Clowns aren't all fun and games in HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES
© Lions Gate Films
House of 1000 Public Domain Titles
By: BRIAN THOMASDate: Tuesday, August 12, 2003
The legion of labels that specialize in presenting public domain titles present a conundrum. On the one hand, they keep a lot of worthy films readily available to viewers that might otherwise be forgotten (witness the history of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE), and at a very affordable price. On the other hand, the editions they present of these films commonly look like crap and sound worse. I have a DVD in my collection that has a large hole in the middle of the frame for nearly the entire running time of the print. Worse still, some of these labels go so far as to simply copy their masters from other labels. Sometimes these guys get caught issuing films that are owned by someone else in their pursuit of volume marketing. It may hurt your poor suffering wallet, but a good rule to stick to when faced with more than one edition of a film you really want to buy is that the more expensive one is nearly always a better value from a more reputable video label. But then, sometimes quality isn't Clowns aren't all fun and games in HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES © Lions Gate Films
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
There's a whole bunch of releases from genre newcomer Catcom due this week, but they can't push this release out of the spotlight:
(O) HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (Lions Gate) Love it or hate it, you've got to admit that Rob Zombie really loves horror movies. His homage to 1970s horror hits (especially TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE) comes to DVD with a director's commentrak, trailers (including Zombie's original trailer), screen tests, galleries, isolated music track, and special featurettes. Now you can freeze the frame to examine all the details of the loaded-with-cool-stuff sets. Hey, that's not art direction you're examining that's Sheri Moon!
NEW RELEASES
(O) AMEN (Kino) [IMG3R]Costa-Gavras' historical thriller exposes the Vatican's complicity in the Nazi Holocaust. Includes making-of, trailers.
(O) ANCIENT EVIL (Brentwood) Bargain bin 10-pack includes THE SADIST, THE KILLING KIND, ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO, MANIAC, PSYCHOMANIA, HORROR EXPRESS, BACK FROM HELL, PROJECT VAMPIRE, THE PASSING and BEYOND EVIL.
(O) THE APOCALYPSE (Ardustry) Crooks plan to crash a spaceship full of warheads into the Earth, and the only ones who can stop them are a bartender and a salvage pilot.
(O) BABYLON 5: THE Complete Third Season (Warner Bros.) Includes commentrak on 3 episodes, documentary featurettes and more.
(O) BOOGEYMAN 2 (Image) Ulli Lommel's director's cut of the 1983 sequel to his cult favorite. Includes interview and clips from further sequels.
(O) BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE / THE WASP WOMAN (Catcom) Double feature of public domain perennials, plus serial chapter, Casper cartoon and vintage TV commercials.
(O) BRAM STOKER'S THE MUMMY (Ardustry) Louis Gossett, Jr. somehow got himself into this horror flick loosely based on a Stoker story.
(O) BREEDERS (Ardustry) Monster alien with an urge to mate lands on the campus of an [IMG4R]all-girl college.
(O) CARRIE (MGM) The Brian DePalma feature based on Stephen King's classic novel is so good that some folks thought you'd sure love to watch this TV movie remake.
(O) CHAMPIONS (Ardustry) Louis Mandylor and Danny Trejo in an underground fight tournament movie.
(O) CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT (Columbia TriStar) A teenage girl, a schoolteacher and a wino team up to battle vampires.
(O) CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE (Warner Bros.) DMX is a thief who teams up with Taiwanese Intelligence cop Jet Li to save his daughter from kidnappers. Includes many behind-the-scenes featurettes, including one on the new "descender rig" camera device developed for the film. Available in widescreen and fullscreen editions.
(O) THE CRAWLING EYE / THE KILLER SHREWS (Catcom) Another bargain bin public domain double feature.
(O) DARK PLANET (Ardustry) 1996 space opera with Michael York, Harley Jane Kozak and [IMG5R]Maria Ford.
(O) DEVIL CAME FROM AKASAVA (Image) 1971 Jess Franco thriller teams Fred Williamson and Soledad Miranda.
(O) DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS / FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (Catcom) Yeah, these double feature discs probably have lousy transfers, including the cartoons and commercials, but they list for only $6.65 each.
(O) DEVIL IN THE FLESH (Ardustry) Rose McGowan, typecast as a creepy hottie.
(O) DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER (Ardustry) Wanna see a movie about a serial killer stalking the transvestite scene? Starring Arnold Vosloo, Gary Busey and Michael Madsen? Here's your big chance!
(O) DIE! DIE! MY DARLING! (Columbia TriStar) Tallulah Bankhead tries to revive her career in 1965 via thrillers (ala Bette Davis), terrorizing Stephanie Powers with the help of Donald Sutherland, in a Hammer Films production with an Italian director.
(O) DRAGNET (Brentwood) 20 episodes of the original 1950s series starring Jack Webb on 2 discs.
(O) EMBRYO / WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE? (Catcom) Digging into the TV movie well.
(O) FREEDOM STRIKE (Ardustry) 1998 action adventure: jet pilots versus terrorists in Iraq.
(O) FARSCAPE: Season 3 - Volumes 7 & 8 (ADV Films)
(O) FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS / FLYING SAUCER (Catcom) Double feature, cartoon, serial.
(O) GOD TOLD ME TO / CARNIVAL OF SOULS (Catcom) Okay, even at $6.65 you should save up for better editions.
(O) GORGO / PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES (Catcom) I mean, really, with the Superman cartoon and stuff, these are aimed at the kids, right?
(O) GOTCHA! (Universal) Anthony Edwards is a student who likes to play cops & robbers, which accidentally gets him in danger with spy Linda Fiorentino.
(O) HABITAT (Ardustry) A scientist tries to save the world of the future, but turns himself into a horrible monster. That oughta teach him. Originally broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.
(O) HEAD OF STATE (DreamWorks) None of these recent race comedy movies with Caucasians talking "jive" (this one's about a "nobody" that is run for president ala FACE IN THE CROWD) are very funny, but this might be worthwhile for Chris Rock's commentrak. Plus making-of and more, in fullscreen or widescreen.
(O) HERCULES / HERCULES UNCHAINED (Catcom) All right, I'm sure the video transfers for these must've been made 20 years ago.
(O) HORROR EXPRESS / BLOOD TIDE (Catcom) Besides, if you want an inferior edition of HORROR EXPRESS you could get it in the ANCIENT EVIL box above, right?
(O) HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL / ATOMIC BRAIN (Catcom) So it's okay if I stop listing [IMG6R]these, right?
(O) THE HUNTED (Paramount) Government assassin Benicio Del Toro goes renegade, and his mentor Tommy Lee Jones tries to catch him. Includes commentrak by director William Friedkin, featurettes, deleted scenes and trailers. In either fullscreen or widescreen format.
(O) INSIDE TOLKIEN'S FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Kultur) Documentary that flips the pages for ya.
(O) INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS / THE INCREDIBLE 2 HEADED TRANSPLANT (Catcom) Well, maybe they're not all aimed at kids (unless the nudity is cut out), but there's still cartoons!
(O) JAILBAIT / GLEN OR GLENDA? (Catcom) Y'know, some of these might not even be in the public domain.
(O) THE KILLER WITHIN ME (New Concorde) Ex-con takes over a Beverly Hills mansion.
(O) LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS / THE TERROR (Catcom) Okay, then we're agreed? I don't have to list any more Catcom for at least a week?
(O) THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE (Buena Vista) A vacationing schoolgirl in Rome takes the place of a lookalike pop singer when the real celebrity disappears. Like, is that even legal? Many frivolous extras included.
(O) MARIHUANA / TERROR OF TINY TOWN (Catcom) Okay, last one. But only because they make such a great double feature for getting small.
(O) METROPOLIS / WIZARD OF OZ (Catcom) Well, you might want that one to have the silent WIZARD on DVD...
(O) ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA TRILOGY (Columbia TriStar) Previously available separately and as a box set, now you can get the first 3 (and best) entries in Tsui Hark's series about China's greatest hero Wong Fei-hung (as portrayed by Jet Li) on a [IMG7R]2-disc set.
(O) ONMYOJI: THE YIN YANG MASTER (Pioneer) Supernatural intrigue in old Japan. Available in standard or special edition, which includes making-of, trailer, and more.
(O) PAPER MOON (Paramount) Ryan and Tatum O'Neal team up as a Depression Era con man and the sassy orphan he teams up with in Peter Bogdanovich's classic comedy/drama. Includes director's commentrak, interviews and making-of.
(O) PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (Catcom) Aagh! Not even a double feature! I'm out. Buy the Image edition still available.
(O) P.U.N.K.S. (Ardustry) Misfit teens steal an experimental armored exoskeleton supersuit.
(O) SANTO IN VENGEANCE OF THE CRYING WOMAN (Rise Above/VAS) La Llorona!
(O) SANTO IN VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY (Rise Above/VAS) Nanoc!
(O) SANTO VS. THE RIDERS OF TERROR (Rise Above/VAS) That makes three more adventures of the silver-masked mystery man, in Spanish with optional English subtitles.
(O) SCARECROW SLAYER (York) Specifically, a demonic scarecrow that kills people.
(O) SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (Universal) 1978 all-star musical schlockfest based on the Beatles album.
(O) SPECIMEN (Ardustry) In this above-average PREDATOR knock-off, a young man finds out he's an alien hybrid, and his family comes hunting for him.
(O) SUB DOWN (Lions Gate) Stephen Baldwin might drown in a submarine!
(O) THE SURGEON (Ardustry) A lot of folks are afraid of surgery just because it involves getting strapped down and cut open by people in masks.
(O) TARGETS (Paramount) Peter Bogdanovich's early thriller in which Boris Karloff plays an aging horror movie star who confronts real world terrors of modern society. Widescreen with director's commentrak.
(O) SWEET EVIL (Ardustry) Brigette Wilson as a sinister [IMG8R]surrogate mother.
(O) TOUCH OF HER FLESH / CURSE OF HER FLESH / KISS OF HER FLESH (Image) Something Weird Video presents a trash-sleaze classic trilogy from Michael and Roberta Findlay about the shocking adventures of a misogynistic psycho sadist who always comes to a bad end. Insane adults-only low budget roughie nonsense that has to be seen to be believed. Includes a slew of trailers and gallery art.
(O) THE ULTIMATE BOND TRAILER COLLECTION (MGM) Theatrical trailers to every movie in the 007 series. Available FREE if you order DIE ANOTHER DAY on pay-per-view.
(O) THE WILD WILD WORLD OF JAYNE MANSFIELD / LABYRINTH OF SEX (Image) Something Weird presents a double feature of 1960s mondo schlockumentaries. Plus trailers, shorts, etc., including that peep show short that's still passed off as starring Marilyn Monroe.
(O) X-312 FLIGHT TO HELL (Image) 1971 Jess Franco adventure flick about a planeload of suspicious characters that crashes in the Amazon jungle. Original German language version with English subtitles.
ANIME ADDITIONS
And finally, we close off each weekly list with a rundown of the constant stream of anime from around [IMG9R]the world:
(O) BEYBLADE: Volume 4 - Topsy-Turvy (Pioneer)
(O) DEMON BEAST RESURRECTION: Purgatory (Central Park Media)
(O) DNA5 #4: Crossfire (Central Park Media)
(O) DRAGON BALL Z: Fusion Box Set (FUNimation)
(O) DRAGON KNIGHT: Volume 2 - Full Circle (ADV Films)
(O) FUTURAMA: Volume 2 (Fox) Includes commentraks, deleted footage.
(O) HADES PROJECT ZEORYMER: Extinction (Central Park Media) Includes galleries, trailers, and a synopsis to bring you up to speed.
(O) INU-YASHA #8: Kikyo's Wandering Soul (Viz)
(O) MACHINE ROBO: Revenge of Cronos - Volume 2 (Central Park Media)
(O) MASTER KEATON #2: Excavation II (Pioneer) Cases 6-10 for the master investigator, plus a special hidden feature, it says here.
(O) NIGHTMARE CAMPUS #4 (Central Park Media)
(O) PATLABOR: TV Series Volume 6 (Central Park Media)
(O) PROJECT ARMS #6: Won't You Join the Dance [IMG10R](Viz)
(O) ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS: Complete Season 1 (Sony) Entire 1961 season. Includes booklet, Bullwinkle puppet, TV spots.
(O) SPIRIT WARRIOR: Revival of Evil (Central Park Media)
(O) STEEL ANGEL KURUMI 2: Lips of a New Master (ADV Films)
(O) TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS - Season 1 (Rhino) 4-disc box set offers more than meets the eye on all 26 uncut episodes, plus interviews with the writers.
(O) URUSEI YATSURA: Box Set 5 volumes 21-25 (AnimEigo) Lum forever!
And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List!
DVD Shopping List is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive new book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!
Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at DVDShoppingList@cinescape.com.
