Begotten (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)Is it compelling? Very. Is it arty? Often. Is it atmospheric? Indubitably. Is it entertaining? Rarely, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Begotten," a wildly inventive low budget film imagined and subsequently lensed by E. Elias Merhige will leave a lasting scar on anyone who watches his nightmarish vision. The celluloid equivalent of a bad dream best forgotten, Merhige's pet project continues to mark its viewers; I occasionally hear people discussing this movie even though it came out over ten years ago. No matter what you come away with after watching "Begotten," you will remember it for ages to come. Nothing approaches its visceral power, its unshakable commitment to weirdness, and its disgustingly haunting imagery. Yes, "Begotten" is all of these things to some and much less to many. I have seen it and still cannot define exactly what I saw or successfully integrate the various scenes into a coherent whole. Perhaps subsequent viewings will uncover a few more details, but I somehow rather doubt that it will. I hope it will be enough to cryptically smile and nod sagely in lieu of explaining the plot the next time someone I know mentions this film. If I ever have to explicate on Merhige's monster to save my life, I could be in a heap of trouble.
What is "Begotten"? It is roughly eighty minutes of a black and white movie showing scenes of mutilation, madness, and murder. The whole thing deals with a sort of primordial or futuristic creation/death ritual carried out between the gods and mankind, or at least I think it does from the few articles I have read about the movie. Probably the easiest scenes to discern are the opening ones, where the camera reveals a twitching creature with a substance disturbingly comparable to blood pouring out of its mouth. With some sort of razor, the being cuts open its own abdomen (in chunky detail) in order to give birth to a new life form. This new goddess and a weird creation coughing up what looks like a piece of meat go forth to encounter shambling primitives who eventually beat these creatures to death. The whole film moves at a snail's pace, with many of the later scenes nearly impenetrable to the eye even on a DVD transfer.
Far from being filmed in glaring color reminiscent of an episode of the Brady Bunch, "Begotten" uses a complicated technique to create a type of black and white picture rarely if ever seen by this viewer. The film employs deliberate scratches on the negative and some sort of treatment that makes the unearthly images contained within glow with a sickly light. There isn't a whit of discernable dialogue in the whole movie, with the only sounds being a discordant drone punctuated by occasional rattles, labored breathing, chimes, and the sounds of water. The sun rises and sets with alarming regularity, but this hint at the passage of time provides no respite for the viewer as the nightmare unfolds onscreen. I could so easily dismiss "Begotten" as utter garbage except for one niggling concern: I could rarely take my eyes off the television screen. What IS going on here? Who knows, but it carries an appeal similar to a car accident on the freeway.
Merhige should receive a compliment for at least trying to accomplish something different with this movie. I'm not surprised in the least to learn that Marilyn Manson retained his services to direct one of his music videos, either. In short, if "Begotten" isn't the strangest, eeriest thing you will ever watch, you have explored bleaker vistas than I. I should conclude with an apology for speaking about this film by using so many superlatives, but watch it and see why I did so.

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BEGOTTEN is the creation myth brought to life, the story of no less than the violent death of God and the (re)birth of nature on a barren earth.Astounding and baffling critics and audiences alike, BEGOTTEN was named one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1991 by Time Magazine. Time's Richard Corliss wrote: "Nobody will get through BEGOTTEN without being marked... BEGOTTEN is a spectacular one-of-a-kind (you wouldn't want there to be two), filmed in speckled chiaroscuro so that each image is a seductive mystery, a Rorschach test for the adventurous eye."In production notes for the film, director Merhige commented, "Each shot in the film went through hours of preparation to achieve the look you will experience when viewing... the etheral "pulse" that hypnotically permeates the film. It took over ten hours to re-photograph less than one minute of selected takes." The BEGOTTEN DVD special features include: a souvenir booklet; interactive menus; scene access; the original theatrical trailer; and rare, never-before-seen stills and color production photos.USA, 1991, 78 mins., black & white, digital sound, full format.Unrated.Suggested retail $29.95.

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The Secrets of Isis - The Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)There are specific wonderful, magical moments in most young boys' lives when they realize that they have an attraction to the opposite sex. Such was the case when hottie JoAnna Cameron donned her ancient Egyptian amulet and chanted toward the sky "Oh zephyr winds which blow high, lift me now so I can fly," and I was awakened to such childhood wonders! Isis was a generational inspiration in the pantheon of heroic 70's television babes that included Linda Carter's Wonder Woman, Lindsay Wagner as the Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels and Erin Gray's Wilma from Buck Rogers.
As science teacher Andrea Thomas, she had found the ancient amulet of Hatshepsut during an archeological dig which endowed upon her the powers of the ancient Egyptian goddess with the gifts of flight, speed, strength and telekinesis which were summoned when she intoned the sacred chants and using her powers selflessly to help those in need. Her secret identity was concealed even from her closest friends Rick Mason, Renee Carol and Cindy Lee, but known only to her faithful feathered companion, a black crow named Tut.
The Secrets of Isis began as part of the Shazam!/Isis hour on CBS in 1975 consisting of 15 episodes and spun-off into her own series the following year but lasted only 7 episodes. Isis would also crossover and appear in 3 episodes of Shazam! and later she appeared in animation form as a character of the Freedom Force on Tarzan and the Super 7.
Season 1
1.The Lights of Mystery Mountain (9/6/1975)
2. Fool's Dare(9/13/1975)
3. Spots of the Leopard (9/20/1975)
4. The Sound of Silence(9/27/1975)
5. Rockhound's Roost (10/4/1975)
6. Lucky(10/11/1975)
7. Bigfoot(10/18/1975)
8. How to Find a Friend (10/25/1975)
9. The Showoff(11/1/1975)
10. The Outsider(11/8/1975)
11. No Drums, No Trumpets (11/15/1975)
12. Funny Girl(11/22/1975)
13. Girl Driver (11/29/1975)
14. Scuba Duba Doo(12/6/1975)
15. Dreams of Flight(12/13/75)
Season 2
16. Seeing Eye Horse (9/11/1976)
17. The Hitchhiker (9/18/1976)
18. The Class Clown (9/25/1976)
19. The Cheerleader (10/2/1976)
20. Year of the Dragon (10/9/1976)
21. Now You See It... (10/16/1976)
22. ...And Now You Don't 10/23/1976
The Secrets of Isis - The Complete Series" soars onto DVD on July 24th and will enchant you with the following special features:
* Spotlight Interviews (two hours) with cast members and crew from "The Secrets of Isis": Producers Lou Scheimer and Richard M. Rosenbloom, stars Brian Cutler, Joanna Pang and Ronalda Douglas, writers David Dworski, Michael Reaves and David Wise, designer Bob Kline and Assistant Director Henry J. Lange Jr.
* Audio Commentary Track for "Dreams of Flight" with Richard M. Rosenbloom, David Dworski and Henry J. Lange, Jr. Hosted by Andy Mangels
* Rare Footage: Morals, Commercial Bumpers and Alternate Credits
* Isolated Music And Effects Track for some episodes
* Three Extensive Photo Galleries from "The Secrets of Isis": Promotional Photos, Behind the Scenes Photos, Memorabilia Photos
* Bluewater Production's 22 page New "Legend of Isis" Comic Book
* Bonus episode of Freedom Force starring Isis: "The Plant Soldiers"
* DVD ROM - 22 Scripts and more (PC/MAC compatible)
* Booklet with Episode Guide and Trivia
* English and Spanish Language Audio Tacks
* Ink & Paint Trailers
"Oh my queen!" said the royal sorcerer to Hatshepsit, with this amulet you and your decendants are endowed by the goddess Isis, with the powers of the animals and elements. You will soar as the falcon soars, run with the speed of the gazelles and command the elements of sky and earth!"
3000 years later, a young science teacher dug up this lost treasure and found she was heir to... the secrets of Isis!
And so, unknown to even her closest friends, Rick Mason and Cindy Lee, she became a dual person - Andrea Thomas, teacher...
"Oh Mighty Isis!"
...and Isis! Dedicated foe of evil. Defender of the weak. Champion of truth and justice.

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Oh Mighty Isis! She was Saturday morning's first live-actionsuper-heroine, saving lives and stopping crime in a mini-skirt and go-goboots on The Secrets of Isis! When science teacher Andrea Thomas uneartheda lost treasure on an archeological dig, she found that the mystical amuletendowed her with the powers given to the ancient Egyptian Queen, Isis! Nowgranted the powers of animals and the elements, Isis soars as the falconsoared, runs with the speed of gazelles, and commands the elements of thesky and the earth. Although her secret identity is unknown to even herclosest friends, fellow teacher Rick Mason, or students Cindy Lee and ReneeCarrol, Andrea uses her powers as Isis to stop criminals, save lives, rightwrongs, and teach valuable lessons... sometimes with the aid of fellow heroCaptain Marvel (Shazam!). Now available on DVD for the first time, theentire two seasons of The Secrets of Isis contain a treasure-trove ofspecial features, and all the super-powered goodness that the heroinerepresented. Now, you too can be the heir to...The Secrets of Isis!

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Twin Peaks - The First Season (Special Edition) (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the spring of 1990, the ABC network treated it's viewers to a most unusual viewing experience; the David Lynch and Mark Frost creation "Twin Peaks". A hybrid murder/mystery, primetime soap opera, darkly funny comedy and super- natural thriller...Twin Peaks was all of these and yet at the same time none. It would use what on other shows would be clichés to create a richly woven tapestry so original, thought provoking and emotionally truthful that it re- defined what television at it's best could truly be. At times it was hilarious and absurd, other times it was heart-wrenching in it's honesty of human emotion and suffering, and still other times it was deeply chilling and disturbing with images you can't easily shake off days after...and sometimes it was all these things at once. There had never been anything even remotely like it on TV before and (so far) nothing like it since. It's influence can be seen in countless other programs...but only elements, no one has achieved the true artistry that "Twin Peaks" had. Being a mid-season replacement series, the whole of it's first season was only 7 episodes and had much of America asking the question "Who killed Laura Palmer?".
The series' was set in the fictional, northwestern town of Twin Peaks, where the murdered body of local homecoming queen, Laura Palmer is found on a beach wrapped in plastic. This event sets the stage for the arrival of FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and the subsequent investigation as to the identity of her killer. It is this investigation that will uncover the quiet trappings of this small mountain town to reveal dark secrets hidden within and and even darker things lurking without. He will encounter a remarkable cast of characters, all with their own personal agendas.
"Twin Peaks" was and still remains groundbreaking television of the first order. It was stylistically cinematic, each episode looks very much like an hour long feature film with an equally impressive soundtrack presentation. It was incredibly well written (with so many quotable lines the mind boggles at them all) with fabulous characters, a wonderful sense of humor and a shadowy (and sometimes very scary) sense of mystery. The large ensemble cast of MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Piper Laurie, Sherylynn Fenn, Laura Flynn Boyle, Peggy Lipton, Miquel Ferrer, Ray Wise, Joan Chen and far too many more to list here are all uniformly excellent in their respective rolls.
For "Twin Peaks"' debut on DVD, Artisan Home Entertainment has put together a very nice set featuring episodes 1 thru 7 (unfortunately the 2 hr. pilot is missing due to rights issues, originally owned by Warner Bros. it is now owned by Paramount). The packaging is a slick fold-out design with transparent slip case, much like the design of Fox's X-Files box sets. 4 discs are included.
With only 2 episodes per disc, these transfers are mastered at a very high bit rate and the results are stunning. Having been used to the soft, grainy picture afforded by the previous video versions of the series, I was quite unprepared for the unbelievable picture quality delivered on this release. These new high definition, re-mastered transfers are breathtaking, with colors rendered perfectly (the green opening titles nearly leap off the screen). Blacks are solid with excellent shadow detail, flesh tones are accurately reproduced and the show's red color schemes have never looked better (without a trace of bleeding). No digital artifacts are present and I never noticed any signs of edge enhancement, all in all an incredible job.
The same can be said for the sound presentation here, you can choose between Dolby digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 surround or (in a first for any television DVD product) DTS digital surround. These are very good mixes, the DTS surround being the best. The surround elements are reserved mostly to ambient sounds and Angelo Badalamenti's brilliant music, dialogue is placed mostly in the center and is clear and intelligible. This is television and not a Hollywood action spectacular so don't expect reference quality surround use, but a detailed sound mix perfectly suited to the show. Badalamenti's score is especially well presented here.
I would suggest to first time viewers to try and get hold of the pilot episode. Although it has an alternate ending filmed as a possible "closed" ending for European markets, it is actually an uncut version of Cooper's dream in episode 2. You can also purchase an import DVD of the pilot from Amazon.com which is the original broadcast version, the video and audio is not as pleasing as on the set reviewed here but still it is acceptably good. Artisan has included a booklet with the season 1 set explaining the events of the pilot but I would suggest viewing it if possible before viewing ep.1 thru 7. With each show being a day in the investigation, viewers will likely be lost without the events of the pilot to start from.
Overall a very impressive set from Artisan. If you missed this extraordinary show before, don't miss it this time. And please hurry up with Season 2.

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Item Name: Twin Peaks - The First Season (Special Edition); Studio:Republic Pictures

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Betty Blue (Unrated Director's Cut) (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)Betty Blue is touted as an "erotic drama" by the distributor, a tag which sells the film grossly short. It certainly has frank depictions of sexuality and much nudity -- after all, this is a film that opens on a real-time extended sequence shot of two people having sex -- but to call this erotica is to miss the complete picture.
Betty Blue is an organic look at a troubled relationship in all its glory and ugliness, tenderness and violence, joys and sorrows, made possible by the director's sympathetic and unembarrassed eye, and the sheer dedication of lead actors Jean-Hugues Anglade and Beatrice Dalle. Seldom has a cinematic couple been better paired, and seldom with so much chemistry. Dalle conveys a world of psychological complexity in her face, her eyes seeming to shift with her inner beats. Dalle received the bulk of the attention for this, her breakthrough role, so it might be easy to overlook Jean-Hugues Anglade, a fantastic actor who's every bit as good as Gerard Depardieu, perhaps even half a notch above Jean Reno. In reality, he is the anchor for the film's wrenching emotional journey. When Zorg plays the piano theme for Betty, easily the loveliest scene in the film, Anglade's eyes seem to dance, and the actors say more with their looks during their moments together than all the sex scenes in the world. Thanks to the deft direction, all those nude scenes don't seem like titillation -- merely an illuminating fly-on-the-wall view into the relationship. This couple certainly seems like the type who would be comfortable being naked around each other, and those scenes create a sense of genuine intimacy, rather than intent to arouse.
If there's one thing this film does well, it is the mixture of comedic and tragic scenes which makes it seem such a complete picture. Betty is not always wild and uncontrolled; Zorg is not always patient and loving. They are two flawed characters, made all the more likeable because of their flaws, and their interactions make us laugh, smile in understanding, frown, and cry.
This extended edition makes the film far better. It's been about 10 years since I last saw it so I can't make very specific comparisons. But the restored scenes are substantial, not cosmetic addition of shots, but an explosion of the story, and while I can't name too many specifics, as a whole this version just feels more right, more natural, and more emotional.
Look beyond the film's "erotic" reputation and find a character study, and a portrayal of a relationship, which is as moving as any I've seen.

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Zorg lives a quiet and peaceful life, working diligently and writing in his spare time. Until Betty walks into his life, a young woman who is as beautiful as she is wild and unpredictable. When Betty's wild manners start to get out of control, Zorg is forced to watch the woman he loves slowly go insane. Featuring French Superstars Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle. From Jean-Jacques Beineix, the acclaimed director of the cult art house favorite, Diva. The sexy cult classic is now available from the first time on DVD and it's the unrated director's cut! Academy Award® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

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My Bloody Valentine (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)Remember those heady days in the late 1970s and early 1980s when films like "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" attained stellar success at the box office, resulting in a slew of holiday themed copycats? Movies like "April Fool's Day," "My Bloody Valentine," and "Graduation Day" arrived on the scene and dropped off the radar just as rapidly. Thanks to the appearance of DVD players, these films are reappearing with a disturbing rapidity. Unfortunately, the movies aren't much better than they were when they first came out. This is especially true for Paramount's release of the 1981 slasher film "My Bloody Valentine." At the time, Paramount demanded a mountain of cuts from director George Mihalka in order to avoid a dreaded 'X' rating for graphic violence. That's acceptable for a theatrical release, but a DVD version should reinsert all of the gory footage. Well, this release is the boring old 'R' rated version, and to make matters worse Paramount technicians included nothing else with the movie: no stills, no commentaries, no behind the scenes stuff, and no trailers. Get with the program, Paramount! The customer who will buy this movie on DVD is a genre fan; they want to see all of those gory killings you lopped off with indifference.
"My Bloody Valentine" takes place in a little mining town called Valentine Bluffs. We don't really know the location of the town, but the accents of the some of the characters hint at a Canadian setting somewhere near Quebec. Some years before a terrible mining accident resulting in the deaths of several miners caused Harry Warden to snap. Warden went on a killing spree through the town on the night of the Valentine's Day dance. Ever since then, the authorities in Valentine Bluffs banned parties on Valentine's Day, ever mindful of Harry Warden's threat to wreak bloody havoc on the town if they held another dance. Harry Warden, for the record, was one of the survivors of the mining accident, an accident caused by negligence on the part of two of the supervisors. After his murderous spree, Warden ended up in an insane asylum and the town slowly forgot his grim threats.
Now it's the present (or at least 1981), and the mineworkers want to have another holiday party. The authorities, which include a neurotic mayor and a police chief who looks like Steve McQueen from a distance, are willing to go along with the idea of a celebration. Then the valentines start showing up, one of which contains a bloody human heart. The mayor and police chief initially try to keep the threat hush-hush, but a few more murders persuade them to cancel the dance. The young people in town throw a fit, deciding that they will still have a party but hold it at the mine instead. You can guess what happens from this point on: bodies drop like flies as a madman in mining gear (gas mask, helmet, black clothing, and pickax) works his way through the group of bubbleheads. As the chief desperately attempts to track down the whereabouts of Harry Warden, a group of especially idiotic partygoers head down into the mine for a few yucks. The last twenty minutes of the film take place in the darkly atmospheric mine, as the killer picks off several of the kids in the quarry. There's a twist ending that achieves only a moderate level of interest, and then the whole thing ends.
"My Bloody Valentine" is a major rip off of other slasher films. This movie even has its own version of "Crazy Ralph" from "Friday the 13th" in the form of a testy bar owner who continually spouts stories about Harry Warden and the foolishness of throwing another party. You just know this guy is going to get his, and he does, but I kept wondering how he got any business. Who wants to go to a place where the proprietor keeps talking about gruesome murders? The other characters fall into typical slasher movie typecasting as well: the two guys fighting over the girl, the ineffective police chief and mayor who try to ignore the warning signs until it's too late, and the omnipresent killer. When it comes to original and engaging characters, "My Bloody Valentine" doesn't offer much except stereotypes with bad haircuts. Horror movie buffs should take note of Ray Sager's name (as first assistant director) in the credits: Sager played Montag the Magnificent in H.G. Lewis's "The Wizard of Gore."
At first, the gore seems to promise that "My Bloody Valentine" is a step above your typical slasher film. The heart in the box is gruesome, but after that initial shocker the movie steps back into rather banal exercises in the sauce department. The heavy handed editing is to blame here, as nearly every murder that takes place either happens completely off camera (the idea of it!), or cuts away before the serious bloodletting starts. There are places where you can discover what Paramount removed to get that all-important 'R' rating, and it's obvious that this film would have been much better if we could have seen the full effect of the killer's actions. A boiled face, a hook through the head, and a body in a laundromat dryer sound great on paper, but the execution suffers horribly because we never get the full, grotesque effect. It's the equivalent of watching a Richard Pryor concert with all of the profanity bleeped out. I pray Paramount comes to their senses and finally releases this film, along with the first eight "Friday the 13th" movies, in uncut formats. "My Bloody Valentine," as it stands now, falls squarely into the "rent, not buy" category: an interesting film with great promise, but an ultimate failure due to circumstances beyond the control of the cast and crew.

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Item Name: My Bloody Valentine; Studio:Lions Gate

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Piranha (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)Where would we be without the venerable Roger Corman? Lovers of B-movie madness would likely have a lot more time on their hands to read books, interact with family, or take part in generally otherwise fulfilling life experiences had old Rog chosen a different career path. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, Corman sat out in Hollywood for three or four decades making low budget exploitation films. He also tried to cash in on every movie fad in modern cinema. And I do mean EVERY fad. You see, Roger had a dream to take an idea and make a profitable picture out of it that would entertain the masses. The problem was that someone else invariably had the idea first. Thus Lucas's "Star Wars" allowed Corman to unleash "Battle Beyond the Stars" on an unsuspecting public. Car chase movies saw Roger replying with "Grand Theft Auto" and "Eat My Dust." I could go on and on. There wasn't anything Corman couldn't do with someone else's idea. Perhaps the best example is "Piranha," a 1978 ripoff of Spielberg's "Jaws." This film made our man a lot of money, which allowed him to make even more spectacular ripoffs for years to come.
The flick starts with a couple of kids breaking into some sort of rundown fish hatchery for an evening swim. Something in the water kills them. End of movie. Seriously, something rather nasty does do away with the two idiots. We then see an insurance investigator by the name of Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies on loan from Julie Andrews) heading out to discover what happened to these two dolts. She rather quickly hooks up with an embittered alcoholic with a penchant for flannel named Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman channeling Grizzly Adams) who lives in a cabin down by the river. Somehow or other Maggie convinces Paul to head over to the fish hatchery with her. Sure enough they discover that something sinister has been going on there under the aegis of Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy). How do we know this? Because there's lots of nasty looking scientific stuff lying around all over the place. Anyway, Hoak eventually lets our two heroes in on a little secret: the government paid him a bunch of money to create a breed of piranha as part of some weapons program. Personally, I'm for anything that keeps communists out of our swimming pools, lakes, and rivers.
While all this nonsense goes on we know the piranha have escaped from the hatchery (thanks Maggie and Paul!) and are preparing a full-scale assault on the human race. A few locals fall prey first, but the real threat is the summer camp and an aquatic park downriver. Just to ratchet up the emotional element of the film a bit, we also learn that Paul's daughter is currently attending the camp. Oh dear! It's a race against time as Paul and Maggie set out with the twitchy Dr. Hoak in tow to stop the madness. As for the folks at the camp and the park, they haven't a clue as to what's about to happen. The only concern at the camp is the fascistic machinations of Mr. Dumont (Paul Bartel), a guy who takes great joy in ordering kids into the water and snooping on the foxy female counselors. At the water park, the owner plans on making a bundle on opening day and couldn't care less if a battleship full of exposed nuclear waste sailed into harbor. You can pretty much guess what happens in the last part of the film. Screaming, blood in the water, and a lot of out of shape Americans in unflattering bathing suits thrashing around on the beach in agonies. Fun!
I don't know whether to laugh or cry with this one, folks. Lots of people adore this film, and I probably would to if I'd seen it as a wee lad. I didn't, and I'm not that impressed. The swarms of piranha zipping through the water look so like the pieces of plastic they are that it's tough not to snicker. It's even worse when we see them up close chattering away on an exposed leg or belly. We're definitely looking at cheesefest central on a buck and a half budget here. At the same time, I did find a lot to like about the film. Seeing veteran horror babe Barbara Steele popping up from time to time as a government scientist named Dr. Mengers was a nice surprise, although she's largely wasted in the role. Kevin McCarthy plays frazzled well, and the script requires him to morph into a sniveling wimp for most of his screen time. Heck, we even see Richard Deacon (Mel from "The Dick Van Dyke Show") in a small role as Maggie's boss. Can't beat that. The talent behind the camera is moderately impressive too considering the budget. Joe Dante directed this flick, and John Sayles wrote the script. Both men went on to greater success, Dante with "Gremlins" and Sayles with "Eight Men Out," "The Howling," and several other mainstream movies.
Extras on the disc include a commentary track, extra footage, bloopers, and a few other odds and ends. Corman apparently took this film, or at least a similar concept, to television in the mid-1990s. If so, I haven't seen that version and thus cannot make a comparison. If the remake, or retread, or whatever it is looks and sounds like this movie, more laughs await us. Corman continues to churn out pap at an alarming rate, and has even recently inked a deal with Disney that will release his entire catalogue on DVD and keep it in circulation until the sun burns out. I've dogged on Corman quite a bit, but I do appreciate his films. If nothing else they are entertaining, and this one definitely works most of the time.

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Shin Chan: Season One, Part One Review

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(More customer reviews)Shin Chan is an anime in Japan for kids, however, the adapted series for America is far from it. Adult Swim and Funimation re-wrote the dialogue of the show to suit the viewers of Adult Swim. Cultural references are also changed to things Americans can relate to. This box set is the collection of the six "test" episodes as well as the sixteen episodes Adult Swim picked up to complete the full season. This dvd set is defidently a must buy if you do not offend easily.

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"While the humor is gross, potty-mouthed and generally exceedingly strange, it’s also damn funny." ---Newsarama.com Shin Chan…first time on DVD! Laugh to hide your tears… He’s rude. He’s crass. He’s unbelievably obnoxious and he likes showing his @$$. He’s Shin, and he’s the star of this train wreck. From superhero sell-outs, hotties and half-tards to bunny abuse and dirty old men, Shin chan gives unwholesome family fun a whole new spin… Silicone enhanced! Learn the fate of Whitey, poke fun at Mitzi’s breasts or follow along on Ench-Man’s quests – It’s your choice! With 13 outrageous uncensored episodes the possibilities are endless! Wanna play a game of hide and drink? Falling off the wagon is always better with company! Shin chan: The show with very little adventure but plenty of action!?!

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Commando (Director's Cut) (1985) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far one of the greatest movies of the century. I can't believe what an awesome movie it is. It has no morals, no lessons to teach, no political statements, no coherence, and no sense whatsoever. When Schwarzenegger's beloved daughter is kidnapped by a psychotic dictator, he doesn't try to reason with the bad guys or take precautions like most action heroes would. He just goes bonkers and starts killing everyone in sight. The movie is packed with fantastic scenes such as Arnie crashing a car at about 80 mph, without a seatbelt, and being perfectly fine, Arnie tearing a phone booth out of a wall, Arnie punching a guy through a wall, etc. It's gloriously entertaining.
Also, despite his reputation for bad acting, he delivers all his lines with perfect comic timing ("Let off some steam, Bennett"). Bennett is also a great character, but no match for Arnold. You'd have to be completely devoid of personality to not find this at least slightly entertaining.
This is my favorite film of all time, hands down. Buy it, don't think about it. It will be the greatest investment you ever make for an action flick of the 80's.
10/10 stars. Seriously.

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COMMANDO DIRECTOR'S CUT - DVD Movie

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Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are a casual or even huge Cheech & Chong fan, you will find something that you will enjoy in this DVD. For the casual fan, you will see all of the classic C&C bits, but for the hardcore fan, you will get so much more. Old faves are flipped in new ways, updated for the times, making them even more hilarious than the first time around, & various characters that the duo have performed as make appearances throughout as well. Also, you get a bit of Shelby Chong's performance & bits of Tommy Chong doing solo bits about pot (duh) & being incarcerated for selling bongs (see the documentary "a/k/a Tommy Chong" for more information). The production quality is top notch, & the program flows so well, interweaving between stage bits & backstage or character bits.
Even better, this show was shot in my hometown (San Antonio TX) at a theatre (The Majestic Theatre) that I have been to many times. I have even been on the outside balcony area that the two end up on trying to smoke a fatty in the DVD (don't want to give to much away, but it is one of the funniest parts). Also, make sure to stick around until after the credits for a quick bonus. Dave was here.

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Cheech and Chong are back in an all new adventure as they bring their hilarious antics on stage across America. The tour has been a resounding success with sellouts at almost every venue in every major city in the U.S. and Canada. In Hey Watch This, the hilarious footage, directed by Christian Charles (Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedian), captures the essence of the live Cheech and Chong that has made them fan favorites in today’s society across all demographics and generations.

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Godzilla DVD Collection 7-Pack (Godzilla (1998) / Godzilla 2000 / vs. King Ghidora / and Mothra The Battle for Earth / vs. Destoroyah / vs. Space Godzilla / vs. Mechagodzilla / Giant Monsters All Out Attack / vs. Megaguirus) (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, these are all good to excellent Godzilla
flicks - lots of fun and worth owning. I give 2 stars
because if you don't happen to already own any of these,
you can at least get an instant collection for a fairly
good deal (low price).
The bad news is for those who are not new to Godzilla and
who have a collection already: all Sony did, from the looks
of it, is bundle up the back stock of previously released dvds.
There are no decent extras to speak of. This collection
features 9 movies on 7 disks as follows (two disks are double
features).
The Good:
Yes, there is some good here! The following are how ALL the
movies should have been handled and would have made this a more
solid effort on Sony's part:

Godzilla x Megaguirus, GMK and Godzilla x Mechagodzilla are
all in High Definition, offer English and Japanese soundtracks
and english subtiltles, which is the way ALL Godzilla flicks
should be presented in this day and age of DVDs. The Bad:
Godzilla x Mothra Battle for Earth and Godzilla x Ghidorah.
A travesty because these are STILL not presented in their
original aspect ration; they have NO JAPANESE soundtrack and don't
even have close captioning/English Subs. These are the exact
same Full Screen-No Frills copies that have been floating around
for years - whats up with Columbia Tristar!?
Godzilla x Space Godzilla and Godzilla x Destroyah. Great
flicks which are at least in widescreen. Columbia Tristar
still held off from including a Japanese soundtrack!
Godzilla 2000 - still just an English dub here folks, sorry.
At least its in widescreen; there is also a comentary track and
a few other nice extras which lift this disk up a bit.
The Ugly:
Godzilla 1998 - including this movie was weak. It isn't
all that bad if you can forget it bears the title of a
Godzilla movie because that's where any similarities end. It
doesn't need further comment except to say its a dinosaur
movie with lots of CGI effects and no heart. Its worth
seeing for the general viewer of hollywood style flicks.
In conclusion, Sony didn't do anything to make this a more
interesting collection for the long-time, long-term fan. I'm
not as sour on Sony/Columbia Tristar as I may sound here, but
this release just doesn't have anything extra.
Sony will have little to say to those who seek out bootlegs
or versions released from other countries in order to view
the movies as they were originally released.
50th Anniversary Editions:
Better news is that the other earlier 70s Godzilla flicks
(GxMegalon, GxGigan, GxMechaGodzilla etc.) were released
with English and Japanese dubs. Hoo-Ray for Columbia Tristar!

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GODZILLA COLLECTOR'S BOX SET 7PK - DVD Movie

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The Job - The Complete Series (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a mid-season filler for "NYPD Blue", "The Job" turned out to be one of the best shows aired in a long time. With a sharp-witted irreverant script and a uniformly great cast, it should have run longer than 19 episodes.
Denis Leary, co-creator, co-producer and co-writer (with Peter Tolan) stars as unscrupulous Mike MacNeil, a pill-popping chain-smoking NYC Detective trying to keep his wife/family, 26 year old girlfriend and job all in balance. When the show ended, everything was unravelling in his life....
The rest of the cast is just too good to single anyone out, even with the recurring "guest" roles - with one stand out there being Janet Hubert-Whitten. Although listed as appearing in only four episodes as Bill Nunn's (Pip) iron fisted domineering wife Adina, her presence is felt in nearly every episode looming over the whipped Pip like a dark menacing cloud.
Nothing whatever is sacred whether it be race, religion or severed body parts. Case in point would be Lt. Williams, played in the pilot episode by Richard Gant, who can't remember the two Hispanic detective's names and calls them rice and beans ("I've been a detective for 36 years...I'm too old to learn new names")
While many things in the show would be offensive if they were played straight, the brilliant scripts don't pull it's punches on any topic and delivers dead-pan humor with gleeful zest.
The four DVD set comes nicely packaged and has few, but substantial extras, including interviews and a gag reel. Definitely one of the best releases of the year!

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The critically-acclaimed, gritty comedy starring Denis Leary now on DVD!All 19 episodes on 4 DVDs!Mike McNeil (Denis Leary) is a self-medicating, hard-drinking, decorated New York City detective with a wife, a mistress and a crush on a coworker. Surrounded by a partner and fellow squad members who are just as colorful, McNeil pursues his uniquely unconventional, yet effective, approach to crime solving while attempting to manage the chaos of his personal life.Originally broadcast on ABC in 2001, The Job was shot entirely on location in New York City, giving the show a gritty look to match its always edgy comedy. Special Features: Interview/Commentary with creators Denis Leary & Peter Tolan Gag Reel

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Jacob's Ladder (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)I wonder if this movie could be made today - after all, it doesn't have any computer-generated special effects, it demands the viewer's complete attention, and really needs to be seen more than once to appreciate fully the meaning of all of the scenes. Incredible too is that the writer (Bruce Joel Rubin) was working on the filming of this and his more popular movie "Ghost" at the same time. Director Adrian Lynne wisely avoided some of the more sacharrine touches that Rubin had in the original script (such as the view of "Heaven") and added many subtle disturbing elements of his own. The final result is a film that you will think about long after you see it, a man's journey through the bardo state to his final enlightenment. In a way, this is the cinematic equivalent of a Pettersson symphony - an emotional catharsis after the long, dark night of the soul. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry like a baby every time I watch it.
Comparisons with Bierce's "Occurrance at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Carnival of Souls" are inevitable and not out of place, but "Jacob's Ladder" has more layers than either of those and ambitiously takes on the psychological layers of one man's life, the tension between the comforts of home, wife and family and the unfufilled desires he harbors.
There are some violent scenes and very disturbing imagery throughout the movie; after all, it *is* about war, fear, and death. However, none of it is gratuitous, and the use of strobe lighting, quick cuts, and odd camera angles keep the viewer from being able to see anything definite. But don't say you weren't warned....
The DVD's documentary and deleted scenes, along with the director's commentary, will enable the first-time viewer to get a more complete idea of what is happening. I've watched this film at least a dozen times, and never fail to see something new in it each time. Sound and image quality are excellent.
This one isn't for casual viewing; it is *certainly* not a Saturday-night time killer, nor is it a "horror" movie in the standard sense of the term. Still, absolutley my highest recommendation.

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A Vietnam vet, back at home in New York City, finds himself losing his grip on reality, in a horrifying way; only his friend can help him.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: RRelease Date: 22-AUG-2006Media Type: DVD

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Space 1999 - 30th Anniversary Edition Megaset (17DVD) (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)As soon as we got this in, we opened a set and checked it out...
This so-called digitally remastered 30th Anniversary edition is NO DIFFERENT than the older Mega Set...just slimmer packaging. You still see all the spots, smudges, hairs, graininess. The only reason to buy this is if you have not already gotten the older set and want to save some money. Sad, really, that we did not get the better UK remastered product.

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All 48 episodes of this acclaimed space adventure are contained in this complete collection, digitally remastered from the original 35mm film, plus bonus footage, featured extras, and much more! With its progressive plotlines, an outstanding cast, and astonishing special effects from Oscar® winner Brian Johnson (Alien, The Empire Strikes Back), SPACE: 1999 has secured its place as one of the most thought-provoking series of the 21st century—and beyond.

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Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition) (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)Its about time. What more can we say? Anchor Bay has decided to release its ultimate DVD edition of George A. Romero's epic Zombie film, Dawn of the Dead. Here are the specs.
DISC 1: The origian unrated director's cut. NOT THE EXTENDED EDITION, which is not truly Romero's director's cut. This disc includes commentary with George Romero, Tom Savini, and Chris Romero along with Theatrical trailers and radio spots.
DISC 2: The extended edition, often mistaken for a 'director's cut.' This disc includes an additional 12 minutes of glorious footage. Also includes commentary by producer Richard Rubinstein, who also helmed the recent Dawn of the Dead remake. The disc has a commercial for the Monroville Mall and a memorabilia gallery.
DISC 3: The Dario Argento cut. This version of the film has less humor and more drama, released in Europe with additional music from Goblin. This version includes commentary by all four stars of the film.
DISC 4: This disc contains several documentaries including the all new THE DEAD WALK (75 min) and the classic DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD; a feature-length documentary shot during the making of Dawn of the Dead. This disc also includes home movies from the set and a tour of the Monroeville Mall with actor Ken Foree.
Buy this DVD set, you won't be sorry. Even if you haven't seen the film, for any zombie fan, this is a must own.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: DVDArtist: DAWN OF THE DEADTitle: DAWN OF THE DEADStreet Release Date: 09/07/2004

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The Stepfather (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)i couldn't be happier that this movie has finally found it's way to dvd. one of my all time favorites and what was becoming the "holy grail" of movies to find on dvd. the transfer looked good without any obvious "cleaning up" of the scenes for dvd. i wish there were a few more special features but i am happy they included "the stepfather cronicles" because i love hearing the behind the scenes workings of my favorites. terry o'quinn does an acting tour de force as jerry blake, the stepfather. he so completely inhabits the role that i am suprised and thankful that he was not type cast after this role.i read somewhere one time that his role as the stepfather was a cross between mr. rogers and mark harmon. i can see that. it may not be hamlet or macbeth but it is damn fine acting. jill shoelen is great as the daughter. i am so happy to hear that the dvd release may have brought her back to the conscience of producers and casting directors. this is a great movie that possibly gets a bad rap as "horror" or "slasher" neither of which it is. it is a great movie about one mans struggle to make his world the way he believes it should be and treating it, and everyone around him, like an "etch o sketch" when they inevitably disappoint him. he simply reinvents himself elsewhere and then cleans up the mess at home before embarking on to his new existence. do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

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Jerry Blake (Terry O Quinn, Lost) is a man obsessed with having the perfect American Dream life: including the house with the white picket fence in the suburbs, an adoring wife and loving children. He believes he has found it when he marries Susan Maine and becomes the stepfather to her 16-year-old daughter, Stephanie. But Stephanie gets an uneasy feeling when she is around Jerry with his Father Knows Best attitude: she can see that there is a darker side behind his cheerful exterior. Could she just be going through the typical teenager rebellion against her new stepfather, or is he actually the same man who brutally murdered his family just one year earlier?

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)Joss Whedon was so upset with the way things were going on the set of the movie, for which he wrote the screenplay but over which he exercised no artistic control, that he walked off the set. Indeed, this is a very hard movie to watch today after the TV series. I did, in fact, moderately enjoy the movie when it first came out. I actually appreciated and enjoyed the absurd tension contained in the title, an airhead bimbo cheerleader called upon to be her generation's vampire slayer. But viewed today, the movie isn't terribly successful, and is in fact made much worse by the genius of the television series. It isn't just a question of Sarah Michelle Gellar being more appealing in the title role than Kristy Swanson (though SMG's much smaller stature increases the paradox of a tiny girl beating up large, supernaturally strong vampires) or the movie missing all the familiar characters of the show; the movie is almost completely devoid of its own style, look, and feel. Although the TV series started off on a tiny budget, it instantly had a compelling look and visual style that the movie completely lacks. Furthermore, on TV they managed a coolness and hipness that the movie never comes close to. Unfortunately, the series has pretty much reduced the movie to a curio.
Many talk of the movie falling short of Joss Whedon's vision in writing the original script. Actually, overall the plot isn't too terribly different. Buffy doesn't burn down the gym at the end in the movie as Whedon wrote, but while there are many stylistic differences, many of the main plot elements were retained. I find the main difference between the movie and the series to be in the "how" they tell the story rather than the "what" in the story. Cleverness and intelligence permeates the TV show; the movie is nearly entirely devoid of those qualities. Take the death of vampires. In the movie, they get staked and simply fall down. In the TV series, they explode, which is not merely a spectacular special effect used to great purpose, but, as Joss Whedon mentions on the DVD commentary, leaves less clean up as there are not bodies. Also, in the movie, there isn't anywhere near the emotional depth that one finds in the series.
Another part of the problem with the movie is the casting. Kristy Swanson isn't bad except when compared to Gellar, but Donald Sutherland is just dreadful. He plays his part as if he were a cartoon character, with a degree of camp that subtracts considerably from his humanity. In fact, the performances are almost uniformly awful. Not just Sutherland, but Rutger Hauer (someone I have loved in many other movies, especially in his Dutch films) and Paul Reubens create one almost unwatchable scene after another. David Arquette is at his worst here as well. In fact, the vampires are both poorly conceived and horribly executed, in contrast to the TV series. Many have noted the number of performers in supporting roles who later became well known, such as Ben Affleck, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and Hillary Swank (not to mention Stephen Root, who memorably played Milton the stapler guy in OFFICE SPACE)
On top of all this, the thing that set the TV show apart from most other forms of popular entertainment was the degree to which it allowed for deep interaction among the various character, something made virtually impossible by the short format of a film (and something that in the long run should prove to be television's innate superiority over film, if it can ever overcome the resistance of television network execs to produce art rather than vehicles for selling airtime for commercials--my fear is that BUFFY could be an exception rather than a harbinger of things to come).
In short, while not an awful movie, the movie version of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is not the masterpiece the television series is.

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Blonde, bouncy Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is your typical high school cheerleader-- her goal is to "marry Christian Slater and die" and nothing gets in her way when it's time to shop.But all that changes when a strange man (Donald Sutherland) informs her she's been chosen by fate to kill vampires.With the help of a romantic rebel (Luke Perry), Buffy is soon spending school nights protecting L.A. from Lothos, the Vampire King (Rutger Hauer), his sidekick. Lefty (Paul Ruebens) and their determined gang of bloodsuckers.It's everything you'd expect from a teen queen in the Valley.

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The Elephant Man (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Time hath not altered" the emotional impact this movie has on me when I watch it. The word "poignant" has grown hackneyed from overuse, but it certainly applies to this great film. Few films can equal it in terms of dramatic artistry and pitch perfect performances. There's not one maudlin note in a film that could easily have descended into bathetic melodrama in lesser hands.
Lynch was practically a neophyte at the time he directed this movie, yet to many (and to most, for that matter, save the true believers) THE ELEPHANT MAN is his magnum opus. I believe this is because of the mostly Britsh, classically trained actors that made up the cast. Hopkins and Hurt excell. Anne Bancroft (who I believe is the only American in the cast) delivers a flawless performance. Freddy Jones, as Bytes (this was before the internet, remember) is simply uncanny in his tour-de-force portrayal of arguably the vilest villain in cinema history. Who cares that the character was totally innacurate, historically? He chews up the scenery in true Grand Guignol fashion. Gielgud and Wendy Hiller are also on hand to provide levitas. One can't find a better ensemble. It's criminal that at least one of them weren't awarded an Oscar, but that's just another example of how meaningless those little gold statuettes are, more often than not.
Though this is a lot more linear than most of Lynch's movies, there is enough of the surreal on hand to keep the die hards happy. But the surrealism doesn't get in the way of the plot. Christopher de Vore and Eric Bergren, who collaborated with Lynch on the screenplay, can take some credit for that. Veteran cinematographer, Freddie Francis did perhaps the best work of his career here. The black and white images are as good as it gets. The sets are unforgettable. Victorian London has never looked so convincing on screen, yet with that nightmarish quality that defines most of the movie.
If you've never seen this movie, get your hands on a copy, soon. It couldn't be described as "weepy," by any means. But if you're not reaching for the kleenex at some stage in this marvellous film, I'd ask the Wizard for a heart, if I were you. For those of you who haven't seen it in a while, give it a re-viewing. It absolutely holds up, particularly in comparison to 1980 Best Picture, ORDINARY PEOPLE...and Best Director, Robert Redford? Hopkins didn't get nominated, but Jack Lemmon did for TRIBUTE? Anyone remember that one? Gotta go find some Maalox.
BEK

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