MOVIE RELEASES
Methodic (2008) Writer/Director Chris R Notarile wanted to remake Halloween, but after nine years of hawking his screenplay, Rob Zombie beat him to it. Instead he made this well-received indie slasher (or "basher" as he prefers – the killer uses a hammer), which suffers in comparison to its influences and lack of budget, but pays off in the third act. The Horror Review says: "…hits you hard up until the very end". Stars Brandon Slagle, Niki Notarile, Rachael Robbins, and Charles Cyphers.
Earth Day (2009) Written and directed by Eugene, Oregon film-maker Mister Ooh-la-la (not the wrestler of the same name) and starring twin sisters Daphne Danger, and Koi O'Eltressiah, this has received some positive reviews, but the trailer isn't promising. Expect a Troma-style horror comedy, or an 80s slasher directed by John Waters.
Humanity's End (2009) Ambitious-looking low-budget ($2 million) science fiction from Brit Neil Johnson (Battlespace), judging by the impressive trailer. Could be worthwhile if the script and acting are up to the FX.
Fire and Ice (1983) Blu-ray release for Ralph Bakshi's collaboration with Frank Frazetta (Conan the Barbarian) disappoints because it was then impossible to bring Frazetta's stunning illustration style to life using hand-drawn, rotoscoped animation. Worth checking out for Bakshi's commentary (nothing from the 81 years old Frazetta, unfortunately). Restored and remastered, with 7.1 DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD and silly D-Box Motion Control, for those with compatible furniture.
TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction, 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968)/Soylent Green (1973)/Forbidden Planet (1956)/The Time Machine (1960). No extras, but a great deal at $20.99 from amazon.com. But somewhere I hear Kubrick spinning in his grave, over the fact that 2001 is in a four-pack.
TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror, House of Wax (1953)/The Haunting (1962)/Freaks (1932)/Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) Not as successful a selection as the Science Fiction disk, the Spencer Tracy Jekyll and Hyde is best purchased for $5.79 on the double feature disk with the vastly superior 1932 version, and ditto House of Wax, which for $5.79 also contains the 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum.
Gaumont Treasures: 1897-1913 A chance to see 60 films by Alice Guy, though sadly not Esmerelda, her 1905 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the first to be filmed), as well as early works by Louis Feuillade (before he hit it big with Les Vampires in 1915) and forgotten auteur Leonce Perret. Kino Video always do a marvelous job, so this should be a treat – albeit one with a $79.95 price tag.
Holy Flame of the Martial World/Wu lin sheng huo jin (1983) Barking mad mystical martial arts epic from the Shaw Brothers, available for years only at ludicrous prices, this is big, brash fun. from director Chin-Ku Lu (Black Dragon's Revenge/The Black Dragon Revenges the Death of Bruce Lee/Long zheng hu dou jing wu hun, 1975) and actors Siu Chung Mok (from the Once Upon a Time in China… series), Jason Pai Piao (Death Mask of the Ninja/Iron Fingers of Death/Shaolin chuan ren, 1982), and actor/stunt coordinator Philip Kwok (Hard Boiled/Lat sau san taam, 1992; Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997, and Brotherhood of the Wolf/Le pacte des loups, 2001).
School for Unclaimed Girls; aka The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969) Directed by Robert Hartford-Davis (Incense for the Damned), and starring Madeline Hinde, Patrick Mower (both in Incense) and Dennis Waterman (Scars of Dracula, The Sweeney). Fourth of five movies made by Hartford-Davis under the Titan International banner, with Producer/Cinematographer Peter Newbrook (2nd Unit photographer on Lawrence of Arabia and later, director of The Asphyx, who died in June), this is a forgettable reform school girls movie, nowhere near as enjoyable as the other Titan films – Gonks Go Beat (1965) and Corruption (1968), are much more fun. The partnership ended after a troubled production in Greece for Incense for the Damned (1970), which led to Hartford-Davis having his name removed from the titles, he directed one more horror film in the UK — The Fiend/Beware My Brethren (1972) — before heading to Hollywood, and dying of a heart attack in 1977. Look for a 15 year-old Leslie-Anne Down ("The Bold and the Beautiful"), and Joanna David (the BBC's 1995 "Pride and Prejudice") in her first film.
To Dance with Death (2000) Jay Lind's micro-budget sex/horror film starring Brinke Stevens.
Blacula/Scream Blacula Scream / Coffy/Friday Foster / Slaughter/Slaughter's Big Ripoff Together at last, each disc contains two blaxploitation classics for $12.99
Cornbread, Earl and Me/Cooley High Two black cinema must-haves from 1975, the first a coming of age tale with Laurence Fishburne, the latter Eric Monte's story of High School life in Chicago, directed by Michael Schultz (Car Wash, 1976).
Gladiator (2000), Braveheart (1995), M*A*S*H (1972) This week's mainstream Blu-ray releases.
TV RELEASES
Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin (1976) Tom Baker four-parter, influenced by The Manchurian Candidate, and causing mighty upset to the self-appointed moral watchdog, Mary Whitehouse — mainly thanks to the graphic depiction of The Master's decay, and a brutal fist fight at the end of Episode 3, which ended in a freeze frame of the Doctor's head being held underwater (removed by the BBC after her complaint, but since restored). The Deadly Assassin has long been a fan favorite, partially because it shows Gallifrey in detail for the first time, partially because of an alternate reality named The Matrix, but mainly because it stars my dear old uncle Hugh Walters as Commentator Runcible, his second of three appearances (he played William Shakespeare in 1965’s The Executioners, and Vogel in 1985’s Revelation of the Daleks), in a distinguished career that began (following a period in the Cambridge Footlights) with John Boorman’s debut Catch Us If You Can/Having a Wild Weekend (1965).
Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl (1977) Tom Baker four-parter, written by Chris Boucher (Blake's 7, Star Cops), who fueled many a teenager's fantasies by creating Leela, the scantily clad girl savage, who accompanied the Doctor from 1977–78.
Doctor Who: Delta and the Bannermen (1987)
Sylvester McCoy three parter, with Bonnie Langford as assistant Melanie Bush. Just awful.
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes: Set 1 (1971)
Series one of the British Thames TV series. Kudos to Acorn Media for releasing both the great and the obscure from British TV history (I was 10 when this was shown and it doesn't ring any bells). Based on a book anthology series by Hugh Green (brother of Graham Greene and Director General of the BBC from 1960 to 1969). Stars include Donald Pleasence (Halloween), John Neville (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), Peter Vaughan (Straw Dogs), in crime stories by contemporaries of Conan-Doyle, such as Robert Barr, William Hope Hodgson, and Baroness Orczy.
Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD and Blu-ray) Box Set of Season 1-4 also available.
Heroes - Season Three (DVD and Blu-ray) Aka, the one where we lost interest. Also available in a Box Set of Seasons 1–3.
Shaun the Sheep: Little Sheep of Horrors Six episodes of the Aardman Animation TV show for Halloween.
Impact (2008) Dreadful ABC miniseries, with Natasha Henstridge (Species) and David James Elliott (JAG), directed by Mike Rohl ("Smallville").
C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation: The Complete Ninth Season (2009) Laurence Fishburn's season started powerfully, but got silly fast.
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