Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 29th, 2003
Synopsis
Convinced, after therapy, that his previous vampire-fighting adventure was the product of adelusion, William Ragsdale returns to normal life. Unfortunately, he and horror host PeterVincent (Roddy McDowall, reprising his Peter Cushing/Vincent Price role) are targeted byvampire Julie Carmen, who wants revenge for the death of her brother. The comedy isn't funny,and the horror isn't scary. The film is slick, but is just barely a passable time-waster.
Audio
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 28th, 2003
Synopsis
In Howling V: The Rebirth (**), a group of strangers gather for the re-opening of aHungarian castle, which has been shut up for 500 years. One by one they are killed off by a(barely glimpsed) werewolf, and there is a secret that ties them all together. Nothing tooextraordinary here, and werewolf fans will be disappointed by the monster’s next-to-zero screentime. This is, in fact, a throwback to the kind of movie involving much prowling around a darkcastle that Italy ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2003
Please do not confuse this Hallmark made for TV film with the wonderful Tim Burton film of the same year. They have about as much in common with each other as either does with the classic Washington Irving story. The only good thing I can say about the film is that Brent Carver’s Ichabod Crane is a spectacular performance. Carver reminds me a great deal of the late and great Roddy McDowall. He shares his overall appearance as well as certain characteristic mannerisms and speech inflections with McDowall.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 17th, 2003
You can pretty much guess a film’s in trouble when it begins with an ominous narrative that ends with: “The following could be a true story”. Deadly Invasion starts slow and gets dull from there. This was a 1995 TV film about killer bees. Weren’t we over that story in the 1970’s? The plot is predictable at every turn. This might not be all that bad if not for below B grade acting and cinematography. I’m more afraid of having to watch this film again than of killer bees.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 16th, 2003
Synopsis
The plot to both features is rather similar, in each case serving to set up a bunch of mini-movies loaded with tributes and/or parodies of classic cinema monsters. In the first film, amysterious wax museum, presided over by David Warner, appears in town, and a group of teensill-advisedly wander in. Step too near an exhibit, and you wind up in the world depicted, upagainst a werewolf, the mummy, vampires, and so on. In the sequel, Zach Galligan (hero of thefirst) and his gir...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 15th, 2003
Synopsis
Though a largely undistinguished series the Prom Night hit something of a high watermark with Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (***). Advertized, on its initial release, as "ARomantic Comedy From Hell," this sees the demonic prom queen Mary Lou Maloney escapingfrom Hell (where she was stuck in an infernal chorus line) to continue her depredations atHamilton High. There she falls in love with Alex, an average student whose life is suddenly notaverage at all now th...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 14th, 2003
Synopsis
Having mysteriously survived the slaughterhouse finale of Re-Animator, madscientist Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs, in his definitive role) is continuing his experiments in re-animating the dead. Now he and his reluctant partner Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) are bringing lifenot just to the recently deceased, but to assemblages of body parts. The big project becomes thecobbling together of a woman, based around the heart of Meg, Dan’s lost love. Sloppy inconstruction, and wit...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 12th, 2003
Synopsis
Single father Kyle MacLachlan is on a camping trip with his son. They wind up in the a nicelittle town, and an accident forces them to stay there longer than planned. The townspeople seemto be inordinately interested in who MacLachlan is, and they also have something to hide. Thefountain of youth, you see, is located here, and the locals will stop at nothing to protect theirsecret. Though very much a made-for-TV movie, and no classic of the field, it is somewhat betterthan ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 12th, 2003
Synopsis
One year after the death the murder of a young woman named Laura, her spitting imagedrives into town. Drew (Candace Cameron Bure) doesn’t know why she has come to this town,or how she got there, or why she has spells where she thinks she is Laura, much to theconsternation of the bereaved parents. Laura’s boyfriend Ted (Casper Van Dien) was blamed forthe murder, and is believed dead himself, but things are not what they seem, and Laura’s spiritwants her murder avenged. Deepl...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 11th, 2003
Synopsis
Robert Urich has just been hired by a high-tech firm to work on a spacesuit for a mannedflight to Venus. Flight to Venus? you ask. Yes. And the suit comes complete with built-in laserblaster and flame thrower. Why? For the simple reason that all this will be necessary for Urichto save his family from the clutches of Susan Lucci, the demon who runs the local country club.I swear I am not making any of this up. Lunatic plot aside, this is very pedestrian 80s made-for-TV horro...
