Welles masterpiece hits DVD

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Last week I reported on how several DVD labels were releasing Mexican genre cluster content on DVD in the USA without taking into consideration the massive English speaking audience that enjoys such classics as LA LLARONA and CASTLE OF THE MUMMIES OF GUANAJUATO. I've been urging these labels to make this move, theorizing that they'd double their sales after making a minimal investment to translate and subtitle these movies, to no avail. Well, now I've got backup. The readers of this column have registered a definite "Si!" in favor of providing subtitles so they can understand the wise words of El Santo and Mil Mascaras. Even Spanish speaking viewers wrote in asking for English subtitles so they can share these movies with their monolinguistic amigos. (As further testament to the popularity of Mexican wrestling stars, check out the hit attraction Lucha Va Voom [http://www.psychotronic.info/news.htm])

Hopefully, any video labels looking to make more money will listen.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This week, our spotlight falls like the foot of a giant scaly on the soundtrack due to legal restrictions.

(O) F FOR FAKE (Criterion) Amazing 1976 documentary puzzle from master filmmaker Orson Welles questions the accuracy of perception (or does it) by profiling forgers and tricksters, including Welles himself. Includes commentrak by Welles' girlfriend Oja Kodar and DP Gary Graver, interview on Welles with Peter Bogdanovich, 2 bonus documentaries, extended trailer, 60 MINUTES' interview with Clifford Irving and more.

NEW RELEASES

(O) ACTIUM MAXIMUS: WAR OF THE ALIEN DINOSAURS (Troma) On a planet in

turmoil, the ruling class indulges in a "Karnilvale" that pits huge lizards against each other. Includes bonus feature STAR WORMS 2: ATTACK OF THE PLEASURE PODS and more.
(O) AIRLINE Complete Season 1 (A&E) Reality series follows airline employees and passengers through drama and comedy.
(O) ANCIENT MYSTERIES: Bigfoot (A&E)
(O) ANCIENT MYSTERIES: UFOs First Encounters (A&E) 1990s Fortean phenomena TV series narrated by Leonard Nimoy.
(O) ANTHOLOGY OF SURREAL CINEMA Volume 1 (CAV) Includes these rare films from the 1920s surrealist movement: Rene Clair's ENTR'ACTE, Germain Dulac's LA COQUILLE ET LE CLERGYMAN, Ferdinand Leger's BALLET MECANIQUE and Marcel Duchamp's ANEMIC CINEMA.
(O) AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) BAD BOY BUBBY (Blue Underground) A man-child kept locked away his entire life by his demented mother escapes to explore our strange world in this award winning black comedy. Includes interviews, a short film and more.
(O) THE BLACK GATE (Lions Gate/Artisan) Psychic investigator Jeff Rector (DINOSAUR VALLEY GIRLS) finds a Satanic tool in a haunted mansion.
(O) BLADE: TRINITY (New Line) Blade is joined by two more characters from his comics for this fun action outing. Includes Making-Of, bloopers, alternate ending and more. R-rated edition includes both widescreen and fullscreen formats, while an unrated edition includes a version with 10 extra minutes and 2 commentraks. Also available in a gift set with the first 2 BLADEs.
(O) CATWOMAN (Warner Bros.) MiniDVD
(O) CHOP SOCKY (New Video) Documentary on Hong Kong action cinema, as seen on IFC.
(O) CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED: The History of Christmas (A&E) Documentary ends with an apocalypse signaled by the release of a Christmas DVD in April.
(O) CURSED (Media Blasters) Not the Wes Craven werewolf movie, but Japanese horror about a haunted convenience store.
(O) CYBERNATOR / DIGITAL PROPHET (Troma) A bad sci-fi double feature.
(O) DARKNESS (Buena Vista) Anna Paquin and her family move into a haunted house. In PG-13 and unrated editions with behind-the-scenes featurette.
(O) DEVIL'S HARVEST (Velocity) An artist accepts an invitation to revisit the coastal village where he grew up and encounters a demon. (O) DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) EXPLORING THE DA VINCI CODE (Disinformation) Henry Lincoln, co-author of HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL, gives us a tour of the mysterious French village that appears to hold signs of an ancient secret involving Jesus' descendants.
(O) FREQUENCY (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) GILMORE GIRLS: Pilot (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) GODS OF WAR (Inspired) An Italian peplum double feature from 1962: GIANT OF MARATHON and LAST GLORY OF TROY.
(O) HARRY POTTER & THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) HARRY POTTER & THE SORCERER'S STONE (Warner Bros.) MiniDVD
(O) A HAUNTED HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN (A&E) Did you know that it predates Christmas by 1000 years?
(O) HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS (Media Blasters) Al Adamson's 1970 gritty biker Nazi crime drama with vampires. Includes commentrak and more.
(O) HELL'S GATE 11:11 (Universal) Orphaned when her parents were savagely murdered, a teenager must unravel the supernatural mystery of the 11:11 Prophesy.
(O) THE HEROIC DUO (Tartan) This offbeat Hong Kong picture mixes suspense and gunplay action as a cop is hypnotized into stealing a million bucks from a police safe. Ekin Cheng and Leon Lai star, directed by action ace Benny Chan. Includes Making-Of and cast interviews.
(O) HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN Season 1 (A&E) First 24 episodes of a fantasy series starring Michael Landon as an angel wandering around on Earth doing good deeds. With feature documentary, outtakes, etc.
(O) IN CHINA THEY EAT DOGS (TLA) Danish black comedy in which a man foils a bank robbery, only to get involved in a second heist when he becomes sympathetic to the thieves.
(O) KANGAROO JACK (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) LAND OF THE LOST Season 3 (Rhino) We all remember this as the season in which dad failed to sign his contract and was tragically killed in an earthquake, only to be replaced by "Uncle Jack". 17 episodes on 3 discs, plus commentrak and interview.
(O) LARVA (First Look) A terrifying secret surrounds the meat industry in a Missouri town.
(O) LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (Paramount) Simply beautiful adaptation of the first three Snicket books in which a trio of orphans survive murder attempts by scheming relatives while trying to unravel the puzzle behind their parents deaths. Widescreen & fullscreen 1-disc editions include 2 commentraks, Making-Of, deleted scenes and outtakes. 2-disc edition adds more Making-Of and galleries.
(O) LEONARD: PART 6 (Sony) One of Bill Cosby's worst career missteps is this 1987 spy spoof.
(O) THE LOST ANGEL (MTI) Special crimes cop Alison Eastwood is on the trail of a serial killer when a mishap makes her the target of both Internal Affairs and the killer. Warning: Judd Nelson Alert.
(O) THE MANSON FAMILY (MPI) Harsh, delirious docudramatization of the true crime story from the director of DEADBEAT AT DAWN. In standard and 2-disc special edition that includes a Making-Of documentary, interview with Manson and more.
(O) MONSTERS GONE WILD (Goldhil) A drunken Frankenstein exposes himself during Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale.
(O) MONTY PYTHON'S GRAHAM CHAPMAN: Looks Like A Brown Trouser Job (Rykodisc) Performance footage of the late comedian from his 1988 US college tour, plus commercials, audio interview, outtakes and more.
(O) MY NAME IS NOBODY (Image) 1973 Eurowestern with Terence Hill and Henry Fonda. Sergio Leone was the uncredited producer and co-director.
(O) THE NAMELESS (Buena Vista) A woman begins receiving phone calls from her daughter, who was murdered five years before, in this 1999 Spanish horror from the director of DARKNESS.
(O) NEVER GIVE UP (Adness) Special forces soldier Ken Takakura adopts a young girl who is the lone survivor of a massacre, but her returning memories of the event put them both in danger.
(O) NEW YORK MINUTE (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) OLGA'S GIRLS (Synapse) Second and best of the five Olga movies Joseph Mawra made in the 1960s that started the "roughie" trend in adult movies, starring Audrey Campbell as the madame of a very strict brothel. With commentrak from Campbell and more.
(O) PANIC BEATS (Mondo Macabro) Bloody 1983 Paul Naschy horror film in which the ghost of a knight brutally murders the women in his descendants lives. Includes an interview with Naschy, featurette on Spanish horror cinema and more.
(O) PIGS (Troma) A psycho killer uses her equally deranged father figure's swine to dispose of her victims' remains in this 1972 horror (aka DADDY'S DEADLY DARLINGS). Includes mucho Troma extras.
(O) PURE BLOOD (Troma) An original twist on the vampire genre, financed by the government of South Africa! Includes a nehind-the-scenes featurette and lots more.
(O) QUATERMASS (A&E) Space invaders take control of the world's teenagers, forcing them to destroy civilization! 1978 BBC miniseries with John Mills as the scientist/adventurer.
(O) RECONCILED WITH THE CHRIST (Sub Rosa) Tim Ritter strays a bit from his usual horror material to present an offbeat supernatural drama about what happens to a man while on a mission to kill his wife. Includes widescreen & fullscreen formats, commentrak, featurettes and more. Delayed from last month.
(O) RESURRECTION OF GOLDEN WOLF (Adness) Suspenseful 1979 action drama with Sonny Chiba as a blackmailer who is coerced into joining forces with a master thief.
(O) RETURN TO TROY (Inspired) Another Italian peplum double feature from the early 1960s which seem to be the first and third acts of a trilogy recounting the Trojan War: FURY OF ACHILLES and LION OF THEBES.
(O) ROCK BABY ROCK IT (Arcanum/Runt) Rockin' 1957 low budget regional Texas musical starring Johnny Carroll, Preacher Smith & the Deacons, Kay Wheeler, the awesome Belew Twins, and other would-be stars. Delayed from February.
(O) SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) SMALLVILLE: Pilot (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD (O) SNOW WHITE & THE THREE STOOGES (Fox) The comic trio stands in for the dwarfs in this 1961 retelling of the classic story starring skating champ Carol Heiss.
(O) SON OF INGAGI (Alpha) Poverty Row "race" programmer distinguished by the fact that it's a black woman who is the mad scientist harboring a monstrous ape man in her basement.
(O) SOUP TO NUTS (Fox) 1930 comedy landmark written by cartoonist Rube Goldberg starring Ted Healy and his Stooges Larry Fine, Shemp Howard and Harry (Moe) Howard.
(O) STARSKY & HUTCH (Warner Bros.) Mini-DVD
(O) TOUCH OF DEATH (Media Blasters) 1988 Eurohorror from Lucio Fulci (THE BEYOND) with Brett Halsey as a psycho cannibal killer.
(O) UNDERTOW (MGM) A family's idyllic hillbilly life is interrupted by the arrival of violent Uncle Deel. With commentrak, featurettes and more.
(O) WOMEN'S PRISON MASSACRE (EI Cinema) Bruno Mattei's 1983 WIP Euroshocker with Laura Gemser.

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 new book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

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