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When you consider its unfortunate production history, Cursed turned out surprisingly well as a werewolf thriller that horror buffs will appreciate. It's hardly the disaster critics made it out to be, but extensive rewriting, reshooting, recasting, and lengthy delays in production and release (including the elimination of R-rated gore to earn a PG-13 rating) clearly took their toll. The result is a fun but flawed monster-show that begins when a young talk-show producer (Christina Ricci) and her teenaged brother (Jesse Eisenberg) are bitten by a werewolf, setting the stage for a horror-in-Hollywood scenario that reunites director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, creators of the Scream franchise. What could have been a classic horror comedy is instead a fairly solid, if unremarkable, exercise in Los Angeles lycanthropy, featuring werewolf makeup by Rick Baker (combined with CGI transformation effects, of course) and some of Williamson's snappy dialogue and trademark pop-culture references. The title of Cursed doubles as a description of this movie's ultimate fate, but in a market filled with straight-to-video horror fodder, it's anything but a lost cause. The supporting cast includes Shannon Elizabeth, Portia de Rossi and Joshua Jackson, so genre aficionados should definitely check it out. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Description

Divimax is a High Definition (HD) film transfer process that provides state-of-the-art picture quality--and can be viewed on any home entertainment system. ... Read more

Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of the top money-making horror films of all time on a budget of just over $300,000.00. They hired a cast of unknowns, drawing on talent that would become some of the top names in Hollywood. They set out to make a simple film, about a group of teenagers being stalked by a serial killer, and what was born was a movie that has challenged all other films of its genre-Halloween.

Set in the small town of Haddenfield, Illinois, it is the story of Michael Myers, a boy who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Incarserated within the confines of the mental institution Smiths Grove, he is treated by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) until he can stand trial as an adult for the criminal activities of that fateful night.

Fifteen years pass, and Myers is now grown. Loomis is assigned the duty of transporting Myers back to Haddenfield for his criminal hearing. On the eve of halloween, and badgered by a horrendous thunderstorm, Loomis travels the final distance to the gates of the institution with the aid of a nurse who has been assigned to him. Upon their arrival, they discover that the inmates have been set free to wonder about the confines of the sanitarium. Loomis, who has long since grown to believe that Michael Myers in the embodiment of pure evil, rushes to the gaurd post at the front gate. In his absence, Myers overtakes the nurse and steals the car.

Loomis cries out "He's gone..the evil has gone..."

And so begins Halloween.

The balance of the story takes place in Haddonfield, where a group of unsuspecting teens will have a fatal encounter with Michael Myers. Leading the cast is Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of veteran actress Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame), who plays Laurie Strode, a high-school student who begins seeing "The Shape", a non-descript man dressed in a blue coverall, wearing a white mask. She sees him again and again, through the classroom window at school, in her backyard, behind bushes.

For the majority of horror fans who have seen this film, I need go no further. For those of you who haven't, I should go no further, for the film is definitely more than the narrative I began above. It is a story that touches on the psychological truths that our society seems to function on. Whats more, it is a film that touches at our primal fears.

Unlike so many films in this genre, Halloween is genuinely frightening, not because of its use of graphic gore, or visually stunning effects (there really aren't any in this film) but because it plays on the things that scare us most. Whats more, Carpenter uses carefully placed light and shadow to really enhance the experience of his film. His soundtrack also underscores the film as a whole, bringing it to a level and intensity that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Carpenter went on to film two additional films in the franchise, the much more commercial Halloween II and Halloween III:Season of the Witch (the third installment having nothing to do with the Myer storyline). The Halloween franchise itself has given birth to a total of seven sequels, including the largely popular Halloween H20, in which Jamie Lee Curtis reprised the role of Laurie Strode. Still, it is this original film, a small budget, independent movie that was shot in the early spring (yes, leaves were brought in and scattered about to simulate the fall season) that has become a staple that is synonymous with the holiday which the movie was named after.

If you have reservations about this film, set them aside and watch it...but watch it with the lights on, because Michael Myers might be there, in the shadows, waiting. Halloween-the Night He Came Home-is worth the time and money. It is the film that really re-defined the horror/slasher genre, and it is the one film that really rises above the rest, setting a standard that no film that followed has ever matched.

Brilliant piece of suspense
"Halloween" is by far the best horror film I have ever seen and is also my personal favorite. The story is so simple: 6 year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield. He is locked up but 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he sets his sights on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). His psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), is hot on Myers' trail before he kills again. This movie is so scary and suspensful, easily the best of the bunch. For Jamie Lee Curtis' first movie, she did an excellent job of acting. Veteran actor Donald Pleasence is also terrific, he is performance is convincing, you actually KNOW that Michael Myers is pure evil when he talks about him. What adds to the suspense and horror of the film is that Michael is hardly seen, he is always in the shadows, waiting to kill. The music is also fantastic. The main piano theme is one of the most famous to ever grace the screen. All in all, this is a terrific film, watch this with the lights off and guarantee you'll be scared!

What Else Can I Say About A True Classic
Halloween was the very first horror movie I saw as a kid, at age 4.Ever since then, no Halloween or anytime of the year is complete for me without Dr.Loomis, Laurie Strode, Sheriff Brackett, and of course the man himself, Michael Myers. This movie epitomizes everything that Halloween is..the bogeyman laying in the dark shadow of the room , waiting for the perfect moment to strike..It's got everything..From the typical American small town, horror movies in the city just don't work..The great horror flicks of all time:Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, Last House on the Left, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and Scream, they all took place in small towns or in the middles of nowhere..
Plus Halloween films for me have always somehow managed to get the intangible down:Atmosphere.They nail the Halloween , late fall atmsophere perfectly..I loved the whole bunch of them..I'm a sucker for horror though. I also love all the Friday the 13ths, Texas Chainsaws, Screams, and Nightmares.

The one that started it all!
Halloween is definitely the film that inspired the first wave of horror movies. It clearly inspired Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

When Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith he was sent to a children's hospital for a life sentence. But after serving 15 years he escaped and travelled to the small town of Haddonfield where he stalks 3 young women Laurie, Annie and Lynda. It also happens to be Halloween night when he comes out of the shadows and definitely gives them a scare to remember!

Everything about Halloween is 1st class entertainment! John Carpenter doesn't rely on lots of gore to make this movie a classic. He relies on suspense which works like a charm! The music score is also terrifying and the now famous Halloween tune will haunt me forever after watching this film!

It's really fun to see a young Jamie Lee Curtis running around scared because in this day and age you don't think of her being able to play the virginal heroine! Clearly it was down to her that the stereotype was even created in the first place!!!

With excellent supportive performances from Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles this film will always live on!

Halloween
This is the best horror movie ever in my opinion because it was the first to ever really scare me. ... Read more

Reviews (200)

Meh... It was okay...
I love A LOT of Wes Craven's work, but this had to be his greatest failure! The plot itself seems somewhat rather interesting, but the movie just couldn't cut it! The acting was pretty good but the music score was poor, the colors were grainy looking, and the picture quality has got to be the WORST I've ever seen in DVDs!! (not to mention it really wasn't that scary.) We could at least have a better transfer of this, right?! What's even worse about this movie is that at SOME times it tries to be funny and scary at the same time, which is definetally not a good mix depending on the type of film it's made out to be. (Heck, alot of these 70s films don't really make much sense huh?) The only part I'd have to say I liked was at the very end where the parents get revenge on the killers with the booby-traps and stuff.

OVERALL: I would NOT recommend this movie if you are looking for an Oscar-winner or whatever unless you are a B-movie collector who likes this stuff. I give it 4/10 for a good idea in story but poor sound and picture quality.

How could Wes Craven do this?!!!!
This movie is nothing like people say it is. It is the worst movie I have ever seen. The only part good about it was the breasts( I say breast I was afraid I wouldn't get posted) and nothing else. I didn't even finish watching it.

completly stunk
this movie really sucked, nothing more. I gave it one star because Wes Craven is my favorite movie writer/director.

Wes Cravens first...
Last House On The Left shocked a hardened horror/exploitation fan like me. I couldn't believe that this was made in 1971. The sadistic way Krueg and company acted and how they tortured poor Mari and her friend was nothing short of vile, but the way Craven shot these scenes of torture made your stomach churn twice as bad. The revenge of the parents also made this film something to behold. Last House is classic exploitation. Viewing it is a must.

Clever clever..! -Movie..!! -For a really low budget.
One of Wes Craven's.. -Early film's.. -Has this old
sinnister tale of good old rappe and torture.. -I've
bought this DVD and not half two worry about any
more dang VHS.. -Lucky.. -I am glad that a friend
of mine.. -Bought it for me.. -Becuase..! -I've sold
DVD'S I did not like any more..

I've think.. -Wes is worth it two sell your DVD'S
and respect the man for his buck.. -Craven did a
excellent job.. -I've totally of Wes about all of
his film's.. -The Catholic may condemmed. -Me..!
but Wes will alway's be known as the king of grade
B horror film's.. -In my mind.. -Sean Cunningham..
the Veteran of the Friday the 13th.. -Flick's help
Wes two do this movie in Connecuite..?

Craven.. -Is a cheap cheap film maker..? -And taken
his blood and gut's too serious for this kind..!
Sean did a great job with production value's..!
their is a glimpse as the future Friday the 13th
Steve Minor jumps at the end as he rides with some
drunken roadie's.. -Never mind..!

This movie may disturbed a lot of people..! -But
their is a story two just being a horror film..?
this one did not cost Wes any thing.. -The film
went two their back yards.. -Did something
they've cooed acheived for them selve's..?

Two girls go into a night in town..! -As they've
are hunted by some rapest's..! -The girls get trapped..
after they where headed two a concert.. -Then their
taken two the dimmwitted wooed's two be rape..?
then the movie turn's out a longer for the too ho
have kiddnapped.. -Rape; -and killed these poor
innocent women.. -Then..! -The next day; -the
parent's of the girl.. -Mari Collingwood.. -Goe's
out jogging.. -They've find the girl..?

But the same rapest's go too the house..! -Have
dinner.. -The mother learns that they are the
real killer's.. -So they've plot some fantastic
peice of cinema history.. -Revenge..! -Their are a
lot of disturbing images in this movie.. -And
don't let any one watch this with a bad heart
condition.. -I love the special feature's with

Wes Craven.. -and; -the introduction.. -Which
he explains that he have put back some of the old
violent footage in this flick..?

Wes Craven.. -Shooed of gane an oscor.. -But he
is known as a low budgetted filmmaker..? -You
never guest your going out.. -Two make a low
budget feature.. -Play with stuff that no one
has ever tried.. -And don't win an oscor..?

This is my Grade -A.. -Horror flick.. -Some say
it is not a horror flick..

Wes had a nice try with this..!! ... Read more

Reviews (344)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The reigning masterpiece of Italian horror cinema, Mario Bava's Black Sunday remains one of the most stylishly photographed of all horror films, ranking with any other black-and-white film of lasting repute. This was the master cameraman's official directorial debut, and his striking compositions are the work of a genuine artist in peak form. Loosely adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol, this chilling vampire tale begins in17th-century Moldavia, where the evil Princess Asa (Barbara Steele) is executed for witchcraft and vampirism, along with her brother Javutich (Arturo Dominici). Two centuries later, a pair of traveling doctors discover Asa's crypt and inadvertently revive the evil princess, whose scheme of vampiric revenge is aimed at her own identical descendant Princess Katia, an innocent beauty (also played by Steele) whose lifeblood will ensure Asa's immortality.

Influenced by Universal's classic horror films of the '30s and British Hammer films of the late '50s, Black Sunday (released in Italy as The Mask of Satan) is a dark fairy tale, with horror queenSteele as the definitive embodiment of erotic horror. With shocking violence (tame by today's standards) and visual emphasis on tombs, secret passages, ominous castles, and unseen forces, the film offers a wealth of memorable imagery and inventive technique. Redubbed, rescored, and harshly edited for its American release in 1961, Black Sunday is presented on DVD in the original English-language director's cut of The Mask of Satan, never before available in the U.S. The perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night, this timeless classic is the Citizen Kane of horror films, entirely worthy of its lofty reputation. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (58)

Classic Goth Guignol
The incredibly photogenic original Goth queen, Barbara Steele, couldn't have asked for a better film debut than this atmospheric black-and-white classic by famed director Mario Bava. She gets to play both the innocent and beautiful ingenue Katya, and Katya's evil twin ancestor, the diabolical witch, Asa.

Steele's performance is half the reason to watch this conventional black magic/ghost/vampire tale, the other half being Bava's cinematography and skillful direction. This is an especially violent film, opening on the execution of Asa and her evil manservant, Javuto, by the nailing of spiked devil masks to their faces (the original title of the film was Mask of Satan). The visuals in this, and all other, scenes in the film are archetypally perfect. The actual framing and composition of each shot is beautifully done, throughout. The scenery is lush, the makeups unsettling - especially the resurrected Asa, with the holes in her face from the mask - and many of the effects are equally disturbing, especially one in which Asa's naked ribcage is exposed.

European horror cinema of the 1960s was the best the genre ever produced, and this was one of its premiere features. Highly recommended not only for horror fans, but for serious film students as well.

Dark, gothic, evil fun
Let me start by saying Barbara Steele is just plain weird looking. She is not unattractive. She is just...disturbing. Maybe that is why she fits so well into the role of an ancient witch condemned to death, a horrible iron mask nailed to her face.

Time passes and some travellers wander into her crypt despite their coach driver's warning. And of course they manage to break the wards and symbols that keep her from returning to life.

Black Sunday features great set design and an oppressively dark mood that oozes evil and menace in every scene. Apparently the film is available in two versions. I think I got the bad one. One version is heavily edited but features voicework by the original actors in english and better overall sound quality. I bought the extended version which unfortunately has some pretty bad voice acting.

Buy Black Sunday if you like classic horror movies such as the old Universal monster films, but wish that they didn't pull their punches so much. I would have given Black Sunday 5 stars, but the voice acting in my version is going to cost it a star. Still, most people suggest this version (the full version) over the shorter version, so the choice comes down to your own preference.

The heavenly totality of Asa Vadya's eyes
(...)

This is certainly a minor stylistic masterpiece. It creates atmosphere that is thick, foreboding, and claustrophobic. The story, however, is not worthy of such a lush, lavish treatment. It just doesn't possess any emotional depth. The whole film is Barbara Steele's eyes. They possess power that the film as a whole simply does not. The fog the film is enveloped in is not pervasive enough to mask the bitter emptiness of the tale being conveyed. It is difficult to criticize the film on its cinematic qualities. Nevertheless, the story does not mesmerize, tantalize or excite beyond those moments when Asa is moaning in her blood ecstasy. Indeed, my grandest (futile) wish was for Asa to slaughter them all and then to hit the road looking for more victims to prey upon.

Barbara Steele weeps, shrieks, sighs, faints, screams, moans, gasps, and is undeniably fascinating to watch. She is far more interesting as Asa. As Katia, she is a cipher. She's drained of life and hysterical to boot. Asa has activated her will (if the undead can even be said to possess a will--the will of Satan?). Katia is receptive, helpless and boring. She's just a lonely princess longing for her prince (yawn). It isn't Ms. Steele's fault--the character is simply dismal. She's the "good" girl--she doesn't have to do anything, except mope about in a perfectly awful hairdo. The rest of the cast are perfectly plastic--save for Arturo Dominici as Javutich. He's a fine match for Ms. Steele and wondefully terrible. He has presence that the others lack.

Still, the film is simply gorgeous. The story might not be my glass of Absinthe, but the film is still visually stunning. It lacks emotion and depth--but it makes up for it somewhat in the sheer power of its images. Obvious films that clearly map out the binary opposites at play are just not that intriguing. When you know from the start that virtue will win and evil will be destroyed, it kind of takes the thrill out of the whole thing.

BRAVO BAVA AND STEELE
If you are a true horror connoseur of great horror films, BLACK SUNDAY or THE MASK OF SATAN, belongs in your repertoire of those films which defined what "horror" movies should be about.
Mario Bava's first film is full of eloquent imagery, darkly atmospheric sets and lighting, and an almost palpable sense of doom. Barbara Steele, who went on with Hazel Court, to be the true scream queens of the sixties, is perfect in the dual role of the witch and her descendant; Bava knew that Steele's beauty is not of the usual kind and he used his lens to soften some of her harshness, but yet to ignite those gorgeous eyes. Steele also knew how to handle the camera, how to peer not only into the eyes of her fellow actors, but into your eyes as well.
John Richardson's boyish handsomeness is a perfect contrast to Steele's dark beauty. (Only complaint about DVD is the obvious dubbing, with "radio dj" voices that at times lessened the impact of the movie). The silent stagecoach ride is as many readers have commented one of the eeriest scenes captured on celluloid.
This is a frightening movie, way ahead of its time, and maintains a crude brilliance that is still penetrating today.

Bava Lives!
BLACK SUNDAY (aka THE MASK OF SATAN) marks the directorial debut of prolific horror director Mario Bava, and what a debut! The story, a Gothic masterpiece about vampirism being an extension of Satan worship, is quite interesting. Barbara Steel, the first horror starlet, or scream queen, is amazingly beautiful and quite good as the evil Princess Asa, who curses her family after being condemned as a witch, and Princess Katia, her ancestor. A chairjumper every five minutes! It lulls you asleep and then slaps you awake with the next scary moment. True suspense is being built up as the plot goes along nice and slow (even under an hour and a half!) The whole film is gorgeous and really showed me that a black-and-white movie can be just as scary and cringe-inducing as one in bright color.
Yes, Mario Bava is the founding father of Italian horror as we know it! Not only is he a great director, but he is an excellent cameraman and special effects artist, just to name a few other things he did in his movies. Thanks to Bava, we have masterpieces from other great directors as Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, TENEBRE, INFERNO), Lucio Fulci (DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING, ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND), and even Mario's own son Lamberto (MACABRE, A BLADE IN THE DARK, DEMONS 1 & 2). Hell, even the Bavas helped Argento on occasion (Mario directed that awesome underwater sequence in INFERNO, and Lamberto was assistant director on that and TENEBRE). So remember, when you think about how awesome Italian horror movies were back in the day and all the masterpieces that came out of that country, remember Mario Bava. And watch BLACK SUNDAY and all of his other movies! ... Read more

Reviews (200)

One of the best classic horror films of all time.
My opinion of this movie, The Birds, is that it is a masterpiece of it's own time. This was a great piece of classic horror; Alfred Hitchcock did a fantastic job. The special effects were very believeable, especially for coming from the early sixties. I still haven't figured out how they got all of those birds to attack, or if half of them were fake. Also, Hitchcock did a great job of showing blood and gore when it was qppropriate, like when Jessica Tandy as Lydia Brenner finds Lonny Chapman as Deke Carter with his eyes pecked out. The movie did, however, lack music so this made it kind of drag along. Music would have paced the movie, and also added suspense and other effects. Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels was a bad actress. She showed no real emotion and always seemed to be worried about her appearance instead of her acting. I really noticed this in the bedroom scene, when she was being attacked, and she didn't even scream. Rod Taylor, who played the role of Mitch Brenner, was a great actor. He seemed real and Believable. He showed emotion in every scene, and his overall performance was pleasant. Jessica Tandy is great in all the films she is in, and this one was no exception. As Lydia Brenner, she did a great job of acting rude and mean to Melanie Daniels through out the whole movie. I was, however, very annoyed with the young actress that played Cathy Brenner. She was a horrible actress with over-elaborate emotional breakouts, and when she cried after she was attacked, it was so annoying, I thought my ears were bleeding. The ending to the film was very bland. There should have been more closure to the whole situation instead of just making you wonder what happened to them. The Birds is nothing like modern day horror films. It takes a more believeable line to horror than most modern day films. Modern horror consists mostly of the supernatural or total carnage. Although I would still put The Birds into a category with any modern day horror flicks, I still believe that it is definitely classic horror.

A nightmare comes to life - thanks to Hitchcock!
Although Alfred Hitchcock is widely regarded as the greatest director of suspense and "thriller" movies in Hollywood's long history, in his direction of "The Birds" (1963), he outdoes himself. Even more than "Psycho", which started the modern "slice-and-dice" genre of horror movies, "The Birds" is a truly disturbing and surreal experience - a nightmare which comes to life on film. In my opinion "The Birds" is unlike any other Hitchcock film - it actually comes closer to movies such as "The Sixth Sense" or even "The Matrix" in the way it takes the "real world" we are all familiar and comfortable with and turns it into something that will cause you to lose sleep at night. The film's plot is deceptively simple: Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), a rich and rather spoiled young woman, meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), a handsome and rather mysterious man, in a pet store in San Francisco. She is intrigued enough to follow him to his home in Bodega Bay, a charming but isolated small fishing town on the northern California coast. There she meets the local schoolteacher, Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette), who once had a brief affair with Mitch. Annie takes an immediate dislike to Melanie and her interest in Annie's old boyfriend. Eventually Melanie meets Mitch's mother (Jessica Tandy), a high-strung and suspicious woman who leans upon her son for emotional support and stability. However, this soap-opera style plotline is simply the background for the REAL story in the movie: as the film progresses the birds in Bodega Bay and the surrounding countryside begin to act strangely - they suddenly attack humans for no apparent reason, and start gathering in large and ominous groups on power lines and rooftops. Eventually the birds become murderous - they kill a local farmer by crashing through his bedroom window and hacking out his eyes. Then they attack the schoolchildren and the townspeople in yet another of Hitchcock's famous film sequences. As the frightened and baffled townsfolk are hemmed into their homes and stores like "birds in a cage", they blame Melanie for bringing this terror into their once-peaceful little town. The film's famous climax occurs at the home of Mitch and his mother, as a massive flock of birds attacks the home at night and tries to get inside to kill our heroes. To make this film even more disturbing and bizzare, Hitchcock decided not to have a musical score, and there is no music whatsoever - only the terrifying screeching of the birds as they attack. What makes this film work is how Hitchcock deftly takes "everyday", normal things - such as sitting on a park bench and smoking a cigarette, and turns it into something bizarre, surreal, and truly frightening. Although some critics have refused to label this film as one of Hitchcock's best, it does rank as one of the scariest thrillers of all time. Beware of "The Birds"! (But you'll love the movie).

Beware THE BIRDS!!!
The Birds is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films. Perhaps that has a lot to do with the beautiful Tippi Hedren, who shines in everything she does. The gorgeous scenery, adorable costumes, and lavish colors also add to the surreal atmosphere, which quickly gets disrupted by a flock of killer birds. Like many firsts Hitchcock introduced with his films, this is the first "nature run amock" film, just like Psycho was the first "slasher" film. This Psycho follow-up was yet another ground-breaking addition to the horror genre and further revealed the master director's darker obsessions.

Like Hitchcock's fabulous Rebecca and mediocre Jamaica Inn, this is based on a story by the extremely talented Daphne Du Maurier, but Hitchcock was left with the task of fleshing out the short story into a feature film. He did one hell of a job. Hitchcock and screenwriter Evan Hunter borrowed only the title and basic conceit of Daphne du Maurier's 1952 short story, "The Birds." Du Maurier's tale, conventional and utterly humorless, is a Cold War parable that uses the unexplained bird attacks as an apocalyptic metaphor for nature thrown out of balance by technology and warfare. It's told from the perspective of Nat Hocken, a disabled war veteran and farmhand living in a cottage with his family in the British Isles.

The film version is set in Bodega Bay and follows bored, spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels (Hedren) as she romantically pursues dashing lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). Tension soon develops among Melanie, schoolteacher Annie Hayworth, Mitch's former flame (Suzanne Pleshette), and Mitch's domineering mother (Jessica Tandy). The emotional interplay is interrupted (and reflected) by the sudden and unexplained attack of thousands of birds on the area.

Hailed as one of Hitchcock's masterpieces by some and despised by others, THE BIRDS is certainly among the director's more complex and fascinating works. Volumes have been written about the film, with each writer picking it apart scene by scene in order to prove his or her particular critical theory--mostly of the psychoanalytic variety. Be that as it may, even those who grow impatient with the slow build-up or occasional dramatic lapses cannot deny the terrifying power of many of the film's haunting images: the bird point-of-view shot of Bodega Bay, the birds slowly gathering on the playground monkey bars, the attack on the children's birthday party, Melanie trapped in the attic, and the final ambiguous shot of the defeated humans leaving Bodega Bay while the thousands of triumphant birds gathered on the ground watch them go.

Eerie, scary, and suspenseful, this is a great film and classic Hitchcock, which highlights his genius. There is no sound track to cue the audience in as to when to be scared. And what other filmmaker could take the simple sound of wings fluttering in a house and turn it into the sheer sound of terror?

Hitchcook can make anything scary.
Hitchcook can make anything scary, and this movie is profff, I don't no how fake birds can be scary but they are, in this film anyway.

It all starts with an opener that's more like 2 people trying to play a joke on eatchother, and ends with a tailhanger ending, paked with scares and creeps this is a must see.

Tense thriller is a winner
This eerie Hitchcock thriller doesn't have a shower scene but is has its fair share of suspense, dread and anticipation as to when the birds will attack. Filmed in color and without the accompaniment of music, the movie builds steadily towards tense and dangerous moments when hundreds of blackbirds swoop down on the human populace and scratch, peck and claw them to shreds without rhyme or reason. Even a lone seagull gets in its licks on Melanie Daniels who has followed Mitch Brenner to Bodega Bay to close in on the handsome fellow. The film has several attacks in which adults and school children are ravaged, and the air assaults are frightening to watch. The dangerous birds' unexplained sheer destructive force is displayed in the attack in a bedroom where the unfortunate Ms. Daniels is trapped, and their determination to destroy every human in their path is awful to behold. The movie's special effects are first-rate, and the gloomy, overcast skies of the Northern California coast add to the depressed mood of the film. The characters all seemed detached and distant from each other and although Ms. Daniels tries very hard to connect with Mr. Brenner, the romance angle is never developed. ... Read more

Reviews (192)

Revenge from the grave drives fog shrouded tale.
"It is told by the fisherman, and their fathers and grandfathers, that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea will rise up and search for the campfire that led to their dark and icy death." So ends the campfire tale told by Mr. Machen (the wonderful John Houseman) that begins John Carpenter's The Fog. But this is no ordinary ghost yarn to entertain children, it is part history and part prophecy...for as the chruch bell tolls the midnight hour, and the town of Antonio Bay turns one hundred years old, a thick, glowing fog bank forms on the horizon and drifts towards land.

The Fog is one of my personal favorite Carpenter films. It's well written for its kind (low budget horror), well acted by its cast of seasoned character actors, beautifully photographed by Dean Cundy, and director John Carpenter creates more than a few effective set pieces while contributing what may be, in my opinion, one of his finest film scores.

One can certainly grumble that the movie is guilty of replicating the cheap scares and story arc of Halloween (anonymous figures lunging through doors, a town haunted by a traumatic event in its past that, on the anniversary of said event, is forced to relive it yet again), but it's a formula that works and The Fog (like Romero's zombie sequels) presents the material in a fresh and invigorating way. The only flaw I can find in the video is that it is pan and scanned, which spoils some of Carpenter/Cundy's beautiful images (as well as hampering Carpenter's trademarked 'they are sneaking up behind you' shots) the biggest letdown is the great shot of the fog swooping in on and engulfing Stevie Wayne's house. See this film letterboxed for its full effect. I have the laserdisc release, but where is that DVD edition MGM/UA has been promising? Required viewing for horror buffs.

Classic ghost story, not for the nervous
THE FOG (USA 1979): While celebrating its centenary birthday, a small Californian coastal town is visited by a ghostly fog containing an army of murderous spirits who take revenge for a terrible injustice.

Released on a wave of expectation following the worldwide success of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978), THE FOG surprised everyone by underperforming at the US box-office. Which is a shame, because it's arguably the better of the two films. Beautifully photographed in widescreen Panavision by Carpenter stalwart Dean Cundey (who went on to Hollywood glory with the likes of BACK TO THE FUTURE, JURASSIC PARK and APOLLO 13), this unassuming 'ghost story' opens on a lonely clifftop at midnight, where a crusty old sea dog (John Houseman) tells an audience of wide-eyed children how their home town was built on the foundations of tragedy. As with HALLOWEEN, the pace is slow but steady, and Carpenter judges the shocks and scares with consummate ease, and there's a relentless accumulation of details which belies the script's modest ambitions. Jamie Lee Curtis headlines the movie opposite her real life mother Janet Leigh, though Hal Holbrook takes the acting honors as a frightened priest who realizes the town was founded on deception and murder. As the fog rolls in, the narrative reaches an apocalyptic crescendo, as most of the major players find themselves besieged by zombie-like phantoms inside an antiquated church, in scenes reminiscent of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Scary stuff, to be sure, though Carpenter was forced to add new material during post-production in an effort to 'beef up' the movie's horror quotient, including a memorable late-night encounter between a fishing boat and the occupants of a ghostly schooner which looms out of the swirling fog (similar scenes would be added to HALLOWEEN II [1981] for the same reasons, though under less agreeable circumstances). Production values are rock solid, and Carpenter cranks up the tension throughout, resulting in a small masterpiece of American Gothic. Recommended, though nervous viewers are advised that this one is genuinely frightening in places.

MGM's region 1 DVD - which runs 89m 30s, minus the MGM logos at beginning and end which weren't part of the original film - letterboxes the Panavision frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). A full-screen version is also included on the disc, which utterly destroys the movie's beautiful compositions and should be avoided at all costs. Picture quality is grainy in places but OK overall, and there's a choice of soundtracks: The original 2.0 mono version (very good) or a revamped Dolby 5.1 version, which adds a little bass to the proceedings but nothing truly significant. English captions and subtitles are provided. Extras include the usual trailers and production notes, along with a couple of documentaries (one from 1980, the other recorded specifically for this DVD) and an audio commentary by Carpenter and co-writer/producer Debra Hill. There's also a series of outtakes, during which illustrious thesps Holbrook and Houseman can be heard swearing like troopers!

The Fog is a Good Film (Looks a bit dated)
This film is in the era of the late seventies/early eighties new wave style horror films:Halloween/Carrie/Creepshow etc.
At the time not one of the greatest but it seems to grow on you the more you watch it!!
The opening sequence with the Edgar Allen Poe quote,the electronic type of music typical of the era and the atmospheric camp fire with the children.It has a ghostly seafaring feel,which draws you in.

The actors typical John Carpenter (Jamie Leigh Curtis,Hal Halbrook etc.)Also Tom Atkins character who starts off very go lucky but ends up very sullen and serious!!

The end scenes are truly scary and very atmospheric.Worth a second glance.

The Fog..!! -Another; -Halloween..!! -A great ride..!!
This is even better then; -John Carpenter's. -Biggie.
Halloween. -This is a really frightening tale focusing
this time on a community resort town. -Which is haunted
by vengenfull spirit's of it's past..

This film was directed by; -John Carpenter. -Ho made
what this film inteded two be today.. -It is tilterd
and; -edgy style; -like; -Halloween.. -But in a different
style. -Different location.. -Their is no town of
Haddonfield.. -But in the way of a ghostly small
community.. -Much like an; -Amityville movie.. -Way..?

Their are a lot of elements that are in this low budget
that throw back too John's; -Halloween. -Flick..! -Which is
my all time favorite.. -A lot of critics hate this jargen.
Becuase it was not like; -"Halloween.." -Or; -The Assault on
Precint 13th.. -Which is not in my favor as a horror movie..?
The Fog is a fun ride.. -Yes; -the film is a little lame at
times.. -But also offers us some novelty of the town's past.
and ho the characters are in this town..

This is; -John Carpenter's; -real; -Halloween. -But any
way.. -Not in the spirit.. -Or in that style.. -This is
written by; -John Carpenter.. -Ho doe's a really good
job in directing a lowbudget kind of horror flick..

The Movie stars; -Jamie Lee Curtis.. -Once agian; -being
scared at a monster ho isn't afraid of stabbing..? -Ho
gets in his way..! -It all begins at the beginning when
children are at a campfire; -they sit around it..? -The
old fisher man. -Played by; -John Housemen.. -Bring's us a
local tale of the Elizabeth Dane.. -And her sailors that
died in the bottom of the ocean..?

Tomarrow is the 20th anniversary of those murder's..! -One
by one; -people across this land will be murdered..! -But
ho will stop the killers in time for the big celebration..?
Adrieanne Barbuel.. -Creepshow.. -1982.. -Swamp Thing..
Learns by that as a light house disk jockey..? -Ho is so
dumb in not paying attention two the slasher formula..

What I mean is; -"She shooed be running out the front
door.." -Not the back door.." -It is insulting.." -A
line from; -"Scream.." -1996.. -Neve Campbell.. -I
loved that line..! -It made me laugh.. -But I don't
admire it.. -But Jamie Lee Curtis.. -Is in love with
her friend. -Nick Castle.. -Played by; -Atkins.. -From
Halloween III: -Season of the Witch.. -1982..

Ho both act kind dumb threw out the movie..? -Those two
shooed of stay in characters..! -Instead they are soley

seperated.. -But they save some townie's at the end..?

Their are some moments in this film..! -I love the part
from the beginning when some sleepless drunks on some
bird watching ship.. -Get two stupid and drunk..! -The
dead sailors come and kill them..?

I even enjoyed the Lighthouse sequence where the actress
here's the voice of the dead sailors ho want's his stone back..?
which really creep me out..? -Threw the middle of the
movie.. -And the body in the morgue..! -Which is an old

trick too scare people..! -But that don't scare me any
more..

The Fog.. -1980.. -Fail's in many way's..! -It did not
tell what the real audience wants..? -As why the sailor's
vowl two plot revenge.. -Why they had two die becuase of
them.. -This is an; -o.k. -Halloween. -Type; -film..!

The cast looks good..! -The DVD Edition is top notch..!
and the flick even is not out dated..!

Very good try..!

A good old fashioned ghost story with an edge
Ok, for the hyped up Gen-Y and other young 'uns, "The Fog" might seem a little slow, with little gore and a bunch of no-name actors (except for Jamie Leigh Curtis, the original Scream Queen!). However, people who dismiss this horror movie really don't know what they are missing. John Carpentar was at his best setting up creepy, uncomfortable moods in his audience (see Halloween, The Thing) and he does a great job of creating a spooky ghost story. His use of John Houseman (who was in another movie aptly titled "Ghost Story") to introduce the background story of the movie was brilliant, as was the casting of mother and daughter Janet Leigh & Jamie Leigh Curtis (a first for these two actresses). Adrienne Barbeau is arguably the lead in this movie; she does a credible job of playing a mom who is terrified for her son and will fight anything that tries to hurt him even though she is alone in a lighthouse!!! My biggest complain about this movie is the music; John Carpentar likes to write his own movie scores and while he did create one of the most chilling, recognizable horror song in "Halloween", his tin-sounding, Casio-keyboard synthesized music for "The Fog" was annoying and at times overpowering. For the ultimate scare, this movie is best watched late at night, alone, on a foggy October evening. ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Ultimate Cult Horror Film!
The first of the Evil Dead Trilogy this cult horror classic is the most fun you'll have watching a horror movie. This Special Edition DVD from Elite is top-notch. Evil Dead has been released on DVD in 800 or so different versions but if you're looking for a great one, look no further.

This disc presents the film in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with an extremely sharp transfer with strong color definition. Audio is presented in a great 5.1 surround mix or 2.0 original mix.

The disc includes an impressive list of bonus features including:
- commentary from director Sam Raimi & producer Bruce Tappert
- commentary from start Bruce Campbell (which, incidentally is one of the best and funniest DVD commentaries you'll ever come across!
- alternate takes/outtakes
- still gallery
- theatrical trailer

For the price, this is a great version of the flick. Pick it up!

An excellent film for it's day.
The film, "Evil Dead" is one notch above the usual horror-slasher-zombie films. Set in a desolate cabin in the dark woods, this movie sets out with a typical premise; a group of four young people are being stalked by an ancient evil force in the woods. This evil was awakened by a scientist in the cabin who was reading from an ancient Sumerian text of the dead, the "Necronomicon ex Mortis". A book written in blood, and bound in human flesh. The evil returns and slowly traps the frightened people there in the woods, takes over their bodies, turns them into Zombies, and kills them. The lone survivor, Ash, is forced to do battle with the forces of evil. Overall a good time, and for a film made on a shoestring budget, (less than 50,000 dollars I hear), it was a fun time. Director Sam Raimi did a fantaboulous job of making this film one of the New American Cult Classics. I would definitely see it, and would highly recommend the follow-ups, "Evil Dead II: Dead Before Dawn", and "Army of Darkness". Horror purists may groan at these, as they incorporate more humor, but overall, a worthwhile few hours. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

the ultimate horror movie!
This film is the ultimate horror movie. Great sneaky gore with a good storyline (unlike most horror movies) and not-so-bad acting or directing to be such a low budget film.

Very gruesome and gory, but it's really great !
Evil dead it's a very entertaining movie to watch, but it really impacts to you how bloody and how too much gore does it has, anyway you can't miss this frightening movie which makes you jump out of your sit and forces you to don't sleepp.

Okay, but soooooo over-rated...
I watched this movie tonight not expecting to like it. Why did I watch it in the first place then? Becasue I thought maybe I would end up liking it. Well, I did and I didn't. I love slasher flicks, but im not really into zombie movies. The two other zombie movies I have seen were "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead", which I didn't like, and thought were WAY over-rated. This one was to, and certainly is NOT worth all the hye, but is still okay. The thing I liked about was that is was simple, sort of in the way "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was, but it's hard to explain HOW it was simple. It mostly takes place in the living room and cellar of a cabin, not in a big gothic mansion, so it's some-what realistic, and, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it's hard to explain HOW it's realistic. There were also a few cool scenes worth the rental alone. What I didn't like about it was it was some-what boring. It was also just felt a *bit* too short. So I wouldi't reccomend fully, unless you really like zombie flicks, or you just feel like you have to see every popular horror flick as I do... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Considered by many to be Dario Argento's first masterpiece, Deep Red recalls his first hit, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. British star David Hemmings (Blow-Up) plays an American jazz pianist who witnesses a brutal, bloody murder from afar and turns detective to find the killer. Kooky Italian journalist Daria Nicolodi (Argento's wife and cowriter on Suspiria) joins him as comic relief and tepid romantic interest, but the real costar is Argento's high style: gliding camera, razor-sharp editing, and gorgeous but gruesome set pieces. The story is convoluted, to say the least--plotting was never Argento's strong suit and the unnecessary exposition often drags the film down--but his vivid, horrific imagery is perfect for a thriller driven by haunting memories. Deep Red was originally released in the U.S. in a severely cut version retitled The Hatchet Murders (odd since the killer uses a butcher's knife). Producer Bill Lustig has restored the film to its originaltwo-hour-plus running time, though some scenes exist only with Italian-language soundtracks (which are subtitled). It's a bit jarring at first (it makes for an unintended joke when a man suddenly checks his hearing aid after a language switch), but it's the only way to see Argento's original cut. There's also a brief 25th anniversary documentary with Argento and cowriter Bernardino Zapponi, and the DVD offers a choice of English and Italian language versions. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Scary, Stylish, Superb
A title that cannot miss in your Italian thriller collection! A movie that cannot be left unseen. A soundtrack that whips your spine cord. The ultimate masterpiece of Argento is a mixture of gore effects (last Italian work by Carlo "ET" Rambaldi), bedtime lullabies, screaming queens, supernatural atmosphere and memory games, supported by a perfect plot and a series of great Italian theatre actors whose only function in this film is to be killed in sequence, in a crescendo of ultraviolence.
The DVD edition of PROFONDO ROSSO is presented in widescreen 2.35:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs, giving the audience all but the impression of a movie directed 27 years ago. The audio tracks are in Dolby Sorround 5.1, in Italian and in English, but portions of the English soundtrack were either never recorded or lost. These scenes are therefore presented in Italian with optional English subtitles. The extra features show the Italian and U.S. theatrical trailer and a featurette, 25th Anniversary, with an interview with director Dario Argento, writer Dardano Sacchetti and the Goblin, the group responsible for the nightmarish soundtrack which is part of the worldwide success of Argento's movie. Watch it alone, in the dark...

A Deep Pool of Red
Deep Red is a classic Italian suspense tale involving a witness overseeing a murder, rushing to the scene of the crime to help, and then finding himself ensnared in Argento's classical psychological/some physical torment web that engulfs both himself and the killer. There are a lot of layers circulating throughout the movie, giving it depth beyond the normal genre "slasher" flick. That said, its also one of the more gruesome films that Dario directed. With killings involving cleavers, oddly conceived decapitations, and other unique methods of murder that I won't mention for fear of spoiling them, it manages to keep the gore lover's attention without insulting them.
With film restoration adding to the movie, you are given a clearer overall picture of what Argento wanted to present as well, despite language switches causing the need for subtitles throughout the movie. (And, if you have the chance, pick it up in the Dario Argento Collection set. Its a fine deal for Tenebrae and Deep Red.)

Horrible
The movie is long and slow. The uncut version is about 2 hours. The music sounds like it came from a 70s porn movie. The only good part were the original murders.

A remarkable Argento classic
To make this review shorter, I won't go on about the plot or the plot twists and the characters and such. I'll just say that this easily ranks amongst the top 10 Argento films ever. What I really like about Deep Red is that unlike some of Dario Argento's other movies (like Stendhal Syndrome), the ending was completely unexpected and nobody expected it. That plot-twist was brilliant and very well concealed. Anywhom, this is an incredible giallo. For the starting Argento fan, I'd reccomend this, his first film "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage", "Tenebre". I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND "Suspiria", IT IS NOTHING LIKE ARGENTO'S OTHER WORK, AND IS DEFINATELY NOT AS GOOD.

Uh...strange!
When a psychic mind reader picks up on the thoughts of a murderer, little did he know that he'd soon become a victim! An english pianist gets involved in solving the murders, but finds many of his avenues of inquiry cut off by new murders, and he begins to wonder how the murderer can track his movements so closely... ... Read more

Description

The DVD contains the 184-minute version of the film. ... Read more

Reviews (123)

You'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you...
Directed by Tobe Hooper (who would go on to helm "Poltergeist"), "Salem's Lot" is a better-than-adequate condensing of Stephen King's classic horror novel. It's made all the more effective when you consider this is material originally shown on network television.

David Soul ("Starsky and Hutch") plays Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his hometown to write a novel about the local haunted house, and ends up dating Susan Norton (Bonnie Bedelia, future star of "Heart Like a Wheel"). Then evil James Mason comes to town, and pretty soon 70s character actors like Fred Willard, Geoffery Lewis and Elisha Cook, Jr. are dropping dead due to... mysterious circumstances. Okay, enough phony suspense. It's a vampire movie. Vampires... in modern-day Maine. And it works better than it has a right to.

Soul's not exactly tortured enough, and Lance Kerwin's a little too old to play a monster-obsessed youth, but the supporting cast, which includes Ed Flanders ("St. Elsewhere"), Lew Ayres (Paul, from the classic 1930 "All Quiet on the Western Front"), Kenneth McMillan ("Ragtime," and "Dune") and George Dzundza (everything else) more than make up for it. They're sincere, and that counts for a lot. James Mason makes a perfectly urbane villain; he's suave and dangerous, and much smarter than his undead master, who's something of a disappointment in the chills department when finally revealed.

This disk contains the entire miniseries, which manages to maintain a level of suitable creepiness, despite some dated sexual innuendo and a some "made-for-tv" scenes that aren't quite as menacing as they could be. Still, a few sequences are effectively chilling, and it's well worth your time, especially around Halloween.

Mason shines in this one
"Salem's Lot" is one of the better Stephen King-based films, though it suffers from excessive length (three hours in the original TV version) and a lead performance by David Soul that brings new meaning to the word "limp." Soul virtually sleepwalks through his role of middle-class fiction writer who returns to his home town to investigate the "haunted house" of his childhood, and finds, instead of ghosts, a mysterious antique dealer and his Nosferatu-like colleague. The devious and clandestine exploits of the latter gradually lead to an outbreak of vampirism that threatens to bring the entire town within its clutches.

The film boasts a good seasoning of veteran actors in supporting roles, several of whom ---- Elijah Wood, Jr., Lew Ayres, and Marie Windsor ----- appeared in a number of film noir classics of the forties and fifties. (For a treat, see Windsor in the 1952 version of "The Narrow Margin"). But while it's fascinating to see these old pros in their various roles, it's James Mason who truly impresses.

Indeed, "impressive" may be too mild a word for Mason, who plays the recently-arrived antique dealer with such impeccable style that he single-handedly transforms "Salem's Lot" from an overextended B movie into something worth remembering. Observe his reactions, for example, when informally interrogated by the town constable as suspect in the killing of a small child. Or later, when he meets Soul during a gathering in his antique shop and the former broaches the question of "evil." Says Soul: "Do you believe a house can be evil in its very boards and windows? In its stone foundations? Evil?" "Oh, you're the writer," answers Mason with mocking insouciance --- the words are neutral, but his entire manner and inflection create a devastating put-down. Here is an embodiment of "cool" that would do justice to any jazz musician, but Mason does it quietly, slowly, with the limitless patience of a man who knows he can do anything.

The other outstanding element in "Salem's Lot" is Reggie Nalder as the vampire under Mason's control (though just how this control came about, and how it is sustained ---- is never explained). Some older fans of the Karloff-hosted "Thriller" series may recognize Nalder from that TV anthology, most notably in the episode, "Terror in Teakwood," where he played the sinister "Kaffke." Here, by contrast, his face is half-buried in makeup, but Nalder's cadaverous bone structure assists the illusion and makes his image of the vampire "Barlow" one of the most frightening since Max Shreck. He's not on-screen more than a few minutes, but, as Mason's character amusingly prophesizes in an early scene: "I'm sure you'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you. Oh yes. Oh yes."

"Salem's Lot" is not a great horror movie, since, along with the problems mentioned, it's burdened by lack of originality. Some scenes are atmospheric, such as those where child vampires are shown floating and beckoning through moonlit windows ---- hackneyed, but effective. These are offset by many sequences that are silly or adventitious (e.g., the one where students are acting out a historical play, so poorly directed it recalls Ed Wood or Bert I. Gordon). The film could have been better with a good lead actor, as well as more conviction from the supporting cast generally. Otherwise, it's more than worth watching for the tour-de-force performance of James Mason and the sheer scare-value of Nalder.

RC in Dallas
I was 9 when Salem's Lot first aired. It has always been the prototype of a scary movie to me. For years I could give myself the willies thinking about those glowing eyes, that kid at the window, and Mr. Barnes. Buying the VHS about 10 years ago was a bit of a disappointment. The editing is terrible and leaves many holes. Was it that bad on TV, or was it shortened for the VHS? The effects are a bit hoakie and look really old in these days of CGI. I also understand that a new DVD is less butchered.

But let's give this fun movie the credit it deserves. For network TV, this had to be pretty racy material. Who else but Steven King would kill all those kids? And what's creepier than that kid scratching on the window? Plus, it's fun to see how much things have changed in 25 years. Its a hoot to look back at all the funny clothes, cars and phones.

If you watch the TNT remake, you see that the new version is a little closer to the novel and goes deeper into detail. But the original is still the best and gives more goose-bumps for the buck. Enjoy it on a night you want to feel a little creeped-out and revel in it's 70's TV charm.

Awesome Considering it Was Made For TV In the 70's
First off, this DVD is your best bet with the full version. Back in the day, I bought the condensed version on video which butchers a good 70 minutes of footage.

I had the liberty of seeing the TNT remake of this the other night and was rather disappointed. Although it was slightly more faithful to King's novel, I found a lot of it laughable and the effects were idiotic. This is much better. The story centers a writer returning to his hometown just as a vampire and his servant take up residence and begin preying on the townspeople. The vampire Barlow is very Nosferatu-ish in thsi when actually in the book, he was basicly an average man that happened to be a vampire, but oh well. The vampire make-up and everythingis actually pretty scary and convincing *which is more than I can say for the recent remake.* Overall, highly recommended. It's not what you would call scary, but it's good for a creepy night-time viewing. And don't miss out on the book!

Salem's Lot
Salem's Lot was kind of a dissapointment.I love vampire movies and stuff like that , but this T.V. mini-series just wasn't that impressive.I had heard many good things about it too but I don't agree with any of them.Okay this movie isn't all bad; the storyline and screenplay is written fairly well and it does offer some chilling scenes that may make shivers run down your spine.On the other hand this movie is filled with bad acting and ridiculous dialogue.I haven't read the book but I don't think Stephen King was real impressed either.If you are able to sit through 3 hours of this and think it is good then you are a true vampire addict.This movie is overall borderline rotten/fresh.Only check this one out if you are A TRUE VAMPIRE ADDICT.

Salem's Lot deals with unresolved pain and fatal curiosity. Now a successful writer, Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his childhood town of Salem's Lot in Maine. Mears wants to rent a house for six months to investigate the strange and disturbing happenings at a creepy house in the town. Mears himself carries the haunting childhood memories of this Marsten House - a "monument to evil" - a house where young kidnapped. boys where taken.Mears believes that evil places attract evil men, and a mysterious and smug Mr Straker (played with delicious enthusiasm by James Mason), has recently purchased the house for an elusive antiques dealer, Mr Barlow. With the help of his former English school teacher, his new girlfriend Susan (Bonnie Bedelia) and her father, the local doctor, Mears sets about investigating the house and the bizarre events that unfold. ... Read more

Reviews (292)

Truly a cult classic!!!!!!!!!
When I first saw this film it scared the Hell outa me. George A Remero is a genuis. this film spawned a new genre of horror movies like "Halloween," and The "Evil Dead" series. This film is definately the best horror movie of all time. Although Black and White films are mostly corney and dull, this is one of those films that set the standards for future movies to come.
Anyway, A satalite from outerspace let out radiation from the planet Venus and is causing the dead to walk. Barbara (Judth O'dea) and her brother Johnny (Russel Streiner) go to visit a deseaced family member to pay respects.
Barbara and Johnny were attacked by the famous cemetary ghoul (Bill Heinzman). Barbara Escapes to the car and makes it to a nearby farmhouse only to meet her hero Ben (Duane Jones) who helps her through this incredible ordeal. later they find out five people are in the basement hiding out. Ben and the others must come together to defeat these terrible flesheating creatures outside. This is my favorite film of all time and I defenitally recommend it. I give it two thumbs up. I also liked the remake in 1990 by Tom Savini. He did an exellent job of bringing back the characters although it was missing the erie atmosphere the original had. Savini's good, but he'll never be a George Remero.

The original is always best!!!!!!!!!
Night of the living Dead is the best horror movie picture of all time in my eyes. I give it 5 stars for its creepy soundtrack and its great one of a kind feel. It starts with Barbara(Judith O'dea) and her brother Johnny going to visit thier mothers grave to pay thier respects, when all of a sudden "Ther're comming to get you Barbara" says Johnny just fooling around. and it actually turns out to be the creepiest Zombie of the film. Anyway Johnny gets what was coming to him and Barbara gets away and runs to a nearby farmhouse where Ben(Duane Jones)helps board down the doors and windows to keep the flesh eaters out. later on they find out there were five people in the basement hiding. The whole plot is seven people in an isolated farmhouse trying to stay out of reach of the flesh eating ghouls outside the house for the night. The film that started the best and coolest Dead series of all-time, thanks to George A. Remero.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
BY FAR THE ABSOLUTE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! BEING IN BLACK AND WHITE ONLY MAKES THIS CLASSIC SCARIER.THE MOOD OF THIS FILM IS INCREDIBLE. JUDITH ODEA DESERVES AN AWARD FOR HER ACTING!!SHE GAVE AN EXTREMELY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE.NOT VERY GORY BUT DEFINITELY SCARY!!!!THE SOUNDTRACK IS AWESOME AND IS A BIG PART OF WHY THIS FILM IS SO FRIGHTENING.A DEFINITE TRUE HORROR MOVIE THAT SHOULD BE SEEN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE OR MANY, MANY TIMES LIKE MYSELF.A+++++ ALL AROUND!!!! GET THIS MOVIE.

Piece of Crap.
Another terrible movie from that terrible Director George A. Romero. This time, there are only about twenty zombies waiting outside.

The zombies in this look better than those in Dawn of the Dead (1978)but are still very boring and unrealistic. Like i've said before, zombies wouldn't be able to move without certain orgains opertating properly in their bodies. Another thing I have just discovered is the fact that if the heart and lungs were operating and moving the body, then the rest of the organs in the body would be recieving blood, so they would be operating too. Meaning the body would be alive. ALIVE!!!!

The story is terrible. A group of people seek shelter in some house and, for some reason, are afraid to leave. There are about 15-20 zombies waiting outside. Why don't they just brake in the house? Because the man sets a chair on fire and throws it outside. Wait a minute. Why are they afraid of fire? They're dead. They don't know what fire is and they don't get hurt by the flames. Why does it scare them so? Romero never answered that question. It sounds to me like Romero just needed an answer.

Another question not answered. Why are zombies walking around the earth? They put out the idea of radiation from Venus, but never confirmed it. In Dawn of the Dead (1978) they said that there was a possibility of a viral outbreak. So , they still haven't found the answer. I wonder when Romero will tell the answer. If Romero doesn't need to answer the question, why does James Gunn's and Zack Snyder's obviousley superior version of Dawn need an explanation. They set out the idea of a virus, just like the original Dawn. Who knows? It sounds to me like the people are just trying find away to make an argument between which version of Dawn was better. The answer to that is obvious. The new Dawn.

The acting is terrible. I know it was low-budget, but you could get better women performances from the lady serving you at the resteraunt. The women in the movie were just terrible. The men were good, but the women were terrible. I couldn't stand them.

This is a comedy that was poorly done. It wasn't very funny and...What? It's not a comedy? It looked like a comedy. It wasn't scary, or entertaining as a matter of fact. I thought they were trying to be funny. The way the zombies acted, the acting, the lines, the pathetic attempt to gas up the truck. I thought this was supposed to be a comedy.

This is a terrible movie and a terrible DVD. I think it's about time George Romero died. He's just not a good director.

Thank god they fired him from Resident Evil. I can't stand thinking of the name. George A. Romero's Resident Evil. It's the George A. Romero's part that I don't like. Paul Anderson did a better job than Romero would have ever done.

A Classic That Worms Its Way Into Your Dreams
"Night of the Living Dead" is a classic that worms its way into your dreams. Truly amazing stuff. Back when Romero and Russo wrote and films this, they did not yet realize they were created a whole new subgenre of horror. Much as I like the remake, the undead are creepiest in the shadows of black and white film.

I'm writing to respond to one reviewer's nitpick and another reviewer's well-intentioned mistake. Complaining that most of it is in mono is like complaining that it's in black and white. That's how the original was made, plain and simple. Another reviewer complained about how horrible the version with added footage is. That individual is right about that version, but that's the 30th Anniversary Edition and NOT the Millenium Edition. The 30th Anniversary Edition with added scenes and weird, distracting music is too horrible for words, and not even in a "Plan 9 From Outer Space" so-bad-it's-funny way. The Millenium Edition is simply an official DVD made from a cleaned up print, with extras like the interviews. If you want to see the real "Night of the Living Dead" and get some cool extras for your money, this is the way to go. ... Read more

Reviews (473)

One serious horror flick! TREMENDOUS!
"The Evil Dead" is one serious horror masterpiece. It makes "The Exorcist" look like a "G" rated film. My flesh is still crawling...it will definitely give anyone nightmares, and this digitally remastered version has it all. I bought the Special Edition on DVD. I have never seen more gore, greater sound, so many jump-out-of-your-skin scenes in my life. If you are a horror fan...and have a strong stomach...this one's for you. No kidding everyone...this is a SERIOUS film. It was rated NC-17 when it first came out in 1982. It should stay that way! I was raised on horror films, but I never thought they'd go this far!!! The setting is a deserted cabin in the woods. For 85 minutes you never leave it...nor do you want to! Don't go into the woods! Whatever you do, don't go into the woods! Of all people, I may not sleep well tonight. This film accomplished what I thought no horror flick could ever do...it scared the %$#( out of me. There have been "moments" in other films, but this one is non-stop. I think I'll take a break now and go watch "Peter Cottontail" or something. Wanna get scared? Wanna venture deep into the horror genre'? See "The Evil Dead" and don't let anyone or anything interrupt you. It's better than any thrill ride I've ever been on. It takes your stomach to the same place. I gave it 5 stars on Amazon.com scale. It deserves a 6. Don't rent this. Buy it! It's one you'll want to relive over and over again when you need/want a good scare...or need/want to scare others.

10 Stars - This Is Some Serious Horror Flick
Having been raised on horror films, "The Evil Dead" is a must-see for all hor-gore fans. It makes "The Exorcist" look like a G-rated film. It is non-stop, out-of-your-skin, out-of-the-dark, out-of-the-woods terror. While it is 20 years old, it holds its own. Many have failed in trying to capture the essence of true horror...this film does it with no finesse, no class, no-holds-barred. This is one serious horror flick. If you have a good stomach, love to feel your flesh crawl, haven't had a good scare lately, buy "The Evil Dead". But whatever you do, don't go into the woods. DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS! The entire film is shot inside and outside a rickety cabin in, yes (how'd you guess it?) the woods. The DVD even has a printed color insert called "The Girls of The Evil Dead". Does that tell you something? These three ladies will, at the outset, win your heart. By films end, they will tear your heart out - LITERALLY!!

The BEST packaging EVER
Wow, your own copy of the necronomican (sp?). This case rocks!! I have it sitting on a little easle in my office -- what a conversation piece. It rocks.

With regard to the movie. If you are reading this then you know the whole Evil Dead saga. If you ask me, while this movie is interesting, it is good to watch sam and bruce warm up for the second one. Taken on its own, this movie is enjoyable, but when it is viewed as their honing of their skills it is incredible. You can see what they wanted to do in this one, and then watch them execute it in the second.

The new sound and picture are a huge improvement over the first three releases. It sounds and looks awesome.

These guys crack me up
Okay. I'm going to have to admit it. I really only like this movie because of Bruce Campbell. I admit it's really interesting filmmaking on such a limited budget, and I laud the result. But I wouldn't come back for repeated viewing if it weren't for Bruce.

And that's what makes this DVD so great. There is a whole Bruce Campbell commentary track that is so much more amusing than the movie itself. I can watch that over and over again. (The Sam Raimi/Rob Tapert commentary is interesting, but it's also clear why they are behind the camera.) This DVD also features Bruce's short documentary, "Fanalysis" - also great if you are a Bruce fan. (I still think that Evil Dead 2 is better, both the movie and the dvd, but that doesn't mean this one doesn't rock.)

As for the Book of the Dead keepcase, it's creepy in that manufactured kind of way. It's spongy and textured. The pages inside are hilarious. I spent an evening on the sofa with two friends figuring them out and laughed til I hurt.

If you are an Evil Dead fan or a Bruce Campbell fan, get this. Get it for th