The Woman in Green

Starring:Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Hillary Brooke, Henry Daniell, Paul Cavanagh, Matthew Boulton, Eve Amber, Frederick Worlock, Tom Bryson, Sally Shepherd, Mary Gordon, Alec Harford, Olaf Hytten, Eric Mayne, Arthur Stenning, Colin Hunter, William H. O'Brien, Eve Ashley, Violet Seaton, Leslie Denison
Director: Roy William Neill
Studio: FOCUS FILMS
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

"The lady's sure got some nice melons, Lomax."
DRIVE-IN HORRORS!
The Virgin Slaughter

Axe
Starring: Lynne Bradley , Jack Canon , Don Cummins , Ray Green , and David Hayman
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005NG02
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Description

After terrorizing a convenience store salesgirl with tomatoes, three lowlifes on a crime spree hide out at an isolated farmhouse occupied only by teenage Lisa and her pathetically paralyzed grandpa. Bad move, guys, for while Lisa looks innocent enough, she's actually a ticking-time-bomb-of-psychotic-aggression who spends her days killing chickens, feeding raw eggs to her granddad, staring blankly into space, and hallucinating blood on a mirror. So when the three numbskulls add Lisa to their list of people to abuse, she promptly puts an end to their antisocial activities with the help of her two best friends, a straight-edge razor and her handy Axe.

Bonus feature: Who shot the Reverend Sam and cut his girlfriend's tongue out? Was it religious fanatic Mose Cooper? Or that idiot Crazy Billy? Whoever it is will end up paying the ultimate price by frying in The Electric Chair (1972, 85 min.), written, produced, and directed by "Axe's" J.G. "Pat" Patterson (who also plays the creepy Cooper), which gleefully details a hot-seat execution; Trailers for this, under the titles Axe, Lisa, Lisa and The Virgin Slaughter, plus trailers for Harry Novak's Behind Locked Doors, Booby Trap, The Child, Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks, Kidnapped Coed, The Mad Butcher, The Toy Box and Toys are Not for Children; Two Archival Short Subjects: Don't be like Lisa! Learn how to stay sane with 1952's Mental Health: Keeping Mentally Fit, and sexy sword-swallower Maria Cortez in We Still Don't Believe It; Gallery of Harry Novak Exploitation Art; Horrorama Radio-Spot Rarities.

Customer Reviews:

"The lady's sure got some nice melons, Lomax.".......2006-01-20

If you were a regular at the drive-in in the mid 1960s and throughout the 1970s, you probably weren't a stranger to the films released by Harry Novak through his Box Office International film group, enjoying such wonderfully sleazy exploitation fare as Country Cuzzins (1970), The Pigkeeper's Daughter (1972), and Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman (1975), to name just a few. Another Box Office International release was this independent film, titled simply Axe (1977) aka Lisa, Lisa, produced by J.G. Patterson Jr. (The Gruesome Twosome), and written and directed by Frederick R. Friedel (Date with a Kidnapper), who also starred in the film, along with Leslie Lee, in her first and only onscreen role, Jack Canon (Maximum Overdrive, Weekend at Bernie's), Ray Green (The Natural History of Parking Lots), and Douglas Powers.

As the movie begins we see a trio of unfriendly looking men enter an apartment building and break into one of the units, apparently waiting for the occupant of said unit to arrive home. There's Billy (Friedel), the youngest of the three, sporting one of the more hideous perms I've seen in a long time, followed by Lomax (Green), a greasy, middle-aged, paunchy, ceegar chomping sociopath type, and finally Steele (Canon), a wiry man with a receding hairline, cruel eyes, who has a really annoying habit of continually picking at his nails, and who also seems to be in charge. Eventually two seriously effeminate fun boys show up, dressed in typically atrocious 1970s leisure wear, setting off a festival of pain as Steele an Lomax literally beat the hell out of one of the them. Why? Who knows? But I suspect it had something to do with the guy's ridiculously ugly print shirt...as for the other guy, cowering in the corner, well, let's just say he saved himself a beating by taking the express route out of the building. Anyway, the men take their psychotic show on the road, heading for the country, stopping along the way to terrorize a lone female clerk at a small grocery store apparently because of a lack of quality control regarding her fruit (it wasn't fresh enough for Steele). Given the hideous nature of the woman's floral print blouse, I'm beginning to suspect these guys are some sort of fashion terrorists, intent on sadistically humiliating and brutalizing those who would violate decorum and good taste with lousy wardrobes (hey, sounds like what that pasty skag Joan Rivers and her skagette daughter Melissa do whenever there's an award event). The terrible trio eventually ends up at a large, isolated house in the country, inhabited by a quiet, unassuming young woman named Lisa (Lee), and her paralyzed grandfather (Powers), who can't move or speak, and relies on his granddaughter, who feeds him a steady diet of raw eggs, to survive. After evaluating out the situation, Steele decides this is a good place to hole up, and the three men move in...later that night Lomax gets an itch and sneaks into Lisa's room for some mad, sweaty lovin' of the brute force kind, but instead gets a straight edge razor to the neck...ouch...Lisa then drags his corpse into the bathroom, dumps it into the bathtub, and proceeds hack the body up into bits in a sequence I like to call `I Dismember Lomax'...well, I wonder what she has in store for the other two...

Overall I thought this film a very stark and effective feature, and a great example of what can be done on an obviously minimal budget. The characters and the plot were kept simple, and the story wasted little of its meager 68 minute running time on unnecessary elements. One really interesting aspect of the film was how there was absolutely no back story towards any of the characters, especially in terms of the three men. We never truly learn who they are, or why they heaped the beating they did on the man at the beginning, whether it was under instructions from a superior, or just a vendetta against someone who did them wrong...and by the end, it didn't really matter. Instead, the story is essentially a snap shot of events that occur over a three day period, and we, the audience, happen to arrive on the scene just as things begin to get good. I though all the characters interesting and distinctive, given what little he had to go on, with Lisa being particularly so, a young female, alone, except for her mute, invalid grandfather whom she cared for, living a life of quiet desperation and despair, that is until the three men show up. At first she seemed willing to give it up, as if to say after all I've suffered these many years, this is my reward? To be used and abused by three men who just happened to pick my house as a place to hide out? What's the point? But then something snaps, and, in cool, almost calculating fashion, she starts to dispatch those deserving, given the right catalyst, that being a big, sweaty bohunk jumping her in the middle of the night. Most of the movie takes place in and about the lonesome farmhouse, and the director makes the most of the locations with some very decent shots, especially given his seemingly limited experience behind the camera. As far as the blood and gore, there is some of the first, but little of the latter, as any scenes with involving the axe are not actually shown, but shot in such a way as to leave it towards the viewer's imagination. I suspect this as done more out of budgetary constraints rather than artistic reason, but regardless, I didn't mind. There was one really unsettling scene for me, and that was near the end as Lisa is feeding her grandfather tomato soup. Given the events prior to the scene, one can't help but wonder if that's really tomato soup, or perhaps something else, something less appetizing...another element that worked really well for me was the simple musical score, with a tinge of the creepy.

Something Weird Video provides a nice looking fullscreen (1.33:1) transfer here, as the picture is clean, suffering minor flaws. The audio, presented in Dolby Digital audio, on the other hand, comes across a little soft and muddled at times, making it difficult to hear some of the dialog. I don't think this was an issue in the transfer, but something due more to how the material was originally recorded. In terms of extras, Something Weird really goes the distance providing a slew of goodies, including a 2nd, full length feature called The Electric Chair (1977), a bizarre little nugget written and directed by J.G. Patterson Jr., who produced this film. Also included are three, theatrical trailers for Axe under its various titles, along with ones for Behind Locked Doors (1968), Booby Trap (1970), The Child (1977), Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974), Kidnapped Coed (1976), The Mad Butcher (1971), The Toy Box (1971), and Toys are not for and Children (1972). On top of that we have two archival short features, the first titled Mental Health: Keeping Mentally Fit (12:14), the type of propaganda film shown in schools back in the day, and the second titled We Still Don't Believe It (3:40), featuring a female swallowing swords, to which each time she would stick a sword down her throat, an article of clothing would pop off (she stops once she gets to her undergarments), and finally a gallery of horror exploitation art with Horrorama radio spot rarities.

Cookieman108

DRIVE-IN HORRORS!.......2002-07-18

Another fine showing from SWV! The main feature, while typical of Friedel's style and, hence, not to all tastes is nevertheless a surprisingly well-made film. Despite Friedel's pacey style of storytelling, I must confess a deep fondness for some of his films. He has a real gift for weaving trashy archetypes together into unique little stories. Though far inferior in every way possible, "The Electric Chair" feature is a real hoot. Bad acting (see if you can spot future "LA Law" star Larry Drake in the courtroom gallery), bad direction, bad script and bad special effects make this a true Kamp Klassic. As is so often the case with SWV, however, the extras are the real reason to add this disc to your collection. The Encyclopedia Brittanica short about "Keeping Mentally Fit" is a howler and a half. It's narrated by a senile old sawbones who illustrates the habits of good mental hygiene with stories of past patients including a lazy school girl, a cry-baby and a self-loathing loser who does nothing but pout. Okay, so maybe I am missing the point, but who really cares. These priceless pieces of Americana are the main reason I invest my hard-earned money in these silly discs. This one does not disappoint!

The Virgin Slaughter.......2001-10-29

The best part of the DVD of "Axe", is the trailer for the film under the alternate title of "The Virgin Slaughter". I will explain, "Axe" is the story of a trio of criminals who flee into the country to avoid the police. They come upon a lonely farmhouse inhabited by a pre-pubescent girl and her paralyzed father. In what amounts to a no-budget "Straw Dogs", the girl brings her own brand of justice to the criminals. The DVD provide three different trailers for the film with very unique appoaches, the best being the one for "The Virgin Slaughter", which depicts the film as some sort of demonic possesion blood lust film centering on the girl as a type of unholy avenger. It is the most misleading trailer I have ever seen and is well worth the price of the DVD. Something Weird Video has added numerous extras to this presentation. There is an additional film from the same director called "The Electric Chair" which is longer than the main feature. There is also two short subjects, one is very funny as a scantily clad woman, circa 1956 swallows swords which cause various layers of clothing to pop off. There is also director commentary and even radio spots. While this film will not appeal to everyone (anyone?), those who are into this sort of low-budget stuff will find the time spent worthwhile.

Legendary Sherlock Holmes (Dressed To Kill / The Woman In Green / Terror By Night)

Average customer rating:

Sherlock Holmes
Dressed to Kill/Woman in Green/Terror by Night-set
Just as I Remembered Them
Tremendous Nostalgic Value
Gotta love those sleuths.

Legendary Sherlock Holmes (Dressed To Kill / The Woman In Green / Terror By Night)
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Hillary Brooke , Henry Daniell , and Paul Cavanagh
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

ASIN: B00005N5RW
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Amazon.com

Basil Rathbone. Nigel Bruce. Sherlock Holmes. Who can resist these mystery masters? Legendary Sherlock Holmes Movies packs three Arthur Conan Doyle adventures on one DVD. Dressed to Kill pits Holmes against a formidable female adversary as he tries to tease apart a puzzle involving music boxes and murder. The Woman in Green centers on a series of brutal murders in which each victim is missing a finger. Finally, Terror by Night is a good old-fashioned mystery about jewel theft and murder on an overnight train. Any one is perfect for curling up with a cup of tea on a stormy night. Basil Rathbone is still the definitive Sherlock Holmes, and Nigel Bruce, charming and deftly comic, is the perfect Watson. DVD goodies include cast biographies and Sherlock Holmes trivia. --Ali Davis

Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.

Customer Reviews:

Sherlock Holmes.......2006-11-05

I was so very pleased with the quality of the films on this DVD. There is a disclaimer in the beginning saying the quality may not be as good as expected but it was better then I expected. The sound quality is very good and the picture quality is very good. I would recommend this DVD to anyone who enjoys the old Sherlock Holmes films.

Dressed to Kill/Woman in Green/Terror by Night-set.......2004-03-01

I think some of the postings here have been less than truthful. This particular DVD is very grainy, the sound is often muddy and there are occasional jumps in scenes. I do not recommend this to a buyer wanting to add some Holmes films to his library. Surely there's a better offering out there...and if not, I would suggest waiting till someone offers a digitally remastered version of these very fine old films.

Just as I Remembered Them.......2002-05-31

This DVD brings back these three movies exactly as I remember them. I was not yet born when these movies debuted on the silver screen, however...my memories of these movies is from when I was a child, watching them on late-night television with my grandmother. Since then, I have been a fan of Basil Rathbone and enjoy his rendition of the infamous resident of 221B Baker Street. These movies are original material (as opposed to, say, The Hound of Baskervilles which is adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings) but still capture the epitome of Sherlock Holmes.

The quality of the reproduction certainly is not perfect. However, if you remember watching these movies on television as I do, then you will be familiar with the quality of the film. The sound is a little scratchy, and the picture is a little grainy, but the movies are viewable and very much enjoyable. If you remember these movies, you will not be disappointed by this DVD. If, however, you are looking for adaptations of original Conan Doyle material, you may wish to look to the Jeremy Brett renditions.

Tremendous Nostalgic Value.......2002-03-27

Many people, especially those who grew up during the 1930s and 1940s, have fond memories of Basil Rathbone's famous Sherlock Holmes series. My own exposure to the popular series came in the 1970s, when I encountered them on the late-late show; "The Scarlet Claw" was a particular favorite. Unfortunately, few of these films have ever been released to the home market in either VHS or DVD, and those that have reflect their need for serious restoration. This is particularly true of the films seen here. Although not unbearably fuzzy, the pictures are far from being crisp and clean, and the sound is occasionally problematic.

DRESSED TO KILL finds Holmes investigating three mysterious music boxes--and events quickly turn to murder. Of the three films, this is the weakest: the story is very slow to start and it never really achieves a good pace; the sound quality is also very, very poor in spots. THE LADY IN GREEN concerns Holmes' investigation into several murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer, and although the film elements remain problematic this film is quite a bit more enjoyable than the first. The third and final film, TERROR BY NIGHT, is easily the best of the three in both story and elements, setting a cracking pace with its story of murder and a diamond theft onboard an Edinburg-bound train.

Film restoration issues aside, Rathbone's Holmes has held up extremely well over time. As interpreted here, Holmes is sometimes as much action hero as he is thinking machine, and Rathbone plays him with a snappy clip, dry humor, and enough intensity to suggest untold depths. He is well matched by Nigel Bruce, whose truly dunderheaded Dr. Watson nonetheless has considerable wit and charm. The stories and scripts are pure formula, of course, and the supporting casts and production values quite mild--but Rathbone and Bruce's performances and chemistry have more than enough charm to gloss over these inadequacies. Not every one will enjoy these films, for they have a naive quality that many may consider unsophistocated to the point of absurdity, but fans of the series would rather fight than switch. Just bear in mind the quality issues, don't expect too much, and you'll have a very good time.

Gotta love those sleuths........2002-03-11

I adore every one of the old Holmes/Watson films with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I thought they were perfect for the parts, and Nigel Bruce was just an endearing Watson. If you are into the Master, and don't take yourself too seriously, these are fun to watch. I only wish that there were more of them for us to enjoy. On the down side, do not expect great quality from these films because it isn't there. Sadly, these are falling apart, so there may not be any more of them in the future, unless someone makes an investment, and restores them. Even though they are only "acceptable" visually, these are wonderful slices of cinematic entertainment. Rathbone's arch, tongue in cheek Holmes, and Bruce's endearing, bumbling, and smug Watson are too good to pass up. I watched these as a child, and so for me, there are no other actors who could come close to these guys. Watching Watson bumble around, gives you an understanding of what an upper class twit is, and how they lost the empire!

Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3 (Dressed to Kill/In Pursuit to Algiers/Terror By Night/The Woman in Green)

Average customer rating:

Dressed for terror
Satisfied but Bewildered
Most favorite Holmes movies.
Worth the wait !
Fantastic quality - classic films!

Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3 (Dressed to Kill/In Pursuit to Algiers/Terror By Night/The Woman in Green)
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Hillary Brooke , Henry Daniell , and Paul Cavanagh
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Charlie Chan Chanthology (The Secret Service / The Chinese Cat / The Jade Mask / Meeting at Midnight / The Scarlet Clue / The Shanghai Cobra)

ASIN: B0000EMYKY
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Description

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. Volume 3 contains: Sherlock Holmes In Pusuit to Algiers, Sherlock Holmes Dressed to Kill, Sherlock Holmes Terror By Night, Sherlock Holmes and The Woman in Green

Customer Reviews:

Dressed for terror.......2007-02-06

Basil Rathbone is one of the two great Holmes actors in movie history (the other being Jeremy Brett). And he was in fine form in "Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3," which varies from merely okay to absolutely brilliant.

"Dressed to Kill" has a friend of Watson's (Nigel Bruce) telling Holmes of a bizarre crime -- someone broke into his house, and stole a worthless music box from a valuable collection. Then the man is murdered -- and three plain little music boxes are the key to solving an elaborate mystery.

"Terror By Night" has Holmes hired to look after a valuable diamond belonging to a wealthy woman, as she travels back to Scotland. Of course, the diamond gets stolen and the woman's son is murdered in the attempt, and now Holmes discovers that the murderer is an old enemy.

"The Woman In Green" deals with a serial killer -- four women have died, and each time a finger was removed. The police think that it's just a baffling series of crimes, but Holmes knows better -- and he suspects that his old, supposedly-dead nemesis Moriarty (Henry Daniell) is involved.

Finally there's "In Pursuit to Algiers," in which the king of Ravenia has been murdered -- and now his son is in danger too. On the cruise to his homeland, the young king pretends to be a relative of Watson's -- but Holmes still has to guard him against an array of potential murderers.

These were some of the later Holmes adventures, often not based (or loosely based) on Arthur Conan Doyle's works. But even the weakest ("Dressed to Kill") is still an enjoyable mystery, with some amusing moments and unexpected twists. They're just not as brilliant as Doyle's, that's all.

And they are solidly written and directed, with plenty of interesting settings, from the claustrophobic train to Scotland to a hypnotists' society. And the filmmakers throw in some wonderful little twists, such as a switcheroo Holmes plays on his enemy in "Terror By Night."

Rathbone is still best known for playing Holmes, and he does it well -- cool, cerebral, but with a gentle humor and warmth in scenes such as the little girl's rescue. Bruce doesn't fare as well, since the capable Watson is portrayed as a kindly bumbler, but he does a solid enough job with a poorly-portrayed character.

"The Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3" is a bit less solid than the other collections, but still very nicely done. Definitely worth watching.

Satisfied but Bewildered.......2004-12-17

After having spent years watching all 14 of the videos from Key, I recently purchased volume 3 of the Sherlock Holmes Collection. Everything they've said about the enhanced picture/sound quality is true, however, the DVD extras are missing. Am I the only one? The DVD extras promoted on the back of the case include: audio commentary with Stuart Davies, footage of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, production notes by Richard Valley and Photo Gallery/Original Movie Posters. I don't have any of the extras. It's still worth the buy and a five star gem.

Most favorite Holmes movies........2004-04-24

I couldn't wait to get this set of Holmes. My all-time favorite is Terror by Night. They are super quality and even better than the Key Vidio editions. This volume is NOT COLOR...it's B & W. Amazon...PLEASE CHANGE THIS ASAP!!!! It's deceiving!!! I would have bought it from you but it said that it was COLOR. I went and called Suncoast Pictures and they said it was B&W so I got it there. Fans...it IS B & W. What would a Rathbone, Holmes movie be without it being B & W.

Thanks Amazon,

Larry

Worth the wait !.......2004-02-05

IF the house were burning down, I'd grab these 3 DVD sets of Sherlock Holmes on my way out !! Thanks to those who made these restored versions possible, they are wonderful. All of these are far superior to any entertainment made today.

Fantastic quality - classic films!.......2004-02-02

The films on this collection are of truly stunning quality, in comparison to the diabolical Region 2 set by Orbit Media Ltd. Truly fantastic quality. If you are a Basil Rathbone fan, you *must* get this set. I cannot recommend it highly enough. A definate must-buy product. Elementary, my dear Reader.

Average customer rating:

Anitra Ford really only movie star performance
Jack Hill, precursor to 80's action directors?
Solid Grier Action Movie
A big DUD --- avoid this one like the plague!
The Big Classic!!

The Big Bird Cage
Starring: Pam Grier , Anitra Ford , Candice Roman , Teda Bracci , and Carol Speed
Director: Jack Hill
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005TPC9
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Amazon.com

Pam Grier and Sid Haig stole the show in Jack Hill's Filipino-women-in-prison hit The Big Doll House, and they pretty much power this superior action-packed semi-sequel as a South American Bonnie-and-Clyde team. The revolutionaries with mercenary hearts decide to liberate the inmates of a jungle women's prison at the urging of their lonely army of single men. All the conventions are there--scantily clad women, a deranged warden (so evil he kicks a puppy in his first scene!), catfights, the occasional kinky punishment, and of course all those showers. But Hill softens the usual sadistic formula with tongue-in-cheek humor (Haig infiltrates the all-gay prison-guard squad by shamelessly flirting with the captain) and a zippy pace. Though not quite as empowering as Caged Heat, The Big Bird Cage remains one of the most energized and entertaining women-in-prison films ever made. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Anitra Ford really only movie star performance.......2007-01-31

The only reason I bought this movie, because it had Anitra Ford in it. Pam Grier plays the role of Blossom, Anitra Ford plays the role of Terry and Sid Haig plays the role of Djanglo. Terry is invite to go to a small tavern in town where Blossom is singing. While their Blossom and here thugs try to rob the place. Terry is taken hostage by Djanglo and thrown in a getaway car. When the local police catch up with the car Djanglo jumps over the bridge leaving Terry to fend for herself. Despite her innocents, Terry is sentence to life on a Government work farm known as the Big Bird Cage. When Blossom tries to take at the local politicians. She is also sentence to the work farm. There Blossom, Terry and Djanglo who's undercover as a Warden Guard get together one more time. How does one escape from the work farm? If you do escape, do you make out alive? I first saw Anitra Ford on the Price is Right Game Show as a model with those gorgeous long legs. As far as I'm concern Anitra does an excellent showing for herself. If you like Anitra Ford then you like this picture.

Jack Hill, precursor to 80's action directors?.......2005-03-31

I'm not out and out familiar with the Women In Prison genre, nor am I all that familiar with the work of Jack Hill. I came to this flick by way of a growing interest in Transgressive/Exploitation cinema of the 60's and 70's.

That being said, The Big Bird Cage is a strange animal of a flick. The trailer for the film comes off as a mean, angry, sadistic prison exploitation movie, when in actuality it's more light-hearted than it lets on. The plot is fairly simple, a band of revolutionaries, lead by Pam Grier and Sid Haig, plan to raid a women's prison/work camp in the hopes of boosting the morale of their troops (by getting the men some ladies) as well as starting a revolution (e.g. the storming of the Bastille in the French Rev.)

What follows is fairly entertaining fare involving bumbling overweight homosexual guards, a angry, tall, blonde, Amazon-like woman greased in chicken fat, and one of the best performances from Sid Haig this side of House of a Thousand Corpses. Though firmly rooted in the exploitation genre, this film feels more like an 80's action film than standard 70's exploitation fare (Thriller: A Cruel Picture, 2000 Maniacs, Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS). I think it's because the film is more concerned with entertainment and crass humor than shock value and gore.

All in all the film feels like a long episode of the A-Team with a lot more nudity, mud wrestling, and female leads.

Solid Grier Action Movie.......2005-01-13

This movie is much better than I anticipated. Despite being a "women in prison" exploitation movie, this film has more to offer than just cheap voyeurism. The plot surrounds life inside a womens prison in the Philippines and culminates in a break out. Complexity is added by the role of Pam Grier and her revolutionary friends who are hoping to assist the break out for their own aims. Grier is good as ever and well supported here by an unusual cast that work well. The whole movie is somewhat tongue in cheek, but still works as an action movie. There are few dull moments as the movie has plenty of action maintaining a good tempo and you come away feeling satisfied. The quality of the DVD version I have seen is quite high and it looks fresh and good to look at. Whilst you cannot take it too seriously, this would be quite worthwhile owning.

A big DUD --- avoid this one like the plague!.......2004-07-23

Women-in-prison films are supposed to be erotic! That means they're supposed to have AT LEAST ONE of the three following things (and preferably MORE than one):

1) An evil lesbian warden who enjoys the bodies of her pretty prisoner-playthings, turning at least one of them into her beautiful nude sex slave.

2) Evil lesbian guards who occasionally strip the girls naked before whipping/spanking them, and later take them into their own quarters for their private pleasures, especially late at night.

3) Tough, lesbian inmates, who prey on the younger, most beautiful newcomers, often in the shower, but also in their beds at night.

Well, this particular video HAS NONE OF THESE THINGS! There are NO LESBIANS in this prison! There are only gay male guards and a boring old man as the warden. The women are certainly pretty enough and their outfits revealing enough, but as a women-in-prison flick THIS ONE SUCKS!!! IT'S NOT EROTIC!!! NOT RECOMMENDED!!!

The Big Classic!!.......2002-11-07

Wow....I just finished watching this movie and it is a real jem. Ladies in prison flicks are cool but this one takes the cake as far as campy goes. Here are some of the things you will experience if you watch this flick.
1. Tons of 70's babes with tight skimpy outfits on.
2. More babes with skimpy outfits on.
3. Homosexual prison gaurds
4. Homosexual prison warden
5. A Philipino Revolution
6. More 70's babes with tight outfits on.
7. A woman hanging by her ponytail as punishment for trying to escape
8. Mud wrestling
9. Crazed women inmates imprisoned in an cage with other crazy wild women (they act like animals....funny!)
10. Inmates who want to be "raped" by men, because they haven't "had any sex in a very long time".
11. More sex starved female inmates in tight outfits.....especially one very "hot blond babe" who begs for sex!!
I must admit this is by far the funniest and sickest movie I have seen in a long time. The plot centers around this band of revolutionaries who want to take over thier country by force. They come up with the crazy idea of breaking into an all "womens prison" and freeing the women who will help them with the revolution.(This is the first time I have ever seen anyone break "into" a prison.) Not much of what goes on makes any sence but it sure makes for one hell of a laugh riot. Roger Corman impressed me again. I have only seen one other Roger Corman movie "Bucket of Blood" and I have to admit that this film is stranger and funnier than "Bucket". As I was watching this film I kept asking myself "Is Roger Corman for real?... is he trying to be serious or trying to be funny?"....the script is a zany hoot and the film kept my attention all the way through. I recieved the VHS version and there was 2 spots where the audio did not sync up to the film, this error actually added to the wierdness of the flick. The entire movie had that "made for T.V" feel to it. There is some nudity and bad launguage but the contentnt is so bizzare and offbeat that it deserved a "R" rating. I highly recommned this film for the cinema nut who thinks he has seen it all. You will not be dissapointed!.....the highlight of the film is when halfway thru the movie you find out the prison guards and warden prefer men sexually over women...gay prison guards!!!!.....this twist in the scipt is just TOO FUNNY!!........buy it today....you will thank me!!

Average customer rating:

Yet another wonderful Legend Films movie:)
You can see the green!
Why the title change on the box?
Another colourised hit for Holmes!
Sherlock vs Moriarity Rathbone Style

Sherlock Holmes - The Woman in Green
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Nigel Bruce , Hillary Brooke , Henry Daniell , and Paul Cavanagh
Director: Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000EMYI1
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Description

The Woman In Green (1945) was the last film in the Basil Rathbone/Sherlock Holmes series to be written by Bertram Millhauser. Four women are murdered and curiously all four have been left without their right forefinger. Scotland Yard concludes that a madman is to blame but Sherlock Holmes suspects otherwise and soon deduces a criminal mastermind is at work. The illustrious sleuth has few clues to lead him towards another solved case but he soon discovers a web of blackmail and hypnotism unlike anything he has ever seen. Holmes fears that only one man, his archenemy, Professor Moriarty (Henry Daniell) could be involved in such an evil scheme.

Customer Reviews:

Yet another wonderful Legend Films movie:).......2007-03-05

This is a wonderful Sherlock Holmes movie with both black and white or colorized version available on dvd. I personally prefer the wonderful colorized version but both are excellent quality as are all of the movies put out by Legend Films. They are second to none!!!!!

You can see the green!.......2007-02-11

Some purists insists these old classics be kept black and white as filmed. I can understand that, and, in theory, agree, but I found the quality of this colorized version of The Woman in Green remarkable! If I wasn't already aware of the movie I would think it had been filmed in color! I think it adds to the viewing experience, making the characters more life-like and believeable. It helps bring the menance of the mutilated London murder victims, oddly missing a finger, seem even more subtle, yet immediately menacing and you can still enjoy the original version also on this disk if your prefer. Highly recommended.

Why the title change on the box?.......2007-01-10

I don't know why they had the title- "Prelude To Murder" on the box of the disc I obtained, seeing that the films actual title is THE WOMAN IN GREEN. But, I guess they have since remedied this. I know that some people actually detest Colorization of old black and white films. Now, that they offer the option (like on this disc), of watching this fine Sherlock Holmes movie, with "THE" representation of the great fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone, either in Black and White, or Colorized; it should satisfy everyone who enjoys these movies and this series.

Another colourised hit for Holmes!.......2006-03-11

I've seen bad jobs done with colourising-but not these Rathbone Holmes films.
The colour is exceptionally well done-faultless I'd say.
The original black and white version on included on the disc-so there's really nothing for anyone to complain about.
I rigged up my players so I could watch one colourised edition alongside the MPI restored versions, and there was nothing to say against the colourised versions.
Throw away your reservations, and buy these incredible discs-I'm quite sure all the cast and crew involved in the making of these films would have approved of the job that's been done on them. (as I've said elsewhere-it's not been set in stone-you can watch the b & w version included on the disc!)

Sherlock vs Moriarity Rathbone Style.......2006-01-26

The Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes films were moved from Victorian England to current England (1945). Also, like the James Bond films, the only thing similar to the books is the title. If you are looking for faithful adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books then get the Jeremy Brett Mystery series. If you are looking for some great acting and good period mysteries, the Rathbone - Bruce series is great.

London has a serial killer. He is killing women and mutilating them. The police are baffled so enter Sherlock Holmes. Quickly they realize that this is not a serial murderer but blackmail plot using murder to control their victims. Holmes quickly deduces what is happening and that his old archenemy, Moriarity, is behind it. The title character is the woman who seduces the men.

The transfer quality is fairly poor but not awful. These are the kind of films that are not usually subject to restoration and the deteriorated status is that of wear and age. I have seen a new collection but they are quite expensive. So if you just want to have a copy of the films just to enjoy these mysteries, these are fine.

Of course, for most Basil was Sherlock Holmes, this was probably the first films that he had a chance to a role that he could use his substantial talent. Before these, he was usually the bad guy or a minor supporting player. He was an accomplished swordsman and the joke was he constantly had to lose to actors that he could beat blindfolded. So Basil made these quickie films much more depth than they would otherwise have.

A King in New York / A Woman of Paris (2 Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

It took a British Jew to express that much compassion
CHAPLIN'S FIRST SERIOUS SILENT DRAMA AND FINAL COMIC POLITICAL JAB AT THE USA
One overrated and one underrated
Chaplin's Idiosyncrasies Captured in Two Wildly Diverse Semi-Classics
A Chaplin Comedy-Drama

A King in New York / A Woman of Paris (2 Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Dawn Addams , Robert Arden , Maxine Audley , Phil Brown , and Clifford Buckton
Director: Charles Chaplin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00017LVQE
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Amazon.com

A King in New York
A King in New York, Charlie Chaplin's penultimate film--featuring his final starring performance--was made in 1957 but wasn't officially released in America until the '70s, when it, surprisingly enough, won an Oscar for Chaplin's score. What took so long? Thanks to his politics and unorthodox personal life, Chaplin was pretty roundly hated by the late '50s, but had the movie been better, someone might've brought it stateside sooner. Chaplin plays King Shahdov of Estrovia, on the lam when revolution grips his homeland. In New York, despite the occasional indignity, he's treated as royalty until he takes a stand against the commie-hunters, a plotline that hit way too close to home at the time (Chaplin, remember, was ahead of everyone in attacking Hitler when he made The Great Dictator). There's one inspired bit, as Shahdov orders dinner over the din of a supper club, but overall, the satire is strident, and Chaplin's takes on such things as technology and pop music make him look decidedly like an old fogey. --David Kronke

A Woman of Paris
At the height of his popularity, Charlie Chaplin chose to make a straight dramatic feature--without himself in a starring role. The plot of A Woman of Paris is perhaps not new: after a tragic misunderstanding, a small-town girl (former Chaplin paramour and longtime co-star Edna Purviance) goes to Paris and becomes the mistress of a rich playboy (Adolphe Menjou). But if the outline is familiar melodrama, the film still looks remarkable for its measured, adult attitude toward its characters; they are not black or white, but complicated, sophisticated shades of gray. Menjou, in particular, is a charming and thoroughly delightful cad. The film's matter-of-fact spirit on the subject of how adults conduct their sexual lives is also impressive. Critics loved the picture, but audiences did not, and Chaplin soon returned to comedy. He can be glimpsed, disguised, in a one-scene walk-through as a clumsy train porter. --Robert Horton

Description

Cinema immortal Charles Chaplin brings his talents to both sides of the camera in this deluxe double feature. The comedy king gives American pop culture and politics the royal treatment in the satiric, penultimate Chaplin film A King in New York. Advertising, movies, TV, rock music, celebrity and more are in Chaplin's comic sights as he portrays a deposed European monarch who becomes a U.S. media sensation. The acclaimed Silent-Era classic A Woman of Paris is Chaplin's first drama (a genre he visited again in Limelight). Directing with keen-eyed finesse and appearing in only a bit role, Chaplin jabs at French high society while telling a tale of tragic love. The early Chaplin. The later Chaplin. A remarkable genius infuses both in this special collector's compilation.

Customer Reviews:

It took a British Jew to express that much compassion.......2007-06-14

Charles Chaplin is setting up his own troubles with the anti-American activities commission on the screen, and that is quite funny though particularly dramatic. That episode of US history is so strange but also tragic that it should be remembered forever for the mistake not to be ever renewed in the future, though with no guarantee that it will be so. Unluckily in this kind of business there seems to be always a repeat and another repeat and a third repeat, without any ending. Charles Chaplin turns his own mishap into a comedy, with some very traditional but always lively and kind of born again gags and tricks. But he does succeed to turn a dramatic situation into a laughable short episode, though it means a child of ten is turned into a fink who exposes other people to protect his own interest, with no guarantee of any truth in what he may say, since he is a child, and with the certainty that he will be spoiled forever by the episode. This film, no matter how well-felt it may have been, will remain a testimony of that McCarthy period, mocked in his very victims that become Macaby. But we will regret that such a great artist was obliged to come to making this film to bring an end, or at least help to bring an end, to this sorry episode. We would have liked him to have reached his acme in political films with the Dictator and never gone beyond, but unluckily life made him write and shoot another episode which is just as sorry, even if not as bloody, as the previous one.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

CHAPLIN'S FIRST SERIOUS SILENT DRAMA AND FINAL COMIC POLITICAL JAB AT THE USA.......2006-08-20

In the Woman of Paris, Chaplin wrote and directed a very early silent full length feature film seriously examining the loose life style he discovered in Hollywood, not so much in Paris. He dared not place it in the America of the time, and so relied on American prejudices about Paris to place his tale of love and deceit there. He cleverly presented themes in a way which might pass the censors of the time, including gently alluded nudity, etc. And he got excellent performances from his actors, including Mr. Menjou, who subtly at the end expresses that he too deeply regrets having lost the Woman of Paris. A profound and interesting morality play, which reveals Chaplin's intellectual and creative side beyond the vaudeville escapades which made him rich and famous before being exiled at the behest of the powerful studios which could not control him.

In fact The King in New York directly examines the irony of his being accused of communism in America while actually practicing an overly successful capitalism which threatened the politically powerful studio system. It is like cutting back Tom Cruise's price tag by accusing him of scientology, but then it cancelled Chaplin's career and forced him to flee to Europe, at which point the US government refused his re-entrance.

This excellent double disk DVD explores carefully these and other issues, and is highly recommended.For further study of the political persecution explored in the King in New York, take a look at the Front with Woody Allen and Zero Mostel, The Cradle will Rock about Orson Welles, and of course Goodnight and Good Luck with George Clooney.

The King In New York also features a unique performance by Chaplin's own son as a radicalized young man spouting left wing opinions as virulently and mindlessly as the powerful right wing forces, although of course, far less effectively. Certainly Chaplin makes a point here about political rhetoric, a point rendered poignant by the boy's later utter defeat and humiliated regret at his betraying his parent's friends.

But this is essentially a comedy, with some sense of the Marx Brother's Fredonia and much of Chaplin's mugging and surprising agility even in old age. The commentary and extras are mainly a valuable addition rather than a distraction or embarrassment as in many other cases.

Above all do not miss a dedicated viewing of a Woman of Paris. Chaplin, early and intelligent, attempted something similar to a play by Ibsen, examining closely relationships of a wide variety: Fathers and Sons, Mothers and Sons, unsanctioned love, ideal love, commercialized love, commited and caring relations, commited but uncaring relations, etc. Read this movie as you would a serious romance novel of the period, as you might read Flaubert, or Joyce's Dubliners. Chaplin was reaching for a mirror of life that we might reflect, and learn from for our own lives. Chaplin here was ready to outgrow the popular Little Tramp comedies and write his best work. He included an apologetic message to his audience, which nevertheless wanted only broad entertainment and not high-brow reflections upon life and its meaning.

Now perhaps we are ready for such fare. Liv Ullman provides interesting insight into how to view this film when she suggests we see it as a modern movie done with different technology. Modern movies should yet approach this degree of subtlety and sophistication, of insight and of philosophy. We might even say it is an early feminist film; it is certainly humanist.

One overrated and one underrated.......2006-03-04

This two-disc collection contains Chaplin's penultimate film, 'A King in New York,' which was also his final starring film, and a much earlier film he directed but only appears in for all of two seconds in a heavily disguised cameo role, 'A Woman of Paris.' I find the former to be very underrated, and the latter to be rather overrated.

For the life of me, I can't understand why so many film critics love 'A Woman of Paris' and praise it as a beautiful classic masterpiece. Seeing it more than once hasn't changed my opinion of it. It's certainly not a horrible film, but overall it just strikes me as an average melodrama, with characters I didn't really like or feel that connected to. Apart from the fact that it was directed by Chaplin, there isn't much explanation as to why this film is thought of so highly. I've heard the other explanation that many critics like it because it's about an affair yet isn't moralistic or preachy about it. The best thing about this movie is the dapper Adolphe Menjou. This was his breakthrough role; prior his biggest claim to fame was playing Dr. Raoul de St. Hubert in 'The Sheik.' Menjou steals the show in this otherwise ordinary melodrama, and his acting is as great as it was in all of his other films. Even though I'm repelled by his odious behavior during the McCarthyist witch hunts, there's no denying that, politics aside, this was a brilliant actor. This film was also, so Chaplin believed, supposed to have jump-started the solo career of his leading lady Edna Purviance, but it was not to be. However, my reasons for not caring much for this film are not the reasons why most people in 1923 stayed away in droves. Back then they didn't like it because they saw Chaplin's name on the marquee but were disappointed they didn't see him in the film, and it wasn't even a comedy, which people had come to expect from him.

'A King in New York' is a very funny film and a brilliant satire of America in the Fifties. It took a lot of guts to make such a film, when America was in the throes of McCarthyism. Because of the political climate of the time, it wasn't released in America for quite some time, but it was very well-received in Europe. However, I agree that this film isn't quite as perfect as it could have been, since it tries to take on too many targets at once instead of just focusing on one or two main things to attack and spoof. He takes on wide-screen movies, television, commercials, the McCarthyist witch hunts and violations of civil liberties, the atomic bomb, plastic surgery, and rock and roll. Chaplin may have been approaching seventy when he made this film, but he was still just as funny, inventive, original, and genius as ever. Even though a lot of fans don't like his sound films as much as his silent classics, I've found that I enjoy his sound films just as much as his silents. They were great and funny in different ways. There are also moments in this film harkening back to his silent days, such as the comedy routine onstage when he's trying not to laugh so his plastic surgery won't come undone, or when he's pantomiming his restaurant order to the waiter over the din of the band playing right behind his table. The storyline about young Rupert and his Communist parents, and how his affiliation with Rupert got King Shahdov pegged as a Communist as well, really brought the evils of McCarthyism home for me. I'd long known all about what went on and was outraged how the government got away with violating so many peoples' basic civil liberties and rights to freedom of expression and political affiliation for that long, but seeing it acted out onscreen as opposed to merely reading about it really made it seem even scarier and more enfuriating. It really served the HUAC right when King Shahdov accidentally sprayed them with the hose!

For someone just getting into Chaplin, these aren't two of the movies I'd recommending buying or seeing first, but for someone who's seen most of his masterpieces already and is ready for the lesser-known stuff, this would be a good place to start getting into that territory.

Chaplin's Idiosyncrasies Captured in Two Wildly Diverse Semi-Classics.......2006-01-25

Combining two of Charlie Chaplin's more inconspicuous features into one DVD package really attests to the fact that neither 1923's "A Woman of Paris" nor 1957's "A King in New York" rank with his classics, but each provides certain pleasures that only a master filmmaker of Chaplin's status could create. Neither touches upon his Little Tramp character, which actually makes his artistic achievements in each film easier to discern. For Chaplin aficionados, viewing is a must. For others, realize that these two films represent marginally lesser work from this genius when one thinks of masterpieces like "City Lights" and "The Gold Rush".

Released in the UK in 1957 but not in the US until 1972, "A King in New York" is Chaplin's seriocomic indictment of the 1950's McCarthy witch-hunts and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), topics that have come back into the limelight thanks to George Clooney's evocative take on the Murrow-McCarty feud in "Good Night and Good Luck." At that time, Chaplin himself was expelled from the US forbidden to re-enter the country for nearly two decades. The plot focuses on King Shahdov of the fictitious country of Estrovia, an exile who arrives in New York after escaping a revolution occurring in his homeland. In a manner that recalls a bit of Elia Kazan's "A Face in the Crowd" (also released in 1957), a shrewd TV "specialist" makes the King a popular TV celebrity thanks in part to a hidden camera at a dinner party. This portion of the film is pretty amusing, especially when the King does commercials to help gain support for his high-minded plans to harness atomic power.

Unfortunately, the film starts to take a nosedive into polemics soon afterward, as the King strikes up a friendship with a precocious, politically aware ten-year old named Rupert, the son of labeled Communists who refuse to cooperate with the HUAC. There is still some Chaplinesque slapstick in this part of the film, but the contrived sincerity of the dialogue, along with some jokes that fall completely flat, weighs the film down considerably just when you hope it will take off into a more pointed satire. In his last starring role, a nearly 70-year old Chaplin plays the King jauntily, while Dawn Addams has a few sharp moments as the specialist, and Chaplin's son Michael plays Rupert with surprising aplomb. It's not the anti-American diatribe one would expect but rather a whimsical, sometime provocative film that progresses into heavy-handedness.

"A Woman of Paris" is far more of an anomaly in Chaplin's filmography. First, he doesn't star in this early silent film, although he does have an unrecognizable cameo as a porter. Second, it's a melodrama, not a comedy, except for a few passively amusing scenes with a masseuse. Considering that the film is over eighty years old, it looks surprisingly good with a consistently sharp focus and nice black-and-white contrasts thanks to Roland Totheroh's masterly cinematography. There are some tableaux-style shots of a Paris nightclub toward the end that are quite impressive. Chaplin re-scored the film music just before his death in the 1970's, and it provides a nice aural complement to the visuals of the often heavy-handed drama.

The story is centered on a small-town French girl, Marie St. Clair, who plans to elope to Paris with Jean, a struggling artist. Through a misunderstanding, Marie goes to Paris alone, where over the course of a year, she becomes the mistress of Pierre, a wealthy, insouciant playboy Pierre. Through a party location mix-up, Marie accidentally meets Jean in Paris, where they rekindle their love. However, Jean's clinging mother disapproves, and there are melodramatic twists which finally end when Marie finds her true calling. There is not as much exaggeration in facial expressions or physical gestures as one would expect from a silent film, and Chaplin wisely inserts title cards only when they are necessary, not every time a character speaks. At the same time, the plot twists on rather contrived dramatic turns that make the story seem more dated than it is. The long-forgotten Edna Purviance, a longtime Chaplin protégé and leading lady, can hardly convey the frailty of Marie with her Rubenesque stature, but she does manage the mercurial character changes with a certain finesse. Looking strikingly youthful, Adolphe Menjou, who was to become a dependable character actor for the next forty years, is terrifically dapper and surprisingly sympathetic as Pierre.

There are a number of extras with the DVD package that will interest mainly Chaplin aficionados. Some deleted scenes are included for both films but nothing that noteworthy. In half-hour segments, director Jim Jarmusch talks about his admiration of "A King in New York", while actress Liv Ullmann does the same for "A Woman in Paris". In various film clips, Chaplin is seen conducting his orchestra for "A King in New York" and appearing in a very old short based on Alexandre Dumas's "The Lady of the Camellias". There is also some home-movie footage of Paris in the 1920's.

A Chaplin Comedy-Drama.......2004-06-25

I have the honor of owning this film. Chaplin as King Shavow may be serious, but like in all his films, their is a little humor in him. His son Michael's preformace as Rupurt is unforgetable. his speech to the Atomic Commission is closely silmiar to Chaplin's specch in Monsuier Verdoux in 1947. To think it wasn't released until 1975. two years before his death

Average customer rating:

The Worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Classic Russo solo effort has its ups and downs
A Bad Movie
"Midnight" had potential, but is poorly executed resulting in a garbage product.
Poor in almost all respects

Midnight
Starring: Melanie Verlin , Lawrence Tierney , John Hall (III) , Charles Jackson (III) , and Doris Hackney
Director: John A. Russo
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A6T208
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Description

Teenage girl runs away from home because police officer/stepfather puts the moves on her. Hitchhiking to California, she gets picked up by two guys who are also traveling cross-country. Along the way, they decide to camp out in the woods and run across a family of Satanists who keep their dead mother in the attic

Customer Reviews:

The Worst!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-03-29

John Russo wrote co-wrote a little chiller called "Night Of The Living Dead" and then turned to writing books. Among them a novelization of that movie and then he wrote several good "pulp" horror novels that were gory and always ended very bleakly. I read them all(and past them on to friends in school,yes in the 80's we did read books that weren't on a list of "have to" by the school system) and I thought that "Midnight" was one of the better ones he wrote. It was dark , scary, and had one scene in it that chilled me to the 13 year old bones when I read it. So watch this movie was a slam dunk,I mean the Author wrote and Directed it, what could go wrong? EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The plot was hacked to pieces(yes I know , the pun was meant), and in it's place was put a basic slasher movie. What's that smell it's this movie on the bottom of my shoe! Just awful!!!!!!!!!!!
If you can find it at a used book store somewhere,get the book and see what this could have been. Really , READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Classic Russo solo effort has its ups and downs.......2006-10-15

This is one of those movies that gets reviews from various ends of the spectrum from love to hate. Most movie/video guides rate it pretty low. Fangoria magazine would probably give it a rave review if were gorier. For myself, I fall in between. 'Midnight' was made for a paltry budget of $35,000 by 'Night of the Living Dead' co-writer/producer John Russo and is probably his best solo effort. I found the movie to be enjoyable but not great. The plot involves a high school girl, Nancy, who runs away from home after an encounter with her drunken stepfather (played by Lawrence Tierney) who wants to be more than friends. Nancy plans (rather abruptly) to hitchhike to California to stay with her sister in college (this story takes place in Pennsylvania). She is given a lift by a pair of college buddies heading to Florida. Disagreement does arise among the buddies as one of them likes her while the other does not care to be transporting jailbait; neither is aware that she is a runaway. None of them will expect the chain of events one of their actions sets off. This is just a setup for the movie. Rather than spoil it for you, I will just tell you that it involves a backwoods family, satanists, kidnappings, some bad acting, and a few shocking scenes. I saw it when it came out at the theatre and own a copy on VHS. When it came out a movie critic picked this as his stinker of the week. One criticism of his was without merit involving a bar scene in the movie. In the scene several of the occupants of the bar are openly racist toward one of the college buddies who is black; as a matter of fact most of the residents of this small community are backward racists. He felt that the racism was overblown for the time because we as a people had grown past that type of behavior (this movie was released in the early 80's when a lot of people liked to believe racism was a thing of the past). I did agree with his other criticism; there is quite a bit of duplication in this movie. If you have seen a lot of horror movies (let's be blunt; 'Psycho', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre') then you have seen some of this before. If you fall into this category, then you will not find too much originality here. And even though I fall into this category, I still find it entertaining; just not great. 'Midnight' has been unavailable for some time as it was previously only released on VHS, and to video stores only. The old VHS copy would command quite a price, and was frankly not worth it. Now that it is available on DVD, it is much more affordable.--Bob

A Bad Movie.......2006-06-25

What I originally sought out to get when I rented this was the 1981 slasher "Midnight Evil", which is what I thought this was. When I read the synopsis on the back of the box, however, I saw that this was an entirely different movie. But it sounded so exciting, I decided to get it anyway. I was expecting a raw, brutal Hills Have Eyes/Texas Chainsaw Massacre type thing. In alot of ways, it is, buts its totally devoid of scares. There is a family of giggly crazy, satanic kooks who terroize and murder innocent people in the muddy backwoods of Pennsylvania to please thier dead mother. The main victims are a group of "teens"--2 guys and a girl--traveling around in a blue van who shoplift groceries on thier way to Florida. The girl Nancy, who we are soppoused to believe is 17 years but looks like a 35 year old housewife, is running away from her stepfather who tried to rape her. It's a confused, dim, very poorly made piece of trash free of any scares with unimpressive though bloody kills. It literally looks as if a young college film student assembled a bunch of friends and family members together and pieced together a project in his spare time using a cheap camera with alot of cherry Kool-Aid on hand (though the special effects are soppousedly Tom Savaini's doing. He should be ashamed). The climatic satanic ritual scene looks like it was taken right out of an Ed Wood film. All this is soppoused to be taking place around Easter, but this was obviously shot in the middle of fall. I could go on and on about this films ineptness, but all I really have to tell you is that it's a waste of time.

"Midnight" had potential, but is poorly executed resulting in a garbage product........2006-06-25

"Midnight" is a movie about a girl who runs away from home to escape her stepfather who tried to have his way with her one night. She catches a ride with a couple of losers and some of the worst music ever created ensues as the trio goes from place to place stealing groceries on their way to Fort Lauderdale. Well, they never get there because along the way, they camp out in the wrong place. At this point, it appears that this movie is going to try and rip-off "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and in a sense, it does. We have the weird clan out in the middle of nowhere, a mother's corpse and a bunch of redneck-killers. However, there is a slight twist to this plot...these people are not just killers, but they are satanists as well. Sounds like a decent movie, huh? Unfortunately, it is not because the acting is absolutely horrendous. The direction and production values are of the poorest quality I've ever seen.

Basically, "Midnight" just comes across as artificial as the acting is wooden and completely without spirit or charisma, and the result is a very lackluster and uncompelling viewing experience. The sad thing about this movie is that the special effects by Tom Savini are very good and the plot is good too, but the script is poorly executed. You have to have competent actors to make a decent movie...I am not talking about Lawrence Olivier talent here, but you just can't throw in some talentless people expect to make a good movie...I don't care how good the plot is. This movie would be a good candidate for a remake because you cannot execute this script any worse than it was done in this movie.

If you decide to watch "Midnight", please be advised that the first thirty minutes of this movie is absolute garbage...the music is enough to make you want to take the DVD out and break it into a thousand pieces. Eventually, however, you see some good kills in this movie as a result of the brilliance of Tom Savini. Still, that's not enough to carry this movie to respectability because of the atrocious acting, direction and production values that are so clearly evident as the viewer watches this movie. The really sad thing about "Midnight" is that the movie could have been pulled off with the right cast, direction and a little more time, money and effort put into it.

Poor in almost all respects.......2006-06-23

The only halfway decent thing about this film is the makeup FX by Tom Savini, and even those aren't terrific. Terrible acting, poor script, weak story, the list of problems goes on. A film entirely populated by ugliness, even the female lead in this one is so unattractive it makes one ask why the step-dad would even bother in the first place?! Populates many lists of "worst ever made".

Average customer rating:

great suspense
It was ok
Not What I'd Expected
THE 4TH FLOOR
WHAT A GREAT MOVIE .THIS WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT.

The 4th Floor
Starring: Juliette Lewis , William Hurt , Shelley Duvall , Austin Pendleton , and Tobin Bell
Director: Josh Klausner
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00029NLJQ
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Description

Jane Emelin (Juliette Lewis) has never lived alone and decides to move into an apartment by herself instead of with her boyfriend, Greg Harrison (Academy Award winner, William Hurt). At first glance, the neighborhood is enchanting and the neighbors friendly, but things quickly turn bizarre. Something evil lurks in the floorboards and the walls and no one believes her fears. Terrifying sounds, massive infestations of mice and roaches turn her happy home into a horrifying hell-hole. Now it is up to Jane to discover the terrible secret before it's the death of her…

Customer Reviews:

great suspense.......2007-01-03

You will never believe it, but the 4th Floor was the first DVD I've ever owned. In fact, I finally got a DVD player this Christmas (a week ago, in 2006). Yes, when it comes to "getting with the times" you can say I'm pretty slow, but this movie will now go down in history as the first DVD I've ever had, and that alone makes the overall rating jump from a 4 to a 5.

This is the kind of movie that's scary in the Scooby Doo style. No, I don't mean the Scooby Doo movies with Sarah Michelle Gellar (who's totally hot, by the way) I mean the old cartoon series. Remember when you had to guess who the bad guy was? It's like that.

The 4th Floor is about a woman who moves into an apartment building, and to her surprise, the entire building features strange people. In fact, not a single person in that building is normal. Out of all these unusual people, only one of them is responsible for messing with the woman who just moved in. The room below from the woman is how the movie got its name, because that's where the crazy person lives.

Supposedly, this crazy person never comes out of their room. So when the woman in the floor above has to deal with the many irritating problems from the person below (such as constantly beating on the ceiling) this is when the woman decides she wants to know who lives in the room below, and confront them. This is where the suspense comes in.

It's almost like a horror plot, but not quite. It's more along the lines of suspense and mystery.

It's an enjoyable movie, worth watching more than once.

It was ok.......2006-08-15

Okay except for Juliette Lewis' tendencey to whine. It was also pretty predictable. I figured right from the start that her boyfriend (Hurt) was in on it. He was one screwed up dude, pulling the wool over everybody's eyes.

Not What I'd Expected.......2006-05-28

After reading the 3 reviews, I'd expected The 4th Floor to be fairly good, but it was disappointing. Too many "suspects"....nearly everyone In the movie. I thought it was mostly irritating and only kept watching, expecting it to get better. It didn't.

THE 4TH FLOOR.......2006-03-04

not bad, don't let the three stars fool you, i like this movie its creepy and suspenseful, reminds me of hitchcock's rear window

WHAT A GREAT MOVIE .THIS WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT........2005-10-26

THIS IS A GREAT THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE THAT WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AS A SINGLE WOMAN FIGHTS FOR DEAR LIFE .HIGHLY RECOMMENDED .FULL SCREEN VERSION PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY IS VERY GOOD.

Sherlock Holmes: Murder at the Baskervilles/Woman In Green

Average customer rating:

Sherlock Holmes: Murder at the Baskervilles/Woman In Green
Starring: Murder at the Baskerv
Manufacturer: Mill Creek Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007P0Y1I
Release Date: 2005-03-22

PopFlix - Mystery (The Woman in Green / Terror by Night / Dressed to Kill)

Average customer rating:

PopFlix - Mystery (The Woman in Green / Terror by Night / Dressed to Kill)
Starring: Rathbone , and Bruce
Manufacturer: Pop Flix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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The Adventures of Indiana Jones - The Complete DVD Movie Collection (Widescreen Edition)
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ASIN: B000F8O3JQ
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Description

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S MASTER SLEUTH IN THREE THRILLING MYSTERIES! Total Running Time: 3 hrs 20 min

The Woman in Green (1945) 68 min. B&W Starring: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Hillary Brooke A series of beautiful women are found dead, each with her right forefinger chopped off! Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson aren't pointing fingers yet, but a trail of evidence leads Holmes to his recurrent nemesis, Professor Moriarty, and the occult world of hypnosis.

Terror By Night (1946) 60min. B&W Starring: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce; Director: Roy William Neill Terror haunts a train ride from London to Edinburgh! Detective Holmes and Dr. Watson are on board, guarding the delivery of a precious diamond known as the "Star of Rhodesia." When someone is murdered and the diamond is stolen, no passenger is considered innocent under Holmes' critical eye.

Dressed to Kill (1946) 72 min. B&W Starring: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce; Director: Roy William Neill A number of harmless-looking music boxes are purchased at a London auction - but little do the owners know that the boxes hold the secret codes to a hidden booty! As each owner gets murdered, detective Holmes begins to piece together the motivation behind the heinous crimes.

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