Reviews (16)

Vintage Hammer. Babes, severed heads AND Peter Cushing!
The fist time I saw this movie, at the tender age of 10, it left a lasting impression that has no doubt skewed my view of the world. Here was a former Playboy Bunny trying desperately to contain herself in a typical Hammeresque period costume, running around the Village exacting revenge in a series of bloody murders. The grisly climax contains a scene where she talks to the severed head of her (former) boyfriend. She was, of course, Frankenstein's newest creation. I recently watched this again, curious as to how I would react 30 years later. Aside from a terrible ending (this movie doesn't end so much as it stops), the movie still holds up pretty well. Fans of the Hammer genre, and fans of Peter Cushing will no doubt enjoy this one. Good wacky laboratory sequences, a fun cast of characters (some of which you are glad to see die) and Denberg as the best looking creature yet.

Will the real Soul please stand up
At the beginning of the movie a murderer is guillotine and witnessed by his young son Hans. Years later Hans is working with Dr. Hertz and Dr. Bon Frankenstein (played by Peter Cushing). Frankenstein has himself frozen for exactly one hour, down to the second, where he is trying to prove that the soul does not leave the body. He is revived and to celebrate his success sends Hans out to get some champagne at one of the local pubs. Hans is in love with the owner's daughter (Christina played by Susan Denberg) and spends the night with her but when the owner is killed Hans is accused and refuses to tell where he was when the murder took place. Hans is found guilty and himself guillotined like his father. Christina sees this and jumps off a bridge and drowns.

Dr. Frankenstein retrieves Hans's body, captures his soul, and places it in Christina body. Among Frankenstein accomplishments he is a brilliant cosmetic surgeon and turns Christina into a beautiful blond with the aid of Dr. Hertz. Now with a new body and Hans's soul revenge is sought for Hans and Christina's father's deaths.

This is another excellent Hammer film and with Peter Cushing heading the cast. The quality of the DVD is excellent.

WARNING
this Anchor Bay DVD appears to have serious flaws as almost all of the originally pressed discs no longer play correctly.....those of you who have these discs, Please check them in your dvd players as 9 out of 10 of them have suffered a form of corruption that doesnt allow them to work anylonger...........the worst news of all is that ANCHOR BAY dont apparently have the license to release this title again at the moment, so those of us who have dumped our Elite Laserdiscs are rather stuck with a dud dvd. Anchor Bay who are normally so excellent about handling themselves ought really to start something about refunding those of us who are stuck with a dud disc - clearly something they MUST have had some idea about.

stylish, erotic, smart- all my favorites!!!
I saw this many, many years ago in the theatre... still a great movie, but the tape didn't exactly capture the lush backgrounds, the erotism of the first time. Well, I'm also not 6 (or whatever) years old.
Still, I experienced again: a delirious crush on Hans, the romantic, too-good-to-be-true, hero- who was able to love AND LUST after Christine, the flawed and mistreated servant girl (haven't we all been her at one time?)His ability to see past the scars she felt such shame from made him a big numero uno for me even way back then.
Second: yowza! I prayed that my pre-adolescent self would develop into ANY SEMBLANCE WHAT-SO-EVER of the oozing sexuality of the transformed/re-created (isn't that another wish of ours, ladies?) Christina (Susan Denberg)...
And, oh yeah... Peter Cushing is in it, too.
HA! Just kidding...the blend of old school, classic horror and repressed sexuality made for a memorable movie that I had to buy and watch again and again.
If you dig the mix... and you know who you are out there... get this movie

Will the real Hammer Frankenstein please stand up?
Hammer's Victor Frankenstein owes little to the Universal series (where the character was named Henry and in fact the sequels featured the monster and not the Doctor) or even the original novel (whose Victor was a young college student and not a Baron).
When one follows the Baron in the Hammer series, one finds a lot of inconsistency. The insensitive, murderous Baron of CURSE is toned down a bit in REVENGE, misunderstood in EVIL, is the "hero" of CREATED WOMAN, is a killer and more evil than ever (and just transplants a brain) in MUST BE DESTROYED, and is back more or less like the Baron in REVENGE in AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. Cushing is a wonderful actor and makes the character interesting, in spite of the scripting.
One wonders how the Baron came upon the idea to transplant souls since he seems to be an atheist or how he is able to acquire the machinery to be able to accomplish it without arousing suspicion. FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is a pretty good film overall, but the ending does seem weak. One gets the feeling they couldn't think up a more satisfying ending and just had her drown herself again. Hammer fans will probably enjoy it anyway. Others should look for a more traditional Frankenstein movie. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Canadian Horror Film At Its Very Best..
As a kid, I grew up on a steady diet of horror films-the Halloween franchise, Friday the 13th series, the films of the great Lucio Fulci. For some reason, David Cronenberg's films never connected with me-too scientifically oriented, socially conscious and intellectual. With the advent of DVD, I have had the chance to see both Shivers and Rabid again and my opinion of these has changed immensely. Rabid is now one of my favorite low-budget horror films of all time.
The story is simple enough: Rose, after a horrific motorcycle accident is subjected to experimental skin graft surgery whose main side effect is a hypodermic, phallus like appendage that sprouts from her armpit to feast on the blood of any human within grasp feeding her vampiric rage. Her victims in turn become George Romero-esque zombies that bite and thus spread the disease to others resulting in an epidemic zombie plague in the streets of Montreal.
The biggest surprise in this film is the convincing portrayal of the tortured Rose by porn queen Marilyn Chambers (Behind the Green Door). Marilyn Chambers is excellent and provides enough sexual chemistry to keep her character always interesting. It is a wonder that she never pursued mainstream films after this and instead returned to her lucrative porn career that still continues today. The rest of the actors are above average as well.
Clearly, Cronenberg is a visionary genius of the highest order foreshadowing both the AIDS crisis of the nineteen eighties and the recent SARS paranoia. Here, he absolutely makes the most of his limited budget to turn in a unique and interesting film that will enthrall genre fans.
Astute viewers will be able to see what a huge influence this film was on later horror staples like Romero's Dawn Of The Dead and the recent 28 Days Later. Truth be told, I have grown to enjoy this film even more than Dawn Of The Dead-horror fans will cry heresy, but the shorter running time of Rabid, the wonderful acting of Marilyn Chambers and the ample gore and nudity make this a worthwhile horror effort that merits repeated viewings.
The DVD itself is average: the print is quite grainy in places and the audio is crackly and suffers from static in places. Also, the aspect ratio seems off as the end credits are cut off on the left side of the screen. The DVD offers a grainy as hell, and quite comical trailer. Also, a director's commentary by Cronenberg plus a lenghty sit down interview with this talented director. Finally, bios are provided for both Cronenberg and Chambers, a great resource for Chamber's porn enthusiastic fans as most of her XXX films are listed here.
Despite the DVD's shortcomings, I highly recommend this great film, a true staple of seventies horror. Before the genre got bogged down by the self-referential and cliche humour of the late eighties and nineties, fans could always count on directors like Carpenter, Cronenberg, Craven and Hooper to offer thought provoking and challenging films.

early Cronenberg at his best
Rabid was the second film of David Cronenberg after Shivers. Both films are very similar in theme and were the excellent start to Cronenberg's great career. With this new digitally remastered "Special Edition" Rabid, for the first time in a region 1 release, can be seen in its original aspect ratio, which is a real treat.

The film concerns a woman named Rose, played by porn star Chambers in a surprisingly great performance, who gets into a serious motorcycle accident and has radical, experimental surgery in order to save her life. She survives the accident only to find that the surgery has given her a growth. This growth also has a taste for human blood. Before too long Rose is on the prowl looking for anyone to ease her hunger. However, when she attacks her victims do not die. Instead they turn, rather quickly, into flesh craving zombies. Soon the whole city of Montreal is taken over.

The film holds up well over the years. The extreme low budget doesn't take away from the intensity of the plot. This was a film made by a director still learning the craft. Therefore, it isn't a perfect film, but the themes it deals with are pulled off well. Rabid is much more than just a horror film. It's a film about relationships and characters that don't fully have control over their actions. The viewer really feels for Rose at the end of film. Although she was responsible for the outbreak, it really wasn't her fault. She was being moved by forces from within her body that were more powerful than her mind. That is a theme that Cronenberg would return to again and again.

This new release is pretty well done. The colors aren't as bright as the UK release, but it's a good enough transfer for the price. There is also a commentary and interview with Cronenberg on the disc which are pretty interesting. This disc is worth the upgrade from the lower quality, full frame release from a few years ago. If you're a fan of Cronenberg or of good quality horror films in general, this is a must see. Even if you aren't into horror films I would recommend it. The gore is little and the plot is much more than the average scary movie. Cronenberg is after all known as the director of "the thinking man's horror film."

Rabid with Marilyn Chambers
David's first pick for this movie, was Sissy Spacek, but she refused to do it. However , this movie wouldnt have fit her, this part really calls for someone sexy, not that she isnt sexy but this part required a blond bombshell. Enter Marilyn Chambers.

Marilyn plays Rose, a chick who has a bike accident and is experimented on resulting in a disease on anyone that touches her and turning them flesh eating mad . Nice plot, kinda reminds me of an aids epidemic or something like that. Now that would be scary.

You can catch this film on the Independent Film Channel during their "Indie Screams" week. (Check local listings.)

The gory. A nurse getting her finger cut off by a doctor and doctor starts eating the finger!!!

The good. Marilyn in the nude! (I wish there more of these scenes), There is also a great car crash in the movie where a car falls on the highway only to be run over by a truck. (What bad luck for the driver)

The shocking. A dept. store Santa Claus being gunned down (Accidentally).This scene probably is the most scandalous in the film, even I was suprised that something like this was written in the script. Shame on you David. :-)

The saddest. Some of the music is well done,especially the sad melodramatic music. The end is sad too, (Poor Marilyn being thrown in the trash truck after she herself is the victim of the virus she has spread). Her acting in this movie is pretty good, I was suprised.

Great funny lines like " what the fu*k are we running here a nursery." "You carry a plague youve killed hundreds of people!."

The best thing I can say is that it has some great shots of Marilyn Chambers beautiful figure. Wow!!! No wonder she makes her living off the xxx industry nowadays.

She does kinda have that Cybill Shepherd type that look that just oozes goddessness, so her presence in the film is felt.

My vote a 6 and half out of 10. Believe it or not this film cost an average of $90,000 to make, David is no cheapskate.

A Troubling Horror Story...
Rose recovers while in a coma in a small hospital for plastic surgery after a motorcycle accident where she has had a groundbreaking emergency operation. When Rose wakes up she finds herself having frantic desires for human blood. Unknowingly Rose infects everyone she comes in contact with as she consumes their blood with a frightening blood-borne disease that rapidly spreads among the human population. Rabid carries Cronenberg's insignia as it displays a troubling story concerning science, which offers a decent cinematic experience for those who seek horror.

It was actually cool...
I am a pretty big fan of Marilyn Chambers work from the 1970's. The neat thing about this movie is the chance to see her work under a different type of camera. I was born in 72 the year Behind The Green Door came out so I obviously didn't learn about what Marilyn is most noted for until I was much older. Rabid allows someone who does'nt appreciate adult films to still see Marilyn in her glory days. You still get a couple glimpses of her in an unenhanced frontal expose, which in all honesty don't seem to follow the plot, but just enjoy it. Let's face it today her looks back in the 70's are so appealing and natural vs. many of the pierced/tattooed/enhanced mangled freaks that walk the streets now a days.
The opening scene of Rabid shows Rose(Marilyn) and her boyfriend enjoying a highspeed motorcycle ride on a chilly Canadian day. When I close my eyes I can picture Ms. Chambers behind me on my ride, hugged up on me as we speed down the highway, very cool. The crash scene wasn't very elaborate due to technical limitations and there doesn't seem to be an explaination for the "blood sucking proboscis-like" appendage that mysteriously sprouts from Marilyn's armpit.
I suggest just enjoying Rabid for the simple special effects and natural good looks of Marilyn Chambers of the 70's. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the truly oddball artifacts of the early talkie era, either acockeyed fluke or a surrealist masterpiece. Producer-director Roland West hadalready done a silent film version of The Bat (1926), Mary RobertsRinehart and Avery Hopwood's creaky stage melodrama about a fiendish criminalhaunting a lonely Long Island mansion. The coming of sound cued a remake--nowThe Bat could whisper as well as skulk. And in a stroke of genius worthy of hismad mastermind, West added yet another dimension: The Bat Whispers wouldbe one of a handful of 1930 features shot in widescreen, with a compositionalemphasis on forced perspective and inky shadow play.

The plot is lunacy, but there are images here that seem to have escaped from thecollective unconscious. Some of the miniature work, like a plunge down askyscraper that then tilts and cuts "subliminally" into a real-life streetscene, is easy to spot, yet chances are you'll find yourself enchanted all thesame. And there's a chase during which the widescreen angles suddenly drop thefloor right out from under one character, and you feel it in the pit of yourstomach.

Like 1930's other pre-CinemaScope experiments , The Bat Whispers was shot in two versions--the 65mm Magnifilm production and one in the conventional "square" 35mm format. Deprived of the widescreen's radicallyunsettling asymmetry, West's movie became just another old-dark-house picture.You can see both on the DVD, and compare the standard version against the lustrous widescreen restoration by the UCLA Film and Television Archive (different cameramen, different setups, and occasionally different rhythm and action). On the other hand, why not just click on the realmovie and prepare to go batty? --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Bat Whispers...will you listen?
Take a trip to yesteryear with me and enjoy a thrilling ride from a time when sound was just making its' way onto the silver screen, adding a whole new dimension to the entertainment we now take for granted. In this remake of his 1926 silent film The Bat, director Roland West gives his characters voices in The Bat Whispers (1930), which is based on a novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Not having seen the silent original version, I am unable to provide a comparison of the two films, but I found much to like in this 'talkie' version.

The movie opens on a lovely miniature of Gotham at night, with a lush matte paining backdrop. A slow pan down a large building leads us to policemen waiting outside the front of the building, and then we move inside through a lighted window. The cinematography is quite exquisite here, worth watching more than once. Inside the room is a man reading a letter, one written by The Bat, a criminal who claims he will steal a valuable necklace at 12 midnight, and dares the man to be alone in the room. With police just outside the door and surrounding the building, The Bat manages to pull off an impossible caper in a unique and interesting way.

Soon we cut to a darkened bank, and someone opening the large safe, and making a hasty departure. The fellow is followed to a large house, one occupied by an older woman, her maid, and a creepy caretaker. The man who robbed the bank makes his way into the house, and is soon followed by a great number of characters.

First of all, let me just say this is one of the crazier plots in a movie I've seen in while. Throughout the entire first half of the film, there were characters coming and going in the great, spooky house with secret passages, moving paintings, hidden rooms, and lights that fail almost on cue. Some characters had formal introductions, some didn't, and confusion ran rampant. It was like every five minutes or so, I found myself asking, "Now who the heck is that?" Eventually everyone is made known, some not until the end of the film, as the plot threads untangle themselves. This is basically a crime/mystery/thriller with a dash of horror (the house is supposed to be haunted) and touches of comedy. You see, there is a large amount of money hidden in the house, and various characters are trying to locate it, each for reasons of their own. Not only that, but throw in a police detective, a private detective, a suspicious gardener, a man with amnesia, and arch criminal The Bat, and you've got quite the stew. The red herrings certainly do begin to fly fast and furious as the plot barrels along to its' final act, to which I was highly satisfied as all was finally revealed.

In a nice touch, after the story ends, the film doesn't, as the audience is asked not to reveal the identity of The Bat, first as a plea, and then as an ominous warning, that if you do spill the beans to your friends, The Bat will haunt you up good. While the acting in the film may never win anyone awards and such, it does fit with the characters and the story. The under lit sets are wonderful, along with the cinematography, adding the moody atmosphere, playing with the light and darkness to create spooky shadows that serve well to send a chilling tingle up your spine. And throw in the occasional thunder and flash of lighting and you've got all the makings of a suitably hair-raising thriller from an age long ago.

Available here are two versions of the film, one in the standard full screen 35 mm print, and another in a 65 mm 'Magnifilm' format, providing a rare wide screen presentation of a pre-1950's film. The wide screen format we are used to seeing nowadays wasn't really utilized throughout until the early to mid 1950's. Both versions look really great, despite the fact that the film is 70 plus years old, and do suffer speckling and slight deterioration due to age. The sound is a bit soft, but, again, given the age, one has to be somewhat generous in not being overly critical. Along with basically two versions of the film, also included is extensive liner notes on the fold out cardboard cover of the DVD case. The product information page here lists deleted scenes and alternative endings also available, but I didn't see those features. Could be that I missed them, but the menu options on the disc are limited to choice of which format you want to watch and chapter stops. I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone, but if you like old films and have the patience to hang in there, you will be rewarded at the end.

Cookieman108

The Inspiration For Batman.
THE BAT WHISPERS is Roland West's 1930 sound remake of his 1926 version of Mary Roberts Rhinehart's long running comedy/mystery play THE BAT. While the earlier version had the benefit of a better all around cast including Jack Pickford and Louise Fazenda, this version was shot in an early widescreen process called Magnavision (65mm) which allowed director West the opportunity to employ a startling array of visual tricks that still have the power to impress today. Chester Morris gives a strong performance as the detective who holds the key to the mystery. Una Merkel plays the heroine in one of her earliest roles and William Bakewell (the twin monarchs in Douglas Fairbanks' THE IRON MASK) acquits himself nicely in the thankless role of the wrongly accused fiance'. The story of a masked killer on the loose in an old dark house was already old hat by the time this film was made. The performances are deliberately over the top in accordance with the creakiness of the story which only adds to the fun. There is even a plea at the end to not reveal the killer's identity to future patrons. What makes THE BAT WHISPERS so remarkable is its stunning cinematography, its expressionistic use of light and shadow and its innovative use of sound. The bat costume, though not as striking as in the 1926 version, is said to have been the inspiration for Bob Kane when he came to create BATMAN over 10 years later. Roland West was a premiere visual stylist and quite an innovator for his time. He was forced to give up directing in 1935 after the high profile death of his girlfriend actress Thelma Todd for which he is now believed responsible. The DVD from Image Entertainment contains both the 65mm and 35mm versions shot by different cameramen as well as outakes, deleted scenes, etc. If you enjoy old movies and want to see a little pop culture history as well then you can't afford to pass this one up. If you like this one then check out Roland West's other available film ALIBI. For 1929 it's truly amazing and it also stsrs Chester Morris.

odd macabre thriller
THE BAT WHISPERS is an odd macabre thriller, with enjoyable performances and is very good.

Starring Chester Morris, Una Merkel, Maude Eburne, DeWitt Jennings and Chance Ward, THE BAT WHISPERS was filmed in 70mm widescreen (very odd since widescreen wasn't patented until the 1950's), an experimental move that works to the film's advantage.

The story of the search for a demonic, depraved killer known as The Bat is a wonderfully entertaining piece of whimsy, with Merkel and Eburne in top form.

Directed by Roland West.

Excellent!!!
Everyone else has said it all. So here is my 2 cents worth. Get the movie if you like 30's films and in particular old house and mystery films. The video quality is very good but i agree, the sound is a little low but hey, its great to have it. Now, this got me thinking, I like Chester Morris and wish i could find some Boston Blackie movies.

Interesting movie, but...
I am a huge fan of 1930's films, so it was with great anticipation that I sat down to watch this DVD. Unfortunately it was not the exciting film I had expected. Firstly the good points: The picture quality for a film over 70 years old is amazingly good. The 65mm widescreen print is fairly speckled but boasts superb sharpness and contrast. The full frame version is less speckled but not quite as sharp. Nevertheless I was very impressed by the print quality for both versions. There is also frequent use of highly imaginative model shots and camera work throughout the movie. Now the bad points: Whilst the picture quality is terrific, this is another Image Entertainment DVD that suffers from lower than usual sound level - so be prepared to turn up the volume on your TV. The film itself contains some of the worst acting I have ever seen. Chester Morris gives a laughable performance and the rest of the cast aren't much better. As for the plot - what plot? We spend at least an hour watching various people climbing in and out of windows, opening and closing doors, shouting, crying, screaming, dying - leaving the viewer totally bemused as to what is supposed to be going on. Perhaps this was director Roland West's intention, but I think the audience would have been better served by fewer aimless characters and a stronger storyline. I take my hat off to Image Entertainment and other video companies for releasing these vintage films for everyone to enjoy. 'The Bat Whispers' is a very interesting piece of film history which has sadly dated quite badly. This movie is a film buff's dream but others may feel less enthusiastic. So if you want to watch strange goings on at an old dark house I recommend you check out Universal Picture's 'The Old Dark House' instead. ... Read more

Description

Five beautiful starlets are summoned to the mansion of Count Byron Orlock for a seminar on horror moviemaking, but sinister events indicate a more diabolical plan: to get the actresses undressed for a Scream Queen Hot Tub Party with reenactments of their most vivid monster movie experiences! Join the finest gang of scream queens ever assembled as they run, scream, and take long showers with plenty of mutual soaping! In One Million Heels B.C., a Los Angeles earthquake frees a prehistoric cavegirl (Michelle Bauer) who finds her way to the house of two strippers (Jerica Fox of the Boobsy Twins and Cierra Knight) who teach this primitive babe how to dance for a dollar; From legendary cult directors Fred Olen Ray (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Biohazard, Dinosaur Island) and Jim Wynorski (The Return of Swamp Thing, Vampirella, Chopping Mall); Sizzling scream queen star power! Michelle Bauer (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama, Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, The Frightening) Brinke Stevens (Haunting Fear, Mommy, Nightmare Sisters) Monique Gabrielle (Amazon Women on the Moon, Evil Toons, Transylvania Twist) Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet, Not of This Earth, Servants of Twilight) Roxanne Kernohan (Critters 2, Fatal Pulse, Angel III). ... Read more

Amazon.com

A very credible entry in the Hellraiser series, Hellraiser: Hellseeker presents a nifty puzzle for gore fans, plus plenty of philosophical musings from the ineffable Pinhead ("Personally, I prefer pain"). A smoldering Dean Winters plays a man who survives a car accident in which his wife was apparently killed; because of a head injury, his memory is mixed up, and he can't distinguish between reality and fantasy. The borrowings from Memento are obvious, and the fragmented story pieces may not all fit together, but the mystery does become tantalizing. Within the low-budget constraints, veteran cinematographer Rick Bota (making his directing debut) keeps the atmosphere clipped and gloomy. The film also brings back Ashley Laurence, who appeared in the original installments of Clive Barker's franchise. One question: with Pinhead in the house, is visiting an acupuncturist really a good idea? --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (84)

"Welcome to the worst nightmare of all...reality"
The Hellraiser franchise holds a special place in my heart. I will never forget the first time I saw the opening chapter in the series of films inspired by Clive Barker's nightmarish visions. Watching the original "Hellraiser" now is a mixed bag-some of those special effects look a bit hokey, but others still come across as chillingly effective. Who can forget the glistening visage of Uncle Frank? The lascivious Julia? Or the first appearance of the ominous and verbose Pinhead? The second installment improved on the first, as the film whisked the viewer away to the abode of Pinhead and the Cenobites. A gruesome, perverse picture, "Hellbound: Hellraiser 2" raised the expectations about future entries to a fever pitch. Up next came "Hellraiser 3," a personal favorite of mine even though legions of fans have subsequently disowned it. The series moved into the latter stages of its life from this point forward, taking bold steps in an attempt to expand far beyond anything that viewers had come to expect. "Hellraiser: Bloodline" moved the action into the future while simultaneously looking at the past in an effort to tell the history of the Lament Configuration, the box that unleashes Pinhead and his infernal minions. Then came "Hellraiser: Inferno," a film that toyed with concepts of memory in a way that is a sort of precursor to "Hellraiser: Hellseeker."

The sixth entry in the indomitable "Hellraiser" franchise employs techniques eerily reminiscent of films like "Irreversible" and "Memento" without showing scenes backwards. Trevor Gooden (Dean Winters) and his main squeeze Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) aren't getting along that well. They argue incessantly about the things a couple always argues about, but unfortunately they do so while driving a car. When tempers flare Gooden takes his eyes off the road long enough for the car to do a header off a bridge into deep water. The story picks up from this point forward, following Trevor as he recovers from injuries sustained in the accident. Sadly, good old Kirsty didn't make it through the crash, and now Gooden faces questions from the police. The two detectives who question Trevor try and use the old good cop/bad cop routine to extract a confession from the man. Gooden has no idea why the police are voicing suspicions about the accident since he had no reason to try and harm his loved one. The ongoing investigation is a minor inconvenience anyway because Trevor Gooden feels bad physically and emotionally. He suffers from crushing headaches and other ailments as a result of the crash, although the doctors seem to think he shouldn't have any problems.

Then the hallucinations start, frightening visions of gory violence and weird apparitions that leave Gooden feeling confused and alone. His encounter with a cute neighbor in his apartment building leads to a murder he knows nothing about. In come the cops again, asking increasingly ominous questions about what Trevor knows. Everything is turning weird, with time skewing off into past, present, and future directions. Gooden worries he's losing his mind, and he's right. What he should have asked himself was to whom would his mind go. Fans of the "Hellraiser" movies already have a good idea who's going to turn up in the end to claim Trevor Gooden. Yep, it's Pinhead, that urbane, witty denizen of Hell who always finds time to pop up on earth to lecture the mortals on the evils of bad living. It turns out that that accident might not have occurred the way we thought it did, that maybe Trevor isn't the aw shucks sort of guy we thought he was. 'Tis a pity when a good seed goes bad. Or does it? I won't spoil the shock conclusion for you, but "Hellraiser: Hellseeker" holds its cards tightly to its vest. The film is a roller coaster ride that doesn't let the secret out until the final frames.

Director Rick Bota did a good job crafting yet another entertaining "Hellraiser" sequel. He imbues his film with a stark, washed out atmosphere that more than adequately expresses the bleakness Trevor Gooden feels after the accident. Bota also knows that a movie wishing to attach itself to the Pinhead canon must have a vicious bite in terms of gory violence. A whole host of sharp objects express themselves in various ways in the film, much to the delight of gorehounds looking for yet another movie to tease the palate. Even the acting is better than you would expect for a low budget straight to video horror flick. Ashley Laurence, returning to the role that made her semi-famous in the horror world, does a better job acting the seminal part of Kirsty Cotton than she did in the first two films. She might be a bit older, but she's still easy on the eyes. The only downfall to Laurence's appearance is that she doesn't have more than a few scenes. Pity. The director should have made greater use of this actress. Moreover, Doug Bradley as Pinhead once again appears only briefly, a big disappointment to fans of the man with the face of a million nightmares.

The DVD edition is quite good for a straight to video movie. You get a commentary from Rick Bota, a special effects featurette, alternate scenes that give Ashley Laurence greater screen time, and a bunch of trailers for films like "Imposter," "Backflash," and "Hellraiser: Inferno." This sixth installment is the last of the "Hellraiser" films that have been released; two more are slated for release within the next year and a half. I hope they give us more Pinhead and more over the top gore. I think I will go back and start watching the series from the start again. You should, too.

again not really hellraiser
this one is even less like hellraiser, maybe the filmakers are running out of ideas but, it's like the fifth one.
it's basically another detective story but a slightly more boring one that just keeps repeating itself.

five reasons why this is a disappointing film

1.it's a repeat of hellraiser inferno
2.it keeps repeating itself
3.it's slow and boring
4.it's not really hellraiser(again)
5.why does it have pinhead on the front cover if he's hardly in it?

thats like the fifth one you expect him to be in it for a bit longer than he is, ok so he has a bit of a longer part in this one but it still is too short.
the real main character isnt a very good actor so thats something else that is disappointing.
and one more thing, why does the box keep ending up with Kirsty Cotten for no reason?

Excellent Entry in the Hellraiser Canon
HELLRAISER: HELLSEEKER, the sixth installment in the Hellraiser series, is a fine, taut chiller, handled masterfully by first-time director Rick Bota (cinematographer on DEMON KNIGHT, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and VALENTINE and director of the upcoming Hellraiser sequels DEADER and HELLWORLD). This is a nail-biter, especially for newcomers to the series, who will no doubt love this 90-minute amalgam of murder mystery and nightmarish gore pic. Hellraiser faithfuls, however, may be a bit off-put by the similarities to its predecessor, HELLRAISER: INFERNO (still the finest sequel the series has seen).

INFERNO aside, there's still plenty for the horror film buff to love in HELLSEEKER. Bota provides incredibly claustrophic framing throughout, so the viewer can never quite see over protagonist Dean Winters' shoulder. Additionally, the film is very well-lit with hospital neon greens and police station blues adding intensity to the dizzying nightmare. Bota's cinematography experience serves him well and what HELLSEEKER lacks in originality is more than made up for in pure atmosphere.

And then there's the return of Kirsty. Series followers were no doubt hoping for a Kirsty/Pinhead showdown, but that's nowhere to be found in HELLSEEKER. Doug Bradley's Pinhead keeps scarce (a la INFERNO) as does Kirsty, both simply popping in and out when twists and/or exposition are called for. While this does come as a sort of letdown, it ultimately provides an interesting direction for Kirsty as a new antihero and leaves the series wide open for the future sequels. Still, it was nice to see the series reconnected to its origins. This reviewer was pleased to hear a few references to Uncle Frank throughout the film (and was that a quick cameo by Kirsty's flayed father in the basement of the police station?!?)

All in all, HELLSEEKER is an admirable - and extremely enjoyable - entry into the Hellraiser series. While the hardcore fan can tell early on that this is INFERNO redux, that's still not necessarily a bad thing. For those of us still reeling from BLOODLINE and HELL ON EARTH, it's downright welcome.

The HELLSEEKER DVD looks great and sounds OK. The 5.1 Surround is underused (especially for a fright flick) and poorly utilized when it does come into play. Bota's commentary is again a welcome addition for fans of the series as recent DVDs have been bare bones affairs. Several alternate scenes are also provided. Highly recommended for fans of the series and B-flicks alike.

This direct to DVD is a total waste of time
The Hellraiser series is not a bad series. In fact most of the Hellraiser films are quite good and even the later ones in the series have some merit.

Sadly this one does not because...

(1)Hellraiser and the Cenobytes are in it for about 7 minutes.
(2)The story is ripped directly from Jacob's Ladder and Angel Heart.

It is a TV movie with some interesting production values but just based on points 1 and 2 above I think you have a good idea of where you should keep your money. Don't even bother renting. Maybe next time you see a few seconds of it on the Sci-Fi channel at 4am you will understand how bad this is....

Pleasantly Surprised
I really thought this movie was going to be beyond redemption. I only rented it because I've seen everything in the tiny video store I frequent.

I was surprised that I liked it! No, It was no where near the first ones, not even close, but it wasn't horrible.

I liked the way Kristy was no longer little miss innocent, and if she'd gone through all this in real life it's highly doubtful she would still be snow white anyway. I also liked the way the main character's story was told through hallucinations and dream like sequences. I especially liked the way things were neatly wrapped up at the end. I especially liked the female coroner's part.

The visuals were very attractive and the story was good if a little predictable.

The bottom line is that this film was enjoyable. It was not great art or story telling, but if you run out of great movies a good one is better than nothing at all. ... Read more

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. ... Read more

Reviews (345)

Bram Stoker's Dracula
So often I find myself with an uncontrollable urge, an urge only silenced by the viewing of Francis Ford Coppola's gothic masterpiece, originally conceived in 1897 by Bram Stoker. I would like to point out that both these names scream artist and I'm filled with envy due to my rather plain name. I recently purchased this copy of Dracula so that the urge may be quelled more easily. The DVD features no special features and a pathetic excuse for a menu, but the widescreen presentation was worth the purchase.

I must mention Dangerous Liaisons as Keanu Reeves (Jonathan Harker) plays almost the same character with the same character story line. Simply replace Gary Oldman (Dracula) with John Malkovich and Winona Ryder (Mina Murray) with Uma Thurman; once again John Malkovich will take Keanu's coveted bride and then, just like in Dangerous Liaisons, taste Keanu's fiery blade of vengeance. John Malkovich (who was in Shadow of the Vampire) I think would have made a great Dracula, although it would be hard to surpass Gary Oldman's stunning portrayal of the famous Count. I suppose they picked Keanu for this role because of Dangerous Liaisons and I also suppose they picked Winona Ryder for her role in The Age of Innocence because of her role in Dracula. Having mentioned The Age of Innocence, I must note that Winona is not the only actor the two movies share as Richard E. Grant (Dr. Seward) is in both as well.

Perfection is what Francis Ford Coppola has accomplished here. 1992 must have been a real batty year with the theatre release of Dracula and Batman Returns. My favorite scene is near the end when the chariot is racing into the castle courtyard as the sun goes down, the music is so suspenseful and when Keanu steps up to that wooden crate and BLAM, now that is what movies are all about.

I loved once and I will love again
This is a gothic love story of sorts, but is different in that it spans an amazing four hundred years.
In the beginning we encounter Prince Vlad who is leaving to battle the invading Turkish army. Leaving behind his beautiful, if somewhat emotionally fragile bride Elisabeta. When she receives a forged note telling her that her husband is dead, she flings herself into the river. Prince Vlad vows to avenge her death, by selling his soul to the Devil.
Forward four hundred years, Prince Vlad is still alive and kicking. He has hired a lawyer by the name of Jonathan Harker, who has left behind his fiancee Mina Murray. Prince Dracula sees her picture, realising that his beloved wife has returned, he imprisons Jonathan in his castle and travels to London to meet and woo Mina/Elisabeta.
Gary Oldman shone in the role of the tormented lovesick Count Dracula, he was dark, dangerous, mysterious and [...] on legs. Which made me wonder why Mina went through with her marriage to the bland and unromantic Jonathan even after she had met the Count. Winona Ryder was spectacular as the woman torn between the man she died loving four hundred years ago, and the man she's stuck with in this life. Anthony Hopkins gave some much needed wit and humour in the role of Dr. Van Helsing.
But don't be surprised if you find yourself barracking for the Count to woo Mina away from Jonathan, or for the Count to defeat Van Helsing, or praying that Mina will come to her senses and realise that she belongs with the Count.
Love comes but once in your life, but I guess it depends which life you can remember!

"Bram Stoker's" Dracula?
While the story does follow the major events of Stoker's novel, it has been rewritten to the point that it is almost unrecognizable. I will admit that visually this film is impressive. The scenery and cinematography are quite good. As for the cast, Anthony Hopkins is a very enjoyable van Helsing, and Gary Oldman does very well as Count Dracula- but not Bram Stoker's vision of the vampire. The other performances are forgettable.

Mix of legend and novel
Francis Ford Copppola's adaption of Dracula is unique; Coppola combines legend and novel to create a visually striking tour de force. There are a number witty visual references to silent movies (particularly previous adaptions from 1929's Nosferatu to Hammer's Horror of Dracula)and the visual effects are quite stunning. The effects themselves borrow liberally from older film and stage techniques. They prove just as striking and effective as any CGI images that could have been used.

The literate script is more faithful to Stoker's novel than previous adaptions but there's still a considerable amount of liberaties taken with it. Calling this Stoker's Dracula is being generous;Coppola transforms anything he adapts and this is very much Coppola's Dracula.

The acting and casting is more problematic. The most glaring problem is Keanu Reeves as Harker. Yes, I realize that Reeves' wooden acting style is deliberate. It's a stylized reference to the acting of the 20's and 30's. Unfortunately, given the other performances, it doesn't work. Anthony Hopkins manages to chew just about every bit of scenery in sight. Still, he's an effective Van Helsing. He plays Van Helsing with as obsessed bordering on madness. It works within the context of the film and is a fine contrast to Gary Oldman's fine performance as Dracula. Cary Elwes and Bill Campbell round out a fine cast of performers (although I personally would have loved seeing the versatile Elwes play Campbell's role). Tom Waits makes the role of Renfield his own. Waits' take on Renfield is the strongest since Dwight Frye's in the 1931 Todd Browning version of Dracula.

The romantic element of the film is completely screenwriter James Hart's invention. It's a surprise and makes this something more than a run of the mill vampire movie. His script breathes life into a moribound subject that's been done to death. Coppola and his collaborator Hart have invented a tragic gothic Dracula mixing gore with the sensibility of a romance novel.

The film is well staged and the action sequences have a kinetic energy that only a thoughtful director like Copppola could create. The cinematography veers from beautiful to eerie within the same sequence. Coppola's Dracula takes the vestiage of Greek tragedy and grafts it to the horror film in a way that makes this a fresh and vital film.

The Superbit DVD has no extras to speak of (and the extras on Columbia's DVD pale compared to the original Laserdisc version). The picture quality and sound are both outstanding. Columbia/Sony have done an outstanding job with this transfer. It's one of the sharpest and best looking DVDs around.

A Perverted Lab Experiment
... You people that have rated this film 5 stars need your heads examined. Yes, I do agree with the fantastic color,the special effects, breathtaking costumes,the surround sound effects, but what else is there for peep sake!!. The story is twisted, girls are getting raped by Satan himself, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves acting is out of place. The only person that fits in this movie is anthony Hopkins, at least his british accent is authentic. This movie is so twisted that even Count Dracul looks like he belongs in one of the Star War films and not to mention Dracula's slave who craves insects and cats.
Not only is this film offensive, but a tremendous dissapointment to all Dracula film lovers. ... Read more

Description

In one of his earliest pre-Pulp Fiction performances, Samuel L. Jackson helps face off against a supernatural menace to society in this theatrical sleeper hit shot on colorfully vivid 35mm. A sexy female succubus is hell-bent on destroying Joel (A DIFFERENT WORLD’s Kadeem Hardison), a young divinity student, through her powers of seduction. One by one, Joel's friends fall victim to her charms, leaving Joel to face the temptress...and his destiny...alone. Bill Nunn (DO THE RIGHT THING) also stars in this terrifying story of vampires and lust.Featuring star power, lavish production values and smoking urban locales, Def By Temptation showcases the brightest young black cast and crew in a thoughtfully frightening horror extravaganza. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Demons, Fortune Tellers, Religion, Oh my!
This movie is one of the best horror films. The plot is original, the actors believable, the sets very visual... even the soundtracks pretty good! The special effects are fair. The plot involves an attractive womans quest to destroy cheating men in general and in particular, a young man who hopes to become a minister. Alas, he is the last of his line. Whats her deal? Buy it and see! Several known performers in this film: Melba Moore, Hardison, TWO Jacksons (one famous Samuel, oh and Freddie) The climax of the film is intense, the ending is excellent. Bored with other horror films because they're all clones? Buy this one then.... it's a standout!

A very good and scary black horror film since Blacula.
I also liked Vampire In Brooklyn, but if I was to choose between Vampire In Brooklyn and Def by Temptation, I would have to say that I liked Def by Temptation better.

Good movie, Not for kiddies.
A young religious scholar takes time out to visit a friend. While he is in town, he meets a very seductive woman with one thrill -- to secure a soul.

Standard B-Movie fare
'Def by Temptation' is the tale of a young preacher-in-training (James Bond III, who also wrote and directed the flick) who takes a break from his studies to spend time with his childhood friend (Kadeem Hardison) in NYC, obstensibly to get to know a little about the world. He gets a little more than he bargains for, as he gets caught in the web of a demoness who is single-handedly depopulating a pick-up joint. (The demon preys on human weaknesses, such as lust and greed.) The big question: Will the young preacher remain pure and alive, or will he join the demon's list of victims?

Pacing- and story-wise, this is a standard B-Movie. It's a touch more upscale/serious than a typical Troma release, but it still has its share of humorous moments. The cinematography and lighting is above average... and there's actually a bit of acting going on in a number of scenes! (James Bond III is not one of the highlights, unfortunately.) There are a number of confused moments in the storyline, but none are fatally distracting, so, all in all, this is a fun romp.

Note for Samuel L. Jackson fans: Jackson's character is actually rather important to a number of the elements of the plot, but its hardly 'truth in advertising' to list him among the film's stars. The minutes he spends on screen can be counted on one hand.

Decent Movie, Deals with Real Struggles
As an avid fan of movies from the vampire genre, I wasimmediately drawn to this one based on the detailed review of AndrewWright of Amazon.com. However, to my surprise, the movie is not about vampires, but instead about the eternal struggle that men are confronted with--temptation. Bond portrays a minister "to-be" who comes from a long line of ministers. Struggling with the question as to whether there is more to life than the ministry, he visits his childhood friend, Hardison, who is a struggling "B" movie actor in New York. Little did he know that he would encounter a demon temptress named, you guessed it, Temptation, who, like the reviewer stated, is single-handedly destroying the men from a local "pick-up" joint.

What makes this movie interesting is also what makes it a little campy. The seductress plays on the main sexual deviations of men: each concluding with real, and relevant, endings to the perpetrators. The real storyline poses the question, "Can you resist Temptation in this life to do what God requires of you?" This is a question which is posed bluntly, and those who answer no, meet gruesome ends.

Overall, the storyline is good, the acting decent, and Cynthia Bond as the temptress is hot. This is overall a good movie and well worth viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

From Dusk Till Dawn 2 - Not as Good as Original
It seems Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodrigues wanted to make a franchise series without any thought apart from trying to milk money out of unsuspecting filmgoers. This and the 3rd installment went straight to video so they knew the sequels were not up to par with the original. FDTD 2 is very predictable so there are no surprises, not even the gory vampire killings. The only reason to watch this movie (especially if you're a male) is to see Playboy Playmate Maria Checa in a brief supporting role in which she is killed in a shower scene directly ripped off from Hitchcock's PSYCHO.

A fun waste of time.
This one is not serious, not for a bit. There's gory slaugther, there are cool characters and there's not even a little tiny piece of a story that isn't forgotten after half the movie.

Still I liked it. I liked the wacky camerawork that reminds me of Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) when he is in his most playful mood. I liked the actors interaction (before they became vampires) and I liked the ending scene.

What I didn't like was the second half of the movie where there was only fighting, and not interesting fighting. Four criminal vampires just slaughtering polices can be fun for a bit, but not for too long. If you want a stupid movie with high budget where crazy vampires tries to kill other people with no thought of consequences or really no thoughts at all, this is a film for you.

Vampire Bank Robbers
This is a sequel to From Dusk Till Dawn but it could just as easily be set before the first film. This one involves a bank robbery South of the border. The team is put together and they all head for a motel near the target. But one member is a little late and runs afoul of a vampire.

As a vampire, he joins the rest of the team and starts converting them to vampires. For some reason they continue with the bank robbery. This is not really explained and is not like the vampire mobsters in Innocent Blood.

In the end we have a final showdown when hordes of police arrive including one policeman who has a vendetta against the one thief not to get converted. Some of this action is rather interesting. At one point in the film there is a convenient solar eclipse. This one is odd as it totally blocks out the sun and the corona and then it lasts way too long. It would have been better to leave this one out.

Although this one is not quite as good as the original it is a rather good film. The characters are really quite interesting (both good guys and bad guys) and the film wraps up in a satisfying way (even if it has been used in countless films).

Raymond Cruz
Being a teenager and a boy I like my horror movies. This one is an okay vampire movie. The person that caught my eye was Raymond Cruz, he is so hot. Look at his muscles and that hot bad boy face. The scene with him and the girl in the hotel room was the best part of the movie. Don't miss the rear view that we get to see of both of them.

ok
I recorded this on TV with my Tivo system because it said it was starring Bruce Campbell. It pissed me off when I found out that the only part with Bruce Campbell is a pointless scene in the beginning with Bruce and and the girl from Saved by the Bell. It was also directed by Sam Raimi afiliate Scott Spiegel. I liked the ideas with the camera movement and the scene near the end with the mustard gas and the main character with a cross. Over-all this is a pretty good movie. If it had some better writing and a higher budget it probably would have been better but I guess not. Buy it so you can support these guys. ... Read more

Description

Jekyll and Hyde get a sex change! When slimy stud Dr. Chris Leeder (Jack Buddliner) takes possession of Dr. Jekyll's ancient notebook, he quickly becomes obsessed with the murderous sex crimes of the original Mr. Hide. Ignoring the notebook's warning that the Jekyll and Hyde formula "makes people appear as they really are," the demented doc mixes the potion and promptly turns into..."Miss Hyde" (Jane Tsentas), a sexy blonde in a mini-skirt who just happens to be a homicidal nymphomaniac! After enjoying a lesbian romp with Leeder's secretary (legendary skinflick starlet Rene Bond), and the sadistic slaughter of a drunken sailor (ouch!), Miss Hide decides to pay a visit to Leeder's fiancee (Jennifer Brooks) and permanently cancel the wedding...Gender-bending adult horror, "The Adult Version of Jekyll & Hide" is another outrageous classic from the Mighty Monarch of Sexploitation, producer David F. Friedman. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

THE ADULT VERSION OF JEKYLL & HIDE!
Yes! Before there was BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA! Before there was MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTIN! There was THE ADULT VERSION OF JEKYLL & HIDE! That's right, its HIDE not HYDE! Because in this ADULTS ONLY version of the famous story by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON (Author of TREASURE ISLAND and other great books!) the good doctor is interested in the murderous sex crimes of the ORIGINAL Mr. Hyde! When he recreates the experiments he transforms into--(wait for it!)--the blonde bombshell Miss Hyde! Not to worry, this alter ego also has an APPETITE for SEX and MURDER! This is a film that knows what the audiences wanted in 1972 and certainly tries to give it to them! And with this DVD you get the proverbial much, much more! AUDIO COMMENTARY from the producer! Plus neat stuff from the FRIEDMAN GALLERY OF EXPLOITATIVE ART! Oh, and the ORIGINAL TRAILER!

Warped..of course!
Being a fan of all things "Dr.J/ Hyde" I sought out this curio for the sheer novelty of the thing. It's definitely not for everyone (buy YOU aren't everyone or else you wouldn't be reading this review!!) so the cult-film fanatic will enjoy. Basic story with the good doctor discovering Dr.Jekyll's old diary. That's basically the story with the doc transforming into a beatiful babe about mid-way through. Some masochistic violence (Hyde-style) ensues. Cool T&A throughout. The three rating is for good cult-film style fun, with 1 star for "Ms.Hide"?

Cool
Not much for storyline here. It's a classic Jekyll and Hyde movie with probably more T&A then needed. But I mean, come on, you don't watch these movies for the great story, right> ... Read more

Album Details

Overture to the Opera the Vampire, Copmosed by Heinrich Marschner and Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror, Composed by Hans Erdmann. ... Read more

Reviews (137)

Nightmare central
I already did a review on this great film, but I failed to tell why I liked the film... so I'm doing another one. "Nosferatu" is the absolute scariest film in the history of cinema. Now I am not talking about that remake, because that wasn't a very good remake... I am referring to the original 1922 cinematic masterpiece that is virtually a nightmare caught on film. Count Orlock is the scariest monster of all time, because no one knows anything about Max Schreck, who is the actor who played him. All anyone knows is when he was born, when he died and that he was in "Nosferatu". He looks pure evil with his ugly bald head, old 18th century jacket, stunning black eye brows, and talon like fingers and he really looks dead. This movie was made in 1922, so the picture is a creepy black and white with that old film grain gracing the screen which makes the film look really old. Knowing that all the actors in the film are dead now, makes them come alive again scaring you from beyond the grave as they appear on your television screen. This film is to be watch at midnight on a Saturday night... turn off all the lights and turn this film on and don't turn it off untill it's compleatly over or it will spoil the expiriance of taking you back to a time where they relied little on special effects and more make up and really great acting.

Nosferatu -- the creepiest vampire movie ever!
I first saw this movie as part of a classis film series in college. CREEEEEEEPPPY! When I saw this movie again it was just as creepy. The vampire in this movie literally gives you chills just looking at him. His appearance is extremely atypical, compared to stereotyped vampires out there these days.

I'm not a horror movie fan, but I highly recommend this one. It banks heavily on basic emotional impact and little on special effects and the bells and whistles that many modern film makers dish out and that many viewers expect.

Viewing this movie is a visceral experience. One you are not soon going to forget.

Definitely 5 stars.

Alan Holyoak

BIZARRE
Directed by F.W. Murnau, the original, superbly loathsome German version of Bram Stoker's novel DRACULA is a concenrated essay in horror fantasy, full of weird, macabre camera effects. Though ludicrous at times (every horror film seems to become rather absurd after the passage of years - yet the horror remains), this first important film of the Vampire genre has more spectral atmosphere, more ingenuity, and more imaginative ghoulish ghastiliness than any of its successors. The movie often seems more closely related to demonic painting than to the later, rather rigid vampire movies. Henrik Galeen's adaptation of the novel changes the setting from Victorian England to Bremen in 1838. In the novel, Dracula himself is at first quite old, becoming progessively rejevenated in England by fresh blood; but he's never as grotesque as Schreck in this Murnau version nor as romantically attractive as Langella in the Badham version. The influence of this 1922 silent can be seen in movies such as Bergman's THE MAGICIAN and Goddard's ALPHAVILLE. Surrealistic and Freudian, this version is equally frightening and bizarre.

One of the best films of all time
The earliest, and unauthorized, version of "Dracula" is a marvel. Nearly 70 years after it first crept onto movie screens, it is still a riveting piece of cinematic artistry.

I must admit that I find Max Schreck's vampire much more comical than frightening. At one point in the film, where he peers out from a ship's galley, he looks like a deranged elf. The chills in the film really come from the wonderful use of light, shadow and symbolism. The skeleton clock, ghost ship, fields and Schreck's ominous profile on the staircase, among others, are all evocative images that stay with the viewer. The narration, visuals and sets all add to the eerie atmosphere. Even the little things stand out--check out the cryptic symbols on Renfield's letter and the black-hooded carriage horses on Dracula's coach.

Among the actors, Gustav von Wangenheim stood out for me. As the overconfident and terrorized Jonothan (sic) Harker, Wangenheim gave a gripping performance.

'Nosferatu' is a wonderful reminder that the simple things--light, shadow and story--can knock the stuffing out of hi-tech hocus-pocus.

Best vampire flick ever made
What can I say other than this is the best vampire movie to have ever been made. I have seen many, many movies, but this is the best. I have seen all of the remakes off this German classic. None of them, I repeate, NONE OF THEM, are as good as the orginal. ... Read more

Reviews (158)

At last Meir Zarchi explains himself
Well, now all the folks who wish writer/director Meir Zarchi would explain his controversial, infamous, and disturbing rape and revenge film can get their wish for the price of this Millennium edition DVD, which includes a feature-length commentary by Zarchi. In this commentary, Zarchi confirms what this film's defenders (including me) have been claiming all along -- that his intention was definitely not to promote rape to his male viewers, but rather to expose the true ugliness of the crime. He talks at length about the real-life encounter with a rape victim that inspired the film, and about the people he worked with in making it. He also discusses the technical aspects in enough detail to prove this is not the shoddy, haphazard production some folks want to claim it is. I also learned a few interesting facts about the film business in general. For example, when you submit a movie to the MPAA, they'll tell you it has to be cut to get an R rating, but they won't tell you WHAT to cut.

Besides answering your questions about the film, Zarchi's commentary also provides a clue as to what sort of person he is. Overall, he comes across as intelligent, articulate, and even compassionate.

However, he also comes across as a bit egotistical, which is why the second feature-length commentary by Joe Bob Briggs is useful for its more balanced perspective. Although Briggs defends the movie, pointing out specific scenes that exemplify its anti-rape viewpoint, he's objective enough to point out flaws where he sees them. For example, why on earth did Johnny send the mentally-challenged Matthew back to the house to kill Jennifer, when Matthew was almost certain to bungle the job? Briggs also addresses two ethical questions that have always bothered me. The first is whether Matthew deserves to die, and the second is whether Johnny's wife and children deserve to have their husband/father respectively taken away from them.

This DVD also includes various trailers, TV spots, and posters, including some promoting the movie under its original title, DAY OF THE WOMAN. There are also posted from a wide assortment of countries, in a wide assortment of languages. I wish the extras had also included the original version of the opening, with the title DAY OF THE WOMAN in the credits, but maybe there are no prints in existence.

So, if you want to own this movie on DVD, this is the edition to buy. If you own an earlier edition, you might consider selling it to raise part of the price of this one.

Wow..........oh yeah did i mention Wow
Let me first start off by saying that i am horror fan thru and thru but this was somthin i wasn't really expecting in a movie.
I heard about this movie from people, about how shocking it was and how just plain raw it was. Now i have seen all The Faces of Death and alot of gore in my day, but this was different.This movie made my stomach turn with its vivid depiction of rape.I mean the rape sequences in this movie are unparallel to anything i have ever seen or want to see for that matter. I gave it four stars just because of how powerful of a movie it really is.
The revenge plot to the movie is sweet the kills kinda like friday the 13th... the film it self is low budget but i think thats why its good, gives it a sense of realism. Let me warn you if you think this is another Halloween or Texas Chainsaw Massacre your dead wrong.

Nice and simple
I dig this movie. I remember seeing it for the first time back around 1979. It is perhaps the oldest movie I ever vividly remember seeing. Watching it nowadays is not as shocking as the movie was when I was pre-teen, wathing it on HBO after hours. The story is pretty simple. A girl gets abused by 3 dudes and she goes back and kills them all. Just the way it should be in real life. Even to this day, some of the scenes would be considered graphic so don't let the kids watch it....the way I did I guess. Definately worth the time to watch it. Even to this day I found myself pinned to the screen watching it.

There should be more to it....
I was intrigued by the synopsis of "I Spit on Your Grave", because I love movies about women getting revenge, like "Kill Bill", and "Sleepaway Camp 2". I had been contemplating on weather renting this or not, beucase it's soppousedly soppoused to be so shocking and graphic, that you can't bare to watch it. Well, I was able to watch the whole thing with my eyes open. And it's only sort of shocking. The death scenes are no gorier or violent than those in the "Friday the 13th" movies. Now, even tho I love films with women getting revenge, I did not love this. I only sort of liked it. The problem is is that it just didn't have enough to it. It felt like there was something missing. And it's shown in such a monotonous slide-show way. Like, okay, lets see her get raped. Now she cleans herself. Now she kills this guy. Now this guy. Now this guy. Now this guy. It makes the film feel so much shorter, and uncomplete. Now, Camille Keaton; I real liked her acting in this movie. She says everything in a really cool way, but at the same time somehow makes everything she says funny, mostly when she's talking to the guys before she kills them. Overall, I don't reccomend this unless you have to see every horror film on the shelves.

Woman's Day
A pretty young novelist rents a secluded cabin in the woods in order to have a nice, quiet place in which to hunker down and start writing the great American novel. But instead of peace and serenity, she ends up as the victim of brutal rape and torture at the hands of a band of semi-literate rednecks. She somehow survives the ordeal, though, and after regaining her physical and emotional bearing, she finds the inner strength to return to the scene of the crime and confront her attackers.... Thusly winds the plot of 1978's infamous and controversial revenge flick I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (originally titled DAY OF THE WOMAN).

In the uncut version of this soupçon-budget flick--which is the version offered on the DVD from Elite--the gang-rape and torture sequence consumes an inordinate amount of screen time. Though this sequence has sometimes been compared to the sodomy scene in Boorman's DELIVERANCE (1972), it is more often criticized as being merely gratuitous and subliminally misogynistic. Unlike Boorman, who only slyly and skillfully SUGGESTS the sodomy and torture in his famous film, the director of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, Meir Zarchi, is unflinchingly graphic in his depiction of rape. He doesn't want to do anything that might candy-coat this bitter pill, because he wants the audience to see just how abhorring such personal violation actually is.

Lauded by loyal fans as a simple film that makes an important and abstruse point, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is admittedly neither complex nor deep. Yes, the plotting is rudimentary and subtext is virtually nonexistent. Yes, the film lacks a musical score. And, yeah, a few of the characters are trite, shallow, and one-dimensional, and some of the dialogue is hokey. To certain aesthete filmgoers, this raw simplicity may come across as banal, sophomoric cinema. But aesthetics is only a secondary concern with this film. The primary purpose is to declare a particular message or two and to declare them as in-your-face as possible. The film DOES indeed have a couple of staunch points to make regarding the repugnance of rape and misogyny, an individual's rights regarding their body, and the justification for exacting eye-for-an-eye revenge. And it proclaims these points in a graphically straightforward manner that, if nothing else, certainly grabs the audience's attention.

The Elite DVD version of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE offers a surprisingly clear, clean anamorphic transfer of the film in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The sound, while not as impressive as the digital video, is available in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Surround Sound 5.1, or the original mono. The disc's extras include a feature commentary by the director, as well as a hilarious commentary track by cult-film aficionado and critic Joe Bob Briggs, the stage persona of actor/writer John Bloom. (Joe Bob's articulate, knowledgeable, and extremely humorous commentary is itself worth the disc's purchase price.) Also included are the theatrical trailers--some of which promote the film under its original title--various interviews, and press-coverage items that include the merciless repudiation of the film by some famous critics. For a film that has generated such negative publicity over the years, this is quite meritorious bonus material.

True, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is an exploitative splatter film with a plot that is often dismissed by critics as a tale of one city girl and handful of sadistic hayseeds traipsing through a series of grisly scenes. It's definitely not for the squeamish, but anybody who views the film is certain to walk away with a firm pathos for rape victims and a strong disdain for rapists. And since that is what the filmmakers were aiming for, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE must be regarded as a highly successful film. ... Read more

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The only real problem with Stir of Echoes has nothing to do with the movie itself, but with unlucky coincidence. Adapted from a Richard Matheson novel, this filmarrived around the same time as The Sixth Sense, and surface similarities made it suffer by cursory comparison and the competing film's phenomenal success. It's a pity, because this one features one of Kevin Bacon's best performances, in a psychological thriller that makes a lot more right moves than wrong ones. Bacon plays a blue-collar guy who laments his ordinary life, only to learn, when his sister-in-law (Ileanna Douglas) hypnotizes him, that he is a "receiver" capable of seeing spirits and split-second glimpses of past and future events. It's a torturous gift to have--especially since his friendly Chicago neighborhood possesses a dark secret--and Bacon plays the role with an appropriate mixture of obsession and internalized torment.

Similarity to The Sixth Sense applies only to the basic premise and the character of Bacon's young son. Otherwise, this is more of a hard-edged journey of self-discovery, marital crisis, and recovery, with Bacon's wife (played by the highly underrated Kathryn Erbe) involved in an underdeveloped subplot about a group of people who share Bacon's gift as paranormal "receivers." Furthering his career as a writer-director of intelligent thrillers, David Koepp makes a few missteps in pacing and thematic overkill, but overall Stir of Echoes is a sharp, sensitive thriller that unfolds to reveal a dramatically satisfying solution to its mystery. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (204)

SLEEP...SLEEP...SLEEP
and so our protagonist Tom (Kevin Bacon) slips into a deep hypnotic state, and after he awakens, he starts to "receive" messages from the supernatural. This is the basis for a very scary story which takes place in a close-knit, blue-collarish town where everyone knows their neighbors...but not as well as they think! Bacon's acting is right on the money. I especially liked the supposed blue-collar speak: Aye, how youse doin'? He convincingly acts terrified, confused, & sad...a man on the brink of going looney. Rounding out the cast is the always quirky-yet-attractive Illeana Douglas, down-to-earth sexy Kathryn Erbe as Tom's wife, and playing Tom's son, Jake, Zachary David Cope does a fairly good imitation of the kid from "The Sixth Sense". ( The kid here, you see, has always "received" the same messages!) The director & writer, David Koepp uses a great visual style to move things along, as well as a few neat special FX shots as the supernatural forces come to light. The scene where Tom first goes under hypnosis is very very effective...I almost felt like I was being hypnotized as I wathced...you will too. Thoroughly enjoyable. Great extras. Well worth the price of ownership.

5 STARS FOR SCARING ME OUT OF MY WITS!
If you're super cynical, you might view Stir Of Echos as just a trumped up murder mystery with supernatural overtones and some oddly coincidental parallels to the Sixth Sense thrown in; (although I just recently found out who might have been copying whom)! However, if you're honest, you'll have to admit that Stir Of Echos is incredibly suspenseful (definitely Edge Of The Seat stuff!) totally riveting, and far, far CREEPIER than the Sixth Sense! In this movie, (starring Kevin Bacon) the lead character is hypontized on a drunken whim, at a party. Afterwards, he starts experiencing some very bizarre hallucinations as he realizes a "door" to another world has been opened up in his brain! As he desperately tries to get to the bottom of these terrifying images and visions he's seeing, he loses interest in his job, his family; everything! An intriguing plot, that does not disappoint! My opinion? Watch it and view for yourself! (But DON'T watch it alone)!

Stir of Ehs
This is not a bad movie. It is reasonably well made, although it has dubiously long sequences of Kevin Bacon searching for power tools and using said power tools w/o any serious tension, as we know exactly what he will find, as does he. Also, the background crime and its perpetrators were too easy to discern halfway through the film, and some variation of the confrontation was obvious 40 minutes into the film. The film has an effective mood, and a couple of jolts...

My problem w/ films like this, and I know there are those of you like me, is this: In horror, in Supernatural horror, the supernatural has to be malevolent and it has to be the threat. If an average human is a greater threat to the protagonist than the ghost--which seems to be the common norm of most modern horror/thrillers (Below, 6th Sense, What Lies Beneath, The Others, 28 Days Later, this)--then it does nothing for me. It's not scary. A ghost trying to warn you or avenge its death isn't scary. Sure, the film may manipulate some jumps out of you w/ quick shots of the practically harmless ghost, but after you've experience the thrills, what remains? Once you know the secret of "The Others", what could possibly be scary about the movie after a second viewing? The Exorcist is still scary, because that movie is about an evil presence out to harm you. The Ring gave me some uneasy nights, I admit, because the threat was evil. The Blair Witch Project, the same thing. There's nothing scary about the ghosts in this, in The Others, in the 6th Sense.

So, if you really enjoyed movies w/ ghosts who are only harmful in their pop-up-out-of-no-where powers, and human conspiracies about failed coverups scare you more, then you'd like this. If, however, it's the vile nature of the beast that keeps you up at night, then you'd feel you had wasted money on this picture.

Good Movie
Stir of Echoes is a good, supernatural thriller. It's above the other movies nowadays. Bacon is great.

Kevin Bacon? Never seen him so good.
This is a very clever film. I was a bit skeptical both because of it's lack of popularity and the fact that Kevin Bacon is in it. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this is a great story, it is well put together with many good actors/actresses.

There's not much to say, other than: If you want a good, rare movie pick this. I warn you however that I'm not promising your liking it. Although with the right mindset, anyone can enjoy this film. Just remember: "Don't be afraid." ... Read more