DVD on ICE

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Troma has joined the ranks of video labels offering iPod video downloads on Troma.com. So far, their slate of programming includes lessons from Lloyd Kaufman's film school in a box MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE and edited, serialized version of Trey Parker & Matt Stone's incredible CANNIBAL! THE MOVIE. Plus, they've got an mp3 of the theme song from POULTRYGEIST by Calamari Safari.

Prize Closet: As a special treat, we got director Harold Ramis to autograph a copy of THE ICE HARVEST for you, courtesy of Universal. You know the rules. You can win if you send one email containing your name and address to psycho@psychotronic.info with "ICE ICE BABY" in the subject line. And oh yeah, you have to guess my favorite John Cusack movie.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Patrick MacNee is great, but no one would remember this series without the wonderful Diana Rigg:

(O) THE AVENGERS: Complete Emma Peel Megaset Collector's Edition (A&E) All 51 episodes from the Diana Rigg years on 17 discs, plus a bonus disc with 3 "lost" episodes from season one, Making-Of, a 1977 episode with a Mrs. Peel cameo and more.

NEW RELEASES

(O) AGATHA CHRISTIE: MARPLE Classic Mysteries Collection (A&E) Ten Miss Marple mystery movies from the BBC: A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY, THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE, SLEEPING MURDER, 4:50 FROM PADDINGTON, THE MOVING FINGER, AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL , MURDER AT THE VICARAGE, NEMESIS and THEY DO IT WITH MIRRORS. Plus an index of all the Miss Marple stories and more.
(O) THE AVENGING QUARTET (Tai Seng) The Girls With Guns are Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Cynthia Yang, and Michiko Nishiwaki in this 1992 Hong Kong action flick.
(O) AXE (MTI) Two hot chicks accidentally end up in possession of loot stolen by a biker gang, and an axe-wielding psycho killer is on their trail. Can Jason London help them? Includes director commentrak.
(O) THE BEST OF ART LINKLETTER'S KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS Volume 2 (Time Life) Genial host Linkletter interviews tykes in this delightful 1950s TV favorite.
(O) BINGE & PURGE (Sub Rosa) Dark gore comedy which reveals the secret diet of supermodels. Director's commentary track, deleted scenes, outtakes, featurettes, gallery, trailers.
(O) CHARMED Complete Fourth Season (Paramount) Rose McGowan replaces Shannon Doherty in the cast. Also available bundled with seasons 1-3.
(O) CHISEEN (Tai Seng) While in the USA only lowlifes with video cameras appear on shows like JACKASS, the Hong Kong version is full of big stars like Daniel Wu, Sam Lee, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Q taking on crazy stunts! Plus crazy skits and oddball footage.
(O) COMBAT!: Best of Hanley (Image)
(O) COMBAT!: Best of Saunders (Image) Episodes highlighting your favorite commandos.

(O) CONTROVERSIAL CLASSICS 2: The Power of Media (Warner Bros.) Deluxe editions of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, NETWORK and DOG DAY AFTERNOON, also available separately.
(O) DEATH TUNNEL (Sony) Flashy, empty tormented co-ed flick with a terrific setting: Kentucky's Waverley Hills Sanitorium, a real haunted TB asylum where over 60,000 people perished. With Making-Of featurettes and more.
(O) DIECOVERY (Media Blasters) Thai supernatural thriller about a honeymoon of horror.
(O) DISINFO TV ON DVD (Disinformation) Excellent outré UK documentary series sold to, but never aired on, the Sci-Fi Channel.
(O) DOG EAT DOG (MPI) 1966 Eurothriller with Jayne Mansfield and Cameron Mitchell as thieves out to bilk the US Treasury out of a million dollars. With newsreel and more.
(O) THE DREW CAREY SHOW: Television Favorites (Warner Bros.) Six episodes from this fine sitcom. No seasoning? Other TELEVISION FAVORITES volumes released include WELCOME BACK KOTTER and NIGHT COURT.
(O) EVILS OF THE NIGHT (Media Blasters) 1985 space vampire movie with Aldo Ray, Neville Brand, Tina Louise, John Carradine, Julie Newmar and Amber Lynn! Though this smells like a Fred Olen Ray flick it was directed by producer Mardi Rustam.
(O) FALLING (BFS) UK suspense as a middle aged writer is seduced by a psychotic neighbor.
(O) FEAR OF CLOWNS (Lions Gate) A woman's paintings of killer clowns seem to be coming to life. With Making-Of and outtakes.
(O) THE FUCCONS Volume 1: Oh Mikey! (ADV) A family of American mannequins moves to Japan in this hit comedy series.
(O) THE GARDENER (Subversive) Mysterious gardener Joe Dallesandro casts a spell over a household in a psychedelic horror. Uncut version of the 1975 horror SEEDS OF EVIL. With commentrak, featurettes, lobby card and poster reproductions and more.
(O) GENE AUTREY COLLECTION: RANCHO GRANDE (Image)
(O) GENE AUTREY COLLECTION: RIDE TENDERFOOT RIDE (Image) 1940 singing cowboy adventures.
(O) HOW TO KILL A JUDGE (Blue Underground) Italian action thriller starring Franco Nero as a movie director who finds life imitating his latest crime movie. Includes interviews.
(O) THE ICE HARVEST (Universal) Comedy thriller directed by Harold Ramis in which embezzling lawyers John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton try to get out of town with gangster Randy Quaid's loot.
(O) JUST A LITTLE BIT CRAZY (Rhino) Documentary on the National Rattlesnake Sacking Championship in Taylor, Texas.
(O) KATIEBIRD: CERTIFIABLE CRAZY PERSON (Heretic) A serial killer raises her kids as chips of her old block. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, soundtrack CD and more.
(O) KUNG FU THEATER: CHINESE HERCULES /MANTIS FIST & TIGER CLAWS OF SHAOLIN (BCI Eclipse) Bolo Yeung's old school kung fu hit appears for the first time on US DVD in anamorphic widescreen / Rare 1977 flick finds John Cheung battling an inhuman killer.
(O) KUNG FU THEATER: LAND OF THE BRAVE / GREAT GENERAL (BCI Eclipse) 1974 thriller with Nik Cheung uncovering a sabotage plot at the electric company / 1978 biopic on pirate-fighter Gen. Chen Kai-chong.
(O) LAUGHING IN THE WIND Volume 2 (Facets) Episodes 11-20 of the Chinese Wuxia action TV series.
(O) THE LIFE & LEGACY OF SPIKE MILLIGAN (Kultur) Documentary on the UK comic legend.
(O) THE LOSERS (MPI) 1970 exploitation classic in which Hell's Angels are enlisted for a secret mission in Viet Nam. With commentrak and more.
(O) LUCIANO ERCOLI DEATH BOX SET (NoShame) 1970s giallo thriller double feature includes DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT and DEATH WALKS IN HIGH HEELS, plus soundtrack CD.
(O) LUPIN THE 3rd: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (Discotek) Monkey Punch's manga and anime favorite comes to life in this 1974 movie. Includes booklet.
(O) MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: Graham Chapman's Personal Best (A&E) He may be dead, but that doesn't stop him from picking his favorite Python sketches. With interviews and more.
(O) MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: John Cleese's Personal Best (A&E) With behind-the-scenes, quiz and more.
(O) MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: Terry Jones's Personal Best (A&E) 24 top sketches chosen by one of the Jones boys. With interview, quiz and more.
(O) THE MURDER OF JFK: A REVISIONIST HISTORY (MPI) Tons of great archival material puts the whole assassination in perspective.
(O) NEWSRADIO Complete Third Season (Sony) 25 episodes on three discs, plus commentraks, featurettes and bloopers.
(O) ON LOCATION WITH REDD FOXX (Kultur)
(O) ON LOCATION WITH MYRON COHEN REVISITED (Kultur) These vintage HBO comedy specials are finally being released.
(O) ONE NIGHT IN MONGKOK (Tai Seng) Award winning action flick stars Daniel Wu and Cecilia Cheung caught between the triads and the police. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, deleted footage and more.
(O) PASSING FANCY (York) Will a detective arrest a sexy black widow serial killer or get caught in her web?
(O) PEEP TV SHOW (Facets) Tokyo hipsters take reality TV too far.
(O) SATAN'S BLOOD (Mondo Macabro) 1977 Spanish horror full of sex, blood and sadism. Includes documentary and more.
(O) LA SCORTA (Blue Underground) Another tale from the era of bloody mob warfare in Italy. Includes commentrak, interviews and more.
(O) SCREAMING FOR SANITY: TRUTH OR DARE PART 3 (Sub Rosa) Old Coppermask is back to punish people cashing in on the crimes of a serial killer. Includes featurette, deleted footage and more.
(O) SLASHER CINEMA (BCI Eclipse) 4-movie set includes THE DEMON, CRAZE, THE GLOVE and MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE.
(O) SON OF SAMSON / SON OF CLEOPATRA (Retromedia) The offspring of the rich and famous work out in the same gym in this pair of early '60s Euro-muscle epics.
(O) SPACE AMOEBA (Media Blasters) 1970 Toho monster flick (aka YOG: MONSTER FROM SPACE) about intelligent alien spores that take possession of island creatures, turning them into giants. Delayed yet again from last month.
(O) SUKEBAN DEKA: THE MOVIE (Media Blasters) Insane 1987 feature version of the hit TV series based on the hit manga about schoolgirl secret agents.
(O) 3 EXTREMES (Lions Gate) Hit Asian horror anthology from a trio of great Asian directors: Japan's Takashi Miike (AUDITION), Hong Kong's Fruit Chan (HOLLYWOOD HONG KONG) and Korea's Park Chan-wook (OLDBOY). 2-disc set includes director commentrak on Miike's "Box" and the feature length version of Chan's DUMPLINGS, along with Making-Of and more.
(O) TOKYO PSYCHO (Panik House) True Crime shocker follows the activities of a serial killer. Includes commentrak, Making-Of and more.
(O) 21 EYES (Vanguard) A massacre occurs in a house with 21 security cameras, and detectives use the tapes to piece together what happened.
(O) THE VISITATION (Fox) A small town is amazed and frightened by a miracle worker.
(O) WALK THE LINE (Fox) The story of Johnny Cash. In widescreen and fullscreen editions, plus a special edition with commentrak, deleted footage, music videos and more.
(O) WEIRD U.S. Volumes 1-3 (New Video/A&E) As seen on the history channel, a mondo documentary of strange places across the nation.
(O) WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS (MPI) A biker is infected with lycanthropy in this 1971 drive-in favorite. With commentrak and more.

UMD CORNER

(O) HOUSE OF FURY (Tai Seng) Stephen Fung and sister Gillian Chung make fun of their fuddy-duddy chiropractor dad Anthony Wong's tales of adventure until Fung is abducted by Dad's old enemies and they learn he's a secret agent. Modern Hong Kong action from Fung and Yuen Woo-ping.

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List!

DVD Shopping List (© 2006 Brian Thomas) is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.