Genre Cluster Content on DVD

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, April 05, 2005

I recently ran across a job board posting requesting someone to oversee a company's "genre cluster content". You see a lot of corporate doubletalk in these ads, but this one really stumped me. Just what the hell is "genre cluster content"? To me, it seems like just the sort of thing we're interested in here content that collects (or "clusters", if you will) information on genre (science fiction, horror, fantasy, exploitation) entertainment. But maybe it's really some term only familiar to IT wizards or similar specialists. Beats me. But I'm gonna steal it to use as I see fit. Anyone who objects can meet me after closing in the parking lot.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Each week, I try to pick out a Spotlight Item that should be most attractive to Cinescape's genre cluster content fans. However, sometimes a movie is just so darn good that it doesn't matter what category it belongs in. This week, our spotlight falls on one such superior effort.

(O) SIDEWAYS (Fox) Best man Paul Giamotti takes groom Thomas Haden Church on a pre-wedding trip to wine country in this wonderful comedy drama. Widescreen & fullscreen editions include commentraks, deleted scenes, featurettes and more.

NEW RELEASES

(O) ADVENTURE 10-MOVIE PACK (Treeline) Includes TARZAN & THE GREEN GODDESS, TARZAN'S REVENGE, TARZAN & THE TRAPPERS, SON OF HERCULES IN THE LAND OF DARKNESS, HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN, COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN, HERCULES & THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, HERCULES & THE TYRANTS OF BABYLON, HERCULES UNCHAINED and DEVIL OF THE DESERT VS. SON OF HERCULES.

(O) AMITYVILLE HORROR SPECIAL EDITION GIFTSET (MGM) Includes AMITYVILLE HORROR, AMITYVILLE 2: THE POSSESSION and AMITYVILLE 3-D (flat), plus a bonus extras disc. All available separately.
(O) BLACK SHAMPOO (VCI) Leave it to the blaxploitation version of SHAMPOO to have the Warren Beatty character go on a rampage against mobsters armed with a chainsaw! Delayed from February to procure an uncut print, director commentrak, deleted scenes, interviews and more.
(O) CAMP FEAR (Retromedia) 1990 slasher weirdness with sorority campers, a re-animated Druid giant, gangs, earthquakes and of course shower scenes!
(O) CHILLING 20-MOVIE PACK (Treeline) Includes MANIAC, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, MOON OF THE WOLF, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA, TORMENTED, DEMENTIA 13, GALAXY INVADER, PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES, ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS, BLOOD TIDE, THE TERROR, LASER MISSION, ASTRAL FACTOR, THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE, LAST MAN ON EARTH, GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE, SNOWBEAST, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and WAR OF THE PLANETS.
(O) DEAD DOLL (Lions Gate) A killer sculptor hides his girlfriend's corpse inside a doll. Creepiness ensues. With deleted scenes, storyboards and more.
(O) DEEP EVIL (First Look) Lorenzo Lamas investigates a disaster at an Alaskan bio-research lab. Could be monsters dwell here.
(O) DETECTIVES 10-MOVIE PACK (Treeline) Includes BULLDOG DRUMMOND'S REVENGE, BULLDOG DRUMMOND ESCAPES, BULLDOG DRUMMOND IN AFRICA, MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING, DICK TRACY DETECTIVE, DICK TRACY VS. CUEBALL, DICK TRACY MERTS GRUESOME, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN TERROR BY NIGHT, SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE SECRET WEAPON and DRESSED TO KILL.
(O) DIRTY WAR (HBO) BBC and HBO teamed up to produce this thriller about a planned terrorist nuclear bomb attack on London.
(O) DRAGON'S WORLD: A FANTASY MADE REAL (Sony) Documentary on mythical serpents, illustrated by CGI creatures.
(O) DRIVE-IN DISCS COLLECTION (Elite) All three volumes of Elite's double feature discs that seek to reproduce the drive-in experience. Mosquitoes not included.
(O) DUEL OF THE MASTERS (Crash) Wilson Tong and Norman Tsui in 1983 kung fu action.
(O) ELEKTRA (Fox) Jennifer Garner survives her death in DAREDEVIL to become a super assassin. It's better than you've heard a solid little comic-book superhero movie. Widescreen & narrowscreen editions include Making-Of, deleted scenes, convention demo and more.
(O) FUTURE FORCE (MVD) David Carradine leads a team of bounty hunters into action when crime and chaos take over a city.
(O) GARGOYLES: GUARDIANS OF THE GATE (Time/Life) Documentary on the fascinating monster statues decorating so many old buildings.
(O) GOLDEN CHRISTMAS BOX SET (Woodhaven) The most idiotically early Christmas DVD ever!
(O) GREATEST AMERICAN HERO Season 2 (Anchor Bay) William Katt as a hapless superhero, assisted by FBI man Robert Culp and girlfriend Connie Sellecca (meow!). All 22 episodes, plus interviews and script.
(O) THE HAND OF DEATH (Fox) Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung star in this damn good early (1976) film directed by John Woo.
(O) INTRUDER (Goldhil/Koch) Scott Spiegel's 1988 slasher favorite with Bruce Campbell and Ted & Sam Raimi about a killer stalking a supermarket, now presented uncut and unrated for the first time.
(O) JACKIE CHAN: THE KUNG FU YEARS (Fortune 5) Documentary on the martial arts superstar.
(O) KUNG FU 20-MOVIE PACK (Treeline) Includes RETURN OF THE KUNG FU DRAGON, NINJA EMPIRE, NINJA DEATH, DEADLY DUO, NINJA PROTECTOR, HANDS OF DEATH, WEAPONS OF DEATH, NINJA CHAMPION, FOUR ROBBERS, SHAOLIN TEMPLE, IMAGE OF BRUCE LEE, SNAKE TIGER & CRANE, SHAOLIN DEADLY KICKS, CHASE STEP BY STEP, BRUCE LEE THE INVINCIBLE, BIG FIGHT, STREET FIGHTER, DEATH MACHINES, INFERNAL STREET and SHADOW NINJA.
(O) LEAVES FROM SATAN'S BOOK (Image) Carl Dreyer's 1920 epic anthology in which Satan tries to get back into Heaven by telling God stories from human history.
(O) LEGACY OF RAGE (Fox) Decent 1993 Hong Kong revenge action drama starring Brandon Lee.
(O) MARK OF THE WITCH / BRIDES WORE BLOOD (Retromedia) Hippies resurrect witches and vampires in this 1970s horror double bill. Plus footage from Fred Olen Ray's unfinished THE COVEN with commentrak.
(O) PILLOW TALK (Universal) Classic comedy as uptight Doris Day duels with swinging bachelor neighbor Rock Hudson.
(O) THE PROFESSIONALS (Sony) Mercenaries Woody Strode, Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin and Robert Ryan are hired by rancher Ralph Bellamy to rescue kidnapped wife Claudia Cardinale from bandito chief Jack Palance.
(O) REFORM SCHOOL GIRL (Buena Vista) Aimee Graham in a 1994 remake of the '50s JD trash classic.
(O) SALON KITTY (Blue Underground) Glossy '70s Eurosleaze from Tinto Brass about women trained to supply the Nazi's brothels.
(O) SCHOOL KILLER (Image) Paul Naschy as a psycho killer stalking a high school in this 2001 Spanish slasher epic.
(O) SCORCHING SUN, FIERCE WINDS & WILD FIRE (Crash) Angela Mao and Dorian Tan in 1979 Taiwan kung fu action (aka ANY WHICH WAY YOU PUNCH).
(O) SPOOKY ENCOUNTERS (Fox) Classic kung fu horror comedy (aka ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND) with Sammo Hung as a cuckolded husband defending himself from supernatural attacks.
(O) STEAL (Buena Vista) Heist thriller with Stephen Dorff and Natasha Henstridge.
(O) SUBURBAN MADNESS (Sony) Dentist Sela Ward hires a detective to spy on her cheating husband, but her true intent is for him to catch her on videotape when she runs hubby over with her car! Based on a true story.
(O) THROUGH THE BACK DOOR (Image) Mary Pickford in a 1921 comedy drama, plus Mary plays CINDERELLA in a 1914 short.
(O) TOUGH GUYS 10-MOVIE PACK (Treeline) Includes 10 FINGERS OF DEATH, COLD SWEAT, DESERT COMMANDOS, FIGHTING MAD, MR. SCARFACE, FUNERAL FOR AN ASSASSIN, GRAND DUEL, TRAINED TO KILL, BLACK FIST and BLACK GODFATHER.
(O) WARRIORS TWO (Fox) Early attempt by Sammo Hung to assemble an all-star cast of kung fu greats results in this excellent old school action comedy with Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-Ying, Fung Hark-on, Chung Fat, Lee Hoi-Shang, Leung Kar-yan, Lau Kar-Wing, Dean Shek and Casanova Wong.
(O) WHEN PUPPETS & DOLLS ATTACK (Goldhil) 3 hour clip compilation from Full Moon killer doll movies, plus behind-the-scenes footage.
(O) WINNERS AND SINNERS (Fox) Sammo Hung assembles a huge cast of Hong Kong stars for the first of his outrageous Lucky Stars action comedies, featuring some breathtaking fight choreography and stunt work.
(O) ZERO DAY (Home Vision) A mockumentary dramatization of the Columbine killers, like DUCK! Without the satire. With commentrak, Making-Of, screen tests and more.

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

DVD Shopping List (© 2005 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.