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Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)

Average customer rating:

Not deep, but fun zombie classic
Classic video nasty gets a well deserved touch-up
Excelente
Awesome Film
Zombi 2's Easter Egg Revealed!

Zombi 2 (25th Anniversary Special Edition 2-Disc Set)
Starring: Ugo Bologna , Al Cliver , Stefania D'Amario , Dakkar , and Alberto Dell'Acqua
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009WVNT
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Amazon.com

In Lucio Fulci's genre classic Zombi 2, the dead rise once again to terrorize and consume the flesh of the living, this time Caribbean style! Those new to Fulci should note Island of the Flesh-Eaters, Zombi 2, and the more commonly known Zombie all refer to the same film. Though there is no Zombi 1, Fulci's film was titled Zombi 2 to capitalize on the commercial success of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Though marketed as a sequel in Italy, the only similarities to Romero's classic are the title and the fact that the dead rise to eat the flesh of the living. Instead of being a metaphor for consumerism, Zombi 2 is a straight-out adventure story that ends in a horrific, apocalyptic nightmare. The plot is fairly straightforward, and more or less exists simply as a structure to hang scenes of extreme gore and terror on. Dr. Bowles's boat floats into New York Harbor missing its crew and carrying an undead passenger. The doctor's daughter (Tisa Farrow), dead set on finding out what happened to her father, teams up with journalist Peter West (Ian McCulloch) and heads to the cursed island of Matool, where a zombie epidemic is growing and Dr. Bowles's friend, Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson), is desperately trying to find a cure. Will Anne find her father? Will Dr. Menard find a cure? Will our heroes escape? In all honesty, who really cares? Because those in the "know" already know you don't come to a Fulci film looking for Shakespeare. What Zombi 2 lacks in plot development and continuity, it more than makes up for in atmosphere, intensity, and of course the trademark Fulci gore. Some of the unique high points are the never-duplicated zombie-versus-shark vignette, the rising of the Spanish zombie conquistadores, and Fulci's trademark eye shot. Fans of Italian/apocalyptic/cannibal/zombie films should not miss Zombi 2. Along with The Beyond, it defines the genre. --Rob Bracco

Description

We Are Going To Eat You! The Fulci Classic Returns, And Once Again The Dead Are Among Us!

Customer Reviews:

Not deep, but fun zombie classic.......2007-06-12

This is one of my favorite zombie movies. It's just fun. Whereas Dawn of the Dead [which this is supposed to be the Italian sequel to] has real characters and motivations and you feel like you're watching something put together with a greater plan in mind, here you feel like you're watching something with just the efficient delivery of thrills in mind.

The movie opens with a scene that successfully creeped me out: an abandoned boat drifts into New York Harbor. There's a zombie aboard who bites of a police officer. The boat belonged to Tisa Farrow's [Mia's sister], father. So Tisa has to go down to the Carribean to look for him, and she brings along this reporter she's hooked up with, and they hire a boat from this bearded blond sensitive 70s hunk and his girlfriend.

There's lots of mumbo-jumbo about the island being cursed and a strange illness going around the island, but finally they get near [the movie DOES take its time getting going] the island and the showstopping set pieces start. The first is a battle between shark and zombie--less exciting in reality than it sounds, though still cool, and gaining redemptive points just for the IDEA.

I also got a creepy frisson out of the moment when the freaked-out snorkeler [Auetta Gay] comes up from the deep and says "There was a MAN down there!" The idea of underwater zombies is ripped off in the execrable House of the Dead.

There's another notorious scene a few minutes later, after they're reached the island, and the good doctor Menard asks them to go in and check on his wife. Unfortunately the wife is already zombie chow, but first they speared her eye on a wooden shard. Obviously this is gory, and has lots of fans, but it kind of bugs me... why would a zombie want to do that? It kind of took me out of the movie. But they make up for it a few minutes later when the body is found, and the zombies are just quietly feasting on her organs as though at a relaxing picnic [with attendant slurpy sounds].

This movie also features the famous convention of standing there utterly stupefied for five minutes while a zombie slowly, slowly, slowly shuffles over to you and takes a bite out of your neck.

It all builds to an exciting climax in a burning hospital, and featured some effectively creepy shots leading up to then. It ends on a note that has become somewhat of a cliché [and probably was one then], but you expect it by that time. All around, a great, gory, lighthearted and fun zombie movie.

Classic video nasty gets a well deserved touch-up.......2007-05-18

Fulci is synonymous throughout his film making and within the horror community for his stark (and very sadistic) vision of intensely gory and horrific imagery and Zombi 2 (known as Zombie Flesh Eaters over here) is no acceptation.

I remember the first time I saw this film on Channel 4 (a gore weekend if I remember) and how much it differed from Romero's trilogy. For starters, the zombie effects (in my opinion) are much creepier and therefore better. The music, although slightly grating, gives the film a real "atmosfear" and intensifies the ominous presence of the walking dead which gave me the occasional chill down my spine to see those things slowly rising from the grave (the Conquistadores scene) and walking about so.

I bought this film under the possible hope for a better picture and sound and it has not disappointed. This DVD DOES has improved picture and sound quality (although it's a shame it cannot improve dubbing acting, but it's still low-budget) with all the gore scenes intact and in brighter detail, I found this to be much better than the release we have over here. Which kind-of leaves me wondering why it is only available to America and not for the rest of us Europeans, it is after all a European film.

This film is a horror cult-classic and it is good to see that such care has been put into restoring it. The extras are OK, but nothing worth shouting about, but I did like the free poster you get with it. Well worth the buy and a good addition to a zombie collection.

Excelente.......2007-05-02

Si te gusta el gore, esta película es para ti. A pocos minutos del comienzo ya posee una escena bien hecha. Todo se desarrolla en Nueva York y en una isla llamada Matul, donde se esconden los secretos de los zombies y de la desaparición del padre de la protagonista. Esta película no es continuación ni antelación de Dawn of the Dead, simplemente es otro film con una explicación de cómo los zombies podrían llegar a USA. Hay un ambiente de suspenso constante, que en varios momentos se convierte en horror con buenos efectos de maquillaje. La banda sonora es buena. Una obra indispensable de Lucio Fulci.

Awesome Film.......2007-04-05

This film was a real winner. Again, had that "Grind house" feel type movie and sure enough, you can see why this movie tried to cash in on the "Dawn of the Dead"(old version) buzz of the 70s...very cool zombie flick and the best i've seen in some time. Highly Recommended!

Zombi 2's Easter Egg Revealed!.......2007-03-20

Okay, let's be brief: If you didn't grow up in the horror lovin' 80's or are not an established fan of Italian horror films, this movie probably won't work for you. This is the unofficial sequel to Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead" (the 1978 version of course) made primary for Italian audiences when Dawn was released there under the title of "Zombi". Even though this one doesn't take place in a mall or feature anything or anyone like the original storyline of Dawn, it does have almost the same feel. Eventually in America, this film came to us with English dubbed audio under the title of "Zombie". But now Shriek Show has finally released a remastered 2 disc set of this classic movie fully uncut for the first time in the states.

Or so I thought.

Ya see, when the movie starts, there's a brief scene set-up (as it always was), then it goes into the opening credits. I was expecting to see the original Italian credits showing it finally under it's original title "Zombi 2", like the box. But it isn't, it's the American version with the title "Zombie". Nitpicking, huh? But after a little searching I found an Easter Egg that shows that original title sequence that finally shows that this film was called "Zombi 2". Here's how to get to it (it's easy....):

On Disc One go to the "Features" section. In there, press the number "6" on your remote. It will activate a red skull button in the upper right on the screen (you CAN'T activate it by searching around the menu with your arrow buttons, very rare by Easter Egg standards!), and it will press the button automatically and take you to the original Italian opening credits and clearly show that this film was called "Zombi 2", logo and all. Also, after they're done, it will show an alternate end credits, but honestly I couldn't see any difference on them as opposed to the ones on the movie now.

All in all, this movie has never looked or sounded better ever. Some say it's looks too cleaned up now. They might have a point because the picture is so perfect now (colors bright, sharp image, brightness exact, sound crisp, etc) that it gives away the effects in the movie. Well, I'd rather have this movie perfect picture than a dark, grainy VHS anyday.

This movie is a classic piece of horror history and should be owned (especially the Shriek Show 25th Anniversary version...the extras here are superior....the making of documentary is as long as the movie itself!) by anyone with two or more "Living Dead/Zombie" DVD's already in their collection. I'm glad I got it, THIS is the way classic horror should be re-released.

P.S.: If you look hard enough (the DVD's trailer section has their previews), there is a "Zombi 3" and a "Zombie 4" movies out there too. Trust me, you don't need them or want them, as they don't have the same feel or quality of "Zombi 2" or "Dawn Of The Dead". Just be happy with their trailers. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Blast from the past!
This is a classic....
A Great Adventure Film
Grizzly
The best part of the film is that Neal Adams did the cover.

Grizzly
Starring: Christopher George , Andrew Prine , Richard Jaeckel , Joan McCall , and Joe Dorsey
Director: David Sheldon , and William Girdler
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
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ASIN: B000CSTKDI
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Description

An eighteen foot, two thousand pound Grizzly bear terrorizes campers and hikers at a state park. This frustrates the head Park Ranger (Christopher George) and decides to hunt it down. His efforts however were thwarted by the Park Supervisor (Joe Dorsey) and many drunk hunters into the areas. After the bear kills another campers, two rangers, a hunter and a little boy and his mother, The ranger employs his friend, a Naturalist (Richard Jaeckel) to find the bear and tranquilize it. But he gets killed. Finally with the help of a Helicopter Pilot (Andrew Prine)the ranger goes in pursuit to finally kill it with any means necessary with rifles and a rocket launcher. It is to the end when they realize the bear is much stronger than they imagined.

Customer Reviews:

Blast from the past!.......2007-04-28

This film is a very good film. I remember seeing this film at a Drive-In (yes!..there are still a few around today) back when i was a kid. Most folks might see this film as a "Jaws" rip off, but, what isn't today..lol..however, i think that this film is truly one of a kind (until this becomes a remake..oh brother!). However, I highly recommend this film to anybody that is into the B-Movie horror gender. Highly Recommended!!

This is a classic...........2007-04-22

This movie while being blasted as a Jaws-on-land ripoff was very successful when it was released in 1976 (made over $39 million on a budget of under $1 million). This is fun from start to finish. Lots of bear POV shots and plenty of gruesome deaths (some are a bit cheesy but that still works in this movie's favor). I have become a big nature attacks movie fan and this movie is a must own for fans of this genre. The recent release by Media Blasters/Shriek Show is top notch.

A Great Adventure Film.......2007-02-16

I saw this movie when I was 15 years old in the only theater Bedford County ever had. Christopher George plays the role of Ranger Michael Kelly and Richard Jaeckel plays the role of Naturalist Arthur Scott. Kelly is ready for another big season at the local Natural Park. As the camp fills up all of a sudden people start showing up dead. First Kelly thinks that the people are dieing of natural causes. However, when Kelly and his fellow Rangers start investigating more they find out that the people are dieing because of a ****** ****. Enters Naturalist Arthur Scott who makes a living studying *****. What Scott fines is that this isn't just any ordinary ****, it's a ******* ****. What makes matters worst is that the Park Supervisor has open hunting season and that fills the park with regular hunters and hunters that are drunk. I would give this movie 8 Weasel Stars but when you throw in the beauty of the state park that makes gives this movie 10 stars. I also bought this movie from Amazon and I had no trouble with the video or the audio.

Grizzly.......2007-01-10

This movie scared me to death when it first came out but since I love horror movies I had to have this one for my own.

The best part of the film is that Neal Adams did the cover........2006-07-07

You know how there are movies you remember from your youth as being absolutely awesome, but upon revisiting them as an adult, you wonder what sort of mind-altering, sugar-bomb, breakfast cereal you must have been on at the time?

I don't think I've had such a disparity in my opinions as I had with "Grizzly". "Grizzly" at one time was my second favorite film, after "Jaws" (which still remains right up there).
I haven't seen this film since I was a kid...and honestly I'm not sure if I saw it in a theater (shame on my parents... : ) or edited on bad weekend afternoon TV.

Regardless, I recall the thrills of the rampaging bear. I remember the three protagonists being similar to my Jaws family. I remember the horse.

So I gleefully plopped down in front of my TV, and spun up my new copy of my old fave, "Grizzly."

WOW is this a bad movie! Howlingly bad. Excruciating. Painful. Often unintentionally funny, and not in a good way.

In terms of "acting", Christopher George does his best to maintain some sort of rugged believability. Andrew Prine has a modicum of laconic naturalness. Richard Jaeckel, as the slightly-off naturalist, has, I think, one decent line.

Everything else, and I mean everything else, is flat-out awful. There is better acting to be found in any elementary school Christmas pageant seen across the country each winter.
The gore is not enough to satisfy the Fangoria set, yet the day-glo blood and brief shots of mangled limbs (and one mangled child) will surely turn off those with less-hardened sensibilities.
Even the score must have sounded dated the weekend after this film was originally released.

The only real pleasure in seeing this film now is mentally checking off the hysterical number of similarities to "Jaws". THAT'S kinda funny, and could be somehow converted into a pleasant drinking game amongst fans...

SPOILER ALERT...I'm giving away a little of the ending...

...especially when throughout the movie, this freakin' bear gets shot a few dozen times, without a scratch. There's a casual comment about a helicopter pilot being in Vietnam, and a brief scene of two people loading up the copter with guns and stuff.

So after this bear wreaks his havoc throughout the forest, the bear gets shot with a bazooka-like device, and explodes like nothing you have ever seen.
Seriously...the editing is comical, but it's basically...shoot! Then...HIROSHIMA! Then somebody somberly walking by a perfectly circular spot of fire about ten feet in diameter.
It's just goofy.

The most exciting part for me was recognizing the work of one of my old favorite comic book artists, Neal Adams. He did the cover artwork!

The DVD is actually a terrific set. Nice extras. The film itself will probably never look this good ever again. The period featurette still has the VHS dropouts, rolling bars and glitches there for all to see.

Fans will wax deliriously over this release, and justifiably so. But I warn you, if you haven't seen this movie in twenty years, you might want to preserve those memories just the way they are, and spare yourself the disappointment...

Average customer rating:

refreshing new Elvis musical
Ignore the title
PLEASE DON'T BUY THIS THING!
Better than average Elvis vehicle
A Presley Film Worthy of Rediscovery

The Trouble with Girls
Starring: Elvis Presley , Marlyn Mason , Nicole Jaffe , Sheree North , and Edward Andrews
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B00027JYBM
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Customer Reviews:

refreshing new Elvis musical.......2006-05-14

A fun musical comedy, THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS isn't the usual Elvis Presley film but it's completely charming with it's faithful period recreation and fine supporting cast.

Presley plays Walter Hale, manager of the traveling "Chautauqua" tent-show, circa. 1927, who gets mixed up in the lives of the residents of the latest town to host the show. Hale finds himself falling in love with Charlene (Marlyn Mason), organiser of the children's activities; whilst trying to help local single mother Nita Bix (Sheree North) when she murders her nasty married boyfriend (Dabney Coleman). Presley's numbers include "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" and "Clean Up Your Own Backyard".

It's certainly a lot better than some of the other Elvis films from the same period; and seeing Elvis in a more traditional musical is a great treat. Marlyn Mason, probably one of Presley's most formidable leading-ladies, is stunning (and her rendition of "Sign of the Zodiac" is a knockout). Nicole Jaffe (as the amorous hotel clerk), Vincent Price (eccentric speaker "Mr Morality"), John Carradine (as a colourful Shakespearian actor), Joyce van Patten (disgruntled former channel swimmer Maude) and Edward Andrews (as Hale's beleaguered assistant) are also fine. Fans of classic TV shows should keep an eye out for Anissa Jones ("Family Affair") and Susan Olsen ("The Brady Bunch").

Ignore the title.......2006-01-04

To start with, the film's title gives no indication whatsoever of the film's content, and can be seen as a cynical ploy to attract a greater box office audience. This may have been achieved (although whether The Trouble With Girls made money is debatable, as the sheer size of the cast, and the period costumes, vehicles and settings would have made this anything but a low-budget outing), but it was at the expense of the film's reputation. It is unfairly criticised among hardcore Elvis fans as a stinker among his movies, when in reality it is certainly one of the five best that he appears in. The King is cool, assured, and in control. And he looks better than ever.

It's easy to imagine many Elvis fans, expecting another Girl Happy type piece of fluff, might have been disillusioned having seen this picture. It is like no other Elvis film. The scenes involving Elvis in the first half of the film are quite sparse, yet virtually throughout the film is extremely "busy". It is one of the very few Elvis films that does not have a title song, and has only very few songs at all, but those that do appear are of excellent quality. There is no romantic interest for Elvis at all, even though there does appear to be some chemistry between the King and the cute and feisty Marlyn Mason (who comes close to stealing the show), to the point where they even have a snog at one stage, this aspect is not developed in the story. Just when you think Elvis has tamed the tigress, she's back screaming at him again.

In the first half of the film (on initial viewing) so many characters are introduced and so much is happening it is quite difficult to follow the main plot of the story.

The film veers into slapstick on several occasions, and some scenes are quite bizarre, such as the scene leading to the discovery of the body where a female long distance swimmer enters into a lengthy discourse on the advantages of axle grease over goose fat as a body coating.

There is so much happening in this film, it must be watched carefully, and I suspect would reward repeated viewings. Amusing elements abound. The awkward and frumpy young lady who literally falls over herself to be noticed by Elvis's character in order to get into the show (and succeeds in doing so) is a hoot. As too is Johnny, Elvis's co-manager, who seems to cause more trouble for the King than anyone else.

The period settings and constumes are immaculately executed.

This is one Elvis film you can get your teeth into.

PLEASE DON'T BUY THIS THING!.......2005-02-14

This is certainly the WORST movie that Elvis had anything to do with, unless you count the final televised which can be just as disturbing and difficult to watch at this "ATOMIC" bomb. I enjoyed SEEING the sweet little Anissa Jones, John Carradine, Dabney Coleman, and Vincent Price, but beyond that this movie is absolutely unbearable. Please avoid even VIEWING it. Bottom of the trash can, literally.

Better than average Elvis vehicle.......2005-01-10

I found this to be quite entertaining. What raises this above the usual dreadful Elvis movies is: the cast is better than average (Marlyn Mason, Dabney coleman, Sheree North, Vincent Price, etc.), the songs fit the context of the movie and there is quality not quantity (of songs). Elvis got mired in light musical comedy - more often than not it didn't work. If he had only made a few movies of this quality (and less like Paradise Hawaiian Style and Girls, Girls) I don't think his career would have suffered so much. I agree with another reviewer about the quality of the picture and disc - a good reissue. Worth checking out.

A Presley Film Worthy of Rediscovery.......2004-10-18

"The Trouble With Girls" (1969) is a hidden treasure in the genre known as Elvis Cinema. This charming, offbeat comedy-drama about a traveling medicine show is among Presley's finest. The 1920s setting is beautifully evoked and the supporting cast (including Sheree North, Edward Andrews, Vincent Price, John Carradine) is excellent. For once, Elvis is part of an acting ensemble and delivers a refreshingly mature performance. He also sings a standout rendition of "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" -- one of the few gospel numbers Elvis performed on film. Because of its misleading title, "The Trouble With Girls" remains one of Presley's most underrated and overlooked efforts.

Average customer rating:

One of the better 80's horror films!!
Shame on you, Shriek Show
InBred Hillbillys =Slasher Delight
"Nothing out there but gods little creatures" or maybe some demons
A slasher which didnt pay off in the end

Just Before Dawn
Starring: George Kennedy , Mike Kellin , Chris Lemmon , Gregg Henry , and Deborah Benson (II)
Director: Jeff Lieberman
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Prowler

ASIN: B0009G3BW4
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Description

Five youths set out for a weekend camping excursion, to drink, frolic and skinny-dip on an isolated piece of land one of them has inherited. Despite ominous warnings of local forest Rangers, strange backwoods families and a hollering drunken hunter claiming to have witnessed his friends' evisceration by the hands of "DEMONS", they trek farther into the foliage. Beautifully shot, extremely eerie, featuring the most demented murderer since Jason Voorhees, and a horrifying twist that will make you wonder...Will any of them survive those dark hours JUST BEFORE DAWN?

Customer Reviews:

One of the better 80's horror films!!.......2007-06-02

I will freely admit that curling up for the night with an old 80's low budget horror film is a wicked indulgence of mine. Most of these films are looked down upon and agreed, some should be. However I came across this hidden treasure that I had never seen before, and gladly found that there was another favorite to be added into my proud collection. I am probably as jaded as most serious horror buffs out there but if you have missed this one, let me say I have watched it several times already since purchasing. One, the characters are likeable and the acting is good. Two, I believe this was filmed in the mountain wilderness of Oregon so the setting was a perfect match for the story, very authentic and creepy. Three, the score works well and there are several spooky scenes that I guarantee you won't find in another film. There is one in the opening where two men are in an old, abandoned church and the older man looks up and sees through a hole in the ceiling a dark, menacing figure staring down at him completely motionless. That alone gives me the willies everytime. This film will hold your interest the whole way through as the suspense builds and the characters develop all to a nice degree. Also recommended is The Prowler, another film I somehow missed but was very pleased to find!

Shame on you, Shriek Show.......2007-05-06

Once again I find myself plunging into the depths of cinematic depravity. What part of my brain do I lack that leads me on such mindless excursions, excursions fraught with untold perils that damage both body and soul? I dunno, but please stop cracking wise if you're making jokes about the whole "brain is lacking" thing I threw out there a second ago. Thanks. Anyway, this excursion is a familiar one, as I stumble once again into the World of Jeff Lieberman. A scary place indeed! I explored here twice before, with his "Blue Sunshine" and the monumentally epic "Squirm". Yeah. Both movies left me feeling decidedly cold and unfriendly for a few days because, as I recall, both of them weren't that great. Well, "Blue Sunshine" wasn't that great. "Squirm" was absolutely appalling. I actually referred to that film as "Lieberman's Waterloo," a comment I still believe holds up rather well. Now I'm back again with "Just Before Dawn," Lieberman's attempt to take advantage of the early 1980s slasher film craze. Good ole Jeff likes to cash in on current trends: the recent resurgence of all things horror saw him releasing "Satan's Little Helper" a couple of years ago.

We'll stick to "Just Before Dawn" right now, though. Lieberman's ode to Jason Voorhees starts off well enough as we see a couple of local yokels poking around an old, abandoned church out in the woods. There's some nonsense about taking something out of the building as a gift while the other guy quaffs whiskey, but don't worry about it. What's more important here is the knowledge that some kook lurks about outside. Anyone want to place a bet that someone's going to get hurt in the next few minutes? Sure enough, a machete collides with a crotch in the most awkward introduction since Khrushchev met Nixon. Ouch! Anyway, the shrieking that ensues convinces the other hillbilly to...well...head for the hills. Then the film changes focus as we meet a group of young adults driving into the mountains, one of whom is Jack Lemmon's son Chris. Two important things happen in the next twenty or so minutes. One, they meet up with a park ranger named Roy McLean (George Kennedy!). Two, and more importantly, they stumble over the aforementioned hillbilly. Both men warn them about heading into the woods, but you know how kids are these days. Onwards and upwards!

What follows forms the crux of the movie's runtime. Our gang of young cannon fodder heads up into the mountains for fun and sun. Ostensibly, one of the characters owns a piece of property in the wilderness, and that's why the group stumbles around in the forest. It's really just an excuse for killing, although we see precious little of that for quite some time. Instead, director Lieberman decides to treat his audience to visually pleasing yet mind-numbing scenes of actors hiking through gorgeous scenery. A few weird scenarios unfold. For example, one of the girls takes a swim in the lake and starts freaking out when she feels something grab her underwater. Then there's the run-in with the mountain family, an encounter filled with menace and meaning for what's about to happen to our group of kiddies. Sure enough, the psycho rears his ugly head and starts taking down his victims in ways that astonish with their lack of gore. Come to think of it, that machete scene at the beginning wasn't that sticky, either. Maybe the sauce will start to flow in the conclusion? Don't bet on it, although the manner in which he perishes achieves a grotesque uniqueness not often seen in slasher flicks.

Sigh. "Just Before Dawn" is a tepid film. The killer isn't all that original, the gore is nonexistent, and George Kennedy never gets to chew the scenery. I also didn't care for the nature walk elements that make up most of the movie's runtime. Sure, it occasionally helps ratchet up the suspense, but too often watching the kids amble around the mountain bores the viewer. It's the lack of grue that kills the flick, though. I don't blame Lieberman after I learned that the company releasing the DVD, Shriek Show, turned out a disc that is CUT. We aren't seeing the full movie! Bad, Bad, BAD, BAD! It's really insulting considering this is a two-disc set! Even if the footage exists in a horrible state, beyond any hope of restoration, they still should have thrown it in SOMEWHERE on the DVD. Inexcusable. I'm complaining big time, but a few parts of the movie work well. I loved the synth score: a creepy, haunting piece of music that really gave the film that memorable early 1980s feel. I also liked the wheezy laughter emanating from the psycho every few minutes. Too, even a restrained George Kennedy is better than no George Kennedy at all.

The two-disc set from Shriek Show, a subsidiary of Media Blasters, contains plenty of extras. We get a commentary track from director Lieberman, a long documentary with many members of the cast and crew reminiscing, a photo gallery, trailers for the film, original artwork, and tons of trailers for other Shriek Show DVDs (including one for the classic Joe D'Amato flick "Anthropophagus"!). As for the picture quality, it isn't that good. It looks like the technicians performed very little restorative work before burning this onto disc. Considering the version of the film we end up seeing is cut, spending some bucks to restore the film to pristine (or near pristine) condition probably wasn't high on the to do list. Only serious slasher film fans will want to pick up a copy of "Just Before Dawn". All other potential viewers should just rent the movie, give it a watch, and spend their hard earned dollars on more serious endeavors.

InBred Hillbillys =Slasher Delight.......2006-12-13

I was so glad when "Just Before Dawn" came out on DVD, I would rent the VHS about 5 times a year when I was younger..
The acting is good for the genre, the kills are good, "Not extremely gory" but that's fine, it still works.
The killer or killers are original and creepy even though we've seen inbred Maniacs before ala The Hills Have Eyes,The Unseen and recently in Wrong Turn.. Etc. I love the soundtrack it's very apropos for the setting.
George Kennedy lends a reputable name to the film I also like Jamie Rose as the make up obsessed party girl.Of course I prefer the original VHS cover for the movie but the new cover is nicely done.
Another must have for the 80's slasher collector, Due to limited release it will be hard to find in a few years and if you can it will be very expensive like "The Burning".

"Nothing out there but gods little creatures" or maybe some demons.......2006-10-28

When five friends decide to go camping in the middle of the woods they come across a bit of backwoods inbreeding in the form of a crazy mountain family complete with a homicidal son. On their trip up a mountain with no signs of civilization around for miles, they are stopped by an old man running out of the woods who warns them not to continue on their trip but to beware the "demons" in the forest. Do they listen? Of course not. Do they stop when they get closer to their end destination and a forest ranger tells them they'd best not go camping up that mountain--particularly with women (of which there are two)? Nope. When they've set up camp and are partying and drinking (typical horror movie) when the crazy mountain family comes creeping out of the woods to tell them to get back to town before they "wake the devil," do they have a moment of clarity? No. Not then either. Which is exactly why they become prey for a vicious killer bearing a knife who is just waiting for the right moment to strike. This is also the reason why I didn't feel bad when people began getting killed. They didn't heed the warnings and they have to pay the price.

Just Before Dawn is old school horror that borders on campy. There isn't too much gore, the plot is pretty simple, and the acting is fine. It's not terrible, but it's not great. In 1981, I bet people were scared out of their pants. But in the context of today's horror movies full of slashed achilles tendons, killers carrying saws, and murderers who like to torture you before they kill you, this movie was pretty tame. It's a good choice if you're in the mood for a scary movie, but don't want to be terrified.

A slasher which didnt pay off in the end.......2006-07-06

most slashers fall into these 2 categories: violent all the way through, or slow at the start and builds up into a storm of gore and mayhem. this one is neither, and just managed to bore me and not pay off in the end. next to NO violence except a machete through the (crotch?) and a machete through the chest (even though the killer raised the knife in the air in a stabbing motion???). i had high hopes for this movie but it was a big let-down. I liked the story and concept, and alot of the scenery was nice...

Average customer rating:

OUTSTANDING FILM, OKAY DVD
Excellent Giallo
A NEW & BETTER version???

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
Starring: Stanley Baker , Florinda Bolkan , Alberto de Mendoza , Leo Genn , and Mike A. Kennedy
Director: Lucio Fulci
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Kidnapped (A.K.A. Rabid Dogs)

ASIN: B000IMVE5A
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Description

This 1971 classic is key for any Fulci collection. A woman's nightmarish fantasies of murder and sadism come to life. Contains the legendary disemboweled dogs scene, courtesy of Carlo Rambaldi's special effects. Stars Florinda Bolkan, Jean Sorel, Silvia Monti, Stanley Baker and Anita Strindberg.

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING FILM, OKAY DVD.......2007-03-20

First I have to say that two weeks ago I had the luck to see a French video version of the film dating back from the 80's and it looked utterly gorgeous and had it all( the lesbian scenes, the dogs, the Francis-Bacon hallucinations... etc All from the same master!) The new Shriek Show version of this gem is only a success... In comparison to the previous double edition of the film which was an excessively expensive scandal! There might be all the missing scenes here, still unless you really need to wear glasses, you'll see right away that the different elements of the film are not of the same quality... So okay this version might be better than no complete version at all, you've got to know that it is far from perfect...

Excellent Giallo .......2007-03-15

This is my favorite Fulci and one of my favorite Giallo's. It has a very good story, a great soundtrack and just enough gore to satisfy Fulci fans.

I first bought the original butchered Shriek Show DVD and was torn when watching it, on one disk was a restored widescreen butchered version and the other disk had a more complete version but it was cropped and looked to be taken from an old VHS. Luckily the new release solves the problem with an uncut, widescreen restored version. Seeing the uncut version restored and in widescreen felt like I was experiencing the film again for the first time. This release almost makes me forgive Shriek Show for their first butchery.

A NEW & BETTER version???.......2006-12-29

The wait for the definitive version of LIZARD might just be over. Fans of this film have been dealing with VHS bootlegs from European sources for quite some time. Media Blasters announced the DVD version years ago and when it finally came out everyone was disappointed at the result; good quality and widescreen and cut or bad quality and pan & scan and uncut. In addition the uncut version was supposedly mastered from a PAL source which alters the running time due to the difference in frames per second with the NTSC format.

Knowing all of this, I finally bought a copy - settling on the idea that this is the best it's ever going to be.

...But then to my surprise I noticed TWO different listings for this DVD on amazon - the original MB version that I just purchased, and this one dated for a March 2007 release...by the SAME distributor!

Internet research revealed this information taken from the forums on DVD Maniacs.

"Over the past few days, I have been in correspondence with Richard York of Media Blasters, who is supervising the company's upcoming re-release of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Since I'm apparently "the most vocal critic" of their previous release (which both alarms and thrills me in equal measure), he wanted to give me the opportunity to ask any questions that I might have about the version they were putting together, and, having discussed the matter with him, I am now supremely confident that the upcoming release will not only blow away the existing Media Blasters version, but should finally be the definitive release of the film that fans have been waiting for for years.

First of all, this will not simply be a straight copy of the Italian release by Federal Video. Richard is aware of and has viewed this release, but instead Media Blasters have created their own transfer from the same film elements used for that DVD. In doing so, they have been able to identify and avoid a number of the problems affecting that release, including material missing from the opening sex scene and Julia Durer's party, as well as the mangled "rippled/unrippled" dream sequence and the dodgy splice where the same footage of Jean Sorel's character appears in two different places. The running time of the final version will be 103 minutes, making this a proper NTSC presentation rather than a PAL to NTSC standards conversion."

So...this seems like a pretty good indicator that all hope is STILL not lost for this film. And if I only need to wait 3 more months for this ultimate version it will be worth it. I just need to resist the urge to open my current version and return it instead!

Average customer rating:

Three stars =3stars
Good 1970's Sci-Fi / Horror
the dark
Entertaining
Laughter Lurks In The Dark

The Dark
Starring: Mel Anderson , Vivian Blaine , John Bloom (III) , Roberto Contreras , and Cathy Lee Crosby
Director: Tobe Hooper
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AC7P0Q
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Customer Reviews:

Three stars =3stars.......2007-04-04

I seem to be going through a second childhood again. This movie is another in a line of movies I have bought lately that I remember watching late nights on Fridays in the 70's when C.B.S. ran movies on late night T.V.(before all of these awful talk shows took over the airwaves and the networks were all you had to watch).
This one started as a slasher/zombie movie(If you can find it read the novelization of the script by Max Franklin I believe) and you can see what they were trying to do with the screenplay.
The whole movie reeks of pre and post production tampering and I think that's why this is such a mess. Anyway, they changed their minds mid production from slasher/zombie to alien/zombie or slasher/alien/zombie or was it zombie/slasher/alien with laser beam eyes, or was it...............
See what I mean, anyway this (fill in the blank here) lands and starts blowing people up, only the police say that it's mutilating them(change of the idea but they didn't change the whole script). The first one killed is William Devane's daughter and he wants answers. Cathy Lee Crosby and Richard Jaeckel round out the cast and all look lost and each one seems to have a different draft of the script.
Yet with all this there is a strange watchability to the madness and when I was 11 this was good. Now it's like the old sneakers you keep even though they look and smell bad and you still wear them from time to time. Most will hate it but if you grew up in the 70's a saw this on late night T.V. you may find a corner of your shelf for this raggedy old sneaker of a movie and watch it now and again.

Good 1970's Sci-Fi / Horror.......2007-02-12

Bizarre Sci/Fi Horror Film about an Alien who lands in Los Angeles and kills it's victims either by decapitating them or killing them with it's laser beam eyes. William Devane plays the father on the trail of his daughter's killer and Cathy Lee Crosby plays the blond reporter covering the story of the grizzly murders. Great performance by Richard Jaeckel who plays the detective on the trail of the killer. The late Jacquelyn Hyde plays Psychic De Renzay who tells of the killer being not of this world. Casey Kasem plays the Police Pathologist. Before every killing whispers of "the dark". Good Midnight Movie !!!

the dark.......2007-01-21

This movie is of great quality and picture is very good. The movie was delivered and packaged carefully. I would not hesitate to order from Amazon.

Entertaining.......2007-01-09

"The Dark" is a kind of early "Predator" type of movie. The effects are atcually quite good, but of course, when compared to new films, it falls flat. That said, the story is kind of entertaining, and if you are into Sci-fi/horror movies, you should check it out.

Laughter Lurks In The Dark.......2006-01-27

The concept of the dark or the darkness has played a seriously important role in horror since the first horror story was ever told. In fact, it's practically almost a character itself. Numerous horrible things can hide and attack in the dark. Even the immortal Dio tells us, "And monsters always know it's better in The Dark!" Along comes this flick from the 70s called The Dark. This is the film that attempts to answer what is it in the dark that scares us so much. What's waiting there in the dark to attack? Is it a vampire? a madman? an evil spirit or demon? a slimy Lovecraftian monster? No, that evil force in the dark is a hairy alien with laserbeam eyes that wants to pull your head off. He's randomly taking heads on the street at night(long before the Predator did, mind you). Sometimes he decides to blast them with his laser eyes instead. Laser victims explode. I'm not talking about an enormous splat of blood and body parts, but an actual explosion of sparks and a loud bang. The alien's motives are never explained, making him a real pain in the ass for the police to catch. Personally I like this lack of an explaination, coz it's more realistic to assume the alien wouldn't tell everyone his plans so that the audience can experience the "closure" they always seem to need. The Dark is pretty much what you would expect of this kind of film, and if you're on this page reading about this film, I'm sure you're a fan of silly horror flicks and already know something about it. The alien isn't seen much-either from a distance or in a few short closeups. He does look kinda creepy, too bad we don't see more of his face. The film was directed by John "Bud" Cardos(his name itself an indicator of the quality of this film) who also brought us the William Shatner classic, Kingdom Of The Spiders. There's a short interview with ol' "Bud" on the disc, and the guy actually seems really cool. He's kinda surprised by the fact that he's being interviewed for this film coz he thought it pretty much disappeared and had no fans. The Dark is fun. It's not too pricey, it's given the Media Blasters treatment, it's just silly, harmless fun.

Average customer rating:

Edwige! Edwige! Edwige!
Solid thriller, well written
Sergio Martino Is A Genius!
Enjoyable, beautiful, top shelf 'giallo' movie
Reasonably Decent Giallo Shocker

All the Colors of the Dark
Starring: George Hilton , Edwige Fenech , Ivan Rassimov , Julián Ugarte , and George Rigaud
Director: Sergio Martino
Manufacturer: Shriek Show
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Strip Nude For Your Killer

ASIN: B0002JP2SO
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Description

A desperate and psychotic criminal targets Jane, a young woman who stands to inherit a fortune. Slashed and scarred, Jane tries to believe it's only a nightmare but everywhere she turns - in the subway, on the street - the man with knife is there…. A mysterious woman offers to cure her by means of black magic, but the erotic rituals only aggravate her condition catapulting her into a kaleidoscope of psychedelic horror!

Customer Reviews:

Edwige! Edwige! Edwige!.......2005-08-31

Ahhh, Sergio Martino! Just the sound of his name makes this low budget schlock fan's heart sing with joy. "2019: After the Fall of New York," "Torso," "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh," "Your Vice is a Locked Door and Only I Have the Key," "Case of the Scorpion's Tail," "Slave of the Cannibal God," "Mannaja, A Man Called Blade," and "Gambling City"--these films and many others come to us from the mind of one of the most prolific Italian low budget directors of the 1970s and 1980s. Martino ought to rank right up there with Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Umberto Lenzi as a man who knew how to entertain audiences. He knew no limits in terms of genre. For example, "Mannaja" is a spaghetti western. "2019: After the Fall of New York" is a massively entertaining example of the Italian post-apocalyptic flicks made to cash in on Carpenter's "Escape From New York" and "The Road Warrior." Martino is likely best known for his gialli contributions, those atmospheric thrillers involving an anonymous but often clad in black murderer, red herrings heaped on red herrings, and beautiful Eurobabes. "All the Colors of the Dark" definitely falls in the giallo genre, with a few significant deviations. Let's get started!

Jane Harrison (Edwige Fenech) is a housewife living in London whose problems are starting to overwhelm her tenuous hold on reality. She's having these odd and unsettling dreams, you see, that are beginning to mirror reality in more ways than one. Her significant other, Richard Steele (George Hilton), chalks up her disturbing nighttime visions as a mere symptom of an operation she underwent some time before to repair damage sustained in a car crash. Jane isn't so sure. For one thing, some creepy looking dude with piercing blue eyes in the dreams follows her around town during her waking hours. This man's presence reeks of danger, although initially he doesn't do much more than stare at her from a distance (considering the incredible beauty of Edwige Fenech, this must happen all the time). It's enough to freak her out, though. In fact, she's so distraught that Jane finally takes her sister Barbara's (Nieves Navarro) advice to go visit a shrink. Dr. Burton (Georges Rigaud) insists Jane has nothing to worry about, that the visions she experiences are leftover traumas caused by the car accident. We know that's not true, for if it was there would be no movie. Something far more sinister than Dr. Burton can imagine is going on, and Jane is right in the center of it all.

Our heroine begins to understand the mysterious web around her when an enigmatic neighbor by the name of Mary Weil (Marina Malfatti) offers a cure for Jane's troubles. Mary takes her new friend to a brooding castle out in the countryside where a group of people, a cult if you will, with decidedly unsavory beliefs and practices fulfill their outrageous rituals. It's difficult to see how these activities could help Harrison overcome her dreams, let alone explain the origins of her visions, and it soon becomes apparent that curing psychological problems isn't the focus of this particular sect. After an initial encounter with this group, Jane's dreams continue unabated. And the chap with the piercing blue eyes, who we soon learn is called Mark Cogan (Ivan Rassimov), not only keeps showing up but also makes actual contact with our lovely protagonist. Does this guy have something to do with the disappearance of Mary Weil? Is he using that knife he treats with tender loving care? Whatever the case, his fascination with Jane coupled with increasingly bizarre encounters with the cult at the castle soon reduces her to a frazzled wreck. Harrison doesn't even know if she can trust Richard, her sister Barbara, or Dr. Dugan anymore. Living in a giallo presents myriad difficulties, that's for sure.

And "All the Colors of the Dark" is a giallo even though many of the key elements are missing. No black-gloved killer inhabits the film, and the numerous red herrings we've come to expect of the genre don't really exist here either--at least not in the way "Deep Red," Tenebre," or "Don't Torture a Duckling" defines them. Martino's film does proffer the dreamy atmosphere, the clever camera techniques, and the beautiful women one comes to expect from this type of thriller. And of course it's got Edwige Fenech playing the weeping and fractured protagonist. If you're not familiar with this marvelous European actress, you need to see "All the Colors of the Dark" or one of her other films right away. She's a gorgeous, raven-haired beauty with an ethereal visage one cannot look at without thinking of an angel. Fenech went on to make a bunch of giallo flicks, usually opposite Hilton, and she's the definite draw in this movie. I'm happy to see Fenech as the star because several of the other elements of the movie are weak. There's little gore aside from the occasional splotch of blood, and the plot isn't easy to follow for most of the film's runtime. Martino does wrap up most of the threads during the conclusion, but questions remain. "All the Colors of the Dark" is still a lot of fun, though.

Extras on this Shriek Show disc include three trailers for the film (one of them under the alternate title "They're Coming to Get You"), a lengthy photo and poster gallery, interviews with Martino and Hilton, a couple of radio spots, and alternate opening and closing credit sequences. The usual four pack of Shriek Show trailers--in this case "Slaughter Hotel," "Nightmares Come at Night," "2019: After the Fall of New York," and "Syndicate Sadists"--completes the supplements. I heartily recommend this Martino film to viewers, but I'm personally more excited about seeing his other giallo films on disc in the near future. Those movies have Edwige in them too!

Solid thriller, well written.......2005-08-03

All the Colors of the Dark is an above average giallo from Sergio Martino, rich with cinematography, music and other familiar trademarks from the giallo mold. The story is intersting, somewhat weird, and original and it always keeps you guessing until the climatic finale. That's one thing these Italians do better than Americans; They don't feel the need to explain everything in such details so that even a 5 year old couldn't get confused.

It's not very bloody at all but it has decent suspense and some great surreal moments. The ending comes as a bit of a surprise and overall this is a well written story. Edwige Fenech is always a joy to watch and George Hilton is reliable as always.

One weird thing though; The audio can be either Italian or English and in some instances in the movie there's quite a bit of difference between what characters say in either the English version or the Italian.

Sergio Martino Is A Genius!.......2005-06-01

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is one of the finest giallo efforts ever made. When watching this, one seriously has to wonder why Sergio Martino is not any better regarded than he is. He's right up there with Mario Bava and Dario Argento in terms of serving up effective gialli! This film is an effective hybrid of BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and ROSEMARY'S BABY!

Jane (the uber-gorgeous Edwidge French) is haunted by recurring nightmares supposedly stemming from a miscarriage and a car accident two years ago. But unbeknownst to her boyfriend Richard (George Hilton), her psychosis stems from the memory of her mother's murder, and she keeps seeing the killer (Ivan Rassimov) with weird blue eyes everywhere she turns. So on the advice of a new neighbor (Marina Malfatti of SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS), she attends a Black Sabbath ceremony in hopes of curing herself of these delusions.

To examine the movie further would be totally unfair, since this movie requires as very little foreknowledge as possible. However I will add that there is a great twist toward the end, one that could only be conceived in the giallo world. Of course, the hypnotic beauty of French should be sufficient enough to consider a viewing! And don't forget Bruno Nicolai's gorgeous and haunting music score; it prefigures Goblin's finest music scores!

Once again, Shriek Show continues to outdo themselves in presenting obscurities to the digital medium. The anamorphic widescreen transfer on this film is truly a sight to behold (enhancing French's beauty even)! They include U.S. title sequence, trailer, and radio spots (as THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU), interviews with Martino and Hilton, and a great photo gallery (WARNING! Watch after the movie, for it is kind of spoilerish). Giallo buffs, consider this a priority purchase!

Enjoyable, beautiful, top shelf 'giallo' movie.......2005-05-28

This is a great Italian giallo movie. In this film Edwidge Fenech is simply stunning as the often scantily dressed or even nude lead. She plays a woman psychologically disturbed and seemingly stalked by an unknown stranger. In her search for a cure she becomes entangled with black magic rituals and a hidden and unknown past comes back to haunt her. The "tall dark and handsome" George Hilton plays her detached and elusive husband and along with the supporting cast this movie is very well acted throughout. The movie is great to look at with a strong artistic streak running below the surface without ever becoming distracting. You will quickly become aware of the great camera work used in this film. Like many giallo movies, there is a touch of the surreal about this - especially in the opening scene. The film has a good soundtrack in parts, and is particularly enjoyable during the black magic rituals. In my opinion, the plot is engaging, the tempo is consistent and the movie is a joy to look at. The DVD is well presented, the film transfer quality is first rate and looks fresh and vivid. The extras on the DVD are well worth having, with a couple of interviews and a number of trailers for other similar genre films. I would have no hesitation in buying this one - it warrants multiple viewing and it contains a decent bag of extras.

Reasonably Decent Giallo Shocker.......2004-12-20

This is a decent, relatively involving giallo (stylish Italian murder mystery) from 1972 that is somewhat disappointing due to its lack of thrills. And let's face it thrills are what you watch a giallo for. It's fairly well done, has a solid amount of bizarre plot twists but a little more gore would have brought this up another star. As it is, if you're familiar with the genre it's okay but if you're not I'd suggest going with Mario Bava's seminal "Blood and Black Lace" or Dario Argento's "The Bird with the Crystal Plummage".

Average customer rating:

I think Mr. Romero should stick to zombies
Martin
2 stars for effort
Wish there were a lower rating
An existential vampire tale

Martin
Starring: John Amplas , Lincoln Maazel , Christine Forrest , Elyane Nadeau , and Tom Savini
Director: George A. Romero
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0004Z33E6
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Product Description

From director George A. Romero comes a dynamic gothic original. Martin is a misunderstood young man who happens to be a vampire...maybe. The sun really just bothers his eye a little, garlic and crosses have no effects and he has no fangs. He also doesn't have any vampiric powers which makes acquiring blood an extremely harrowing experience for all involved.

Features:

New Photo Gallery

New Commentary from G. Romero, R. Rubenstein, T. Savini, M. Gornick, and D. Rubinstein

New photo gallery

"Making Martin: A Recounting"

Original TV Spots

Original Trailer

System Requirements:

Running Time 95 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

I think Mr. Romero should stick to zombies.......2007-04-30

The beginning of this flick shows promise. A 17 year old biy is on a train and breaks into the berth of a young woman. He drugs her, slices her wrists and drinks her blood. So far so good.

Then he is picked up by his cousin who is old enough to be his grandfather. The old man's granddaughter lives with him too. The old man belives Martin is a vampire caused by a family curse. It is the old man's job to save Martin's sould and then destroy him.

Martin works as a delivery boy in the old man's store and that is how he meets would be victims. He does hook up with a bored and lonely housewife, but she commits suicide after they have sex.

Martin does have a carefully planned attack on another housewife. He will get her while her husband is away on business, unfortunatly the wife is cheating and Martin must now deal with the boyfriend, who he drugs, drags out to the woods, and drinks his blood.

Martin is not a vampire, but thinks he is. He does not fear crosses, sunlight does not bother him, he has no problem being around garlic, and he has no fangs. He dresses up like a vampire to scare his old cousin, but that is about it.

If this is not ridiculous enough, from his home, Martin calls a local radio station to talk about his vampirism. I guess cops or detectives never listen to the radio and put two and two together concerning dead women with slit wrists.

Throughout the movie there are these weird black and white sequences that kind of make sense, but are never really explained. The end of the movie has the old man driving a wooden stake through his chest.

I can honestly say I was disappointed in this movie. It was not scary and was pretty boring for the most part.

Martin.......2007-03-24

DVD showed movie too blown up and hard to see
figures in movie

2 stars for effort.......2007-03-18

I would have given this only one star, but to be fair I am giving it 2 stars for effort. I am a fan of George Romero, but I was dissapointed with this film. I found it boring and uninteresting. Definitely not a vampire movie in my opinion. I consider myself to be very open in watching many different styles of movies but this one was just not good, it was more like a boring drama, definitely not scary.

Wish there were a lower rating.......2007-01-19

In my 50+ years of movie watching this may very well be the winner, of being absolutely the worst attempt of making a movie I have ever witnessed, and I have seen some pretty bad ones.
There is no number low enough to rate this horrible work, part way into viewing this I took the DVD out and folded it over and threw it in the garbage, where it belongs.

An existential vampire tale .......2006-07-30

George Romero is famous for his zombie films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, but he has undertaken other projects over the years, as well. Some are more successful than others. Martin is one of Romero's best films. It is even better than some of his Dead films, although it doesn't quite reach the celestial heights of Night/Dawn. It is the study of a young, alienated man who thinks that he is a vampire. In reality, his psychosis has much to do with the rather normal desires of sexual intimacy and companionship. Martin is a loner who desires these things, but cannot get what he wants without first drugging his victims.... And after he drugs and rapes his female victims he slashes open their wrists and drinks their blood, thus taking them into himself. His disease is strangely similar to homosexual serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, which is pretty eerie considering the fact that this movie came out long before Dahmer was ever caught. The similarities between Martin and Dahmer are quite disturbing, indeed. They both seem to kill out of a deeply rooted desire for intimacy. In any case, Martin is a very ambiguous film and the type of film that can be interpreted in many different ways. It is never clear whether Martin is truly an 84 year old vampire or just a deeply disturbed young man. That is left for the viewer to decide.

Average customer rating:

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Double Trouble
Harum Scarum
It Happened at the World's Fair
Spinout
Jailhouse Rock (Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B000QXDEFY
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Description

The manager of a traveling tent show in the 1920s gets into difficulties with girls, unions, ambitious local talent and a murder during a one-week stand in a modest sized midwestern town.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Detective Homage
A failed film noir
An Endearing, First-Rate Murder Mystery
BETTER A "LATE SHOW" THAN A NO-SHOW
Another Great Detective movie!

The Late Show
Starring: Art Carney , Lily Tomlin , Bill Macy , Eugene Roche , and Joanna Cassidy
Director: Robert Benton
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00013WVL2
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Amazon.com essential video

Writer-director Robert Benton, who examined a similar story in 1998's "Twilight," first explored the territory of the geriatric private eye in this sadly underrated 1977 delight. Art Carney stars as a nearly retired detective who suddenly finds himself caught up in two seemingly separate cases. One involves the murder of his former partner (Howard Duff); the other entangles him with a flaky post-hippie (Lily Tomlin), who wants him to find her missing cat. The two cases eventually dovetail, but the plot--which leads them to a Hollywood crime bigwig played by the affable Eugene Roche--is of less interest than the almost magical chemistry between the crotchety Carney and the wonderfully off-the-wall Tomlin. The perfect film for anyone who likes their mysteries in the Dashiell Hammett/Raymond Chandler mode. --Marshall Fine

Description

An aging private eye tries to solve the murder of his ex-partner with the help of an aimless young woman.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Detective Homage.......2007-06-11

I'm sure the powers that be didn't know how to market this quirky gem then or now. If you go to the video store they usually file it in the comedy section which is the furthest thing from the truth. For sure, there are comic elements in "The Late Show" but if you blink you miss them. The film is a mystery, rather, a homage to the work of Chandler and Hammet. Like the best tributes "The Late Show" stands on it's own as a great film. The film has it all including a brilliantly woven mystery penned by writer-director Robert Benton and terrific acting. Art Carney ingeniously underplays detective Ira Wells, an old school detective out of place in Seventies L.A. suffering from a perforated ulcer and a bum leg. Lily Tomlin matches him as new age kook Margo who employs Ira to find her cat. Despite the generation gap there is palpable chemistry between Carney and Tomlin. Check out how Benton cleverly ends this yarn. There's a non-flashy low-key quality to "The Late Show" which shouldn't be surprising because it was produced by the master of understatement, Robert Altman. Catch this film before it possibly goes out of print.

A failed film noir.......2007-04-22

I purchased this film because of the rave reviews, on Amazon and elsewhere, and because of the two highly talented stars. What a jolt to discover that the film is a flop, a failed attempt to remake a film noir featuring someone like Humphrey Bogart or Peter Falk as the tough detective. Toss in an airhead junkie as the sidekick and you have magic, right? Wrong. The script is the primary problem. It's unintelligible and without an ounce of wit. There is the grisly murder and the car chase for the teenagers. And the sloppy ending, so that everyone will go home satisfied. But it all adds up to nothing. I'd rather watch re-runs of "Law and Order."

An Endearing, First-Rate Murder Mystery.......2004-11-24

An endearing murder mystery, with great chemistry between Art Carney and Lily Tomlin. Carney is an aging, gruff private eye with a bad leg, a bleeding ulcer and a hearing aid. Tomlim is an off-kilter woman who believes in reincarnation and occasionally sells a little dope. She wants to hire Carney to find her cat. From there we have belly shots, beatings and blackmail. It's a nice, complicated mystery. Tomlin has a great scene with a refrigerator. And the ending is satisfying.

If people ever thought Tomlin wasn't a skilled actress, they should watch this film and Nashville. Shame she hasn't had more of a movie career. I think she's an attractive woman, but no Hollywood starlette type. She's got a long face, a skeptical intelligence about her, and wicked humor. On the other hand, she could play with great vulnerability (Nashville).

First rate movie. First rate actress. Carney was certainly her equal in the film, and Bill Macy plays a memorable sleaze.

BETTER A "LATE SHOW" THAN A NO-SHOW.......2002-08-06

"The Late Show" (1977), Robert Benton's valentine to the 1940's detective film genre has it all: the structure, the language, the grit and noir, plus something more--humor and heart. Long overlooked and drastically under rated by 1970's reviewers, the film and especially its title seemed to dredge up images of some old B&W flick that belonged on late night TV and perhaps didn't fit the mold of being "with it" or of being retro-slick in a then-generation of the Think Young, Drink Pepsi (not Alka Seltzer) society it reflected. Yet what most critics seem to have missed about the title alone is its play on words which embraced not only the old, late night TV movie idea but also the spirit of the tribute writer/director Robert Benton presents here: the vernacular of 1940's detective speak, where "show" meant a client or a job, and, "late" meant late, as in beyond the time someone or something is expected to arrive. Thus, the slang title refers to both Ira Wells (Art Carney) and Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin), who are thrown together, quite unexpectedly, at a crucial time--before it's really too "late" (as in "dead"). Carney brilliantly (yet so unassumingly) plays 'Ira Wells,' a set in his ways broken down old heat packing (private) detective with "a bum leg, perforated ulcer, and hearing aid," who's been living out what's left of an empty and lonely life in a rented bedroom in an older widow's home. Resigned to this seeming fate, Ira believes his best days, times, and friends are all behind him (especially at the rate people he's known are "kicking off"). Ira can see his own end, which is brought home even more forcefully when his former PI partner, Harry Regan (Howard Duff), who seemingly arrives for a long over-due visit after a bender, dies in Ira's rented bedroom bed from a gunshot to the gut (yet spilling nothing save for blood). Enter Charles Hatter (Bill Macy), a chiseler and con artist, along with a wonderfully zany and off-beat wannabe actress, Margo Sperling (Lily Tomlin). They show up with a stolen cat "case" for Ira Wells at Regan's funeral entombment--and the game of cat and mouse, or, rather, rat, is almost ready to begin--again--for Ira, who says only he's "out of the business" and never uses the word "retired." But this will not be "just another case," it will be THE case, coming in the nick--and Nora--of time to make a difference and a change possible in the lives of two people. Of course, hindrances loom immediately: old-school/generation collides with new, language usage throws up an initial barrier as does Ira's 1940's mind set about women ("dolls") and how they're supposed to act. Yet all this goes by the boards when Ira and Margo start to work the related cases of the missing cat and Regan's murder together. These two people turn out to be an unlikely team that has needed the likes of one another all along. Their differences are far outweighed by what they have in common--such things as character, dignity, regard for others, loyalty, caring, and inner strength. They complement each other which tends to bring out the best in both of them. Ira has not ever had a pal, partner, buddy, or romantic interest who wasn't simply out for himself or herself until Margo; and Margo hasn't ever met anyone quite like Ira, who inspires her, looks out for her, and not only encourages but trusts her to sleuth with him, the pro, even before he discovers she could really excel at it and is more savvy about life and things than even he expected. He becomes enough at ease with Margo. though, that when pressed, he emotionally reveals his inner most fear with her--the scene between the two at the diner, after Ira collapes and Margo wants to take him to the hospital, should have earned Art Carney an Oscar nomination alone. But will they solve the murder? Will they ever team up? "The Late Show" is as much a story of the human condition as it is a noir murder mystery to be solved. Even the bad guys like Ronnie Birdwell (Eugene Roche) and Charles Hatter (Bill Macy) have real dimension and differences--and are portrayed as likeable louses with their own problems in life. The plot is skillfully and painstakingly developed with twists and turns which cover, much as the detective films of the 1940s did, mystery, which can turn to comedy, then switch to tragic drama, and even twist to include a hint of romance. Robert Benton deserved the Oscar for this original screenplay, not simply the nomination. The only remaining question is: when will the director's cut become available on video or DVD so that audiences can discover the rather obvious chunks of missing footage from the film including (but not limited to) John Davey as 'Sgt. Dayton'?--Lenore Hutton Normal, Illinois

Another Great Detective movie!.......2000-09-19

Along with Night Moves,(and obviously Chinatown) this one of my favorite detective films from the 70s. Art Carney and Lily Tomlin are a great pair and they help make a good movie even better. Robert Benton(Bad Company, Nobondy's Fool, Twilight) has made a great film here that is at once a tribute and a commentary on Raymond Chandler-type films. Carney is great as an aging PI who is hired to find a cat and ends up embroiled in a much larger story. The dialogue here is so well done-it's very stylish-throwback dialogue if you will. I love this movie and it seems that so few people have seen it. I own it and any fan of the Maltese Falcon or the Big Sleep should too.

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