DVD News & Notes for July 10, 2001

Another long-running Universal series will also be represented by the double-feature team 1939's THE SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, with Karloff in his last turn as the famous monster, and 1942's THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN featuring Lon Chaney Jr. in the famed Jack Pierce makeup. Chaney Jr. pops up yet again in the first of the DVD pairings of SON OF DRACULA and the superior DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. Chaney Jr., best remembered as tragic werewolf Larry Talbot, is, however, nowhere to be found on the digital disc pairing of THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON and SHE-WOLF OF LONDON.

THIS WEEK'S RELEASES

Anchor Bay has already released most of Italian director Dario Argento's filmography on laserdisc and DVD in limited editions as part of their "Dario Argento Collection" series. While still putting out new DVD titles, they are re-issuing some of their previous releases as double-disc sets.

CAT O'NINE TAILS is one of the director's more enjoyable giallos in that it actually has a decipherable plot. Karl Malden (who considers this a favorite of his many films) is a blind man who teams up with reporter James Franciscus to track down a serial killer. The denouement of this one is something of a gem.




DARIO ARGENTO COLLECTION #1 is the first of three Argento double feature discs from Anchor Bay. This one features INFERNO, the second of Argento's still uncompleted "3 Mothers" Trilogy. Marred by some weak acting from the principals, this one doesn't quite match its predecessor, SUSPIRIA, but what does? Stunning set pieces and great imagery abound. Second on the disc is PHENOMENON, essentially a giallo, but with an odd supernatural twist. A great opening sequence and a truly gruesome, twisted ending keep this one worthwhile, but it's not one of the director's best.





Dario Argento Collection #2 stretches the "collection" concept a bit by featuring two films, DEMONS and DEMONS 2, which were produced by Argento but directed by Lamberto Bava. Neither can be called "great," or even all that good, but they are fun. The first finds the audience at a free horror movie screening beset by zombies from the feature they are watching, while the second has an apartment building overrun by zombies who emerge from a television showing a horror film. There's a touch of subtext in this mingling of media horror and reality, but the real raison de etre for these films is gory deaths, ugly monsters and (particularly in the first film) outrageous, near surrealistic, horror set pieces.





DARIO ARGENTO COLLECTION #3 is the best of this worthwhile trio of double feature discs from Anchor Bay. Up first, a return to Argento's giallo roots in TENEBRE, with Tony Franciosa as a horror writer who finds someone is recreating violent murders from his books. This is a visual stunner with an obvious but still effective ending to the mystery. Second on the disc is DEEP RED inarguably the most brilliant of Argento's giallos and one of the best ever made by anyone. David Hemmings is a musician trying to unravel a bizarre murder with the aid of Daria Nicolodi (one-time consort of Argento and mother of his daughter, actress Asia Argento). As close to a perfect thriller as ever came out of Italy.

Tom Tyler wears the bandages as Kharis in The Mummy's Hand.

© 1940 Universal Pictures

VOLUME #27 is the latest two-episode release from Paramount of the classic series that started the sci-fi revival we all enjoy today. "The Ultimate Computer" is a too familiar tale of man trying to replace himself with a machine, but it benefits from William Marshall's turn as the designer of the M-5 device. "The Omega Glory" is one of Gene Roddenberry's most heavy-handed attempts at commenting on the present through his view of the future. This one offers the Yangs and Kohms, eternally battling variations on "Yankees" and "communists." This is the one wherein Shatner gets to recite the Constitution.




VOLUME #28 features the final episode of the series' second season, which was itself a pilot for a projected Roddenberry series that never happened. "Assignment Earth" features Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, an alien-reared protector of humanity, and a very young Teri Garr as his ditzy helper. "Spectre of the Gun" was the kickoff episode for the very uneven third season and, while a personal favorite of mine, is disliked by many. This is the one where Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, and Scotty find themselves in a surrealistic recreation of Tombstone, Arizona, on the day of the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral; unfortunately, they are playing out the role of the Clantons, who were shot to death by Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and company. Western fans will also get a grin out of seeing DeForest Kelley stuck in this predicamenthe played one of the good guys in GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, the movie version of this famous old west event.

THEY CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF

A look at recent releases that received no advance publicity and for which screeners were not available. A lot of these titles are crap, so be grateful that I'm the vidiot renting them and warning you.

Cat O'Nine Tails, starring Karl Malden and James Franciscus.

© 2001 Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anime

Easter Egg Hunt

Coming Soon

Next Week: We'll go to hell in a hand basket, get a gift from Sam Raimi and talk about lots more anime. I can hardly wait.