Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 6th, 2006
Proof that HBO was gutsy before The Soprano's comes with season five of Tales from the Crypt. By this point, the series had become a well-respected cult favorite, and these 13 episodes, spread over three discs, are some of the series' best. The show, based on a classic comic book series, really became my generation's version of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone. It was a half-hour series that told twisted tales of mystery and horror, and was hosted by a very decomposed Crypt Keeper. The Keeper was full of really bad puns, yet that was part of the show's charm. He was the one thing that ties each episode together, and he became something of a pop culture icon, on par with both Freddie Krueger and Jason Voorhees.
One of the really great things about this show is that the creators somehow convinced Hollywood's elite actors and behind-the-scenes personalities to lend their crafts to the production. Each week featured a different director or actor that viewers would be surprised to find working on the series. This season saw guest appearances from Tracy Lords, Martin Sheen, Steve Buschemi, Billy Zane, The Who's Roger Daltrey and more. This is a series that is just plain fun. If you start watching these episodes, you may very well find yourself going back and picking up the seasons you may have missed. The good news is, this is not a show that you necessarily need to watch in the correct order, so there's no reason why viewers can't start here, and pick up the earlier seasons later. The important thing is that you start somewhere.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 6th, 2006
Synopsis
More half-hour tales of horror from back when the letters “HBO” didn’t yet necessarily imply envelope-pushing TV. A bit of cod-philosophising from our host, the obligatory female nudity, and some okay-but-nuthin’-special horror, only slightly edgier than what was passing for terror material on network TV at the time. Among the familiar faces this time around: Michael Madsen (playing an abusive husband), Bill Paxton, Kelly Lynch, Lauren Hutton, and Michael Ironside. Guest directors include th... likes of Roger Vadim, but it’s all pretty interchangeable stuff.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 5th, 2006
Synopsis
Windy City Heat is the longest practical joke that I’ve seen in recent memory. Basically as I understand it, the premise is that Perry Caravello, who is supposed to be a friend to The Man Show’s Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel, is lured to a studio to play a tough cop or detective of some sorts. MTV VJ Carson Daly has just been rejected when Perry gets to the studio office, and he auditions for Bobcat Goldthwait and Dane Cook, and he magically gets the part, and puts up with a lot to ma...e the movie.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 3rd, 2006
Synopsis
The murderous, cannibalistic Sawyer family is at it again, carving up yuppies and winning chili contests. Obsessed Texas Ranger Dennis Hopper is tracking them down, hoping for a final chainsaw duel. DJ Caroline Williams tries to help out, attracting the attention of the Sawyers, and, as it turns out, the puppy love of Leatherface.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 2nd, 2006
Conviction: The Complete Series ran thirteen episodes, a run of such brevity that one might ask as he looks at the tag, “From the Creator of Law and Order,” why Dick Wolf finds it necessary to add one more courtroom-based show to his laundry list of similarly themed projects. I was prepared for another simulation of the basic L&O format, and that did not excite me. And who knows? Perhaps Conviction is a needless clone of Wolf’s other more successful ventures. As someone, who has never...seen an episode of his previous material, I really couldn’t say one way or the other. What I can say is that Conviction enjoys the benefits of solid writing, a talented cast, and compelling character development.
While the series can sometimes stretch too far across that line of realism that a good courtroom drama straddles so well, the outlandish idea that all these young attorneys could exist under one roof and get involved in so many perilous physical and emotional ventures never ceases to entertain. Remember, it’s still a fictional series, realistic or not, and while the plots seem like a little much for one core group’s experiences, they have a way of baiting hooks that no unsuspecting viewer with a pulse can fail to bite. The finale goes for the throat and exemplifies this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality of the show, but still layers on enough suspense to quench viewers’ doubts. I wish there had been more than thirteen episodes, but after seeing all the other like-minded shows (most of which were dreamed up by the same creator) that just go on and on and on, it’s refreshing to know we have an example of courtroom drama with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 2nd, 2006
Harry Alan Towers, that prolific producer of cheap but handsome exploitation (and the man behind many Jess Franco films back in the day) backed this 1983 effort which attracted some interest (from somewhere, apparently) for featuring French game show hostess Sophie Favier showing off her prizes, as it were. She isn't the lead, though. That happens to be one Jennifer Inch (?!), who plays a young woman dressing as a young boy. She is adopted by a nobleman, who wonders why he's so excited around his young charge. The secret doesn't last long, however, and soon she's carousing with him and sundry partners, while filling him in on her upbringing (which involved much spanking). Once again, as with Black Venus, the film looks better than it has any right to, which helps compensate for the atrocious dubbing.Audio
Overall, this film's mono soundtrack sounds better than does that of its sister release. This isn't to say that there isn't any dialogue distortion, because there is, but it is certainly held to manageable levels. The music is clear. For what it is, and for its age, this track could sound a lot worse. The mix is a bit odd, though. Notice how, in one of the early scenes, a buzzing fly threatens to drown out the dialogue.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 1st, 2006
There are so many sub-genres of horror these days. There is the ever-popular teen slasher flick, there is Japanese horror, gore, zombie, thrillers and even the recent popularity of the 70's throwback. This one falls into the dramatic slow-burn category. The plot here sounds like something out of one of the better Steven King short stories. Someone in the federal government discovers that the population of little Rockford Falls seems to have remained steady for over a hundred years. An official is sent to investigate this anomaly, and what he finds is a mixture of small-town life, strong religious beliefs and some eerily strange goings-on.
This is actually not a bad little film. From the cover, I was expecting yet-another week low-budget horror film full of bad jump scares and overly-predictable plot developments. Well, there are some pretty lame jump scares here, and the plot is about as transparent as a sliding glass door, but the film has a certain charm nonetheless. Plus, you get Fred Durst in a surprisingly effective role as the town Sheriff. This may not be a film that is ready for the multiplex, but it is most definitely worth a rental.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 1st, 2006
Another long running series finally comes to an end … almost. The 7th and Final Season of MacGyver does not include the tele-films that really closed out the series. Unfortunately this is an abbreviated season with about half as many episodes. This is also another one of those running out of gas years that many quality shows end up doing before the series is mercifully put to rest. One never tires of seeing Richard Dean Anderson come up with his home brewed innovations, but by now it is clear that Anderson has tire... of bringing them to us. The show finally jumps the shark when Mac is sent to the Court of King Arthur an episode more appropriate to Anderson’s subsequent role in SG-1. Fan favorite villain, Murdock, returns again to taunt MacGyver in one of the season’s few shining moments.
Video
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 1st, 2006
Well! The case informs us that "Former Miss Bahamas, Josephine Jacqueline Jones spraked an international firestorm with her debut starring role as Venus." I guess I must have slept through that firestorm. At any rate, this tale, "based on the scandalous story by Honor' de Balzac" (but then, Tower of the Screaming Virgins is "based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas"), is narrated in flashback by an elderly gentlemen who frequents a brothel, and sees the title character there. The film tells of her journeys through decadent 19th-Century society.This is a Harry Alan Towers production, so one expects it to be a low-budget but still handsome-enough (though sleazy) period piece. And that's what we have. The costumes and sets are nice, well above the usual softcore romp. The acting, though, is also what you'd expect, with the lines declaimed from memory rather than actually delivered. And the score is a Hooked On Classics effort that at first adds tone, but then comes off as pretty cheap itself.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 1st, 2006
Looking For Kitty is an interesting, witty and somewhat slow-moving film. I enjoyed the understated story up until the last 20 minutes, when I lost interest because I thought the film should have been over.
The story is straightforward. A sad-sack little league baseball coach, Abe Fiannico (David Krumholtz), hires Jack Stanton (Edward Burns), a down-on-his-luck private investigator, to find his missing wife, Kitty (Ari Meyers). Working together, they look for Kitty, who has apparently run off with a moderately successful rock singer named Ron Stewart (Max Baker) – not to be confused with the more famous Rod Stewart. Slowly, a friendship develops between Fiannico and Stanton, as they realize they have more in common than they first thought, and the two end up helping each other come to terms with lost relationships.
