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Santo Returns!

Several readers have written in to our DVD peeve department to gripe about DVD packaging. While the plastic keepcase has settled in as the compromise of choice for most labels, why do some manufacturers force us to unwrap the shrinkwrap, remove adhesive strips from the ends of a cardboard or tin slipcase, remove the shrinkwrap from the inner keepcase, then remove three adhesive strips from the sides? Most would say it's to baffle shoplifters who pull discs out of the packaging to leave behind the security device. I say any shoplifter willing to go that far will have a blade sharp enough to cut through all that. But most of the trouble comes in with box sets. The labels are struggling to give us something fancier than an awkward sleeve full of keepcases, resulting in a jumble of accordion-folded albums or flipping insert holders which are sometimes jammed tightly within cardboard sleeves and boxes and are just as likely to succumb to that aggravating bugaboo of all such disc packaging: broken disc holders that let the DVDs bounce around inside, getting all scratched. Some manufacturers are coming up with better ideas. Some recent Fox box sets, like SON OF THE BEACH, come in sets of slimmer keepcases made of softer plastic, which saves space and is less likely to break than the more brittle kind. And then there's Rhino, where they're making artful packaging an extra reason to buy. Their GIGANTOR box sets make a classic but clumsy anime series into a design triumph, while their MONKEES collection discs come in a set of paper sleeves (just like little LPs), all of which slide into a box that looks like an old "record player." Way cool!

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Rise Above [IMG2R]has followed up on the promise shown with their DVD release of the latest adventure of the Man in the Silver Mask, INFRATERRESTRE, with three more releases from the extensive filmography of Mexican superhero wrestler El Santo. Although I would have liked to see these films come out in some sort of order (this batch ranges from 1969-1974), it's possible Rise Above doesn't have rights to all Santo titles, and want to get into the market with some of the more spectacular color movies first. In any case, they're all digitally remastered making their international DVD debuts, are in Spanish with optional English subtitles, are decorated with the original poster art, and are a lot of fun. All releases in the Santo Collection come with a selection of trailers, photo galleries, and extensive liner notes by David Wilt, author of the upcoming book THE MEXICAN FILMOGRAPHY: FEATURE FILMS 1916-2003.

(O)     SANTO & BLUE DEMON VS. DR. FRANKENSTEIN (Rise Above) Santo teams up with his friendly rival Blue Demon to thwart the diabolical brain transplant experiments of Dr. Irving Frankenstein and his super-zombie Golem!
(O)     SANTO & BLUE DEMON VS. DRACULA & THE WOLFMAN (Rise Above) El Hombre Lobo comes under the thrall of Dracula, who is plotting to take over the human world, and only our wrestling pals can stop them!
(O)     SANTO IN THE TREASURE OF DRACULA (Rise Above) Santo and his scientist friend Dr. Sepulveda go back in time to look for Dracula's treasure, and end up fighting the Count himself! This volume is scheduled for release on July 15, but may be available now.

NEW RELEASES

(O)     ANGEL (Anchor Bay) [IMG3R]The ad line "High School honor student by day, Hollywood hooker by night!" brought in the crowds in 1984, and led to three sequels, all with different actresses taking on the lead role of Molly Stewart. ABE has the first 3 movies on DVD in widescreen editions, available separately or as...
(O)     THE ANGEL COLLECTION (Anchor Bay)
(O)     AVENGING ANGEL (Anchor Bay)
(O)     ANGEL III: THE FINAL CHAPTER (Anchor Bay)
(O)     ARLISS: The Best of Volume 1 (HBO) I'm guessing that HBO had to run this awful series in order to get SEX & THE CITY. The funniest thing ever connected with it is this "Volume 1" as if there's really enough "Best" for even one volume.
(O)     BIKER BOYZ (DreamWorks) Laurence Fishburne stars in this motorcycle racing action flick, with Lisa Bonet, Kid Rock and Orlando Jones. Okay, you've been warned. Includes making-of, trailers and featurettes.
(O)     THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE and A VERY BRADY SEQUEL (Paramount) Hilarious spoofs of the TV favorite, available separately or bundled [IMG4R]together.
(O)     Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Complete Fourth Season (Fox) The slayer grows up in Fox's continuing release of the series.
(O)     DARKROOM (Image) Photography-based 1988 erotic thriller.
(O)     EXPERIMENT IN TERROR (Columbia TriStar) I'll always think of this fine 1962 thriller from Blake Edwards as the source of the theme (by Henry Mancini) for Creature Features, one of the local late night monster movie programs from my childhood. However, the film itself (presented here in a new widescreen transfer) is an edge-of-the-seat suspense story of FBI agent Glenn Ford's hunt for the killer threatening sisters Lee Remick and Stephanie Powers.
(O)     FEAR OF FEAR (Fox) Fassbinder chiller presents a phobic housewife who attempts to escape her terrors with drugs and alcohol, only making matters worse.
(O)     GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (ADV Films) [IMG5R]Terrific third entry in the 1990s Gamera series, in which the giant turtle faces a new extraterrestrial menace which is bound to a young girl, not to mention a growing army of Gyaos! Includes commentrak, outtakes, trailers, and other behind-the-scenes features from the Japanese release.
(O)     THE GREAT GABBO / BLIND HUSBANDS (Kino) This 1929 newly restored sound thriller stars Erich von Stroheim in the granddaddy of all ventriloquist horror flicks. Paired with von Stroheim's 1919 deconstruction of married life.
(O)     JACKIE CHAN: WHO IS HE? (Madacy) I suppose this is some kind of documentary compilation of Jackie Chan footage.
(O)     JESSICA: A GHOST STORY (Image/Omega) 1994 ghost revenge story.
(O)     MAY (Lions Gate) Creepy Angela Bettis (from the CARRIE TV remake) finds that each man is only partly perfect, and decides to assemble one of only the best parts. Includes commentrak and trailers.
(O)     THE MUTILATION MAN (Sub Rosa) A young man's abuse in childhood leads him to become a self-mutilating performance artist. Includes commentrak, trailers, music video, short, galleries and deleted scenes.
(O)     NEKROMANTIK 2 (Barrel) This slightly campier sequel chronicles the adventures of Monika as she hunts for the perfect man preferably after his funeral. Includes filmmakers' commentrak, making-of, outtakes, interviews, short, outtakes, [IMG6R]etc.
(O)     OLD SCHOOL (DreamWorks) This Spring's nutty comedy with many extras, including a special Inside the Actor's Studio parody. Available in R-rated fullscreen, and both R-rated and unrated widescreen editions.
(O)     POLICE STORY (Madacy) A Jackie Chan classic, most likely in a fullscreen, dubbed and much-edited edition.
(O)     ROAD GAMES (Anchor Bay) Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this 1981 thriller, now with director's commentary, making-of, galleries and more.
(O)     ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES - Special Edition (Warner Bros.) An extended cut of the 1991 disco remake with Kevin Costner. 2 discs include commentrak with the stars, another with the writers/producers, a third with the composer, featurettes, music video, etc.
(O)     THE SEVERED HEAD NETWORK (Sub Rosa) An anthology of 8 twisted shorts, including the Emmy winner "Curveball." With making-of featurettes, galleries and [IMG7R]trailers.
(O)     THEY (Dimension) Okay, for those not put off by DARKNESS FALLS, here's the other recent horror flick about kids with "night terrors." Wes Craven presents. Includes alternate ending.
(O)     ZERO BOYS (Image) Though marketed as a war movie, this is actually an intriguing little 1986 Nico Mastorakis horror movie about a bunch of paintball aficionados who apparently pick the EVIL DEAD cabin in which to spend a weekend in the woods. Released previously on the disreputable Scimitar label, Image now presents it in widescreen format for the first time.

ANIME ADDITIONS

(O)     BEYBLADE #3: The Hidden Tiger (Pioneer)
(O)     DNA2 #3: Mutation (Central Park) Episodes 7-9.
(O)     FULL METAL PANIC Box Set (ADV Films) Volume 1 of the series in a collector's box with t-shirt and space for the rest of [IMG8R]the set.
(O)     HADES PROJECT: ZEORYMER - Separation (Central Park) Part 1 & 2.
(O)     HYPER POLICE #6 (Image) Episodes 21-25.
(O)     JAN SVANKMAJER ANIMATED FILMS Vol. 1 & 2 (Image) Two compilations of weird puppet animation shorts by the master.
(O)     JUNGLE BOOK 2 (Buena Vista) Since the wonderful voice talent provided half the fun of the '60s original, this belated sequel leans somewhat on the old songs and material, while failing to offer much of interest. With behind-the-scenes, deleted musical sequences, game, music videos and more.
(O)     LEGEND OF THE DRAGON KINGS: Black Dragon / Under Fire (Central Park)
(O)     MACHINE ROBO: Revenge of Cronos - Volume 1 (Central Park) Superhero from a robot planet comes to Earth.
(O)     PROJECT ARMS #5: All on a Summer's Day (Viz)
(O)     RANMA ½: RANMA FOREVER #7 - Bring It On (Viz) Ranma becomes a cheerleader!
(O)     SCOURGE OF WORLDS: A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure (Rhino)
(O)     YOU'RE UNDER ARREST: Box Set 4 (AnimEigo) Episodes 37-52.

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

DVD Shopping List is our weekly DVD column.