Sexy Movie (Unrated Edition) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Given the title of this movie and the story, I went in expecting start to finish, non stop sex. I was not disappointed. Let's get to what counts.
There are nine sex scenes. Six of the scenes are boy/girl, one is girl solo, one is girls solo, and one is girl/girl. The women are all attractive. I recognized adult film stars Kaylynn and Mary Carey. The real treat was a boy/girl scene with Playboy playmate Katie Lohmann, Miss April 2001. She isn't even advertised on the packaging which means that either she didn't want to be, or the marketing people at Playboy/Image are idiots, because she has a body that could stop traffic.
All the sex scenes are good. The sounds of the actors aren't drowned out by the music and they all play out to completion.
This is easy to recommend.

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Scott is always bouncing from one get-rich-quick scheme to the next, while his roommate, Jay, is trying to break into the film business. Every month is a struggle to pay the rent, that is, until Jay lands a job working on an adult film. When Scott realizes how much money can be made, he convinces Jay that they should make an adult film of their own. Casting is the first order of business, and soon there is a revolving door of beautiful women waiting to see them. They are having the time of their lives until a shady film producer decides to eliminate the competition - literally. Maybe easy money isn't so easy after all!

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Riki-Oh - The Story of Ricky (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)You MUST buy/rent/steal the video "the story of Ricki Oh"....An instant classic and quite possibly the most violent, gory, and graphic film ever made. Multiple gorings, eye gougings,stabbings, impalings, and dismemberments. Dudes get buried alive, encased in concrete, flayed, their tongues cut out, crushed under presses, and run through meat grinders. Guys are chopped in the face with swords, boards studded with nails, and have wood planes run up their face. Did I menntion that the prison warden in this movie shoots prisoners with exploding bullets that make them expand like balloons beforee they burst like road kill underneath a car tire?
The hero ricki punched through dudes, decapitates his enemies with oopen fist blows, crushes guys heads like he's popping a zit. There's even a scene where a guy, who is about to die in a fight with Ricki, grabs a knife and stabs himself in the stomach...then he pulls out his intestines and tries to strangle ricki with them....
With memorable lines like:
"They gave me 30 pounds of rice to cut you up, turn you into mince meat, and put you in a pie..."
"Oscar has shown his tatoos...now he must kill!!!!"
"Ricki, I am your uncle. I have known you since your were 7 or 8 years old, when you possessed suoperjuman strength. Do you still possess your super human strength?"
"Chi Cong feeds on strength!!!!!"
"I have hit you in your death spot..soon you will die"
"His style of Kung Fu is unorthodox...I do not think I can defeat him..."

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When mild-mannered Ricky takes revenge on the drug pushing thugs who killed his girlfriend, he is sentenced to a maximum security prison. Within these walls lies a penitentiary like no other, run by a host of evil characters. A sadistic warden, his sniveling assistant, and the powerful Gang of Four all control the inmates through terror and brutal death!

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Land of the Giants - The Full Series (The Giant Collection) (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm reading the reviews about people complaining about the price and I won't dissagree that it is too high. However the package is stamped as a limited edition which means that the series might be re-issued in individual packages like the other Irwin Allen shows after a while, but who knows. My guess is that a good part of the price is simply the packaging. The extra's are not a big deal, but this is the stuff you get with limited editions, so if you think it's to high you may want to wait it out and one of two things can happen. Either they re-issue it later at a lower price or not at all. It's anyone's guess.
I've checked some of the discs and I own the original Columbia House DVD's as well, and these look better than what Columbia released. The picture quality is excellent! That said there is a problem that another reviewer mentioned, and that is the first 3 episodes of the second season have the wrong theme music on them. 'The Mechanical Man' 'Six Hours to Live' and 'The Inside Rail' all have 2nd season intro's with the 1st season music. These episodes are available on the Columbia House versions and the intro's on those discs are correct.
Except for that, I've found that these discs play well and look good, but I've still to see the entire run. Except for the price, this is not a bad set and if you can get it cheap I recommend it.
Note: Land of the Giants is best enjoyed in production order rather than broadcast order. These discs as well as others always list the shows in broadcast order and often the network that originally aired the show (abc) screwed up the order terribly. I'm a long time Irwin Allen fan and I know he is not the best at character development or continuity, but what little there is is lost when the episodes are run out of order.
Try this: The first 5 episodes should run like this - 'The Crash' 'The Weird-World' 'The Trip' 'The Bounty Hunter' and 'The Golden Cage.' The character of Mark especially changes gradually and you see them slowly adapting to there new surroundings. Because the series was originally aired out of order the second episode 'Ghost Town' is way out of place. It is actually the 14th episode!
If you are a die hard fan this doesn't matter, but if you only marginally like the show try watching it in production order. It will make a difference!

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After their sub-orbital space craft is drawn into a space warp, the passengers and crew of the Spindrift, crash into a planet where everything is 12 times its normal size!

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Puppet Master Boxset Review

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(More customer reviews)The Puppet Master movies have never been considered high art by any means but they can be very entertaining in the nice B-Movie vein. What makes the series so likeable is the unique puppet characters and nifty effects. Sure the series starts to take a nose dive towards the end (with "Curse of the.." and "Retro...") but again what franchise doesn't? Charles Band's (a well known name in the world of low budget horror and science fiction) Full Moon Entertainment always releases their films with eye catching cover art and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage. Full Moon always seemed to be taking the consumers and fans in the highest regard when it came to VHS. Now let see how they treated the fans for the now ultra rare box set of the Puppet Master series.
The Box set at first glance seems like a well done job. We get all 7 Puppet Master movies housed in a nice box with a bonus disc called "45 Trailer Reel". All the movies contain their original box art (Except the box to Puppet Master has the title changed to "Puppet Master I" making me wonder if Full Moon thought their fans were morons) but the printing on the inserts isn't the highest quality. This is easily forgiven. All the DVDs contain amazing menu designs that are all animated and are like little cartoons themselves. Every DVD also contains the original behind the scenes "Videozone" as well as cast and crew bios so the extras were good.
The picture quality for the most part is on par with other Full Moon releases. Overall the digital transfer isn't great and is sub-par to other big name film companies such as MGM and Warner Bros. Still the films are far from unwatchable. The only film that didn't make the grade when it came to picture quality was Puppet Master II. The picture quality on this DVD is pathetic and worse than its VHS counterpart. The film has moments when the picture even goes digital. It hits its ultimate low when towards the end of the film the picture gets an annoying wavy effect traveling down the screen. I can't believe Full Moon released this movie with such a terrible transfer. It's a shame because every box set that was made has this terrible version of Puppet Master II with the wavy picture. (whats even more strange is the "stock footage" from Puppet Master II that was edited into Curse of the Puppet Master also contains the wavy effect).
Other than the Puppet Master II DVD, this box set is a great way to get all the Puppet Master movies in one place. There's not much for new for extras as the Videozone's were previously released on the VHS tapes but its still great to have them. The box set would garner a 4 rating if it weren't for the sub-par treatment of the Puppet Master II DVD. Hopefully if Full Moon ever gets the rights issues resolved with Paramount Pictures they will re-release the box set and fix the problem with the Puppet Master II transfer.

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Includes PUPPET MASTER, PUPPET MASTER II, PUPPET MASTER III, PUPPET MASTER 4, PUPPET MASTER 5, CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER, RETRO PUPPET MASTER and Special Bonus DVD: FULL MOON 45 TITLE TRAILER REEL.

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THX 1138 - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)The world seems to be divided between two kinds of people. The people who think George Lucas is a talented legitimate artist, and those who think he's a business man unbothered by aethetics. For those who feel Lucas has (or had) talent, THX-1138 is a testament to it that. The use of color (or lack thereof), sound and editing in this film is truly unique. Lucas is often accused of lacking in writing skills, but THX-1138 doesn't rely on complex character backstories, or inspiring dialogue. In fact, THX, SEN, and LUH are rather one-dimensional characters. (Just to settle a common argument about the film, I do not believe SEN is intended to be homosexual, as beings in this world aside from THX and LUH are asexual because of their sedations) While images and sounds typically supplement dialogue as the force that progresses a story, it seems to be backwards at times in THX-1138. The title "visual storyteller" has been applied to every director at one point or another it seems, but for this work Lucas truly earns it. The sound effects of Star Wars have been copied so many times we all are numb to how good they really were, but watching this movie gives us a fresh idea of how incredible sound can be. These days most movies just use digital catalogs for all of their sound effects - Lucas had people go out with tape recorders and find things. While the sound is crude by today's standards, it is richer and warmer.

If I had any complaints about the film, it would be that there are moments where its quite obvious that its being made by an amateur director fresh out of film school who is used to making short features. Although these aspects also supplement the film as a whole, it does detract from the watchability (and rewatchability) of this film for some people.

This was one of the first art films I ever watched as a young man, and this had a huge impact on me. To know what was happening, I had to pay attention to everything - not just words.
Without having seen this movie, I wouldn't have learned to appreciate so many other films in the way I do. Every so often we viewers have to have our artistic perspectives broadened, and this film continues to do that. I would recommend this film to anyone - Star Wars fans (be warned... it is different), young film students, anyone.

Personally, I consider it a real shame that he burned out after directing the first Star Wars (those familiar with Lucasology know that he only directed the first feature and the newer prequels), since he obviously was capable of so much. I'm not dumping on Star Wars here, but the while the world doesn't end with the Star Wars movies, unfortunately Lucas's directing career did.

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Two-Disc Special Edition: * Digitally remastered with THX certified sound * Commentary by George Lucas and co-writer/sound effects editor Walter Murch * Theatre of Noise sound-effects track with branching segments to 13 master sessions with Walter Murch * 2 New documentaries: "A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope" and "Artifacts from the Future: The Making of THX 1138" * George Lucas's original student film "THX-11384EB" * "Bald": 1971 production featurette * Five new trailers from the 2004 theatrical release* Original theatrical trailer

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The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 2 (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)I grew up with this show, as many of you have I suspect. It would be easy to review this in a nostalgic haze and give it 5 stars "just because". However, I have taken a step back and have reviewed each episode rationally, based on budget, cast, writers, etc. Along the way, it may appear as though I am overly concerned with the "not-so-special-effects" of the series but trust me, it is a point of minor contension. Still, since great effect based movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes are barely three years away, I can't shake the notion that if the purse-strings were relaxed a little and it would have paid off big for a show that seemed doomed from the start. Often, the show could rise above it all, with superb acting, like in the first seasons "The Mutant", but why make a show work harder than necessary and potentially leave an accomplished actor looking foolish and silly?
Picture/sound/packaging: 4/5 Dissappointing yet predictable lack of 5.1 DD remastered sound. Original Star Trek seems to have proven to be the exception and not the rule in so far as sound. The picture is often nice, but varies from scene to scene on certain eps. I have no problem with the way the packaging is put together. So many complaints about the two sided discs? None here. And I think the packaging color scheme is an excellant compliment to Season One. My only real complaint is the cancellation of this series in the middle of season two, gosh, at least let the season finish!
--Episodes--Season 2--
(I consider 3 and above good, 2 or below poor.)
Soldier: 5/5
Cold Hands, Warm Heart: 2.5/5
Behold Eck!: 1/5
Expanding Human: 2.5/5
Cry of Silence: 3.5/5
Demon With a Glass Hand: 3/5
Wolf 359: 4/5
I, Robot: 4/5
The Invisible Enemy: 1/5
The Inheritors 1&2: 5/5
Keeper of the Purple Twilight: 3.5/5
Counterweight: 2/5
The Brain of Col. Barham: 1.5/5
The Premonition: 2.5/5
The Duplicate Man: 3.5/5
The Probe: 2.5/5
Wrap-up:
Still, in spite of all the hokey props, there lurks delicious camera angles, glorious sound, odd lighting, and most importantly, a fun sense of adventure that has all but since evaporated from the airwaves. In spite of the 3 stars, I cannot reccommend this set enough. Not because I'm caught like "the enemy" in the never-never, but because I'm trapped in a time period that uses "effects" to convey awe and mystery instead of imagination. The Outer Limits is a welcome look back at a future gone by.

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You hold in your hands an artifact from a time now vanished forever – a compendium of portals into worlds unknown. A three-disc set that controls over 14 hours of transmission from the 1964-65 series, this vessel has sought you out for one specific purpose: to expand your mind to "The Outer Limits"!

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The Outer Limits - The Original Series, Season 1 (1963) Review

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(More customer reviews)With talents like Joseph Stephano and Leslie Stephens as producers, some of the best Sci-Fi Writers and a lot of talented 60's actors and even actors that went on to great fame like Robert Culp, David McCallum, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall and Martin Landau, this was one of the first quality Sci-Fi series.
Twilight Zone was out there, but at times it was not really pure Sci-Fi, often more mysterious and horror, Thriller hosted by Boris Karloff (PLEASE PUT THESE OUT on DVD) were pure horror and the long running Alfred Hitchcock Present was straight mystery, so SCI-FI fans were captivated from the opening line with that mysterious voice telling you your telly has been taken over for the next 60 minutes. The acting was top notch, the writing literate and thought provoking, and you will even see many of the episodes were later cannibalised later to make movies, such as SOLDIER with Michael Anshara, repackaged in the 80's as The Terminator. To think you get 32 original episodes on 4 double-sided discs is just amazing.
There are a few puppies in the series...In the second year of the series Stephano played a less controlling interest. He believed in thoughty mind twisting Sci-Fi, while Stevens wanted the monster of the week, so some monsters did get a little Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-ish (Think they even shared a couple with monster doing double time!). But all in this in one super buy is a must for all those Baby Boomers that would once more would like their telly taken over.
Warning to those who have not seen the series, these are vintage, high quality Black & White episodes. I think it adds to the spookiness as they could film in lower light, creating those sinister shadows.

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You hold in your hands an artifact from a time now vanished forever - a compendium of portals into worlds unknown. A four-disc set that controls over 27 hours of transmission from the 1963-64 series, this vessel has sought you out for one specific purpose: to expand your mind to "The Outer Limits"!

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Invader ZIM - Doom Doom Doom (Vol. 1) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I never thought this show would ever come out on dvd! This just makes my day.
Here's a list of episodes you can expect on this DVD:
- Unaired Pilot Episode (a half-length short starring Billy West of Futurama as Zim) - Commentary with Jhonen Vasquez (Zim Creator, Head Writer, Art Direction)
- The Nightmare Begins - Commentary with Rikki Simons (Voice Actor - Gir and Color Artist), Wally Wingert (Voice Actor) and Jhonen Vasquez
- Bestest Friend - Commentary with Rikki Simmons, Ian Graham (Storyboard Artist) and Jhonen Vasquez
- NanoZIM - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Parent Teacher Night - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Walk of Doom - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Germs
- Dark Harvest - Commentary with Eric Trueheart (Writer and Various Voices) and Jhonen Vasquez
- Attack of the Saucer Morons - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Career Day
- Battle-Dib
- Planet Jackers - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Rise of the Zitboy - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Bad Bad Rubber Piggy - Surprise Commentary!
- A Room with a Moose - Commentary with Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez
- Hamstergeddon - Commentary with Eric Trueheart, Ian Graham, Rikki Simmons and Jhonen Vasquez

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Comic book artist Jhonen Vasquez's outr?© sci-fi spoof, which ran on Nicktoons at Night from March 2001 to December 2002, remains the object of a vociferous cult following. Pressure from the fans compelled Nickelodeon to resume production of "Invader Zim" twice before the show was cancelled permanently. The title character is a zealous, none-too-bright agent from the Irken Empire posing a human boy. Zim imagines he's gathering vital information for the imminent conquest of Earth; the Irken leaders actually sent him here to get rid of him. With the rather spotty assistance of Gir, his robot sidekick disguised as a dog, Zim alternately sneers at humanity and gets himself into trouble. The only person who recognizes Zim as an alien is his UFO-obsessed classmate, Dib.\nThe two-disc set is loaded with extras that will delight fans of the show, including commentaries by Vasquez and several of the story and voice artists, a second "commentary" of pigs grunting, subtitles in Irken, and the original pilot for the series. The uninitiated may find "Invader Zim" suggests a cross between "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Jimmy Neutron" re-imagined by Tim Burton. The bizarre designs, over-the-top vocal performances, and bodily function jokes are not for the faint-hearted, but they're not supposed to be. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: cartoon violence, gross humor) "--Charles Solomon"

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La Femme Nikita: The Complete Fourth Season (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)All the fans who wrote Warner Brothers and demanded the 4th season, job well done. I am quite surprised Warner Bros. did not add the 5th season on to this one since it only had 8 episodes but oh well us fans will take whatever we can get. Wish the price would have dropped some but the episodes themselves are worth it.
****Episode Guide Season 4****
1.Getting Out Of Reverse- Micheal obtains Birkoff's help to restore Nikita's memory and learns that Operations wants him canceled.
2.There Are No Missions- Micheal learns that Adrian is not dead and seeks her help but realizes she has also suffered memory loss.
3.View Of The Garden-Micheal offers section a deal he returns to Section with Nikita and asks for his status back in exchange for not revealing the truth about Adrian to George, he allows Section to help Nikita.
4.Into The Looking Glass- Micheal kipnaps Nikita and heals her, Nikita pretends not to be healed but Madeline is not fooled.
5.Man In The Middle- Nikita is forced to marry a suspected red cell member under Sections orders.
6. Love Honor And Cherish- The man Nikita has married is not who he turns out to be.
7.Sympathy For The Devil- Operations offers Micheal and Nikita a deal if they secure the safty of one of his vietnam comrades, Birkoff learns he may have a brother.
8.No One Lives Forever- Nikita is chosen to participate in a new program, she can leave section but must break all ties with section, she contacts Micheal and is brought back in.
9. Down A Crooked Path- Section is attacked with a virus that wipes out information from operatives minds, but who released the virus may be surprising.
10.He Came From Four- A new operative named Jerome is brought in and has paranormal abilities, but who is he really?
11.Time To Be Heroes- Micheal and Nikita are sent to take care of 4 operatives at Section 8 known as "the farm" where new recruits are trained, but when Nikita and Micheal are captured section 8 recruits come to the rescue.
12.Hell Hath No Fury- Red Cell's lead strategist is captured but will not break, Madaline puts herself on the line to obtain information from him.
13.Kiss The Past Goodbye- Micheal learns that Elana has a new boyfriend but learns her boyfriend is a section 1 operative sent to protect her from her uncle who wants to kill her.
14.Line In The Sand- Section 1 learns of a trader inside the section, Operations wants Birkoff canceled.
15.Abort, Fail, Retry, Terminate- Birkoff makes a sacrifice.
16.Catch A Falling Star- Micheal and Nikita are sent to a small US town to retrive a fallen satalite.
17.Sleeping With The Enemy- Section 1 and Red Cell make a 2 day truce to find out who is trying to have both organizations destroyed.
18.Toys In The Basement- Nikita is wounded in a mission but before Micheal can get to her she disappears, he finds out she is being held in a basement of house of a guy who wants to marry her.
19.Time Out Of Mind- Nikita goes undercover to a mental hospital to find information about the antidote to a lethal virus.
20.Face in the Mirror- Nikita escapes section 1 and undergoes plastic surgery to her face, so she is not recognized.
21.Up The Rabbit Hole- Section 1 knows Nikita has altered her appearance but cannot find her, Micheal discovers her in the most improbable place, Micheal and Nikita both escape Section 1 and live on a boat.
22.Four Light Years Farther- The plot thickens, Micheal and Nikita are found and brought back into Section, they decide to cancel Nikita and spare Micheal, but before she is canceled Mick Schtoppel comes to the rescue, who really is Mick Schtoppel? Has Madaline and Operations finally gotten what they deserve. Nikita is more important to Section 1 than she will ever know.

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LA FEMME NIKITA:THE COMPLETE FOURTH S - DVD Movie

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Robert Rodriguez Mexico Trilogy (El Mariachi / Desperado / Once Upon A Time In Mexico) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)There is some confusion as to the releases in this set, based on the reviews so far and the limited information in the amazon.com description. I hesitated to buy it at first based on the fact that the back of the outer case simply had credits and the typical info box for all three films giving the languages and aspect ratios of the films, but nothing as to the other content of the discs contained.
Here is what is included in the set:
Disc 1:
El Mariachi (Special Edition)
- 1.85:1 Widescreen Anamorphic/81 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- Robert Rodriguez's Short Film "Bedhead"
- "10-Minute Film School"
Disc 2:
Desperado (Special Edition)
- 1.85:1 Widescreen Anamorphic/103 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- "10 More Minutes with Robert Rodriguez: Anatomy of a Shootout"
Disc 3:
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
- 1.78:1 Widescreen Anamophic/102 Minutes
- Director's Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez
- Ten-Minute Flick School
- Ten-Minute Cooking School
- Inside Troublemaker Studios
- The Anti-Hero's Journey
- The Good, the Bad and the Bloody: Inside KNB FX
So this set re-packages the most recent release of each of the titles into a great little package. Little being the key word - this set uses the slim-line DVD cases often used in TV on DVD packaging and most recently seen in the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Double Feature Gift Pack. Two slim-line cases take up the space of a single standard DVD case, so this set with 3 slim-line cases is nice and compact.
The transfer of El Mariachi here is the newest one ("From the original negatives supervised by Robert Rodriguez") not the older 1.66:1 transfer from the earlier Director's Double Feature release.
Also worthy of note is that all 3 film are Anamorphic despite the packaging indicating that El Mariachi and Desperado are just "Widescreen" while Once Upon a Time in Mexico is listed as "Anamorphic Widescreen." Columbia Tri-Star has always had a bad habit of not indicating when releases were anamorphic although most of their early releases were in fact anamorphic.

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EL MARIACHI: All he wants is to be is a mariachi, like his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather before him. But the town he thinks will bring him luck brings only a curse of deadly mistaken identity. Forced to trade his guitar for a gun, the mariachi is playing for his life in this critically-acclaimed film debut from director Robert Rodriguez. Financed with earnings from a month-long stay in a research hospital, this astonishing action adventure was shot with no second takes, using borrowed equipment and a talented cast of unknowns. The riveting result is a wild bullet-dodging ride through a world of bandido violence, from the suspense of the opening shoot-out to the tragedy of the unexpected conclusion. With little more than a great story and a lot of heart, Rodriguez has created pure movie pleasure, setting new standards for independent filmmaking, and establishing himself as an unquestionable talent. "An enormously entertaining movie." (Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES). DESPERADO: Antonio Banderas, Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin and Quentin Tarantino star in this stylish shoot-'em-up described as a south-of-the-border Pulp Fiction. Director Robert Rodriguez follows up his legendary debut film, El Mariachi, with this sexy sequel about a mysterious guitar player (Banderas) searching for vengeance against the men who murdered his girlfriend. ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: Leaping back into action, gun-slinging, guitar-toting hero "El Mariachi" is back in town in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, as director Robert Rodriguez delivers the epic final chapter of his pulp Western trilogy. Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Enrique Iglesias and Willem Dafoe ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO is a full-frontal assault.

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Children of the Corn (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)So how did such a mediocre film warrant six sequels (here's a hint...it's all about the money)? There's the original. Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1993), Children of the Corn III (1995), Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996), Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998), Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999), and Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001)...that's a lot of corn, or as the Native Americans call it, maize...I've seen the original, but not the subsequent sequels...my gut instinct tells me to avoid them. Children of the Corn, aka Stephen King's Children of the Corn (1984), directed by Fritz Kiersch (Tuff Turf, Gor) features a solid cast including Peter Horton ("thirtysomething") and Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Also appearing is R.G. Armstrong (Dick Tracy), Courtney Gains (Colors, The 'burbs) and John Franklin, who appeared 1991 film The Addams Family, along with its' 1993 sequel, as the very hairy Cousin Itt.
The film, which primarily takes place in the small farming town of Gatlin, Nebraska, begins with a flashback, relating a particularly gruesome incident in where the children depopulate the town of nearly all adults through a good old fashion bloodbath. Fast forward three years to the present, and we have Burton (Horton) and his girlfriend Vicky (Hamilton) traveling through the Midwest as Burton has recently graduated from med school, and has been offered an internship somewhere...but that's neither here nor there as the pair get lost, have an accident, and soon find themselves looking for aid in Gatlin...but guess what? Gatlin appears all but deserted...except for the children, who've formed some kind of weird cult, led by the incredibly creepy man-child Isaac (Franklin). Initially their idolatry seems to be centered on the corn, but later we learn it's not so much the corn as what lurks under the corn. Burton and Vicky soon find themselves in a world of trouble, as the corn is thirsting for holy sacrifices, and they're at the top of the list (I wouldn't mind initiating a religious ceremony with that Linda Hamilton...that is the soft and sexy Linda from the original Terminator movie, not the bony and intensely scary Linda from T2: Judgment Day)...
The film is based on a Stephen King short story taken from his book Night Shift, which I've never read, but I have read a number of his other books, many of which were later adapted to film, with varying degrees of success...anyone else besides me sit through Maximum Overdrive? Okay, Children of the Corn isn't as bad as that was, but it is lacking something...it's not the acting...Horton, whom I despise for no other reason than he was on that TV show `thirtysomething' was actually pretty good. As far as Linda Hamilton, well, I think she's a good actress, provided she's given something to work with, and that wasn't the case here. The real fun is watching the performances of Franklin and Gains, as Isaac and Malachai, respectively. Franklin is extremely disconcerting as the leader of the group, mainly because his appearance is that of a child, but a closer look would make you think twice as his face and voice seem to indicate some much older. Turns out Franklin, who suffered from some sort of hormone deficiency, was actually much older, like 23 at the time of the film's release. As far as Gains, he presents the most intense performance as Isaac's enforcer and right hand man, but I felt like he got into it just a little too much (in the featurette Gains speaks of his craft and how he brought his character to the screen...I do appreciate it when actors give to the screen, but I think Gains took his modest role a bit too seriously, trying to make more of it than it was...but since the production in general was pretty bland, this overacting wasn't necessarily unwelcome). These two guys come off really good as the antagonists, mainly because they're so completely annoying I wanted to beat them both to a pulp (wait for the scene when Malachai is walking down the center of the street calling for Burton to come out, yelling `Outlander!"...you'll understand what I mean by annoying). As far as the direction, I have no real complaints, as Kiersch seems capable...in the featurette he speaks a lot of what he was trying to accomplish with regards to the sense of direction, and in some areas I think he met his goal, but others I think his aspirations extended beyond his capabilities. So what's the problem with the film? It's the story...well, not the original story, but the adaptation of the story. As I said, I'm familiar with many of King's works, and I know he takes a lot of time to craft his tales, utilizing detail like it was going out of style. I think one of the things that makes his story so popular is his ability to paint a visual using words...and he also seems to do this in terms that are accessible to an extremely wide audience. And I think this is a main factor that ends up hurting many of the films that are adapted from his novels...they lack the focus on what's important to the story. I think this is why we are seeing his more recent works produced as television mini-series...because more time can be spent developing the story and presenting the details, in my opinion.
The Divimax edition, released by Anchor Bay Entertainment features a really sharp looking wide screen (1.85:1) print, enhanced for 16 X 9 TV's, and the audio is exceptionally clear and crisp. Special features include a new 39 minute documentary titled Harvesting Horror, an audio commentary by the director, the producer, actors Franklin and Gains, trailer, poster and still gallery, screenplay, storyboard art, title sequence art, and a mini reproduction of poster for the film inside the DVD case.
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Vanishing Point (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)The story begins at the end, where we are shown a roadblock of monstrous proportions, and a white 1970 Dodge Challenger rocketing toward it. From there the tale begins, backing up two days to give the rest of the story. An interstate chase is on for the driver of the Challenger, whom we know nothing at all about. As the story unfolds, the identity of the driver is rationed out in flashbacks and news reports, slowly bringing into focus the nature of the character. At first, we naturally assume the driver to be a simple car thief, as does law enforcement. Gradually, we learn that the driver is not a thief at all, he is simply delivering the car. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran who joined the police department after his honorable discharge, married a beautiful girl, and then lost her in a surfing accident. Not long after, he stopped a senior officer from beating and raping a young hippie girl, and was dishonorably discharged from the force. We also learn that his high-octane burn across the desert is to satisfy a simple wager: if he makes it from Denver to San Francisco in less than 15 hours, he doesn't have to pay for the amphetamines he bought to keep him awake for the trip. He is guided along the way by blind disc jockey "Supersoul" (Cleavon Little), who speaks to the driver (whose name is we learn is Kowalski (no last name given, via the AM radio in the Challenger. Supersoul is Kowalski's invisible guardian angel, advising him of the cop's attempts to stop him, at least until some local rednecks bust into the radio station with a storm of rocks and racial epithets and beat Super Soul and his engineer into submission. As Kowalski rockets across the blasted desert landscape, he encounters numerous crackpots and visionaries, all of whom seem to offer another piece to the puzzle that Kowalski's life has become. From prospectors to faith healers, outlaws to newlywed hijackers, we are given a glimpse into a world that exists far from the beaten track we all travel each day. As Kowalski hurtles toward his date with the destiny that was mapped out for us at the very beginning of the film, each rumor and news report seems to contradict the image of him that is being played out by the police of several states, elevating him to something of a folk hero among a growing legion of fans and supporters.
This movie knocked me out from the very beginning. For those die-hards, yes, there are plenty of car chases and stunts to satisfy most fans of car/action films. But that's not the whole story, by any measure. For this is the story of one man, not a mythic legend, or even a regional folk hero. Why does he do what he does? He simply has nothing left to lose or gain. How many men returned from Vietnam at least a little disillusioned by the world they came home to? How many have had their lives mapped out neat and pretty, only to have the blind monkey wrench of fate turn their worlds upside down? Here is a man who is perfectly willing to sacrifice his freedom, his safety, and possibly even his life to win what amounts to a ten-dollar bet, at best. When Kowalski finally arrives at the roadblock, the inevitable conclusion to his odyssey, he takes the only road he knows, a path which had been set for him ever since the beginning.
On a cinematic level, the influence of Vanishing Point is far reaching, indeed. The story of a jaded ex-cop who has lost his wife, his hope and, to a degree, his humanity, was taken and nitro-injected in George Miller's Mad Max (1979) and the Road Warrior (1982), as Max Rockatansky (not too far a reach from Kowalski) has his life violently ripped out from under him, and thus turns to the open road. At first for revenge, but then because it is the only world he can exist in, a place where jungle law prevails. By then, Max is nothing more than a shell, a ghost of a human who haunts the blighted landscape propelled by a hunger not even he can understand. One of the most effective plot devices is that of not giving the protagonist a name until well into the film. Joel Schumaker used this technique very well in his good movie Falling Down (1993), not giving Michael Douglas' character a name until the final act of the film's story. By doing this, we are allowed to see the character as a sort of everyman, someone whom we may know, or may even be. We are then free to observe the goings-on at a much more personal level, knowing all too well that the story being played out upon the screen could, given the right circumstances, be any of us, and to that end, possibly even all of us. By the time we learn that the character is someone, it's too late. They are already a part of us, bound by destiny and experience. Also of note is the using of a disc jockey to provide a running commentary on the nature and exploits of the protagonist (as well as provide a reasonable source for the music in the film), a device used, to lesser effect, in Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979). Lastly, although film characters have been bumping into oddballs in the desert for years, Abbe Wool's wonderful Roadside Prophets (1992) stands out as the protagonists wander through the desert, encountering numerous wisdom-dispensing desert dwellers, each contributing their ideas, ideals, and experiences in a way that lends toward a larger collective ideology wherein a greater truth resides.
This is a masterpiece of filmmaking. Do yourself a huge favor and check it out.

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Thrills, spills and a handful of pills. It all adds up to one of the most spectacular car chases in motion picture history! Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, the last American hero, who set out to prove that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just fifteen hours. Along the way, he meets an old prospector (Dean Jagger), a snake worshipper, a nude woman on a motorcycle, and a blind D.J. (Cleavon Little) who "sees" danger ahead in this super-charged, action-packed adventure!

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Hairspray (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)I think it's safe to say that Hairspray is a unique motion picture. The film, while providing nonstop fun and laughs throughout, also manages to not only confront but to roll right over prejudice in several of its nefarious guises. I was a teenager when this film came out, and sadly, it was the death of Divine (just before the movie was released) that made me aware of this film. I don't know if that publicity helped or hurt ticket sales - Divine, for those who have never heard of him, was famous for playing female roles, and Hairspray had begun to rejuvenate his whole career. As for the film, it's extremely campy in the best of ways, overflowing with great singing and dancing from the early 1960s, and it is the type of film that makes you feel good after you watch it.
Ricki Lake plays Tracy Turnblad, a big, bold, and beautiful teenager who dreams of dancing on the exceedingly popular Corny Collins dance show. Her mother, played by Divine, isn't too crazy about modern music and dancing - until Tracy auditions and gets a spot on the show. Strutting her stuff in front of the cameras, she quickly becomes Baltimore's newest sensation. This does not sit well with Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), as Tracy steals her man and then threatens to win the coveted title of Miss Auto Show 1963. Tracy is overweight, but she likes herself just as she is and easily dismisses the fat jokes thrown her way early on. The big issue in this film, though, is segregation. Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Joann Havrilla) soon become friends with some of the black kids in town and begin working toward integrating the Corny Collins show. Collins is all for the idea himself, as currently the Negro show runs only once each month under the controls of sassy Motormouth Mabel (Ruth Brown). The station manager will not hear of integration, though, and Penny's mother is aghast to find out that her daughter is in love with an African-American. This is 1962, of course. The whole segregation issue becomes the basic foundation of the movie as it dances its way to the end, making Hairspray a wonderfully entertaining film with a serious message behind it.
The film is blessed with many interesting cast members. Divine plays not only Mrs. Turnblad but also the station manager, Jerry Stiller plays Mr. Turnblad, Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry (and Debbie Harry's increasingly interesting hair) come together to play Amber von Tussle's parents, and Ric Ocasek and Pia Zadora show up as Beatniks in a strange little cameo appearance. Of course, Ricki Lake pretty much steals the show as the big girl with big dreams, although I found Joann Havrilla's performance as Penny Pingleton quite captivating in a weird sort of way.
It is very difficult to describe Hairspray; you pretty much have to watch it to get a true feel for its entertainment assets and social commentary underpinnings. It does have its silly moments, but this is not entertainment for the sake of entertainment, nor is this a film you will soon forget after watching it.

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Harold and Maude (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)The editor's review of this film is a fair enough description of the plot. One should add that, despite being made in 1971, the movie manages not to look dated, precisely because it makes such fun of the early 70s style, and that the acting by the three main characters (Harold, Maude and Harold's mother) is simply inspired. Ruth Gordon is splendid of course, while Bud Cort gives a lifetime performance, but it is the portrayal of Harold's mother by Vivian Pickles (what a splendid name for someone in the role) that has to be the most undercelebrated aspect of this film. Her breezy blitheness, outraged exasperation, and British sensibility are all just too wonderful. Filling out a dating questionnaire for her son, in response to the question "Do you find the idea of wife-swapping offensive" she answers, "I find the question offensive." In response to the question, "Do you feel the women's liberation movement has gone too far," she replies, "It cer-tain-ly has." Even "Harold, eat your beets" is delivered so wonderfully that it's memorable. Eric Christmas also makes the bit-part of a priest into something memorable, principally by one splendid monologue.
NOTE: It's been pointed out that a lot of the plot is given away in the following. It's hard to say how much spoilers actually spoil this movie; spoilers may help to make the movie's wisdom more readily apparent on a first viewing. In any case, there are several ahead.
But is this really a black comedy? Personally, I think of black comedies as being morbid and mordant, which Harold & Maude certainly has elements of, but also ultimately cynical. One should not mistake grimness in a film as a sign of nihilism; as the Japanese proverb runs, the ending is all-important. The film ultimately is not about an intergenerational love affair (surely the most "shocking" aspect of the film), but about Harold learning to embrace life. And it is precisely to make as effective as possible Harold's decision to live life to the fullest (rather than continue to prefer to be dead) that it is first necessary to make his life miserable.
As insanely amusing as much of the movie is, it is also full of profundity after profundity from Maude, who is a nearly continuous font of wisdom, with laughter and humor being simply the most crucial values in her wisdom. When she asks Harold what he does for fun, he takes her to a picnic in a wrecking yard. She replies, "I'll grant you, it has a certain something. But is it enough?" When Harold declines her offer of wine, she replies, "Oh go on, it's organic." And most beautiful of all, when Harold says, "I don't want you to die, Maude. I love you," she replies with perfect calmness, "Harold, that's wonderful. Now go out and love some more." If you've been caught up in the genuine spirit of this movie, the line will not seem like some breezy brush-off, but may instead bring tears to your eyes.
The scene of Harold's grief after Maude's death, intercutting silent images of him waiting in a hospital room and driving recklessly around the Marin headlands in the Jaguar he has converted into a hearse while Cat Steven's song, "Trouble" plays, is very well-done and sets up the climax of the film beautifully. Cat Steven's soundtrack throughout, in fact, is a splendid selection of songs, and certainly makes clear that, however morbid things might seem, this film is ultimately life-affirming in a very profound way.
Having watched this movie many, many times and having yet to tire of it, it seems to me there is more to it than meets the eye. And not just because, when Harold gives Maude an engraved birthday gift, she says, "This is the nicest gift anyone has given me in a long time," and then throws it into the San Francisco Bay saying, "That way, I'll always know where it is." And not just because one eventually notices, in the briefest of passing shots, the tattoo of a concentration camp inmate on Maude's arm. In the final analysis, it seems to me that Harold is actually already dead. That his theatrical suicides aren't faked at all, but also don't succeed because he himself is not aware that he's actually dead. It's probably more accurate to say that the director pushes the narrative to the point where Harold seems to be actually dead and not just faking, precisely to make his choice of life at the end all the more inspiring.
And inspiring it is. Harold & Maude is not (alas) for everyone. A viewer who is hidebound like the movie's priest, colonel or mother (read church, state, authority) will find Maude's sometimes gentle, sometimes brash mocking of convention more annoying than enlightening, just as the (not depicted) sexual relationship between Harold and Maude is the thing many people who miss the point remember about the movie. To this, Maude might say, as she does to a police officer, "Don't be officious. You're not yourself when you're officious. That's the curse of a government job." Or as she says, when the priest replies that he didn't like the way she'd painted his statue of the Virgin Mary, "Give it time. It'll grow on you. Some things take a while to appreciate."

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Cort is Harold, a young man bored with wealth but interested in death, and Gordon is Maude, a wonderful old lady who can see nothing but good intentions in the world.Genre: Feature Film-ComedyRating: PGRelease Date: 1-MAR-2004Media Type: DVD

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Widescreen Edition) (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.
For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.
Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"
So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.
The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."
The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.
What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

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Fasten your garter belt and come up to the lab and see what's on the slab!It's The Rocky Horror Picture Show Special Edition, a screamingly funny, sinfully twisted salute to sci-fi, horror, B-movies and rock music, all rolled into one deliciously decadent morsel.And now there's even more to make you shiver with antici...pation:two additional musical numbers, "Once In A While" and "Superheroes", never seen theatrically or available on video!The madcap, musical mayhem begins when rain-soaked Brad and Janet take refuge in the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite mad scientist from outer space who is about to unveil his greatest creation - and have a bit of fun with his reluctant guests!Join Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and rock star Meat Loaf in the most popular cult classic of all time.

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2019 - After the Fall of New York (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Originally I thought 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) was a sequel to 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982), but that was wrong (the latter did have a sequel titled Bronx Warriors 2, released in 1983). This is actually a completely different rip off of John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), and one of the many post-apocalyptic future tales so prevalent in the early to mid 1980's. Co-written and directed by Sergio Martino (Screamers, Alligators, Atomic Cyborg), this Italia-Franco production stars Michael Sopkiw (Devil Fish, Blastfighter) in his screen debut. Also appearing is Valentine Monnier (Devil Fish, Three Men and a Cradle), Romano Puppo (Bronx Warriors 2), Anna Kanakis (The New Barbarians), George Eastman (1990: The Bronx Warriors), and Al Yamanouchi (2020 Texas Gladiators, Endgame, Warriors of the Year 2072).
We begin with a short introduction with Michael Sopkiw, obviously tacked on for this release, and then into the movie proper. As we scan over visages of once great, now destroyed cardboard miniature city (it must represent New York, as we also see a miniature of The Statue of Liberty), a voice over tells us it's been 20 years since the nuclear holocaust (initiated by the Euraks, a collective consisting of Euro/Afro/Asian countries) and because of the subsequent radiation, no new babies have been born (everyone's sterile, you see). We also learn the Euraks control the rubble that was once New York, utilizing squads of mercenary hunters as they progress with their `de-infestation' program (the killing of the scabby, mutated denizens...they save the not so damaged peoples for experimentation). After this we cut to the Nevada desert where we meet our shaggy hero, Parsifal (Sopkiw), participating in some sort of goofy demolition derby of death, which he wins, of course, but barely has time to enjoy his victory as he's kidnapped by some Pan American Confederacy goons and taken to a secret miniature base in Alaska. Turns out there is one fertile woman left in the world, and they want Parsifal to retrieve her so they can harvest her eggs, ensuring the survival of the human race. Only problem is the woman is in New York, which is controlled by the Euraks, who wouldn't mind getting their grubby mitts on her, as they're also struggling to break the sterility stalemate, but they're unaware she even exists (at least until Parsifal spills the beans...good job there, dingus...he wasn't even being tortured or anything). Accompanied by two Pan American aides, Parsifal and his companions make it into New York, which was the easy part...now all they have to do is get past the Euraks and the various gangs, find the woman, and get her out as the survival of mankind hangs in the balance...
My second foray into The Post Apocalyptic Collection (as stated on the DVD case for this film and that of 1990: The Bronx Warriors, both released by Media Blasters) proved to be a more enjoyable than the last one in 1990: The Bronx Warriors, as this film was just consistently more violent, featuring scenes of disembowelment, sonic torture, groin stabbing, head bashing, heads exploding, eye gouging, throat slashing, flamethrowers, laser guns, automotive mayhem, rats, and a whole lot more... Martino lays it on pretty thick, and that's a good thing because this film would have difficulty playing towards its other aspects, like the story, scripting, acting, etc. In terms of story, this one sticks much closer to that of Escape from new York, while 1990: The Bronx Warriors tended to be an amalgam of a couple of different films including Escape from New York and The Warriors. One thing that seemed odd to me was the use of so many different characters when less would have sufficed. Did Parsifal really need those two Pan American aides? One guy was supposed to be really strong and the other was supposed to be really familiar with the layout of New York...both of these aspects could have been worked into the story in such a way as to leave these characters out...also, the character of Giara, played by Monnier...at first we think she's the woman everyone is looking for, but turns out not to be true...she ends up being the love interest for Parsifal, but what's the point? So they can have an extremely lame and painful debate on whether or not mankind is worth saving? Ugh, just go waste some more Eurak punks, for God's sake...and the villains, one of them played by Anna Kanakis, were diluted solely on the fact that there were two (one would have been sufficient), neither of which had any great amount of screen time or struck me as being a particularly menacing characters. These elements do work against the plot, but at least it is strong enough to stand up and stay reasonable focused. In terms of characters there are plenty of them (whether they're needed or not) including a dwarf (whose name is Shorty...gee, that's not demeaning at all), the Rat Eater King (Yamanouchi), the Fu Manchu looking leader of a subterranean tribe that lives off rats, Big Ape (Eastman), leader of a tribe of devolved, Cro-Magnon types, and others...once past the miniatures, which were used solely to indicate location, the actual location shots looked applicable to the film and hinted at decent production values...although that New York Eurak stronghold looked a lot like a distillery to me, but you use what you can in the world of low budget filmmaking. The dialog was pretty awful (as expected), illustrated by the following line that occurred during a conversation between Parsifal and Giara, "If love had any meaning in this world, you'd be the one I love."...I don't even know what that means...here's another bit of flotsam spoken by Giara, "I'm really rooting for you to bring this mission off."...I was rooting for some tongues to be removed as not to have to listen to anymore of this craptacular interaction. At least the music was decent, the action consistent, and the violence ever present, making this an entertaining flick that rises (slightly) above its brethren.
Media Blasters provides an exceptionally good-looking, anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) print on this DVD release. The audio is very strong, and is available either in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround or Dolby Digital stereo. Special features include a short art gallery, an original theatrical trailer, and separate interviews with the director Sergio Martino (14:12), actors George Eastman (5:16), and Hal Yamanouchi (4:32).
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The Outer Limits Original Series Complete Box Set Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my second review in as many that has given a zero to the poor packaging and contents and higher marks to the show itself.Let's take a look at the show first and then we'll take a look at the rest.
This is one of the top Sci-Fi shows ever to appear on television.Created by Leslie Stevens and Joe Stefano the show made its' premiere in Sept. of 1963 and WHAT a premiere it was."The Galaxy Being" certainly scared the living begeesus out of me and I will never forget that.The whole look and feel was totally different and it definitely was not The Twilight Zone but a deep and darker version of it.Nothing that intense had been seen on TV before and nothing would equal it's impact for many years.The show was directly helmed by the team of Stefano and Stevens with Dominic Frontieres' great scoring in the background through all of season one.When Season two arrived all three had departed and were replaced by others.The format underwent minor changes but it basically stayed true to its' roots.The entire story is detailed wonderfully in the "Outer Limits Companion" by David Schow and Jeff Frentzen.
Some prefer one season over the other but there is much to recommend both.Season one has its' "Galaxy Being","The Zanti Misfits","Second Chance" ,"Production and Decay of Strange Particles" and "A Feasibility Study".Season Two "The Inheritors-Parts 1&2","Keeper of the Purple Twilight" and one of the entire series top eps "The Demon with the Glass Hand".The series is filled with many well known actors like Cliff Robertson,Ted Knight,Robert Culp,Ed Asner,Eddie Albert,Robert Duvall and so many more.There is also a huge Star Trek connection as William Shatner,Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan would all make appearances,along with many of the future shows supporting actors.The ep "Production and Decay..." contains at least five future Trek actors at once,including Leonard Nimoy!
The show never had a big budget and many of the shows today look dated as a result but in quite a few like "Demon...",the props are totally minimal and it is the great script,direction and acting that more than compensate for any shortcomings in the special effects department.That the show could do so much with so little at times,is a testament to the skill of everyone involved.
It is so unfortunate it only lasted two short seasons as the show should have gone many more.As one ep in the first season states:"Maybe young people are the only ones who listen and understand-you can't reach a closed mind".And so it was,as the almighty ratings beast dictated to the head network honchos just how they ought to proceed with shows;promising or not.The biggest shows' fans were the younger gen of the time who did write in frequently praising the show but it was the adults in the end who controlled the decision making of what to watch and they weren't generally impressed with the show;at least not enough for ABC to continue with it.To top this,in the second season it was put up against the ever popular(among the entire family) Jackie Gleason Show;and Gleason wasn't going anywhere.The show may have been cancelled but it has continued in syndication ever since staying in the collective memories of those who first saw it and gaining new fans along the way.
Now let's look at the presentation.The one thing positive about this new set is the price.The original release about eight years ago broke the series into two release sets and both at the same price(at least $10 higher than this set per season!).Everything else goes down hill from here.MGM has decided in their "wisdom" to re-release this set again in the double sided disc format.BAD choice,period.As I stated in my other recent review Universal and MGM(among others) have a fondness for this type of release;it is cheap and yields the greastest profit.DVDs are notoriously scuff and scratch prone and that alone should preclude any such release of this type if these companies actually cared about the product and consumers.
The second thing about this "new" set is...that it isn't.I do not see any difference in the transfer of this product onto DVD from the original release sets."A Feasibility Study" was particlularly grainy in the first release and it remains so in this one and all other eps with any excesses in this area are also the same.So the question presents itself:"Why?".Why would MGM not remaster these eps like they should be,after all this time?
I can certainly recommend the series itself as a groundbreaking one of its' day,as many of the eps still hold up very well,despite the budgetary restrictions.But it gets a zero as far as release presentation goes.It certainly is cheaper than the original release sets but it is just a simple re-packaging of the material on hand.Shame on MGM.

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Disc 1: The Outer Limits Vol. 1 Disc 1 Disc 2: The Outer Limits Vol. 1 Disc 2 Disc 3: The Outer Limits Vol. 2 Disc 1 Disc 4: The Outer Limits Vol. 2 Disc 2 Disc 5: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 1 Disc 6: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 2 Disc 7: The Outer Limits Vol. 3 Disc 3

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