GRINDHOUSE 2007 (DIMENSION) BLU-RAY

A true modern classic.

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino hit upon the idea of making a film that would actually be a double feature that would hearken back to the days of the old dilapidated theaters of old where you could see several films for one very low price. They succeeded very well in my opinion.

When first released on DVD both films were released separately and that was a stupid idea. Now on Blu-ray it finally comes in it's original release format. The trailers and bumpers are all included.

The film kicks off with a trailer for a film entitled "Machete" which was actually made into a film a couple of years later. The first film is entitled "Planet Terror" and it's the film by Rodriguez. A chemical is released into the air and soon a small town in Texas is overrun by mutated flesh eating zombies.

The incredibly sexy Rose McGowan is Cherry, a down on her luck pole dancer that looses a leg when a group of zombies tear it off. Her former lover, El Wray (Fred Rodriguez) attaches a machine gun to her stump! There is plenty of blood and guts in this exploitation classic. They even made the film look scratched and spliced, just like the films I used to run at the theater I worked at many years ago.

The rest of the cast for this great movie includes Michael Parks, Marley Shelton, Josh Brolin, Electra and Elise Avellan, Bruce Willis, Tom Savini and Stacy Ferguson. This is a very good film that shouldn't be missed.

Between this film and the next there are more classic "mock" trailers for such films as "Werewolf Women of The SS", "Thanksgiving" and "Don't". There are classics unto themselves and some of the people that appear in these include Sybil Danning, Udo Kier, Cheech Marin and Sherri Moon Zombie.

The second film is called "Death Proof" and stars Kurt Russell as "Stuntman Mike" who kills women in a very well constructed stunt car. The action sequences in this feature real cars doing 80 plus miles an hour own the highway and contains some spectacular stunts.

This one is a little slower than "Planet Terror" director Tarantino really delivers the goods once the story gets rolling. The cast for this gem includes Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito and the gorgeous Sydney Tamila Portier as "Jungle Julia".

This segment contains many, many movie references and that makes it fun for people like me that can relate to them all. The shirt Jungle Julia wears is taken from one of my all time favorite films "American Hot Wax". This is a good bet for action fans.

All in all the film is great fun and runs over 3 hours. Highly Recommended!! It is a two disc set and the second disc contains tons of Get this Blu-ray.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Ashanti is 35, and Pamela Tiffin is 73.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE 1963 (MILL CREEK)

William Castle remakes the 1932 Universal classic and the results are pretty good.

Tom Poston stars as an American who sells cars in England. One night he gets an invitation to spend the night at the house of a very weird customer and good friend named Casper Femm who has a twin brother named Jasper.

Poston's character Tom Penderel takes up the offer and travels to Femm house and finds murder and much more bizarre-ness going on. Once there he is introduced to the members of the family including, Roderick Femm (Robert Morley), young and innocent Cecily Femm (Janette Scott), Agatha Femm (Joyce Grenfell), Potiphar Femm (Mervyn Johns) and the very sultry and gorgeous Morgana Femm (Fenella Fielding).

Potiphar is always claiming that the world is going to end, and he is building and Ark out in the back yard! This is just the tip of the iceberg of strange things Penderel discovers at the old house.

Castle does a good job with this film, and it never fails to entertain. Turn off your brain and enjoy a fun filom that is only around to entertain, nothing more. I do have to admit that Fenella Fielding is simply stunning in this film as she was in the classic "Carry On Screaming".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Susan Anton is 65, and Robin Askwith is 65.

HOMICIDAL 1961 (MILL CREEK)

This is considered to be one of William Castle's best films.

This film opens with a beautiful young woman asking a young bell boy at a hotel to marry her on a certain day and in return he will get a lot of money.

They visit a Justice of The Peace and as soon as the ceremony is over the woman, Emily brutally kills the JP and then flees the scene. This opens up an investigation that takes some very dark and disturbing turns.

This is probably the best post "Psycho" film ever made, and Jean Arless aka Joan Marshall steals the show as Emily, a very deranged and violent killer. I won't say much more about the film as it would spoil a lot of fun for those that haven't seen it, but lets just say it's very twisted and some of the suspense scene work very, very well.

The rest of the cast includes Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, and Gilbert Green. This is included on the Mill Creek set entitled "The William Castle Horror Collection". The print looks very good and I cannot recommend this entire set enough. I hope Mill Creek continues to release such sets.

MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE 1966 (SYNAPSE) BLU-RAY

Well what can I possibly say?

Most, if not everyone who reads this is familiar with Manos. I was first introduced to this little gem in the mid 80's when i orered a VHS tape of it from Sinister Cinema. I knew right then this was something very odd, yet for me, very compelling as well.

Most people became aware of this film thru the 1993 airing on MST3K, an even though I detest that show, at least it got the film in the public consciousness. Not long ago the original film elements were bought on Ebay. Ben Solovey is the man who bought this print and discovered it said "WORKPRINT" and went about trying to restore this little gem.

Ben started a kickstarter campaign and the money was raised to get this film restored. Thank God a company like Synapse decided to put this on Blu-Ray. The film has never looked better than it does here.

Hal Warren stars as Michael a man who is taking a vacation with his young wife Margaret and their daughter as well as the family poodle. They take a wrong turn and end up at the weird house of "The Master" which is being looked after by a very, very strange man named Torgo (John Reynolds).

Soon the poodle is killed, Torgo tries to grope Margaret and Michael is running thru the desert with a flashlight and gun looking for whatever killed the pooch. "The Master" is revived and her also revives his six!! wives. The women do nothing but bicker about whether the child should die or be made into a bride of Manos.

Tom Neyman is "The Master" and he runs around in a huge robe with two red hands on it and his pet doberman. Torgo's hand is burned off and one of the wives is set up for sacrifice, and when Mick, Margaret and Debbie attempt escape...well lets just say they have a very interesting fate in store for them.

Four several years I have been waiting for the final restoration and the Blu-ray release. I followed every step of the kickstarter campaign and when it was finally announced that Manos was coming out I was very relieved.

The film looks fabulous, better than any other print out there. One the Blu-ray you have three extras which are very informative about the back story of this film.

Daniel Griffith and his wonderful company, Ballyhoo Motion Pictures has made a very informative 30 minute documentary entitled HANDS: THE FATE OF MANOS which presents several people connected with the film including Tom Neyman, Jackey Raye Neyman-Jones and Diana Mahree. They tell some very interesting and sometimes funny and bittersweet stories about the film and how is was made. they even talk about it's disastrous premier in Nov. 15th, 1966.

You also have a short documentary on the restoration of the film and a short look at a puppet show about the film in a documentary entitled "FELT:THE PUPPET HANDS OF FATE". There is also the un-restored version of the film on the disc as well as audio commentary by Tom Neyman and his daughter Jackie Raye Neyman-Jones.

Griffith always does an excellent job with Ballyhoo and their documentaries. This is no exception. This entire DVD is really high on the best releases of the year voting in my opinion. If there is one DVD you should pick up this year, Manos is the one. I can't see how anyone could be disappointed in this. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

SHORT TAKES.....

With Halloween coming soon, I decided to watch a couple of polar opposites when it comes to alien invasion films.

First up I watched the classic 1951 film "THE THING". This is a great example of how film making should be and it NEVER bores me at all. You all know the plot, an alien is frozen in the arctic ice and thawed out and sets out to kill everyone at the arctic outpost.

Kenneth Tobey leads the military while Robert Cornthwaite leads the scientists. James Arness is the alien who needs human blood to feed his evil progeny. Top notch film from beginning to end. Flawless classic that really sets the tone for Halloween.

Then I watched "BIOHAZARD" from director Fred Olen Ray. Scientists conducting matter transferring experiments have a mysterious container sent to them from some future time, and inside the box is a creature that happens to escape and go on a killing spree.

Aldo Ray is General Randolph and his role is very small. William Fair and Angelique Pettyjohn are a scientist and psychic respectively, and they hunt the creature down. It seems the monster is using Pettyjohn's ability to help take over the earth.

The ending is a complete head scratcher and one I have never fully understood, but that is the way of many low budget films of the 80's. I like this film, and I am a fan of Ray. The monster is played by the director's five year old son Chris who has since grown up and directed some low budget films himself including a fave of mine entitled "Two Headed Shark Attack".

Just turn off your mind and you'll enjoy this film. Look quickly for director Ray and assistant director Donald Farmer as medics.

MR. SARDONICUS 1961 (MILL CREEK)

I have reviewed this here a while back, but the new release from Mill Creek warrants a second look.

Guy Wolfe is third billed, but actually should be the star of this film as he has the title role of Mr. Sardonicus.

This is a William Castle thriller about a man who steals a winning lottery ticket off of his father's corpse and then finds his face is frozen in a horrifying grimace. He summons a doctor from England to help him with his ailment.

The doctor is played by Ronald Lewis and he still has feelings for the woman that actually married Sardonicus. She is played by lovely Audrey Dalton.

Doctor Cargrave cannot guarantee that he can help Baron Sardonicus, but he tries what he can under threat of death to himself and Sardonicus' own wife Maude. Oscar Homolka is excellent as Krull, the very cruel but faithful servant of Sardonicus.

Of course since this is a Castle film, there is a gimmick and it is called "The Punishment Poll". this enabled the audience to vote at the end of the movie if Sardonicus should be punished for his crimes while trying to be cured. Fun stuff indeed.

Recommended for horror fans. This is sold as part of the five film collection from Mill Creek entitled "The William Castle Horror Collection".

13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS 1963 (MILL CREEK)

A very off the wall but enjoyable film from William Castle.

This film I fell is overlooked by many Castle fans and that's a shame because it's a very good little film that is really hard to categorize.

The teenage daughter of a diplomat conducts espionage while on vacation from a school for daughters of diplomats. Kathy Dunn is Candy Hull whose father is a high ranking diplomat involved in a case. Her father is played by Hugh Marlowe.

Candy soon finds herself the most wanted spy in the world and is captured by evil Red Chinese who think she is a super spy. This leads to even more problems as one would expect.

The rest of the cast includes Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor (who really never looked better in a film than she does here), Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs and the stunning Judy Pace in her screen debut. Not a horror film, but a good movie for some thrills and I recommend it.

This has been released on a very good set from Mill Creek with four other Castle films entitled The William Castle Collection. The print is excellent as usual.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Judy Landers is 57, Austin Stoker is 72, and Joseph Sirola is 86.

13 GHOSTS 1960 (MILL CREEK)

A great an fun horror film.

I have reviewed this title before a while back when I was available from Sony. Mill Creek has the Columbia library and is doing wonders with it.

Donald Woods and Rosemary DeCamp play Cyrus and Hilda Zorba, two people who, along with their children inherit a haunted house from a dead relative. There are 13 ghosts in the house, and with the use of a special pair of glasses they can actually see them.

Director William Castle shot the film in a way that, with the use of a "Ghost Viewer", the audience could see the ghosts as well. I still have my viewer and it was a pleasure to see this film again.

Charles Herbert and Jo Morrow are the children and Martin Milner is the family attorney who may not be what he claims. All of castle's film are fun, and this is the frightmaster at his very best.

If you haven't seen this, you should. it's miles ahead of the crappy "remake". Gotta love "Illusion-O".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Britt Ekland is 73.

THE OUTLAWS IS COMING 1965 (MILL CREEK) BLU RAY

The Three Stooges' last film.

This is one of the Stooges funniest films. They are working for a wildlife conservation magazine in Boston, and their boss, who hates them sends them out west with a reporter named Kenneth Cabot (Adam West) to report of the vanishing buffalo herds.

The Stooges cause so much trouble in the old west they find they are being sought by every gunslinger in history! Cabot is called into a gunfight with a notorious killer known as "Trigger" Mortis played by character actor Mort Mills. Unknown to him the very sexy Annie Oakley, played by Nancy Kovack, helps him out by shooting her gun instead.

This leads everyone to believe that Cabot is the fastest gun in the west and the trouble escalates. All I can say is that this is sheer fun, especially for Stooge fans. I can't see anyone going wrong with this great comedy. i was first introduced to this film on a Thanksgiving morning many years ago.

The rest of the stellar cast includes Henry Gibson (as a hip talking Indian), Emil Sitka, Rex Holman (as the Sunstroke Kid) and Don Lamond as Rance Roden, the man behind the buffalo slaughter.

The print from Mill Creek is very good and the film is highly recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Laura Gemser is 65, and Nancy Barrett is 74.

SCREAM OF FEAR 1961 (MILL CREEK)

A top notch Hammer thriller.

Susan Strasberg stars as a young woman who has been paralyzed from the waist down. She comes to visit her father who has mysteriously disappeared.

Ann Todd is Jane Appleby who tells Penny (Strasberg) that her father has left on a trip. Soon after Penny starts seeing her fathers dead body everywhere and slowly comes to believe that she is losing her mind.

Ronald Lewis is Robert, the chauffeur that says he will try and help Penny find the truth. Christopher Lee is Dr. Gerrard, and he gives a very understated performance. There is a very good plot twist I will not reveal to those that haven't seen this little gem.

The stark black and white photography is beautiful and so is the direction from Seth Holt. Mill Creek has released a great print of this film and it is included on their "Hammer Horror Collection" DVD of five films.

This set is priced to sell through and I cannot recommend it enough to any Hammer horror fan.