Description

After her family is murdered, a young woman becomes a master of the sword and seeks revenge on the evil queen responsible for the mayhem that has befallen her. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

So bad it is good
I just got finished watching this movie on the high definition HBO channel. I'd seen it before when I was much younger and like it then. Essentially part three of the Conan movies and directed by the same guy who did the second Conan movie. The Schwarzenegger character in this one isn't Conan though, he's some other barbarian who tells Red Sonja early in the movie "Danger is my business." This movie is so campy, so woodenly acted, and so fantasy movie cliche ridden it's hilarious. I'm a little torn. As an example of the art form, this is a dreadfully bad movie and worth one star. As Saturday morning entertainment, along the lines of watching cartoons, the movie is brilliant and worth five stars. The scenery in some of the outdoor shots can be pretty spectacular, especially in the scene where the gang was staring across a chasm to the place where the sun doesn't shine (I think that was the name of the evil queen's land). The special effects are cheesy. The dialog is...uh, well Arnold and Brigitte were the lead characters. The annoying brat should have fallen into the boiling mud early on. The queen's pet spider was a cute touch. If this ever does come out on DVD I'm getting it. It's both one of the funniest and worst movies ever made. Take some pain medication before watching though because this one can be painful to sit through.

Old but but better than Scorpion King
If you like swords fights, Muscles,and warriors at it's best then you'll like to watch this film.<br /> <br /> If you're looking for more "acting kind of stuff" you can watch Bridget Jones Diary.<br /> <br /> Arnold can look like a robot or a Kindergarde teacher or a man from 2000 years if he wanted to, we all know that. this movie is from 1985 so it may not have the same effects that we see these days but It was meant to be an old flick anyway, IN the dvd version the sound It's terrific, a must have specially if you have kids or If you're an Arnold fan!!!<br /> the story is plain and simple but everyhting looks real and Arnold is in his own surroundigns unlike the Rock who was more like an showing off in Scorpion King.<br /> Everything looks real(from that era) if you get in to the story.<br /> Again you got to love those swords man they are real Briggitte did a good work also!!!<br />

Red Sonja on DVD
Red Sonja was Directed by Richard Fleischer(who also directed Conan the Destroyer). Admittedly, this was the worst film of the Conan style fantasy series, but it still has something to offer to loyal 80's fans. Excellent casting with the top action stars of the moment. This film has Arnold fresh off his Terminator hit, Brigitte Nielsen fresh off Rocky 4, and 80s karate star Ernie Reyes JR(star of the 80s TV series Sidekicks).

Red Sonja is fun, but it doesn't offer anything original. Just the same old save the world, good versus evil stuff.

If you couldn't get enough of the first 2 Conan movies and you need more, then pick up red Sonja. She isn't as pretty as Xena, but she and Arnold swing one hell of a sword! really excellent barbarian style sword fighting.

casting=4.5 stars
ending=4 stars
Directing and Editing=3.75 stars
plot & storyline=2.5 stars
replay value=3.5 stars

OVERALL= 3.65 TOTAL STARS

DVD FEATURES: Red Sonja has a very nice wide screen transfer, chapter selection and movie trailer.

Sadly after a long wait for this DVD, we didn't get any commentary from the director or Brigitte. That's pretty sad that they don't try to give a little more quality to the fans after a long wait. Brigitte Nielsen hasn't done a good film since Beverly Hills cop 2 in 1987, so it's not like she is too occupied. The DVD special features are pathetic. At least give us some filmographies or something...

Cheesey campy 80's classic
Arnold.
He is the reason this is watchable and without him this would be one of the worst movies ever.

Nielson has the acting talent of a cherry tree but plays the role well physically. The biggest joke of a scene was Bridgette mourning her dead sister. A true Oscar worthy performance!

And young Prince Tarn... ugh!!!
He is the reason this movie is 3 stars and not 5.
He is easily one of the most annoying characters to ever grace the silver screen and his servant, who has an IQ of a turnip, is almost as bad. His sidekick is not funny, overweight, and uses a giant bone for a weapon. Wow what a great mix!

This movie is enjoyable, but only if you were a young male growing up in the 80's and for nostalgic purposes. Without Arnold this would be unwatchable.

An Eighties Classic
I was raised on Conan and Red Sonja, so I can't help but highly recommend these movies. No, the acting isn't great, and there are homosexual connotations that I just didn't catch when I was six, but these movies have stood the test of time-- at least in my estimation. Wonderful adventures with unforgetable characters, and the swords are just darn cool. ... Read more

Description

The Seven Gates of Hell have been torn open, and in three days the dead shall rise and walk the earth. As a reporter (Christopher George) and a psychic (Catriona MacColl) race to close the portals of the damned, they encounter a seething nightmare of unspeakable evil. The city is alive--with the horrors of the living dead! Directed and co-written by the legendary Lucio Fulci (Zombie, The Beyond, The New York Ripper), "City of the Living Dead" features some of the maestro's most shocking and controversial sequences of all time. This is the definitive version of Fulci's hallucinogenic masterpiece of horror: uncut, uncensored and presented in all its brain-ripping, gut-spewing, head-drilling glory! A.k.a. "The Gates of Hell." ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Classic Fulci...
Yes, this is the Fulci gore classic, now given the long overdue DVD treatment by Anchor Bay. Throw out those ancient dupes and tapes riddled with print damage and artifacting, this DVD is superior! But first, the story (what little there is): The Gates of Hell have been opened by a Dunwich priest who has hanged himself in a cemetary. That's it. What follows is typical Fulci mayhem and gory goodness. Yep, here on the DVD we get to see the ultra savage head drilling, the girl puking her guts up (look fast for future Italian horror director Michele Soavi as her boyfriend) and plenty of scalping and brain ripping, all in their uncut gory glory! As you might have guessed, the plot is secondary to the gore and atmosphere. As a result, many viewers will be turned off by the minimal (and convoluted) plot, and the atrocious dubbing. But for the real Fulci fans who are already primed in his style, they will eat this up. Anchor Bay's DVD treatment truly adds to the enjoyment of the film. It truly is great to see this film (and HEAR it) in digital quality, COMPLETELY UNCUT! Nevertheless, "City of the Living Dead" does have it's share of problems. Obviously the plot is nothing to write home about (like you care anyway) and Fabio Frizzi's score seems tacky (to me anyway). But once again, Gino De Rossi's amazing gore effects and Fulci's keen eye for gory detail (and some stylish direction, to boot) keep things humming. Finally, compared to the other entries in Fulci's "horror quartet" , I'd rate this light years ahead of "Zombie", and just behind "The Beyond" (his best in this genre) and "The House by the Cemetary."

Masterpiece? I digress
If this is a masterpiece, I'm Brigitte Bardot. First of all, I am a fan of Arthouse and International films, and I despise Hollywood fare. With that in mind, this Fulci example is by no means a classic. I remember having watched the trailer as a little girl and how shocked I was to see the blood-crying scene, I was hooked to the tv wanting to see more. I just saw this film and it convinces me this is NOT Fulci's best, not by a ling shot. BUT, it is better than the average teen-slasher-(...) that is filling movie theatres in the last couple of years. It's atmospheric theme music, the unavoidable sense of dread packing the film is entertaining nonetheless, but you always expect something, anything to happen, when it doesn't. True, Fulci never has been a master storyteller, he's in it for the shock-value alone. So, all I can say is, there are way better Fulci films out there, shop around.

Digital transfer: 3 stars
Sound: 3 stars
Overall quality: 3 stars

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD
VERY MOODY AND CREEPY.DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST ZOMBIE FLICKS.A MUST HAVE FOR ANY ZOMBIE FAN.WELL WORTH THE PURCHASE. A++++++++

City of the Living Dead
Okay, I love gore just as much as the next depraved freak, but City of the Living Dead pretty much disappointed me on all levels. Yeah, it's quite gory and all, but the film just isn't very good. It's rather bad actually. Check out Dawn of the Dead or Night of the Living Dead... They're fare superior horror films.

Lame would-be- shocker
Whereas Dario Argento has managed to turn sheer brutality into a form of high art, Luci Fulci has to rely on brutality simply to disguise the fact that apart from it, there's - well, not much really. "City of the Living Dead" (also known as "Gates of Hell") is downright boring because all attempts at creating some gothic flavour or atmosphere OR suspense fail miserably. Instead, we're kept awake by repeated scenes of (badly made) intestines pulled out of something or somebody, and an electric drill forcing its way into (and out of) the head of a retarded boy! wow! Attempts at creating suspense (and keeping up the viewer's interest in the plot) are undermined by bad timing, editing, and worse acting. could have been high gothic gore, but it's just boring gore. silly. At least, "the Beyond" is better than this one. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Looking for love in all the right places...
Accidently caught this late night movie while channel surfing in a hotel room on a freezing London night far from home and nursing a cold.I was enchanted as I'd never heard of it.Jack Lemmon as Wendell Armbruster and Juliet Mills as Pamela Pigott give convincing portrayals of a millionaire american and a working class englishwoman come to Italy to retrieve the bodies of his father and her mother,who unknown to their families had been lovers for years and had died tragically together in a car accident.Jack Lemmon displays his acumen for comedy without even trying and miss Mills gives an understated performance.But kudos must go to the person who cast Clive Reville in the part of Carlucci the indispensible hotel manager.When he blurts out 'idiota' to an incompetent underling in absolute frustration its an absolute delight.It was a while before I realized he wasnt neapolitan.What a pity his talents have not been more recognized.I would also commend the melodic theme music arranged by Mr Rustichelli.The ending was not a complete surprise but fitting all the same. Please rent this one out all you romance lovers,you will not be disappointed, ...as for my cold,lo and behold the next morning it was gone!,funny that...

Billy Wilder's brilliant switch from laughs to enchantment!
Fans of the legendary director (Wilder) or star (Lemmon) will be surprised by an unexpected departure from their usual big-laughs comedy to an enchanting love story. Fans of the masters will be pleasantly surprised by this delightful romantic comedy, which captivates the viewer from the very start. Mezmerizing backdrop music plays as though secretly staged by Cupid standing by to assure that lovebirds will find one another.

Lemmon plays the son of a mega-wealthy American business man who had to drop everything to fly to Italy in order to claim the father's remains after a car accident. En route to his late father's "final stop", Lemmon runs in to a persistant young woman, who turns out to be the daughter of the woman with whom the father had had a lengthy affair, and who was found lovingly slung around his neck as they both died in said accident.

The situation seems rather awkward at first, but eventually Lemmon and the young woman begin following into the exact same steps their departed parents had done years earlier. The picture is completed by a brilliant supporting cast of hotel personnel and colorful locals. The performance of the multi-talented and ever-present-minded hotel manager was Oscar worthy.

Listening to the testimony of all people asked, Lemmon learns that his late father and his "friend" were viewed as Royalty, nothing less than figures from a fairy tale. The concluding scenes are the final touches to a most enchanting romantic comedy, one that has few rivals in its category. Billy Wilder has done it again. What he missed in big laughs, he made up in many magic moments and gentle pressures to your tear glands. One of the very best out there!*****

Leisurely Romantic Comedy
This one was not thoughfully picked , but caught my eye in one of those channel surfing routines.. where just after few seconds , didn't think of any other channels or anything else..

The English translation of Italian word 'Avanti!' is 'Go Ahead' and is usually used in response to 'Permesso?' asked by any of the hotel staff while knocking at the door of your room.

Released in 1972, this is Billy Wilder's yet another light comic offering where an American businessman Wendell Armbruster(Jack Lemmon) comes to Italy to pick his father's dead body. Once there he comes to know about the long kept secret of his father of having a relationship with some woman. This woman's daughter Pamela Piggott (Juliet Mills) a delightful Brit also comes to Italy to pick her mother's dead body. Wendell, a hyperactive & uptight fellow and Pamela, a loving & carefree person happen to share the same hotel and share the same reason for their Italy visit. After not-so many instances, both of them find themselves in their parent's shoes. As if their assets of love have been passed on to their offspring. At the end, the bodies of the dead are not taken back to their respective country, but buried where their love once bloomed!

Amidst all the tough & good times there is one character that is distinctly noticeable is of Carlo Carlucci(Clive Revill) an efficient,clever and very helpful hotel manager. He is shown to be know-it-all and handle-it-all kinda guy.

One gets a sneak peek at the Italian culture of long lunch hours, mafia ruling,a general laid back attitude of people,etc..Although the movie could have done without the nude scenes and the vineyard brothers & their unreasonable demands from Wendell.

The true meaning of 'Avanti' is revealed when Piggot says it in response to Wendell's asking 'Permesso?' to kiss her. This truly is a magical moment!! The lilting music, the wit of the characters played and the locales add to the magic of this enchanting experience.

I'm glad that a film picked by chance turned out to be such a pleasure and it belongs to my favourite genre of movies!

The Closest You'll Get to Seeing Kristen Dunst's Breasts
Kevin Kline admitted that his inspiration to become an actor had to do with his infactuation over Hayley Mills and figured the only way he'd ever meet her was to become a movie star. Well I had no idea that her sister would make me feel the same way. Unfortunately, this movie was made before I was even born so I'm sure she's far from looking the way she looked back then. Fortunately, there's the spitting image of her in today's 'it' girl Kirsten Dunst. Anyway, the movie itself is good. Just about anything with Jack Lemmon as a chief role is always good. I recommend this to anyone who likes romantic comedies.

AVANTI
If your depressed, need a holiday, think that everything is against you, then you need to see Avanti! This is a true Jack Lemon comedy and Billy Wilder at his directorial best. As you watch the film you will be taken to the real Italy where lunch is more important than making money, where making love is to be savored and marriage is what you do at the end of the day.
I write this not as film review but as a strong recommendation to your soul - buy Avanti on DVD becasue if you get on VHS, your and your family wear it out! As they say in the film, "you bet your sweet buttouti!" ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An Adorable Film
Eaten Alive - Another film from Umberto Lenzi, famed director of Cannibal Ferox. This one is about a beautiful blonde-haired bombshell who is searching for her sister in the jungle. She gets help from an adventurous Indiana Jones type guy just a lot less cartoony. On their way they see a display of cannibalism before them from a local tribe and are understandably frightened by this and now want to get as far away from this area as possible. They are soon captured though by a tribe, but they soon find out it isn't the cannibal tribe but one that her sister belongs to, that has a good number of english-speaking Americans in it. They are brought to the tribe's town that they live in and protect from the cannibals inhabiting the surrounding jungle. The tribe's leader is an American who believes in "purification" and such, something to do with cleansing yourself. For instance no alcohol is allowed in this place and if this guy finds you with it, consider yourself next to be carted out of the place, given a gun and a flashlight and then told "good luck with the cannibals". There is a funeral procession occuring and the main character, miss blonde bombshell, spots her brunnette sister as part of the procession. They watch as the widow of the man the funeral is for is systematically screwed by her three brother-in-laws to "break the ties of marriage". Afterwards our protagonist finally gets a chance to speak with her sister and her sister seems rather adamant about being a part of this tribe and not wanting to leave. Pretty soon our protagonist and the Indiana Jones type dude with her are called for a meeting with everyone else, and everyone is given some odd drink. Indiana Jones dude is given it but refuses to drink saying it's drugged. For this he is tied up and made a prisoner. The blonde drinks it willingly and soon goes into an almost catatonic daze where she follows orders obediently and the ruler of this tribe takes her up to his rooms where he snaps a snake in half spilling it's blood all over a long cylindular object, a dildo. He then begins violently shoving it into our blonde protagonist. All the while the best music you heard in Cannibal Ferox is playing right here. It was this music and the impact of this scene(despite not graphically showing the dildo penetrating her) that got me completely into this movie from this point on. This film has a lot of similiarites to Ferox besides the same music in certain scenes, and those that were fans of it won't be dissapointed. The climax of this one is simply amazing, probably mostly because it was women being butchered and eaten instead of guys this time. Both are amazing films of the highest caliber of horror movie. Both come very highly recommended from me.

Inspired by Amazon review
I was inspired by Bill Eyeball to buy this one. He writes that he bought this tape and "(his) reward was watching two women being butchered alive." I guess that goes with the title. Fun film, in a hokey politically-correct sort of way. I fell asleep a couple of times (there's a plot), but whenever I woke up I was rewarded by something being tortured or killed. It brought back happy memories of my youth working in the hog slaughterhouse.

HORRIBLE, yet hilarious
This movie stunk so bad I could almost see the stink lines streaming out from my television. However, it certainly made me laugh. Oh, the easily offended need not apply for this one, which is full of nudity, senseless killings and even REAL animal torture. If you ARE into Troma or just exploitation films in general, CHECK THIS OUT. It is awful, yet also AWFUL FUNNY.

Uuhh... to much footage, no realtion, weak in concept
I bought it as additional collection for my recent "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Jungle Holocaust". But I didn't get anything exciting or at least different.

This movie just inspired by Jim Jones's suicide cult in Guyana. Cannibal rites is just cosmetic. It even doesn't related to the story. The worst are, there are many animal killing and other movie footage. I even can recognize cannibal rites footage from Jungle Holocaust I own. Miserable!!!

Cannibal Smorgasbord
Lovely heroine Janet Agren tracks her missing sister to the wilds of New Guinea and hires hard-drinking adventurer Robert Kerman to help get her out. There's double jeopardy this time around--not only is sister Paola Senatore part of a fanatical Jim Jones-style cult, but the jungle surrounding the cult's compound is teeming with hungry cannibals, complete with the usual grungy faces and Ramones-style wigs. On the Minus side--like many DVDs, this suffers from exteriors that are way too bright, with some outdoor scenes almost white--not a good thing considering how many outdoor scenes there are. In the Plus column--the late great Ivan Rassimov gnashes the scenery as fanatical cult leader Jonas, and the cannibals give us gorehounds our money's worth. This film is often held in contempt because many of the ritual butchery and cannibalism scenes were lifted from other movies, namely MAN FROM DEEP RIVER, JUNGLE HOLOCAUST and MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD. However, this makes EATEN ALIVE a sort of smorgasbord for cannibal fans, and if you can only own one of these gut-munchers maybe EATEN ALIVE/MANGIATI VIVI should be it. Yum yum, Eat'um UP!!! ... Read more