Amazon.com

What's scarier than scary kids? Village of the Damned is the definitive scary-kid classic, a truly unsettling film drawn from John Wyndham's novel The Midwich Cuckoos. The brilliant opening sequence depicts the sudden and temporary paralysis of a small English hamlet, which is followed by the town's women becoming mysteriously pregnant. The spawn of this occurrence are a dozen eerie, blond-headed children, who are either gifted, evil, or "the world's new people." A splendid outing, not least in the way it catches parental anxiety about this small new stranger in one's home. (It was remade by John Carpenter in 1995.)

Children of the Damned follows up with a story about six more creepy kids, brought from all over the globe to huddle in a old church in London. An excellent opening half-hour gets bogged down in the movie's global-political ambitions (it's very much a cold war offering), but it has its share of shivery moments--the sight of the six youngsters striding down a London street as though they controlled the world is a chiller. But where's the blond hair? The two films are different in tone; Village feels like a fifties sci-fi offering, with an old-school star (George Sanders) and classical style; Children is a film of the sixties, with hipper techniques, urban setting, and young actors Ian Hendry and Alan Badel. But both have those damned kids. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

invasion of the aryan children from outer-space
Truly this a classic of both science-fiction as well as horror.
Of course the horror is not the traditional bloodletting but rather psychological.It reads like a hitler youths takeover of a
typical english village "while everybody is asleep".these fatherless children all sport blond hair & blue eyes and definite
ideas about how things should run in the now quaranteed village.
They also seem to exhibit no distinct personnalities but more of a "group mind"(hence the fachism analogy)that has no problem crushing all dissidents , even their own parents.

On the technical side I have to again commend Warner for including it's sequel (children of the damned)on the disc , making it a great value.While the sequel suffers in comparison
to the original it's still worth seeing.
We as customers should support Warner & it's "double bill" DVD's
so that other companies might jump on the bandwaggon (so far only
MGM has released some interesting double bills)and increase the circulation of classic films on DVD.

A Different Type Of Village People!
Caught this flick by chance on TCM yesterday a.m. and watched it straight through (which was easy, considering it clocked in at a mere 77m). A truly creepy beginning leads to a disturbing middle which then leads to a shocking conclusion. All told a great sci-fi/horror flick without an ounce of blood (why horror? The scene where the kids will a guy to blow his head off with a shotgun is terrifying!). The eyes are creepy, the blonde wigs are creepy, heck, even the clothes the kids wear are creepy. A real great flick from the British school of cinema. Disturbing? You bet. But quite entertaining.

Classic British Science Fiction
This original black and white version of Village of the Damned is one of my all-time favorites. It stands head and shoulders above most of the other entries from this era by avoiding the pitfalls the others fell into.
The film is unrelenting in its bleakness, and there is not one second of humor to relieve the tension that slowly builds to the film's climax. Yet it is subtle and unpretentious, and the performances are understated and convincing. I consider this to be among the finest appearances by George Sanders; say what you will about him a person, he was perfect for the part of the father in Village.
This film is uncompromised by sentimentality, and there are no punches pulled in any scene, least of all the climax. That being said, the director never stoops to resorting to gore or gratuitous violence, but prepare yourself for a very unsettling experience.
Village of the Damned is far superior to its sequel (as is almost always the case) as it is to most other films of the same genre and period. It is also much better than the remake with Christopher Reeve, although the newer film is better than I expected.
If you're looking for a feel-good, lighthearted film watching experience, look elsewhere. But if you love well-made classic science fiction, this is one to add to your collection.

STILL HEAVY!!!
I remember my parents taking me to the village of the Damned when I was 8 or 9 years old and it totally freaked me out!! To make things worse, they took me back to see the sequel!! Spent the whole movie on the floor of the theater (Ha! Ha!)I saw the film recently and it stands up very well (much better than the colorized remake). The kids eyes are truly frightening!! The plot also stands up very well (at least the first of the two films). This film is as high a quality as, and is similar to, original episodes of the twilight zone. NOW: will they get around to releasing DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS on DVD?

Scared The Crap Outta Me!!!
First, let's do the math . . . it's May 26, 2004 and the DVD for this flick isn't coming out for another 2, 3 months or so. I haven't seen this movie in it's entirety since I saw it in a theatre in 1960 or 1961! (When I was 8 or 9 years old.) I can't recall much of the plot but it seems to me that it's a bit clumsy if not contrived. But the kids with the glowing eyes really freaked me out! Hokey by today's standards but very effective then. And there's that one scene where someone, a man I think, is threatening the kids and this little boy says to him, "Leave us alone! Leave us alone!" And then the glowing eyes thing starts! Very eerie. I'm gonna get the DVD just to see if my memory of this movie is justified! Bring it on! ... Read more

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The stop-motion magic of legendary special effects creator Ray Harryhausen is the highlight of this sporadically exciting fantasy-adventure, which pits cowboys against dinosaurs in the Mexican desert. James Franciscus and Richard Carlson star as members of a struggling Wild West show who discover their newest attraction in Mexico--a tiny prehistoric horse. Exploration into a nearby valley uncovers living dinosaurs, including the fearsome "Gwangi"-an allosaur that the circus folk capture for exhibition. But as every creature connoisseur knows, monsters in cages always break free, and soon enough, the beast is on a rampage. Originally developed by Harryhausen's mentor Willis O'Brien in 1942, The Valley of Gwangi feels like a retread of his previous titles, especially 20 Million Miles to Earth, but Harryhausen's effects are spectacular as always (especially the miniature horse), and will please monster fans. Warner Bros' widescreen anamorphic DVD includes a short featurette, "Return to the Valley," in which Industrial Light and Magic animators pay tribute to Harryhausen's influence. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (29)

HARRYHAUSEN'S DINOSAURIAN TOUR DE FORCE
Resurrecting an aborted project that Willis ( KING KONG ) O'Brien wanted to make himself, Ray Harryhausen followed-up his successful Hammer film ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. with this movie, working once again with longtime partner Charles H. Schneer. Filmed in Spain, this 1969 offering has stunning stop-motion animated dinosaurs.

Set around the turn of the century in Mexico, it is a very Kong-like tale of a mighty creature ( the titular Allosaurus with T-Rex attributes ) that is captured in "Forbidden Valley" and brought back to a local Wild West show / circus to make money. The monster flees its bonds and proceeds into a magnificent cathedral, which becomes consumed in a raging inferno and brings about its demise.

Harryhausen, who worked a full year on the special effects, effectively populates a valley that is lost in time with a number of prehistoric animals, which include an equine Eohippus, a "plucked ostrich" called an Ornithomimus and a horned Styracosaurus who fights Gwangi to the death in a memorable sequence. The highlight is a well-staged roping sequence which consumed many months of Ray's time to realize; he had to carefully align the animated ropes on the Gwangi model with real ropes used in live action to snare a Jeep with a pole affixed.

Other key points include the escape of Gwangi from its cage ( a split-screen process was used in the making of this effect ) and battle with an eleplant model, and its fiery finale in the great edifice ( utilizing the optical printer to superimpose flames around the allosaur's feet ). Ray Harryhausen outdid himself for this feature which includes literally hundreds of animation set-ups to concoct the visual effects.

Unfortunately, the live-action sequences do not show as much panache. James Franciscus and Gila Golan do not create any sparks as the movie's leading couple. Curtis Arden is okay as Lope but no more, and Richard Carlson looks haggard as the impresario of the circus troupe. The only bright spot is the amiable performance of Laurence Naismith as the slightly eccentric Professor Bromley who recognizes the miniature horse for what it is.

Even though it was a commercial failure in 1969 due to a number of unfortunate circumstances that took place ( lack of advertising, its pairing with an R-rated movie and changes in cultural tastes ), THE VALLEY OF GWANGI is a spectacular adventure teeming with fantastic creatures and exotic settings that should not be overlooked. The superficial storyline and other shortcomings pale when Ray works his legendary magic. A highly recommended picture that is only unsuitable for the the very youngest of children ( under 5 yrs. of age ).

Minor film from Ray Harryhausen.
A struggling Wild West show discovers dinosaurs on the loose in Mexico, and decides to exploit the discovery. The true star of this movie is the stop-motion animation done by the master of non-computerized special effects, Ray Harryhausen. Crisp color photography adds to the pulse-pounding scenes of prehistoric predators. The production problems of this movie help explain its lack of commercial success. A weak script and wooden acting also detract from the enjoyment. The plot drags and takes too long to get to the "monsters of the lost valley" part. Once the special effects kick in, things get more lively. The scenes of riders roping Gwangi are thrilling. The show-ring battle, however, between Gwangi and the elephant is not up to RH's usual excellent standards. The elephant is obviously an animated model. The segment copies an earlier RH film, "20 Million Miles to Earth." Gwangi rampaging through the Mexican town recalls King Kong rampaging through the streets of New York, but the comparison ends there. The spectacular fire in the great cathedral is an exciting visual display. Dedicated collectors of classic sci-fi films or steadfast fans of Ray Harryhausen will want this one for their collection, regardless. ;-)

Get in touch with your inner forbidden valley.
The Valley of Gwangi is not a good "A" grade movie. It's not even a good "B" grade movie. But it is a fantastic "C" grade movie (the cinematic province of directors such as Ed Wood). Come to it with the right expectations and you'll not be dissappointed in this tale of Cowboys battling Dinosaurs in a turn of the century Mexico crawling with Spanish, Flamenco playing Gypsies (How did the Gypsies get here? Originally the story was supposed to be located in Spain, and they survived the rewrites that relocated it to Mexico.) The film is also significant in that it forms part of special-effects wizard Ray Harryhousen's body of stop-motion animated features.

Right down there with Sinbad & Eye of Tiger
The film is a total letdown. The blue coloring of Gwangi`s hide, the fake looking oversize props like Gwangi`s head, the rubbery pterasaur, the dwarf that becomes wider & taller when Gwangi snaps him up. How about the annoying trumpeting of the elephant? It is so obviously a human doing a bad, very bad imitation of an elephant. And finally poor Gwangi trapped inside the burning church roaring in pain. This is one film where I wanted the monster to win.

An under-rated classic looking better than ever.
When Ray Harryhausen was looking for new ideas, he came across an old script - intended for a never-made film - written by Willis O'Brien (creator and animator of RKO's 'King Kong'). Wth a little re-writing, this film came into being. I remember seeing this film as a kid. Personally, I think it's still as good now as it was then. Ray Harryhausen's special effects are, as always, first-rate. The story is both interesting and exciting, contains barely a dull moment. Scenes of the cowboys riding into the forbidden valley, the little horse in its miniature stable, and the roping of the titular allosaur had stuck in my mind since I first saw this film. Combining a western with a dinosaur movie was certainly a master-stroke. The human characters are interesting, as are the dinosaurs - you really do feel sympathy for Gwangi at the finale. The soundtrack is excellent, and the backgrounds are atmospheric and dramatic. Besides this film, now looking better than ever, this DVD also contains an interesting look at the making of Gwangi, including interviews with Ray Harryhausen himself. This is recommended whether you're a fan of dinosaurs or monster movies in general. ... Read more

Description

The Hard-Boiled Crime Classic From The Director Of THESERVANT And THE GO-BETWEEN.Stanley Baker (HELL IS A CITY, ZULU) starsas underworld kingpin Johnny Bannion, sprung from prison by his bestfriend Mike Carter (Sam Wanamaker) to mastermind a daring racetrackheist. But when Johnny is sent back to jail shortly after hiding thestolen loot, he must survive an ordeal of brutality and betrayal at thehands of his fellow convicts and former accomplices in this gritty dramathat was originally advertised as "The Toughest Film Ever Made InBritain!"

Patrick Magee (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) co-stars in this grim crime classic(also known as THE CONCRETE JUNGLE) directed by American expatriateJoseph Losey from a powerful script by Jimmy Sangster (FEAR IN THENIGHT) and Oscar TM -nominee Alun Owen (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT), andfeaturing a haunting score by John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

neglected masterpiece
This film has seemingly been forgotten, it's not usually mentioned in the pantheon of 'great' british gangster films or even the best work of it's director.

often called a 'realistic' film it's more an expressionist handling (minus the shadowy lighting of hollywood film noirs) of typical material, this makes it a bit of a shock on first viewing and might explain why it isn't as highly regarded as it ought to be. It's setting is a cold, snowy winter in london, there is no night time neon city lighting, the action outside prison takes place almost entirely during the day or indoors when darkness falls. It is also a quiet film (except of course when the violence and the screaming erupt), that added to the setting and the stark photography create a very a alien world in which the central character just doesn't belong.

Johnny Bannion (Stanley Baker) reminds me of Pacino's Tony Montana in 'Scarface' (however unlike pacino in that film Baker's stature isn't symbolic of his impotent rage given his heavy build and large frame), he's an irish hoodlum who has risen fairly high but doesn't have what it takes to get to the very top. In Tony's case he isn't ruthless enough and is guarenteed to fall as quickly as he rose due to his own weaknesses. Likewise Bannion is guarenteed to fall, he's a hard nut capable of taking anyone on but he just doesn't belong with the morons and treacherous schemers in his line of work. His appartment is decorated with modern art, it's implied he has a gift for maths and he doesn't really seem at home at a party his fellow mobsters throw for him. He's impatient with everyone, when he erupts in anger it is tinged with petulant sorrow (Baker's thuggish profile and stoic hardness belies a feral, anxious, wounded yet restrained performance), so much so that it arouses contempt in his gangster friends who comment behind his back. When he rebukes Sam Wannamaker's character repeatedly he seems a frustrated child, frustrated at both the life he leads and having to associate and rely on characters such as this. He is totally unaware that wannamaker's sly smile and constant glances betray a man itching to usurp him. And like in Scarface, where Montana can never be his boss Sosa, Bannion just isn't as ruthless as his underlings or his superiors, they're big time, he's small time. His being able to beat two men senseless in his prison cell is nothing compared to the cold hearted deviousness and ambition of his lieutenant who does not have his strength or capacity for physical violence. Both Tony and Johnny possess a dubious sense of honour that those around them do not, in both films there is no honour among thieves and they fail to grasp and adhere to that. Neither of them can accept the system around them. In Tony's case he's endlessly railing against capitalism, in Bannion's he is unable to hide his dismay and anger at the actions of the selfish, corrupt, manipulative and sadistic head warder, something i can't imagine would ever bother the other crime bosses in the film. But then the warder would never dream of moving against them because he can tell the difference between those with real power and those without, even if they are at similar levels in the hierarchy

In 'The Criminal' all this is subtlely conveyed despite and because of what would seem outlandish and anachronistic direction for a crime drama made in the second half of the 1960s.
Losey's way of impressing this man's alienation on us are brilliant, the film has a dreamy quality due to the snowy landscapes and the way he incorporates almost expressionist techniques and performances in his film without it destroying it's hard nosed feel. The insane scottish inmate played by Tom Bell has a tortured monologue where the the prison around him goes black and in close up he explains why he is different to those around him. The camera pulls back and light returns to reveal that Bannion, to whom he is supposedly talking is not listening.

When Bannion falls he falls hard, the cell block he commands turn against him having been fooled into thinking he is an informer (although this is also a part of bannion's scheme to escape and unfortunately his 'friends' scheme to kill him). The grass/snitch/tout he has beaten by a crony in the opening of the film even gets to turn the tables on him. The prison sections at the beginning and end seem to me a forerunner of Alan Clarke's 'Scum'. Patrick Magee (in a non horror role for once) is very much a hysterical yet melifuous 60s predecessor of the warders in that film.

A word must go to the music, that adds to the chilly wintry feeling, so quiet a film that when the light jazzy score by John Dankworth plays seemingly inappropriately it adds to the overall effect. The prison ballad sung by Cleo Laine over the title credits is haunting, never has a song seemed so apt at the start of a film. It is a promise of a unique experience, a promise that the film then makes good, i can't quite think of another like it. Losey's greatest achievement on screen, so different to the hollow, stylistically flat and totally stereotypical English rubbish he is perhaps best known for (although his curio for Hammer studios 'These are the Damned' is excellent too, if uneven). It goes beyond the smart little film noirs he made in Hollywood like 'the Prowler'.

'Get Carter' and 'The Long Good Friday' seem to be the benchmark of British organised crime movies these days, a major difference between them and 'the Criminal' is that it is a great film. It's different, but it rewards in bleakness, nuance and brutality.

Question is: This DVD has been available a long time, how come i'm the first to review it?? ... Read more

Reviews (16)

THE TERRIBLE LONELINESS OF VINCENT VAN GOGH
One of the greatest films ever made about the madness of creative genius. As films about artists go, I like this film better than POLLOCK and almost as much as BASQUIAT. This is very much an overlooked CLASSIC. I have friends who are fans of Van Gogh's who have never heard of this film. Based on the book of the same title by Irving Stone and for those who love DEAR THEO: the abridged letters of Vincent Van Gogh, a must see. This film absolutely conveys the heartbreaking feeling of this starving misunderstood genius pounding his lifeblood into canvas in a French atelier or countryside while the gallery owners scoff and the painter remains unrecognized and unloved.

Kirk Douglas' finest performance, is fraught with peril. Anthony Quinn, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Paul Gauguin, is superb. The script, some of which was taken from Van Gogh himself, is sometimes dated but always poignant: "Sometimes the pictures come to me as if in a dream, with a terrible lucidity." BRILLIANT!!

Unfortunately the VHS format is fullscreen which begs the question; WHY IS THIS MASTERPIECE UNAVAILABLE IN WIDESCREEN ON DVD!?! What a cultural wasteland: I could probably find ERNEST GOES TO CAMP on DVD, but try to find this CLASSIC and the clerk at the local HOLLYWOOD VIDEO might say, "LUST FOR LIFE? That would probably be in the Adult Film Section." I hope someone is working hard to preserve this Masterpiece. Anything less would be a shame. My VHS tape has been viewed so many times the magnetic particles are starting to fall off. If the DVD doesn't come out soon I'll be forced to buy another copy on VHS.(SIGH)

A flawed classic
Many people consider this to be the standard when it comes to retelling the tragic story of Vincent van Gogh's life.

The film is very good and there's no question that director Vincente Minnelli put a tremendous amount of work into bringing Van Gogh to the screen. The sets and costumes are wonderful.

I suppose that my main criticism of the film is that its "heart" seems to be more firmly set in 1950's Hollywood than in 1880's Europe. In other words, the film has a very constructed, American flavour to it. This is most glaring when many of the scenes shift from Kirk Douglas on the screen (clearly American) to a narrative reading of his letters to his brother, Theo (read by a British narrator)--very jarring. Kirk's performance, though very good, never quite "clinches" the role--he remains a very good actor on a very pretty set.

But certainly I would recommend this film to anyone with an interest in Van Gogh--not a perfect movie by any means, but there are moments that are quite remarkable.

Starry Night
There haven't been many movies made about great painters, which seems a little odd, but theirs is a static art, hard to capture on film. Producer John Houseman and director Vincente Minnelli do a great job here of placing Van Gogh's life and art before our eyes in a way calculated to whet our interest about the man. His peculiar life was stalked by some kind of mental instability; whether physical or psychological in nature nobody still knows. Kirk Douglas' fine performance is right on in portraying a troubled man trying for both artistic excellence and some kind of normalcy in life; above all a painter who held nothing back from his work. Anthony Quinn, who must have played every nationality under the sun during his career, walked off with an Oscar for his part as the flamboyant and less-gifted Paul Gaugin, destined to play second fiddle to Van Gogh's genius. The film's construction owes something to John Huston's "Moulin Rouge," of four years earlier, a bio of Toulouse-Lautrec.

"I want to create things that touch people"
With an uncanny resemblance to the self-portraits of Vincent Van Gogh, Kirk Douglas is perfect for this detailed and wonderful production of the artist's life; it's a passionate performance of a troubled soul, whose creative urges battled with his mental illness.
The film has an intelligent script by Norman Corwin, based on Irving Stone's biographical novel. It picks up the story around 1879, when Van Gogh was 26 years old, and went to minister (unsuccessfully) to the coal miners of a destitute area, and from there takes us through his many different abodes, his relationship with "Christine", who is well played by Pamela Brown, and the flourishing of his art in his last 15 years of life.

The art direction is superb, and the recreations of the places Van Gogh painted a marvel, among them the famous yellow house he lived in and its bedroom, and my favorite, the pool hall, with its hanging lamps.
The cinematography by Freddy Young and Russell Harlan is terrific, and we get many full screen views of the original paintings, many of them lesser known pieces from private collections.

This was a multi-award winning film, and garnered an Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Anthony Quinn, who is fabulous as Paul Gauguin, whose personality was the complete opposite of his friend Van Gogh; the ego clashes when they attempted to live together are well illustrated in several scenes, and with a little addition to his nose, Quinn has been made to look exactly like Gauguin's famous self-portrait with the snake.
James Donald is excellent as Vincent's patient and generous brother, who was Van Gogh's central means of support for most of his lifetime, both financially and of his paintings.
A tremendous knowledge about art went into this film, and it's one of the best artist biographies ever put to film (another good one also came from a Stone best seller, "The Agony and the Ecstasy"), and is a must-see for artists and anyone with an interest in Van Gogh's genius. Total running time is 122 minutes.

A wonderful Classic!
I'm a painter myself, have done alot of reading about the lives of these artists, and can never get over the superb performances of these actors!----Truly a superb movie classic! Five stars, in my book! ... Read more