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Masters of Horror: The Complete First Season

December 15th, 2011 admin

41Yq yTot4L. SL160 Masters of Horror: The Complete First Season

Masters of Horror: The Complete First Season (Amazon Exclusive) Blu-ray Showtime has amassed the greatest horror film writers and directors off all-time to bring you the anthology series that has forever changed horror cinema.

MASTERS OF HORROR VOLUMES 1, 2, 3 and 4 is terror like you have never seen it before. Spine-tingling installments of fright and delight on Blu-ray, plus hours of bonus features! Masters of Horror: Season 1 Volume 1 – released on Blu-ray 10/16/2007 ·

At first, only a few titles intrigued me. But after watching all 4 volumes, I’d say that only 1 or 2 of the movies didn’t settle too well, and none of them were so bad that I couldn’t finish them.

Over all, the quality is high: acting, music and stories were all good! And for $50, one can’t go wrong!

Masters of Horror: The Complete First Season
Date published: 05/05/2012
5 / 5 stars
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Aaah! Zombies!!

December 15th, 2011 admin

517401JF IL. SL160 Aaah! Zombies!!

    You know ‘em, you love ‘em. But what do they think of you? In this hilarious twist on the Classic Zombie Tale, we see the world through Zombie eyes when a barrel full of Toxic Goo transforms four friends in to the Walking Dead, and suddenly, it seems every one else has gone mad.

    In the most unique Zombie story in years, the Zombies embark on a bumbling quest to find the “Truth”, completely unaware of their rotting undeadness.

    This movie was surprisingly funny. I tend to find what look like bad b movies and put them on to see how bad they’re actually going to be. Sometimes I find a gem. This movie is definetly one of those.

    B movie, yes, but incredibly entertaining nonetheless. The characters were interesting and funny and the actors were believable and delivered their lines well. There weren’t a lot of cheesy production values and the shift between black and white and color in the movie was well thought out and a nice compliment to the plot. And for the characters that DID deliver cheesy lines; it was done in an obvious enough manner that it was meant to make you snicker with amusement (and did).

    The plot of seeing life through the eyes of the zombies was done in an awesome way and I’m very glad I watched. Four stars instead of five for some awkwardly acted moments and a few plot points that didn’t seem well enough developed, but otherwise I’d watch this movie over and over again.

    Aaah! Zombies
    Date published: 05/05/2012
    5 / 5 stars
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JACK PIERCE – THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTERS

December 15th, 2011 admin

51rFlGnfWwL. SL160 JACK PIERCE THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTERS

Working at Universal Studios from 1930-1947, makeup artist Jack P. Pierce created some of cinema history’s most distinguishable screen characters including Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Phantom of the Opera.

This DVD contains a live biography including recreations of 15 of his characters, plus a complete life timeline and rare interview clips.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media.

Like most fans of this underappreciated make up genius, we’re all been looking for an elaborate documentary on the man behind the monsters. Jack Pierce the creator of The Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy and The Wolf Man, and countless others is often overlooked by those outside the “monster club” in which I’m a proud member of.

I’ve had some contact by mail in the past with Mr. Essman and have found him to be a sincere person who truly loves this stuff as much as I do. This DVD isn’t going to be the end all for those clambering for the definitive Jack Pierce documentary, but it does shed some light on his life both fortunate and tragic.

The DVD’s main portion is an one time only show with actors portraying his various creations and his associates through out his life. I wish I could say that it is all good, for it is not. The good stuff, great recreations of his monsters on atmospheric sets, the bad….well the acting is a bit over the top and amateurish. I don’t mean to be harsh, but I’ve worked in theater and these actors are just laying it on way too thick.

The DVD also has some cool little extras, such as a Jack Pierce time line of his life and accomplishments, Trailer for the DVD with Bob Burns showing off one of his and last surviving Pierce mask of the Mummy, some stills, short making of feature-ette and a few more trinkets.

Overall I would give this production a 3 star rating because I know all involved must care about the material and man who created the most memorable monsters of all time and never got his due……can you believe Universal fired this guy!??? What a bunch of ungrateful %$#@! yep I said it!

Why did I give this 5 stars, when I stated it was a 3 star production?,… well that is because someone gave this a very unjust 1 star rating because it wasn’t what they thought it would be…..next time, find out what you’re buying before you click “add to cart”.

JACK PIERCE – THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTERS
Date published: 05/05/2012
5 / 5 stars
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The Midnight Horror Collection: Flesh Eating Zombies Series

December 14th, 2011 admin

61H gBM LLL. SL160 The Midnight Horror Collection: Flesh Eating Zombies Series

After a deadly virus has turned humankind into flesh-eating zombies, slackers Morgan, Ash, and Johnny spend their days lounging in their skivvies, drifting from one vacant house to another.

When the three stumble upon a hot girl who may have a cure for the outbreak, the three decide it’s finally time to step up to the plate and save the world–and the girl.

GRAVE MISTAKE

Someone has been dumping toxic waste in the local cemetery, and the townsfolk are about to discover it was a Grave Mistake! When a mutant breed of flesh-eating zombies rises from the graveyard and descends on the nearby village

Movie 1. ‘Grave Mistake’ -

I got this as part of the midnight horror collection set, that i bought for 5.00, and it has 4 movies so i was not that mad when it sucked. I watched it with family and we laughed a a few scenes, and there was also a few cool FX/kills but overall it sucked! The picture was blurry, the acting was terrible, and the zombies sucked. I would have given this move 2 stars but i see some people gave it 5 so to balance it out ill give it one. 95 min. , color, Widescreen(so big its almost full screen) , not rated- Violence/Profanity, Pretty bad quality/ Independent Film . Overall 1- 2 Stars /5 ,this is bad but Believe me there are worse!!

Movie 2. ‘Last of The Living’-

Pretty good Movie! First off, this is a ZOMEDY not a serious movie. There are some good kills and effects, and some funny lines. The story is entertaining and keeps your attention. This is easily the BEST FILM IN THIS SET. This is a Post-Apocalyptic Zombie movie, where the outbreak has already taken over and it is not just starting to spread, which is my favorite type of zombie movie because there is no time wasted on set-up and there are millions of monsters to kill! Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. 87 min. / color/ widescreen (again nearly full screen) / Not rated / Great quality picture /Gorilla Pictures
P.S. “The Frank Woo” = Best post-mordem band ever LOL.

Movie 3. ‘Awaken the Dead’ – Low quality, low budget, boring and bad acting. Not even worth watching. 1/5 stars .

Movie 4. ‘I am Omega’ -

One of “Asylum Entertainment’s ” Knock-offs, a semi-spoof of Will Smith’s “I Am Legend” (A re-make of Charton Heston’s “The Omega Man”), [thats how they got the name for this movie] But instead of vampires there are zombie-Like creatures. I say this because they are fast, come from a hive, can be killed without just attacking their head, and look more like alien-monsters than human-zombies. This movie keeps your interest for a while but then gets boring for a while and goes around and around like that for the whole movie. It is a little confusing, and only has 4 people in the entire movie. The ‘Zombies’ are kind of cool though! Overall 2 stars out of 5 / 88 min. / widescreen (Once more nearly full screen) / color / not rated / good picture quality / The Asylum Pictures

The Midnight Horror Collection: Flesh Eating Zombies Series
Date published: 05/05/2012
3 / 5 stars
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Invitation to Murder

December 14th, 2011 admin

51CD63F26EL. SL160 Invitation to Murder

A fantastic collection of 10 mystery classics on 3 DVDs! Among the legendary actors included are Bogart, Burr, Redgrave, and Landsbury.
Invitation to Murder is a collection of 10 murder mystery movies that have only one thing in common: they are all public domain and as such it is possible for them to be presented in highly affordable collections. I paid $9.98 for my set and that comes down to about one dollar per movie. The way that movie tickets cost nowadays, you really cannot complain about this collection.

An added bonus of this collection is the fact that except for Murder on Flight 502 & the early Alfred Hitchcock movie Murder!, hardly any of these movies are available on other public domain collections. All in all, Invitation to Murder is a great 10 movie collection.

Anyways, here is how I rate the movies in Invitation to Murder:

Great:

Murder Once Removed (1971)
Rehearsal For Murder(1982)

Good:

Power, Passion and Murder (1983)
They Call It Murder (1971)
Please Murder Me (1956)

Average:

Call It Murder (1934)
Murder By Television (1935)
Murder Story (1989)
Murder! (1930)

Bad:
Murder on Flight 502 (1975)

Invitation to Murder
Date published: 05/05/2012
4 / 5 stars
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Killer Klowns from Outer Space

December 13th, 2011 admin

517V2RAAC0L. SL160 Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Finally the truth about clowns is out! Beneath their smirky sinister grins and wildly patterned clothes are clever killers from out of this world. The “juxtaposition of their toy-store arsenal and malevolent intent proves to be a tasty combination” (Los Angeles Times) in this killer entertainment that will leave you fearing these big-top creatures for good.

A spaceshiplooking like a circus tentlands in a field near a small town, signaling the attack of deviant, red-nosed, balloon-twisting psychos from another world who plan to annihilate mankindby turning people into cotton candy! Luckily, the town’s teen citizenry decides to fight back and teach the cosmic bozos a lesson.

It’s hard to believe that an innocuous PG-13 B-movie such as the Chiodo Bros. underrated masterpiece “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” could instill a sense of mysterious dread and thrills to an inveterate horror fan like myself. The Klowns definitely break down the redundant slasher film villian barriers that ran rampant during the 80′s and give a frighteningly original, yet humorous flair to their evil work that parallels the old alien invasion films of the 50′s (right down to the backwoods farmer and his dog and to the overly-skeptical village police). These extraterrestial jokesters are by no means makers of fun merriment, but rather ravenous predators who hoodwink their victims with circus magic and sinister smiles.

The first time I viewed this acclaimed cult classic, John Mussari’s ominous circus synth soundtrack, grizzled Officer Mooney (John Vernon) turned into a klown merrionette, and the corrosive cream pie death of the security guard each made a frightful impact on me! Not only that, I developed a short-lived repulsion to cotton candy after seeing the homicidal Klowns in action! Now, that I’m older, wiser, and even more desensitized, I’ve begun to see “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” as 70% comedy/30% horror since this film does boast some of the most baffoonish dialogue and action I’ve seen in a B-movie. Mike (Grant Cramer), Officer Mooney, and the hilariously inept Terrenzi Bros. (Peter Licassi & Mike Siegel) give just the right amount of comedic chemistry needed against the story’s spooky premise.

The Klowns themselves do offer a couple of cheesy chuckles via the duplicitous “child’s play” antics they use to capture and expunge the town populace for their own vampiric food supply. And one just cannot get over the elaborately designed circus tent sets, props, and klown costumes! The theme song video feature by The Dickies is also pretty darn cool. All in all, this indelible pic proves that 1988 was a gem year for the horror genre.

I have been fortunate enough to obtain a previously-viewed copy of KKFOS this year after a near-exhaustive search on the Web! I found it through Amazon’s zShop site, which may still have some English-version copies left (knowing that this film has become a rare find both in retail and rental). I wish Media Home Entertainment/HVG Video would get off their languid behinds and re-release the Klowns on VHS widescreen or DVD seeing that the Killer Klowns cult is bigger than they probably realize.

Believe it or not, a Klown sequel is in the planning stages according to the Chiodo Bros’ official website (as well as a coveted email I received last year from Stephen himself)…so keep on watching the skies for more intergalatic Big Top mayhem and laughs!

Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Date published: 05/05/2012
5 / 5 stars
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The Monkey’s Paw

December 13th, 2011 admin

414Oioz8k0L. SL160 The Monkeys Paw

Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen is to get what we want. In this classic horror story set at the turn of the last century, a grizzled old sailor visits his former shipmate and his family.

The old sailor leaves behind a mysterious monkey’s paw that is said to grant the bearer three wishes, but he warns strongly against its use.However, the family cannot resist making one humble wish: They have lost their beloved son, and the mother will do anything to get him back. Indeed their wish comes true, but in a fatal way.

The family then tries to use their remaining wishes to reverse the tragedy, but that only compounds their sorrow. Produced by Martha Moran. Adapted from the story by W.W. Jacobs.

This DVD does go along with our textbook story used in our English class. The students said it also helped them to visualize the story much better. They especially enjoyed the DVD being shown immediately before Halloween. The time frame of the DVD works well in our 42 minute class leaving enough time for a brief introduction and necessary closure.
The Monkey’s Paw
Date published: 05/05/2012
4 / 5 stars
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Alfred Hitchcock Hollywood Classics

December 12th, 2011 admin

51SM8GC238L. SL160 Alfred Hitchcock Hollywood Classics

4 movies on 2 DVDs Alfred Hitchcock became the most widely known and influential director in the history of world cinema – spanning over 50 years. Hitchcock’s type of screen entertainment was sophisticated suspense and laced with humor and romance. A cultural icon, his bald head, pear-shaped body and somber drawl made him as recognizable as any star he ever directed.

These four timeless mystery movies are filled with murder and mayhem, and enough chills and thrilss to delight devoted Hitchcock fans! Disc 1
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1943) starring Leslie Banks and Edna Best The 39 Steps (1935) starring Robert Donat & Madeleine Carroll Disc 2
Secret Agent (1936)starring John Gielgud and Peter Lorre Sabota.

You have to rate American Movie Classic’s bargain-priced 4-movie collection of early Alfred Hitchcock films on a sliding scale… you generally do not anticipate a Criterion Collection-quality restoration at the cost of a couple dollars per film!

That being said, the prints on this 2-DVD set of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (the original B&W 1930′s version), “The 39 Steps”, “Secret Agent” and “Sabotage” don’t look any worse than I’ve ever seen to date. (Keep in mind that all four of these films are around 70 years old) The audio has been slightly enhanced; there is not as much of the tell-tale “white noise” you tend to experience in such aged films.

As for the movies themselves-it is generally agreed that “The Man..” and “39 Steps” are bonafide Hitchcock classics (although debate continues as to whether Hitch’s own 1956 “remake” of “The Man..” is the superior version-perhaps that depends on your tolerance for Doris Day warbling “Que Sera Sera” ad nauseum.)

“Sabotage” is arguably the weakest selection, although still quite watchable; but the real surprise for this viewer was rewatching the frequently overlooked “Secret Agent”, an entertaining blend of suspenseful WWI espionage and amusing, sophisticated repartee a la “The Thin Man” between John Gielgud, Robert Young, Peter Lorre and pretty Madeleine Carrol. No DVD “extras” to speak of, but any self-respecting film buff would be silly to pass up such a deal!

Alfred Hitchcock Hollywood Classics
Date published: 05/05/2012
4 / 5 stars
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TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror

December 12th, 2011 admin

513twCdWEkL. SL160 TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror

  • HOUSE OF WAX (1953) In the wicked performance that crowned him the movies’ master of the macabre, Vincent Price plays a wax sculptor plunged into madness when an arsonist destroys his life’s work. Unable to use his flame-scarred hands, he devises a murderous way of restocking his museum. Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones and Charles Bronson co-star.

    THE HAUNTING (1963) Robert Wise directed this first screen version of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn come to the house to study its supernatural phenomena. Or has the house drawn at least one of them to it? “Guaranteed to chill you” (John Stanley, Creature Features).

    … and that would be the deletion of the 1941 version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde and replacing it with the 1932 version of the same film. The 1932 version was made before the production code went into effect and allowed you to see Mr. Hyde in all his debauchery along with Miriam Hopkins as the girl of the street caught in his grasp. The two are available as a double feature in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Double Feature (1932/1941).

    Frea ks (1932) was misunderstood at the time of its release, but is now highly regarded as a horror classic. Director Tod Browning really had a vacuum to fill after Lon Chaney’s death ended their successful partnership. This film is an example of his finest work post-Chaney. It is about Hans, a little person in a circus attracted to a beautiful but evil woman who marries Hans for his money and plans to murder him. When the other circus “frea ks” find out about Hans’ bride’s plans, they extract a cruel but fitting revenge. This film is available in a more deluxe edition that includes commentary. Audiences were troubled by this one when it came out because people with actual disabilities were used rather than actors and actresses in makeup.

    The Haunting (1963) is more effective in this version than in the 1999 version with all of the special effects. You actually never see anything in this film – you just hear the sounds and experience the horror of Julie Harris’ character as she stays in a haunted house along with a group of people as part of an experiment framed by a psychiatrist. This is currently available separately as The Haunting

    House of Wax (1953) is a remake of a precode version of this same film made in 1933. This 1950′s version has both advantages and disadvantages when compared to the precode version. The 1950′s version has the advantage of Vincent Price as the mad sculptor and a very young Charles Bronson as his brutish assistant. However, the 1930′s version had Glenda Farrell as the brassy newspaper woman trying to solve the case of a bunch of disappearances with Fay Wray as the damsel in distress that the mad doctor has his eye upon. The 1950′s version has the damsel in distress as the female lead, with no equivalent to Glenda Farrell in sight. You can compare the two yourself by purchasing House of Wax, which is a double feature including both versions of the film. The color on the 1953 version of this film was very “runny” on the original DVD. Let’s hope it’s been cleaned up some.

    TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror
    Date published: 05/05/2012
    4 / 5 stars
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The Midnight Horror Collection: Road Trip to Hell

December 12th, 2011 admin

614beqgcNkL. SL160 The Midnight Horror Collection: Road Trip to Hell

On a road trip across the country, a group of college friends become stranded in the desert. Miles from anywhere and with limited supplies, they discover that when the sun goes down, a deadly killer comes out. Something that will not go into the night quietly…or without a meal. The group must battle the creature for their lives in a desolate, harsh land that few have survived.

SHELTERED
On the eve of a massive storm, Joey, an awkward but straight-laced bartender, offers a group of vacationers refuge at his house.
I’m reviewing Sheltered, which is part of the Midnight Horror Collection.

It’s about a group of young teens who experience car trouble in the middle of a dangerous storm, and a nearby bartender takes the kids to his house for the night.

Of course the kids don’t realize the bartender is actually a psychotic killer.

The storyline develops slowly, but with a pretty fair amount of suspense so you know something good (like for example, splattered guts and blood, slashing knife action, and a ripe situation for a gruesome environment) is eventually coming. It’s just a matter of *when*.

Yes, Sheltered follows the typical “one death at a time while the teens run around the house scared to death wondering who’s next” routine. Despite the predictability in THAT regard however, Sheltered basically provides everything a fan of horror is looking for. Not quite as low budget as the Craving for example (which is the name of another movie on the same collection). Sheltered is MUCH better.

There’s even a good storyline between the killer and a young guy named Joey. You’ll probably be wondering where these particular segments are heading while watching the movie.

Overall yes, a film I highly recommend.

The Midnight Horror Collection: Road Trip to Hell
Date published: 05/05/2012
4 / 5 stars
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