Village Of The Damned)

Starring:John Carpenter
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)

Average customer rating:

A RETURN TO NORMALCY
So Happy
On the Road...
Enjoyable!
road to comedy with bob and bing

On the Road With Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Collection (Road to Singapore/Road to Zanzibar/Road to Morocco/Road to Utopia)
Starring: Bing Crosby , Bob Hope , Dorothy Lamour , Una Merkel , and Eric Blore
Director: Victor Schertzinger , David Butler , and Hal Walker
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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Road to Rio
The Road to Hong Kong
Road to Bali
The Ghost Breakers
The Princess and the Pirate

ASIN: B0001FGBZW
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Description

They are some of the best-loved film comedies ever created. Now, four of the most popular "Road" pictures, starring the unbeatable screen duo of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, are here together in this deluxe DVD collection. Join Bing and Bob as they travel the world and experience rollicking, fun-filled misadventures in the company of the alluring Dorothy Lamour in such screen gems as Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morocco and Road to Utopia. You'll laugh yourself silly with four of the titles that made Hope and Crosby one of the most successful comedy teams of the 1940s and which continue to charm and entertain audiences of all ages today.

Customer Reviews:

A RETURN TO NORMALCY.......2007-06-08

HAVING SEEN ALL OF THE ROAD MOVIES IN YEARS PAST, IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE ONCE AGAIN TO HEAR WONDERFUL VOICES, & COMEDIC ACTING AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL. MUSIC & COMEDY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE VULGAR TO BE ENTERTAINING. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE BING CROSBY?

So Happy.......2007-04-27

I looked for the Road To movies a few years back with no luck. I checked back recently, and was pleased to find this collection of the first four- and, arguably, the best four- films in the series. The package is nice, and the movies are on one double-sided DVD, which is a nice change from the unnecessarily disc-heavy sets we see so often. The transfer of the movies isn't perfect, but they're old, and it's still fantastic in both sound and picture. All four movies are wonderful, though Road To Singapore is a bit slow in coming off the ground. Hope and Crosby are revered as one of the best comedy duos of all time, and this set proves why. I'm young, and I love these movies. They're great fun for all ages, and I highly recommend getting them. Especially for that price!

On the Road..........2007-03-10

Including four of the seven films in the series, "On the Road with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby" is a collection that I'm proud to own. The Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road" movies are a set of classic comedy musicals that are pointless but funny! This can only be appreciated by someone who understands the relationship between Hope and Crosby and the jokes that apply to the era. A great collection for the Hope, Crosby, or Lamour fan.

Enjoyable!.......2007-01-12

Couldn't wait to get this DVD and it was worth the wait. Got a charge out of seeing Bob and Bing together. Must order the other "Road" films.

road to comedy with bob and bing.......2007-01-10

a bargain collection of their best (save "Rio which should have been packaged with it - perhaps MCA-Universal did not have the rights).
Enjoy - nothing else needs to be said!

The Shop On Main Street - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

The Shop on Main Street
Interesting subject matter that takes a long time to build up any steam!
give people something for nothing and they will join your -ISM IE NAZISM , SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM
Worth Waiting For
How conscience affects behavior and responsibility

The Shop On Main Street - Criterion Collection
Starring: Ida Kaminska , Jozef Króner , Hana Slivková , Martin Hollý , and Adám Matejka
Director: Ján Kadár , and Elmar Klos
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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Closely Watched Trains - Criterion Collection
Loves of a Blonde - Criterion Collection
The Firemen's Ball (Criterion Collection)
Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)
The Cranes are Flying - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00005NFZD
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Description

An inept Czech peasant is torn between greed and guilt when the Nazi-backed bosses of his town appoint him "Aryan controller" of an old Jewish widow's button shop. Humor and tragedy fuse in this scathing exploration of one cowardly man's complicity in the horrors of a totalitarian regime. Made near the height of Soviet oppression in Czechoslovakia, The Shop on Main Street features intense editing and camera work which won it the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Film in 1965.

Customer Reviews:

The Shop on Main Street.......2007-07-02

A deserving winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1965, "Shop" is a haunting tale of the holocaust. Directed by Jan Kadar and Elmar Klos with simplicity and restraint, the heart-rending story unfolds gradually, with a pitch-perfect rendering of the two central characters (by Kroner and Kaminska) keeping us glued to the screen. An unforgettable testament to the horrific ravages of the Second War.

Interesting subject matter that takes a long time to build up any steam!.......2007-06-12

I have always been extremely interested in films about the WW2 Holocaust from the perspective of the different countries that were so effected by this tragedy. THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET is a very unusual tale that comes to us from Czechoslovakia. Produced in 1965 and filmed in black-and-white, this is the story of Tony who has been given "ARYAN" charge of Jewess Mrs. Lautmann's Button Shop on Main Street during the fascist takeover in 1942.Mrs. Lautmann, at 78, has bad hearing and no comprehension of the terror that is befalling all of the Jews in the town. Tony is trapped trying to protect her and at the same time save his own skin. The film really plods for the first 90 minutes, and truly only reaches some level of steam in the last half hour. The "soundtrack" (if that is what it should be called) is nothing more than occasional violin scratch that is very reminiscent of arthouse work of the '60's. The acting by the two principles is unquestionably top drawer, but the film is not at all a pleasant two-hour+ view.

Other Czech films about the Holocaust would be ALL MY LOVED ONES and DARK BLUE WORLD.

give people something for nothing and they will join your -ISM IE NAZISM , SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM.......2007-01-28

This movie will really make you think! A great funny and tragic story. Most people want something for nothing and if they can get it from their neighbors in the guise of Nazism, Communism, Socialism without having to 'earn' it, they will jump at it. They sell their souls. The peasant it seems to me saw that his wife was everything she accused the Jew of being and the wife wanted the husband to act like the very Jews that they were denouncing and expelling. A very interesting concept!
Loved it!

Worth Waiting For.......2006-01-29

I had heard of "The Shop on Main Street" years ago but never had the chance to see it until tonight. I even bought and read the book by Ladislaw Grosman 17 years ago in anticipation of seeing the movie some day. I must admit that the book was impressive but not THAT impressive and so I worried that the movie might be anticlimatical. It wasn't. The book was a long short story, a novella, if you will. It laid out the story clearly enough but it was the movie that brought all of the characters to life and created the gradual development of the impending crisis. By the time we reached that crisis we had met a few jerks and unimpressive characters. However, we had also come to know and appreciate a number of people that we found endearing for different reasons. As events darken the scene, we suspect something bad is about to happen. I knew what it was going to be but it still had an impact for me.

The two main characters in "The Shop on Main Street" are an elderly Jewish woman, played outstandingly by Ida Kaminska, and a neer-do-well Slovakian carpenter, played impressively by Josef Kraner. The way these two come to interact with each other and the ebb and flo of their relationship is the heart of the movie. The picture gives a personal look at the Final Solution as it is played out in a small Czech village. The emotions that the director brings out on film is where the movie soars above the book.

Watching "The Shop on Main Street" is a moving experience. It challenges us and leaves us wondering where we would have fit into this cast of characters. In doing so, we may come to have a slightly better understanding of the incomprehensible. That oxymoron is worth the two hours spent watching "The Shop on Main Street". The raw emotions on display will stay with you long after.

How conscience affects behavior and responsibility.......2005-10-30

Set in a Czech village during the Nazi occupation, a poor fix-it man is appointed "Aryan comptroller" of a button shop owned by an old, almost deaf Jewess. At first the man figures to take advantage of her for his own gain, but she doesn't understand his position and thinks of him as her "assisstant." They become fond of each other, and when the Jews are eventually rounded up for deportation, he tries to protect her.

It's not easy for him, however, because he knows if caught he'll be killed: it's quite a tug-of-war with his conscience - and very realistic. To the movie's great credit there is no sentimental heroics displayed here - in fact, he's ready to turn her in to save his own neck. (It's the same moral dilemma Huck goes through on the raft involving Jim.) In a fracas with her he accidentally kills her. Broken in every way, he soon hangs himself.

The ending is the movie's only flaw, only because it's too drawn out, with a surrealistic dream sequence included in which he assumes the role of her husband, both dressed in old costume. But up to that it's a great picture, very moving and poignant; the woman (played by Ida Kaminska) is simply fantastic.

The King of Kings - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

Renaissance Art Come to Life
a magnifisent film
More sincere than you'd expect from De Mille
The King If Kings
From a non-Christian perspective

The King of Kings - Criterion Collection
Starring: H.B. Warner , Dorothy Cumming , Ernest Torrence , Joseph Schildkraut , and James Neill
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Gospel According to St. Matthew
King of Kings
The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ / From the Manger to the Cross
The Cecil B. DeMille Collection (Cleopatra/ The Crusades/ Four Frightened People/ Sign of the Cross/ Union Pacific)
The Last Temptation of Christ - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00005JNGA
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Description

With this silent-era spectacle, Cecil B. DeMille cemented his reputation as the master of the biblical epic. DeMille tells the story of Christ's life and Passion with great attention to historical accuracy, along the way paying homage to the religious illustrations of Da Vinci and Doré, and, in a modern flourish, restaging Christ's resurrection in luminous Technicolor. In time for Christmas, Criterion will present fully restored editions of both versions of this glorious spectacle in a heavenly two-disc set: the original 155-minute silent version from 1927 - never before available on home video - and the 1931 release, re-cut by DeMille to 112 minutes. The DVD edition will also include new Dolby Digital 5.1 scores by composers Donald Sosin (1927 version) and Timothy J. Tikker (1931 version); the original score for the 1931 release by Hugo Riesenfeld; behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film; cast portraits, production and costume sketches, a stills gallery of production photos and promotional material; the original illustrated program and press book featuring photographs from the film's gala premiere; and more.

Customer Reviews:

Renaissance Art Come to Life.......2007-04-23

This great film was released EIGHTY years ago, during an era which our current society has all but forgotten. That only adds to the mystique of "King of Kings"--which one could almost imagine was somehow filmed in Biblical times, so remote and rarified is its visual quality.

In viewing the Criterion set, I was continually awed by the way in which DeMille evokes the visual style of classic religious art ---it's as if you are witnessing the work of Da Vinci, Raphael, Tintoretto and Gustave Dore come to life on screen. (Rudolf Schildkraut as Caiphas has the uncanny appearance of one of Rembrandt's self-portraits right there on your TV screen!)

Once we are past the incredibly cheesy opening scene with Mary Magdalene and her Nubian zebras--that is, once the film gets into its black and white glory, De Mille composes almost every shot to reflect the majesty and reverence of the the great art work that we have always associated with the events of Christ's life. DeMille arranges his actors and extras within each shot--especially during the "Way of the Cross" scenes, with a marvelous sense of DEPTH--all I can do is marvel at the visual texture of each shot, with the crowds of onlookers creating a succession of artfully arranged living tableaux.

The scenes of crucifixion and its aftermath are awe-inspiring and chilling---truly a Dante-ish Inferno of mayhem on film! The shots of HB Warner (having expired) on the cross in near darkness---with wind-blown leaves and lightning flashes---are breathtaking. The 1928 soundtrack including a chorus of voices during these scenes---screaming, wailing, moaning along with the action on the screen (especially during the remarkably effective earthquake scenes), and this is an essential element of viewing the film I think. In fact, it's really too bad that the 1928 orchestral/choral soundtrack only exists for the shortened (112-minute) version, because the sound of this score is so evocative of the time in which the film was made. You can't beat the final two minutes of the film, as Jesus leaves his disciples in the Last Supper room in a radiant glow--to the strains of a lovely hymn, and then appears over a modern skyline to a full orchestra/choral rendering of "Rock of Ages"; that's what religion USED to feel like. The new score for the complete film is serviceable---all synthesized, though rarely is it distracting(a few incredibly poor synthesized cymbal crashes make me cringe). Of course, one MUST see the entire, full-length film....in which case the new synthesized score is your only choice.

A word about the cast: check them out on IMDB---you'd be amazed at how many of the actors had impressive credentials throughout the silent era and beyond, and yet whom are totally forgotten to us today. The actors who played the parts of Pontius Pilate and the Roman Centurion, for instance, are very impressive indeed---and their career background is fascinating. (There's something very cool about "Hopalong Cassidy" [Bill Boyd] stepping in to help "Old Man Gower" [HB Warner] carry his cross). Of course, Joseph Schildkraut, looking every bit the matinee idol as Judas, was a very distinguished actor--check his Oscar-winning performance as Dreyfuss in 1937's "Life of Emile Zola" for starters---or his 2 Twilight Zone appearances in 1961/62.

It's a pity that so much of our great film heritage has been lost forever---which is why it's all the more important for Criterion and other companies to continue to preserve it---especially the masterpieces like DeMille's "King of Kings."

PS---Included as bonus material is a substantial amount of behind-the scenes shots made during filming, which apparently DeMille did as a matter of course. What a treasure---practically worth the cost of this set alone!

a magnifisent film.......2007-04-12

Watching Jesus , brinks you years back like you lived that years with him but i believe that Franco Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth" is the best story , of the jesus life , in the history of cinema , and Robert Powell as Christ the best ever..............

More sincere than you'd expect from De Mille.......2006-05-02

While no match for Nicholas Ray and Samuel Bronston's 1961 film, the restored version of Cecil B. De Mille's The King of Kings is surprisingly good. It's a curious mixture of showmanship and sincerity, with sincerity surprisingly gradually winning over even if De Mille was using a film about Christ to defraud his principal backer into keeping his failing studio afloat with a lot of creative accounting (the film cost a million less than the accounts stated!). Although it skirts close to anti-Semitism at times for a film made by a Jewish director (albeit a closet one), it does ultimately make the distinction between good and bad people who happen to be Jews, adding a Jewish character who won't take Caiaphas' bribe to call for Jesus' death.

Starting off in typical De Mille mode, with Mary Magdalene breaking off an orgy to go after her errant admirer Judas Iscariot - "Go harness my zebras, a present from the King of Nubia!" - it never descends to the threatened kitchfest. Beginning towards the end of Christ's ministry, he plays fast and loose with the chronology (Palm Sunday AFTER Jesus goes to the Temple?) and it's a long way from history, but De Mille understood the power of symbolic design: Pilate's throne room may look nothing like the cramped quarters of most Roman buildings, but the giant eagle that towers and glowers behind his throne is a great piece of visual shorthand for the overbearing power and might of the Empire. And he pulls off some surprising coups de cinema, be it Christ's much-delayed first appearance through the gradually restored sight of a blind girl, the ghostly sins surrounding Magdalene, Pilate's first establishing shot or a strikingly powerful moment when the beam Jesus is leaning on outside a farmhouse is suddenly revealed to be a cross. De Mille also is a master of crowd scenes - these crowds are alive, a world of movement, with Christ's stillness setting Him apart.

H.B. Warner is a genuinely unexpected figure here considering the hollowed, balding old man of barely a decade later: very much a picture book Jesus, he does have a striking presence (when not overlit or made up with too much pancake) and there's a surprising warmth too - a scene where the carpenter repairs a child's doll is genuinely charming. There's a restrained power, too, most notable in the scene with the moneychangers in the temple, where an expected eruption of anger is instead turned into a simple tip of a table that is actually more violent in its controlled fury.

Don't expect a great movie - this is a great show, a Medieval Mystery Play filmed on a truly epic scale, and quite winning in its way. Criterion's disc is quite a winner too, with the picture quality of the uncut version quite outstanding aside from some relatively minor color fading in one sequence. The extras are pretty good too - the restored 155-minute roadshow version is acompanied by the two-hour general release version, plentiful stills and text galleries, two trailers and a genuinely informative booklet.

The King If Kings.......2005-10-07

welli just order the dvd criterion version a friend of myne alledged that the begining titles and mary magelene befor redemption was in technicolor as much as the resserection but that has yet to be proven it might be tinted the mary magelene courtesean and begining scene that is well im looking forward to this 155 minute version

From a non-Christian perspective.......2005-09-21

Not being the target audience for this film, I had a different reaction to it than the average Christian viewer is likely to have, and as a historian, I take issue with quite a few of the events and things in here presented as fact (too numerous and off-topic to get into here). Therefore, I was left to view this film not as theology or history but rather as a religious story. Certainly this film is far more heavily religious than the 1961 remake, although the original also isn't as long as the remake and doesn't lose its focus by wandering off into subplots. Although unlike the remake, the original covers less time; instead of beginning with the birth of Jesus, it starts about a few weeks before the Crucifixion. And I know some people take minor issue with the fact that it doesn't exactly go in the order these stories take place in the Bible, although given how religious DeMille was, it seems to have been done respectfully instead of just arbitrarily cutting and pasting the most important stories together.

Though I didn't feel really moved or spiritually uplifted the way a Christian viewer would, there were some scenes I found very moving and touching, like particularly the scenes Jesus has with children, such as healing the blind girl and later on healing the broken legs of another small child's wooden doll. Another moving scene is when he's shaping some wood and suddenly looks up and realises it's in the shape of a cross. H.B. Warner himself gives a really moving performance, very well-suited for the role. He was truly perfect for this role; another strong performance is by Ernest Torrence in the role of Peter. Mr. Torrence usually did character work, and was often in a villainous role, but here this big bulky man really shines in a role different from many of the other ones he did. Other points of note are the two beautiful scenes in two-strip Technicolor, the opening scene (probably the only real non-Biblical scene in the entire movie) and the Resurrection scene near the end, as well as the cute scene where the Romans are hoping they'll find fish with gold in their mouths the same way Peter just did.

Cecil B. DeMille is a director the likes of D.W. Griffith; you either love or hate him, either find most of his films overwrought morality plays or excessive Biblical dramas with a saturation of sex and violence or find most of his films masterpieces or moving touching affairs. However, whatever one's personal feelings about him may be, even many people who ordinarily dislike him have to admit this is one of his best films, one where he doesn't engage in many excesses.

Average customer rating:

Admittedly a mixed bag
Brilliant, a bit twee, painful to watch, too short!
Excellent
Interpretations, Etc
Excellent show!

Carpenters - Interpretations
Starring: Carpenters , and Karen Carpenter
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Carpenters - Gold: Greatest Hits
Close to You - Remembering the Carpenters
Yesterday Once More: Memories of the Carpenters and Their Music
This Is Your Life 70's Music Icons - Richand & Karen Carpenter and Shirley Jones
As Time Goes By

ASIN: B0000A9D2F
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Customer Reviews:

Admittedly a mixed bag .......2005-03-17

Even for a seventies child like me who had this music on the radio while I was finishing breakfast and heading for school on many a morning, this DVD leaves something to be desired.

One reviewer is correct in noting that the great songbird Karen Carpenter looks unsure of herself in most of these clips and that makes it somewhat difficult to watch. Plus, the DVD is way too short. They may have been better off with the excellent live Carpenters' performances from the Ed Sullivan show in 1970 included.

On the other hand, there's of course the beautiful music, which disarms much criticism. This also captures the spirit of many musical variety shows of the early 70s.

This also includes the almost forgotten "Bless the Beasts and the Children" which turns to gold as almost anything the Carpenters' touched. Even a bizarre tune like "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," in the tradition of bizarre attempts at message songs of the era, sounds like sheer beauty and bliss out of Karen Carpenter's mouth. (The intro with the spooked-out radio DJ is a nice touch).

Watch this and "It's yesterday Once More" (oops! That song isn't included here...oh well).

Brilliant, a bit twee, painful to watch, too short!.......2005-01-24

[...]

This DVD is a version of the video of the same title, which was longer by a couple of songs and about 7 minutes.

Karen's singing is brilliant as usual and she again demonstrates that she could sing anything put in front of her by her brother, a master in arrangements and production - who could play piano with the absolute best. They were supported by an excellent band of musicians and the sum amounted to a truly fantastic sound.

The Carpenters are my all-time favourites and should have been there for the whole musical journey. However, Karen's untimely death from complications caused by anorexia nervosa which, it seems, resulted in her suffering heart failure, meant that the journey ended all too prematurely.

Karen is the main focus of attention on any Carpenters recording. Here is no different; but the videos stem from the 1970s when the Carpenters, for me, suffered from awkwardness and self-consciousness in front of the camera so, on occasions, the lip-synching doesn't always seem to work and Karen's facial and head movements seem affected and contrived. Strangely, some of the earlier videos look better, probably because she is behind a drum kit or has a microphone in her hand, Also, and the point about some of it being painful to watch, the later videos show Karen looking terribly thin and, particularly, on the penultimate video ("When I Fall In Love"), she reminds me of Nancy Reagan, with gaunt looks and a hair style which is very uncomplimentary - she looks more like 80 than 30!

Having said that, the only other things wrong with this are that there are no extras on this DVD and it is all over in only 37 minutes, which seems to be a desperate waste of disk space.

Onto the good things - it's got all the ingredients that Carpenters fans would expect, but "Reason To Believe" and "Bless The Beasts And The Children" are lovely surprise inclusions and the video of "Calling Occupants...." is better than the version seen on other collections of their videos (except Tony Peluso's DJ piece at the start, which is the same clip).

So should you buy it? Your choice, but you might find other collections of songs which are better. For die-hard Carpenters fans, yes, go and buy it.

Excellent.......2004-12-14

This DVD is great! Some nice hits, and also some lesser known songs. Wow!

Interpretations, Etc.......2004-09-02

Although I have yet to view any of the Carpenter's material on DVD, I find it interesting and equally satisfying that after all these years the public,and I dare say the world,continues to acknowledge, and seek more of, the absolute flawless and angelic voice of Karen Carpenter. God gave us a gift in this world that many continue to cherish and long to hear. No wonder why she was with us for a short time. Richard should not be too strongly condemned for whatever material mistakes he may or may not have made. The only thing I wish is that Richard, in his brialliancy, go on tour to various cities with philharmonic Orchestras and continue, not only her legacy, but there's.

Excellent show!.......2004-01-20

I enjoyed this collection of songs thoroughly. Each song was very interesting. The most I liked: Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - visually very pleasing- this is the first time I saw the video of this song, (They Long to Be) Close to You - the little drummer girl enjoed herself greatly playing the instruments and singing, and We've Only Just Begun - excellent song for the newlyweds and not only. The last song From This Moment On was especially interesting - Karen was sitting close to her brother playing piano - you could appreciate her clear voice and lyrics - very sensual. Short collection of songs but I enjoyed them greatly and I am going to watch them over and over again. I would like to add that this DVD has excellent picture and audio quality. Overall money well spent. Very good price, too.

John Carpenter's Vampires (Superbit Collection)

Average customer rating:

Awesome
Warriors of the Vatican
LOVE IT!!!!!!!
"Time to kill some vampires. You with us, Padre?"
Vampires (1998)

John Carpenter's Vampires (Superbit Collection)
Starring: James Woods , Daniel Baldwin , Sheryl Lee , Thomas Ian Griffith , and Maximilian Schell
Director: John Carpenter
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Vampires - Los Muertos
John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars
From Dusk Till Dawn (Dimension Collector's Series)
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
Bram Stoker's Dracula

ASIN: B00009VTX7
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com

Talk about an opening. The first few minutes of John Carpenter's Vampires--in which James Woods's vampire killer leads a dawn raid on a New Mexico "goon nest" of bloodsuckers--not only suggests a horror movie that will not pull any punches, it even evokes some of the more disturbing dream-memories of American Westerns. Muscular and uncompromised, the sequence suggests a new Carpenter classic unraveling before one's eyes. Well, dream on. Things don't quite work out that way, but this is still a film to reckon with. There are a few serious (and surprising) misjudgments on the director's part, particularly a mishandling of Sheryl Lee's role as a prostitute poisoned by the bite of a "master vampire" (who pretty much wiped out Woods's team of goon terminators). But aside from some weaknesses, the action is jolting, the suggested complicity of the Catholic Church in destroying monsters is provocative, and the traces of Howard Hawks's continuing influence on Carpenter's storytelling are in evidence. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2007-05-21

Iknow this is short, but coming from a movie expert, this movie is awesome. The effects are awesome, there is like 3 or 4 scenes where people are decapitated. trust me this is a gory movie, a must see for gore fans.

Warriors of the Vatican.......2007-03-11

This is based on the book VAMPIRE$ by John Steakley. James Woods is a cynical vampire hunter and leads a team sanctioned by the Vatican. But after a job in the Southwest things go wrong. Suddenly a vampire shows up who is immensely powerful and knows Woods by name. In just moments the vampire slaughters everyone present, slayers, cops, prostitutes. Only those who were not there survived. To make matters worse, the Monsignor in charge of the slayers has arrived from the Vatican and wishes to meet with Woods. Woods is introduced to a new priest for the team and told to assemble and train a new team. But Woods is ticked off and wants to know how a vampire can be so powerful and also knows his name.

Woods does not follow his orders. Instead he tries to track down the vampire. It seems this is the original vampire; the one who spawned the rest. The vampire was created during a botched exorcism and seeks to perform a new ritual that will make him even more powerful and eliminate some of his weaknesses. Woods has little time to find the vampire and put a stop to him. Woods also has to put up with team members who are in grave danger of turning into vampires themselves. Armed with guts, a hatred of vampires, and some modern weaponry Woods is all that stands between the world and total domination by vampire.

This is a James Woods movie pure and simple. Sure, it has vampires, action, and women, but it is Woods that makes the movie. His character is wonderful. You have to wonder at how desperate the Vatican is for slayers to even tolerate Woods let alone employ him. The slaying techniques are different, efficient, and very sensible. All in all a pretty fun movie with James Woods at his absolute best. Fans of Joss Whedon's Firefly will probably get a kick out of the score which seems to have inspired the music in Firefly. Check it out.

LOVE IT!!!!!!!.......2007-01-05

IF YOU LIKE VAMPIRE MOVIES, THIS IS FOR YOU. PLENTY OF SEXY SCENES FOR THE GUYS AND SIT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT HORROR. NOT TOO SCARY, BUT JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANT TO KEEP STAKES AROUND.....

"Time to kill some vampires. You with us, Padre?".......2006-08-09

Directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York), Vampires (1998) stars James Woods (The Onion Field, Videodrome, Any Given Sunday)...Kurt Russell must have had a prior engagement...as Jack Crow, vampire hunter extraordinaire and master of the colorful invective. Also appearing is one of the lesser Baldwin brothers, Daniel, to be exact ("Homicide: Life on the Street", Mulholland Falls), who had an interesting turn last year on VH1's celebrity reality show "Celebrity Fit Club" possibly...scratch that...definitely indicating ongoing substance abuse issues, Thomas Ian Griffith (Behind Enemy Lines, xXx), Sheryl Lee ("Twin Peaks", "One Tree Hill"), Tim Guinee (Blade), whom I best remember from his role on the television show "Law and Order" as an infinitely creepy, manipulative killer who defends himself at trial (it was a 2001 episode titled "Hubris"), and Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg, The Black Hole), godfather to actress Angelina Jolie.

As the film, set in the American southwest, begins, we see Jack Crow and his Roman-Catholic ordained and funded crew of mercenaries arriving at a dilapidated, isolated farmhouse they believe to contain a nest of vampires (and they're right). After cleaning house the crew of misfits celebrates with a drunken whoopee party in a nearby seedy motel, only to get slaughtered as a really powerful vampire (master of the nest they most recently destroyed), donning a velour overcoat, shows up effectively spoiling the festivities (nothing kills a party like having your melon torn off). Jack and another of his team, one named Montoya (Baldwin), manage to escape, taking along Katrina (Lee), a prostitute at the party who has since been bitten, as she's now Jack's only link to the one who decimated his team. Eventually Jack discovers, through his church connections, that the vampire that attacked him is one bad mofo, a six hundred year old European blood fiend named Jan Valek (Griffith), and has come to the new world in search of an religious artifact that when used in a ritual, will allow him to become even more powerful that he already is...(hint, he'd no longer have to use SPF 1000 during the daytime). As Jack, Montoya, Katrina, and a priest named Father Adam (Guinee), the last a new addition as the old padre didn't survive the events at the motel, track Valek across the Southwest, seems Valek's been a busy little imp calling forth some of his brethren masters to not only assist him in locating the religious artifact mentioned earlier, but to be a part of the ceremony that will give him what he utmost desires. Jack and his motley eventually do catch up to Valek in some podunk town only to discover they've walked into the middle of vampire central, and the only way out is through Valek and his thirsty, bitey minions...

While I did enjoy this film, it's certainly not among Carpenter's best or most memorable. Even so, a half-ashed effort from Carpenter is generally better and more entertaining than a full on effort from any number of directors currently schlepping out features these days (Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars may be the exception). Woods is fun to watch, as his trademark intense, semi-psychotic, flippant, profanity-spewing manner, seen in any number of previous features, is definitely present here (he always seems to be set at `eleven'). He does portray the typical Carpenter anti-hero well, but I can't help but wonder how much different the film would have been had Carpenter had Kurt Russell, who Carpenter's used in a number of films, in the lead instead of Woods, as Russell presents a generally more readily identifiable (and likable) character than Woods in a role like this (can you picture James Woods starring in Escape from New York or Big Trouble in Little China?). As far as the others, they did all right, but no one really stood out over another. I've never been a big fan of any of the Baldwins (they're all showboating, pretty boy, prima donnas in my opinion), so having Daniel here (the least of the bunch) really wasn't a positive aspect for me. As far as Valek, played by Thomas Ian Griffith, he certainly was a menace, but the character seemed to lack any personality traits that differentiated him from any number of vampires I've already seen in other films. Something else...at one point in the film Wood's character lays it out for Father Adam, in terms of what they're up against with the vampires...in doing so he jabs the effeminate portrayals presented in such films as Interview with a Vampire, in a roundabout way, but honestly, the vampire depicted here doesn't seem to be a fountain of manliness, but really a European dandy with a taste for hemoglobin. As far as the story, there are some interesting twists and turns, all punctuated by Woods and his gift for profanity laden gab, along with quite a bit of blood soaked violence. I particularly liked the fiery effects used when the vampires where exposed to sunlight (seemed the more powerful the vampire, the more explosive the effect). The converted armored car/battle wagon used by Jack and his crew was kind of cool, as was some of their sophisticated weaponry (when I say `sophisticated', I mean a flashlight built into a fancy crossbow or such). There's plenty of action and things move along well, strung together with some original scoring by Carpenter himself (Carpenter does a lot of his own music, which tends to fit with the material well, but can become repetitive over time). While this isn't the best of modern vampire films I've seen (I've always been partial to Near Dark), it's entertaining and worth a look, especially if you're a fan of Carpenter and/or Woods.

There seems to be a few DVD releases of this film floating around, but the one I own is the Superbit version. What's this Superbit business, you ask? Well, it involves how the material is compressed and transferred to the DVD (there's an insert that gives more details), providing what is supposed to be high-end picture, which is good, right? Well yes, but if you dig on special features, then it might not be so good as the material (both in terms of the audio and video) that makes up the film requires usage of a lot more space on the disc, effectively eliminating any room for extras (I guess adding a second DVD with just extra features isn't a viable option). As a result, the picture, presented in widescreen (2.35:1) anamorphic, looks very clean and sharp, and the audio, available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS, comes through well, but there are no extras, other than subtitles available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. I'm thinking this Superbit technology may end up being a moot point with the rapid introduction of high definition, but I'm no techno wiz...all in all three and a half stars for the film, plus an extra half for the DVD, for a total of four stars.

Cookieman108

By the way, there was a puesdo sequel put out titled Vampires: Los Muertos (2002), with Carpenter and his wife Sandy King listed as executive producers, written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Fright Night Part 2), that stars Jon Bon Jovi, and incorporates elements from this story, if you're interested. I haven't seen it, but it's out there...

One last point...at the beginning, I don't understand why Jack and his crew bothered searching the vacant house for vampires, risking their necks...why not just douse it with gas, burn it down and be done with it? Because it wouldn't have been as fun, I suppose...

Vampires (1998).......2006-03-02

Director: John Carpenter
Cast: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Maximilian Schell, Tim Guinee, Mark Boone Jr., Gregory Sierra.
Running Time: 108 minutes
Rated R for strong vampire violence and gore, language and sexuality.

John Carpenter's "Vampires" concerns itself with a Vatican-sponsored, anti-vampire hit-squad led by the gruff and obsessive Jack Crow (played by an inspired James Woods). As it turns out, the Vatican inadvertently created the vampire during the excommunication ceremony of a priest named Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), an event that occurred roughly six hundred years ago. Realizing that the creation of vampires might be seen as a blemish on the church's reputation, the Vatican determines to correct their mistake by destroying all vampires. This leads to the creation of the unit that Crow now commands. The film begins when Crow's unit sacks a deserted house that currently serves as a vampire lair, killing all of its undead residents. Crow and team then retire for an evening of celebration at a local hotel where their revels are interrupted by a surprise visit from Valek who is more than a little annoyed with them. Valek destroys the entire crew with the exceptions of Crow, his best friend (Daniel Baldwin), and a hooker (Sheryl Lee), all of whom escape to fight another day. As the movie progresses, Crow hunts down Valek, who is himself hunting for the black cross that was used in his excommunication ceremony (which, by the way, was never finished). If Valek can seize the cross and use it to complete the ancient ceremony, he will be able to empower vampires to walk in the daylight.

This film has two things going for it: 1) An interesting plot in the existence of this secret organization of vampire hunters and the nature of their prey, and 2) James Woods' outstanding performance as the obsessive, vengeance-driven Jack Crow. That being said, these two elements, even combined with John Carpenter's direction ("Halloween", "The Thing"), are unable to salvage this movie. "Vampires" is essentially a gratuitous sex, violence and gore fest strung together with a few interesting ideas and suspenseful scenes. The language is as coarse as in any movie ever; early every female who appears in this movie is, at some time or another, nude; and the nude scenes are a good bit more than just brief glimpses. The hotel scene at the beginning is a veritable orgy of sex and alcohol, and the violence and gore that follow throughout the movie may make some audience members cringe. There was little in the way of true suspense in this film although there were a few minor scares as viewed on the big screen. All in all, it really lacks the master touch that Carpenter bestowed to such films as "Halloween," "The Fog," "Escape from New York," "The Thing," and "Prince of Darkness." These movies make use of violence and gore to one degree or another, but they are also suspense and plot-driven, and none of them, not even "The Thing," comes close to the gratuitous violence and rivers of blood that flow in "Vampires." On a lighter note, there is a good bit of unexpected humor in this movie, most of which comes from James Woods. The vampire hunters' weapons and methods are different and interesting, and there are actually a couple of tense scenes, but these could not overcome the disgust factor that much of the rest of the movie created for me. This is certainly not a movie for children or the otherwise faint-hearted, and even if you're used to violence and gore, you may still find this movie unsettling. All in all, this movie was really sort of a "Die Hard" with vampires, and certainly did not live up to Carpenter's lofty reputation. Does not equal that of "Salem's Lot" or "Dracula" by any stretch of the imagination, but will certainly be enjoyed by those who enjoy a good gorefest and the ever-entertaining lead.

Gene Autry Collection: Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Average customer rating:

Gene Autry Collection: Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Starring: Gene Autry , Smiley Burnette , Lucile Browne , George 'Gabby' Hayes , and Norma Taylor
Director: Joseph Kane
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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The Gene Autry Collection: The Sagebrush Troubadour
Gene Autry Collection - Stardust on the Sage
Gene Autry Collection - Call of the Canyon
Gene Autry Collection: Ridin on a Rainbow
Gene Autry Collection: Sunset in Wyoming

ASIN: B000G8NXSW
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Description

Billed as "a new kind of entertainment with music, thrills and comedy" in 1935, Tumbling Tumbleweeds presented Gene Autry as "radio's silver voice now heard on the talking screen in trills, thrills and spills!" Singing cowboy Gene Autry is thrown into the midst of the mysterious killing of his father and to make matters worse, his best friend is accused of the crime. This rip-roaring western has daring rescues, an old time medicine show, fast riding, hard-hitting fistfights, rib-tickling antics from Smiley Burnette, and the sensational songs of Gene Autry!

Average customer rating:

Three Enjoyable Duke Features from the 40s...
A CLASSIC FILM TO CHERISH FOR THE AGES!
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
An unforgettable match-up!
2 good - 1 bad, but worth the price...

The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2
Starring: John Wayne , Binnie Barnes , Albert Dekker , Helen Parrish , and Patsy Kelly
Director: William C. McGann , Raoul Walsh , and George Waggner
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
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Dark Command
The Fighting Seabees
Wake of the Red Witch
Dakota
In Old California

ASIN: 078201108X
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

Here's something you don't see every day. Then again, would you want to? Several years before the 1950s' Davy Crockett craze, John Wayne donned a coonskin cap to play a militiaman in early-19th-century Alabama. He and his fellow Kentuckians are just passing through--"marching 600 miles," as they merrily sing (and sing, and sing), because riverboat magnate John Howard has refused to haul them. Howard and all-purpose scoundrel Grant Withers are scheming to dispossess a community of French émigrés--veterans of Napoleon's Grand Army who've come seeking life, liberty, etc. in the New World. Howard's also out to marry Vera Ralston, the French general's daughter. Naturally, Wayne's just the lad to gum up both plans.

Wayne himself produced The Fighting Kentuckian, but far from repeating the success of his maiden effort, Angel and the Badman, this is one of the feeblest films in his long career. Writer-director George Waggner never gets a handle on what a pre-Western should look and move like. Consequently, the cast does a lot of standing around looking silly in period costume, waiting--mostly in vain--for the script to establish their connection to one another and something resembling a plot. There is a glossier look to the proceedings than most Republic pictures achieved, thanks to Lee Garmes's pearly cinematography, but this is scant consolation. So is the almost creepy presence of Oliver Hardy, sans Laurel, doing Ollie-shtick as Wayne's jolly sidekick. No, he doesn't say, "This is another fine mess you've got me into!" But he should. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

Three Enjoyable Duke Features from the 40s..........2006-08-23

"The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2" offers three Republic features over a nine-year span, during Duke's rise to major stardom, in the 1940s. While none could be called 'classic', each film is exciting, funny, and eminently watchable...and at a very reasonable price, to boot!

"Dark Command" (1940): After the spectacular success of Wayne in "Stagecoach", Republic realized they actually had an 'A'-list star...still making 'B' movies! While Duke was on loan to RKO for "Allegheny Uprising", the studio worked on creating their first 'major' western, borrowing MGM's Walter Pidgeon, top Warner director Raoul Walsh (who'd helmed Wayne's failed initial 'starring' role, "The Big Trail", ten years earlier), Claire Trevor (in what would be her third teaming with Wayne in two years), rising star Roy Rogers (who'd inherited the "Singing Cowboy" roles a dubbed Wayne had played in the thirties), and ever-popular Gabby Hayes (a frequent Wayne co-star for nearly a decade).

The result of all the assembled talent was a well-crafted, if still modestly-budgeted film, showcasing Duke's charisma and 'star' quality. As an illiterate but straight-talking Texan in Lawrence, Kansas, Duke wins the hearts of the townspeople and banker's daughter Trevor, over schoolteacher William Cantrell (Pidgeon, playing a variation of infamous Southern guerrilla fighter William Quantrell). With the beginning of the Civil War, Cantrell, showing signs of insanity, recruits an 'army' of mercenaries, dons a stolen Rebel uniform, and burns and pillages, with Duke in pursuit, climaxing in a last-ditch defense of Lawrence.

While very 'fast and loose', historically, "Dark Command" is great fun, and the Wayne/Trevor chemistry was never better!

"In Old California" (1942): Very much in the 'B'-picture mold, but a very entertaining Western of young Boston druggist Wayne relocating to Sacramento (echoing his real-life father's journey from Iowa to California, as a pharmacist), where his modern ideas and integrity (and the attention from saloon girl Binnie Barnes) puts him at odds with 'town boss' Albert Dekker. While fundamentally a pacifist (Wayne diffuses potential confrontations with an ability to bend coins in his fingers!), Dekker, seeing him as a threat, decides to eliminate him by switching medicine with poison, discrediting him...but Wayne would soon have an opportunity to redeem himself...

The film benefits from the comic talents of two of Hollywood's best comedians, Edgar Kennedy and Patsy Kelly, the byplay between Wayne and Barnes, and his confrontations with Dekker (one of the 1940s' best 'villains').

One of Wayne's more 'offbeat' oaters, but still a fan favorite!

"The Fighting Kentuckian" (1949): Wayne's second effort as star/producer (after "Angel and the Badman", in 1947), this is a VERY enjoyable tale, set in 1818 Alabama, of coonskin-capped Wayne, part of the Kentucky militia, falling for French immigrant Vera Ralston (in her second film with Duke), and discovering a plot to swindle the French community (composed of ex-officers of Napoleon, and their families) out of their land, by aristocrat John Howard and ruthless river boss Grant Withers.

What truly makes this film 'special' is Wayne's sidekick, portrayed by the legendary Oliver Hardy, of 'Laurel and Hardy' fame. Hardy, while a friend of Wayne, had only worked 'solo' once in a film in over twenty years (1939's "Zenobia"), and it took a LOT of coaxing (and Stan Laurel's 'blessing'), to get him to accept the role...and what a pleasure he is, to watch! Wayne and Hardy have a rich chemistry, and the rotund comedian, with his infectious smile and Georgia drawl, makes even minor scenes (like swapping recipes with Ralston's mother) a joy.

With a first-rate supporting cast including Philip Dorn, Hugo Haas, Wayne 'regulars' Paul Fix, Jack Pennick, and Hank Worden, and Marie Windsor (who looks eerily like John Howard, in my opinion!), "The Fighting Kentuckian" is, despite the 'pans' you'll see in some of the reviews, one of my favorite John Wayne films...He was never more charming than you'll find him, here!

Three pretty good additions for your 'Duke' library, to be sure!

A CLASSIC FILM TO CHERISH FOR THE AGES!.......2005-05-22

This classic film that was written and directed by George Waggner is an old fashioned "GOOD STORY" told and pictured in a manner of story telling that has become a "LOST ART!" Most film makers today rely on spectacular special effects and few if any will use the black and white format for conveying their story any more, even when black and white works best!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......2004-04-14

I'll admit, I'm not a big John Wayne fan. If you've seen one of his westerns, you've seen them all. I fell asleep TWICE when trying to watch this one. The only redeeming part was seeing Oliver Hardy trundling around in buckskins, doing pratfalls and slapstick. His lifelong comedy partner, Stan Laurel was too ill to take part, and I tend to think he became ill after looking at the script.

An unforgettable match-up!.......2000-05-26

This historical action film is not remarkable for its drama. It's importance lies primarily in the somewhat serendipitous casting of perhaps the two most influential "character" actors in movie history: John Wayne and Oliver Hardy. Whose styles have been copied more than those of Duke and Babe? (Not to dismiss Mr. Laurel). The rating is a very HIGH three.

2 good - 1 bad, but worth the price..........2000-04-22

Dark Command & In Old Calafornia are very good John Wayne westerns, with good scripts and good acting. Dark Command especially is an outstanding period action piece about pre-civil war conflicts in Kansas. In Old California sees the Duke as a Druggist (which was his Dad's profession). Good comedy & action. However, including The Fighting Kentuckian in this set was a mistake. Not only is the transfer in poor condition, but the plot is beyond silly. Dialog, acting, and the script sink this movie well before the opening credits roll. There were so many better movies the Duke made for Repulic in the 40's...it is a shame any of those weren't included instead. But like I said, the set is worth the price for Dark Command & In Old California.

The Carpenter Collection (The Thing/They Live/Prince Of Darkness/Village Of The Damned)

Average customer rating:

Mixed bag
Good movies, no booklets
Some weak Carpenter and some Great Carpenter- It's all fun!
A fantastic collection....almost.

The Carpenter Collection (The Thing/They Live/Prince Of Darkness/Village Of The Damned)
Starring: John Carpenter
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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In the Mouth of Madness
Halloween (Divimax 25th Anniversary Edition)
V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0000AOX0G
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Customer Reviews:

Mixed bag.......2004-04-12

The Thing

Yep we are confronted by a dog-splitting being from the great beyond. Being isolated we must evaluate track and kill this most obviously menacing "Thing". But what, who, and where is it?
In an attempt at graphic surprises we have sacrificed character and mood of the book ("Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr.), and the original movie ("The Thing From Another World.}". Ah you say what if you do not compare? Still it is a sticky blob story that has no personality of its own.
This movie is fun to watch and say "don't look there" but it is far from extraordinary.

They Live

Turns out that some economic entrepreneurs are in the process of exploiting people. (All people. O.K. the world.) They seem to have a different physical appearance than you or I and for the sake of keeping the exploration covert, have electronically masked themselves to appear normal.
All is going well until the presents of this drifter come to LA looking for work. He finds himself in an unbelievable situation. Evidently malcontents have devised a way to spot these interlopers and are threatening exposure. He is skeptical at first then after a bout of fisticuffs will be forced to see the truth. Subsequently he becomes the most radical in a plot to blowup the masking devise and expose this cabal to the world. Will he succeed or are they clever enough to catch him at the last moment? A more sinister thought is will anyone care?
In a world where you can not tell the good buys from the bad without your glasses there is also a quasi love interest between the vigilante and a worker (Meg Foster) at a local TV studio.

Village Of The Damned

This movie which holds it own is a remake of the 1960 film classic which in turn was based on the book "The Midwich Cuckoos" ISBN: 0899683878.
The small town of Midwich one-day falls inexplicably asleep. Many accidents occur due to the sudden narcolepsy, which is exaggerated in John carpenter style. The result is that several of the village females including a virgin is in a motherly way. They all have their bouncing white hair babies the same day and as with the cuckoo eggs, they are too in love to notice the little quirks about having to control or punish everyone. Compound this by other villages that fall to the same fate and you have an epidemic that threatens to wipe out the human race.
What action can be taken? Is it too late? If he/she were your child what would you do?

Good movies, no booklets.......2004-01-23

I just recently bought this collection from a store in Montreal, Canada. On one hand, I'm very pleased to have finally gotten my hands on the out-of-print They Live and Prince Of Darkness. I don't care much for Village Of the Damned, and I already had The Thing. One important side-note: none of the films have booklets! My separate copy of The Thing had a booklet, so this is probably not because the films don't have booklets - simply a cheap way to cut corners on price. So, be advised: no booklets. There. That was the main thing I had to say. Said It. Done. Still, an overall great deal, even though it's missing HALLOWEEN!

Some weak Carpenter and some Great Carpenter- It's all fun!.......2003-10-24

More than likely it'll be fans of John Carpenter taking a look at this set to begin with. The main hook for the fans is that "Prince of Darkness" and "They Live" have been out of
print for a long time. What better way to re-release them than alongside "The Thing" - arguably Carpenter's masterpiece?
I'm also aware that "Village of the Damned" is considered one of the weaker Carpenter movies, but it has its moments and overall, it's fun. The set is also a great price! I look at it this way: Even if you don't like one of the titles as well as the other three (whatever your Carpenter preferences may be), you're basically getting three good to great movies at a low price and a fourth one for free! You can't really go wrong. If you don't like John Carpenter, stay away. If you've seen very little to none of his movies, this is an OK way to get started.

A fantastic collection....almost........2003-10-11

For this to be the ultimate JOHN CARPENTER HORROR COLLECTION, you'd have to replace the insipid VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED with the underrated IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS. The other three flicks in this worthy set are sterling examples of CARPENTER's work.
THE THING rocks. A great, slimy alien infestation nightmare of truly eerie proportions with CARPENTER fav KURT RUSSELL taking a flamethrower to his infected bunkmates with gusto. An excellent movie and an even better horror movie.
The ten minute wrestling brawl between KEITH DAVID and RODDY PIPER is just the cherry on top of the THEY LIVE sundae. A superb paranoia sci-fi action flick that has earned its cult status and then some. Not really a horror movie, but great none the less.
PRINCE OF DARKNESS birngs some interesting ideas to the mix; Jesus was an alien, the devil's kid is living in a massive jar of green Gatorade in the basement of an old church, and ALICE COOPER's possesed bum feasting on maggots, to name a few. A creepy movie with lots of chills and some good laughs.
The selections are all from the UNIVERSAL vault so no wonder VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED made the cut (MOUTH OF MADNESS is WARNER BROS.). Not bad for a collector's set, but CARPENTER really deserves a set of all his films on DVD like the KUBRICK one. That would make a prime collective of great DVD's.

The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 - Riders of Destiny/Star Packer

Average customer rating:

The horses are still the stars
Just click on the photo.
Wondering
A typical old western with a formulaic plot.

The John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 - Riders of Destiny/Star Packer
Starring: John Wayne , Cecilia Parker , Forrest Taylor , George 'Gabby' Hayes , and Al St. John
Director: Robert N. Bradbury
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304870302
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Customer Reviews:

The horses are still the stars.......2002-08-06

Please realize that these b-westerns were made in the 1930's to be weekly entertainment. We didn't have TV's and the movie was king. However, times have changed. Is this movie still worth watching? Yes.

The Star Packer has one plot gimmick-a hollow tree trunk in the middle of a road in a western town. Once you accept the tree trunk, the movie is actually a decent movie. The story doe not bog down and keeps moving. A westrern has to have some good horse riding in it, and there are some good western action scenes which includes a couple of horse chase scenes. If you like this movie, you might like another early Wayne movie titled "Desert Trail."

Just click on the photo........2000-10-07

The 4 John Wayne films listed on this DVD are "riders of destiny,starpacker,sagebrush trail and man fom Utah".It is just his 1930s b-grade films and not really worth buying.

Wondering.......2000-06-15

Which films are included in this 2-pack?

A typical old western with a formulaic plot........1999-11-09

I found these movies to be extremely formulaic. The plot wasn't all that bad though and seemed to at least move. The most disappointing factor of all is that it's on DVD and the sound is terrible. You can't understand half of what they say. It sounds like they recorded off of a bad speaker that keeps popping. At one point the film even scrolls. Disappointing use of media, okay plot, excellent for camp value.

John Wayne Collection - Vol. 5: Winds of the Wasteland/Lucky Texan

Average customer rating:

Great John Wayne B's!!!

John Wayne Collection - Vol. 5: Winds of the Wasteland/Lucky Texan
Starring: John Wayne , Phyllis Cerf , Lew Kelly , Douglas Cosgrove , and Lane Chandler
Director: Mack V. Wright , and Robert N. Bradbury
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304870337
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Customer Reviews:

Great John Wayne B's!!!.......2003-03-17

This DVD "Winds of the Wasteland" and "Lucky Texan" offers two great early John Wayne westerns. Basically, if you enjoy the old 1930's B westerns you should purchase this DVD. I am buying all of the B movies I can find so I can be certain I'll have them preserved on DVD for