Reviews (4)

Good, old, HBO horror series
They really should bring this series back. To those of you who have been living under a rock for the last 16 years, this is basically a very good, revamped-gory version of the twilight zone. Some great short horror stories!
Side note: I still have the old Crypt keeper dolls (still in their boxes) in my closet. I bought them at Spencer's gifts ages ago, maybe someday they will be worth something.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the FEAREST of them all?"
Welcome to my review, horror freaks! So glad you could join me and read about the 6 eerie episodes of HBO's "Tales from the Crypt," the very ones that helped the series rise from its tomb back in 1989. It's been 9 long years since the show went off the air, and until now, I've been waiting for the Crypt Keeper's putrid puns and awful alliterations to be forever preserved on DVD format. And why not? The show lasted a full 7 seasons and featured many of the biggest actors and directors in Hollywood. Each tale carefully incorporates the grisly black humor William M. Gaines EC comic books, which were almost banned in the 1950's. Did I say 'almost?' Anyway, as other HBO programs like "Dream On," "Deadwood," and "Carnivale" were packaged and displayed on Best Buy shelves, I wondered if "Tales" would ever be among them. Well, the time has finally arrived, creeps! As stated by John Kassir himself, Warner Brothers wisely chose to create these discs so we ourselves can scare the next generation of kiddies to come. Even better is the fact that the second disc of this Season 1 set will contain a sickening array of never-before-seen extras. I don't want to give the surprises away, but I will briefly tell you the stories you are about to see. Enter, if you dare!
"Dig that Cat...He's Real Gone" stars Joe Pantoliano as Ulric, a homeless alcoholic who becomes a rich and famous sideshow performer after a mad doctor (Gustav Vintas) surgically implants a cat's gland into Ulric's brain. This procedure allows him to die and return to life nine times. Morbid hilarity ensues as a carnival barker (Robert Wuhl) presents Ulric the Undying to astounded audiences who watch him get electrocuted, hanged, drowned in a tank, and shot with an arrow (among other things).
In "The Man Who was Death," Bill Sadler (who eventually starred in the 1995 Tales from the Crypt film "Demon Knight") plays Niles Talbot, a state executioner who loses his job after spending 12 years pulling the switch. This resulted because the government unexpectantly repealed the death penalty. However, not wanting to abandon his favorite occupation, Niles drifts to the other side of the law by killing criminals who were acquitted by the courts.
The frightening and festive "And All Through the House" stars Mary Ellen Trainor as a devious housewife named Elizabeth, who brutally bludgeons her husband with a poker to collect on an insurance policy. Just when she is ready to eliminate the corpse, a homicidal maniac donning a Santa Claus costume (Larry Drake) terrorizes her with an axe. Even worse, Elizabeth can't call the police for fear of being convicted of first degree murder and losing custody of her daughter.
Vanity and greed play a central role in "Only Sin Deep," a tale about a street prostitute named Sylvia Vane (Lea Thompson). After killing a pimp and stealing his gold jewellry, she willingly sells her beauty to a strange pawnbroker (Britt Leach) in exchange for $10,000 cash. At first, Sylvia wins over the affections of a suave playboy millionaire. But immediately afterward, as a result of some black magic performed by the pawnbroker, she gets increasingly distraught as her face quickly ages. Desperate to buy back her looks, she shoots her rich lover dead, but is then forced to avoid prison by staying ugly for life.
Prepare for a honeymoon hell in "Lover Come Hack To Me." Here, a cunning bachelor named Charles (Stephen Shellen) marries a naive Peggy (Amanda Plummer) for her inheritance money. On a rainy night, after accidentally getting stuck in an abandoned mansion, the two go up to the bedroom and make perfect love for the very first time. Originally, Charles was going to kill Peggy and stage the crime to look like a burglary. But he soon discovers that her family history is cursed, and that much darker skeletons lie in the bride's closet.
Last but not least is one of my favorite episodes, "Collection Completed." M. Emmet Walsh plays Jonas, a grouchy tool salesman who finally gets to retire after 47 years on the job. His slightly odd wife Anita (Audra Lindley) has developed a fondness for pets...alot of pets. In fact, she keeps a zoo-full of cats, dogs, and birds in the house. On top of that, she talks to squirrels and runs an aquarium in the bathtub. Obviously, such an attachment to animals is enough to drive Jonas up the wall! Inevitably, he gets sick and tired of not having enough attention, and he gleefully takes up taxidermy as a hobby. But those poor animals weren't the only living creatures that ended up getting stuffed.

Tales from the Crypt
I have written HBO countless e-mails over the years begging for this dvd set. I never received one e-mail response from HBO. Oh, well. I really did not expect one.
This is one of the best horror shows, period. Some of the top horror/adventure writers and directors wrote and directed these episodes. I believe this series ran for seven seasons. This can be intense stuff, not for children because of the nudity, sex, graphic violence, superb gore effects, language, and more. Some of these stories are truly the stuff of nightmares. They will haunt you.
If you have never seen Tales from the Crypt you are in for a treat, if you are a fan of horror. Go to your local book store and pick-up a trade paperback of the old EC comics these stories are based upon to get a feel for the translation from comic book to television show. Wait until you meet the Cryptkeeper, who introduces each episode, for a meeting of the surreal and insane and just plain weird. And, you will see some big name stars come to fantastic demises. Just wait, you'll see.
Now, where are Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th the series. These are two more violent horror series from the pre-politically correct present day.

Great Series Finds It's Footing In A TV/DVD Obsessed World
Yes, It has finally happened: Warner Bros./HBO Productions has announced that a 2-Disc, First Season set of "Tales from the Crypt" will be released on July 12th. The first season consisted of six episodes that fit quite nicely on this set's first disc. They are: "The Man Who Was Death", Dig That cat...He's Real Gone", "All Through The House", "Only Sin Deep", "Lover Come Hack To Me", and "Collection Completed". The second disc will hold bonus features that are rumored to include 2 Featurettes: One on "Tales From Comic Books To Television" and the other on "The First Season's History." Plus a new introduction by "The CryptKeeper"(John Kassir). Now this has not been confirmed, so it's pretty much a rumor but these are the possibilities. So far, there is no cover art or any other materials but stay tuned to tvshowsondvd.com for more news info which should be coming soon! Tales From The Crypt: Season One, July 12th! ... Read more

Reviews (44)

An Excellent DVD !!
This is a must buy for all Madonna fans. The DVD is in standard format and contains 13 tracks. The sound quality is outstanding. The video tracks included are: Lucky Star, Borderline, Like A Virgin, Material Girl, Papa Dont Preach, Open Your Heart, La Isla Bonita, Like A Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish, Oh Father, Vougue & a live performance of Vouge.

The DVD contains a video selection feature so you can jump right to your favorite video. Unfortunately, several videos were missing off of this collection. They were: Burning Up, Everybody, Dress You Up, Crazy For You, The Gambler, Into The Groove, Live To Tell, True Blue, Who's That Girl and Causing A Commotion.

I guess we will have to wait until Madonna releases a full video archive to obtain the complete collection.

The Ultimate Video Artist
Arguably the most influential video artist of the MTV generation, and the one to benefit most from MTV, was Madonna.
This collection is a companion piece of sorts to her CD of the same name, with a few differences here and there. Conspicuously absent are 'Live To Tell', 'True Blue', and 'Into The Groove'.
Early videos like 'Lucky Star' and 'Material Girl' come off a little dated, though still alot of fun to watch. Though all of the vidoes have a distinctive feel, the clutch of videos she produced for the LIKE A PRAYER album remain a benchmark in her videography, particularly the visually stunning 'Express Yourself' and the highly undervalued 'Oh Father'(which remains a creative high-point to this day). The sterling videoclip for 'Vogue' rounds out the set videowise, followed by an unnecessarily tacked-on (and lip-synched) performance of 'Vogue' from one of the MTV Awards shows. Consider this a primer for whats to come--though her biggest radio hits were in the '80s, her best videos came in the '90s, as displayed in her second video compilation 93:99.

The Ultimate Video Collection!
Lucky Star- Nice video, I like Madonna's outfit. 4/5
Borderline- I love this video! 5/5
Like A Virgin- My favorite video on here! 5/5
Material Girl- Wonderful video! 5/5
Papa Don't Preach- This one is very nice. 5/5
Open Your Heart- I never saw this one, yet, but I have seen a little of it. For now, I will give it a 5. 5/5
La Isla Bonita- Amazing video! 5/5
Like A Prayer- It's okay. 3/5
Express Yourself- Very creative video! 5/5
Cherish- I love this video, and I think the song has a good message. 5/5
Oh Father- Beautiful video. 5/5
Vogue- This video is so cool! 5/5
Vogue (From the 1990 MTV Awards Show)- It's okay. 3/5

An Flawless DVD With No Classic Videos Left Out
Madonna and music videos go together like love and marriage. Madonna was ahead of the game right when MTV started, always coming up with the freshest music videos. This collection of of her best vdeos is truly supreme. Let's go through a quick run - through of the videos.

"Lucky Star" is a cute video. Madonna likes lovely and the dancing is superb. It was her first classic video. I love the black and white intro when Madonna pulls down the sunglasses.

"Borderline" is a very cute video. Madonna plays a fashion model. I love the transistion between black and white and color. And once again, Madonna looks gorgeous. Also, in this video, Madonna vaguely resembles D.J. from "Full House".

"Like A Virgin" was without a doubt the video tha cemented her. I love the scenes in Venice when she's dancing in the gondolla. Never cared for that lion man at the end, though.

"Material Girl" was the one that started the comparisons to Marilyn Monroe, maybe because Madonna wore the same dress that Monroe wore in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in 1953. It is an excellent video, and the one whose set she met future husband and recent Oscar winner Sean Penn on.

"Papa Don't Preach" I didn't like that much. I don't know if it's because of the way Madonna wore her hair in the video or I'm just not a big Danny Aiello fan, but there's something about this video that I don't like. Great song, though.

"Open Your Heart" gets right back on track. The idea of Madonna as a stripper wooing a young boy into a peep show was perfect. And Madonna's hair is beautiful.

"La Isla Bonita" is my least favorite video. I just don't like the way she looks in the video. I never thought she looked all that good as a brunette, and here is no exception (the "Like A Prayer" video is, but I'll get to that later). Killer dress though, and a good song.

"Like A Prayer" caused a ton of controversy when it was released. And why wouldn't it, what with its burning crosses, interracial love affair nd its depiction of Jesus being black? But when you look past all this, it's really a great video. And Madonna looks so beautiful. And about her being a brunette, she looks good with it in this video. In fact, I think the blackhair was required for the video.

"Express Yourself" is a very sensuous video, especially the scene with Madonna naked and chained to the bed. The ending where Madonna grabs her crotch is really pretty funny.

"Cherish" is a very charming video. Shot in black and white (at least I think it is), Madonna stands on the beach, getting soaked by water and yet singing about the sweet love she owns. A nice change of pace from the racier videos on the dvd.

"Oh Father" I really don't remember, so I'll skip it. I remember it was pretty boring, though. And I hated the song.

"Vogue" is such a great video. It's too beautiful to describe in words. All I can say is that Madonna looks gorgeous.

The live performance of "Vogue" is really good. I reccommend this dvd to all Madonna fans who don't already own it.

Complete Madonna
This is the Madonna DVD to own. If you don't own this, and The Immaculate Collection CD - you are truly missing out. The 'live' version of 'Vogue' at the end of the DVD is the icing on the cake. Highlight Videos: Express Yourself, Vogue, Like a Prayer. ... Read more

Reviews (123)

Effectively Disturbing!
After reading Stephen King's novel "Pet Sematary" and being a little disturbed by it, I figured that I would rent the movie to see what a terrible adaptation some money-hungry fellow made. After viewing the film I was quite surprised. The first half of the film starts out nice with a happy family enjoying thier new rural home. But then we see the second half of the film in which all turns to hell. After Gage is killed you can't help but feel bad, no one wants to see a boy that cute skin his knee let alone what happens to him in this film. The performances in the film were mostly well done, especially from Fred Gwynne (Jud Crandall), Denise Crosby (Rachel Creed) & Miko Hughes (Gage Creed). The Pet Sematary novel was meant to be disturbing, and this film certainly is just that. Most likely the reason people hate this film and think it's sick is because they too were disturbed by it. It's definitely not a film to give you a positive outlook on life, but I guess that's what makes it such an effective horror film.

In response to a previous review...
In response to Bobby Abbassi's review of July 6, 2004....excuse me, Einstein, but the book and movie both had the spelling of PET SEMATARY (with an S) because that is how it was spelled in Stephen King's book by an illiterate character. If you had read the book, you would know this. And for your information, the correct spelling of the word itself is "cemetery" with an "e." Aside from that, I concur that this is one of the most terrifying and disturbing movies ever made. You will want to check under the bed before climbing in every night if you see this movie.

a classic horror movie!!
Don't any of you know how to spell? Cemetary is spelled with a C not an S. Anyway the movie is a classic one of Stephen King's
best I think! A good story, and a disturbing ending. And if Zelda were MY sister, I'd shoot her and put her out of her misery! And mine for having to look at her everyday! hahaha! If you like good classic horror movies, pick this one up!

One of the scaries movies ever!
PET SEMATARY is scary as hell.

Not as scary as the book but still holds the scare factor.
It's a brilliant film and I thought It was one of the most scariest films ever. (...)

Rent this movie or buy it.

Think Gage is cute huh?....THINK AGAIN!

Later....

surprisingly good
Yes there are aot of stephen king movies that have stunk. and there are the excellant ones, Carrie, Stand by Me, Shawshank redemption, The green Mile. and then there are ones like pet semetary which are alot better then you would expect.
A young couple with two young children move into a new house and are shwon the pet semetary. the husband finds out this cemetary has a hidden past and a deadly secret. I won't go into detail about the movie as many others have to say except this is pretty good. The acting, direction and the creepy music by elliot goldenthal. Dale Midkiff, denise crosby and fred gwynne all did a good job. Some of the creepiest scenes have to be with Zelda. Those scenes give me the creeps to this day.
Avoid the sorry sequel which should have never been made! ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you like murder and dig beachwear, you'll love The In Crowd. Former obsessive Adrien is released from a mental institution (cue ominous music) and her nice psychiatrist finds her a summer job at a snooty country club, apparently reasoning that there's no better place to rebuild your self-esteem. Adrien quickly encounters the rich kids, who mostly run around being rich and beautiful. Rich queen Brittany decides to become Adrien's new best friend. Could it be for (oh, no!) the wrong reasons? Actually, her reasons turn out to be baffling, along with the rest of the poorly thought-out plot and thinly sketched characters. Director Mary Lambert makes a game attempt at building suspense with incredibly dark lighting and generic Spooky Music, but the script doesn't give her any help. The ending involves one of those elaborate, Scooby-Doo-ish plots that require knowing precisely how someone will react and exactly where she will go when she is very, very upset. Nonetheless, the movie presents lots of attractive young people in swimwear and provides an excellent opportunity to play the which-of-these-actors-will-still-have-a-career-next-year game. Enjoy. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Enjoyably teen movie
This complicated teen movie doesn't know whether it's trying to be a satire or a horror, so it plumps for somewhere in between. It starts with ex-mental patient Adrien getting a job at a trendy sports facility, catering for a load of rich snobs and drunken fools. At the head of this 'in crowd' is Brittany, a beautiful brunette with a dark past who rapidly accepts Adrien into their group. Before Adrien knows it she's in the midst of fancy parties wearing expensive dresses and is wanted by all the handsome boys.

The central idea of a group of people who struggle against each other in a seemingly endless search for power is intriguing but hardly new. Brittany rules her clique with an iron rod, using sex as a weapon to get what she wants. This blatant excuse to have excessive nudity is thankfully handled tongue-in-cheek, which is an altogether wiser approach given the movie's 'made for TV' look. By far the most promising idea is that social rejection is the worst punishment that could be doled out to these kids, with staring eyes and accusing faces represented as infinitely worse than being locked up in an insane asylum. Also it's nice to have a heroine that isn't exactly perfect herself. That said, 'Heathers' was a much wittier, funnier take on the social structure in a high school and is something that 'The In Crowd' just can't compete with. Yet this is moderately entertaining, with a storming finale that involves prom queens in exquisite dresses chasing each other in high heels, with one carrying a heavy spade over her shoulder. Oh, and you might recognise Tom as the guy that played Percy in 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'.

Good, but not Great
I had wanted to see this movie ever since I saw the commericals for it on TV. Something has always fascinated me about beautiful popular people against the less beautfiful unpopular people. After I finally saw this movie last summer, I was a little disapointed. The movie was pretty good, Susan Ward's character Brittany was one of the best villians I have ever seen in a movie. But the rest of the cast really weren't all that great, all they were, were these beautiful people with not a whole lot of talent. The story line was pretty creative, it was about a girl named Adrien (Lori Heuring) who was just released from a mental hospital to work as a housekeeper at a country club/resort type place, where young, beautiful college kids lay around in the sun, play tennis, etc. She meets Brittany Hodges (Susan Ward), or actually more like saves her, when Brittany tries to fake like she drowned. So Adrien and Brittany become friends, and some strange things happen at the club. One of Brittany's so-called "friends" warns Adrien to go away, and to leave the huge mystery that happened a year ago alone, but Adrien knows something's up. Brittany's games are a little too much to handle sometimes. And after learning about Adrien's "history" she seduces Adrien's therapist while wearing Adrien's dress, then kills the therapist at a party later, and then Adrien goes to jail because they think she was the one who had sex with him, and killed him. The movie was kind of dull, with some boring twists here and there, some parts were suspenseful, all in all, it was pretty good, rent it for yourself sometime.

what horrific garbage!
while i was watching this movie i thought to myself, "am i going to die? have i gone to horrible movie hell?" you see i was trapped in a theater. it's like being tortured by some horrible nightmare but you can't leave cause B actors are pretending they can act just because they're fat. the in crowd gives you that feeling like when it's grossly bright outside and it's a sunday afternoon and you're in a car and you've been sitting for 6 hours and you feel sweaty and there'a a football game playing on the am radio and you want to stop existing. in conclusion, this movie turns me into melting snow. i've written a few reviews here and there and no one seems to find them helpful. but i don't care! i'm not trying to be helpful. i'm just being odd.

The In Crowd
To tell the absolute truth, I expected much more from this teen movie. I like those teen slasher movies like SCREAM and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, but this one was too weird and bizarre for my tastes. It was very well photographed and sometimes well directed, but the script and actors are very lame and really don't deliver anything special.

It's the story of a former mental patient, Adrien, who is sent to work at a hip country club. She is soon involved in a wicked friendship with the sexy Brittany, who sees the image of someone else in Adrien, and therefore begins to act as her loyal companion. Through investigation and patience, Adrien finds that Brittany is nothing but an evil murderress.

Like I said, the weak script and lack of talent in the actors destroy this would-be-good thriller. It's often suspenseful and sometimes scary, but usually it's quite boring and overly sexual to boot.

Yuck
I was home, bored, and had nothing to do one day so I clicked on the TV for background noise and this was on. Worst movie I have ever seen. Period. The story is totally implausible, there are many plot holes, the acting is poor. Last time I ever waste an hour on a teen movie. ... Read more

Description

After the death of his wife, veterinarian Chase Matthews (Anthony Edwards, TV's ER) and his 13-year-old son Jeff (Edward Furlong, Terminator 2: Judgement Day) move to Ludlow to rebuild their lives. Antagonized by the neighborhood kids, Jeff befriends another outsider, Drew Gilbert, who lives in fear of his cruel stepfather Gus (Clancy Brown, Highlander). After Gus cold-bloodedly shoots Drew's beloved dog, the boys bury the body in the local Indian burial grounds - a place rumored to have powers of resurrection. When evil is awakened, the boys realize that sometimes you should just led dead dogs lie. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Entertaining, but not as good as the original.
Pet Sematary Two is totally different from the original movie. It takes place in the same town, but with a different cast. The movie is about a 13 year old boy named Jeff Matthews, played by Edward Furlong (T2 Judgement Day, American History X) visiting his actress mother on set, while filming a low budget horror movie. While she was filming a scene, she gets electricuted and dies. Jeff and his father Chase Matthews played by Anthony Edwards (Revenge of the Nerds, TVs ER) move to Ludlow from Los Angeles to start a new life. His father was a vetinarian. Jeff goes to his first day of school and brings his kitten with him. After school, a punk named Clyde Parker takes his kitten and runs off with his friends. Jeff goes after him in his bicycle and they get to the path that leads to the Pet Sematary. Clyde and his friends tell Jeff about the rumors of the Burial Ground. Clyde offends Jeff by telling him to bury his mom in the burial ground and pray for her to come back. Jeff throws a punch at him, and Clyde goes off and kicks his ass. Jeff goes into the Pet Sematary to get his kitten out of the cage and becomes friends with Drew. An overweight kid with a mean, strict stepfather named Gus, played by Clancy Brown,(The Shawkshank Redemption)who is the town sheriff. Gus shoots and kills Drew's dog Zowie and buries him at the Indian Burial Ground with Jeff,wondering if it will work. Zowie comes back deadly and angrier. Gus gets upset and grounded Drew for lying to him saying he buried his dog. On Halloween, Jeff and Drew meet Clyde and his gang at the Pet Sematary where he told everybody about what happened to the Creed family. Gus, later finds out where Drew was at and starts to beat him. Zowie comes to the rescue and kills Gus. Drew and Jeff bury him at the Micmac Burial Ground and he comes back alive. He kills Clyde with a motorcycle, kills Drew and his mother in a head on collision with a potato truck, buries Clyde at the burial ground, digs up Renee and gets Jeff to bury her at the burial ground. She comes back killing Jeff's housekeeper, Clyde comes back trying to kill Jeff. Jeff and his dad put up a fight and kill all the dead ones and move out of the town. This movie is worth renting and watching. The first one is worth buying, but only rent this movie. It's an entertaining movie.

PET SEMATARY 2
PET SEMATARY 2 is the sequel to Stephen King's original PET SEMATARY. Jeff Matthews moves to the town of Ludlow with his father after his Hollywood star mother is accidentally killed while making a horror movie. Jeff makes friends with a local boy named Drew who has a dog named Zowie and a mean stepfather named Gus, who also happens to be the sheriff in Ludlow. When Gus shoots Drew's dog, Drew takes Jeff with him to bury the dog in the Indian burial ground that's next to the local Pet Sematary. When the dog comes back from the dead, Jeff begins to wonder if he should bury his mother in the burial ground. This is a decent, well-acted sequel.

Ick.
This sequel is a disgusting splatterfest with the bare bones of a story wrapped around it. Anthony Edwards (who should have known better) and Edward Furlong (who shouldn't have, probably) star as a father and son who move to the town which the Creed family from the first movie didn't have so much luck in. Mayhem ensues. A zombified sheriff oozing face goo onto his cute little screaming wife as he sexually assaults her... A box full of chewed-up kittens... A young boy getting his neck snapped in a scene which winds up being played for laughs... These scenes are not just disgusting, they are in bad taste.
The first movie was not "Silence of the Lambs"-caliber cinema either, but at least it was scary and a decent "popcorn" movie. It was gross too, but it was practically "Annie" compared to this sequel's pointless, offensive gore-a-thon. Apparently the filmmaker's goal was to make as many audience members as possible flee the theater retching. Mission accomplished. Shame on you, Dr. Greene!

PEOPLE NEVER LEARN
Why is it that even though every one knows the story of THE MONKEY'S PAW, people tend to want to bring the dead back, when they know it's not gonna be pretty. Mary Lambert's PET SEMATARY TWO is a disturbing, dark, brooding movie, where children and pets are wasted very casually. Especially brutal is the fate of Andrew (Jason McGuire). But here's my overall take:
THE SCRIPT: Stephen King wasn't happy, but he still let it come out, huh? Actually, the script's not that bad, it's just so dark and foreboding. SCORE: 3
THE CAST: I've never been a fan of Edward Furlong, but this is the first time he didn't tick me off through the whole movie; he obviously enjoys playing the cynical, dark, deep kid; Anthony Edwards is ineffectual, too zombielike; Clancy Brown is marvelous as Gus, especially when he returns from the dead; Jared Rushton (Big) is good, too, as the psychotic to be Clyde; and Darlanne Flugel is richly exotic as Furlong's dead mother.
SCORE; 4
TECHNICALLY: Up and down; the effects of the dog are sometimes good, and other times, very noticeably inept; the score does nothing to enhance the film, but when you're marketing for teenagers, it's inevitable; direction is a little slow at times. SCORE: 3

Very worthy sequel
Most people prefer PET SEMATARY II over the original because it's more fun and not nearly as disturbing. The original has images that stay with you for weeks, whereas the sequel is basically just a huge, fun gorefest. It still is very spooky and quite good, even though Stephen King put up a huge fight for it not to go to theaters and wanted all the video and DVD copies in the world destroyed. I think it's a very well-done sequel and you'll like it if you liked the original. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The arc of Janet Jackson's career from the late 1980s to the late '90swas a story of determined growth by an artist and woman. The extent to whichJackson served as a role model for many an adolescent girl during that decade(a phenomenon illuminated on another DVD, The Rhythm Nation Compilation)speaks to the formidable yet feminine image she presented via her music andmusic videos. Design of a Decade includes 16 of her videos from 1986 to1996, taking us through Jackson's early, "don't trifle with me" attitude in the"What Have You Done for Me Lately" era, to her more rapturous, sensual makeoverin "Love Will Never Do (Without You)." Of course, this video is also a record ofsome of the most ambitious music videos ever produced, including Julien Temple'selaborate "When I Think of You," Peter Smillie's "Escapade," and Marcus Nispel'secstatic, fantastic "Runaway." --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Let Janet Take You On A Escapade
With This DVD You Can See Janet Grow Up.. Even Doh It Was Missing A Video From Her Design Of A Decade CD "Twenty Foreplay".. But This DVD Is Still Cool..

Track List...
1. What Have You Done For Me Lately
2. Nasty
3. When I Think Of You
4. Control
5. Let's Wait Awhile
6. The Pleasure Principle
7. Miss You Much
8. Rhythm Nation
9. Escapade
10. Alright
11. Come Back To Me
12. Black Cat
13. Love Will Never Do (Without You)
14. That's The Way Love Goes
15. Whoops Now
16. Runaway
17. Runaway Documentary

The DVD Comes With Dolby Digital 2.0 Sound And PCM Sound... No Subtitles...

The Runaway Documentary Is Like MTV'S Making The Video... LOL...

MAGNIFICENT! Janet is terriffic in all of these videos.
This tape features the music videos for "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty","When I Think of You","Control","Let's Wait Awhile","The Pleasure Principle","Miss You Much","Rhythm Nation","Escapade","Alright","Come Back to Me", "Black Cat","Love Will Never Do(without you)", "That's The Way Love Goes","Whoops Now", and "Runaway". This video also has a Runaway documentary. I watch this video over and over and I never get tired of it. It's amazing. Janet is the BEST dancer ever. I encourage all of you to buy this video. It is a wonderful collection of Janet's greatest hits!

Janet's music videos
Janet has terrific videos, I love all of them, the choreography is superb and she is a really good dancer. This is the VHS version of her greatest hits CD "Design of a Decade" and has all the songs of the album except for "The Best Things In Life Are Free" (but since Janet can't be seen in that video, it's not really missed) and "Twenty Foreplay" (which would be a great addition).

Those who miss the videos of the "janet." album should buy the VHS release "janet." which has the videos of You Want This, If, Again, Any Time Any Place and a different version of That's The Way Love Goes.

design of a great career
this is a collection of music videos from janet jackson in her prime and at her creative peak. I only wish more videos from the janet album were featured and that miss you much was extended, but I know that this is representative of mostly her A&M work and barely her Virgin work. My favourite videos are nasty, control, pleasure principle and all the videos from rhythm nation as well as the multicultural runaway. Get it today and see what janet did before britney and those kids came along

Amazing, but with a few shortcomings
I agree with the other reviewers about how essential a collection of Janet videos is. The choreography is amazing and her attention to detail rivals that of her brother. I'm giving this only four stars because it could have taken better advantage of the DVD capacity (read: more videos, please!:)

The Control videos are pretty much here in their entirety, but Rhythm Nation is where we begin the edits. I loved the extended chair sequence at the end of "Miss You Much", but it is missing here. They certainly had room for the additional 30 seconds. Come to think of it, they could have included the entire Rhythm Nation movie. Perhaps in a future release. The "Alright" video is also truncated, but even in its edited form is still long enough and enjoyable (very cool to see Cab, Cyd, and the Nicholas Brothers).

Absent from the "janet" release are "If" and "Again". Another reviewer mentioned a few other vids from this CD, but these are the only ones that stood out for me. "If" had this cool Asian underground theme and some interesting choreography, while "Again" was basically just clips from "Poetic Justice". I would rather have seen either of these videos in favor of "Whoops Now".

I'm guessing the omission of some of her later videos was to maintain consistency with the format of the Design CD (but then what is "Whoops Now" doing here?). I'm hoping a more complete retrospective is released soon, but I found this for $9 and couldn't resist. It's hard to sit still while watching these videos, they make you want to dance. :)

Early in their career: Check out JLo (from her "In Living Color" dancer days) in "That's the Way Love Goes". And of course Paula in the "Nasty" video. ... Read more

Description

STRANGE FREQUENCY 2 stars Rock ‘N’ Roll favorites Roger Daltrey and Sebastian Bach, along with Ally Sheedy, Frank Whaley, Jason Gedrick, Wendie Malick and more in four musical mythologies, including "Soul Man," "Instant Karma," "Cold Turkey" and "Don’t Stop Believing." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

MUSICAL MAYHEM
STRANGE FREQUENCY, originally aired on VH-1, harkens back to the days of those wonderful anthologies like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS, etc., and surprisingly, it works.One of the best anthologies of recent years, STRANGE FREQUENCY gives us four different tales, all with a musical theme.In DISCO INFERNO, we meet two hard core rock and rollers (Danny Masterson, Erik Palladino), who crash their car into a telephone pole and seek solace in a nightclub.The club turns out to be a disco club, right out of the seventies.The manager, Dante (Martin Cummins) is a John Travolta clone, and introduces the boys to some hot chicks.Of course our rockers belittle and berate the disco scene, and find out there's more to the club than meets the eye.Wonderfully performed, the ultimate resolution is obvious, but it has some nice twists, and lots of humor.You also get to hear "Disco Inferno," "Der Kommissar" and yes, "YMCA."Tongue in cheek, it's a winner.In "My Generation," we meet Eric Roberts, a dinosaur from the past who listens to people like Bob Dylan, The Who and others from that generation.He picks up hitchhikers heading for a rockfest in Seattle, and yes, he bumps them off because of their disrespect for his music.His latest hiker, Christopher Masterson, is just like the rest, but he has his own agenda.Marvelously played out, there are lots of laughs, and an ending that is appropriately fitting."Room Service" features Duran Duran's John Taylor as Jimmy Blitz, a has been super rock star, who is as obnoxious as they get.Holland Taylor steals the show as the housekeeper who manages to get the room in shape after all of his wild parties.When she reveals to a reporter that she has housekept for such stars as Sinatra, Jagger and Little Richard, she gets the headline Blitz wanted to restart his career.To get revenge, he goes to outrageous lengths to destroy the room, each time finding it immaculately cleaned.When he attacks the lady's cleaning cart, however, disaster ensues.This is cleverly written and performed, and its ending is remarkably fun.The final story, "More than a Feeling" takes the mood a lot darker, and has a chilling denouement.Judd Nelson is very good as talent agent Martin Potter, who has this remarkable talent for picking out superstars, a true "gut" reaction that almost renders him incapacitated.He is worried, though, because every star he has made (except 2) have died.His latest is a female singer (Marla Sokoloff) who has gone multiplatinum, and now decides she's ready for a break.Her brutish manager/boyfriend (Nels Lennarson) goes through the roof and Martin is concerned for her welfare.His other discovery Dean (Adrian Holmes) is working as producer, as well.What happens in the end is chilling to say the least.
STRANGE FREQUENCY is a very entertaining, witty and original collection.I recommend it.

strange indeed
Strange Frequency tells the tale of 4 short stories. The first one being 2 rockers, Danny Mastersen (That 70's Show, Dracula 2000) and Erik Pallidino (U571, E.R.) who end up crashing their car in a street pole and end up in a disco club. Soon they find out that they are dead and in hell. The second one is Eric Roberts (The Specialist, Best Of The Best) who is a hippie psychopath and picks up teens who listen to the new age of music and he kills them. He picks upa kid, Christopher Mastersen (Malcolm In The Middle, Campfire Tales), who happens to do the same thing he does. The 3rd story is about a rock star played by Duran Druan's very own John Taylor..Jimmy Blitz is the character's name. Well, Taylor crashes the room and the maid, Holland Taylor (George Of The Jungle, The Practice) who gets sick and tired of Taylor and his band trashing the room and the 4th one is about a agent, Judd Nelson (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Breakfast Club) who gets headaches when he hears singing or something of that nature. It was a VH1 movie thing and I didnt really care for it that much, I only watched it for John Taylor, Judd Nelson and Danny Mastersen. Eric Roberts needs to find better quality work, he's getting too much into that region now where he makes bad choices in projects. Also starring Marla Skoloff (The Practice, Sugar and Spice). So all in all this wasnt for me. Sue me.

John Taylor Blitz
Four hip short films with a twist,the best of which is "Room Service",in which real life rock icon John Taylor plays Jimmy Blitz,a caricature of the seediest hotel trashing guitar heroes.

He pits his wits against the hotel maid in a totally wild performance,destroying her efforts to restore the place to sanity every morning-after-the-night-before.

In a typical Strange Frequency ending,he gets his just desserts in the end.

The other three short films are about rock and pop also,and all of them will get you thinking,make you laugh and entertain you like no other. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

wonderful
I loved this movie. I loved the charactor, the music, everything. But my favorite thing about the movie was that Rodney Eastman played in it. I love him he is cute and sexy and I wish i could marry him!! just go see the movie it's great

wonderful
I thought that the movie clubland was great!! I thought that the charactors were very good! but I have to say that my favorite was mondo because he is soooo cute and funny. He doesn't even look the same way he did in nightmare 3&4. I love ya Rodney!

go out and buy the movie it's great

Excellent Movie!
Clubland is a great movie. I bought it the day after I saw it and would recommend it to everyone! A bonus to an already good movie is that the one and only Steven Tyler of Aerosmith makes an appearance!!

A beautiful film
I like it very much.
And i fall in love, yes I love Jimmy Tuckett, is beautifull.
I like the way the film show the life the new musicians and actors have to pass through when they go to Hollywood in search
of oportunities. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tales from the Crypt is no Sopranos, but in its day it was HBO's most popular original series. Based on the EC Horror comics of the 1940s and 1950s, these short shock-and-suspense stories with twist (and often twisted) endings weren't exclusively horror tales, but they consistently mined, in a comic sort of way, the dark side of human nature. The three episodes directed by series coproducer Robert Zemeckis are among the most memorable. In "All Through the Night," perhaps the single most famous story from the original comic book series, a psychotic killer dressed as Santa escapes Christmas Eve and terrorizes a middle-class home where murder has already made a holiday appearance: a homicidal wife plunges a fireplace poker into her husband's skull. (It was also adapted in the 1972 British anthology movie Tales from the Crypt). Kirk Douglas stars as a blood-and-thunder World War I general who discovers his son is a coward in the grim "Yellow," the most dramatically acute of the trio. Digital magic morphs Humphrey Bogart into "You, Murderer," a high-concept, rather gimmicky tale of murder, double crosses, and poetic justice as seen through a dead man's eyes. Isabella Rossellini (daughter of Bogie's Casablanca costar Ingrid Bergman) and John Lithgow costar as plotting lovers. Zemeckis has a great deal of fun with the first and last films, giving them a flamboyant comic book exaggeration, but the underplayed irony of "Yellow" makes it one of the darkest, most affecting stories in the series' run. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lights! Camera! Hack-tion! Zemeckis Directs CRYPT!
Based on stories from the deliciously depraved E.C. horror comics (TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VAULT OF HORROR, HAUNT OF FEAR) of the 1950s, TALES FROM THE CRYPT was a TV horror anthology that, like most TV anthologies, had a lot of both hits and misses. Some of the stories really stank, but when a story was a hit, it was usually dead on (excuse the pun). This DVD represents three episodes that HBO execs apparently consider hits, probably because they were all directed by the renowned and Oscar-winning (1994's FORREST GUMP) Robert Zemeckis. And though CRYPT fans would like to see more episodes made available on DVD, the execs made pretty good selections with this lot.

The first story, "And All Through the House," is definitely the scariest of the three. It's about a disgruntled wife who murders her husband on Christmas Eve, only to have a madman dressed in Santa garb show up to deliver her just deserts. It is a particulary frightening morality play not only because it warns that "what goes around, comes around"; it also makes a multi-faceted statement about innocence and youth, as it is the murderous woman's little daughter who ultimately lets "Santa" into the house. Larry Drake delivers a delectably deranged performance as the insane Saint Nick. (This has proven to be one of the most enduring stories from the original E.C. Comics series, as it was also previously dramatized in 1972 as one portion of an excellent five-part British flick entitled TALES FROM THE CRYPT. In that version, Joan Collins--DYNASTY's Alexis Carrington Colby--played the part of the homicidal wife.)

In the second story, "Yellow," Kirk Douglas is a stone-hearted, by-the-book WWI General and, his son, Eric Douglas, is a craven Lieutenant under the General's command. Embarrassed by his "yellow" progeny, the General engages his son in an insidious course of action that will save the young man's reputation as well as allow the General himself to save face. Although the ending is easily predictable, the acting is top-notch and the depiction of WWI is fairly gruesome (for TV, anyway), and it all adds up to an engaging and suspenseful drama. This is definitely the strongest episode of the trio, though not as scary as the first.

The last of the three offerings, "You, Murderer," is also the weakest. It covers the last day in the life of a business exec who, altered via plastic surgery to hide from a dark past, is blackmailed and then offed by his cuckolding wife and her lover. Though the plot is a bit cliche and its ending predictable, the episode does, nonetheless, have a few interesting aspects: one, the story is told via flashbacks from the point of view of the already-dead exec; two, á la plastic surgery, the exec is the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart; and three, great performances are delivered by Isabella Rossellini (daughter of the real-life Bogart's CASABLANCA costar Ingrid Bergman) and character actor John Lithgow. The episode's biggest flaw is the special effects, which are primarily computerized insertions of Bogart film-clips á la FORREST GUMP. Unlike in GUMP, the effects come across as embarrasingly cheesy, and the manner in which they are utilized is very awkward to the flow of the narrative. Still, it's an entertaining entry for CRYPT, just one that is not up to par with the other two on this disc.

One minorly disappointing aspect to the DVD overall is the fact that there are no extras on the disc. Some HBO or syndication promotional spots or an interview with Zemeckis would've been nice, or maybe even a behind-the-scenes short featuring our gregarious host, The Crypt Keeper. Still, this DVD is well worth the expense, especially for fans of TALES FROM THE CRYPT or fans of the horror genre in general. At Amazon.com's asking price, the cost is less than $5 per episode, and that's cheaper than the cost-per-episode charged for many TV shows in either VHS or DVD format!

Yellow Shines, More Tales Please!
Of all the television series I want on DVD, Tales From The Crypt is it!

I hope this is just the first in a long running set for this series, but it doesn't look like it.

This DVD contains the three episodes done by Robert Zemeckis.

And All Through the House" (1989), remided me of the 'Tales From The Crypt - Have A Scary Little Christmas' CD I've had for quite a while. Basically the same backdrop of the story told on the CD is here, except for the 'Mother' killing her husband. Anyhow, that's how it starts, but what the poor mother does not know is that an escaped lunatic is on the prowl.

"Yellow" (1991), A dang good yarn if I do say so eh kiddies? Martin Sheen's excellent in this story of a san who cannot live up to his father's aspects of courageousness.

"You, Murderer" (1995), is really wierd. Stars Humphrey Bogart, Sherilyn Fenn, and some other famous personalities and basically the tale is in Bogart's voice. He is dead (murdered actually) but can still see what is happing around him, hear everything, and worse feel everything!

Pretty good set. Some great stars in these episodes and I really loved the episode 'Yellow'.

Hopefully more will be produced as I love the whole series.

great. but only 3 of the episodes.
this is worth buying if you are even a remote fan of tales from the crypt, however; it's only has 3 of many episodes on it. "yellow" is my personal favorite. they need to release more of the episodes on DVD so i, and everyone else who wants it, could have the complete collection. ... Read more

Description

DISCO INFERNO Heavy metal dudes Buck (Erik Palladino) and Randy (Danny Masterson) head-bang their car into a tree after a late night rock-fest. The only help for miles around is a freaky late night club that for them becomes 'disco hell'.MY GENERATION Eric Roberts takes a star turn as an aging hippie who cruises the rock festival circuit preying on unsuspecting 'grungers'. On picking up a streetwise hitcher, Roberts gets an indie education that he didn't bargain for and is forced into a 'beat-generation' showdown. ROOM SERVICE Duran Duran legend John Taylor plays dinosaur rocker Jimmy Blitz, still abusing TVs and trashing hotel rooms in a whirlwind rock lifestyle. When his cleaning lady's tidying abilities threaten to ruin his bad-boy reputation, a battle of wills ensues. What will win out, sledgehammer, guitar or feather-duster? MORE THAN A FEELING And finally the creepy story of a famous promoter (Judd Nelson) who literally has 'gut' instinct for talent-spotting. A skill his rivals would die for and, as he realizes with horror, something his prodigies are dying from... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

John Taylor Blitz
Four hip short films with a twist,the best of which is "Room Service",in which real life rock icon John Taylor plays Jimmy Blitz,a caricature of the seediest hotel trashing guitar heroes.

He pits his wits against the hotel maid in a totally wild performance,destroying her efforts to restore the place to sanity every morning-after-the-night-before.

In a typical Strange Frequency ending,he gets his just desserts in the end.

The other three short films are about rock and pop also,and all of them will get you thinking,make you laugh and entertain you like no other. ... Read more

Description

DRAGSTRIP GIRL is a fast and furious story of a bad boy who'd like to be good ... and the good girl who just wants to be bad! A working-class hoodlum caught up with a ring of car thieves, Johnny (Mark Dacascos -- NO CODE OF CONDUCT) is floored when he meets Laura (Natasha Gregson Wagner -- TV's PASADENA, HIGH FIDELITY, URBAN LEGEND), a beautiful rich girl riding in a hot set of wheels! But nothing can prepare these teenaged lovebirds for the head-on collision of cultures that results when passion fuels their high-octane relationship! Also featuring Raymond Cruz (TRAINING DAY, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), Traci Lords (BLADE, BLACK MASK 2), and a sizzling soundtrack with music from Grammy Award-winners Los Lobos -- indulge your rebellious side with this movie treat! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Rugby Anime
This is an anime about rugby. Even those who know nothing about rugby will probably enjoy Madonna.

Mako is a young teacher, just graduated from college and looking forward to the long summer vacations. Her first teaching assignment, however, is an all-male class of delinquents who would love nothing more than to torment her. Even worse, she is essentially tricked by the principal into becoming the advisor of the school's renewed rugby team.

Like many other sports anime and films, the team comes from "nowhere" to obtain the respect of others. It is a long process, as the players - the delinquents from Mako's class - learn more about themselves. Unlike many other sports anime and films, this team does not "win it all" (the national high school championship), but they do earn the respect and admiration of others... and of themselves. To that end, this is a tale which everyone can truly enjoy.

Made in 1989, the animation is a bit rough, and the music slightly corny. The narrative seems to jump about in the first half of the first episode, suggesting that this is perhaps based upon a manga series which the viewer is expected to have already read. Nonetheless, Madonna is quite intriguing and captures the viewer's attention.

What is quite disappointing, however, is that the DVD does not have a menu. There are twelve chapter divisions (six per episode), and the viewer must scroll through using the DVD player's Chapter Search feature. This also means that there are no bonus features, and no previews of other upcoming anime titles. There is also no language option; this is only available in the original Japanese. The subtitles, fortunately, can be deactivated at will.

Not bad as a mature kids sports flick
First, my copy is Japanese spoken with English sub-titles. There's not even a menu to work from. The movie just plays. Despite which I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This anime is R-Rated. Not for sex, nor nudity (which is generally restricted to pin-up art and then vaguely done), but instead it is a serious comedic look at a group of high school miss-fits and the school teacher who turns them into a rugby team. What you will get is profanity and sexual references and violence (fist fights and attempted rape). Yet the makers were concentrating on a realistic feel; those events are exciting moments in the general plot, not the plot itself.

These are the bad-news-bears of Japan, lifting the teachers skirt with a fishing rod while she's teaching, or taping up her picture on a centerfold and chalking "sex toy" under it. Or greeting her the first day in class by dropping their pants. Which only ticks her off and in the end she responds to the challenge by letting her anger carry her away and accepting the task she doesn't want to bother with: sponsering them in rugby. She'd rather be vacationing and relaxing with a guy.

And rather than win their games by a miracle, they utterly fail in their first game, scoring one point against their opponents 102+. But they do begin to pull together and despite being bored slackers full of pranks they try. The gritty feel is maintained; they do not become prince charming overnight and Domon Mako the teacher does not become a professional coach overnight (her plans on a summer vacation scoping out a husband are ruined by her anger; she agrees to sponser them on a summer rugby camp because a fellow teacher/lecher ticks her off.)

I enjoyed it; I was in the mood for something besides silly monster movies and violent mecha anime and ninja-samurai blood-squirting death shows (fanatics thereof will probably hate it). Something real. I myself would also prefer a "real" movie that isn't violent; something more serene (and still real) like gals and guys on a beach and summer work and vacations (PLEASE, no silly romances! love triangles are so poorly and so over-done that I'm sick of them). But, I guess as long as mechas, swords and hard humor are the thing, I'll never find the type I want.

Consider this a hard-line movie with the same general value of Kiki's Delivery Service and Tottoro - just one made for mature kids who parents know are old enough to deal with profanity and sexual inferences and a world that isn't fantasy-magic goodness. And adults tired of kiddie cartoons but not looking for something too adult.

It's been a while since I found anime worth 4 stars (most are worth only 3). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

wonderful
I loved this movie. I loved the charactor, the music, everything. But my favorite thing about the movie was that Rodney Eastman played in it. I love him he is cute and sexy and I wish i could marry him!! just go see the movie it's great

wonderful
I thought that the movie clubland was great!! I thought that the charactors were very good! but I have to say that my favorite was mondo because he is soooo cute and funny. He doesn't even look the same way he did in nightmare 3&4. I love ya Rodney!

go out and buy the movie it's great

Excellent Movie!
Clubland is a great movie. I bought it the day after I saw it and would recommend it to everyone! A bonus to an already good movie is that the one and only Steven Tyler of Aerosmith makes an appearance!!

A beautiful film
I like it very much.
And i fall in love, yes I love Jimmy Tuckett, is beautifull.
I like the way the film show the life the new musicians and actors have to pass through when they go to Hollywood in search
of oportunities. ... Read more