Sybil Danning's Adventure Theatre: Seven (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)B-movie veteran William Smith ("Invasion of the Bee Girls", "Grave of the Vampire") stars in this fast moving adventure as the leader of a small team of specialists assigned to break up a notorious Hawaiian crime syndicate.Amazonian action star Sybil Danning introduces the movie.Also starring Barbara Leigh, Art Metrano, Martin Kove, Susan Kiger, Guich Koock, and Richard Le Pore.Directed by Andy Sidaris ("Stacey!", "Malibu Express"). Great movie, must see advanture.

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The Magic Voyage Of Sinbad / The Day The Earth Froze (1962) Review

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(More customer reviews)A little necessary background:
SADKO is a Russian fable about a harpist living in Novgorod who charms the Sea King and winds up rich. He also winds up sailing overseas to sell wares and, during a storm, is forced overboard where he once again charms the Sea King with his harp and is compelled to chose a wife from among the King's maidens before finding his way home to happily-everlasting-ness. (This has been turned into a famous opera by Rimsky-Korsakov called SAKDO.)
KALEVALA (pronounced: kah-lay-vah'-lah) is a Finnish epic poem compiled by Finnish poet Elias Lönnrot. It is at the heart of the Finnish culture and very familiar and dear to them. A few characters crop up thru out the poem. As does the magical Sampo which would spare the owners the rigor of work.
Which brings me to the movies:
THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD was a Soviet Union's filming of SADKO dubbed by American Capitalist running dog Roger Corman into a Sinbad story. So now Sinbad is a tall, stocky blonde with heavy fur clothes to keep out the heat. The city of Novgorod substitutes for an Arabic city. But, even more ludicrious is the effort by the Soviet filmmakers, halfway thru the country's failed experiment in Socialism, to turn Sadko into a self-sacrificing proletariat (christians and liberals will be turned on by the message, too).
I can still recommend this film because the cinematography perfectly evokes a fairy tale, and the story can be enjoyable if you manage to put away your sophistication and see it thru a youngster's eyes. I saw it as a young teenager, and the scene with the Bird of Happiness with Rimsky-Korsakov's SONG OF INDIA filling my ears is one I recalled for all these years and caused me to search for the film until I finally found it again.
While the Finnish poem, KALEVALA, has very little plot spread diffusely thruout the enormous length, THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE pulls the threads together. There's something uneven about the plot. It is slow in spots, then engrossing in other spots. It is however, like the movie above, a visual delight, despite the (very obvious) skimpy production values.
I saw part of this film mocked by the Mystery Science Theater folk, but I kept thinking how I'd like to see the film without the intrusive teasing. I was very happy to find it on DVD and see it in its pristine form.
However, the cast credits are a hoot. They actors listed in the movie must be the voice dubbing actors (or they're entirely made up). Curiously, Amazon lists a different and more authentic-sounding cast (altho, they say the story is based on "Norse/Scandanavian mythology" -- which would be a surprise to the non-Scandanavian Finns).

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Faerie Tale Theatre - Beauty and the Beast (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)FAERIE TALE THEATRE's production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST makes for dazzling family entertainment, with strong performances from lead actors Susan Sarandon and Klaus Kinski in the title roles.
Beauty's merchant father steals a white rose from the castle of the Beast (Klaus Kinski). As punishment, the Beast orders that the merchant return to the castle in 3 days, or else one of his daughters must go in his place. Youngest daughter Beauty (Susan Sarandon) selflessly sacrifices her own freedom to release her father.
Once in the castle, Beauty slowly begins to win the friendship and trust of the Beast, who hides a gentle and kind heart beneath his frightening exterior.
Directed by Roger Vadim and co-starring Anjelica Huston and Nancy Lenehan as Beauty's jealous sisters, this version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is based on Jean Cocteau's celebrated French movie classic. Highly-recommended.

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a nice little film suitable for the entire family. And - with all the current interest in fantasy, etc. - should prove popular with the younger set. For the rest of, there is the pleasure of seeing the great Robert Davi in a truly good film. He plays the wizard, Merlin, both in the flashback footage and in his modern incarnation and is wonderful in both. If you're looking for a nice evening around the tube with the family - this is the film for you.

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The Golden Age of TV Drama Review

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(More customer reviews)Passport Video presents "The Golden Age of TV Drama", --- (Dolby digitally remastered)....relive those early years of television with 16 rare and remarkable dramas from 1951-1960...from the archives of Armstrong Circle Theatre, Cavalcade of America, Family Theater, Playhouse 90, The U.S. Steel Hour, Telephone Time, Four Star Playhouse, The Schaefer Century Theatre, Telephone Time and The DuPont Show of the Month ...some of the best writers and directors as Rod Serling, John Frankenheimer, Barnaby Conrad, John T. Coyle, Daniel Petrie, James Sheldon and David Susskind...just remember the mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...so pop some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie.
The lineup is fantastic and gives the viewer a variety of what live television was all about in the "The Golden Age of TV Drama"
Tige Andrews, Michael Ansara, Ralph Bellamy, James Best, Charles Boyer, Henry Brandon, George Brenlin, Walter Brennan, Jeanne Cagney, Ray Danton, Jane Darwell, James Dean, King Donovan, Joseph Downing, Leif Erickson, Michael Gough, Hugh Griffith, Don Haggerty, John Hoyt, Kim Hunter, Ruth Hussey, Boris Karloff, Michael Landon, Joan Leslie, Gene Lockhart, George Maccready, Kevin McCarthy, Roddy McDowall, Robert Middleton, Mary Murphy, Alan Napier, Paul Newman, David Niven, Edmond O'Brien, Jack Palance, Suzy Parker, George Peppard, Patrick Peyton, Suzane Pleshette, Nicholas Pryor, Edward G. Robinson, Mickey Rooney, Albert Salmi, John Stephenson, Mel Torme, Robert Wilson, Natalie Wood, Joanne Woodward and Loretta Young,
The live dramas in alphabetical order and actors listed:
BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (1956) - Paul Newman
BELLS OF COCKAIGNE (1953) - James Deanv & Gene Lockhart
THE COMEDIAN (1957) - Mickey Rooney & Mel Torme
DEATH OF MANOLETE (1957) - Jack Palance & Suzy Parker
FIGHT FOR THE TITLE (1957) - Michael Landon
FOR THE DEFENSE (1954) - Edward G. Robinson & John Hoyt
FULL CIRCLE (1955) - David Niven & Joanne Woodward
HILL NUMBER ONE (1951) - James Dean & Roddy McDowall
I BEHELD HIS GLORY (1953) - George Macready
LETTER TO LORETTA (1953) - Loretta Young
MAN AGAINST CRIME (1952) - Ralph Bellamy
PLAYMATES (1952) - Natalie Wood
SUMMER OF DECISION (1959) - Suzanne Pleshette
TREASURE ISLAND (1960) - Boris Karloff & Hugh Griffith
WILD BUNCH (1955) - Charles Boyer & Natalie Wood
WOMAN'S WORK (1956) - Walter Brennan & James Best
This collection of live television dramas still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years --- but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten ...hats off and a great job by Passport Video for releasing "The Golden Age of TV Drama", digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '50s and '60s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video, stay tuned once again for more remarkable dramas from the vaults of classic television and classic Hollywood...just the relive the good old days from legendary writers and directors with an outstanding cast of actors...celebrating decades of live television with actors and directors who gave their all in the early pioneer days of TV drama, gotta love it!
Total Time: 714 mins on DVD ~ Passport Video 5210 ~ (7/11/2006)

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Muppet Sing Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw this video about 9 years ago when my mother was a nanny for a little boy who watched it incessantly. I recently saw something that reminded me of it and wanted to find it for my 2 year old. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy task. I did finally find it in the amazon.com marketplace and purchased it. It was everything I remembered with the fun songs and the hilarious characters. These are songs you don't mind having stuck in your head for a day or two and my 2 year old loves it too.
I recommend this for anyone who has a child who likes music and dancing and singing. They'll love it.

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Extended Version with 7 Minutes of Footage Not Shown in Theaters) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to admit, I was ready to hate this movie. Having been a long-term fan of the Harry Potter books, a less-than-faithful adaptation could have spoiled it all for me. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded.
Okay, some viewers will nitpick over discrepencies in characters' appearances, but all the IMPORTANT stuff is here. The relationships between the characters are spot-on. The film also successfully convinces us that the magical goings-on are part of the protagonists' everyday lives, whilst at the same time instilling a sense of wonder in the audience. This difficult balance is one of the main reasons the books are so successful.
Some of the child actors are a little wooden at times, but generally the all-British cast is excellent. The rich characters of Rowling's books have translated perfectly. Robbie Coltrane IS Hagrid. Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) have immense fun delivering most of the film's best lines. Dan Radcliffe does well in the difficult task of communicating Harry's thoughts, when the audience is unable to see them written down. Deserved mention, too, for Maggie Smith's McGonagall, Alan Rickman's Snape and Tom Felton's nasty-yet-vulnerable Draco Malfoy.
The quality of the production is excellent. The sets and costumes are fabulous, and the attention to detail is breathtaking. The effects are superb, obvious highlights being Harry's invisibility cloak, and the Quidditch match (an adrenaline-pumping spectacle right up there with anything Star Wars has to offer).
In between the showpieces, director Chris Columbus remembers to let his audience take a breather with quieter moments. Harry staring out of his bedroom window, and he and Ron opening their presents on Christmas morning, are endearingly down-to-earth. And the scenes of Harry in front of the Mirror of Erised brought a tear to my eye (If you've read the book, you'll know why).
That's not to say the movie is without its faults. In an attempt to please purists, ALL the subplots have been included (though pared down a great deal), when omitting a few entirely may have helped the pacing of the film. The opening half-hour may be difficult to grasp for those who are unfamiliar with the book. A few of the magical artefacts seem rather more mechanical than mystical.
But these are all small niggles, really. The bottom line is that 152 minutes fly by as if it were half an hour. The only wish you have is that it were longer, and there can be no better sign of a good film than that.

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Hey Cinderella (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)The one and only Jim Henson filters the iconic tale of Cinderella through his decidedly unique vision in this charming family film. Besides the traditional poor-girl snags a charming prince plot we also have talking frogs, purple monsters, dishwashing dogs and a fairy godmother whose spells make things completely disappear more often than not.
The familar plot has sweet, pretty Cinderella meeting her Prince in the Royal Garden for the first time while she is tramping through the mud (her stepmother has ordered her to get the kitchen floor dirty before she scrubs it) and promptly falls for him, even though she thinks he's a gardener ( she doesn't recognize him from his picture on the money). The gently loopy plot roughly follows its predictable path to the end , with the highlight being the masked ball where a huge, radish-loving monster waltzes by the startled King ( who observes that next time the invitations will have to be more specific). The King, who is a Muppet, gets the best lines in the film (such as when his distressed son asks if he will get any say in his marriage and the King retorts "sure you do, just not the final say") and is a truly inspired creation, and the movie is a fine addition to the Muppet canon.
If you enjoy "Hey Cinderella" you should also check out the terrific Muppet take on "The Frog Princess", which makes a delightful companion to this cute family film.

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Gremlins (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Inventor Randy Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) has bought a special gift for his son Billy (Zack Gallaghan) and it's a furry Chinese creature called a Mogwai (voiced by Howie Mandall). But there are three important rules that must be followed if he wants to keep the creature such as number 1 which means to keep him away from bright light especially sunlight cause it will kill him, number 2 is to never get him wet and number 3 which is the most important rule of them all which is never feed them after midnight. But Billy does what he can but he accidently gets him wet one day and it makes him mutiply other Mogwaii like him and he accidently feed the Mogwaii except Gizmo after midnight as it makes them into ghastly reptilian ghouls that cause havok in the town of Kingston Falls.
Brilliant and highly original Horror fantasy comedy from executive producer Steven Spielburg, director Joe Dante ("The Howling") and writer Chris Columbus. This movie became one of the biggest box-office hits of 1984 and of all time, this movie has a great sense of charm and of course black humor thrown into it with gruesomeness. The film co-stars Corey Feldman, Phoebe Cates and Dick Miller and special appearences by Robby the Robot and Chuck Jones, this movie did caused some controversy when it came out because parents thought it was too violent for small children even around the same time "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" came out. So the MPAA created the "PG-13" rating was created that year, i love how make-up artist Chris Walas did the lovable furballs and the hideous beasts and made them some of the most memorable creatures to hit the screen. The film has often been imitated much with films like "Critters 1 & 2" (Which are great movies in their own rights), "Ghoulies", "Munchies", "Beasites", "Elves", "Evil Toons", "Troll" and the worst one of them all "Hobgoblins", this one is a true must see even around the holidays.
This special edition DVD has excellent sound and picture with nice extras like deleted scenes, Trailers, 2 audio commentaries, behind the scenes featurette, photo and storyboard gallery and filmmaker and cast highlights.
Also recommended: "Gremlins 2 : The New Batch", "Black Christmas (1974)", "Small Soldiers", "Critters", "Critters 2", "C.H.U.D.", "The Pit", "Evil Dead II", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Grindhouse", "Silent Night Deadly Night", "E.T.", "Troll", "Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead)", "The Witches of Eastwick", "Cat's Eye" and "Monsters Inc."

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A man buys a Mogwai as a Christmas present for his son. The young boy is told to keep the pet away from water, out of the light and never to feed it after midnight. Inadvertently, the creature is dampened and almost instantly, produces half a dozen furry replicas of itself --which continue to multiply and turn the small town upside-down.

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Great Performances: Macbeth Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished watching Rupert Goold's film of Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood. As mentioned in the last post, I saw this production on Broadway and was eagerly awaiting the film version. Now I've seen a lot of great film Macbeths, including the Ian McKellen/Judi Dench version, the RSC film with Antony Sher, and Roman Polanski's. This film is the best Macbeth that you will ever see. In fact, scenes that I didn't find very effective on stage (Lady Macbeth's mad scene and and the long scene between Malcolm and Macduff) were very powerful in the movie. Patrick Stewart's performance is definitive. You can see every thought that passes through his mind. Kate Fleetwood's Lady Macbeth charted her fall into insanity with such clarity that when Macbeth is told that she has died, it's no surprise to him or the audience. You see that there was no other end to her story. The Weird Sisters, here played as Nurses who have gone over to the dark side, are truly frightening. There is no weak link in this cast, the directing is thrillingly original, and the production design is stunning. It easily could have been shown in movie theaters. This Macbeth is set during the Cold War of the 1950's, and doesn't shy away from the shocking violence of a dictatorship. Characters are brutally executed, and the murder of Lady Macduff and her children is greatly disturbing, even though you see almost nothing happen. And to top it all off, Rupert Goold has the film end with the camera panning from location to location throughout the castle (the dining room, the kitchen, the Weird Sisters' morgue) and then closes with a shot of Macbeth and his Lady in the elevator, hand in hand. So we end with the idea that Macbeth's castle isn't just drenched in blood. Now it's haunted.

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Vaudeville (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a case of documentarians thinking that you'd rather hear them pontificate that actually see what they're talking about. The packaging for this DVD claims you'll see 80 vaudeville acts. And you will, for about 12 seconds each... not one performance is complete. Which is a big shame, given the wealth of footage the filmmakers apparently had access to. The writer of this presentation should have stepped well out of the way, and let the performances speak. To make it that much more frustrating , much of the running time goes to interviews with non-vaudevillians such as present-day filmaker Robert Townsend, and clips of vaudeville-influenced stuff like the Muppet Show. It kills you sit through this stuff knowing that the filmmakers are holding back rare footage of performances by houdini, w.c. fields, you name it. Buy this if you know nothing about vaudeville... and want to hear some old-timers doing a remember-when. If you want to see some old routines, get some of the variety films (international house, stand up and cheer, (this list is huge) from the early thirties and you'll be much better off.

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Hello Kitty - Kitty & The Beast (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)My 5 & 6 year old daughters love the Hello Kitty movies, and this one most of all! We've rented it over and over, and finally decided to buy it. I can almost recite the words throughout the entire movie, but my daughters are glued to it each and every time the watch it. It's a sweet warm interpretation of classic tales.

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Hello Kitty - Wizard of Paws (1987) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie is pretty good for children, because it relates to fairytales but with Hello Kitty. The only reason I didn'y give it five stars, is because the graphics and characters are no where near as good as the movies made by the Sanrio Company; "Mom Loves Me After All," "Dream Theif," and "Santa's Missing Hat." The Sanrio-made movies are original and in my eyes, a lot better, but I still give this movie a thumb up.

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Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Shorts Vol. 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)The bad news: Tom Servo doesn't introduce the shorts so there's no transitioning from one to the next. More importantly NO "Mr. B Natural" in this collection. C'mon Rhino what are you waiting for?
However, this tape's got two of the best shorts MST's done, "What to do on a Date" and "Last Clear Chance". Apparently all we have to do on dates is find a decoration party for a garage sale (complete with Cokes and ice cream), a swim meet or a wienie roast. [If only I'd known this sooner-I could have saved the money taking girlfriends to Vienna and London]. Anyway, DID kids in the '50s really need a film to tell them what to do? I suspect this was made to prevent those "petting/make-out parties that kids nowadays are doing what with their hula hoops and lewd Rocking-and-Rolling".
"Last Clear Chance" has a death-obsessed highway patrolman dropping in uninvited to discuss fatal traffic accidents with a farm family that has no chores to do. Mike and the 'Bots rip this apart; you might have to watch it a couple times to get the jokes you missed while laughing.
The other 4 shorts are worth watching, especially the last one "Days of Our Years". A Kafkaesque nightmare of a safety film with a Reverend poking himself into railwaymen's tragic lives. A hoot. Buy This.

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Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Cave Dwellers (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)MY MY MY! This is one of the best MST3K episodes I have ever seen! From the bad acting, the plot that Tolken couldn't follow, and the first major plot point occuring 35 minutes into the movie, this piece of trash tops the list of bad movies! This movie abounds with bad puppetrs (a veluer snake and a spider with fishing lines), a hubcap called a sheild, and Ator (our "Dude looks like a lady" hero) putting together a hanglider in about 5 minutes (killed a deer, tanned the hide, made an anadized aluminum pole, welded, etc...) and flying it over a large city (modern), not to mention the bombs he puts together in mid air. Let me tell you, if that doesn't make you wretch watch Crow's analyzation of the continuity problems at the end! All in all, buy this and you won't be dissappointed! And remember, Stay Frosty!

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Poopie: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Official Outtakes Reel (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)Oh Poopie. This video of Mystery Science Theater 3000 outtakes is just so funny. This tape features outtakes from season 2 up to 6, even outtakes from the begining theme song. You'll see outtakes from just about everyone. Joel, Mike, Frank, Trace, Jim, Kevin, everyone.... Some of my favorite outtakes are the one where Crow's head is on fire and they just keep on laughing, and the one where Joel screws up his line and says "pancakes" instead of "waffels". You get to see some real funny stuff in this video, I just wish this video could have been longer than just 30 minutes. It will leave you wanting for more and will leave you laughing until you can't stop laughing anymore. It's a great video for any MST3K to enjoy for hours, months, years, and so on... I think you will enjoy it.

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