Reviews (111)

"John Carpenter's Escape from New York"
Escape from New York (R) *****/5
Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A former war hero turned criminal must save the president, and recover his briefcase to save his own life when he is dropped in the criminal penitentiary of N.Y. City.
Special Features: Trailer
Review: One of the greatest films ever made, and the greatest vision of the future ever. John Carpenter's widely acclaimed success of a film. It follows Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken who has two bombs planted in him. He is given a chance for his freedom if he can rescue the president and his briefcase from the clutches of The Duke in the prison city of N.Y. Plissken the former war hero turned criminal goes in, and he must survive the terror town, complete his mission, and get back before the bombs go off. Kurt Russell forever shed his Disney image for this film. He is on the ball, with the performance of a lifetime, and he creates one of the greatest characters in cinema history. Borgnine is lovable as the cabbie, Hayes is a fantastic bad guy, Stanton is cool as usual, and the supporting cast gives it their best effort. Carpenter shines with his tiny budget. He introduces us to a world where anything can happen, and he unveils his world to us in spectacular form. He even filmed it in Saint Louis and made me think it was New York. As for the DVD? ...

Snake Plissken Escapes from DVD Hell...
A few years ago, MGM released a bare-bones DVD of EFNY and were rightly criticized for not including anything in the way of supplemental material. A glaring omission for such a beloved movie. The studio has more than redeemed itself with this new two DVD Special Edition that should please the fans.

There are two audio commentaries on the first DVD. The first one is with producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves and focuses on production anecdotes and how the special effects of the film were achieved.

The second audio track is with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, and is the one fans will enjoy the most. The two men joke and banter with each other like old friends and it is this relaxed, conversational tone that really makes this track such an enjoyable listen.

There is an excellent documentary entitled, "Return to Escape From New York" located on the second DVD. A treat for fans is all the new cast and crew interviews conducted especially for this documentary: the always radiant Adrienne Barbeau, the normally publicity shy Harry Dean Stanton and even the Duke himself, Isaac Hayes! They all speak fondly of their experiences on the film.

There is also a so-so a photo montage of how an issue of the comic book is put together, from rough sketches to its arrival in stores. In a nice touch, the issue that is shown is also included with the DVD.

"Snake Bites" is a collection of clips from the film scored to some atmospheric electronic music. This really isn't all that interesting and seems like unnecessary padding to fill out the DVD.

The other extra that has been eagerly anticipated by fans is the famous original opening of the film. Snake and his partner rob a bank and are caught with Snake being arrested and his partner being gunned down. This scene sets up Snake's arrival at the New York prison but Carpenter cut it because test audiences were confused by it. This footage was thought to be lost long ago. It is finally being presented in its entirety on this DVD. The footage is quite grainy but watchable and features an optional audio commentary by Carpenter and Russell (who had never seen the footage before).

Rounding out the disc are a nice collection of TV spots, a theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery with lobby cards, behind-the-scenes and production stills.

Escape From New York is a fast-paced action film that contains a dark, satirical edge that never falters, even right up to the film's conclusion. The DVD, with its wonderfully themed menus (done in the same style as the film), stunning transfer and top notch extras, ranks right up there with the excellent Big Trouble in Little China (1986) special edition set that came out a few years ago. This new special edition was obviously made with the fans in mind and this only enhances its value.

"You mean I can't count on you?...Good!"
What can I say.

Strangely enough, despite the fact that I am a child of the 80s (I was 12 when this movie first came out), I never saw Escape from New York until 6 weeks ago.

Then I was hooked.

Most people know the story. In the "future," (1988, haha) the US crime rate rises 400%. To combat this crime wave, drastic measures are taken. The United States becomes a fascist-like police state, and in 1992 New York City becomes the country's one maximum-security prison to house the worst society has to offer. Sealed off from the outside world by a 50-foot containment wall on all sides, Manhattan Island becomes a modern (or postmodern) Botany Bay. All bridges, tunnels and waterways surrounding the island are mined, and the US Police Force constantly patrols by helicopter, to ensure that no prisoners escape. Criminals unlucky enough to receive a maximum-security sentence are given a choice: be executed or be airdropped into the New York for life to fend for themselves. As the chilling opening narration observes, "There are no guards, only prisoners and the worlds they have made. The rules are simple. Once you go in, you don't come out."

Into this black pit of despair comes one S.V. "Snake" Plissken, played by Kurt Russell. A war hero (he won 2 purple hearts, one in Leningrad and one in Siberia - remember, the Soviet Union still existed when this film was made), Snake for unspecified reasons has turned to a life of crime. And at the film's beginning, the Law has finally caught up with Snake, and he is being transported to New York to serve a life sentence for bank robbery when Fate steps in.

On the same evening that Snake is brought to Manhattan Island to begin serving his sentence, the President of the United States (played by Donald Pleasance) is on his way to a peace summit when his plane (Airforce One) is hijacked by a terrorist posing as a pilot, and is crashed into the prison. (In today's post-9/11 environment, the hijacking scene, at least to me, is particularly chilling and I have a hard time watching it).

Miraculously, the President exits the plane via his special "escape pod" and he survives the plane crash...only to be taken captive by the "Duke of New York," played with beautiful understated menace by Isaac Hayes.

Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (played by Lee Van Cleef), has an idea: send Snake Plissken, trained combat veteran and specialist at "getting in quiet," into the prison to find the President and rescue him. If he succeeds, Snake will be pardoned for every crime he's ever committed in the United States. And just to make sure that Snake fulfills his end of the bargain, Hauk has the prison's chief doctor implant 2 explosives in Snake's neck. If Snake does not return with the President in 22 hours, the explosives will go off, and, as Hauk wryly notes, "No more Snake Plissken."

So the die is cast. Snake goes in...but will he find the President alive? Even if he finds the President alive, will he get out in time to have the charges in his neck neutralized? Watch it and see.

This film is entertaining on many levels. It's an excellently crafted story, complete with social commentary and irony. It's a dystopic vision of what can happen when we trade too much of our liberty in exchange for what we think is security - definitely another resonant theme in our post-9/11 reality. We clamp down on individual rights/freedoms, supposedly in the name of protecting the collective - and leave society's undesirables to prey on each other in an asphalt jungle hell. But then what are we? According to this film, we're only slightly less inhuman than the criminals.

And the DVD contains various extras and bonuses which are sure to round out one's Escape from New York knowledge. This includes the documentary film "Return to Escape from New York," which details the making of the film. There are also commentary tracks by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, as well as by producer Debra Hill.

Another real treat is the deleted bank robbery scene (the original first 10 minutes of the movie). This scene was cut from the final film because, in Carpenter's words on the commentary track, premiere audiences thought it diminished Snake's character by "humanizing" him too much. I actually found that humanization to be a good thing, and thought that the Bank Robbery sequence helped to set context for the story.

Along the lines of the deleted bank robbery sequence, another potential flaw of this movie, at least in my opinion, is that we never really know much about the characters or why they are the way they are. In other words, there's not much in the way of character development or backstory. For example, we know that Snake is sullen, embittered and in general concerned for nothing but his own self-preservation (though occasionally flashes of humanity do show and when it comes down to it, he does the right thing). But why?

I've read that Mike McQuay's novelization of the movie sketches out some history for Snake's character (and for the characters of Hauk, Brain, Maggie, Cabbie and the President as well). It would have been nice to see some of that in the film, with subplots, flashbacks, etc. It would've made the story richer.

But, regardless, what is there is great stuff. The cynicism and one-liners will bring a wry smile to your face, especially when they come from good old snarling Snake. Check it out.

Snake Plissken; Add Him To Your List of Movie Heroes
There's always something bizarre, in a very cool way, about watching a futuristic movie set in a year we've already passed. It's very eerie. Released in 1981, "Escape From New York" opens to explain that in 1988, Manhattan Island was transformed into a Maximum Security Prison, surrounded by a massive wall from every angle; guarded by police, with landmines at every exit route. The film is set in 1997, when terrorists bring down Air Force One, president and all, right into the heart of the forbidden island. Luckily, the president has survived thanks to his escape pod, and a rescue team is immediately dispatched in an effort to retrieve him and his special cargo. The president carries with him a cassette tape (very futuristic, eh?) of recorded information that could bring peace to the currently warring nations, but the time left with which to use it in is short. The rescue team finds the escape pod empty, and is soon approached by a loony prisoner with a grim message. The president has been taken captive by the A-Number One inmate of Manhattan Island, The Duke of New York. This is a job for... SNAKE PLISSKEN!

Yes, Snake Plissken: war hero; the youngest man ever to be decorated by the president; and recently, bank robber. Before being condemned to join the other inmates of Manhattan Island, Snake is made an offer. Go in, come back with the president and the tape before the clock runs out, and get a full pardon. But to sweeten the deal, another card is played. Snake is injected with two tiny capsules into his bloodstream. If he doesn't make it back in time to have the capsules neutralized, they will explode and rupture his arteries, killing him immediately. The only thing Snake really cares about anymore is himself, so now he has no choice. He must fly a glider into the heart of the city, locate the president and his tape, and together, they must escape from New York!

John Carpenter creates another masterpiece with "Escape From New York." The city is turned into a truly intimidating, downright frightening environment, with every kind of crazy one could think of. Kurt Russel as Snake Plissken, creates one more of those wonderful iconic anti-heroes the likes of Bruce Campbell's Ash and Rowdy Roddy Piper's Nada; self-serving, gruff, and full of great one-liners, but always doing the right thing when it comes down to it. The always fun Ernest Borgnine is great as Cabbie, Harry Dean Stanton is perfect as Brain, and Donald Pleasance and Isaac Hayes are also well cast, as was the entire film. Carpenter's usually haunting music runs throughout, and the adventure and action is non-stop. A must have for all fans of the sci-fi anti-hero genre and apocalyptic future films. Sorry I can't comment on the Special Edition DVD, but I currently only have the bare bones edition. It sounds great though, and I definitely want to get it. Mine does include the theatrical trailer though, and it's very cool. Love those creepy theatrical trailers for sci-fi films of the late 70s and early 80s. "Escape From New York" was followed by a sequel in 1996, "Escape From L.A." Some (maybe most) may find the sequel overly campy, with too many special effects and too much comedy. I have to confess that I slightly prefer L.A., probably for those very reasons. I'm not huge on camp, but it seemed to work well with the material. The plot was fairly similar though, and both movies have GREAT twist endings.

One of the most important films in my life
Carpenter's 2nd best. The fact that I'm a loser who does nothing but sit in a room all day and watch movies all day and has no friends and dreams of making movies of his own some day. This is the 2nd most inspiring movie in my life No.1 is Halloween. No 3. is Ghostbusters No 4. is The Thing. and No. 5 is Big Trouble In Little China. I'm not really sure what to say because words can't explain how much I love this movie but I wiil say this Incredible movie very ahead of it's time amazing story, amazing cast including western legends Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine and my favorite actor of all time Donald Pleasence, Amazing photography by Dean Cundey who I think is the best of all time, the best character of all time (besides Michael Myers) Snake Plissken, best Director of all time and I really really mean that, very funny ending just amazing and believe me I really really mean that too. I will Never forget it. Well I'm gonna go watch some more movies I'm thinking about watching Prince Of Darkness or maybe Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers well so long. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In the fall of 1979, Sam Raimi and his merry band headed into the woods of rural Tennessee to make a movie. They emerged with a roller coaster of a film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor, a film that remains a benchmark for the genre. Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell) and four friends arrive at a backwoods cabin for a vacation, where they find a tape recorder containing incantations from an ancient book of the dead. When they play the tape, evil forces are unleashed, and one by one the friends are possessed. Wouldn't you know it, the only way to kill a "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment, and soon the blood starts to fly. Raimi injects tremendous energy into this simple plot, using the claustrophobic set, disorienting camera angles, and even the graininess of the film stock itself to create an atmosphere of dread, punctuated by a relentless series of jump-out-of-your-seat shocks. The Evil Dead lacks the more highly developed sense of the absurd that distinguish later entries in the series--Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness--but it is still much more than a gore movie. It marks the appearance of one of the most original and visually exciting directors of his generation, and it stands as a monument to the triumph of imagination over budget. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Ultimate Cult Horror Film!
The first of the Evil Dead Trilogy this cult horror classic is the most fun you'll have watching a horror movie. This Special Edition DVD from Elite is top-notch. Evil Dead has been released on DVD in 800 or so different versions but if you're looking for a great one, look no further.

This disc presents the film in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with an extremely sharp transfer with strong color definition. Audio is presented in a great 5.1 surround mix or 2.0 original mix.

The disc includes an impressive list of bonus features including:
- commentary from director Sam Raimi & producer Bruce Tappert
- commentary from start Bruce Campbell (which, incidentally is one of the best and funniest DVD commentaries you'll ever come across!
- alternate takes/outtakes
- still gallery
- theatrical trailer

For the price, this is a great version of the flick. Pick it up!

An excellent film for it's day.
The film, "Evil Dead" is one notch above the usual horror-slasher-zombie films. Set in a desolate cabin in the dark woods, this movie sets out with a typical premise; a group of four young people are being stalked by an ancient evil force in the woods. This evil was awakened by a scientist in the cabin who was reading from an ancient Sumerian text of the dead, the "Necronomicon ex Mortis". A book written in blood, and bound in human flesh. The evil returns and slowly traps the frightened people there in the woods, takes over their bodies, turns them into Zombies, and kills them. The lone survivor, Ash, is forced to do battle with the forces of evil. Overall a good time, and for a film made on a shoestring budget, (less than 50,000 dollars I hear), it was a fun time. Director Sam Raimi did a fantaboulous job of making this film one of the New American Cult Classics. I would definitely see it, and would highly recommend the follow-ups, "Evil Dead II: Dead Before Dawn", and "Army of Darkness". Horror purists may groan at these, as they incorporate more humor, but overall, a worthwhile few hours. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

the ultimate horror movie!
This film is the ultimate horror movie. Great sneaky gore with a good storyline (unlike most horror movies) and not-so-bad acting or directing to be such a low budget film.

Very gruesome and gory, but it's really great !
Evil dead it's a very entertaining movie to watch, but it really impacts to you how bloody and how too much gore does it has, anyway you can't miss this frightening movie which makes you jump out of your sit and forces you to don't sleepp.

Okay, but soooooo over-rated...
I watched this movie tonight not expecting to like it. Why did I watch it in the first place then? Becasue I thought maybe I would end up liking it. Well, I did and I didn't. I love slasher flicks, but im not really into zombie movies. The two other zombie movies I have seen were "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead", which I didn't like, and thought were WAY over-rated. This one was to, and certainly is NOT worth all the hye, but is still okay. The thing I liked about was that is was simple, sort of in the way "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was, but it's hard to explain HOW it was simple. It mostly takes place in the living room and cellar of a cabin, not in a big gothic mansion, so it's some-what realistic, and, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it's hard to explain HOW it's realistic. There were also a few cool scenes worth the rental alone. What I didn't like about it was it was some-what boring. It was also just felt a *bit* too short. So I wouldi't reccomend fully, unless you really like zombie flicks, or you just feel like you have to see every popular horror flick as I do... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

His first wife is dead...but still a little catty!
MGM supplies a double dose of Price and Poe with this Midnight Movies release of The Tomb of Ligeia (1965) and An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe (1970).

The Tomb of Ligeia, directed by Roger Corman, was his last of the popular Poe series of films, and Corman certainly went out in style. Opting for shooting on location rather than use of soundstages, the production here is lavish and infinitely enjoyable.

The story centers on Verden Fell (Vincent Price), who lives in a run down abbey, with his wife, Ligeia, buried within the grounds. But is she actually dead? It was said her will was so strong, her desire to live so palpable, that maybe she didn't really pass. Elizabeth Sheppard also stars as Lady Rowena Trevanion, a woman who has a chance meeting with Verden, and soon finds herself enthralled with the man, despite his peculiarities, like his aversion to sunlight, his living in an abandoned abbey, etc.

They are soon married, and then the weirdness really begins. Strange dreams, a black cat, Verden mysteriously disappearing in the night, and a sense that Verden's deceased wife, while not around in a physical sense, is somewhere in the abbey...maybe everywhere in the abbey, as her presence seems to permeated the structure, and it doesn't seem like she's too happy about Verden getting re-married...so what's the secret behind Verden's strange behavior? Is Ligeia really dead? What is the menacing presence lurking within the abbey, intent on haunting Lady Rowena?

As I've said, this is a really wonderful production full of rich, beautiful location shots. The decrepit abbey is provides a wonderful backdrop to this truly creepy story, and the minimal number of characters really helps to keep things tight and focused. Price, one of my favorite actors, does a wonderful job, and seeing him apply his craft is always a treat. Elizabeth Sheppard certainly manages to hold her own, sharing much screen time with price. What I found really interesting was the lack of physical horror within the film, and how the film avoided the luridness of some of the other Corman/Poe productions, seeming to stay more along the lines of the source material. Credit must be given to the write of the screenplay, Robert Towne, who later wrote the Nicholson/Polanski classic Chinatown (1974). A real nice adaptation with loads of atmosphere and a nice way for Corman to finish the Poe series with this eighth and final adaptation.

The second feature on this disc, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, isn't a theatrically released feature, but a made for TV movie starring Vincent Price. It's comprised of four vignettes, including the more popular Poe stories, The Tell Tale Heart, The Sphinx, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Pit and the Pendulum..

Price is the only one throughout the entire features, sometimes acting in a manner of relating a tale within character in the story, sometimes acting out the different characters within the stories. It's a very personal affair, and all tales follow the original stories very closely, something that wasn't necessarily true of the theatrical Poe features produced by Roger Corman starring Price. As far as I can tell, Corman had nothing to do with this production, but it was produced by American International, the same company that produced the Corman/Poe films. This feature runs 53 minutes.
Since it was shot for television on video tape, the quality isn't all that great, but, if you are a fan of Price and/or Poe's works, then this will be a real treat for you. Price really sinks his teeth into the roles, relating each tale with flourish they so richly deserve.

The print provided for The Tomb of Ligeia looks really beautiful, presented in wide screen. The special features include two, separate audio commentary tracks, one with Roger Corman, and another with star Elizabeth Sheppard. There is also a theatrical trailer for the film. An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe is in full screen format since it was a feature made for television, and does have subtitles, which came in useful as the audio, while decent, was a bit weak at points.

Cookieman108

Medium quality double feature
You can't go too wrong with a pair of Vincent Price horror movies, especially based on Poe stories; as this double feature demonstrates, however, you may not do completely well either. This pair of movies is not bad, but is not overly impressive.

The Tomb of Ligeia is a rather standard entry in the Corman/Price/Poe series. Vincent Price is a man whose first wife has died but apparently come back in the form of a cat. Although rather morbid and occasionally violent, he somehow wins the heart of the local beauty and marries her; the spirit of his first wife, however still haunts his home and occasionally controls Price's mind.For a series often filled with good movies (such as the Raven or the Masque of the Red Death), this one only stands out in its averageness.

An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe, however, is more interesting. A showcase for Vincent Price, it has him telling four different Poe stories. Many viewers may be put off by the lack of action; this film is little more than Price on a stage by himself delivering monologues. Price, however, does a great job with his narrations. Reading Poe can often be difficult due to his dated language and style, but Price brings these stories to life.

As stated before, this is not a bad pair of movies, but it is just a high three-star feature at best. You will not be wasting your time watching them, but you will not be rushing to rewatch them either.

Price And Poe: A Great Combo
"The Tomb Of Ligeia" was the last time Roger Corman would direct Vincent Price in a movie adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story. Vincent stars as Verden Fell, whose willful wife has just died. Her will to live was so strong that not even death could put an end to her. This moody movie is beautifully filmed, with the details of the decaying abbey and cemetery, as well as the vivid colors of the interior shots, benefiting greatly from the new DVD transfer. However, I found this costume horror film to be heavy on atmosphere and light on scares. The action didn't really pick up until the fiery climax.

"An Evening Of Edgar Allan Poe," originally shot on videotape for television in 1970, is officially released at last. Given the source material, the images are clear and the sound is good. Vincent Price delivers a powerful, one man performance of four Poe stories. "The Tell Tale Heart" starts the evening off on a strong note. Vincent gets more and more animated in relating how he planned to murder the old man he was looking after, how he dismembered the body in a tub to catch all the blood, and how he carefully hid the body parts. Of course, when the police come to investigate the complaint of hearing a scream in the night, Vincent loses his composure and reveals everything, because he hears the incessant beating of the old man's heart! "The Sphinx" is a comical piece, in which Vincent sees a gigantic monster in his telescope, which turns out to be a moth caught in a spider's web. "The Cask Of Amontillado" finds Vincent at his jovial best. He happily relates how he led his drunken friend through the dank catacombs to show him his latest wine purchase. Instead of sharing some drinks, he quickly chains his friend to the wall and then slowly seals him up alive, brick by brick. "The Pit And The Pendulum" features an amazing performance by Vincent Price. In the span of twenty minutes, Vincent relates the terrible tortures inflicted on him by the Spanish Inquisition with chilling detail and fiery conviction. For all fans of Vincent Price, this DVD is an essential purchase.

A fine double-bill...
"The Tomb of Ligeia" is, I'm sure, the draw of the two. Before I bought this DVD, I didn't know what was to be expected from something called "An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe", and Amazon offered no explanation. Well, get ready. This is a filming of Vincent Price's one-man show that went around the country, featuring his rendition of "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Sphinx", "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Pit and the Pendulum". It's intense and quite wonderful. As hammy as he's been in other films, there is a riveting conviction to present Poe as it should be. It's definitely worth a look. "The Tomb of Ligeia" is Corman's last Poe film, which he considers among his best. I found it to have a bit more center and plot than most of his other Poe adaptations. There's a fine, unsettling performance from Elizabeth Shepperd, playing dual roles. I'm a fan of early Poe films by Corman; here, he's developed style and intelligence. I thought the earlier mindless ones (Matheson script) were more fun. But this is definitely worth a look. Screenplay by Robert Towne ("Chinatown"). I was most impressed with Price's one-man show. It's pretty much of a one mood (crazy) presentation, but I can't really say that it's hammy. Imagine "The Pit and the Pendulum" done alone on stage... (with no props or set). It's quite frightening, and, here, Price was much in tune with his material. A real tour de force. It's a performance that is up there with Rathbone or Olivier.

A VERY MIXED BAG.....
On the one side we have the superb "Tomb of Ligeia" and on the flip side there's the lackluster "Evening of Edgar Allan Poe". "Ligeia" is one of my favorite Poe/Price/Corman films and is presented letterbox in a beautiful print. Lushly filmed on location with marvelous photography, it tells of a reclusive baron (Price) with a weird eye problem that makes him ultrasensitive to light. He has recently buried his beautiful wife Ligeia who had a strange hold over him. He meets the Lady Rowena who is bizarrely smitten with him and they marry. Rowena soon discovers things are not what she hoped when the spirit of Ligeia makes herself very well known---particularly in the form of the late Ligeia's black cat. Elizabeth Shepherd is wonderful (and provides audio commentary on this disc) as both Rowena and Ligeia. She's probably the best female costar Price ever had (next to Hazel Court). Price is at his moody best as the baron so Shepherd had her hands full. The sets of "Ligeia" are something to behold. Expansive and foreboding, they seem to swallow the cast allowing the feeling of gloom and emptiness full range. But what is with the sound on these recent releases? I kept having to turn it up and down to hear a lot of the dialogue. And the dialogue (by Robert Towne) in "Ligeia" is important. Not only is it literate but it's written to provide a lot of clues as to what's going on. Nevertheless, "Ligeia" alone is worth the price of the DVD. Now, "Evening With EAP" is another matter. Done by AIP vets Samuel Z.Arkoff and James H.Nicholson, it's a one-man-show of Price doing four Poe tales first person. It's poorly reproduced in picture quality and tedious to sit through. But, if you're a diehard Price fan, it is a rare chance to see Price going solo in tour-de-force style. Plus it's only around 56 minutes in length and there's nothing wrong with the sound. Price is crystal clear and loud. He's probably the best interpreter of Poe there ever was. But my bet rests with "Ligeia". My Poe cycle on DVD is now complete. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Only the gods see everything," cautions one scientist as Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) experiments with a formula that will allow the human eye to see beyond the wavelength of visible light. "I am closing in on the gods," he responds with the hubris that is doomed to destroy his overreaching ambition. A mix of Greek tragedy and sci-fi potboiler, Roger Corman's X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (simply identified as X in the eerie, odd opening credits) is a familiar tale of a scientist who risks everything to explore the unknown and is finally driven mad by, literally, seeing too much. Peeping through the clothes of comely women is all good adolescent fun until the gift becomes a nightmare as his sight rages out of control. The possibilities suggested in the hints of addiction and inconsistent bouts of megalomania remain tantalizingly unexplored in the unfocused script, and Corman's cut-rate special effects are often more hokey than haunting (the "city dissolved in an acid of light" that Xavier poetically describes becomes fuzzy photography through a series of color filters). Don Rickles offers a venal turn as a scheming carnival barker turned blackmailing con man, and Diana Van der Vlis is understanding as a sympathetic scientist who tries to rescue Xavier from his spiral into tortured madness, but in the tradition of Greek tragedy, he is doomed to be destroyed by the very gifts he desires.

MGM's widescreen disc also features commentary by director-producer Corman. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (20)

An interesting Concept on Medical REsearch Hubris
Roger Corman struck gold with this film. Ray Milland plays a dr. who develops special drops which allow him to see the ultra-long spectrum, i.e. x-rays. Using this power, he is able to save a little girl's life, only to be condemned for bucking established procedure.
Needing more money to continue his experiments, he runs the table at Vegas, only to run afoul of the mob. Fleeing from them, he runs afoul of the law.
It's a commentary on how research, for whatever supposed good, must be guided by ethics and morality. Since machines were capable of providing the same info, Milland's desire is pure egotistical, to do something no one else can.
He gives a stellar performance, with good supporting roles. Corman once again demonstrates his social satire skills on a low budget.

Oedipus Milland
"X" - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES is one of the better movies produced by Roger Corman. The DVD gives the option for his commentary and I was intrigued by his remark from the late Ray Milland, that the two movies of which he was most proud, were LOST WEEKEND (for which he won an Academy Award) and this movie, "X". The other reviews give a pretty good synopsis: Milland plays a doctor who uses experimental drops on his own eyes to give him x-ray vision. Either because of obsession or addiction, he keeps taking the drug and when opposed by a colleague, he accidentally kills him. He becomes a fugitive from the law and one could also argue, from himself. He is warned early on that the drops might also affect the brain. This might explain why he goes into quick rages and makes impulsive decisions. Of course, a doctor experimenting on himself is not too swift either, as Dr. Jekyll could say about his Mr. Hyde.

A warning about scientific hubris is given at the very beginning of the film. Is he challenging the gods? At the film's closure he sees through to the light beyond the vast darkness of space. He sees a cosmic eye that sees all and knows all. This element might be lost on the casual viewer. This distant eye sees Dr. Xavier (Milland) and knows he is watching back. This proves too much for Dr. Xavier. While we might know God by faith, represented by the people in the last scene's revival tent, the Old Testament tells us that no one can see the face of God and live. The temptation from the serpent in the garden is realized, "you will become as gods." It was a lie in the beginning and it is still a lie. We are convicted as weak and sinful men and women.

Dr. Xavier says that he has not come to be saved, but to tell what he sees. He becomes a prophet, so to speak. His vision is condemned as from the devil. It may be the truth, but maybe there are some things we are not meant to know?

Can science go too far? Or, is the problem not science, but a lack of caution and discipline? Can faith and science compliment each other? This is only a movie, but it makes us think about many questions.

>No nudity although bare shoulders and legs demonstrate the ability to see through clothes.

>Plot violence includes a man falling out a window and a car crash.

>Little gore although at the very end he does something to his eyes reminescent of Oedipus. Enough said!

The most atypical and probably the best Roger Corman film
One of the reasons that "X - The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" looks half-way decent in Ray Milland's film career is that when he started his spectacular drop from winning the Oscar for his performance in 1945's "The Lost Weekend" he was still almost a decade away from making "The Thing With Two Heads." I always figured this 1963 film from director Roger Corman was inspired by the infamous add for X-Ray specs that appeared inside the front cover of virtually every comic book produced when I was a kid. However, the screen play is credited to Robert Dillon ("Muscle Beach Party," "French Connection II") and Ray Russell ("Mr. Sardonicus"), based on a story by Russell. The plot is as simple as the ad: Dr. James Xavier (Milland), is a world famous scientist who is experimenting with human eyesight and develops a serum that will allow him to see fun things like ultraviolent rays and (gasp!) through objects. Of course, this is one of those things that seems like a good idea at the time...

The film is really much more of a science fiction film than it is the traditional sort of horror film you expect from Corman, who has a script that suits his ability to bring out the weirdness in situations. The film has remarkably little to do with voyeurism and actually more to do with the nature of reality. It is ultimately a psychological drama, because as Xavier sees human beings reduced to their skeletons, he becomes incapable of dealing with them on a personal level.

In terms of movies where the mad scientist goes off the deep end with a god complex, this one makes the main character the victim of his own experiments (contrast this with Claude Reins in "The Invisible Man"). After accidentally killing a colleague, Xavier hides out in a carnival sideshow where he works as a faith healer. Clearly his x-ray vision functions as a metaphor for the ability to have insight into the sad side of life, but, ironically, Xavier cannot see where his own life is heading. His "visions" become increasingly worse until a fateful meeting with an evangelist at a revival meeting in the desert.

Although not a traditional horror or monster movie, "X - The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" has a sense of bleakness that becomes rather overwhelming by the end. As always, Corman is working with a limited budget, and while this does not affect his direction, it does limit the film's effectiveness because the special effects (i.e., optical tricks) can barefly suggest the depths of Xavier's "visions." However, if you get into the spirit of things you can let your imagination carry the load. Considered by many to be Corman's masterpiece, it remains a most atypical Corman film, which makes a kind of sense. Certainly, this has the most unforgettable ending of a Corman film.

The curse of the man-god
Even when told by a colleague that his vision is excellent, Dr. Xavier is not entirely satisfied: he wants to see what no other man has seen before. To do so and close in on the gods, he has created a substance enabling nothing short of x-ray vision; he takes one drop of it in each eye, even though a monkey he tried it on just died. Taking more of the substance, he soon begins to challenge his colleagues's medical decisions, and is forced to flee after accidentally killing one of them. In the film's first half, Dr. Xavier goes from man to semi-god to exploited freak; eventually posing as Mantallo, he becomes a 'healer' who can't even heal himself. In the second half, his substance abuse gets worse: while trying to find a reversal, he uses more of it to better his chances of getting the money he needs. His voyage of self-discovery ends when he reaches a point of no return and recognizes it. This multi-layered film is rooted in a genre of fiction that we could call 'the curse of the (wo)man-god', and which goes all the way back to the Greek concept of 'hubris'; in such works, a human unsuccessfully tries to transcend his/her own nature through his/her specialised branch of knowledge. The most interesting of these inevitably carry theological and philosophical implications, and 'X' is no exception. The way the movie highlights the different stages of the character's downfall is especially effective: everything from the music, the shapes, the colors, and the editing to Milland's acting denotes this degenerative process.

Cool contact lenses!
Ray Milland's movie career took an interesting turn in the early 1960's...he signed on to do three films for American International Pictures, an outfit far removed from the majors like Paramount and 20th Century Fox. At the time, AIP was well-known for cranking out black and white cheapie fliks for the teenage matinee crowd, stuff like "The Day the World Ended" and "The She Creature." By 1963, when "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" was released, AIP was enlarging their budgets by adding color, better sets, and employing good writers (Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont) and actors (Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Karloff). Milland's involvement was one more step up the "prestige" ladder for AIP. Mr. Milland had won an Academy Award (Best Actor, "The Lost Weekend" 1945) and was a touch of Hollywood royalty that AIP would not let go unexploited. The first film he did under their banner was "The Premature Burial," directed by Roger Corman. Then came "Man With the X-Ray Eyes," an interesting and philosophical sci-fi thriller. It contains an excellent Milland performance as "Dr. Xavier," who concocts a serum that allows him to see through any object. Eventually, overuse of the drops results in the doctor being able to see into Infinity...and what he finds there is enough to drive anyone insane (or is it? Check out the film!). Production values are good, if a little "TV-like," and director Corman keeps things moving at a quick pace. Mention should be made of Don Rickles (?!) contribution as a sleazy carnival hustler--he's truly obnoxious and completely believable! Not to mention surprisingly skinny! I loved the film's ending, and I, too, heard the legend about the cut line. Corman, in a commentary, remarks on it, giving us the full scoop on whether the scene was ever filmed. Even without this coda, the conclusion is a shocker! I love all of MGM's Midnite Movies--the quality of their presentation is beyond criticism, as far as I'm concerned. Beautiful prints, rich, vibrant colors, with great extras! What more could you ask for, especially at such a bargain price! Snatch "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes," pronto! And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that "Premature Burial" and Milland's third AIP feature--"Panic in Year )"--will soon make it to DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Ultimate Cult Horror Film!
The first of the Evil Dead Trilogy this cult horror classic is the most fun you'll have watching a horror movie. This Special Edition DVD from Elite is top-notch. Evil Dead has been released on DVD in 800 or so different versions but if you're looking for a great one, look no further.

This disc presents the film in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with an extremely sharp transfer with strong color definition. Audio is presented in a great 5.1 surround mix or 2.0 original mix.

The disc includes an impressive list of bonus features including:
- commentary from director Sam Raimi & producer Bruce Tappert
- commentary from start Bruce Campbell (which, incidentally is one of the best and funniest DVD commentaries you'll ever come across!
- alternate takes/outtakes
- still gallery
- theatrical trailer

For the price, this is a great version of the flick. Pick it up!

An excellent film for it's day.
The film, "Evil Dead" is one notch above the usual horror-slasher-zombie films. Set in a desolate cabin in the dark woods, this movie sets out with a typical premise; a group of four young people are being stalked by an ancient evil force in the woods. This evil was awakened by a scientist in the cabin who was reading from an ancient Sumerian text of the dead, the "Necronomicon ex Mortis". A book written in blood, and bound in human flesh. The evil returns and slowly traps the frightened people there in the woods, takes over their bodies, turns them into Zombies, and kills them. The lone survivor, Ash, is forced to do battle with the forces of evil. Overall a good time, and for a film made on a shoestring budget, (less than 50,000 dollars I hear), it was a fun time. Director Sam Raimi did a fantaboulous job of making this film one of the New American Cult Classics. I would definitely see it, and would highly recommend the follow-ups, "Evil Dead II: Dead Before Dawn", and "Army of Darkness". Horror purists may groan at these, as they incorporate more humor, but overall, a worthwhile few hours. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

the ultimate horror movie!
This film is the ultimate horror movie. Great sneaky gore with a good storyline (unlike most horror movies) and not-so-bad acting or directing to be such a low budget film.

Very gruesome and gory, but it's really great !
Evil dead it's a very entertaining movie to watch, but it really impacts to you how bloody and how too much gore does it has, anyway you can't miss this frightening movie which makes you jump out of your sit and forces you to don't sleepp.

Okay, but soooooo over-rated...
I watched this movie tonight not expecting to like it. Why did I watch it in the first place then? Becasue I thought maybe I would end up liking it. Well, I did and I didn't. I love slasher flicks, but im not really into zombie movies. The two other zombie movies I have seen were "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead", which I didn't like, and thought were WAY over-rated. This one was to, and certainly is NOT worth all the hye, but is still okay. The thing I liked about was that is was simple, sort of in the way "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was, but it's hard to explain HOW it was simple. It mostly takes place in the living room and cellar of a cabin, not in a big gothic mansion, so it's some-what realistic, and, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it's hard to explain HOW it's realistic. There were also a few cool scenes worth the rental alone. What I didn't like about it was it was some-what boring. It was also just felt a *bit* too short. So I wouldi't reccomend fully, unless you really like zombie flicks, or you just feel like you have to see every popular horror flick as I do... ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

E-mail me: jackmonsoon@hotmail.com

The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

What in Hell?
What in Hell is wrong with the AH sets? Why do we have to buy the same movies that are REPEATED the each box set. It's bad enough that we suffer at the hands of studio's that keep adding supposedly "newly found" extras. I Love extras but being "Force to get the new material each time is outraegous.I have three versions of Star wars and two or three of the Godfather.Several of the same movies are repeated in the box sets.Watch out,you are being taken advantaged of. Bummer . . . .

Great Hitchcock set!
Unfortunately, most people don't know this set even exists. It has Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and 5 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The movies are great, but the video transfer is not in "...Too Much". If you are a fan of these 2 movies, I'd recommend this set to get the exclusive episodes of AH Presents. They look better than you would expect them to, and each episode has that classic Hitchcock "twist" at the end.

Hitchcock, A Cinematic Master
Any fan of Alfred Hitchcock will understand the voyeuristic desire to watch over & over his classics. Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much and the collection of Alfred Hitchcock Presents continue in the fine line of special edition releases (such as the first collection)in an affordable and worthy boxed set. James Stewart's performances in these the first two movies exemplify the actor's diversity as well as Hitchcock's admiration of such a talent and each performance is different. For example, in Vertigo, Stewart is a darkly personal (yet slightly neurotic) character, where his obsession and confusion get the best of him in the voyeuristic Rear Window. Equally great is his innocent tourist in the Man Who Knew Too Much. What else can be said about Hitchcock's TV program, except that I wish it were still in syndication or even being produced in 2001.

All I can say is FANTASTIC and EXCELLENT works from one of the masters whose artistic vision influenced and influences many! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Director John Carpenter and special makeup effects master Rob Bottin teamed up for this 1982 remake of the 1951 science fiction classic The Thing from Another World, and the result is a mixed blessing. It's got moments of highly effective terror and spine-tingling suspense, but it's mostly a showcase for some of the goriest and most horrifically grotesque makeup effects ever created for a movie. With such highlights as a dog that splits open and blossoms into something indescribably gruesome, this is the kind of movie for die-hard horror fans and anyone who slows down to stare at fatal traffic accidents. On those terms, however, it's hard not to be impressed by the movie's wild and wacky freak show. It all begins when scientists at an arctic research station discover an alien spacecraft under the thick ice, and thaw out the alien body found aboard. What they don't know is that the alien can assume any human form, and before long the scientists can't tell who's real and who's a deadly alien threat. Kurt Russell leads the battle against the terrifying intruder, and the supporting cast includes Richard Masur, Richard Dysart, Donald Moffat, and Wilford Brimley. They're all playing standard characters who are neglected by the mechanistic screenplay (based on the classic sci-fi story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell), but Carpenter's emphasis is clearly on the gross-out effects and escalating tension. If you've got the stomach for it (and let's face it, there's a big audience for eerie gore), this is a thrill ride you won't want to miss. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (326)

excellent special effects!
this is my favriote movie ever! it ha superior special effects by rob bottin, a great plot, plenty of gore and great sets. this is a monster movie that no monster fan like myself can miss.
see this special effects extrazaganza today!

Mature effort from director of Halloween
This is an interesting sci-fi horror film, from one of the greatest horror directors of all time, and his greatness shows throughout.

A UFO has landed in Antarctica 100,000 years ago and is buried under the snow. An American team is located there, and when the alien life form is uncovered by a fellow research team it infects their dog unknowing to them. Soon the dog rips open, and The Thing is now "imitating" the dog, so it can go on killing disguised. This alien, The Thing, is found out to absorb living things, mutate into an exact copy of it, and then go to kill. The American team is stranded there, and isolated, soon growing more and more paranoid one of their fellow team members is infected by The Thing.

The effects are not very realistic, some of the acting is bad, as is the dialog, but that does not take away from the overall experience. The tension is built up slowly, as each new member is infected, discovered, and killed. The pace can be somewhat slow, but is the film is always interesting. This is a must see for fans of either sci-fi or horror. But to others this may be a little to B level for them. Anyway, I enjoyed it, and the DVD has a ton of extras, so this should at least be rented. 4 stars, check it out.

The Master of Creep!
OK. All you squeemish woosies can leave the room. It's dark out. The lights are turned down. I've got the surround sound cranked up and the widescreen is ready. A mixed drink in one hand and the remote in the other. It's time to start one of "The Master of Creep's" best horror flicks.

THE THING is an orgy of terror. Just imagine spending an entire Antarctic Winter with a motley crew of researchers: The isolation, the bitter cold, the low morale, the paranoia, the...THING! These guys never had a chance. John Carpenter grabs you out of your seat and plants you smack-dab in the middle of it all. Another fantastic music score completes the apocalyptic mood of this desolate and doomed Outpost.

The entire cast is excellent. I cant pick out a favorite because they all play their respective parts so well. I cant believe this movie only got so-so ratings when it first came out. Seems the critics were more taken by the friendly 'E.T.' But THE THING doesn't play warm and fuzzy, so grab a blanket and keep that drink topped off because you're in for a chilling experience!

You'll enjoy the commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. They reveal some interesting facts about the making of the movie and it sounds like the cast and crew had a good time on the set (it sounds like they're having a good time during the commentary, too. You can hear drinks being filled and lighters flicking. Pure speculation!)

Other John Carpenter notables:

The Fog: Awesome ghost story set in a sleepy coastal town.

Halloween: Needs no introduction.

Escape From New York: Apocalyptic Sci-Fi at its best!

Maybe not the ultimate in terror, but pretty darn close
Ooh boy, what is there to be said about this modern horror classic that hasn't been said before. Yes, it is closer to the original story than the Howard Hawks version, and yes, it might very well be the most violent major studio production ever made. But if you disregard all that, what do you have?
To be quite blunt, one of the most effective and horrific monster movies ever made. John Carpenter manages to establish a kind of feeling of paranoia and dread that simply has to grab almost anybody by the throat, and it doesn't let go easily. The extremely graphic monster effects by Rob Bottin and his crew are unbelievable and realistic at the same time. Many of the monster effects are definately not appropriate for the squeamish. But in the end, above average acting from the cast (especially a stoic performance from Kurt Russell) and the impeccable pacing from director Carpenter lead to an almost oppressive atmosphere of distrust and alienation that really fuels the movie.
Lastly, I just want to comment on the music, which I honestly have to say doesn't pull me one way or the other in the debate on it's merits.
On to the DVD. Basically, this is as good a DVD as you are likely to find, with one problem. The good things include a commentary by carpenter and russell which is a good and entertaining listen, a great documentary and a bunch of other extras. The one big problem (for the enthusiasts at least) is the lack of an anamorphic presentation. But don't let that stop you, it's one of the best letterboxed presentations I have ever seen.
In conclusion, all I can say is, buy this movie now, unless you have problems with the violence level.

this thing likes to hide in an imatation
Well this is a great horror movie, no wait, this is THE best alien infestation movie I have seen. This movie has a certain aoura about it. This makes Pennywise look like Ronald McDonald. This is the movie I have been waiting for, for a long time. There is no holding back, there is mutations everywhere.
This is set in an Anartic research station and stars a very young ( and bearded ) Kurt Russel. Now this starts out when they find a charred thing outside the ruins of an other research station they bring it back to study. The rest of the movie is a phsycological horror fest with some pretty good eye-candy for 1982.
My only gripe is a sequil that is a video game which is to frickin' hard to complete.The good side is that there is no movie sequil so then we can use our own thinking power to see what happens to Mcready and Childs... a.k.a. fan fiction at outpost31.com ... Read more

Description

Chevy Chase and Darryl Hannah star in and John (Halloween) Carpenter directs a lighthearted adventure: a Wall Street analyst becomes invisible after a lab accident, leading to complications both comic and romantic. Year: 1992 Director: John Carpenter Starring: Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Finally coming to DVD
The last John Carpenter film to be released on DVD, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" bombed at the box office during it's early 90's theatrical run. Shame too as it's a better film than some think.

The special effects were outstanding, and Sam Neill stole the show as the villian. Chevy Chase tries his best but even semi-dramatic roles are just not his thing.

The DVD will be 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (as all Carpenter films should be presented), and will have a behind-the-scenes featurette, outtakes, and the film's trailer. The sad thing is, no Carpenter commentary track. Why Warner Brothers never bothered to ask Carpenter to take part, we can only guess.Buy this DVD and complete your John Carpenter collection!

The Finest Work of Chevy Chase
If you ever thought that a comedian like Chevy Chase doesn't deserve an oscar, than you haven't seen "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." An outstanding performance by Chevy Chase under the expert direction of cult icon John Carpenter makes this film a must own. Heavy on amazing special effects, and Daryl Hannah (No CGI here; everything is flawlessly done with blue/green screen technology).

Decent all the way
This comedy directed by horror maestro John Carpenter is actually pretty decent. The special effects still look amazing.
The plot is thin, but who cares? It's well acted (it would be better if you're a fan of Chevy Chase) and hilarious in some places. Slows a bit down in the second half but picks up for a good finale.

It's better then average movie....
This is actually a pretty good watchable movie, even though it did not so great at the movies, people kind of discovered the picture when it came to video. Fairly simple story, Chevy Chase plays a investment banker who gets exposed to fusion energy and becomes invisable. Daryl Hannah plays a TV/film maker who discovers what happened to him, and falls in love with him (the romance is actually pretty honest and not cliched). There are some good ILM effects work and the ending is not a tragic one like 1941's the Invisable Man where Claude Reins played the part.
Buy and watch it. It's a comedy with a bit of heart,

Underrated movie!
I really enjoyed this movie when it came out and was quite surprised by all the bad reviews. I had read the book several years before I saw the movie and thought they did a great job of transfering it to film.

The funny thing is that most reviews criticize the film makers for their wierd story choices, but the film was just following the book.

Others criticize that the movie doesn't know whether to be a comedy, action thiller or an adventure story? The book was the same way and I thought the book and film did a great job of juggling these different styles. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Wes Craven's horror pictures always have a few wild ideas knockingaround inside them, and this 1989 slashfest is no exception. The electrocution of a mass murderer turns into a kind of cosmic jump-start:evil Horace Pinker is reborn as an elusive electronic phantom, capable of leaping from one body to another. (This trick is also used to good effect in The Hidden and Fallen.) Pinker's a stinker, and Craven was clearly trying to set up another franchise villain in the vein of his Nightmare on Elm Street champ, Freddy Krueger--perhaps a bit too baldly. However, amidst the mayhem, the film's real subject is the poisonous presence of mass media, as Pinker (played by The X-Files' Mitch Pileggi)insinuates himself as a free-floating spirit run amok in television itself. In its own pulp way, Shocker gets at the heart of media-culture inanity quicker than a ten-week college class on the subject, and although Craven occasionally lapses into generic bloodletting, he always snaps right back with some crazy angle on the TV nation. The hero is played by a young Peter Berg, the Chicago Hope star who would go on to direct his own shocker, Very Bad Things. Shocker failed to catch on with audiences (somewhere there's a warehouse full of unsold Horace Pinker action figures), but it's definitely worth a look for horror fans. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Movie Isnt As The Name Says!!!!
Even with the title SHOCKER, it has nothing to do with the rating of the film! I like it. Sure, it's not the best thing Wes Craven has done, and it's very hard to scare me at all, and nothign about this film is scary to me, probably not to anyone else either. But I think it is a pretty cool movie.

Horace Pinker I think his name is? Is played by the bauld guy from X-Files (Skinner) who is a phychopath, killing not just people but entire fammilys, and some how a kid is having dreams of seeing him doing the murders, and eventualy helps in the capture and arrest of Horace.

But Horace has made a pact with the devil or somthing? and when Horace is sent to the electric chair, it dont kill him. Horace becomes a ....well, a spirit type/electrical/ghostly kind of monster who has the ability to jump into other peoples bodys! Which pre-dates that idea in "Jason goes to hell" But the cool stuff is the FX, there not super great, but there fun to watch as Horace is able to get into TV's and shows and things. I really think it's a pretty funny horror-ry/comedy.

It probably wont be for all tastes, I really like the soundtrack in the movie too. bit of Hard Rock and Metal went pretty good with it. I'm not sure if i'd recomend it to you or not? If you havent seen it, and happen to see it , then I urge you to consider giving it a glance.... But I guess it depends on everyones personal likes and dislikes really.

The bonus features are nothing to praise. Just some production notes, biographies, and trailers... be cool if there was some deleted scenes or somthing? even an Audio commentary maybe? But if you wanna see a slahery kind of flick that isnt just a mistery guy walking around cutting people up, and want to venture to a funny sort of wacko who becomes an electrical ghost type of guy, then give it a rent if you can find it?

Not Craven's best, but worth a look
This 1989 horror flick directed by Wes Craven (Last House on the Left, Hills Have Eyes, Nightmare on Elm Street) is far from Craven's finest hour, but it is still worth a look for horror fans. The story revolves around a serial killer (Mitch Pileggi, Skinner from The X-Files) who is re-born as a spiritual, electrical force which can jump from one body to another. His target: a young athlete (Peter Berg from TV's Chicago Hope and the director of The Rundown) who shares a link with the killer. Full of uneven pacing and more than a few loose ends, Shocker still manages to be entertaining despite it's faults, and thanks to the oddball, colorful casting and Craven's directing, Shocker avoids being the piece of horror shlock it seemed destined to be. The film is backed by a rocking metal soundtrack, highlighted by Megadeth's headbanging cover of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy".

Entertainment for the retarded
I remember seeing this film in theaters way back in the day. I laughed then. I saw it recently at a friend's house and can't believe Wes Craven's career didn't end with this schlock. I don't know what kind of movie this was meant to be. It was too lame to be scary and too stupid to be funny. Running from an 'electronic phantom' through scenes from 'Leave it to Beaver' is enough to make you roll your eyes in disbelief. But diving through a camera lense to end the movie is rock bottom. Wes Craven has had hiots and misses in his long career. Of all his films, this is somewhere at the bottom.

Awsome 80's horror flick. Loads of fun & great music score!
Whenever I see a film that's lots of fun but reletivly obscure I feel kind of sad, in a way, as I feel such a film deserves better recognition. That's how I felt when I saw this film. It was Wes Craven's attempt to create a new horror movie franchise as he did with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, with Horrace Pinker, a very Freddy Kruger-esque villian. Since everyone, even people who never watch horror movies, have heard of Freddy Kruger but Horrace Pinker is a much more obscure name, this film failed to catch on. That does make me sad, in a way, but then again if this movie had been a hit like ELM STREET was, they probably would have made a slew of sequels and Pinker would have become every bit as invincible as Freddy. I've always felt a sense of hopelessness when I'm watching a slasher movie series and the undead killer keeps coming back to life. Much as I do love this movie, I appreciate the fact that, from a story telling perspective, this is a stand-alone film.

Ahem. Anyway, the plot: Horrace Pinker is a T.V. repairman by day, serial killer of whole families by night. He also walks with a limp (we find out later in the movie why that is). High school football player Jonathan seems unconnected to all this, until he has a dream where Pinker murders his family, and then finds out that it has really happened, leaving only Jon and his police leutenant foster dad left. Jonathan's dreams lead police to finding out the killer's identity, but that doesn't save Jon's girlfriend Allison, whom Pinker later kills. Finally Pinker is captured and sentanced to death by electric chair...and the film's second act begins. You see, Pinker practices black magic, and after his execution he becomes an evil spirit with the ability to jump into other people's bodies...

I love pretty much everything about this movie. It's got an awsome 80's metal sountrack that you can really bang your head to, some really cool kill scenes and gore (the lip-chewing scene is probably the most shocking thing in the film) the killer is certainly Freddy-like in many ways, yet still different, in that he invades people bodies rather than their dreams. The good characters are also interesting enough and easy to root for. I especially liked the bit where Allison's ghost comes back to warn him that Pinker may be dead but isn't gone. I also like the thing where Pinker practices black magic, thus giving us an explanation as to how he's able to come back after death; Freddy was able to, apparently, just because he wanted to badly enough. I love the film's climax, and one other thing.

(WARNING! MAJOR PLOT SPOILER!)

I like how this film DOESN'T have one of those "Oh my God the killer/evil spirit's STILL ALIVE!" endings. Pinker is vanquished at the end, and since there were never any sequels, we know he's been permenantly laid to rest. If you like horror movies check this one out!

An underrated classic!
Wes Craven's renown for many of his classic horror films, but Shocker is one of his better movies, despite getting little accord from most critics. It's got great thrills throughout, especially considering that the psychotic Horace Pinker (played by then-unknown Mitch Pileggi) can transform his spirit into other people to do his bidding, including at one unnerving point a police officer. This is a horror film for sure, but there are also some elements of dark humor thrown in for good measure. As if Pinker's unhinged persona wasn't a captivating proposition enough, "Shocker" even features cameos by Timothy Leary, Eugene Chadbourne (of underground band Shockabilly, oddly enough) and the godlike John Tesh. I couldn't ask for much more than that.

The budget for this film, in retrospect, does appear to have been somewhat low, but it only enhances the experience, giving it a street-level power. It's like comparing a lean 1980s Megadeth album to a one of the more recent, bloated Metallica albums. (Speaking of which, Megadeth offers up a pretty rocking rendition of an Alice Cooper song in the soundtrack; Iggy Pop and Paul Stanley contribute some songs as well.) Those high-production 1990s weren't a very good time for horror films anyway. Although this is an oversimplification, consider "Shocker" to be an indie-ish alternative to the glossy self-consciousness that's marred the horror genre of late. It should also be noted that the 1998 movie "Fallen" lifted more than one plot device from this film, so it's not like this film went unnoticed upon release. I'd definitely recommend that you buy "Shocker," or, if you're unsure, at the very least rent it. You will then know your destiny. ... Read more

Book Description

Vincent Price lends his distinctively chilling voice to this spine-tingling collection of tales, spells, and things that go bump in the night. This hair-raising audiotape features classic horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe and John Cllier, as well as more practical tales such as ‘How to See Ghosts and Surely Bring Them to You.’ So turn down the lights and turn up the volume . . . if you dare!

... Read more

Reviews (23)

Family Plot---- Not Hitchock's best but still enjoyable
As a child growing up I was consumed with a passion for film, which has continued to this day and one of my all time favorite directors of film is Alfred Hitchcock.

The film Family Plot came was released in 1976 and for a young teenager growing up in Southern California, this was my first and only opportunity to see a Hitchcock film in it's initial release.

The plot in this film is sort of silly in spots, it concerns a phony psychic who while working as a medium is hired to find a missing heir to her family's fortune. The only problem is that the missing heir is now a jewel thief who faked his own death years ago and wants no part of being located once again.

Bruce Dern plays a cabbie who is also a boyfriend to the psychic, played by Barbara Harris, the jewel thief is played by William Devane, and Karen Black plays his accomplice/love interest.

Mr Hitchcock on this film employed many of the people who had made his subsequent films so successful including screenwriter Ernest Lehman, who penned North By Northwest amongst others for Hitch, Edith Head multi Academy Award winning costume designer, as well as Henry Bumstead who handled the fabulous set designs.

This DVD release is quite impressive for one of the least impressive films of Alfred Hitchcock, but the features make this a worthy addition to your collection nonetheless.

The disc is released in anamorphically enhanced widescreen which is presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1:85.1 and looks vastly superior to the old LaserDisc and VHS copies of this film that I have viewed over the years.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono and the composer is John Williams in a subdued but effective score.

There is a very nice documentary on this DVD as well entitled, "Plotting Family Plot which runs a little under 50 minutes and covers just about the whole production of the film and has interviews with assisstant director Howard Kazanjian, set designer Henry Bumstead, and actors Bruce Dern, Karen Black, William Devane.

There all also the standard addition of trailers two to be exact, as well as production photos and some behind the scenes photos as well.

Overall Alfred Hitchcocks 54th and final film is not something that film historians will be citing as a milestone in his career, however I think that anyone who is a film collector or Hitchock fan should add this to their DVD collection. I give this DVD release on a Bronze to Platinum rating scale.... a SILVER rating.

A fun finale
This was Alfred Hitchcock's final film, and he was already in his late seventies when he made it. I think that at this point in his career, after fifty years of movie-making, he KNEW he no longer had to prove himself; his place was already set in history. Therefore, instead of making a film along the lines of Psycho, Vertigo, or Rear Window, he made a fun, lighter film along the lines of To Catch A Theif or The Lady Vanishes. The script of Family Plot was written by the same guy who wrote North By Northwest, which means there is a lot of clever, witty dialogue. The California locations are also a typical Hitchcock touch, and the fun car chase scene in the California hills is a classic. People expecting a SUSPENSE film will be disappointed, but I always felt that the "Master of Suspense" was a misleading title for Hitchcock, because his films are about much more than just suspense. Even so, Family Plot is not a masterpiece, but a treat for Hitchcock buffs. Hitchcock didn't go out with a bang, he went out with a wink, and this a great final "slice of cake" from a director who never took himself as seriously as we take him now.

Has done better before.
Of course it is well woven. Of course there are some funny scenes. Of course the plot is simple and the qui pro quo is clear, for us. But the motivations are not very clear, and are not at all explored, be they those of the old rich lady, or those of the illegitimate son, or those of the would-be private eyes. So it is an easy entertaining film to watch, but neither frightening, nor hilarious, nor deeply disturbing, nor overpsychological. It is not one of Hitchcock's best films even if we have to reckon that the work is very clean and very professional and that the English is proper and in no way colloquial. It has all the qualities of a Hitchcock film but one : the soul-raking intricacy and depth, and the implacable logic of motivation and suspense : everything seems to be gratuitous and we know from the very start what is to happen in every single next scene. Just two pleasant odd hours.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

A lost gem
The last two films of Hitchcock are also his most underrated. 'Family Plot' is a joy to watch and so is 'Frenzy'. Very well acted and the master once again will tie you in his web of suspense.

Funny and suspenseful!
This movie is great in every way. There is nothing that this movie lacks. It has suspense, humor, and a great sense of style. This is a movie that I recommend to everyone. A great Hitchcock movie. Go see it! ... Read more