Reviews (167)

Pulp Fiction Meets Fright Night
I'm a big fan of Tarrentino's work, though he gets alot of bad rap I believe him to be one of the most talented writers alive, starting with Resevoir Dogs, he wrote Natural Born Killers, and Four Rooms, Desperado, and finally coming to From Dusk Till Dawn. This movie was a rocker, holding any clues or hints that there would be deradful horror in the last hour. Teaming up with horror man Robert Rodriguez, they put together this very well made horror movie about two criminal crazy boys [George Clooney, Quentin Tarrentino] who are on the run for Mexico, They kidnap a family on road [Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and the son]and they come to a bar called the T**ty Twisters, they find that the bar is infact an eledged trap for feeding time for the vampires that inhabit it, they have to become a team with their hostages to survive, not to mention a couple other cast members; Fred Williamson, and the Sex Machine. You actually grow to admire the Gecko brothers [Clooney, Tarrentino]and Tarrentino's fine writing, alot of sick and twisted but also real features you'll see, along with bloody vampires nawing on humans, and a sided 4 man battle over a bloody severed body part battle ground, that turns to chaos. The movie was very well put together, starting out with 2 Pulp Fiction guys that run into a bunch of Fright Night vampires, the idea was to act upon the impressionable idea that Stephen King does himself in his novels, that to draw the audience into the story so that they indeed care about the characters and them BAM! vampires come along, you put the characters in this altered world of life and death. This movie is especially good on DVD, the sound is ausome along with the bonus materials, and the wide screen.

Vampires Might Be Hear To Stay With Cult Classic
In the early months of 1995, talented Mexican director Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Desperado, The Faculty) and cunning cinematic guru Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) merged artistic passions to compose an intricate genre hybrid that evokes both the artists unique sensibilities, emanates mind-bogglingly unthinkable comical insights, and reveals an abrasively hip yet sophisticated screen persona that supplies unforeseen drama within the forum of an exploitation film. Surging with distinctive Tarantino culture dialogue and references, Rodriguez's go-for-broke action sequences, marvelous performances from Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, John Saxon, Tom Savini, and Cheech Marin (in three supporting roles!!!), an unyieldingly concentrated pace, spectacular comedic splicing with its horror elements, splendid gore and make-up effects, and a predominantly mischievous ambiance of unpredictability that leaves any first-time viewer totally in hands of Rodriguez and Tarantino, From Dusk Til Dawn persists in being a heavily entertaining dual genre piece that attains dramatic grandeur, profound performances, and even moving pathos within the framework of exploitation piece.

The film depicts the story of the infamous Gecko Brothers', Seth (George Clooney) and Ritchie (Quentin Tarantino), odyssey from their violent southern Texas exploits to their arrival at the unforgettable Titty Twister bar. Along the way, the Gecko brothers inadvertently blow up a liquor store, hallucinate flirtations and verbal taunts, "accidentally" rape and murder a seemingly docile hostage, and kidnap a disillusioned pastor's family and their motor home on their way to their bar rendezvous across the Mexican border. Though these characters may seem to be the most unsympathetic characters to be rooting for. Tarantino's knack for instilling humanity into his criminals is second to none, and along the way towards the bar and the film's personality switch, through absorbing dialogue, gritty performances, and realistic plot developments (in the Tarantino half), we are given unusually affable characters that allow the audience just enough audience identification with the characters before they are literally placed into hell incarnate. While watching From Dusk Til Dawn, it crucial to note the film's story arc is essentially one-half Tarantino crime tale/ one-half gory horror gore opus. This was done I believe to introduce the characters, personality dynamics, and innate personal tendencies of the people in their real environments before establishing the horror. What happens quite often in horror films of the last two decades is we, the audience, are immediately transported to the improbable before we even really know our characters. The characters of a movie are our conduits into the realm and the story of a movie. Doesn't it seem probable that if we have an enhanced understanding of the characters we might enjoy the film's narrative a lot more? From Dusk Til Dawn follows this mentality to its most logic summation as character and style overcome commercial convention.

Since it release, From Dusk Til Dawn consistently besieges it audiences with an intoxicatingly visceral affront of violence, mayhem, elaborate chaos, and inventive havoc that entertains and delights beyond anyone's expectations. Though definitely not Academy Award material so to speak, From Til Dawn remains a superlative horror extravaganza.

As for the film's new DVD Collector's Series edition, FDTD contains an informative Rodriguez/Tarantino commentary track, a feature length documentary entitled "Full Tilt Boogie", extensive outtakes, deleted scenes, two music videos, the theatrical trailer, and much much more. A Definite Must for any Horror Fan.

Tarantino and Rodriguez? Excellent!
I've watched a couple Quentin Tarantino movies, and I absolutely loved them. I also liked 'Once Upon A Time In Mexico' from Robert Rodriguez. So as you can imagine, when I heard about this movie, I was very excited. Tarantino is a masterful screenwriter, and Rodriguez definitely has decent skills behind the camera.
After watching the movie, I have to criticize one thing. The first half (about) of the movie was flawless, with QT and George Clooney as two Convicts, the Richie and Seth Gecko. When they embark from the first scene on, it seems as though the movie could go any direction and still be entertaining. However, when you throw in a night club that is flocking with vampires (fitfully so, the club is open dusk till dawn), you can't keep the same movie that you had. I give the story a lower score due to the fact that it doesn't fit well. If you couldn't guess from the title, and you hadn't seen the trailer, you would be oblivious to the fact that the second half of this movie is all vampires. I believe it would've worked better as a full movie of either type. Crime or Horror. But nevertheless, I couldn't resist the acting from QT and Clooney, along with Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis. Other than my single complaint, I really enjoyed this movie. As bloody and violent as it is, it's just so fun.

queten tarentino-another excellent director
3 people get abducted by an escaped con and his brother and go to mexico.they hang out in a bar full of vampires all night.george clooney is in it.he does an outstanding job as a escaped prisoner.then theres some freaky sex offender type-not necessary!and the 3 hostages.they are some old preacher dude,juliette lewis and some mexican kid.this is not for children.it is by far and away the best of the from dusk till dawn set.there is a post rape scene at the front that could turn a few heads.thier is a mexican stripper who.........well.....strips and of course the always awesome julieete lewis to look at.every role ive ever seen her play she did an excellent job.she is my favorite actress.the hype says this movie rocks and it does.there is a special apperance by cheech also.filthy and brief.juliette lewis and george clooney both do an excellent job but have better films out there.

sucked
this movie was good for the first 40 minutes....after that it just blew REALLY hard. vampires? come on! i felt like i was watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." it had the potential to be a very good movie, but instead pussied out. don't even bother renting this. or option number 2: rent it for the first forty minutes of it, and laugh at the rest. ... Read more

Reviews (59)

The Demon of the Amazon
The classic feature "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is the latest DVD in Universal's Classic Monster Collection. In a forbidden lagoon on the Amazon, a scientific expedition searches for the fossilized remains of an "amphibious missing link" and discover a living specimen that falls for the head scientist's female assistant. When attempts to capture the creature failed, the powerful beast plots his revenge upon the scientists. Though not the scariest feature in the Universal Monster Collection, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is a solid and effective Sci-Fi film that features one of the most inventive movie monsters. This 1954 film contains a well-paced storyline, interesting characters and great underwater photography. The "Gillman's" scaly design is quite remarkable. The cast includes Richard Carlson, Julie Adams and Richard Denning.

Universal earns high marks for giving a classic monster feature a great DVD presentation. The film is presented in its original fullscreen format. The DVD contains a stunning B&W picture quality with great clarity. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound is well preserved and surprisingly clear. The DVD also includes audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver, theatrical trailers and "Back to the Black Lagoon" featurette. With such fine picture quality and interesting supplements, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" earns a solid "B".

THE GILL-MAN OF THE AMAZON.....
Probably the most celebrated monster film of the 50's (it even had a small role in "The Seven Year Itch"), "Creature from the Black Lagoon" deserves re-issue along with it's two sequels "Revenge of the Creature" and "The Creature Walks Among Us". The legendary tale of an ill-fated expedition up the Amazon after the discovery of a humanoid claw fossil remains a favorite for so many reasons. The Gill-Man monster suit and the leading lady Julie Adams are two reasons in my book. The Creature still looks good on film and Adams was the perfect heroine in her short-and-halter top oufits and, of course, that white swim suit. The underwater scenes of the Creature swimming underneath her in the lagoon have stayed in my memory all these years. Director Jack Arnold created a lasting film that may not hold up as well as it once did, but it's a treasure for sci-fi/horror fans all over the world. Richard Carlson and Richard Denning provided the stalwart male drama and heroics but the Creature's pursuit of Julie Adams is what gives this classic that strange sort of sex appeal that lies underneath the terror. It's a beautifully photographed b&w thrill ride for those of us who never get tired of watching it. Out of print? For now maybe. But he'll be back. And maybe with his sequels...

Should have included a Field Seqential 3-D version!
Not that many people are aware of the Field Sequential 3-D.
This is a 3-D TV system that uses special shutter glasses that can be purchased here through Amazon in a set that includes 3 DVD's using this process. This system Is the only way to view a 3-D film effectively on TV to date. The result is about 90% close to the effect you will see in a theatre showing.. like IMAX and Disney and Universal.
These glasses are made of sturdy plastic and clear not these cardboard red and blue pieces of garbage, so you can view the film without constricted to seeing red and blue colors and with this system you will see more actual 3-D depth with the films true colors.. It's really amazing!
For some add reason the big studios haven't adapted to include a separate version of a 3-D title in this great format.
Films like:
"House of Wax","Kiss Me Kate","Friday the 13th Part 3", "Robot Monster, "Cat Woman on the Moon", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Jaws 3" are all now in 2-D DVD, but were originally shown in 3-D and could have been included using the Field Seqential 3-D system on the same disc with the 2-D version.
In Japan in the late 80's there were a few 3-D titles released using Field Sequential and can be found on e-bay converted to DVD and VHS.
Why aren't the studios producing these now!
I boycott any film DVD release that was originally intended to be seen in 3-D that's only presented in a 2-D version or anaglyph (Red and Blue Glasses).

Since this is out of print maybe we can hope that Universal will wake up and produce a new version containing Field Seqential 3-D!
The studios should really be awaken to this great 3-D system.

Good thing it was made in the 50's
This movie is one of the best horror/scifi/monster movies ever! Its shows how good monster movies could be even after the Golden Age of Universal's horror into the fifties where there were more chessy than classy monsters terrifying audiences. A marine humanoid goes after a human girl for whom he is attrached to. May sound hoaky but this movie is nothing of the sort. If it had been made today, it would proably be another crapfest like "Sabertooth" or "Reptilian" made by the Sci Fi channel. The characters wouldn't be likable (Yeah I think Mark's a jerk) and the Creature would just have no pride. This movie was good enough and the Creature is cool enough to be included alongside Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Phantom of the Opera. To stand alongside such a classy work of Gothic art like Dracula or the first two Frankensteins is pretty good. This movie got me into old horror movies. Now I am a classical horror fanatic thanks to this movie. Above are the eight characters I think of when I think of horror

Better than I thought it would be, now one of my favorites.
First of all, I am fairly new to these classic monster movies. I have seen Dracula before but that was it. I knew that the Creature dvd was out of print and considerably rare, so when I stumbled upon it for $25 I knew I had to give it a shot. I am glad because it turned out to be a great movie, a true classic to be sure.

The story revolves around a scientist who discovers the hand of some unknown creature in the rocks. Knowing it was a water based creature, he heads back to get an expedition together to further explore his finding. The thought was that this creature could be the link between man and aquatic animals. When two scientists dive into the black lagoon they encounter the creature, and one of the scientists becomes determined to kill the creature in order to get the credit for this find. Later Kay, played by Julie Adams, goes for a swim in the lagoon and becomes the object of the creature's desires. That is all I will say about the plot, but you need to see this classic for yourself because it has such a great story, great acting, and the underwater scenes look terrific.

I love this movie now, and I am sure any fan of classic monster movies will too, that is if you havent seen it already. I was lucky enough to find this for a reasonable price but since it is out of print it is in high demand, selling for around $60 and up on Amazon/Ebay. Also there are some great extras on the disc, such as the 40 minute Back to the Black Lagoon which goes behind the scenes for The Creature and two sequels made after it. There are also theatrical trailers and posters which are interesting to see. Since I liked this so much I will view The Monster Legacy set, but I am sure the Creature will rank right at the top with the best of them. Get this if you can, you won't be sorry you did.

(...) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

What would the average sensible American do if he encountered apulsing ball of protoplasm from outer space? That's right: he'd poke it witha stick. Thus begins the endearingly earnest and silly tale of TheBlob. Young Steve McQueen takes on his first leading role as, um, Steve,a spunky teenager with plenty of heart. Steve sees the blob kill the localdoc, but darn it, none of the town's adults will believe him! Yup, it's up tothe teens to save the day! Steve and his trusty girlfriend Jane break theircurfews(!) and head off into the night to find the Blob and warn the town.The Blob is a completely enjoyable watch from start to finish,offering the triple pleasures of 1950s morals, gee-whiz acting, and a wholelotta extras running around and screaming. The special effects, thoughprimitive, certainly get the job done, and it is still a treat to watch theBlob ooze its way to its next meal. You may notice that the theme song issurprisingly bouncy for a horror flick ("Beware of the Blob! It creeps, andleaps, and glides and slides across the floor"). It was written by Hal Davidand a fresh young composer by the name of Burt Bacharach. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (47)

My Favorite Hunk Of Flesh-Devouring Protoplasm!
Yes! A meteorite crashes to earth, unleashing the blob! An old man is it's first victim, foolishly poking at it with a stick, only to be absorbed into it's mass! Steve McQueen is excellent in his first starring role. He witnesses his local doctor being assimilated into the monster. The cops don't believe him. Only the town's swinging teens will help. Meanwhile, the blob is on a rampage, eating everyone and growing bigger and redder with each new meal! What is it? Where did it come from? Can it possibly be stopped?? This movie will have you checking under your bed, chair, and even in your duct-work for this hellish beasty! Watch it at your own risk...

Silly Putty from Outer Space.
This is the apex of '50s sci-fi camp. Quite correctly, amazon.com has this listed as Sci-fi/Comedy. Unlike many old sci-fi flicks that take themselves seriously, this film goes with the goofy flow, and occasionally laughs at itself. An indestructible mass from outer space absorbs humans, and grows gigantic. One great moment is the scene at the local theater. As the teenagers sit, engrossed in a spook show marathon, the gelatinous mass gobbles the projectionist and oozes through the projection room windows. It dribbles through the theater and out the double doors into the street, finally causing mass panic. This movie memory is part of '50s baby boomer folklore. Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut run around town trying to persuade the adults that a monster is on the loose, and, no, it's not a teenage prank. The chasm separating adults and teenagers impedes the kids' ability to serve as the community's monster-attack warning system. The adults in this movie are straight from the "Ward and June Clever" profile. Another hilarious moment unfolds thus: running out into the street in his sleeper PJs, Ignatz (or is his name Danny?), Corsaut's annoying little brother, fires his cap pistol at the Blob. When the caps are gone, the kid throws the toy gun at the monster, the old movie Western standby. The snappy little rock-n-roll song above the opening credits sets the proper mood. The oddly effective blend of spine-tingling suspense and bizarre humor make this one a winner. Great fun for collectors and nostalgia buffs. ;-)

My favorite horror flick.
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film

This film needs no introduction. Terence "Steve" McQueen's first starring role remains one of his best.

A meteorite lands in the woods releasing a viscous substance that absorbs living things and gets bigger each time it does so. Some local teens attempt to convince the police what is happening while rescuing the town.

The acting is really good too.

I like this film even more as it was made entirely within 20 miles from my home. The locations where the movie was filmed attract many tourists. The movie theater featured in the film even holds an annual Blobfest every July attended by the cast and crew.

The director Irvin Yeaworth directed several sci-fi films to learn how to direct better. He has since done hundreds of religious short films. Assistant Producer Russell Doughten went on to direct the apocalyptic "Thief in the night" films which are based on the Biblical book of Revelation. As a Christian, this film remains special to me, being directed by another Christian.

The DVD has several special features including a slideshow of production stills, a theatrical trailer, and a foldout poster.
There are also two audio commentaries which are very impressive.

The first is by producer Jack Harris and film historian Bruce Eder who has done much work with the Criterion Collection. The commentary mentions several events about the production and the untimely death of Steve McQueen They also mention his stay in a Mexican clinic in an attempt to cure his cancer with a controversial drug derived from fruit seeds which is banned in the US as quackery. They also mention Steve asking Billy Graham to visit him in the clinic to pray for him.

The second Commentary is by Director Irvin Yeaworth Jr. and actor Tony Fields.
In this commentary, Yeaworth talks much about his desire to make relgious films and gives further production information.

This DVD is one of the really good ones and it is a film that one should not miss.

The Blob (original 1958)
I saw this B-movie almost 6 years ago, and I haven't forgotten it since. Steve McQueen does a fabulous job as a young man whose girlfriend and him are caught up in a terrifying frenzy of terror when a gigantic blob of goo starts killing people around a city. THE BLOB is an extremely creative and thoroughly enjoyable experience. It's one of those films that has a plot so simple and yet so fresh, that's the effect that adds the creepiness to it. This movie is a true, B-movie classic and should never be forgotten.

"It Creeps & Leaps & Glides & Slides Across the Floor...."
Taken as a straight horror film, 1958's THE BLOB would admittedly fail, as it is not creepy or frightening by any conventional cinematic standards. But this campy classic is not meant to be taken seriously. From the opening bars of the catchy pop-music theme song to the question mark that follows the words THE END, the film is a blatant send-up of 1950s American culture and its white-bread mores and sensibilities. The film is replete with palpable caricatures of nearly every cultural icon of 1950s: Squeaky-clean teenagers, rock-n-roll music, hot-rods and drag racing, friendly neighborhood cops, cold-war anxiety...you name it. Indeed, taken as a whole, the film itself is a spoof of both the invasion-from-space and the giant-monster-on-the-loose sci-fi flicks that were popular earlier in the decade.

THE BLOB was made and released in the wake of teen-angst films like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and beatnik publications like Kerouac's ON THE ROAD, and it was also a time when the counterculture icons of the 1960s--rock groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; gurus of alternate lifestyles such as Dr. Timothy Leary and Abbie Hoffman--were formulating their radical ideals and ideologies. In other words, THE BLOB was the product of a period when American youth were becoming restless and were itching for artistic and intellectual stimulation, and teens and young adults were therefore growing increasingly weary of bland 1950s conservatism. Campy films like THE BLOB capitalized on that attitude by offering up exaggerated and surrealistic snapshots of the culture's insipid qualities, thereby giving the younger crowd an opportunity to openly laugh at the worldview of their elders. Alas, the sardonic humor and satirical subtext of THIS classic film seems to be lost on the average contemporary audience.

The special FX in THE BLOB are typical of 1950s cinema, but that only adds to the humor and the fun. The gelatinous titular character is especially a hoot to watch. Even though the illusion of its movement is obviously the result of stop-motion animation, it is still quite compelling to see it ooze under doors, through duct vents, and down Main Street, USA.

Film buffs will definitely enjoy seeing the venerable Steve McQueen in one of his earliest film roles--the twinkle in his eye as he delivers his ah-gee-whiz lines should clue you in to the fact that this film is parody--and couch potatoes and fans of classic TV will recognize Aneta Corsaut, the girl playing Jane Martin, from her recurring role as Helen Crump on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.

The visual transfer on Criterion Collection's DVD version of THE BLOB is beautiful--probably the best digital version to date--and the disc also offers extras that include two interesting audio commentaries. The one negative aspect of CC's disc, though, is some very noticeable scratchiness on the soundtrack during a few short portions of the film. For the price that the CC charges for their discs, consumers are right to expect all noticeable flaws in picture and sound to be cleaned up.

Overall, THE BLOB is a great piece of classic camp, and the five-star rating is based on the film itself and does not, therefore, reflect the aspects of any particular DVD version. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometimes a movie achieves such legendary status that it can't quitelive up to its reputation. Plan 9 from Outer Space is not one of thesemovies. It is just as magnificently terrible as you've heard. Plan 9is the story of space aliens who try to conquer the Earth through resurrectionof the dead. Psychic Criswell narrates ("Future events such as these will affectyou in the future!") as police rush through the cemetery, occasionally clippingthe cardboard tombstones in their zeal to find the source of the mysteriousgoings-on. More than just a bad film, Plan 9 is something of a one- stop clearinghouse for poor cinematic techniques: The time shifts whimsicallyfrom midnight to afternoon sun, Tor Johnson flails desperately in an attempt torise from his coffin, and flying saucers zoom past on clearly visible strings.Fading star Bela Lugosi tragically died during filming, but such a small hurdlecould not stop writer-producer-director Ed Wood. Lugosi is ingeniously replacedwith a man who holds a cape across his face and might as well have "NOT BELALUGOSI" stamped on his forehead. Plan 9 is so sweetly well- intentioned in both its message and its execution that it's impossible not tolove it. And if you don't, well, as Eros says, "You people of Earth are idiots!"--Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (166)

Out of this world!
"Plan 9 From Outer Space" has been dubbed the worst film ever made. I can't disagree with that. Here are just a few of the things that qualifies it for that title.

- When the police drives from the town to the cemetary time somehow switches from night to day back to night.

- The Swedish accent of wrestler Tor Johnson, playing a police officer / walking corpse.

- The six feet tall, blonde chiropractor that replaced deceased Bela Lugosi.

- The plates-glued-together UFO's with strings completely visible.

- The cardboard tombstones that wiggle.

- The cemetery ground, obviously a piece of fabric covered with leaves.

- The plot, or rather lack thereof.

- The dialogue, hilariosly funny only because it's meant to be serious.

- The actors. Nuff said.

Still, it's also one of the best films ever made. Ed Wood Jr. was a filmmaker with a passion. He wanted to make films, so he made films. You can't help but respect that. That's why this movie deserves five stars, and "Deathstalker III: Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell" deserves none.

Future events such as these...
Uttery obscure until the Medved brothers' 'Golden Turkey Awards' highlighted it as the 'Worst Film Ever Made', this is not so much a 'bad' film as a hysterically incompetent one. Consistently failing to triumph over the lack of money, resources and technique available, it quite neatly shows how films should not be judged in terms of 'bad' or 'good', but in terms of 'entertaining' or 'not entertaining'. Whilst 'Plan Nine' is clearly the work of bungling, but enthusiastic incompetents, it's hugely entertaining in a way that the professionally-done 'Speed 2: Cruise Control' is not. Only 'Robot Monster' comes close the the tone of insane incoherence. Where else can you see such a diverse, iconic cast (featuring the recently-deceased Bela Lugosi, a late-night-television horror movie hostess, a wrestler, and a minor celebrity hypnotist) deliver dialogue such as 'Inspector Clay's dead, murdered, and somebody's responsible'?

Note that there are two DVD releases - this one has a lengthy (longer than the film, in fact) documentary, whilst the other has a plug for Tim Burton's equally-good 'Ed Wood'. This one is slightly more expensive, but worth getting, as the documentary is excellent. Commenting on picture and sound quality seems somehow inappropriate, really.

Well it ain't the worst
In fact besides I'd go as far as to say this is perhaps the most competent Ed Wood movie around. Sure there are glaring errors such as Bela running back and forth to the grave in broad daylight ( when it's supposed to be night-time ) and his replacement is obvious ( come on, he's at least 4 inches taller I reckon ). And indeed the last 20 minutes descended into a farce that unfortunately sunk the film. Yes, it shows a degree of ineptitude on Ed's part but for most of the film there was an almost professional air to how the actors acted.

Ed thought that he'll be remembered for this film. This was his big one and he's right, it's the one we remember him most for. However I don't think he would have liked the tag it's been given but if you want to be remembered he certainly went about the right way in doing it ( even if the results were all wrong )

But if we start at the start with Bela's last real scene where he mourns his lover's death - that was a really touching scene. The emotion in that looks too real that it can't be described as fake or cardboard cut out. If anything that was the most poignant scene Ed ever captured on film. He may have been an inept film-maker but that was a stroke of genius - no kidding!

I get the feeling Ed cast Vampira as Lugosi's wife mainly because if you've seen the Tim Burton movie you'll know that Lugosi thought she was " a honey " and it was certainly a nice gesture to Bela to do that. Vampira doesn't have to do much in this film. Just walk really slowly and look ominous whenever the camera is on her. Looks beautiful while doing so I have to admit. I'm almost certain that she inspired George Romero to make Night of The Living Dead by her walking alone.

Criswell makes his appearance in this film and you have to say, him, along with Vampira and Tor, got almost uncanny lookalikes in Tim Burton's biopic that it seems almost spooky.

Hats off to whoever had the idea of using saucer lids for um the use of flying saucers. Really neat and easily identified even if it was black and white. Still not too bad a job. Oh and who could forget Saturn as a ballbearing - Top Class!

The last 20 minutes are a farce as I've said before mainly because it's supposed to be a showdown between the humans and the aliens....or to be more precise 3 men with guns and a man and a woman in funny clothing that are supposed to be aliens. The acting here is horrifically poor and despite it all being passionately acted it just seems.....well a bit silly. And whatever niggling doubts you had about the film leading up to the last 20 minutes, will no doubt be exposed by the end. A shame because the film showed Ed at his most coherent. And that sadly was the pinnacle of Ed's career.

So all in all it's not the worst movie of all time and certainly not the worst you'll ever see ( unless you're a connoisseur of good taste and in that case what the hell are you reading this for ). Definitely his most enjoyable film. Now if someone could only just tell Criswell to shut up ( I wish Ed had tried, honestly try to do that ).

But for Ed, this would be his shot at greatness and while it backfired, it was about as good as he could make it. Perhaps if he were making these now and not 40 years ago he might have gotten away with it. And I'm sure Ben Affleck would have been great as the dumb pilot if it were made now. Think about it

Here's to Ed though - he may not have been the greatest but he sure knew how to entertain us

Bela Lugosi Lives! (Just not in this film)
How does one describe a movie such as this? Like "Robot Monster," it is a masterpiece, and like "Robot Monster," this is not because "Plan 9 From Outer Space" has even a shadow of an ounce of quality to it. Rather, this is an example of just how wrong everything in any creative project can go if it is in the hands of the right angora-wearing genius.

For nothing (and I mean NOTHING) came out right in this movie. Continuity? Hah! Realistic dialogue? Pish! Convincing acting? Gah! Remotely realistic special effects? Heaven forbid! No, what Ed Wood gave us with "Plan 9" is quite simply a cinematic failure that not even Orson Wells could have duplicated if he had tried. In what other movie is one of your stars dead even before the script is written or shooting begins?

No, "Plan 9" is unique, a thing that we mere mortals can only begin to try and understand. Instead we can only watch, transfixed and trembling in awe that Wood's vision was transmitted so perfectly to the silver screen. This is a movie that well deserves to be ranked among the immortal creations of motion picture history, despite or perhaps because of the fact that it completely lacks any of the features that would normally merit such an inclusion.

To think otherwise can only be the result of stupid minds. Stupid! Your stupid, stupid minds!

"You see. You see. Your stupid minds. Stupid. Stupid."
Also known as "Grave Robbers From Outer Space", Edward D. Wood's masterpiece of horrific filmmaking has been called the "worst movie ever made" by more than a few critics and movie fans. This hasn't kept this unintentially hilarious sci-fi dud from becoming a massive cult classic. And rightfully so. Ed Wood's art for making movies so bad that they're actually good has never been more apparent than it is here.

"Plan 9" revolves around a couple of space invaders in bad suits who fly around in spaceships on strings and resurrect the recently dead to haunt the inhabits of a small town where it seems to go back and forth from night to day a lot. The humans aren't having it though as a joint team of the local police, military, and an overacting airline pilot refuse to be terrorized by the undead creatures (who can't decide whether they're ghouls or vampires). But these visitors from a badly-drawn planet resembling Saturn have their own intentions. They're hear to warn us of a new solar-powered weapon that the Earth will eventually create and wipe out the universe. But our heroes aren't going down without a fight. They've got enough army movie stock footage to send them aliens back where they came from.

What makes "Plan 9" so entertainingly terrible? Where do I start? There's the overly-descriptive narration of Criswell who practically gives play-by-play for every action in the film. You've got Bela Lugosi who appears courtesy of silent footage recorded before his death and with the help of a stand-in who looks nothing like him. And who could forget those cooky cops who don't allow the discovery of their Captain's horrifying death to damper their moods any? Also there's Duke Moore's hards-as-nails detective who fearlessly uses his gun to fix his hat when necessary.From the bargain basement graveyard chalk full of cardboard headstones to the hungry young overactors spitting out silly dialouge, "Plan 9" is truly the "Citizen Kane of bad movies".

For those looking to pick this gem up on DVD, the Image edition is the only way to go. Not only is the picture the best that it's ever looked but it comes with a feature-length documentary, "Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The Plan 9 Companion" and the trailer for the movie. Avoid the Passport version which has a company logo imprinted in the bottom corner similiar to the ones that TV networks use. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Title sounds very fifties, doesn't it?
With a title called Humanoids from the Deep, you'd probably be pretty dumb to expect anything more than a schlocky B-movie. And since I'm always game for a schlocky B-movie, I actually had decent expectations from this movie (even Leonard Maltin gave it 3 stars out of 4). Maybe not so unsurprisingly, Humanoids turns out to be a pretty lame, but also rather watchable, "monsters run amok" flick.

The fishing village of Noyo has a few problems on its hands, actually rather a LOT, in the form of mutated salmon that want to kill all the men and rape the women. We see this cycle play itself out for, well, the entire movie, so that's pretty much all there is plot-wise, excepting the Native American who has trouble from a bigot (played by Vic Morrow).

I've always said that it's entirely possible to make a truly entertaining film (for all the right reasons) from a fun premise. So Humanoids from the Deep probably could have made for one wild little horror flick if not for the stilted pacing and second-rate creature effects. The movie certainly has its heart set in the right place. We've got all the ingredients we expect from a movie like this: lots of gore and gratuitous nudity. Now only if the director could have crafted this with more competence and fun.

Humanoids feels almost two hours in length, even though it runs barely over eighty minutes. The monotony is occasionally punctuated by the nudity and the kill scenes, but it's a shame all the moments in-between don't hold much interest. This is probably because of the lack of atmosphere; director Barbara Peters doesn't give the film the much-needed creepy edge and look it demands. The movie looks and sometimes feels a little bland.

Not helping matters much are the special effects, which are rather poor. These mutated salmon are obviously just men in shoddy suits covered in seaweed. The gore effects, while nothing great, are adequate enough, particularly in the extremely violent climax, which must have made the R-rating a close call. Hard to believe the effects were done by Rob Bottin, who did such a masterful job on the visuals in The Thing.

Humanoids' pacing does get better in the last half hour, when all hell breaks loose, and we get a pretty nifty massacre at the end. Peters even throws in some gunplay, which I imagine would have been more exciting with better direction and editing. As far as script and acting goes, the former isn't quite as stupid as I'd expected it (don't get me wrong, the science is idiotic, though plot holes are sort of kept to a minimum) to be and the latter is actually not that bad for a Roger Corman production.

The score is done by none other than James Horner(!), who must have been in the budding stages of his career. To his credit, he doesn't rip off John Williams, though the music does have a Bernard Herrman-esque sound to it.

The Classic - very few come close
It is an honor to review this movie. 20 years ago my girlfriend and I were walking in Times Square past the movie house where Humanoids was playing. She saw a poster of the monster and wanted to know if such creatures really existed. At that point I knew I had to marry her.
I would like to give this movie 8 stars ********
Half of the movie is directed by Barbara Peters. This half stars Vic Morrow, Ann Turkel, and Doug McClure. They are solid as they seek to save their seaside community and understand the reptilo-humano-Jaws with gonads menace which threatens them. However, this part of the film is not exciting and not original, so it only gets two stars. The other half of the movie, the secret existence of which these actors and the director herself were unaware of (!!), consists of lovely young women at the beach being impregnated by a giant seaweed-covered sponge. There is a very hot sex-scene-threesome in a tent between a geeky puppeteer, his randy woodie, and a very alluring young thing who tries to seduce the marionette. In the midst of this scene, the puppeteer is disemboweled and the lovely young woman runs out of the tent without her clothes, down the beach, but is caught and impregnated by the seaweed-covered sponge. The scene is not explicit enough that you would have been able to explain his reproduction technique to your biology class, but it offers hints. This secret half of the movie deserves 5 stars because I have never seen anything like it before or since.
Finally, the art on the video box is sublime and deserves a star, too. 2 + 5 + 1 = 8

Whoh mama.
Pretty horrible, but bad in the Burial Ground or Pieces kind of way. The story here centers on a fishing town where the financial hub is evidently salmon. The fish have been thinning out, and all of the fishermen, morose beer-swilling lowlifes for the most part, are bitter. But there is one ray of hope in the form of the cannery that's supposed to revitalize the whole town. Add to this powder keg the Billy Jack-esque Indian guy that wants to preserve the land.

Apparently, a scientist working for the cannery has been tampering with salmon, I guess on some genetic level, to make better salmon or something. What this actually does is create a race of humanoid salmon, buck-toothed monsters with bulging brain sacks and gigantic rubber flippers. The monsters are coming ashore and mauling people, but they are particularly driven towards the chicks. You see, salmon monsters need love too, especially when it comes in the the form of bikini-clad or outright naked beach girls. There isn't much romanace involved. The girls just sort of scream and run, then make sure they fall once or twice so the rubber flipper tread can keep up with them. Now, when the girls aren't entertaining the salmon monsters, they're busy getting it on with land-based degenerates (who just want to drink some beer and have a good time.) More to the point, one girl, tenting on the beach near the tide line for some bizarre reason, is actually coaxed out of her clothes by a puppet with only slightly more finesse than the salmon monsters. There is one blonde girl, voluptuous, milky-skinned, that's kind of pretty, and the salmon monsters really take a liking to her. They take her to their lair, which is above ground, and this is okay, since the salmon monsters just randomly venture miles inland and take to the water only when it's convenient.

Eventually, one of the salmon monsters is killed, giving the salmon scientist a chance to study it and make a round of profound observations. Evidently these humanoid salmon are in fact humanoid, and their amphibious attack patterns suggest the fact that they might be turning amphibious! There's never really any satisfactory explanation as to why they chase girls. Probably it's just an ego thing. Or maybe they ARE just diehard romantics---personally I think that is the true reason. The Creature from the Black Lagoon needed love too, and his defense, they threw a super hot babe into each one of his movies, and that was because the Creature, unlike the salmon monsters, had panache and that quiet kind of cool.

This movie is great if you just want to watch mindless crap, as I very often do. I only got this movie a few days ago, and I've already watched it like five times. It's inexpensive, and for what it is it fits the bill.

IF YOU GOT A TRILL FROM CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!!
I SAW THIS MOVIE WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT AND I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A SICK JOKE-ROTTEN FANTISY.THESE CREATURES ARE ON THE HOT SIDE .AND THEY DON'T WASTE ANY TIME TRYING TO MATE THE GIRLS& KILL EVERYTHING ELES.I REALLY WISHED THE MOVIE WAS ALOT LONGER.BUT I HAD TO ADD IT TO MY OLD MOVIE COLLECTION ANYWAY.IT IS ALWAYS A REAL PLEASURE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE.!!YOU WILL LOVE IT TOO.

great fun
Hugely enjoyable B movie from the Corman stable. This is certainly the best looking version I've seen of the film - though it does suffer a little from being transferred at the incorrect 4:3 ratio.
Rob Bottin's creatures of the title still hold up surprisingly well today and the film rattles along at a breakneck pace clocking in at a tight 80 minutes. Excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (375)

There's No More Room in Hell, So the Dead Now Walk the Earth
1978's DAWN OF THE DEAD is the second entry in George Romero's "DEAD" trilogy, though it isn't as scary or as groundbreaking as his first, the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Still, for a low-budget sequel, it is an interesting and entertaining film, an unusual mix of action, drama, comedy, and horror that actually functions on two levels: One, it is a stomach-churning study of the depths to which people will sink in order to ensure their survival; and two, it is a dark satire that takes several pokes at Western consumerism.

The plot of DAWN OF THE DEAD builds on the premise of its predecessor. The world is now becoming overrun with the flesh-eating zombies, and in the United States, martial law has been declared and all survivors are required to go to state-run "rescue stations" for shelter and protection. The manager of a TV station and her helicopter-pilot boyfriend decide to defy authorities and seek out their own save haven, and two police officers--friends of the helicopter pilot--decide to abandon their duties and go along with the couple. The group eventually arrives at an abandoned shopping mall, and when they realize that the stores within contain all they need to survive--food, clothing, and weapons & ammunition--they seal off the building, dispose of most of the zombies inside, and take up residence. But when their claim on the mall and its goods is challenged by a band of motorcycle-riding marauders, the quartet is soon fighting for survival against not only the zombies, but also against their own kind.

Although the audience has been made to sympathize with the film's four protagonists, there is no true heroism in this world of Romero's making. Instead, there are only different levels of self-interest and narcissism. After the four move into their new home and start living off the "fat of the mall," they quickly develop a sort of bourgeois attitude towards the comforts they now enjoy. Of course, that is exactly the Western attitude that Romero is ridiculing--that sense of security and satisfaction one feels after amassing material goods. And when the group's right to possession is violently challenged by outsiders, Romero clearly demonstrates just how tenuous a security based on personal possessions really is.

Romero is a master storyteller who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his audience. In this film, he creates a relentless sense of unease by juxtaposing the repulsive and grotesque with the lighthearted and humorous. For example, when the quartet of protagonists first occupies the mall, they turn on the mall-wide Muzak system to mask from the zombies the noises they make while looting the stores. So for several scenes there is this macabre contrast between bloody, pasty-faced zombies and syrupy instrumental music. Uncomfortably comical and humorously disturbing.

Creepy, bloody (FX by Tom Savini), boisterous, and constantly full of surprises, DAWN OF THE DEAD is easily one of the most entertaining zombie movies ever made. True, it does have an underlying anti-materialism message that is none too subtle, but that doesn't detract in the least from the enjoyment of being playfully spooked and repulsed by all the zombie grotesquerie. All in all, horror fans will have a good time watching this minor Romero masterpiece.

The Divimax Edition DVD from Anchor Bay offers an excellent digital transfer of the U.S. theatrical cut (often considered superior even to the director's cut), and there are lots of cool extras, too, not the least of which is a feature commentary with writer/director Romero and FX man Savini. A worthy addition to the film collections of serious horror fans, and well worth amazon.com's very reasonable asking price.

Dawn Of The Dead Is A True Horror Masterpiece!
An intense and overlooked horror classic, George A. Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead", the second and most popular in his Dead trilogy, is probably his most epic tale to date. Regarded by many, including Roger Ebert, as the ultimiate definition in horror films, "Dawn" is truly the thinking man's horror movie. Its horror is far more subtle than that of in-your-face suspense films like "Halloween" or "Exorcist" or for that matter, Romero's first Dead film, "Night". Where most slasher films provide those quick thrills that make us jump but dissapear from our memory almost as quickly as they appeared, "Dawn" creeps into our fears and shows us a view of our downfall as a civilazation.

"Dawn" centers around four survivors, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. members and a couple from a newstation, who are trying to escape a zombie plague that has engulfed the country. The film opens with chaos ensuing as a handful of newscasters attempt unsuccesfully to put together an emergency broadcast. We move forward to a project house where the tenants are protecting the undead because as one of the central characters explains, "They still believe there is honor in being dead". Guns blaze as seemingly more humans are taken down than actual zombies courtesy of a SWAT team bigit who goes buckwild but ends up getting his before the smoke clears.

As the violence in the city seems to be piling up, our four characters use the local news chopper to escape to the country side where the situation isn't any less of a problem though a handful of trigger-happy rednecks seem to be having a great time with their beers and shotguns. After a brief touchdown at said location where the group runs into a few problems with both the zombies and each other while gassing up their helicopter, they head back up into the sky and eventually land at a shopping center, the film's cental location.

Placing the story at a mall makes for not only a unique and creative backdrop but also allows for Romero to provide an intriguing social commentary on the madness of consumerism that seemed to sweep the late 70's. The zombies who try to break into the center are portrayed as people who loved shopping there so much in life that all they want to do is be there after death.

Romero and make-up effects wizard, Tom Savini are at the most sadistic during the concluding act of this film as our heroes do battle with another band of survivors, a motorcycle gang who shows up and tries to take over the mall for themselves. The zombies, who prior to this were pretty much an afterthought regain their power because their human counterparts are far too busy with each other to notice that they are regaining control of the place. Savini's graphic make-up effects really make for a great finale.

"Dawn Of The Dead" is very much a different film from "Night Of The Living Dead". "Dawn" takes a far different approach to the "dead taking over the world" concept that George helped create in "Night". The mall setting is far less clostrophobic than the farmhouse in the original but it is the nightmare outside that our characters must deal with. In "Night", it was all about getting past the problem that lie in front of them and it's smooth sailing. In "Dawn", the problem is almost reversed. They are safe inside their location, though their safety is an illusion, and it is the outside world that is coming in. They don't want to get away. The outside world is falling apart and the mall is almost a false symbol of protection.

"Dawn" probably will not be an instant overnight favorite. I, myself, was expecting a much different movie than the one I watched. Having caughts bits and pieces of "Day" before I actually sat down to watch it, I was expecting it to have more of the look and feel that I associated with that movie. I honestly didn't know what to make of the weird clothing, the Smurf-blue make-up effects, and the strange Goblins music that popped up through out the film. Within two weeks of watching it, it had become one of my favorite films. All these weird visuals that I found strange actually kept dragging me in over and over again. Though the film is over 25 years old, I can still honestly say that there are very few films of any genre that resemble it.

THE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! AT LAST!!!
A four disc edition? Who can ask for more? Obviously we saw it coming... the remake was there... the Divimax edition early this year... everybody was saying a big multi-disc edition was coming... and here it is!

To start analyzing this film we must take a look at NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. This film was a landmark as it introduced the zombies as we know today. Now, DAWN OF THE DEAD set a new landmark. In it, the zombies were a mature (sub)genre in modern cinema.

What makes this film so important? Everything! First it is the brilliant screenplay. The story... you already know: as the zombie population increases more and more, four people barricate themselves inside a big shopping mall, where they endulge themselves with all consumering desires they can think of.

Sounds simple? It is, but there is more than meets the eye: as the zombies try to get in (you'll have to wonder why) the four heroes inside discover their paradise makes them more empty than they would have thought it would... and slowly, life start making no sense.

DAWN OF THE DEAD is the kind of film that has been changing as the decades pass. Its violence seems to have softened if we think of all the action and horror films who came in the decades that followed (just like it happened with other horror landmarks like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). Its makeup is not comparable to the vast majority of horror films that came after (who had bigger makeup budgets)... but on the other hand, elements like tension, drama, character development and social critique have all grown more powerful then in all of the films that followed.

In other words, audiences who see this film today, many times discover the fact that its weight is changing fields... from graphic horror to social horror. And this kind of horror is no less potent and much more rare.

Mr. Romero is one of those rare horror screenwriter/directors who do have a strong critic point of view (and we can see it as he continues to deliver so in his later third zombie film - the sadly underated gem - DAY OF THE DEAD).

Clearly, this is a multi-layered film that demands multiple levels of reading. You must be aware of all the issues put inside this film. Otherwise, if you're in just for the cheap thrills, gore and violence, you'll probably be disappointed.

As a product of the late seventies, this is a production triumph because it manages to deliver a lot with minimum budget. The remake released early this year made a great update on this basic premisse.

I loved them both.

This edition seems to be more than we've all asked for (now that the simpler Divimax edition made all the money it could...). Here, you'll find all the versions and lots of extras.

But again... DAWN OF THE DEAD is a film that I am sure will be seen and celebrated for years to come. See it with an open mind and you too will discover why.

DAWN OF THE DEAD
A GREAT ZOMBIE MOVIE AND SEQUEL TO NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS GUT RIPPING,FLESH TEARING ZOMBIE FILMS.VERY WELL DONE AND ACTED WITH LOTS OF GORE.ANOTHER MASTERPIECE FROM GEORGE ROMERO. GET IT!!!! A++++

Can't Wait
I must be honest, I almost got tricked into buying the DiviMax edition aswell, but after taking a look at what features it had on it and hearing rumours about this four-disc edition, I decided not to bother. All in all by looking at the cover art and reading about what will be on it, I believe that this edition will be a great buy for the month of September and for any Dead fan out there and, hopefully it will be the last edition for this particular movie. I can just see it now, six months from now, brand new "SIX DISC" Special Edition, that would be quite a sight . ... Read more

Amazon.com

From a match made in heaven comes a movie spawned in hell! Young hotshot director Robert Rodriquez (El Mariachi, Desperado) teamed up with Pulp Fiction auteur Quentin Tarantino (offering his services as writer and co-star) to make this outrageous, no-holds-barred hybrid of high-octane crime and gruesome horror. QT plays Richard Gecko, a borderline psychopath who breaks his career-criminal brother, Seth (George Clooney), out of prison, after which they rob a bank and leave a trail of dead and wounded in their bloody wake. Then they hijack a mobile home driven by a former Baptist minister (Harvey Keitel) who quit the church after his wife's death and hit the road with his two children (played by Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu). Heading to Mexico with their hostages, the infamous Gecko brothers arrive at the Titty Twister bar to rendezvous for a money drop, but they don't realize that they've just entered the nocturnal lair of a bloodthirsty gang of vampires! With not-so-subtle aplomb, Rodriguez and Tarantino shift into high gear with a nonstop parade of gore, gunfire, and pointy-fanged mayhem featuring Salma Hayek as a snake-charming dancer whose bite is much worse than her bark. If you're a fan of Tarantino's lyrical dialogue and pop-cultural wit, you'll have fun with the road-movie half of this supernatural horror-comedy, but if your taste runs more to exploding heads and eyeballs, sloppy entrails and morphing monsters, the second half provides a connoisseur's feast of gross-out excess. Bon appétit! --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (167)

Pulp Fiction Meets Fright Night
I'm a big fan of Tarrentino's work, though he gets alot of bad rap I believe him to be one of the most talented writers alive, starting with Resevoir Dogs, he wrote Natural Born Killers, and Four Rooms, Desperado, and finally coming to From Dusk Till Dawn. This movie was a rocker, holding any clues or hints that there would be deradful horror in the last hour. Teaming up with horror man Robert Rodriguez, they put together this very well made horror movie about two criminal crazy boys [George Clooney, Quentin Tarrentino] who are on the run for Mexico, They kidnap a family on road [Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and the son]and they come to a bar called the T**ty Twisters, they find that the bar is infact an eledged trap for feeding time for the vampires that inhabit it, they have to become a team with their hostages to survive, not to mention a couple other cast members; Fred Williamson, and the Sex Machine. You actually grow to admire the Gecko brothers [Clooney, Tarrentino]and Tarrentino's fine writing, alot of sick and twisted but also real features you'll see, along with bloody vampires nawing on humans, and a sided 4 man battle over a bloody severed body part battle ground, that turns to chaos. The movie was very well put together, starting out with 2 Pulp Fiction guys that run into a bunch of Fright Night vampires, the idea was to act upon the impressionable idea that Stephen King does himself in his novels, that to draw the audience into the story so that they indeed care about the characters and them BAM! vampires come along, you put the characters in this altered world of life and death. This movie is especially good on DVD, the sound is ausome along with the bonus materials, and the wide screen.

Vampires Might Be Hear To Stay With Cult Classic
In the early months of 1995, talented Mexican director Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Desperado, The Faculty) and cunning cinematic guru Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) merged artistic passions to compose an intricate genre hybrid that evokes both the artists unique sensibilities, emanates mind-bogglingly unthinkable comical insights, and reveals an abrasively hip yet sophisticated screen persona that supplies unforeseen drama within the forum of an exploitation film. Surging with distinctive Tarantino culture dialogue and references, Rodriguez's go-for-broke action sequences, marvelous performances from Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, John Saxon, Tom Savini, and Cheech Marin (in three supporting roles!!!), an unyieldingly concentrated pace, spectacular comedic splicing with its horror elements, splendid gore and make-up effects, and a predominantly mischievous ambiance of unpredictability that leaves any first-time viewer totally in hands of Rodriguez and Tarantino, From Dusk Til Dawn persists in being a heavily entertaining dual genre piece that attains dramatic grandeur, profound performances, and even moving pathos within the framework of exploitation piece.

The film depicts the story of the infamous Gecko Brothers', Seth (George Clooney) and Ritchie (Quentin Tarantino), odyssey from their violent southern Texas exploits to their arrival at the unforgettable Titty Twister bar. Along the way, the Gecko brothers inadvertently blow up a liquor store, hallucinate flirtations and verbal taunts, "accidentally" rape and murder a seemingly docile hostage, and kidnap a disillusioned pastor's family and their motor home on their way to their bar rendezvous across the Mexican border. Though these characters may seem to be the most unsympathetic characters to be rooting for. Tarantino's knack for instilling humanity into his criminals is second to none, and along the way towards the bar and the film's personality switch, through absorbing dialogue, gritty performances, and realistic plot developments (in the Tarantino half), we are given unusually affable characters that allow the audience just enough audience identification with the characters before they are literally placed into hell incarnate. While watching From Dusk Til Dawn, it crucial to note the film's story arc is essentially one-half Tarantino crime tale/ one-half gory horror gore opus. This was done I believe to introduce the characters, personality dynamics, and innate personal tendencies of the people in their real environments before establishing the horror. What happens quite often in horror films of the last two decades is we, the audience, are immediately transported to the improbable before we even really know our characters. The characters of a movie are our conduits into the realm and the story of a movie. Doesn't it seem probable that if we have an enhanced understanding of the characters we might enjoy the film's narrative a lot more? From Dusk Til Dawn follows this mentality to its most logic summation as character and style overcome commercial convention.

Since it release, From Dusk Til Dawn consistently besieges it audiences with an intoxicatingly visceral affront of violence, mayhem, elaborate chaos, and inventive havoc that entertains and delights beyond anyone's expectations. Though definitely not Academy Award material so to speak, From Til Dawn remains a superlative horror extravaganza.

As for the film's new DVD Collector's Series edition, FDTD contains an informative Rodriguez/Tarantino commentary track, a feature length documentary entitled "Full Tilt Boogie", extensive outtakes, deleted scenes, two music videos, the theatrical trailer, and much much more. A Definite Must for any Horror Fan.

Tarantino and Rodriguez? Excellent!
I've watched a couple Quentin Tarantino movies, and I absolutely loved them. I also liked 'Once Upon A Time In Mexico' from Robert Rodriguez. So as you can imagine, when I heard about this movie, I was very excited. Tarantino is a masterful screenwriter, and Rodriguez definitely has decent skills behind the camera.
After watching the movie, I have to criticize one thing. The first half (about) of the movie was flawless, with QT and George Clooney as two Convicts, the Richie and Seth Gecko. When they embark from the first scene on, it seems as though the movie could go any direction and still be entertaining. However, when you throw in a night club that is flocking with vampires (fitfully so, the club is open dusk till dawn), you can't keep the same movie that you had. I give the story a lower score due to the fact that it doesn't fit well. If you couldn't guess from the title, and you hadn't seen the trailer, you would be oblivious to the fact that the second half of this movie is all vampires. I believe it would've worked better as a full movie of either type. Crime or Horror. But nevertheless, I couldn't resist the acting from QT and Clooney, along with Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis. Other than my single complaint, I really enjoyed this movie. As bloody and violent as it is, it's just so fun.

queten tarentino-another excellent director
3 people get abducted by an escaped con and his brother and go to mexico.they hang out in a bar full of vampires all night.george clooney is in it.he does an outstanding job as a escaped prisoner.then theres some freaky sex offender type-not necessary!and the 3 hostages.they are some old preacher dude,juliette lewis and some mexican kid.this is not for children.it is by far and away the best of the from dusk till dawn set.there is a post rape scene at the front that could turn a few heads.thier is a mexican stripper who.........well.....strips and of course the always awesome julieete lewis to look at.every role ive ever seen her play she did an excellent job.she is my favorite actress.the hype says this movie rocks and it does.there is a special apperance by cheech also.filthy and brief.juliette lewis and george clooney both do an excellent job but have better films out there.

sucked
this movie was good for the first 40 minutes....after that it just blew REALLY hard. vampires? come on! i felt like i was watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." it had the potential to be a very good movie, but instead pussied out. don't even bother renting this. or option number 2: rent it for the first forty minutes of it, and laugh at the rest. ... Read more

Reviews (292)

The Millennium edition is really good.
This review pertains only to the Millennium Edition DVD of Night of the Living Dead.

Okay...as I'd feared, my negative review of the John Russo-massacred "30th Anniversary Edition" of Night of the Living Dead has been lumped unwittingly into this product's review, so I' m writing this one to clarify.

This DVD edition is the best edition I've seen of the film yet. Anchor Bay may have raised the ires of legions of Living Dead fans by releasing the sacrilegious 30th Anniversary Edition, but Elite Entertainment did right by this new edition.

George A. Romero's personal appreciation appears in the back of this DVD -- this immediately restores our faith. And the contents don't disappoint -- the picture and sound are good, and though this doesn't exactly contain the richest batch of bonus materials (sets like the excellent 3-disc edition of Dario Argento's Suspiria and the recent double-disc Re-Animator both feature loads of extras), it is a nice solid collection. You get a Duane Jones interview (sadly with only audio and no image, but still great); an on-camera chat between Judith Ridley (Judy) and Marilyn Eastman (Helen); the hilarious student-film spoof "Night of the Living Bread" by Kevin S. O'Brien (which also appeared in the double-cassette VHS edition); two commentary tracks with Romero, Russo, Russ Streiner, Eastman, Karl Hardman and others. One very illuminating portion of this DVD for non-film-scholars is visually boring but informative -- several histories outlining the beginning of Romero's Latent Image company, on Hardman and Eastman's company, and how the two were married to produce Night of the Living Dead.

THIS is the right edition of Night of the Living Dead, the one to get for both fans and non-fans alike. It includes all the necessary people (notice that Russo, Streiner and Bill Hinzman were included in this release, despite their criminal participation in the 30th Anniversary Edition), and it presents the film the way it wants to be seen.
Now I'm waiting for a deluxe release of Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead...

Mutilation
This 30th Anniversary Edition takes the original Night of the Living Dead movie and throws in a new soundtrack and new scenes. As far as I was concerned, the original movie was perfect as is and this was unnecessary, however I decided to be openminded and give this edition a chance considering that the new material was written by John Russo (who co-wrote the original movie), and has photography (and acting) by Hinzman (who also helped create the original). I was completely let down.

The new scenes include a new introduction, miscellaneous scenes of zombies marching and getting killed by rednecks, and a new epilogue. The miscellaneous scenes sometimes interfere with the flow of the movie, the makeup is less effective, and some of the new extras are terrible. They do a half decent job of editing in the new scenes, but they are still noticeable (for example, the fashions are not quite right). The new introduction and epilogue are ridiculous.

The intro merely establishes that the lead zombie (played by Hinzman) was a criminal when alive. This takes away from one of the films most effective elements: that the zombies could be your next door neighbour or a close friend or relative, but they will still mindlessly try to kill you. Hinzman is obviously older in the frontal shots (the profiles are okay). When he starts attacking two gravediggers, one of the "actors" begins running away then realizes Hinzman was supposed to grab him first, so he actually goes back to the coffin and leans down so Hinzman can grab him!!! The fact they didn't do a second take shows a lack of care.

The epilogue is a "one year later" interview with an insane hellfire and brimstone preacher who survived the carnage. It is stuck in the middle (spoiler warning) of the scene of Duane Jones being killed and the ending credits showing the rednecks disposing of his body!! Talk about interfering with a very effective ending!

You do have the option to watch the original cut (on an excellent print), but you can only watch it with the new soundtrack! The old soundtrack was made up of library music, but it worked excellently. At best, the new soundtrack is mediocre. Sometimes it doesn't even fit the mood of the scene, for example being frantic when the action is more sedate and depressive.

The booklet contains interviews mostly consisting of the actors talking about how "flawlessy" the new scenes were added and how old fans will love the new version (wrong). There is a fun commentary track, but you get the same people (plus others, including Romero) giving the same info on the commentary tracks in the far superior Elite Millennium Edition.

Confusing Reviews
Many of the negative review below are for the Anchor Bay 30th Anniversary Limited Edition which has a new (mediocre) soundtrack and new footage, and have nothing to do with the dvd listed here, so don't get confused by all the negative reviews. This Elite edition is the definitive Night of the Living Dead dvd, approved by George Romero and stacked with extras. I doubt I need to go into what an excellent and important film this is or try to talk you into getting at least one version, so if you are just unsure of which edition to get, this is the one!

Whew, Amazon Really Has Made A Mess of This!
Why would Amazon lump all the reviews of the many editions of this movie together? Holy cow, what a mess! Who the hell knows what you're gonna wind up with, right?

This review is for the "Special Collector's Edition" DVD. The sound and picture quality are excellent, you get some nice extras and there are not one, but two, audio commentaries available for your delight!! Now you can pick up little bits of wisdom that were previously unavailable. Yeah, the movie gets the royal treatment that it deserves. A winner in every sense.

A great film butchered.
This review pertains only to the "30th Anniversary Edition".

I had been collecting George A. Romero's "Living Dead" trilogy on DVD and had purchased this without paying enough attention. Big mistake.

Night of the Living Dead has had some colossally confusing release patterns thanks to a copyright gaffe which had enabled every company under the sun to release the film and profit from it. But of the 'rogue editions' I've seen, nothing is worse than this one.

Notice the list of personnel involved in this project: John Russo, Russ Streiner, Bill Hinzman...anybody missing? That's right: George A. Romero himself. This "30th Anniversary" edition is a collaborated effort by Romero's former colleagues in the Night of the Living Dead crew to rip off Romero's work and make a profit from it.

The result is disastrous indeed. The new footage written and directed by John Russo serve to butcher the original film. Not only do the new scenes not contribute to the story, they look amateurish, mostly due to horrible writing. Russo had always wanted to claim more credit for the success of Night of the Living Dead than was due him; this attempt at appropriating credit for the original film only shows that Romero is the only one who understands the concept of the Living Dead films. Russo's heinous, childish writing and direction -- which are no better than that of the tongue-in-cheek soft-core videographers of, say, Seduction Cinema -- barely rise above the level of beginner film students. And his claim that the new footage matches the old is just ludicrous. Basically Streiner, Russo, Hinzman et al. have raped Romero's film, trying to use their involvement in the original to steal credit from Romero's work, desperately trying to put as much of their handprint onto the original as possible with this 'new footage'. Well, one minute watching Dawn of the Dead will show you that Romero was the filmmaker, and the others were the hacks.

Yet another guilty party in this whole enterprise is Scott Vladimir Licina, who had composed a new score for the film and plays a priest in the new scenes. The new score jars terribly with the old footage, and Licina's acting is atrocious -- reflective of the all-around low quality of the Russo footage.

Skip this one, crucify it, and leave it out for the zombies to chew on. This edition is a disgrace to Romero's legacy. Night of the Living Dead is one of the greatest horror films ever made; don't allow this sacrilegious edition to mislead your perception on the original film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Private eye Rafe Guttman (Dennis Miller) is hired by repressed,born-again Katherine (Erika Eleniak) to find her missing bad-boy brother.The trail leads him to a whorehouse run by a thousand-year-old vampire (Angie Everhart) and secretly backed by Katherine's boss, televangelist Jimmy Current (Chris Sarandon, wonderfully insincere and smarmy).Not for the squeamish or the easily offended (but you knew that from the title), Bordello of Blood is pulp horror as it should be--funny, fast, and full of gore. How many movies do you know where naked vampire hookers devour the still-beating hearts of their adolescent clients, or where the hero saves the day with a Super Soaker?Dennis Miller is at his wisecracking best as the oddest private eye since Elliot Gould played Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye.Angie Everhart devours her role with relish (yum!).And former Playboy Playmate Erika Eleniak seems to be enjoying the joke that in a movie filled with half-naked women, she's the only one who keeps her clothes on. --Geof Miller ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Underrated brilliance
I never understood why so many people hate this movie. Even Fangoria called it 'abysmal'. But I consider it a worthy follow-up to the delicious Demon Knight. It has brilliant acting: Dennis Miller is a treat as smartass private eye. Angie Everhart is not only the hottest female vampire in years, no, she even proves that she can actually act. Corey Feldman has one of his very few good roles. But who really chews the scenery is Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), one of the most underrated actors ever: His performance as a TV preacher alone makes this movie worth watching. Only Erika Eleniak is rather miscast. And watch out for Demon Knight veteran William Sadler (another underestimated actor) as mummy. The make-up F/X are not only unbelievably gory for an R-rated movie; they're so excellent they even surprise genre buffs who thought they've seen it all. The characters are wonderfully weird, and although there's loads of black humour in it, I'm glad Bordello of Blood never turns in a fun-splatter movie and still provides some chills. Even if you heard it's awful: Give it a try! It's more than just another vampire movie and has more imaginery than all those new teen horror films that Scream spawned together. I just hope there'll be a final part to the Tales from the Crypt full-length-feature trilogy.

Vampire Prostitutes
Bordello of Blood is the second Tales From the Crypt movie, and I found it very enjoyable.

Unlike the first movie (Demon Knight) this movie did not start out with the television show's opening. It opened more like a movie than an extra long episode.

Bordello of Blood is the story of a down-on-his-luck private investigator (Dennis Miller) looking for a missing teenager. The search leads him to a funeral home that is a front for a bordello run by vampires. Miller's client tells him to drop the case but he really needs the case to succeed if he is going to get his license back. Miller investigates and plays a very savvy investigator who doesn't fall for anyone's lines and is not surprised by what he finds. Added to this is television evangelism, the lore of vampires and their origin, and the key from the first movie.

The action is similar to the series with the same tongue-in-cheek humor (possibly even more so). I particularly liked the investigator's resourcefulness in eliminating the vampires (a long-range, large-capacity squirt gun filled with holy water) and the vampire applying the SPF100 sun block.

If you like Tales From the Crypt, there is no reason you will not like this one.

The reason Tales from the Crypt died
While the first film was a solid, self-contained horror flick with a touch of humor and a fair amount of sophistication and imagination, Bordello of Blood falls apart under poor direction and a far too free-spirited nature. While it is a failure as a sequel it manages to entertain only as a brainless timewaster.

Dennis Miller does his best with the weak material and ad-libs a lot of humor. A little too much, taking the film even further from it's already vague ambitions. But worry not, his humor is still free and easy, unlike his cryptic (no pun intended) football commentaries. Erika Eleniak is marginally engaging and Corey Feldman is well underused. The weakest performances come from Angie Everhart as the ancient vampire Lillith and Chris Sarandon as the outrageously stereotyped southern TV evangelist. It's these performances that keep the film eternally low brow.

It's sad that Tales from the Crypt totally died after this movie but the powers behind it went on to found the Dark Castle production company (check out those movies they're actually quite scary and effective).

This new version of Bordello of Blood is by Universal and is presented in it's proper aspect ratio of 1.85:1 anamorphic and is in Dolby 5.1. The cheapo snapper case has been replaced by a sturdy keepcase and a new cover art. The only new extra is a trailer.

Tales From The Crypt Presents - Bordello of Blood
When a Private Investigator (Dennis Miller) is hire by a church-going, sexy concerned sister (Erika Eleniak) to find her bad-assed brother (Corey Feldman) the case turns into a bloodbath. When they finally find her brother he is found in a local mortuary which tends to have funerals in the mornings and a whorehouse at night. The whorehouse is run by a vampire (Angie Everheart) whose over 1,000 years old. Full of comedy, gore and (of course) sex, Bordello of Blood is very satisfying and has the ability to entertain multiple viewings. The film also co-stars Chris Sarandon. The DVD isn't much. It only have a Theatrical Trailer.

Picture: B
Sound: B-
Special Features: F

Gorey and fun horror romp
The second (but hopefully not last) Tales From the Crypt film, Bordello of Blood is as nasty as it's title implies. Full of scantily clad vampire women and loaded with a surprising amount of gore for an R-rated movie, this film is pure trashy horror fun with comedian Dennis Miller playing a private eye who stumbles upon a bordello full of vampires being funded by an evangilist (Chris Sarandon). Plenty of toungue-in-cheek dark humor, hot babes, and wild gore; Bordello of Blood doesn't hit the same greatness as Demon Knight, but it doesn't try to either. Also featuring Erika Eleniak, Corey Feldman, and Angie Everhart as the mouthwatering vampire master. ... Read more

Reviews (292)

The Millennium edition is really good.
This review pertains only to the Millennium Edition DVD of Night of the Living Dead.

Okay...as I'd feared, my negative review of the John Russo-massacred "30th Anniversary Edition" of Night of the Living Dead has been lumped unwittingly into this product's review, so I' m writing this one to clarify.

This DVD edition is the best edition I've seen of the film yet. Anchor Bay may have raised the ires of legions of Living Dead fans by releasing the sacrilegious 30th Anniversary Edition, but Elite Entertainment did right by this new edition.

George A. Romero's personal appreciation appears in the back of this DVD -- this immediately restores our faith. And the contents don't disappoint -- the picture and sound are good, and though this doesn't exactly contain the richest batch of bonus materials (sets like the excellent 3-disc edition of Dario Argento's Suspiria and the recent double-disc Re-Animator both feature loads of extras), it is a nice solid collection. You get a Duane Jones interview (sadly with only audio and no image, but still great); an on-camera chat between Judith Ridley (Judy) and Marilyn Eastman (Helen); the hilarious student-film spoof "Night of the Living Bread" by Kevin S. O'Brien (which also appeared in the double-cassette VHS edition); two commentary tracks with Romero, Russo, Russ Streiner, Eastman, Karl Hardman and others. One very illuminating portion of this DVD for non-film-scholars is visually boring but informative -- several histories outlining the beginning of Romero's Latent Image company, on Hardman and Eastman's company, and how the two were married to produce Night of the Living Dead.

THIS is the right edition of Night of the Living Dead, the one to get for both fans and non-fans alike. It includes all the necessary people (notice that Russo, Streiner and Bill Hinzman were included in this release, despite their criminal participation in the 30th Anniversary Edition), and it presents the film the way it wants to be seen.
Now I'm waiting for a deluxe release of Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead...

Mutilation
This 30th Anniversary Edition takes the original Night of the Living Dead movie and throws in a new soundtrack and new scenes. As far as I was concerned, the original movie was perfect as is and this was unnecessary, however I decided to be openminded and give this edition a chance considering that the new material was written by John Russo (who co-wrote the original movie), and has photography (and acting) by Hinzman (who also helped create the original). I was completely let down.

The new scenes include a new introduction, miscellaneous scenes of zombies marching and getting killed by rednecks, and a new epilogue. The miscellaneous scenes sometimes interfere with the flow of the movie, the makeup is less effective, and some of the new extras are terrible. They do a half decent job of editing in the new scenes, but they are still noticeable (for example, the fashions are not quite right). The new introduction and epilogue are ridiculous.

The intro merely establishes that the lead zombie (played by Hinzman) was a criminal when alive. This takes away from one of the films most effective elements: that the zombies could be your next door neighbour or a close friend or relative, but they will still mindlessly try to kill you. Hinzman is obviously older in the frontal shots (the profiles are okay). When he starts attacking two gravediggers, one of the "actors" begins running away then realizes Hinzman was supposed to grab him first, so he actually goes back to the coffin and leans down so Hinzman can grab him!!! The fact they didn't do a second take shows a lack of care.

The epilogue is a "one year later" interview with an insane hellfire and brimstone preacher who survived the carnage. It is stuck in the middle (spoiler warning) of the scene of Duane Jones being killed and the ending credits showing the rednecks disposing of his body!! Talk about interfering with a very effective ending!

You do have the option to watch the original cut (on an excellent print), but you can only watch it with the new soundtrack! The old soundtrack was made up of library music, but it worked excellently. At best, the new soundtrack is mediocre. Sometimes it doesn't even fit the mood of the scene, for example being frantic when the action is more sedate and depressive.

The booklet contains interviews mostly consisting of the actors talking about how "flawlessy" the new scenes were added and how old fans will love the new version (wrong). There is a fun commentary track, but you get the same people (plus others, including Romero) giving the same info on the commentary tracks in the far superior Elite Millennium Edition.

Confusing Reviews
Many of the negative review below are for the Anchor Bay 30th Anniversary Limited Edition which has a new (mediocre) soundtrack and new footage, and have nothing to do with the dvd listed here, so don't get confused by all the negative reviews. This Elite edition is the definitive Night of the Living Dead dvd, approved by George Romero and stacked with extras. I doubt I need to go into what an excellent and important film this is or try to talk you into getting at least one version, so if you are just unsure of which edition to get, this is the one!

Whew, Amazon Really Has Made A Mess of This!
Why would Amazon lump all the reviews of the many editions of this movie together? Holy cow, what a mess! Who the hell knows what you're gonna wind up with, right?

This review is for the "Special Collector's Edition" DVD. The sound and picture quality are excellent, you get some nice extras and there are not one, but two, audio commentaries available for your delight!! Now you can pick up little bits of wisdom that were previously unavailable. Yeah, the movie gets the royal treatment that it deserves. A winner in every sense.

A great film butchered.
This review pertains only to the "30th Anniversary Edition".

I had been collecting George A. Romero's "Living Dead" trilogy on DVD and had purchased this without paying enough attention. Big mistake.

Night of the Living Dead has had some colossally confusing release patterns thanks to a copyright gaffe which had enabled every company under the sun to release the film and profit from it. But of the 'rogue editions' I've seen, nothing is worse than this one.

Notice the list of personnel involved in this project: John Russo, Russ Streiner, Bill Hinzman...anybody missing? That's right: George A. Romero himself. This "30th Anniversary" edition is a collaborated effort by Romero's former colleagues in the Night of the Living Dead crew to rip off Romero's work and make a profit from it.

The result is disastrous indeed. The new footage written and directed by John Russo serve to butcher the original film. Not only do the new scenes not contribute to the story, they look amateurish, mostly due to horrible writing. Russo had always wanted to claim more credit for the success of Night of the Living Dead than was due him; this attempt at appropriating credit for the original film only shows that Romero is the only one who understands the concept of the Living Dead films. Russo's heinous, childish writing and direction -- which are no better than that of the tongue-in-cheek soft-core videographers of, say, Seduction Cinema -- barely rise above the level of beginner film students. And his claim that the new footage matches the old is just ludicrous. Basically Streiner, Russo, Hinzman et al. have raped Romero's film, trying to use their involvement in the original to steal credit from Romero's work, desperately trying to put as much of their handprint onto the original as possible with this 'new footage'. Well, one minute watching Dawn of the Dead will show you that Romero was the filmmaker, and the others were the hacks.

Yet another guilty party in this whole enterprise is Scott Vladimir Licina, who had composed a new score for the film and plays a priest in the new scenes. The new score jars terribly with the old footage, and Licina's acting is atrocious -- reflective of the all-around low quality of the Russo footage.

Skip this one, crucify it, and leave it out for the zombies to chew on. This edition is a disgrace to Romero's legacy. Night of the Living Dead is one of the greatest horror films ever made; don't allow this sacrilegious edition to mislead your perception on the original film. ... Read more