Savant's new reviews today are

Am surviving Halloween so far ... and keeping up with the reviews too. Thanks for the notes (and the corrections) ... I was watching these bright lights in the sky, and all of a sudden it got dark and I don't know what to do (Watching The Day of the Triffids doesn't seem to help).

Thanks for reading & tolerating ... Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

Happy Saturday .... ready for Halloween?

A great week - got a couple of days off to concentrate on writing. More terrific discs coming in the door: UGETSU, PICKPOCKET, CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH, THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS, HAMMETT, CHANG, GRASS and Special Eds of THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN and A BRIDGE TOO FAR. Not only that, but Savant took a trip to the video store and nabbed BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, which I might just review because I have an old tape of the uncut 'Beatles albums' scene people have been asking about.

With that I'll get these reviews off ... more editing through the weekend - Happy Halloween! Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

A question from a Savant reader, about Dog Day Afternoon:

"Ok Glenn here goes: Anyone remember this scene and a line of dialogue from Dog Day Afternoon which was in the theatrical release (1975) but is MISSING from all video formats (DVD, VHS, etc):

Just before Sonny, Sal, and their hostages emerge from the bank in a circle to board the bus to the airport, this MISSING scene shows them forming the circle in the bank. One of the tellers presents the bag of money and says to Sonny (Al Pacino), " You forgot your money." A very ironic point, since this is why Sonny and Sal started their botched heist in the first place hours earlier. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THIS SCENE? DO YOU REMEMBER IT?" -- Gary

I vaguely remember the scene when the movie was previewed at the UCLA film school ... but no longer trust my memory. Anybody have better information, or a better memory in general? ...

Warners has apparently announced a Special Edition of David Lean's Ryan's Daughter for February 7!

Another chaotic few days, but Savant. like The Dude, abides. More discs a'coming prompt me to speed up the flow at the supply end ... beside the five above, there are two mini reviews only on the DVDTalk index: Wallace and Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures and Mortuary Academy. I practically have to stab my hand with a letter opener to keep from spelling 'Mortuary' as 'Morturary'; strange world indeed. See you after Halloween! Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

Wow, that was an exhilarating week of films ... The War of the Worlds is still a blast, now made extra-punchy with its recovered stereophonic track. Titanic is still no Savant favorite, but eight years of much more offensive movies have given Savant some needed perspective. After learning to Stop Worrying and Enjoy the Effects, it resolves as quite an amazing spectacle.

Savant is a tiny bit ahead of the review treadmill and so will concentrate on a non-review writing assignment tomorrow before his deadline runs out ... unless he's distracted by Image's amazing new Unseen Cinema boxed set. It contains dozens of early experimental shorts including many great montages by Slavko Vorkapich --- even his 'Furies' prologue from the hard-to-see picture Crime Without Passion ... uncut. Back next Tuesday! Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

A busy week but plenty of cool reviews to skim past you ... and I just found out this afternoon that the Special Edition of the George Pal 1953 The War of the Worlds is on its way ... oboy! Savant loved the book as a kid but was unaware that a movie existed until 1964, when it came to my local theater as a second feature with Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. The theater manager didn't even have a poster for it, so when it hit the screen it took me completely by surprise ... at the time, it was the most exciting afternoon I ever had in a movie theater! I still envy slightly older kids who were able to see the first wave of Sci Fi hits on the first bounce ... except for the fact that those same kids are entering their sixties now .... Thanks, Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

It's hot here in California but we haven't been washed away like the South and aren't threatened by flood like back East so cannot complain. A big surprise with the new disc of Hondo this week; it plays like a dream. Also, last week's review of THE FLESH EATERS is now amended with a new graphic and another footnote -- apparently the 'Nazi flashback' scene was in the original release ...

And to end things well, here's some relatively big-deal news: The writing-addicted Tim Lucas has begun an entertaining new daily web column called Video Watchblog. It's worth checking out At this link. Thanks for all the friendly Emails, Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

Well, the above looks like only two entries but Savant went through ten pictures in the last couple of days, so I done my duty, sergeant. The campy horror gem The Flesh Eaters is a pleasant surprise because the semi-obscure movie looks so good on DVD ... we're used to seeing movies of its ilk given flea-bite transfers and other signifiers of low respect. I hope MPI / Dark Sky / Monsters HD finds more of these gems.

Reader Gregory Nicoll forwarded Savant the press release on Warners' Sam Peckinpah's Legendary Westerns Collection, which is indeed coming in January, as Savant's earlier information had claimed. (Finally, a rumor that turned out accurate). All the films will have commentaries and extras in addition to docus and featurettes old and new. Ride the High Country and The Ballad of Cable Hogue will be included in addition to two-disc special editions each of The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Pat Garrett will be presented in two versions, the 1988 Turner Preview version (122 min., presumably the one released on laserdisc) and a newly re-edited 2005 version (115 min.) -- 'based on the director's notes and insights from his colleagues.' We'll have to wait and see what this new re-cut is. Note that it is actually seven minutes shorter than the previous cut.

That will be a disc set worth waiting for (January 10) , especially to see a new enhanced transfer of The Wild Bunch. Thanks again for reading, Glenn Erickson

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Hello from LA. Here's the monster Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection review, which is bound to represent a mixed bag for on-the-fence types wondering if it merits plunking down a big chunk of a paycheck. Savant was able to do some disc comparisons -- a risky activity that's strictly FWP (Fraught With Peril). But even though other more clinically-inclined websites are going over the discs with scientific instruments, Savant's fairly satisfied with his eyeball assessment of their basic quality.

The Val Lewton Collection discs just came in the door and I'm hoping to have them done soon - lots of intriguing new commentaries to listen to! Along with them came a disc of The Flesh Eaters from Dark Sky Films, which appears to be allied with the Monsters HD channel touted by Tim Lucas in recent issues of Video Watchdog. The disc is a keeper without qualification. I'll also try to have that review out as soon as possible. Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

Four fast reviews today .. gotta get out the door!

But I did get a funny -or is it disturbing? - letter today that deserves sharing, from Corey Eubanks:

Hi - Thought you might get a kick out of this little news tidbit out of Utah. A family-friendly Mormon DVD called SONS OF PROVO (from Halestorm Entertainment) was accidentally sent out from the replicator with the Wolfe title ADORED: DIARY OF A PORN STAR on it, much to surprise of many Mormon families. A press release with a recap and a link to the news story, plus a statement from Kathy Wolfe, is below.

To read the text of the news article in the October 4, 2005 edition of the Deseret News, please visit This Link: Cheers, Corey Eubanks

Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson

Savant's new reviews today are

Four fast reviews today .. gotta get out the door!

But I did get a funny -or is it disturbing? - letter today that deserves sharing, from Corey Eubanks:

Hi - Thought you might get a kick out of this little news tidbit out of Utah. A family-friendly Mormon DVD called SONS OF PROVO (from Halestorm Entertainment) was accidentally sent out from the replicator with the Wolfe title ADORED: DIARY OF A PORN STAR on it, much to surprise of many Mormon families. A press release with a recap and a link to the news story, plus a statement from Kathy Wolfe, is below.

To read the text of the news article in the October 4, 2005 edition of the Deseret News, please visit This Link: Cheers, Corey Eubanks

Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson