Bats

Starring:Lou Diamond Phillips, Dina Meyer, Bob Gunton, Leon, Carlos Jacott, David McConnell, Marcia Dangerfield, Oscar Rowland, Tim Whitaker (II), Juliana Johnson, James Sie, Ned Bellamy, George Gerdes, Kurt Woodruff, Joel Farar, Grady Justice
Director: Louis Morneau
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This movie is for everyone who misses the old Roger Corman monster movies, only it has animatronics and computer effects instead of papiermâché. The title of Bats pretty much sums up the plot: Crazed bats are running amok, disemboweling people and cattle. Only beautiful wildlife zoologist Dina Meyer (Johnny Mnemonic, Starship Troopers) and stalwart sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, the Young Guns movies, Courage Under Fire) can save the day! Let's be frank: The scenario is ludicrous, the dialogue God-awful, the special effects unconvincing--try as they might, the bats just aren't that scary--but what does it matter? The movie rips along effectively. There's always a bat attack just around the corner and the director makes liberal use of all kinds of editing and camera effects, including a distorted bat-cam point of view that makes no sense at all but is pretty entertaining. Various scenes imitate Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but lack even a hint of that movie's eerie precision. The actors play it straight without trying to be particularly serious. All in all, Bats knows what it is--trash-horror--and accomplishes its ends with good humor. Not quite up to the standard of Tremors (still the definitive trash-horror flick), but better than most recent efforts. --Bret Fetzer

Average customer rating:

AWESOME!!!

Clandestine Industries Presents: Release the Bats

wow... that was pretty gross...

Release The Bats

AWESOME

Clandestine Industries Presents: Release the Bats
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Fueled By Ramen
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Pop | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Rock & Roll | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:

Fall Out Boy's Evening Out with Your Girl

From Under the Cork Tree [Limited "Black Clouds and Underdogs" Edition]

Collectors Box

Infinity on High - Deluxe Limited Edition

Life on the Murder Scene

ASIN: B0007Z0OJA
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Description

Mischief, mayhem, and the perfect soundtrack for disaster. This movie is filled with the footage that was deemed unfit for Fall Out Boy's "My Heart Will Always Be The B-Side To My Tongue" and goes way beyond the original DVD to give you a closer look at the band's inner circle. Includes footage on everything from the early years to backstage antics, reckless stunts, and live footage of "Armor For Sleep", "Gym Class Heroes", and many more. Also contains clips from Fall Out Boy in Japan, their summer tour, and the near riot during their Detroit performance last year.

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME!!!.......2007-05-09

Ok, lets me get this clear to you. I ordered this DVD a little hesitant whether i would like it or not. All of the reviews definitely helped me(u should read them before you buy, they are helpful). Well its just plain and simple, it's great, awesome all the other words that mean the same as those. If vyou are a Fall Out Boy or/aswell a fan of Pete Wentz i highly recommend this DVD to you. Yeah, so what, its a little gross-and as said in other reviews that it's like jackass with Pete Wentz and FOB and a few other people. But it's funny as, i was laughing soooo hard. And another thing- yeah if you hear Pete talking about Dirty or Hey Chris online, you finally find out who they are. It's great. Also cause you see live footage of them, Armor for Sleep, Gym Class heroes and more. Also if you are fan of Patrick, then go to the deleted scenes and see him acting like a panda. Frikkin cute.One of my favourites are Bedussey(you should watCH that its A crack up) OMG, i'm so sorry, long review. Anyhow basically my advice to you is to buy it and waTCH it, you'll love it. Come on its like 19.50 US altogether. Oh by the way, I live in NZ right, and it only took like 10 days to get on international standard shipping. Very trustworthy. Sorry, please say if you foud the review helpful. :)

Clandestine Industries Presents: Release the Bats.......2007-03-08

What a great DVD. Reccomended for any FOB fan!!!!! 100 out of 10. Absolute genius work!!!!

wow... that was pretty gross..........2007-01-25

Wow... right this was really funny, but totally discusting... I laughed so hard it was bad... I do not recomend this for those who are easily grossed out, I still can not believe they did some of the stuff that they did.. I think it was worth buying, but again if you get easily grossed out, you do not want to watch this...

Release The Bats .......2007-01-08

Great video but only if you really love Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy. Although ... its like a car crash - hard not to look but there are parts of it you will wish you never saw. Its nothing to be taken seriously and don't look for refined entertainment. This video is of a bunch of badly behaved boys with too much time and money on their hands. It is funny as hell and I'm glad I bought it.

AWESOME.......2006-07-24

this dvd is seriously awesome. Its so funny. I definatly recomend it for people who have sick minds. It did have a lot of crazy and disgusting things done by pete and his friends, dirty, hey cris and more. It does have some nudity, but its all butts.
I do recomend it for people age 14 and up, cuz some of the stuff is kinda nasty.

loved it!

Average customer rating:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more.
Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator
low-brow and predictable
i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews
Bad bat, bad! (But fun...)

Bats
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips , Dina Meyer , Bob Gunton , Leon , and Carlos Jacott
Director: Louis Morneau
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Fangs (2001)
Python
Python II
Venomous
Eight Legged Freaks (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00003L9CQ
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Amazon.com

This movie is for everyone who misses the old Roger Corman monster movies, only it has animatronics and computer effects instead of papiermâché. The title of Bats pretty much sums up the plot: Crazed bats are running amok, disemboweling people and cattle. Only beautiful wildlife zoologist Dina Meyer (Johnny Mnemonic, Starship Troopers) and stalwart sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, the Young Guns movies, Courage Under Fire) can save the day! Let's be frank: The scenario is ludicrous, the dialogue God-awful, the special effects unconvincing--try as they might, the bats just aren't that scary--but what does it matter? The movie rips along effectively. There's always a bat attack just around the corner and the director makes liberal use of all kinds of editing and camera effects, including a distorted bat-cam point of view that makes no sense at all but is pretty entertaining. Various scenes imitate Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but lack even a hint of that movie's eerie precision. The actors play it straight without trying to be particularly serious. All in all, Bats knows what it is--trash-horror--and accomplishes its ends with good humor. Not quite up to the standard of Tremors (still the definitive trash-horror flick), but better than most recent efforts. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more........2006-03-31

Some B films are great and they have a cult following, but this B film will never have a cult following in latter years to come, because this film lacks a good plot. Every film need a good plot story or it will become a mess.

This film has got a weak plot story, but it not mess and it not scary-suspense action movie. It just scary looking bats killing people action movie.

If you people who saw this film and think this film is a scary-suspense action movie, you all are out of your minds.

If you people want to see a good scary-suspense action movie with a good story plot, see JAWS.

This film is not bad and it not good. You people should see this film only once on cable and never see it again.

Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator.......2006-03-22

Bats may well be the second best swarm of bats threatens Texas town movie ever made and also serves as a timely reminder that the `acclaimed playwright' who wrote The Aviator is also responsible for more generic efforts like Star Trek Nemesis and The Time Machine remake. The major thing the film has going for it is that at least it knows its rubbish even though it does play it straight, even when the dialog is pure z-movie ("Yes, major - it was us!"). The characters are standard issue: Lou Diamond Philips is the small town Texas sheriff hiding a dark secret (he's an opera fan), Dina Mayer the bat expert whose insistence that she could never willing hurt a bat translates into killing hundreds of the suckers while Bob Gunton's the mad scientist who genetically enhanced the vicious little bloodsuckers. Why? "Because I'm a scientist. That's what we do."

Naturally, the bats head for the nearest town showing a revival of Nosferatu (it doesn't state whether its Murnau or Herzog, but clearly small town Texans have eclectic arthouse tastes), and this being Texas, where everybody knows everything about everything and immediately fill the streets with expendable extras for the obligatory Bodega Bay scene. Of course, these deadly bats only need to take one swoop and bite out of the bit players to take them out of the movie, but can swarm all over one of the leading players and leave them only mildly scratched, just as it's a well know movie fact that being attacked by any flying creature brings on a bad case of weird camera effects, and this one ups The Swarm's slow motion with a misaligned lens: once your image is distorted, you'd better have your affairs in order Junk, but watchable junk.

low-brow and predictable.......2005-09-15

Well, it looks as though anyone who gives this movie a bad rating is bound to get a bunch of unhelpful votes, but the fact of the matter is that Bats is a bad movie. It's the type of movie that's been made umpteen times before: there's some major crisis, a rag-tag group sets out to solve the crisis (often in defiance of inept authorities), but with all the odds stacked against them it looks mighty certain that they're going to fail, but just in the nick of time they pull it off. In short, this is a low-brow, predictable movie. Granted, it could have been worse--the production quality was okay and it was somewhat enntertaining--but in the end it is still a bad movie.

i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews.......2005-09-11

This is fun, fun film that's worth having fun with it despite many of the reviews to the contrary. I enjoyed the cheesy aspect of this film, it's almost classic watching Lou Diamond Philips shoot bats. It's in vein of They Live and movies of fun campy nature. Don't let the low rating fool you see it to enjoy it.

Bad bat, bad! (But fun...).......2005-01-18

Scientist Sheila Casper (Dina Meyer) works in rural Texas with the local sheriff Emmett Kimsey (Lou Diamond Phillips, donning a drawl) to stop the spread of genetically mutated bats. Sheila is a bona fide bat-lover, so she does everything in her power to ensure the little bloodsuckers don't come to any harm - but the trigger-happy U.S. Army has very deadly plans for the winged menaces. A guilty pleasure... once.

Staci Layne Wilson

Bat Talk - The Secret Language of Mexican Free-tailed Bats

Average customer rating:

Awesome!!
Chattin' with free-tails
Well Worth the Money
Not as great...
An essential for the library of any nature lover

Bat Talk - The Secret Language of Mexican Free-tailed Bats

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

America's Neighborhood Bats: Understanding and Learning to Live in Harmony with Them
Hooked on Hummingbirds
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats
Life in the Undergrowth

ASIN: B0002CTVFG
Release Date: 2004-05-13

Description

The Secret Language of Bats, revealed for the first time.

Bat Talk unveils the social interaction of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) for the first time in history. Watch and listen to these tiny, secretive creatures "talk" as they scurry, hop, shuffle, cuddle and play with one another. Laugh at males vying for female attention and witness a mothers gentle interactions with her baby. Vocalizations were recorded with a time expansion digitizer by Teh-Sheng Ma from George Pollak's Bat Lab at the University of Texas Institute of Neuroscience in Austin. The behaviors associated with these vocalizations were filmed by Barbara French and Amanda Lollar, who have identified more that 20 bat calls in their non-releasable captive bat colonies over the past 10 years.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!!.......2004-07-27

One of a kind! Step into the little-known world of Mexican Free-Tailed bats and be an intimate part of their secret language. This never before seen footage and sound documentary will sweep you away! This DVD is a must for all educators and naturalists.

Chattin' with free-tails.......2004-07-16

Like Noah Webster who began recording the meaning of our words 200 years ago, the creators of this DVD have begun recording the meaning of "words" that make up the vocabulary of Mexican free-tailed bats. I enjoyed this presentation, and anyone using a bat detector at night to listen in on bats will now understand some of the high-pitch calls they hear.

The photography is not meant to compete with Walt Disney studios, but is good, with a raw pioneering quality that reminds me of the early Cape Canaveral and Apollo footage, which is fitting since this DVD explores new territory. As is the case with similar small ventures that do not wield the marketing muscle of a WalMart, much of the proceeds from these DVDs goes to distribution, leaving a relatively small amount for the care and preservation of wild bats. Overall, this DVD is educational with funny moments, and the proceeds are for a great cause.

Well Worth the Money.......2004-07-06

Incredible! Although the camera footage is not professionally done, the information gleaned by these two bat care professionals is something that no one else has ever captured on film before. This look into the behavior, intelligence, and emotional lives of bats is something everyone should witness. Additionally, the purchase price benefits the rescue of more bats! Well worth every penny.

I also recommend buying the rehabilitation book, 'Captive Care and Medical Reference for the Rehabilitation of Insectivorous Bats' also by the authors of the DVD.

Not as great..........2004-06-30

When compared to some of the videos and DVDs that Bat Conservation International distributes, this DVD is not that impressive. The camera angles could be better. It's definitly not worth the money! You'd be better off buying an educational video from BCI-they are less expensive, better quality, and much more exciting and educational!

An essential for the library of any nature lover.......2004-06-25

This DVD is fascinating! It provides a rare opportunity to observe the communication, interactions, habits, and lifestyle of the Mexican free-tailed bat. The information is provided in an interesting and amusing manner, and I discover something new every time I watch it. BAT TALK offers insights into the behaviors of these incredible little creatures, and is truly a must have for bat specialists, wildlife rehabilitators, naturalists, animal lovers, and nature enthusiasts.

Average customer rating:

Exquisite video for beginner batties!

The Secret World of Bats
Starring: Bat Conservation International
Manufacturer: Bat Conservation International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Book Description

This 48-minute film, originally shown on CBS television, captures all aspects of bat behavior as world-renowned cinematographer Dieter Plage follows Bat Conservation International Founder Merlin Tuttle across five continents, capturing all aspects of bat behavior with remarkable slow motion photography.

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite video for beginner batties!.......2007-06-01

This DVD is an outstanding piece of bat informatory documentation. The narrator is a wonderful man with a very good make-up artist, the eyeliner and rouge really compliment his complexion. Merlin D (for Danger) Tuttle is a truly magnificent batty man! This DVD is very informative and the camera shots of Merlin Danger Tuttle are extremely lovely. My favorite part is when he inspected the hollowed out tree for snakes in his very fashionable cut-off jean shorts. Brandon Branches also appears as a child in this film, although in real life he is 43 years of age this October.
I would recommend this DVD to anyone who has a love for bats and is beginning a study in the world of bats!

Average customer rating:

Series DVD: Metal and Hardcore, Vol. 6
Starring: Hechos Contra el Decoro , Bleeding Through , Every Time I Die , Misery Signals , and Walls of Jericho
Manufacturer: Forsaken Recordings
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Includes lots of fantastic stuff from today's metal and hardcore scene, including: Bleeding Through as seen on Ozzfest, Rare never before seen live video from Every Time I Die, tour footage of cult metal-core band KillWhitneyDead, Pluto's buzz band, The Jon Benet, and much much more!

Bloodshack (Includes Alternate Version - The Chooper)

Average customer rating:

Nearly so bad it's good
Very bad movie. Nothing happens.
Michelangelo Antonioni Meets Ed Wood
The horror...the horror!

Bloodshack (Includes Alternate Version - The Chooper)
Starring: Carolyn Brandt , Ron Haydock , Jason Wayne , Laurel Spring , and John Bats
Director: Ray Dennis Steckler
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Blood Sisters
Samurai Cop
Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher
Warlock Moon
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies

ASIN: B00009Y3LB
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Description

The slasher massacre of eight innocent nurses. At a remote mental hospital, a masked serial killer is brutally murdering the wealthy female patients. Who is the killer? When will he strike again? Who is next? The tension builds and the nightmre seems as if it will never end! This classic Giallo known also as The Cold Blooded Beast and Asylum Erotica stars Klaus Kinski and Rosalba Neri.

Customer Reviews:

Nearly so bad it's good.......2007-02-08

"Bloodshack" is another film from Ray Dennis Steckler, the Quentin Tarantino of bad film directors. (many MST3K fans may remember him as the fellow who brought us "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies") Shot on a budget of $500, it features the story of a young woman named Carol who inherits a ranch from her late uncle, and it turns out there's an old curse on the place. There's an old shack on the ranch that is possessed by an Indian spirit called "the Chooper" that kills any one who draws near the house.

The film is by no means a classic, even for the low-budget market. Much of the film is Carol moseying around the ranch while her badly dubbed voice-over rambles on and on about random things. Then there are the infamous rodeo scenes that seem like they were put in to pad the movie - and in fact, they were. And as for the Chooper...well, I'll describe him perfectly so you folks can dress up as him for Halloween. Paint white lines across your face like a football quarterback. Now, buy a dark blue sweatshirt and sweatpants set. Put the hood over your head and tighten it at the neck. Now, go buy a cheesy plastic sword, or steal one from your 10 year old. Good, now run around scream, "RARR!!" like you're imitating a dinosaur. BAM! You're the Chooper! No, folks, I'm not kidding. All scenes involving the Chooper are played for horror, but instead they only get laughs.

It really plays like an episode of "Scooby Doo" except people get killed. Carol gets bugged by this rich neighbor who wants her land and won't take no for an answer, and in the middle of the film you find out there's a great source of water under the ranch. It's so terribly obvious who the Chooper is after all this that Ray Dennis Steckler might as well have rented a Great Dane and ended the film with "I would've gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for you snoopin' kids!"

The special features include the original director's cut, which was aptly named "The Chooper," and it features two commentaries. One is by Ray Dennis Steckler himself, the other by cult movie critic Joe Bob Briggs. Ray Dennis Steckler's commentary is really worthless in the long run - he'll mention one or two facts about the film, but a lot of it comes across as the ramblings of an old man. ("OK, now Carol goes down the hall. Look out! It's the Chooper! Choo! Choo! Chooper! Choo! Choo!") Admittedly, he comes across as a nice guy, the type you'd get in small talk with at the coffee shop, but that's all he has going for himself. Joe Bob Briggs, on the other hand, gives a great commentary that not only provides interesting facts about the actors and filmmakers but also is downright hilarious! He won me over during the first thirty minutes when he mentioned two things:

1) "The Chooper" is about the worst name for a horror movie - "Chooper?! That's not scary at all! It sounds like a 1950's sports car. 'Dude! I drove the Chooper out on I-5 today!'"
2) Ray Dennis Steckler's daughters, who play the kids of Carol's neighbors, are the best actors in the film. That made me laugh because that was EXACTLY what I thought watching it the first way through.

So yeah, it's a bad film. Some people hate it, some people love it because it's bad. I can safely say it's not a "my Brain is melting" bad, it's just a "ha ha this is terrible" bad. I dunno if I would actually spend MONEY on it though...

Very bad movie. Nothing happens. .......2006-07-02

This is a very bad movie. Even if you are familiar with Ray Dennis Steckler you may get disappointed. It's about a woman, Carolyn, who inherits a ranch where there's a little shack. If you go into that shack, bad things will happen. Okay, so the people in the movie go in there and bad things happen. Sounds pretty much like your average Z grade horror movie, but this is much worse, because that's not really what the movie is about, except for a few minutes. The rest of the running time is made up of Carolyn walking around and looking at horses and things like that and nothing happens. Why would I want to waste time watching that if I want to see a horror film? It also doesn't meet the qualifications to be "so bad it's good", simply because it's so boring. Don't waste your time and money.

Michelangelo Antonioni Meets Ed Wood.......2005-12-19

Let me start with a brief explanation of my five star rating, which may seem problematic to many viewers. I gave the DVD five stars primarily for showing Steckler's process of making a low-budget film. Like most Steckler fans, this is not one of my favorites, but the presentation on the DVD makes up for some shortcomings in the film itself.

This movie was made for next to nothing and features three of Ray's family members in the cast (Carolyn Brandt, the protagonist, as well as his two daughters) and basically involves Carolyn (ironically playing a washed-up movie star) inheriting an awful ranch in the middle of nowhere. (The location was good at getting that point across.) The house on the ranch is haunted by "The Chooper" who has specialized in murder and mayhem for 150 years. One method of storytelling I found annoying was the extensive narration by Carolyn, which is largely unnecessary, but does allow Ray to focus on his true love, cinematography. Much of the actual photography in the film is first rate, which isn't a surprise, as Ray is an excellent cinematographer and cameraman. The acting is generally average at best, and there is a humongous amount of padding in the film (nothing says "horror" like a rodeo). There are a couple of scares that are well done, but several scary scenes end up being more comic relief than anything.

I had seen both "the Chooper" and "Blood Shack" long ago, but the beauty of this DVD is that both versions are included, and feature the always great commentary of Joe Bob Briggs, who fills us in on some historical information as well as entertains. There are also interviews with both Ray and Carolyn which are interesting for the true Steckler fan. These features make the DVD worth the money and the explanation of the creative process in the interviews ensured a high rating from me. As an aside, the box art has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the film.

One of the most interesting revelations in the film is in Joe Bob's introduction, when he reveals that two of Ray's favorite directors are Ed Wood and Michelangelo Antonioni. I think that astute viewers will see a melding of their styles (plus some John Ford) in this film, as bizarre as that sounds. While this is not my favorite Steckler film, true fans of low budget films should check this out post haste.

The horror...the horror!.......2005-04-11

Ugh! That's the one word that comes to mind with Ray Dennis Steckler's "The Chooper" a.k.a. "Bloodshack." Watching this movie underscores the fact that I'm scraping the bottom of the cinematic barrel much too often these days. There's just no excuse to watch a movie as bad as this one, not with so many other great cheesy titles coming out on DVD on a weekly basis. But watch it I did, and from the looks of it I'm the only one who has. Good. That means this warning will hopefully prevent another viewer from making the same mistake I did. Here are a few other warning signs that should keep you from watching "Bloodshack":

The editorial description on this page is for the film "Slaughter Hotel," not "Bloodshack." Perhaps the writer of this blurb couldn't bring himself or herself to actually watch Steckler's film. I can say that a trailer for "Slaughter Hotel" is included on the DVD in the supplements section, so maybe the mistake is legitimate--or wishful thinking.

None other than Joe Bob Briggs contributes one of the two commentary tracks on the disc. If you're familiar with Joe Bob, you know he specializes in watching and reviewing the absolute worst atrocities committed to celluloid. Even he has his hands full with "Bloodshack." O.K., maybe this isn't a good way to convince you to pass over "Bloodshack"; the commentary is funny and worth watching. Too bad the movie isn't nearly as funny as a stand-alone project. This movie isn't "so bad it's good"; it's "so bad it'll put you in a coma."

Joe Bob mentions in his commentary that director Ray Dennis Steckler now owns a video store in Las Vegas. This factoid should convince you of the ineptness we're dealing with here. What director worth his or her salt would wind up working in a video store? Name one. See, you can't. Even Herschell Gordon Lewis went on to a successful career in direct marketing after folding the tent on a film career of truly appalling dimensions.

Still interested in watching "Bloodshack"? If so, here's a bit of plot summary. Out in the desert exists a house cursed long ago by a tribe of Indians. The spirit that supposedly inhabits the house is called the Chooper, and this spirit will kill anyone who wanders inside of the building. The caretaker of the place, Daniel (Jason Wayne), tries to warn people away from the building at every opportunity. He unfortunately fails to stop Connie (Laurel Spring), a young woman who shows up to see if the legend is true, from spending a night in the house. You can guess what happens to Connie, can't you? You'll have to guess because the nighttime photography is so bad that we can barely make out what happens to her. Anyway, a burned out film star named Carol (Carolyn Brandt) eventually shows up to take possession of the family estate, an estate that just happens to contain the Chooper haunted house. Right from the start, a shady local named Tim (Ron Haydock) starts hassling her to sell him the estate. According to Daniel, Tim's ancestor lost the land to Carol's ancestor as a result of a high stakes card game, and the family has been trying to reclaim it ever since. Uh huh. Needless to say Carol eventually has her own run in with the Chooper, an encounter that turns out to have explosive revelations we all saw coming from miles away. Not that we cared, of course, but we saw them coming.

Well, at least there's a plot. All of the above could have easily fit in a film of roughly twenty or thirty minutes in length, but not in Ray Dennis Steckler's world; he makes films with healthy running times so the fans will leave the drive in happy and satisfied with their ticket purchase. Thus he throws in minutes and minutes of mind numbing scenes involving two kids named Margie and Barbara (Linda and Laura Steckler respectively--nothing like a little nepotism in the film biz, eh Denny?) poking around the house and hassling Daniel. The two kids' shenanigans pale in comparison, however, to the endless stock footage rodeo scenes thrown in for no other reason than to pad this sucker out to an hour and a half. We even spend an inordinate amount of time with Peanuts the Pony! Egads! The acting is uninspired, the set pieces run down and cheap, the action laughable, the dialogue leaden, and the photography discordant; this is the world that is "Bloodshack." This is a world not worth living in.

Incredibly, the disc comes with a bounty of extras that take a long time to watch. Two versions of the film, an interview with Steckler and Brandt, a commentary with Steckler, the aforementioned Briggs commentary, stills, and trailers for "Slaughter Hotel" and "Nightmares Come at Night" grace the DVD. Indulging in the various supplements is far more entertaining than watching either version of the movie. Why give so much fanfare to such a mediocre movie? Apparently Ray Dennis Steckler has quite a few fans who adore some of his other movies, primarily his efforts "Rat Pfink and Boo Boo" and "The Thrill Killers." I'll bet they aren't fans of this turkey, though. "Bloodshack" is a movie that should have been allowed to languish in obscurity or tossed in a roaring fire.

Average customer rating:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more.
Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator
low-brow and predictable
i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews
Bad bat, bad! (But fun...)

Bats [Region 2]
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips , Dina Meyer , Bob Gunton , Leon , and Carlos Jacott
Director: Louis Morneau
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Fangs (2001)
Python
Python II
Venomous
Eight Legged Freaks (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0000521G5

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more........2006-03-31

Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator.......2006-03-22

low-brow and predictable.......2005-09-15

i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews.......2005-09-11

Bad bat, bad! (But fun...).......2005-01-18

Average customer rating:

Building Homes for Bats
Starring: Bat Conservation International
Manufacturer: Bat Conservation International
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Book Description

Bat houses now provide vital roosting habitat for bats throughout North America. In this 33-minute DVD, Merlin Tuttle introduces viewers to America's most successful bat house owners, who have attracted thousands of bats to yards, parks, and farms.

Viewers will learn the key elements of successful bat attraction, the benefits of insect pest reduction, and the joys of closely observing such fascinating creatures. This DVD is also ideally suited to helping needlessly frightened humans overcome their fears about bats.

Average customer rating:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more.
Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator
low-brow and predictable
i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews
Bad bat, bad! (But fun...)

Bats [Region 2]
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips , Dina Meyer , Bob Gunton , Leon , and Carlos Jacott
Director: Louis Morneau
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Fangs (2001)
Python
Python II
Venomous
Eight Legged Freaks (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B00004XOBH

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

They drop the ball on this film. It could be so much more........2006-03-31

Inflight moviemaking from the writer of The Aviator.......2006-03-22

low-brow and predictable.......2005-09-15

i'm shocked at how low the movie is rated from other reviews.......2005-09-11

Bad bat, bad! (But fun...).......2005-01-18

Lou Diamond Phillips 3-Pack (La Bamba / Bats / The Big Hit)

Average customer rating:

Lou Diamond Phillips 3-Pack (La Bamba / Bats / The Big Hit)
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips , Esai Morales , Rosanna DeSoto , Elizabeth Peña , and Danielle von Zerneck
Director: Luis Valdez , Louis Morneau , and Kirk Wong
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008WJEX
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Amazon.com

La Bamba
Lou Diamond Phillips leaves a haunting impression as the late 1950s pop idol Ritchie Valens, who made the Latino influence in rock & roll conspicuous through his hit songs. Filmmaker Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit) creates a nimble, exciting, and sympathetic portrait of the boy driven to rise above obstacles of race and family legacy, and Esai Morales is equally fine as Ritchie's envious, searching brother. Great support from Elizabeth Peña and Danielle von Zerneck as Valens's sister and mother, respectively, and Joe Pantoliano is solid as the singer's straight-talking manager. Valdez brightens up the third act with a rock & roll show featuring, among others, Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochrane. Marshall Crenshaw turns up as Buddy Holly getting on that plane with Valens, and Los Lobos (who actually performs Valens's music on the soundtrack) has a nifty cameo as a Tijuana band that gives Valens a piece of crucial inspiration. --Tom Keogh

Bats
This movie is for everyone who misses the old Roger Corman monster movies, only it has animatronics and computer effects instead of papiermâché. The title of Bats pretty much sums up the plot: Crazed bats are running amok, disemboweling people and cattle. Only beautiful wildlife zoologist Dina Meyer (Johnny Mnemonic, Starship Troopers) and stalwart sheriff Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba, the Young Guns movies, Courage Under Fire) can save the day! Let's be frank: The scenario is ludicrous, the dialogue God-awful, the special effects unconvincing--try as they might, the bats just aren't that scary--but what does it matter? The movie rips along effectively. There's always a bat attack just around the corner and the director makes liberal use of all kinds of editing and camera effects, including a distorted bat-cam point of view that makes no sense at all but is pretty entertaining. Various scenes imitate Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but lack even a hint of that movie's eerie precision. The actors play it straight without trying to be particularly serious. All in all, Bats knows what it is--trash-horror--and accomplishes its ends with good humor. Not quite up to the standard of Tremors (still the definitive trash-horror flick), but better than most recent efforts. --Bret Fetzer

The Big Hit
Film fans might someday recognize 1997 and '98 as the years Hong Kong came to Hollywood. Stars Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Chow Yun-Fat, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh all appeared in major Hollywood projects and directors John Woo, Ronny Yu, and Tsui Hark directed Face/Off, Bride of Chucky, and Knock Off, respectively. Another entry into this new era of entertainment is The Big Hit, directed by Che-Kirk Wong (who also directed Jackie Chan in Crime Story), executive produced by John Woo, and produced by Wesley Snipes. Mark Wahlberg leads this all-American cast in a played-for-laughs macho blowout. Rounding out the testosterone brigade are Lou Diamond Phillips (sprouting a gold-capped tooth and a dirty mouth), Bokeem Woodbine, Antonio Sabàto Jr., and Avery Brooks. Wahlberg plays Melvin Smiley, a nice-guy hit man with an ulcer and a severe insecurity problem. He's short on cash due to the spending habits of his unsuspecting fiancée Pam (Christina Applegate) and his girlfriend-on-the-sly Chantel (Lela Rochon). He and his crew decide to do a little freelancing and cook up their own heist to make a little mo' money--specifically by kidnapping Keiko (China Chow), the daughter of a Japanese businessman whom they target for ransom. Little do they know her dad is broke and she's the goddaughter of their boss. The Big Hit has action scenes aplenty (one of the stunt coordinators worked on Woo's The Killer and Bullet in the Head) and the same cornball sense of humor as other films in the Hong Kong action genre. Slick pacing and over-the-top humor made this movie a miss with the critics but a fun ride for fans of Hong Kong-styled action. --Shannon Gee

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Fury of the Silver Fox

Wire In The Blood - Shadows Rising

Destination Vegas (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Sitcom

Arielle, die Meerjungfrau 2: Sehnsucht nach dem Meer