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Phantoms and Free DVD Players

In last week's column, I put out an offer to sell my credibility in exchange for new electronics equipment. Well, no DVD player manufacturers or retailers have responded to my offer (which still stands), but I'm gonna tell you how you can get a DVD player for FREE. Ever since the dawn of the video age, Sinister Cinema has been a prime resource for movie fans, with an incredibly extensive catalogue of obscure often exclusive - titles drawn from their own library of 35mm and 16mm prints, from early German sci-fi to Forgotten Horrors of the 1930s to sleazy '70s grindhouse fare. Each release includes several vintage trailers, and they've put together over 100 bargain Drive-In Double Features. With the disc explosion, Sinister has been hard at work to offer hundreds of their titles on DVD-R, with lots more on the way. To help their customers make the conversion, they're now offering a free DVD player to anyone that buys $159 worth of merchandise at regular price! And by the way, even if (unlike me) you don't need a new DVD player, they also have frequent sales, like any 10 titles for $99. For those that don't know, DVD-R is a disc recorded on a computer drive, unlike the regular DVDs manufactured by a different process. Most DVD players are compatible with them, and most viewers don't notice any difference between DVD-R and DVD. To be honest, some of Sinister's early discs are the only DVD-Rs I've ever had a problem with, even on my old player, but they've since made some changes to correct these problems. And heck, I've gotten so much enjoyment from Sinister Cinema titles over the years that I can't let a little glitch get in the way of plugging them here.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This week, Anchor Bay combines some of their catalogue into great Drive-In Double Features of their own, but can't compete with this release. Throw out all your old, blurry public domain editions of this silent horror classic to make way for this one:

(O)     PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Image) A special 2-disc edition of this Lon Chaney horror landmark, which includes the 110-minute 1925 version (including the rarely seen color sequences) and the 98-minute 1929 version. Both restored versions, plus commentrak, interviews, deleted scenes, trailers, and bonus dialogue sequences from the 1929 sound reissue.

NEW RELEASES

(O)     THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN (Alpha) 1960 B-movie about an invisible crook from maestro Edgar G. Ulmer.
(O)     BELA LUGOSI: Triple Feature Movie Marathon (Madacy) Three weird Lugosi classics: WHITE ZOMBIE, THE CORPSE VANISHES and his only color feature SCARED TO DEATH.
(O)     A BLADE IN THE DARK / MACABRE (Anchor Bay) A double feature of early Lamberto Bava horror features, with interview featurettes.
(O)     BUG OFF! (MTI) Mrs. Pickle Nickle, a babysitter who is actually an alien, grants a girl's wish, turning her brother into [IMG2R]an insect.
(O)     BULLETPROOF MONK (MGM) The great Chow Yun-fat teams up with the not-so-great Sean William Scott to protect an ancient and powerful scroll from Nazis in this silly but fun action feature. Includes 2 commentraks, deleted scenes, alternate ending, 6 featurettes and gallery.
(O)     CIRCUS OF HORRORS / THEATER OF DEATH (Anchor Bay) That's show biz! Two '60s British horror flicks, plus an interview with star Christopher Lee and more.
(O)     CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (Buena Vista) Sam Rockwell is terrific in this biopic directed by George Clooney about a TV game show producer who moonlights as an assassin for the CIA. Includes commentrak, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes, screen tests, documentary and more.
(O)     CONFIDENCE (Lions Gate) A suspenseful Big Con movie boasting a great cast, including Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Ed Burns and Andy Garcia. Includes 3 commentraks, making-of, deleted scenes and [IMG3R]music videos.
(O)     THE CORE (Paramount) Ludicrous, but incredibly entertaining, sci-fi about a trip to the center of the Earth in an attempt to save the world from destruction after scientists accidentally break it. Both widescreen and fullscreen editions include director's commentrak, making-of, 10 deleted scenes, etc.
(O)     DELTA DELTA DIE! (Shadow) Killer sorority girls! Includes commentrak, deleted scenes, bloopers, etc.
(O)     THE DIVIDING HOUR (IndieDVD) Superior low-budget indie horror feature from Seattle about a group of travelers whose car breaks down in limbo. Includes interviews, commentrak and making-of. Delayed from last week.
(O)     ELVIRA MISTRESS OF THE DARK / TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000 (Anchor Bay) Twin bill of good horror comedies. TRANSYLVANIA includes director's commentrak.
(O)     FADE TO BLACK / HELL NIGHT (Image) Dennis Christopher kills as movie characters / Linda Blair faces college terror.
(O)     GIANT OF MARATHON (Alpha) Sci-fi tinged peplum photographed by Mario Bava.
(O)     THE GREENSKEEPER (New Concorde) Imagine if Bill Murray was a serial killer in CADDYSHACK.
(O)     HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD / RATS: NIGHT OF HORROR (Anchor Bay) Another ABE double feature presents Bruno Mattei spaghetti splatter, plus an interview with the director and more.
(O)     HOOK (Columbia TriStar) Robin Williams is a grown up Peter Pan in this Spielberg misfire, now available as a Superbit title.
(O)     INITIATION / MOUNTAINTOP MOTEL MASSACRE (Anchor Bay) Another pair of cult faves presented as a double feature by ABE.
(O)     IN SEARCH OF DRACULA (Wellspring) Christopher Lee portrays Vlad the Impaler in fact and fiction.
(O)     THE KILLER EYE (Full Moon) A guy's eyeball is mutated into a big, [IMG4R]bloodthirsty eyeball.
(O)     LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL (Columbia TriStar) Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman star in Luc Besson's director's cut of his underrated semi-sequel to LA FEMME NIKITA, now available as a Superbit title.
(O)     MALIBU'S MOST WANTED (Warner Bros.) Jamie Kennedy talks like a stereotypical black guy, just like Eminem. Widescreen or fullscreen with commentrak, deleted scenes and trailer.
(O)     MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD / CANNIBAL MAN (Anchor Bay) You are what you eat in this Eurohorror twin bill.
(O)     POSSESSION / SHOCK (Anchor Bay) Two tales of supernatural psychosis one from Andrzej Zulawski (who provides a commentrak) and the other from the great Mario Bava.
(O)     RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES / RETURN TO HORROR HIGH (Anchor Bay) Return to the video store.
(O)     REVOLT OF THE ZOMBIES (Alpha) 1936 semi-sequel to WHITE ZOMBIE.
(O)     ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (New Concorde) Special Edition of Allan Arkush's frantic comedy that has the Ramones causing havoc at a California high school. Includes commentrak, interviews, booklet, outtakes, radio spots, and more.
(O)     ROGER CORMAN CLASSICS COLLECTION (New Concorde) Corman didn't direct any of the features in this set, but was executive producer of DEATH RACE 2000, PIRANHA, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL.
(O)     SCORPION'S REVENGE (Asia Pulp Cinema/Central Park Media) Yoko Saito stars in this revival of the FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION series, aka SASORI IN USA.
(O)     SCREAM IN THE NIGHT (Alpha) 1935 Forgotten Horror with Lon Chaney, Jr. in a [IMG5R]small part.
(O)     THE SHADOW STRIKES (Alpha) 1937 adventure of the pulp fiction hero.
(O)     SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT (Alpha) 1933 Forgotten Horror thriller with Ginger Rogers and Lyle Talbot.
(O)     SOCIETY / SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (Anchor Bay) Brian Yuzna shows us that the rich really are different (with commentrak), then Tobe Hooper's tale of a pyrokinetic killer.
(O)     STRANGLER OF BLACKMOOR CASTLE (Alpha) Weird and wacky 1963 thriller based on an Edgar Wallace novel.
(O)     SVANGALI (Alpha) John Barrymore as the psychotic hypnotist in a classic performance from 1931.
(O)     THE TERROR (Alpha) Boris Karloff gothic horror from Roger Corman and a patchwork of footage from assistants.
(O)     TERROR IS A MAN (Wellspring) Early Filipino horror inspired by Wells' ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. Includes director interview, trailer, [IMG6R]and booklet.
(O)     TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (Wellspring) A bit dry, but this 1977 Swedish/Irish version is the most faithful adaptation of Shelley's novel I've ever seen.
(O)     13^th CHILD: LEGEND OF THE JERSEY DEVIL (MTI) Cryptozoology thriller starring Christopher Adkins, Cliff Robertson and Lesley-Anne Down. Includes behind-the-scenes, deleted scenes, cast bios & trailers. Delayed from last week.
(O)     THE VAMPIRE HAPPENING (Alpha) 1970 horror about a nest of groovy Transylvanians.
(O)     VAMPIRE RESURRECTION (Shadow) Standard vampire romance stuff. Includes director commentrak, making-of, alternate ending and deleted scenes.
(O)     WILDER NAPALM (Columbia TriStar) Oddly, this isn't the only pyrokinetic romantic comedy made in the early '90s, but it's the only one with Debra Winger and Dennis Quaid. From the creator of MOONLIGHTING.
(O)     YOKAI MONSTERS: ALONG WITH GHOSTS (ADV Films) The third in the great Japanese trilogy about vengeful spirit monsters.

ANIME ADDITIONS

And finally, we close off each weekly list with a rundown of the constant stream of anime imported from around [IMG7R]the world:

(O)     ANIMATION RUNNER KUROMI: Collector's Series Edition (Central Park Media) An award-winning adventure behind-the-scenes at an anime studio. Includes interviews with director Akitaroh Daichi, US voice actor Lisa Ortiz, alternate angle storyboards, galleries, trailers, director's diary a must for anime fans.
(O)     BATTLE OF THE PLANETS: Ultimate Box Set (Rhino) A 4-disc set of the popular English version of GATCHAMAN, with voice artist commentraks, galleries, and a limited edition action figure.
(O)     CARDCAPTOR SAKURA: Volume 17 - Confessions (Pioneer) Skiing, filmmaking and more soap opera in this volume.
(O)     CAT SOUP (Central Park Media/Software Sculptors) Bizarre dark parody of HELLO KITTY from the director of NADESICO, includes interview, commentrak and galleries. Also available with limited edition liquid art package. I have no idea what that is, but it sounds cool.
(O)     CHOBITS: Volume 4 - Love Defined (Pioneer)
(O)     DAGGER OF KAMUI (AnimEigo) A teenage ninja goes from Old Japan to the Old West and back in a quest for treasure and revenge.
(O)     DRAGON BALL Z: Fusion (Funimation) Box set.
(O)     THE FAMILY GUY: Volume 2 (Fox) Wickedly screwy family sitcom. Season 3 box set includes an unaired episode, 28 deleted scenes, commentraks on selected episodes, featurettes and more.
(O)     ORIGINAL DIRTY PAIR #3: PROJECT EDEN (ADV Films) A mad scientist is trying to evolve a dangerous alien species, and only the Lovely Angels can stop him.
(O)     RAHXEPHON: Volume 5 - Synaesthesia (ADV Films)
(O)     REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA: Unveiling (Central Park Media) Episodes 31-33.
(O)     SAKURA WARS: THE MOVIE (Pioneer) Girls in mecha-suits fight demons! Available as either standard edition or a limited edition that includes a mini pencil [IMG8R]board set.
(O)     SLEEPING BEAUTY: Special Edition (Buena Vista) Classic 1958 Disney fairytale feature. THX certified edition includes both widescreen and fullscreen formats, games, music video, sing-along, shorts, and more.
(O)     STAR BLAZERS: Bolar Wars - Series 3, Volume 5 (Voyager)
(O)     YOU'RE UNDER ARREST: Box Set 1 (AnimEigo) Policewomen in action! Includes galleries and dubbing outtakes.

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!