Reviews (344)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (130)

Crumb's Crunchy Delights
While Director Peter Jackson may have gained international recognition as the director of LORD OF THE RINGS, many horror fans knew him first from this highly entertaining 1987 splatter comedy. This film is a real testament towards Peter Jackson's talent and love for the genre... the movie was filmed on a shoestring budget on weekends for four years. Reminiscent of other successful horror comedies like RE-ANIMATOR and BASKET CASE, BAD TASTE is a truly eccentric film that has gone on to become a cult hit.

The film has something to do with an alien army that takes over a secluded town in New Zealand. The government has no other choice but to send in "The Boys" to stop those pesky extraterrestrials from turning mankind into the next ingredient on their fast food menu. Led by the evil Lord Crumb, the aliens wage a no-holds barred war against "The Boys" that culminates in an outrageously extended attack on a house that's reminiscent of the climactic showdown in DEAD ALIVE.

BAD TASTE is simply one of the most entertaining horror films that I've ever seen. The action sequences are surprisingly well staged (considering the limited budget) and the graphic violence is presented in such an exaggerated and goofy manner that you can't possibly take it seriously. The film is filled with so many hilariously sick jokes and sight gags that you won't possibly believe that what you're seeing on the screen is actually happening. Peter Jackson handles all the action wonderfully, with a particularly impressive scene filmed on the side of a cliff standing out as the most remarkable (reportedly, this scene was very dangerous to shoot).

While Peter Jackson would top himself a few years later with the release of his over-the-top zombie masterpiece DEAD ALIVE, BAD TASTE first showed genre fans that the New Zealand director could deliver the goods in both the gore and the comedy departments. BAD TASTE is an unforgettable film that comes highly recommended to cult film fanatics. Anchor Bay Entertainment's new release on video and DVD features the quote "From the Director of LORD OF THE RINGS." It's really funny to think how many unsuspecting viewers will sit down to view this bizarre flick on the basis of that quote alone... I envy their ignorance.

Anchor Bay's Bad Taste: Good Taste!
After the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was pretty much inevitable that director Peter Jackson's old classics would be released to DVD. Already available in a plain, single disc edition, DVD wonder Anchor Bay has re-released Jackson's Bad Taste in a limited 2-disc DVD pack.

THE FILM

Bad Taste was a sensation it was released, and it is a major cult film now. Peter Jackson's 1987 debut picture finds four alienbusters coming to a New Zealand town, where the discover the town overtaken by aliens. Of course, these aren't your everyday Sigourney Weaver aliens. Un-uh. These guys are part of the intergalatic food chain Crumb's Crunchy Delights, and all they want is some major human flesh to chew on. Hmmm ...

Being Jackson's debut, the film obviously can't meet up to later hits like Braindead (a.k.a. Dead Alive) and Lord of the Rings, but there's some talent in here yet. It seems like a backyard picture, and I suppose that's one of the reasons it's so popular. What I do know is that it's gory, entertaining, and the most digusting film I've ever seen. [7/10]

THE VIDEO

Anchor Bay has done a terrific remastering job. There isn't any grain anywhere. A flawless work. [10/10]

THE AUDIO

As all the voices in the film were dubbed after shooting, many times the words didn't meet the mouth movements. Well, Anchor Bay has - somehow - fixed this problem with its lovely DD 5.1 remix. No problem here. [10/10]

THE EXTRAS

Well, if you consider the fact that it's a Limited Edition (of 50,000) an extra, then we got that here. Anchor Bay's double-disc set includes a Peter Jackson bio, the film's trailer, and a very good documentary about the film: "Good Taste Made Bad Taste". I think fans of the film will be pleased. [7/10]

Cult film fans won't wanna miss this DVD release. If you're a fan of disgusting horror or sci-fi with laughable comedy thrown in the middle, then this is the movie for you. Those with a weak stomach will want to stay the hell away from this baby, though!

OVERALL SCORE: [8/10]
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THE FILM: [7/10] Disgusting, funny, and very entertaining. Essential for horror fans.
THE VIDEO: [10/10] A beautiful remastering job.
THE AUDIO: [10/10] Nice DD 5.1 soundtrack.
THE EXTRAS: [7/10] Very satisfying.
OVERALL SCORE: [8/10] Fans of the film won't wanna pass this DVD.

- Thomas Benton

Micro-Budget Masterpiece
This movie is too much fun. This is schlock of the highest caliber. Peter Jackson's considerable talent is on full display in his debut feature film. The camera work and the editing are amazing. The physical schtick is impeccably timed and photographed. Despite the nothing budget, the technical aspects of this movie are outstanding.

Peter Jackson stars as Derreck(sp?), the sadistic, snivling scientist whose four man government agency, the Alien Investigation Defense Service, has been called upon to thwart a hostile alien invasion of a small backwoods town. Jackson's Derreck is revolting and charasmatic at the same time - a truly original anti-hero. The aliens are actually employees of an intergalactic fast food chain that has just begun marketing human meat - and it is evidently delicious. Can our four heroes save the relief worker (con artist) and foil the aliens' evil plan?

There are some great gags in this movie including a Monty Pythonesque exploding sheep and a recurring joke involving Peter Jackson's character's cerebellum continually falling out, being trodden upon, and then being stuffed back in.

This is an extremely enjoyable movie. For optimal enjoyment, watch it with plenty of alchohol and a couple of friends.

Doesn't live up to the hype...
I am a huge fan of horror/gore movies. For years I have heard about this movie with people talking about how good it is, how gory it is. Finally I shelled out the cash for the DVD and was really dissapointed. Other reviewers have described the plot well enough so I won't delve into that. I will say that you should probably rent this before buying it.

If you are looking for crazy gore I think that you would be better off with a movie like the directors cut of Citizen Toxie or maybe one of the newer japanese gore movies (which blow away everything I've ever seen before).

Very Very Very Very Very Very Gory!!!
This movie is sick! I came extreamly close to throwing up and I have a very strong stomach! If you are looking for the sickest goriest movie out thier....this is definatly it! one of the best movies i own!
RECOMENDATIONS:
Bad Taste (Limited Edition)
Meet The Feebles
Dead Alive (DVD UNRATED EDITION)
The Frighteners ... Read more

Amazon.com

If you've seen Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, then you know the entire plot of Scary Movie. That's okay, though, because this is a parody, and it helps to know the story in order to be able to get the jokes. No, the biggest surprise here is not thestory as much as the amount of full-frontal male nudity. Really, in addition to all the dick jokes (and the ass jokes and fart jokes), there's a couple of shots of the male member, one of which is erect and used as a weapon. Scary Movie somehow ended up with an R rating, which in a sense is groundbreaking; perhaps our ratings board is loosening up after all.

But is it funny? That's the most important question, and the answer to that is yes. In the vein of Airplane!, with a dash of the Farrelly brothers, Scary Movie keeps throwing jokes at you one after another. The law of averages says some of them have to hit, and enough of them do to keep the movie entertaining. Unlike the makers of Airplane!, however, the Wayans brothers aren't making this movie out of a love of the genre, and unlike the Farrelly brothers, they don't make fun of retarded people with any sort of respect, so the humor throughout feels a lot uglier. Still, there are enough funny scenes in Scary Movie to make the viewing experience worthwhile. Special credit must go to Lochlyn Munro as Greg, the over-the-top jock, who steals the movie up until the time he's gotta die.--Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (435)

Stupid......but funny
Scary Movie is a spoof of recent horror movies (I Know what you did Last Summer, Scream, Scream 2, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project)
and it even makes fun of non-horror films like (The Usual Suspects,
Titanic and The Matrix). When it's not making fun of movies though
it's making fun of everything else, how this movie round up with an
R-Rating and isn't NC-17 is beyond me because I don't think I've seen
so many penis jokes, gay jokes, or racist jokes in one movie. Scary Movie
offers alot of laughs but what got me giggling the most was the special-ed
student and part-time security guardd Doofy, the retarted deputy who's
obviously poking fun at Dewey from Scream. He was the showstealer
for me because all his lines were just hilarious and were delivered
great by Dave Sheridan. Also good in their roles are Shawn
Wayans as a gay football player who slaps the butt of each player
as they go by in the lockerroom, Marlon Wayans as a pot smoking horror
film buff. Newcomer Anna Faris as Cindy gets alot of laughs as well.
She has alot of funny scenes where she actually pokes fun at herself
alot of times in the movie and is just totally natural about it which
makes her scenes work even better. If you thought (There's Something
About Mary, American Pie or Road Trip) were raunchy well then you've
seen nothing until you've seen Scary Movie. Don't get me wrong some
jokes don't work but most of them do. Scary Movie is the funnest time
I've ever had at the movies, I can't recall the last time I laughed
so hard. It's the first time I can actually say that I really enjoyed
a stupid movie.

Do Not Be Afraid...
After the huge success of Scream and other popular teen horror films, it wasn't too long for Hollywood to create a side-splitting parody of the popular movie genre. A group of dim-witted teens (oddly played by actors and actresses in their 20s and 30s) are being murdered by a masked maniac. Unlike previous parodies, "Scary Movie" is a hysterical gross-out comedy that ranks as the funniest film of 2000. Though I'm not a fan of teen horror movies, there are enough unforgettable wildly entertaining comic scenes that will keep viewers laughing from start to finish. Director Keenan Ivory Wayans (Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood) has surpassed the Farrelly Brothers' unique talent for crude humor with some of the most outrageous comic scenes in years. The comic cast includes Marlon Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie), Shawn Wayans, Cheri Oteri (SNL), Lochlyn Munro (Dead Man on Campus) and Carmen Electra (Baywatch).

If you're a fan of crude humor and film satire, "Scary Movie" is an impressive DVD to own. The hit comedy is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a sharp video transfer and a great 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The opening title menu is quite nice. Its special features include six hilarious deleted scenes, trailers, a behind-the-scenes featurette and numerous DVD-ROM extras like "Scary Movie: Guide for the Culturally Challenged". Overall, "Scary Movie" earns a worthy "B".

The Funniest Movie I ever seen
This has to be the funnoest movie ever I watched it like 100 times and never get tired of it infact after this imma go watch it again, so if u didnt see this yet u better rent because this movie will make u laugh ur ass off

A true gem!!
Not a five-star film... that's for special movies. But you need to see this!! Yes, the humor is kind of overdone/over the top and/or truly sick at times, but that just adds to it. There are so many films being parodied you lose track, but you almost NEVER stop laughing. This is one worth owning, seriously!

sick.....
i thought it was very crude and disgusting, but kinda funny in a way. like, for example, i don't think that a guy shoving his penis through another guy's ear or someone taking a pic of a guys small penis is funny. but i think that a woman trying to get through a whole in a garage door is funny, lol. but i guess it was alright. i give it 3-1/2 stars ... Read more

Reviews (145)

An American Werewolf is reborn
This was one of the first 'horror' films I ever saw, and it is by far one of the most memorable films of the genre I have ever seen. From the cold, bleak beginnings with the two young American back-packers wandering into The Slaughtered Lamb, there is a certain ominous and effectivly eirey quality from the word go. The comical naivety and the even-more comically sombre attitude that the locals at the pub engage in is movie entertainment at it's best. It sets the scene for the true rollercoaster of a movie that is yet to come. The gore is gorey, the scares are scarey, the comedy is spot on and the surrealism is baffling and highly disturbing. It has to be said that the setting for the film in London is inspired. Of course, the tolken well-mannered coppers and the ever-so nice doctors and nurses seem to be plucked straight out of the nearest Britsih book of cut-out stereotypes, but I don't think the film could have worked any other way. A lot of people claim that Scream (1996) is the best horror-comedy since this little masterpiece, but how they can even be compared is beyond me. Scream mocks (respectivley) an entire genre of slasher movies that died way before Freddy even hung up his old slasher-glove. An American Werewolf was the only, and still is, the only film in it's 'genre'. Original, profound, desperately enteratining and memorable in every aspect. The soundtrack's great (fantastically ominous title music clashing with hilariously cheesy covers and classics). The acting is also spot-on. Buy this film. Buy this film and then wonder why Michael Jackson's Thriller video isn't shown as often as it should be too....

3.7 out of 5
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is undoubtedly one of the greatest horror films ever made. David Naughton stars as a young American tourist attacked by a werewolf in England; meanwhile, he is visited by his dead friend Jack (Griffin Dunne), falls in love with his nurse (Jenny Agutter), and is called insane when none of the locals (lead by Brian Glover) will admit the creature exists. Director John Landis throws in some black comedy right when it's needed and knows all the right moves; his script is very fun. There's also a good soundtrack (including a very short score by Elmer Bernstein), nice performances by the cast - but of course, the true highlight of the film is Rick Baker's make-up, which won the first Academy Award for "Best Makeup". Baker's make-up couldn't even come close to being matched today; words cannot explain the sheer brilliance in his work! Followed by an in-title-only sequel in 1997.

The greatest Werewolf film ever!
1981 was The Year of the Werewolves...the furry fiends leaped onto movie screens in three major films: "The Howling," "Wolfen," and the classic of the genre, "An American Werewolf in London." There has never been a greater werewolf film, there has never been a better transformation scene, and few horror movies can match the entertaining mixture of humor and scares that writer/direction John Landis ("Animal House," "The Blues Brothers") achieved here.

Although there had been humor in horror films before this movie, "An American Werewolf in London" showed once and for all that having comedy in a horror film didn't mean that the film would lose out in the scare department. Landis makes it clear that the film is NOT a comedy -- the horror scenes are carried with dead-seriousness and shocking impact -- but there is so much quirky humor surrounding these scenes that the film becomes incredibly likable and buoyant. Most of the laughs come from seeing the old movie werewolf premise dropped into the modern day and watching the characters try to deal with it.

Actors Griffin Dunne and David Naughton, neither of whom had been in a movie before, create a wonderful 'ordinary guy' feeling to their characters of two young American boys backpacking through Europe. In rural England, they have a nasty encounter with a legendary monster, and Naughton faces the consequences of being bitten when he returns to London and takes up living with a pretty nurse (Jenny Agutter).

The transformation scene is justly famous and a milestone in visual effects. Make-up wizard Rick Baker lets the viewers watch a real-time twisting of a human body into a wolf shape: limbs stretch, snouts pop, hair grows, the body contorts...it's amazing to watch. (And on DVD, you can watch it over and over and over again). Even computer graphics can't achieve an effect as startling as this one.

This DVD offers some nice extras. The image is good, and the 5.1 Surround Sound is decent (although there's not a lot of back speaker sound). Actors Naughton and Dunne do feature commentary on the film, and provide some interesting information and sound as if they were having a great time reliving the experience. I wish that Landis had been on the commentary as well, but you can hear his thoughts on the film in an 18-minute interview. Landis is an absolute hoot to listen to; the guy is as funny as his movie, and he absolutely bursts with ideas and observations. To go along with the Landis interview is an 11-minute interview with make-up maestro Rick Baker. He provides a fascinating look at crafting what he calls "the coolest werewolf film ever made." Also included is a vintage featurette on the making of the film, although it's only about five minutes long (but you get more of wise-cracking John Landis), ten minutes of archival footage of Baker making a cast of David Naughton's hand, and an assortment of storyboards, outtakes, and production photos.

"An American Werewolf in London" is a major turning point in horror films and visual effects -- and even over twenty years later, it is still one of the most entertaining movies of its decade. It hasn't aged at all, and this DVD lets you experience it the way it should be seen (and in the company of wild-man John Landis!)

the best werewolf film ever!!!!!!!
this movie is awsomely cool!!!the transformation scence is way cool.david naughton and griffin dune are hilarious. this is my favorite movie! for werewolf lovers every where this is your movie. don't see it on tv rent it.

THE Werewolf Movie to See!
David Kessler and Jack Goodman are two young Americans backpacking through Europe, just trying to have a carefree, good time. On a particularly chilly night, they find themselves wandering across an English countryside and getting pretty desperate for shelter, when they come across a pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb." Not deterred by the graphic advertisement, inside they find the pub is really quite cozy and atmospheric. Fellows are playing darts, having a game of chess, telling politically incorrect yet totally hilarious jokes... Everyone seems a bit disturbed at first sight of the two American travelers, but things warm up once they are accepted as being completely harmless. That is, until Jack asks the forbidden question: "What's that star on the wall for?" The two young men are quickly turned out into the cold without an answer. If only they had known, but the only information they were given was a bit of advice: Beware the moon... and stick to the road. But these are two carefree, American boys just looking for a good time. They're not worried about things like...werewolves! After only walking a short distance, the boys have wandered off the road and onto the moors, and only a few moments later, they are being circled by something horrible! The fog is too thick to see, but before they can react, the beast has attacked! In seconds, Jack Goodman is ripped to shreds! His friend, David, is running in fear! He stops to think for a moment, then runs back to help is already dead friend. Now, David is the one being slashed at, but before the creature can do his worst, a shot rings out and it's all over.

David wakes up to find himself in a London hospital 2 weeks later, desperately searching for his less fortunate best friend. He is cheerfully informed of his situation by the stern but benign Dr. Hirsch, and the short-tempered American representative, Mr. Collins. But when David insists that it was a wolf that attacked him, he is treated less than respectfully. It seems to have been confirmed that it was an escaped lunatic that did the damage to David and Jack, and no one is interested in hearing otherwise. David is frustrated, and his new, animalistic nightmares aren't helping, nor are the ones involving nazi were-creatures, but his mood is lightened as he is distracted by a lovely nurse named Alex Price. Alex is equally infatuated with David, and the two grow closer by the day, despite David's apparent mental state. You see, while having breakfast one morning, David had a visitor: his friend Jack; his DEAD friend Jack. The purpose of his visit was to warn David that he would transform into a werewolf at the next full moon, and if he doesn't want to hurt anyone, he must take his own life. When David is finally released from the hospital, his next stop is Alex's flat. The young pair indulge themselves in each other, but all is not well with David, who is plagued by repeated visits from his increasingly decaying friend. Soon, the full moon is upon him, and David's moment of truth has finally arrived.

In 1981, John Landis put his own spin on Universal's "The Wolf Man," and the result was a new classic for werewolf fanatics everywhere. The story is very familiar. A young American travels to England and gets bitten by a werewolf. He falls in love with a local girl, but their romance is interrupted when he grows convinced that he will become a werewolf himself. He finally transforms, reeks some havoc, and commits some murders. He becomes a sympathetic character as he expresses his fear and guilt over what he has done, but soon he transforms again and is finally killed, the film ending as suddenly as his life. With the brilliant look of its werewolves, Rick Baker's masterful effects (thankfully, CG free), and the genius of John Landis, "An American Werewolf in London" brought a realism to the werewolf genre that is reminiscent of the olde legends and lore. No silver bullets or fully dressed lycanthropes here! Many call this film a horror-comedy. Well, it's definitely more horror than comedy, despite what you might hear. It doesn't have any more comedy than one would find in the real life of an average, young, American male. It's just so honest that it's funny. I was in London last New Year's, and they DID have Dart competitions on TV! As for horror on the other hand, this movie's got it. You may not find the film scary at first, but try taking a lonely, nighttime walk after viewing it. I've always found the subway scene particularly disturbing. And what can one say about the cast? Simply perfection. David Naughton plays the American werewolf superbly, from carefree traveler to suicidal lover. Jenny Agutter is lovely and sympathetic, Griffin Dunne is funny yet convincing, and John Woodvine is the Doctor you hate to love. Brian Glover is disturbingly suspicious, and who can forget the cast of "See You Next Wednesday?" *ahem* It all adds up to one of my favorite motion picture experiences!

A sequel was released in 1997 called "An American Werewolf In Paris." CGI effects, a few confusing plot points, and zombies that were more annoying than funny marred the final product, but overall it was still a highly fun viewing experience, despite all its criticism to the contrary. See it and judge for yourself. Some say it's not a legitimate sequel because the story has nothing to do with the original film. I've heard conflicting theories though. Some sources have stated that the female lead in "AWIP" is supposed to be the daughter of David Kessler and Nurse Alex Price. Intriguing and highly possible, even probable, but it's never stated outright in the film, so I'm still waiting for some official word on that. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roger Corman produced this shameless Jaws rip-off at theheight of the "nature gone wild" boom of American cinema and struck B-movie gold. Scripted by John Sayles and directed by Joe Dante, thistongue-in-cheek thriller stars Bradford Dillman (doing his best Rip Tornimpression) as an antisocial mountain man and Heather Menzies as a rookiedetective who race a school of mutant piranha downriver. Dante and Saylesprovide the requisite blood and gore for this drive-in meat market: a kids' summer camp and a waterfront amusement park await the little beasties.Along the way, riverside retiree Keenan Wynn gets his ankles stripped clean, camp counselor Paul Bartel is chomped on the cheek by a hungry littlebugger who takes to the air, and hordes of unlucky bathers are caught inthe center of a feeding frenzy. What differentiates this little gem fromthe legion of similar knockoffs are the satirical swipes at militaryarrogance and crass commercialism, Dante's energetic enthusiasm, and thebursts of black humor: "Lost River Lake: Terror, horror, death. Film at11." The culty cast also includes Invasion of the Body Snatchers'sKevin McCarthy as the hysterical scientist guarding the creatures, horrordiva Barbara Steele as a devious government researcher, and longtime Corman regular Dick Miller as an unscrupulous entrepreneur ("Sir, the piranha areeating the guests").

The DVD features good-humored commentary by director Joe Dante and producer Jon Davison, who also narrate the 10 minutes of good-quality home-moviefootage shot by Davison. There are also six minutes of outtakes. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Camp Classic Deserves a Look
Joe Dante's Piranha is a very humorous spoof and a fine homage to Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws. Though plagued with poor acting from Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn, this is definitely not the type of film that you would ever take seriously. The inside film jokes and cinema references add a lot of intelligent spice to the film's proceedings, but it is the cheesy yet effective special effects by Phil Tippett (Robocop) that make Piranha a must see for mosnter movie buffs. Watch out for the obviously fake piranha as they make a spectacular bloddy debacle of a children's summer camp. The DVD edition of Piranha has many elaborate features including a Joe Dante commenty, a making-of-documentary, film bloppers, and other theatrical trailers of Corman films. P.S. Joe Dante would later go on to direct such horror classics as The Howling and Gremlins.

"The piranhas....they're eating the guests, sir..."
We all know that producer Roger Corman made "Piranha" to exploit the success of "Jaws"--just look at the poster art for Spielberg's sake. But what was intended to be a low-budget knock-off became a classic B-movie because John Sayles produced a clever script and Corman assigned Joe Dante to direct. Dante would later go on to direct "The Howling" and "Gremlins," as well as "Rock and Roll High School" and "Amazon Women on the Moon" (the man does not forget his roots). Ultimately, "Piranha" is every bit as much of a spoof as it is a ripoff, which raises it to the highest level of B-Movie grandeur. The story, such as it is in such things, has flesh-eating piranhas being released into the river of the Lost River Lake resort. Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn are the most recognizable faces trying to avoid being eaten by the wee beasties, although you horror film buffs will also recognize not only Kevin "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" McCarthy but Barbara Steele, Queen of the Italian Horror Films. The DVD extras clearly reflect a grand affection for this film with commentary from Dante and producer Jon Davison, deleted footage, theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette for this 1978 film, material from the film's press kit, and more. When you have a classic B-Movie with A+ extras on the DVD, you have to give it five stars. Ironically, "Piranha II: The Spawning," the 1981 sequel, was the first film directed by James Cameron, who also went on to some notable successes in his later films.

"Terror, horror, death. Film at eleven."
Jaws (1975) frightened a whole generation of people out of the water. Why? Because of the very real elements within the film, being that there are sharks in the oceans, and occasionally they do attack people. Do they ever get as large as the one in the film? Possibly...regardless, the fear was real enough...fast forward to 1978...prolific B movie director/producer Roger Corman, in an effort to capitalize on the immense popularity of the film Jaws, released Piranha, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace, The 'burbs) and written by John Sayles (The Howling, Wild Thing), which, while didn't elicit the response anywhere near that of the film it borrows from, still provides us with a great deal of entertainment (genetically altered super fish just didn't come across with the same level of realism as a giant man-eating shark).

The film stars Branford Dillman, who, along with his extensive television credits, appeared in scores of films like Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and The Swarm (1978), to name a couple. Also starring is Heather Menzies, who appeared in films like The Sound of Music (1965), SSSSSSS (1973), along with various television shows throughout the 70's. Rounding out the cast are Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Paul Bartel, Barbara Steele (Caged Heat and Shivers), Melody Thomas Scott, and character actors Dick Miller and Keenan Wynn.

The film opens at night with two victims, er...I mean backpackers in a hilly area (somewhere in Texas, as we find out later), who happen to come across a seemingly deserted facility surrounded by a large fence, and signage stating 'Military Testing Facility' and 'Keep Out' (it seemed pretty clear to me, as I could read it, but these two knuckleheads completely missed it, bringing to mind the old adage, 'if it was a snake, it would have bit you'). Anyway, lunkhead number one and lunkhead number two, looking for a place to camp for the night, decide this looks promising, and make their way past the fence to find a large, in-ground cement pool. Do you think it contains piranha? And do you also think said piranha are hungry? I do, on both counts, especially given that it's the title of the film. Anyway, they decide to go swimming and quickly discover the pool contains more than water. We also learn the facility isn't entirely deserted...

Apparently someone cares about these two now missing backpackers, enough so to hire private investigator Maggie McKeown (Menzies) to look for them. While initiating her search in the general area, she find a shack occupied by Paul Grogan (Dillman), a divorced, reclusive, mass alcohol consuming (every five minutes he's swilling from a canteen, but never actually seems to get drunk) outdoorsman type, who she basically enlists to aid her, despite his protests, in her search. They find the deserted military facility, which was once some sort of breeding farm for fish, and decide to drain the large pool in hopes of finding clues. As they throw the switch, they get attacked by a wily old man (his name is Dr. Robert Hoak, played by McCarthy) as he freaks out learning that the fish have been released into the river system. The manage to subdue him, and he speaks of his experiments, specifically his genetic experiments for the military in creating a super breed of piranha, meant for use during the Vietnam conflict, but since the war ended, the program was terminated, but apparently no one told Dr. Hoak. So now the highly aggressive and carnivorous super fish are in the local river system. And they're hungry...and breeding...

For a B movie, this tends to one of the better ones I've seen. Even here you can see that Dante has talent in directing, despite what I am sure was probably an extremely tight shooting schedule (Corman always kept this aspect tight). Sayles provides a better than average script for this type of outing, and the actors present enjoyable performances. I do tire of the whole 'government and/or big business conspiracy' cliché that is so often used in films of any type to move the plot along, as it tends to indicate a lack of imagination (just look at some Steven Segal movies, specifically On Deadly Ground (1994) and The Patriot (1998), for a couple of examples). I especially liked the scenes with Keenan Wynn speaking of how much the river gives him, and also the scenes with Dick Miller, who plays the sleazy real estate agent and proprietor of Aquarena, an entertainment water park that recently opened along the river. He's got one of the more memorable scenes in the film when his assistant approaches him about piranha in the waters, and he asks, "What about the godd@mn piranha?!", to which the assistant replies, "The piranha...they're EATING the guests, sir". Paul Bartel also makes a great appearance as an uptight director of a summer camp located on the river (do you think a big part of their program involves swimming?). The special effects are quite good (no CGI work here) and there is a good helping of blood and underwater scenes with the fish tearing flesh off hapless victims.

Presented here is an excellent looking full screen print (Dante claims this is the original aspect ratio of the film, but the titles appear to be in wide screen format). Special features here are copious, including a commentary track by director Dante and producer Jon Davidson, original theatrical trailer, a blooper reel, a short 'Making of' documentary, cast biographies, a reproduction of the original Theatrical Marketing Guide, an eight page booklet titled 'The History of Roger Corman, and trailers for some of Corman's other films including Grand Theft Auto (1977) and Humanoids from the Deep (1980), among others. If I learned anything from Piranha, it's that if you are warn authorities about mutant piranha loose in a populated waterway, you're better off crying toxic waste, as they not apt to believe the piranha thing.

Cookieman108

Low-budget trash 'B' movie mayhem!
I love these kinds of movies, especially whenever they turn out to be low-budget 'B' movies from the 70s-80s genre. Though they may lack excellent acting and special effects like many others, they are sometimes still the BEST! I first saw this movie a long time ago in the sixth grade and though the acting was quite atrocious and the special effects were very cheesy, it STILL horrified and shocked me to watch innocent civilians become lunch meat to a pack of flesh eating piranhas! "Piranha" is an effective rip-off of the more higher-budget Steven Speilberg classic, "Jaws" only with very little suspense and more gore to go around and be served again for seconds! The storyline sometimes drags a little and the pacing is rather slow, but it all starts to pick up near the end where everything gets totally out-of-control CRAZY! (But kind of laughable to watch at times!) If you're looking for a horror movie that's BOTH scary and hilarious to watch at the same time, jump into the water and brace yourself for "Piranha", the PERFECT example of a FUN filled nail biting black comedy! TRUST ME! This makes a good Saturday night movie rental! DON'T miss out on this so-bad-it's good turkey! This would probably be considered as Ed Wood's favorite movie EVER!

silly but enjoyable movie that brings back memories for me
I used to love this movie when I was little. One of the things that fascinated me most about it was that it was filmed in San Marcos, Texas, at a riverside resort called Aquarena Springs. My grandmother and I used to vacation there every spring and summer for years. It was a lot of fun. If you went on the glass-bottom boatride, the guide would tell the story of how and where the piranha attacks were filmed. He would also point out how in the same exact river, the underwater scenes for THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON were filmed, and also how Johnny Weismuller, the screen's first Tarzan, swam to the bottom of the deepest spring (years before the resort itself was built). Ralph the Swimming Pig, who makes an appearance in this movie, was still around when I would go (although I doubt it was the original pig as seen in the movie). We would even see the submarine show, which is also featured in the movie. I had a lot of great times at Aquarena Springs, and since the place has now been closed down and its hotel converted into an office building, this movie is my only means of revisiting that place that gave me so many good memories over the years. It's upsetting that the place can no longer be enjoyed by real people, and that it's now just a place where the suits do more of their money-mongering. A real shame. Oh well. Silly but enjoyable movie, great memories for me. R.I.P. Aquarena Springs. ... Read more

Reviews (147)

cute midnight movie
Kristy Swanson (MANNEQUIN ON THE MOVE), stars as blonde, bouncy Buffy, who learns of her calling as "The Chosen One" in the cute cult flick BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

Buffy's life changes when she meets tall, dark Merrick (Donald Sutherland) who tells her that she is the one to rid the world of the vampires and their ruler, Lothos (Rutger Hauer). Buffy is even more busy with her scruffy suitor Pike (Luke Perry). Between her boyfriend, school, cheerleading and vampire slaying, it's no wonder she's a nervous wreck!

For her role here, Kristy Swanson was trained in martial arts, cheerleading skills and gymnastics. The comedy also marked the screen debut of Luke Perry, star of the hit series BEVERLY HILLS 90210.

Also featuring Hilary Swank, Paul Reubens, David Arquette, Candy Clark and Liz Smith.

Buffy the (Boring) movie
We are far away from the smart and successful TV show in this lackluster movie. 16 year old valley girl and cheerleader Buffy (no last name) has dreams of past lives, and monsters in the night. And then a strange man named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) arrives and provides answeres; Buffy is a Vampire Slayer, one girl who is chosen to fight all the creatures that go bump in the night. This script is much different from the one I read by Joss Wheddon, it is a lot lighter, and that is not a good thing. I really would have liked to have seen the prom burned down to kill all the vampires. Buffy is played by Kristy Swanson, who is no where near as sweet and convincing as Sarah Michelle Geller. And while we are at it, do not be expecting Willow, Xander, Giles, or Angel. This movie was made long before the series. What we do have is Pike (Luke Perry), a slacker who is accendently cought up in the mess. The threat of the movie is Luthos, played by experienced bad guy actor Rutgar Hauer. Paul Rubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) is Luthos's main underling, and he is so silly it's impossible to take him seriously. There are also a few cameos by future stars; Hilary Swank is another vally girl. David Arquette plays one of Pike's friends who's turned into a vampire. And Ben Affleck is uncredited as a rival basketball team player. Anyway, this movie is too silly . I know that is the point, but it is still not dark enough, and Buffy's attraction to Luthos isn't enough. I know I am horribly biesed by the TV show, but I can't help it. It is still watchable, if it's on TV somewhere.

The one and true Buffy!
I can't really say it's better than the show, for I haven't watched the show. The only info I've heard is from friends and family. I can tell you, without a doubt, that I like Kristy Swanson more than Sarah Gellar. Whenever I hear the name Buffy, I think of Kristy. I like Sarah Gellar in many of her movies, but she just isn't Buffy to me. I would watch a show if someone paid/lend for it, because I can't get TV reception. But I don't buy stuff I'm unfamiliar with, especially when it's fifty dollars. And that's all I've got to say about that.

The Bad Buffy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is definetly not as successful as it's counterpart T.V. series but it served up a pretty well rounded story.The characters were fairly likeable.Joss Whedon is very creative and intelligant ; I give him thumbs up for trying something new.I just kinda felt weird after watching it.I guess I expected to much from it.If you watch it ; thinking it will be sucky you probably won't feel as bad.Luke Perry did a pretty good job with Kristy Swanson who got very annoying after an hour and a half.The plot was really good but they didn't use it the right way.The vampires seemed to fake and when Buffy staked them they did not turn to dust; I always enjoyed that from the T.V. series.Check this one out only if you have nothing better to do.Blonde, bouncy Buffy is your typical high school cheerleader - her goal is to "marry Christian Slater and die" and nothing gets in her way when it's time to shop.But all that changes when a strange man informs her she's been chosen by ill fate to kill vampires.With the help of a romantic rebel, Buffy is soon spending school nights protecting L.A. from Lothos, The Vampire King, his sidekick, Lefty, and their determined gang of bloodsuckers.It's everything you'd expect from a teen queen in the valley.

"Not bad but pales to the terrific TV show."
-- Gerry Shamray, SUN NEWSPAPERS OF CLEVELAND

Not as Good, But Still Original
It's easy to bag out Kristy Swanson in the role of Buffy after many years of watching Sarah M Gellar, but you have to admit that the girl had talent, looks & the physical fittness to make a good slayer.
Many of the reviews have bagged out this film in relation to the series, however it did lay the ground work for the story and convince a network to green light the series which has made them millions.
The film itself has some good moments and a sense of humour.
If you are a die hard fan you should check it out simply to have the story which leads into the pilot episode and it wouldn't hurt to check out creepy old Don Sutherland as a watcher.
The film does have a simple finale, but on the bright side it comes to an end, unlike many of the open doors the series leaves.
Another great aspect is the cover of Oingo Boingo's 'We close our eyes', which The Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs does for the closing credits (unfortunately spoken over however). ... Read more

Description

Wes Craven, the director of The Serpent and the Rainbow andShocker, locks you inside the most terrifying house on the street. Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare.The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house's homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden deep within the house.Stunning visuals highlight this inventive film that the San Francisco Chronicle calls "Wes Craven's most satisfying movie." ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Bizzare film, Adams family meets the hood.
Boy was this film weird. I believe the storyline was written by Clive Barker and of course hes wierd in his right mind. Of course you can tell the style of the movie was of course directed by Wes Craven himself. Wes is hard to describe but his movies hit and miss. He's never conistant on what he does with films because sometimes his movies really stink (ie. Wes Craven's new nightmare, and whole slew of others that simply blow) and sometimes he really makes good movies like this one and nightmare on elm street 1 and Scream 1 wasn't bad. You can tell by his style but I like I said its hard to describe it but if you watched enough of his films you can easily point out "oh that looks like a Wes Craven film."

Now about this film. Well I think other reviewers have pretty much done a good job summing up the films so I'll just point out good points and bad points of the film.

Good points: Excellent visual effects and the way the house was made was simply fabulous for this type of film. The storyline was extremely creative for a horror film. The actors were pretty solid and overall feel gave you a great errie feeling. Lights camera work was solid too.

Bad point: The only real bad point of the film was the ending was a little sloppy. The ending was real generic with people cheering and catching money in the air. With all the creativity in film you almost sat there thinking wow we havent seen this type of ending before. I guess Wes and Clive shocked us so much in the film the ending was almost a let down...

Weird/campy/funny horror tale
This film was written and directed by master horror director Wes Craven. In it Dexter, who friends call Fool, lives in poverty, with his sick mother. A few of his older "friends" tell him the only way they can get some money is to steal it. So he goes with them to a house of two rich people who own all the homes in the ghetto where Dexter lives. But when they arrive they find out how sick these two are. The house has a full lock and electrical system to trap them inside. There have been dozens of people trapped inside for a long time. They are kept under the stairs. Can Dexter survive, and save the young girl Alice, as well as the people under the stairs?

This film reminds me a lot of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as how people come to a house, only to be met by a crazy murderous family. While Texas is more serious, and scarier, this film is very campy, and has a lot of funny moments. Wes Craven surely knows how to direct a horror film, as he does here. If your a fan of horror, or camp, I'd recommend this. You should definitely watch with friends, as you will be laughing a lot. To most other people, who are annoyed by B movies, don't watch this. 4 stars because the direction is great, and there are a lot of funny moments, as a lot of the stuff in this film is kinda unrealistic.

A Poor Effort by a Horror Master
"Fool," (Brandon Adams) as he's known by his friends, isn't exactly living "the good life" with his ill mother who can't pay the rent. When one of the family friends decides to pull off a Robin Hood stunt, stealing from a local wealthy family to give to the poor (namely themselves), Fool sees this as a quick solution to his family's problems. However, Fool and his friends find that this is by no means an "ordinary" family, and succeeding in their task will be more difficult than they had imagined.

This family has a dark secret that they have kept for quite some time now. They have a hungry horde of cannibalistic boys locked in their basement, strange torture and security devices throughout the house, and an evil man-eating dog patrolling the house. The twisted wealthy owners of the house (Everett McGill and Wendy Robie) lock Fool in their home and are out for blood. Fool must trust one girl, Alice (A.J. Langer), living in the house, in addition to one of these ill-treated boys in order to attempt his escape.

This was a seemingly interesting premise that was executed poorly. The plot was severely lacking, and the poor acting certainly didn't help. The odd couple housing the boys in their basement become particularly irritating. I understand that some of their actions were meant to be seen as humorous (...), but it wasn't pulled off very well. All characters, with the one exception of Fool, were severely under-developed. In addition, much of this film was extremely cliche. For example, the wealthy couple who owns the home is approached by the police one night. When they bring out hors deouvres and drinks for their interrogators, all seems forgotten and the police indulge themselves and then leave. How could this nice, polite, high-society couple be involved in anything questionable? Furthermore, why exactly these people have boys living under their stairs is never fully explained, they are merely there.

Buy this movie only if you are a huge Wes Craven fan, but otherwise leave it for a lonesome Friday night rental. I have always been one to enjoy a great horror film, but this is definitely not one of them.

Totally Underated....Awesome movie....weak dvd though!
Wes Cravens, "people under the stairs," deff never got the respect it derserved. Its a sick and twisted movie..Shall we begin? A brother and sister own a funeral home, pretending to be a couple they steal a girl claiming her to be the daughter. Meanwhile, they have other kidnapped people living in the basement. Finally a young boy steps up and tries to fight the sick family and help thier so called "daughter." you have to see the rest for yourself its a sick and cool movie. My only problem with this movie is the extras, wes craven did absolutley nothing with the dvd. No commentary, no deleted scenes, not even a trailer!!! At least they did get to release it on dvd, but horror fans can't get everything they want now can they? Anyway its still a must buy!

Typical pre-Scream Craven horror
Taking a cue to his early grittier works in Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, horror maestro Wes Craven helmed this interesting horror flick in which a young boy becomes trapped in a house with a cannibal couple that has a ghoulish secret. The People Under the Stairs has it's share of social commentary and some true early Craven wickedness, and as a whole the film works as one of Craven's better horror ventures. The DVD release is disappointing as usual however; this is one of Universal's recent horror DVD releases which include no extras, not even a trailer. A commentary by Craven or a documentary would have been more than welcome, but alas, there is nothing here in terms of extras. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

I'VE NEVER SEEN A BLACK HORROR MOVIE THAT WAS THIS GOOD!
A MORTICIAN TELLS 4 STORIES TO A GROUP OF THUGS. THE 1ST AND 3RD ARE STANDARD TALES WITH AN AFRICAN AMERICAN TWIST BUT THE 2ND AND FOURTH TALES ARE DIFFERENT.
1ST TALE; A MAN IS BRUTALLY MURDERED BY RACIST, CROOKED COPS. AND THE BLACK COP THAT WITNESSED IT IS HAUNTED BY THE MAN'S VOICE. GOOD TALE AND WITH A COOL ENDING.

2ND TALE; A BOY IS BEING TERRORIZED BY A MONSTER AT HIS DOOR. HE TELLS A TEACHER THAT HE'S ALWAYS IN BRUISES BECAUSE OF THE MONSTER, BUT THE TEACHER DOESN'T BELIEVE HIM UNTIL HE COMES TO HIS HOUSE. NOW THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THIS TALE WAS THE LEAST OF THE WHOLE MOVIE, BUT IT'S NOT BAD. IT'S JUST NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHER 3.

3RD TALE; A WHITE MAN WHO'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR LIVES IN A FORMER SLAVE HOUSE THAT HAS DOLLS IN IT THAT ARE ALIVE. THIS IS GOOD, AND IT WAS PURE GENIUS HOW THE DOLLS CAME TO LIFE AND JUST SCARED THE LIVING SH.. OUT OF HIM. GREAT TALE.

4TH TALE; A THUG IS SENTENCED TO BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. THIS IS THE BEST TALE THAT THIS MOVIE HAS TO OFFER. IT SHOWS WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS TO THUGS. HE KEEPS SAYING HE DON'T GIVE A F... BUT THEN WE HE BLOWS HIS CHANCE AT REDEMPTION, HE WAKES UP AND GETS KILLED.

GREAT MOVIE. THIS BEATS THE ''TALES FROM THE CRYPT'' MOVIES. THEY SHOULD MAKE MORE HORROR MOVIES LIKE THIS. THIS WAS VERY THRILLING AND ALL THE TALES HAD A LOGICAL PLOT TO THEM. DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!

Very Scary!
This is one of the best horror movies I had ever saw. I actually found myself sleeping with the light on and the radio blasting to keep my mind off it.

This movie is about three gangsters who go to a funeral home owned by Mr. Simms(Clarence Williams 3). They are trying to get some drugs that belonged to their dead friend. Mr.Simms sidetracks them by telling them these following 4 stories:

1. A black man was murdered by three crooked white cops. A black cop that witnessed this murder is being haunted by the dead man telling him to bring the cops to his grave. This man comes back to life as a monster to take revenge on these cops.

2.A little boy is being attacked by a monster that comes to his room every night. This monster is actually his stepfather.

3.A white politician is taking over a house that used to belong to a white master who murdered his black slaves. A voodoo woman transformed these dead souls into little dolls. These dolls are alive in the house and the politician is being attacked by them.

4. This story was the most powerful. After a black man slayed so many black people he was taken to a temple on a hill. First he was put on this machine where he saw clips of black people being killed by either white or black people. Then he was put in solitary confinement where he saw all the people he killed. Then he wakes up and he gets shot. This was linked to three gangsters we beginned with.

The ending really freaked me out because you will find out who Mr.Simms really was and why these 3 gangsters ended up in this funeral home besides trying to get drugs. Not only was this movie scary but a little humor was in it that made me chuckle. If you SEE the movie besides reading my review you will be scared!

ROOT FOR THE GHOSTS!!!!
This is the first movie where I was rooting for the Ghosts or Spirits to get the bad guy. With the exception of the MONSTER skit, I found myself cheering on the Ghosts. I hope that was the intention of the writer or director LOL. The movie wasn't exactly scary and the ending was funny, but it's a movie to watch with a group. A MUST SEE!!!

Horror in life!!!!
When I first heard about this movie, I was wondering about the concept of the film. When I saw this in theaters, I came away very, very pleased. This was a different take on the horror genre. I saw it as the Horror of living life!!! The stories were thought provoking, but Clarence Williams IMHO stole the movie with his "the stuff"!!! The movie will make you think. Think about your life, and how to change it if you are doing wrong, or being wronged.

A must have in your DVD collection!!!

OK by me
Warning: possible spoiler ahead

Any movie that ends with Link from the Mod Squad morphing into Satan Himself and hissing the line, "Welcome to hell....Mothertruckers!" scores 5 stars alone just for that. (Obviously he used a different word than my substitute to get this past the censors.)

A++++!!! ... Read more

Description

Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer move to New York City and meet up with their Mogwai friend, Gizmo, when a series of accidents creates a new generation of diverse gremlins. Billy, Kate, and Gizmo must once again use all their experience to prevent another catastrophe. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Gremlins 2--The New Batch
Director Joe Dante ("Pirahna") is back at the helm after a six-year hibernation, continuing the story of those mischevious mutant monsters. This time, they invade a futuristic New York office complex run by a billionare, and only Galligan and Cates can save the day. Just as exciting, scary, and humorous as the original, "Gremlins 2" is unique in it's slapstick and laid back approach that actually works in various ways. If you're looking for a fun 2-hour romp with little green goblins, a cute furry pet, many crude sexual jokes, and a pulse-pounding musical score, this film is certainly for you. Director: Joe Dante. Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph. Rated PG-13 for slapstick violence and profanity. 114 minutes.

Better Than The First!!!
Gremlins 2 brings us to New York City. Billy and Kate now work for building magnate Daniel Clamp. After Mr. Ving's death, Gizmo comes back into their lives after a daring rescue by Billy from a genetic research lab. Of course, Gizmo gets wet and havoc reigns superme in New York-gremlins-style. Everyone's favorite new gremlin is the talking Brain Gremlin, played to perfection by Odd Couple legend Tony Randall. My favorite gremlin, however, is one I call the Sex Gremlin, an all-green female who literally falls for Mr. Forrester, the company's gremlin-disbelieving floor manager, which makes the chessy but funny men's room wedding scene at the end of the film my absolute favorite. Billy's father at the end of the first movie said it best: "Look out all the windows, check in all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds, cause you never can tell, there just might be a gremlin in your house!" Well, New York, you better start doing the same. Because the Gremlins and Gizmo are back with a vengance. Give this movie a rent and just see what I mean.

Gremlins in Gotham
I'm not saying this just because I am a New Yorker, but GREMLINS 2--THE NEW BATCH is slightly better than the original. First, it's a much less mean-spirited film than the first (which I also gave five stars, but for different reasons). Just the fact that a character who was crushed to death in the first film, shows up in the sequel (wearing a small cast) because he really was likeable, shows that Joe Dante and the scriptwriters were going into this film for the fun of it. Second, the casting was flawless. Whoever chose Tony Randall to do the voice of the strangely-William F. Buckley-sounding, intellectual gremlin was responding to nothing short of divine inspiration. Everyone involved in this production had their hearts in the right places and the effect shows. GREMLINS 2--THE NEW BATCH is an astounding piece of comic fantasy and horror that should endure.

Gremlins 2/a very cool film.
Gremlins 2 is a nice film that is even better than the original. I like how it spoofs everything,and I love the new gremlins.The first batch looked sort of rough and raggedy[but still interesting],while the new batch is bright and vivid.Plus,Gizmo was a blast.I am REALLY looking forward to a third sequal,with CGI/Animatronic gremlins[a sort of Jurassic Park thing].Gremlins 2 is a wild and rowdy romp.

A shocking sequel
This is the amazing squel to the First Gremlins. It begins shortly after the Chiness man recruit Gizmo. A few years have gone buy the old Chinese man that had taken care of Gizmo before an after he meet Billy . This movie has some fun scenes. The weeding in the mens rest room at the end is hillarious. So is the sense with Gizmo working out one when he is lift a bar bell and falls through the floor. Anothew one when he punches a punch bag and get hit back in the face.

The only bad thing about the second gremlins is you see Gizmo being tortured in it a lot more than you did in the first one. It has zany funny monments. The part when Gizmo dress up like Rambo and makes a boy an arrow out of the close hanger. The part when Bill is talking and suddenly the screen goes funny the gremlin appear on the screen a do the shadow puppets is hysterically.

However unlike in the first one not all the gremlins is killed the one Female on survives. Did i mention some of gremlins are genetically alltered by drink chemicals. One of the Gremlins turns in eletricity and shocks and eletricuts ever living creature he touches.

My favorite gremlin is the one that drinks some short of chemical that makes him smarter allows him to talk in english. There is some gore and lot s of violence in it. The scariest is the spidger gremlin who ends up being huge. He dies he burns to death at the end.

He was really mean to Gizmo and is shown tocture gismo like Half a dozen times during the movie. The other Gremlins do not like gizmo because he is a misfit. Unlike them he is kind and good and does not like hurt and playing pranks on other creatures.

The nastiest parts in the movie is when one Gremlin acts Dangle Clamp and he forces it down a paper shreder were it is slice to pieces. She is gus us out of the shreder the lock like liquidfied spinch. If you like this I recomend seeing Gremlins as weell as the Critters series which was enspired by the Gremlins series. ... Read more

Reviews (155)

Nice, Improved Follow-up
I don't know why all the negative reviews on this movie. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a good movie to watch to pass up time. Forget that it doesn't live up to the original classic, this is a movie for a TRUE horror fan. This movie does have its flaws. Leatherface went from a ruthless killer into an over-sized trick-or-treater with a soft side. That was about it. But on the bright side, it has its improvements. The camera, the setting, even the characters seemed to have upgraded. Caroline Williams does a terrific job as the terrified, but brave heroine.

Tobe Hooper takes a chainsaw to his career
For my money, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"--the 1974 horror classic that's survived so long because of its unrelenting, terrifying realism--is the only good movie director Tobe Hooper made before toiling in the dregs of B-movie obscurity. With recent low-budget crappers like "Spontaneous Combustion" and "The Mangler" under his belt, he's fast becoming the latter-day equivalent of Ed Wood, Jr.

Maybe the start of his downfall came with this unredeemably awful (and needless) sequel to his one true masterpiece, which pits a Texas ranger "Lefty"(Dennis Hopper, acting in a heroin haze) and disc jockey "Stretch" (Caroline Williams, whose only line is "oh my GAWD" intercut with excessive screaming) against the Sawyer family, who have been living--surprise!--under a theme park since the incidents in the first film. Once again, there's a whole lotta killing going on, mostly of the usual slow, stupid characters you find in sequels (frat boys, rednecks, etc.).

This should've been called "The Rocky Horror Chainsaw Massacre," because everything is done for OTT yuks and very little is scary. The inanity ranges from Leatherface's desire to have chainsaw sex with Stretch; the reappearance(?) of the dead brother who supposedly got run over by an eighteen-wheeler at the end of the first film (I may not be right about this, but whoever was playing him did a dead-on impersonation); the "Cook" winning chili competitions and claiming "meat is the secret" (yuk, yuk). The script also transforms Leatherface into a sympathetic, Frankenstein-ish monster, I kid you not...

If Hooper (or the screenwriter) had intended this as pure camp, they should have made it more obvious, and maybe given this a different title so we wouldn't associate it with the 1974 original. As it stands, TCM 2 is a total desecration of its roots, save for the makeup effects (hitchhiker-guy is the scary highlight of this dismal affair) done by Tom Savini, who continues his quest of trying to loan credibility to horrible horror films.

In a homage to "Alice in Wonderland," Stretch falls down a big rabbit-hole and into an underground slaughterhouse, where Leatherface is using an electric carver on a fresh victim when he discovers her in the corner. She begs for help, so what does our big, dumb, Frankenstein-monster do? He puts a mask of skin over her face and DANCES with her pointlessly for what could be minutes... I was wondering what happened to the REAL Leatherface in that scene--the brutal butcher we were SCARED of in the first film.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" is for camp buffs or curiousity seekers only. Even in that case, it might be hard to make it through this movie. Tobe Hooper got stuck in the toilet and never made it back out again.

Even One Star Is Too Good For This Film
What happened? This film is an embarrassment to the 1974 classic. It's not at all scary, it has way too much gore, the acting is WAY over the top, and its unsuccessfull attempts at black humor make it goofy! Plus, I hated the way Leatherface and Stretch played out as the sentimental King Kong and his damsel in distress. I also kept wondering whatever happened to the family's secluded run down house? Now you could say they're living in luxury even! The annoying DJ Stretch is irritating just standing around screaming and not trying to save herself! And Dennis Hopper's character Enright doesn't help much either as he runs around sawing apart everything around him! I'm sorry Tobe Hooper, but you really blew it on this one.

Bloody Awful
How can anyone pay money for this piece of absolute [junk]? The acting is so corny, the effects are laughable (sorry Tom Savini) and the plot is so thin it makes the other sequels look like masterpieces. This film still remains banned in several countries due to it's sexually implied violence...i think it's been banned because the censors saw how [junky] this film really is and decided it wasn't worth spending any money on to release it. Buy the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and preferably the special edition and save your money for some real thrilling film making. This is just plain awful.

The buzz is back for sure!
Tobey Hooper's amazing sequel to the original horror-marathon of terror!! This one is even crazier and alot gorier. Dennis Hopper shows up on the scene of a croaked couple of teenagers, one who got his head sawed-off, in an amazing Tom Savini gore effect that pleases us immediately. Anyway, Hopper is the uncle of Sallie and Franklin from Chainsaw 1. And he's out to stop Leatherface and company! And a DJ named Stretch is along for the ride after the Sawyers attack her in the radio station massacre! This one has an absolutely splendid amount of gore and entertainment!

P.S. Watch for Chop-Top's lines in the movie, absolutely memorable! ... Read more

Description

The second coming is upon us, and Jesus has returned to earth. But before he can get down to the serious businessof judging the living and the dead, he has to contend with an army of vampires that can walk in the daylight. Combining kung-fu action with biblical prophecy and aliberal dose of humor, the film teams the Savior withMexican wrestling hero El Santos against mythologicalhorrors and science gone mad, and also manages to addresscontemporary sexual politics. And did we mention that it's a musical? This sure ain't Sunday School. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Don't expect too much
At first glance you have to admit that the concept of this movie is hilarious. Jesus Christ? Fighting vampires? With mexican wrestler El Santos? Defending lesbians? It really does sound great. However, the key to enjoying this movie is not expecting too much from it. It was cheesy on purpose and they pulled it off pretty well. Once you get past a somewhat slow beginning (and a somewhat poor audio and video quality)and into the fighting scenes that's when the real fun begins. The park fighting scene and especially the junkyard fighting scene are both horrible. In that it's so horrible it's funny kind of way. The acting isn't very good but once again as long as you don't take it seriously it only adds to the humor of the movie.

Also make sure to watch this movie with a group of people. As with any bad movie it's always more fun to watch it with a group of friends. Heckling and and even laughing is always better with others. This movie never takes itself seriously so, don't take it seriously. Laugh at the bad acting, laugh at the errors and laugh at the bad fight scenes. Just laugh, you'll enjoy it. Don't pick it apart, unless you intend to well... hmm... what was it? Oh yeah, laugh about it. If there's one thing that'll stay in your head it's the song "Everbody gets laid tonight". God, that song is catchy. Pun intended.

Canuck film with gallows humour and buckets of sloppy gore
First, let's get one thing out of the way: This is not a b-movie, it's a z-grade movie. We're talking about a self-financed picture starring a bunch of students at Ottawa's Carleton University made on a reported budget of $100, 000. That said, viewers weaned on safe and sound Hollywood fare of the silver screen will want to stay far, far away. People as myself who love trash cinema however will likely get a kick out of this, although this film is by no means a masterpiece of bad cinema.

A strange plague has overridden the city of Ottawa. Daylight-walking vampires have invaded the city, slaying many and causing a shortage of lesbians (don't ask...). Two priests then call to the chosen one, Jesus H himself, to restore order to the once peaceful Canadian capital. Jesus, using his magic powers of Kung-Fu, does the best he can but soon finds himself way outnumbered against the hordes of the undead. Down in the dumps, Jesus calls Mexican wrestler El Santos to the rescue. Together, Jesus Christ and El Santos form a Tag Team to rid the city of the undead.

The first thing one notices right away is how much fun everyone seems to be having making this movie. The film is filled with awkward acting and dialogue but the exuberance and joy of the people involved more than make up for that. It really looks like a film made by a bunch of friends with too much time on their hands. Most of the actors in this are either punk rockers (the people on Jesus' side) or Goths (the vampires). One of the priests who calls for Jesus' help has a red-couloured Mohawk and a leather jacket filled with spikes just to give you an idea. This film is somewhat of a musical but not the whole way through; it switches styles every 20 minutes or so. As the actors in this film are all punks and Goths you can imagine just what kind of music plays during the musical parts, mostly hardcore old-school punk.

The problem that I have with J.C. vampire hunter is its length. Although only 87 minutes long, it still seems to drag on forever. It is simply too cheaply produced and ridiculous to sustain interest for that amount of time. The first 20 minutes or so had me laughing uncontrollably but then things started to grow wearisome. Once El Santos appears toward the third tier of the movie things get interesting again but it seems a little too late at that point. Really, this film would have worked better as a 30-minute short if say, the first 15 minutes were combined with the final 15 and then I would have awarded this five stars. Still, if you love cheap B-Movies you owe it to yourself to watch this. Just to give you an idea how crazy this movie is imagine this scene: El Santos and Jesus enter a bar and order a couple of beers on tap. As the two of them soon realize the bar is overrun with Vamps, Jesus blesses his beer and proceeds to spit it in the ghouls' faces, who then burn to death. Yes folks, crazy stuff. Recommended as a party movie, for this is guaranteed to make everyone laugh out loud at least a dozen times throughout.

Depends on what you want it for
I really wish Amazon had a way to give two ratings to the same item. The one-star rating above is for the movie. It's a bad movie, and not "bad-in-a-good-way" bad, just bad. It's dull. Jesus loses his long hair and robes about twenty mintes into the film, and from then on it's like watching a bad Ben Stiller clone in some really bad fight scenes.

Regardless of the movie's quality, this DVD gets Five Full Stars (*****) as a collectible. It's worth the money just to be able to grab this out of your DVD collection and show it to people, or hear their reactions when they see it on your shelf. Buy it for the title, buy it for the case, buy it for the cover art -- just don't buy it for the film.

Harry Knuckles is Jesus the skateboarding buttkicker
I won't pull any punches here. This film is pure genious. I have never seen a movie with such power as this. I can only hope Mel Gibson's movie will have this big of an impact. The truth is though that these guys did it without a 25 million dollar budget.

What fool would ask Jesus if He had enough lemonade? I mean c'mon how could lemonade be harder than loaves and fishes. Well the doubter gets killed pretty early in the movie. It's too bad, I think they should have expanded on a priest with a mohawk. The custom helmet they had for him was supercool.

Mary Magna is bad to the bone folks. She gets sucked into a vampire's world, but the Lord not only gets her back, he gives her the main vampire after he cures her too. You see the whole point of this film is the church must protect lesbians from vampires. Yeah I know, I know. Hey this flick's from Canada.

The scene that left me screaming 'Amen' and 'Allelujia' was the fight scene with the athiests. I mean dude, Jesus beats up like 60 athiests without a break. They just keep coming out of this one car.

Jesus finally defeats the vampires when He himself is stabbed through the heart in the climatic junkyard battle. But with Him being punctured, Heaven's light shines through him and the vampires are vanquished. Outstanding special effects on this one. A flashlight and flash powder really did the trick.

Also look for the fine performance by Blind Leper. He's a blues man who gives it up for the Lord in the House of Blues.

I give this film 5 halos.

Wow, this movie is so friggin awesome
I saw the title and thought boy this movie is gunna suck. It does! That's why it's so freakin awesome! The theme song:
He came from heaven
2 stakes in his hands
To smoke the vampires
and free the land
come now and join him
all ye strong and bold
we'll fight together
like the days of old
it's all good
it's alright
everybody get laid tonight!
I mean come on! With a theme song like that you gotta like it. Jesus Christ vs Lesbian Harvesting Vampires! El Santos is amazing too. I could go on for hours on how awesome thiS movie is. I've never had so much fun wasting time. Just remember

THE POWER OF CHRIST IMPALES YOU!!! ... Read more

Reviews (165)

Thank you, Chiodo Bros....at long last!
Attention, all beloved Killer Klown cult fans! Our all-time favorite homicidal, bloodthirsty, and cotto