Invasion U.S.A. (50th Anniversary Special Edition) DVD Review

Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "Danger Seeker"

DVD released by Synapse Films

Directed by Alfred E. Green

Written by Franz Schulz

1952, Region 1 (NTSC), 74 minutes, Not rated

DVD released on May 7th, 2002

Starring:

Gerald Mohr as Newscaster Vince Potter
Peggie Castle as Carla Sanford
Erik Blythe as Ed Mulfory
Robert Bice as George Sylvester
Tom Kennedy as Tim, the bartender
Wade Crosby as Congressman Arthur V. Harroway
Dan O'Herlihy as Mr. Ohman
Knox Manning as Newscaster Knox Manning
Aram Katcher as Factory Window Washer - Spy
Noel Neill as Second Airline Ticket Agent
Phyllis Coates as Mrs. Mulfory

Movie:

Newscaster Vince Potter (Gerald Mohr) visits a local bar and starts interviewing patrons about their views on the country starting a universal draft. Options then drift into subjects that we even complain about today, such as taxes & government controls. A patron who happens to be a congressman changes the subject to communism and at the end of the bar, Mr. Ohman (Dan O'Herlihy) mesmerizes the rest of them as he talks about what kind of will it takes to win the war against communism. Ohman slips out of the bar (skipping his tab) and the patrons snap back into reality as the television announces the United States is being attacked on the West coast!

The movie continues as the unfolding events effect each patron. The unnamed enemy (strongly hinted at being Russian, but looking and sounding more like Nazi officers) plot their further attacks and foreign troop and A-bombs rain on the U.S.A. Is America prepared enough to fight off these invaders? Or, will the U.S.A. be overrun by the attackers? Major cities and notable landmarks like Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) are destroyed as the enemy attacks relentlessly!

A neatly written plot, interweaved with stock footage from W.W. II and nuclear testing keep this movie fast paced as the worse case scenario of the '50s come to life!

The cast of this movie are a 'who's who' of actors and actresses. Gerald Mohr (The Angry Red Planet and many more) who plays a "poor man's Humphrey Bogart" (or is that a rich man's Peter West?) has all the witty lines and gets the girl Peggie Castle (Beginning of the End). William Schallert ("The Patty Duke Show") has a small role as a newscaster, and Dan O'Herlihy's (Robocop, Halloween III) brief appearance as Mr. Ohman steals the show. In bit roles are Phyllis Coates and Noel Neill who both played Lois Lane in the Superman TV series.

Review:

Some younger people a year ago would have found the premise of this movie implausible! I myself grew up with "Duck and Cover", civil defense plans, and the Cuban missle crisis. September 11th we found out that America can be attacked at home. This movie, although a cautionary fable of the '50s, can make us think twice. Nuclear attack could happen!

I really enjoyed the package Synapse Films put together on this DVD. I give it the "Peter West Seal of Approval." Not just for nostalgia, but now for relevance!

Video and Audio:

Synapse has done a wonderful windowboxed transfer of this film! The scenes shot for the film itself are spectacular, some of the stock footage intermingled looks to have been damaged even when Invasion U.S.A. first ran in 1952. However, the drawbacks of the stock footage do not detract from the overall viewing enjoyment of the movie. The short feature "Red Nightmare" is full frame and absolutely gorgeous! It is almost entirely free from defects. I'll preface this rating by saying with what was used this is the best it will ever be.

The film is presented in Dobly Digital Mono, excellent for it's time, though not as spectacular by today's standards. It is crisp and clear, free of distortion or pops. It does the job!

Special Features:

• SPECIAL ATOMIC AUDIO FEATURE: Two Amazing Original Civil Defense Department Audio Recordings on the Alternate DVD Audio Tracks: THE COMPLACENT AMERICANS & IF THE BOMB FALLS - A Recorded Guide to Survival. Listen Closely to Learn HOW TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR ATTACK!
• 1956 Re-Issue Theatrical Trailer
• The Original Controversial "Red Scare" Short Film, RED NIGHTMARE, Starring Jack Webb!
• CONELRAD 100: Film Encyclopedia of the Top 100 Best Atomic Films Ever Made
• New Video Interviews with Stars Dan O'Herlihy, William Schallert and Noel Neill, Made Specifically for this DVD Release.

This is where this Synapse Film's DVD shines! The short "Red Nightmare" is about a man who takes his liberties for granted and wakes up one day with most of them gone! Controversial then and now (it was done under the personal supervision of Jack Warner and narrated by Jack Webb.) This will make you think twice!

There are interviews with three of the surviving cast members recounting memories of the filming and comments on it's impact.

Something really special that's thrown in is on the alternate audio tracks. These are the real thing, warnings to America to keep alert and instructions on surviving a nuclear atack!

My rating on the extras 5/5.

Grades:
Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Features:
Overall:

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Silver Bullet DVD Review

Written by Peter West " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "

DVD released by Paramount

Directed by Daniel Attias

Written by Stephen King

DVD released on May 28th, 2002

Starring:
Gary Busey as Uncle Red
Everett McGill as Reverend Lowe
Corey Haim as Marty Coslaw
Megan Follows as Jane Coslaw
Robin Groves as Nan Coslaw
Leon Russom as Bob Coslaw
Terry O'Quinn as Sheriff Joe Haller

Movie:

Based on the Stephen King novella "Cycle of the Werewolf", Silver Bullet was one of many King adaptations to the screen during the 1980s. Set in the town of Tarker's Mills, Maine (what King story is not set in Maine?), the death of a rail worker who also happened to be the town drunk begins a series of killings terrorizing the poor townsfolk. The story is initially told from the point of view of Jane Coslaw, a young teenage girl saddled with the responsibilty of assisting her brother Marty who is confined to a wheelchair.

As the death toll mounts, tensions in the town increase between the frightened citizens and the town's sheriff. Townspeople attempt to rid the town of the killer with disasterous results. A side story is that of Marty and his Uncle Red, a alcoholic whose relationships are strained with everybody but Marty. The Silver Bullet is actually the name of Marty's motorized wheelchair, which eventually is replaced by Uncle Red with one right out of a dragstrip! Soon in the story Marty decides to go on the trail of the killer, who knows Marty is after him as well.

Review:

I liked this movie! Sure there was a lot of so-so movies released from King's stories. This one is strictly a classic werewolf tale. It's uncomplicated, old fashioned, horror fun! I'm disappointed that a trailer is not included, but this movie really doesn't need a ton of extras. If the retail price of $24.95 is too steep, make sure you at least rent this one!

Video and Audio:

The movie is presented in a anamorphic widescreen 2.35.1 ratio. Paramount has done a beautiful job on the transfer. I had seen the movie years ago on VHS and did not enjoy it nearly as much. My rating 4/5

The soundtrack is Dolby Digital mono, nothing spectacular, but very nice! My rating 3/5

Special Features:

A French soundtrack and English subtitles. No trailer included! My rating 1/5

(Films that Peter West reviews are viewed on a Mitsubishi WS-55413 HDTV and listened to on a THX certified Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi A/V Receiver through a 7.1 setup of JBL Northridge E series Speakers.)

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Vampyres DVD Review

Reviewed by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "Danger Seeker"

DVD released by Anchor Bay Entertainment

Directed by José Ramón Larraz

Written by D. Daubeney (actually José Ramón Larraz wrote it using his wife's name)

1974, Region 1 (NTSC), 87 minutes, Rated R

DVD released on May 9th, 2000

Starring:
Marianne Morris as Fran
Anulka Dziubinska as Miriam
Murray Brown as Ted
Brian Deacon as John
Sally Faulkner as Harriet

Movie:

Vampyres opens in scene where it looks like a ending. Two beautiful girls (Fran & Miriam) in bed making love and a intruder arrives and shoots the two of them. We next find Ted (the hero or the victim?) checking into a hotel in a small English village. The Innkeeper claims to know him, however Ted denies ever being in the village previously. We next shift to John and Harriet, a typical married couple on holiday. John to fish, and Harriet to paint. Harriet notices a female hitchhiker on the road and becomes disturbed by her. She also sees another girl hiding behind a tree.

Ted winds up picking up Fran at the side of the road and gives her a ride home to what looks to be a mansion in ruin. The old house is falling apart with the exception of Fran's living quarters. They imbibe on fine wine and make love. When Ted awakes he is physically drained and he has a nasty wound on his arm. He thinks it was caused by a broken wine glass. He seeks first aid at the trailer of John and Harriet who have setup camping nearing the old house. Harriet's questioning of Ted leaves her with even more questions about the activities of the two young ladies she spied earlier.

Fran and Miriam continue to seek men at the side of the road, killing them and feasting on their blood. But for some reason Fran cannot bring herself to kill Ted, who is getting weaker and weaker and drawn deeper into the madness these beautiful women are causing. Harriet on the other hand is getting too nosey in the the affairs of these two women. Will Ted survive? Will Harriet's curiosity cause her doom? The ending of this movie brings a answer to these intriguing questions.

Video and Audio:

Absolutely incredible! If only The Godfather had a transfer this good! Even though this movie is 28 years old, it looks like it could have been filmed yesterday. I think you'll find the quality of the screen shots reflects this. I did not notice any damage or color problems. Anchor Bay really sets the standard for other companies to live up to with this one!

A little note about the scenery. The house used for the film was a common staple in Hammer films of the 60's and 70's. It is now a luxury hotel, restored to the beauty it deserved. This movie is in a anamorphic presentation and is as enjoyable today to watch as the intial showings must have been.

The movie is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. José Ramón Larraz used some unique sounds to add to the erie nature of the scenes in the basement of the old house (he claims many have stolen them for later movies). I found it to really add to the classic suspense tracks interwoven throughout the film. The music is clear and crisp. Overall a great track for it's times.

Special Features:

This DVD comes with two trailers: An International and US one. What I found surprising is the American one was far more explicit than the International. There is a great still gallery of shots (I have have included one on this page) of scenes from the movies capitalizing on the erotic tones and shocking violence.

The biggest surprise of the entire movie is the audio commentary. Director Joseph Larraz and Producer Brian Smedley-Aston not only go over the beginings of the project details, but Joseph Larraz steal the show with his humourous recollections.

Larraz claims censors would not allow any shots of the two girls french kissing or showing any pubic hair, then as we get into the later portions of the film, low and behold the shots you see above and below. "Oh my god, there is Anuka's Pussy!" Larraz exclaims. He then talks about how his private copy of the film has been sanitized by the Vatican.

I expected nothing with this commentary and was shocked really how enjoyable it was. I had heard of Larraz and had seen The House that Vanished, his only other movie to get major screenings in the U.S.. I did not know what a entertainer this man is. Why he does not make movies now is our loss.

Conclusion:

This movie has everything a red blooded horror fan could ask for: Lesbian vampires, gratuitous nudity, excellent gore (especially for it's time) and a intriguing plot to boot! I've watched this about 5 times to prepare this review and enjoyed every viewing

Every time I see a classic of this genre it really makes me appreciate how lucky I was to grow up during a time when movies did not have to have a HUGE Hollywood budget to get shown, and every weekend you could go to the local Drive-In and watch a triple feature for a few bucks.

This is going to be a favorite of mine for many years to come. I do hope this review inspires you to purchase this gem. You will not regret it! Now for you real fans of gratuitous nudity I have a gift for you. ENJOY!

Grades:

Movie –
Video –
Audio –
Features –
Overall –

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Pitch Black DVD Review

Written by Eric "The Hitman" Strauss

 DVD released by Universal Studios

Directed by David Twohy
Written by Jim & Ken Wheat and David Twohy
2000, Region 1 (NTSC), 112 minutes, Unrated

DVD released on October 24th, 2000

Starring:
Vin Diesel as Riddick
Radha Mitchell as Fry
Cole Hauser as Johns
Keith David as Imam

Review:

David Twohy's underrated film The Arrival was a thought-provoking, well-acted science-fiction piece about aliens trying to take over (and terraform) the Earth. His next effort, Pitch Black, turns the emphasis from science to action and horror, and succeeds wonderfully as a nonstop thrill ride, showcasing up-and-coming star Vin Diesel as the anti-hero Richard Riddick.

The action gets under way from the very beginning, as the transport ship carrying serial killer Riddick (among others) blunders into interstellar debris, crashing out of its shipping lane and onto a remote, desolate planet. While most of the passengers and crew are killed in the crash, the handful of survivors face the challenge of finding their way off the planet under the heat of its three suns. But when the suns go down, they find there are worse things in the dark than a serial killer.

Radha Mitchell (High Art, Ally Sheedy's comeback film) plays the surviving crew member, the pilot Fry, as the emotional core of the film. She is the "everywoman" learning to do the right thing and save not just her life but the lives of her charges. The polar opposites around her core are the spectacular Diesel (Saving Private Ryan) as Riddick and Cole Hauser (Higher Learning) as Riddick's captor, the "blue-eyed devil" Johns, armed with good looks, a shotgun and a couple of secrets.

While Mitchell and Hauser are both talented, charismatic actors who turn in fine performances, it is Vin Diesel who is the centerpiece of the film, and he is magnificent. His performance showed he could be a leading man, and pushed him from indie films and supporting roles into leads in movies like The Fast and the Furious. He oozes style and charisma, and while both his acting and his part are a shade one-dimensional, he offers just enough nuance to nail the part.

The supporting cast is very strong, featuring Keith David (The Thing) as the spiritual Imam on his way to New Mecca, Lewis Fitz-Gerald (Breaker Morant) as the proper antiquities dealer Paris, Rhiana Griffith as runaway Jack and Claudia Black (TV's "Farscape") as the tough prospector Shazza. Their characters have a minimum of depth, but the acting is superb.

The run-and-gun plot is simplicity itself. The nine crash survivors explore the planet, uncovering some of its many secrets - and finding their salvation: an abandoned shuttle that can get them off the planet. But when everything goes dark, out from beneath the surface of the planet come (mostly CGI) monsters that best can be described as flying mouths with rams for heads. The crash survivors, pinned at their wreck by the onslaught, must trek across the desert in the dark, holding the bloodthirsty creatures at bay, to reach their ride home.

The "gimmick" to the film is that the ex-con Riddick had a "surgical shine job" done on his eyes, meaning he can see in the dark. Thus, when the longest night falls, it falls to him to help lead the survivors to safety. But can they trust this walking lethal weapon, or each other?

Note the Unrated Director's Cut contains footage not scene in theaters, but most of the additions are of a plot/character nature, rather than gore, and add nicely to the film. The R-rated theatrical cut also is available on DVD.

Video and Audio:

The video is a mixed bag that necessitates a lot of explanation. Twohy uses many filters and several unique point-of-view images throughout the film. When the three suns are up, different filters are used to represent their colors, and for the most part, that is handled well. There are also POV shots showing Riddick's "shine job" night vision, and shots from the creatures' eyes that resemble television snow until you realize you can see their targets moving.

As for the actual image quality itself, generally, the brighter the scene, the better the picture — in the scenes shot under the white sun, for instance, edges are sharp and clear. But in many of the darker scenes, particularly under the blue sun in the early part and in the nighttime that follows, there is often a surprising amount of grain, even considering the relatively low budget. There is also a certain amount of faint, but obvious digital noise and a lack of crispness in some scenes, particularly ones heavy on the blacks, blues and reds. And with much of the film taking place in the Pitch Black, these are real problems, made all the more disappointing by the contrast with the flawless picture of some scenes — which begs the question, is the disc a poor effort, or is the technology bringing out the flaws in the print itself? Adding injury to insult, there is a surprising amount of print damage for a recent film.

The picture is like the little girl with the curl — when it is good, it is very, very good (witness the scene where, under the blue sun, a character is splashed in red blood), but when it is bad, it is horrid. Well, not horrid, but disappointing, to say the least. This is a beautiful film in many ways, and the overall picture quality doesn't do it justice. Anamorphic widescreen is approx. 2.35:1.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is solid, using just enough surround for the music and effects to offer a total environment, with the occasional panning effect. Another disappointment: The dialogue is sometimes soft, though whether that is the mix or some of the actors' performances is hard to tell - Diesel has a low, raspy voice that particularly makes his early spoken narration very hard to understand, and Mitchell and Hauser are at times soft-spoken. Bass is, however, steady throughout.

The disc also contains a DTS 5.1 track, English captions and French subtitles.

Special Features:

The headline extras are a pair of audio commentaries, one with director Twohy and stars Diesel and Hauser, the other with Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang.

The on-screen talent commentary is unexceptional. The director and two stars are recorded together, but the banter is regrettably bland, with some humor and anecdotes, but many noticeable pauses. The participants get a little punchy toward the end, and even at one point talk about the absurdity of the entire process. The production commentary is more active, but highly technical. It's interesting because of the many effects shots, but if you're not an SFX geek, it drags in plenty of places. Like the film, both commentaries suffer a bit from soft-spoken participants.

The longest and strangest non-commentary extra is the "Raveworld Pitch Black'Event," a 20-minute clip of poor-quality rave video mixed with poor-quality clips from the movie. The techno music is catchy, but the mix is bland and the video (pretty people dancing and DJs hard at work) quickly goes tiresome. What all this has to do with the film is anyone's guess, outside of the strange explanation that scrolls Star Wars style at the beginning of the clip. This gets a lot of votes online as one of the most pointless extras in the short history of DVD, and with good reason.

The stock extras are a four-plus minute EPK-type featurette and two widescreen trailers, the green-band one for general audiences and the somewhat more intense and violent red-band restricted one - which, if you have sharp eyes, regrettably gives away the fate of one of the major characters.

Also included are some brief, but interesting, production notes, cast and director biographies/filmographies and some recommendations (no trailers) and an ad for the Universal DVD newsletter.

Grades:
Movie:	– An outstanding example of a check-your-brain-at-the-door modern B movie.
Video:	– At its best, a crisp A, at its worst, a grainy, noise-ridden C.
Audio:	– There aren't enough bombastic scenes to make this a showpiece disc, and the low dialogue can be a problem.
Features:	– Quantity, but not always quality.
Overall:	– An A- film gets a B- treatment on DVD with nice extras, but somewhat disappointing picture and sound.

Conclusion:

The film was a sleeper that performed unspectacularly at the box office, but seems to have found a cult following in the home-video market - a benefit, because it grows more enjoyable with every viewing. The disappointment of the DVD, however, is that a beautifully shot movie is hindered by some questionable image quality. Nonetheless, Twohy's sharp direction and Diesel's fine acting make this a nail-biter that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you prefer the "science" in your sci-fi, try The Arrival, but if it's action and scares you want, you won't go wrong with Pitch Black.

(Reviewed on a Panasonic 27" TV with a Sony DVP-CX850D DVD player and Bose Lifestyle 25 Series II speakers.)

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Re-Animator: Millennium Edition DVD Review

Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "Danger Seeker"

 DVD released by Elite Entertainment

Directed by Stuart Gordon

Writing by Stuart Gordon and William Norris, based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft

1985, Region 1 (NTSC), 86 minutes, Not rated

Starring:
Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West
Bruce Abbott as Dan Cain
Barbara Crampton as Megan Halsey
David Gale as. Doctor Carl Hill
Robert Sampson as Dean Alan Halsey
Gerry Black as Mace, Miskatonic Security Guard

Movie:

Herbert West is a medical student. While studying in Vienna, he discovers a re-animating formula that brings dead tissue back to life. After the death of his mentor Dr. Grüber, West enrolls in Miskatonic University in the small town of Arkham, Massachusettes. Answering an advertisement for a roommate from Dan Caine, a fellow medical student, West moves in with Caine. This was much to the dismay of Megan Halsey, Caine's girlfriend, who also happens to be the Dean's daughter. Caine soon gets involved up to his neck in West's outlandish experiments with drastic consequences. The movie evolves into the funniest gore fest to have ever hit the screen!

Review:

In 1967 I bought a paperback called "Dragon and other Macabre Tales", a collection of H.P. Lovecraft stories. At my tender age and the way times were back then, I was terrified reading them. The one story that stuck in my mind was "Herbert West: Re-Animator". Never had the written word left such a impression on me! When I saw that a modern day movie had used that story as it's basis, I wondered "How could Lovecraft be translated to the screen?" Well, they did it, and it was wilder than anything old H.P. could have dreamed of back in the late 1920's. There is one mistake Mr. Gordon makes in his commentary: "Herbert West: Re-Animator" is not out of print. You can purchase this and other H.P. Lovecraft stories from Arkham House, the publishing house dedicated to his memory. Now for those of you that have actually read this entire review, and who are over the age of 18, I have a special treat for you here! ENJOY.

Video and Audio:

The film is presented in a new THX Approved Digital Master, 16 x 9 Anamorphic WideScreen (Aspect Ratio 1.85:1). I own the two previous versions Elite released and this one is far superior to the previous releases. Colors are strong and vivid. This is the best the movie has looked since it was originally shown, maybe better.

The DVD has 4 seperate soundtracks: DTS 5.1 Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Isolated 5.1 Dolby Digital Music Score and Original 2.0 Mono mix. Not having DTS equipment I did not get to enjoy the that track, but I did listen to the others and they are incredible. The isolated soundtrack is enjoyable, as background music to do chores, homework, etc. Nothing has been spared audio-wise on this release!

Special Features:

• Animated Motion Menus
• New Video Interview with Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone
• 16 Extended Scenes (16 x 9 Anamorphic)
• Deleted Scene (16 x 9 Anamorphic)
• Theatrical Trailer (16 x 9 Anamorphic)
• 5 TV Spots
• Music Discussion with Composer Richard Band (4 scenes)
• Multi-Angle Story Boards (3 scenes)
• Behind-The-Scenes Photo Gallery
• Biographies and Filmographies of Cast and Filmmakers

Here's where Elite has truly provided everything the casual or rabid fan of this movie can enjoy! New video interview with Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yuzna, where they discuss everything from the inseption of the project, it's evolution into the movie (it was originally planned to be a series), to how everything was brought together for the filming. A new video interview with Composer Richard Band, where he confirms the long rumored foundation in Hitchcock's Psycho. A video interview with writer Dennis Paoli, where he discusses how the original Lovecraft story was adapted to the screenplay. I found these all to be interesting and enjoyable!

Commentaries include director Stuart Gordon, who gives a running blow by blow of the entire project. He talks about the actors, sets, and how effects were done. Overall, it is a Re-Animator lesson from the man who made it. The second commentary features Producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Jeffrey Combs, Robert Sampson, Barbara Crampton and Bruce Abbott. This is in my opinon a Re-Animator party/reunion! Laughs abound between the cast members as they reminise their roles. A running joke is Barbara Crampton refering to her scene on the gurney with David Gale's head as her mother's favorite part of the movie! One of the best commentaries out there!

What more could a fan of this movie ask for? I personally believe that Elite has given this movie a presentation that is unparalleled by any DVD studio release for a cult horror film. There are six hours of extras on disc two alone. I can not think of any DVD that can rival this! Vini Bancalari, President of Elite Entertainment, has provided Re-Animator fans with THE definitive version, as well as the best value dollar for dollar a DVD special edition can be! 

Grades:
Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Features:
Overall:

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