Bingo!

Starring:Bingo
Studio: Vanguard Cinema
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Midnite Movies boxed up
Annette!!!

Frankie & Annette MGM Movie Legends Collection (Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini / Beach Party / Bikini Beach / Fireball 500 / Thunder Alley / Muscle Beach Party / Ski Party)
Starring: Frankie Avalon , and Annette Funicello
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Esther Williams Collection, Vol. 1
Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman 1958 / Giant Behemoth / Queen of Outer Space)
Elvis - The Hollywood Collection (Charro / Girl Happy / Kissin' Cousins / Live a Little, Love a Little / Stay Away, Joe / Tickle Me)
Cult Camp Classics 2 - Women in Peril (The Big Cube / Caged / Trog)
Cult Camp Classics 3 - Terrorized Travelers (Hot Rods to Hell / Skyjacked / Zero Hour!)

ASIN: B000PMFRXS
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Beach Blanket Bingo Disc 1 Side B: How To Stuff a Wild Bikini

Disc 2 Side A: Beach Party Disc 2 Side B: Bikini Beach

Disc 3 Side A: Fireball 500 Disc 3 Side B: Thunder Alley

Disc 4 Side A: Muscle Beach Party Disc 4 Side B: Ski Party

Customer Reviews:

Midnite Movies boxed up.......2007-05-26

These are the 4 Midnite Movie Double Features of AIP Beach Party films that were released a few years back. I enjoy being able to sit back and watch the surf nonsense. Eric Von Zipper is king. Shame they don't run these as afternoon flicks in the summer on WLVI in Boston. Also a shame they didn't create a double feature of Pajama Party and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.

The only question is if MGM ever fixed How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. The orignal release claimed it was an anamophic version of the Scope transfer, but it turned out to be the pan and scan.

Annette!!!.......2007-04-26

What can I say. I had a big crush on Annette growing up. I will definitely want this collection. Annette in a bikini!! Enough said.

Average customer rating:

A Masterful Miniseries
Shaka Zula Complete Miniseries
Mistic warrior
Quite rewarding!
Shaka Zulu

Shaka Zulu - The Complete Miniseries
Starring: Edward Fox , Robert Powell , Trevor Howard , Fiona Fullerton , and Christopher Lee
Director: William C. Faure
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

Zulu Wars: Shaka-King of the Zulu/Blood River/Red Coat Black Blood
Roots
Zulu Dawn
Shaka Zulu - Last Great Warrior
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

ASIN: B00006JDQO
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Amazon.com

This sweeping miniseries from 1986 captures the rise and fall of an African emperor. Shaka Zulu begins following a British expedition sent to bargain with the fearsome Zulu army assembling on the outer edges of the British colonies in South Africa. Led by Lt. Francis Farewell (The Day of the Jackal, A Bridge Too Far), the expedition hopes to bamboozle a superstitious primitive, but their arrogance gets taken down a notch by a cunning and ruthless warlord who has unified vast territories through a combination of political charisma and military discipline. At this point, the focus shifts to how Shaka (the riveting Henry Cele), king of the Zulus, rose from a brutal childhood to royal grandeur--a semi-mythological tale filled with family strife, political intrigue, witchcraft, and bloody warfare. Powerful performances by Cele and Dudu Mikhize (as Shaka's iron-willed mother, Nandi) give this sprawling epic the drive and emotional scope of a Shakespearean drama. Shaka Zulu also draws sneaky parallels between the Zulu and British empires, often to sharp satirical effect. Full of richly conceived characters and compelling political maneuvering, this eight-hour series brings faraway history to living, breathing life. Also featuring Christopher Lee (whose always-steady career exploded at age 79 with juicy roles in The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A Masterful Miniseries.......2007-04-10

This one is great. It is well done in terms of story, action and historicity. It takes liberties but it well conveys the legend of Shaka, the king that transformed the Zulus from a minor tribe into a major power.

The backdrop of the series is a colonial government that is worried about the power and threat of the Zulus. Since the colonial office is in a parsimonious mood, funds are not available for sending troops. Instead, an officer of the royal navy is sent to make contact with Shaka in order to try and make a friendly alliance. This officer is played by Edward Fox.

Fox and his band make contact with Shaka but start off at a disadvantage since they are themselves shipwrecked. Even so, they manage to pique Shaka's curiosity and become his valued assets as well as being his prisoners. During the course of this, a series of episodes are used as flashbacks to explain how Shaka came to power.

The series is fascinating. It relies on legend and on history. Many of the actors are big names but most of them have only cameo roles. The real stars are the Zulus, particularly Henry Cele (as Shaka) who are telling their own story. There are ten fascinating hours.

Shaka Zula Complete Miniseries.......2007-01-25

I purchased Shaka Zula - The Complete Mimiseries on DVD's for my Dad who has this movie on a VHS tape from when this series originally aired. My Dad loves this movie, and needless to say the VHS tape has started to jump and wear and did not have much life left in it. He was receiving a new DVD player for Christmas so I purchased Shaka Zulu on DVD for him. Dad has raved about the quality and this set has the whole miniseries (all 8 hours) which he is thrilled with. If your looking for the original miniseries this is it. Thank You. Denise L.

Mistic warrior.......2007-01-16

I still havent open the package but it is a very interesting series. I saw them many years ago in a weekly special.

Quite rewarding!.......2007-01-13

When Nandi and her unborn child are saved by the ancient witch doctor, he proclaims: "A force has been generated that in time will rock the foundation of the African sub-continent."

Indeed the prophecy shaped the event and Shaka was the ruthless founder of southern Africa's Zulu Empire... In less than a decade, the paramount chieftain of the Zulu clan revolutionized the techniques of tribal warfare and fashioned an efficient and terrifying fighting force that devastated the entire region...

Set against the emergence of British power in Africa during the early 19th Century, the film provides some valuable insights into comparative cultures...

Shaka (Henry Cele) is a man of considerable height, thin, with athletic body and white teeth who can read and write... He is a great warrior, tactically, strategically and physically... He rearms his army with a long-bladed, short-shafted stabbing spear, which forced them to fight at close quarters... He goes for extermination, incorporating the remnants of the clans he smashed into the Zulu, making it increase with numbers and power..

The Mini-Series begins with a letter to the British king (George IV) regarding the Zulus' potential threat to the Cape Colony... In an attempt to intimidate Shaka into an alliance with the British empire, the Secretary of War sends a delegation to inner African to meet with the fearful warrior...

We see :

- The meeting of Nandi, an orphaned princess of the neighboring Langeni clan and Senzangakona, the chief of the then small Zulu tribe... They are instantly attracted to each other... Nandi becomes pregnant, at the same time as Kona's wife, but the marriage did not last... Their marriage violated Zulu custom, and the stigma of this extended to the child...

- The couple separated when Shaka was six, and Nandi took her son back to the Langeni, where he passed a fatherless boyhood among a people who despised his mother and made him the butt of endless cruel pranks... He grew up to be bitter and angry, hating his tormentors... The Langeni drove Nandi out, and she finally found shelter with the Dletsheni, a subclan of the powerful Mtetwa...

- Shaka ruled with an iron hand from the beginning, distributing instant death for the slightest opposition...

- While en route to Shaka's capital, the crew's doctor saves a girl who is in a coma and nearly buried alive by her tribe... Impressed by both the deed and their horses, Shaka agrees to meet with the crew... And so begins the clash of two cultures, two different worlds...

- Shaka, seriously wounded for saving an unknown warrior (King Dingiswayo), is nursed to health by a beautiful Mtwetwa girl...

- Shaka, believing in total annihilation, joins the Mtwetwa army and creates a dangerous weapon for the African warfare...

- Shaka grants Port Natal, with its ivory rights, to the British crew after he is saved by the crew's doctor from an assassination attempt...

- Shaka's mighty army saving the British delegation in a battle against thousands of Ndwandwe warriors... To test the alliance and allegiance of the British delegation, Shaka orders them into battle alone against the Ndwandwe warriors...

- With his mother's death Shaka becomes openly psychotic... Thousands are killed in the initial paroxysm of his grief... All women found pregnant are slain with their husbands...

- Shaka rules by the sheer force of his personality, building, by scores of daily executions, a fear so profound that he could afford to ignore it...

Set against the spectacular panorama of the Zulu tribal homelands, and with graphic violence and frequent nudity, "Shaka Zulu" is a tremendous epic Mini-Series, chronicling the rise and fall of one of the most famous South Africans who has already passed into legend...

Shaka Zulu.......2007-01-12

I loved the, movie. It is great for the use of education from an unbiased perspective. It gives a great representation of the culture of the tribe. the DVDs are good quality too.

Average customer rating:

KIND OF COOL
GREAT MOVIE WITH A PLAYFULL SPIRIT!!!
"Where's my cake!?!".
You will have nightmares.
It's Father's Day.......

Creepshow
Starring: Hal Holbrook , Adrienne Barbeau , Fritz Weaver , Leslie Nielsen , and Carrie Nye
Director: George A. Romero
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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

4-for-3 Horror | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Creepshow 2
Stephen King's Cat's Eye
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
The Night Flier
Pet Sematary (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: 0790744295
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

Inspired by the controversial E.C. Comics of the 1950s--which also provided the title and inspiration for the popular Tales from the Crypt TV series--director George Romero and screenwriter Stephen King serve up five delightfully frightful stories. Utilizing comic-book panels, animated segues, and exaggerated lighting and camera angles, Romero and cinematographer Michael Gornick come very close to replicating a horror comic in film format. The results mix fine acting with the morbid sense of humor and irony that made the E.C. books so popular in their heyday. Actors such as Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau, Ed Harris, E.G. Marshall, and even King appear in the stories, which include tales of a sinister father's day celebration, a mysterious meteor, seaweed-draped zombies, a monster in a crate, and a cockroach-phobic millionaire. Fiendishly fun fare from one of horror's most famous directors. --Bryan Reesman

Description

Five spooky stories, written by Stephen King, are shown in a format based on the popular horror comics of the 1950's.

Customer Reviews:

KIND OF COOL.......2007-07-06

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SEE THIS MOVIE WAS KIND OF MIXTURE BETWEEN SCARY & FUNNIEST ONLY FOR TRUE COLLECTORS.-

GREAT MOVIE WITH A PLAYFULL SPIRIT!!!.......2007-06-09

I have been watching horror movies for a long time, and I remember when this movie was released(my mother took me to the movies to see it; I still don't know whether that was a good or bad thing?!?!). Years had gone by and one day I saw this movie at the video store and just had to have it. This movie is graphic but very playfull(comicbook roots). Ther are five storys: First, A murdered father showing up for Father's Day. Second, A man (Steven King) discovers a meteor(intresting fact, This story is based on H.P.Lovecraft's "The Colour Out Of Space")Third, A man seeking revenge on his wife and lover. Fourth, A janitor and a college proffesor open a crate that the janitor found to a grizzly consequence. Last, and greatest, A hypocondriac in a germ free apartment gets an unwelcome visit by several thousand little unwanted guests. If you like horror comedy then check out this classic. well worth the time.

"Where's my cake!?!"........2007-03-31

This was just a great and fun anthology horror film from George A. Romero, it was also writen by Stephen King so you probably know what to expect when you have these two geniuses of the horror genre together this was deffinetely a high quality film. Creepshow was inspired by the horror comics Tales from the crypt from EC comics which were released during the 50's and were quite unique and a bit controversial during that period, these five tales were quite good and alot of fun to watch especially on halloween but still you could watch them at any time, during the beginning the title sequence is shot like a comic book and has some nice animation and then the live scenes happen where a bratty kid is playing around with his horror comic book then his dad finds out and gets angry and upset and well the story resolves at the end of the film when the boy gets his revenge, the boy was played by Stephen King's son so watch out for some bad acting these stories are not really scary but you wouldn't mind since they're alot of fun to watch anyway here is a short summary of these five stories:-

Father's day involves a family reunion, an ashtray and an unnatural desire for cake. Watch out for Ed Harris's corny dance sequence and the zombie that rises from his grave, very good storyline about revenge and retribution "Where's my cake!?!".

The lonsome death of Jordy Verill features Stephen King as a dorky and dumb farmer who discovers a meteor with all sorts of growth and fungus and decides to touch it, not a good idea since now hes about to turn into a plant. This is one of the worst storylines but the good thing is its short and doesn't take to long, there were some funny parts though.

Something to tide you over tells of Leslie Nielson's interesting plan of vengeance against the man who stole his wife played by Ted Danson. This was a very good and suspensfull storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Leslie buries Ted Danson's character in the sand.

The crate was one of my favorites and it has some wonderful special fx done by Tom Savini who made the effects for the monster in the crate that looks like its from another world and is quite creepy, the story is about a college professor who has a very loud and obnoxious wife played by Adrienne Barbeau who keeps embarissing her husband infront of everyone untill an opritunity comes along to get rid of her, this story has alot of twisted dark humor in it and some gore.

They're creeping up on you is about a rich and greedy eccentric executive type who has to deal with a roach problem, this is a very nice storyline that wraps up everything. Overall the film was a classic 80's horror film and is the best George Romero flick since he was more known for his living dead trillogy this film also showed that he could do other things beside that, great stuff and highly recommended. Make sure that you also watch the sequal along with this back to back, the best storyline IMO was The raft where the college kids get eaten by a creature in the lake.

You will have nightmares........2007-03-10

This film is essentially 4 stories woven to create equally frightening tales in true comic book format. Stephen King's brilliance shines in all four tales of murder, tragedy, love, betrayel and desperation. "Father's Day" still gives me the creeps. "Meteor Man" will leave you questioning yourself. "The Sea Lovers" will frighten you. Enjoy.

It's Father's Day..............2007-01-08

I grew up watching this movie whenever and wherever I could. I like to think that the writers of Creepshow educated me in how to handle life's many problems and keep a smile on my face while doing so. I was amazed at how the remains of Nathan Grantham, the murdered patriarch of the Grantham family exacted revenge on his ungrateful family and he even managed to get his Father's Day cake in the end. And for all of you people on the old ball and chain, look at the way in which Henry dealt with Wilma, his horrifying wife. This just goes to show us that sometimes, seeminlgy awful situations can work in our favor.

Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

Beach Movie
My copy is WIDESCREEN
Beach Blanket Bingo/ How to stuff a wild Bikini
Fun movies, incorrect labeling!
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini not w/s

Beach Blanket Bingo / How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Starring: Frankie Avalon , Annette Funicello , Deborah Walley , Harvey Lembeck , and John Ashley
Director: William Asher
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Beach Party/Bikini Beach
Muscle Beach Party/Ski Party
Back to the Beach
The Complete Gidget Collection (Gidget / Gidget Goes Hawaiian / Gidget Goes to Rome)
Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow/The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

ASIN: B0007R4T0I
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

BEACH BLANKET BINGO: Original Theatrical Trailer HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI:

Customer Reviews:

Beach Movie.......2007-05-07

I loved being able to take a blast to the past, it would be great to have such fun. The movies were great and fun to watch. I can't wait to order more movies like this.

My copy is WIDESCREEN.......2007-04-02

I received my DVD the other day and watched both movies and enjoyed them very much. A few of the reviews here state "Wild Bikini" is full screen. My copy is WIDESCREEN as stated on the package. I don't know if they changed the format or what but BOTH of my movies are in widescreen as is shown on the dvd case.

Beach Blanket Bingo/ How to stuff a wild Bikini.......2007-03-16

Came in alittle after the rest of the order but in a decent time period. The movie was great. Fun to watch and very upbeat. Frankie Avalon is awesome.

Fun movies, incorrect labeling!.......2006-10-03

BEACH BLANKET BINGO is on one side of this DVD in Widescreen 2:35. HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI is on the other side, but is in Pan and Scan, not the 2:35 listed on the packaging. However, fear not! There is a single disc release of HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI which has Widescreen on one side, Pan and Scan on the other, and even though it's out of print, it shows up here at Amazon quite frequently. There is also a single disc edition of BEACH BLANKET BINGO, with P&S on one side and Widescreen on the other.

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini not w/s.......2006-09-01

FYI: On the cover of this dvd it states widescreen, only Beach Blanket Bingo is wide, presented in 2.35:1 and Wild Bikini should be the same, but it is the pan scan edition on this Midnight Movies double feature dvd.
I have the single edition of Wild Bikini and it has the choice of pan or wide.

A Wedding for Bella (aka The Bread, My Sweet)

Average customer rating:

The movie was not so bella!
Major Disappointment
Ok, but wouldn't buy again
Well Worth Watching
FABULOUS MOVIE!

A Wedding for Bella (aka The Bread, My Sweet)
Starring: Scott Baio , Kristin Minter , Rosemary Prinz , John Amplas , and Zachary Mott
Director: Melissa Martin (II)
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Lucky Seven
Straight From the Heart
It Had to Be You (2000) (Sub)
A Boyfriend for Christmas
The Wedding Dress

ASIN: B00011V8HW
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Amazon.com

People use the word "sleeper" loosely, but A Wedding for Bella (released to theaters as The Bread, My Sweet) truly fits the bill. This tiny-budgeted charmer had modest distribution, but managed to win over the audiences that stumbled across it. In order to please his beloved elders, an Italian-American (Scott Baio) plots to marry a woman (Kristin Minter) he doesn't even know, with much of the action set around the homey ethnic bakery he owns in Pittsburgh. Yes, it's all very Moonstruck, but without the star power or the glossy finish; in fact, the production values (and some of the acting) in this film are variable to the point of clumsy. But there's a warm, intimate mood here that's inextricable from the homemade style. And, in an image-changing turn, former kid star Scott Baio delivers a terrific, assured performance. It's the biggest surprise in a sweet movie. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

The movie was not so bella!.......2007-02-17

It was an alright movie. It was very sad. I was hoping for a better Scott Baio character.

Major Disappointment.......2007-02-10

I bought this movie because it got such great reviews. What were they thinking?! This movie is terrible. I was expecting a nice heart-warming "chick-flick." I was very disappointed. This movie is extremely BORING. It moves so slowly! The whole thing just feels like it's dragging. Boring, boring. I kept hoping it would get better. It never did. Even the ending was lousy. You can tell this was a LOW-BUDGET film. Apparently they couldn't afford to film a wedding scene, or even Bella's funeral! How pathetic. Don't bother watching or buying this. It's a waste of time.

Ok, but wouldn't buy again.......2006-11-10

Your cable should be out for you to have to sit through this movie. Sorry Chachi (Scott Baio).

Well Worth Watching.......2006-07-03

I saw the rating on Amazon and I needed another DVD to get the discount, so I took a chance. This film was not the light, fluffy comedy that I expected. It has substance, charm, some fine performances, some laughter, and some tears. Scott Baio, Kristin Minter, and Rosemary Prinz were excellent. I don't remember seeing Kristin Minter before, but now I want to see more of her.

A Wedding for Bella, as its original name suggests, is a sweet movie; not hardcore. I like good hardcore, but I also like good sweet. For a low-budget, independent feature, it is well worth watching.

FABULOUS MOVIE!.......2006-02-26

I caught this movie on cable and loved it so much I had to buy it. This is saying a lot, because I rarely watch anything more than once. It has humor and romance, with just the right touch of bittersweet!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE!

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings

Average customer rating:

A BASEBALL CLASSIC
Good old time baseball movie
A True Classic
Great baseball movie, substandard DVD
Fitting homage to the spirit of Negro League Baseball

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings
Starring: Billy Dee Williams , James Earl Jones , Richard Pryor , Rico Dawson , and Sam 'Birmingham' Brison
Director: John Badham
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Sports | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Soul of the Game
Let's Do It Again
Uptown Saturday Night
A Piece of the Action / Uptown Saturday Night
Bang The Drum Slowly

ASIN: B00005RIIY
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Amazon.com

This enjoyable 1976 film by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever) concerns the efforts of a barnstorming baseball team of African American players to work around the dominance of the Negro National League. Set in 1939, the swift, impressive, and entertaining troupe of personality-rich athletes easily make the viewer wistful for this level of spiritedness on a green field. While the story is a bit halting, the script intelligently reflects some of the difficulties and requirements of black players at that time to find success in the game. The excellent cast includes Billy Dee Williams, whose character is based on Satchel Paige, and James Earl Jones, whose part is suggestive of the tragic Josh Gibson, as well as Richard Pryor, Ted Ross, DeWayne Jessie, and Stan Shaw. Produced by Motown's old film division, the musical score, not surprisingly, is highly memorable. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A BASEBALL CLASSIC.......2007-03-21

The entire life and the atmosphere of The Negro League baseball era was brilliantly portrayed from the barnstorming perspective. The script was a bit of a stretch at times but the superb acting by Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones kept you waiting for each scene. The language used was authentic as were the town attitudes. It contained some athleticism in parts that was also very truthful.

Good old time baseball movie.......2006-03-09

The movie is a classic. the service from the seller was excellent. Received the dvd withing a week of the order.

A True Classic .......2005-12-04

If there is any such thing as a comedy classic, this would be it.

Great baseball movie, substandard DVD.......2002-02-28

This is a great baseball movie. Great performances from Billy Dean Williams and James Earl Jones. I was a little disappointed in the transfer and the sound on this dvd, and the extras are lacking. However, this is not a commonly sought-after movie (although it should be). A great story and a great movie based on the novel by William Brashler.

Fitting homage to the spirit of Negro League Baseball.......2001-03-12

I've always enjoyed this film ever since I was a pre teen. But as i've viewed the film in subsequent years i've come to regard it as more than just a very entertaining film.

The first point that i'd like to make is that it would be very easy to look at this film as a glossed over historical account of Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. The film is not that although three of the main characters are certainly based upon those great men. For a more historical recount, albeit with some dramatic license, I would recommend HBO's fine Soul of the Game.

I think it's difficult for many in my generation (under 40) to really appreciate the struggles and agony that most black americans endured just a short time ago in our history. This film however does a fabulous job of weaving the reality of barnstorming with the joy, athleticism and sorrow that was Negro League Baseball in addition to the pervasive racism that flourished throughout america at that time. For that alone it shouldn't be missed.

All that notwithstanding it's a fabulous entertainment. Richard Pryor is as always hiliarious. The script is very well written. At times emphasizing comedy, drama, triumph, tragedy and most importantly sufficiently representing the atmosphere and culture of much of black america at that time. But it's the performances of Billy Dee and James Earl that really raise the film from just fine storytelling to the level of social commentary and criticsm.

Customer Reviews:

Finally...a movie made with Indian humor!.......2007-07-07

I love this movie and everyone I've shared it with were surprised to find themselves laughting at the humor in it. A silly film with a surprisingly wonderful plot.

It is especially good to see Graham Greene playing a fun part. I won't go into the plot because the whole movie comes together so well in the end, I don't want to spoil it. I just want to mention how refreshing it was to hear no bad language, see no violence and scenes left to your imagination like well written movies do.

I'm buying it again to have a backup - incase they run out like most movies do in this country that are written, directed and staring American Indians.
(use to be I'd find them on EBay from the U.K. but lately I've noticed more showing up on Amazon now - thank you Amazon)

Christmas Classic in the Making.......2007-02-20

This comedy is as gentle as a cloud, but has much more substance; mistaken identity,quirky characters, a bit of mayhem, and cute kids. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. It was great to see Native Americans portrayed in such positive and clever ways. Keep an eye out for the runaway mouse. He and the vegan chef provide some of the biggest laughts in this delightful comedy.

Christmas In The Clouds.......2007-01-18

A fun, feel-good movie, great for watching during the Christmas season.

Delightful feel-good Christmas diversion!.......2007-01-16

Beautiful scenery (Robert Redford's Utah property) and a charming group of Native American actors make this a "different" Christmas story for the whole family.

All Sun Dance Awards Deserved!.......2007-01-10

Finally, a movie that isn't too much of anything--except for just completely enjoyable! What this movie isn't:

Not too serious
Not too funny
Not too sexual
Not too hard to follow
Not too many special effects
Not too long
No hidden messages
No politcal agenda

...you get the idea. If you want to sit back and watch a harmless holiday movie (not really what I would call a Christmas Classic, the holiday was more of a back drop and wasn't leaned on in any way for the story), and just be entertained without all the hub-bub then this is your movie! The charaters are so easy to understand and follow and care about and the story moves along at a perfectly steady pace. I never broke my spleen laughing but was happily amused throught the picture, which to me is a much greater feat for a movie!!! Not sure what to compare this too, it really has an original feel to it and is definitely what I would call a hidden gem as far as movies go...it was SOOOOO nice to have watched a movie and been given that warm fuzzy afterwards. Thank you to the everyone that had anything to do with the production of this movie.

Average customer rating:

Underrated, A Good Remake
The context has been unluckily erased
not bad for a remake
STONE COLD STONE
Blame The Director-Not the Cast

Diabolique
Starring: Sharon Stone , Isabelle Adjani , Chazz Palminteri , Kathy Bates , and Spalding Gray
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0790750651
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Amazon.com

Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1955 French thriller Diabolique is the epitome of noir. As a twisted plot unravels, the scene is set for murder and deceit. The Devils (a.k.a. Les Diaboliques) live at a rundown boys home with Michel Delasalle (Paul Meurisse) as the cruel headmaster treating the students with disdain and indignity. His wife, Christina Delasalle (played by Véra Clouzot), an ex-nun and owner of the school before their marriage, experiences the brunt of his abuse. He humiliates Christina in front of the student body and faculty and then flaunts his insidious affairs in front of her. Christina rebels quietly, although her heart condition leaves her vulnerable and too fragile to resist her husband's brute strength. Ironically, it is Michel's mistress Nicole Horner (Simone Signoret), another teacher at the school, who encourages Christina to plot a sinister revenge against him. As the abuse continues, "Cricri" is forced to make a decision as she realizes her husband will never grant her a divorce and give up the school. Since both divorce and murder are sins against God, Christina's religious beliefs conflict with Nicole's manipulation and ideas of revenge. As she is forced to choose, her actions result in a surprising and suspenseful turn of events that promise to keep you on the edge of your seat! (English subtitles) --Michele Goodson

Customer Reviews:

Underrated, A Good Remake.......2007-01-08

"Diabolique" has the makings of a bad remake. They kept the French name for the title, it (slightly) changes the ending, and it's written by Don Roos, a writer/director better known for comedies like "The Opposite of Sex" and "Happy Endings." While "Diabolique" isn't better than the original, but it is good and a nice cast and some suspenseful moments fill it out. French actress Isabelle Adjani plays Mia Baran, a woman with a heart condition who is the owner of a boy's school. Her husband Guy (Chazz Palminteri) is the headmaster, who is abusive to Mia and openly has an affair with the principal Nicole (Sharon Stone, who looks hot). Sick of what they have to put up with, Nicole and Mia plot to kill Guy. The plan is simple (sort of idiotic, but simple);
They go to Nicole's house, bring Guy over, drown him in the bathtub, smuggle his body back to the school, and than dump his body in the swimming pool. Everything goes well, but the tension of the body being found is driving everyone crazy. Soon, the pool is drained and no body is found...And the women believe they're being blackmailed by an unseen presence, since the suit they killed him in turns up, as well as pictures of them hauling the body out of Nicole's house. One of the movie's creepiest moments (it was in the original too) comes when the cameraman that are at the school are filming the children and see, what appears to be, Guy standing in a window overlooking the school. In the original, it was the school picture where he was seen in the window but here it is just as effective. Kathy Bates brings a charming performance as the detective hired by Mia to find Guy, who suspects something wrong immediately. "Diabolique" does attempt to improve upon the original in making Stone's character more sexy, cold, intelligent, and witty. Roos has mostly dealt in writing comedies, so Stone has several funny lines ("You're dead, this is heaven, and I'm the Virgin Mary."). Palminteri is good casting for the husband and in this film he's a lot more sadistic than the original. "Diabolique" will, if nothing else cause people to gain interest in seeing the original (if they haven't already). But it is a worthy remake that's definitely better than remakes like "Psycho" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning." Stone is sexy,
Adjani is superb, Bates is great, and Palminteri is perfectly cast. The script is pretty solid, it's a good companion piece to the original, and it's worth seeing.

GRADE: B+

The context has been unluckily erased.......2006-06-09

This is a remake of the black and white adaptation of Boileau-Narcejac's novel. The shift from the French context to the American decor is nothing but a change of settings and it adds nothing. But it is extremely well built as a thriller and this American version adds a clearly stated sexual relationship between the two main women, the plotters. It also emphasizes this feminine presence by making the « inspector » a woman, which is unthinkable in the French context of the 1950s. And this woman can become an accomplice in the final cover-up, the final assassination of the ressuscitated victim, out of feminine understanding. The context of this let's say prep-school for boys is hardly described and does not correspond to the original French school for delinquents. We never get this idea that the kids are imprisoned and that the school is a reservation for anonymous survivors ghetto-ised out of the social war that is raging outside. And that is such « schools » that both the conservative right and the socialist left are asking for in France right now to take care of suburban young rebels who call themselves barbarians or the natives of the republic, be they black, brown, grey or white, which does not in anyway matter.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne

not bad for a remake.......2005-09-04

This version of a classic has been updated and pretty well.
Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani look so much like the main players in the original it couldn't have been a mistake casting them in this.
I don't know where the other reviewers are coming from. This is a story of cheating, lust, deciet and murder. Of course Stone is going to play that well. That is the momentum for the plot, without that, there is no story.
Having seen the original a number of times, all I can say is I wish they would have kept the original ending. It was by far better than this.
That is why I only gave it 4 stars.
Word to the wise.... if you like twisted mysteries that are convoluted, you should like this. But do see the original first, it's definitely worth it. This one is a decent remake.

STONE COLD STONE.......2005-07-03

Sharon Stone may be the distaff side to Mickey Rourke. These two performers know how to play sleaze and Stone once again provides a cold-hearted finish to her role in this mediocre version of the French classic. The movie might have had more oomph if they had cast someone other than Isabelle Adjani as her partner in crime. Undeniably beautiful, Adjani just doesn't have the cajones to hold up her end of the movie with the flashy Stone. Another factor is the miscasting of Chazz Palminteri as the worthless husband/lover. He is so wooden in his performance that his fate is neither cheered or jeered. Although the movie gets a boost from the appearance of Kathy Bates as the sly detective, even she can't bring enough life to justify this remake. So why three stars? It held my interest and kept me guessing for a while, but it's strangely convoluted ending doesn't really fulfill the plot's thrust. One plus is Randy Edelman's scrumptious score; it fits the movie perfectly.

Blame The Director-Not the Cast.......2005-06-27

With some of Hollywood's worst trash on his resume, Director Jeremiah Chechik gives us something slightly better than his worst ("The Avengers") and much worse than his best ("Benny and Joon"). This oddly unsatisfying 1996 remake of the classic 1955 French thriller illustrates Hollywood's ham handed ability to turn a classic suspense tale into a weak atmosphere piece. I say oddly because Isabelle Adjani and Sharon Stone are together on the screen for almost the entire film and the two actresses truly bring out the best in each other. So you have a long series of well-played scenes by fine actresses, but they are strung together into a slow paced story line that lacks unity and consistent motivation. Which could be caused by a lot of things but is most likely the result of trimming in post-production, in which important unifying elements were left on the cutting room floor. Or it could be that the director and production designer just failed to translate the writer's vision onto the screen.

Since this ultimately this is a story about an evil character who develops a sentimental side, it is absolutely critical that this process is communicated to the audience. The audience should not just be surprised by the ending but should be able to think back and see all the motivational pieces click into place. In this regard the movie is a complete failure.

Then there is the issue of cheating. Because we only know what he wants to tell us, a director has a variety of legit ways to introduce misdirection and surprise into a film. But occasionally a director lacks the integrity and vision to play by the rules. Such is the case here as only the audience sees the underwater shot of a clearly drowned Guy (Chazz Palminteri). It is shown to convince us that he is dead but this then makes his reanimation impossible. Plus it is fairly useless because you know that he has to come back for there to be much of a story. That is cheating and there is more cheating in the unintentionally comical climatic scene. The beauty of the original movie was the absence of cheating and the macabre irony of the ending. All that is missing.

Whatever, it means that the only reason to watch this version of "Diabolique" is for the acting of Adjani and Stone. Although Adjani was 40-41 years old when she made this film, she has lost little of her beauty. While she was probably the world's most beautiful actress in her twenties, there is simply no debate that she was the most beautiful 40 year-old in cinema history. Stone pretty much plays her hard-as-nails self but she is given some great lines and her character is a great contrast to the ethereal take Adjani gives to her own character.

If you are looking for a better but less obvious remake of the original "Diabolique", track down 1971's "Let's Scare Jessica To Death". This almost forgotten horror classic is truly scary. It has much better production design than 1996's "Diabolique", with creepy whispering and images that stay with you and creep you out even weeks later. Jessica is a woman recently released from a mental "institution" who goes to a farm in a quiet rural area. The odd locals and their local legends begin to mess with Jessica's head as her husband and his secret girlfriend attempt to scare her to death.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Average customer rating:

Not great, not bad. There are better animal flicks.
Funny Dog Movie
Bingo
What's The Aspect Ratio of The DVD?
A Very Cute Movie For People Who Love Dog Movies!

Bingo
Starring: Cindy Williams , David Rasche , Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. , David French , and Kurt Fuller
Director: Matthew Robbins
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B0000A2ZU7
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Amazon.com

There was a man who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o. This particular Bingo escapes from a cruel master in a circus and is adopted by a little boy, who is the son of a professional football place-kicker (David Rasche). The father happens to be allergic to dogs, so the boy keeps him hidden from the rest of the family. When Dad is traded from the Denver Broncos to the Green Bay Packers, the family unknowingly leaves Bingo behind. The mock-heroic dog (who is smarter than most of the family members) must track the family across several states and time zones before he's reunited with his trusting young master. A spoof of movies about dogs with amazing powers, this one is often slim pickings. The humor, which tends toward slapstick, is strictly hit-and-miss. This broad comedy will undoubtedly amuse the under-10 set, with its numerous potty and dog-poop jokes. --Marshall Fine

Description

A runaway dog saves a little boy's life, beginning a friendship that crosses the nation. Dogcatchers, kidnappers, hospitals and even prison can't keep the two best friends apart! Starring Cindy Williams (TV's "Laverne and Shirley"), David Rasche (Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood), and Robert J. Steinmiller, Jr. (The Ref).

Customer Reviews:

Not great, not bad. There are better animal flicks........2006-11-13

If I had to categorize Bingo, it is definitely intended more as a pet comedy than as a pet adventure. In fact, some of the comedy is to the point of absurdity when people treat Bingo as a human. Regarding the focus, the film bounces back and forth between being exclusively about the dog or about the boy & his family.

Pretty standard plot devices: 1) Remarkable dog who is unwanted & unappreciated by adults. 2) An oddball family with a mean older brother, over-protective mother, and a preoccupied father who wants to toughen up his youngest son. 3) Typical inept villains - a stupid, mean one who thinks he's not stupid and an even stupider, dopey one who doesn't know any better. 4) The dog saves the day and eventually endears himself to everyone.

I bought this as a family film to watch with my 4yo son, but it is rated PG for good reason. Bingo is really not for younger children. Lots of unnecessary language - GD, s**t, da**it, smarta**, hell, and a couple lesser phrases that you may not want your young ones incorporating into their daily vocabulary - some shut-ups, stupids, jerks, nuts, and dumbs. What stuck out is that this was a family movie and the language seemed completely unnecessary. It sure didn't add anything.

A few disturbing scenes for young viewers - hot dogs made out of real dog, a couple scenes of children looking at adult magazines, a scene of a vehicle crashing into a storefront with people in a cage in back, a prostitute in a hotel room, a kidnapped family all tied up, heavy gunfire, knife fight, and so on.

Lots of uncouth humor - pee and poo gags, dog gender jokes, and the like. Funny to older children, but maybe not appropriate for younger ones.

Some good gags - traffic cop giving the dog a sobriety test, the dog driving a car, a court reporter reading back the dog's testimony, and evading search lights in a prison yard.

All in all, it's not a bad film, just not worth any special praise either. It's mediocre.

If you don't already own them, there are plenty of better dog adventures - Milo & Otis, Homeward Bound, Napoleon, Eight Below; as well as better dog comedies - live-action 101 Dalmatians, Babe, Air Bud, Beethoven, and so on.

Aspect ratio is standard, full-frame 1.33:1.

Funny Dog Movie.......2006-05-15

I purchased "Bingo" and "My Dog Skip" at the same time. Both movies seemed sort of episodic, but both were fairly entertaining. I wound up liking "Bingo" a lot more though since it was funny. Some of the comedy was a little outlandish (sort of like something you'd expect from movies like "Naked Gun," "Airplane," or "Scary Movie."), but some of the gags were downright hillarious. At times this movie seemed to be a movie about a boy and his dog and at other times it was more like the dog was the main focus. Since comedy was actually the main focus of this movie, this is forgiveable, but the movie seemed somewhat incoherent at times. While "My Dog Skip" erred on the side of the corny and sentimental, "Bingo" was filled with lots of strong comedy (and a few lame jokes too). So, if you want to have fun and see a movie about a boy and a dog, see "Bingo" and skip the other movie!

Bingo.......2006-02-24

I am very pleased. Ordering was a breeze and delivery was fast. I was renting this movie for my 3 year old Granddaughter every week. I was happy to find it at a reasonable price. Thank you

Barb

What's The Aspect Ratio of The DVD?.......2005-12-21

This is a cute movie about a boy and his dog and I recommend it to anyone who likes dog movies. Does anyone know what the aspect ratio is for this movie on the DVD? Is it widescreen or an edited pan and scan? I would hate to buy the DVD and find out it's just an edited pan and scan!

A Very Cute Movie For People Who Love Dog Movies!.......2005-10-15

I don't have the DVD for the movie Bingo and I have never watched the movie on DVD but only on video tape and I thought this was a cute movie. I know that the professional critics didn't like this movie and a lot of people put it down because they think it's too cutesy but when I watched the movie Bingo I enjoyed it it and I liked the cast especially Cindy Williams from the TV show Laverne and Shirley and David Rasche from the TV show Sledge Hammer and I recommend this movie to anyone who likes movies about dogs. In my opinion this movie is cute but it's not too cutesy! It is about a cute dog named Bingo who runs away from his cruel original owner and is found by a little boy who hides him in his house because his father who is a professional football player is allergic to dogs. [...] I would hate to buy the DVD if it's a pan and scan edit of a widescreen movie!

Average customer rating:

Great horror anthology from Romero and Argento.
Two Evil Eyes
Romero fumbles, but Argento scores
Soooo worth it for the Argento part
"Life here has become ugly..."

Two Evil Eyes
Starring: Adrienne Barbeau , Ramy Zada , Bingo O'Malley , Jeff Howell , and E.G. Marshall
Director: Dario Argento , and George A. Romero
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
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ASIN: B00008WJD9
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Amazon.com

Legendary horror directors George Romero and Dario Argento team up to direct a pair of short films inspired by the writing of Edgar Allen Poe. In Romero's story, a woman (Adrienne Barbeau) and her lover hypnotize her ailing, older husband into signing over his riches. But when he dies while still under their command, his soul haunts them, seeking to be freed from their hypnotic spell. In Argento's tale, a crime-scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) kills his live-in girlfriend in a fit of jealous rage, but her black cat continues to torment him after her death. While Romero's piece toys with horror conventions and Argento's plays out in his typically elongated fashion, their dramatic story lines, unexpectedly gruesome imagery, and ironic endings shock some life into the movie. It is rumored that this was originally meant to be a quartet of horror tales with contributions from Wes Craven and John Carpenter, but at least we got these two. --Bryan Reesman

Description

The masters of modern horror - George Romero and Dario Argento - bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.

In Romero's The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar, a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento's The Black Cat, a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of RESERVOIR DOGS) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend's new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own?

Customer Reviews:

Great horror anthology from Romero and Argento........2007-03-20

A collection of two stories inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, the first tale "The Facts of the Case of Mr. Valamar" has a woman (Andrienne Barbabeu) who's married to an old rich man, she decides to take his money as her secret lover hypnotizes him then literally freeze him so they can kill him. They both hear his voice to find out that he's not all dead as later he returns from beyond the grave to seek revenge. Next is "The Black Cat" which tells the story of a crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) who's girlfriend brought a stray cat in that seems to drive him mad to the brink of insanity.

A winning horror anthology from George A. Romero and famed Italian horror master Dario Argento that delivers scares, splatter and thrills. Both stories have the macabre and dark feel of Edgar Allen Poe's works for Tom Savini's gruesome make-up effects really make the movie and there's amusing appearences by Tom Atkins and E.G. Marshall.

This 2-Disc DVD has great picture and sound quality with nifty extras like poster-and-still gallery, trailer, talent bios, interviews and featurettes.

Two Evil Eyes.......2007-01-15

This is an interesting adapation of two E.A. Poe short stories. The one chosen by Argento is the classic "The Black Cat". The one chosen by Romero is the lesser known "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar". In my opinion, Argento's part is the superior one, full of innovative and inventive camera shots and a good performance by Keitel. The Romero part of it is not bad, but not nearly the usual inspired and creative level of his work.

Romero fumbles, but Argento scores.......2006-08-28

Two Evil Eyes threatened to be another disappointment from Dario Argento, especially since the first half of this modernized Edgar Allen Poe double-header, The Facts in the Case of Mr Valdemar, directed by George A. Romero, felt like a competent but uninspired network TV compilation episode. So it's a real surprise just how much dark fun Argento has with The Black Cat, playfully riffing both on Poe's other short stories and classic movies (there's even a subtle Psycho moment where Martin Balsam's nosey neighbor finds himself at the foot of another staircase looking for another missing woman) as Harvey Keitel's crime photographer - first seen photographing the aftermath of a Pit and the Pendulum incident - finds his life going to Hell when he gets rid of the girlfriend's cat. It's not prime Argento, but compared to his stale going-through-the-motions later efforts like Phantom of the Opera, The Card Player and Phenomena, it'll remind you why you liked him in the first place.

Soooo worth it for the Argento part.......2006-03-29

Edgar Allen Poe stories modernized by George A. Romero and Dario Argento. Sounds like it can't miss, right?

The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar is George Romero's part. At only an hour the film somehow seems overlong. It looks like Romero's on a sedative here, the pacing is way too slow and in the end nothing much happens. There's one decent zombie scene near the end and the finale is quite horrific but I'm sure Mr. Romero could have spiced things up somewhat. It looks like his heart wasn't all together in this project.

Dario Argento's The Black Cat is way better than Romero's film. Loosely adapting Poe's original story and splicing in numerous references from other Poe stories, The Black Cat has moody and creepy atmosphere to spare along with some solid suspense. Harvey Keitel gives a good performance in the lead, Tom Savini serves up some great gore effects and Dario, fresh from his insane camera-acrobatics in 1987's ultra violent Opera, is in top form with some great stylistic touches left and right.

This Blue-Underground 2 Disc Special Edition is really the only way to go, some great extras included here. An interesting documentary with intetviews with both Argento and Romero and some very entertaining behind the scenes footage, along with Blue-Underground's usual high standard in terms of audio and visual quality.

In short; Two Evil Eyes is well worth purchasing; terrific Argento segment and good extras. What's not to like?

"Life here has become ugly...".......2006-02-06

So what happens when you draw two masters of cinematic horror together to each provide their own, particular take on a couple of Edgar Allen Poe stories? Two great tastes that taste great together? Not exactly...but it is kind of fun. Originally titled Due occhi diabolici (1990), and then later called Two Evil Eyes (1991) for the American release, is comprised of two hour long segments. The first, titled "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar", was adapted and directed by George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Martin), and features Adrienne Barbeau (Swamp Thing, Creepshow), Ramy Zada (After Midnight), Bingo O'Malley (Knightriders, Creepshow), and E.G. Marshall (12 Angry Men, Tora! Tora! Tora!). The second, titled "The Black Cat", adapted and directed by Dario `Visconti of Violence' Argento (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Suspiria), features Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, The Piano), Madeleine Potter (Slaves of New York), Sally Kirkland (Fatal Games), Martin Balsam (12 Angry Men, Psycho), and John Amos (The Beastmaster, Die Hard 2), probably best known to 1970s television fans as the no nonsense patriarchal figure James Evans, Sr. from the series "Good Times".

The movie starts with a short dedication to Poe, including a shot of his grave (or, at least a reasonable facsimile), just so we, the audience, are aware the material featured in this film was stolen...er, I mean, adapted from the works of Edgar Allen Poe. After this we kick into the tale titled "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar". Adrienne Barbeau plays Jessica Valdemar, an older, still highly attractive woman who is currently scheming with her sickly husband's physician, Dr. Robert Hoffman (Ramy), to bilk the her dying husband Ernest (O'Malley) out of as much money as they can, by using hypnosis to get him to sign important documents and such. Well, things go slightly awry after the old codger croaks sooner than expected, so the pair put him in cold storage, namely the freezer in the basement (who's up for some ice cream?) until they can see their plans all the way through. Only thing is, the geezer died while still under hypnosis...so what? Well, it also seems now, besides being a Popsicle, he's stuck between two worlds, that of the living and that of the dead. After Ernest starts vocalizing his predicament and freaking everyone out, Jessica decides to take matters into her own hands, which raises the question how can you kill what's already dead? The next story, titled "The Black Cat", features Harvey Keitel as Roderick Usher, a photographer who specializes in still life, often working with the local police documenting gristly crime scenes. Anyway, one day his live-in, witchy woman girlfriend Annabel, played by Potter, brings home a black cat. Well, turns out Roderick and the cat don't get along, as the cat has an unnerving habit of sitting and staring at Roderick. Soon the cat goes missing, Annabel is inconsolable, and Roderick is less than sympathetic. After a bizarre medieval dream sequence, one in which Roderick is punished with a sharpened pole inserted into a very uncomfortable place, the couple's relationship deteriorates quickly, not helped by Roderick's love for the drink, eventually leading to Annabel deciding to split...and split she does when Roderick comes home with a snootful and takes to her with a meat cleaver. After a bit of creative dry walling, Roderick conceals his crime, but the cat, which has since returned, sees all, and remembers even more...

Of the two tales featured here, I enjoyed Argento's more...both include better than expected production values, strong performers, and solid source material, but where Romero's piece seems a little tired and, well, trite, Argento's piece is a bit more substantial, flowing, and visually entertaining (not to mention visceral). I can't help but wonder if perhaps Ms. Barbeau taking one for the team by popping her top would have helped Romero's story...it couldn't have hurt...as far as the story itself, it's sort of similar to that segment titled "Something to Tide You Over", featuring Leslie Nielsen and Ted Danson, from the 1982 film Creepshow, as both included a re-animated corpse slumping around, seeking vengeance from those who wronging it prior to it becoming a corpse. The effects are excellent, but the adaptation lacks the punch I was expecting. There did seem a half-hearted effort to create something meaningful between the two main characters, specifically in terms of the pair seeing each other at their worst, and the subsequent effect this had on their relationship (murder's always been a turn off for me), but it never really developed into anything noteworthy. Seems like George had a couple of novel ideas, ones that he then filled in the rest of the story around. The bit at the end was definitely fresh, with the apparitions and the lighting, but not worth the price of admission. E.G. Marshall and Tom Atkins make limited appearances as a lawyer and a police detective, respectively. Argento's piece, on the other hand, comes across a bit stronger, despite the fact it includes an outlandish dream sequence, a tactic I generally despise, as it usually comes off as an effort to pad out the running time or introduce some crucial aspect to the story in a ridiculous manner. This one's set during medieval times, as we see a lot of people running around in ratty clothes, bad hair, and even worse teeth...oh, and look, there's a little person (is that the correct term nowadays? I'd say dwarf, but I need no blowback from the various midget/dwarf support organizations out there). Everyone knows a dream sequence just isn't a dream sequence without a little person, clad in strange garb, running around and cackling like a little a-hole...if you feel this way you should see the film Living in Oblivion (1995), but I digress...one of the reason's Argento's piece comes across as well as it does is because his eye towards hideous detail, his focus on vivid imagery, and his willingness to draw the audience's attention towards nasty, unpleasant things we might normally steer away from...overall the performances are solid, but I had a hard time swallowing Keitel's stereotypical beret wearing, pretentious, jazz listening, booze swilling, bohemian artist type character. The funniest bits for me were after the fact, as he tries to explain the subsequent absence of his girlfriend to the neighbors and her friends (apparently she was well-liked). Keitel's character was about the worst liar I've ever seen. The story flowed along nicely, and ended with a few, gruesome and welcomed twists.

The picture quality, presented in widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic, on this Blue Underground DVD release, is very sharp, and the audio excellent. There are a few different audio tracks to choose from, including Dolby Digital Surround EX, 6.1 DTS - ES, and Dolby Digital Surround 2.0. As far as extras, it depends which version you purchase (there are two). If you buy the single disc version you'll get a theatrical trailer, a poster and still gallery, and biographies for the directors. If you get the double disc version, you'll get what I've already mentioned plus four featurettes. The first is titled `Two Masters' Eyes', and it's basically series of interviews strung together, lasting about a half hour, followed by a bit about Savini's effects (12 mins), At Home with Tom Savini (16 mins), and lastly Adrienne Barbeau talking about George Romero (5 mins). There's some interesting stuff in the two disc version, but not interesting enough for me to recommend to someone to pony up the extra cost over the single disc version...at the end of the day both versions feature the exact, same film.

Cookieman108

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