Reviews (176)

One, Two, this DVD's for you!
This set provides the essentials, the movies one through seven. However the Encyclopedia disc is simply PACKED with extras. I think there is nearly 2 or 3 hours of extras. With that, any Nightmare lover can see the entity of this movie in so much depth and detail. You'll also find, if you haven't already, that Robert Englund and Wes Craven are "Bloody" genius'. There is a reason why A Nightmare on Elm Street is simply the BEST horror movie franchise in existence, and this collectors box set gives you 8 reasons why. Unlike it's rivals, the Nightmare series travels, it covers so many aspects of the evil inside (without embarassing itself by traveling to space!).
If there is one thing I truly respect about this series is the sequels. Although parts 2-6 were not really scary, they did deliver what would become the quintessence of Freddy. The sarcastic, sometimes hilarious demon anti-hero who you can't help but cheer for. Also, it does something that no other horror movie franchise has. It's final part leaves the viewer just like the first one: terrified. I really feel that New Nightmare was so overrated yet so very well done.

If you love these movies, BUY THIS SET! Well worth the money!

Campy horror at it's best! A terrific DVD set.
The "Nightmare on Elm Street" series was, in my opinion, the only one that justified the number of sequels it had. It is also the most entertaining, original, and frightening of all the 80's "slasher" films. They may be a campy as a row of tents, but they are still among my favorite guilty pleasures.

The first three movies are without a doubt the best, with part 4 being okay, and part 5 being awful. "Freddy's Dead" capped off the series nicely, while "New Nightmare" found a brilliant way of making another movie as a self-parody, rather than a cookie-cutting of the older movies. Many don't consider it to be part of the series, but it defintely is in my opinion. I will always pick Freddy over Jason or Michael Myers for his devious sense of humor. Who can forget the classic line "You've got the body, and I've got the brains". Great line.

Collectors can enjoy a whopping 8 DVDs of Nightmare material, including all 7 films and a bonus DVD filled with behind-the-scenes extras, interviews, and other goodies. I enjoyed the book, but the extra DVD is a real bonus. It made the DVD set more enticing, considering the price tag.

Unlike the Friday the 13th or Halloween movies, which specialized in cookie-cutter sequels and little to no variation, the Nightmare series is the one that is worth owning on DVD. The originality, the chills, and the fun make the series stand out from all the other campy 80's horror series. I can join the rest of the horror movie fans in saying "They don't make em like this anymore".

Great Packaging of the Series
Each DVD in this set has special features and the like. All movies have similair menu formats meaning that they were designed for the set, which makes it consistant and enjoyable. There is even an extra DVD full of special features inclucing, interviews with freddy, music videos, cast and crew, and even Clive Barker himself. There is this cool way to find all sorts of hidden facts and videos in an interactive way. You control you way through a dark maze and solve riddles and unlock doors. Really great set!

Pretty fun fare, these "Nightmares"...
Since I've pretty much covered my thoughts on every 'Nightmare' flick in separate reviews-- and because I'm a lazy reviewer-- I'm just gonna talk about the bonus 'Nightmare Series Encyclopedia' disc that's included with the box set. If ya wanna know what I think about the movies, check out my reviews of 'em on their respective product pages-- they're posted in series order, from June 23 to June 30, 2004.

Anyhoo, here goes:

The Encyclopedia includes 'Prime Time', an hour-long documentary on the making of the first 'Nightmare', featuring musings from director Wes Craven, stars Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund, and other people involved with the project. A few behind-the-scenes & technical things are shown as well. While I found some of the subjects' thoughts about the movie's significance and influence rather droning and pretentious, much of the stuff shown here was reasonably interesting.

Then there's the encyclopedia proper, an archive of interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes on every 'Nightmare' flick from the first on through to 'New Nightmare'. Much like the 'Prime Time' doc, the seemingly endless array of stuff has its more interesting parts and its drier and downright boring parts. While most of the interviewees (i.e. the films' directors, actors, writers, & producers) seemed a bit too full of themselves at times and made the 'Nightmare' franchise out to be more important and significant than it really was, these interviews paled in comparison to those of Clive Barker, writer-director of the 'Hellraiser' flicks. I tell ya, this guy's pretentious pontificating and going on and on AND ON about the horror genre could put the worst insomniac to sleep in mere moments! If ever there was a truly scary nightmare, it's tryin' to sit through an interview with this guy! Which now that I think about it would probably make for a pretty good story idea for a possible "Freddy vs." sequel! I can just see it now: "Both combatants possess some truly scary capabilities and skills! Freddy has the power to invade your dreams and kill you in your sleep! Clive Barker has the power to bore you into a coma in mere minutes with his endless babbling! Who will win this titanic tussle of truly horrific proportions? Find out when you go to see: 'Freddy vs. Barker'! Coming soon to a theater near you!" I'd be rootin' for Freddy, myself, even though Barker definitely has the edge in the scariness department...

Also included is a trio of music videos, including Dokken's "Dream Warriors", as well as one by the Fat Boys and another by some other rap group whose name I can't recall. Of the three only the Dokken video is really worth checking out. BTW I'm surprised they didn't include Will "Fresh Prince" Smith's "Nightmare on My Street" video, which I kinda liked when I saw it on MTv many years back. Also included are theatrical trailers to every 'Nightmare' mo-pic.

Finally, there's the Labyrinth game where you walk through the halls of Springwood H.S. to grab a few things and solve puzzles to help you unlock a few of the game's features. These features include a bunch of really corny MTv promo spots hosted by Freddy himself, a couple behind-the-scenes moments and interviews that weren't included in the encyclopedia section. Also thrown into this labyrinth were a few things that were carried over from the encyclopedia section, including several cast and crew interviews, the theatrical trailers, and the trio of music videos. I was kinda disappointed by the latter array of features, since I was able to access them in a different part of the bonus DVD, and didn't have to click through a maze of hallways to watch 'em. The way I see it, they shoulda' made the Labyrinth game completely of stuff I couldn't access anywhere else. Otherwise, I found the adventure engaging and surprisingly quick to get through-- it only took me about 90 minutes. I probably woulda' taken twice as long had I not fast-forwarded through the stuff I'd already seen before...

Overall, I found the movies decent viewing even though none of 'em were all that scary to me. Funny for sure, but scary? Nope. Well, except perhaps for 'New Nightmare', a little bit. And the bonus platter had a nice array of good stuff, as well as some dull stuff. Fortunately, the dull stuff can easily be fast-forwarded through. Bottom line: this baby's worth at least one rental, just so you can finally say you saw all of the 'Nightmare' movies.

'Late

Greatest horror series!
This is one of the greats of horror movies there have ever been. With one of the most infamous killers ever. Freddy Kruegar. These films represent his story...

Nightmare on elm street - This is by far the best on the series. Freddy looks very dark in this one, and this is probably the one were he is the most violent. Robert England plays him so well. It can be shocking at times, but not scary. Lots of disturbing and strange scenes too.

Nightmare on elm street 2: Freddy's revenge - A lot of people really hated this film because it messed with the original story. Robert Englund reprises his role as Freddy. It is set in the same area, but this isn't a film with nightmares. It starts off as a nightmare film, but at the end this is a normal slasher. That's why people didn't like it. Still, I still like it, and it contains so much more gore.

Nightmare on elm street 3: Dream warriors - This is the one that made the second look like it didn't exsist. This one follows from the first, not the second. Many people enjoyed this one, as I did. Robert Englund is back, and so is Heather Lagnekamp (played the main character from the first film). The story concentrates on a group of teenagers this time, and their nightmares, and Freddy is back again, invading their nightmares. This one is probably the most fun, since Freddy gives us better and more creative death scenes, like the puppet scene (SICK!). This one isn't set on Elm street though, it's a hospital, but it has good atmosphere. An enjoyable entry.

Nightmare on elm street 4: Dream master - This was a dissapointing sequel, which I also didn't like. Freddy loses his touch in this film. It can also be very stupid at times, and the deaths are -- creative -- but very OTT. The gore is the same (OTT). It does continue from the third, but the leads who survived in the third don't survive for long in this one, and it changes to another story. This is quite a bad entry to the series I think.

Nightmare on elm street 5: Dream child - This is very much the same to the fourth, but this is the worst in the series. The film doesn't concentrate enough on Freddy, but instead it's his mom. Freddy's one-liners are very cheesey and crap, and there aren'r enough deaths in this one. This one concentrates more on Freddy's past. Shame, 'cause the opening of this is quite scary.

Freddy's dead: The final nightmare - People also don't like this one, the consider it to be more funny than scary - which it is, but it's a really good film. It opens up quite satisfyingly, and the film also gives us information on Freddy, before he became a killer. This is the only elm street film where he doesn't use his claw to kill someone, but he kills people in a cool, fun way. I like this entry, certainly an improvement to the lat tow films.

Wes Craven's new nightmare - I actually like this film. It's all about Freddy in the "real" world. Many roles from the original movie star in this and play themselves, as this film is like a docusoup. Once you get to the last thirty minutes of this film you'll love it. But, Freddy isn't in much of the start of this film, and it has a story that can be quite hard to follow. Other than that, this is an excellent film, and it's a great and different way to end the series.

A classic horror series that must be bought. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Collection Worth Ice Skating Uphill For!Blade Delivers!
The Blade Collection is finally here!For moviegoers, it all began back in the summer of 1998:


BLADE (1998) 1 Disc Rated R (2.35:1) - Talk about a movie experience! From the opening shots, you are literally sucked in (no pun intended) to the world of the vampires. Wesley Snipes completely embraces the role of the title character and plays him to the hilt, with just a bit of dry cocky humor that is very refreshing.As we first meet Blade at a Vampire techno club (which uses a great remix of a song called "Confusion" by New Order) we just know he's a force to be reckoned with as he slices, dices, burns & just plains blows up every vampire he gets a hold of (including Traci Lords, in a very memorable cameo). Kris Kristofferson plays Whistler, Blade's mentor and creator of the various weapons at his disposal, including guns & knives, bombs, & more. ("We have a good arrangement. He makes the weapons, I use 'em"). But it's Stephen Dorff as the bloodthirsty Deacon Frost that helps catapult the film from average action fair to the stuff of comic book legend. With most actors, this would be a one or two dimensional performance, but in the hands of Stephen Dorff, he turns the character of Deacon Frost into something much more multilayared. The interaction he has with Blade as well as his other fellow vampires give off this feel of someone we should not underestimate. Because a truly great villain is a huge key to a movie's success.The whole mythos of vampires in this film moves the genre in a very interesting direction. According to Blade, pure silver, garlic & sunlight are the main tools to combat vampires. ("Crosses don't do d***, so forget about what you've seen in the movies") But the fact that the pure blood vampires are personified as old & disposable, while the nonpure vampires are young and virile, looking to take over and run things, can really be looked at as a depiction of our society, with the old guard being kicked out by the new one, lest anarchy ensue.A Classic.Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. 120 MIN.


BLADE II (2002) 2 Disc Rated R (1.85:1) - Part 2 begins in Prague, with Blade searching for the location of Whistler, who has been turned into a Vampire and subsuquently tortured. The action sequences are even more elaborate than the first, with the camera actually following jumps and flips in a spiral fashion. By now most of you know the story, which involves a new breed of vampire called Reapors, that are trying to take over their predecessors and eventually enslave the world. The vampires turn to Blade for assistance in helping them wipe out these vicious beasts. In a sort of "Dirty Dozen" meets "Aliens" tradition, Blade teams up with an elite group of vampires, who, turns out, were originally put together to hunt him down. They instead work together to seek out the Reapors to destroy them, but find that killing them is not as easy as they'd hoped.The film gives Wesley Snipes more range to show some drama this time, with a subplot involving a female vampire named Nyssa, who's a pure blood, working for her father. Twists and turns abound in this comic book action thriller that gives off a nice feel of energy while at the same time making sense. There's plenty martial arts action to make anybody happy, as well as some much needed dry humor from Snipes and company. All in all a satisfying experience that will leave most moviegoers in an upbeat fashion.Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS 6.1 Surround Sound. 117 MIN.


BLADE: TRINITY (2004) 2 Disc Unrated & R rated versions(2.35:1) - In the final installment, Blade teams up with the Nightstalkers, a ragtag group of vampire hunters lead by the sexy Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) & the quickwitted Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) who are out to track down and kill the vampire of all vampires: Dracula (played by the musclebound Dominic Purcell).Watch out for Parker Posey, as the scene stealing Danica Talos, the equivalent of a vampire constantly tripping on acid.Snipes has less to do this time out as Blade, with the newer characters taking up much of his screen time.But when he's onscreen, he still shines and plays the character perfectly.A shame that there was turmoil between him and director/screenwriter David S. Goyer (notice, for example, Snipes's unwillingness to contribute to the audio commentaries for the movie even though he had done so for the first two films).And seeing Dominic Purcell's performance as Drake makes one wish that the Stephen Dorff character of Deacon Frost could somehow be resurrected in order to show these guys how playing a first-rate villian is really done.Still, with all it's flaws, the film still works, just not as well as most fans would've liked.The new footage in the unrated version is interesting, as well as the slightly different ending, that many fans may find much more preferable to that of the theatrical version.Worth having.Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS 6.1 Surround Sound. 113 MIN & 122 MIN.


Besides the gripes about the 3rd film, the real disappointment with this wonderful collection is that the original Blade movie is not presented as a 2 disc Platinum Edition with DTS 6.1 Surround Sound the way its sequels are.It truly deserves the much needed upgrade.The Box itself is very nice to look at, with a very nicely done 3-D front cover.For the most part, this is what every Blade fan has been waiting for since that summer of 1998 when one of the best comic book franchises began its journey.This is definately a collection worth ice skating uphill for!


Blade Trilogy: The Ultimate Collection - Bloodsuckingly Brilliant!


"Blade.Ready to die?" - Dominic Purcell as Drake

"Since the day I was born." - Wesley Snipes as Blade

Great Buy!!
I brought all these movies seperatly when they came out but if you missed out on them this is a great buy and it has the all the bonus discs. All the movies are great, 2 & 3 even have 6.1 DTS, Blade is a great franchise! Thank you Wesley Snipes, Marvel and everyone else, spectacular work!

Good, but flawed
Would be perfect if it wasn't for the ignorant 3rd (and last) blade movie which was the worst blade movie ever made. They should give you a discount on the price just for that alone

Buy This If You're A Blade Fanatic!
I own this collection also and just want to give my opinion of why you should and shouldn't buy this.
I do think this collection is a little over priced.If people have patience, it'll go on sale by ten dollars at certain stores.I know because this is how I buy a lot of my dvd's.Waiting until they go down to ten bucks each.
You would think it's better to buy the duo pack of the two Blade movies, for the price of $21.50.Then buying the third Blade movie for $20 getting everything together for only $40.Personally I didn't think Blade Trinity was all it could've been.
It's sad that the Blade duo pack was ruined.Since Blade 2 wasn't in its original aspect ratio... losing a lot of the picture of what you really get to see.I recommend that you don't buy the double pack, at all.
If you've never seen these, and not once in your life purchased them... it doesn't mean this set will be for you.I know a lot of people who don't like the Blade movies, and who loved it's original comic Blade character more.You have to be a die hard fan of Blade in order to buy the great trilogy.The two extra discs and comic book are great for any collector to cherish.This 5 disc box set is the best thing to go out and buy for any real Blade fan.

From a reviewer who actually owns the set.
You may now ignore the other reviews, which were written before the set came out, and which were based on Amazon's description and some supposition.The first thing you should know is that Amazon got the number of discs wrong.This is a 5 DVD set, not a 3 DVD set.The first disc is the Platinum Edition of the original Blade.The next two discs are the Platinum Edition of Blade 2.The final two discs are the unrated Platinum Edition of Blade 3.In addition to the movies, the set includes a limited edition Marvel comic book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

At the heart of the first years of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the romance between Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), slayer of all things evil, and hunky Angel (David Boreanaz), the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul. The second season of Buffy took the Buffy-Angel pas de deux from ecstasy to agony in a now-classic plot arc that catapulted the show from WB teen drama to true TV greatness. You see, if the cursed Angel ever experiences true happiness for a moment, he'll revert to being an evil vampire again. And guess what happens after Buffy and Angel finally declare their love for one another and consummate their relationship...

Buffy found its true momentum during the second season, as geeky Xander (Nicholas Brendon) fell in love with popular girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Willow (Alyson Hannigan) gave up her crush on Xander in favor of werewolf boy Oz (Seth Green), and watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) began a sweetly tentative relationship with computer teacher (and witch) Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). Mayhem came to Sunnydale, though, in the form of evil vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (drolly wicked James Marsters), who were more than ready to aid and abet Angel as he turned bad. It all sounds like horror-action mayhem (and there are great fight scenes), but Buffy took on its plotlines with amazing depth, intelligence, and humor. And oh, man, the love story! Buffy and Angel's tragic relationship is one of the most heartbreaking you'll ever find. Buffy's final dilemma finds her having to save the world at Angel's expense, and Gellar (who deserves a passel of Emmys for her work) is phenomenal at telegraphing Buffy's swirling conflicts between love and duty. This is some of the best TV ever made, period. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (362)

Incredible (spoilers below)
The second season continued one what was successfully started in the first season. The second season is a lot more ambitious (remember, the first season only had twelve episodes, unlike the rest which had 22).

The story arcs in the second season are brilliant. The romance between Angel and Buffy reached gothic heights with Surprise/Innocence (Surprise is astonishing). When Angel turns bad, David Boreanaz manages to do a sensational job of acting the transition (the episodes "Passion" and "I Only Have Eyes For You" are incredible in detailing this, and Buffy's reaction). Willow's romance with Oz is wonderful, and Giles attachment to Jenny Calendar a welcome addition.

This show still manages to be surprisingly funny (as seen in Halloween, and Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered) and packs a wallop (the two part season ender, Becoming I & II, are essential viewing for any Buffy fans. They are incredibly moving). Yes, there are some clunkers (Killed by Death, Bad Eggs), but they are more than redeemed.

My favourites are: Becoming I & II, Surprise/Innocence, I Only Have Eyes for You, Passion, School Hard, When She Was Bad, and Lie To Me

For a show set in high school, the writers have neatly side-stepped making a caricature of Anthony Stewart Head's librarian/Watcher Giles. His befuddled sexiness is immensely appealing. Alyson Hannigan's performance as wallflower Willow blooming into a witch (her growing powers are smartly charted by writers all the way through season six) is strong, and having the animosity between Xander and Cordelia boil over into lust was a masterstroke. Finally, we have to give the star her due. Sarah Michelle Gellar proved with this season that she's actually a capable actress, both with comic timing (Halloween) and pathos (Surprise/Innocence).

The second season was an immense improvement over the first season (a solid debut) and the quality continues. In my mind, the second and third season need to be bought together (or at least both bought). Story arcs introduced in the second season are wrapped up in the third season. Buy this set, you won't be disappointed.

Not the best season, but really well done!
A great season, episode breakdown:

When She Was Bad: 8.5/10 Great episode involving Buffy's nightmares about the master.

Some Assembly Required: 9.5/10 Two students try to assemble an ideal woman, using different body parts of girls they know, the head is Cordelia.

School Hard: 10/10 The best one to date, watchout, the number one vampire is in town, Spike! He's so cool in this season.

Inca Mummy Girl: 8.5/10 Good episode, where an old Inca princess is woken.

Reptile Boy: 9/10 Buffy and Cordelia attend a frat party and are being offered by reptile-like creature as human sacrifices. It's a good one!

Halloween: 9.5/10 Buffy gets turned into a 18th century woman, 1775 to be exact, Xander turns into a soldier, Willow is a ghost and the only one that remembers who they really are, who bought her costume from Ethan. Cordelia got somewhere else, so she's fine, as well as Angel and Giles. Funny episode!!

Lie To Me: 9/10 Vampire wannabes offer Spike the Slayer, but turns into a disaster! Buffy rules!!

The Dark Age: 9.5/10 An old demon that Giles and Ethan created, comes after the watchers and eliminates 3 of them. Giles and Ethan are next! Scary!

What's My Line Part 1: 8/10 Cordelia and Xander kiss for the 1st time. Buffy is being chased by 3 bounty hunters that Spike hired! Great episode!!

What's My Line Part 2: 9.5/10 In comes Kendra, the next Slayer! Great episode, which puts Angel in danger, haha!!

Ted: 9/10 John Ritter guest stars as a mysterious person that only Buffy hates. Everyone else is suckered into his personality(mostly Xander and Joyce). Great episode!

Bad Eggs: 9.5/10 Starts out as a health class egg experiment. Something in the eggs pops out and takes control of their bodies, to bring out an ancient beast! And guess who pops in here, our favourite Jonathan(Danny Strong)! Everyone but Buffy and Xander is controlled by this bug! Oh yah, Angel, but he's no help here!

Surprise: 10/10 Angel, you're going to lose your soul, when Buffy and Angel have sex, Angel experiences his one true moment of happiness, which therefore, loses his soul!

Innocence: 10/10 Without Angel's soul, he becomes all nuts and heads out for Spike and Cordelia. The Judge is awoken and Buffy must battle both The Judge and Angel! Getting better here!

Phases: 9.5/10 It's revealed, the werewolf who we all know is Ozz is hunted here and found, by Buffy, Willow and Giles, and a hunter. A few spoilers here, on Passion, and Becoming(1&2)

Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered: 10/10 Great episode. Cordelia breaks up with Xander and then he gets Amy to cast a spell which makes every girl and woman in town love him, except the one he wants, Cordelia! Funny

Passion: 10/10 Jenny Calender finds a spell to restore Angel's soul, but gets killed in the process.

Killed By death: 9/10 This one's scary as a crazy demon starts killing off children and the only way you can see it, is if you have a fever.

I Only Have Eyes For You: 9/10 The ghosts of a former student and a teacher take passion to a different level. Death! Angel regains his soul for about 2 minutes during the process!

Go Fish: 8.5/10 Xander joins the swimming team, a team full of monsters!

Becoming Part 1: 10/10 Part one where Angel aims to destroy the world! Kendra comes back, and get caught in a trap. Drusila joins and kills her, which brings up Faith!

Becoming Part 2: 10/10 Spike joins Buffy to defeat Angel in his brutal plan. Spike escapes with Drusila and Buffy is too late! Angel opens up the demon, Willow is in the hospital casts the spell to restore Angel's soul. It works, but the demon has already been released. The only way for it to go back, is to kill Angel!

Special Features: 5/10 The 1st season had much more of them!

Great season, buy it!

Truly magnificent
Season one of Buffy was amazing on its own. We were introduced to Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, and Cordelia. It was a great season that ended with an awesome season finale. Now Buffy's back in Sunnydale after spending the summer with her father in LA. Still suffering from the trauma of drowning & facing the master, Buffy returns...different. It's "When She Was Bad" & she didn't know how to deal. After a while of settling back into her slayer duties, Buffy is finally back to her old self. Season two is packed with halarious, sad, and action filled episodes that took the show to a whole other level. Buffy and Angel sleep together for the first time which causes Angel to lose his soul & become Angelus again ("Surprise", "Innocence"), we get to meet Oz & discover that he is a werewolf ("Halloween", "Phases"), and tons more. Each episode in season two is a gem, a classic. Season two also features the simply heartbreaking two part season finale "Becoming". Buffy faces off with Angel, and right before she's going to send him to hell to stop the world from ending, Angel regains his soul. Thus, as Buffy states in season three, she kissed him, he held her, and then she killed him. Buffy loses everything & leaves Sunnydale. There are so many amazing moments in season two, and this boxset is just perfect. Not only do you get all 22 episode, there's tons of special features like commentaries (very informative), fun featurette, episode interviews with creator Joss Whedon (the genius), and a photo gallery. Make sure you add this to your Buffy collection!

The World of the Scooby-Gang
Buffy's second season is an exceptional one! If you love the Buffy/Angel relationship then this is the season for you. We've seen over the past yaer the connection between Buffy and Angel strenghten, but never like this. Buffy comes back to Sunnydale, from a much needed vacation, with a much NOT needed attitude problem. Who can blame her, though? After facing the Master and having an untimely death Buffy has the right to be a little pissy. This attitude plays off of the doomed relationship of our blonde heroine and her handsome vampire love. However they continue on their path of endearing, finally climaxing in the act of a night of sex. After that we learn that the one moment that Angel needed to have his soul taken away was found when he and Buffy proclaimed their undieing love for one another. Perhaps though, love isn't enough. Without a soul, Angel becomes an cold-hearted killer, out to exact revenge on the thing that mae him feel most human, Buffy. We see an entirly different side of Angel and are just as shocked as the characters. This season is a real tear-jerker, especially the end, when Buffy is forced to send her lover to Hell, even though his lovable personality has been magically restored. If it's Angel you want, it's Angel you get, but beware...love alone isn't enough in this doomed relationship...But who cares?!

It's overrated - but still a great season
After the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, fans knew that the show could only get better, and season two definately brought the show to a whole new level. Season two had so many things working for it, from the introduction of my favorite character Spike and Buffy's relationship with Angel heating up, to the introduction of Angel's darkside Angelus who turned out to be one of the show's greatest villans. Now season two is very good and I definately enjoyed it. However, I also feel that the season is overrated because many fans of the show think that season two is the show's best season, when seasons three, five, and six were much better overall. I mean, let's be honest here. There were some really bad episodes in this season like - "Some Assembly Required", "Ted", "Reptile Boy", "Inca Mummy Girl", "Bad Eggs", and "Go Fish". In order for a season to be worthy of a five star rating, it needs to be great from start to finish, with a minimum number of bad episodes.

The second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer does feature some wonderful episodes however that manage to make up for season two's shortcomings. "School Hard" is one of my all time favorite episodes because it introduced my favorite character Spike. The bad ass leather clad vampire proved to be so popular, that the writers ended up keeping him around for the rest of the show. The classic episode "Halloween" has everyone turn into whatever they dressed up as for Halloween. "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" is another one of my all time favorites and is definately a candidate for funniest episode ever. When Cordelia dumps Xander on Valentine's Day, he seeks help in a witch at Suunydale High named Amy to cast a spell on Cordelia to make her fall in love with him. Unfortunately, Xander ends up becoming the object of every woman's affection in Sunnydale. The two best Buffy/Angel episodes of the entire show are "Suprise" and "Innocence" in which their relationship ascends to a new level, and we are introduced to Angel's darkside Angelus who turns out to be one of the best villans ever. Season two comes to an amazing conclusion in "Becoming" parts 1&2. Other episodes worth mentioning are "What's My Line" parts 1&2, "Passion", "Phases", and "I Only Have Eyes of You".

Even though season two is not quite as good as a lot of people claim, it is still a highly enjoyable and definately worth owning. What really makes the season two DVD set special is the bonus features. The set has many featurettes and interviews, as well as commentary on several episodes.

A solid 4 stars... ... Read more

Reviews (45)

The storyline that stole our breath away - in beautiful B&W
Someone once told me that he didn't like black and white movies because they "didn't seem real". He had decided long ago that he would rather watch a mediocre color movie than a classic (even "Casablanca") in black and white.
By contrast, I began watching "Dark Shadows" on the Sci-Fi channel, seeing the last year of the series in all its campy glory (think about the 1970s, and how popular avocado-colored refrigerators were during that period - that gives you an idea of the color scheme). I had a hard time understanding the passion people had for Jonathon Frid or how any TV show could justify the position of "governess" in a modern drama.

But then I began watching the first year of "DS", compiled here on DVD for the first time, shining in its original black and white photography. Rather than taking away from the viewing experience, the B&W adds to the gloomy charm, and frames the story in a timeless place where ghost stories can come true. The stately manor of Collinswood and Eagle Hill cemetary don't look so much like stage sets here, but like something sketched out of a dream, with dark corners and cobwebs.

One of the other reviewers here compared DS to a theater play, which gives you an idea of what troopers these actors are. For some reason, ordinary people consider soap players to be the dregs of the acting world - when in reality, playing in a soap is possibly the hardest job an actor can take. There are daily shoots and rewrites, and on DS, actors often had to rely on a teleprompter to help them with their lines. (And this is not shameful - Marilyn Monroe supposedly had to have her lines pasted inside of a drawer she was using as a prop in a Billy Wilder flick. Even the President gets help from a prompter.)

Joan Bennett, that great classic film star, stumbles a few times with her lines, but never loses her cool or her grace. Disc 2 is a real standout here, as Maggie Collins, played wonderfully (without a hint of camp) by Katheryn Leigh Scott, is slowly seduced by Barnabas Collins, vagabond vampire. As handsome as Joel Crothers is (and that's a lot of handsome), as Maggie's boyfriend Joe -- middle-aged Jonathan Frid's turn as Barnabas is all charm, with only a gleam of menace. It's not hard to see *here* why so many women viewers became obsessed with Frid, fantasizing that he'd crawl into their bedroom window.

Anne Rice's Louis - not to mention Nick Knight of "Forever Knight", "Vampire: the Masquerade" RPGers, and Joss Whedon's creation "Angel" - should be paying royalties to Frid and series creator Dan Curtis. Frid turned a two-week stint (maybe) as a supernatural baddie into five years as daytime drama's unlikeliest hero, permanently changing the face of horror. Quite honestly, even froth like "Teen Wolf" could never have been made in a world without dear, angst-ridden, grieving Barnabas and the rest of the DS clan.

The intro/menu screen has dramatic, creepy animation drifting through tangled trees, with each selected episode "zooming" into a bright window at Collinwood. Extras include short interviews with John Karlen, Leigh Scott and Frid, and a recap on Disc 1 bringing the series "up to date", prior to Barnabas showing up. Several hours of TV are boiled down to just 25 minutes, although it is a very well edited 25 minutes! This is the collection's main flaw.

The first hundred and fifty episodes of "DS" were unpopular, more like a tepid gothic romance - lots of mood, no major payoff. However, the show turned around with the introduction of spectre Josette Collins (a saintly ghost who plays an even bigger role later in the series), and literal phoenix Laura Collins, and none of those episodes are on this DVD set.

Yes, Barnabas Collins is the primary reason behind the success of DS, along with the later introduction of Angelique, his tormentor... and yes, the seduction of Maggie Collins is really the first great storyline. But like all great daytime and continuing drama, it's the slow build-up and day to day details that create classic moments of tension and release. We don't see how dreadful Willie Loomis is before his run-in with Barnabas - those episodes aren't here - so his subsequent turnaround, into a tongue-tied good samaritan, is less special. Without seeing more about Laura Collins, it's hard to understand how little David Collins can fudge up a car in an attempt at homicide. He just seems like a really rotten kid from the 25 minute "recap", so why should we sympathize with him about Josette Collins' missing portrait? (Hilarious fan editor Graeme Cree refers to David simply as "Devil Tot".)

Still, I wish I'd had the pleasure of seeing the show for the first time through these episodes, and this set is a terrific introduction and/or gift for a fan of gothic romance, gothic horror, and supernatural drama. The Sci-Fi channel has cancelled "Dark Shadows," meaning it will not be airing somewhere on TV for the first time in over 30 years - so this is it (unless SoapNet picks it up). This group of DVDs, 20 episodes per DVD, is much more cost-effective than buying similar VHS episodes.

Happy howling!

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS CULT CLASSIC
There are grand operas, horse operas and soap operas. But we're not horsing around when we say that there's only one grand, gothic soap opera --- the indestructible "Dark Shadows."
Premiering on ABC in 1966, it ran for five years, chalking up 1,225 episodes. And now it's time, once again, to sink our teeth into one of TV's more quixotic offerings. Pass the garlic, please.
And pass the DVD sets issued by MPI Home Video, dedicated folk who have worked tirelessly to bring the series out of its forgotten shadows and into an era of rediscovery. Each of the sets contain 4 discs, a chronicle of "Dark Shadows" episodes --- approximately 75 hours of our favorite fanged ghoul, Barnabas Collins, and the dark doings set in the small fictional fishing village of Collinsport, Maine. Be forewarned, however, that as much as we have a stake in the revival of the series, we question why MPI only included episodes #211 to
#412. (We asked the question, but they never answered. Talk about being kept in dark shadows.)
The late '60s were an odd time in our cultural history, a kind of a maturation into reality after the bland '50s and a precursor for the entitlement and permissiveness of the '70s. Violence permeated our society and its entertainment ... and escape was the order of the day. Dark Shadows brought us
to a strange set of performers playing even a stranger set of characters. Grayson Hall and Joan Bennett came from the movies, Jonathan Frid and David Selby came from the stage, and they were supported by actors and actresses who had spent literally decades gracing some of the most popular soap operas from radio and television.
Adding to the escapism was the time element. You were never quite sure what century you were in while visiting the New England branch of Transylvania. It could be modern-day Collinsport, or it could be the late 18th century. Performers could be playing the present-day characters, or their great
grandparents. Still, one thing was sure: High on Windows Hill stood the family manse, Collinswood (the name most likely came from Wilkie Collins, the author whose gothic gems graced book stalls in late Victorian times), and, regardless of the century, it was here that the haunted Collinses plied their depraved trade.
"Dark Shadows" had a narrative link in a way, but the performers never seem to know exactly where they are, were they've been, or, most importantly,where they were going. To be sure, there were the normal and accepted gaffs of daytime television, such as a boom mike boinking a performer on the head or people tripping over cables. But, there was the added zest of poor Joan Bennett looking confused, calling performers by their real names, and trying to cover rising panic with a look of sheer exotic boredom. Bennett made her first film well before the talky revolution, but she hadn't seen or heard everything yet, until she sojourned into daytime television.
As a matter of fact, the growth and development of the television show parallels to a greater or lesser extent the growth and development of theater of the absurd in America. The players and the set remained basically the same, but the period and action varied wildly. And, ultimately it didn't matter where you were, or where you thought you were, or where you thought you were going, because you were under the spell of the Collinses, in Collinsport, and they were in control. If the reality seemed fractured, hallucinatory and vaguely scary, well,
then, wasn't life exactly like that?
Dan Curtis, who also brought us "War and Remembrance," "The Winds of War," "The Night Stalker," "Dracula" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (both with Jack Palance) and the cult film "Burnt Offerings," spawned the series. But the greatest
success of this veritable one-man cottage industry is undoubtedly "Dark Shadows." The brooding gothic setting, the sprawling, elephantine plot twists and the idiosyncratic, not to say colliding, acting styles come together to create something unique and strangely satisfying.
For the last 20 years, there has been an annual Dark Shadows Festival, held either in the Los Angeles or New York area. This year, it will be held in Brooklyn at the end of August. An ominous press release informs us that this
year marks the final full fledged festival, the last of its line.
Knowing the denizens of Dark Shadows, we don't believe it for a moment!

It Rocks!
I just bought the DVD collection from here, the episodes are great. In this set, Barnabas is free from the coffin thanks to Willie. He kidnaps Maggie Evans and tries to make her be his Josette. Elizabeth has a secret in the basement. Carolyn and Roger want to know what it is because Jason McGuire is blackmailing her into marrying him. This is a must have for Dark Shadows fans. The show gets even better from here.

"My name is Victoria Winters . . ."
Go on, you know you'd still run home from school to watch it if you could. Now you can rediscover the rush of ghoulish kitsch with the daytime Gothic soap that, decades after its cancellation, remains a cult phenom.
Here it comes again -- that night train carrying governess Victoria Winters to mythical Collinsport and the start of an enthralling TV saga. There's that handsome stranger (who will eventually time-travel to the alternate dimension of "Dharma & Greg" as Greg's well-oiled father) who ladles on ironic foreshadowing by way of introduction: "Welcome to the end of the world." Miss Vicki tosses off a response that would prove more ironic than even the show's production team realized at the time: "I'm afraid I'm not going that far. Only to a house called Collinwood." Oh, my dear, you're going much farther than the end of the world as you know it.
Creepy ol' Collinsport has never looked more inviting, thanks to the savvy folks at MPI Home Video who know how to serve up irresistible fan-fare in stylish boxed sets sprinkled with nifty extras. Collection 1 includes interviews with series stars Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and John Karlen, all of whom recall their DS experiences with fondness and appreciation for the unique opportunities the show provided. Not to mention the unexpected fanaticism it sparked.
The fan loyalty endures, despite the fact that, as Frid points out, "Dark Shadows" was one of the shortest-lived daytime soaps (airing on ABC from 1966-71). "We ran out of gas," is how he sums up the limitations of the show's specific material. "There are only a handful of classic horror stories, and we did them once and twice over." Why stop at once or twice? Now you can enjoy eternally crisp rewatchability in doses of 40 episodes per box.

Less Episodes per DVD would have been better
A big thanks to MPI Home Video for releasing Dark Shadows on the DVD format. But I think the picture quality would have been even better if MPI would have put less episodes per DVD. The picture quality is good since these episodes were video taped 35 years ago. I highly recommned these DVD Box Sets to any fan of Dark Shadows. ... Read more

Description

This collection includes: FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: George Clooney (THE PERFECT STORM, THREE KINGS) and Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION) star as the Gecko brothers –- two dangerous outlaws on a wild crime spree! FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2: TEXAS BLOOD MONEY: It’s nonstop action when a bank-robbing gang of misfits heads to Mexico with the blueprints for the perfect million-dollar heist! FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 3: THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER: The riveting prequel -– set 100 years before the original! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a bit slow...but kept my interst....
this film was definitely better than other vampire movies that I've seen... not as good as the original...but we all knew it wouldnt be...but good.... It took a while for the vampires to show...just like in the first...but it was all worth it....the film does get a bit cheesy towards the end and it does end pretty abruptly, but overall, the film is good, even though it could have been better. The film was shot for theatrical release, but the made-for-video quality is evident. Rebecca Gayheart is a beauty, but she doesnt act her best in this film...basically, the film is good, low-quality, but still interesting....if u loved the original but hated the second, you'll like this....

Four Films In One Box
This is a bundled set. That means three DVDs have been placed in a bundle in their original packaging. That means three boxes, not one box with multiple disks. That also means you will net get any material on the disks that you wouldn't get separately. There is a small pamphlet with some behind the scenes notes on the films. The three DVD's are as follows:

From Dusk Till Dawn Collectors Edition (includes the full-length feature Full Tilt Boogie and plenty of other extras)

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (no extras)

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (1 deleted scene)

Each of the films follows a formula of combining outlaws and vampires. The first has a violent team of brothers running for Mexico where they run into a nest of vampires. The second has a team of bankrobbers becoming vampires as they try to rob a Mexican bank. The final film is a prequel to the series and has outlaws and posse run into a nest of vampires.

A nice collection of three good movies. But since this is a bundle you won't save any space by buying them this way (although you may save some money).

Don't Buy It Here
I got it at Best Buy for $35

This is a ripoff explantion below
Why pay $80.99 for a box set when you can get them one by one for only $13.99......i mean what a rip off....

Number 1 is just sooo cool, but the rest is [boring]..!
The first movie is a splat-movie at the best! Thats a thing i know... But they other movies, 2. 3. Is just boring... I can see number 1 soooo many imes, and i like it as much as the first time i saw it..! It must be the ruffest splat-movie that ever have been made in this world! Then i talking about number 1... ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A dark glimpse into the potential of man
The Spawn DVD collection is a great item to watch and own. The story is done is a very realistic and articulate manner. It provides action, suspense, and keeps you hooked from the first time you watch it. While this series is definitly not intended for young children, it should also not be viewed by those that have a weak and ignorant mind. To fully appreciate this set you should be open-minded and enjoy every DVD for what it's worth-which is to say a masterpiece of animation and voice acting. This set is one that can be watched over and over again with the same excitement as watching it for the first time. If you are a fan of dark action comics like Spawn or Batman, then this is a must have collection. If you are into action then you should perhaps only buy one season at first-just to see if you like it. However, I believe that you will not be dissappointed. One of the best things about the Spawn collection is that it ends how all forms of entertainment should end-it leaves you wanting so much more.

The ONLY way to watch Spawn.
When I first saw the HBO Spawn series, I kept an open mind. Being a comic book fan and liking the Frank Miller "Dark Knight" Batman series I loved the dark moods and was suggested I take a look at Spawn. All I can now say is, Spawn kicks A**!

The first DVD moves quickly and lays down the frame work of who what when where and why, leaving the second DVD for the how.

The third DVD really gets the series moving and is somewhat of a tease because the show ends there.

The artwork is well done. You do not get the cheap animation feel that you sometimes get when watching a movie like Heavy Metal 2000 or some other animation.

When played on a good sound system, you can really notice the detail in the sound and truly enjoy the richness in the voice and inflection used by the actors.

This is a well put together DVD and should be in any animation lover's set.

Let me warn you though, this DVD does contain nudity and is EXTREMELY of an adult nature. Do not leave buy this for the 10 year old who likes Superman comic books.

I Want More!
This anime was superb. I was very much in love with the way it was created and the storyline, however; I want more. The anime is very powerful in the way it was presented and plays many complex themes of love, war and the fight between good and evil, however; I WANT MORE!!

The need for McFarlane to continue this series is obvious, the ending is very open-ended and thus begs you to want to know what happens to Spawn and Wanda, What happens with Wynn and Terry? The questions are many and I guess the final and most interesting question, will McFarlane have Good or Evil win?

Much better than the live action movie
Havig only been a fan of the work of Todd McFarlane for a short time now, I don't have that "Spawn expertise" that other long time fans of the series/ his work may have. However, I can easily say that the HBO animated series was far superior to the movie released in 1997 in the way it was able to convey the truly dark and menacing atmoshpere of the streets of New York City. The Spawn comic book series has a certain style that a live action movie just cannot express properly because the intricate story would just get lost in the special effects. I would highly reccomend the animated series to anyone who felt somewhat of a let down from the movie. Truly a unique and submersive experience.

Spawn, Spawn 2, Spawn 3 Ultimate Battle
Personally I love all the work Todd McFarlane has done. The animation that Todd has done for HBO was some of the best anime` in the longest time. The Spawn anime` was done a whole lot better than his live action movie. I didn't get a chance to read, but I heard that Todd was forced to change the characters in the live action. He got to do the anime` more to the comic book storyline the way he wanted, which is the way it should've been in the first place. I love the way Todd had the artwork done in the anime`, the blood, violence, characters, and dialogue. I wish Todd would do more work with HBO and continue the Spawn anime` series along with anything else about Spawn. ... Read more

Description

The son of Satan has come and he will rise to power in an attempt to take over the world. Includes all four films in the horrifying film series: "The Omen" (1976, 111 min.), "Damien: Omen 2" (1978, 107 min.), "Omen 3: The Final Conflict" (1981, 108 min.) and the made-for-television "Omen 4: The Awakening" (1991, 97 min.). ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Part 1 Is 5 - Star Excellent, 2's Really Good, Last 2 Bad
Rarely regarded as one of the great horror movie series, "The Omen" movies tell the story of Damien Thorn, the Antichrist (and later his daughter). They range from excellent to shlock, as most horror film trilogies do. This boxed set features all four "Omen" films"

1976's "The Omen" is the first and best of the series. I think it is better than the grossly overrated "The Exorcist", as this one has a more disturbing and realistic plot line. Robert and Kathy Thorn (Gregory Peck and Lee Remick) are an English governmnet official and his wife have given birth to a stillborn child. Kathy doens't know, so Robert adopts one and passes it off as the dead baby. Baby Damien becomes the light of their life. Then when he turns 5, eerie stuff begins to happen. First, his nanny commits suicide. Then a priest comes to see Thorn at his ofice and urges him to kill his son, saying he's the Antichrist, the son of Satan. Soon, a rapid - fire series of coincidences resulting in the deaths of people around Damien make Robert grwo suspicous. He and a photographer David Warner investigate. But it isn't until Warner is killed (in one of the best movie deaths ever) that Robert realizes the truth.

This is a great horror movie. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick turn in their best latter - day performances and prove that there was a place for aging screen vets in Hollywood other than tv movies and "That's Entertainment". Jerry Goldsmith's chilling score is the best I've ever heard in a horror film and he deserved the Oscar he won for it. Extras are several excellent documentaries, trailers and audio commentaries.

1978's "Damien: Omen 2" takes place 7 years later. Damine is now 12 years old, living with his aunt and uncle (Lee Grant and William Holden). This sequel marks a turning point in the series, as Damien is now aware of who he really is. At first, he's scared but soon grows to enjoy them.

This film is lesser than the first one but provides some genuine jitters, especially the "Designing Women" guy stuck in the elevator and the frightening ending. Also, Holden and Grant turn in excllent performances.

"Omen III: The Final Conflict" is where the series really began to slip. Damien (Sam Neil) is now 32 years old and is intent on world dominaton. Whn he soon realizes Christ is coming back for the final battle between good and evil, he soon becomes more ruthlss than ever, going as far as to kill infants. This made me sick. The only thing I liked in this one was that it had a happy ending. The acting is wooden. It's hard to believe that a 5 - year old (the first one's Harvey Stevens) can do Damien better than Sam Neil. Fortunately, Neil found his voice and became one of the most versatile (and well - known) character actors ever. The only thing here other than the acting is another spooky Jerry Goldsmith score.

"Omen IV: The Awakening" tried teribly to resurrect the series. Karen and Gene York adopt a baby and the same things that happen in the first one happen here, only here it stinks. That's all I have to say about this movie.

Overall, a good boxed set of classic horror movies that will scare you to death. The first two are worth watching but the last two are horrible. Best to get the first two separately.

The Five Stars Is Really For Part One
"The Omen" saga is one of the most enduring (albeit longest - running) horror movie franchises in film history, spanning over 16 years and feature Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, William Holden, Lee Grant and Sam Neill in top - notch performances.

The first film is undoubtedly the best in the series, and the main sreason why I gave the set five stars. I tend to like this movie more than the grossly overrated "The Excorcist" because unlike that one this one has a more realistic storyline, plus it did not feature arguably the greatest and bloodiest beheading sequence ever filmed (just wait til you see it, it's amazing). It also features screen legends Gregory Peck (who unfortuneatley left us in June of last year) and Lee Remick in their latter - day prime, as this film undoubtedly proved that there still was a place for aging screen veterans in cinemas other than "That's Entertainment". I also remember being afraid of Jerry Goldsmith's eerie score for the film, especially the gregorian chants (one of them was nominated for an Oscar). All in all, this film is truly scary.

1978's "Damien: Omen 2" is a somewhat lesser sequel. It documents Damien going through his adolescent years. It is also odd to learn that in this film that Damien himself realizes he's the son of the devil. And while it's not as good as the first one, it does feature some truly disturbing moments (the scene with the man stuck in the elevator is eerily reminiscent of Part One's beheading sequence) and features about the same level of star power, as Lee Grant and William Holden are very good in their respective roles.

"Omen 3: The Final Conflict" is when the series begins to slip. It jumps ahead about 19 or so years past the second one. Damien (the usually excellent Sam Neill) is now the U.S. Ambassador awaiting the return of Christ and the final battle between good and evil. Damien then comes up with this rediculous idea of killing babies (how sickening even for a horror movie) before he reaches his last confrontation with The Lord. Unlike the previous two, this chapter of "The Omen" has a happy ending, as ...

In 1991, HBO resurrected the "Omen series with "Omen 4: The Awakening". I hated it. It tells the story of Delia, a seemingly harmless girl who lives with rich, wealthy parents who adopted her. But starnge things happen wherever she goes. And just about every single sequence in the film is an obvious copy of everything that happened in the first part, from the nanny falling out of the window to the ending sequencewhen the main character is shot (though in this one, the main character shoots herself). As you watch it, you can't help think if this made - for - tv junk is the work of Satan himself.

Overall, this isn't a really bad set. It does feature the excellent first chapter and the down but not out second part. Maybe parts 3 & 4 are lesser but are needed if you want to learn the full root of Damian's evil ways (and besides, if you are interested in part 4, you have to get the boxed set, as it is not available seperately). So I do think this is an essential set, especially if you are fan of horror movies.

Inteligent horror
Some of the best horror movies out there, intelligent horror is hard to make, they made three great movies. Fantastic really!

good for it's time but that isn't saying much
OMEN - I'm sure when this movie came out it scared the socks off
people. There were definately some eerie moments within
the film. The book of Revelation has always fascinated me
along with the scriptures that tell about the rise of
the Antichrist. As for the Omen, it held my interest but
seemed to drag at times. Despite the slow pace of the
movie, it was in no way boring. Though you don't get to
see much of the 5 year old Damien (the Antichrist),
his character development is still portrayed during the
film. I give OMEN *** stars.

DAMIEN - Known as OMEN II, this movie is probably the best in
the series. Here we see 13 year old Damien brilliantly
portrayed along with his roots of power. Damien is
smart and cunning. When he learns who he is, Damien
takes desperate measures to ensure that no one close to
him betrays his trust. For the most part, there are no
slow spots within the movie and whether you like the
first Omen or not I'm sure this sequel is sure to
please. I give DAMIEN **** stars.

FINAL CONFLICT - The third Omen in the series takes a bit of a
nose dive from the previous film. Damien is 32
years old and is now in control of the world
powers. If you expect this movie to show the
ruthless reign of the Antichrist, you will be
sorely disappointed. I won't spoil the movie
for anyone who hasn't seen it but I do have a
particular complaint; though this movie gives
accurate scripture references it does not
present the audience with accurate events of
the Antichrist during his reign of power. For
example, Jesus in not going to be born a second
time here on earth. Also, the Antichrist is not
defeated until 3-4 years after he wages a war
on the nations. (Yes, I am a Christian and if
someone is going to make a movie that tells
about the rise and fall of the Antichrist then
the movie needs to stay in accordance with the
scriptures of the Bible). Another complaint I
have is that this movie drags out even more so
than the first one. Unless you want to see the
conclusion of what happens to Damien (as I'm
sure that most people will), this is not a
movie that I would recommend.
I give FINAL CONFLICT ** stars.

AWAKENING - As far as I am concerned, this is the last Omen in
the series that should have never existed. Do I say
that because this Omen is not related to the
previous three? To a certain degree, yes. As for the
movie itself, the fourth Omen was a "made for TV"
movie and it shows. Now don't misunderstand me, I'm
not saying that all TV made movies are bad but this
one definately had a mediocre script. The girl in
this movie is the daughter of Damien (the previous
Antichrist). To sum up the plot, the girl shows her
evil power in various yet ridiculous ways. The fouth
Omen is the Halloween III of the series if you will.
For the most part, it is irrelevent to the preivous
films that somehow spawned it.
I give AWAKENING * star due to the last third of the
movie being interesting.

Great movies at an unbeatable price
This deal really cant be beat. Although the fourth was dysmisal, the first one was classic, the second excellent, and the third interesting.

While not cram packed with extras (and I do wish the omen legacy dvd had been included!) - the first is a special edition with a 45 minute documentary, 666:Curse or coincidence featurette, Jerry Goldsmith discussing his score, and more. The second and third have trailers and full length audio commentaries. The fourth has nothing except trailers for the others (which doesn't make much sense since there is a trailer for the fourth on the omen legacy disc) -- but overall this is a steal. ... Read more

Reviews (261)

Stylish, beautiful, and mesmerising
I first saw Suspiria a few years ago as a VHS rental but I couldn't remember too much about it. But suddenly, the world of Italian horror has been broken wide open so I picked up this three disk limited edition. Watching Suspiria is sort of like dreaming awake. Colored lighting is used to great effect and the sound track just sort of lulls one into submission. The plot makes about as much sense as a dream, that is to say, the movie all makes sense while watching but looses cohesion quickly once one returns to the "real" world. I think that is why I only remember watching the VHS rental but not too much of the movie.

The three disc set includes a newly made documentary and a Goblin soundtrack from the movie. The documentary suffers from subtitles that are sometimes washed out against a light background. Otherwise, it is informative. The Goblin CD is a lot fun to listen to and I find myself humming the main theme all the time. Unfortunately, I do not find a listing for the names of the songs. The main disk also includes trailers and radio spots and a Goblin music video of Demonia, which appears to be the main theme song.

Terrific DVD for a terrific movie
What many claim is the definitive Dario Argento movie(some say "Deep Red" but I say this), has been put into a wonderful DVD. I waited for weeks for the limited edition. It was well worth the wait. The limited edition throws in everything, but the kitchen sink. While the laserdisc was in letterbox, the colors were washed out. Pity too, since that was they used a technique which enhanced the colors into a deeper, richer texture (in letterbox to show the entire picture). Thankfully, the DVD lets us see this wonderful enhancement beautifully. On the second disc, we see interviews with the filmakers and stars of the film. We also get a bit of a hint why we still haven't seen the conclusion of "Three Mothers" Trilogy. It also has an interesting interview of the composer of the bizarre music to the movie. The third disc is a CD soundtrack to the movie, which contains a terrific updated version of the theme song (a music video of the song is in the first disc). All in all, an excellent DVD set. Bravo to Anchor Bay!

"SUSPIRIA"-Dario Argento's stylishly artistic masterpiece!
Okay, to all those fans of the Italian horror genre (or 'giallo' films as some would call them) I'd like to say that I am a longtime fan of horror movies and am also new to the Italian horror genre. I'd have to say as strange as it is, "Suspiria" (1977) was actually the first one to get me into the Italian horror films. Considering that I personally do NOT like any of Lucio Fulci's work (e.g. "Zombie") Dario Argento is quite better and the atmosphere of his movies are a lot better to draw you into.

Jessica Harper (a very talented actress indeed!) plays the heroine, Suzy Banyon, a young female American ballet dancer who attends a German dance school run by the mysterious Madame Blanc and Miss Tannr (given eerily performances by Joan Bennett & Alida Valli) From there, all hell breaks loose as horrific "accidental" deaths occur as many individuals are picked off one by one by an unseen supernatural entity. There are numerous secret passageways in the school (my favorite being the rose painting on the wall), a cruel and sharply grotesque hanging scene, a flesh eating dog, & many other shocking surprises which await as Suzy must discover the school's true revelation before it's too late!

This 3 disk set is in its WIDESCREEN Presentation(2.35:1) & is enhanced for 16x9 T.V. sets. It also includes the theatrical trailer (including T.V. spots), radio spots, a Daemonia music video, poster and still galleries, and talent bios. The third disk is the soundtrack of the film performed by the Italian rock group, Goblin and is definately one of the creepiest scores I've ever heard in a film. (Though maybe not as scary as Godfrey Salmon's orchestrated and conducted score for the sequel, "Inferno")

It's also one of those rare items which requires you to think, but keep in mind that sometimes it may take more than just one viewing to understand it all. The Dance Academy is also the most beautifully, artistic movie sets to ever be used for a horror flick (but in a grotesque and fun way) Without doubt, this is one of Dario Argento's BEST work! (I haven't seen his first masterpiece, "Deep Red" yet) In fact, as he explained in an interview for "Inferno" this, along with that film was one of the hardest films to make in his career and required A LOT of his own imagination and style. I recommend this to those who don't prefer Lucio Fulci's work and I also recommend the sequel, "Inferno". (it carries some of the same resemblance to the first film but the storyline starts to come together more in that one) Truly, this is a non-stop nightmare into the terrifying unknown! I will most definately be checking out the rest of Mr. Argento's work.

Kcin's review of Suspiria
I suck at introductions so I'm not even gonna try. This movie is very good. I like it. If you are interested in Horror cinema or just visually intriguing films in general you need to check this out. All right then, on with the specifics.

The plot is easily summarized. Suzy Bannion is an American ballet student in Germany. There a bad goings-ons at the academy and she must investigate and defeat the evil to survive blah blah blah. None of that really matters. Even the staunchest defenders of this film often admit that the plot/script/dialogue are not particularly inspired, and frequently kinda lame. I tend to agree with this belief, but as I said before, it doesn't really matter. However, contrary to what many people say, I didn't find this film to be the least bit confusing. I'll admit that not necessarily everything that occurs makes a whole lot of sense, and that some things are shown which are not terribly vital to the plot, but it's hardly difficult to follow. The acting isn't so great either, with the protagonists coming off a bit flat much of the time, and the antagonists overdoing it, particularly the whacky Miss Tanner, whose got a weird female concentration camp commandant thing going on.(or maybe I'm thinking of Madame Blanc, I get the names confused. If you see it you'll know who I'm talking about.) Still, it's a masterpiece visually.

When people talk about this movie they almost invariably describe it as being nightmareish. I don't really care for this description, because it exaggerates the surreality of the film. Visually, it isn't hyper-abnormal, it's really just surreal enough to seem just beyond the bounds of reality, so that nothing in the film seems quite real. This is particularly effective in the Academy itself, which mixes stately, classical looking architecture with extremely garish and tacky, extremely 70s-ish decoration. The night/horror scenes are all the more effective, with natural coloring being essentially abandoned, with everything then being bathed in eerie colored lighting. The two most prominent colors are blue and red, with a smattering of green now and then. On the whole it is startlingly eerie, and can add immense power and atmosphere to scenes where essentially nothing happens. A good example of this comes when they are forced to sleep out in the ballroom due maggot infestation.(which is itself an example of a creepy thing that happens that has nothing to do with anything) Nothing really happens here, but it's bathed in an intense, absolutely hellish red light which gives it immense power. To accompany these visuals is the much-hyped score by Goblin. It is extremely effective, though occasionally weakened by the odd cheesy synth line. It's mostly eerie keyboard lines playing menacing, repetitious melodies, thunderous percussion and random, rumbling bass overlaid with demonic voices whispering and howling. It also gets points for sounding like actual music, rather than the auditory exclamation points that most horror films provide you with. Despite all this, this movie isn't all that scary, but it's pretty eerie and atmospheric, and is just damn cool.

The film suffers slightly from starting off too well, so it's unable to maintain it's level of excellence, and suffers from a rather anti-climatic ending. Still, the opening scenes of the film are absolutely great. Suzy's arrival in Germany during a fierce storm sets the tone for the film, and establishes most of the visual motifs. It is perhaps the most surreal portion of the movie, with the heavy rain obscuring most everything, and particularly random seeming uses of lighting.(The weird forest they pass through is especially cool) The first murder scene, which is early in the film, is easily the best of the horror set-pieces. Although it isn't really all that gory it's a truly brutal scene and ends with some genuinely horrific imagery.(I'll admit that the effects are dated, but they still work very well in this scene, imo) The other horror scenes are reminiscent of the first, indoors, with the use of phony looking set decoration and colored lighting, with one exception. It takes place out in the open, and the normal colors are abandoned, instead opting for utter blackness and plain white and grey coloring on the surrounding, neo-classical architecture. It's also got some great, Leone-esque staging and camera work, as it drags the scene out as long as dramatically possible, alternating between extreme long-shots and extreme close-ups. It's a great scene (other than some dated gore) which is made all the more effective by how it contrasts with the rest of the film.(I should mention that despite the supernatural trappings of the film, the killings are generally done manually, with slasher-esque staging and methods. This film has witches, but they ain't much like what you usually see.) As I said before, the ending isn't so great. It's a bit abrupt, and doesn't show us anything we haven't seen before, but just re-iterates old motifs in an inferior manner, and suffers from some bad acting on the part of the main antagonist.(Well, now that I think about it, it does have one great scare, which is unexpected and unlike what we've seen before, but overall it's just not nearly as good) Also, there's a scene with a bat which is unintentionally funny. That bat's just so damn adorable.

Well that's about it. Some flaws, but it's a horror masterpiece anyway.

The Look of Horror
I could of probably lived without 10 over-the-top seconds of "Suspiria." Those 10 seconds are graphic to the point of porn. No doubt Argento fans would say that such scenes are what make Argento Argento. Whatever. That said, this is a really good movie with a terrific look. Argento's use of colors and architecture to establish mood (dread) is simply astounding. I have to believe Kubrick borrowed from Argento, heavily, in his making of "The Shining." I almost didn't finish watching "Suspiria" due to a graphic murder in the beginning. What kept me hanging in there was the stylish way Argento was framing his scenes. Hairy and taloned arms appearing out of the dark, a haunting run through the woods, wild and/or garish art deco interiors that have you thinking Jack the Ripper picked out the colors and patterns, and a building that looks like it was designed in Hell.

The plot? It's ok. Not as weak as some have suggested, but it does have holes - holes you don't spend much time pondering, since it's your eyes and ears Argento is after. Acting? Almost seems beside the point. You have your various grotesque characters, some with very big teeth, doing evil things. Jessica Harper is, however, very good as the waif-like ballet student. Her physical slightness, her big eyes, all contribute to the impression that she is surrounded by monstrous horror. How will she escape? Watch and see. The soundtrack, especially if you have surround sound, is effective and eerie. Lots of evil whisperings and other ominous sounds jump from unexpected directions. So the makers of the dvd are also to be applauded. It's as crisp a picture as you can imagine. (Guess Argento wanted those "reds" to really show.) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS CULT CLASSIC (AGAIN)
There are grand operas, horse operas and soap operas. But we're not horsing
around when we say that there's only one grand, gothic soap opera --- the
indestructible Dark Shadows.
Premiering on ABC in 1966, it ran for five years, chalking up 1,225
episodes. And now it's time, once again, to sink our teeth into one of TV's more
quixotic offerings. Pass the garlic, please.
And pass the DVD sets issued by MPI Home Video, dedicated folk who
have worked tirelessly to bring the series out of its forgotten shadows and into
an era of rediscovery. Each of the 5 DVD sets contain 4 discs, a chronicle of
Dark Shadows episodes --- approximately 75 hours of our favorite fanged ghoul,
Barnabas Collins, and the dark doings set in the small fictional fishing village of
Collinsport, Maine. Be forewarned, however, that as much as we have a stake in
the revival of the series, we question why MPI only included episodes #211 to
#412. (We asked the question, but they never answered. Talk about being kept
in dark shadows.)
The late '60s were an odd time in our cultural history, a kind of a
maturation into reality after the bland '50s and a precursor for the entitlement
and permissiveness of the '70s. Violence permeated our society and its
entertainment ... and escape was the order of the day. Dark Shadows brought us
to a strange set of performers playing even a stranger set of characters.
Grayson Hall and Joan Bennett came from the movies, Jonathan Frid and David
Selby came from the stage, and they were supported by actors and actresses
who had spent literally decades gracing some of the most popular soap operas
from radio and television.
Adding to the escapism was the time element. You were never quite sure
what century you were in while visiting the New England branch of Transylvania.
It could be modern-day Collinsport, or it could be the late 18th century.
Performers could be playing the present-day characters, or their great
grandparents. Still, one thing was sure: High on Windows Hill stood the family
manse, Collinswood (the name most likely came from Wilkie Collins, the author
whose gothic gems graced book stalls in late Victorian times), and, regardless of
the century, it was here that the haunted Collinses plied their depraved trade.
Dark Shadows had a narrative link in a way, but the performers never
seem to know exactly where they are, were they've been, or, most importantly,
where they were going. To be sure, there were the normal and accepted gaffs of
daytime television, such as a boom mike boinking a performer on the head or
people tripping over cables. But, there was the added zest of poor Joan Bennett
looking confused, calling performers by their real names, and trying to cover
rising panic with a look of sheer exotic boredom. Bennett made her first film well
before the talky revolution, but she hadn't seen or heard everything yet, until she
sojourned into daytime television.
As a matter of fact, the growth and development of the television show
parallels to a greater or lesser extent the growth and development of theater of
the absurd in America. The players and the set remained basically the same, but
the period and action varied wildly. And, ultimately it didn't matter where you
were, or where you thought you were, or where you thought you were going,
because you were under the spell of the Collinses, in Collinsport, and they were
in control. If the reality seemed fractured, hallucinatory and vaguely scary, well,
then, wasn't life exactly like that?
Dan Curtis, who also brought us War and Remembrance, The Winds of
War, The Night Stalker, Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (both with Jack
Palance) and the cult film Burnt Offerings, spawned the series. But the greatest
success of this veritable one-man cottage industry is undoubtedly Dark
Shadows. The brooding gothic setting, the sprawling, elephantine plot twists and
the idiosyncratic, not to say colliding, acting styles come together to create
something unique and strangely satisfying.
For the last 20 years, there has been an annual Dark Shadows Festival, held either in the Los Angeles or New York area. This year, it will be held in
Brooklyn at the end of August. An ominous press release informs us that this
year marks the final full fledged festival, the last of its line.
Knowing the denizens of Dark Shadows, we don't believe it for a moment!

Finally
Finally We,the fans, have Dark Shadows on DVD.Aside from the obvious benefits of DVD over VHS we have the full uncut episodes,not the ones trimmed for todays commercials.The picture and sound are as good as they're going to get.The interviews with they series stars are an added bonus.Hopefully when MPI is done they will have released episode 1 to 1245.I'm just still trying to find an easter egg on the first 2 releases .

Dark Shadows continues on DVD!
Barnabas Collins and the rest of the gang return for more on Dark Shadows DVD Collection 2! This Collection, which contains VHS Volumes 5-12 on 4 discs, is more of a transitional set. In these episodes, the storylines from Collection 1 come to a close and the new storylines begin. Right off the bat, we see the conclusion of the Barnabas kidnapping Maggie storyline, and then we focus on the impending wedding of blackmailer Jason McGuire and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Near the end of this Collection, we see the introduction of Dr. Julia Hoffman, who arrives at Collinwood to investigate Maggie's disappearance.

Also on these DVD's we get bonus interviews from Dan Curtis (Producer), Nancy Barrett (Carolyn Stoddard), Dennis Patrick (Jason McGuire), and Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters). Once again, the picture and sound qualities are in great shape. Also like the first Collection, these episodes are all in black and white. Looking forward to Collection 3, which will include color episodes!

Fascinating American gothic.
For the true fan this is a real treat. I feel confident that you'll readily forgive the occasional video imperfections since one gets so easily engrossed in these stories. I sure did. For those of us who loved Dark Shadows the first time, this is a real nostalgic treat; like seeing old friends.

Better than Collection 1
I'm going to review the content of Collection 2 instead of the series like the other reviewers here. It should be mentioned that the 8 weeks of episodes on collection 2 are a big improvement over collection 1 which was good, but a little slow at times. By these episodes, the writers seemed to have figured out what to do with Barnabas and a few old stale plot lines are tossed to the curb. I think that new fans who bought collection 1 but were on the fence about whether to check out collection 2 or not should go ahead and give it a try. I'm convinced the improved pacing of these episodes will make you a fan! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Leprechaun Pot of Gore Collection REVIEW
Any bad movie fan will want to pick up this collection of Leprechaun movies. Featuring all five movies, this DVD collection doesn't have much to offer in the way of special features aside from trailers but fans of non-stop gore and bad jokes will love.

LEPRECHAUN- Before she made it big with "Friends", the future Mrs. Brad Pitt herself, Jennifer Aniston starred in the first Leprechaun movie. Probably the best of the series.

LEPRECHAUN 2- A decent sequel with all kinds of gore and bad Irish jokes. Any movie where a guy is killed making love to a fan can't be all bad.

LEPRECHAUN 3- This one is pretty much the same as the last one with even dumber characters and a Vegas setting.

LEPRECHAUN 4- The Leprechaun in Space? Hilariously awful. Features Miguel A. Nunez, Debbie Dunning (The Tool Time Girl on "Home Improvement") and a cross-dressing robot.

LEPRECHAUN IN THE HOOD- Aside from Ice-T as a record mogul, this one is just terrible. Lots of dumb stereotypes and for some reason, there is a whole lot of men dressing up like women. What is up with this cross-dressing