Reviews (29)

Possession (1981) d: Zulawski, Andrzej
Incredibly strange nasty that the art house crowd will love. Mark (Sam Neill) and Anna (Isabelle Adjani) are a married couple going through a long dark marital breakdown during the political upheaval of 1970s Berlin. The highlight of which includes Anna expressing her tormented stated of mind by cutting into her neck with an electric carving-knife. On the surface the movie seems very simple: Mark figures that he has gotten to the bottom of Anna's unsettling behavior. He assumes that she is having an affair, and hires a detective to find out who it is. In probably the weirdest twist ever committed to celluloid, we find out that Anna has given birth to an octopus creature in a award-winning ten minute bile-spraying miscarriage on the Subway. If that is not enough, we discover that she is committing incest with the tentacle lover. The demented housewife struggles with leaving her family behind for her slimy monster. "...Part art film, part supernatural thriller, and part splatter horror" this movie has finally been put back in the right order and released uncut for the first time in North America, but it still does not make a lot of sense. Deep metaphor's throughout the picture make Possession incomprehensible but fun to try and figure out.

A distorted look into the mirror of love-- a must!
After many years of acquiring a cult status of mythical proportions, Zulawski's "Possession" finally comes to the viewers as it was originally supposed to be seen.

This is not an easy movie to see or to understand -- and I suppose it neither was easy to write or film. The characters are severely neurotic and seem to thrive on their bizarre behaviour (in more ways than one) yet they are somehow all too human. Like the movie ultimately suggests (once you get to see the secret trick the movie plays on the two leads), this story may be like looking into a mirror, though dark and distorted.

Meet Mark (Sam Neill), an overworked man with a mysterious job that takes him "to far away places". Meet his lovely wife, Anna (an overwhelmingly beautiful Isabelle Adjani), a sexually frustrated housewife and former ballet instructor who has much more than meets the eye going on for her.

Between quarrels and reconciliations, these two share a nice apartment in a quiet and well-to-do district of Berlin and have a five year old son, Bob, but they also share a horror that no one could have suspected, and that will make all their fantasies and nightmares come true.

After being brutally butchered by Vestron Video for its original release, "Possession" has been restored to its original lenght and sequence, therefore becoming coherent for the viewers who used to find it mind-numbingly strange.

I think of it as a very unique piece of craftmanship, part Ingmar Bergman drama, part Polanski suspense thriller, part Dario Argento gore, part Kubrick satire, part Buñuel surrealism and still somehow, very much its own.

The camera angles, the direction, the strange whims and seizures that seem to take over the characters (including one memorable and disturbing scene on a subway station with Adjani pulling all the stops not ontly to her acting abilities but to her physical strength too) are part of a very strange style Zulawski has to tell his story.

If you are accustomed to standard horror fare, then probably you will dismiss this movie as pretentious eurotrash (something it has been labeled off as countless times) but if you're game and follow the sequences and let your imagination be ensnared this will be a convulsive ride to the depths of emotion where you won't emerge as the same person.

And quite possibly, that's what all horror movies are really about at heart.

As a footnote: Isabelle Adjani won a very deserved Gold Palm at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for her dual role in this film that, no matter how much you loved it or hated it, is still unforgettable.

The quality of the DVD in picture and sound is also of note.

What more can I say?
You either love this film or you hate it. I write this review mostly to add five more stars to the ratings this film has recieved. There is not much more I can add to what the others have said. This film is a unique experience. By American standards, all the performances are grotesquely over-acted, but if this is pretentious, then I say bring on the pretense! Isabelle Adjani is wonderful to watch even in the calmer moments, and when she moves into High Historionics she is utterly unlike anything you have ever seen (and much more impressive than the monster). The film is not light entertainment, but deep catharsis, intended slap the viewer into satori, the Dionysian dream of an Apollonian chorus. Since viewing it, I have searched for anything by Zulawski I could get my hands on, and it has not been easy to find much. This is his only film in English, and much of his work has never even been released with English subtitles, much less in American formats. (Perhaps after the mutilation Possession recieved at the hands of Vestron, Zulawski did not want to release more of his films in the United States?)

Aimless, directionless, useless
This film was a ridiculous waste of time and energy. There was no narrative to hold the scenes together. Characters were too weird and strange and violent. The whole thing seemed pointless. The only redeeming value to this film is Isabelle Adjani, who is beautiful beyond words. And the cover art and insert have some provocative images. Aside from that, SAVE YOUR MONEY.

man oh man oh man......
I was thrilled to find so many references to Polanski and Cronenberg among the reviews for this film. It does indeed combine the dark suspense and ironic humor of ROSEMARY'S BABY, the biological horror and familial disintegration of THE BROOD, and the unabashed histrionics and directorial flamboyance of Ken Russell's THE DEVILS. With themes of marital strife, familial disintegration, and psychological breakdown harking back to the former two and the in-your-face grotesquerie and visceral drama reminding the viewer of the latter two, little-known but acclaimed Polish filmmaker Andrzej Zulawski tells the story of Anna (Isabelle Adjani, in the performance of a lifetime) and Mark (Sam Neill), she a bored housewife and he an overworked... something (the film never makes clear his occupation). They share an apartment in an empty, run-down Berlin with their young son. After completing an important job of some kind, Mark comes home to his family to find things changed. He drags the truth from Anna that she has been having an affair. She insists she cannot stay with him, and leaves Mark with the child, apparently to shack up with her lover. Mark tracks down the lover, a real weirdo named Heinz (Heinrich Bennent), but after insults and fisticuffs, Heinz insists he has not seen Anna in quite a while. Mark, perplexed, hires a detective to follow her from their apartment after one of her sporadic visits, which always end in chaos. The detective manages to get in and... something really strange happens. I know what that something is, having seen the picture, but on the off-chance you haven't read the other (spoiler-inundated) reviews, I'll keep it secret. Instead I'll talk about the photography, which goes a long way toward mirroring the absolutely unhinged performances, and the set design, which provides a cool counterpoint to the feverish tenor of the film's action and dialogue. It obviously isn't going to be for everybody, and in fact some will doubtless find it repellent. Writing the film was obviously therapeutic for Zulawski (who, like Cronenberg when writing THE BROOD, was going through a nasty divorce). A friend of mine said he was more sickened by the scenes of emotional anguish than by any of the film's often-stomach-churning special effects. Just keep two things in mind: firstly, this isn't your typical "horror flick", therefore the splatterpunk/gorehound set should stay away; and secondly, this one is playing for keeps: though laced with a bitter humor, there are no light moments here AT ALL, and this should not be watched by couples on a first date, or any couple whose relationship is not secure. Also, keep impressionable children away from it. I was very impressed with what I thought would be just another dreary, over-hyped horror film and turned out to be a genuine classic (at least as far as I'm concerned). Watch POSSESSION if you like Polanski's horror films, Cronenberg's more dramatic outings, or any of Ken Russell's stuff. SCENE OF NOTE: Adjani going ABSOLUTELY NUTS and having a miscarriage (or going into labour...?) in a subway station for what seems like an eternity. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The X-Files Mythology series consists of collections of episodes grouped around certain themes that were central to Chris Carter's gripping, funny, and sometimes impenetrable sci-fi/suspense/horror series.The 15 episodes in the first volume, Abduction, are culled from the first three seasons of the show, and they introduce FBI agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who has been assigned to keep tabs on her new partner, the eccentric Fox Mulder (David Duchovny).Mulder's specialty is those cases that can't seem to be solved on normal parameters--the "X-Files"--because he believes that many years ago his sister was abducted by aliens.We meet a dizzying cast of supporting characters: FBI assistant director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi); a government informant, code-named "Deep Throat," who offers to get Mulder closer to the truth than he's ever imagined; apparent abductee Duane Barry (Steve Railsback); a trio of conspiracy theorists called the Lone Gunmen (Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, and Bruce Harwood); the mysterious Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis); and suspicious agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea).And the theme of alien abduction leads to deeper threads involving experiments with alien DNA, cloning, alien bounty hunters, and more.These early episodes are some of the best the series ever had to offer, and the reasonably priced Mythology sets might be enticing for novices who would like to get a feel for the series without having to wade through all the story arcs and concepts that wandered through the nine seasons.(They're also conveniently packaged, with four discs in two Thinpaks.)X-philes, of course, would prefer the complete seasons, with the multiple arcs as well as the numerous excellent standalone (a.k.a. "creature feature") episodes. The discs include new commentary tracks on five of the episodes by Chris Carter, writer Frank Spotnitz, or director R.W. Goodwin, and there's a new 28-minute documentary that provides an overview of the series and the pertinent episodes that's well suited to novices. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great story arc all in one boxed set
I'm sure you're thinking "now that the series has been completely milked for each season, it makes sense for Fox to put out these theme driven sets." Yes, it does.For those fans that were big on the mythology episodes and tolerated all the other ones between them, this is the perfect set to own. It also makes "The X-Files" more affordable with 16 episodes running the span of the series. The mythology story arc focused on the fact that extraterrestrial aliens have been among us since the beginning of time. Let's be honest about "The X-Files"; like any show it had its share of clunkers. Most of the mythology episodes were highlights of the series. These episodes were built initially around Mulder's sister who was, he believes, abducted by aliens. His search pushes him forward into a dark, mysterious world where it turns out that aliens are the dominating force in every government throughout the world. It seems that they have plans to colonize Earth. Why and how is what Mulder and his FBI partner Scully must discover.


With sixteen episodes spread over the set, the image quality is exceptionally good throughout. It appears as if these are the same transfers that Fox used for the entire series when it first brought them out on DVD. While they've been tweaked a bit here and there they do also suffer many of the same flaws including halos, edge enhancement and other digital issues. The 2.0 soundtrack is crisp and clear with nice reproduction of the dialog and the music by Mark Snow.

In the new 30 minute documentary Carter comments on how Gillian Anderson's real-life pregnancy impacted the storytelling arc of the series. Suddenly, Carter and his crew had to create a series of episodes built around her abduction and her unavailability for shooting. There's also a discussion on the development of the Cigarette Smoking Man throughout the series. When Bill Davis first appeared in "The X-Files" the writers didn't know how good an actor he was because they hadn't seen most of his work. So the episode where Mulder threatens the Cigarette Smoking Man with a gun had tension not only because of the conflict but because they weren't sure how the scenes would truly play out. "Colony" and "Endgame" are two of the most popular episodes due to the creativity of Carter, Frank Spotnitz (who was brought in when Carter needed help on the series in developing the mythology). The two in collaboration created much of the complex narrative. There's interviews with Brian Thompson who played the Alien Bounty Hunter gives his take on the character. "Anasazi" one of my least favorite of "The X-Files" two parters takes on new life (pardon the pun) due to some of the comments from Carter and Spotnitz. Inspired by a trip to Sedona, Arizona where he saw images that reminded him of drawings of aliens, Carter crafted the cliffhanger for season two advancing the series again. The complexity between the first season vs. the second season is like comparing learning the alphabet to reading whole sentences; both are important but one expressed sounds the other ideas.

Featuring new commentary tracks by the directors and writers of each episode, this set is more than just a reissue or repackaging. Fox has attempted with these new commentary tracks and short documentary to provide additional value much as they did with the season boxed sets. On the other hand, it is a selling point designed to move more product among fans. For example, Director R. W. Goodwin does the commentary track for "Anasazi" and he provides both quite a bit of trivia about the mythology episode we're watching as well as trivia about the actual production.We learn, for example, that the sequence where the boxcar was discovered is actually a quarry far from Arizona which Goodwin had his crew paint to match the sand in Arizona. They painted about a mile of the area. What the Indian community discovers there and what it brings to them changes that community forever but it also has an impact on the life of Agents Mulder and Scully. Carter's commentary as always is intelligent and insightful for his tracks.

A creative show that fell on hard times by the end, "The X-Files" was a fresh, vital series for much of its run. The mythology episodes related to alien abduction are among the creepiest and best the series produced particularly ones like "Duane Barry".In many respects the first season struck me as being only slightly better than the two 1970's TV series (and one of its inspirations) "Project Bluebook" and "Kolchak: The Night Stalker".. Combining that series with the dark conspiratorial tones of the post-Watergate era, these episodes are among the best in the story arcs Carter established.

More XF please!
", but for the hardcore fans who already own any or all of the first three seasons on DVD, there is no reason to pick this up whatsoever. "

Sure, there is - there are several new episode commentaries and a new documentary included. I've not received my copy yet, but based on the quality of the episodes alone, I give it 5 stars.

Keeping the Xfiles alive
I think it's great that they have all the Mythology episodes in boxsets. I have all 9 boxsets but I live and breath for the X-files so I got to have it. They have New extras on it so thats really cool. What they really need to do is put all the great shipper episodes in a boxset!:) I recommend everyone to go out and buy the Mythology boxset cause if its like anything else Xfiles its gonna be hard to find and a great collectable. And its cheaper than the other boxsets that are between $90 and $125

The Special Features Are The Real Hook
I already own all Nine seasons of The X-Files so when I saw this product I didn't even consider purchasing it, that was until I saw the special features, six new commentaries and an all new documentary at a low enough price will probably be enough to make me buy this set. I do wonder though who, apart from die-hard fans like myself, will or should buy this set.

In theory it's a good idea. The mythology (that is the ongoing story-arc which dealt with the governments conspriacy to hide the truth about the existence of extra-tarrestrials for reasons unknown and Mulder and Scully's quest to uncover what exactly "the truth" is) of The X-Files is extremely complex and while it dose make perfect sense, no really it dose! and all your questions do finally get answered, it was extremely easy to get confused or get lost if you didn't follow it religiously (but then again that's exactly why this show became as popular as it did). So for fans who watched the show on and off and want to follow the mythology and understand it, this is a perfect product but I suspect alot of those fans probably already own a few season sets and probably wont be willing to pay more money for this.
Also for a new fan to even consider buying this set would be a huge mistake since you would be missing out on so many of the phenomenol stand-alone episodes, and you really wont understand just exactly what The X-Files is. Trust me you'd be much better off buying the individual season sets and enjoying all the episodes. So after that, I really don't see that many people out there who would be willing to buy this set.

The episodes in this set consist of all mythology episodes from season 1 and 2 (although there is an episode in Season 2 called "Sleepless" which introduces two major characters, Alex Krycek and Mr. X, which is strangley missing) and the first two episodes from season 3. There really was no mythology in season 1. "The Pilot", "Deep Throat", "Fallen Angel" and "E.B.E" are all completely self-contained and have little or no bearing, or resemblence, to the mythology that would begin with the brilliant season 1 finale, "The Erlenmeyer Flask". The aforementioned early season 1 episode are pretty weak and pretty forgetable. From "The Erlenmeyer Flask" through to "End Game" the mythology starts to take shape and there are some phenomenol episodes, in particular "One Breath". It isn't until the absolutely mind-blowing three parter "Anasazi / The Blessing Way / Paper Clip" that we really get to see just how vast and complex the conspriacy is. After these episodes you will definetly be preording the next set which is due out August 2nd, and which marks the real pinnacle of the mythology. Every episode in that set is incredible and you will be well and truly hooked by the end.

This is an excellent purchase for casual fans who want to relive the ongoing story of The X-Files and want all the answers to all the questions you've had, and it will certainly be enough to hook new fans, but I do wonder how many people will end up buying this set.

My fury towards Fox Entertainment grows and grows
This set gets docked two stars because while it is reasonably priced, Fox Entertainment didn't first go about the business of lowering the extortionist pricing of the nine individual seasons.I am infuriated by corporate greed like this, that is focused on extracting every last penny from fans.

First, along with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and MONTY PYTHON, THE X-FILES is my all time favorite TV show, so I'm not giving a negative review here to the show itself.I've reviewed all of the individual seasons here on Amazon, as well as the complete nine-season set.I've given every individual season five stars, including Seasons 7 and 9, which are widely considered the weakest seasons on the show (my feeling is that while they weren't the greatest seasons in the series, they were five-star shows compared with what else was on TV).

Here is what infuriates me about this set:we get 16 episodes that track shows dealing with alien abductions, therefore tracking one type of episode that ran throughout the series.I have no trouble with this.But the price for 16 episodes is very, very reasonable, while the price for the complete episodes remain outrageously expensive.

Obviously Fox Entertainment feels that compiling a new set and offering it at an affordable price somehow trumps the need to offer the regular seasons at lowered and more reasonable prices.The only show I know of that is more absurdly priced than THE X-FILES is FARSCAPE, which lists at around 40% more than THE X-FILES.I'm not sure why THE X-FILES lists at $99 a set, while BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, also produced by Fox Entertainment, not only lists at a lower price at $60, but has a larger margin built in so that it discounts by 25% instead of 20%.

The only thing I can conclude when I see a set like this selling for such a low price while they leave the individual seasons priced so high is that Fox Entertainment is trying to milk us.If they really wanted to do us a favor, they would drop the list price of each individual season to around $60 and make the series affordable.

Having said all this, I will add that the idea of compiling all of the mythology episodes isn't a bad one.As any fan of THE X-FILES knows, the series consisted of two kinds of episode:stand alone episodes that basically dealt with the-phenomenon-of-the-week and mythology episodes..These pretty much stood on their own, and did not advance the government conspiracy storyline.The mythology shows detailed the story of the government conspiracy to hide the fact and nature of alien-human interaction.The point of these shows is to collect all of the episodes that focus on the mythology.There truly is a storyline that runs through the nine seasons, the first truly long storyline in the history of television (before that you had continuity from week to week, like HILL STREET BLUES or DALLAS, but no unified story with a beginning, middle, and end).But you know what would be an even better idea?Reducing the cost of the individual seasons, and let fans have their own mythology film festivals. ... Read more

Description

In 1897, Quentin Collins and Magda the gypsy, discover the mysterious urn which contains the flames of life for Laura Collins, an immortal Phoenix. Jenny Collins, Quentin's insane wife, escapes from her basement cell at Collinwood and attempts to kill Quentin. Magda, Jenny's sister, places a curse on Quentin, which causes him to turn into a werewolf during a full moon. Jamison Collins finds Barnabas' coffin in the Old House basement and reveals the discovery to his father Edward. Carl Collins returns from Atlantic City with a showgirl and mentalist named Pansy Faye. She uses her psychic abilities during a s ance to help determine the fate of servant Dirk Wilkins, who rises as a vampire after being attacked by Barnabas. Bonuses: Includes exclusive interviews with actors David Selby, John Karlen, Kathryn Leigh Scott and Terry Crawford. Starring: Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, David Henesy, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Grayson Hall, Jerry Lacy, Diana Millay, Roger Davis, Marie Wallace, Humbert Allen Astredo, Clarice Blackburn, Don Briscoe, Terry Crawford. Color. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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 (152)

Ignorance is bliss
...Anyone who has done the least bit of research will know that David Lynch has final cut of everything he does. He chose to cut the movie down from its original inception. Please know that this is a fantastic movie, and the DVD IS Lynch-approved. As for the commentary and deleted scenes, Lynch has stated many times that he will NEVER do commentary, and does not agree whole-heartedly with including deleted scenes. He also refuses to use chapter stops (this is good). If you need someone to hold your hand while you watch this movie, and explain how to think for yourself, then I propose you find a different film to watch.

Goodbye Cherry Pie
Remember Laura Palmer? She's the one who was into sex, drugs and..., ended up killed by..., wrapped in plastic, and then it all began. Well here is the oft-times lurid, unsettling and sometimes plain scary film about Laura. This is not the eccentric drama/comedy we know as "Twin Peaks:TV series, and it's not for the fair weather Peaks fans. David Lynch lets us know that this is the flip side right at the opening credits when the violent destruction of a television is followed by a bloodcurdling scream. No wonder they hated it! I love it, and thanks to NewLine who in conjunction with none other than the maestro himself have produced a gorgeous digital transfer of this essential work. Forget the deleted scenes fiasco..with this quality sound and picture, and a good price, this is a no brainer for true Twin Peaks fans. I docked a star because the only substantial extra, the "documentary" is quite a disappointment. If you have absorbed the series and permit the Lynchian universe to enfold you, "Fire Walk with Me" will reveal itself as a coherent,disturbing and beautiful adventure. Great performances by Sheryl Lee and Ray Wise, but the real star is the director who gave us something that we never expected, and it gets better at each viewing.Wow Bob Wow!!

The Reason this movie wasn't as good is becuz.....
In the David Lynch "motion pictures" collection, there are 8 films that have been made since 1978. "Eraserhead," "Elephant Man," "Dune," "Blue Velvet," "Wild at Heart," "Fire Walk With Me," "Lost Highway," and his latest, "Straight Story." The four best are Eraserhead, Fire Walk With Me, Blue Velvet and Lost Highway.

David Lynch's vision of "FIRE WALK WITH ME," is not bad because he wanted it to be. The original fire walk with me movie is romoured to be over 3 and a half hours long. There is PROMISED to be a FIRE WALK WITH ME DVD coming out soon. It should be out later this spring with all the cuts that werent originally in the TWIN PEAKS movie. Please.... dont be disappointed with the original though, it is a good movie. You should try this movie, I THINK, before you watch, rent or buy the TWIN PEAKS TV series.

thanks

garmonbozia, all right.
See, this movie is yet another intentional turkey in the David Lynch stinkography. When will you people believe me when I tell you the man simply likes to make bad movies?!? The picture comes off as a demented episode of Northern Exposure with the plot-wiring torn out and the character development up on blocks. Throw in the obligatory sinister midget and sundry unemployed freaks and... Weee're in business! Oh, wait... we need something for the characters to do... well, they can all just take turns going insane, can't they? Problem solved! David Lynch is a modern freak show operator. The freak show has never gone away. It has just been billed as something else.

Prequel sets the stage for series pilot
Shot after the series was cancelled because there was a demand overseas for more "Twin Peaks" material, "Fire Walk with Me" gives us a glimpse of what occurred just prior to Laura Palmer's murder in the pilot. While it spells out some things only hinted at in the pilot and is a bit more literal than the series, "Fire Walk with Me" also has the benefit of being a theatrical film and, as such, we get to dig deeper into the underbelly of the town.

The first thirty minutes of the film are devoted to a murder similar to Palmer's that occurs in another town. A pair of FBI agents are sent in to investigate (Chris Issak and Keifer Sutherland). When they run into resistence from the local law enforcement, they're forced to flex their FBI muscles a bit. While investigating a clue in a trailer park, one of the agents vanishes. Agent Cooper (MacLachlan)is called in to find the missing agent.

Far more surreal than the series with a number of high profile cameos (David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton), this is a bit more bizarre as well when compared to the series (and even the pilot). The DVD is chapter encoded (unlike the frustrating "Mulholland Drive"), has an original documentary that's shot in a style like Lynch might have used with the original cast (save Piper Laurie, Michael Ontkean, Jack Nance and a couple of other cast members)about the impact of the show.

It's an excellent companion piece of the pilot (available as of now only as a region 0 DVD from Taiwan)and the series (available as a boxed set for the first season only with, reportedly, the second season coming next year some time). Picture quality is exceptionally good with the sound particularly outstanding in its use of 5.1.

A solid cast with a good script that meanders a bit, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" plays better than parts of the first season but isn't quite as strong as both the pilot and first 8 episodes of the series. It's still worthwhile for fans of the show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

On regular television, punctuated by frenetic commercials, the leisurely pace of the horror miniseries Rose Red probably felt grueling; but on its own terms, the effect is like settling into a long book full of detail--a book not unlike those of Stephen King, who wrote the script. The story (about a researcher into the paranormal who takes a team of psychics into a haunted house) recycles themes that King has used before--a telekinetic girl, a house with its own consciousness--but for his fans, the familiarity is probably comfortable and even enjoyable. The cast (including Nancy Travis, Julian Sands, and Melanie Lynsky from Heavenly Creatures) give committed performances, and the special effects are television-grade but used pretty well. Most of it doesn't make much sense, but at its best Rose Red is absurd and creepy at the same time. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (119)

"Some Houses Are Born Bad"
Rose Red was N Xcellent piece of work by the master of horror, Stephen King. When I found about the movie's premier last year, U would not believe how Xcited I was 2 C it. It was worth getting Xcited over. The special effects R amazing and the ghost make-up is stunningly scary. In fact, the whole story-line was incredibly horrifying.

Nancy Travis was absolutely fantastic in her role of Joyce Reardon. Matt Keeslar was pretty good in his role of Steven Rimbaeur, only because his acting was a little dry. Matt Ross was really agitating in his role of the Post Cognitive, Emery Waterman. I thought that Julian Sands was awesome in the role of telepathic Nick Hardaway. Kimberly J. Brown was really wonderful as the autistic, yet telekentic Annie Wheaton. Judith Ivey (one of my favorite actors inth film) was incredible in role of the automatic writer, Cathy.

If N E body is looking 4 a good Stephen King horror flick, check out Rose Red. It's a real Scream.

Stephen Kings Haunted Abode.
The Chilling Tale of Dr. Joyce Reardon an obsessed psychology professor who commissions a team of psychics and a gifted 15 year old autsitic girl, Annie Wheaten, to literally wake up a supposedly dormant haunted mansion.....ROSE RED. Thier efforts unleash a myriad of spirites and uncover horrifying secrets of the generations whom have lived and died there.
This movie has lots of extras from a complete abc documentary, to design artwork, to a diary, a making of documentary, and production commentary. Dolby Digital 5.1
Not the best stephen King Movie.....yet not the worst.

was expecting MUCH better
If you're looking for a good haunted house movie, pass this one up. Its overly long and totally disjointed. The obvious places for commercial breaks don't help. None of the characters are sympathetic in any way. And the ending is neither satisfying nor cathartic. It just ends.

Again, if you want a GOOD haunted house movie, watch 'The Haunting' (1963) with Julie Harris or 'The Legend of Hell House' with Roddy McDowall.

Fantastic movie...Stephen King strikes again!
Well, Stephen King did an absolutely fantastic job writing this story for the production of this movie. Even though the movie is 4 hours long, the movie didn't bore me for one second. I really enjoyed this, especially Annie, the little autistic girl. I thought she was a very good touch to the story line. I would recommend this movie to anyone who's out for a good thrill.

Scared the s**t outta me!
I thought I had seen so many horror movies that I had desensitised myself to fear and shock. I can honestly count on a single hand the number of movies that have actually frightened me, and none have done it as thoroughly as Rose Red. Let's face it, the storyline is flimsy, and the acting is atrocious but it has such a powerful aura of suspense that even a shot of trees seems scary. For four hours I sat sweating and white-knuckled, gripping my seat. Don't think I could do it again but it was worth it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Writer-director Meir Zarchi's controversial story of rape and revenge has lost none of its ability to shock viewers since it first gained notoriety in the late '70s. Camille Keaton (grand-niece of Buster Keaton and, later, Zarchi's wife) stars as a young woman who is terrorized and then brutally assaulted by four men while on vacation. After slowly pulling herself together, she methodically tracks down and butchers each of the perpetrators. Zarchi's film has been consistently accused of celebrating violence against women, and while the rape scenes are graphic, they also lack the voyeuristic qualities that earmark other similarly plotted exploitation films. If anything, Zarchi is guilty of awkward scripting; the dialogue is leaden, and Keaton's transformation from victim to avenger is too swift. But to label him a pornographer is wrong, and while the film is challenging--perhaps more than most audiences can bear--its depiction of the psychology of violence is undeniably powerful. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (158)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Something's wrong in the town of Santa Mira, California. At first, Dr.Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is unconcerned when the townsfolk accuse their loved ones of acting like emotionless imposters. But soon the evidence is overwhelming--Santa Mira has been invaded by alien "pods" that are capable of replicating humans and taking possession of their identities. It's up to McCarthy to spread the word of warning, battling the alien invasion at the risk of his own life. Considered one of the best science fiction films of the 1950s and '60s, this classic paranoid thriller was widely interpreted as a criticism of the McCarthy era (that's Senator Joseph, not actor Kevin), which was characterized by anticommunist witch-hunts and fear of the dreaded blacklist. Some hailed it as an attack on the oppressive power of government as Big Brother. However viewers interpret it, this original 1956 version of Invaders of the Body Snatchers (based on Jack Finney's serialized novel The Body Snatchers) remains a milestone movie in its genre, directed by Don Siegel with an inventive intensity that continues to pack an entertaining wallop. Look closely and you'll find future director Sam Peckinpah (an uncredited cowriter of this film) making a cameo appearance as a meter reader! The DVD release includes an interview with Kevin McCarthy, and for the first time on home video the film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Body Snatchers Invade Video Collection
Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers proves to be a classic of the science-fiction genre. Usually bored to death of sci-fi films, I quite enjoyed this film of pods taking over and transforming themselves into the citizens of Santa Mira, while they sleep, in the hopes of soon engulfing the entire world. Brilliantly acted by Kevin McCarthy in the role Miles Bennel, and Dana Wynter as Becky Driscoll, with a wonderful supporting cast, the film is easily believable. With Milt Rice in charge of special effects, the entire collaberation is a marvel for its time. Upon returning home from a trip, Miles finds the Santa Mira townspeople to be acting a bit unusual, but little does he know that one by one the townspeople are being taken over by pods from another world. Miles and Becky, Miles' girlfriend, attempt to warn the town and save the others, but it soon proves to be no easy feat for them to save themselves. The two drive, and then literally run, for their lives through the California hills. If they can make it to the highway and then to the neighboring town, perhaps they and the world can be saved. With impressive cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, notably the highway scene late in the film, and a striking musical score by Carmen Dragon, this film has quickly become one of my favorites. To occupy a place on the shelves amidst my usual favorites is not an easy thing for a film to do, especially for one that is science-fiction, but this brilliant sci-fi film, which hints a bit at McCarthyism, is a can't miss for any film lover.

They're coming, and you're next!
Wonderful science fiction classic that concentrates on Kevin McCarthy's growing sense of fear and isolation. If anybody doesn't know the plot of this movie, its basic premise is that people are being replaced with alien replicas, with the only clue being a lack of emotion in the new versions. Paranoid people should not watch this film, which has also been classed as a horror film. I think it would have been better in a "Director's Cut" - originally there were no voiceovers, and the film ended with McCarthy standing in the middle of a highway, desperately trying to get someone to stop and listen to him, but the studio decided that was too bleak and demoralizing. Still, this is a great movie, only slightly less shocking for the additions. This version is presented in crisp B&W, in both widescreen and pan and scan. Also included is the original trailer and a short interview with McCarthy on some local TV show from the Seventies. I give the movie itself 5 stars, as it is one of the true classics (better than the 1978 version, and FAR better than the 1997 version), but the DVD gets 4 for its rather bland presentation.

It's alright but I probably missed the political point
Having been born well after the McCarthy era the political sub-text was lost on me. I just thought it was another one of those 50s sci-fi b movies made. Of course I had vague ideas of America at the time and how they were run but I didn't exactly join the dots together and link them up. What I saw was a sci-fi b-movie - nothing else. Still it wasn't bad

I got this really cheap in a store ( 5 euros ) and basically what I got looked like I bought a copy of some guy's video. I'm not complaining about it considering 5 euros for a DVD is alright and besides - it was nothing major. It was in colour and it started off bizarrely. Bizarre in the sense at how the music was so strange and how for the first 15 minutes of the film it was all just people falling down a hole somewhere out in the fields. Seems fairly stupid so far but I do admit that it was quite frightening when the dad lashed out at his son. The realism in that shot was something I hadn't seen before.

Basically you can get the story now about what's about to happen and I won't want to say anymore in case I might ruin the film for you ( nobody likes that do they ). But I will say that I found the Martians and their underground lair to be rather pathetic. OK just the lair then. When the men in green suits start undertaking their tasks it's pretty funny to see white balloons just sway a little as if a little gentle breeze had passed. And the amount of times you had to hear " Let me go let go let me go " it really begins to get on your nerves.

Historically you could say that this is a good film if you know your history. If you just want a bit of an enjoyable sci-fi movie then this can also be achieved. Either way you get enjoyment out of it.

Keep awake, keep awake!!!!.
This is a remarkable movie in many ways. With a relatively small budget a very interesting Sci-Fi / horror film is made. No big visual effects, no Big Stars in the cast, black n' white photography and still a griping story. There are two remakes of this story, they can't stand against the original one, even if they were produced with a bigger budget and known actors.

This is the plot: Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) returns to his small home town ready to attend patients. Different consultants tell him of a paranoid syndrome: their relatives seem somehow changed. A couple of days after that, they return to his office and tell him "Everything is OK".
Dr. Bennell and her old times girl friend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) soon realize the town is being subject to an alien invasion plot. Huge seed are "planted" in basements or garages and evolved in a duplicate of a person (a clone will be called today). As soon as the victim fells asleep is "transformed". The tension grows up as time pass and the characters need to sleep.

Some comments issued around the film pointed out that it may be taken as a parable of the Cold War raging at the time it was released (1956). I think that there are more films of that period, alluding the frightful issue of "They are like us but they are NOT us and they are dangerous", as in "The Thing from another World" (1951) or "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958).

The actress Carolyn Jones (later best known by her impersonation of Morticia at the "Addams Family" TV serial) play a short, but very well enacted, role
A very enjoyable film to be seen.
Duration: 80 minutes

GREAT
This is a GREAT transfer of the original film! The sound is good, the picture is good, it's simply a grand dvd! The film here has good acting and casting. Good story and good ending. What more could a sci fi junkie need? This film was made countless times after but this is the original and the best.Kevin did great as the main character here. ... Read more

Description

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, a creature was stirring...In Bedford, several unsuspecting people are about to receive Season’s Greetings - of terror! This 98 minute DVD is a stark and stylish tale that turnseveryone's favorite time of the year inside out. Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder star among an ill-fated housefulof sorority sisters celebrating the holiday season.Festivities turn fatal when obscene phone calls break theserenity and it becomes clear that a psychopath is stalking the house. ... Read more

Reviews (140)

The Best Scary Movie I've Seen
I have not seen this in probably 20 years, but it still remains my favorite scary movie. You'll probably want to stay away from your attic for awhile after you see it. If anyone out there can tell me where to locate the video, please let me know!!!!!!! I've been trying and trying, but cannot find a store or website that has it. robbinsjl@home.com

Silent Night, Evil Night
Silent Night, Evil Night is a movie that stands out in my mind as the SCARIEST film I have ever seen. I have not seen this movie in over 25 years but there are scenes in this film that I remember as if they were yesterday. I have two teens, 19 and 17, that I would love to be able to show this movie to, but can't find at any of the video rental stores. They have no idea of what a real scary movie is all about. I am not a fan of todays horror flicks because they are just a mix of blood and gore, and most are just downright STUPID! To this day I can not forget the "rocking chair" scene or the "glass unicorn".

Never Watch This During the Holiday Season
One day in 1975, my girl friend and I wandered into a multi-plex theater with absolutely no idea that we would soon experience the SHOCK of a horror movie lifetime! "Black Christmas" remains mysteriously obscure perhaps because it was never marketed properly. Ironically, (and consistent with its history) this movie cannot currently (9-6-2000) even be purchased on the Amazon website! Olivia Hussey delivers a magnificent performance. She is charming with dignity despite a most unpleasant atmosphere and ever changing set of unfortunate circumstances ("The more things change, the more they stay the same," definitely applies)! Margot Kidder provides the raunchy but mostly respectable humor, and much needed comic relief! The script itself is laced with a wonderful sprinkling of (black) humor throughout! This is simply the scariest horror movie ever made IF you don't require special effects to quench your thirst for suspense! High tech audio and visual effects are not needed, and this actually proves refreshing! The movie relies on its story, eery atmosphere, and some splendid acting to spook you out of your wits! It's "old fashioned" in the sense that one's imagination creates much of the spine tingling moments. A generous but restrained dose of violence proves to be a perfect "witches blend." "Psycho" of course is (plot-wise and technically) the best thriller ever made but "Black Christmas" leaves a profound and eerie after affect that still haunts me 25 years later. It is a much better story and movie than the equally frightening "Halloween" (Halloween's strenghts are its atmosphere, screams, and chase scenes but it lacks plot development, truly interesting characters, and a sophisticated sense of humor). Chilling and fun throughout except that there is nothing too "playful" about the demented, well disguised and relentless lost soul who disrupts the festivities. Smart and entertaining dialogue less the ugly conversations between Hussey and her boyfriend. Leave the kids in their bedrooms for this one, but make sure they have a designated babysitter that never loses sight. This is the night for the entire family to sleep in the same room, especially if their is an upstairs or an attick in your home! Warning: Do NOT watch this movie during the Christmas season or your Holiday memories will never be the same!!!

No horror fan can miss this one!
This was a hard movie for me to track down but it was worth it. Most people have probably never heard of this film but definetly need to check it out. This movie is set around a sorority house at christmas, and as all the girls begin heading out for christmas vacation many bizzare events begin to take effect. One girl's father comes looking for her after she didnt show up to go home with him. As they set out a search party for the missing girl a dead child is found in the park. And as everyone is mourning the death of the little girl, a stranger hides in the attic of the sorority house killing the girls one by one and making mysterious phone calls after every death. The thing that makes this movie cool is that it set the tone for many now more famous horror movies like halloween and friday the 13th. The thing i enjoy most about this movie is the great twist ending. Definatly check this one out!

This had all the necessary elements of a good horror movie
Black Christmas is a shining example of a great horror movie. New direstors and writers should take notes. I was a little upset because I had to watch it with one of my friends so I'm not sure exactly how scary it is. But i will rent it again soon. The other reviews are telling the truth about this movie ... 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 the spongy book so you can poke its nose and watch it spring back into place. Ewwww...

Fantastic Flick ... but only a warmup of what's to come.
This movie is incredible ... it is an incredible study on how to make a great movie on a shoestring budget. The sound explosion in the new dts version is unbelievable. However, pass on this one, and get the BOOK OF THE DEAD version -- best packaging ever ... Read more

Description

Misty’s Secret:Sought after as one of her most sensuous films and until now out-of-print, Misty’s Secret is an early Misty Mundae film shot in Paris and NY and co-stars Seduction Cinema favorites Ruby LaRocca and Tine Krause as Misty’s sultry roommates.Vampire’s Seduction: Wally Van Helsing, great-great-grandson of the legendary vampire killer, is hunted down by Dracula’s daughter and seduced into becoming a mindless servant that seeks out delectable women to deliver to her lair. ... Read more

Description

When Max Renn goes looking for edgy new shows for his sleazy cable TV station, he stumbles across the pirate broadcast of a hyperviolent torture show called "Videodrome." As he unearths the origins of the program, he embarks on a hallucinatory journey into a shadow world of right-wing conspiracies, sadomasochistic sex games, and bodily transformation. Renn’s ordinary life dissolves around him, he finds himself at the center of a conflict between opposing factions in the struggle to control the truth behind the radical human future of "the New Flesh." Starring James Woods and Deborah Harry in one of her first film roles, Videodrome is one of writer/director David Cronenberg’s most original and provocative works, fusing social commentary with shocking elements of sex and violence. With groundbreaking special effects makeup by Academy Award®-winner Rick Baker, Videodrome has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and mind-bending science fiction films of the 1980s, and The Criterion Collection is proud to present it in its full-length unrated edition. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Videodrome - It's Watching you!!!
David Cronenberg is obsessed with technology and body modification - especially how all of this equates to sex and death. How do things CHANGE us? VIDEODROME is probably one of his most blatant statements about television, and the dangers of being more than a voyeur. There is a danger lurking in every scene of this movie, and even the sex scenes take on a disturbing horror vibe. Graphic and disturbing? Yes. But also very thought-provoking, and well-done. The DVD lets you see the movie in its widescreen unedited gory glory. Also included is a very disorienting trailer that was produced on a COMMODORE 64! The performances are outstanding including James Woods at his most likeable, and Debbie Harry as a distant emotionally cold woman who is turned on by the atrocity that is VIDEODROME. The plot centers on Woods as a slimey cable producer looking for hardcore programming to launch his cable channel. He stumbles across a show called VIDEODROME that is pure sex and torture to the point of death. Is it real? Where is it coming from? And why does everyone who watches it become a part of it? EXIStENZ is VIDEODROME's bookend - the gaming side of this theme.

Outstanding Horror
TV will rot your brain, some say- and in the world of Videodrome, that's exactly what happens. A group working with a media philosopher (a nice parody of Marshall McCluhan) has created a signal that can be superimposed on a video program that will, quite literally, mutate the brain. It may be a tumor- or it may be a new organ. It's infected cable TV president Max Venn (James Woods), and is starting to change him and his world in bizarre ways.

Videodrome is a wonderfully original movie that mixes a well crafted script with some novel (for the time) special effects and a marvelous darkly comic sensibility. Puns abound; the president of "Spectacular Optics"- itself a pun- is named Convex. Brian Oblivion (the Marshall McCluhan parody) founded the "Cathode Ray Mission" (as in "cathode ray emission"), where the homeless and destitute are re-integrated into society by providing them with exposure to television.

Underneath this is a dark, sexual theme- Max's attraction to the images of bondage and sadism that are his undoing, and to radio psychologist Nikki (Debbie Harry, in a compelling if inartful performance) who is willing to go a lot farther than is Max in her pursuit of kinky thrills.

Is Max really being physically transformed, or is it all in his head? Is the New Flesh real, or another delusion? All in all, a compelling and original film that will delight any fan of cult films and erotic horror.

David Cronenberg Scores Again With Videodrome!
David Cronenberg is one of the greatest horror film directors to come on the scene. His stylish mix of science fiction and horror gives us surreal films easily compared to directors like David Lynch amoung others. Videodrome is probably my favorite Cronenberg film.

The film is about a television station that specializes in showing softcore pornography and other disturbing types of film. Max Renn, played wonderfully by James Woods, has people go out and find new footage for the network to play. In his search, Renn comes across a video entitled Videodrome, which contains footage of a brutal torture of a few woman. The video becomes an obsession of Renn's and begins to control his life.

An incredible film, with amazing performances from Debrah Harry, singer for the band Blondie, and Woods. The film gives a surreal look at how what we see on television can control our lives. I recommend it to anyone who loves Sci-Fi or horror movies. Definately a classic.

"I want to play something for you."
Max Renn (James Woods) is the CEO of a sleazy little cable channel that is eking out its niche in the market by offering violence and soft-core pornography. Always on the lookout for something tougher, he becomes excited by the pirate broadcasts of a program called Videodrome, 30 minutes of torture with no pretense to any plot. He decides to track down the makers of the show, little realizing that he is already in way over his head...

David Cronenberg is a consistently interesting filmmaker and his major themes are on display here-the question of identity and the ways, both physical and psychological, that man is transformed by his technology. "Videodrome" is prescient in the way it forecasted the ever-increasing levels of depravity and sensation that has become available in the