberies, car chases, shoot-outs and freewheeling sex, relentlessly pursued by the so-called forces of law and order.

I'm not sure why I'm such a big fan of car chase movies; films about car racing leave me cold. But when you put a couple of young lovers in a cool car and have them on the run from the cops through the countryside, I'm hooked. Especially if there are plenty of car crashes and lots of gratuitous nudity.

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW isn't a particularly good movie, but it's not all that bad, either. The script is episodic and repetitive with underdeveloped characters, and the direction by B-movie veteran Mark L. Lester (TRUCK STOP WOMEN, COMMANDO, CLASS OF 1984) is competent if uninspired. Still, I enjoyed it - but more because of the quirky, likable cast and my own inexplicable affection for the genre than for the movie itself. Okay - and because I got to see Lynda Carter and Belinda Belaski topless.

The MOD disc from MGM Limited Edition Collection offers a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, sourced from a decent print. Considering the film's age, it looks pretty good, but it has not been remastered or cleaned up, and a fair amount of dirt, scratches and other defects are evident throughout the film. It's never too distracting, though. The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio is adequate, if a bit muffled at times. The only extra is the original theatrical trailer.

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW is standard drive-in car chase fare. It's not a classic of the genre, but it is entertaining, in spite of its narrative faults. The cast is fun and the film delivers the requisite amounts of violence and sex. If you enjoy the genre, it's definitely worth checking out.

BUY: Bobbie Jo & Outlaw

BALLISTICA

2011-05-25T00:44:00.002-04:00

For the last few years, I've been watching the many mockbusters and megamonster movies of The Asylum and thinking that Paul Logan, who has had supporting or co-starring roles in many of the studio's productions (TERMINATORS, MEGAFAULT, MEGA PIRANHA, et al) would make a great 80's-styled action hero. He's ruggedly good looking, physically fit, has some mad fighting skillz, and even some genuine screen presence. But The Asylum has never released a straight-forward, contemporary action flick... until now. And that action flick, BALLISTICA (2009), is a genuine star vehicle for the aforementioned Mister Logan.

About time. But... was I right? Does Logan make a good action hero? Let's see....

Logan is "Damian," a CIA agent trained in ballistica, a form of martial arts that combines hand-to-hand combat moves with gunplay - a sort of "gun-fu, " if you will. As the movie opens, he's on a one-man raid of some sort of scientific facility in Russia, where he is searching for a deadly "micropulse warhead," a "genetic bomb" that causes people in its blast radius to literally explode, while leaving structures and technology unscathed. Unfortunately, the weapon isn't there, and all he gets away with is a pretty American physicist named Alexa (C.B. Spencer) who claims she didn't know what she was working on. Turns out that the warhead is in the hands of a dangerous terrorist named Dragomir (Andrew Divoff, LOST, THE WISHMASTER), so Damian is ordered by his C.I.A. superiors (Martin Kove, KARATE KID and Robert Davi, LICENCE TO KILL, MANIAC COP 2) to hunt down the mad Russian and retrieve the weapon, with Alexa at his side.

I wish I could say that BALLISTICA's a great little action movie, but unfortunately, that's not the case. It doesn't suck, but an espionage action flick should have some scope and a strong forward momentum, and BALLISTICA doesn't have that. The best spy thrillers have their heroes jetting around the world to exotic international locales, but this one stays firmly planted in L.A., even when the filmmakers would have us believe otherwise. The low budget and reliance on cheap CGI for explosions, muzzle flashes, flying bullets and other pyrotechnics, undercuts the film's effectiveness, especially since the action scenes as a whole are underwhelming. Logan's got some decent moves, but it's clear that most of his opponents don't, leading to some lethargically-paced and blandly-choreographed fights. The titular martial art, ballistica, is also unimpressive, with one scene consisting of two "masters" just running at each other, firing pistols wildly while pretending to dodge CGI bullets.

There is a pretty fair car chase in the final act, though.

As for the script - well, screenwriter Sean Rourke does try to give Damian some backstory and angst, but all the other characters are stock, and their motivations shallow. The third act "twist" is telegraphed early, and the dialogue seems cribbed from episodes of 24 and ALIAS. Logan is perfectly adequate as the stoic, heroic lead, while Kove and Davi (both of whom also have producer credits) manage to bring some dramatic weight and professionalism to their primarily office-bound scenes.

The DVD from the Exclusive Entertainment/Hollywood Wizard label presents BALLISTICA in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a flawless transfer that properly showcases the sharp, colorful digital videography. The audio track is available in 5.1 or 2.0 mixes. Extras include a "Making Of" featurette and the usual assortment of Asylum previews.

While I think that BALLISTICA is a bit of a misfire, it does have its good points, and I still think that Logan has the potential to be a good B-action leading man. Maybe if someone could slot him into a "lone wolf cop" flick or a "one man vs terrorist gang" DIE HARD-type role, he might actually get a chance to show his chops. But a micro-budget spy flick like BALLISTICA, which hasn't the resources to exploit its more complicated & fantastic plot elements, doesn't seem to be the right vehicle.

BUY: Ballistica

THE BIG BANG (Blu-ray)

2011-05-16T02:23:00.002-04:00

Raymond Chandler meets theoretical physics in Tony Krantz' stylish nuclear noir, THE BIG BANG (2011), coming on Blu-ray and DVD next week from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

L.A. private investigator Nick Cruz (Antonio Banderas, DESPERADO) is hired by former boxer/ex-convict Anton 'The Pro' Protopov (Robert Maillet, SHERLOCK HOMES) to find his pen pal stripper girlfriend, Lexi Persimmon, and the $30M worth of diamonds she was holding for him. Cruz takes the case, following a trail that leads to a porn director (Snoop Dogg, HOOD OF HORROR), a trio of corrupt cops, and, finally to a small New Mexico town, where an eccentric billionaire named Simon Kestral (Sam Elliott, ROADHOUSE) has built a giant, underground particle accelerator, which he intends to use to recreate the Big Bang that created the universe, and, hopefully, prove the existence of the theoretical "God particle." Can Cruz find his quarry before Kestral's experiment renders the whole matter moot by destroying the world?

THE BIG BANG is a sly and stylish film noir homage that borrows its structure - and a number of specific scenes - from Edward Dmytryk's 1944 movie, MURDER MY SWEET, an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, Farewell, My Lovely. This familiar framework has been adorned with a variety of offbeat characters, some snappy dialogue, and a liberal splash of quantum mechanics. The mystery itself isn't all that much, but there are a couple of cute twists in the third act.

Krantz' direction is good, and the photography by Shelly Johnson (THE WOLFMAN) is gorgeous; atmospheric and evocative in its use of light and color. The film uses a fair amount of CGI, but not to the extent of something like SIN CITY, and what CGI there is, is well executed and mostly effective. The cast is uniformly good, especially Elliott as the stoner superbillionaire and the trio of Thomas Kretschmann, William Fichtner and Delroy Lindo as the dirty cops dogging Cruz's investigation. Also worthy of mention is lovely Autumn Reeser (NO ORDINARY FAMILY), as a sexy, quirky waitress working in a desert diner.

Ultimately, THE BIG BANG is a bit too derivative and self-conscious to be a truly great film. Many fans of classic film noirs and private eye flicks will find it far too familiar, and I suspect many viewers will find it too over-the-top to take seriously. Me, I liked it okay, but I was rather hoping for more.

Anchor Bay Entertainment treats THE BIG BANG quite well on Blu-ray, with a razor-sharp, stunning 1080p, 2.40:1 widescreen transfer, with rock-solid blacks, perfect colors, and fine detail. The Dolby TruHD 5.1 audio is robust and clear. Extras include an informative audio commentary by director Krantz and producer Reece Pearson, a "Making Of" featurette, and a selection of extended scenes. It is also available on standard DVD.

Beautiful to look at and a fun ride, THE BIG BANG is at least worth checking out. The cast is good, and the story is reasonably engaging, with some wit and a few surprises. I enjoyed it.

BUY: The Big Bang [Blu-ray]

BUY: The Big Bang [DVD]

CHUCK NORRIS KARATE KOMMANDOS

2011-05-13T00:18:00.001-04:00

"Chuck Norris can punch his fist through trees and pull out pencils."

In 1986, right about the time his motion picture stardom for Cannon Films peaked with THE DELTA FORCE, ass-kicking action icon Chuck Norris teamed with Ruby-Spears Productions and Kenner Toys for a five-episode animated television miniseries and line of action figures (plus vehicles) called the CHUCK NORRIS KARATE KOMMANDOS. Now, thanks to the archivists at Warner Archive, everyone can experience - or re-experience - the unadulterated Eighties awesomeness of this legendary cartoon on DVD.

The premise is that martial arts master Chuck Norris (voiced by Chuck Norris) leads his team of cartoon stereotypes - a noble modern-day samurai warrior, a constantly-eating sumo wrestler, a pretty girl, a teenager, and an Asian kid named Too Much, whose catchphrase is, "Too much!" - collectively known as the Karate Kommandos, against the forces of VULTURE, an evil organization of costumed nutjobs, led by The Claw (whose right arm is a big, metal... claw) and his lieutenant.... wait for it... Super Ninja. In each half-hour episode, Chuck and his Kommandos foil The Claw's nefarious schemes while employing a wide variety of absurd accessories, non-lethal weapons and vehicles.

Each episode opens and closes with a live-action intro and outro by the Man himself, apparently shot in one afternoon in Chuck's home gym. The stories play out like parodies of G.I. JOE scripts, with ridiculously over-the-top plots and Chuck-full of explosions, laser guns, and anemically-animated martial arts action. Chuck's bugnuts-insane adventures take him from the depths of the sea, to an island of zombies, and into outer space to single-handedly retrieve a hijacked space shuttle!

Frankly, even bearing in mind that it was aimed at small children and intended as commercials for toys, it's difficult to imagine that anyone involved with this series (and there are a few impressive names in the credits) actually thought it was any good. Still... it is incredibly fun to watch. While it certainly embraces with great enthusiasm everything that was wrong with these Eighties toy-commercial cartoons, it also demonstrates what made them so enjoyable to kids - and certain types of adults. It's bright, colorful, loud and never stops piling absurdity on absurdity (i.e.crocodiles with parachutes). Additionally, as a cartoon, Chuck is a considerably more expressive actor.

The single-disc DVD-R from Warner Archives' "Hanna-Barbara Classic Collection" (Ruby-Spears was absorbed by Warners/H-B) includes all five episodes ("Deadly Dolphin," "Target: Chuck Norris," "Terror Train," "Menace From Space," and "Island Of The Walking Dead") presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Picture quality isn't particularly great - colors bleed and there is some interlacing evident in some scenes (it looks like it was sourced from videotape) - but overall, it's quite acceptable, considering the age of the material. There are no bonus features included. On the other hand, the Manufactured-On-Demand disc is very reasonably priced.

CHUCK NORRIS KARATE KOMMANDOS is (presumably) unintentionally hilarious. It's definitely not a good cartoon, but it is a great deal of campy fun, and Chuck Norris completists will definitely want to pick it up.

BUY: Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos

DAUGHTERS OF SATAN

2011-05-10T02:10:00.001-04:00

Well, Tom Selleck should be happy. I vividly remember an appearance he made on David Letterman's show several decades ago, back at the height of the mustachioed actor's popularity on MAGNUM P.I., where he enthusiastically recounted his early experiences in exploitation films - specifically, the Philippines-shot horror flick, DAUGHTERS OF SATAN (1972). In fact, he not only showed a clip from the film, but handed out "Re-release DAUGHTERS OF SATAN" T-shirts and bumper stickers to the audience.

Well, it took twenty-five years or so, but, thanks to the "MGM Limited Edition Collection" of Manufacture-On-Demand DVDs, his wish has been granted.

Tom plays James Robertson, an American art dealer living in Manila with his wife, Chris (Barra Grant). One day, in a local gallery, he comes across a creepy painting of three witches being burnt at the stake, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to his beautiful wife. As any of us would, he buys the painting and hangs it in his home. Predictably, Chris is unnerved by this, especially when she starts hearing voices and experiencing other unexplainable events. Is she losing her mind? Or is she truly a "Daughter of Satan?"

Directed by TV director Hollingsworth Morse (H.R. PUFNSTUF, ARK II, THE SECRETS OF ISIS, ADAM 12, etc.) on location in the Philippines, DAUGHTERS OF SATAN is a sleazy, R-rated thriller that doesn't make much sense, but does include plenty of female nudity, light S&M, and bursts of violence. The young, pre-MAGNUM Selleck - in his very first lead role - is fine as the confused husband, and television actress Tani Guthrie is impressively sinister as the leader of the witches' coven.

The MGM Limited Edition Collection MOD disc presents DAUGHTERS OF SATAN in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, culled from a very decent print. Colors are bright and stable, and there is minimal wear or dirt evident. Audio is an acceptable mono. As with most MGM Limited Edition Collection DVDs, there are no extras provided.

DAUGHTERS OF SATAN is pretty routine 70s drive-in/grindhouse fare, most notable only for Selleck's participation. But for fans of this kind of supernatural sleaze, this disc might be worth checking out. Picture and audio quality are quite good, and it's uncut. Hopefully, Tom will be picking up a copy for his own library....

BUY: Daughters Of Satan

THE GREAT SCOUT AND CATHOUSE THURSDAY

2011-05-10T01:06:00.007-04:00

"I've been shot five times, knifed twice, bit on the ass by a pig, stomped on by a horse and sat on by a mule and once, in the winter of '91, a grizzly chewed off my big toe. And I've survived two avalanches, three blizzards, five Indian uprisings and seven Presidential elections, but I've never been owned by no woman nor dog... and I've come too far down the road to let it happen to me now!"

By the mid-Seventies, American International Pictures was releasing fewer youth-oriented exploitation films, and more middle-to-big budget mainstream films with name stars. Among these larger productions was director Don Taylor's THE GREAT SCOUT & CATHOUSE THURSDAY (1976), a comic Western that attempts to mine the rich vein of BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID.

Lee Marvin (THE DIRTY DOZEN, PRIME CUT) is Sam Longwood, the "Great Scout" of the title, an over-the-hill ex-soldier running cons with his pals Billy (Strother Martin) and half-Indian Joe Knox (Oliver Reed, VENOM), until he stumbles across an ex-partner named Jack Colby (Robert Culp, HICKEY & BOGGS), who who ran off with all the gold from a mine they were prospecting fifteen years earlier. Now Colby is a wealthy man with political ambitions, and Longwood and his friends want their money back... so they set out to get it with the initially unwanted help of a young runaway prostitute called "Thursday" (Kay Lenz, HOUSE, MOVING VIOLATION).

As directed by journeyman Don Taylor (THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES), from a meandering screenplay by TV veteran Richard Shapiro, THE GREAT SCOUT & CATHOUSE THURSDAY is a solid 106 minutes of undemanding entertainment with a great cast of experienced character actors. Marvin is a lot of fun in his curmudgeonly role, Kay Lenz is pretty and appealing, and Reed is remarkably funny as the half-breed Knox. It's not a classic - and not even a particularly good movie - but it's a very entertaining Western romp, and worth seeing.

Offered as a manufacture-on-demand DVD-R from the Limited Edition Collection, THE GREAT SCOUT AND CATHOUSE THURSDAY is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print is in very good shape, with bright colors, good detail, and very little noticeable print damage or dirt. The mono audio is clear. There are no extras.

It's great to see MGM digging into the vaults and releasing more of these great movies on MOD disc. If you're a fan of the movie - or Lee Marvin - you'll want to add it to your library. Recommended.

BUY: Great Scout And Cathouse Thursday

THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-05-09T19:21:00.004-04:00

Back in the early 80s' two UCLA film students - Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter - decided that, instead of the usual arty or experimental approach that most of their classmates were bringing to their thesis films, they would make a brutal, bloody slasher flick - which they hoped would actually make it into cinemas. That film, DEATH DORM - also known as PRANKS and THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1982) - ultimately did get picked up by a distributor, and after a successful theatrical run, became a VHS perennial in the 80s. Now, Synapse Films brings the original, unedited "Director's Cut" to home video with a great Blu-ray and DVD Combo.

The plot - such as it is - is simple: a handful of college students volunteer to clean and shutter an old dormitory over a school break. Alone in the huge, isolated building, it soon becomes evident that there's a homicidal psychopath stalking the halls, and the hapless students begin to fall, one-by-one, at his hands...

THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (the print used on the disc sports the original title, DEATH DORM) is a fairly solid stalk 'n slay thriller, with some imaginative "kills," a fair amount of suspense, and an unexpected twist in the final act. It does drag a bit in the middle, the characters are under-developed, and there's a definite lack of (intentional) humor, but for a ultra-low budget effort by student filmmakers, it holds up surprisingly well. The inexperienced, mostly-unknown cast is reasonably competent and includes a very young and cute-as-a-button Daphne Zuniga as one of the killer's early victims. The musical score by then-newcomer Christopher Young (DRAG ME TO HELL, THE GRUDGE, HELLRAISER, SPECIES) is effective, atmospheric and remarkably accomplished.

Obrow and Carpenter co-wrote and co-directed DORM, and demonstrate some definite ability with the camera and a talent for creating something out of virtually nothing. When DORM was picked up for theatrical distribution, it was extensively edited, with much of the graphic gore excised for an R-rating, but it was quite profitable on home video and popular with the Fangoria crowd. The directors made two more horror films as a team - THE POWER (1984) and THE KINDRED (1987) - before going their separate ways as filmmakers.

Synapse's Blu-ray/DVD Combo is a great package. The Blu-ray features a 1080p HD transfer in the original, 1.66:1 aspect ratio from the filmmakers' original 35mm "answer print." As the movie was shot on 16mm and then blown up to 35mm for exhibition, there is considerable film grain evident, but that's inherent in the source material, and not a problem with the transfer. Overall, contrast is good and detail is okay, but it's still a very dark movie from the early 80s. That said, this presentation is light years better than the original, murky, VHS release. The DTS-HD Mono Audio does what it can with the 30-year-old soundtrack; dialogue is clear, and Young's score sounds fine. In fact, Synapse has also included the isolated musical score as an audio option, also in DTS-HD.

Extras include an excellent audio commentary by Obrow & Carpenter that covers the making and reception of the film in great detail. There are also on-camera interviews with composer Young and make-up effects artist Matthew Mungle. The original theatrical trailers - including the PRANKS version - round out the package. The DVD includes all of the above, with a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer from the same source, and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.

For fans of early 80s slasher films, THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is a grim and gory little effort that deserves some fresh attention. Synapse's package is exemplary, and already-existing fans of of the movie will find the visual presentation of this edition to be something of a revelation. Recommended.

BUY: The Dorm That Dripped Blood [Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack]

THE TERROR (Blu-ray & DVD)

2011-04-26T02:21:00.004-04:00

One of producer Roger Corman's most notorious cheapies, THE TERROR (1963), starring the legendary Boris Karloff and the not-yet-legendary Jack Nicholson, makes its high definition debut on Blu-ray disc this week from HD Cinema Classics/Cultra.

A Napoleonic soldier named Lieutenant Andre Duvalier (Nicholson), separated from his unit, exhausted and near death, is riding alone along the shore of the Baltic Sea when he sees a beautiful woman (Sandra Knight) emerge from the surf. She leads him to a fresh water spring and then disappears. Passing out from exhaustion, he awakens in the tumbledown hut of an old witch and her mute servant, both of whom insist that there is no girl. Obsessed, he searches for her, and arrives at the castle home of the elderly Baron Von Leppe (Karloff) who also insists that there's no girl - even though the young soldier saw her in one of the castle's windows. The baron and his manservant, Stefan (Dick Miller) do their best to make Duvalier unwelcome, but he insists on staying until he can discover what's going on....

According to his own account, Roger Corman was loathe to let the impressive castle sets from his 1963 Edgar Allan Poe spoof, THE RAVEN, be torn down without getting a bit more mileage out of them, so he spent two days shooting roughly half of a hastily-contrived script with Karloff & Nicholson (both of whom had been in THE RAVEN) on the lavish leftover sets. Then, over the next nine months, four other directors - Jack Hill (FOXY BROWN, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS), Francis Coppola (APOCALYPSE NOW, THE GODFATHER), Monte Hellman (BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, TWO-LANE BLACKTOP) and Nicholson himself (THE TWO JAKES) - shot additional exterior sequences at various locations along the California coast, each filmmaker making script changes and adding things to the story. Despite this, the final film, edited by Stuart O' Brien, is surprisingly involving, and if the story isn't entirely logical, it plays out in an enjoyable fashion.

Karloff is excellent, bringing pathos and gravitas to his underwritten role. Dick Miller is also very good as the Baron's fiercely loyal servant. Nicholson is frankly unconvincing as a soldier - never mind a French one - but Sandra Knight (Nicholson's wife at the time) makes a lovely apparition as the mysterious object of Duvalier's - and Von Leppe's - obsession. The Daniel Haller-designed castle sets - the whole reason for the film's existence - are large and impressive, and the Ronald Stein musical score is suitably eerie and atmospheric.

Long in the public domain, THE TERROR has seen probably hundreds of home video releases from as many budget labels. To a one, they've all looked battered, faded and worn, the Pathe colors turned pink and green over time. Now, the HD Cinema Classics/Cultra label brings this PD staple to high definition Blu-ray with a new, remastered and restored print.

Presented in its original 1.77:1 aspect ratio, at 1080p HD, this is probably the best THE TERROR has ever looked on home video, with bright, color-corrected hues and virtually all print damage and dirt digitally removed. The company has applied considerable noise reduction to the transfer, which not only eliminates specks and scratches, but film grain as well. This leaves faces looking unnaturally smooth and waxy, and obscures fine details. Personally, I'd have preferred less noise reduction, but, graded on a curve, THE TERROR looks quite respectable, especially considering the degraded state of the original materials. The audio options include a slightly noisy 2.0 mono track and a rather pointless 5.1 Surround "remix."

The only extras are a newly-created video "trailer," a restoration comparison, and a postcard insert of the original poster art.

Fans of Roger Corman's Gothic horrors and/or the great Boris Karloff should be pleased by this new low-priced "Blu-ray/DVD Combo" edition, which includes a standard-resolution DVD, featuring the same new transfer in anamorphic widescreen - so, even without a Blu-ray player, this restored version can still be enjoyed. Recommended.

BUY: The Terror [Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack]

QUEEN OF BLOOD

2011-04-22T16:41:00.001-04:00

When Roger Corman picked up some Soviet Russian science fiction films in the Sixties, the imaginative producer planned to scavenge the State-funded special effects footage - far more elaborate than anything he could have financed on his own - and build new films around the effects with American actors. Director Curtis Harrington (NIGHT TIDE, THE KILLING KIND) wrote and directed two such patchwork epics - VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET and QUEEN OF BLOOD (1966), the latter of which has just been released on DVD-R by the "MGM Limited Edition Collection."

In the distant future year of 1990, an alien intelligence makes contact with Earth via radio, and announces that they are sending an envoy to Earth. Unfortunately, the envoy's spaceship crashes on Mars en route, so Dr. Farraday (Basil Rathbone, THE BLACK SLEEP, THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES) dispatches a rescue ship - actually, two rescue ships - to the Red Planet to retrieve the alien ambassadors. A team of heroic Earth astronauts - portrayed by John Saxon, Dennis Hopper, and pretty Judi Meredith - manage to find the crashed ship and rescue one of the aliens: a mute, green-skinned siren with a pointed bouffant hairdo... and a taste for human blood.

Harrington's script is cleverly constructed around some quite astonishing effects shots from two Russian films (MECHTE NAVSTRECHU, 1963, and 1960's NEBO ZOVYOT), which gives the threadbare production some scope and spectacle that it could never have achieved otherwise. Impressive shots of alien landscapes and gleaming rocketships, extraterrestrial civilizations and futuristic cityscapes, as well as a really nifty Lunar moonbase are deftly integrated into Harrington's new footage, thanks to duplicated space-suits and look-alike sets.

The cast is also quite decent - John Saxon (ENTER THE DRAGON, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, FAST COMPANY) is a reliably heroic young leading man, and it's fun to see a clean-cut Dennis Hopper (EASY RIDER, THE TRIP) make google eyes at the mute, hypnotic space vamp. Rathbone is his usual professional self, delivering his dry dialogue with precision and something resembling conviction. As the titular Queen of Blood, Florence Marley is both seductive and repulsive, managing to convey a lot with her eyes and expressions, despite not having any lines.

The "MGM Limited Edition Collection" manufacture-on-demand DVD-R features a very decent 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, which, reportedly, has been digitally remastered. While it still shows its age with slightly muted colors and infrequent specks and dirt, it looks far better than previous TV versions (or the Netflix Instant print). Because the Soviet footage was shot on inferior film stock, there is a noticeable difference in quality during those sequences, but overall, MGM's presentation is quite remarkable, considering the age and piecemeal nature of the material. Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, and is clear and mostly devoid of hiss or pops. There are no extras included.

QUEEN OF BLOOD is a fun, old school sci-fi/horror romp with a great cult cast and some remarkable special effects. Fans of 50s-60s sci-fi should definitely check it out.

BUY: Queen Of Blood

DEADLY SHOOTER

2011-04-20T00:00:00.002-04:00

The American Ninja goes West as Michael Dudikoff, star of that worthy 80s action series, trades in his shuriken and nunchaku for a blue-steel Schofield revolver in DEADLY SHOOTER (a/k/a THE SHOOTER), a Fred Olen Ray-directed, B-Western from 1997.

Dudikoff (CHAIN OF COMMAND, AVENGING FORCE) is Michael Atherton, a Civil War hero who comes across a woman (Valerie Wildman, NEON CITY) being whipped by a gang of cowboys. He guns them down and rescues her, but the leader of the gang is the son of Jerry Krants (the great William Smith, FAST COMPANY, THE LOSERS) a powerful local rancher. Of course, Krants doesn't take kindly to his heir getting killed - by a Yankee, no less - so he and his boys ride into town and threaten to "turn it into a graveyard" it if Atherton isn't turned over....

Like most latter day B-Westerns, DEADLY SHOOTER's story is a patchwork quilt of characters and plot points lifted from countless other horse operas, stitched together reasonably well by screenwriter Tony Giglio; you can still see the seams, but the overall effect is comfortingly familiar and enjoyable enough.

Exploitation maestro Fred Olen Ray (EVIL TOONS, HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS) keeps everything moving at a brisk pace, and the above-average cast acquit themselves quite well. Dudikoff is sullenly satisfactory as the taciturn good guy gunfighter, and Big Bill Smith brings considerable emotional heft and grim menace to his otherwise stock character. Producer Andrew Stevens (THE TERROR WITHIN) also appears in a supporting role. The standout performance, though, comes from country music star Randy Travis, as a charismatic gunslinger whose motives and intentions are not always clear. The cinematography by Gary Graver is professionally competent, but, aside from a few flashes of female nudity, DEADLY SHOOTER looks and feels very much like a TV movie.

The new DVD release from Vivendi Entertainment sports as simple, 1.33:1, "full frame," non-anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio, approximating the original VHS home video release. The print is in good shape, with no real dirt or damage in evidence, and the transfer is reasonably sharp. It's not a reference-quality disc, but it's okay. There are no extras included.

DEADLY SHOOTER is an entertaining little formula Western with a decent cast and a couple of good action sequences. If you're a fan of the genre, it might be worth a rental.

BUY: Deadly Shooter

THE BLACK SLEEP

2011-04-19T02:00:00.003-04:00

Like Warner Brothers and several other studios, MGM has recently entered into the "Manufacture-On-Demand" arena with the "MGM Limited Edition Collection" of high-quality, burned-to-order DVD-Rs of niche films previously unavailable on home video. Already, a great number of titles have been made available in the line, in a variety of genres. One long-anticipated cult favorite, 1956's THE BLACK SLEEP, is among this month's wave of new releases.

Dr. Gordon Ramsey (Herbert Rudley) is about to be hanged for a murder he didn't commit, when he is visited in his cell by his mentor, Dr. Cadman (Basil Rathbone, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE BLACK CAT), who offers him a sedative to calm him before his execution. The sedative turns out to be a powder that simulates death - "the Black Sleep" of the title - and the authorities release the "corpse" into Cadman's care for burial. Soon revived, Ramsey discovers that Cadman needs his help in conducting experimental brain surgeries, surgeries that have so far resulted in a castle filled with dangerous, deranged maniacs - portrayed by such classic horror stars as Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine... and Tor Johnson!

As directed by B-movie veteran Reginald Le Borg (THE MUMMY'S GHOST, DEAD MAN'S EYES, VOODOO ISLAND), THE BLACK SLEEP is a surprisingly good - and clearly low, low-budget - throwback to the Gothic horrors of the Forties, with a cobwebbed castle complete with secret passageways, laboratories and dungeons, an "all-star" cast of charismatic creeps (even if both Lugosi - in his last completed performance - and Chaney play mutes), surprisingly graphic special effects, and a spooky score by Les Baxter (THE HOUSE OF USHER, TALES OF TERROR, etc.). It's not a classic horror film, by any means, but it is quite enjoyable, with strong, textured performances by Rathbone and Rudley (an experienced stage actor), a script that almost seems a template for Hammer Studios' Frankenstein films, and brisk, efficient direction by Le Borg. Sure, it's cheap, and it is kind of sad seeing the physical deterioration of genre legends Chaney and Lugosi... but it's also great Late Show/Shock Theater-type entertainment, and ghoulishly good fun.

The "MGM Limited Edition Collection" disc presents THE BLACK SLEEP on a high-quality, professional-grade DVD-R in a B&W non-anamorphic, 1.33:1 "full frame" transfer. According to the IMDb, the correct theatrical aspect ratio for the movie is 1.85:1, which (along with the ample headroom in the frame) indicates that this an open-matte presentation. It looks remarkably good, however, with no missing visual information evident. The source material appears nearly pristine, with no notable damage or debris visible. Contrast and detail are also good, with nice, solid blacks. Audio is a simple, but clear, Dolby Digital Mono. The only extra is the theatrical trailer.

I've read about THE BLACK SLEEP in film reference books for years, and now that I've seen it for myself, I have to say: it's better than its reputation. Fans of classic horror films (and/or Famous Monsters magazine) should definitely check this one out. It's a fairly typical B-movie Gothic romp, but the novelty of having Rathbone, Lugosi, Chaney, Carradine and Johnson all in one film makes it something special - especially since it was Lugosi's last appearance in the genre.

BUY: The Black Sleep

H.R. PUFNSTUF - THE COMPLETE SERIES

2011-04-19T01:13:00.002-04:00

"H.R. Pufnstuf, who's your friend when things get rough?
H.R. Pufnstuf, can't do a little, 'cause you can't do enough"

The first live-action, life-sized puppet show - of many - produced by brothers Sid & Marty Krofft for 70s children's television, H.R. PUFNSTUF (1971), has just been re-released on DVD so that the now-adult kids who were hypnotized (or traumatized) by its surreal trippiness can revisit its colorful world, and maybe inflict it on their own children.

A British teenager named Jimmy (Jack Wild) and his magic flute named Freddy, are lured onto a mysterious boat which takes them to the magical Living Island. There, they discover that they're stranded, and an evil witch named Witchipoo (Billy Hayes) wants the talking musical instrument for herself. Jimmy and Freddy are befriended by the island's ruler, a friendly dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf, and together, they try to find a way for the boy to get home while keeping Freddy the flute out of Witchipoo's clutches.

A pop fairy tale, with colorful characters and settings (and on Living Island, where everything is alive, it often amounts to the same thing) H.R. PUFNSTUF was incredibly popular 70s Saturday morning fare, with its meager 17 episodes constantly repeated for years. It kicked off a long run of similar programs from the Krofft Bros (THE BUGALOOS, LIDSVILLE, etc.) and even spawned a full-length theatrical feature film. The stories are simple morality tales and fall into familiar formulas, but they're also easily digestible and fun to watch.

Previously released by Rhino some years ago, this new DVD set from Vivendi Entertainment includes all 17 episodes in remarkably decent 1.33:1 "full frame" aspect ratio and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono sound. While the prints show their age and 16mm film origins, the colors are fairly bright and detail is good. DVD extras include an episode of the Krofft's HORROR HOTEL (from the KROFFT SUPERSTAR HOUR), downloadable vintage music and H.R.PUFNSTUF coloring book in pdf format. It is also available in a "Collector's Edition" package containing a collectible Pufnstuf bobble-head (which sits proudly on my desk as I type).

I don't know whether modern kids - and certainly not any over the age of say, five - would dig the show's decidedly low-tech puppets and cramped sets, but I can tell you (because I was there) the kids of the early Seventies loved it. If you grew up with Pufnstuf, Witchiepoo, Cling and Clang, Jimmy, Freddy et al, and have young kids - or nieces or nephews - of your own, this new DVD set is a charmingly nostalgic package, and worth picking up.

BUY: H.R. Pufnstuf: Complete Series (See all Family Films)

BUY: H.R. Pufnstuf: Complete Series Collector's Edition (See all Family Films)

MACHINE GUN McCAIN (Blu-ray)

2011-04-13T17:24:00.002-04:00

This disc came out from Blue Underground a few months ago, but - I'm embarrassed to admit - my review copy got buried under some junk on my desk, and I forgot about it. Fortunately, I decided to do a little office cleaning this week, or who knows when I might have discovered the genuine joys of MACHINE GUN McCAIN (1969), a stylish, late-Sixties crime caper with a fantastic International cast.

Hank McCain (John Cassavetes, THE DIRTY DOZEN,THE KILLERS) is sprung from prison by a Mob boss named Charlie Adamo (Peter Falk, COLUMBO) to rob a Las Vegas casino owned by one of Adamo's rivals. Unfortunately, Adamo is persuaded - in the name of good "Family" relations - to call off the job, and leaves McCain hanging in the wind. Pissed off, McCain decides to rob the casino anyway, and pulls off a daring, one-man heist before taking it on the lam with his new bride (sexy Britt Ekland, THE WICKER MAN). Unsurprisingly, he finds himself relentlessly hunted by the forces of American organized crime - and their corrupt, law enforcement allies - and increasingly desperate to escape the country....

An Italian production, McCAIN features a remarkable International cast, capably directed by Giuliano Montaldo (who also helmed another of my favorite 60s Eurocrime heist flicks, GRAND SLAM). Aside from Americans Casavetes, Falk, and British Ekland, the cast includes Eurocrime stalwarts Gena Rowlands, Gabriele Ferzetti, and Tony Kendall. While most of the interiors were shot in Rome, the production did go on location in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and the lush widescreen cinematography by Erico Menczer really makes the most of those settings. The score, by maestro Ennio Morricone, is (unsurprisingly) great, too.

Blue Underground's Blu-ray edition of this underrated (an uncharacteristically dim Leonard Maltin gave it paltry two stars!) gem is amazing, with an eye-popping, crystal sharp, 2.35:1 1080p HD transfer and clean, clear DTS-HD Mono audio. The picture quality is quite remarkable - the gorgeous Ekland looks especially stunning in high def. Supplements include an informative interview with director Montaldo, and the U.S. & Italian theatrical trailers. (Seeing what a good job Blue Underground did with this disc has me hoping that they'll re-issue Montaldo's GRAND SLAM on Blu-Ray soon.)

Before this release, MACHINE GUN McCAIN was generally only available in the U.S. as severely compromised, butchered, pan & scan TV prints, which probably accounts for the movie not being better-known or better-regarded. But now, thanks to Blue Underground, this great Sixties crime flick can be seen in its correct form, and properly reevaluated. Highly recommended.

BUY: Machine Gun McCain [Blu-ray]

BEHEMOTH

2011-04-13T15:22:00.002-04:00

Director W.D. Hogan's BEHEMOTH (2011) is a somewhat better than average modern monster movie with a cool creature, a good cast, and an otherwise decent script that, unfortunately, falls down badly in the flick's final moments.

The small mountain town of Ascension is being rocked by unusual ground tremors. Fearing that the long-extinct volcano that towers over the community may be becoming active, a pretty young vulcanologist (Pascale Hutton) attempts to warn the local populace of the danger. It's a tough sell, and only local lumberjack Tom Walsh (Ed Quinn, EUREKA) is willing to help her out. Of course, Walsh's elderly father, a retired - and possibly senile - classics professor (William Davis, THE X-FILES), has a theory of his own, involving the end of the world and a great, destructive creature living beneath their feet....

Compared to most contemporary, shot-in-Canada for SyFy Channel monster mashes, BEHEMOTH is surprisingly entertaining (for most of its running time) and even fairly original. The script by Rachel Howie builds suspense logically and gradually, with an intriguing mystery and interesting, well-drawn characters. These characters are portrayed by an experienced and charismatic cast of Canadian TV veterans. As for the titular monster, the CGI special effects are somewhat more polished than usual, and the well-designed beastie itself is - refreshingly - not some pirahnaconda or octogator (both of which are trademarked, kids) or other genetically-engineered nightmare, but instead, something rather more unique.

On the down side: there's some obvious and irritating padding (never have two people had so much trouble climbing a simple stepladder) and a lot of budgetary-driven illogic (no way would the government, if it suspected the existence of such a threat, send only one guy to deal with it - especially not one as incompetent as the one portrayed here), and, most disappointingly, the ultimate defeat of the mountain-sized menace is unbelievably underwhelming (I won't spoil it, but think: slingshot vs. Godzilla). That said, though, BEHEMOTH is still marginally better than most of the movies aired on SyFy these days.

Vivendi Entertainment's DVD of BEHEMOTH is a solid but bare bones affair, with a sharp, 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 audio. That's it, though - no bonus features (except for a couple of unrelated trailers before the movie) are provided.

BEHEMOTH is no classic, but... it has a different kind of monster, reasonably interesting characters, and a solid, genre-friendly cast that does the best it can with the material. For undemanding B-movie creature feature buffs, it should make an okay evening's rental.

BUY: Behemoth

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD

2011-04-08T16:43:00.004-04:00

Long-desired by fans of the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Warner Archives has just released the (never before legally available on home video) musical comedy ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (1952) as a manufacture-on-demand disc.

The plot is the usual A&C nonsense transplanted into a Pirates of the Caribbean milieu: through a series of misunderstandings, tavern waiters Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson (Lou Costello) and Rocky Stonebridge (Bud Abbott) find themselves embroiled in a treasure hunt by rival pirate captains Kidd (Charles Laughton) and Bonney (the lovely Hillary Brooke). The team's usual verbal jousting - as well as a number of their classic routines and gags - enliven the plot, along with several robust musical numbers. It's fun.

Although under contract to Universal Studios, the team's deal with the company allowed them to make one independent feature each year (it was under this agreement that AFRICA SCREAMS and JACK & THE BEANSTALK were made, as well). Thus, when Universal balked at the cost of making MEETS CAPTAIN KIDD in color, they simply produced it themselves (through Bud's company,"Woodley Productions"), and Warner Brothers picked up the distribution rights. Of course, it's cheap "Super Cine-Color," which means primarily muddy greens and brownish reds, but what the hell.

Directed by Charles Lamont from a screenplay co-written by John Grant - both of them veterans of many other A&C vehicles - MEETS CAPTAIN KIDD is not really distinguishable from their Universal features, aside from the aforementioned color. The real novelty of the film is that the acclaimed "serious" movie star Charles Laughton (MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME) reprises his role from the 1945 swashbuckler CAPTAIN KIDD. Story has it that Laughton was fascinated by what he termed "low" comedy, and felt that working with Bud and Lou was an opportunity to learn from two masters of the form. He apparently enjoyed the experience; not only did he work with the boys again on television, but he seems to be having a lot of fun in the film, joyfully embracing the slapstick and absurdities of the plot.

The Warner Archive presentation is a simple, 1.33:1 "full frame" transfer on high-quality DVD-R disc. Warner Archive claims that the material has been "remastered" but is still littered with specks and other small imperfections. The colors are a bit muddy - but that's more from the cheap Cine-Color process, than any flaw in the digital transfer. Audio is mono, and quite clear, with only minimal distortion and background noise. Overall, it's a solid presentation, considering the age of the material and its low budget roots.

Abbott and Costello fans will be pleased to finally have an authorized - if bare-bones - home video edition of the hard-to-find film, and should be grateful to WB for pulling it out of the vaults.

It can be purchased directly from the Warners Archive online store.

BUY: Abbot & Costello Meet Captain Kidd

DINOSHARK

2011-04-06T18:21:00.007-04:00

In the admittedly dubious tradition of DINOCROC and SHARKTOPUS, Roger Corman presents his latest SyFy Channel "Original".... DINOSHARK (2010), a pseudo-remake of his 1979 prehistoric fish tale, UP FROM THE DEPTHS.

The plot is simple and familiar: a prehistoric predator is released from the melting Polar ice, and makes its way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where it begins sating its formidable appetite on surfers, skin-divers and low-flying parasailers. A fishing boat captain, an attractive lady science teacher, and a marine biologist that happens to be an expert on extinct species (portrayed by Roger Corman, himself) are the only ones who can hunt down and destroy the creature. (Ever notice that in most modern monster flicks, the authorities/military rarely even try to go after the beasties, leaving the monster-killing to the amateurs?)

Capably directed by visual FX artist Kevin O'Neill (who also helmed the aforementioned DINOCROC), this isn't a bad little time waster, and certainly more fun than its Corman-produced Puerto Vallarta companion feature, SHARKTOPUS. While the plot isn't any more original, it plays a bit better, mostly because O'Neill manages to maintain a consistent tone and a steady pace. The cinematography by Eduardo Torres is lush, colorful and nicely exploits/showcases the Mexican locations, while the score by Cynthia Brown is quite lively and effective.

The likable cast, led by Eric Balfour (SKYLINE, HELL RIDE) and pretty Iva Hasperger, is decent, and the toothy, aquatic saurian is nicely designed and animated by Flat Earth Productions. Like its SyFy Channel cronies MEGA SHARK and MEGA PIRANHA, the Dinoshark likes to leap from the waves to snatch victims from the air on occasion, and has the uncanny ability to completely submerge its massive bulk in about a foot and half of surf... but what the hell, why not?

Anchor Bay brings DINOSHARK to DVD with a dino-sharp 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and crystal-clear Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Producers Roger & Julie Corman are joined by director O'Neill for an informative audio commentary, and the trailer is provided.

Derivative and predictable, DINOSHARK is still somewhat better than your average SyFy original, and actually provides some undemanding entertainment. If you dig these monster fish stories and missed this one on TV, you may want to give it a rental when it's released in a couple of weeks.

BUY: Dinoshark