Reviews (5)

3 1/2 -- Not well balanced, but it has some keepers....
It's sad how many times true Stephen King fans will have to purchase his movies. He has so many, yet they put out a two volume set -- cleary there will be a 'complete' collection eventually. Cujo is cult-classic -- The Langoliers is an acquired taste, I found it great. The Stand is really a gem -- (that and The Langoliers) -- brilliantly directed, well casted and phenomonal. Thinner is an okay movie, nothing all too special, but still worth owning. Now, Golden Years, is what I found to be disappointed in. The movie is just boring -- a man races against time to find out how to stop from getting younger? All in all, if you're an avid King reader and movie collector, I'd pick it up -- if not, just rent the movies indivigually.

Mixed Box (and that's my criticism)
"The Langoliers" is great and "The Stand" is monumental. If "Cujo" is an acquired taste, I have not acquired it. "Golden Years" starts out all right and has its moments but peters out to nothing at the end. I haven't yet watched "Thinner."

Uneven Collection
Two stars for the complete collection. One of Stephen King's better mini-series in "The Stand" is mixed with some less than stellar efforts in the King department. I truly enjoyed "Cujo" (despite a specific deviation from the book that actually made a better movie) but cannot say the same for "The Langoliers" and especially the "Golden Years." "Thinner" is in the middling range of King adaptations. For me, it would have been better to purchase "The Stand" and "Cujo" alone. For King completists however, this might be the way to go.

A True Stephen King Collection
For all those Stephen King fans this is one package you cannot beat. You get all those great miniseries you have seen on TV in one package...great enough for hours of excitement.
Would have been more then three stars if not for the lack of the stereo quality in some of the movies (it was monoural) but still a horror lovers dream.
I wish there was another set like this.

2 very good films, a pretty bad one, and a horrendous one.
Cujo-It's been a long time since I've seen this film, but to my memory, it was a pretty decent horror flick about a rabid St. Bernard. ** 1/2 out of ***** (Based on 7-year old memory)

The Stand-Completely compelling horror epic about the end of the world and the survivors dealing with the aftermath. At 6 hrs., it's LONG but never dull. Somewhat lackluster ending, though. Great performances from Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, and Jamey Sheriday, and a fine score from W.G. Snuffy Walden. **** out of *****

The Langoliers-Intriguing and engrossing thriller about a group of people who awaken during a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston only to discover all of the other passengers and the flight crew have disappeared. Despite a couple of weak special effects and an underwhelming final scene, this is a true seat gripper that proves fear of the unknown is more frightening than any monster. Good performances from most of the cast, especially David Morse, Dean Stockwell, and Mark Lindsay Chapman.
**** out of *****

Thinner-Another Stephen King horror film about a man who is cursed by a gypsy and continues to grow thinner. Initially intriguing premise really goes nowhere after awhile, and it's hard to tell whether the ending is being serious or jokey. * 1/2 out of *****

Golden Years-Absolutely awful mini-series involving an old man who begins to grow younger after a disaster in a secret laboratory. Pedestrian direction, second-rate performances, poor dialogue, and an astonishingly bad ending are the main highlights. Some die-hard Stephen King fans might find something to admire, but it's a torturous 4 hours. 1/2 out of *****

This 5-pack DVD would a worthy buy for those who are intrigued and haven't seen these films yet. The Stand and The Langoliers are clearly the best, and they also remain among King's best film adaptations to date. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I'll have a classic "Giallo" (collection) please!!
This "giallo" collection, (giallo, meaning "yellow", being the color of the covers of classic Italian, mystery, murder, sleaze, novels, back in the 60's and 70's. My grandfather had many, bringing them back from this great country of Italy, from which he was born.) is a classic, in every sense of the word.Although others that shared their comments on this page, concerning these great movies, may differ a little, in what was the best of the best, in their choice. I'm sure I can speak for most, if not all of them, that we all agree that this is a great package deal. These are all great, classic giallos of the genre. But certainly, not as graphic, or gory, as some fans of this great genre have come to expect, from the likes of The Maestro, Dario Argento, or the great Mario Bava. They all seem to rely more on suspense, and the suspense of the unknown. Which can be just as frightening in it's own right.Take the advice from the other comments you may have read on this page. It's more than worth it.

INDISPENSABLE
In my opinion, this Anchor Bay box set is by far one of the major DVD releases of the year 2002. These DVDs let us rediscover four italian movies directed in the seventies and unfortunately half forgotten nowadays. They belong to a peculiar genre the "giallo", a genre whose prominent figures are or were, until this release came out, Mario Bava and Dario Argento.

Two of these movies are masterpieces, SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS and WHO SAW HER DIE ?, both directed by Aldo Lado. The first one is more a mystery thriller than a pure giallo with his hero Jean Sorel, left for dead in the pragian morgue and trying to remember what has happened to him while the doctors prepare his autopsy. Really frightening, a movie that creates the same terror in you than another masterpiece of the genre : George Sluizer's THE VANISHING.

WHO SAW HER DIE ? is a movie shot entirely in Venice, Italy with a haunting musical score by Ennio Morricone. The uneasiness you feel during the movie is greatly increased by the fact that the killer's main victim is a child who's the main character of WHO SAW HER DIE ? during the first 20 minutes of the film. Terrifying.

Giuliano Carnimeo's THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS is perhaps the movie of the box set that fits the best in the giallo category. One or two sexy scenes with Edwige Fenech, a madman hidden in the apartment of an old lady, subjective points of view that create the nervous tension, policemen with the I.Q. of an houseplant and knives as the main companion of the killer.

Antonio Bido's THE BLOOD STAINED SHADOW is, in my opinion, the weakest of the movies presented here but still presents excellent scenes in a Venice that isn't Venice (the movie was shot in an island nearby), specially the last scene in the church.

Anchor Bay has had the excellent idea to interview the directors of these movies who, in 10 minutes, manage to create in us the desire to discover their entire filmography. Superb work on the images and the sound too. A must-buy.

A box set that should already be in your library.

Top Notch Italian Murder-Mysteries
If you are not familiar with the giallo genre you are in for a treat. These twisting, sometimes opaque, mysteries enjoy on location filming at well chosen locales in Italy. Also, the 70s in Italy seems to have been made of better fabrics and materials, so you get the ultra mod styles of the time but with better drape. The murder scenes while often quite tense are hardly extreme by contemporary standards, and are always staged by methods other than gunfire. There are also usually at least a couple nude scenes, but done in an artsy fashion. Each of these offerings has its delights including acting by Barbara Bach and George Lazenby (in different movies), and scores by Ennio Morricone and Goblin. Of particular and final note is "The Case of the Bloody Iris" featuring the radiant Algerian actress, Edwige Fenech. Ms. Fenech appeared in a number of key giallos, but to date only Mario Bava's "5 Dolls for an August Moon" is also in print.

Excellent Collection of Rare Thrillers
For fans (or even those who are just curious) of European trash cinema this box is a steal.

The four films are well-made, stylish examples of the giallo film made popular by Mario Bava and Dario Argento in the late sixties. And while the films included in this collection are not up to the high standard of those masters they are excellent.

The widescreen transfers are amazing--clear, detailed and colorful--they probably didn't look this good during their original release. The menu design on each disc is quite cool--each accompanied by a memorable piece of their respective scores.

"Short Night of Glass Dolls" is quite slow but fairly rewarding with a great concept and a haunting conclusion.

"Who Saw Her Die?" is by far my favorite of the set. A disturbing tale of child murders set in a creepy Venetian landscape and enhanced by a great Ennio Morricone score. Very well-crafted, acted, engrossing, suspenseful, artful... this is a superb example of the giallo... and one you won't be embarrassed to show your friends.

"The Bloodstained Shadow" is the worst of the set. It's a moderately entertaining hodge-podge of scenes cribbed from far stronger giallos, most notably "Deep Red". It does have good performances, well-composed compositions and some decent set pieces such as a murder via motor boat to keep you watching. However, the synth score is one of the most annoying I've ever heard and drags it down further.

The trashiest (and easily the most fun) is "Case of the Bloody Iris". The story has a black-gloved (of course) maniac is knocking off the groovy tenants of an apartment building. The beautiful Edwige Fenech plays a fashion model who's on the killer's list. This one has an insanely catchy theme that will ring in your head for hours. The film is only available in the box set so get it while it lasts!

one word giallo
i have been awaiting the release of the giallo collection and saw it at [a local store] ...because they mismarked it(which they do alot).so they had to give me all 4 dvds for [the incorrect price] but the set was worth its full price.I enjoyed all of them but who saw her die? his my fav of the 4.If your a fan of giallos this is a must but i dont think the gorehounds would like these films since there is close to no gore in all of the films .Well i hope there is more films to add to the giallo collection in the near future. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

DRACULA,FRANKENSTIEN,AND THE WOLFMAN ,OH MY!!!!!
...DRACULA-Bela Lugosi stars as the undead Count Dracula who travels to London with his sidekick,Reinfield.He then meets Miss Mina,Dracula wants to turn her into a vampire bride.A great and chilling movie.A must see and have!

FRANKENSTIEN-A mad doctor makes a body made out of old and dead boby parts.Full of life from electricity,the monster goes on a murdeous rampage.A must see and have!

WOLFMAN-A man returns to his father's castle in Whales where is biiten by a werewolf.then Mr.Talbot becomes a creature of the night too!A must see and must have!

All 3 movies are great! ... Read more

Description

Feature titles include:The Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, The Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein ... Read more

Reviews (112)

AFI top 100 film, Universal's Frankenstein is#1, now on DVD!
Universal Studios made its indelible mark in Hollywood due to its famous mastering of the Horror movie. In 1931 Universals "Frankenstein" changed the film world forever. Even today it remains a very basic classic horror movie. The American Film Institute (AFI) voted it into the top 100 films in the first 100 years of film (1998).

Universal gathered the movie genius' and embarked on adapting Mary Shelly's novel to the screen. James Whale was chosen as the director and the make-up master Jack Pierce to create the giant Frankenstein Monster (played by Boris Karloff).

NOTE: The movie actually had a opening caution film introduction because of its 1931 unspeakable subject matter. People were genuinely scared, horrified but curious to see this film.

Summary: The mad Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) & his hunchback Assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) are robbing graves for bodys to construct a man to bring back to life. The Dr. still needs a brain to fullfill his inventory. Fritz steals a brain from the local medical school. Unfortunately the only one available is an abnormal one. The Dr. creates his monster being with the abnormal brain unknowingly. Through lightning storms, electrical shocks and unbelievable special effects brings the Monster to life! Now the horror is unleashed.

This is the first in Universal Studio's "Classic Monster Collection" DVD Series. This collection is the very best of their horror movies completely digitally remastered and uncensored. With lots of special features, photos and narratives. A must have DVD collection of classic Hollywood horror films.

It's Still Alive After All These Years
After repeated attempts of securing a Frankenstein, director James Whale hired a middle-aged character actor named William Henry Pratt (stage name: Boris Karloff) who had previously been limited to cameos, stand-ins, and predominantly small eccentric parts to play Frankenstein's monster. Karloff's restrictive age, massive obscurity, and absence of experience may have emerged as hindrances for this newly discovered personality. However, time and popular opinion has obliterated these fears into long lost paranoid hallucinations.

It is Boris Karloff's indisputably iconic and singularly haunting performance as the child-like brute, misunderstood and despised by all, whose only longing and desire is to be loved and cared for by others that continues to be one of cinema's timeless jewels of acting perfection, dramatic magnitude, and note-fully seamless pathos. Karloff's monster, like Anthony Perkin's Norman Bates or Robert De Norio's Travis Bickle, is one of cinema's fortunate accidents of how the exact casting of just the right perfect someone can unbelievably bolster the film. Karloff's casting as the inevitably sympathetic artificial concoction of a mad scientist with a deity complex turned out to be one of many grandiose happy accidents that has allowed this 70 year-old gothic horror film to continue to be copiously admired, internationally beloved, and enthusiastically cherished up to contemporary times.

Frankenstein retains numerous stellar elements including a magnificently captivating early sound ensemble cast including Edward Van Sloan (Doctor Waldman), Mae Clarke (Elizabeth), Frederick Kerr (Baron Frankenstein), Dwight Frye (Fritz), and the unforgettable Colin Clive, the archetypal mad scientist, (Henry Frankenstein), brilliantly provocative Frankenstein make-up by make-up genius Jack Pierce, manically splendid and cleverly articulated German Expressionistic sets ,that place this tale in an indescribable alternate Grimm Fairy Tale reminiscent landscape, James Whales immeasurably eloquent moral consolidation and inventively multi-faceted interpretation of Mary Shelly's tale, and forever crowned with one of cinema's most cunningly virtuoso and unredeemable bravura performances of inarticulate primal indignation and childish rage ever recorded on film by Karloff as the monster.

However due to it's age and Hollywood production values at the time, Frankenstein is not totally absent of problems: lacking of a musical score to countermarch the film's profuse talkativeness, predictably saddled with pedestrian and extremely dated comedic and romantic sub plots, and weakened by an awfully trite comedic conclusion. Despite these blemishes, Frankenstein consummately embodies the finest narrative qualities of the early Universal monster films, contains the simply greatest incarnation of Frakenstein's monster, and stubbornly remains both in ambiance and creative evocativeness the finest film version of the Mary Shelly story.

Talk about staying power!!!

As for Frankenstein's DVD format, it contains a uncannily pristine Pan and Scan
Standard presentation, intriguing Making-Of Documentary, Film Historian Rudy
Behlmer's audio commentary, original theatrical trailer, and much more.

Universally (pun intended) recommended to anyone interested in film classics,
the Universal Monster films, or films of the 1930's. Followed by James Whales
superior sequel The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

P.S. Never Give Franky Flower Petals Near a Pond

Excellent
Being born in the 50's and enjoyin the classic Universal Horror Movies in the 60's was a great time for Horror Movies.
The Frankenstien DVD collection is excellent to say the least, especially seeing "House of Frankentstien" again, along with my other favorite, "Son of Frankenstien". It's real nice to see 5 Classic Horror Films on one DVD set. I would highly reccomend this to anyone who remembers the horror movies of the 50's and 60's, and to those who don't? go out and buy this DVD. It puts the new "slice 'em/dice 'em" movies to shame.

It's About Franken' Time!
Look, don't read this, just buy this thing before Universal realizes what they've done! They've opened their rusty old vault doors and let their most prized creations escape into open air! FRANKENSTEIN (dir.James Whale, w/ Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye) is loose! His BRIDE (dir. James Whale again! w/ Colin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye) too! Their hideous SON (Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill) is also rampaging! If that's not enough, the GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (Lon Chaney jr., Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Sir Cedric Hardwicke) now walks among us as well! Yes, this collection has them all, and tosses in the HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney jr., John Carradine, George Zucco, Lionel Atwill) that long overgrown piece of wretched real estate! Hurry, before Universal slams those creaky doors shut once more! If you're a horror nut like yours truly, then this is a nightmare come true! Highest recommendation...

Its alive! ITS ALIVE
What a great collection. I had Frankenstein and the Bride on VHS but getting them again on DVD was great. I have all three legacy collections. The Bride is the best, Frankenstein is the second best, Son is the third, House is the fourth and Ghost is the fifth. I like all five altough its obvious Ghost and House were made for entertainment. I heard they're working on a third Mummy movie. Wonder if they'll release the original Mummy series in a legacy set? I liked the Mummy movies and Van Helsing and I have to wonder what Stephen Sommers next project could be. The Invisible Man? That would be interesting. With his seris also in a legacy set? For now I'm satisfied though (but I hope that does happen) ... Read more

Description

Feature titles include:Dracula (1931), Dracula (1931) - Spanish Version, Dracula's Daughter, House of Dracula, Son of Dracula ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Saturday morning Blood-sucking Creatures!
THE DRACULA LEGACY collection is a nice package including the original DRACULA starring Bela Lugosi in an iconic movie that endures on. Also included are the Spainish version of DRACULA (shot on the same sets at night as Bela's version!), the sequels -- DRACULA'S DAUGHTER, SON OF DRACULA, and HOUSE OF DRACULA (all three monsters show up for the finale). You get five movies, and some great extras. Like many reviewers I found one disc rolling around the inside of the package. Fortunately it was not scratched! That's the only downside to these collections I have found.

You get the 1931 original appearance of a cinematic DRACULA! With two soundtrack options - listen to it in its original almost silent version, or chose the revamped Phillip Glass soundtrack version. Todd Browning who directed this classic was foremost a silent film maker, and DRACULA was designed to be shown in theatres with and without sound. So its almost creepier and more effective to see it with its long spooky silences intact. But Glass is a great musician, and I appreciate his soundtrack as well. It really depends on mood. And for fun check out the SPAINISH version which used the same sets. Beautifully shot, and considered by some technically superior to Browning's film! It uses more camera moves and visual effects.

The other films are a string of B sequels that are still a lot of fun. Gloria Holden as DRACULA'S DAUGHTER is surprisingly creepy and troublingly lesbian in tone. She only attacks women! SON OF DRACULA is campy fun with Lon Chaney Jr. sailing through smokey swamps. HOUSE OF DRACULA is the ultimate monster mash with Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and Dracula making appearances in this last sequel to the Universal monster franchise before they all appeared in an Abbot and Costello movie that killed them for a while.

But they live on! My only beef with the extras is one where Stephen Sommers talks about how DRACULA influenced VAN HELSING. I don't want to tie my 1931 version of a classic to this year's Summer Hit. But in a way it proves ...
legends never die.

Fangs for the memories, Universal Studios
It is unfortunate that this collection of Universal Dracula films were only released in this mega-DVD collection as a means of promoting the film Van Helsing, but the important thing is that they were released - including the inimitably weird House of Dracula on DVD for the first time. This collection inspired its own kind of bloodlust in my Dracula-loving heart, and I imagine all fans of Dracula and Universal's classic monsters movies of the 30s and 40s have either already purchased this set or are saving up the money to do so. Just look at the bounty of riches included here: the original 1931 classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, which you can view with both its original score as well as the modern score composed by Philip Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet; the incredible and technically superior Spanish language version of Dracula; Dracula's Daughter (1936); Son of Dracula (1943) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.; House of Dracula (1945); an original documentary, The Road to Dracula, discussing the making of the English and Spanish versions of the original film; a commentary by film historian David J. Skal on the original film; theatrical trailers for the films; and, last and certainly least, a look at how the original Dracula franchise influenced director Stephen Sommers in the making of his new film Van Helsing.

I waited a long time to watch the Spanish version of the Dracula, and it lived up to its reputation. A much more complete and compelling version of the film, aided by an additional half hour running time, this movie equals or excels the English language version of the film in all ways - except, of course, for the performance of Bela Lugosi, who simply is Count Dracula. As for the Lugosi version, I'm torn between the two scores. As a traditionalist, I tend to favor the original score, but certain scenes, particularly those involving Dracula's predatory approach to his victims are made much more powerful with the addition of the Glass score. Either way, though, Bela Lugosi is the main attraction, and his iconic performance defines Count Dracula to this very day.

The three Dracula sequels vary in quality, none of them living up to the reputation of the original. Dracula's Daughter takes the story in an interesting direction, giving us a vampire who seeks help in freeing herself of the Dracula curse, and Gloria Holden gives a formidable and nuanced performance as the daughter of the Count. Son of Dracula, on the other hand, pretty much lays an egg in my opinion. The only interesting thing about this movie is the debate over the true identity of the Count - is he Dracula? the son of Dracula? a relative of Dracula? In the end, it really doesn't matter, but it seems obvious that the blood of Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula certainly doesn't run in the veins of "Count Alucard" because this new bloodsucker on the block isn't the smartest vampire in the castle. Many Dracula fans will of course be aware of the fact that Lon Chaney, Sr., was the original choice to play Dracula in the 1931 film; his death opened the way for the relatively unknown Bela Lugosi to take on the role he had already played hundreds of time on stage. In Son of Dracula, Lon Chaney, Jr., gets the chance to don the cape; Chaney earned his spot of fame in the Universal monster pantheon, but he didn't earn it as the Count - his performance is nothing short of boring, aided not one iota by a surprisingly weak script from the hand of Curt Siodmak.

The addition of House of Dracula to The Dracula Legacy Collection is a very big deal, for this is the first time this film has found its way to DVD. House of Dracula is a really weird film, as this sequel of sorts to House of Frankenstein features not only Count Dracula, but Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man as well. John Carradine plays a quite pedestrian Count Dracula, while Lon Chaney, Jr., plays the Wolf Man; Frankenstein's monster is played by Glenn Strange, but the monster plays only the most minor of roles in the story. The action takes place in Vasaria (wherever that is), where Dr. Franz Edelman (Onslow Stevens) is pursuing his own rather wacky scientific experiments, placing great hope on some new kind of spore he is growing in his private little hothouse. Both Count Dracula and Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man) come seeking his help; Talbot's wish to banish the Wolf Man manifestation from his life is understandable, but Dracula's reasons for seeking help are never made clear. In the course of trying to help these two special patients, Edelman runs into the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave underneath his sanitarium (in a rather ho-hum fashion, no less). As you might expect, this association with three monsters turns out to be a bad thing, leaving Edelman in a pretty bad fix himself. It's somewhat difficult to take this movie seriously, but it does provide some wacky good fun in a campy sort of way.

There is a slight risk involved with purchasing The Dracula Legacy Collection, but the rewards are worth the risk. Just be careful opening the case - even if both of the DVDs (one of which is double-sided) remain in position, you are likely to find a little knob underneath each one just dying for the chance to scratch a disc.

Bela And Company Are Back!
Finally, DRACULA is put into a serious collection! Here we have not only the original classic DRACULA (w/ the incomparable Bela Lugosi), but four more toothy vampire thrillers! DRACULA concerns the Transylvanian Count and his trip to his new digs, where he quickly takes a big bite out of his neighbors. Can Von Helsing stop this evil undead plague, or will Dracula win the night? DRACULA- THE SPANISH VERSION was filmed simultaniously with Bela's feature. It is quite good on it's own merit, with actors that took pride in their work. Some things are different in nuance as well as some actual (subtle) changes to the props, dialogue, action, etc. It's fun to watch! DRACULA'S DAUGHTER is about a woman who seeks the aid of a psychiatrist in dealing with her vampirism. Can a supernatural curse be broken by scientific / psychological means? Hmmm. SON OF DRACULA has Lon Chaney jr. as the returning nosferatu. Posing as Count Alucard, he terrorizes the countryside! HOUSE OF DRACULA has Lon jr. back as the wolfman, looking for a cure for his canine affliction. John Carradine is along for the ride as Count Dracula (w/ a snappy moustache). Frankenstein's monster doesn't get much screen time, just sort of lumbering around aimlessly. Not a bad monster bash though! This collection is superb and should be bought before Universal re-seals their rusty old vaults once more...

Poor Audio Quality
As other people have said the audio on this DVD release of Dracula is the 1931 censored version. In this version you don't hear Renfield scream when Dracula kills him and Dracula screams only once when he dies. WHY Unverisal deemed these screams too intense or scary for 2004 viewers is a mystery to me. It doesn't distract from the film too much, but the overall quality of the audio in this DVD release is very bad. But it's better than nothing. If you have the first DVD release of Dracula KEEP IT because it is the uncensored version and the audio is much more clear. Would have given this 5 stars because it's a very good deal (5 movies), but it's obvious flaws made me bump that amount down to a 4.

Again, It is about time!
What can I say about this one that I did not already say in my review of the Frankenstein collection. Long OVERDUE UNIVERSAL! God bless the Laemmle's! They must be looking down with sheer joy to see their productions in all of this digital glory! The Count(and Countess Zaleska) does his thing to ladies of the evening until he meets his match in good ol' Edward Van"WE MUST DESTROY IT!!" Sloan. They might as well have included the 1932 Karl Fruend Mummy on here because it is essentially the same story as the very stagy 1931 Dracula with 2 of the actors reprising characters under different names(Manners and Sloan as the romantic and scientist respectively), but I feel that the Mummy collection is coming so lets move on.
Superior(maybe technically) Spanish version is on here and so is English version with the Kronos score. I, personally, can do without the Kronos score but there are those who were enchanted by this addition. Son of Dracula was a cut above the other WW2 era Universal monster vehicles as was Frank Meets Wolf!
Dracula's daughter could have been a Whale. One does wonder what James Whale would have done to this one. Actually, I feel that Dracula's Daughter(1936), which by the way was the last of its type from Universal before the slick assembly line productions came into being(starting with Son of Frank), is superior to the original. The score is superb, the acting far above the 1931 film, and well, lets face it how do you top Vampire lesbianism in the 1930's post flapper era??
House of Dracula and House of Frankenstein almost seem to resemble what would become the staple of the blood-curdling technicolor productions from Hammer, and that was the BRAIN TRANSPLANTS. A deady body here and there, a brain pickled in a jar , a transplant to this one and this one, a suspicous burgomaster, a little decay and blood, you know the deal!
By the way, do you know how to tell when the first era of Universal horror ended?
ANSWER:Dracula's Daughter was the last Universal horror flick to utilize the pre-titles Earth-Globe with the old bi-plane circling. The slicker assembly line Universal horror began with the orbiting black and transluscent Earth-Globe to the 'Buy Bonds-support the troops' music in the background. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Let's make up some ghost stories!
There should be a disclaimer: For entertainment purposes only. I use to LOVE this stuff-- when I was 12. I use to watch "Unsolved Mysteries" and those "Haunted Lives" specials and watch them re-create the lies and use spooky music. Please. Some of these "everyday people" are so obviously trying to get on TV and have their day in the sun. Sure, these are definitely entertaining, but take them with a grain of salt.

Good, But a Bit Lacking...
I do enjoy this set of DVDs a lot and watch at least one of the DVDs every week. The stories on this are very detailed and interesting to listen to. The only thing lacking is any documentary footage of hauntings of the places they spoke about. If you're looking for pure documentary footage, this collection is NOT for you because it is completely made up of true stories and no first-hand footage. For five DVDs, it's a great deal, and if you're dedicated to paranormal studies as I am, you should definitely make that small investment for a wide range of knowledge. Hope that helps!

Scary Stuff!
Before I launch into praise for these DVD's I have to admit that not all the stories related therein are of the bone-chilling variety, though quite a few are. Many stories are of hauntings by friendly type spirits, where the returning entity means no harm to the visitor, and while these may still cause most people to run for the hills, they pale in comparison to the truly frightening stories, namely the ones regarding entities that DO try to harm or frighten.

Hosted by Patrick MacNee (The Avengers), who takes us to various locations famous - or infamous - for it's ghostly activities, we get to visit such places as Hollywood and parts of the Old West (among others) where we realize that the dearly departed are not really departed. MacNee does a good job in setting up the stories, and the ghostly photographs - supposedly real - that usually precede the stories, lend an even more chilling edge to the proceedings.

For ghost story fans, I would also recommend the video collection of the old television show 'One Step Beyond'.

Good Documentaries For The Paranormal Enthusiast.
This is a very interesting DVD set specializing in the investigations of the Paranormal Activities mainly in US and England. What I Love the most is the photographs of the Ghosts and Spirits shown at the begining of every case, but it would've been better if they had provided a special section in the "MENU" of each DVD containing all the photographs collections including their details (dates, Origin, Etc.). The other good thing about this DVD is that it provided information on the places with the most reported Paranormal Activities and also the name of the Investigators of few well known cases. ... Read more

Description

Feature titles include:Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, She-Wolf of London, Werewolf of London, The Wolf Man ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Wolfman: The Legacy Collection
First of all, the credit given to Claude Rains is incorrect. Lon Chaney Jr. is the actor to whom the credit is due. Although Henry Hull made the transformation first in "Werewolf of London" (1935), almost everyone agrees that Chaney's 1941 version "The Wolf Man" is the true origin of the film iconization of the character. The deep tragedy in Chaney's portrayl is nothing short of brilliant.
Frankenstein meets The Wolfman is a moderate film, save Lugosi's performance of the Frankenstein monster, whose facial expressions so closley mimic that of his Dracula (1931), that it seems as though the two characters have merged in a shorter less vivid one.
She-of London is probabaly my least favorite of the four, but all-in-all the performances are fairly solid.
The DVD collection is a must-have for fans of the period and genre. It is beautifully packaged and has cool and interesting extras.

The Hairy Guy Gets His Due...
Another great collection from Universal! This time, it's the Wolf Man who gets the star treatment. In the original WOLF MAN, Lon Chaney jr. is Lawrence Talbott, son of sir Jonathon Talbott (Claude Raines). Larry gets bitten by a werewolf (Bela Lugosi) and starts the whole full-moon-rampage-thing. A classic. Next up is FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. Lon jr. returns as lycanthropic Larry Talbott, trying to find a way to be destroyed, thus ending his torment. Ends in the legendary battle between the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster! Third, we have SHE WOLF OF LONDON, starring June Lockhart as a woman who is either a murderous beast, or is being framed in a hideous plot to drive her insane. Lockhart is great, showing a charm and innocense that make SWOL more than just another gothic mystery. Lastly, we get WEREWOLF OF LONDON, about a botonist attacked by a werewolf while attempting bring a rare tibeten flower back to London. This flower only blooms at night, during the full moon, and can keep a man from tansforming into a werewolf. This should help our hero, but alas, the werewolf who bit him is now in London too, seeking to have the flower for himself! Not a bad entry in the wolftale anthology. Buy this now, before Universal gets stingy again! Highly recommended...

An impressive set of four Universal werewolf classics
I had never really thought of The Wolf Man as being in the same league as Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster - I was wrong. Watching Lon Chaney, Jr.'s portrayal of Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man has opened my eyes. Chaney's Wolf Man is by far the most sympathetic of Universal's three major monsters. Dracula loves being Dracula, Frankenstein's monster is a full-time monster made out of dubious body parts, yet Larry Talbot is a victim of cruel fate. Rushing in to help a damsel in distress, he sustains a bite from a werewolf - hardly the type of reward a hero deserves. Doing the things a werewolf does is bad enough, but Talbot knows he is a werewolf and has to spend all of his normal waking hours wallowing in mental agony, knowing he can do nothing to contain the hairy monster lurking within. Beginning with his resurrection in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Talbot's overriding ambition and sole wish is to die and be freed from the curse forever, yet he now knows he can never die- not by conventional means, anyway. He truly is a lost soul trapped in a nightmare from which there seems to be no escape. This was the role Chaney was born to play, and he delivered one amazing performance after another in his five werewolf films. The Wolf Man Legacy Collection contains only two of them, the original The Wolf Man from 1941 and the sequel/monster crossover film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1942). Chaney's Wolf Man also appears in House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, each of which can be found on the Frankenstein and Dracula Legacy Collections, respectively.

The Wolf Man has exerted a huge influence on the art of horror for over six decades now, thanks to the heralded make-up prowess of Jack Pierce, the tight and powerful script of Curt Siodmak, some impressive photography work, a moving musical score, and wonderful performances from a truly stellar cast of actors and actresses (including Claude Raines in the role of Larry Talbot's father, Maria Ouspenskava as the gypsy woman and surrogate mother figure to Larry, and the great Bela Lugosi in a somewhat minor yet crucial role). Chaney's Wolf Man appearance is amazingly vivid and, one supposes, somewhat frightening to moviegoers of the early 1940s. His emotional performance adds to his character's tragic status; his strange and slightly awkward manner, tempered by a sort of gentle slowness always leaves me mesmerized.
With the success of The Wolf Man in 1941, it didn't take Universal long to trot out a sequel; the following year, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man not only capitalized on the success of everybody's favorite werewolf, it also brought in Frankenstein's monster, thus becoming one of the first Universal monster cross-over films. Lon Chaney, Jr., returns as the ill-fated Larry Talbot, and the legendary Bela Lugosi dons the makeup of the Frankenstein monster - this fact alone makes the film intriguing. Talbot, now afraid he cannot die, longs to be killed and put out of his misery. He ends up at the castle of Frankenstein, where a helpful young doctor promises to help him and destroy Frankenstein's monster in the process - things don't quite work out that way, and the film ends with a monster grudge match between the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster.

Werewolf of London (1935) and She-Wolf of London (1946) could not be more different, and both are unmistakably distinct from the Universal werewolf films starring Lon Chaney, Jr., yet I think they both work marvelously. Many fans don't care for them, especially She-Wolf in London, but I find both films quite compelling. They differ significantly from the storyline running through Chaney's Wolf Man films, but these two films have a great deal of their own to offer fans. Often overlooked and unduly dismissed by some reviewers and horror fans, these are two classic werewolf films.

In terms of extras, you get trailers for three of the four films, a truly excellent commentary of The Wolf Man by film historian Tom Weaver, a well-made 1999 documentary called Monster By Moonlight, and comments on the Wolf Man character by Van Helsing director Stephen Sommers. With only four movies and relatively few extras, The Wolf Man Legacy Collection falls a little short in the value department compared to the Dracula and Frankenstein Legacy Collection sets, but nothing can change the fact that this is must-have material for fans of classic horror movies.

Definately worth the rather low price
O.k., I'm not a big fan of old monster movies, but 30 bucks for four, oh yeah. The extras are definately good too, giving a good deal of information on the Wolfman, and monsters in general. Here are my thoughts on the movies individually:

The Wolfman: Reasonably good, although like all these movies it's very short and the guy doesn't even become a werewolf until it's half over. It becomes incredible to explain about the making, and tell alot of information about the various versions of the movie's script (there were three; one in 1932 that wasn't made because it would have offended Catholics, one that was the script until weeks before shooting and would have left the question of whether or not Larry (Gill not Talbot in this version) was turning into a wolf open (you only saw the wolf as a reflection through Larry's eyes), and the one that was made. He also points out the plotholes (probably left-overs from script changes). There are a good number of holes to laugh at, but I don't blame them since this was probably done on the budget of two or three "Twilight Zone" episodes.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man: This is actually better in some ways than the original. While the idea sounds rediculous, and the excuse for the final battle seems silly, the opening is actually spookier (I won't say "scarier" because nothing in any of these movies are truly scary in our world) than the original.

She-Wolf of London: This is not a Werewolf movie. It's a murder-mystery in which the murderor is trying to convince a girl she's turning into a Werewolf because the girl believes her family is cursed. While I suppose the various instances in which it was implied she was a werewolf could be explained as part of an elaborate scheme, I can't help but think this was suppose to be more along the lines of the second aforementioned "Wolfman" script until the end when you saw the She-Wolf (or maybe even only saw it as a reflection), but the studio got cheap and wouldn't buy the make-up. I can't prove that, but I suspect it. I did not like this movie, but I don't blame them for having a filler(the only movies with the actual Wolfman are either in this set, in another Monster Legacy set, or "Abbot and Castello mee Frankenstein" which both doesn't have the Wolfman name in the title and was a comedy; the only real other black-and-white Werewolf movie I guess they had was "Werewolf of London").

Werewolf of London: Not much to say about this, it was OK, but I never really got into it.

Where It All Began ... ...
Great classic stuff here. In my mind Lon Chaney Jr. was always my favorite Wolfman. You really feel sorry for Lawrence Stewart Talbot being cursed with lycanthropy. In this set you get:
1) The Werewolf of London (1935)
2) The Wolfman (1941)
3) Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943) By the way is actually
a sequel to both The Wolfman (1941) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), continuity wise.
4) She-Wolf of London (1946)
5) a 45 minute documentary, Monster By Moonlight. Pretty much a

history of Universal's Wolfman mixed with actual Werewolf lore.
6) Tom Weaver does commentary on a separate audio track of The Wolfman (1941). Extremely interesting P.O.V..
7) A neat peek at Van Helsing's homage to Universal's classic
Wolfman.
All in all I really enjoyed this set. I just can't wait until
Universal raids their Atomic Age Monster vaults like this. Til'
then, ENJOY. ... Read more

Reviews (344)

...Let's go carve ourselves a witch.
Evil Dead 2, while technically a sequel, holds very little in common with "Evil Dead." Evil Dead was one of the scariest, creepiest, and grossest films I've ever seen. Evil Dead 2 is one of the funniest!

The gore in Evil Dead II is WAY over the top. (If you've seen Arthur's battle with the Black Knight in "Monty Python's Holy Grail"... THAT'S the sort of gore I'm talking about.) Campy lines are thrown around in here the like you've not heard since the Batman TV series.

The Premise: Ash (Ashley Williams for those who saw the first one) and his girlfriend drive up to a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun. They come across a tape recording of ancient incantations...that, when played, release an unseen evil that stalks them. When the cabin owner's daughter and team show up, the evil comes for them all!

If you don't try to take this movie seriously, you won't be dissapointed. One of the film's scenes was once rated in the top ten fight scenes of all time: Ash versus... his hand.

Now, for the DVD goodies!
First, the DVD and "booklet" come in a tin! I was impressed by the tin and the arwork on it, but the booklet is a bit of a let-down. The pictures in it are simply screen grabs (and not very good ones) from the movie.
THX and Widescreen add back what's been missing all these years. It's nice to see (clearer!) all of the bits we've been missing and the 5.1 audio tracks make those chase scenes sound like you're right there!
The featurette 'The Gore the Merrier' is fantastic and left me wanting more! It would be great to see more of the behind the scenes antics of this crew, as it's plain to see (hear in the commentary) that they had fun making the film.
And, the teaser for the video game "Evil Dead: Hail to the King" has me chomping at the bit! I can't wait to play a game as Ash! "You want a little??"

If you're an Evil Dead fan, this Limited Edition MUST be in your collection. If you just like slapstick/comedy/horror, you can't lose with this one.

When it comes down to it, if legions of undead started roaming the Earth, I'd want Ash nearby! Not just for protection, but also for comic relief!

Demon Madness
Evil runs wild in the exciting comedy-horror favorite "Evil Dead: Dead by Dawn". In the deep woods, an unspeakable evil force has been unleashed and torments a traveler (Bruce Campbell) and those around him. Director Sam Raimi's horror spectacle is an amazing combination of creepy stylish horror and hilarious slapstick comedy. The movie contains some terrific camerawork, effective visuals effects and memorable gross-out scenes. Bruce Campbell's vivid performance as unlikely hero Ash is another good highlight of the film. The cult favorite is presented in both standard full screen and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen formats. Its picture quality is reasonably sharp with good contrast. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is enjoyable with lively surround effects. This DVD contains audio commentaries with filmmaker Sam Raimi and cast member Bruce Campbell, an amusing behind-the-scenes featurette and original theatrical trailer. The animated menus are excellent. Overall, "Evil Dead II" scores a "B+".

Back To The Cabin...
Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the sole survivor of the first EVIL DEAD demon fest. This time out, he must battle the evil spirit in himself! Sam Raimi pulls out all the bloody stops to unleash a tale of possession gone mad! Campbell's solo performance during the first part of the film is a total trip! He is chased, flattened, thrown, carried through the air, and indwelt by that accursed horror from the blood-inked pages of the Book Of The Dead! This movie is either hilariously scary, or Terrifyingly hysterical. A perfect follow up to it's more serious predecessor. Would make an excellent triple feature with DEAD ALIVE and RE-ANIMATOR. Highly recommended...

fun x2
The thrills have increased, and so have the chills. This is by far the scariest movie out of the triology. In a way, i dont fully understand it, because why would Bruce Campbell venture with his new girl friend all the way back up to the cabin where the original massacre happened? I mean its not like you would forget something like that so easily, i mean come on! But besides some incredibly stupid moves, this movie is still pretty good.

Much Better Than The First
Gorier, better, and over all a much better movie than the First. Bloody stabbings, chainsaw action, rotting corpses, removal of body parts, decapitations and lots of blood and green goo. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hellraiser
Having made his reputation as one of the most prolific and gifted horror writers of his generation (prompting Stephen King to call him "the future of horror"), Clive Barker made a natural transition to movies with this audacious directorial debut from 1987. Not only did Barker serve up a chilling tale of devilish originality, he also introduced new icons of horror that since have become as popular among genre connoisseurs as Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. Foremost among these frightful visions is the sadomasochistic demon affectionately named Pinhead (so named because his pale, bald head is a geometric pincushion and a symbol of eternal pain). Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites, agents of evil who appear only when someone successfully "solves" the exotic puzzle box called the Lamont Configuration--a mysterious device that opens the door to Hell. The puzzle's latest victim is Frank (Sean Chapman), who now lives in a gelatinous skeletal state in an upstairs room of the British home just purchased by his newlywed half-brother (Andrew Robinson, best known as the villain from Dirty Harry), who has married one of Frank's former lovers (Claire Higgins). The latter is recruited to supply the cannibalistic Frank with fresh victims, enabling him to reconstitute his own flesh--but will Frank succeed in restoring himself completely? Will Pinhead continue to demonstrate the flesh-ripping pleasures of absolute agony? Your reaction to this description should tell you if you've got the stomach for Barker's film, which has since spawned a number of interesting but inferior sequels. It's definitely not for everyone, but there's no denying that it's become a semiclassic of modern horror. --Jeff Shannon

Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Definitely not one for the weak of stomach, Hellbound: Hellraiser IItakes up where the first Hellraiser left off, piling on the gore to nearcamp levels. Luckily, the 1988 sequel retains enough of British horror-meisterClive Barker's macabre wit--like the original, it's based on a Barker story--tosave it from the schlock-heap. Hospitalized following her last misadventure,Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) implores authorities to destroy a bloody bed at the carnage scene, but the enigmatic Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) brings an addled patient there and unleashes a dread Cenobite instead. As if that's notbad enough, Kirsty's getting distress calls from her father, who begs her to rescue him from Hell. When she journeys through Hell's dark labyrinths with a mute puzzle solver, however, Kirsty only finds the evil Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and other bizarro creatures, plus her nasty former stepmother and lascivious Uncle Frank. Much maniacal laughter and skin shedding later, the newfound compadres unlock the puzzle box again to safety. Hellbound isn't genius, but it does have flair, which goes a long way toward offsetting Laurence's leaden acting and occasionally over the top gore. --Diane Garrett ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Two great horror movies get a well deserved DVD treatment
HELLRAISER: A typical, naive husband and his sexual unsatisfied wife move into a lonely old house that has the misfortune of containing the shredded remains of his soon-to-be-resurrected evil brother. Clever, well plotted and genuinely disturbing. Directing debut for horror novelist Clive Barker, and still remains to be his undisputed masterpiece. HELLRAISER II: Takes off hours later where the original finished. The sole survivor of the family massacre Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) finds herself in a mental hospital run by an occult-obsessed psychiatrist with a determination to open the gates to hell and the whole nightmare starts all over again. Not too bad a film as far as sequels go. Definatelly a work of art compared to the following chapters. Only this film was butchered by the MPAA on its theatrical release and lost a lot of its well deserved respect. THE DVD: Both films are THX certified which delivers clear enough picture and a beautifully haunting 5.1 Dolby track, and are presented in their original 1.85:1 widescreen format and a 4:3 fullscreen presentation. Both DVDs feature the original theatrical trailer, a picture gallery, a commentary track and a doco on each film. Both documentaries are entertaining and informative, but the one for Hellraier, "Resurrection", is much longer and more enjoyable than the one for Hellraiser II, "Lost in the Labryinth". The only letdown of this wonderful treatment is the absence of a Deleted Scenes section, especially for Hellraiser II. The two infamous scenes of Pinhead and the Female cenobite dressed as doctors, and chatterer going through the process of his face undergoing disgusting changes are scenes that every fan is howling to see which is a real let down. Both discs come packaged in a limited edition tin which is a definate must for any cult horror collector. This edition also contains a 48 page booklet with rare, behind the scenes pictures from Hellraiser which is always delightfully ugly to look at. The only downside of the packaging is the way the discs were packaged. They are both in a standard 2-CD case which is terriblly unsatisfactory. But apart from one or two issues, its a fair enough edition which will be a well treasured collector's item in the near-future.

It's different kinds of horror movies
In 1987 and '88, "Hellraiser" 1 and 2 were released, and these are certainly the best of the series. You can watch the two back to back and it seemlessly flows as one story. The over all story line is one family's fight against the Centobites, S and M demons from hell (it's not as corny as it sounds, trust me), and their nominal leader being Pinhead. There are a lot of issues floating around these movies; betrayal, lies, secrets, murder, audultry, the cheif among them the pleasure of pain (YIKES!). These movies have a lot of torture scenes, hooked chains clawing away flesh (those still make my skin crawl just thinking about them), the blood flows like a river, skinned corpes are walking around, and sex is taken to a whole new low. Clive Barker has some kind of warped mind, God bless him. Hell itelf is a vast maze where you must re-live your past misdeeds over and over, an interesting concept. The emotional center of the movie is Ashley, and her nemisis step-mother, Julia. The two are so different, yet they end up doing the exact same thing, the both end up betraying someone to achieve their own means. These films are very, very gory (I recomend finding the unrated versions), and so those with weak stomachs may want to find something else. But there is also a very interesting moral; curiosity kills the cat, if the cat is lucky.

Hellraiser 1 & 2 tin boxset
I've had this limited tin-set of the first 2 Hellraiser movies for about 6 months now. I've watched both DVD's several times and am very impressed with the quality. The widescreen transfer is excellent, the sound is phenomenal in THX. The extras are well done also, i liked the bonus full-length audio commentary tracks for both movies. The only thing that could have been added were the extra "Bonus Interviews" that were on the Collector's Edition VHS editions that came out a few years ago. I'm keeping those VHS copies just for that, and although it would have been nice to have them on DVD as well this is still a very solid, professional boxset. Any Hellraiser fan would be pleased and it is well worth the money to get this great boxset.

Great movies but are we seeing all of them?
This beautifully presented box set is a treat. Visually stunning the movies themselves do a great job of recreating the atmoshere of isolated dread that Clive Barker is so good at. My only issue with this edition is one of censorship. I have a strong feeling that there have been cuts made to the very end if the first movie. There was an "uncut" version of hellraiser on VHS floating around a few years back and that differed to the standard video edition. This DVD seems more like the trimmed version. I may be wrong but I have a strong suspicion about this one. Seeing as how this is not available in region 4 yet, this is as good as it gets so I've got no complaints and as I said, the presentation is sensational.

Hmmm
The first movie is awesome. The second recycles the first and is average. The third movie is slightly better than no 2 mostly because it goes and invents a new background. My advice? Watch the first one, ignore the others. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One star for the movies, five for the 3-D!!
CAMP BLOOD (USA 1999): Whilst hiking in woodland near the deserted Camp Blackwood - site of an unsolved murder ten years earlier - four young city-dwellers are targeted by a masked psychopath who kills their guide (Courtney Harris) and stalks them through the woods with murderous intent...

HUNTING SEASON (USA 2000): A woman (Cindy Pena) arms herself with an arsenal of lethal weapons and heads into the woods to take revenge against four masked hunters who beat her boyfriend (Michael Walker) to a bloody pulp and subjected her to a brutal sexual assault.

THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES (USA 2001): Whilst searching for an isolated town with a history of strange occurrences, a young reporter (Emmy Smith) picks up a grizzled hitchhiker (Joseph Haggerty) who tells her two stories involving flesh-eating zombies which are reputed to haunt the area.

Billed as 'campy, horror-filled fun', the three movies which make up Slingshot Entertainment's 'Ultimate 3-D Horror Collection' were filmed on camcorder utilizing the Nu-View field sequential 3-D format, with no attempt to disguise their microscopic budgets or their origins as bona fide video productions. In a word, they're dreadful. In interviews, Brad Sykes - director of CAMP BLOOD and THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES - cites the early works of George A. Romero and Sam Raimi as key influences on his career, but while those filmmakers used their lack of adequate funding to challenge the mainstream with cutting-edge works which substituted imagination and energy for glossy aesthetics, Sykes and his cohorts have used video technology merely to imitate their cinematic counterparts, resulting in (literal) home movies with delusions of grandeur...

CAMP BLOOD has the strongest narrative, but Sykes' script adheres closely to an established blueprint (with obvious nods to the likes of FRIDAY THE 13th, THE BURNING and THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, which the director readily acknowledges) without adding anything even remotely new or interesting to the formula. THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES is a complete waste of time, hobbled from the outset by Haggerty's painfully amateurish performance in a key role, and the two stories which make up the bulk of the running time are utterly routine, made worse by indifferent performances and lackluster direction. HUNTING SEASON - directed by Jeff Leroy (editor on all three productions) - is marginally superior, featuring a spirited performance by Amazonian beauty Pena as the vengeful, leather-clad harpy seeking revenge on four irredeemable slimeballs, leading to a genuine twist in the tale. However, while Leroy's direction is lively and competent (including a fair number of off-the-screen 3-D effects), the rock-bottom production values and unflattering camcorder photography conspire against any and all good intentions. These aren't 'fun' movies in the sense that Ed Wood's movies are 'fun' (he, at least, believed in what he was doing and was sincere in his efforts, despite a lack of talent); they are, in fact, aggravating, boring and almost completely devoid of any redeeming virtue, and most viewers will feel justifiably angry and cheated by such unimaginative, badly-conceived junk.

And yet, this release amounts to a dual-edged sword: The movies are packaged here with a video transmitter and wired glasses - almost twice as expensive if purchased separately - which allows viewers to experience 3-D movies in the field sequential format, and Slingshot has sensibly included both 3-D AND 2-D versions of the films on each disc. Whereas anaglyphic presentations (using red-blue glasses) tend to distort colors and obscure dimensional effects, the field sequential process (polarized glasses) offers a near-perfect reproduction of 3-D images, preserving all the color and resolution inherent in the material. Some flicker is evident during brightly-lit sequences, but this is reduced markedly when viewed in a darkened room (ideally, the lights should be turned off altogether). However, while all of the titles under discussion generate an extraordinary illusion of depth (particularly HUNTING SEASON, which features a number of eye-popping landscape shots), the visuals are often afflicted by crosstalk (that is, left-eye images retain residual imagery from right-eye images and vice versa, leading to ghosting and eye-strain), and the image flattens out whenever the filmmakers resort to slow motion or speeded-up action. Often, background details are reduced to an indistinct blur which defy all attempts to resolve them into a dimensional image, and foreground details (grass, hanging branches, etc.) are often similarly unfocussed. However, these problems are not insurmountable, and the field sequential format is tailor-made for the reproduction on DVD of any 3-D movie photographed with truly professional polarizing equipment (HOUSE OF WAX, FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN, etc.). Sadly, while 'The Ultimate 3-D Horror Collection' keeps the field sequential process in the public eye and paves the way for GENUINE 3-D movies on DVD (with 'flat' and 3-D versions on the same disc), the technology is tainted by association with this kind of direct-to-video garbage, thereby hindering its acceptance within the mainstream.

For the record, the movies were all photographed full-screen at 1.33:1, which is preserved on DVD. Despite the Dolby Digital 5.1 symbol on the packaging, they're all 2.0 mono. Picture quality is fair to middling, and extras are limited to a couple of trailers. The discs are all-region, and there are no closed captions or subtitles. Running times: CAMP BLOOD (73m 24s), HUNTING SEASON (77m 30s) and THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES (71m 15s).

Great system, movies are OK but amatuerish stuff
Think of the price as paying for the system and glasses which work quite well and the DVDs as free bonuses, and you'll be OK. The flicks are all camcorder stuff with some interest but overall, don't expect too much. Use the glasses and seek out other, real 3-D movies from other sources.

Ultimate 3-D rubbish?
I recently bought this Ultimate 3D horror collection. I already have the Ultimate 3D Imax collection which is excellent. However the Horror collection was a complete disappointment. I think they must have had a budget of about [$] (and that is for all three films). The acting is apalling and the entire films looks as though they was filmed with a couple of cheap camcorders with the Nu-View system attached. The 3D effects are iffy at best. If you're choosing between this and the IMAX 3D package then DEFINITELY go with IMAX. I just wish, being a big fan of 3D films, that the big hollywood studios would take note that there is a lot of demand for 3D DVDs, and re-release all their big production 3D movies of past years in field sequential format on DVD. Maybe someday!

3-D makes up for serious flaws
I must admit that I am an older viewer and remember when 3-D movies were the craze. I saw "Creature From The Black Lagoon" as well as "Friday the 13th part 3 in 3-D". The films in this box set are nothing more than a showcase for the 3-D viewing system. This is not a bad thing a the 3-D is generally of good quality. The instruction manual pertaining to the 3-D set up is good and no one should have a problem. My only complaint is that it still is not a true 3-D system as the scenes are often clouded by improper camera angles or lighting. One will often experience double vision or massive "flickering" due to the 3-D effect. As the technology is not in place, this is a forgivable aspect as the effects that do come off are astounding. The three films presented are a much different matter. They are of the horrendously low budget variety and without merit, their only purpose is to illuminate three dimensional effects. I would recommend that only those intersted in 3-D bother with this collection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stephen King Collector Set
I just recently bought this DVD mainly for Rose Red and Storm of the Century. Two of King's newer Made for TV mini-series. These are definately two of his best and most watched series.

I only gave this product a 2 because the Dead Zone and Tommyknockers just don't deliver. Don't get me wrong, I love USA's Dead Zone series but this is only the pilot epsiode. I'd rather buy the complete first season. The glimpse of 2nd season special feature was only about 3 minutes long and didn't give any good details.

Then the Tommyknocker fiasco. I don't know about anyone else but I had problems with my copy. The sound and audio does not match on screen. You see the actors talking but you have to wait a half second to a full second before their lips move. Pretty bad. And of course I couldn't exchange it for another copy since I had already taken it out of the plastic. What a bummer.

Other than that, Rose Red and Storm of the Century are worth buying this. Give me what I want and I'll go away. hahaha. LEGION

Creepy as HELL :-)
This collection of Stephen King videos has kept me hooked for hours in front of the TV.

OF the four series that this collection contains, "Storm of the century"( 2 DVDs) and "Red Rose" ( 2 DVDs) somehow overshadows the other 2. With these 4 in the collection along with "Shinning", you can have a great collection of scarry and out of the world videos. Moreover buying these 4 together in this collection is cheaper for my wallet too :-) ... Read more

Description

The Guinea Pig Box Set is the complete series of Guinea Pig Films with 2 films per dvd in this limited 4 dvd box set. The films are... The Flower of Flesh and Blood, The Devil's Experiment, Mermaid in a Manhole, HeNever Dies, Android of Notre Dame, The Devil Doctor Woman, The Making of the Guinea Pig Series Documentary, The Making of Devil Doctor Woman and only available in this North American release: Guinea Pig's Greatest Cuts! A "best of" montage of non-stop gore from all of the films that will leave fans of horror screaming for more! The box set is filled to the gills with extras like the original Flower of Flesh and Blood comic book on which the films were based, reversible DVD covers featuring the original artwork from the Japanese releases and much much more! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Value
This package contains four films either produced or directed by Dan Curtis, creator of TV's "Dark Shadows." The most successful piece is "The Picture of Dorian Gray", featuring a moodier, more atmospheric interpretation than the classic film starring George Sanders (not yet on DVD, alas). The Dracula adaptation stars Jack Palance as the nefarious Count, and follows the novel much more closely than the Lugosi or Christopher Lee versions. Still, it's not as gripping as it could be.

Palance also stars as Jekyll/Hyde, and this film is easily the weakest of the bunch. Overlong and plodding, it never catches fire. Palance's understated performance is a plus, and there are several strong sequences, especially at the beginning, but towards the end it starts to drag.

The Turn of the Screw is excellent, a definitive adaptation of the Henry James novel. (The review below mentions an audio problem on this disc, but I didn't experience anything like that.) It's not often that I find a horror flick genuinely scary, but this one does the trick.

These films were (I believe) made for TV, so the video quality isn't great and the audio is mono. The films are also sold separately, so you're not forced to buy them all. But this package is the better value.

Defective Set???
Wow I love Dan Curtis and his stuff but Disc #4 Taming of the Shrew is Audio Defective! The menu and Bonus Clip interviews have sound but the actual Movie sound is almost completely muffled and inaudible! I called 'Julie' at MPI and she said it was the first she'd heard of it. I wonder if just mine was defective or a glitch in their pressings. I'd like some more feed backs on this set to see if others have this same problem. Rinky Dink Quality is why I'm giving this set a low mark. ... Read more

Description

Six Blood-Spattered Cult Classics from the Creator of Blood Feast and Two Thousand Maniacs !The Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, is back and ready to paint the room red with six outrageous tales of terror! A wigmaker and her psycho son make a Gruesome Twosome when they decide to use real human hair to stock their shop, fresh from bloody scalps! Enjoy A Taste of Blood as an elixir from Count Dracula turns an all-American businessman into a blood-craving creature of the night! Experience Something Weird when an electrical shock disfigures a man who makes a deadly deal with a cunning witch involving ESP, LSD, and killer bed sheets! Then an all-girl motorcycle gang of She-Devils on Wheels turns a small town into a rip-roaring bloodbath after a young girl's initiation sets off a chain of jealousy and murder! Grab a front row seat as The Wizard of Gore mutilates audience members in an act too gruesome to be real, or is it? Then get ready for lots of shakin' and screamin' as The Gore Gore Girls take the stage, where a psycho is picking off the strippers at a nightclub run by Henny Youngman! Mixing pitch-black humor and jaw-dropping blood and guts, these drive-in cult classics will leave stunned, shocked, and begging for more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Marvelous!
In 1963 Herschell Gordon Lewis, an independent filmmaker known for making limited release "cutie" pictures, changed forever the face of American cinema when he released "Blood Feast." This film, as low budget as you could possibly get, ushered in the era of the gore film. While it would be quite some time before Hollywood caught on to the fact that certain segments of the movie going public hungered for films containing nauseating scenes of explicit violence, H.G. Lewis took one look at the receipts for "Blood Feast" and decided he better quickly make another movie similar to this one. What followed was a series of gruesome zero budget shockers, films like "The Wizard of Gore," "A Taste of Blood," "2000 Maniacs," "Color Me Blood Red," and "The Gruesome Twosome." Lewis lensed the downright offensive "The Gore-Gore Girls" before retiring from the film business in 1972 in order to devote his time to the advertising industry. It wasn't until 2002 that the director returned to form with "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat," a movie which proved beyond a doubt that the Godfather of Gore still has what it takes to gross out an audience. It's elevates the soul to see something as audacious as a "Herschell Gordon Lewis Collection" hit stores. They even threw in a couple of Hersch's non-gore flicks for good measure.

I just can't get over a Lewis boxed set. First up is Lewis's ghastliest film, "The Gore-Gore Girls," a movie so repulsive that one must see it to believe it. What's the plot, you ask? What are you, somebody who needs a coherent plot? Well, there is a plot here if you look hard enough. Some nut's been going around dispatching the female employees at the local "men's clubs," so a newspaper hires crack detective Abraham Gentry (Frank Kress) to investigate the crimes. A ditzy local reporter, Nancy Weston, tags along and generally gets in the way whenever see can. You won't care about the plot when the gore starts rolling in. Lewis gives us a scene where a gal bobs for French fries, a hot iron applied to something other than clothing, and the grisly capper involving two types of milk. A head scene that rivals the atrocity we saw in "Toxic Avenger" makes an appearance, in case you were wondering. Whew! If you get through this movie intact, give yourself a pat on the back! Heck, if you can get through the cheesy canned jazz soundtrack, you'll be a winner in life. Look for Henny Youngman playing sleazy club owner Marzdone Mobilie, as well as Ray Sager from "The Wizard of Gore" hamming it up as a sniffling bartender.

Speaking of "The Wizard of Gore," this cinematic nightmare shows up in the set as well. Montag the Magician (Ray Sager) puts on a heck of show when he hypnotizes his audience and then proceeds to massacre a volunteer from the crowd in stomach churning close up. The tricks include a sword swallowing bit, a punch press, and the old railroad spike through the head gag that's so popular at kiddie birthday parties. No one sees what Montag is up to-they're hypnotized, remember-until the victim falls to pieces after the show. A suspicious feminist talk show host eventually catches on to the wizard's foul deeds and, with the help of her boyfriend, attempts to bring the malevolent magician to justice. The conclusion of the film is memorable only because it actually makes the viewer think, a rarity in the world of Herschell Gordon Lewis films. "The Wizard of Gore" is probably my favorite Lewis gore film, so it's nice to see it again here. The acting is as wooden as it could possibly get, the effects are dirt cheap, and there are more continuity errors than you can shake a stick at, but it's all done in good fun. You'll love it. Really!

"A Taste of Blood" and "The Gruesome Twosome" represent lesser H.G. Lewis productions (!). The former is the director's take on the vampire genre, as a chipper business chap named John Stone receives two mysterious bottles of wine from a recently deceased relative. Turns out that the stuff is blood from a vampire, which means by the time Stone finishes off the bottles, he becomes a walking Dracula. His wife Helen k