Big Week for Multi-Disc Box Sets

By: John Thonen
Date: Tuesday, October 03, 2000

While there is really no big, new, genre release for this week, there is ample cause for rejoicing amongst collectors. As happened several years ago, when music companies discovered that re-releasing older records in box sets could draw new sales, it would seem video distributors have learned the same lesson. This week's release schedule is packed with box sets, multi-title discs and interrelated individual releases that will make any collector check his savings account balance, request a credit line increase on his credit card and then clear some shelf space.

The biggest fan reaction will probably be for the most recent film, Buena Vista Home Entertainment's special edition DVD release of From Dusk Till Dawn, director Robert Rodriguez's trailer trash celebration of criminals and vampires, as conceived by co-writer and co-executive producer Quentin Tarantino. We mentioned this one last week, when it was originally supposed to hit stores, but at least the release delay gave us time to learn more about the disc's extras. In addition to a commentary track from Tarantino, Rodriguez and many of the cast, the DVD also contains outtakes, deleted scenes, alternate scenes, the 'Hollywood Goes to Hell' featurette, a pair of music videos (ZZ Top and Tito and Tarantella) the making of feature Full Tilt Boogie and a trailer. An irresistible package for most of us.

Buena Vista also releases today the From Dusk Till Dawn Collectors Box set, which features the original film, sans most of the Special Edition's extras, along with the two DTV (Direct-to-Video) sequels, Texas Blood Money and The Hangman's Daughter. The first sequel is pretty lame, but the second isn't half bad, so this box set is not without merit.


While I count myself among the fans of From Dusk Till Dawn, I don't feel that way about this next multi-title DVD. But director (and I use the term loosely) Herchel Gordon Lewis has his fans and they'll probably be pleased to hear of Image Entertainment's release of The Blood Trilogy, featuring three of Gordon's films: Blood Feast, 2000 Maniacs and Color Me Blood Red. The first title claims a spot in film history as the first gore film. The second is one of Gordon's least bad efforts (his fans would translate that as one of his best). And the latter offering is just pretty bad. Still, if H.G. is your thing, this is a nice package, with outtakes, trailers and stills making it even more attractive, or grotesque, depending on your viewpoint.

A filmmaker who is often mentioned in the same breath as H.G. Lewis, but is probably closer to Ed Wood, is Andy Milligan, whose zero budget vampire tale, The Body Beneath, is unveiled today on a special edition DVD, featuring trailers for several Milligan films and his seldom seen short Vapors. Like Wood, Milligan truly loved filmmaking (he made 23 movies, none costing over $10,000) and worked hard to make worthwhile films on budgets roughly equivalent to a used car commercial. Also like Wood, Milligan's films are often more interesting for what they reveal about the filmmaker than what they offer as entertainment. This is as good an introduction as any to his peculiar art, but it's an introduction you may want to pass up.

Yet another DVD box set with a limited but rabid fan following, is Image's Flash Gordon collection, featuring all three Gordon serials: all 13 episodes of 1936's Space Soldiers, the 15 episodes of 1938's Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars and the 12 chapters of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. Thrill to Flash's battle with Ming the Merciless, Ming's death ray and moreall of which is probably the real inspiration for Star Wars. It's a three-disc set, offering more than 700 minutes of black-and-white fun.

Another multi-title DVD comes from Slinghot with their Roger Corman Retrospective Vol. 2, offering a trio of early productions from the legendary producer-director, two of whichLittle Shop of Horrors and The Terrorwe've discussed in this column before. The third is Creature From the Haunted Sea, an absolutely goofy tale involving gangsters, romance and a sea monster. Only The Terror is in color, and all have been released many times before, but this three-movie disc might be worth grabbing up if you don't already have one or more of the titles.

Yet another collectors' wet dream is MPI Home Video's DVD release of a pair of seldom seen classic tale adaptations: 1973's Dracula and 1968's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both featuring Jack Palance in the title roles. These are made-for-TV movies from the hand of Dan Curtis, best known as the creator of Dark Shadows and the original Kolchak TV movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. Both films feature strong performances by Palance, with his tortured and somewhat sympathetic Dracula, as written by the marvelous Richard Mathesona memorable interpretation. Jekyll is a lower-budget effort than Dracula, but also worth catching, if only for Palance, whose interpretation is second only to Frederic March's Oscar-winning performance in the 1932 version.

Yet another multi-title release is Columbia/Tri Star's DVD combo of Jim Henson's big-budget fantasies, Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, both of which have been covered here before, when released as individual discs. While neither is wholly successful, both are ambitious and imaginative enough to warrant a look.

The final multi-titled release for the week is another box set aimed at a select clientele, as Image unveils The Worst of Ed Wood, which isn't quite that, but it's bad enough. This four-disc set features two of Wood's best known films, Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda, along with Bride of the Monster and Jailbait. They're bad, they're fun and, most importantly, they're sincere. Also included is the Wood documentary, Flying Saucers Over Hollywood. If you like Ed, you'll love this.

Recently, I recommended the DVD documentary The Fantasy Film World's of George Pal, and this week offers you the chance to see why Pal is one of the few genre filmmakers to merit a film about his career. Pal is probably best remembered for his classic sci-fi offerings like Destination Moon, When World's Collide and The Time Machine, the latter of which appears in two DVD editions this week.

Warner Home Video offers a basic edition disc of Pal's wonderful, if less than faithful, adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic, but real fans will want to pick up the Collector's Edition from Creative Design. This disc features the film, which won a special effects Oscar in 1961, along with such extras as lobby cards, stills, a poster, a CD-ROM reading of Wells' story by the film's co-star Alan Young and a making of documentary entitled 'The Journey Back.'

While sci-fi was Pal's main claim to fame, he was also one of our finest fantasy filmmakers, as evidenced by another Warner DVD. Collectors can start building their own George Pal collection with The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, one of the most charming films of the past 40 years. The film features a bevy of fine effects and makeup work, along with a bravura performance by Tony Randall in a variety of roles that should have earned him an Oscar. This DVD also offers a 'making of' documentary and trailer.

Yet another George Pal gem becomes available on DVD with Warner's release of Tom Thumb, another effects- and heart-filled fantasy with Russ Tamblyn as the tiny youth of the title. Peter Sellers and Terry Thomas are also along for the fun, and there is some great music.

Buena Vista releases a fine pair of interrelated individual discs, both featuring the remarkable 3-D animation of Henry Selick. James and the Giant Peach will entertain and enthrall all ages, and the DVD features a music video and a making of documentary. Also from Selick is the Tim Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas, a great Halloween item for family or friends, which features a commentary from Selick, a making-of documentary, drawings, stills, deleted scenes and two Tim Burton shorts: the delightful Vincent and the wonderful Frankenweenie. Buy 'em both. Watch 'em both. You'll be glad you did.

While we're talking about animation, Buena Vista also offers the cell animation magic of The Black Cauldron, a lesser-known but quite good tale from the days before Disney's big animation comeback. These days it's hard to remember that Disney had some equally talented competition in the past. Take Max and Dave Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels, a 1939 animated feature that was every bit as much of a milestone in that art as Fantasia ever was.

Our collectors section ends with A&E Home Video's release of two DVD volumes from the classic British series The Avengers. Set one contains six episodes, and set two features seven, all from the early days of the show when Honor Blackman (Goldfinger) played Cathy Gale to Patrick McNee's John Steed. Diana Rigg's better known character, Mrs. Peel, came later in the series, but Blackman was clearly the antecedent for that character.

This week, Warner offers up a bad movie called Bad Moon, a dreadful werewolf tale that finally dashed any remaining hopes that Eric Red, who co-wrote Near Dark and directed this dud, might be a major talent in the making.

No such promises of greatness were held for Brett Leonard, a talented CGI effects pioneer who never seemed to grasp the basics of storytelling. Take, for instance, Hideaway from Columbia TriStar. Author Dean Koontz, whose book was the basis for the film, disowned this one, as Stephen King had previously done with Leonard's The Lawnmower Man. Do your neighbors a favor and hide this one away on a lower shelf at your video store.

Image offers up Necromancer, a low-budget tale featuring the poor director's Kim Basinger, Elizabeth Kaitan, and Russ Tamblyn, a long way from his heyday in Tom Thumb.

Last, but far from least, is Fox's release of the ultimate midnight movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Packed with songs, stars and lots of kink, this is the kind of film they just don't make anymore. Come to think of it, with this one exception, they never did make them like this. There's little I can say that hasn't been said about this one, except that it's a two-disc set with outtakes, deleted scenes, photos, interviews, a making-of documentary, trailers, a DVD-ROM game and more. If you aren't already thinking Halloween Party, then there's something seriously wrong with you.

So, that's it for this week. Next time, we'll continue to raise hell, even a new kind, as we get lost during a walk in the park and end up back to the beyond. Yeah, I know, it doesn't make much sense, but your mind would be mush too after trying to discuss H.G. Lewis, Andy Milligan and Ed Wood, not to mention George Pal and Henry Selick. From the ridiculous to the sublime, I do it all for you gentle viewers. Oh hell, I do it for me, really.