Reviews (12)

Good God
This little known feature is a must. By Larry Cohen (Black Ceasar/Q The Winged Serpant/Dial Rat For Terror) the New York based director.The film was initiially retitled called "Demon" after it was refused showings due to the title. A dedicated Christian (oh dear) COP (oh dear,oh dear) starts his investigations in a seemingly senseless spake of sniper killings. Thats about all I can tell you without spoiling it,but this film goes down paths that you never thought it would and suprises all the way to the end. There is also a small apearence by Andy Kaufman (Latka from "TAXI") as a cop who goes kill crazy at a parade. Watch and see why "God Told Me Too"

God Told Me To Write This...
Yes, this is one weird movie. Mass murder has broken out in New York City like a particularly bad flu epidemic. The film opens with a guy perched on a water tower, gunning down pedestrians for no apparent reason. Tony Lo Bianco is a cop named Nicholas who climbs the tower to talk to the man. When asked why he did it, the gunman says, "God told me to." He then takes a swan-dive onto the street below. Nicholas is a very religious man and is fascinated with the idea of God telling anyone to commit mass murder. The murders keep happening. A man goes to the market and stabs a bunch of customers. Andy Kaufman is a cop who goes berserk at the St. Patrick's Day parade and shoots cops and bystanders alike. Another guy kills his entire family and calmly waits for the police. Of course there's one common denominator in all of these incidents. God told them to do it. Nicholas digs deeper into the mystery to the point of losing his job. He seeks out a young man with long blonde hair who was seen with all the killers just before their crimes. He finds the blonde man's mother, who promptly tries to kill him. Later, Nicholas is told by an older, retired officer about a strange occurance back in 1951. A woman he picked up (running naked down the road) told him she'd been abducted by aliens and raped. Nicholas finds her, still living, in a nursing home. What dark secrets does she hold? What connection is there between Nicholas and the blonde haired man? GOD TOLD ME TO is a VERY different movie! Is God really orchestrating these killings? Or is some alien hybrid only impersonating the deity? Check this one out...

God Told Me To....Kill! that sounds fun!
A New York City policemen investigating a series of particularly brutal homicides discovers an eerie link between the cases - when the murderers are asked why they committed the crime they all claim, "God Told Me To."

A Very Strange Movie!

Not worth the time or the money.
What is this very-hyped movie about?

New York City sees a rash of killings. Before dying, each murderer says, "God told me to."

Upon investigation, detective Tony Lo Bianco (who should have known better than to get involved in this mess of a film) discovers that all were influenced by a young man who looks vaguely like Jesus Christ. In reality, both he and Lo Bianco were fathered by aliens who abducted their virgin mothers 30 years before. In Lo Bianco's case, the genes of the alien were recessive and his mother's humanity dominated. In the other man's case, the alien genes were dominant. (...)

If you're saying "Huh?", you're on to the mystery of this film. Is it scary? Not at all. Is it funny? Not really. Is it poorly acted? Not really. Is the script ludicrous? You bet. Does it explain everything? Yes. Is it worth 92 minutes and 15-20 bucks to learn the mystery of the androgynous Messiah(...)? No.

Cohen's Q-The Winged Serpent and It's Alive are far better than this disaster of a film...and that's saying a lot.

Seriously Potent Stuff!
Larry Cohen's GOD TOLD ME TO is one of the most intelligent, gritty horror/thrillers ever made! In New York, a series of mass murders occur with each perpetrator saying the title phrase. But is there something more going on here? Tony Lo Bianco is excellent as the devout Catholic policeman who is investigating this bizarre phenomenon and discovers something really shocking about himself along the way! As with most cult movies, GOD TOLD ME TO must be seen to be believed; it's a genuinely thought-provoking and scary thriller that raises interesting questions about religion. The visual style is amazing; it inspired the look of shows like NYPD BLUE and 24. In the tradition of the best science fiction movies, GOD TOLD ME TO raises more questions than answers, and very important questions at that. Don't miss it! ... Read more

Description

Legendary sex symbol Carroll Baker (BABY DOLL, THE SWEET BODY OF DEBORAH) stars as a mysterious sorceress with an undying hunger for sensual ecstasy and unspeakable torture. But when she casts a spell over a beautiful young fashion photographer (the gorgeous Isabelle De Funés), Milan’s most luscious models are sucked into a nightmare world of lesbian seduction and shocking sadism. Are these carnal crimes the result of one woman’s forbidden fantasies or is this the depraved curse of the devil witch known as BABA YAGA?

George Eastman (THE GRIM REAPER) co-stars in this provocative EuroShocker (also known as DEVIL WITCH and KISS ME KILL ME) written and directed by Corrado Farina and based on the notorious S&M comic Valentina by Guido Crepax. Blue Underground is now proud to present BABA YAGA restored from pristine vault materials and packed with eye-popping Extras, including never-before-seen erotic outtakes from the Italian Censors archives as well as the director’s own private collection. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Underrated, unusual slasher gets A-grade DVD treatment
To say THE PROWLER is any kind of great film is simply untrue. However, the whole thing has an eerie, unsettling, dream-like quality to it that carries it through the slower patches and makes the film's near-total lack of coherency and logic much easier to take. The tension is kept taught throughout, and with top-notch scoring, photography, gore effects and direction, makes for a surprisingly effective and repeatable horror film. Just make sure you watch it in the dead of night! The Blue Underground DVD has a fine anamorphic transfer that is as good as the original negatives will allow, some fascinating on-set footage of the make-up effects, an impressive stills and poster gallery that is definitely worth ploughing through and a superb, hugely entertaining commentary with director Joseph Zito and make-up maestro Tom Savini. Very much recommended.

Not just your typical 80s Slasher
The Prowler has become one my favorite films. There is some bashing of this one, but I really don't get it. I love everything about this movie. The storyline, how the killer looks, the weaponry of his choice. It was like nothing I'd seen before. Also, a great showcase of the incredible talents of legendary FX artist Tom Savini. Contrary to popular belief, There is an explanation for the killings, like most slashers have some vague motive... the Prowler's motive was to get revenge on Rosemary for leaving him. Simple as that. I really dont think that many people who watch horror films religiously worry about plot and details too much anyways. The film definetly delivers in the violence department. If you're looking for a different kind of slasher, go ahead and pick this up. I think Prowler and Frank Zito could have been best friends.

Plain awful; everything that HALLOWEEN wasn't
I don't think even Tom Savini's impressively gory make-up effects (seen uncut on this DVD edition, which for some I imagine is a plus) saved this movie. At least FRIDAY THE 13TH had a decent sense of atmosphere; THE PROWLER is just plain boring. Obviously it seems director Joseph Zito (who directed the fourth FRIDAY THE 13TH film, which was only marginally better) is more interested in the next bloody killing than he is in creating genuine atmosphere or suspense---a common (and definitely serious) problem with many post-HALLOWEEN slasher flicks. For those who don't demand graphic gore in their horror movies, HALLOWEEN is clearly the way to go if you're looking for a well-made, stylish, suspenseful slasher flick. THE PROWLER, even with Tom Savini's perverse imagination at work, is absolutely negligible in any genre.

Uninspired
It's not scary. It's not interesting. There is only one good aspect of this movie and that is the superb effects by Tom Savini. They are some of the best I have seen him do (I have yet to see Maniac.) Otherwise, this is a big waste of time. You just wait for the next grisly death scene, but could care less about any of the characters or where the movie is going (nowhere.) Very typical slasher flick with some gory deaths. No suspense, no wit, no depth, no nothing.

A Slasher Flick With A Moral
The moral? Don't dump your boyfriend while he's overseas fighting the Germans. Well that's just what Rose does and now we got a bloodbath on our hands. The success of Friday The 13th gave us about 600 other slasher flicks in the early 80s. I'm a big fan of this all but forgotten subgenre. The Prowler stands out(to me anyway) as one of the best of those films. There's nothing new here-nothing you haven't seen in every other slasher flick. You'll figure out who the killer is a half hour into the film, but we're not really watching this movie for twists or suspense. But it does have a creepy looking killer and some of the bloodiest deaths for this kind of movie. Slasher flicks always tried to create gruesome and creative deaths. The Prowler's deaths aren't all that creative(lots of pitchfork and bayonette stabbings is all), but they are bloody. They look Fulci-esque. This also has one of the goofiest looking leading men I've ever seen. Directed by Joeseph Zito who brought us the timeless classics, Friday The 13th-The Final Chapter, Invasion USA and Missing In Action. With that said, you no longer have a reason not to own this. Get to the store. Chop chop. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

High Crime in Rio worth a look
This film is a solid sixties style tour in every aspect. It is a model of a "Mission Impossible' adventure and resembles an early James Bond flick *(Thunderball) in the carnival scenes and LARGO (minus the eye patch and Spectre ring) is even in THIS picture! A professor (Edward G. Robinson) plans a jewel heist and has four experts handle the theft. All of this takes place in Rio during 'Carnival' and we are shown how professionals work together to obtain the goal. A Playboy, A Safecracker, An Electronics Expert and A Military Enforcer work as the team. There is tension and struggle here that will keep you interested and the melody of the Carnival will remain with you long after the picture is over. A neat little plot twist is included in the ending scene in Rome. Well worth the viewing, not the greatest epic ever made but certainly entertaining.

Haunting Moods
Without re-hashing the synopsis of this classic heist thriller shown above, let me say I really loved two things about this DVD: being in Rio De Janeiro in the mid 60's, and the incredible haunting music by Ennio Morricone. His soundtrack is as good or better than any other movie he scored. There is some great, haunting bossa nova music in this caper. This movie was virtually impossible to find on video. Now you can view in the clarity of DVD. This movie is worth having if you love Brazil, and want to hear some classic moody 60's music. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

We've Been Hit By A Ghoooooooost Ship
God bless the kind folks at Blue Underground who like these midnight horror flicks as much as the fans, and have the funds to put them out on dvd. Shock Waves is one of the many fun titles they have released. I originally saw this movie on USA when they had a show called "Saturday Nightmares" back in the late eighties. This movie's always been a favorite of mine coz of it's concept and because of Peter Cushing. Just the idea of the Nazis screwing around with science and the supernatural to make zombie soldiers is creepy-and it's not too crazy a notion to assume they actually might have tried that. I've always like the whole stranded on an island concept for some reason. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the water, so the fact that all this chaos emerges from the ocean adds a little depth(Get it? Depth? Ocean? Water?)to the scariness for me. Yeah, it's cheap, the acting is mediocre(except Cushing of course), it's corny at times, but it has something. The look of the zombies, the way they move, the way they stare at people.......it's creepy. Cushing makes too early of an exit as well as Carradine, but what can ya do? For a "zombie" film there is a surprising lack of gore, but that's no big deal coz the movie goes more for the suspense angle, and succeeds most of the time. Roger Waters samples this film for a song on his Amused To Death album. That's bizarre. I guess Roger Waters likes Shock Waves as well. Could Roger Waters lead you astray? NO! So watch this.

From the Depths of Hell's Ocean Comes...Nazi Zombies!
On a desolate, nondescript Caribbean island, shipwreck survivors are surprised to discover that an eccentric old German doctor resides there in an abandoned and dilapidated hotel. They soon learn, however, that the old Teutonic medical man is more that just eccentric; he's a former S.S. officer who has continued with the experiments assigned to him by Der Führer. And it isn't long before the castaways find themselves battling for survival against a corps of amphibious Nazi zombies!

This off-the-wall, low-budget horror film is just as goofy as it sounds, but it's still pretty good fun. And believe it or not, it actually spawned a bizarre sub-genre of Nazi zombie films that includes 1981's THE LAKE OF THE LIVING DEAD (a.k.a. ZOMBIE LAKE), 1981's NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES, and 1983's THE OASIS OF THE LIVING DEAD (a.k.a. BLOODSUCKING NAZI ZOMBIES), to name just a few. None of its cinematic offspring quite reach the guilty-pleasure or cult status of SHOCK WAVES, though.

British horror icon Peter Cushing portrays the former S.S. officer, his interpretation somewhat reminiscent of his turns as Dr. Frankenstein in the films that came out of England's Hammer Studios in the 1960s and early 1970s. Actor John Carradine, a familiar face in American horror from the 1930s through the 1980s, appears in the minor role of the captain of the shipwrecked vessel. Carradine's character dies early in the film, however, so the two great horror veterans never get to share any screen time. A very unfortunate missed opportunity, as such a pairing certainly could've pushed SHOCK WAVES just a smidgen closer to notability.

Actress Brooke Adams has a prominent role as one of the shipwreck survivors. (Indeed, the story actually unfolds like a sort of flashback as her character thinks back to the experience.) Genre fans will recognize her from such films as the 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, the 1983 film version of Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE, a cameo in Larry Cohen's 1985 horror satire THE STUFF, and many others.

The edition of SHOCK WAVES on DVD from the folks at Blue Underground is pretty good. Considering that the film was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm, and taking into account the fact that the disc was digitized from the director's personal copy of the film (the only complete version known to exist, according to the DVD jacket notes), this transfer--in anamorphic widescreen at the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1--looks quite good. In fact, when compared to the crappy video versions previously available, it's easy to forgive the minor filmic artifacts and the sometimes soft details.

And the DVD has some great bonus material, too. The best is the feature commentary with director Ken Wiederhorn, make-up man Alan Ormsby, and filmmaker Fred Olen Ray. The trio are delightfully glib and candid, offering lots of humorous and informative anecdotes regarding their experiences in making low-budget horror. There's an interview with star Luke Halpin, who offers some info about his costars and some of his memories about making the film, and there are also a few radio spots, a television spot, and the film's theatrical trailer.

As far as films go, SHOCK WAVES is not the best that Blue Underground has to offer, but it's nonetheless one of those fun guilty pleasures that fans of schlocky low-budget horror will want to add to their DVD collections.

SHOCK WAVES
AN EXCELLENT,ENTERTAINING CLASSIC!VERY CREEPY AND SCARY.WELL WORTH THE PURCHASE.CHECK OUT THIS A+ MOVIE YOU WILL DEFINITELY ENJOY!!!

"And now they have returned"
Once again, William Lustig's company Blue Underground released another cult classic film on DVD. This time around, it is the 1977 zombie flick "Shock Waves." Zombie pictures are usually quite formulaic; some unexplainable event-a plague, virus, radiation exposure, military project gone horribly awry, or some similar disaster of epic proportions-results in the deceased rising from their graves to wreak havoc on the living. Over the top gore is the usual result from interactions between ravaging zombies and their hapless living victims. George Romero started the modern fascination with the undead in his black and white classic "Night of the Living Dead." More films followed from Romero and from other directors. For instance, Lucio Fulci scored points with his ultra gooey 1979 "Zombie." Recently, Danny Boyle of "Trainspotting" fame attempted to rework the formula in "28 Days Later" by having his creatures falling victim to an extreme rage type virus. "Shock Waves" is different from these films in that there is no gore, the dead have not risen en masse to destroy humanity, and these zombies are not interested in consuming their victims. Surprisingly, "Shock Waves" carries a 'PG' rating.

A group of vacationers on a charted boat encounter trouble when a strange weather condition sends the boat off course. The captain of the vessel (played by John Carradine) downplays the entire incident in an attempt to soothe his passengers' frayed nerves, but even he is slightly worried about what's going on. His navigator Keith (Luke Halpin) expresses concern, too, especially when the boat nearly runs into an abandoned freighter in the middle of the night. As for the passengers, only Norman (Jack Davidson) makes a lot of noise about being lost at sea. The other travelers, including Norman's wife Beverly (D.J. Sidney), Rose (Brooke Adams), and Chuck (Fred Bush) seem to take it all in stride. When that wrecked freighter floats by, however, the tension ratchets up considerably. For one thing, the two boats touched just enough to push our group's ship onto a coral reef. Stranded without a radio-Carradine's character inexplicably tossed it overboard when it would not work-the crew and passengers row to a nearby island. There they find an abandoned building inhabited by a threatening former SS commander (Peter Cushing) who tells them a weird story about the freighter now sitting on the rocks offshore.

According to this ex-military officer, he was in charge of a special division of the SS during the war called Der Toden Korps, or the Death Corps, an outfit composed of criminal elements of society turned into some sort of living/non-living soldiers by German scientists. The results were horrific, and as the war ended Cushing's character sank his vessel rather than turn these odd hybrids over to the Allies. Now, it seems the soldiers have risen from the seabed and returned to their commander. The remaining crew and passengers of the charter boat are now caught on an island populated by zombies clad in military uniforms and wearing dark goggles that have the ability to function underwater. These very creepy looking zombies for some reason wish to destroy everyone on the island. It is going to be very difficult to get off an atoll without a boat, and phones are out of the question. The people trapped in this situation will need to use their wits if they want to survive.

Nothing in this summary gives away important aspects of the movie. In fact, you will learn most of this information from the film's short introduction and from the trailer included as an extra. What the trailer will not give you is a sense of the film's creepy atmosphere and claustrophobic environment. Aside from the performances, which are all great for a low budget thriller, it is the island, the zombies, and the musical score that raises the goose bumps on your arms. Setting the story on a small tropical island completely out of touch with the rest of society imbues the film with a distinct sense of isolation, an isolation the filmmakers punch up on a routine basis with lingering shots of the vacant sea and the empty terrain of the island. Moreover, the zombies are downright ominous. This particular bunch of SS soldiers was trained to fight and live underwater, so when they arrive on the island they tend to move in and out of the ocean. There's a great shot of the Toden Korps "waking up" and rising out of the sea that recalls to some extent Nosferatu rising from his coffin in F.W. Murnau's classic film. And don't forget that music! A more brooding synth score would be difficult to find. It has that late 1970s and early 1980s feel to it without sounding cheesy. These three elements make the movie; so much so that I hardly missed the gore that usually accompanies any true zombie film.

The movie has a few plot problems. How, for example, is it possible for zombies to remain underwater for thirty years yet their uniforms are still intact? Too, the Rose character figures out how to stop the zombies yet no one else seems interested. The only thing mentioned is a vague reference to the SS soldiers despising the light. If I knew how to survive in a situation like this, I would tell everyone around me how to do it. Still, these problems don't hamper the overall effect of the movie. The Blue Underground DVD contains a short interview with actor Luke Halpin, a commentary track, a trailer, television and radio advertisements, and a detailed gallery. The transfer quality, although in widescreen, isn't very good. Colors are hazy and washed out with significant grain marring the picture. It's surprising to see a Blue Underground transfer of less than stellar quality. Horror fans should pick up "Shock Waves" in a hurry. It's a nice addition to your zombies run amuck collection.

Good plot for a B-movie
During the war with Nazi Germany several Allied units reported coming across SS units that were virtual killing machines and would fight only with their barehands. It would seem that Nazi scientists experimented on the bodies of German soldiers killed in action. The individuals of course were the absolute worst sort (sadists, murderers, war criminals, etc.) and that is saying alot seeing it is Nazi Germany! These individuals were given a unit entitled Toten Korps ala the Death Corps. This experiment had some success but these quasi zombie like SS soldiers were uncontrolable and were pulled off the battlefields for further study. As the war was drawing to a conclusion the last remaining squad of Toten Korps was put to sea to await further orders which never come. The commander (Peter Cushing) scuttles the ship. The ship and her 'cargo' are condemened to the ocean floor....for now anyway!

The movie starts off many year later with a boat load of tourists and crew who happen to ram the old wreck stirring up its 'cargo.' The crew and passengers take refuge on a nearby deserted island populated only by the former SS Commander Peter Cushing who is in hiding. Naturally the SS zombie soldiers lay siege to the island and begin picking off the crew and tourists.

That is Shockwaves in a nutshell. The plot is great and it is what makes this movie. The acting is good for a B movie and it does create an erie atmosphere. I would recomend it because it is unique. This is not a run of the mill zombie flik with buckets of gore and pathetic special effects. This is , again, a well done B-movie! Thumbs up on this one! ... Read more

Description

From the director of NEAR DARK and the producer of WILD AT HEART - First time ever on DVD!

Willem Dafoe made his unforgettable movie debut as the leader of a ‘50s biker gang lost in a world of black leather, bad girls and sudden violence in the independent hit that marked the emergence of one of modern cinema’s most important woman directors. Rockabilly icon Robert Gordon co-stars in this evocative drama co-written and co-directed by Kathryn Bigelow (NEAR DARK and POINT BREAK) and Monty Montgomery (producer of WILD AT HEART and TWIN PEAKS) with a too-cool soundtrack featuring original music by Robert Gordon and John Lurie. Hailed as ‘the thinking man’s biker movie,’ THE LOVELESS now features a stunning new transfer from original negative materials and an exclusive audio commentary with Bigelow, Montgomery and Willem Dafoe.

EXTRAS INCLUDE:
Audio Commentary with Star Willem Dafoe, Co-Writer/Directors Kathryn Bigelow and Monty Montgomery

Theatrical Trailer

Poster & Still Galleries ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Good for what it is...
First of all, this is a very good transfer. Blue Underground really goes all out when it comes to restoration. Secondly, though interesting, the extras don't add up to much. Trailers, a very small feature about the infamous nail-gun scene, radio spots, a Cameron Mitchell bio and a running commentary. For the price, the quality of the transfer is worth it for fans of the film. As for the film itself, the title basically says it all. In this viewer's opinion it's an above average slasher flick. It COULD be taken seriously except for the fact that some of the victims just aren't trying hard enough to escape. Overall, a noteworthy effort cinematically in terms of trash films and worth adding to any slasher fan's collection.

Very Cheap and Quite Nasty
"The ToolBox Murders" is one of those films that has gained most of its notoriety because of it's title. The question for anyone new to watching it is, does it live up to the promise? Well the answer is yes, but only for the first 20 minutes. Pretty much as soon as the film starts, the viewer is treated to several murders featuring hammers, drills and screwdrivers, all in quick succession, and all of women. After a brief pause for breath, the film plays its trump card, the scene in which a woman is interrupted while taking a bath to be chased naked around her apartment by the killer, who this time is wielding a nail gun. This scene is by far the nastiest in the movie, even though the special effects are achieved very cheaply. Actually, goremongers may be upset to learn that most of the gore in the movie is delivered in a very cheap and poorly filmed way. The editing of the first batch of murders is terrible...it seems that only the nail gun murder had any kind of story boarding or professional editing done on it!
Sadly, there is worse to come, for after this eye-popping first half hour, the film grinds to a virtual standstill, as it is at this point that the murderer is revealed and the killings all but stop as the action turns to the detectives trying to solve the case, along with depicting the prolonged plight of a young girl who the murderer has kidnapped and is keeping bound and gagged at his home. This remainding section of the film just drags on and on, despite some laughs on offer from Cameron Mitchel as he pours his heart out to the terrified girl.
On that note, the rest of the acting talent on offer throughout the movie is also rock bottom bad, especially in some of the minor roles where performances reach almost H.G. Lewis standards! About the only exception to this is Pamelyn Ferdin as the unlucky final victim, who does manage to wring some believeability out of her plight, despite having to share screen time with Cameron Mitchell singing "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child."...oh dear.
The DVD edition of the movie presents a great picture considering the quality of the film is pretty ropey at best. And there are some nice extras, including an interview with Kelly Nicholls, who suffered the nail gun murder. Its surprising that a film this poor has enough of an audience to deserve such a good DVD makeover, as it's strong points are few and far between. Strangely, all the murders are set to twee country music that seems to be playing out of every record player in the apartment block, something I have not often seen before. In fact, during the nail gun murder, this lends an almost surreal touch to the unfolding horror, leaving me to wonder if the effect was intentional or just decided on at random. That, and the seriously downbeat ending (quite effective in my opinion, at least for anyone who hasn't switched off before that time), are probably the only original touches to the movie which sadly fails in all other respects to come close to the style and quality of the countless better films it so obviously is trying to copy.

Toolbox Murders.... A Slasher Great
The Toolbox Murders is an preety low budget slasher, which in my opinion, is very entertaining and delivers the goods. I really enjoyed it. It may be contraversial, sadistic, and the direct opposite of Oscar worthy material, but If you enjoy violence, beautiful women and cinematic savegrey... this is the film for you. I do not own the DVD, but since it was released by Blue Underground, im sure its immaculate. Find a copy, and enjoy.

Not As Scary As Mitchell's Facelift
Most of the controversy surrounding "The Toolbox Murders" revolved around charges of misogyny rather than extreme gore. To that end, the infamous "nail gun scene"--which was featured on "60 Minutes" and "Donahue" as an example of violence against women in film--is unsettling for its blend of eroticism and cold brutality, making the movie flirt with a snuff mentality. It's also one of the more groundbreaking scenes in splatter movies and the most effective scene in "The Toolbox Murders." Otherwise, the movie isn't any different from a whole host of other gore movies. It's better than most, with OK performances and a fair amount of technical proficiency for what it is, but there are few moments that are going to make much impact on today's jaded horror fans. Most of the murders occur in the first half of the movie, and while they're bloody, there have been more graphic scenes on "ER." In the movie's second half it pretends to be a mystery, even though you know who the murderer is within the first five minutes.

The DVD includes an 8-minute interview with Marianne Walter, who played the victim in the nail gun scene and who later, under the name Kelly Nichols, became "an adult film actress." (First the nail gun scene and then a porn star--Ms. Walter was just giving the feminists fits!) The commentary, by producer Tony Didio, director of photography Gary Graver and a VERY PERKY Pamelyn Ferdin, has some enlightening moments, but it gets redundant after about 30 minutes.

Ultimately, though, about the scariest thing in "The Toolbox Murders" is star Cameron Mitchell's facelift.

A snoozer
What? Only one review for the ultra sleazy 1978 film "The Toolbox Murders"? There must be some mistake because a lack of fulsome praise for this piece of junk is most surprising. Blue Underground, a DVD company formed by the director of such morally uplifting pieces of cinema like "Uncle Sam" and "Maniac," William Lustig, knew a hit when they saw it and gave "The Toolbox Murders" star treatment. Of course, Blue Underground gives every schlock movie they release the works because they recognize there are enough viewers out there who appreciate this crud as much as they do. But "The Toolbox Murders" is junk, plain and simple. Scary? Nope. Gory? Not really. Engaging? No. The only value such films as this one have occurs when it inspires film censorship boards to have conniption fits, resulting in a whole lot of bad press that actually serves to make people remember it as a classic. I think this one eventually ended up on some sort of British "video nasties" restricted list until recently. That sounds impressive until you learn the same board banned Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs." Anyway, "The Toolbox Murders" probably never looked better than it does on DVD.

This film has a premise that sounds like a winner: a loony and his toolbox wreak an amazing amount of damage on the residents of a small apartment building somewhere in California. Even more amazing are the number of beautiful, vulnerable young women who live alone in these apartments. Using a nail gun, drill, screwdrivers, and almost anything else you can think of that might dwell in the confines of a toolbox, the killer moves from one abode to another with seeming abandon. That the killer eludes the prying eyes of the police and the local populace isn't that surprising. After all, a guy lugging around a box full of tools doesn't set off alarm bells. Whoever is inflicting fatalities in the area is causing no end of worry to those residents who have yet to receive a visit. The landlord, played by one time Hollywood up and comer Cameron Mitchell, also pops in from time to time in order to wring his hands over the carnage and promise to ratchet up security in the area. Still, the atrocities continue and fear hangs over the area like dark clouds of doom, a doom made even worse when the killer kidnaps a young girl in one of the apartments and carries her off to what could only be a fate worse than death.

Fortunately for every one involved, her brother is one of those pesky types who won't sit idly by when family members face danger. He teams up with a painter friend, who just happens to be the son of the landlord, and the two begin making tentative inquiries in an effort to solve the crimes and locate the missing sister. Who says kids are lazy and unmotivated? It is sad to say, but "The Toolbox Murders" doesn't provide any long-term motivation for America's youth to follow through on a murder investigation. As the kid finally discovers the killer's identity, one of those twists of fate only found in horror movies rears its ugly head and permanently discourages our young investigator with a splash of turpentine and a flaming match. It turns out that the killer's precious daughter died due to a lapse in morality with the result that father kind of lost it upstairs. The crimes are actually divinely inspired missions dedicated to rubbing out immorality wherever it pops up. The kidnapped girl isn't one of the murderer's targets, but rather a young lady who reminds him of his own dear, departed daughter. He doesn't want to hurt her but wants to keep her close by for intimate confessions about what he is doing to honor his daughter's memory.

"The Toolbox Murders" is quite ridiculous. The producers even throw in a statement at the end about how this story really happened and how the kidnapped girl spent some time recovering in a mental asylum, etc. I cannot vouch for the veracity of these claims, but something tells me what we just saw in the preceding ninety or so minutes was something quite different from any real incident. It isn't that I have difficulty in believing some maniac somewhere attacked a young woman with a nail gun, or someone kidnapped a young girl because they made a weird association between a deceased daughter and a living person. I just refuse to believe this specific story. Announcing that "real events inspired this horrific tale" is a cheap marketing ploy used by Hollywood in an attempt to draw in a record number of ticket buying dupes. If you want real tragedy, turn on the evening news or sign up for a ride along with your local police department. If I thought this was a truthful reenactment for a second, I wouldn't watch it. Reality births enough horrors without seeing someone try and profit from actual human sorrow.

The acting, sets, special effects, and script definitely fall into the category of sub par, but a few things work to keep the plot moving along. Seeing Cameron Mitchell sell his soul for a paycheck is amusing and convinces me that even the worst role in a bad movie is light years better than actually working for a living. That scene where the redhead encounters the murderer during a moment of bliss is worth watching. Otherwise, I thought this movie was strictly average fare. If you do like the movie, Blue Underground includes a commentary track (!), an interview with the aforementioned redhead, trailers, and poster galleries. They even put the film in a widescreen format! Give it a shot if you like horror movies. Everyone else should pass. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Wonderful acting
One does not usually expect to find quality acting in a movie like this, but I was quite surprised.

David Carradine plays a policeman on the trail of two cases that seem linked. The first involves a window washer who suddenly loses his head. Later there are more rooftop disappearances, seemingly perpetrated by a giant bird. The second case involved a series of ritualistic murders. They seem to be the work of a fanatic following Aztec rituals to bring back the god Quetzalcoatl.

Carradine's portrayal is excellent but he cannot hold a candle to Michael Moriarty who plays a down-on-his-luck loser. He wants to be a jazz pianist but is still unemployed. He is also a timid small-time crook. He is a driver ("I don't go inside and I don't carry a piece!"). But a job goes wrong and he finds himself on the run.

Moriarty hides in the Chrysler building and discovers that the run-down art-deco spire is the home of the giant bird. There is even an egg in the nest. A body hidden there gets him thinking. The city is in fear of the bird and he knows where it is. He is convinced he is now the most important man in the city.

Now that he thinks he has power, he holds the safety of the city for ransom. He wants money and a "Nixon-like" pardon. But his arrogant cockiness loses him his girl (she had felt sorry for him but now could see how mean he really is).

The city acquiesces to Moriarty's demands and go after the monster. Because the bird is not in the nest when they arrive, the city is able to pull out of the deal.

In the end, Carradine manages to take care of the bird and track down the ritual killer. Moriarty is back where he started minus one girlfriend (although Carradine tries to convince him to go back to her).

Good tight acting with Moriarty giving an amazing performance. The stop-motion effects on the creature are a little crude at times but not really bad considering the time period and the budget.

Definitely a fun film to watch with a minimum of gore (although there is a scene where street crowds are splattered by blood from the skies). Find it and watch it.

Larry Cohen Strikes Again!
If you like outrageous humor, Q is simply irresistable. First, there's a giant mythic Aztec "serpent" which makes a habit of swooping down on unsuspecting New York sunbathers and construction workers. (We get to see New York through the eyes of the bird---expressionistic style.) In a likeable performance, David Carradine as a police detective, diligently researches the creature and then tracks it down---his efforts climax in a hilarious "finale" in which Carradine and his cohorts attempt to machine-gun the monster as it collides into buildings. Doubling the fun is a wonderful performance by Michael Moriarty as a frustrated jazz pianist who resorts to small-time crime to make a living and ends up discovering the serpent's egg at the top of the Empire State Building. (As Mr. Moriarty happily confides to the audience, "I'm afraid of almost everything, but I'm not afraid of heights!") Whether singing scat songs, hobbling through New York on a gimpy leg, or demanding immunity from the police ("I want a Nixon-like pardon!"), Mr. Moriarty is always a delight. And so is this movie.

Horror In The Sky
I remember seeing this film when I was 7 or 8 years old and it scared me senseless. Seeing people getting their heads chopped off and mutalated from who knows what that flies around a big city gave me an uneasy eerie feeling. I didn't know what the name of this movie was and I was looking for it in the video stores. I stumbled onto this accidentally and taking my chances of this being the dragon in the sky killing people movie that I saw 20 years ago, I bought it. After seeing it again, this is the movie that scared me to death so many years ago. Though, by today's standards, this movie is rather cheap and cheesy, it still gave me that uneasy eerie feeling. This movie is original, having a flying dragon that is summoned by ritual killings, that eats people like birds eat worms. This movie is a hybrid of Godzilla and slasher flicks. This is definately B-movie material, but it's fun to watch and brings back some childhood memories... and that is worth more than the price of admission.

Quetzalco-What-L?!
Q is for Quetzalcoatl, the flying, feathered serpent god of the ancient aztecs. It seems that some nut is loose in NYC, performing ancient sacrificial rites on willing participants, skinning them alive and taking out hearts and things. The police figure it's just another crazy serial killer. Only David Carradine's character believes there's more to it than that. Meanwhile, a small-time, ex-heroin addict, and street crook (played perfectly sleazily by Michael Moriarty) is being hunted by thugs who think he's ripped them off. These elements begin to merge when a gigantic flying monster starts biting people's heads off in broad daylight! Moriarty stumbles upon the creature's nest, complete with giant egg, while trying to hide in the top of the Chrysler building. He later leads his enemies back to the nest, telling them he's hidden their money there. They quickly become monster chow. Moriarty then decides to tell police where the beast lives, if they will drop all charges against him, and give him a million bucks. He considers himself to be prince of the city, and becomes extremely arrogant about it. The cops destroy the egg and it's mum, in a battle reminiscent of king kong. The "high priest" serial killer guy is enraged by this, and pays a visit on our slimey anti-hero. This is a movie only Larry Cohen (It's Alive!, God Told Me To) would / could make! Low-low budget, but excellent nonetheless. We don't see a lot of the monster, but when we do, it's pretty cool for 1982. Q for Quality...

Don't bother
I was lured to buy the DVD version of "Q" after reading some amazon costumers' reviews. However, once I saw the film, I had to conclude they greatly overrated it. "Q" is badly written and has a terrible edition. Besides, it focuses so much in Michael Moriarty's character that it ends overlooking the snake itself (and I don't actually mean showing the monster... sometimes you can achieve really artistic results without doing that frequently). There are better low budget monster movies out there. Thus, my recommendation is that you forget about this title and get "The Howling" or something like that. ... Read more

Description

The Notorious X-Rated ‘French’ Version!

For his epic shocker of caged women gone wild, legendary director Jess Franco (EUGENIE, SADOMANIA) brought together a once-in-a-lifetime cast of International beauties including Maria Schell (THE ODESSA FILE), Luciana Paluzzi (THUNDERBALL), Rosalba Neri (LADY FRANKENSTEIN) and Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS). Oscar winner Mercedes McCambridge (JOHNNY GUITAR) and Herbert Lom (THE DEAD ZONE, MARK OF THE DEVIL) co-star as the sadistic wardens of an island prison where abused yet luscious young lovelies surrender to their own depraved desires. Behind bars…without men…experience the unchained passion of 99 WOMEN!

This limited edition of the recently discovered ‘French’ version features all of its long-rumored scenes of extreme sexuality, now totally uncut for the first time ever in America! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Critically Disliked 1969 Women's Prison Film
{NOTE: There are two versions of this movie for sale on Amazon, both have been linked together; I'm reviewing the unrated director's cut not the x-rated French film}

1969 unrated director's cut.The movie has numerous alternate titles, including: "Isle of Lost Women," "99 Donne," "99 mujeres," "Island of Despair," "Prostitutes in Prison," "The Hot Death"

DVD features: The DVD contains a copy of the unrated director's cut plus "extras."The extras include: an interview with the director ("It was a time when the whole world was enjoying a freedom from censorship." - well, I guess he censored himself then; interesting, after the fact some more "hot" scenes were added); deleted & alternate scenes (3; nudity (hard to see) in one scene); trailer (which appears to contain most of the nudity); poster & still galleries and some DVD-Rom feature that I couldn't access.

Credits: Mercedes McCambridge (Superintendent Thelma Diaz; Oscar nomination for "Giant," won for "All the King's Men"), Maria Schell (Superintendent Leonie Caroll; "The Odessa File"), red-head Luciana Paluzzi (Natalie Mendoza), Rosalba Neri (Zoie; "The Arena"), Maria Rohm (Marie), Eliza Montes (Helga), Valentina Godoy (Rosalie), and Herbert Lom (Governor Santos; "The Pope Must Die").Written by Peter Welbeck.Directed by Jess Franco ("Incubus" (2002)).Filmed on an island in the Mediterranean.

Plot: The movie is about a female prison located on an island off the coast of Panama.The guards are "sadistic" (mostly occurs before the action or off-camera) and women are allowed to die (one shown).Also, forced lesbianism "abounds" (ok, once).Rumors float around saying that the new superintendent is a lesbian that is a little to close to the prisoners (spread by the ex-superintendent; their differences in discipline come into conflict).Attempting to escape these "horrible" conditions, three women flee (Marie (prisoner 99), Helga (prisoner 97), and Rosalie (short red-headed girl)).But one dies and the escaped prisoners are recaptured.The prison erupts after the women are returned (not necessarily for that reason).

Review: Interesting, the unrated director's cut of a movie that was originally released as an X rated film with an original run time of 70 minutes (odd, both of my movie guides state that the film is around 90 minutes long and rated R (one believes it is a turkey)). If I'm reading the DVD correctly, the unrated version adds about 20 minutes of footage (but if my movie guides are correct, then no additional minutes are added).One of the movie extras includes a news article about the film that notes that it is X rated and 70 minutes long, so I'm not sure what the real film length and rating was.

Good opening music.A relatively slow movie, takes a while to get going (especially since they cut out the normal "strip-search inspection" of the new prisoners).The prisoners wear the normal skimpy uniforms and girl fights occur, but the first nudity does not occur until around 23 minutes into the film.The director is an "artiste," and most of the "nude" sequences are artistically out of focus, or otherwise barely visible or very short (a shame considering some of the women are attractive).The director also keeps annoyingly moving from out of focus to very close up shots in these types of scenes. A very disappointing movie, I should have paid attention to the critics (though they had seen the original film, not the "director's cut"). As a "mainstream" movie it is disappointing, and as a "nudie pic" it is very disappointing.Some of the actors, though, do seem to be able to act (though the new superintendent smiles too much, and prisoner 99 cries too much).

A very slow movie with surprisingly few nude scenes, and a lot less violence and sadistic guard action.Going by the interview with the director, it would appear that the "unrated" version that I watched was actually one of the "softer" versions of the film (oh, and don't skip that interview, some of the missing "harder" scenes are included). The harder scenes were made by others and inserted into the film later (there are many versions of this film; and apparently one of the versions was at the top of the US box office at one point).(2.00)

Pure utter crap
Blue Underground have done it again. They've dredged up old bootleg footage and are selling this as an "x-rated version." Quality is junk. I will never buy a Blue Undergound DVD and would warn others not to. The inserted footage is merely that inserted. I think the inserted footage came from a fifth generation bootleg VHS. This film is junk. I also am really shocked at amazon carrying porn, and also I think Blue Undergound are actually breaking the law because this film is sold in all 50 states. There are many communities, locales, areas and states where adult material is specifically prohibited by law. Even if this is 35 year old porn - it is still porn. It would be great to see Blue Underground busted for selling this smut -- because they have done a really rotten botched job and are outright liars in deceiving us.

Spliced together nonsense..................
This is the French X-rated version of 99 women, directed by Jess Franco. The running time of this feature is 98 minutes, which means that this is probably the longest, least censored version of the film that is available. The story involves a women`s island prison, a sadistic female warden, a lustful male governor, and the young, lovely female inmates. Can you see where this is heading ? There ARE scenes of extreme sexuality (especially when you consider the film was released in 1969) which include (...). My big problem with this movie is that the hardcore scenes are haphazardly edited into the film. In a few cases, they don`t even seem to be part of the scenes that you have been watching. Also frustrating is the fact that some of the actors taking part in the sex scenes look nothing like the actors that they are doubling (standing-in)for. Just because a woman is wearing a blonde wig does not mean she is going to look like the lead actress that she is portraying. I guess that this movie was pushing the boundaries in 1969, but looking at the dumb story, lousy editing, and sex scenes from a 2005 perspective.....this is just a dated curio.

RIP OFF!!!!!!!!
This is a out right rip off!!!!! I deserve a $30 refund from Blue Undergrtound for out right lying to us! Please refer back to Jordan M. Oakes review it is true in everyword! You will not see any good hard porn from Maria Rohm or any of the well known actors in this flick, they added terrible scenes through out the movie where needed. Only thing he forgot to mention was that it is not even in widescreen and there is absolutely no speacial features, you can't even take the subtitles off. My only fault is I wish I had read his review before I paid for this RIP OFF!!!!! Shame to Blue Underground!

A blatant rip-off and an artistic blasphemy
This DVD is X-rated and hyped and advertised -- right on the box -- as being the "uncut French version." This is a lie. That implies previous versions had scenes *missing*. It misleads the consumer into believing there was lost footage discovered that was directed by Jess Franco -- footage that was intended to be part of the film. However, this is "inserted porn footage" with different actors. It doesn't even match the film. In one scene (in the legitimate movie) a woman is having a flashback about how she ended up in prison. "I was attacked by four men" she says. It cuts to a badly filmed porn scene wherein she is attacked by one man! I mean, if you're going to pad out a movie with porn, at least be sure it's porn with the budget to hire enough actors to make the scene congruous. I paid nearly $30 for this obviously overpriced, fraudulently marketed DVD. The added scenes actually ruin the rest of the movie. Blue Underground -- be honest with the consumer. That way he or she can know what they're getting. As it is, this is the DVD equivalent of turning back an odometer. RIP-OFF! ... Read more

Description

From SUSAN SEIDELMAN Director of DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN and SEX AND THE CITY

Filmmaker Susan Seidelman rocked the movie industry with this daring and quirky story of Wren (Susan Berman), a self-promoting Jersey girl desperate to break into the downtown Manhattan music scene. But with no money and no talent, she bounces between a nice guy artist (Brad Rinn) who lives in his van and an arrogant musician (Punk icon Richard Hell) who lives off of anyone who will let him.

SMITHEREENS – which also marked the debut of Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Ron Nyswaner (PHILADELPHIA) and features a score by beloved cult band The Feelies – remains a remarkable time capsule of the early ‘80s East Village scene and made history as the first American independent film invited to compete for the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

EXTRAS INCLUDE: Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director Susan Seidelman Desperately Seeking Susan & Richard – Interviews with Stars Susan Berman and Richard HellTheatrical Trailers Poster & Still Gallery

Music by The Feelies

Official Selection 1982 Cannes Film Festival

First time ever on DVD ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Pain, longing, romance and dirt: Ah! exquisite nostalgia!
Besides capturing the gritty reality of New York City and eighties punk nihilism (unlike Times Square, which makes NYC seem like the innocuous Disneyland it now sadly is), Smithereens captures both the intimacy and estrangement of the punk experience to the jangling beat of such notables as the Feelies, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and Television. Susan Berman delivers a stellar performance as a vulnerable, [angry], terminal misfit/victim/enfant terrible ambiguously coveting celebrity status and the affections of Richard Hell, who also shines as a punk icon and sexy-but-worthless cad. Fun, edgy and disturbing, with a harrowing conclusion and a heartfelt sympathy for its desperate characters. Includes Kitty, my fave cameo, as a sultry, manic-depressive downtown Bardot. If you weren't there, this film will make you feel like you were.

Low Budget Masterpiece
This film is a classic! It has a raw street like feel to it, and a sense of urgency and desperation that runs rampant throughout the film. Susan Berman plays a pathetic groupie-type set out to become famous. She will step on anyone's toes and stab anyone's back and burn all her bridges along the way in order to achieve this goal. She meets a boy along the way willing to help her and love her and shelter her even though he hasn't got a pot to pee in himself. But she is hell bent on getting her way and in turn becomes a mean, self absorbed street weasel. She pushes away the people who love her most and ends up walking down that dreadful path of self destruction. Amazing to watch the transformation nonetheless, all set to early-eighties street rhythms and a pinch of the punk scene thrown in for good measure. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Close to 5 stars (tech specs below) PLUS EASTER EGGS!
Only a smudge of oil would spoil whipping egg whites, so I can't give Run Man Run 5 stars. It's either perfect or not so, but I can rate it a strong 4/5.

Tomas Milian is one of my favorite actors in the European Western category, along with Cleef, Eastwood, Strode, and other notables. Milian always packs a strong punch when he delivers his performances. Milian's character Cuchillo grabbed me from the opening scene when he walked into trouble. That's a classic moment that I thoroughly enjoyed, and Milian held his character throughout the film. Donal O'Brien seemed just a bit too reserved. And the voice seemed pretty muddled. I feel Milian deserves much more credit for his work, ad I see that he is still going strong in the movie business.

Director Sergio Sollima (one of two other Sergios, the other being Corbucci) kept this on a lighter and somewhat faster pace than Corbucci's more solemn films.

The film transfer to DVD is terrific, with a fine mono audio and video track presented by Blue Underground. I don't know if I've done the right thing since no one else has mentioned it (like a Sixth Sense secret) but I've discovered that this DVD also has at least 3 Easter Eggs hidden. A review of the DVD If You Live, Shoot! also has 3 Easter Eggs, so if you ever get a Blue Underground DVD, look closer and you may find some presents.

I really enjoyed the script that was followed. It wasn't too heavy but wasn't too funny, like at least one film, "My Name is Nobody," if I can recall it correctly. One really hilarious moment happens when Cuchillo is strung up and has words with one of his oppressors. Talk about insulting! If I were the military official, I would have pulled an Indiana Jones on Cuchillo.

This DVD was part of the Spaghetti Western Collection I purchased, and of the four (Django, Mannaja, Run Man Run, and If You Live, Shoot!), I enjoyed this one the most. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this again, and it would help round out a fine collection of films for the lover of macaroni flicks. Tomas Milian fans would really love this (I think it's one of his best roles), and I think Donal O'Brien fans might be a bit disappointed. I would not compare this to the Leone classics, as the format is so different. Like comparing apples and grapes. They're both similar in very basic ways but fly into different directions as European Westerns. I wouldn't call the violence "shocking" by today's standards, at all. This isn't nearly as shocking as If You Live, Shoot! was.

Tech Specs and EASTER EGGS: A region- free NTSC DVD of 121 minutes in a nice transfer from original stock in its original theatrical release of 2.35:1 (widescreen only) and enhanced for 16X9; English and Italian mono tracks; optional English subtitles; poster and production stills gallery; a 1960s documentary on filming spaghetti westerns; Run Man Run: 35 Years Running documentary with video interviews of Sollima and Milian; trailer. There are also 3 Easter Eggs I found. The knife that Donal O'Brien holds on the main menu page can be highlighted scroll over Play but scroll LEFT); an invisible knife can be highlighted across Cuchillo's face in the chapters page (scroll to Main Menu then push UP); an extra trailers selection can be highlighted in the extras page (scroll to Main Menu and scroll LEFT). All of these can be gained by computer or DVD remote to access deeper information.

A long run
Run Man Run is a sequel to one of the great Spaghetti Westerns "The Big Gundown" unfortunately The Big Gundown isn't released on any format here in the US,so unless you've seen it on Cinemax or purchased an import,this movie might not appeal to you as much.
This is basically the continuing story of Cuchillo (Tomas Milian) the Mexican knife-throwing bandit,and his search for lost gold,with a Mexican Revolution spin thrown in.
This movie is a wannabe Leone type epic that comes off being episodic.At times this is a very good film but at others it drags on.Sorely missed is Lee Van Cleef who would have greatly improved this film,Donald O'Brien's character is a good one,but the chemistry was much better with Van Cleef.A decent Spaghetti,but way too long. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Solid!
Oliver Reed is very good - even if he doesn't dub his own voice here. (Still waiting for an uncut, widescreen US release of 'The Devils'.) Fabio Testi also holds his own, if you can overlook the voice actor's mediocre performance. (If Jeremy Irons were a pretty-boy matinee idol he'd look just like Fabio Testi. Check him out in 'What Have You Done to Solange?' - an EXCELLENT giallo.)The Morricone score is wonderful as always, and the cinematography is great. Some may not be able to get past certain elements that come with the territory with these Italian ones. (The dubbing, for instance.) Too bad for them. These movies are actually cinematic - while Hollywood movies have become big TV. There are no jarring elements or rough edges - no risk, nothing new, nothing of real interest. That's why I stopped going. Or maybe I'm just getting old. I like the atmospherics, the stylish grace notes and the willingness to risk offence - the charming moments of (probably) unintentional humor that one encounters don't shut me down for the movie. And in Italian cinema the adherence to a formula is often liberating in the particulars. "Suspiria", for example, had a plot that could have been written by a six year old - ... For all the familiar genre moves - that movie doesn't look like any other movie ever.

This is a well-paced, character driven actioner with an extra dimension of humanity that one might not expect - credit director Sergio Sollima for that. In most current American action movies the hero is pretty much invincible, and if anyone dies the movie barely notices - not that you'd care, anyway. This leaves endless scenes of explosions - servicably photographed from multiple angles so they will cut with the hyper-MTV editing that is supposed to trick the audience into thinking that something is actually going on on the screen. Its like watching an oversized video game that you're not allowed to play yourself. I'd fall asleep if these things weren't so noisy.

'Revolver' seems to take place in a different universe. People don't just disappear the moment they die, as if they never existed. They may be given an elgaic send-off or haunt the movie later with the reprecussions of their passing. In one scene a bleeding bystander, who really means nothing to the story, begs for help before the main characters and the movie leave him to expire in the street. As cold as that sounds, its not nearly as cold as the grand-scale bloodless Hollywood meyhem that passes for entertainment and doesn't seem to offend anyone. I'm making more out of it than the movie itself does - but entertainment that acknowledges the negative effects that violence has on human life is just about unheard of these days. This made 'Revolver' stand out for me.

That said, this IS just an engaging thriller that fulfills it's modest ambitions and leaves you feeling satisfied. Its not any more believable than others of its ilk, and its not trying to change anyone's life. Its just a movie - but actual movies are rare these days.

A nice change of pace
I've never seen a movie quite like Revolver. The best descriptor I can muster is "spaghetti thriller". It's a seventies crime drama with a bit of Dirty Harry, a helping of Reservoir Dogs, a few drops of eau de western, a scoop of melodrama, and a dash of political commentary. Though it oscillates between boredom and epic, Revolver delivers the kind of entertainment that today's movies can only parody. If you buy into the characters, you'll be treated to a satisfying drama. If modern sensibilities prevent that, you can at least enjoy the campier aspects and delight in the commanding score.

I may be cynical, but sometimes I look at my DVD collection and see 50 copies of the same movie. Explosions, love interest, conservative "twist" ending, cut! Revolver may be just as derivative of 1970's flicks as the explosion fests of the 21st century are today, but for some reason it was refreshing to watch. I can't see anyone lavishing "rabid fanboy" praise on it, but Revolver was enjoyable, moving at times, and had two great performances. If you thirst for a change of pace, but want to retain the comfortable action standbys of guns and violence, Revolver may be right up your alley. The fantastic extras don't hurt either. ... Read more

Description

The masters of modern horror - George Romero and Dario Argento - bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the talesof Edgar Allan Poe.

In Romero's The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar, a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento's The Black Cat, a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of RESERVOIR DOGS) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend's new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Two horror greats in one film.
While George A. Romero and Dario Argento worked together on the production of Dawn of the Dead, this was the first movie the two actually 'worked' on together as directors. Each contributed a short film based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe. Romero adapted The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar while Argento chose The Black Cat. Romero's comes first and it is routine EC comic style stuff, solidly made yet hampered by pacing that is a tad too methodical. But the payoff is worth the trip and the cast (Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, and Bingo O' Malley) contribute nice work. Argento's segment is far more energetic, a surreal trip into madness as a crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) is driven by his art to kill his live-in girlfriend's black cat. Of course the cat returns, again and again, and things get even worse in that surreal nightmare way that only Argento can pull off. Not content to just adapt The Black Cat, Argento also tosses in references to other Poe stories; namely The Pit and The Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Bernice, and several characters have famous Poe names (Usher, Pym, etc.). If he didn't go overboard, then he wouldn't be Argento, now would he? Blue Underground has done another first rate job with this wonderful disc. The maligned movie has never looked or sounded this good and the extras are more than worth the bonus disc. Romero and/or Argento fans will love it. Recommended.

Animal-Handling AND Masonry: Components for Perfection
When directors get together, they have the potential to make interesting things happen. When great directors join forces and decide to take on a project, even better results areexpected. It honestly doesn't matter what type of material they're doing or if the viewing population has tasted it time and time again. They, the silver screen's version of power coupling, know their art, understand the little versions - or perhaps perversions - of atmosphere that balance the viewing scales, and have the most cards to play when it comes to forging complete pictures. Unfortunately, both don't always deliver a knockout punch like you'd like.

In this initial piece, it's a story you've heard before. An older fellow with dollarsign-laced pockets decides to marry a younger woman. People jeer it in the community and friends seem appalled by it, but attraction is attraction and a little IWantATrophyWife-itus is sometimes what wealth is all about. In our tale, we join an ex "airline hostess" and her much older husband as he's teetering on that painful plateau just outside of dying. Plans are in the works on how to acquire some of his fortune before his estate and the long years of "settling" are addressed, with hypnosis and the application of falsified doctor reports working fairly well. It all seems to be going splendidly, too, and three million dollars is all set to arrive in two weeks - providing the wife, Jessica, can keep her husband around that long. As movies would have it, however, he dies and the planning gets worse and worse and worse until....

This Romero addition to the power duo has some serious flaws in it. The plot is thin, the effects are a little drowsy, and what seems to start off well dances down the corridors of lackluster architecture. Honestly, it's a good thing that things happen the way they do in these tales, because the atypical plan thrown into this type of movie would normally end up with someone going to jail for a very long time. Money or not, you wouldn't want to bury someone in your own backyard with a couple of bullet holes in them and you wouldn't want them kicking it with you ice-cream and getting freezer burn. This is worse than that in some ways, however, because it seems to say that a master in his field and Savini can't get together and make something that hasn't been seen a hundred times over. Instead of illustrating a story the way an audience knows they can, they take a Poe idea, splash a little effect work on it, and somewhat go through the motions.

In Argento's version of The Black Cat, things play out a lot better. Our focal point, a man with a gruesome day job, brings home a little hatred and finds himself in a not-so-happy position of trying to conceal what he's done. When things get a little stressed and push come to shove (and hack and slice), it seems that things can get a little ugly at home. This seems especially when you're the owner of a cat you hate and don't want to keep up with, and moreso when you're half of a marriage that will ultimately self-destruct. Without giving all the gray matter away, this ultimately becomes a testament to revenge going awry, why you should treat animals a little bit better, and why post-it notes are a good thing if you don't want to leave out any small details to a crime.

In my personal opinion, the Argento piece is a short film made in gore heaven. Not only does it make a show of force with all its little pieces coming together and working out all-too-well, but it also gives little shout-outs to other Poe stories as well.
And then the eye candy begins to make its rounds.
The first effects, mutilated bodies, birth even better effects. The deaths seem to get worse and worse until, in one place, I saw something that I could almost feel because of the way the image evoked words like "pain." Still, it didn't stop there. With little kitties doing things little kitties shouldn't do; hairless, nasty, and bathed in the debris brought to you by a mind that has imported images of this variety time and again, it gets even more graphic. And that's all I really ever wanted.

Combine that with build, a good plan that twists until it morphs into something horrific that the main character couldn't foresee, and nice acting and you can even overlook Romero's shoddy addition to this collection. Simply be warned that it does have a little kick in the "gruesome" department.

The Evil Eyes are crossed---but it's still good stuff.
I have to confess: I was thrilled beyond words when I heard Blue Underground was releasing this 1991 collaboration between two of my favorite horror masters, George Romero and Dario Argento. I bought the DVD sight-unseen, having only seen a few snippets of sequences from the second story in this two-movie collection, Argento's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat".

I had seen those snippets as part of a larger Argento documentary called "Dario Argento: an Eye for Horror"---and they were ghoulish indeed! Harvey Keitel impaled on a stake? Mewling, hairless baby cats walled up with a gore-caked corpse, 'Cask of Amontillado' style? The gruesome final finishing touch---death by merciless, razor-sharp pendulum---that even Poe himself had shied away from?

I had to have it, just for the Argento work alone! As for the Romero adaptation of "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", well how could you lose, with the evil mastermind behind "Night of the Living Dead" helming up a short movie about a miser left in hypnosis after death?

Blue Underground has done an excellent job with their Limited Edition DVD: the DVDs themselves are nicely decorated with two of the more chilling sequences from the film, and the material on the bonus DVD (including---hey!---a tour of make-up guru Tom Savini's home!)is worth the price of admission alone. It's a handsome DVD, and a nice addition to any horror movie aficionado's collection.

As for the movies---well, they're not what I had expected, highly uneven, and not the best examples of either Argento or Romero's work. But they're enjoyable, gory, ghoulish fare, with Romero's piece more subtle and stylish and Argento's entry an over-the-top assault on the senses that pays tribute to some of the nastiest of Poe's nuggets, including "The Black Cat", "Lenore" (ah yes, her lovely 32 teeth! nice touch, Dario!), "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and even a glib nod to "The House of Usher".

Taken together, the two pieces that comprise "Two Evil Eyes" give the film a "Creepshow"-like feel, not surprising given that Romero helmed that movie. Romero's piece here has been unfairly savaged, and while it seems sedate in comparison to Argento's gory Italian Grand Opera, it's a stately, stylish little chiller. Adrienne Barbeau plays the crafty youngish wife of financier Valdemar (played to the hilt by Bingo O'Malley, who gave me the creeps!---he also shows up as Stevie King's dad in the Meteor episode of Creepshow), who plots with her hypnotist lover to get rid of the sick old man and abscond with a fortune.
Not surprisingly, things don't go as planned; look for an opening shot right out of "Night of the Living Dead" and a scene-chewing contest by movie veteran E.G. Marshall and Barbeau (who holds her own).

But it's really Argeno's sanguine little number you should check in for. Ostensibly an adaptation of "The Black Cat", it features Harvey Keitel as a demented crime photographer whose lifestyle and pre-occupations would make his "Bad Lieutenant" character cry for his mommy. It's not Dario at the height of his game, but it's wicked, depraved, gory stuff.

All told, these two shorts make a jolly, gory little evening of Poe-vian goodness. Break out a nice cask of Amontillado from your cellar (don't mind the knocking from the other side of the wall), open up a tin of caviar for your trusting black cat, put a blanket over your pet raven's cage, and enjoy two horror masters having some fun with their medium.

Good horror, great directors
This movie is based on the writings of Poe. The first film is okay. It drags a little, but once things pick up it gets very interesting. The second film is probably the BEST horror short ever made. If you're a fan of episode horror films, (Creepshow, Trilogy Of Terror and the like), then this is a MUST HAVE DVD. The extras alone are worth the purchase. It's a limited edition, so make sure you snag it up before it's gone!

for completists only
I bought this movie only because I am an Argento nut and wanted to have everything he has done. His segment is the only reason I gave this three stars; Romero's segment is a real let-down. I can't even believe it was made by the same guy who made Dawn of the Dead and Martin! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

not for the squeamish, not for the politically correct
I watched FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE some years ago on a n-th generation videotape and despite the atrocious picture quality it made an enormous impression on me. Luckily there is now this definite UNCUT edition of this 1977 grindhouse classic available on a great looking DVD from Blue Underground, so I did not hestitate to upgrade.
A word of caution: FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE is not for easily offended viewers.
The plot has three vicious scumbag criminals - a racist hate-filled white sadist, an Asian American and a Latino - escape, when the prison truck transporting them is involved in a traffic accident. They shoot a prison guard, hijack a pimp's car and flee to the countryside. Needless to say that they commit some violent crimes along the way, until finally they take an African American family hostage. A nightmare of sadism, racist degradation, humilation and rape for the black family begins, and two white friends of the family (a young woman and a boy) visiting are brutally murdered by one of the home invaders. Finally police, led by a tough cop nicknamed "Rulebook" REILLY, siege the family's home. I don't want to give the end away, but the promotional tagline "They took it until they couldn't take any more!" already indicates that it's comeuppance time for the baddies...

Wow! What a sick and sleazy grindhouse movie! It is genuinely shocking, in no small part due to the powerhouse performance delivered by William SANDERSON as ultra-violent racist. He is extremely convincing in his role, calling his victims every name in the book and constantly shouting racist insults and comments (which I am not allowed to quote here). If there was an Academy Award for most abundant use of foul language in a movie, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE would undoubtedly win it.
Needless to say it is very violent, particularly in the scene, where the small boy is beaten to death with a stone.
Watch at your own risk!

Some words on the DVD: print quality is great, and there are some nice extra features. There are three trailers (one aimed at a white audience highlighting the crime aspect, another aimed at black audiences with emphasis on the Afro-American family's reve