Showing posts with label DVD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DVD. Show all posts

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Midnight Horror Review: The Hole in the Ground


Rated R; $19.98; Amazon
There are not very many horror movies that can actually give me the hibbie jibbies. Sure, last year's A Quite Place and the Halloween reboot sequel were scary fun, but I was never once on the edge of my seat. However, that wasn't the case with the supernatural psychology The Hole in the Ground, which will land on DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment on April 30th! My expectations are always pretty low for horror films that I've never heard of before, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn the movie is truly frightening!

Directed and co-written by Lee Cronin, the 90-minute movie centers around Sarah O'Neill (played brilliantly by Seána Kerslake), a young woman who flees from her abusive husband to the Irish countryside along with her young son Chris (played by James Quinn Markey). Upon arriving at their new home, Chris disappears during the night and later reappears perfectly fine. Or is he?


After an odd encounter with their neighbors,Des and Noreen Brady (played by James Cosmo and Kati Outinen), Sarah starts to wonder if there's something not quire with her son, who isn't quite acting like himself. She fears something else from the beyond has replaced Chris. Scared for her life, Sarah is determined to learn the truth, which is somehow connected to the huge sinkhole located in the forest near their home.


Final Thoughts

Friday, April 12, 2019

Midnight Horror Review: Apocalypse: 4 in 1 Collection



Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon
Yes, I know it's been awhile since my last Midnight Horror Review, but between putting my grandmother in a nursing home, moving her belongings into a storage unit, and dealing with a flu/ cold bug, I haven't had a lot to time to watch any horror flicks until a few nights ago when I binged watched the Apocalypse: 4 in 1 Collection DVD (Not Rated; $19.98; 5 hrs 49 mins), which will be released on April 16th by Mill Creek Entertainment. The two-disc set features four made-for-SyFy television movies: Arachnoquake, Ghostquake, Miami Magma, and Weather Wars. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Let's start with the best first and work my way down to the worst that this release has to offer!

Arachnoquake first aired on SyFy in 2012. It's a B-spider flick from director G.E. Furst, who also serves as supervising producer for the other three titles on this release. Plus, Furst also acts in the movies as well. Ignore Arachnoquake's 2.9 rating on IMDb as the movie isn't that bad. It stars Bug Hall, Tracey Gold, Edward Furlong, Dane Rhodes, and Ethan Phillips. The plot centers around a dangerous species of giant fire-breathing spiders being unleashed after several earthquakes occur in New Orleans. An alcoholic tour guide ends up leading a group of tourists in a quest to kill the "queen" spider, who basically controls the life of all the other spiders.

Ghostquake aired on SyFy in 2012 under the title Haunted High. Jeffery Scott Lando directed this horror-comedy, which stars M.C. Gainey, Lauren Whitney Pennington, Jonathan Baron, Mark Donato, Shawn Phillips, and Danny Trejo. Charisma Carpenter has a cameo as a librarian. The plot centers around a time capsule at a private high school being knocked open, which releases the ghosts of a cult leader, Danforth, and his female assistant. Danforth unleashes a series of supernatural earthquakes that traps several students and teachers inside the school.

Weather Wars aired on SyFy in 2011 under the title Storm War. Directed by Todor Chapkanov, the disaster flick stars Jason London, Wes Brown, Erin Cahill, and Stacy Keach. The plot is ridiculously dumb! It involves a recently fired scientist seeking revenge on the government by unleashing a series of dangerous lighting strikes across Washington D.C. Only two people in the entire city who can stop him are his estranged sons!

Miami Magma aired on SyFy in 2011. Directed by Todor Chapkanov, this boring disaster flick stars Rachel Hunter, Cleavant Derricks, Melissa Ordway, Griff Furst, and Brad Dourif (more like a cameo). Thanks to an oil company that's been illegally drilling, a super-volcano erupts underneath Miami. Vulcanologist Antoinette Vitrini (played by Rachel Hunter) and her much younger sister attempt to expose the oil company.

Final Thoughts

Monday, March 18, 2019

DVD Review: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles


AMAZON
If you've been following my for blog for the past 10 years, then you would know I've been a big of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since 1987. Like many kids growing up in the late 1980s, I watched the original TMNT animated series. While the cartoon has unfortunately aged quite a bit over years, it's still my favorite TMNT series; though, I did enjoy the 2012 computer-animated series.

Last year, Nickelodeon debuted the fourth TMNT animated series, titled Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,which is oddly similar to the first episode of the 2012 series, Rise of the Turtles. The pilot episode, Mystic Mayhem, was also released "free" on YouTube. Since I love anything that is free, I did watch Mystic Mayhem when it debuted. Let's just say the new animation style didn't appeal to me right away, as well as the many unnecessary character changes; so I made no attempt to watch the new series. That being said, after seeing the art cover for the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD, my interest was reignited and I thought it would give the series another chance.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

DVD Review: Lonesome Dove


MILL CREEK ENT. * AMAZON
Thanks to an ice storm, I had nothing better to do in last two days than to watch the miniseries Lonesome Dove (6 hours 13 minutes; $14.98), which will be re-released on a 2-disc DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment on February 19th.

The 1989 miniseries is based on the novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry, which was inspired by failed movie script McMurtry had co-wrote with Peter Bogdanovich that originally attended to star John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and James Stewart. Of course the "film version" never occurred resulting in McMurtry writing the novel, which was published in 1985. William D. Wittliff adapted the book for television with Simon Wincer in the director's chair.

The miniseries' cast includes Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Robert Urich, Diane Lane, Anjelica Houston, Steve Buscemi, Tim Scott, D.B. Sweeney, Rick Schroder, Chris Cooper, and Frederic Forrest.

Lonesome Dove centers around two former Texas Rangers, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call (played by Duvall and Lee), leading a cattle drive from Lonesome Dove, Texas to Montana. Along for the ride with them is Jake Spoon (played by Urich), an ex-Texas Ranger; Lorena Wood (played by Lane), a prostitute trying to escape to a better life; Joshua Deets (played by Glover), a former Texas Ranger scout; Pea Eye Parker (played by Scott), another ex-Texas Ranger; Newt Dobbs (played by Schroder), Call's illegitimate son; and Dishwater Boggett (played by Sweeney), the ramrod of the trail herd.


Final Thoughts

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

DVD Review: Robin Hood Origins: 5 Classic Films


Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon
Come on! I know everyone has heard of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw from the English folklore who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. The character has appeared in countless novels, comic books, plays, television series, and feature films!

Speaking of feature films, Mill Creek Entertainment just released Robin Hood Origins ($14.98), which features 5 classic movies, though only four involve Robin Hood. (All explain more of that later!). The five films are split up on two discs, so don't expect excellent film quality. There are no special features or bonus extras.

The fives films are:

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946; 87 minutes) - Based on the novel Son of Robin Hood by Paul A. Castleton, the film centers on Robin Hood's son (played by Cornel Wilde) leading the Merry Men to rescue the King of England, who happens to be a kid.

The Prince of Thieves (1948; 72 minutes) - Based on Le Prince des voleurs by Alexandre Dumas, the film centers on Robin Hood (played by John Hall) teaming up with Sir Allan Claire and  Lady Marian Claire to rescue Sir Allan's bride-to-be, Lady Christabel, who is being forced by her father to marry someone else.

The Black Arrow (1947; 76 minutes) - Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson, the film centers around Richmond Shelton (played by Louis Hayward) returning home after fighting in the War of the Roses. Upon arriving at his family's home, he learns the estate has been claimed by his uncle, Sir Daniel Brackley (played by George Macready), who just happens to be his father's murderer. Shelton ends up leading a small army against his uncle and his minions.

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950; 80 minutes) - Directed by Gordon Douglas, the film centers on Robin, Earl of Huntington (played by John Derek), a.k.a - the son of Robin Hood, taking over his father's legacy by leading the Merry Men against King John.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960; 80 minutes) - Produced by Hammer Film Productions, the film has Richard Greene reprising his role as Robin Hood from 1955 - 1959 British television series The Adventures of Robin Hood, though none of other cast-members return for the movie. Robin and his Merry Men try to expose the Sheriff of Nottingham's (played by Peter Cushing) wicked plot of attempting to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury.


Final Thoughts

Monday, January 21, 2019

DVD Review: The Oath


AMAZON

Released this month to DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the dark-comedy The Oath (Rated R; 93 minutes).

Ike Barinholtz wrote, produced, and directed the movie, as well as starring a the main character. The film also stars Tiffany Haddish, Nora Dunn, Chris Ellis, Jon Barinholtz, Meredith Hagner, Carrie Brownstein, Billy Magnussen, and John Cho.

Set in a way-too-realistic future, the plot involves the United States President making the citizens sign a “The Patriot’s Oath," which means you have to vow to stay loyal to the President, no matter what he does. Despite objections, almost everyone citizen has signs the oath; well, except for Chris and Kai (played by Barinholts and Haddish), a suburban couple.

While hosting Thanksgiving dinner for their family, two government agents (played by Cho and Magnussen) arrive at their home to bully them into singing the oath. The deadline for the "The Patriot's Oath" is the very next day, Black Friday, and the agents are there to make sure they sign the oath! However, things don't go as planned, which results in Chris and family taking the agents hostage.

Special Features include:
  • Deleted Scenes
  • 2 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
    • "Fake News or Facts"
    • "Turkey Day Trauma"
  • Photo Gallary
  • Theatrical Trailer


Final Thoughts

Monday, December 10, 2018

DVD Review: Stan Lee and Kevin Smith Save the World!



Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Just like many other comic books fans, I was heartbroken when the legendary Stan Lee passed away last month. Shortly after learning about his death it dawned on me that I own a copy of the DVD "Stan Lee & Kevin Smith Save the World!" which was released by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2017.

The DVD includes:

An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002; Not Rated; 234 minutes) - Director/Actor Kevin Smith appeared at several American universities in 2001 and 2002 to answer questions from college students about film making. He also shares stories with them.

An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006; Not Rated; 239 minutes) - Split into parts by cities, Kevin Smith heads to Toronto and London for a Q&A with his fans, where he talks about his films.

Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters and Marvels (2002; Not Rated; 95 minutes) - Filmed in February 2002, Kevin Smith talks in-depth to comic book legend Stan Lee at a comic book store in Santa Monica, California, where Stan Lee discusses creating Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Fantasy Four, and other superheroes. The documentary is presented in two parts and features rare photos and iconic images.



Final Thoughts

Thursday, December 6, 2018

DVD Review: The Lady Musketeer


Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Probably almost everyone has heard of The Three Musketeers. And, no, I'm not referring to the candy bar. I'm talking about the 1844 novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas père, which has spawned over twenty film adaptations and thirteen animated adaptations. 

My favorite Three Musketeer movie is the 1973 film directed by Richard Lester and starred Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, and Michael York. Two sequels, The Fourth Musketeer and The Return of the Musketeers, were later made. Michael York played Jacques d'Artagnan in those three films and would later reprise the character for the 2004 miniseries The Lady Musketeer (La Femme Musketeer), which was released to DVD + Digital from Mill Creek Entertainment earlier this year. 

Directed by Steve Boyum, the film centers around
Valentine D'Artagnan, Jacques' daughter, traveling to Paris to become a musketeer. Thanks to an introduction letter written by her father, she is easily accepted as a new recruit by Commander Finot (played Roy Dotrice). However, due to her gender, the original three musketeer son's (Etienne Aramis, Antoine Porthos, and Gaston Athos) aren't as accepting.

A woman has never been titled a "swordsman," so Valentine must prove to everyone that she is just as good as her father.



Final Thoughts

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Holiday Gift Guide: Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection





Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

During my childhood I would watch one or two older movies on AMC (before they had commercials) every weekend, which a few of my favorites were the Blondie & Dagwood films, Tarzan serials, and the Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis comedies. Besides from the Blondie films, the others are hardly ever aired on cable anymore, but luckily for me most of them are available to own on DVD.

Early this year, Mill Creek Entertainment released the Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection (Not Rated; 29 hours 18 minutes; $29.98), which contains three separate releases -  Comedy Triple Feature with Jerry Lewis, Comedy Double Feature with Dean Martin, and Televisions Greatest Comedy Tea with Marty & Lewis.

Comedy Triple Feature with Jerry Lewis features the following films:


  • Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1967; G) - Jerry Lewis stars as George Lester, an American con artist who married a rich British woman. After turning his wife's home into casino, she threatens to leave him, so he comes up with a scheme to win her back.
  • Hook, Line & Sinker (1969; G) Jerry Lewis stars as Peter Ingersoll, a former insurance salesman who believes he doesn't have much time to live. He maxes out his credit cards and takes a fishing trip.
  • Three on a Couch (1966; Not Rated) Jerry Lewis stars as Christopher Pride, a businessman who is soon to be moving to Paris for a year. He wants his fiance Dr. Elizabeth Acord (played by Janet Leigh) to go with him, but she is dedicated to three of her patients, who are all single women with relationship troubles. He takes it upon himself to get each of her patients to fall in love with him, so they will no longer need Elizabeth as their shrink.

Comedy Double Feature with Dean Martin features the following movies:


  • Who Was That Lady? (1959; Not Rated) - The film involves Dean Martin helping his best friend David (played by Tony Curtis) come up with an outrageous excuse to explain to his wife (played by Janet Leigh) why he was kissing a younger woman in his office.
  • How To Save A Marriage And Ruin Your Life (1967; Not Rated) - Dean Martin plays David Sloane, who is best friends with Harry Hunter (played by Eli Wallach). Harry has been having affair for quite some time, but wants to put end to the relationship to help save his marriage. This is where David decides to do him a favor by giving Harry's mistress a better offer. However, due to a misunderstanding David ends up wooing the wrong the woman.

Television Greatest Comedy Team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis contains over 20 hours of their performances from the Colgate Comedy Hour, a variety show that aired from 1950 to 1955. Guest stars include Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Dorothy Dandridge, Burt Lancaster, and Rosemary Clooney.

Final Thoughts

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Holiday Gift Guide: Mary Higgins Clark: 14 Film Collection





Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Mary Higgins Clark is one of most beloved modern mystery writers. Soon to be 91-years-old next month, "The Queen of Suspense" has sold over 100 million copies of her novels in the U.S. alone.

Many of her books have been turned into movies over the years.

Earlier this year, Mill Creek Entertainment released the six-disc DVD set Mary Higgins Clark: 14 Film Collection ($29.98), featuring four theatrical film adaptations and ten made-for-television movies.

The titles on the DVD set include:


Where Are The Children?
(R; 97 minutes)
The Cradle Will Fall
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
Lucky Day
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
Loves Music, Loves To Dance
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
All Around The Town
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
Pretend You Don't See Her
(PG-13; 93 minutes)
You Belong To Me
 (PG-13; 93 minutes)
We'll Meet Again
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
I'll Be Seeing You
(PG-13; 93 minutes)
Before I Say Goodbye
(PG-13; 94 minutes)
Haven't We Met Before
(R; 94 minute)
Try To Remember
(R; 94 minutes)
A Crime Of Passion
(PG-13; 95 minutes)
He Sees you When You're Sleeping
(PG; 95 minutes)




Final Thoughts

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Midnight Horror Review: #FromJennifer


Welcome midnighters and horror lovers to my Midnight Horror Review.


AMAZON
On a rare occasion I will receive a product, book, or even a movie out of the blue; something that I had never requested to review. Back in the spring of 2017, I had received three horror DVDs from Sector 5 Films, which one of those titles happened to #FromJennifer. Out of the three, this horror comedy is the only one that I had actually watched at the time, but I never got around to writing the review for it. The envelope which contained these DVDs got lost, well, until I stumbled upon while cleaning last week.

Produced, written, and directed by Frank Merle, #FromJennifer (80 minutes) stars Danielle Taddei, Tony Todd, Derek Mears, Aaron Abrams, and Meghan Deanna Smith.

The film centers around Jennifer Peterson (played by Danielle Taddei), a struggling actress who was recently fired from a horror film. Her manager (played by Tony Todd) suggests she should start a video blog to gain some fans and maybe even get the attention of a few producers and directors.

Shortly after uploading her first vlog to the world, her manager dumps her because of a rumored sex tape, which was released by her ex-boyfriend. Feeling humiliated and betrayed, Jennifer sets out to make a "'Revenge Porn Revenge" video, which she gets a bit of help from her new assistant, Butch (played by Derek Mears), a clueless idiot who is very loyal to her cause.



Final Thoughts

I guess technically #FromJennifer is third the installment in Section 5 Films' Jennifer series, which started with To Jennifer in 2013 and followed by 2 Jennifer in 2016. #From Jennifer is standalone film and is only connected to the other films by name, which is a good thing as those films sucked!

Despite it's low budget, questionable acting, and silly plot, #FromJennifer is somewhat entertaining at times. While there isn't much horror in the film, there's plenty of blood to go around. Derek Mears as the doofus sidekick is the best part of the movie. Horror legend Tony Todd is in it for only a few minutes as Jennifer's manager.

Overall, #FromJennifer is a surprisingly likeable horror comedy. If you don't expect too much from the film, you might actually enjoy watching it.



*Note - I received a review copy from the studio.
All opinion are my own.





Saturday, November 24, 2018

DVD Review: Anime: 3 - Series Collection


Mill Creek Entertainment; AMAZON
Every Saturday morning during the late 1980s and early 1990s, I would wake up early, get a bowl of sugary cereal, sit in front of the television set, and watch mindless animated bliss. Well, that was back when network TV actually aired cartoons.

While there are still cartoons being aired on cable channels, as an adult, I have no interest in watching any of them.

Why the change of heart?

I just don't care very much for today's animation styles and many of the new cartoons are way too silly for me.

This morning I found myself watching a few episodes on the Anime: 3-Series Collection DVD (NOT RATED; 13 hours 52 minutes; $24.98), which was released earlier this year by Mill Creek Entertainment. The 3-disc set includes Ultra Violet: Code 044, Kurozuka, and Viper's Creed.

Ultraviolet: Code 044 is based on the 2006 dystopian science fiction film Ultraviolet starring Milla Jovovich. Created by Madhouse animation studio, the series is centered around 044, a nineteen-year-old female super-solider who was genetically manipulated by a virus which gives her superhuman abilities. The only downside is that her life expectancy is reduced significantly. During the series 12-epsiode run, 044 goes on a mission to destroy the outlaw group Phage.


Based on the Japanese novel of the same name by Baku Yumemakura, Kurozuka is a 12-part series centering around a swordsman named Kuro who falls in love with Kurozuka, a vampire. After being attacked by the Red Imperial Army, Kurozuka attempts to turn an injured Kuro into an immortal. However, things don't go as planned. Kuro awakens to find himself in a future post-nuclear Japan that is controlled by the Red Army.


Viper's Creed is a a mecha action anime series that aired for a few episodes in 2009 (or was it 2008?) before being pulled from the air due to low ratings. Only 12 episodes were produced. The series is set in a post WWIII world where an environmental catastrophe has caused the world's cities to flood. To help rebuild civilization, the governments hired PMCs (Private Military Corporations) to enforce the law. One of the PMC units is called Argon Global Security Corporation, which uses an elite military unit, Viper, to stop terrorism and other violent crimes in Fort Daiva City.



Final Thoughts

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Midnight Horror Review: Attack of the Killer Donuts


AMAZON

While cleaning up a pile of junk from my desk, I stumbled upon a blank cardboard DVD envelope, which I had no clue what was inside until I actually opened it. To my surprise, inside the envelope was a DVD-R copy of Attack of the Killer Donuts that was sent to me by Level 33 Entertainment. I had completely forgotten about having the movie!

My apologizes to Level 33 Entertainment for my extremely long delay with this review!

Directed by Scott Wheeler, the film stars Justin Ray, Kayla Compton, Ben Heyman, Kassandra Voyagi, Fredrick Burn, C. Thomas Howell, and Michael Swan.

Attack of the Killer Donuts centers around a twenty-something Johnny, a slacker who lives with his mother and Uncle Luther, a scientist. He spends his days working at a local doughnut shop with his friend Michelle, who has a crush on him.

One day Uncle Luther comes into the shop wanting to "borrow" Johnny's laptop and accidentally dumps a green substance into the fryer pan. Unknowingly to them, Johnny and Michelle fry donuts all afternoon that have been infected with the green substance, which reanimates the donuts into murderous creatures.

Nothing can stop the killer donuts from munching on the townsfolk, not even the town's two dumb cops (played by  Fredrick Burn and C. Thomas Howell). It's up to Johnny, Michelle, and Howard (played by Ben Heyman) - Johnny's best friend who happens to be sleeping with his mother - to stop the donuts' killing spree.



Final Thoughts

Friday, November 16, 2018

DVD Review: Born Free: The Complete Collection


Mill Creek Entertainment * AMAZON

Now available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is Born Free: The Complete Collection, featuring the films Born Free (1966; 95 minutes; PG), Living Free (1972; 91 minutes; G), Born Free: A New Adventure (1996; 91 minutes; NOT RATED), and Born Free: The Complete Television Series (1974; 826 minutes). There are no special features on the 4-disc set.

Born Free is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by the late Joy Adamson, it told the true story of George and Joy Adamson (played in the film by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna), who are living in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya when George is forced to kill a lioness. He brings home three female cubs, which they named Big One, Lustica, and Elsa. The two older lioness were eventually sent to the Rotterdam Zoo, but the couple kept Elsa, who they raised as a pet.

After Elsa caused a herd of elephants to stampede through a local village, George and Joy knew they had either two options - send Elsa to a zoo or set her free into wild. Joy is determined that the best choice is to let Elsa be free, but doing so will be a major challenge, as the couple must train Elsa to hunt in the wild.

Living Free takes the title name from Joy Adamson's second book but the plot is actually based on the author's third book, Forever Free. For the sequel, Nigel Davenport and Susan Hampshire take over the roles of George and Joy. After Elsa dies of a sudden illness, the couple make it their mission to teach Elsa's three cubs (Jespah, Gopa and Little Elsa) to hunt in the wild.

Born Free: A New Adventure is a made-for-television movie that aired on ABC in 1996 starring Chris Noth, Jonathan Brandis, and Ariana Richards. The low-budget film has very little to do with the original films. It's more of a modern reboot with a new "Elsa" lioness.

Born Free: The Complete Television Series ignores Living Free and is more of a direct sequel to Born Free. While Elsa the lioness is featured in the episodes, the plots focuses more on George and Joy Adamson's daily struggles to (played by Gary Collins and Muldaur) run a natural reserve in Kenya. The series lasted for only 13 episodes.


 Final Thoughts


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

DVD Review - Buffalo Girls


Mill Creek Entertainment * Amazon

Do remember when CBS cranked out one Larry McMurtry miniseries after another?

While I do recall the Lonesome Dove miniseries and its sequels/prequels, I have never seen any of them. And I have never read any of the books they are adapted from. The only Larry McMurtry novels I have ever read are the four books in The Berrybender Narratives.

Mill Creek Entertainment recently released Buffalo Girls (NR; 182 minutes; $14.98) to DVD + Digital, which is a 1995 two-part miniseries based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. Directed by Rod Hardy, the miniseries starred Anjelica Houston, Melanie Griffith, Sam Elliott, Gabriel Byrne, and Reba McEntire.

Buffalo Girls is the fictionalized story based on the real-life Calamity Jane (played by Anjelica Houston), a woman who dressed, talked, and acted liked a cowboy. She's most famous for being "linked" to Wild Bill Hickok (played by Sam Elliott in the miniseries). In McMurtry's version, Calamity gave birth to a daughter after Hickok was murdered and later gave the child to a British couple.

Part One of the miniseries centers around Calamity, who regrets giving up her daughter, and Dora DuFran (played by Melanie Griffith), a madam of a brothel/hotel in Deadwood, who has an on-again off-again relationship with Ted Blue (played by Gabriel Byrne). Part Two mostly centers around Calamity joining  Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which takes her, along with her friends Bartle Bone (played by Jack Palance) and Jim Ragg (played by Tracey Walter), to England, where she gets to visit her young daughter.


Final Thoughts

Monday, October 29, 2018

DVD Review: Jack London's Sea Wolf: The Complete Mini-series



Mill Creek Ent., 185 mins; Not Rated; Amazon

Does anyone remember the countless miniseries that aired on network television and cable channels throughout the 1990s?

Well, I remember them. Miniseries were the big "events" for television back then. Nowadays, miniseries have long since disappeared, except for the few campy ones on cable. 

Recently, I watched Jack London's Sea Wolf: The Complete Mini-series DVD, which was released earlier this year from Mill Creek Entertainment. Directed by Michael Barker, the two-part miniseries stars Sebastian Koch, Neve Campbell, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Tim Roth. 

Based on the 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf by Jack London, the 2009 miniseries centers on the harsh captain of the seal hunting schooner the "Ghost," Wolf  Larsen (played by Sebastian Koch), who rescues a castaway poetry critic, Humphrey Van Wyden (played by Stephen Campbell Moore) from the high seas. Humphrey quickly learns that Wolf is a horrible captain, who puts him and the rest of the crew through hell.

The Ghost comes across another castaway, a beautiful woman named Maud, who had barely escaped the clutches of Wolf's crazed brother, Death (played by Tim Roth). After falling in love, Humphrey and Maud escape on a rowboat in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, they will once again intertwine with both Wolf and Death in a final confrontation.

Monday, October 22, 2018

DVD Review: Shadow Stalkers: 10 Terrifying Features



Mill Creek Ent., R/Not Rated; 15 hrs; $14.98

With Halloween just over a week away, there's no better time than now to start watching a few scary flicks!

If you're a horror fan on a budget, then I would recommend looking for a Mill Creek Entertainment collection, like this year's Shadow Stalkers, which features 10 horror flicks on a 3-disc set.

The 10 movies titles are:

  • Out Of The Dark (1989)
  • Happy Birthday To Me (1981)
  • Eyes On Laura Mars (1978)
  • Bloody Pit Of Horror (1965)
  • Don't Answer The Phone (1980)
  • Nightmare In Wax (1969)
  • Silent Night, Bloody Night (1973)
  • Funeral Home (1980)
  • Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)
  • Drive-In Massacre (1974)

Out Of The Dark (R; 90 minutes) was directed by Michael Schroeder and starred Karen Black, Bud Cort, Divine (final role), and Lynn Danielson. The plot centers around a phone-sex service workers in Los Angeles who are being stalked and murdered by a serial killer wearing a clown mask.

Happy Birthday To Me (R; 111 minutes) was directed by J. Lee Thompson and starred Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Tracey Bregman, and Lisa Langlois. The plot centers around Virginia Wainwright, a high school senior who suffers from blackouts. During the blackouts, her friends are murdered by an unknown psychopath. And all of this is occurring near Virginia's 18 birthday.

Eyes Of Laura Mars (R; 104 minutes) was directed by Irvin Kershner, written by John Carpenter & David Zealg Goodman, and starred Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, René Auberjonois, and Raúl Juliá. Dunaway plays Laura Mars, a photographer who stylizes in urban violence. Out of nowhere, she begins seeing real-time events through the eyes of a serial killer.

Don't Answer The Phone (R; 95 minutes) was directed by Robert Hammer and starred James Westmoreland, Denise Galik, and Nicholas Worth. The plot involves a radio talk show's patients being murdered by a madman.

Nightmare In Wax (R; 95 minutes) was directed by Bud Townsend and starred Cameron Mitchell, Anne Helm, and Scott Brady. The plot involves a disfigured ex make-up artist, Vincent Renard (played by Mitchell), taking his revenge on a studio's film stars by turning them into wax figures. (It's too similar to House of Wax.)

Bloody Pit Of Horror (Not Rated; 74 minutes) was directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo and starred Mickey Hargitay, Walter Bigari, Luisa Baratto, and Ralph Zucker. The plot involves a group of photographers and models breaking into a castle to take a few photos, but they end up running into the owner, who is a demented executioner. 

Silent Night, Bloody Night (Not Rated; 82 minutes) was directed by Theodore Gershuny and starred Patrick O'Neal and John Carradine. The plot involves a man trying to sell his grandfather's mansion, which was once an asylum, but the mayor and the townfolk insists that nobody should ever live there. Things get really weird when a serial killer escapes from a nearby institution.

Funeral Home (R; 93 minutes) was directed by William Fruet and starred Lesleh Donaldson, Kay Hawtrey, Jack Van Evera, Alf Humphreys, and Harvey Atkin. The plot involves a teenager being sent to live with her grandmother to help her convert an old funeral home into a bed-and-breakfast. Well, that's until a serious of murders occur, which leads the teen to undercover a startling family secret.

Don't Open Till Christmas (R; 87 minutes) was directed by Edmund Purdom and starred Edmund Purdom and Belinda Mayne. The plot centers around a masked psychopath stalking and killing anyone who is dressed as Santa Claus.

Drive-In Massacre (R; 74 minutes) was directed and starred John F. Goff , Steve Vincent, and Douglas Gudbye. The plot involves an unseen assailant who brutally murders couples at a drive-in theater.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

DVD Review: The Resident: The Complete Season One


Fox; 615 mins; Not Rated; Amazon
The last thing network television needs is another medical drama, as there are already way too many of them, but here I am writing a review for The Resident: The Complete Season One DVD, which was recently released by Fox Home Entertainment. There are no special features or extras on the three-disc set.

Created by Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore, and Roshan Sethi, the series stars Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Bruce Greenwood, Moran Atias, Merrin Dungey, and Melina Kanakaredes.

The series centers around the medical staff at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Manish Dayal plays Devon Pravesh, a first-year medical intern who is assigned to a third-year resident internist, Conrad Hawkin (played by Matt Czuchry).

Hawkins is a hot-head doctor, who wants Pravesh to do exactly as he says to do. He's a little bit of a risk-taker, but he also cares very deeply for each one of his patients. When he's not attending to his patients, he's trying to get his ex, nurse practitioner Nicolette "Nic" Nevin (played by Emily VanCamp), to take him back. He also likes to bunt head with the chief of surgery, Randolph Bell (played by Bruce Greenwood), an aging doctor who will do anything to keep his position at the hospital.

Episodes on the DVD set include:
  • Disc 1
    • Pilot
    • Independence Day
    • Comrades in Arms
    • Identity Crisis
  • Disc 2
    • None the Wiser
    • No Matter the Cost
    • The Elopement
    • Family Affair
    • Love Lost
  • Disc 3
    • Haunted
    • And the Nurses Get Screwed...
    • Rude, Awakenings and the Raptor
    • Run, Doctor, Run
    • Total Eclipse of the Heart




Wednesday, October 10, 2018

DVD Review: Sleep No More


RLJE; Not Rated; 91 minutes; Amazon
Now available on DVD from RLJ Entertainment is the horror film Sleep No More. Directed by Phillip Guzman and written by Jason Murphy, the film stars Keli Price, Brea Grant, Stephen Ellis, Christine Dwyer, Yasmine Aker, Lukas Gage, and James Hoare. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Set in the 1980s or 1990s (more on this later), Sleep No More centers around a small group of graduate students who volunteer to be to test subjects for a sleep study that's being conducted by Dr. Whatley (played by Yasmine Aker). This isn't your typical sleep study. Their goal is to prove the theory that once you've passed 200 hours without sleep, you'll never have to sleep again!

After one of the test subjects kills himself, the university wants to to close down the sleep study. Despite the objections to their research, the four remaining students, Joe (played by Keli Price), Frannie (played by Brea Grant), Dale (played by Stephen Ellis), and Holly (played by Christine Dwyer) decide to become guinea pigs under the supervision of Dr. Whatley. Dale would be the "control" of the study and the other three students would take a stay-awake type drug.

Their goal of staying awake for 200 hours comes with a price - a supernatural being, who begins tormenting the group. The longer they stay awake, the more deadly the threat becomes.




Monday, October 1, 2018

DVD Review: The Gifted: The Complete First Season


Fox; 569 mins; Amazon

Available now on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is The Gifted: The Complete First Season, featuring all 13 episodes from the 2017-2018 series.

Created by Max Nix, The Gifted is set in the X-Men film universe, but in an an alternate timeline where the all of the X-Men have vanished. All that is left is an underground network of mutants, who are being chased down by the Sentinel Services agency.

The series stars, Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Amy Acker (Suits), Natalie Alyn Lind (The Goldbergs) and Percy Hynes White (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) as the Strucker family. Also featured in the series are Sean Teale (Voltron) as Eclipse/Marcos Diaz; Jamie Chung (Gotham) as Blink/Clarice Fong; Emma Dumont (Pretty Little Liars) as Polaris/ Lorna Dane; Blair Redford (CSI) as Thunderbird/John Proudstar; and Coby Bell (The Game) as Sentinel Services Agent Jace Turner.

The Gifted centers around Reed and Caitlin Strucker, a husband and wife who are trying to protect their mutant children, Lauren and Andy, from being taken by the Sentinel Services, which is lead by Jace Turner. The Strucker family takes refuge with an underground network of mutants, which consists of Sonya Simonson (Dreamer), John Proudstar (Thunderbird), Marcos Diaz (Eclipse), Lorna Dane (Polaris), and Clarice Fong (Blink).

While the mutants aren't outrunning the Sentinels and their robots, they must find a way to stop Roderick Campbell (played by Garret Dillahunt), a military researcher who is obsessed with capturing the Strucker children. To make matters even worse, the Hellfire Club is slowly rebuilding their mutant army against humanity.




Final Thoughts