July Releases From CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment

PETTICOAT JUNCTION: THE OFFICIAL SECOND SEASON
The small farming community of Hooterville provided the setting for this highly successful rural situation comedy. Kate Bradley was the widowed owner of the only transient housing in town, the Shady Rest Hotel. Helping her run the hotel were her three beautiful daughters, Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo. Also assisting was the girls' lazy Uncle Joe, who had assumed the title of manager. In addition to her involvement with the hotel, the romantic lives of her daughters, and her association with the townspeople, Kate was constantly at odds with Homer Bedlow, vice-president of the C.F. & W. Railroad. Homer was determined to close down the steam-driven branch of the railroad that ran through Hooterville, scrap its lone engine (the Cannonball), and put its two engineers (Charlie Pratt and Floyd Smoot) out of jobs.

Actors: Bea Benaderet, Edgar Buchanan, Jeannine Riley, Pat Woodell, Linda Kaye Henning
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 5
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 7, 2009
Run Time: 919 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com

MATLOCK: THE THIRD SEASON
"Matlock" is a legal drama series starring Andy Griffith as defense attorney Ben Matlock--a Harvard-educated, fiery Southerner who charges $100,000 a case to brilliantly defend his clients by finding the real killer.

Actors: Andy Griffith, Kene Holliday, Julie Sommars, Nancy Stafford
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 5
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 7, 2009
Run Time: 953 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com

HOTEL: THE FIRST SEASON
An elegant hotel in San Francisco is the setting for each multi-plot episode involving employees of the hotel and an entertaining variety of new guest each week.

Actors: Shari Belafonte, Heidi Bohay, James Brolin, Nathan Cook, Shea Farrell, Connie Sellecca, Michael Spound, Anne Baxter
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 6
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Run Time: 1169 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com


THE LUCY SHOW: THE OFFICIAL FIRST SEASON
After the death of her husband, Lucy Carmichael and her friend, the recently divorced Vivian Bagley, move into a house together with their children. The series follows the adventures of the widow Lucy as she grapples with the comic complications of life on her own.

Actors: Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, Jimmy Garrett, Ralph Hart, Charles Lane, Dick Martin, Candy Moore
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 4
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Run Time: 773 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com

EARLY EDITION: THE SECOND SEASON (US ONLY)
An hour-long drama about Chicago native Gary Hobson who becomes a reluctant hero when his morning newspaper reports tomorrow's headlines. Commodities trader Gary Hobson is losing it: his job, his home, and his brilliant attorney wife. He thinks he may even be losing his mind when tomorrow's newspaper mysteriously arrives today--giving him a disconcerting look into the future. What will he do with tomorrow's news? While his best friend Chuck sees the newspaper as a ticket to personal gain, co-worker Marissa convinces Gary that the "early edition" should be used to better peoples' lives. So each day Gary begins anew the struggle to make sense of a world turned upside-down by the changing course of events that come from reading the "early edition."

Actors: Kyle Chandler, Shanesia Davis, Fisher Stevens
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 5
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
Run Time: 1002 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com

THIS AMERICAN LIFE: SEASON TWO
The widely popular, award-winning Chicago Public Radio program of the same name is now a Showtime series. Drawing on a different theme each week, viewers hear compelling stories from everyday folks culled from six months on the road. Host Ira Glass and company create a captivating look at the American Life in a series that's not quite documentary, not much of a news magazine and definitely not a reality show--it's simply unlike anything else.

Host: Ira Glass
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 1
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Showtime Ent.
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Run Time: 201 minutes
Buy it at Amazon.com

CANNON: SEASON 2, VOLUME ONE -- DVD review by porfle

If you're old enough to remember when "Cannon" first hit the airwaves, you'll know that Cannon's big schtick was that he was fat. That's right--in a world of bald detectives, old detectives, nerdy detectives, Hawaiian detectives, eccentric millionaire detectives, and even the occasional sexy detectives, Cannon was The Fat Detective. In fact, Sonny and Cher even did a spoof of the show once called "Detective Fat."

William Conrad's deep, booming voice had gained him fame on the radio as Marshall Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke", but when the show migrated to television, Conrad was deemed--you guessed it--too fat to play the character. So in 1971, CBS finally made it up to Conrad by concocting a character specifically tailored for him. One whose most distinctive characteristic was the fact that he was--drumroll, please--fat. ("Jake and the Fatman", which just came right out and said it right there in the title, would come later.)

But was the show itself "phat"? This new 3-disc DVD set, CANNON: SEASON TWO, VOLUME ONE, provides ample evidence that it was indeed pretty good. Not great, mind you--the production values are a little iffy at times, and the overall look of the show is somewhat low-rent--but definitely not without its charms. The main one of these, of course, being the big guy himself.

William Conrad was an easygoing, engaging screen presence who could elevate a pedestrian script and make the most of whatever character moments he was given. His "Frank Cannon" is a tough but affable ex-cop who "tends toward the gut" (as John Wayne put it in THE COWBOYS) but doesn't let that stop him from being an action-oriented kind of guy. When the need arises, Cannon uses that extra weight to push bad guys around and can level a mean karate chop with those ham hands of his. He's handy with a gun, too, and rest assured there's lots of gunplay in this series. As a card-carrying private dick, he can also spout some of that hardboiled dialgue when needed, as in one scene in which a blue-haired Patrick O'Neal finds him difficult to bribe:

"What is it with you? Why are you so hard to do business with?"
"Maybe because we don't deal in the same coin."

Another element in the show's excitement factor is Cannon's beautiful Lincoln Continental Mark IV, which I like to call "the Fatmobile." Whenever a fleeing suspect is speeding away, Cannon hops into this awesome land-yacht and participates in that holiest of 70s cop-show cliches, the car chase. CANNON has a car chase in just about every other episode, because they can always be counted upon to liven up even the blandest script. One episode has three carloads of baddies chasing Cannon through the Los Angeles River and features some satisfying fender-bending action along the way. In another, we even see him chasing a backhoe in a pickup truck down a dirt road. This guy'll chase anything.

Plotwise, we find the standard procession of guest characters seeking Cannon's help for various reasons. Some are wrongly accused of murder, while others have more unusual needs for his services. The scripts are mostly pretty involving although light on any kind of real, hard-hitting drama. This was one of my dad's favorite shows, and the networks' goal back then was to offer this kind of familiar, easy-to-take programming to older viewers like him who just wanted to kick back with some boob-tube after work and didn't care for all the preachy "relevant" stuff currently being aimed at the young folks. Heck, I can relate to that.

The Quinn-tessential 70s-era Quinn Martin production, CANNON fulfills that requirement very well with the kind of scripts that could've been passed around amongst any number of TV flatfoots with only a few details changed (and probably were). What makes the show unique is the main character himself. William Conrad is supremely relaxed and confident in the role, and seems to enjoy playing it. (If you ever get to see some of the show's bloopers, they'll attest to his funny, lighthearted attitude during filming.) He likes interacting with his guest stars, whether tickling the ivories in a bar for Sheree North or sparring with Marj Dusay in the kitchen over whether or not to add milk to his omelet recipe. A gourmet with discerning tastes, Cannon is often seen whipping up fine cuisine or dining out with the likes of Jessica Walter.

In one episode, he spends so much time at the police station doggedly pouring over mug shots in search of a suspect that he actually has to skip a few meals. When at last he pinpoints the right picture, Cannon frantically grabs the phone away from a detective and delivers an urgent directive: "I need the numbers of all the delicatessens in the area that deliver!"

One of the show's best qualities is that it doesn't always take place in a grungy urban setting or some overused backlot. Cannon may be a variation of the standard gumshoe character, but he likes to get out and enjoy the wide-open spaces once in a while. In "The Predators" (with guest stars Phyllis Thaxter and fanboy heartthrob Pamela Franklin), we're treated to some breathtaking northern California settings. "Stakeout" finds Cannon soaring through the skies in a glider with Belinda Montgomery, while "Sky Above, Death Below" allows him to shoot a few bad guys on a scenic mountaintop. This goes a long way toward making up for the sometimes low-budget look of the show.

Other guest stars of interest include Michael Tolan, Severn Darden, Leslie Charleson, Richard Hatch, Ken Lynch, Lloyd Bochner, Scott Hylands, Jesse Vint, Robert Webber, Mike Farrell, Frank Maxwell, 50s genre icon Kenneth Tobey, Dana Elcar, Charles Cyphers, James A. Watson, Sandy Kenyon, Tracy Reed, George Maharis, Stefanie Powers, Jeanne Bates, Kathleen Freeman, Clue Gulager, Julie Adams, H.M. Wynant, Lois Nettleton, Bert Freed, William Daniels, Linden Chiles, Alex Rocco, Carl Betz, Andrew Duggan, Olan Soule, Katherine Justice, and even former Monkee, Mickey Dolenz.

John Parker's familiar "Cannon" theme leads us into the first twelve episodes of the second season in this set. The pictorial quality is good considering that the show never looked all that great to begin with. The sole bonus feature is an option to view episodes with the original pre-titles teasers, which are simply brief montages of upcoming scenes. If I remember correctly, these were originally a regular part of the show.

CANNON: SEASON TWO, VOLUME ONE isn't quite on par with the best that classic television has to offer, but it's still an above-average and fun example of the 70s detective show. Just the thing for when you feel like gorging on some tasty junk food for the brain.

Buy it at Amazon.com

PERRY MASON: SEASON 4, VOLUME 1 -- DVD review by porfle

A lot of people seem to have the same childhood memory of the "Perry Mason" TV show--the music used to scare them. I myself recall hearing it from the other room and being afraid to go in there. It sounds so ominous and threatening, like horrible things must happen on the show that would give you nightmares. Anyway, Fred Steiner's "Park Avenue Beat" is one of the coolest TV themes ever. I have a Tubes live album where they do a really good cover of it, but nothing beats the original version.

Now that I'm officially a grown-up and neither the music nor the show itself actually scare me anymore, I've been enjoying a Perry Mason marathon with the 4-disc DVD set PERRY MASON: SEASON 4, VOLUME 1. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever watched episodes of it all the way through. It's still a pretty serious show--there isn't a whole lot of comedy relief when every episode is about someone getting murdered and someone else being wrongfully accused of it.

The fact that the show was so damn serious was another thing that made me steer clear of it as a kid, in addition to my never being able to follow the story. Too much talk, too much information to process and plot to keep up with. But now, I find the show just complicated enough to engage my curiosity and keep me guessing. Sometimes I'm able to figure out who the real killer is in advance, and other times it's a complete surprise.

Funny thing is, Perry himself is usually the most easygoing character on the show. This is mainly because he's so smart. Whatever happens, no matter how messed-up, Perry can rely on his brilliant intellect and infallible instincts to help him weave his way slowly but surely toward the solution of any mystery. So he can afford to be cool as a cucumber at all times. Sometimes during a trial, he'll allow himself a subtle smirk at the hopeless attempts of the D.A. to trip him up and prove his client guilty. (Although there are times when some unexpected development or revelation makes him visibly apprehensive.) Perry has such an incredible record of success that by now, the judge should simply save the taxpayers' money and automatically dismiss the case against anyone who hires him as their attorney, because everything after that is just a formality.

As Erle Stanley Gardner's literary legal eagle, Raymond Burr always struck me as a mountain of beef in a gigantic black suit. If you're a kid, he can be pretty scary-looking with those impossibly broad shoulders and those big black circles under his eyes. As an adult, I see him and think: "This is the guy I want on my side." Each episode begins with someone getting themselves into a situation in which there's a murder, and all evidence points to them as the killer. Then, as soon as we see them sitting in Perry's office, we breathe a sigh of relief and know that everything will eventually work out okay. Unlike real-life defendants, Perry's clients are never actually guilty--their innocence is established in our eyes as soon as he takes the case--so he never has to resort to legal sleight-of-hand or shady technicalities in order to get them off the hook. That way, his character can always remain a purehearted crusader for justice with his integrity firmly intact and his conscience clear.

I like Burr better as the irascible IRONSIDE in his later series, in which he got to be more animated and action-oriented even though he was confined to a wheelchair. But his Perry Mason character is still fascinating to watch. Barbara Hale as his efficient secretary Della Street and William Hopper as private detective Paul Drake, who does all of Perry's legwork, lend solid support and a comfortable comradery. Distinguished character actor Ray Collins is always fine as crotchety old homicide detective Lt. Tragg, whose dogged efforts to nail a suspect for murder are constantly being thwarted by Mason's superior deductive skills.

Each episode spends about half an hour setting up the situation, establishing a murder and an innocent suspect, and showing us what a seemingly airtight case Lt. Tragg has against the unfortunate chump. The second half of the episode covers the tense courtroom drama, with the hapless D.A. doing his best to outwit Mason, Lt. Tragg confidently testifying against the accused, and Mason methodically putting together a defense that will invariably blow the case right out of the water at the last minute and reveal the identity of the real killer.

More often than not, this results in one of those frantic witness-stand confessions that lawyers say never happen in real life, but which are an integral part of shows like this. There's a lot of verbal cat-and-mouse stuff going on here, which I find engrossing and mentally stimulating when I'm in the mood for that sort of thing. If you're looking for explosions, car chases, and fistfights, this show won't do much for you. But if you're the kind who likes to curl up with a good whodunnit, this is wonderful stuff.

As is the norm for shows of this era (circa 1960), the guest cast is often filled with familiar faces. Morris Ankrum, Frank Wilcox, and Bryan Morrow are some of the actors who show up as judges. The revolving line-up of prosecutors includes Christopher Dark, 50s genre favorite Kenneth Tobey, and, most effectively, H.M. Wynant as a hotshot young deputy D.A. who's just aching to prove himself by getting one over on Mason. As for regular castmember William Talman, who is well-known as Perry Mason's usual nemesis Hamilton Burger, he only appears in three episodes in this set--numbers 1, 2, and 15--since this is the season during which Talman was fired after being arrested (in the nude) during the raid of a Beverly Hills party in which marijuana use was suspected. Charges against him were later dismissed, and with the support of Burr, along with the rest of the show's cast and many of its fans, he was rehired.

Other notable guests in this set include Robert Redford, James Coburn, a very young Louise Fletcher, Sue Randall (Beaver Cleaver's teacher in "Leave It to Beaver"), Stephen Talbot (Beaver's friend Gilbert), Whit Bissell, Ken Curtis, Bert Freed, Virginia Christine, Hal Smith, William Campbell, Dabbs Greer, Harry Townes, Casey Adams, Coleen Gray, Robert Cornthwaite, Robert Clarke, Kathie Browne, Robert Lowery, Francis X. Bushman, Jeanette Nolan, John "Sgt. Schultz" Banner, Regis Toomey, Bruce Gordon, Corey Allen ("Buzz" in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE), Richard Deacon, Robert Brown, Arthur Franz, Philip Abbott, Dave Willock, James Westerfield, Vaughn Taylor, John Hoyt, John Lupton, Barry Atwater, and Tony Travis of THE BEATNIKS' fame.

The show is filmed in lush, atmospheric black-and-white and the image quality on these digitally remastered DVDs is very good. Each of the four discs contains four episodes. No bonus features.

PERRY MASON is one of the genuine milestones of classic television, very evocative of its era, and each episode is like a well-produced mini-movie. With sixteen of Perry Mason's most baffling and exciting cases, PERRY MASON: SEASON 4, VOLUME 1 is solid entertainment all the way.

Buy it at Amazon.com

42nd St Pete Reviews A Sci-Fi Channel Movie this is Actually Good: Vipers

Vipers 2007 from Genius Entertainment with Tara Reid, Jonathan Scarfe & Corbin Bernsen. Directed by Bill Corcran

Usually I stay far away from these Sci-Fi Channel films, but this one isn’t bad, even with the CG snakes. A bunch of genetically engineered vipers escape from a lab and wind up on an island in the Pacific Northwest. Not only are they venomous, but carnivorous as well. Several victims are eaten, bones and all.

Bernsen, who has played the mad scientist or corporate prick in a bunch of films lately, sends a team to rescue the population of the island. Of course he has a plan to destroy the place to cover up any wrong doing. Bet he misses those LA Law paychecks.

Inasmuch as I hate CG effects, these are pretty good and the gore will appease some of the most jaded gorehounds. Sometime with the made for the Sci Fi Channel stuff, you have to get the DVD as they still cut out language, nudity and extreme violence. Hint: rent it before you buy it.

42nd St Pete Reviews Jack Ketchum's The Lost

Lost 2008 from Anchor Bay Starring Marc Senter, Shat Astar, Alex Frost, Dee Wallace Stone & Ed Lauter. Directed by Chris Siverson.

It was about time that someone made a movie out of a Jack Ketchum novel. Jack is perhaps one of the best horror writers out there, but one who has been overshadowed for many years.

Lost is a twisted tale of a sociopath, Ray Pye, who terrorizes his small town. In the opening, Ray cold bloodily kills two girls who are camping (Misty Mundae & Ruby Laroca). One survives, but is brain dead. A detective(Michael Bowen) knows that Ray is guilty and is out to get him. Ray keeps his two companions in line with threats of violence.

Ketchum’s twisted tale of dead end, small town life is excellently done here. Rather than give up the ending, this is one that you have to see for yourself. Marc Senter gives a chilling performance as Ray Pye, a guy a lot of us knew during our high school years. These characters, in my life, always met the bad end we thought they would. This film captures the small town, dead end ambiance. All the performers are excellent and I hope to see more of Ketchum’s work translated into film. Let’s see who has the balls to do Off Season or Ladies Night.

42nd St Pete Reviews Crap That Makes Him Want To Rip His Eyes Out: 100 Million BC, Feast 2, and Hell Ride

Some Reviews on some current stuff that is just a waste of electricity

100 Million BC 2008 Asylum Home Entertainment Starring Michael Gross, Greg Evigan, & Christopher Atkins. Directed by Louie Myman

Time travel epic with an elite team sent back in time to retrieve another team that was sent back in the 40’s . Premise is good, but the bad CG stuff kills it. Raptors attack and kill most of the rescue team. The T-Rex is red and Michael Gross looks pretty gross with his balding head covered with liver spots. Guess the budget didn’t allow for make up.

The 40’s women have 2000 style enhanced boobage, the CG stuff sucks and nobody noticed a bright red T-Rex roaming around LA at night. Christopher Atkins seems to be a fixture in these crappy films as of late.





Hell Ride 2008 from Dimension Extreme Starring David Carradine, Dennis Hopper, Larry Bishop & Vinnie Jones. Directed by Larry Bishop. Presented by Quentin Tarentino.

OK, in the Grindhouse scheme of things, biker films were low on the Richter scale. Most weren’t that good and if someone was going to write a book on that genre , it would be about 50 pages. The good ones were The Wild One, The Wild Angels, The Losers , Hells Angels ‘69 & Stone Cold. The rest pretty much sucked.

So now we get another QT presents 90 minutes worth of BS. A threadbare plot, a treasure that we never see, throat slashings, immolation's, sluts, shooting, and no freaking plot to go with them. This played for two whole days in my area before it was yanked because no one gave a shit. You would think with all the money Grindhouse lost that someone would reign QT in a bit. Hopper & Carradine seem to be there for name value as Carradine dies rather quickly. Total waste in my estimation.






Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds Starring Jenny Wade, Clu Gulager, & Diane Ayala Goldner. Directed by John Gulager. From Dimension Extreme.

I did have high hopes for this as I really liked the first one. Now this is being billed as a new “classic” horror series. Someone better look up the definition of classic because this isn’t it. Two survivors from # 1, the Bartender & Honey Pie are now holding off the CG monsters in a small town with an all girl biker gang, two midget wrestlers, and some other disposable characters. This plays out like a video game and that seems to be it’s target audience.

Some of it is funny, most of it sucks, especially the “autopsy” scene were people puke, get slimed, and get ejaculated upon. Yeah, you read right, the dead monster’s Ron Jeremy like wazoo winds up all over the cast. I could read into something here, but I won’t .Highlights are a baby getting eaten, a monster screw a cat, Clu beating the shit out of Honey Pie for running off in the first film, a dissolving old lady, and more slimy, pukey, fluids than an Annie Sprinkle porn film.

Obviously this film has an audience, but I’m not in it.

Splinter DVD Review by 42nd St Pete

Splinter 2008 Directed by Toby Williams Starring Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner and Rachel Kerbs Released by Magnet DVD

Considering the pile of poop that is passed off for horror movies these days, this one was a real pleasure to watch. It’s a monster movie, a real goddamn monster movie with no CG, rap, or handicam nonsense. One location, four principle players, gore, shocks, and, for once, a credible storyline.

A gas station attendant is opening the place for the day when he is attacked by something furry and full of spikes. A couple is heading in that direction to camp out. Also headed in the same direction is an escaped con and his junkie girl friend. The two campers are taken hostage when the con’s car breaks down. They run over some kind of animal and blow out a tire. The animal has spikes sticking out of it like one of those sea urchins. They was also a sign by the road saying that this is a government test area.

While changing the tire, the Con gets a splinter in his finger, hence the title. The “dead” animal comes to like and the "Junkie Chic" freaks out. They arrive at the gas station to find it’s deserted. The junkie find the attendant in the rest room. He begs her to kill him. She runs back to the others, but is attacked by the attendant who “rips right through her”. The Con shoots the attendant who dies. They lock themselves in the place. The junkie seems to still be alive. The Con drags her toward the door, but she morphs into something and attacks. Her hand breaks off and gets in the place. The boyfriend, who is a biologist, sees that it feeds on blood.

He thinks it’s a fungus type parasite that uses it victims as hosts to attack others. The dead girl’s bloody corpse hammers her head into the glass door , trying to get in. It becomes a nerve racking game of cat and mouse as the creature attacks and absorbs a lady cop who shows up. The splinter in the con’s finger starts taking him over so an amputation is performed using a Stanley knife and a cinder block. I’m not going to reveal anything else as this has to be seen. A good plot, characters that you actually care about for a change, nasty effects, and overall, a great little film. I give it four stars easily.

Get the Blu-Ray and DVD of Spliner at Amazon

Taken DVD Review by 42nd St Pete

Taken 2009 Directed by Pierre Morel Starring Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace

This one was a real surprise as the usually reserved Neeson is cast against type as an ex-CIA operative searching for his daughter, who is kidnapped by white slavers while vacationing in Europe. Using every dirty trick he knows to locate her, Neeson ups the violence quota by demolishing anything and anyone in his path.

Albanian white slavers(real scumbags) kidnap teenage tourists, hook them on drugs and put them in assembly line brothels. Neeson’s daughter and friend are “taken” soon after arriving in Paris. Neeson is informed that if he can’t find her in a certain amount of time, he will never see her again. Neeson outwits the law and the scumbags at every turn. Seems the head scumbags are well connected with the law. When the leader tells Neeson , that “it’s not personal, it’s business”, Neeson retorts by emptying a Glock into his twitching body.

Taken has its roots firmly planted in grindhouse exploitation. The crowd cheered Neeson as he cuts his way though an army of villains and bureaucrats. One of the better scenes has Neeson drive two iron spikes through the guy who kidnapped his daughter thighs and then attach jumper cables to them. He zaps him a few time then, after he gets what he wants, turns the juice on full blast and leaves the guy cooking. Neeson is a one man wrecking crew as he leaves a body count worthy of Charles Bronson. A must see.

You can get the the Blu-Ray and Regular DVD of Taken from Amazon.

Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle DVD Review by 42nd St Pete

Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle Starring Laura Gemser , Annie Belle, Al Cliver, and Gabriele Tinti. Directed by Bunello Rondi. Released by Severin Films.

Also known as Emmanuelle in Egypt, this rather obscure entry in the Black Emmanuelle series has Laura Gemser being called Laura, her real name. She is a world class model with an abusive photographer(real life husband, Tinti). He forces her to pose with a dead dog in the stinking desert. They go to mansion and meet some weird people, including a crazy holy man(Al Cliver).

Another trip to out in the desert finds some recently dead bodies. He wants Laura to pose with them. She does, but the short haired, Anne Belle, gets a little pissed off. Eventually so does Laura and is chased across the desert and raped by her photographer. The two are constantly telling each other to go fuck themselves or calling each other pieces of shit. Makes you wonder about their off screen relationship. Laura runs away with Anne for some fun after she balks at posing on a huge pile of camel dung.

This film is very strange. One of the classy white women gets drunk and is raped by two Arabs in the desert. She is found by Anne, who tells her she doesn’t need men. Some of the film is in English, some parts, obviously restored, are in Italian. Laura flips out at a party. The Holy Man seduces Anne, who says she is leaving with him. Then changes her mind and wanders away with Laura as they both get naked and ‘fini” scrawls across the screen.

A bit too confusing and contrived for me, but Laura looks great, naked, half naked, or fully clothed. That is the reason for getting this DVD, if you’re a Laura Gemser fan, you want it, actually you need it and that’s the bottom line.

You can get Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle from HK Flix

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.543345/aid.85597/qx/details.htm

The Story of Prunella DVD Review by 42nd St Pete

Story of Prunella 1982 Directed by Phil Prince, Starring Geoge Payne, Ron Jeremy, Ambrosia Fox, Niko, Dennis Christopher & Cher Champagne. Part of the Avon 7 Collection from After Hours.

Where most of your 1980s adult film directors stroked your libido with a velvet glove, Phil Prince stoked it with a fist wrapped in barbed wire. Phil made the nastiest films in porn history. While his output of films was small as compared to his contemporaries, Phil’s brand of erotica was soul corroding.

Story of Prunella is a well crafted descent into psycho sadism thanks to the acting talents of George Payne. Early on , Payne turns a prostitute (Cheri Champagne) into a disciple. Payne and two other lowlifes escape from prison and are met by Cheri who forgot to bring an escape vehicle. Cheri plays dead to trick a motorist into stopping. The vehicle that does stop contains the warden’s wife and daughter.

They force the women to take them to a bridal shower planned for Prunella. The three men and the woman sexual abuse and torment all of the women for an extended period of time. Hot on the trail of the foursome is detective Paul (Ron Jeremy), Prunella’s husband to be. Some of this may be hard for a first time viewer to watch. If your not familiar with Avon’s product, this ride may be too rough for some viewers, but Avon wasn't meant for everyone.

Payne’s tour de force performance is completely unhinged. He virtually destroys Prunella’s mind with his brutal rape and the filth that he spews out at her during the degrading rape may appall some viewers. Prince, a lot of his detractors said, took it too far. This may have been adult films climatic moment, as no one today, except our friends in Europe, would have the balls to go where Phil did.

The DVD comes with a Phil Prince Documentary. The documentary was interesting, but it seems that no one really knows much about Phil and what happened to him. Bill Landis (of Sleaziod Express) claimed that he shot an associate and was put back in jail. This has been proven inaccurate. Just watching Phil in the documentary makes you realize he may be a little off. Sources have said that Phil admired the work of Andy Milligan and other low budget film makers and tried to emulate them. Phil wanted to make movies. In Prunella, he succeeded. The plot is decent, though you can see a Last House on the Left influence. The players could actually act, which made all the degradation that more believable. Off the women, none were raving beauties, which also added to the back alley ambiance and realism of Prunella. The men all looked the part of degenerate thugs. Anyone wandering into the Avon 7 back in the day, thinking this was your typical sit down and enjoy it kind of a film, quickly had their libido flatlined.

Of course, a lot of viewers flocked to these films. Men who reviled in the degradation of women, were repeat viewers. From a historical aspect, this was one of the films singled out by the dreaded Meese Commission as the "most vile and violent examples of mob controlled pornography". Poor George Payne was put in the uncomfortable position of having to testify before that commission.

This release is only the tip of the Avon 7/After Hours iceberg. Check out the trailers, all of them are coming soon. These are taken off original prints that made the rounds of the Avon Grindhouses back in the day.

You can buy The Story of Prunella from Amazon and help support this website.

Warner Brothers Presents Scoopy Doo: Where Are You Volume 2 on DVD

Let's face it fining children's programing to watch on a trip that is tolerable for both the child and the adult passengers can be a pain sometimes. Luckily, Warner Brothers comes through with 4 classic episodes from the 1970s Hanna-Barbra classic Scooby Doo: Where Are You? Scooby Doo is a show that both young and old can enjoy with it's perfect mix of humor, scares, and fun. Thus Scooby Doo Volume 2 makes the perfect thing to watch when taking a trip in the car or when you are just watching the kids at home. Volume 2 contains the Decoy for a Dognapper, What the Hex is Going On?, Never Ape an Ape Man, and Foul Play in Funland. There is also a bonus episode from the Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get a Clue series. All the episodes are the original versions and in the proper full frame aspect ratio and look and sound great. The total running time is about 88 minutes making it a comprable experience to watching a regular movie for children, but for the adult not feeling like your brain is melting from within because it's Shrek. So if you have kids or are just a fan of Scooby Doo, than this new WB Kids release is the perfect pick up for both young and old.

Fred Durst's THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS coming to DVD June 30 from Anchor Bay Entertainment

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS THE DVD RELEASE OF LIMP BIZKIT FRONT MAN FRED DURST’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

BEVERLY HILLS, CA –– A riveting tale about college students learning to deal with life, love, and ultimately facing their fears, THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS is the critically lauded directorial debut from Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. Coming to DVD on June 30, 2009 (pre-book May 28, 2009), THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS stars Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, The Squid and the Whale), Jason Ritter (W, “The Class”), and Eva Amurri (Saved!, The Banger Sisters). Written by Peter Elkoff, the film also stars Christopher Marquette (“Joan of Arcadia”), Sebastian Stan (“Kings” & “Gossip Girl”), and Gloria Votsis. SRP is $29.97 for the DVD.

THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS premiered to great acclaim at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, winning the prestigious Made In New York Award. The Hollywood Reporter’s Martin Grove hailed the film an “Impressive directorial debut.” Added Moving Picture Magazine’s Elliot Kotek, “Durst Has Delivered a Film of Pedigree.” “Stunning and Relevant” said Back Stage’s Simi Horowitz.

Charlie Banks’ (Jesse Eisenberg) sheltered world at his Ivy League campus is shaken when Mick (Jason Ritter), an old acquaintance with a violent past, unexpectedly shows up at his dorm room. Intrigued by Charlie's privileged lifestyle, the charismatic Mick quickly wins over Charlie’s friends and his crush, Mary (Eva Amurri) as he seamlessly integrates himself into Charlie’s life. Unnerved yet also in awe of Mick's easy charm, Charlie's unresolved feelings of jealousy, admiration and fear—as well as an unspoken secret between the two—threatens to come to a head with ruinous consequences.

Set in the early '80's against the backdrop of Greenwich Village's rough and tumble playgrounds and an elite academic institution in Upstate New York, THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS is a stirring coming-of-age story about trusting your instincts, your friends and yourself.

The DVD extras include audio commentary with director Fred Durst and actor Jason Ritter, “Conversation behind The Education of Charlie Banks,” the theatrical trailer, and Sneak Peeks.

DVD Basics:
Street Date: June 30, 2009
Pre-book: May 28, 2009
Cat. #: DV15807
UPC: 0 1313 15807-9 2
Run Time: 101 minutes
Rating: R
SRP: $29.97
Format: 2.35:1 / 16 x 9
Audio: Dolby Surround 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH
Bonus Features: Audio Commentary with Director Fred Durst and Actor Jason Ritter
Conversations Behind THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS
Theatrical Trailer
Sneak Peeks

SIMON SAYS -- DVD review by porfle

I think it's about time America finally acknowledged the fact that Crispin Glover is a national treasure. He's one of our most unique actors, upon whom we can always rely to give the kind of performance that nobody else could approximate or even imagine attempting to. I don't know where he goes to draw his inspiration, but it must be a strange and scary place. Whether moonily telling Lea Thompson "You are my density", out-weirding Dennis Hopper in RIVER'S EDGE, out-weirding Brad Dourif in DROP DEAD SEXY, being absolutely the only good thing in a "Charlie's Angels" movie, or simply getting kicked off the David Letterman show for being too much of a freak, he's one of a kind.

Except that in SIMON SAYS, he plays twins! Or does he? Simon is the sweetly-retarded one that Mom likes best, while Stanley is the jealous and hostile one who finally goes on a killing spree while the family is enjoying a camping trip in the forest. We see him kill Mom and Dad, and it looks as though he bashes poor Simon's head in with a rock. But we're not sure, because the next time we see them, they're co-managing a dumpy garage years later in those same woods. Still, we never see them both together at the same time, so...

Onto the scene toodles a gaily-painted van with exactly the cast of stereotypes you'd expect. There's Zack the stoner, Ashley the straight-laced "good girl", Riff the oversexed jock, Kate the girlfriend, and Vicky the slut. They're supposedly on their way to the river to camp out and pan for gold, but the real reason they're here is to get stalked, terrorized, and massacred. And boy, do they ever!

The actors play their roles to perfection, and the writers place them into a textbook series of cliched situations as though going down a checklist. Except that they twist things around a little here and there, just enough to keep us off-guard. And besides being a full-blooded charnel house of a horror flick, SIMON SAYS is also one of the funniest spoofs of the genre I've ever seen.

The best part is that nobody except Crispin Glover's character knows that it's a comedy. The rest of the cast play their parts as though they really are the worst bunch of overacting idiots from the worst 80s slasher flick ever made. I got the impression that the actors couldn't wait to inhabit these stereotypical nimrods and enjoy a delightful romp through the dopey side of slasher flick territory.

Zack the stoner (Greg Cipes) doesn't just smoke a lot of weed--he puffs like a smokestack even when he's running for his life. The group has barely pitched their tent before a shirtless Riff (Artie Baxter) pitches a tent in his pants when slutty Vicky (Carrie Finklea) comes on to him and they start making out behind Kate's (Margo Harshman) back. And good-girl Ashley (Kelly Vitz) is such an insufferable, prudish square--"SMORES!" she yelps giddily at the first sight of a campfire--that you just know she's got "last girl standing" written all over her. Oh, wait...no, she doesn't.

When Simon decides it's time to have some fun with these unfortunate idiots, all hell breaks loose. He has a penchant for creating intricate launching devices out of scrap machine parts and then loading them with pickaxes. In a couple of scenes the air is literally filled with a hail of twirling, swooshing, razor-sharp pickaxes as Simon calmly fires off round after round at his fleeing victims. It's wonderfully ridiculous to the point of hilarity.

The mayhem gets up-close and personal as well, as Simon goes on a bloodthirsty rampage that includes surrounding campers who are having a paintball war. Meat cleavers, hangings, and lots of dismemberment ensue. One victim is taken apart and stuck back together to form a festive troll doll with a CD-player mouth. Another gets to partake in a game of human tether ball with moving vehicles. Finally, there's a warm family gathering with Simon and his long-dead mom and dad around a picnic table where the last person (currently) standing must make a desperate attempt to escape. That is, after being offered a "hand" sandwich.

Through it all, Crispin Glover is at his flat-out nutty best. He revels in playing Simon (or is it Stanley?) in the broadest strokes possible, emoting his lopsided head off and grinning like a loon. He's also got the worst backwoods hick accent you ever heard, which just adds to the character somehow. ("Yew fuh-GOT...tuh say...Simon SAY-uz!") The scene in which he has a terrified captive strapped into the passenger seat of his wrecker truck is reminiscent of DEATH PROOF, but neither Kurt Russell nor Quentin Tarantino can do crazy like our boy Crispin. And hey, Bruce Glover is perfect as his dad in the flashbacks--it never occurred to me before that the guy who played the demented Mr. Wint in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was Crispin's real-life dad, but somehow it all makes sense now.

For a movie of this type, SIMON SAYS looks great--writer-director William Dear has some gorgeous northern California locations to work with, and he shoots the whole thing with style. Once things get started, the pace never lets up. Even the sound design is noticeably better than average. I watched a screener so I can't comment on the DVD's bonus features, but they are listed as: director's commentary, storyboard comparisons, and stills gallery. The movie is widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound.

If you don't like Crispin Glover, then you should disregard a major portion of what I just said. If you don't like slasher movies, or even moreso, slasher movie spoofs, then you should disregard really big chunks of it. But if my description of SIMON SAYS sounds even remotely intriguing to you, then Simon says "check it out." (You knew that was coming, right?)


Buy it at Amazon.com

STAR TREK -- movie review by porfle

As a self-described "Trekker" since "Star Trek: The Original Series" first warped into syndication, the prospect of this movie inspired in me feelings of both keen anticipation and dread. For years, many of us Trek fans have wanted a movie about the Starfleet Academy days of the original crew, but we wanted it to be true to the spirit of "Star Trek" while adhering to established canon.

Nowadays, however, such sentiments are likely to cause you to be labeled a "diehard Trek supergeek" and berated for being such a dour spoilsport nitpicking over details instead of sitting back and letting this flashy new thing carry you off on a wave of giddy delirium. Well, I don't mind being called a geek, but when other geeks call me a geek, then they need to shut up. In other words, you really can't point out the mote of dust in someone else's eye if you have an action figure stuck in yours.

Anyway, I went to see director J.J. Abrams' big, new, glittering, pulsating, eye-popping STAR TREK movie today, and I must say first of all that it is a grandly entertaining cherry-red fire engine of a space flick. Watching it is like getting up on Christmas morning and finding out that Santa Claus really went all out on your house because you were extra good that year. There's an endless parade of stunningly imaginative set design, amazing special effects, and some action setpieces that made me glad sci-fi movies were invented. The new USS Enterprise looks great on the outside, and the bright, snazzy interiors felt like home after I had some time to settle into them.

Best of all, there was actually a story buzzing around amidst all these cool state-of-the-art visuals. It involves an enormous Romulan warship that has elements of both (a scaled down) V'ger from STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE and the Romulan warship "The Scimitar" from STAR TREK: NEMESIS, and a vengeful Romulan commander named Nero (Eric Bana) who is reminiscent of the vengeful Khan from STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN and the vengeful Romulan commander Shinzon from STAR TREK: NEMESIS. (An aside: the widely-reviled NEMESIS is one of my favorite Trek movies. Shows you what I know.) So basically, Nero is really pissed-off, he hates Earth, he hates Vulcan, he has a practically invincible starship that can travel through time and destroy worlds, and he's coming to get us. Check.

Meanwhile, we get to see young Kirk and Spock in their formative years, with Kirk a rebellious orphan born in battle and raised in Iowa, and Spock the half-Vulcan, half-human misfit who's unsure which path to take in life and must suffer discriminatory taunts from his full-Vulcan peers. Spock chooses to enter Starfleet (partly to spite the smug Vulcan tight-asses who patronizingly deem him fit to attend the Vulcan Science Academy despite his "inadequacies") while Kirk stumbles into it like a bull in a china closet.

We see Kirk cheating his way through that fabled Kobiyashi Maru test, meeting Spock under less-than-friendly circumstances, hitting on Uhura, and being whisked into a frantic mission to rescue the planet Vulcan from oblivion even though he's been suspended from duty, thanks to an obliging Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Once aboard the Enterprise, of course, it isn't long before the young hot-shot proves himself Alpha Male #1 and is sitting in the captain's chair. But first, he must get forcibly ejected from the Enterprise in an escape pod, meet both Scotty and the original Leonard Nimoy version of Spock on an ice planet, get beamed back aboard the Enterprise during warp, and fight to the near-death against Spock to prove the emotion-prone Vulcan unfit for command.

Just how much of this sticks to that pesky "Star Trek" canon that us diehard supergeeks are so nitpicky about becomes irrelevent as soon as the time travel factor enters the equation. Nimoy's "Spock Prime" is there to remind us that whatever happened between the moment the TV series first became a gleam in Gene Roddenberry's eye to the last time Patrick Stewart said "Make it so" is now part of a different timeline that has gone on its merry way into history. Thanks to the Romulan villain Nero and his temporal meddling, we now have a Star Trek universe in which most of the old characters are still there but in which anything can happen.

This rules out what many of us have wished for over the years--a retro-Trek origin story that accurately sets up the later adventures with a steadfast adherence to continuity--but maybe by this point it's not such a bad approach to take. I certainly don't like the idea of ignoring the old fans who have been loyal to Star Trek for all these decades and courting new ones who don't care about its history. Indeed, if it weren't for us the show would've died back in the late 60s and we wouldn't even be discussing it as a big-budget summer blockbuster here in the 21st century.

But after seeing this modern reboot, and being, frankly, dazzled by it, I must say that J.J. Abrams and company seem to have had the old fans well in mind every step of the way. There's an awful lot about this movie that can only be appreciated by viewers who are already familiar with the characters and their history. And seeing all the little details fall into place, even if the fit is a good deal different this time around, is a satisfying experience.

As a film, STAR TREK is killer entertainment that starts out with a bang and doesn't let up. The pre-titles sequence is awesome, with the USS Kelvin under the command of Captain George Kirk going up against Nero's ship in a hopelessly one-sided battle while his wife is in sickbay giving birth to their son James. Later, there's a thrilling parachute freefall involving Kirk and Sulu over the planet Vulcan which leads to aerial hand-to-hand combat atop a drilling platform suspended miles in the air. (In one of several nods to the original series, Sulu even gets to display his fencing prowess here.) The space battles which occur throughout the film are intense, action-packed, and beautifully rendered. And as in Spock's demise in WRATH OF KHAN and the destruction of the Enterprise in THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, there are a couple of major death scenes here that are stunning and totally unexpected.

Perhaps the most important element in this film's success or failure is in the casting. Chris Pine captures the brash arrogance and boyish likability of James T. Kirk without doing a full-on Shatner impression, while Zachary Quinto seems to have been born to play the young Spock. Other actors--Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as Sulu, and Simon Pegg as Scotty--convey the essence of their characters while bearing little resemblance to their predecessors. As Pavel Chekov, Anton Yelchin manages to actually make me like the character for the first time ever, giving the proceedings a hefty dose of highly-effective comedy relief. Ben Cross and Winona Ryder aren't great as Spock's parents, but they're pretty good, and Bruce Greenwood makes a fine Captain Christopher Pike. Best of all, however, is Karl Urban as Leonard McCoy. He inhabits the role as though somehow possessed by the late DeForest Kelley, and it's a real pleasure to watch him forming an instant kinship with Kirk, developing his adversarial relationship with Spock, and saying things like "Dammit, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" for the first time.

Somehow, though, I didn't find the film all that cathartic at the end. Maybe repeated viewings will change this, I don't know. It just didn't seem to do that "climax" and "denouement" thing as successfully as an adventure of this magnitude should, leaving me somewhat less than ecstatic after the fadeout. It could be that this hyperkinetic, visually intoxicating thrill ride lacked the kind of deep, emotional resonance that previous "Star Trek" movies have always had to one degree or another. Maybe these revamped characters and this rebooted universe are so new and unfamiliar that they aren't yet capable of making us feel the old magic. Maybe the emphasis on flash and sensation gives the whole enterprise a slightly superficial quality. Or, most likely, maybe we'll just have to wear this new pair of shoes for awhile before they start to feel as comfortable as the old ones.

EDEN LOG -- DVD review by porfle

Dark, gritty, and downbeat, the French sci-fi/horror thriller EDEN LOG (2007) begins in the depths of the earth with an intriguing mystery that is slowly revealed as the main character fights his way level by level toward the surface. Credit first-time director Franck Vestiel and his co-scripter Pierre Bordage for coming up with something different while still recalling familiar echoes of films past.

Clovis Cornillac plays Tolbiac, a man who wakes up in the wreckage of some huge subterranean facility called Eden Log with no memory of who he is or how he got there. A recorded message cheerfully informs him that workers who have toiled long enough in the dark depths earn the right to ascend to the surface and enjoy the paradise that they've helped to create. But apparently something's gone wrong with this system, as the place is trashed and overrun with hideous attacking mutants.

It all has to do with some huge, weird treelike plant growing upward through the core of Eden Log, from which limitless energy is derived even as its roots emit a viral toxin that turns unsuspecting workers into mutants. A female botanist hiding out on the science level of the facility tells Tolbiac of a revolt which took place when the scientists discovered the dastardly secrets behind Eden Log's methods and tried to publicize them. Together, the two climb toward freedom amidst rampaging mutants and hostile security guards, while the apparently infected Tolbiac shows signs of transforming into a monster himself. Before it's all over, the deepest, darkest secret of all is finally revealed.

Elements of METROPOLIS, 1984, and THX-1138 combine with the look and feel of rusty, crusty sci-fi flicks such as HARDWARE and PITCH BLACK to give EDEN LOG its own unique atmosphere. The set designer must've had a field day creating all this cool futuristic stuff and then trashing it. Some of the found locations are awe-inspiring. Very little CGI is in evidence until the end, making this seem almost like a welcome visual throwback to the good old days. As for the mutants, the masks and body suits are exceptionally well-rendered.

The story's a real page-turner too, stringing us along until the final twist. We experience it through Tolbiac's eyes as he strives to recover his identity and find answers while dealing with the horror of slowly losing his humanity. This is illustrated most effectively in one of the film's best sequences. The botanist removes her protective suit to reveal a beautiful woman--she stops Tolbiac in his tracks. Slowly, they begin to kiss and then passionately make love. During the act, however, we see disturbing flashes of a different reality, in which the woman is struggling, screaming, and Tolbiac is on her like a wild beast. Only too late does his frenzied mind become clear enough for him to realize that he's raping her.

Clovis Cornillac, with his piercing eyes and aggressive physicality, is very effective in the lead role. He reminds me of a young Harris Yulin, which is a good thing. As the botanist, the beautiful Vimala Pons makes a strong impression and I wish her part had been larger. Director Vestiel keeps the action moving at a fast clip, giving us little time to catch our breath along the way. Composers Alex and Willie Cortés contribute one of those evocative ambient scores that I wouldn't mind having in my CD player.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 sound. There's an English-language soundtrack with Spanish captions available. If you click "Special Features" you get the original French soundtrack, which comes with both English and Spanish captions.

Which language you listen to while watching the movie isn't all that important, actually. There isn't much dialogue, and the visuals recall some of the best qualities of classic silent films such as METROPOLIS, right down to the expressive acting styles of the two leads and a deliberate dearth of color. But as derivative as it may sound, EDEN LOG stands on its own as a unique and haunting piece of imaginative filmmaking.


Buy it at Amazon.com

Val Kilmer, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Sharon Stone star in STREETS OF BLOOD on DVD July 28th from Anchor Bay

AN ACTION PACKED COP THRILLER THAT WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING UNTIL THE END

Beverly Hills, CA - The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sparks an investigation into the criminal underworld in the edge-of-your-seat, thriller Streets of Blood – coming to DVD on July 28, 2009 (prebook: June 25, 2009) from Anchor Bay Entertainment. Streets of Blood stars Val Kilmer (Heat, Batman Forever) in his first role ever as a police officer. The film also stars Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Righteous Kill, Get Rich or Die Tryin’) and Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct, Casino) and is produced by Avi Lerner (Rambo, Day of the Dead). The DVD will be priced at $26.97 SRP

It’s New Orleans, six months after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the streets, destroying everything in her path. The floodwaters have receded, but the death toll is on the rise, and the torrent of blood rages on. Now for a veteran detective (Kilmer) with a viciously brutal past, his new partner (Jackson) with a dark secret, and a department shrink (Stone) who knows the city’s vices all too well, crime and corruption are about to go to all new levels of depravity, the likes of which The Big Easy has never known.

In a town struggling to put the pieces back together, can anyone stop the barrage of dirty cops and the obscenely brutal drug wars that threatens it all? Brian Presley (Home of the Brave, “General Hospital”) and Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) co-stars in this pulse-pounding tour-de-force from the makers of Rambo and 16 Blocks.

Street Date: July 28, 2009
Pre-Book: June 25, 2009
Audio: Dolby Surround 5.1
Retail Price: $26.97
Genre: Action
Rating: R for violence, sexuality, drug content and pervasive language
Run Time: 95 minutes
Year: 2009

A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS/ THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA -- DVD reviews by porfle

(On May 26, 2009, Magnolia Home Entertainment is releasing a Wayne Wang 2-disc double-feature DVD containing the films A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS and THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA. Both will also be available in seperate editions. )

I'm not going to make a lame joke about how watching A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS (2007) really feels like it takes a thousand years, because chances are it's already been done by now. But it really does. Although this isn't a bad movie, you may find yourself nodding off between the parts in which something actually happens.

The thing is, director Wayne Wang, who gave us 1993's THE JOY LUCK CLUB, seems to want this movie to be intensely boring since he has deliberately made it as slow-paced as spending a long Sunday afternoon watching sea monkeys expire. If an oncoming glacier had popped up in the final reel, it would've qualified as a thrilling action finale by comparison.

Now that I've given you an idea of what to expect in that regard, let's explore the other aspects of the film. The plot concerns an old-fashioned Chinese father from Beijing, Mr. Shi (Henry O), visiting his more modern daughter Yilan (Feihong Yu) in America. Mr. Shi worries that Yilan will never find a suitable husband and be happy after her unsuccessful first marriage. Yilan bristles at his very presence and begins to spend evenings away from the apartment, leaving him alone for long periods of time. When they do find themselves together, mainly at dinner, she's sullen and uncommunicative. Obviously she's troubled by some deep, unspoken resentment.

Mr. Shi wanders around while Yilan's at work, conversing with strangers about how he used to be a rocket scientist. He meets a nice older lady from Iran (Vida Ghahremani) in the park, and they become fast friends even though they can barely understand each other. The rest of the time he sits around waiting for Yilan to come home. When she finally does, he discovers that she's been seeing a married guy from Russia named Boris (Pavel Lychnikoff), and in the ensuing confrontation she reveals the reasons why she can't stand having him around and why she wants him to go on a tour to Montana.

If I were an independent woman living on my own, having Mr. Shi creeping around the apartment critiquing everything I did would drive me outta my gourd too. The trouble is, he's a nice enough old guy who means well and we like him, so Yilan's cold-shoulder treatment is bothersome. But he's boring as hell. He sits pondering factoids in the newspaper, lurks around in the park or snoops through Yilan's stuff. And he does everything reeeeal sloooow. In order to watch this movie you have to gear yourself way down to a level you may not have thought yourself capable of, like one of those yogis who use will power to slow down their own heartbeats.

There are some light and intriguing little moments scattered about. I like the part where Mr. Shi invites a couple of young white-shirt-and-tie Mormons into the apartment and engages them in a truly interested manner that they clearly aren't used to, promising to read their book so that they can better continue the discussion later. He's always making notes in his notebook about unfamiliar English words and phrases, such as "Kum-n-Go" (an unfortunately-named gas station). In an overtly symbolic scene in Yilan's bedroom, he discovers a couple of those Russian nested dolls (a male and a female) that open up to reveal a smaller doll inside, which opens up to reveal an even smaller one, etc. until you reach the core. Put them all together and you see only the outer shell that conceals all those inner secrets.

Wayne Wang, the director, doesn't move the camera much here. He doesn't move the actors much, either. But his direction is efficient, and he successfully captures the intent of Yiyun Li's languid but thoughtful screenplay, which is to explore how old-style Chinese culture and customs can make it difficult for family members to open up to each other and express their feelings. It's a small tragedy when we discover that whatever happened to turn Yilan against her father so long ago was based on a misunderstanding which, due to cultural reasons, was allowed to remain unresolved.

In 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital sound, the DVD looks and sounds okay. Mr. Shi and Yilan speak Chinese to each other a lot, so much of the film is subtitled; captions are available in Spanish only. Extras include revealing interviews with Henry O and author Yiyun Li, a photo gallery, and trailers from other Magnolia DVD releases.

Watching and appreciating A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS requires things from its viewers such as patience, concentration, and contemplation. (Which means that it definitely wasn't designed to compete with giant robot movies at your local metroplex.) For that, it does offer some small rewards by the time it finally reaches its end, not the least of which being the fact that it all really does mean something, and that there's some hope yet for our protagonists. But even this couldn't completely counteract the feeling that, overall, this film is an enervating, somewhat depressing, even mildly claustrophobic experience. I found the semi-happy ending exhilarating--I felt as though I'd escaped.

I watched my second Wayne Wang film, THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA (2007), in the morning so that I'd have a fresher outlook and more stamina. I still had trouble staying awake. I hate to keep mentioning how noddy Wang's films seem to be, but since that's one of my main reactions then it seems worth noting. This one, however, did have more going on in it, with a more engaging storyline and a wider variety of interesting characters.

The story--based once again on the works of writer Yiyun Li--concerns a vacuous young Chinese girl named Sasha (Li Ling) who gets pregnant after having sex with a promiscuous opera singer named Yang in Beijing, then travels from her college in Nebraska to San Francisco so that she can have an abortion. She meets up with one of Yang's former lovers, a gay Caucasian man named Boshen (Brian Danforth), whom she later discovers harbors a secret desire for Sasha, Yang, and himself to form a family and raise the baby.

That night, as she wanders around the city agonizing over her decision, she meets a prostitute named X (Pamelyn Chee) in Chinatown and helps her entertain some businessmen in a private karaoke room. They spend the night together in a hotel room, where Sasha reads aloud from her diary and is berated by X for her foolishly romantic notions. The next day, Sasha goes to the abortion clinic with an anxious Boshen although she's still unsure of her decision. This uncertainty is compounded by a lengthy, probing questionaire and an ultrasound which allows her to see the four-month-old fetus.

Although we feel for her, Sasha really isn't very likable. She steals a young couple's shopping bag at the mall, then petulantly throws away what she doesn't want from it. She also rummages through purses at the dinner party that Boshen takes her to, and embarrasses him in front of his friends by acting like a brat. She discovers Boshen's "plan" while snooping through his personal letters, and when she confronts him with this she announces that such a plan will cost him. Later, she even goes so far as to have X introduce her to a sleazy baby merchant.

Much of the film consists of Sasha's video diary taken with her ever-present cell phone, with which she also constantly sends unanswered text messages to Yang. Long, wavering shots of city streets and crowded sidewalks tend to drag after awhile. There's also an awful lot of contemplation and reflection in this movie--Sasha gazes into mirrors, examines the lines in her palms, fiddles with her fingernails, etc. Director Wang's camera is all over the place here, sometimes finding just the right shot seemingly by accident, but often simply meandering. The editing is okay but could've been tightened considerably, although in a movie like this I guess that isn't the point.

The DVD image is 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 sound, and the picture is okay although obviously shot on video. Captions are available in Spanish only. Extras include another interview with writer Yiyun Li, eight minutes of video silliness (Borat-style humor, emo whinings, etc.) called "Sasha's Video Diaries", the even sillier "Ling and Yan Yan: A Day in the Life of Chinese Women" (a title in which the word "idiotic" would easily fit in somewhere), a photo gallery, and trailers from other Magnolia DVD releases.

In the end, Sasha text-messages Yang that she's "moving on"--an American phrase that she relates to--although she's going to need more than an abortion to change her life for the better. Wang doesn't spell things out for us at the end, but leaves some doubt as to Sasha's decision when she leaves the clinic and immediately joins the St. Stupid's Day parade that's going by (an image that I found particularly inspired). The final shot is sort of an impressionistic depiction of the empty, isolated feeling that must come when getting an abortion you're not really sure you want to have, or watching a movie that doesn't really have an ending.


Buy it at Amazon.com:
2-disc double-feature DVD
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
The Princess of Nebraska

MST3K Stars Recapture Magic of Beloved Cult Classic TV Series With "Rifftrax"

(We recently reviewed the new Rifftrax version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Now, here's a look at the whole line of new Rifftrax DVDs currently available from Legend Films.)

Hugely Popular RiffTrax.com Online Comedy Series Makes Much-Anticipated DVD Debut

10 RiffTrax DVD Line Titles Debut in Stores Nationwide June 16th--Hundreds of MP3 RiffTrax Commentary Tracks Available for Download Online

What Reviewers Have to Say About the RiffTrax Online MP3 Comedy Series:

"… self-described ‘Misties’ are welcoming a resurrection of sorts."
New York Times
"MST3K is one of the funniest shows of all time ... its spirit lives on in the form of RiffTrax … I laughed more than I have in ages."
Jason Snell, Macworld
"… hilarious commentary ..."
PC Gamer
"… Nelson and company are back doing what they do best …"
Geek magazine
"Cult comics return to make commentaries worth hearing."
Empire magazine

SAN DIEGO — June 1, 2009 — Based on the success of the hugely
popular RiffTrax.com online commentary tracks, Legend Films is debuting the RiffTrax DVD line with 10 titles of all-new original material, June 16.

is the next generation of the twice Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) – a hugely popular cult American TV series that enjoyed an 11-year run (1988-99) – and stars MST3K cast members: Michael J. Nelson (also MST3K’s show’s head writer), Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, as well as MP3 performances by celebrity guests, such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Fred Willard and Neil Patrick Harris.

MST3K featured Mike Nelson and his robot sidekicks Tom Servo (Murphy) and Crow (Corbett), trapped on a space satellite by an evil scientist and forced to watch especially bad sci-fi B-movies. To remain sane, they maintain a wisecracking running commentary on the film – their characters silhouetted in front of the screen. RiffTrax continues this tradition with the same high level of comedy, lampooning not only cult classics, but some of today’s biggest blockbuster movies. RiffTrax will appeal not only to fans of the original MST3K series but an entirely new generation of enthusiasts.

The initial 10 RiffTrax DVD titles to be released are: RiffTrax: Carnival of Souls, RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill, RiffTrax: Little Shop of Horrors, RiffTrax: Missile to the Moon, RiffTrax: Night of the Living Dead, RiffTrax: Plan 9 From Outer Space, RiffTrax: Reefer Madness, RiffTrax: Swing Parade, RiffTrax Shorts: Vol. 1 and RiffTrax Shorts: Vol. 2.

As an exclusive special offer to retailers, each DVD includes a coupon for a free RiffTrax MP3 download at http://www.rifftrax.com/ for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a $3.99 value.
The RiffTrax commentary track line debuted in 2006.Fans are able to download MP3 files online (99 cents - $3.99) and synch the riffing to a DVD (recreating the MST3K phenomenon) for a broad range of titles, from the classic films traditionally featured on MST3K to today’s hottest films (not available to MST3K due to licensing issues).

The RiffTrax library, with hundreds of titles, includes humorous commentary tracks to be synched with such contemporary blockbusters as The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, 300, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Transformers, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Independence Day, Ocean’s Eleven, I Am Legend, X-Men, Cloverfield, Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines, Predator, Top Gun, Jaws, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Saw, Spiderman films, Star Wars films, Lord of the Rings films, Star Trek films, Harry Potter films, and the TV shows Heroes, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy, among many others. More RiffTrax titles are in production for both the MP3 download and DVD lines.

More About RiffTrax DVDs:
RiffTrax: Carnival of Souls (1962) — Following a traumatic accident, a woman is drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.
Genre: Comedy/Horror ● Run Time: 78 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00493 ● UPC Code: 844503001382

RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill (1958) — Five strangers are offered $10,000 each if they can stay the night in a house … But this house has reputation for murder.
Genre: Comedy/Horror ● Run Time: 75 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00496 ● UPC Code: 844503001412

RiffTrax: Little Shop of Horrors (1960) — A clumsy young man nurtures a very healthy plant and discovers that it’s bloodthirsty, forcing him to kill to feed it.
Genre: Comedy/Horror ● Run Time: 72 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00492 ● UPC Code: 844503001375

RiffTrax: Missile to the Moon (1958) — Two escaped convicts are caught hiding in a rocket and forced to pilot the ship to the moon.
Genre: Comedy/Sci-fi ● Run Time: 77 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00494 ● UPC Code: 844503001399

RiffTrax: Night of the Living Dead (1968) — A group of people hides in an old farmhouse from bloodthirsty zombies with a taste for human flesh.
Genre: Comedy/Horror ● Run Time: 96 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00489 ● UPC Code: 844503001344

RiffTrax: Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) — Aliens resurrect dead humans as zombies and
vampires to stop humankind from creating a sun-driven bomb.
Genre: Comedy/Horror ● Run Time: 79 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00495 ● UPC Code: 844503001405

RiffTrax: Reefer Madness (1938) — Cautionary tale features a fictionalized and highly exaggerated take on the use of marijuana. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to "reefer" cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music.
Genre: Comedy/Drama ● Run Time: 65 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00490 ● UPC Code: 844503001351

RiffTrax Shorts: Vol. 1 — Nine hilarious shorts (classic educational films), including Buying Food, It Must Be the Neighbors, Patriotism, Down and Out, Skipper Learns a Lesson, The Trouble With Women, Right or Wrong, Drugs Are Like That and Shake Hands With Danger (Which contains new 3-D animation of Mike, Kevin and Bill).
Genre: Comedy ● Run Time: 100 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00488 ● UPC Code: 844503001337

RiffTrax Shorts: Vol. 2 — Nine more hilarious shorts (classic educational films), including One Got Fat, Lunchroom Manners, Each Child is Different, Cathy-Petaluma Chicken, Act Your Age, Harm Hides at Home, Coffee House Rendezvous, Are You Popular? and Good Heath Practices. Genre: Comedy ● Run Time: 110 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00498 ● UPC Code: 844503001436

RiffTrax: Swing Parade (1946) — A struggling young singer falls for the owner of a nightclub that her millionaire father is trying to shut down. Featuring The Three Stooges as waiters.
Genre: Comedy ● Run Time: 74 Minutes ● Catalog #: LF00491 ● UPC Code: 844503001368

B&W
Not Rated
Format: DVD Only
Tech Specs: Full Frame (1.33:1)
Suggested Retail Price: $9.95 Each
Pre-Order Date: May 19, 2009
Street Date: June 16, 2009

YONKERS JOE -- DVD review by porfle

An absorbing tale of small-time card and dice hustlers scheming to beat the craps table at a big Las Vegas casino shares the spotlight with the sometimes tedious drama of a reluctant father and his Down Syndrome son in YONKERS JOE (2008), with mixed results.

The story grabs us from the get-go as we find the title character, played to perfection by Chazz Palminteri, and his girlfriend and cohort in crime Janice (the equally good Christine Lahti), getting busted for switching dice and kicked out of a local casino. Frustrated by the ever-tightening security measures being implemented to thwart his livelihood, Joe comes up with a daring plan which, if he and his buddies can pull it off, will net them a big payoff in Vegas.

Meanwhile, Joe's mentally-challenged son Joe, Jr. (Tom Guiry) lands in his lap after getting ousted from an institution for excessive swearing and fighting. Joe can get him into a better facility if he can come up with enough cash, but until then we get the usual hand-wringing dramatics as he finds himself totally ill-equipped to deal with his son's manic outbursts, extreme emotional needs, and general instability.

This half of the movie pounces on the other half and wrestles it into submission every time our attention is diverted from the fun stuff. It wouldn't be so bad, perhaps, if Guiry were more convincing as a person with Down Syndrome. According to the "making of" featurette, he lived with such a person for awhile in order to assume the proper behavior and speech patterns, but it would appear as though they both spent the whole time watching Three Stooges comedies. Guiry's unconvincing mannerisms take me out of the movie almost every time he's onscreen.

When Joe, Jr. starts to respond amorously to Janice's thoughtful and affectionate treatment of him, you just know it isn't going to turn out well. So when he goes slap, drooling nuts, climbs aboard, and starts treating her like a donkey ride at the zoo...well, jeez, if you're going to have a character like this and he's important to the story you're trying to tell, at least tone him the heck down a tad, okay?

Fortunately, the other half of the movie is a fascinating look at the art of being a card and dice "mechanic"--the sort of guy who can pick up white dice and throw red ones, or shuffle a deck of cards twice and still deal himself three aces. When security forces Joe to open his hand at the craps table, he complies, revealing an empty palm while holding the trick dice behind his fingers. But aside from amazing manual dexterity, beating the casino under the watchful eyes of trained cheat-spotters and multiple cameras requires incredible cunning.

Joe's audacious plan to do just that is what makes this movie so much fun to watch, especially when we see his team of accomplices each making their own sly contributions to the deception. In the final suspenseful showdown between the deceiver and the deceived, the success or failure of the plan all comes down to one well-placed mug of beer.

Joe, Jr., inevitably becomes a major player in the whole thing as well. In a shot that's a bit too reminiscent of RAIN MAN, he descends into the frame on an escalator wearing a white three-piece suit, raring to do his part and make Dad proud of him. While contrived, this actually works out okay, and in their final scene together we get a somewhat satisfying emotional moment between father and son that helps send the movie off on a strong note.

Writer-director Robert Celestino's longtime fascination with "mechanics" such as Yonkers Joe comes to fruition with this generally successful effort. His direction is assured but unobtrusive, with able assistance from cinematographer Michael Fimognari and a sensitive score by Chris Hajian. The cast, except for Guiry, is fine. It's always good to see Chazz Palminteri playing something besides a mob boss, and Christine Lahti being given a role that allows her to show off her skill and likability. Michael Lerner is also good as an aging hustler who's had enough of taking the big risks. Together, they breath life into Celestino's surprisingly warm story, which underplays the usual Vegas-scam schtick.

The DVD image is 1.78:1 widescreen with 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital sound; both are good. Subtitles are available in Spanish only. Extras include "Behind the Scenes", a fifteen-minute look at the production with cast and crew interviews, followed by three shorter featurettes--"The Moves" (a demonstration of some of the slick card and dice tricks from the film), "The Look" with cinematographer Michael Fimognari, and "Meet Fast Jack", a compelling profile of real-life "mechanic" John Farrell, who served as the film's technical adviser. Finally, we get a brief montage of scenes from the film's premiere.

You may think Tom Guiry does a great job as Joe, Jr. and that the father-son stuff is the best part of the movie. In which case, you'll enjoy YONKERS JOE more than I did. For me, though, the story of Joe and his pals is what makes the movie watchable. If I could edit my own special edition of this film, it would concentrate more on the relationship between Joe and Janice, and their daring scheme to outwit Las Vegas out of a pile of cash. And Joe wouldn't have any kids.


Buy it at Amazon.com

DVD Review: WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY 2: SHE CAT-GAMBLER (1972)

FILM:
The Ginza Butterfly Nami (Meiko Kaji, returning to her role from the original) is back in a new story that finds her on the hunt for Hoshiden, the man who killed her gambler father when she was only a child. Arriving in Tokyo, Nami takes a job as a hostess in a swank Ginza club, all the while combing the back-alleys and gambling dens for news of Hoshiden’s whereabouts. Local street entrepreneur Ryuji (Sonny Chiba) joins her in the search, and eventually in a bloody raid on the yakuza headquarters where all Hell breaks loose.

After watching the first GINZA picture, I adjusted my expectations for the second film accordingly. Having expected a full throttle Pinky feature in the first film, and being sadly disappointed, I fully expected the exploitive Pinky Violence elements to have no apparent stamp here in the second film.

WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY 2: SHE CAT-GAMBLER, unlike its predecessor, is a feature that really stands out. Although, not as hard-hitting, brutal, or frenetic as other Japanese exploitation films, SHE CAT-GAMBLER is able to develop a revenge story that is very interesting, while leading the picture to a final reel that sensationally makes the entire film worthwhile. The narrative slowly builds the characters towards a final showdown that is brilliantly stylish, bloody, and relentlessly gripping.

Although veterans Sonny Chiba and Meiko Kaji are fantastic individually, together they fizzle. The chemistry between the two are brilliant onscreen. They really work well together, allowing Japanese fans to stare at awe as these two titans of Japanese pop cinema perform brilliantly. In the final action piece where Kaji and Chiba slash through their enemies, the electricity sparking off the screen is something truly special.

Director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi seems to understand which genre GINZA is aiming for, and adjusts the perspective of the sequel accordingly. In this somewhat darker picture, women are furiously beaten as well as brutally crushed with bamboo sticks. These dark elements allow SHE CAT-GAMBLER to stand much higher than its lighter counterpart part, and breathe a far more memorable tale.

Although like the first film, SHE CAT-GAMBLER does suffer from some slow pacing mid-way through. Some of the secondary characters do exhibit some very cliché and frustratingly comedic characteristics. Also as the film unfolds, some the plot developments do end up being very predictable. But fortunately, these moments do not appear often and really don’t affect the basic enjoyment of the film.

WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY 2: SHE CAT-GAMBLER is a sequel that is stronger than its predecessor in almost every aspect. With a stronger cast, superior story, and a fantastically wicked final reel, SHE CAT-GAMBLER ranks a very respectable Japanese exploitation entry.
7/10

VIDEO:
Synapse does an incredible job yet again on this release. Presented in an anamorphic 2:35:1 pristine print, SHE CAT-GAMBLER is projected flawlessly with no proper scratches, marks, or damage apparent.
9/10

SOUND:
SHE CAT-GAMBLER is presented in a Japanese Mono track with removable English subtitles. No sound glitches, significant hisses or muffles appear present on the track. The English subtitles are presented with absolutely no grammerical mistakes and do a really fantastic job in translating the film to the Engish speaking audience.
8/10

EXTRAS:
Yet again, Synapse pulls all the stops on the extras departments.

Chris D. provides a yet another insightful commentary track for Synapse. Chris D. covers a variety of fascinating subjects throughout film, including the career of Sonny Chiba, the state of the industry at the time, and how these films affected the cultrual society. He is able to put the film in an historical context, allowing the film to be seen on a more realistic note.

Next up, director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi to provide another in-depth interview, this time for his sequel. The subjects covered in this portion include his relationship with Chiba, his sentiments on directing the actors, his relationship with Toei, and his opinion on directing various other Japanese projects. This is another brilliant extra that really gives the film depth, Yamaguchi is able to give the viewer totally different perspective on the film, allowing the audience to fully appreciate the project as whole.

The final interview on the disc concerns Pinky expert J-Taro Sugisaku. In this feature, J-Taro Sugisaku constructs a 30 minute Meiko Kaji appreciation essay. Sugisaku does a really fine job assessing Kaji qualities and abilities as an actress and how she is seen both inside and outside her native country. It’s very informative and definitely a must view for fans interested in learning more about the incredible Meiko Kaji.

Like its first counterpart, the final extras for SHE CAT-GAMBLER contain both theatrical trailers, as well as a reversible DVD cover which includes the much superior Japanese artwork.
8/10

OVERALL:
WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY 2: SHE CAT-GAMBLER is fine Japanese film that intertwines its exploitation elements beautifully. It’s bloody, lightly dark, and definitely worthwhile. Synapse have done an incredible job on this project, and should fully commended in putting together a release that truly encompasses what a proper DVD should be.
8.5/10

THE MOD SQUAD: SEASON 2, VOLUME 2 -- DVD review by porfle

I used to think "The Mod Squad" was soooo cool when I was a kid. That opening titles sequence, with the three young cops running for their lives through an abandoned warehouse (we never got to find out what they're running from, did we?) to the tune of one of TV's most dynamic musical themes ever, is still emblazoned on my cerebral cortex. But after refreshing my memory of the show with the new 3-disc DVD set THE MOD SQUAD: SEASON 2, VOLUME 2, all I can think is: "What the heck was I thinking?" In retrospect, there's just no way for me to appreciate this show except with a fond nostalgia and a healthy dose of condescension. Yeah, that's right--I'm condescending! Nyaaahh!

Looking a lot like what would happen if Greg Brady fantasized about growing up to become a groovy, outasite cop himself, "The Mod Squad" is an attempt by those well-known hepcats Aaron Spelling, Danny Thomas, and Harve Bennett to appeal to "the kids" on their own level. Their inability to comprehend, and thus convincingly reproduce, any elements of the same counterculture that they're trying to attract makes the show fascinating even though it's hard to take a single moment of it seriously.

Not that it's all that much dumber than most of the other primetime cop dramas being made during the same era, but the pseudo-hip trappings and weak attempts at "relevance" that pop up all over the place just add an inescapable element of unreality to the show. And despite the "mod" angle, it's often as painfully arch and cliched as the sort of shows that "Police Squad!" used to spoof. This, of course, lends the show a whole different kind of retro-camp appeal, the same way that the far-out polyester grooviness of "The Brady Bunch" gives it a dimension of watchability beyond the standard sitcom formula.

The premise, as most people know by now, is that a group of young hippies ("one white, one black, one blonde", according to the famous tagline) are given a choice to either go to jail for their relatively minor crimes or join the police department as undercover cops. Well, you've just turned off much of the actual counterculture audience right there, since it's doubtful that many of them harbored any secret fantasies of becoming narcs. Who did this show appeal to so much that it stayed on the air from 1968-1973? There were the little kids like me, who thought it was super cool because we didn't know any better. (Teenybopper magazines like "16" and "Tiger Beat" had a field day with the lead actors.) And I guess a lot of older folks imagined that they were hip if they liked the show, even though it actually played up to and affirmed their values more than those of their kids.

As white Beverly Hills outcast Pete Cochran, Michael Cole displays that mumbly, self-conscious sort of demeanor which suggests that he wants to imitate the Method acting style without actually going to the trouble of learning it. (At least he isn't as odd and inaccessible as Michael Parks was around that time.) Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, the black character with the awesome afro, is so arch and stiff that he's either one of the most wooden actors in television history or just incredibly intense. Sometimes he looks as though he's summoning a superhuman force of will just to unbutton his windbreaker, but it could be due to all that concentrated coolness.

He does break out some great action moves, though, performing breathtaking diving leaps to push people out of the way of danger or scrambling up the side of a building parkour-style. Linc also keeps things real with catchphrases like "you can't drink champagne out of a paper cup" and "solid." Winsome, waifish Peggy Lipton rounds out the trio as the blonde runaway Julie Barnes, who is totally ineffectual action-wise but you just wanna hug her anyway. Her main talents are going undercover as a hippie girl or a nun, or getting kidnapped and held hostage. And as their straight-laced boss Captain Greer, Tige Andrews is such a glowering, tire-screeching cop show caricature that he's sort of hilarious. A father figure to the group, the big lug even persuades Pete and Linc to endure something as totally uncool as fishing.

The sets have a chintzy look with lots of those bright pastels common to early color TV. There's an abundance of ugly late-60s atmosphere such as the dayglo paisley curtains in Julie's apartment, and the similarly horrific decor on display whenever we visit one of those hippie lairs just like the ones in the later episodes of "Dragnet." It's funny how similarly unreal the "Mod Squad" view of the hippie lifestyle is to Jack Webb's, with the same tacky psychedelic trappings, smooth-talking gurus, and ever-present sitar music, as we see in the episode "The King of Empty Cups." Here, the police commissioner's daughter falls under the evil spell of an abusive rock star (a delightfully miscast Noel Harrison, who definitely wasn't rock-star material), leading to the inevitable finale in which the drugged-out girl stands teetering on a balcony threatening to jump off.

Comical "Police Squad!"-style obviousness rears its head in this set's first episode, "The Debt." Linc impersonates a lunch wagon driver so that he can infiltrate a factory, whereupon he then sneaks around peering in windows and eavesdropping on private conversations. I don't know about you, but if the lunch wagon guy where I used to work did stuff like that, we'd have noticed. In "A Town Called Sincere", faux biker types take over a backlot Mexican village and hold everyone hostage until they find out who killed two of their own. During one tense situation, Pete confides to Linc: "This whole scene is getting very uptight, man." Later, Linc loses his cool with a reluctant witness: "BABY, DON'T YOU DIG IT? THEY'RE GONNA HANG A MAN!"

Sammy Davis, Jr. pops up in another "relevant" episode called "Survival House", playing a recovering addict who's about to be promoted to director of his halfway house until he gets falsely accused of statutory rape. Sammy does his best with the character but the script by Joanna Lee (who played flying saucer pilot Tanna in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) and slapdash execution of it are just too dumb to take seriously. In "The Exile", Julie falls in love with a nice Middle Eastern guy from one of her night classes, only to find out that he's secretly a prince who's about to become king when his father gets assassinated! (Yeah, I hate it when that happens, too.) A dark-haired Lawrence Dane (Michael Ironside's ruthless henchman in SCANNERS) appears as a military officer.

The show's best episodes are the ones that ignore the whole "hippie cops" premise and simply tell interesting stories. Two of the ones I recall most fondly from the series' initial run, in fact, are right here in this set. The first, "Mother of Sorrow", stars Lee Grant as a rich eccentric artist and a very young Richard Dreyfuss as the neglected son who decides to take drastic measures to get her attention. Grant and Dreyfuss are both outstanding actors and they have some really strong scenes together here. It's especially fun watching Dreyfuss at the beginning of his career, playing this flaky, egotistical kook with all he's got.

The second episode that I was really glad to see in this set is "A Time For Remembering." This is the one where Linc gets shot and almost dies, and it's what comes to mind whenever I recall watching the show as a kid. Partly a clip show with some great use of earlier scenes (which strongly suggest that the show's first season was superior to this one), it allows the characters to open up and convey their feelings for each other in a way that I somehow find more moving than cloying. I like the part where the nurse tries to throw Pete out of Linc's hospital room, telling him that only family are allowed. "But I am family--" he starts to say, realizing that the lie is obvious even though the sentiment is real.

The biggest casting surprise for me comes in the episode "Return to Darkness, Return to Light." Gloria Foster is radiant as Linc's old friend Jenny, a blind woman engaged to a man (Ivan Dixon of "Hogan's Heroes") who may be concealing a criminal past. It's interesting to see "The Oracle" from the first two MATRIX movies in her younger days--not only is she quite stunning to look at, but her sincere performance helps to make this one of the most emotional episodes in the collection.

"Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" is a nifty murder mystery that takes place on a Hollywood soundstage and stars Frank Converse and Ed Asner. In "Call Back Yesterday", a young Margot Kidder plays Pete's old girlfriend and Anita Louise is his Beverly Hills mom.

Other notable names making guest appearances in this set are Ford Rainey, Lisa Gaye, William Smithers, Bert Freed, Don Dubbins, Mark Goddard, Norm Alden, Diana Muldaur, Frank Aletter, Charles Aidman, Milton Selzer, Marion Ross, and teen idol David Cassidy. In full screen format with English mono, the 13 episodes on these three discs look and sound about as good as ever. No extras. Total running time is 663 minutes.

Yeah, I love this show, but not quite the same way I did when it was new. Because since then--somehow--it got kinda dumb. So now, I have to either give up and revel in its campy elements, or force myself to ignore them and try to take it all seriously. This show is tearing me apart! (Baby, don't you dig it?) But no matter how you turn on and tune in to its groovy vibe, THE MOD SQUAD: SEASON TWO, VOLUME TWO is a mind-blowing blast from the past.

Buy it at Amazon.com

GUNSMOKE: THE THIRD SEASON, VOLUME 2 -- DVD review by porfle

Back when westerns were the number one genre on TV, the number one western was "Gunsmoke." For twenty seasons--1955 to 1975--viewers could tune in every week to watch Marshall Matt Dillon keep law and order in the wild and woolly streets of Dodge City, Kansas, and now, with the release of the 3-disc DVD collection GUNSMOKE: THE THIRD SEASON, VOLUME 2, we can relive 20 half-hour episodes worth of that excitement all over again. As John Wayne, in his original on-air introduction to the show, described it: "It's honest, it's adult, it's realistic."

Originally a successful radio show, "Gunsmoke" made the move to television along with its creators, producer Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston, who maintained a high level of quality and authenticity during these early episodes. The mood is often somber, with adult-oriented stories and strong characters, and when there's violence, it has an impact beyond the standard shoot-'em-up. Marshall Dillon tries to avoid using his gun whenever possible, save to whack people over the head with it before they can clear leather.

Several episodes begin with him taking a wistful stroll through Boot Hill, looking back on all the lives that have been wasted through unnecessary violence. Tough as nails and quick on the draw, with scarcely a personal life outside his duties as a lawman, Dillon never allows his job to rob him of his humanity. Writer John Meston took great pains to present the character in an honest and realistic fashion, eschewing the cliches of the standard western hero who seemed forever unfazed by the violence and death that were a part of his everyday life.

Despite the show's more mature focus, however, it still retains some of the appeal of the old Saturday matinee westerns like the ones rising star John Wayne used to churn out back in the 30s. James Arness, who plays Matt Dillon, even resembles the young Wayne with his towering 6'7" frame and easygoing yet highly-capable demeanor. (Wayne was offered the part but suggested his friend Arness instead.) Matt still possesses incorruptible virtues, infallible common sense, and an unbeatable fast draw, but is more three-dimensional and complex than his earlier counterparts. The combination of these two styles, not too kid-oriented and not too adult, makes for a pleasing blend.

The supporting cast is one of the finest ever. Dennis Weaver plays Chester Goode, the down-to-earth, fiercely loyal deputy with the famous limp. As the gruff old Doc Adams, Milburn Stone is one of the most skilled actors ever to appear in series television, and the show's occasional moments of unforced comedy relief usually involve some good-natured needling between him and Chester. Much of their spare time is spent at the Longbranch Saloon, where half-owner Miss Kitty provides a constant supply of free drinks and moral support. (For western heroes, these guys really do guzzle a lot of whiskey.)

Pretty Amanda Blake is very appealing in the role, a strong, dependable female presence who enjoys equal status in the group. The fact that Miss Kitty is basically the madame of Dodge City's leading whorehouse doesn't seem to bother Matt, Doc, or Chester, so it never bothered viewers much, either. (As a kid, I always thought all those saloon gals were there just so the lonesome cowpokes could chat with them and buy them free drinks!)

As in most classic TV shows of the period, there's an abundance of familiar faces in guest roles. Some of the ones appearing in this DVD set are Corey Allen ("Buzz" in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE), Strother Martin, Jeanette Nolan (who would later star in the spin-off series "Dirty Sally"), Vaughn Taylor, Werner Klemperer, Jack Weston, Phyllis Coates, Murray Hamilton, Wayne Morris, June Lockhart, Harry Dean Stanton, Claude Akins, Patricia Barry, Gail Kobe, John Dehner, Ross Martin, Virginia Gregg, Ken Lynch, Simon Oakland, Ruta Lee, Timothy Carey, and Jack Cassidy.

The episodes in this set look great, with beautiful, sharp black-and-white photography. DVD image and sound quality are fine. In addition to the 20 episodes, there's a brief montage of commercial spots which include Arness, Stone, and Blake puffing on L & M cigarettes ("Live modern--smoke L & M!" the announcer advises us) and Arness showing us a putty impression of his pesky facial stubble before taking an electric razor to it.

Over its two-decade run, "Gunsmoke" evolved from a simple half-hour western adventure to the more complex hour-long adult drama of its later years. GUNSMOKE: THE THIRD SEASON, VOLUME 2 finds the series in my favorite stage of this progression, with an ideal combination of both sensibilities. It's just serious enough to enjoy for its compelling characters and intriguing stories, and just enough of a good old-fashioned western yarn to erupt into smoke-filled gunplay at any moment.

DVD Review: WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY (1972)

FILM:
WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY tells a Japanese story of Gang leader Nami ( Meiko Kaji), who after killing a member of a yakuza group, is sent away to prison. Upon her release three years later, she’s become a shamed woman confined to living in the shadowy world of sex clubs and street gangs. She returns to the city to live with her uncle, a billiard-hall owner, and after befriending pimp and never-do-well Ryuji (Tsunehiko Watase), she gets a job working at a hostess club in the chic Ginza neighborhood, where the expensive shops and neon lights conceal a dark world of crime and sexual slavery. But when a rival gang attempts to muscle in on the club, Nami becomes enmeshed in a violent struggle that forces her to wield a skilled pool cue to defend her uncle’s business, and eventually a short sword to wreak bloody vengeance upon her enemies.

I’d had really been anticipating this release for some time now. Having absolutely loved Synapse’s previous Pinky releases of the FEMALE SEDUCTRESS trilogy, obsessed with the fantastic range of retro Pinky films available in English, and fully aware of Meiko Kaji brilliance as a Pinky heroine, WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY looked to be a sensational Pinky film.

However, WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY is not the film you’d expect. It doesn’t contain the flare of the regular 1970s Pinky films that busted with style, excitement, and exploitive coolness. It’s a very straight forward Japanese feature that stays very static to its story. The film puts the basic drama of the film as the dominant theme, leaving any exploitive flavor unseen. The only burst of its Pinky traits lie in the final reel, where it fizzles with a final action set-piece that does finish lightly soaked in blood.

The thing is I expected something totally different. I expected it to be like the other Pinky films or similar Meiko Kaji pictures, bubbling with violence, style, and energy only achieved by the Japanese. However, this is not the film’s approach. GINZA is very basic in telling its story and doesn’t take any real liberties along the way. If I’d known which direction GINZA was going to take prior, I would have adjusted my standards and expectations accordingly. But I didn’t, and therefore initially felt somewhat frustrated and disappointed as the credits rolled. Although, after thinking about the film sometime later and properly assessing the film’s material, I have come to conclude that the film does contain a fair amount of quality and value.

It’s directed with a very keen eye that remains fluid throughout, and has some fantastic musical pieces, including a great theme sung by Kaji herself. Although the pacing of the film is extremely slow, Meiko Kaji’s great presence really keeps the film going. The film also contains some very intense sequences that really get the viewer involved in the film, most notably, the billiard scene. Considering how slow the general tone of the film is, you’d expect the viewer to lose interest in the film. This however is not the case. GINZA is able to hold the viewer’s attention very lightly. Although you may not be enthralled in the events unfolding, your interest is always pulled forward.

All in all, WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY is well made Japanese feature. Those expecting a Pinky film will by HIGHLY disappointed. But, for those interested in a retro 1970s Japanese drama, sprinkled with very light doses of exploitive flare, GINZA might just be for you.
6/10

VIDEO:
Synapse have done an absolutely stunning transfer on WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY. In an almost flawless anamorphic print, GINZA oozes with great colors allowing the beautiful retro 2:35:1 scope to burst perfectly from the screen.
9/10

SOUND:
The sound is presented in a perfect Japanese mono. No hisses or pops are present, allowing the sound to come through as clean and untouched as possible. The music comes through the speaker’s really well, taking full advantage of the quality Synapse has provided. The subtitles are practically flawless, and translate the film completely.
8/10

EXTRAS:
Synapse have done a really good job in giving the release a proper assortment of extras.

The first extra is a full length audio commentary by Japanese film expert Chris D. Chris D. does a really commendable job in analyzing the film as it unfolds. He gives some great background history on the cast & crew, how the film is seen in context with other films of the same period, and from what approach the director was creating the film. It’s a really great supplement that works as a great companion piece to the feature.

The next supplement is in-depth interview with the film’s director, Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi is very open about the piece and discusses all aspects of the process of putting together WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY. It’s really very nice to see the actual filmmaker proudly discussing the film, giving various anecdotes, and being fully active in the discussion of his work.

Rounding off the extras off extras are the original theatrical trailers for both the first and second films and a really impressive reversible DVD cover, revealing the much preferred original Japanese artwork.
8/10

OVERALL:
Synapse have done a brilliant job on WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY. Although the film itself is not the masterpiece one hoped, the release is truly excellent. It is an exceptional DVD release that covers more than the necessary grounds, and should be fully treasured by cult fans around the world.
8/10

THE LOST TREASURE OF THE GRAND CANYON -- DVD review by porfle

A Sci-Fi Channel original movie is like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're gonna get, or just how nutty it's gonna be. THE LOST TREASURE OF THE GRAND CANYON (2008) is not only nutty as hell, but it's so hard to swallow that Forrest Gump would've choked on it.

Shannen Doherty stars as a 19th-century archeologist named Susan Jordan (who is anachronistically referred to in the DVD's captions as "Ms. Jordan"). Susan is following in the footsteps of her father--literally, in fact, since he disappeared on an expedition in the American southwest and she's on the hunt for him. Dr. Jordan (Duncan Fraser) was searching for an Aztec pyramid that's supposed to be hidden out there somewhere, and Susan enlists the aid of her colleagues in her search. The trail leads them to a grand canyon, just like the title says, only it isn't THE Grand Canyon since this was filmed in British Columbia.

Finding a passageway into the hidden canyon, the group encounters a hostile tribe of Aztecs who seem to be constantly sacrificing people to appease their horrible flying serpent god. These Aztecs are a motley bunch with pallid skin, cottage cheese thighs, and big butts, and they wear the same kind of flip-flops that you get out of a bin at Wal-Mart, but Shannen and her pals have their hands full fighting them off while struggling through a series of low-grade cliffhanger perils. These include trying to get through a booby-trapped doorway without being decapitated by the spring-loaded axe, falling into a pit where they must avoid getting beaned by a spiked ball on a chain, and, in one of the lamest suspense scenes ever, attempting to pull two of their group out of a large puddle of quicksand by poking sticks at them.

Shannen Doherty is getting a bit long-in-the-tooth to be playing this sort of ingenue role, especially when we (along with the male leads) are supposed to be titillated by the sight of her sponging off in a creek. "Stargate SG-1" alumnus Michael Shanks fares a bit better as Shannen's secret admirer Jacob Thain, a hands-off archeologist who'd rather stay in his tent than pick up a shovel but who turns out to be quite courageous and resourceful when the chips are down. Another familiar face, JR Bourne, does well as the cowardly Langford. Heather Doerksen ("Stargate: Atlantis", THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL) plays one of those irritating frontier feminists whose character gets sillier as the movie goes on, along with the script.

LOST TREASURE wants to offer up the same excitement and thrills as an Indiana Jones or Ricochet O'Connell adventure, but it just doesn't have the budget or the talent to pull off anything that comes close. Sparse production values and really bad CGI conspire to give the film a consistently bargain-basement look (shots of the canyon's interior are particularly cheesy), which is compounded by slipshod direction from LAWNMOWER MAN 2's Farhad Mann and some of the worst handheld camerawork I've ever seen. And since it's a Sci-Fi Channel original, you just know there's going to be a CGI creature--in this case, the Aztec serpent god--that's considerably less than convincing.

The DVD's 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image and Dolby 5.1 sound are good. The sole bonus feature is a "making-of" short that lasts about twelve minutes and consists mainly of cast interviews.

I try not to judge low-budget made-for-TV flicks too harshly, especially if they have that elusive "so bad it's good" quality that can make a lesser effort fun to watch. However, THE LOST TREASURE OF THE GRAND CANYON is, for me, simply boring and a chore to endure. The cast is pretty game, but the filmmakers just don't seem to be trying any harder than they have to.

SUSPENSE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION -- DVD review by porfle

I'm fascinated by the early days of television, and you can't get much earlier, or more fascinating, than SUSPENSE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. This is Jurassic TV, a primitive-looking, melodramatic thriller anthology that premiered in 1949 and lasted for 260 live, half-hour episodes until 1954. Ninety of those episodes have been unearthed and are now available in this 12-disc set which spans the series' entire run.

As in any anthology series, the quality of the writing varies--in fact, some of the stories are clunkers. But for the most part, these episodes are consistantly exciting and imaginative, and live up to the series' title with stories that quickly establish a suspenseful situation and then keep us on edge till the end. Several stories are adapted from the works of authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Edgar Allan Poe. Rod Serling's contribution, the eerie "Nightmare at Ground Zero", is a tense and unsettling atom-bomb tale that really stretches the limits of live television.

Knowing that these teleplays were performed live gives them the immediacy of theater combined with the intimacy of television. You can imagine the actors and crew rushing into their next set-ups during a slow dissolve, and sometimes you can hear them doing it, too. Gaffes by these skilled actors are few, while the occasional technical blooper is unavoidable.

In "The Comic Strip Murder", a piece of equipment can be seen moving past a high-rise balcony like a UFO. In "The Parcel", a stock clip of a crowd enjoying a ballgame runs out before the director can cut to Ray Walston, Royal Dano, and Conrad Janis sitting in a bleacher mock-up. Cues are missed, boom mike shadows flit across walls, focusing is done on the fly, and sometimes you can even spot an errant crew member where he shouldn't be. But mistakes like this are part of the appeal of watching live television, and the fact that there are so few of them in this smoothly produced and directed (mostly by Robert Stevens) series is impressive.

Most of the stories are grounded in reality, with the occasional foray into the supernatural. The very first episode in this collection, "A Night at the Inn" with Boris Karloff, is an unabashedly nutball tale of a gang of thieves stalked by knife-wielding, turban-wearing Indians for stealing a sacred idol's jeweled eye, until the indignant idol itself shows up to reclaim it. Another episode, "Black Passage", features none other than Stella Adler as a hot-blooded Latin vampire and a very young William Prince as the unwary suitor of her equally bloodthirsty daughter.

Hardboiled crime drama rubs shoulders with frequent doses of Hitchcock-style mystery and creepiness, along with the type of macabre irony often found in EC comics. Richard Boone gives a super cool performance as a homicide cop closing in on a medical examiner whose guilt has been inadvertently captured on film in "Photo Finish." In "My Old Man's Badge", Barry Nelson plays a beat cop who singlehandedly takes on a drug-smuggling ring to avenge his father's murder, and in "Dead Fall", he's framed for passing industrial secrets to the Commies.

On the darker side, "Dr. Violet" gives us Hume Cronyn as the proprietor of a carnival murder museum who takes a chillingly active part in his exhibits, while "Dead Ernest" generates suspense by showing us a catatonic man mistakenly pronounced dead and lying on a morgue slab awaiting the embalmer.

One of the main pleasures of watching this collection is its incredible array of familiar faces, from past, present and future stars to the great character actors, often doing brilliant work. Ray Walston (billed as "Wallston" in one episode) and Royal Dano appear several times. Leslie Nielsen, just beginning his career as a dramatic actor which would later give way to comedy, stars in "The Brush Off" with future "Superman" star George Reeves. Boris Karloff shows up more than once and Bela Lugosi gives a delightfully florid performance in an adaptation of Poe's "The Cask of Amantillado."

Other notable names include Paul Newman, Otto Kruger, Kim Hunter, Anne Francis, Lee Marvin, Harold J. Stone, Conrad Janis, Eileen Heckart, Walter Matthau, Eddie Albert, Lloyd Bridges, Mike Kellin, Ward Bond, James Whitmore, Vic Morrow, Jackie Cooper, Brian Keith, Darren McGavin, Franchot Tone, Jack Klugman, Tom Drake, Gene Lyons, Cloris Leachman, Mildred Natwick, Lilli Palmer, Eva Marie Saint, Richard Kiley, Joan Blondell, Jack Palance, Eva Gabor, Peter Mark Richman, Jayne Meadows, Robert Webber, and many more. Several of them make multiple appearances.

These episodes are kinescopes, meaning that a monitor was filmed during the live performances so that copies of each episode could be sent to various network affiliates (this was before videotape or cable). This gives the show a somewhat murky picture and sound quality that is unavoidable; otherwise, however, I think these DVDs look very good. The 12 discs are contained in six attractive slimline cases which were originally released in three seperate sets, and contain all 90 episodes of the show that are known to exist. The final episode, "The Funmaster" with Keenan Wynn, is the only non-live entry and was aired in 1958, four years after the show's demise, presumably in an effort to revive it.

The musical score for "Suspense" is performed almost entirely on Hammond organ (with the occasional piano, tubular bells, etc.) in the style of the early soap operas, and sounds similar to the music in Herk Harvey's CARNIVAL OF SOULS. As a bonus, almost every episode contains the original commercials for the show's sponsor, Auto-Lite automotive products, featuring dulcet-toned announcer Rex Marshall and a delightfully corny assortment of cartoons and animated clips.

SUSPENSE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is over 43 hours of pure, unadulterated nostalgia that I found irresistibly entertaining. Whether you're a fan of early TV, or simply curious about what the medium looked like before it began to earn nicknames like "vast wasteland" and "boob tube", this time capsule from television's infancy should give you just the sort of buzz you're looking for.

Buy it at Amazon.com