DVD Talk DVD Reviews

Final Combination

Sun, 04 Dec 2016 13:39:53 UTC

Skip It

Final Combination, from 1993, is yet another movie with an alternate title behind it, never receiving a theatrical release in the US and released to VHS under the title Dead Connection (the title on this disc appears to be the original). With a front cover picture showing a headline that reads "Phone Sex Killer Strikes Again," it looks like the sort of movie you'd see on late-night cable in the 1990s and possibly good for a laugh. Across several states, young women are being found dead in motels, killed and raped in that order. The perpetrator also runs up a huge phone bill each time from calling a phone sex line- "The 69 Line" at 555-6969 (ha! And don't try calling that, kids, as phone numbers beginning with 555 only exist in the movies and other fictional worlds.) After this happens in Los Angeles (since that's the easiest place to shoot a movie) to two girls, one placed by Parker Po...Read the entire review

Below The Belt (1980)

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:40:32 UTC

Rent It

The Movie:

The 1980 lady-wrestling drama Below the Belt has a bit of fun and charm, but is severely lacking in the story department. Character actress Regina Baff is sympathetic as Rosa Rubinsky, a directionless, working-class gal who gives up a concession stand job and a late-night talk radio host boyfriend to hit the road with a stable of colorful lady wrestlers. The film makes a minor effort to distinguish the ladies from each other, but it doesn't really stick. Staring at the cast list, I couldn't rightly tell you which character name belonged to which face.

The main problem is that first-time director Robert Fowler and editor Steven Zaillian (yeah! the guy who wrote Read the entire review

The Mouse on the Moon

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 02:56:36 UTC
Recommended
Pleasantly if mildly satirical, The Mouse on the Moon (1963) adapts Irish author Leonard Wibberley's 1963 novel of the same name, a sequel to his earlier The Mouse That Roared (1955), itself filmed in 1959. British comedies in the Ealing manner had become popular in the U.S., mostly on the art house circuit, and the movie of The Mouse That Roared appears to have been a conscious attempt to find a wider, more mainstream American audience for that type of low-key, eccentric comedy. Columbia Pictures helped finance The Mouse That Roared, and possibly insisted on American leading lady Jean Seberg and American journeyman director Jack Arnold. Their gamble paid off, and the inexpensive movie (probably less than $300,000) was a minor hit, earning around $2 million in the U.S. and Canada.
The Mouse on the Moon once again takes place in the world's tiniest (and fictional) ...Read the entire review

Operation Bikini

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:29:18 UTC
Rent It
A routine World War II meller (as Variety liked to say) about a Navy demolition team's efforts to destroy a wrecked sub before it falls into enemy hands, Operation Bikini (1963) is made much worse than it already is by amateurish direction and a weak, uncharismatic leading performance. Despite a gimmick intended to liven things up, it ranks among producer-distributor AIP's worst movies of the period. Considering AIP also released Reptilicus and Invasion of the Star Creatures around this time, that's no small feat.
An MGM Limited Edition Collection MOD title, the black-and-white Operation Bikini gets a decent 16:9 enhanced widescreen transfer. Three separate color sequences have been retained and are included in their original form.
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Sixpack Annie (M-G-M Limited Edition Collection)

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 03:54:29 UTC
Rent It
Hixploitation lite. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the M-G-M Limited Edition Collection, providing movie hounds like me lots of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Sixpack Annie, the 1975 American International southern-fried drive-in programmer starring stacked Lindsay Bloom and a host of embarrassed costars including Ray Danton, Sid Melton, Joe Higgins, Doodles Weaver, Louisa Moritz, Richard Kennedy, and Stubby Kaye. Now you know I love this kind of crap, and Sixpack Annie does have its (very) minor charms...but it could have been a whole mess better. No extras for this good-looking widescreen transfer.

Good god in the morning does "Sixpack" Annie Bodine (Lindsay Bloom) like tight-fittin' clothes, horny hands a'grabbin' and a'clutchin' at her, and of course a six-pack of Blatz® on ice, ya lightweight Yankee pussies. Ass-b...Read the entire review

Run For The Sun

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:05:27 UTC
Highly Recommended
Yet another (credited) variation on Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game (famously filmed in 1932), Run for the Sun (1956) is a very worthy, intelligent remake with a witty and clever script by Dudley Nichols and director Roy Boulting. The picture, originally a United Artists release, is a curious mix of American and British talent, while the whole show was filmed on locations and sound stages in Mexico, and in SuperScope 235, no less.
MGM's "Limited Edition Collection" manufactured-on-demand release serves the film fairly well. Originally printed by Technicolor, the video transfer is in the standard 2:1 SuperScope ratio rather than the 2.35:1 ratio the process's name (billed prominently in the credits) implies. Regardless, it's at least widescreen with 16:9 enhancement and has strong color.
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Robbers' Roost

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 02:48:09 UTC
Rent It
Distinguished solely by its above average cast, (Zane Grey's) Robbers' Roost (1955) adequately goes through its familiar paces while contributing nothing new to the Western genre, a genre changing fast in the mid-1950s, away from ordinary, old-fashioned oaters such as this. It delivers a decent quotient of action, romance, and intrigue, but that's about it.
However, this MGM "Limited Edition Collection" manufactured-on-demand release is at least presented adequately. The Eastman Color film (original prints by DeLuxe) is 1.78:1 widescreen with 16:9 enhancement, with the opening titles pillar-boxed to around 1.66:1. The film elements show a fair amount of wear, but nothing terribly distracting.

Mysterious loner Tex (George Montgomery), actually Jim Wall, a ...Read the entire review

The Cat Burglar (1961)

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:20:51 UTC
Recommended
Neat, tidy little "B" rip-off of Pickup on South Street. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, which caters to movie fans looking for hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released The Cat Burglar, the 1961 Gene Corman indie production released by United Artists, and starring a host of familiar "B" movie and television faces: Jack Hogan, June Kenney, John Baer, Will J. White, Bruno VeSota, Tommy Ivo, and Billie Bird. Written by actor Leo Gordon, and directed by ace journeyman William Witney, The Cat Burglar doesn't improve on director Samuel Fuller's more famous noir classic...but it moves quickly at 65 minutes, and tells its familiar story with some punch. No bonuses for this full-screen black and white transfer.
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The Outside Man (1972)

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:08:36 UTC
Highly Recommended
Low-key, dreamy French noir thriller with an intriguing, high-powered cast. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, which caters to movie lovers who crave hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released The Outside Man (original title Un homme est mort, the 1972 suspenser from director Jacques Deray, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Ann-Margret, Roy Scheider, Angie Dickinson, Georgia Engel, Michel Constantin, Jackie Earle Haley (in his big-screen debut), and famed noir alumnus Ted de Corsia in his final movie role. Shot on location in Los Angeles, The Outside Man doesn't offer anything particularly new in the way of noir exposition or mise en scene, but The Outside Man does what it does with sleepy dispatch, and with an interesting, neurasthenic feel to it that fits right in with the dro...Read the entire review

Tomahawk Trail

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:44:53 UTC
Rent It
Routine but reasonably entertaining for what it is, Tomahawk Trail (1956) is a Lost Patrol-type B-Western yarn, about a U.S. Cavalry sergeant (Chuck Connors) taking charge of things when his inexperienced West Point-trained lieutenant proves totally incompetent. The results are predictable but like other Bel-Air productions for United Artists, it has a good cast and it's in the capable hands of prolific B-Western helmer Lesley Selander, who eventually directed some 127 features, of which 107 were Westerns.
As with all their other Bel-Air titles, this MGM "Limited Edition Collection" manufactured-on-demand release is presented full frame when it should be 16:9 enhanced widescreen. Likewise, the transfer is grainy and dull at the same time. With no extras and a running time of barely more than an hour, its $19.98 SRP is not exactly a bargain.
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Sergeant Deadhead

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:28:03 UTC
Rent It
Absolutely necessary for A.I.P. fans...but the end results are only fair-to-middling. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of providing hard-to-find library and cult titles, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Sergeant Deadhead, the 1965 comedy from American International Pictures starring Frankie Avalon and Deborah Walley, with a socko supporting cast: Cesar Romero, Fred Clark, Gale Gordon, Reginald Gardiner, Harvey Lembeck, Pat Buttram, Buster Keaton, and Eve Arden. Another unsuccessful attempt to launch Avalon into his own series-within-the-Beach Party-series, Sergeant Deadhead has its moments whenever that expert supporting cast gets off a good throwaway line or reaction shot, or when Avalon hams it up a bit...but truth be told for this dedicated "Beach Party" series fan, it needed better jokes and songs. No extras for this nice wide...Read the entire review

Sinful Davey

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:20:23 UTC
Highly Recommended
Playful, light-hearted period romp from director John Huston. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Sinful Davey, the 1969 United Artists release from Mirisch Films, based rather loosely on the "true" adventures of David Haggart, starring John Hurt, Pamela Franklin, Nigel Davenport, Ronald Fraser, and Robert Morley. Box-office dud Sinful Davey didn't do a thing to pull director John Huston out of his 1960s career spiral when critics unfavorably compared it to Tony Richardson's Tom Jones. Seen today, however, Sinful Davey is bouncy and low-key charming―a "lark," if you will, that doesn't seem to fit in with Huston's darker works from this stage of his career (at least on the surface...). An original trailer is included in this good-looking transfe...Read the entire review

Savage Sisters (1974)

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:35:19 UTC
Recommended
Tame but amusing Filipino "women-in-prison" exploiter. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Savage Sisters, the 1974 indie released by American International Pictures, starring Gloria Hendry, Cheri Caffaro, Rosanna Ortiz, John Ashley, Sid Haig, Eddie Garcia, and Vic Diaz. Anyone looking for outright sleaze will be disappointed by this shoulda-been-PG-rated adventure opus...but it moves along quite nicely thanks to legendary Filipino director Eddie Romero, with a spoofy sense of humor that helps make up for all that curiously missing T & A. An original trailer (selling the movie as really kick-ass) is included in this nice-looking transfer.

An unnamed banana republic that everyone swears to God isn't the Philippines, President Marcos. Corrupt General Balthazar (...Read the entire review

Hornets' Nest (1970)

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:22:16 UTC
Highly Recommended
"Everybody pays!"

Interesting, little-seen mid-scale WWII actioner with some disturbing themes. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, for hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Hornets' Nest, the 1970 United Artists release starring Rock Hudson, Sylva Koscina, Sergio Fantoni, and Mark Colleano. Directed in typical tough-guy fashion by Phil Karlson, Hornets' Nest provides the usual quota of late-sixties WWII action, along with some intriguing asides about the psychological effects of brutal, no-holds-barred warfare. An original trailer is included in this good-looking transfer.

Reanoto, Italy, 1944. Cold, calculating S.S. Major Taussig (Jacques Sernas) has lined up the...Read the entire review

Hell Boats

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:27:31 UTC
Recommended
Workaday WWII adventure. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find library and cult titles, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Hell Boats, the 1970 WWII naval actioner from Mirisch Films' Oakmont Productions and released by United Artists, starring James Franciscus, Ronald Allen, Elizabeth Shepherd, and Reuven Bar-Yotam. Directed by talented Paul Wendkos, Hell Boats' romantic triangle is languidly, hypnotically trite, but the sporadic action is okay in this junior-grade Guns of Navarone. No extras for this nice-looking widescreen transfer.

Lieutenant Commander Jeffords, R.N.V.R. (James Franciscus), an American fighting with the British Royal Navy since 1937 (his mother was English), has cruel-but-neces...Read the entire review

Inside Out (1986)

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:42:37 UTC
Highly Recommended
"What's the matter? Don't you go out anymore?"

Quietly harrowing little interior drama, with an assured performance by Elliott Gould. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, for hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Inside Out, the 1986 drama from M-G-M, written and directed by Robert Taicher, and starring Elliott Gould, Howard Hesseman, Jennifer Tilly, Beah Richards, and Dana Elcar. A small, claustrophobic film that uses agoraphobia as its framework for some subtle commentary on modern life today, Inside Out probably got lost in all the turmoil when M-G-M was thought to be going bankrupt in 1986...but I doubt it would have achieved the level of acceptance that say, James L. Brooks' similar, slicker, sunnier As Good As It Gets did eleven years later: there's no "fun" to be had here at all. ...Read the entire review

Busting

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:51:41 UTC
DVD Talk Collector Series
"You guys have been watching too many moving picture films."

An overlooked gem from the violent, cynical '70s...and a personal favorite of mine. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, for hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Busting, the 1974 buddy cop actioner from United Artists, written and directed Peter Hyams, and starring Elliott Gould, Robert Blake, Allen Garfield, Antonio Fargas, Michael Lerner, and Sid Haig. Terrifically exciting and completely depressing in equal doses, Busting's suffocating pessimism about "law and order," and where two ordinary cops fit into that rigged system, is relentless; this one ranks right up there with the other greats from that "golden decade" of cop movies. An original trailer is included in this okay widescreen transfer.
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Something Wild (1961)

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:02:25 UTC
Highly Recommended
Disturbing; at times mesmerizing and perplexing. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of providing hard-to-find cult and library titles on discs has released Something Wild, the 1961 indie drama released through United Artists, starring Carroll Baker, Ralph Meeker, Mildred Dunnock, Martin Kosleck, Doris Roberts, and Jean Stapleton. A harsh, uncompromising look at the aftermath of a vicious rape gives way unexpectedly to a strange, dreamy (and to some viewers, repellant) hostage/romance plot, shot on the seamy streets of New York, and featuring two remarkable performances by the lead actors. No extras for this black and white full-screen transfer.

New York City college student Mary Ann Robinson (Carroll Baker) is coming home from school one eve...Read the entire review

The Bed-Sitting Room

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:03:14 UTC
Highly Recommended
"We'll just have to keep going."
"What for?"
"We're British."

Alternately hilarious and quite chilling (and finally depressing) ultra-black sci-fi comedy. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released The Bed-Sitting Room, the 1969 United Artist release directed by Richard Lester, based on the play by comedian and co-star Spike Milligan and John Antrobus, and starring Ralph Richardson, Michael Hordern, Arthur Lowe, Rita Tushingham, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Mona Washbourne, Harry Secombe, Roy Kinnear, and Marty Feldman. A notorious flop during its original release, The Bed-Sitting Room has developed a minor cult following, perhaps more for the appearance of so many iconic British comedy stars (Cook and Moore are probably the main drivers of that here), rather than for the frequently uncomfortable material....Read the entire review

Hannibal Brooks

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:43:03 UTC
Highly Recommended
Captivating, offbeat WWII adventure. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released Hannibal Brooks, the 1969 Michael Winner-directed charmer from United Artists, written by Dick Clement and Ian Lafrenais (purportedly based in part on a true story), and starring Oliver Reed, Michael J. Pollard, Wolfgang Preiss, Helmut Lohner, Peter Carsten, Karin Baal, and Aida the Elephant as Lucy. Part animal picture, part WWII spoof, part anti-war film, part pro-war film, Hannibal Brooks puzzled audiences and critics back in '69; its gentle, even quizzical attitude about the horrors of war is as effective as its farcical spoofing and its genuinely touching love story between a soldier and an elephant. An original trailer is included in this good-looking widescreen transfer.
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The First Time (1969)

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:43:03 UTC
Recommended
Innocuous, forgettable "coming of age" dramedy featuring two of the Eight Wonders of the World in 1969: Niagara Falls, and a heartbreakingly beautiful Jackie Bisset. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find cult and library titles, the Limited Edition Collection, has released The First Time, the 1969 programmer from the Mirisch Company, released by United Artists, and starring Jacqueline Bisset, West Stern, Rick Kelman, and Wink Roberts. Some good (but excessive) location work in Canada pushes The First Time dangerously close to travelogue status, but the dirty-minded-but-spotlessly-clean script may prove mildly agreeable if you want to spend an hour and a half in the company of lovely Jackie. An original trailer (with a different title) is included here on this terrific-looking transfer.
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The Savage Wild

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:09:33 UTC
Highly Recommended
Entertaining, gorgeously-photographed nature "docudrama." M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released The Savage Wild, the 1970 documentary released by American International Pictures, and narrated, produced, directed and lensed by famed nature photographer and outdoorsman Gordon Eastman (who also stars here and writes a song if that isn't enough for you). Nothing too savage happens here in this relatively straightforward look at some cute (but vicious) wolf cubs in the Yukon territory, so kids and families will be the best bet for this enjoyable, informative indie from way, way back. No extras for this terrific-looking transfer.

The Savage Wild's "story," if you will, concerns...Read the entire review

A Small Town In Texas

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:36:52 UTC
Rent It
Watchable exploitation actioner...but only just. M-G-M's own cool M.O.D. service, the Limited Edition Collection, has released A Small Town in Texas, the 1976 American International flick starring Timothy Bottoms, Susan George, and Bo Hopkins, and helmed by Race With the Devil's Jack Starrett. A cleanly-directed, straightforward revenge story...with almost no context, A Small Town in Texas sported some wowzer car stunts (for 1976, at least), and a good turn by evil Hopkins...but that's about all, disappointing drive-in fans then and now who expect some hard-core action and a little T & A from this kind of set-up. No extras for this good-looking transfer.

Former high school football star and now ex-con "Poke" Jackson (Timo...Read the entire review

Impasse (1969)

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:37:17 UTC
Recommended
Another Aubrey Schenck-produced sweaty he-man action adventure, ripped from the pages of Argosy and For Men Only. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Impasse, the 1969 actioner from United Artists starring Burt Reynolds, Anne Francis, Miko Mayama, Lyle Bettger, Rodolfo Acosta, and Jeff Corey. With evocative Philippine location work and a no-nonsense approach to the straightforward heist plot, Impasse delivers pulpy genre work that's entirely respectable. No extras for this good-looking transfer.

Zamboanga Marine Traders' owner Pat Morrison (Burt Reynolds) isn't satisfied with hawking pearls stolen by his married mistress, Mariko (Miko Mayama). He's sitting o...Read the entire review

Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:41:25 UTC
Skip It
Pussycat, pussycat...I don't hate you. I just find you rather desperate and completely unfunny. So please go away. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You, the ersatz "sequel" to Woody Allen's What's New, Pussycat?, released by United Artists in 1970, starring Ian McShane and a godawful Severn Darden, with equally ridiculous John Gavin and Joyce Van Patten inexplicably along for the ride. Anyone who has read even a handful of my other reviews of movies in a similar vein and from the same time period as Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You knows that it doesn't take much in a movie like this to make me happy. So when I write that Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You made me very unhappy...you can believe it. No extras for this good-looking transfer.
...Read the entire review

Diary Of A Bachelor

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:41:25 UTC
Rent It
A "nudie cutie" that's only so-so cutie...and not at all nudie. M-G-M's fun M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Diary of a Bachelor, the minuscule-budgeted indie released by American International Pictures in 1964, directed by famed exploitation producer Sandy Howard, written by Freddie Francis (under a well-advised pseudonym), and starring William Traylor as "The Bachelor." A breezy little dirty joke with just a smidgeon of dirt in it, Diary of a Bachelor could have been a lot more fun had it fully embraced its latent nudie cutie urges, or if it had concentrated on a more interesting bachelor here, played by the marvelous Joe Silver. Still...Diary of a Bachelor moves along quickly enough, it's racier than anything Doris Day was doing at the time, and some of the performances are quite bright―a c...Read the entire review

The Thousand Plane Raid

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:23:40 UTC
Recommended
Low-budget, low-key (and perhaps a tad too familiar) WWII tale, competently directed and performed. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) line of hard-to-find library titles, the Limited Edition Collection, has released The Thousand Plane Raid (the DVD cover lists it as The 1000 Plane Raid), a 1969 war drama from Mirisch Films and United Artists, directed by Boris Sagal and starring Christopher George, Laraine Stephens, Gary Marshal, and a host of familiar movie and TV faces. Those looking for a glossy, star-studded, action-packed, big-budget epic along the lines of 1969's similar Battle of Britain will be disappointed here, but loyal fans of the WWII action genre will probably enjoy it...even if they've seen this all done before. An original trailer is included.
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Vice Squad (1953)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:16:48 UTC
Highly Recommended
Entertaining, at times even brilliant little noir "B" programmer. M-G-M's M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) program, the Limited Edition Collection, has released Vice Squad, the 1953 United Artists police procedural from celebrated producers Levy-Gardner-Laven, starring Edward G. Robinson, Paulette Goddard, Porter Hall, Adam Williams, Edward Binns, and Lee Van Cleef. Setting out to portray one hectic day in the life of a L.A. Captain of Detectives, Vice Squad expertly juggles several storylines, creating quite a bit of suspense―and humor―as old pro Robinson sets those lazy reptilian eyes in a perpetual squint, sneering at the various criminals, lawyers, and politicians who make his impossible job all the more difficult. No extras for this good-looking transfer.
Read the entire review

The Big Caper

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:07:33 UTC
Highly Recommended
Trim little "B" noir...with a nicely perverse subtext. M-G-M's increasingly valuable M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) program, the Limited Edition Collection, has released The Big Caper, the 1957 crime meller based on Lionel White's pulp thriller, directed by Robert Stevens and starring Rory Calhoun, Mary Costa, James Gregory, and Corey Allen. Directed with an eye for economical terseness by "Dollar Bills" producers Howard B. Pine and William C. Thomas, The Big Caper isn't as well known as The Killing, Stanley Kubrick's 1956 adaptation of another White heist novel...but it delivers the crime action goods while giving a deviant little poke in the eye to pop culture's stereotypical view of 1950s America. No extras for this razor-sharp transfer.
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Enter the Ninja

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:55:19 UTC
Recommended
THE PROGRAM
Golan-Globus, what more could one really say about the iconic 80s B-movie purveyors that hasn't already been said? While the duo were responsible for producing many memorable pieces of 80s schlock, Menahem Golan himself directed a few classics himself including "The Delta Force" and "Over the Top." However, before these two successes and the success of Golan-Globus' tenure at Cannon Films at large, Golan directed a relatively small 1981 film that launched a series of thematic sequels and the B-movie career of Sho Kusugi with "Enter the Ninja."
Those who know the name Sho Kosugi generally come to expect absurd but satisfying ninja action, but "Enter the Ninja" is not a Kosugi vehicle, instead it employs the efforts of Spaghetti Western icon Franc...Read the entire review

Incident In An Alley

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:11:09 UTC
Rent It
THE MOVIE:

Incident in an Alley is a tightly made independent film from the start of the 1960s that, despite its adherence to fairly straightforward genre construction (or perhaps because of it), is entirely forgettable. Directed by B-movie stalwart Robert E. Kent (It! The Terror from Beyond Space) and based on a short story by The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, the movie details a fairly standard police story, following one cop's crises after a bad night on the beat.
Officer Bill Jody (Chris Warfield) and his partner are out looking for a gang of thieves who robbed a musi...Read the entire review

Golden Needles

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:11:09 UTC
Highly Recommended
Completely, deliciously, crazy. M-G-M's Limited Edition Collection of M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) cult and little-seen titles has released Golden Needles, the 1974 chop socky opus released by American International, directed by none other than Enter the Dragon's Robert Clouse, and starring human cement mixer Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Ashley, Ann Southern, Jim Kelly, and Burgess Meredith. That particular cast, starring in that particular genre of movie, should be enough right there to get your fingers flying over the keyboard to order this...this bizarre film. A genuine curiosity, in a fairly good transfer...but no extras.

Hong Kong, 1974. Los Angeles southern belle Felicity (Elizabeth Ashley) has a contract to fulfill: ...Read the entire review

Devil's Angels

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:51:00 UTC
Highly Recommended
"Violence is their God... and they hunt in a pack like rabid dogs!"
"Get out of their way...if you can!"

And a good time was had by all. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) service of hard-to-find library and cult titles has released Devil's Angels, the 1967 American International Pictures biker flick from producer Roger Corman starring John Cassavetes, Beverly Adams, Mimsy Farmer, Leo Gordon, and Buck Taylor. Written by AIP master-in-residence, Charles Griffith, Devil's Angels doesn't blow its cool until its nasty, brief ending, building up a good head of steam through solid scripting and performances. No extras for this okay widescreen transfer.

Dig. Punk-ass Gage (Buck Taylor) wasted a "civilian" on his hog, and then he ...Read the entire review

Malone (1987)

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:31:42 UTC
Recommended
"I'm Malone."
"You got a first name?"
"Yeah."

Perfectly acceptable maloney. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) line of hard-to-find library titles, the M-G-M Limited Edition Collection, has released Malone, the 1987 actioner from Orion Pictures starring Burt Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, Lauren Hutton, Cynthia Gibb, Scott Wilson, and Kenneth McMillan. Rather straightforward, with a somber, low-key Reynolds, Malone plays more like TV than the big screen, with various 80s action film cliches intact, but not too overly-done. No extras for this okay transfer.

Covert CIA assassin "Richard Malone" (Burt Reynolds) can't hack it anymore. Sick of killing, he's failed in his last two assignments, and he tells his fellow ...Read the entire review

Kill A Dragon

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:31:42 UTC
Recommended
Hong Kong phooey. M-G-M's own M.O.D. (manufactured on demand) line of hard-to-find library titles, the M-G-M Limited Edition Collection, has released Kill a Dragon, the 1967 United Artists cheapie Hong Kong actioner starring huffers and puffers Jack Palance, Fernando Lamas, Aldo Ray, and Don Knight. Some great location work in Hong Kong, along with the fun of seeing Palance shooting for James Bond (and not even hitting Dino's Matt Helm)...but a lot more action would have sure helped this combo Casablanca/Seven Samurai pastiche. An original trailer is included in this just-okay transfer.

He-man Hong Kong expatriate Rick Masters (Jack Palance) does a little bit of salvaging with his boat, and a whole lot of lovin' on the docks, most...Read the entire review