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Archive for November, 2008

Nov 30 2008

Quick Recommendations: Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

Flesh for Frankenstein (aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, 1973) is a gothic, yet gory, film directed by Paul Morrissey. It stars Udo Kier and Arno Arno Juerging, and Dalila Di Lazzaro.

Baron Frankenstein pieces together male and female bodies in order to create his “perfect” army of people. In order to do that, he takes the body parts he needs from local villagers. His plan is foiled when his male monster turns on him and a farm hand gets involved.

Flesh for Frankenstein is a special makeup effects extravaganza (Carlo Rambaldi was responsible for the gore effects; Rambaldi is better known for his work on King Kong (1977) and E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)). It has been released on video and DVD several times, but is best experienced through the Image Entertainment DVD. Although it was shot in 3-D, there is no official DVD of Flesh for Frankenstein.

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Nov 29 2008

Be Kind, Rewind Review: The Man With Two Heads (1972)

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

“Be Kind, Rewind” is a relatively new feature here at DoomsdayDVD. Although the site is enthusiastic about the ever-developing format of digital video, there is also a great deal of nostalgia for the pioneering format in home video rentals, the videocassette.

“Be Kind, Rewind” revisits the horror VHS titles of yesteryear and their strong presence on the shelf at your local video store. You may notice that certain video labels will resurface several times since they specialized in genre films. Labels such as Thorn Emi, Wizard Video, Midnight Video (Select-A-Tape), Vestron Video (the old “V” logo), Continental/Comet Video, Paragon and Gorgon Video are among the few.

So read on, enjoy and experience the videotapes that were surrounded by posters, neon signs and were accompanied by high sale prices and high membership fees!

An odd company that stands out amongst the early independent distributors of home videos is Select-A-Tape, better known as Midnight Video. In the early 80s, this label seems to have only distributed eight movies on Beta and VHS, all of them “gore” gems from the 60s and 70s. Seven of their releases were either Herschell Gordon Lewis films or Andy Milligan gore efforts. Between 1982 and 1983, Midnight released Microwave Massacre (the only film that is unique in that it wasn’t a Milligan or Lewis film), The Wizard of Gore, The Gore Gore Girls, The Gruesome Twosome, The Rats Are Coming - The Werewolves Are Here!, Torture Dungeon, Bloodthirsty Butchers, and the title at hand - The Man With Two Heads (1972).

The Man With Two Heads is an offbeat Jekyll and Hyde story. Jekyll is working on a serum to isolate the presence of “evil” in the brains of the mentally ill in order to destroy it, thus eradicating crime. When he learns that his shipment of animals for experimentation is delayed, the impatient doctor decides to take the serum himself. When the serum turns out to not only isolate the evil personality within the brain, but amplify it, Jekyll desperately drinks the antidote. Unbeknownst to Jekyll, his assistant accidentally destroyed the original formula for his antidote and inaccurately re-copied the formula. A sadistic madman by night, Jekyll roams the streets of London as Mr. Blood, looking for torture victims.

Much like other Milligan gore films, The Man With Two Heads contains bad makeup and special effects, over-the-top acting, badly recorded sound (most likely live from an omni-directional microphone) and terrible camera work. Any scene transitions that consist of a fade-out were done by simply dimming the lights on-set. Wavy camera movements and choppy, confusing editing add to the bewildering “action” scenes - along with some out-of-place heavy fog. Some of these sequences border on bizarre, with Hyde torturing victims and audience alike. Some of the stock music used in The Man With Two Heads can also be found in the North American version of Ghidrah: The Three Headed Monster.

The packaging for Midnight Video’s The Man With Two Heads is presented in the standard fashion. Midnight’s logo consists of a skeleton dressed in a top hat and tux, all contained in a circle over the logotype. On the front of the package, the entire logo is over a black band at the top, separated from a theatrical poster reproduction at the bottom by two horizontal yellow lines. The poster reproduction is very colorful, with crude illustration from top-to-bottom.

The spine is nearly identical to the rest of Midnight’s releases, with the Midnight logo at the top (or left, depending on your point of view) of the spine (over the same black “band” that the logo is over on the front panel), the title, an inset from the poster, the VHS logo and the catalogue number at the bottom (or right).

The rear panel displays the logo and title at the top of the case. Three action stills and an interesting synopsis are printed underneath. A large Selecta-A-Tape and Vistar logo appear at the bottom of the case above the copyright disclaimer. A numbered sticker is affixed to the case (500, 948); it is unclear whether or not this is a manufacturer sticker (perhaps it was limited to a million coopies).

The Man With Two Heads has since been released to VHS and DVD by Something Weird Video; yet it is the Midnight Video version that is so collectible due to its oversized box and glossy artwork. Whichever version is obtained, this film is quite possibly the strangest version of the Jekyll and Hyde story ever put on film (with the major exception being The Edge of Sanity (1988) starring Anthony Perkins).

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Nov 28 2008

Horror Movie Remakes

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

Horror fans are usually very passionate when it comes to discussion of their favorite films. A subject that has become the basis of a major argument amongst horror fans is that of the current wave of remakes.

Remakes have made up a large portion of horror film releases in the past ten years. Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (2003), House on Haunted Hill (1999), The Haunting (1999), The Hills Have Eyes (2005), and Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) stand at the forefront of this movement. Fans have reacted with a mixture of enthusiasm, disappointment, disgust (that their favorite films have been re-imagined), and apathy.

Some fans feel that a remake may “ruin” their favorite film; others think that a fresh, new direction taken with the story may rejuvenate interest in a title; many more will watch a remake once, dislike it, and continue watching the original as if it were never remade.

However, one may wonder why all of the favorites are being remade. It is possible that a remake is a chance at a “rebirth” of a highly-profitable franchise (as in the case of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which began an entirely new franchise in 2003). In addition, producers and studio executives may see more potential for ticket sales when a familiar title (that had been proven to be a success at the box office) is used; familiarity with the title in itself on the part of the public is free advertising. It can also be that studios are keeping development costs down by re-developing old concepts.

Some would argue that not all remakes are feeble “cash-ins” of classics; John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) and David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986) are very inventive with their use of special effects and updated logic. The Thing, in particular, is rather a re-adaptation of a short story than a direct remake of The Thing (1951). Furthermore, if it were not for remakes, there would only be one film version of the Frankenstein story, one Dracula, one Mummy, etc.

Regardless of the reason behind the onslaught of horror remakes, fans will react with a wide range of responses. Arguments on message boards and e-mail groups will persist. In the end, all of it is free publicity for the remake at the heart of the discussion.

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Nov 27 2008

King Kong Vs. King Kong

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

The great King Kong has been an inspiration to many film makers since its release in 1933. In addition to the films that can be classified as official sequels (Son of Kong, 1933) or “cash-in” re-interpretations (The Mighty Peking Man, 1976; A*P*E, 1976), there have been two official remakes. The first, produced by Dino De Laurentiis in 1976, and the most recent one, directed by Peter Jackson in 2005. Not only does the technology used to create the special effects in each film differ greatly, these films approach the story content in two fundamentally different ways. Generally, the result depends on the viewers’ preferences.

The 1976 remake of King Kong sets the story in what was then the modern-day (the mid-1970s). A prospective oil strike on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean prompts a sea expedition. A stowaway (Jack Prescott, played by Jeff Bridges) joins the expedition as official photographer of the voyage. The reason for his interest in the expedition is anthropological; he believes that a legendary beast resides on the island. On the way to the island, they rescue an actor/model (Dwan, portrayed by Jessica Lange) adrift in a lifeboat.

When they reach the island, they are met with hostility by the natives. The natives want Dwan to use in their ceremony as a sacrifice to “Kong.” They kidnap Dwan and offer her to the open forest. A giant gorilla, Kong, comes from out of the forest and takes Dwan. Jack and a group of naval officers set out after the beast; many of them are killed when Kong shakes them off of a bridge (made of nothing more than a tree across a deep ravine), falling to their deaths. Jack survives and rescues Dwan while Kong battles a giant snake. Kong kills the serpent and takes off after them. They make it back to the native village, and Kong is captured.

Kong is displayed in a stadium setting for promotion of the oil company that captured him. Enraged, the giant gorilla escapes, and goes on a path of destruction across New York City. He finds Dwan and climbs one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Kong puts Dwan down to battle helicopters that are firing at him. Kong, beaten down and bleeding, falls off the edge of the rooftop and crashes to the streets; he dies as hordes of news photographers and onlookers surround him.

Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake remains more faithful to the original story, beginning in Manhattan, 1933. Renegade film maker Carl Denham, despised by most studio executives in the city, decides to take matters into his own hands when an ambitious production of his is shut down by his financiers. He charters a sea vessel for a voyage to Skull Island, an exotic location that he feels should be filmed and shown to the world. He casts a struggling actor, Anne Darrow, as his female lead. After conning a renowned playwright, Jack Driscoll, into joining the expedition, they land on Skull Island. Natives of the island attack the passengers and crew, killing several of them. The captain of the ship and some of his crew arrive with machine guns to rescue the survivors.

One of the natives secretly board the ship at nightfall, kidnapping Anne. She is put on display to be sacrificed to a mysterious god. Kong arrives, and takes off with Anne. Denham, Driscoll and several crew members follow after Kong and Darrow. Some of the crew members are killed by dinosaurs along the way; others are shaken off of a log crossing a ravine by Kong. Once Kong dispenses with the crew, he rescues Anne from three V-Rexes; the crew, now at the bottom of the damp and dreary ravine, do battle with giant insects and man-eating plants. More crew members die, but Denham, Driscoll, and a few others are, again, rescued by the captain of the ship.

Driscoll rescues Anne (only after Anne forms a personal bond with the creature) while Kong battles a swarm of giant bats at the edge of a cliff. Driscoll and Darrow make it back to the native village, now turned into home base for Denham and company. They capture Kong and bring him back to New York.

Kong is put on display at a high-profile theater. He is chained onstage as a visual aid to the live re-telling of Denham’s fantastic adventure. Kong breaks free of the reinforced chains, and tears apart Manhattan looking for his long-lost Anne. Anne finds Kong, and goes to him in an effort to calm him down. He brings her to the top of the Empire State Building for a delicate moment set against the colorful sunrise. The moment is interrupted by a series of biplanes. The mighty Kong swats at the planes trying to pick him off of the building, but cannot overcome the onslaught of machine gun attacks at the hands of what was modern technology.

Kong falls to his death. When approached by police, Denham sums up the entire story by explaining that Kong, the beast, was really killed by Anne, the beauty (rather than the airplanes). This one line transforms the entire adventure into what amounts to a classic tragedy.

The changes made to the story, setting, and characters in the 1976 King Kong took the story out of the 1930s and updated it to suit the expectations of audiences who were on the verge of being enchanted by the likes of Star Wars (1977). This was potentially detrimental to the longevity of the film; it is not generally considered a classic. The special effects technology (which was an enhanced version of “suitamation,” utilized in the Asian kaiju films such as the Godzilla series of films) was not enough to make the film timeless. Instead, it is essentially another film with a giant gorilla climbing a tall building.

The lack of dinosaurs and man-eating creatures on Skull Island subtracted from a crucial story element, the sense of danger of Kong’s home island; there was no indication that Kong had any trouble surviving the raw conditions of a land where time stood still. On the other hand, Kong was easily defeated by the arsenal of weapons used by the helicopters; vehicles that could hover in one spot, far away enough from danger while spraying deadly ammunition into the body of a giant gorilla made for a boring and uneven battle.

Jackson’s remake was a highly-detailed re-telling of the Kong story. Certain aspects of the story were changed in order to make the story more realistic (doing away with Denham’s “gas bombs” used to render Kong unconscious during his capture; Driscoll was a playwright, not the first mate on the ship as in the 1933 Kong). Certain special effects sequences were added to attract audiences accustomed to the caliber of special effects and grand spectacle found in films like Stephen Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993). Others were added to pay homage to Merian C. Cooper’s original film; the entire “spider pit” sequence following Driscoll, Denham, and the crew falling to the bottom of the ravine is a re-interpretation of a scene cut from the original King Kong for pacing.

However, grand presentation and digitally animated dinosaurs do not take the place of, nor do they represent, the aspirations of the people who brought King Kong to the screen in 1933. A movie in excess of three hours, containing subplots and unnecessary details could not possibly keep with the same spirit of a movie so simple in its storytelling (which has a running time of only an hour and forty minutes). However, it is an honorable effort that tried to re-tell the story without changing too much; it merely added to the original story.

The fact that these two remakes that were approached so differently can only prove that there are choices out there for anyone interested in a colorful rehash of a classic story. Because the stories and overall use of effects are handled so differently, any viewer watching the original Kong, the 1976 remake, and Peter Jackson’s film back-to-back will feel like they are watching three entirely different movies, yet not too dissimilar as to make the viewer feel like they have the DVD on repeat.

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Nov 26 2008

Thanksgiving Desktop

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

For the readers who enjoyed the post last month about the essence of Halloween (which included a free desktop background illustrated by this webmaster for download), this reviewer is posting another desktop background that represents just about everything that has been posted in the previous weeks.

The background is overlayed by an illustrated silhouette of Joel/Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (complete with another overlay of colorful leaves); at a table is Godzilla (as the character was represented in Godzilla Vs. Megalon, 1973; this was both part of the WOR-TV channel 9 tradition and also a favorite Mystery Science Theater episode among fans), King Kong (the star of the channel 9 Holiday Movie Special himself; represented by the suit used in King Kong Escapes, 1967), and “Trumpy,” the titular being from the film “The Pod People” (another celebrated episode of Mystery Science Theater). They are awaiting their Thanksgiving dinner while a Gamera episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 plays on a small television in the background.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Next: King Kong (1976) Vs. King Kong (2005)

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Nov 25 2008

DVD Releases: The Missing Pieces

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

There are so many genre films that are yet to be released on region one DVD. The format is over ten years old, and many circles of science fiction and horror fans have become obsessed with the prospect of getting their favorite movies in the digital format.

Among these films include Lucio Fulci’s A Cat in the Brain (1990; this was announced for release on DVD in 2001 and has not been re-scheduled), Fred Dekker’s Night of the Creeps (1986; fans have scrambled to get this released by holding online petitions – the film has been broadcast several times in high definition in recent years), and X From Outer Space (1967; this has not been released since its inclusion on the double feature laserdisc with Yongary: Monster From The Deep, but has been broadcast on digital cable in its original aspect ratio with English subtitles). Many others have not seen a video release in over 20 years. It is possible that many of the studios who own the digital rights to these films are waiting to put together a high definition release on Blu-ray after the format becomes the standard. It is more common, however, that the rights to these films are in limbo; it is also likely that the rights owners do not see the possibility of turning a profit from a DVD release.

One group of films that is missing from the region one DVD format is that of movies that were once released by American International Pictures. Many of these films are now part of the MGM library. Films such as The Incredible Melting Man (1977) have been released on region two DVD and broadcast in digital high definition, but have not been given a DVD release date. Other films include imports, specifically Japanese kaiju eiga. Godzilla Vs. The Smog Monster (aka Godzilla Vs. Hedorah, 1971) is retained solely by Toho and has been licensed in its “International” version for release by TriStar/Columbia; this is the best audio-visual presentation, preserving the 2.35:1 aspect ratio and remastered in high definition. However, the original American International dub (which includes the translation of the title song “Save the Earth”) is gone. Many fans consider this dub to be the better of the two English-language dubs.

The same can be said about the Gamera films from the 1960s and 1970s. They had been re-released by Sandy Frank in the 1980s to video, laserdisc, and television from quality prints, boasting better colors and more visual clarity. The films were also presented in their uncut form. These versions vanished, presumably when the rights reverted to Daiei. They have yet to resurface and have been released to DVD from the old American International television versions.

Some of the films were once available on home video or laserdisc, where provisions were probably made specifically for those formats (in regards to rights agreements). DVD was not yet a player in the home video sales and rental market. This is most likely the biggest factor in the loss of many film clip compilations. It Came from Hollywood (1983) is one such case. So many rights owners involved in one production can be a complicated situation; people can give their consent to use footage that they own and decide not to renew when the contract runs out (or even demand a price that is too high).

It is disappointing to collectors and film enthusiasts when a film is either lost or only available in a compromised version. With any amount of effort on the part of fans and studios, some of them can be re-released and fill the holes in video collections worldwide.

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Nov 24 2008

MST3K: Turkey Day and More!

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is perhaps one of the most highly-celebrated science fiction television shows in cable history. Beginning Thanksgiving 1988, the television show made several moves from station to station (beginning at a local television station in Minnesota, moving to Comedy Central, and finally to the SciFi Channel (where it remained until the end of its run in 1999; its re-runs lasted until 2004)). Regardless of where it was being shot, the show had strong ties to Thanksgiving throughout its run.

The concept was very simple. A man (from 1988-1993, it was character Joel Robinson; from 1993-1999, it was Mike Nelson) working as a janitor at an electronics institute is involuntarily blasted out into space by his superiors; he is forced to watch “cheesy” movies while his superiors monitor his mind in an experiment. The only company he has in the spacecraft (and during the movies) are robots he has crafted from what is implied to be the video controls (therefore he has no control over the films that he watches; he cannot start nor stop the film, fast forward, etc.). They watch the film in several parts while providing humorous commentary; while the audience is watching the show, it is like watching the film with Joel/Mike and the robots – their silhouettes are at the bottom of the screen as if they are in the front row of a movie theater. There are host segments between these sequences. These segments contain anything from science experiments to satirical re-enactments of famous films. Week after week, the mad scientists (“the mads”) would send Joel/Mike a new movie to torment him.

Some of the series’ most celebrated episodes include the presentations of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Godzilla Vs. Megalon, Manos: The Hands of Fate, The Giant Spider Invasion, Monster A-Go-Go, The Pod People, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, Laserblast, The Incredible Melting Man, and so many more.

The show would become a favorite amongst science fiction fans, and would usually make an appearance in the form of a marathon spanning the Thanksgiving holiday. These “Turkey Day” marathons would feature some of the most memorable episodes of the show.

Since the one-of-a-kind series is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this month (premiering on Thanksgiving Day), this reviewer will be watching a mini-marathon of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes beginning at 6:00 PM EST (after watching the “Kong” marathon beginning at 12:00 PM). It’s highly probable that many fans of the series will do the same.

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Nov 23 2008

Well-Designed DVD Artwork, Vol. 1

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

As a graphic designer, this webmaster often critiques the design of many video and DVD covers. Preferences vary; but unfortunately, the marketing teams of movie studios and DVD distributors have the final word in what they think will “sell” a movie on a store shelf. This includes slapping the “floating” heads of A-list celebrities onto the cover (as prominently as possible) rather than promoting the movie for what it is.

However, there are a few releases out there where the cover art is simply brilliant. One such release is that of the Diamond Entertainment double feature release of The Devil’s Nightmare/Messiah of Evil.

It is strange to be praising the design of a budget DVD cover, yet it was a pleasant surprise when the disc was released. Spine and back label aside (which is based on the standard template used by Diamond), the front cover combines what appear to be illustrated characters from The Devil’s Nightmare (the succubus and the priest holding a cross, located in the lower corners) with a large illustration of the Devil (with a long tongue sticking out of his mouth). The titles appear at the top of the page, separated by color; on the left, The Devil’s Nightmare (red knock-out text over black); on the right, Messiah of Evil (black text on a red background). This is a well-balanced design piece featuring good contrast, a prominent focal point (the head of Satan), and an appropriate color scheme. The only design element that may take away from the elegance of the piece would be the white banner across the top (* FRIGHT FEATURES * TWO FILMS ON 1 DVD! *). It is a cheap technique used by budget DVD companies; however, it is not too distracting. This technique plagues the back cover. In addition to this, there is a design flaw: the pictures that accompany the synopses are switched, and do not match the text below them.

This designer had to sit through many classes while critiquing items such as VHS, DVD and CD covers. For an interesting discussion amongst designers, this would be a great choice.

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Nov 22 2008

Upcoming Holiday Horror Reviews

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

The holiday season is upon us, and it would be appropriate to mention noteworthy horror films that work as either part of a marathon or broken down into double features. This list includes: Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out, 1980); Silent Night, Bloody Night (1973); Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964); Silent Night, Deadly Night (aka Slayride, 1984); Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987); Black Christmas (1974).

A review for Christmas Evil and Silent Night, Bloody Night as a “perfect” double feature is forthcoming, as well as one for the first two installments of the Silent Night, Deadly Night series. All of these films are relatively easy to find, particularly Christmas Evil and Silent Night, Bloody Night; they both appear on several budget DVD labels and multi-movie DVD sets. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is easy to find, yet it is recommended that the episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 containing this film is sought out due to the humorous commentary that accompanies it. The Mystery Science Theatre disc is part of a two-disc set with Manos: The Hands of Fate.

Other holiday films that are part of the horror genre: New Year’s Evil (1980); Bloody New Year (1987); Santa Claws (1996); Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 (1989), 4 (1990), 5: The Toymaker (1991).

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Nov 21 2008

Monsters HD: Thanksgiving Day of the Dead

Published by zombieralphvamp22 under horror Edit This

Monsters HD will ordinarily air a marathon every week. Many of their themes are based on vampires, robots, giant monsters, giant bugs, Frankenstein’s monster, or even zombies.

In honor of Thanksgiving, Monsters HD is airing its annual Thanksgiving Day of the Dead festival next Thursday. Beginning at 6:30 AM, they will be airing: The Last Man on Earth (starring Vincent Price; the first movie adaptation of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend), Night of the Comet, Scarecrows, The Video Dead, Return of the Living Dead 1-3, Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, Undead (the Australian-made zombie epic from 2003), Robert Kurtzman’s The Rage, Pet Sematary 1 and 2, the video game adaptation Resident Evil, George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead and Bride of Re-Animator.

Although this marathon is still airing, this webmaster will be watching King Kong (1933) at noon on Thanksgiving. Join us!

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