Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 6th, 2003
Synopsis
Our two heroines head out to the Dutch countryside for a holiday. They run into car trouble,and blunder into The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or so the available evidence would haveone believe. They stop at the wrong gas station, and it isn’t long before first one, then the otherare prisoners of a deranged family and their masked, hulking youngster. You’ve seen this before,and done so much better.
Audio
Both 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks are available,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 6th, 2003
Synopsis
Misadventures aplenty are in store for our hapless duo. On offer are “Sons of the Desert”(which, at 65 minutes, counts as feature-length), “The Music Box” (which won an Oscar),“Another Fine Mess,” “Busy Bodies” and “County Hospital.” In virtually every case, a simplepremise (such as delivering a player piano or visiting a friend in the hospital) is milked formaximum chaos. A terrific introduction to two comedic geniuses.
Audio
There are two versions...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 6th, 2003
Synopsis
The Great Depression. Ryan O’Neal is an itinerant con man, selling bibles to newly widowedwomen. Unexpectedly, he winds up saddled with Tatum O’Neal, a sharp, cynical child who mayor may not be his daughter -- she certainly shares his gift for the fast move. The two engaged ina picaresque journey, which pulls of the neat trick of being funny but not wacky, moving but notsentimental. The last film of Bogdanovich’s golden period (following Targets, TheLast Picture S...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 6th, 2003
Synopsis
When a strange formula (cooked up in beakers and coloured a bright green) gets into thesewage system and is consumed by escaped lab rats, trouble ensues for a small group of young(and inexpensive) actors. At the climax, they have to face off against a super-rat, whose costumemakes the inside-out bear of Prophecy look like a high point of SFX technology.Extremely cheap, but not without some amusement for connoisseurs of bad film.
Audio
The sou...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 6th, 2003
In the late 1950’s Westerns accounted for six of the top ten programs on TV. Only Gunsmoke had a longer run than Bonanza. From 1959 to 1973 Ben Cartwright and his boys rode across the small screen. Years later in syndication the series re-emerged as Ponderosa and a handful of TV movies continued the tale into the 90’s.We never have grown tired of the genre that gave us such heroes as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. While I am far more in favor of season sets, this best-of collection is a might heapin’ helping of tall tales.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 5th, 2003
Synopsis
Boris Karloff plays aging horror film star Byron Orlok -- in other words, himself. He feelsthat he has become a joke, that the type of horror movies he stars in can no longer stand up to thereal horrors in the world. He is about to find out just how right he is, as he is on a collisioncourse with an all-American boy (Tim O’Kelly), who is about to embark on a motiveless killingspree as a sniper. Chilling and relevant to this day, Targets is also a dazzlingly cleverexe...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 5th, 2003
Synopsis
Audrey Hepburn is recently blind, and still adjusting to her new condition. Unfortunatelyfor her, three criminals are convinced that a load of heroin has been stashed in her apartment,and they want it. Most sinister of the trio is Alan Arkin, playing a complete psychopath. Thetension builds until Hepburn must defend herself against a madman in her darkened apartment.Perfect sweaty-palms material, with a very famous jolt (and believe me, you’ll know it when yousee it).
...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 5th, 2003
Synopsis
The plot of both films is identical: a meticulous sculptor of wax figures has his life and workdestroyed in a fire set by an unscrupulous business partner. Years later, now confined to awheelchair and deprived the use of his hands, the sculptor is back in business. This time, thewaxworks are made by murdering people and dipping their bodies in wax. Lionel Atwill playsthe sculptor in 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum, while Vincent Price takes over in1953. Both films w...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 3rd, 2003
Synopsis
Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck are an estranged couple aboard the Titanic. In ahilariously caricatured Europe vs US conflict, he is elitist snob, and she is the paragon ofMidwestern values, fighting to save her children from corruption. Naturally, Webb will redeemhimself once the ship starts sinking. Though the focus on these two characters gives the storya firm centre, the result is very soap-operatic. The sinking scenes in the last 30 minutes are good,but very sanitize...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 2nd, 2003
Synopsis
Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) is searching for evidence of the supernatural. Heinvestigates Hill House, and his team consists of the urbane Theo (Claire Bloom), smart-aleckLuke (Russ Tamblyn) and neurotic Eleanor (Julie Harris). Little by little, the sinister house wearsthe characters down, but particularly targets the vulnerable Eleanor, pushing her closer and closerto the edge. Unlike the dreadful (though entertaining) 1999 remake, Robert Wise’s 1963 versionhews faithfull...
