Cyclone

Starring:Thomas, Landau, Robinson, Combs
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Thank you Sony for doing it right
Sagebrush Martin Guerre
The 8th Movie to credit and have John Wayne In it
More like this one, please!
Incrediably sharp film transfer of a very good B-Western

Texas Cyclone
Starring: Tim McCoy , Shirley Grey , Wheeler Oakman , John Wayne , and Wallace MacDonald
Director: D. Ross Lederman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00083FZG8
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Customer Reviews:

Thank you Sony for doing it right.......2007-04-24

I have bought dozens of these B Westerns that had John Wayne in them. Most are little more than bad tape transfers.
This one shines above them so much there is no possible comparison. I don't know how it has survived since it's release on July 8, 1932. but it has faired better the the Range Feud, again by Columbia Pictures that was released a few months eariler.
No matter if it's McCoy or Wayne, this is a keeper.

Sagebrush Martin Guerre.......2006-09-30

Forget about the arty qualities of the original Retour de Martin Guerre or the saccharine American remake (the insufferable Sommersby), this 1932 Tim McCoy B-Western, barely an hour long, tells basically the same story better: a lonesome cowboy walks into a strange town and is mistaken for a ranch owner that dissapeared or thought to be dead years back. The transfer copy is unbelievable: unblemished and pristine. A rare find.

The 8th Movie to credit and have John Wayne In it.......2006-08-25

Texas Cyclone
The 8th Movie to credit and have John Wayne In it

First let's tell some truth here the only reason Wayne name is on this is to sale it. He is not in much of it at all. It is a Tim McCoy western and it follows the basic formula save the helpless girl, save the ranch get the bad guys. It a fun move and kids safe. The basis is Tim McCoy rides into town he mistaken for another man. Then he starts to pretend to be that man. I really enjoyed this movie. It will bring back memories of the "Little Rascals" every time you see the horses ride

The Video:
All though it does list itself as remastered in HD is not as clear as it could be. If you seen any of the "I love Lucy" sets you have seem what can be done with black and white film. It has some specs though it doesn't jump anywhere. I watched this on my 60 inch Sony Wega and am sorry to say its grainy a lot of places. No spots or dirt though just complete grain thru most of the picture. Of course it is shot in full screen since the aspects of the theaters were 4:3 back then.

The Audio
Its mono and done in true 1930's style where u can see they are feeling out how to place microphones. It's crisp though easy to hear not going to wake the neighbors on this track but its easy on the ears.

Summary
If you just want a fun western with a little bit of the young duke in it this movie is for you. It's a family fun film and the 40 gallon hats are a riot to watch.

More like this one, please!.......2005-11-09

This one is remastered in High Definition; which proberly means that a great more care was taken during the process. The end result is a sharp, clear, black and white print that may have been filmed only yesterday instead of in 1932, the 73 years differential isn't at all apparent. Infact, if this one had been filmed yesterday the critics would be full of praise for the black and white photography, it's really that good.

John Wayne has a supporting role, (third in the credits after Shirley Grey) but his screen presence is already very evident throughout.

Tim McCoy's steely eyed presence really screams out that he is the star of this one, and rightly so. I've not seen a weak movie with Tim McCoy, oater's maybe, but all have good scripts with good plots. Not so well known today, it is unfortunate that his rising star coincided with that of Tom Mix and Buck Jones, and although he made some excellent films in the 1930's and '40's he was overshadowed by Gene Audrey, Johnny Mack Brown, Roy Rogers, and others, including of course "Hoppy". He left the excellent Rough Riders series to serve his country in WW2 (he was in the Army Reserve) and on his return, as far as I am aware and I must look it up, his movie career then passed into oblivion.

Back to the movie. It is also great to see a 1932 Walter Brennan, his screen presence also grabs you to take notice. It is great to see Bud Osbourne, (not credited) one of the reliable bad guys from yester-year, without all the wear and tear scratches that one usually sees in old "B" Westens from repeated showings.

I only received this one today, then played it, and then I couldn't wait to review it. Highly recommended, buy it, even at the relatively high price for a "B" movie of this vintage, the experience is worth having. The five stars are for the exceptional quality of the print. I would give the film three and a half for story and production values.

It's worth noting, for non Region 1 viewers, that although this one is marked as Region 1 on the cover it is in fact uncoded and will play anywhere in the world.

Incrediably sharp film transfer of a very good B-Western.......2005-08-13

This review is for the Columbia Tristar DVD issue of Texas Cyclone (1932) starring Tim McCoy.

I can hardly believe just how detailed and razor sharp this B&W film is on DVD!!! It looks like it was shot yesterday.

For a 1932 film, and B-Western at that, this is the holy grail. The fact that you also get co-starring roles filled by a very young John Wayne and Walter Brennan is just icing on the cake. But, make no mistake, the star here is definitely Tim McCoy who fills those boots with a commanding screen presence and a confident piercing stare that cuts right through the bad guys!

And those huge hats! Somewhere around 1939 the typical western movie hat got smaller, but here you get a massive tower sitting on Tim McCoy's head! Wow!

It was also interesting to see a lot of interesting, but unknown character actor faces here - in most later b-westerns you have seen a lot of the actors time and time again, but here the supporting bit parts are filled with actors I had never seen before. There are several close-up shots of the supporting actors that really bring out their individual characteristics - it reminds me of certain close-up shots and sequences later seen in Howard Hawks' "Red River". I like a lot of the camera work in "Texas Cyclone".

The story itself is pretty good and moves right along - you can read the plot in more detail in the other reviews here so I won't repeat it.

In summary, if you like B-Westerns then you must aquire this exceptionally sharp film looking film on DVD!

For some other excellent film transfers check out any of the Hopalong Cassidy films issued by Platinum or the Red Ryder films issued by VCI. The Cassidy films are generally pristine while the Red Ryders range from very good to excellent.

Average customer rating:

Like NightRider? You will Like this...

Cyclone
Starring: Martine Beswicke , Jeffrey Combs , Jr. Tim Conway , Jack Davidson , and Troy Donahue
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000ADXFQ
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Customer Reviews:

Like NightRider? You will Like this..........2007-05-21

This review is to discuss the DVD quality. If you're looking to have the sexy Heather Thomas in full screen beautiful color and a sharp well defined picture then you will be grossly disappointed with this joke for a DVD. The movie itself is a very entertaining little flick. With plenty of great shots of Heather in the typical 80's outfits. But the overall quality of the transfer to DVD was made from and old VHS tape that someone had laying around. Complete with your typical distorted waving pattern throughout the entire movie. Usually caused by not have the proper cables connected right. The colors are muddy and the picture is soft also typical of VHS movies. Very sad since I had hoped on having Heather at her physical peak in pristine DVD form. Unfortuantely, this studio needs the money badly and is only hoping that other Heather fans will purchase this sad representation of a mastered DVD. The movie was well worth better treatment.

Average customer rating:

Cyclone
Starring: Arthur Kennedy , Carroll Baker , Lionel Stander , Andrés García , and Hugo Stiglitz
Director: René Cardona Jr. , and Karim Raoul
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009PLLQS
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

From Mexico's Master Director of Exploitation - Rene Cardona Jr.! The peaceful waters of the Caribbean turn chaotic, when a cyclone forces a commercial passenger plane to crash into the ocean. Most of the passengers survive the crash and leave the plane before it sinks. Being picked up by the survivors of a boat wreck in a smaller boat seems "the answer." Soon things turn from fear to madness - food and water supplies depleting and nothing but shark infested waters for miles cause the situation to look grim. Lost at the sea and losing hope for a rescue, they must decide what to eat to stay alive. Bonus Features: Digitally Re-mastered| Scene Selection| Bios| Bonus Exploitation Movie Previews. Specs: DVD5; 100 minutes; Color; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; Year - 1978; SRP - $5.99.

Average customer rating:

Dog Overboard!
Terror Storm vs TerrorStorm Don't be confused
This is NOT the Alex Jones movie of the same name
what a waste of time!!!!!!!!!
A TRUE DISASTER FLICK

Terror Storm [Region 2]
Starring: Miguel Aceves Mejia , Carroll Baker , Stefania D'Amario , Sonia Furio , and Olga Karlatos
Director: Jr. René Cardona
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EXDRLM
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Customer Reviews:

Dog Overboard!.......2006-12-22

I have certainly seen more than my share of bad movies, but this one rests in the hallowed pantheon of movies so wretched that they are almost impossible to watch. In fact, "Terror Storm" probably is so bad that nobody but grizzled B-movie veterans can possibly survive it. The story starts with a tourist boat (the "Moby Dick," no kidding) taking people on a Gilliganesque three hour tour in the Caribbean. Note that the occupants include a whiny child, a pregnant woman, and a rich woman and her dog, Christmas, so we know they have trouble ahead. Meanwhile a flight on an old propeller driven airliner crosses overhead with an Ernest Borgnine doppelgänger onboard. To top it off with there is a fishing boat placidly cruising around trolling for cod. You may suspect that something bad is about to happen.

Well, something bad did happen: the movie continued to play in my DVD player. We learn that a huge cyclone (in the Atlantic?) is heading for this fictional island central to the plot. The storm hits the boats, though they only seem to rock slightly under the "enormous waves," here simulated with a fire hose (really.) For no well defined reason, the tourist boat gets lost and drifts to uncharted waters, the fishing boat sinks with no explanation, and the plane has to shut an engine down which means (for some reason) that they have to ditch in the cyclone. Please understand that this all happens within about a square acre. (What are the chances?)

The second half quickly morphs into a blatant "Jaws" ripoff (there is even a guy in the boat who appears to be a Robert Shaw impersonator,) only with no scariness or special effects. We see stock footage of sharks. We see footage of people. What we don't see is footage of people and sharks in the same scene. Don't worry though, as when we do see closeups of the sharks they appear to be Nurse Sharks to me, as they have no teeth. (I'm not joking.)

Among all the commotion the director shows endless cutaways of clouds accompanied by extremely droning electronic music. Eventually the plane people find the fishing boat people, and they then join forces with the tourist boat people. This creates friction due to severe water rationing, which is why I have to pose this question: if you haven't had water in days and it suddenly starts to downpour (albeit on a cloudless day with a pattern that appears suspiciously hose-like) wouldn't you try to collect it in containers to keep for drinking rather than take a shower? Eventually Christmas annoys the wrong guy, who throws her overboard. This creates havoc and Christmas is rescued by another guy only to be eaten.

Yes. They ate the dog.

I should explain that through the film the cast spends roughly 75 percent of the time whimpering and whining to emphasize their plight, in the process winning the prize for most thoroughly disagreeable cast in film history. After the dog is served for brunch, we quickly move on to the next plotpoint, the baby delivery. I didn't get why the entire cast passed the baby around after it was born like a show and tell exhibit, but I would (seriously) have not been surprised if it was next up on the menu.

After the poodle meat is all gone, they invoke the soccer team plane crash in the Andes as justification to cut a hunk out of a dead guy to use as bait to catch a fish to eat. After this thumb size morsel is hacked out of the guy's back, they throw him overboard. Unfortunately their cunning plan involves tying the meat to a string and fishing for sharks while standing precariously on the prow of the boat. I bet none of you can see a problem with this tactic, either. After they cut their hands on the string and one guy comes dangerously close to being gummed to death by a Nurse Shark, they settle on a new plan: eat the dead guys. This prompts a hugely long and enormously pretentious theological debate on cannibalism, but eventually they set pieces of dead guy on the roof of the boat to dry like jerky. All are invited to treat him as a smorgasbord. (I swear, I am really not kidding.)

Finally the brain trust gets an idea to put a sail on the smaller boat (that originally belonging to the fishing trawler party) and seek rescue. They locate a passing tugboat in about ten minutes. Simultaneously the "Moby Dick" passengers accidentally dump all the potable water overboard in a huge brawl. When we catch back up after the tugboat rescue, the "Moby Dick" is gone and the passengers are floating holding on to lumber. I have no idea what happened to the boat, but must surmise that it exploded for no good reason or the brawl tore it apart. It's subtle nuance like that that makes this movie what it is.

Ultimately two small amphibious planes buzz over the survivors about fifty times before landing in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy and taking the few remaining survivors onboard. Mercifully there are no closing credits as the planes fly off (as an aside, the opening credits appear to have been made with a camcorder.)

This movie is excrement. It is painful to watch, plodding, and has characters which you can't help but loathe. I can only recommend this to extremely battle hardened grade-Z movie lovers who want to test their mettle. I can't believe that I lost 98 minutes of my life watching this thing.

Terror Storm vs TerrorStorm Don't be confused.......2006-11-04

This is NOT Alex Jone's excellent video of Government sponsored terrorism and 911. It comes up on a search of Alex Jones at Amazon.

Don't be confused. The book "Fortunate Son" documenting George W. Bushes foibles with cocaine, drinking and the law was followed soon therafter by "Fortunate Son" a book about a veterans Vietnam experience.

Don't make the same mistake, get Alex Jones's DVD it's 5 STAR. Ignore this other book, it's just a mistake.

This is NOT the Alex Jones movie of the same name.......2006-09-28

This is not the Alex Jones movie on false flag operations of the same name, even though it comes up on Amazon's search if you type in Alex Jones.

what a waste of time!!!!!!!!!.......2006-06-24

this smelly load of fish bait is not even worth the time i'm taking to tell you don't bother with it! just not good at all!!!!!!!!!

A TRUE DISASTER FLICK.......2006-06-04

Released way back in 1978 as CYCLONE, this is one rotten movie. Filmed on a shoestring budget with mainly a Mexican cast, this howler focuses on the devastation wrought by a powerful and unexpected cyclone (I thought they were called cyclones in the Pacific, not the Atlantic?). The movie focuses on a tourist boat beset with stock characters and a dog named Christmas; a sailing vessel with scraggly fishermen; and the survivors of a downed aircraft. Meanwhile a band of vicious sharks (with no teeth?) attack and kill a majority of the actors. Carroll Baker (the sex symbol from BABY DOLL) plays the dog owner and veteran character actor Arthur Kennedy is the priest who objects to the prospects of cannibalism to stay alive. Extremely dated and dull.

Cyclone Tracy [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Cyclone Tracy [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]
Director: Donald Crombie , and Kathy Mueller
Manufacturer: Umbrella Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000LQMIUS

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), SYNOPSIS: The true story of Australias most devastating natural disaster. On Christmas Eve, 1974, the people of Darwin endured the most destructive natural disaster in Australian history as Cyclone Tracy ripped through the city, leaving it in ruins. This highly acclaimed, three part mini series depicts the events of that terrifying Christmas, celebrating the spirit and courage of the people who survived the devastation. SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Featurette, Documentary, 2-DVD Set,

Average customer rating:

Bermuda Triangle/Cyclone
Starring: Bermuda Triangle , and Cyclone
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QCU9TO
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Description

Bermuda Triangle: Director Rene Cardona Jr. has managed to make a very convincing horror tale set square in the Bermuda Triangle - still one of the greatest mysteries on Earth. This place, which has reportedly swallowed up hundreds of ships, planes and human lives without even a trace, now reached out to devour the Marvin family and their crew of underwater photographers and sailors who have come to photograph the ruins of a sunken city. Once in the grip of the Triangle, the crew begins to experience bizarre happenings, starting with the reception of a radio broadcast from a ship which disappeared a hundred years ago! Then follows a series of absurd and horrible accidents and one-by-one the passengers and crew begin to die or disappear. Cyclone: From Mexico's Master Director of Exploitation - Rene Cardona Jr.! The peaceful waters of the Caribbean turn chaotic when a cyclone forces a commercial passenger plane to crash into the ocean. Most of the passengers survive the crash and leave the plane before it sinks. Being picked up by the survivors of a boat wreck in a smaller boat seems "the answer." Soon things turn from fear to madness - food and water supplies depleting and nothing but shark infested waters for miles cause the situation to look grim. Lost at sea and losing hope for a rescue, they must decide what to eat to stay alive. Bonus Features: Scene Selection Menu| Bios| Trailers| Digitally Re-mastered| Bonus Exploitation Movie Previews Specs: DVD10; Dolby Digital Mono; 212 minutes; Color; 1.78:1, 1.33:1 - Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1978; SRP - $9.99.

Average customer rating:

"When you are talking about saving human beings, there is no logic."

Cyclone
Starring: Arthur Kennedy , Carroll Baker , Lionel Stander , Andrés García , and Hugo Stiglitz
Director: René Cardona Jr.
Manufacturer: Synapse Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BLI5QO
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Description

CYCLONE

A long lost cult-classic makes its anamorphic widescreen DVD debut from Synapse Films. An airplane goes down in the ocean during a storm and a few survivors find refuge on a small tour boat. Swept out to sea, these people slowly starve to death in the hot sun with barely any food or clean water. With no place to turn, the boat survivors resort to cannibalism to stay alive...that is ..until the rescue planes come to pick them up and the man eating sharks decide its time to eat as well. This gory exploitation film was directed by Rene Cardona, Jr. (Guyana:Cult of The Damned) and is prsented in a new anamorphic widescreen tranfer from the original vault materials.

Customer Reviews:

"When you are talking about saving human beings, there is no logic.".......2006-05-17

I knew I was in trouble the moment the credits started scrolling down the screen and the name Rene Cardona Jr. came up as both the writer and director of the film Cyclone (1978) aka Terror Storm. In case you aren't familiar with the man, he's the prolific (prolific and good aren't necessarily synonymous here) Mexican producer/director/writer behind such features as Survive! (1976), the Jaws rip-off Tintorera (1977), Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), and Beaks: The Movie (1987) to name a few...appearing in the film are Cardona regulars Andres Garcia (Tintorera, The Bermuda Triangle) and Hugo Stiglitz (Survive!, Tintorera), along with Carroll Baker (Giant, How the West Was Won), Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia, Fantastic Voyage), Olga Karlatos (Zombi 2), and Lionel Stander who's probably best know for his reoccurring role as Max on the popular television series "Hart to Hart".

As the movie begins we see a bunch of slack-jawed tourist type schmucks on glass bottom boat tour in the Caribbean. Soon after we're on a populated island as the local authorities get word that a cyclone is approaching, and the order is issued to batten down the hatches. Now we're on a mid-sized aircraft and one of the passengers relates how he wants to be an oceanographer...I think he's about to get a crash course, if you know what I mean. Soon enough the weather begins to sour and three main events occur...a fishing boat sinks (a handful of fishermen make it onto a lifeboat), the plane crash lands into the ocean (this is illustrated by someone spraying the passengers in the plane with a fire hose), and the glass bottom boat becomes stranded in open water. Eventually the fishermen in the lifeboat come across the surviving passengers from the aircraft and that group soon hooks up with the schmucks on the glass bottom boat. Now comes the psuedo drama as the now good sized group struggles to survive given how little food or water is available (a foo foo dog is sacrificed early on in an effort to fend off starvation). As some of the critically injured begin checking out, the survivors decide to use bits and pieces of their corpses as bait to catch some fish. They're partially successful, but given the large amount of people on the small boat (something like fifteen to twenty), there's only one real viable alternative if they're not rescued soon...cannibalism! As the idea is brought up, so begins a series of overly long, heated debates between the wide range of remaining survivors on the boat, including a priest, a medical doctor, the fishermen, an idiot businessman, and so on...eventually they partake in the unspeakable (oh Mannelo, we hardly knew ye, but we appreciate your tastiness), but more life threatening hardships follow, some of them sporting large dorsal fins and row upon row of serrated cutting teeth...

What's interesting with this film is Cardona, who had a penchant for purloining his ideas from more popular American features, actually recycled the idea here from one of his previous features, a film titled Supervivientes de los Andes (1976) aka Saved!, which was based on the 1972 true life events of a Uruguayan rugby team involved in a plane crash in the Andes Mountains, the survivors forced to subsist upon the flesh of the fallen until they were rescued (many probably remember the more popular film Alive, released in 1993, which was also based on the same events). The only real difference here was instead of a mountainside we're in the ocean. Was the movie any good? My response is mixed...while this was a hell of a lot better than Tintorera, his Jaws homage (i.e. rip-off), it was still an ordeal to sit through...I say this because Cardona seemed to like to utilize as much of the shot footage as possible, making his movies extremely lengthy (this one is just shy of two hours). Seriously, if you were to strip away all the unnecessary padding from this film, you'd probably end up with about half hour of running time. I've also noticed another commonality in Cardona's films, that being a lack of continuity, the most noticeable being the plane switching from a propeller type while in the air to a jet engine type while sitting in the ocean. The performances, which tended to range from overly dramatic to barely there, were slightly better than what you might expect from a Mexican disaster film, but that doesn't mean they were awesoma. Some of them were downright dreadful, but at least there were enough characters running around as so we didn't have to spend an inordinate amount of time with any one person. As far as the dialog, here is a typical bit, as the authorities ponder the possibility of survivors of the plane crash as time wears on...

"If they did fall into the sea, hope to God they're all dead because survival in the sea without food or water is a fate worse than death."

Not quite the attitude I'd want for my would be rescuers...the story drags unmercifully at some points, and the temptation to press the fast forward on my DVD remote was great, but I held out only because when it comes to movies, I dislike taking short cuts no matter how warranted they may be...if I start it, dagnabit, I'm going to finish it...in true Cardona form, Cyclone features a fairly realistic sequence of something getting gutted, in this case a foo foo dog. It was difficult to watch, but at least it tied in with the plot in terms of the people needing food to survive (in Tintorera a hapless sea turtle was butchered for no apparent reason other than to show some blood). There are a decent number of sequences with people getting attacked by sharks (most near the end), but these usually involve someone screaming on the surface, and then a cut to a shark underwater swimming away with some indeterminate bloody entrails in its maw. The one aspect that annoyed me the most was the pointless, drawn out debating and moral pontificating among the survivors with regards to water (who should get what and so on) and food (should we eat the dead and so on). The funniest bit for me came as the doctor is tasked with hacking up one of the dead for food. One moment we see the doctor and corpse on the roof of the boat, and then the next we see bits of meat strewn all over the roof, set out to dry in the sun. Shortly afterwards the survivors begin heading towards the roof, partaking in sort of a smorgasbord of human flesh. Okay, you know what? They had only been stranded for like four or five days, and already they're resorting to eating the dead...it would take me a few weeks at least before I was desperate enough to do something like that. Another really funny part comes during a rainstorm. At this point the fresh water had run out, and people were plenty thirsty. As they begin collecting and sopping up the blessed water with whatever was handy, we see one grungy sailor holding up a dirty, toe-jam ladened sneaker in an effort to catch some rain...uh, okay dude, whatever you collect in that sneaker is yours and yours alone to drink.

Synapse Films provides a solid DVD release here, presenting the 118 minute English language international version. The picture, in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1), looks clean and has only a few, minor flaws, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes through well. Extras include liner notes by David Hayes, an alternate opening credits sequence (the title here being Terror Storm), and trailers for other Synapse releases like Tintorera (1977), Danger Girls (1967), The Deadly Spawn (1983), Thriller: They Call Her One Eye (1974), Bizarre (1970), Olga's Girls (1964), and God Has A Rap Sheet (2003). By the way, there's a separate DVD release out there for this film from VCI, so buyer beware...

Cookieman108

Average customer rating:

Ciclon
Starring: Miguel Aceves Mejia , Carroll Baker , Stefania D'Amario , Sonia Furio , and Olga Karlatos
Director: Jr. René Cardona
Manufacturer: Rebel Crew Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000IOM1KK
Release Date: 2006-09-15

Average customer rating:

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Oklahoma Cyclone (1930)"
Good Bob Steele western
What can you say ?

Oklahoma Cyclone (B&W)
Starring: Bob Steele , Rita Rey , Al St. John , Charles King (II) , and Slim Whitaker
Director: John P. McCarthy (II)
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007G1T3
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Customer Reviews:

"The King of B-Westerns & Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Oklahoma Cyclone (1930)".......2006-03-08

VCI Entertainment and Tiffany Pictures present "Oklahoma Cyclone" (1930) (Dolby
digitally remastered)...relive those thrilling days from the early '30s and '40s
when Bob Steele took us down the dusty trails and the plains to exciting
adventures....some of the best B-Westerns ever to grace the Saturday Matinee
Screen...just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye
with excitement...don't miss any of the Bob Steele features loaded with action that will leave
you wanting more of his B-Western adventures

Under director John P. McCarthy, producer Trem Carr, story by J.P. McCarthy...the cast include Bob Steele (Jimmy Henderson aka Jim Smith), Rita Rey (Carmelita Carlos), Al St. John (Slim), Charles King (McKim, aka Black Diablo), Slim Whitaker (Henchman Rawhide), Cliff Lyons (Henchman),N.E. Hendrix (Henchman Shorty),Hector Sarno (Don Pablo Carlos), Fred Burns (Sheriff Henderson, Jimmy's father). . . . . our story opens with Bob Steele singing for the senorita, does the ranch foreman Charles King share her musical taste...Steele has one friend among the ranch hands Al St. John, who once again proves he's up to his old tricks in the early westerns...the heroine Rita Rey has eyes for Steele, but King has eyes for Rita and there is where our story goes into action...this the second of eight B-Westerns for producer Trem Carr and we're in for some hard riding and gunsmoke...is there plans to rob a bank, kidnap the sheriff and keep Steele in the thick of the plot on the Tiffany Studio lot. . . . . . B-Western footnote, actor Al St. John, silent film comic who appeared in dozens of Mack Sennett's early Keystone comedies and would eventually create and star in his own vehicles for other studios. With the advent of sound, he became a character actor in westerns and later the bewhiskered sidekick, also known as Fuzzy Q. Jones in some popular series Fred Scott (Spectrum Pictures/1937-38), Bob Steele/Billy the Kid (PRC Pictures/1940-41), Don "Red" Barry (Republic Pictures/1940-42), Lone Rider wth George Houston (PRC Pictures/1941-42), Lone Rider with Robert Livingston (PRC Pictures/1942-43), Buster Crabbe/Billy the Kid (PRC Pictures/1941-43), Buster Crabbe/Billy Carson (PRC Pictures/1943-46), Lash LaRue (PRC Pictures/1947-52)... St. John retired from film making in the early '50s, passed away in 1963 from a heart attack while working with the Tommy Scott Wild West show. . . . . .. . . . .second footnote, actor Charles King was among the top five "Best of the Badmen" (according to a new book by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland)...King was a big man, but as agile as a cat during his fight scenes with Johnny Mack Brown, Buster Crabbe, Tex Ritter, The Rough Riders and Bob Steele...King appeared in 400 films and 350 were in sound including many cliffhangers...he was the heavy we loved to hate........ meanwhile another great B-Western for Bob Steele under the Tiffany Pictures banner, proves to be one of his most exciting performances.

Special footnote, actor Bob Steele was the son of director Robert N. Bradbury and the age of 14 he and his twin brother Bill Bradbury made a series of comedy shorts "Adventures of Bob and Bill" (1920), directed by their father...along came his first starring western "The Mojave Kid" (1927), released by Film Booking Office of America (FBO) and directed by his father, he changed his name to Bob Steele...making low budget B-Westerns for independent studios such as Republic, Supreme, Monogram and PRC which included nearly 200 feature films, serials and TV appearances...was in his twilight years at the age 59 when he got the part of the cantankerous "Trooper Duffy", in the western comedy series "F Troop" (1965), who at the drop of a hat would give his rendition of fighting "shoulder to shoulder with Davy Crockett at the Alamo"...Steele retired from the screen in 1973...his long career, spanning more than 50 years came to an end in 1988 when he passed away.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Bob Steele (Robert Adrian Bradbury)
Birth Date: 1/23/1907 - Pendleton, Oregon
Died: 12/21/1988 - Burbank, CA.
2. Al "Fuzzy" St. John (aka: Alfred St. John)
Birth Date: 9/10/1893 - Santa Ana, CA
Died: 1/21/1963 - Lyons, Georgia
3. Charles King
Birth Date: 2/21/1895 - Hillsboro, Texas
Died: 5/07/1957 - Hollywood, California (cirrhosis of liver)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure check out other western double features with Bob Steele:

BOB STEELE WESTERN DOUBLE FEATURES:
1. Vol. 1 - Tombstone Terror/Lightnin' Crandall (VCI #7212) (DVD)
2. Vol. 2 - The Brand of Hate/Trusted Outlaw (VCI #7252) (DVD)
3. Vol. 3 - The Arizona Gunfighter/Last of the Warrens (VCI #7261) (DVD)
4. Vol. 4 - Gun Lords of Stirrup Basin'/The Feud Maker (VCI #7275) (DVD)

Ask Amazon.Com to carry the above Bob Steele titles
if they are not available as of yet...you can order
and pick up your copy now from VCI Entertainment.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Oklahoma Cyclone" (1930), the
digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more
high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and
B-Westerns...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there
are plenty of copies available on DVD and VHS, stay tuned once again for top
notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just
the way we like 'em

Total Time: 66 min on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment #1624 ~ (11/19/1997)

Good Bob Steele western.......2003-07-26

The Alpha Video release looks like it was mastered from an old 16mm filmprint. Possible a dupe copy from another print. Don't let the slight amount of scratches or the graininess of the picture bother you (nor the slight loss of highs in the sound) as this is a terrific B western.

What can you say ?.......2001-12-21

You know I love B westerns they were the best and 60 minutes is long enough to tell a good story. If it hadn't been for the fact that there were so many great cowboys of the 30's and 40's,Bob Steele probably would be hailed today as the best of em all.But the fact is they were all great. And wow! could ole Bob fight. Pop some buttered popcorn,dim the lights, and become a kid again.

Average customer rating:

CBS Evening News (March 8, 2000)

Manufacturer: CBS
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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