The candy corn is ready to go, the
costumes have been pulled out of the closet, and Halloween is just
hours away! (Or, if you’re reading this Tuesday, it’s
already here!). Still looking for last-minute viewing recommendations?
The Aisle Seat has got you covered with Part 2 of our seasonal
round-up, with box sets, new TV on DVD titles, and more profiled below.
Read on, and Happy Halloween!
MONSTER HOUSE
(***, 2006). 90 mins., PG, Sony.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Producer
Robert Zemeckis’ second stab at a motion-capture animated feature
is a major improvement on “The Polar Express.”
A young boy watches as the mysterious, broken down house across the
street consumes childhood tricycles and exhibits a life of its own; his
friend helps out investigate the supernatural activity, particularly
after its old, reclusive owner seemingly kicks the bucket.
With dazzlingly lifelike animation, “Monster House” is
grand fun for kids and adults alike. Though the movie uses the same
motion capture process as “The Polar Express,” it seems as
if director Gil Kenan and his crew were able to work from their own
designs and create a fully “alive” animated world with its
own unique inhabitants (and not just animate over, say, Tom
Hanks’ captured expressions). The result are exaggerated but
emotive characters that are a substantial improvement from the stilted,
robotic humans seen in “The Polar Express,” and the
colorful, widescreen design of the picture is even more stunning than
Pixar’s recent offerings.
It also helps that the story (credited to Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, and
Pamela Pettler) is appealing as well, with the various vocal
performances (Jason Lee, Steve Buscemi, Jon Heder, Fred Willard are
among the cast) being likewise splendid.
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES:
Commentary from the filmmakers and short Making Of featurettes comprise
a standard, unspectacular DVD supplemental assembly. Technically, the
16:9 (2.40) transfer is nothing short of captivating -- as satisfying
as any “standard” DVD you’ll ever see -- and the 5.1
Dolby Digital sound robust at every turn, offering a solid score from
newcomer Douglas Pipes in an unsurprisingly Silvestri-ian vein.
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
“Monster House” is visually compelling, funny, and
enormously satisfying -- in other words, perfect for the Halloween
season. Check it out!
HOLLYWOOD
LEGENDS OF HORROR COLLECTION (2006 Compilation; 6 Films, Warner).
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Vintage horror
fans rejoice! Warner has done it again, diving head-first into the MGM,
First National, and Warner Bros. vaults to unearth this reasonably
priced (aprx. $30 in many outlets) anthology of six 1930s chillers.
The three-disc “Legends of Horror” set (two films are
coupled on each platter) is highlighted by the debut of two MGM films
that the great Tod Browning produced in the wake of his tenure at
Universal: the 1935 fan-favorite
“Mark
of the Vampire” with Lionel Barrymore, Bela Lugosi and
Elizabeth Allan, and Browning’s 1936
“The Devil-Doll,” also
starring Barrymore, this time as a Devil’s Island escapee who
uncovers the secrets of miniaturization and in turn sends shrunken
subjects to exact revenge on the men who imprisoned him.
Also new to DVD here are the highly entertaining (if dated) 1932 MGM
production of
“The Mask of Fu
Manchu” with Boris Karloff as Sax Rohmer’s mad man
and Myrna Loy memorably essaying his alluring daughter; the early 1932
First National-Vitaphone release
“Doctor
X” with Fay Wray, Lee Tracy, and Lionel Atwil in a Michael
Curitz-directed outing that’s talky but noteworthy for its use of
two-strip Technicolor; that film’s in-name-only 1939 sequel
“The Return of Doctor X,”
co-starring Humphrey Bogart; and “Dracula” camera man Karl
Freund’s highly entertaining 1935 MGM production of
“Mad Love,” with a
demented Peter Lorre performance and ample atmosphere to spare.
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES:
Newly remastered transfers on “Mark of the Vampire”
and “The Mask of Fu Manchu” present the healthiest
appearance for either film in decades; the other transfers tend to be
just a bit less sharp, but are still nearly as satisfying, despite the
age of the materials being utilized and the uneven condition of some
elements. Supplements include informative historian commentaries (from
the likes of Steve Haberman, Kim Newman, Scott Maqueen and others) on
all of the movies except for “The Devil Doll.”
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
For “Golden Age” Horror this box-set is the best of the
year’s DVD releases (surpassing Universal’s solid, though
not spectacular, 75th Anniversary releases of “Dracula” and
“Frankenstein” last month). With a good assortment of
vintage features and enlightening commentaries on-hand, this is a
sterling package for old-fashioned genre fans. Highly recommended!
NIGHTMARES AND
DREAMSCAPES: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006, 378 mins). Warner,
Not Rated.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Well-mounted
TNT adaptation of some eight, previously unfilmed Stephen King tales
ought to be appreciated by the author’s legion of fans, despite
the highly varied quality of the individual episodes.
The best of the lot is “Battleground,” a tense, exciting
tale starring William Hurt as a hitman being stalked by plastic toy
soldiers belonging to the toy maker he’s just assassinated. Brian
Henson helmed this taut, word-less tale with superb effects and loads
of mounting tension. Also at the top of the list is “Autopsy Room
Four,” a Mikael Salomon-directed piece with Richard Thomas
(“It”) as a comatose man, believed dead, reliving his life
as he’s about to be dissected in the morgue. With black comedy
and suspense mixed together splendidly, this is a terrific King
adaptation by writer April Smith and a nice companion to the more
somber episodes in the program.
Other entries in the series run the gamut from the mediocre (Rob
Bowman’s “The Fifth Quarter”; “The End of the
Whole Mess” with Ron Livingston and Henry Thomas) to the
disappointing (“Ulmney’s Last Case” starring William
H. Macy; Tom Berenger in “The Road Virus Heads North”) and
downright poor (the silly “Crouch End” with Claire Forlani
and vapid “You Know They Got a Hell of a Band” with Kim
Delaney and Steven Weber).
On the plus side, Jeff Beal’s musical scores are excellent across
the board, the
production values are high, and the casting superb -- even familiar
faces like Mia Sara turn up in bit parts (she’s the passenger
next to Hurt on the airplane in “Battleground”).
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES:
Shortish featurettes and a longer look at the production of the show
are complimented by an outstanding 16:9 (1.85) transfer that, with a
capable upconverting DVD player, virtually looks HD-quality. The 5.1
Dolby Digital soundtracks are likewise excellent.
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
I realize more than half of the eight episodes are average or possibly
below, but the choice moments in “Nightmares and
Dreamscapes” stand out as some of the best recent King
adaptations and come strongly recommended, with excellent production
values and scores on-hand throughout the entire mini-series.
THE
OMEN (**½, 2006). 110 mins., R, Fox.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: A
straightforward remake of Richard Donner’s 1976 smash from
director John Moore (“Behind Enemy Lines”) that met with
lukewarm box-office results this past summer. This time out, Liev
Schrieber and Julia Stiles are the not-so fun couple who find out too
late that their child Damien isn’t really their son and really IS
the Anti-Christ.
I had mixed feelings while watching the 2006 “Omen.” On the
one hand, the film is reasonably well-produced and Moore adds a few
visual twists (namely, a number of nightmarish dream sequences) that
truly surprise since they’re unexpected. Sadly, the film
otherwise is so bland, banging all the same notes as the original film
but with less style and inferior production values. Whatever deviations
are made from David Seltzer’s original script (an additional
death sequence at the beginning; less of a reliance on biblical
prophecy) are also ill-advised and Stiles seems far too young to carry
off her part.
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES:
Fox’s single-disc DVD edition contains a commentary track, a few
extended scenes and an alternate ending that’s not a whole lot
different than what ended up in the final cut. Of the few Making Of
featurettes, there’s a fairly lengthy look at Marco
Beltrami’s score on-hand, while the 16:9 (1.85) transfer is fine
and the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound layered with creepy effects.
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
Marco Beltrami’s score sums up the whole movie: it’s
perfectly serviceable, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Jerry
Goldsmith’s original ‘76 soundtrack, primarily because
there’s no memorable thematic material in Beltrami’s score.
The rest of the new “Omen” basically conveys a similar
sentiment -- there’s nothing “wrong” with the film
per se, but why watch a John Moore version of this story when you can
see Richard Donner’s rendition...and with Gregory Peck and Lee
Remick in place of Schrieber and Stiles. Sounds like the better deal to
me.
ABOMINABLE
(**, 2006). 96 mins., Anchor Bay, R.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Ryan
Schifrin’s indie thriller aspires to be a higher-minded genre
piece than most of the junk masquerading as horror today. Good
intentions aside, “Abominable” follows a wheelchair-bound
hiker (Matt McCoy) as he spies something moving in the woods...and near
a group of young ladies living next door. Shades of “Rear
Window” work in with the requisite monster elements in a
moderately fun little flick that’s unfortunately undone by often
meager production values, including dim photography and a few shaky
supporting performances. Schifrin does get the best out of cameos from
genre stalwarts Lance Henriksen, Paul Gleason (particularly amusing in
his final screen appearance), Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs and Rex
Linn, not to mention strong output from his famous composer father
Lalo, whose rich dramatic score clashes with the threadbare production
aspects of “Abominable.”
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES:
Anchor Bay’s Special Edition includes commentary from Ryan
Schifrin, McCoy and Combs, plus deleted scenes, bloopers, trailers, the
script in DVD-ROM format and Schifrin’s short USC student film
“Shadows.” The 16:9 transfer shows the limitations of the
production, which debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel earlier this year,
while the 5.1 sound captures Papa Schifrin’s solidly effective
soundtrack.
ANDY’S CHILLTASTIC RATING: “Abominable”
has its heart in the right place and old school Creature Feature fans
will certainly warm to it more than most of the modern genre trash
that’s out there. Ultimately, I felt the movie was too rough
around the edges to really score, but Anchor Bay’s solid DVD
ought to please its admirers just the same.
REST STOP (*, 2006). 85 mins., Not Rated, Warner.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Warner’s
first direct-to-video effort under their “Raw Feed” banner
is a typically gory tale of a young couple (Jaimie Alexander, Joey
Mendicino) who run afoul of a disturbed man in a pick-up truck. Her
"Bf"
goes missing, she thinks it’s a prank, and you can basically take
it from there...though nobody can see Joey Lawrence’s supporting
role coming.
DVD FEATURES: No less than
three alternate endings and the trailer are complimented by crime scene
photos and “Scotty’s Family Album,” the latter two
directly tying in with the movie’s narrative. The 16:9 (1.85)
transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound are acceptable.
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
I must be behind the times -- isn’t horror supposed to be
legitimately scary? This grizzly tale will satisfy gore-hounds and the
reasonably assured direction of “X-Files” vet John Shiban
is better than average (especially for direct-to-vid flicks), but the
movie is hard to classify as entertaining, even of a genre kind.
TEXAS
CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2: Gruesome Edition (**½, 1986). 101 mins.,
Not Rated, MGM/Fox.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Tobe
Hooper’s only sequel to his groundbreaking 1974 horror staple is
a frothier, wildly uneven brew that ups the comedic elements at the
same time it delivers more down-home gore. Dennis Hopper and Caroline
Williams are the duo who run into Leatherface and his clan in this
Cannon-produced 1986 release, which wants to be a parody at the same
time it asks you to take portions of it seriously. Indeed, the
movie’s original advertising campaign -- which directly satirized
“The Breakfast Club” with the Sawyer family in the same
poses as the cast of John Hughes’ film -- directly ties in with
the satirical element, though the finished film was neither quite as
amusing, or scary, as most fans hoped.
FRIGHTENING DVD FEATURES: MGM
serves up a very strong Special Edition with two commentary tracks (one
with Hooper and author David Gregory; another with Caroline Williams,
co-star Bill Moseley, and make-up guru Tom Savini), deleted scenes, and
a fine new documentary. Six still galleries round out the disc, which
sports a new 1.78 (16:9) transfer with 2.0 Dolby Surround stereo.
ANDY’S CHILL-TASTIC RATING:
Following on the heels of the hilariously good “Lifeforce”
and hilariously bad “Invaders From Mars,” Hooper concluded
his Cannon trilogy with the same uneven results that marked his
previous two pictures at the studio. There are some hysterical moments
and memorable sequences scattered about “Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2,” but it’s a bumpy ride best recommended for fans of the
original, and not the deadly-serious (and more pretentious) remake and
prequel produced recently.
AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (**½, 2006, 91 mins.,
Unrated; Lionsgate): Director Courtney Solomon’s
independent ghost story grossed a modest amount in theaters last
spring. Now on DVD, this tale of the only supposed supernatural-related
death in recorded U.S. history makes for a low-key, old-fashioned tale
of a rural haunting in 1800's Tennessee. Donald Sutherland and Sissy
Spacek are the parents of a tight-knit clan being tormented by the
infamous Bell Witch; Adrian Biddle’s cinematography of the
Romanian landscapes (the film was shot there, substituting for the
U.S.) is vivid and the film highly atmospheric with an appropriately
haunting
sound design. Sadly, Solomon’s script nearly ruins everything
that came before it with a wickedly ill-advised framing device that
ends the movie like some sort of “After School Special.”
Subsequently, the finale is massively unsatisfying, but if you can
prepare yourself for the let down, there are enough chills on-hand here
to warrant a viewing for interested supernatural addicts.
Lionsgate’s DVD includes several alternate endings, deleted
scenes, and a video commentary with the director; the 2.35 (16:9)
transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound are both excellent.
THE RED SHOES
(**, 2005, 103 mins., Tartan): Run-of-the-kill Korean import
tries for something a little different with its uber-loose connection
with the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, but director Kim
Yong-Gyun’s movie ultimately ends up just another Asian horror
import with ghosts from beyond the grave looking to exact revenge on
the living. Reasonably well-produced but predictable and all too
formulaic given the genre’s other, better recent imports.
Tartan’s DVD serves up a top-notch DVD with a subtitled
commentary track, visual effects and general Making Of featurettes, the
trailer, a 16:9 transfer and 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital sound. For
die-hard Asian horror fans only.
TV on DVD Round Up:
Frights, Animation & More!
GROOVIE
GOOLIES: Complete “Saturday Mourning Collection” (BCI
Eclipse, 3 Discs, 352 minutes)
DEFENDERS OF
THE EARTH: Complete Series, Vol. 1 (BCI Eclipse, 4 Discs).
You’ve got to hand
it to BCI Eclipse. The Navarre Corporation label has done a spectacular
job unearthing several classic Filmation series on DVD over the last
few months, and has struck gold yet again with two more outstanding
compilations of popular ‘70s and ‘80s cartoons.
The
GROOVIE GOOLIES were a
collection of classic monsters (lead by Frankie, Drac, and Wolfie) who
starred in this goofy and groovy animated variation on “Laugh
In” with blackout sketches and bouncy musical numbers -- first as
a companion for “The Archies” and “Sabrina” in
the early ‘70s, then later in a solo show all their own.
Launched to capitalize on the resurgence in movie monsters during the
‘70s, the “Goolies” were a big fad in their day, and
BCI’s “Ink and Paint” label has embraced the
phenomenon with a truly special edition, offering 16 episodes of the
series and terrific supplements.
Included in the special features are two commentary tracks and a
fitfully amusing documentary, “Goolians: A Docu-Comedy,”
hosted by “Family Guy” voice artist Wally Wingert and
character actor Daniel Roebuck, who interview Forrest J. Ackerman, Lou
Scheimer, Alice Cooper and other “Goolie” experts in a
mockumentary that’s nearly as much fun as the shows themselves,
and includes a new original rock song (performed by the real Sacramento
punk band The Groovie Ghoulies) in the series’ style.
Visually the package sports excellent, remastered transfers,
informative booklet notes, a Goolie sing-along, and the show’s
entire script bible in DVD-ROM format.
A similarly satisfying presentation is on-hand in BCI’s release
of
DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH, a
1986 Hearst Entertainment/Marvel Productions syndicated series that
curiously brought together three King Features comic strip heroes:
Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician. Though one might
have thought that these three characters would’ve had little
connection with one other, this fan-favorite series is well-scripted
and actually serves as a sequel of sorts to Filmation’s earlier
“Flash” series: the opening episode features the death of
Dale Arden and brings Flash together with The Phantom and Mandrake as
he returns to Earth in time to combat the advances of Ming the
Merciless, who’s as nefarious as ever.
Though several juvenile protagonists were added to the action,
“Defenders” is a nifty series that BCI has collected in a
five-disc, 33 episode anthology representing half of the complete
series. The transfers look spiffy; the packaging, collectible art cards
and liner notes are informative, and extras include one commentary
track, storyboards, creator interviews, DVD-ROM features, and a
fascinating presentation pilot featuring alternate characters and
animation.
Both sets come highly recommended for all
animation enthusiasts, who should savor the contents until BCI’s
upcoming releases of “She-Ra” (Nov.) and the complete
“Dungeons and Dragons” (Dec.) arrive in forthcoming weeks.
JUSTICE
LEAGUE UNLIMITED: Season One (Warner, 4 Discs, 26 Episodes, 595 mins.).
BATMAN
BEYOND: Season Two (Warner, 4 Discs, 26 Episodes, 544 mins.)
Two of the best recent animated super-hero series are new to DVD from
Warner Home Video.
After a pair of seasons the “Justice League of America”
morphed into JL “Unlimited,” with the core group of DC
heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and
Martian Manhunter) here augmented by the arrival of colorful newcomers
from the Green Arrow to Supergirl.
These half-hour new episodes are more self-contained than Bruce Timm
and Co.’s previous animated series, but the additional characters
bring freshness to the action, while the animation and dialogue are on
the same level as the creators’ previous efforts (the
“Batman” and “Superman” Animated Series as well
as the former “Justice League”).
Even better, the widescreen
(16:9, 1.85) transfers give a more cinematic appearance to the 26
episodes contained in Warner’s four-disc set, even if they do
seem a bit dark at times. Extras include an interactive musical theme
feature, several commentaries, and a Making Of segment sporting
interviews with the producers.
Also new from Warner is the Complete Second Season of BATMAN BEYOND,
the terrific, futuristic sequel to “Batman: The Animated
Series,” which continues here with all 26 episodes from its
second season.
Sporting full-screen transfers, Dolby Surround 2.0 soundtracks, and two
special features (commentary on two episodes and a panel discussion
with Bruce Timm and others), this is another must-have release for all
“Batman Beyond” buffs!
THE ADDAMS
FAMILY: Volume One (MGM/Fox). 1964-65, 561 mins.
SPOOKY SUMMARY: Fans will love
this long-awaited official compilation of the initial 22 episodes from
the fondly-remembered -- though somewhat short-lived (two seasons) --
ABC comedy. The three-disc Fox/MGM box set includes good-looking
transfers, four commentary tracks, featurettes and more. Visually the
set is above and beyond any syndicated re-run of the series I’ve
laid my eyes on, so I’m guessing fans will be thrilled.
Here’s hoping more “Addams” sets follow in the
not-too distant future.