Reviews (276)

Inbreeding in West Virginia? Noooooo!
Chris Finn is late for an appointment and stops at a gas station to use the phone (doesn't work) and checks out a map that shows a dirt road that leads around the large traffic jam blocking the only highway to his destination. Taking this backwoods shortcut, a short way up the road he literally runs into another vehicle in the middle of the road. Two couples and the requisite single female are stranded there when their car ran over a strand of barbed wire seemingly placed in the road on purpose. Finn, the single woman, and one of the couples leave the scene of the accident to try and find assistance, leaving the other couple behind at their vehicle.

Now we have the formula of city folks looking for excitement in the country both stranded and divided, in the backwoods of West Virginia. Why would anyone look for a phone where there are no power lines whatsoever? Simple, to create this kind of suspense in a slasher/thriller movie in which the blood will soon fly and the city folks soon die.

Spectacular mutants, a squealing stupid girl, stupidly brave and clueless men, and some nice knife and axe work blend together to give us this bloodily entertaining movie with just the right allotments of gore, cheese, and stupidity. Definitely entertaining splatter for those who appreciate the genre.

Mmmmmmm. Long Pork. Don't check the fridge for any snacks!

Greetings from West Virginia--Wish You Were Here!
Once again, I find myself liking the fact that straightforward horror films are being produced with a nod to fans, and lamenting the fact that all they can offer is countless references to better films of yore. On the one hand, Wrong Turn is touted as a "70s style horror film" (according to the director in the featurettes and commentary) so it's to the point, introducing the cast and then killing them. On the other hand, this isn't the 70s, movie audiences are savvier and more jaded, and you need some kind of original element and/or post reflexive sense to pull this off in the post-Scream era.

Wrong Turn resembles one large part Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one part Deliverance, and one part Predator, baked in a Friday the 13th 'Dead Teenagers in the Woods' pie crust. The cast looks smart, but their fate is sealed in an extended sequence detailing a tour through the 'Terrible Place', you know, that place in horror movies where bad things happen and would-be victims linger for a long, long time.

On his way to a job interview in Raleigh, our hero Chris rams his Mustang into an SUV that has been taken out by barbed wire purposely strung across a backwoods road in the mountains of West Virginia. Enter victims: two couples and a single girl who is trying to...gasp...sob...get over a recent breakup by going on a fun camping trip. Trying to find a phone (the cell phone device of modern times rendered useless by being in, well, the backwoods) they get rocketed back a few hundred years when they come across a cabin that, it becomes obvious in a few seconds, is inhabited by some truly scary creatures. This sets up a long, long sequence of finding all sorts of neat things in this house of horrors like teeth in a jar, stolen merchandise from past victims, and a fridge full of organs and meat. Infuriatingly, one girl insists on using the bathroom in this disgusting hovel, even after it's painfully obvious that INSANE KILLERS LIVE IN THIS HOUSE. Even for a slasher flick, you have to wonder...

The killers in question are a group of mutants who, through generations of inbreeding, have turned into a truly vile cast of deformed, homicidal, cannibalistic savages. They can't speak any known language, they have three fingers, humpbacks, and generally look like characters from The Dark Crystal on crack, yet they can drive, fire guns, and somehow not get discovered despite the regularity with which people disappear in the area. Just in case you were thinking that this is a deeply cynical, ridiculous job of stereotyping by the filmmakers, the DVD featurettes inform us that ALL THE DEFORMITIES ARE BASED ON REAL MEDICAL CASES! Whew! And there I thought they were taking artistic license.

The film borrows heavily from the aforementioned films. The Predator bits are the extended hiding and moving in the tall tree tops, bathed in shadow to mask sets. And what a surprise, the film was even made in Canada, to shave yet a few more dollars off the clearly low budget. The cast is mostly game, and in particular Jeremy Sisto stands out as better than the material (before he inevitably checks out after uttering the line "We are never going into the woods again!") The approach the filmmakers seem to be taking is that this genre and setting is "new", and there is hardly a wink from the players to the audience to lighten it all up.

At least the DVD is heavy on features, though quantity does not equal quality. The commentary is awful. There are long stretches of utter silence as it's obvious that director and two stars just have nothing to say about this movie. Unless you want to hear the gorgeous Eliza Dushku give a shoutout to her "Albanian peoples" you'll want to skip it. And the deleted scenes? Think about it, if they weren't good enough to make an 84-minute movie...

Actually, only scene is really cut, but it's just an alternate take of Dushku's big acting moment. 'Acting' here means some fake tears, and a...lot...of...pausing...between...sighs...and...gasps...when...she...talks...about...her...dead...friends...This was decent fare for a slow day. Knock off a star if you don't like slasher flicks. Recommended for die-hard genre addicts, else this is strictly rental fare.

Wrong Turn gets It Right!!
Wrong Turn is a solid horror flick, keeping you in suspense pretty much throughout the entire movie.

When 4 friends decide to blow off work and take their friend Jessie(Eliza Dushku) camping to get her mind off her recent break up with her boyfriend they find themselves in trouble when they run over some barbed wire and are stranded on the side of a backwoods road. At the same time Chris Flynn(Desmond Harrington) finds himself late to a big interview. Taking the same backroad he runs straight into the off roaded vehicle. As they look for help they come upon a house of back woods cannibals. Desperate and fearing for their lives, the horror surges as they find themselves relentlessly pursued by a force of evil beyond their imagination!

The acting is decent, for a horror film, the suspense is great, the feeling is eerie and there are some pretty nice killing scenes. While watching this movie I couldn't help but realize this movie somewhat resembled "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" which is one of my favorites and maybe that's why I enjoyed this particular film. Regardless if you are a fan of the horror genre make sure you see this movie, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Stupid people
Why can't we have a horror movie where the victims show a modicum of intelligence. That would make it even scarier. This one is a by the numbers, knock down the preppies.

Not as bad as its being made out to be
I became interested in this movie when i saw it in a video store, but i had heard nothing about it so i figured it was a straight to video movie, and straight to video horror usually always sucks so i didnt bother, then when i read it was a steady mix of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance i wanted to see it and i bought it before viewing it first, and im not disappointed that i did...

So this guy runs into this car on a desserted road and meets up with 6 peope whose car has blown a tire from man made barbed wire. 5 of them head off trying to find help and leave 2 behind who get killed, in interesting ways yes, but not suspensful or scary...then the 5 come across and old cabin and find out that it is the breeding ground for hundreds of grisily murders and are about to leave when the killers come home:a bunch of mutated hill billy mountain men...the rest of the movie basically consists of them running around trying to esacpe and getting killed in semi-suspencful, kinda sorta scary fashions.

Its not that bad of a movie. i found it to be one of those movies that you talk along with it, like "No why did you do that!" or "Oh crap! Look behind you!" i was doing that frequently and i rarely do that with a horror moive. The acting wasnt the greatest, someone on here said that card board cut outs could have done better...that isnt entirely false..although you did spend enough time with the cast, you didnt get to know them well enough, so you really werent able to care when they were choked with barbed wire, or butchered in front of their friends, or shot down with arrows, or decapitated from the mouth down...

Its still a good movie, and would be better watched at night. The mountain men, by reviewers, have been said to look fake, but, obviously no ones seen true pictures of inbreads.

Ok this is getting long, end comments: good movie, ok cast, great score, good plot

see it ... Read more

Reviews (45)

The storyline that stole our breath away - in beautiful B&W
Someone once told me that he didn't like black and white movies because they "didn't seem real". He had decided long ago that he would rather watch a mediocre color movie than a classic (even "Casablanca") in black and white.
By contrast, I began watching "Dark Shadows" on the Sci-Fi channel, seeing the last year of the series in all its campy glory (think about the 1970s, and how popular avocado-colored refrigerators were during that period - that gives you an idea of the color scheme). I had a hard time understanding the passion people had for Jonathon Frid or how any TV show could justify the position of "governess" in a modern drama.

But then I began watching the first year of "DS", compiled here on DVD for the first time, shining in its original black and white photography. Rather than taking away from the viewing experience, the B&W adds to the gloomy charm, and frames the story in a timeless place where ghost stories can come true. The stately manor of Collinswood and Eagle Hill cemetary don't look so much like stage sets here, but like something sketched out of a dream, with dark corners and cobwebs.

One of the other reviewers here compared DS to a theater play, which gives you an idea of what troopers these actors are. For some reason, ordinary people consider soap players to be the dregs of the acting world - when in reality, playing in a soap is possibly the hardest job an actor can take. There are daily shoots and rewrites, and on DS, actors often had to rely on a teleprompter to help them with their lines. (And this is not shameful - Marilyn Monroe supposedly had to have her lines pasted inside of a drawer she was using as a prop in a Billy Wilder flick. Even the President gets help from a prompter.)

Joan Bennett, that great classic film star, stumbles a few times with her lines, but never loses her cool or her grace. Disc 2 is a real standout here, as Maggie Collins, played wonderfully (without a hint of camp) by Katheryn Leigh Scott, is slowly seduced by Barnabas Collins, vagabond vampire. As handsome as Joel Crothers is (and that's a lot of handsome), as Maggie's boyfriend Joe -- middle-aged Jonathan Frid's turn as Barnabas is all charm, with only a gleam of menace. It's not hard to see *here* why so many women viewers became obsessed with Frid, fantasizing that he'd crawl into their bedroom window.

Anne Rice's Louis - not to mention Nick Knight of "Forever Knight", "Vampire: the Masquerade" RPGers, and Joss Whedon's creation "Angel" - should be paying royalties to Frid and series creator Dan Curtis. Frid turned a two-week stint (maybe) as a supernatural baddie into five years as daytime drama's unlikeliest hero, permanently changing the face of horror. Quite honestly, even froth like "Teen Wolf" could never have been made in a world without dear, angst-ridden, grieving Barnabas and the rest of the DS clan.

The intro/menu screen has dramatic, creepy animation drifting through tangled trees, with each selected episode "zooming" into a bright window at Collinwood. Extras include short interviews with John Karlen, Leigh Scott and Frid, and a recap on Disc 1 bringing the series "up to date", prior to Barnabas showing up. Several hours of TV are boiled down to just 25 minutes, although it is a very well edited 25 minutes! This is the collection's main flaw.

The first hundred and fifty episodes of "DS" were unpopular, more like a tepid gothic romance - lots of mood, no major payoff. However, the show turned around with the introduction of spectre Josette Collins (a saintly ghost who plays an even bigger role later in the series), and literal phoenix Laura Collins, and none of those episodes are on this DVD set.

Yes, Barnabas Collins is the primary reason behind the success of DS, along with the later introduction of Angelique, his tormentor... and yes, the seduction of Maggie Collins is really the first great storyline. But like all great daytime and continuing drama, it's the slow build-up and day to day details that create classic moments of tension and release. We don't see how dreadful Willie Loomis is before his run-in with Barnabas - those episodes aren't here - so his subsequent turnaround, into a tongue-tied good samaritan, is less special. Without seeing more about Laura Collins, it's hard to understand how little David Collins can fudge up a car in an attempt at homicide. He just seems like a really rotten kid from the 25 minute "recap", so why should we sympathize with him about Josette Collins' missing portrait? (Hilarious fan editor Graeme Cree refers to David simply as "Devil Tot".)

Still, I wish I'd had the pleasure of seeing the show for the first time through these episodes, and this set is a terrific introduction and/or gift for a fan of gothic romance, gothic horror, and supernatural drama. The Sci-Fi channel has cancelled "Dark Shadows," meaning it will not be airing somewhere on TV for the first time in over 30 years - so this is it (unless SoapNet picks it up). This group of DVDs, 20 episodes per DVD, is much more cost-effective than buying similar VHS episodes.

Happy howling!

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS CULT CLASSIC
There are grand operas, horse operas and soap operas. But we're not horsing around when we say that there's only one grand, gothic soap opera --- the indestructible "Dark Shadows."
Premiering on ABC in 1966, it ran for five years, chalking up 1,225 episodes. And now it's time, once again, to sink our teeth into one of TV's more quixotic offerings. Pass the garlic, please.
And pass the DVD sets issued by MPI Home Video, dedicated folk who have worked tirelessly to bring the series out of its forgotten shadows and into an era of rediscovery. Each of the sets contain 4 discs, a chronicle of "Dark Shadows" episodes --- approximately 75 hours of our favorite fanged ghoul, Barnabas Collins, and the dark doings set in the small fictional fishing village of Collinsport, Maine. Be forewarned, however, that as much as we have a stake in the revival of the series, we question why MPI only included episodes #211 to
#412. (We asked the question, but they never answered. Talk about being kept in dark shadows.)
The late '60s were an odd time in our cultural history, a kind of a maturation into reality after the bland '50s and a precursor for the entitlement and permissiveness of the '70s. Violence permeated our society and its entertainment ... and escape was the order of the day. Dark Shadows brought us
to a strange set of performers playing even a stranger set of characters. Grayson Hall and Joan Bennett came from the movies, Jonathan Frid and David Selby came from the stage, and they were supported by actors and actresses who had spent literally decades gracing some of the most popular soap operas from radio and television.
Adding to the escapism was the time element. You were never quite sure what century you were in while visiting the New England branch of Transylvania. It could be modern-day Collinsport, or it could be the late 18th century. Performers could be playing the present-day characters, or their great
grandparents. Still, one thing was sure: High on Windows Hill stood the family manse, Collinswood (the name most likely came from Wilkie Collins, the author whose gothic gems graced book stalls in late Victorian times), and, regardless of the century, it was here that the haunted Collinses plied their depraved trade.
"Dark Shadows" had a narrative link in a way, but the performers never seem to know exactly where they are, were they've been, or, most importantly,where they were going. To be sure, there were the normal and accepted gaffs of daytime television, such as a boom mike boinking a performer on the head or people tripping over cables. But, there was the added zest of poor Joan Bennett looking confused, calling performers by their real names, and trying to cover rising panic with a look of sheer exotic boredom. Bennett made her first film well before the talky revolution, but she hadn't seen or heard everything yet, until she sojourned into daytime television.
As a matter of fact, the growth and development of the television show parallels to a greater or lesser extent the growth and development of theater of the absurd in America. The players and the set remained basically the same, but the period and action varied wildly. And, ultimately it didn't matter where you were, or where you thought you were, or where you thought you were going, because you were under the spell of the Collinses, in Collinsport, and they were in control. If the reality seemed fractured, hallucinatory and vaguely scary, well,
then, wasn't life exactly like that?
Dan Curtis, who also brought us "War and Remembrance," "The Winds of War," "The Night Stalker," "Dracula" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (both with Jack Palance) and the cult film "Burnt Offerings," spawned the series. But the greatest
success of this veritable one-man cottage industry is undoubtedly "Dark Shadows." The brooding gothic setting, the sprawling, elephantine plot twists and the idiosyncratic, not to say colliding, acting styles come together to create something unique and strangely satisfying.
For the last 20 years, there has been an annual Dark Shadows Festival, held either in the Los Angeles or New York area. This year, it will be held in Brooklyn at the end of August. An ominous press release informs us that this
year marks the final full fledged festival, the last of its line.
Knowing the denizens of Dark Shadows, we don't believe it for a moment!

It Rocks!
I just bought the DVD collection from here, the episodes are great. In this set, Barnabas is free from the coffin thanks to Willie. He kidnaps Maggie Evans and tries to make her be his Josette. Elizabeth has a secret in the basement. Carolyn and Roger want to know what it is because Jason McGuire is blackmailing her into marrying him. This is a must have for Dark Shadows fans. The show gets even better from here.

"My name is Victoria Winters . . ."
Go on, you know you'd still run home from school to watch it if you could. Now you can rediscover the rush of ghoulish kitsch with the daytime Gothic soap that, decades after its cancellation, remains a cult phenom.
Here it comes again -- that night train carrying governess Victoria Winters to mythical Collinsport and the start of an enthralling TV saga. There's that handsome stranger (who will eventually time-travel to the alternate dimension of "Dharma & Greg" as Greg's well-oiled father) who ladles on ironic foreshadowing by way of introduction: "Welcome to the end of the world." Miss Vicki tosses off a response that would prove more ironic than even the show's production team realized at the time: "I'm afraid I'm not going that far. Only to a house called Collinwood." Oh, my dear, you're going much farther than the end of the world as you know it.
Creepy ol' Collinsport has never looked more inviting, thanks to the savvy folks at MPI Home Video who know how to serve up irresistible fan-fare in stylish boxed sets sprinkled with nifty extras. Collection 1 includes interviews with series stars Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, and John Karlen, all of whom recall their DS experiences with fondness and appreciation for the unique opportunities the show provided. Not to mention the unexpected fanaticism it sparked.
The fan loyalty endures, despite the fact that, as Frid points out, "Dark Shadows" was one of the shortest-lived daytime soaps (airing on ABC from 1966-71). "We ran out of gas," is how he sums up the limitations of the show's specific material. "There are only a handful of classic horror stories, and we did them once and twice over." Why stop at once or twice? Now you can enjoy eternally crisp rewatchability in doses of 40 episodes per box.

Less Episodes per DVD would have been better
A big thanks to MPI Home Video for releasing Dark Shadows on the DVD format. But I think the picture quality would have been even better if MPI would have put less episodes per DVD. The picture quality is good since these episodes were video taped 35 years ago. I highly recommned these DVD Box Sets to any fan of Dark Shadows. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite an abundance of gaping plot holes, White Noise serves up enough spooky atmosphere to make it worth a look-see for fans of supernatural thrillers. Even when hampered with a shoddy, clumsily written screenplay, Michael Keaton brings professional conviction to his role as a grieving widower who is introduced to the mysterious (and according to paranormal researchers, highly documented) existence of EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomenon, which allows the dead to communicate (one-way only, it seems) from the great beyond, through images and voices recordable on a variety of electronic media such as VCRs, computers, etc. Seeking contact with his recently deceased wife, Keaton finds dire warnings of evil in the afterlife, with connections (all too convenient) to killings and disappearances in his Vancouver, British Columbia vicinity. British TV director Geoffrey Sax brings slick style to this hokum, and a few moments of genuine eeriness, but you may find yourself giggling too much to appreciate the highlights. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Description

Rod Serling's classic TV exploration of the uncanny, the unknown, and the unforgettable takes you beyond the deepest realms of imagination! Filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters, this legendary series has remained continuously on the air since its initial run and remains as fascinating, frightening, and thoroughly entertaining for viewers today. Each set contains nine DVDs; Collection #3 features Volumes 19-27, 33 episodes including such fan favorites as "Mirror Image," "Night Call," "The Big Tall Wish" and "Long Live Walter Jameson." So pull up a seat and brace yourself for a fantastic voyage into...The Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Twilight Zone - One Of My Favorite Shows
If you buy one of these TZ Box Sets, you might as well buy the other four. Each set has nine volumes (sans the documentary Rod Serling - Submitted For Your Approval). My favorite episodes deal with Time Travel (No Time Like The Past, Back There, Walking Distance, Static, The Seventh Is Made Up Of Phantoms), Old Age (Kick The Can, Nothing In The Dark, The Trade-Ins, One For The Angels), The Civil War (The Passerby, An Occurrance At Owl Creek Bridge, Still Valley), and Paranoia (The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Shelter, 4:00). My other favorites are the four by Jack Klugman (A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, In Praise Of Pip, Death Ship) and Burgess Meredith (Time Enough At Last, Mr Dingle Mr Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer's Devil). If you are new to the show, watch these episodes first. They are the creme de la creme of the show.

The series is excellent. However, it's deliberate attempts at humor are often misfires (The Whole Truth, The Bewitching Pool, I Dream Of Genie). The episode A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain is the "Spock's Brain" on the series, meaning it's the worst. The ending is bad; what were they thinking??? No wonder it didn't make the syndication package.

The Sound Quality varies from each DVD. Some have two channel mono while others have HIFI mono. Closed Captioned doesn't work for any of the DVD's. There's usually only 3 or 4 episodes per DVD, unlike other Box Sets that fit 8 per DVD, thus lowering the price. This is a minor beef, because the show is worth the money.

You will also notice that 3 episodes (Where Is Everybody, The Encounter, The Eye Of The Beholder) appear twice if you buy all five. Again, a minor beef since The Encounter is the only one of the three to be exactly the same on both separate DVD's.

These Box Sets are now a bargain compared to when each volume is sold separately. I never tire of watching the episodes and reading the notes. I also recommend Rod Serling's Submitted For Your Approval. It gives insight to Rod Serling and his creation as told by friends, relatives and co-workers.

As excellent as the other Twilight Zone collections
The streak of brilliance that turned depictions of the paranormal to explain man to himself into a true American classic is as evident in this collection as in the others. The excellent DVD reproductions enhance the pleasure of watching it. TZ is uncanny in many ways, including in its ability to focus one minute on the distinctive bond between man and dog, and the next on the danger, ever present then as now, of nuclear annihilation. Seriously consider this item as a gift for those who "have everything" or are hard to buy for. If you like, see also my further comments on TZ collection 1 as they apply here, too.

The best show, now on DVD
This is hands-down my favorite television series, and now it's on DVD in superlative form. You can't go wrong with any of the five collections.

Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the 'geyeball'h version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its 'ghits'h and 'gmisses'h, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

Essential to Your TZ DVD Collection!
The 3rd and 4th installments of Image Entertainment's Twilight Zone DVD "Collections" hit the shelves January 7th, with the 5th and final one due February 25th. In case you are wondering about cost you figure to save by purchasing these over the individually-sold volumes. But for the casual fan who only wants certain episodes, individuals are still the way to go.

Collection 3 contains 9 more volumes of the original DVD releases (this time Vols. 19-27 are collected) in more compact and efficient (but also cool) cases. These are housed in a keepsake box that makes for easy storage. The stand-outs from Collection 3 include...

--A Most Unusual Camera: A camera that snaps pictures of the future? Certainly qualifies as unusual...

--Five Characters In Search of An Exit: Why have five characters (a soldier, a jester and a ballerina, among them) awoken to find themselves in an empty room with no doors or windows??? One of the single coolest episodes in the series!

--People Are Alike All Over: Roddy McDowall plays an astronaut who, while stranded on an unknown planet, learns just how much this episode's title rings true!

--Elegy: Indescribably cool!

This Collection, does however, contain many of the episodes that fans universally consider to be clunkers (namely Black Leather Jackets, He's Alive, Spur of the Moment and The Big Tall Wish), but this doesn't harm the overall quality of the Collection. It is as essential, in my book, as the other four. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) looks like your typical perky high-schooler, and like most, she has her secret fears and anxieties. However, while most teens are worrying about their next date, their next zit, or their next term paper, Buffy's angsting over the next vampire she has to slay. See, Buffy, a young woman with superhuman strength, is the "chosen one," and she must help rid the world of evil, namely by staking demons. The exceptional first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduces us to the treacherous world of Sunnydale High School (where Buffy moved after torching her previous high school's gym). The characters there include "watcher" Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and the original "Scooby Gang" members--friendly geek Xander (Nicholas Brendon), computer whiz Willow (Alyson Hannigan), and snobbish popular girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter)--who aid Buffy in her quest.

The second season took the romance between Buffy and hunky Angel (David Boreanaz) from ecstasy to agony in a now-classic plot arc that catapulted the show from WB teen drama to true TV greatness. You see, if the cursed Angel ever experiences true happiness for a moment, he'll revert to being an evil vampire again. Buffy found its true momentum during the second season, as Xander fell in love with Cordelia, Willow gave up her crush on Xander in favor of werewolf boy Oz (Seth Green), and watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) began a sweetly tentative relationship with computer teacher (and witch) Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte). Mayhem came to Sunnydale, though, in the form of evil vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (drolly wicked James Marsters), who were more than ready to aid and abet Angel as he turned bad.

The third season was marked by the arrival in Sunnydale of renegade slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), a moody loner who seemed to like her demon-staking calling just a little too much. While Buffy was always wary of Faith, the two developed a deep friendship and appreciative rapport--that is, until the evil mayor of Sunnydale (Harry Groener) tapped into Faith's dark side and lured her into his plot to take over the world, first as a double agent spying on Buffy, then as out-and-out nemesis. And as the mayor's ascension approached--which happened to fall on Sunnydale High's graduation day--Buffy and Faith's battles got nastier and nastier, as Buffy attempted to wrestle with her dark side (literally and figuratively), save the world and her friends, and keep her lover Angel out of Faith's evil clutches. Chock-full of exceptional episodes, the third season started out with a bang (the superb season opener "Anne," in which a runaway Buffy finally returns to her Slayer calling) and never let up.

Buffy truly hit its golden years in the fourth season--just when you thought this show couldn't get any better, Joss Whedon and his creative team pulled out all the stops and took Buffy and co. into rich new territory. By far, the highlight of the season (and the entire series) was the Emmy-nominated "Hush," a nearly dialogue-free episode in which the creepy "Gentlemen" rob Sunnydale of its collective voice, and Buffy and Riley finally come face to face with each other's hidden identities. Throughout, the entire cast, headed by the unparalleled Sarah Michelle Gellar, worked television magic of the kind rarely seen on the small screen. This is Buffy at its best. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (56)

An absolutely astonishing DVD bargain
Many media and television critics have labeled BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER the new Star Trek, and there is a very real sense in which this will prove to be true: like Star Trek, Buffy is about to have as big or bigger an existence as when the show was in first run. There is a very, very simple reason for this: a gigantic number of people have mindlessly and dismissingly ignored Buffy, wrongly thinking it is just a show for teenagers. In fact, it is unquestionably one of the intelligent, funny, engaging, and brilliant shows in the history of television. Even at its peak, Buffy was able to catch only a very small amount of the viewing audience. All of this means: there are a lot of potential Buffy fans out there.

This set is perfect for either of two individuals. For those very small number of Buffy fanatics who for whatever reason haven't been able to afford the previous box sets, this will afford a remarkably inexpensive way of collecting the first four seasons. The list price for the entire set is only twice as much as the cost of the box sets of seasons 2, 3, or 4. This truly is an amazing bargain.

This should never have achieved television greatness, yet it did. When Buffy premiered, it seemed the height of folly to do a low-budget television show based on a mediocre film. It seemed obvious to many that no show produced by a fledgling network (initially the WB and later the even smaller UPN) with the words BUFFY, VAMPIRE and SLAYER in its title could be more intelligent, innovative, and superb than anything produced by the BBC, or HBO, or the broadcast networks. But one of the great things about Buffy is that it almost immediately began destroying all ones assumptions and misconceptions.

After the first season, Buffy began to eschew the format common to most TV shows where each episode contains a self-contained story, but instead opted for season long (or more) story arcs previously found in series like TWIN PEAKS, THE X-FILES, BABYLON 5, and the soaps. These long arcs are unquestionably a source of much the show's great power with fans, but it is also the reason that many potential new viewers were unable to get into the show. After a period of time, there was simply too much back story to pick up. This set should allow anyone to get the full Buffy experience, at least through the first four seasons. The show also broke with previous formats in combining comedy, romance, action, suspense, and realism in a degree not previously found on television. One episode might be primarily comedic, the next intensely romantic, another tragic, but most often one show would combine all of these. The show always did very poorly in Emmy nominations (despite being vastly better than any of the other shows nominated; that it didn't at the very least win every writing award is testimony to how absurd these awards are), and part of the reason is surely the fact that it fit uneasily in the established categories.

Season One is in many ways the weakest season in the history of the show, but it is nevertheless amazingly successful. Almost in the first fifteen minutes, the core characters have been introduced and the chemistry that would drive the central friendships established. The season primarily consists of self-contained episodes, though a few themes that go season-long and even into the second season are introduced. We meet Willow, Xander, and Giles, who form the heart of the Scooby Gang through all seven seasons of the show, along with Angel and Cordelia, who depart after season three for Los Angeles and Angel's own show. Despite an excruciatingly small budget, Joss Whedon (the creative genius behind Buffy and Angel) and his team achieve miracles.

Season Two is when the show achieves true greatness. The central story is that of the doomed love between Buffy and Angel, and there surely has been no more heart breaking pair of lovers in TV history. The show hits its full strike and rushes through a brilliant set of episodes, and along the way expands the cast to include Oz, who turns out to be a werewolf, and a pair of Sid and Nancy vampires, the platinum-haired Spike and his insane psychic girlfriend Druscilla. The final episode of the season is one of the most heart wrenching, and I defy any but the most hardhearted of individuals not to shed a tear or two.

Season Three picks up where the previous one left off, and instantly proves it is capable telling stories with astonishing virtuosity. The Gang is in its final year of high school and as befitting seniors, the problems they face are more emotionally challenging, and all are called upon to deal with fresh disappointments and problems requiring more mature reactions. A new major character, Faith the rogue slayer, is introduced, and story of her embattled relationship with Buffy is a story that extends for more than just the one season and just the one show, carrying over onto ANGEL as well.

In Season Four, Willow, Buffy, and Oz go off to college; Giles is unemployed (having previously been librarian at Sunnydale High), and Xander striving to find his way after high school. The season contains several superb episodes, including the highly acclaimed "Hush," performed with no dialogue for most of the show.

These first four seasons are almost beyond criticism they are so remarkable. I urge anyone who hasn't experienced Buffy to do so, especially those who considered themselves smart, savvy, and literate. If ever there was a show made for smart people, it is this one. Just get over the silly name and your misconceptions, and take the plunge. You won't regret it.

All in one package
From all appearances, there are no new materials added into this package. This is seasons 1-4 presented in a single package at a reduced rate for those BtVS fans who haven't yet invested in the individual packages that have been available for some time. For those of us who already own seasons 1-4 as sold seperately, purchasing this set would just duplicate what we already have -- unless they come in a nice slipcase to contain all four seasons, but there's no mention of it.

For the rest of you, this is 88 hours of viewing pleasure. Okay, each episode is closer to 45-50 minutes (and okay, one or two of the episodes were turkeys), but when you add in the multitude of suplementary videos, as well as the commentaries that mean some episodes get to be viewed twice (and you're doing yourself a major diservice if you don't at least listen to Joss Whedon's commentaries), you're probably over 100 hours. Where you going to get that sort of deal elsewhere? For the price of one season of Star Trek, you can have four seasons of BtVS. And lets be honest, wouldn't you rather watch Buffy?

What is With The Price Increase?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my favorite television show and I own seasons 1 - 5 on DVD and I'm planning on buying Season Six and I'm waiting for Season Seven to come out on DVD. I bought seasons 1 - 5 individually and this season 1 - 4 set wasn't an option when I started buying Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD and the first time I checked the Amazon.com reviews for this package they were selling it for 118.00 dollars and I wished that I had bought this set instead of buying the DVDs individually but what is with the price increase? Now the price says 182.53 dollars and I'm wondering if that is a typo or is 182.53 the normal price and was the 118.00 dollar price only a limited time sale price? Anyway in this case it seems cheaper to buy the DVD's individually and I'm now glad that is what I did but anyway I'm rating this 5 stars but only because I love seasons 1 - 4 and think they are all superb seasons!

It's been over a month since the price increase
sweetseb, I sent Amazon.com a notice pointing out their bizarre pricing the day I found out about it, and it's still more than buying the sets indiuvidually. A search engine can help people find a better price than even Walmart.com. So, Buffy fans, buy the set if you want it, but don't feel like you have to get it from Amazon.com.

Good, But Not Buffy's Best
This DVD set is a great way to get started if you are a new "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" veiwer. If not, then this set is not the best. I wish that this could be done with all seven seasons (once season 7 becomes avalible) because otherwise it's not that great of a deal. Don't get me wrong, I love all the Buffy seasons, but what's the point of buying this set when I'm sure that many people already have most, if not all the seasons, currently avalible. Perhaps if there were some extra special features on theses discs some people might consider it, but there is not. If you are a new veiwer and do not have any of these sets then this is definitly for you, otherwise just buy the rest of your sets seperately. ... Read more

Reviews (293)

art collides with television
Twin Peaks rates as one of the most singularly innovative additions to network telelvision. David Lynch's obsession with making the everyday middle-american world beautifully strange (the word "awe" with its horrific element intact is useful here) and Mark Frost 's (St Elsewhere) quirky writing meld seamlessly in this soap opera that exposes to much beneath its surface. The episodic nature of television often strains to create new episodes that maintain sturdy characters while repeatedly playing the same scenario over and over. In this case the characters are superficial, common and quirky. But rather than falling into the dull routine of love triangles and deceit (although TP has these in abundance) Lynch and Frost immediately disrupt quiet american life with a murder--a dead prom queen, Laura Palmer, floats up to Pete Marshall shattering his early morning fishing routine. The town is cast into chaos. FBI agent Dale Cooper, played perfectly by Kyle MacLachlan, enters the town wide-eyed and appreciative of its tranquil simplicity. Using holistic methods, Cooper unravels the black underbelly that provides the illusion of innocence. Playing between superficial soap opera moments and some of the most horrific and surreal moment ever shown on TV, Lynch and Frost use the weekly format to delve deeply into the dark forces and evils which exists within beauty. And the show is ultimately beautiful in its raw exploration that reveals fear is always obliterated by love--not justice or truth. The show's inteligence survived its first season by hiding behind the murder mysery of Laura Palmer. Lynch and Frost planned to leave this mystery unsolved indefinitely in order to explore all corners of Twin Peaks. Unfortunately, the network forced the team to rush towards a solution in the second season fearing that ratings were dropping because viewers needed closure (actually Twin Peaks was losing the soap opera element as they realized the world of Twin Peaks was more complex and real than most prime time viewers were prepared to patiently stomach). Without its central nexus and Lynch leaving to complete Wild at Heart, the show floundered until Lynch's return. However, the show snapped back into brilliance following Lynch's return. But it was too late. The show met the same fate of all brilliant American network shows that shined too brightly before its time--it was cancelled. The team put together a final TV movie that "ended" the show in the manner it began. Lynch followed it with a dreamlike prequel in the theaters called Fire Walk With Me (a creepy mantra pulled from Laura's phantom killer). All of this if assembled adds up to a work of visual art that was way ahead of its time and dismissed as quirky and silly--but its rough end was probably caused by people expecting to be entertained by quirkines, but kept safe from the show's more awesome yet brutal spectacles. Still the entire work (if one can find it all and watch it in order) stands as a challenge to network programming need for dumbed-down product. First time viewers and skeptical fans should bravely revisit this fragmented masterpiece.

The best presentation of Twin Peaks
I won't try to sell you on the series in this review. I just want to say that this is, flat out, the best that Twin Peaks has ever looked (unless of course you were David Lynch and had the original master copies.)

Before the series was released on DVD, we had two options: We could either watch the high quality VHS version of the first season, or we could watch the low quality VHS version of both seasons. The first season boxed set was pretty good--you even got to see the "previously on Twin Peaks" montage, but it only covered the first seven episodes of the show. The complete box set had quality issues as all of the episodes were crammed onto 6 tapes--gone were the "previously on Twin Peaks" montage and there were issues with the picture/sound quality. Boo!

But I have received the DVDs and just love them. The show looks outstanding. If you want to share Twin Peaks with someone this DVD set is the way to do it--just a spectacular looking picture with great sound and no picture issues. Overall, Artisan did a great job and I would highly recommend the set to anyone looking for a high quality copy of the first season.

The show that saved television for the nineties
Okay, after waiting the two extra weeks for the release, from what I understand it was due to high demand, I faithfully went out and bought the DVD set today(Dec 18th) and boy my import DVD of the pilot really looks shoddy now in comparison to the brilliant transfers of the original series and the DTS sound and the packaging of this box set is very sweet. It DOES look and sound better than when it origianlly aired 11 years ago and broke the ground for such shows as The X Files Northern Exposure and American Gothic. If you are a Twin Peaks fan do not deny yourself. Make it a Xmas present for yourself. The extras do leave a little to be desired, but it has been said the extras on subsequent releases (and the more the first season sells the sooner we get the second season which may be in two separate sets) the extras are going to be even phatter. I have only watched the first disc so far (eps 1 and 2)and the extras (on disc 4) and I was blown away. The deep textures and feel of the show is beautifully maintained and looks fantastic and Angelo's score really stands out revealing the genius he is in his own right. I would recommend buying the import DVD and there are many to be had on Ebay (mainly because it looks better than my 11 year old copy of the original airing or any previous VHS release) even if the sound quality is a bit distorted at times, just because we may never get the pilot on DVD. There are no deleted scenes but there are script notes in the chapter selections for each ep which describe with text altered dialogue and deleted scenes giving fans a real inside look at the development of the series. The commentary is intersting and I personally like that they added the "previously on Twin Peaks" intros to each show like when it aired on TV. The one bright spot of the extras is the "Twin Peaks Directory" that starts with Laura Palmer where fans can get lost in the different characters and their various relationships to each other including bios and filmographies and in some cases "Video Postcards" which are excerpts of interviews ranging from how they got involved with the show or glimpses of their home life etc. Like Richard Beymer's psychedelic trip down the Amazon and Al Strobel's poignant story of the accident(when he was 17) which cost him his arm. It is a true delight for fans. And the extra an "Introduction to David Lynch" gives an insightful journey through vatious interviews on what it's like to work with him and work on the show. I can't say enough about how good these shows look. I kept saying "This looks fantastic" and "There is no other show like this nor will there ever be again." It dared the television audience to use their minds and get lost in the characters and their intertwining relationships to the point where you didn't care who killed Laura Palmer because there was so much more to dive into besides the main arc of the series. Don't hesitate. Go buy it now, because I want the second season to come out ASAP. I would give five stars but I adamantly agree Artisan should have went the extra mile to get the pilot. And in closing, something I noticed. The Republic Pictures emblem is on this DVD set. Well, guess what? It's on the import DVD of the pilot as well, so what's the problem? I'm guessing it had something to do with the European release of the pilot with the alternate ending but who knows for sure I don't even thinks Artisan does. Dust off that recipe for cherry pie, put on some coffee and invite your friends over for a Twin Peaks party, especially those who haven't seen it before (costume optional).

Great set...where is season 2?
All Twin Peaks fans need to buy this set...Season 2 isn't available yet but maybe it will be if more copies of Season 1 are sold. This first set was really well done and actually has extras unlike a lot of other David Lynch discs. If you loved the series, you'll love this.

As others have stated, the pilot episode is available and the quality is very passable.

A slice of pie, coffee and murder
"Twin Peaks" didn't roar out of the gate when it first appeared. Lynch and Mark Frost quietly set up this twisted soap opera (which had an impact and influence on the style, look and texture of everything from "The X-Files" to "CSI"). My only complaint is that when I received this as a gift, my wife didn't know that the pilot episode wasn't included and that's where the murder occurs.

Here's what you do get--seven episodes in a nearly pristine high definition transfers of the original full screen series on four discs with extras on disc four. There's material from the fan website, a booklet (which should have had more material on the series), interviews, introductions by the Log Lady and audio commentary. I haven't accessed the latter two features yet and have only watched bits and pieces of each episode until I receive the 90 minute pilot episode.

The packaging is exceptional although it's in an accordian fold out case. Curiously (or not as Lynch isn't the most interested in doing audio commentaries from what I can tell), it looks as if Lynch doesn't do an audio commentary for the series. The set only gets four stars as it doesn't include the pilot and honestly this could have been put onto a two or three disc dual layered set without any loss of quality at a less expensive price. Still, all told it's always interesting to visit Twin Peaks. Aside from some damn fine coffee you're never quite sure what you'll get in Lynch and Frost's twisted tale of murder, money and dry humor. Get it before it goes away. ... Read more

Description

There's something in this house...Something ancient and dark that remains still, hidden and silent. It can only wait, having been concealed in the shadows for years. In fact, its milieu is darkness. Only in it can it show itself and move. It even takes its name: DARKNESS. It's lived here since someone tried to call it, more than forty years ago. Because this house hides a secret, a terrible past, an inconceivably evil act. Seven children, faceless people, a circle that must be completed. And blood, lots of blood... But something went wrong. One of the children got away. The circle wasn't completed. That's why what lives here isn't finished. It's just waiting...It tries to carry out what it couldn't before, making plans in the shadows, to become complete, to be, to exist. A new family has just moved into the house. A small child. An unstable father capable of losing his temper at any time. A perfect target. The right place at the right time. The pieces only have to be put in place. And then wait. Maybe the family's daughter will be able to discover the truth; the dark secret of the past, the sinister conspiracy, the truth about what threatens them. Why is the father getting worse? What is her little brother afraid of? Why doesn't her mother listen to her? And why do the lights keep going out? It could be that nothing happens by chance, that everything has been worked out from the start. A devilish plan, precise and exact like a time-bomb. Her father's illness, the house, the circles, the children. Perhaps she can foresee darkness' master stroke of play and the inevitable destiny that is closing in on her family. But maybe it's too late.... ... Read more

Reviews (94)

Hey, I Want My Two Hours Back!
Boring horror film with ugly actors repeating ugly lines.Over reaction abounds. Anna Paquin should drop a few pounds and trade her Oscar for some acting lessons.And what's with the pony tail?You have not seen overacting like this since Richard Boone died. You've seen every "shocker" in this film at least a hundred times in much better movies.And Ed Wood never wrote lines as lame as this "script."If ever there was a DVD made for the Wal-Mart five dollar bargain bin, this is it!

Here's a sleeping aid or you....
So dull it's lifeless. Bad story, dull acting, visually poor. I can't believe I actually watched this mess from start to finish. It has no logic, nothing exciting, nothing for me to recccomend you waste your $$$ on it. I rented it for $3.00 and I even regret that!If you are looking for a good horror movie, try GINGER SNAPS instead!

Should of stayed shelved...
I now see why this film sat on the shelf for two years before the studio finally decided to release it. It's ashame too, because they could of done so much more with it. Good actors, good cinematography, great setting and feel, but the script and dialogue made no sense whatsoever. Do yourself a favor and watch the Grudge instead.

it was ok
i liked the special effects and the idea of the movie. the ghost or demons whatever they were in this movie were pretty creepy and smart. i didn't like any of the main actors in this except for the kid, grandpa and the crazy fellow who built the house. if they didn't have that paquin lady in this, it would have been better. oh yeah, and the scene where the father and son were stuck in traffic was just plain stupid.

Where'd all the pencils go?
I normally don't rush online to write a review, but I just finished watching this movie and had to do it. This the only thing horrific about this movie is the story and the characters.

The movie tries to wind slow tension by making Paquin walk from room to room at the slowest possible speed. It tries to draw cheap jumps with the not-so-subtle use of sudden booming music. Both tricks failed miserably.

The mother comes off as inept, the father comes off as a pathetic idiot who has no idea what's going on. The son looks like the posterboy for Ritalin, and surprise, the only one who has a firm grasp on the situation is the adolescent, over-dramatic, daughter.

Like a compulsive gambler, I forced myself to watch the whole movie to see if the ending would be somehow worth it.

The explanation for what is happening is beyond feeble. It looked like the writers got stuck for a solution and threw this garbage at the audience hoping it would fly.

Hell, I would have settled for the house being built on an old burial ground instead of the sludge they fed me.

If you're between the ages of twelve and sixteen, maybe you'll like it. If you're an insomniac and have nothing to watch at two in the morning, maybe you'll like it. If you have to make a choice between this and lethal injection, maybe you'll like it. If none of these things apply to you, save your money.

But still . . .

Where'd all the pencil's go? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The "Magnum Farce" of Sledge Hammer aims at deserving targets and scores a bull's eye every time. Thanks to DVD, one of the funniest, most unconventional sitcoms of the 1980s has been gloriously revived, with an abundance of bonus features that fans are going to love. This is sweet revenge given the show's original ABC time-slot, buried under Miami Vice and Dallas on Friday nights, but creator-producer Alan Spencer's savvy spoof of Dirty Harry had critical praise in its favor when it premiered (with a senseless laugh track, mercifully deleted here) on September 23, 1986. Played to perfection by David Rasche and introduced with an infectious Danny Elfman theme song, Sledge is a trigger-happy male chauvinist pig (er, cop) in mismatched clothes who thinks The Deer Hunter is a comedy, sleeps with his .44 Magnum (called simply "Gun"), drives a bullet-riddled sedan with an "I ♥ Violence" bumper sticker, and somehow manages to always catch his quarry. "I'm a nihilist, not a stylist" he says (in the hilarious episode "Sledgepoo"), and that puts him at reckless odds with his lovely, karate-kicking partner Dori (played with flawless aplomb by former soap-star Anne-Marie Martin) and the vocally volcanic Capt. Trunk (Harrison Page, a slow-burn master and vital ingredient to the show's excellent casting).

Partly inspired by Get Smart!, Spencer and a host of talented writers and directors dished up consistent laughs and daring anarchy, challenging broadcast standards with topnotch spoofs of hit movies (in episodes titled "Witless," "Jagged Sledge," "The Color of Hammer," etc.) while familiar guest stars like John Vernon, Brion James, Clint Howard, Michael De Barres, and Mary Woronov raised the comedy quotient even higher. After a deliberately outrageous, go-for-broke season finale it's a miracle that the low-rated Sledge Hammer! was renewed for a second season, but Anchor Bay's DVDs do justice to the show's enduring quality, and Spencer's commentaries (on four episodes) rank among the funniest ever recorded (one of them during an earthquake, no less). All in all, this is one of the most delightful DVD surprises of 2004, with more fun to come in season 2. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (35)

"Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing!"
SLEDGE HAMMER is hilarious and way ahead of its time. It had laughs as well as something to say. Current cop comedies like RENO 911 on Comedy Central pale in comparison to this masterpiece of inspired lunacy. David Rasche stars as Inspector Sledge Hammer - a bad mad cop who talks to his gun and looks for violent solutions to every problem. SLEDGE HAMMER was closer to the early works of Mel Brooks than later spoofs and had characters with some dimension and plots and mysteries better than MONK. This show should be on the air again and I'm thankful for this DVD release of one of the more origional comedies ever to air on American TV. The season finale set the tone for shows that followed like THE SIMPSONS. Allen Spencer is one of the funniest people on the planet or any other planet. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Great show!

Finally coming to DVD!
Thank heaven this program is (as Sledge once said on an ABC commercial for the show)"Getting a little respect".Season one is very funny,even moreso than season two.I didnt see all the episodes in season one when they first aired so I am looking forward to seeing "new" shows.This program has it all....a larger than life hero,his attractive yet manly partner,the befuddled boss,and some of the most edgy one liners in TV history.David Rasche is perfect as Sledge (nobody else could do it better) Anne-Marie Martin is the very unique talent that gives real feeling to Doreau...and Harrison Page,I dont know why he didnt have a heart attack during some of his tirades with Hammer....just great.Hey,this isnt a serious program nor is it Shakespere,but its actually better....Its what comedy used to be and should be again on TV...and...trust me...I think I know what Hammer's doing!! lol
Now if only ABCs Heart of the City (which ran during season one of Sledge Hammer) could be brought out on DVD.I would finally feel satisfied totally.As it is,I am happily half way there with Sledge!

Commentary Will Become Urban Legend!
A friend of mine got a review copy of "Sledge Hammer: Season One" and let me take a look yesterday since I'm a long time "Hammerhead." Brother, let me tell you -- this baby's packed to the nines with special features. I thought I knew the show well but even I was surprised.

First off, the shows NEVER looked this good. Every episode looks brand new and has stereo audio (2.0 as opposed to 5.1.). What's really great is that Anchor Bay went to the time and trouble to remove the network imposed laugh track that marred the first thirteen episodes of the show. (Based on the way he talks about it on the DVD, my guess is creator Alan Spencer insisted on that one.)

Time has treated the show well as it was WAY ahead of its time. While there are the occasional outdated 80's references, there are plenty of topical wisecracks that prove strangely prophetic. At one point, Sledge Hammer rails about liberals mucking up his crime fighting system and literally daydreams about invading Iraq!

Time has also treated the cast well. They're all featured on an all new documentary called "Go Ahead, Make Me Laugh" that was informative as well as touching. It's clear that David Rasche, Anne-Marie Martin, Harrison Page and Alan Spencer all love each other.

Spencer does audio commentary on four episodes, supposedly completely unedited, and I think one of them will be the topic of much discussion. Here's my appraisal of the commentaries:

"Under The Gun" (The Pilot Episode): Spencer talks a mile a minute at a Robin Williams pace on this. He doesn't let up because he seems to want to cram in as much as possible for the fans who have waited so long for this release. Trust him, he knows what he's doing. You'll definitely get your money's worth.

"Witless": This famous episode spoofed the Harrison Ford thriller "Witness" and Spencer recounts his struggles with the network censors (who were sensitive to offending the Amish) as well as star Rasche's kindness to a bit player. Spencer stream of consciousness comments about James Bond made me laugh out loud.

"All Shook Up": Another well known episode is about Hammer's attempt to thwart a serial killer knocking off Elvis impersonators around town. Spencer talks at length about his late friend Andy Kaufman and gives him full credit for getting him into the King of Rock & Roll.

"The Spa Who Loved Me": Here's the season finale with that insanely impossible cliffhanger. This is the commentary people will be talking about as something unexpected happens midway through and I can't tell whether it's a joke or not. The fact that Spencer was a good friend of Andy Kaufman makes me suspicious, although I've listen to it three times and it sounds totally convincing. The message blogs will have a field day with this and I'm eager to see how Spencer will respond in interviews when they ask him what the heck was going on. (I'd like to know the EXACT date he recorded audio in LA.)

"Sledge Hammer: Season One" was worth the wait. Alan Spencer dedicates the set to his three favorite "teachers" Oliver Hailey, Marty Feldman and Andy Kaufman. I think they'd be very proud of their prize student.

Trust Me...I Know What I'm Doing!!!
I remember when ABC first advertised Sledge...they poked fun at Miami Vice and stuff, and everyone looked at this screwball comedy and they either liked it or hated it. Inspector Sledge Hammer was a cross between Dirty Harry and Maxwell Smart...now the show is here, on DVD. While I can't judge the quality of the video, since the set isn't out yet, I'll have to base this on content of the show itself, not the extras or anything else. SInce this is the first season, the first 22 shows should include:

1. Under The gun
2. Hammer Gets Nailed
3. Witless
4. They Shoot Hammers Don't They?
5. Dori Day Afternoon
6. To Sledge with Love
7. All Shook Up
8. Over My Dead Bodyguard
9. Magnum farce
10. If I Had a Little Hammer
11. To Live and Die on TV
12. Miss of the Spider Woman
13. The Old Man and the Sledge
14. State of Sledge
15. Haven't Gun, Will Travel (one of my pers faves...Sledge's .44 is stolen)
16. The Color of Hammer
17. Brother Can You Spare a Crime?
18. Desperately Seeking Dori
19. Sledgepoo
20. Comrade Hammer
21. Jagged Sledge
22. The Spa Who Loved Me

If you loved that show...here's your chance...it was funny and not your usual sitcom where like today, all sitcoms center around a living room with kids. I miss the good 'ol shows at times...

Alan Spencer Comes Through For His Fans!
"Sledge Hammer!" was a unique half hour comedy that was the brainchild of eighties' wunderkind Alan Spencer. Stylistically modeled after the Mel Brooks and Buck Henry classic spoof series "Get Smart!", "Sledge Hammer!" proved to be a much more twisted, dark sendup of violent police melodramas. It featured actual mysteries with real jeopardy, as well as an interesting relationship between the two leads, very well played by David Rasche and Anne-Marie Martin.

The series drew great acclaim from critics and stayed on the air for two seasons before going into syndication where it amassed the wide international following that "Sledge Hammer!" enjoys to this day.

The show vanished for awhile and video pirates took advantage of the fans desperate to revisit Sledge, Dori and Trunk. Thankfully, Alan Spencer never abandoned the fan base and got involved. He started an official website for the series and successfully pulled off the DVD release that we all are anxiously awaiting.

I look forward to Spencer's commentary that all reports say is "unedited." The show was filled with surprises, as well as its famous off the wall cliffhanger, so I'm sure Spencer's commentary might be a little unconventional as well. After all, he did dedicate this release to his gone but not forgotten mentors: Marty Feldman and Andy Kaufman.

"Sledge Hammer!" has a cult of "Hammerheads," as they are called, around the world. There's now talk of a feature film version of the show. I hope it happens only if Spencer and Rasche reteam.

I trust them, they know what they're doing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

2002's popular video-game-derived hit Resident Evil didn't inspire confidence in a sequel, but Resident Evil: Apocalypse defies odds and surpasses expectations. It's a bigger, better, action-packed zombie thriller, and this time Milla Jovovich (as the first film's no-nonsense heroine) is joined by more characters from the popular Capcom video games, including Jill Valentine (played by British hottie Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr, from 1999's The Mummy). They're armed and ready for a high-caliber encounter with devil dogs, mutant "Lickers," lurching zombies, and the leather-clad monster known only as Nemesis, unleashed by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation responsible for creating the cannibalistic undead horde. Having gained valuable experience as a respected second-unit director on high-profile films like Gladiator and The Bourne Identity, director Alexander Witt elevates this junky material to the level of slick, schlocky entertainment. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (235)

Silly action with entertaining value
With the success of the original movie, Resident Evil.I find myself seeing the sequel to it, Resident Evil: Apolcalypse.With low expectations I found that this movie was silly, filled with action, and didn't have much character development nor a very good atmosphere that usually makes up a great film.With that said, the movie was still good enough to be enjoyed as an entertaining movie.With another solid acting job as the hero, Milla has convinced me that she belongs as a bad-ass super-hero.

too much mindless action
I like Milla Jovovich as a superhero.Her breakout role in "The Fifth Element" was all that was needed to sell me on her.She was fine in the first "Resident Evil", which was better than perhaps it was given credit for.But in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse", Jovovich's Alice is given something of a makeover.When we last saw Alice at the end of the first movie she had been captured by scientists from the evil Umbrella Corporation and was subject to some tests and experiments.At the end of the movie we saw Alice walking alone on a street that was desolate and ruined, as if there were some sort of war or battle.It is at this point that "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" begins.

Raccoon City is the victim of the T-Virus from the Umbrella Corporation.This virus turns ordinary people into flesh eating zombies (is there another kind?), and like any good zombie virus, it is highly contagious.Umbrella Corporation apparently has the power to lock down the city and prevent anyone from leaving, but there are still some citizens left alive, including "disgraced" police officer Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory).Jill, and another officer attempt to hide before leaving the city and while being confronted by some nasty zombie creatures they meet Alice.During that whole period where she was a captive and the victim of experiments, Alice has apparently picked up some sort of upgrade to her natural biology because she kicks serious butt here.She fights like a super soldier or super hero, more like "The Fifth Element's" Leeloo than anyone else.

Besides the hordes of zombies, there is also a new super zombie looking creature called Nemesis which is stalking the city.Exactly what Nemesis is and where it came from is a little bit of a mystery, though a little thinking about the clues given will solve the riddle fairly quickly.

This is a nothing special action/zombie movie.Fans of the first "Resident Evil" may be disappointed.I know that despite myself, I did enjoy the first movie.There was more character interaction and character development, but this movie just had hordes of zombies and a bit too much action.And while I like Jovivich as a superhero, this didn't seem to be a role that really needed to such an incredibly strong superhero.I guess I didn't belive it.The door was left open for a third movie, and perhaps there will be one, but until that point there is no real reason to watch "Resident Evil: Apocalypse".There are far better movies out there.

Grade: C

-Joe Sherry

great action sci fi horror film
resident evil apocalypse in my opion was way better than the first movie more action more zombie action and more characters from from the games are in the movie i really hope their will be a resident evil 3 movie and the future

Better than the original
I like it a little bit more than the original. Awesome supense. Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, and Sandrine Holt are hot.

UMD for PSP Review - Good Movie
This review is really aimed more at the UMD version for the PSP. If you want a review of the movie, there are plenty of those here...

After placing the UMD in the PSP, it's immediately obvious that even at full volume, the built-in audio for the PSP just won't cut it for movies. The dialog is barely audible, while the explosions, gunshots, etc. are blaring. To combat this, try a couple of things:

1. Access the movie menu and increase the volume output
2. Turn off the volume limiter
3. Use some external speakers or headphones
4. Turn off the EQ - EQ should be flat

I used some speakers for the movie, and the experience was great. I hadn't seen the movie before, and it looked great on the PSP's screen. Of the PSP's UMD titles available, this is one of the better ones.
... Read more

Reviews (553)

'28 Days Later' is an above average zombie flick
The makers of '28 Days Later' claim to redefine the zombie film genre with this offering, and by this standard, they've certainly failed. '28 Days Later' doesn't cover any new ground, but it is a good film of its type, and features real characters instead of the usual comic book/video game caricatures, ala 'Resident Evil' and 'Matrix: Reloaded.'

Appropriately, this film starts out on a violent, ironic note, and then proceeds to the 'waking up in a lonely hell' scene. The beginning is very artsy-- and unlike other films of the same type, I felt like I was following a real person through the expected post-apocalyptic landscape. (Yes, the buildings are still there-- it's the people who've been ruined.) Of course this wasn't anything I hadn't seen or read before. The entire film reeks of Stephen King's 'The Shining,' and follows firmly in the footsteps of 'Night of the Living Dead' and its sequals. As the film progresses, it loses some of its artsy flavor, and focuses on the hopes and fears of the characters.

The characters in this film aren't particularly charismatic, but they're believable. That's a refreshing change from the usual MTV influenced garbage I've come to expect.

By the end of the picture, you've learned the same lessons you'll learn by watching the superior 'Night of the Living Dead:' 1/To fight the zombies, human beings must band together, and 2/human beings banding together doesn't always work, because at the end of the day it's the living who are the real monsters.

Like I said, this picture doesn't cover any new ground; but it is a worthy addition to the pantheon of zombie films, and I recommend it. It is a little long, but the soundtrack's pretty good.

You'll like it, if you aren't looking for another feelingless action film.

Tour de Force. But for the ending, a 5.
It's easy to get numbed by the movies that dominate the theaters. Those that are entertaining, tend to be mildly so. Those that have even slightest provocative content ordinarily end in silliness, or, worse yet, overwrought self-parody. But when I was least expecting it, 28 Days Later hit me like a baseball bat across the side of the head. Except for an ending that seemed tacked on and unnecessary (I would have much preferred an ending where there is dramatic freeze frame--you'll know it when you see it--about 5 to 10 minutes before the real ending), this is film that is a wonder of excellent acting, fine storytelling, and profound intellectual metaphor. And it couldn't be more timely with the media echoing with tales of super-bugs, monkey pox, ebola, and SARS. But this movie isn't about a virus, it's about human nature. About who and what we really are. And how quickly that true nature could be revealed if a thread-bare social structure were to unravel for ANY reason.

You should simply watch this movie. Pay attention to the low-budget artistry that abounds (it is pitch perfect), the gorgeous cinematography, and the sets. And to who the real monsters are. I kept thinking about the riots in this country, and how they reveal something about how close we are to being brutal animals--and that we do a great job of tricking ourselves into believing that we're more than acquisitive brutes. Keep hope alive, I suppose.

Familiar but Well Directed Sci-Fi/Horror Thriller.
A Young Man (Cillian Murphy), who woke up in a Hostipal Bed, who been in a Coma for a Month. That young man, since He's awake. He finds that that he's all alone in London, slowly finding out there was an Epidemic happen, when he was asleep. When it's turns night, Strange People that come out of the dark and they hunt for Humans. Those strange people have been infected by a disease that came from an animal, a man made virus that makes people absolutely mad. While the young man is seeking for help, he finds himself with a group of survivors (Naomie Harris, Megan Burns & Brandan Gleeson) that would do anything for survival.

Directed by Danny Boyle (A Life Less Ordinary, Shallow Grave, Transpotting) made a visionary, creepy, science-fiction/horror film that was shot in digital video. This film is lacking in Originality but the film is vivid and the film's plot is familiar to "The Omega Man" (First Half of the Film) and "Day of the Dead" (Second Half of the Film). This movie ended being a Box Office Hit and Critics even liked this film! The film did so well in fact, that it was briefly re-released with an bleaker alternate ending (Which is in the DVD). Since the Visual Style of the Film is Moody and Dark, DVD has an grainy but sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an strong-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an Commentary Track by the Director:Boyle and Screenwriter:Alex Garland, Deleted Scenes with/without Commenatary by the filmmakers, 3 Alternate Endings and more. One of the most unique films of 2003, do not miss this one. Garland, who wrote the film is also a Novelist and Writer for Boyle's Previous Film-The Beach. Grade:A-.

"28 Days Later" is a bit slow
For all the hype this wasnt that great a story.Its about a few people left to fight off crazy insane humans who have been infected from a lab accident and roam the country killing the uninfected humans.That sounds like a pretty cool storyline except there was way too much of the main characters sitting around telling us their hopes and dreams and not enough good old killing and maiming.
For this infection to have swept the country there sure didnt seem to be the thousands of crazy infected wild people we should expect to see.In fact the humans we follow in the film carried a baseball bat and a machete to fend off these crazies.So there is a lot of nonsensical stuff in this film and not enough gore and insane violence that I expected.The last half of the film goes off on a tangent ,not about fighting the insane people,but of the heroes trying to get away from a militia leader and his pack of horny underlings.Predictable stuff where the "military men want our women and we must fight for their honor" kinda crapola. A lame bit of business in what was advertized to be a cool zombie type film.
Very few cool effects in this film and minimal gore and mild suspense make this film one to pass on unless you have nothing better to do.

hard to rate, big holes but something new
This is a really hard one to rate. The thing is that it's been so long since a good zombie movie came along that it was an okay movie for me and will thrill many lovers of that genre (I know, not classic zombies, blah, blah). But a person can't help but be bothered by the constant holes in the script.Aside from the holes in the script, one thing that's starting to bother me about movies period anymore is that it seems 4 out of 5 movies these days excepting comedies and dramas have to have a token "badass lady". I'm not arguing for helpless female characters, but seriously my wife and I rented 3 movies the other day and all three feature women proving their as tough as the men (one of the other 2 was Daredevil where his new girlfriend beats his ass twice despite having no superpowers of her own). After awhile that gets old as you watch movie after movie devote 20% of the runtime to establishing the toughness of the female characters.Then you have the holes that other reviewers mention, and I'll add a couple:The infected are obsessed with nothing save committing acts of violence yet are able to focus their violence solely on non-infected people.The infected vomit blood constantly and aren't concerned with eating or drinking, yet it apparently takes 56 days for them to begin dying, and then only from starvation. The virus incubates in about 20 seconds. Well, anyway I'll stop there but the minus is the holes in the script and the plus is that they were there partly out of necessity arising from trying to create something unique without directly ripping off other plague or zombie films. ... Read more

Description

Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. ... Read more