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Blu-ray Review: SUPERNATURAL - The Complete First Season
By Dave Dreher
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Jul 24, 2010, 5:22
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I know this set has been out for a month or so but it took me a while to get through the whole season. I don't mean that in a bad way. I actually got so hooked that I had to watch each and every disc from beginning to end.
I haven't really been a fan during it's weekly runs. I really don't know why. I guess I just figured it was soft core, teeny bop, BS that network TV likes to keep shoving at us. I knew that wasn't the case with this show as soon as I saw that lady nailed to the ceiling burst into flames.
At this late stage of the game I would think that most all of you know what SUPERNATURAL is all about so I won't bore you with the background story and the like. If you have not yet given this show a try, this is the perfect time.
This presentation in Blu-ray is breathtaking. The show looks absolutely stunning.
I'm really quite impressed with the caliber of story that they manage to present each week. Really some of the creepiest network work since the X-FILES.
It doesn't take one long to get completely wrapped up in the goings on and it is very easy to waste away the better part of an afternoon once you stick one of these four disc in.
An then as if the compellingly creepy episodes aren't enough they load this set up with a very well rounded offering of special features that once you're hooked into the story line you can't help but check out.
Here's what you get:
The Devil's Road Map: Interactive Map Guide to Season One's Urban Legends and Unusual Facts
Paley Festival Panel Discussion Featuring the Cast and Creators
Unaired/extended scenes
Commentary on the Pilot by Series Creator Eric Kripke, Director David Nutter and Producer Peter Johnson
Commentary on Phantom Traveler by Co-Stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles
Two additional featurettes: Day in the Life of Jared and Jensen and Supernatural: Tales from the Edge of Darkness
Gag reel
I have to say that overall this blu-ray set is one of my favorites. I find myself drawn to it like a moth to flame having repeated watched a couple of the episodes just because they are that damn good.
I have to say that I find the experience of watching these in Hi-Def to be a huge selling point as well. The sound and everything just leads to an overall much better viewing experience that TV or standard DVD can muster.
Great stuff here horror fans. Don't be stupid like I was and think that this is a show for your kids. Lots of fun horror here. Give it shot. This set came out on June 15th, like I said I got kind of hooked and it took me that long to watch everything. Just a ton of really good horror TV.
You can CLICK HERE and go pick up the box set right now.

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DVD Review: FORBIDDEN WORLD
By Dave Dreher
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Jul 23, 2010, 5:30
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The ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS Collection that SHOUT! Factory is in the midst of releasing is some of the best DVD work this year. The titles are all classic B Camp fun and the packaging and work on the disc is top notch.
Tonight we are looking at the 2 Disc release of FORBIDDEN WORLD an Alien ripoff that is every bit as much fun as that film with lots of boobs and nudity too.
I really enjoy this film.
Shot with hardly any money and even less time FORBIDDEN WORLD tells the tale of a group of scientists who while attempting to cure a galactic food crisis unwittingly create a horrible man eating creature that will surely end mankind as we know it.
With that silly yet interesting premise FORBIDDEN WORLD ramps into a blood and boob filled kill fest that is 2nd to none. Originally released in 1982 to make money off the crazy success of ALIEN this film had kind of been forgotten and it's great to see SHOUT! finally give it its due.
Fantastically over acted and brilliantly shot FORBIDDEN WORLD features some early FX work of JOHN CARL BUECHLER who would go on to of course bring us several of the Friday the 13th films and other genre classics. The FX are ooey gooey fun and actually quite gross.
More then a few squirm in your seat moments.
Of course the major lure for us horny young teenage boys back in '82 was the out and out full frontal nudity. The shower scene was infamous back in the day and all the talk of the school hallway between classes. Fun to watch it again and glad to see it is preserved for posterity. In this day and age of basically nude chicks contorting on MTV and the like it is sure to not hold the same magic punch it did some 28 years ago but us old farts can watch it now and smile.
Trust me, it was cinema magic a couple of decades ago.
SHOUT! is releasing this as a two disc edition. The first disc is the newly remaster theatrical cut and the second disc is the never before seen, unrated directors cut. I highly recommend both.
As far as special features go, this is one of the best and most complete packages I have ever seen:
* New Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Transfer From The Interpositive Film Elements Of The Theatrical Cut
* The Unrated Directors Cut (4:3 - Full Frame)
* Audio Commentary With Director Allan Holzman On The Directors Cut
* Interview With Producer Roger Corman
* Interviews With Cast And Crew Including Director Allan Holzman, Composer Susan Justin And Actor Jesse Vint
* A Look At The Special Effects Of Forbidden World With John Carl Buechler, Robert Skotak, Tony Randel And R. Christopher Biggs
* Poster And Stills Gallery
* Theatrical Trailer
It really is the ultimate version of this film.
It is absolutly a must own collection.
FORBIDDEN WORLD is available now as a part of the ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS series of releases. You can CLICK HERE and buy the disc directly from SHOUT! This title is also available on Blu-ray.
I can't stress enough what a great time this flick is. Find it, watch it, love it!
Here's the official word from Shout!:
In the distant future, a federation marshal arrives at a research lab on
a remote planet where a monstrous genetic experiment is loose and
feeding on the scientists who created it. Enter into the Forbidden World - an outrageous, sexy and violent exercise in Alien-like terror!
This 2-disc set features new extras, re-mastered widescreen picture and
two versions of the film (original theatrical and extended Directorβs
cuts). Set designs by the legendary James Cameron (which were also used in Galaxy of Terror
a year prior). Received three nominations for the 1983 Saturn Award
(Best Low Budget Film, Best Make-up and Best Special Effects).

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DVD Review: 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS
By Dave Dreher
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Jul 18, 2010, 3:27
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There is no doubt that Tim Sullivan is a HUGE horror fan. HUGE! He knows his horror and he loves it. While watching the bonus features for his latest release 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS this much comes through load and clear.
What isn't explained is why oh why did we have to revisit the residents of Pleasant Valley. This is one horror fan that could have done without the return trip.
2001 MANIACS brings nothing and I do mean nothing new, original or even remotely interesting to the table.
The entire experience can be summed up in 3 words.
1. Profanity
2. Nudity
3. Blood
We all know that when these three things come together and mesh perfectly nothing short of magic happens but when these three things are just willy nilly thrown into your face you get what? Rob Zombie's Halloween.
No, wait. I'm sorry. What you get is just a mess of a film that has no heart, no soul and no reason to be watched. Oh wait, I was right. That is Rob Zombie's Halloween. Unfortunately it is also 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS.
This film would have been great if I where watching it and was 14 years old and had only just heard from my friends about boobies and sex jokes. You know what? Maybe that's it. The old saying "if you don't get it, it's not for you". Maybe it's just not for me because I sure as hell don't get it.
The story line is just excruciating. The MANIACS from the first film are still at it but instead of luring unsuspecting northerners into their sleepy little town they are this time forced onto the road where they meet up with a "SIMPLE LIFE" type of reality TV show and proceed to kill off cast and crew.
Robert Englund is gone this time around. Bill Moseley steps in and does a respectfully decent job of attempting to holding this turd together but even with his best attempt he falls way short of making this one even remotely watchable.
A lot of the rest of the cast from the original come along for the ride, in a few cases that's a good ting but in a few, well I think you know.
This flick is just plain silly. It bills itself as a horror / comedy but it's not scary nor is it funny. It just kind of is.
It's all hype and no substance. It's an hour and a half of attempting to find any reason at all to have a pair of tits on the screen and then throwing some blood on them from off screen.
I'm sure this release will find an audience. The original did and they made enough money to make another one and as I always tell you, watch it and decide for yourself but for me 2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS is a waste of time.
Now, I did enjoy the special features. I loved watching director Tim Sullivan carry on about his love for the genre and attempt to explain why this film needed to be made. He does have a passion for it, I'll give him that.
Tim actually seems like a great guy and he's a great director. I just don't care for this film. Hey, it happens.
2001 MANIACS: FIELD OF SCREAMS hit July 20th (hey, that's my sisters birthday...Happy Birthday Sis) so go get it if your so inclined.
Personally I think this is a" NETFLIX it so you can say you seen it" title.

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DVD Review: TWO ON A GUILLOTINE
By Dave Dreher - FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK
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Jul 11, 2010, 6:27
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OK classic horror fans, listen up.
A great, often overlooked little gem is out on DVD and you really need to look this one up and check it out.
Thanks to the WARNER ARCHIVES COLLECTION we now have the 1965 spookfest TWO ON A GUILLOTINE out on DVD and I just gave it in spin in the player and what fun!
A throwback to the William Castle style of film making TWO tells the tale of a Magician and his ultimate trick. When things go horribly wrong and some one looses their head things get fun.
The Magician's daughter comes home to bury her dad who had been very ill since "the accident". Upon the reading of "dads" will it is found out that he has left his vast fortune and his elaborate house to his daughter under the condition that she spend 7 nights in the house from Midnight to sunrise. If she don't stay, she don't get nothing.
Once she gets into the house the film takes a turn towards the William Castle vien with flying skeletons, rolling heads and all kinds of fun little gimmicks.
Directed by William Conrad who would later gain fame as the FATMAN in the hit TV series JAKE AND THE FATMAN this film makes me wish he would have continued making genre films. The movie is really well shot. I would say it easily holds its own against other Black and White classics of that era.
The cast is one that anyone younger then 40 probably won't remember. You've got CONNIE STEVENS, DEAN JONES in his pre Disney days and CESAR ROMERO who would go onto infamy as THE JOKER in the old BATMAN TV show.
Everyone is great but Romero steals the show as the completely mad magician DUKE. Over the top, out of the park amazing.
I really can't recommend this film enough. I had a great time watching it and seeing it really makes your realize just how lame so many of the films today are.
TWO ON A GUILLOTINE is loaded with heart and imagination and inventiveness. A lot of stuff that we could use in the genre right now, as opposed to just redoing crap that has already been done.
Sure, it's almost 50 years old, in black and white and done by a bunch of folks that most of you have never heard of but trust me, give it a chance and you might just find out what it's like to see something inventive and fun as opposed to overdone and over-hyped.
TWO ON A GUILLOTINE is available right now from WARNER ARCHIVE. You can CLICK HERE and go pick it up.

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DVD Review - GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL - Season One - Part One
By Dave Dreher - FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK
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Jul 11, 2010, 2:1
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The is no denying the huge popularity of SYFY Channels GHOST HUNTERS. The boys and girls from T.A.P.S. have been doing their thing for years now and folks tune in every week to watch them hunt for things that go bump in the night.
As a result of that popularity a spinoff has materialized titled GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL. As the title would suggest this is GHOST HUNTERS but overseas. This collection is basically the first half of Season One.
It's a 3 disc, 11 episode collection that offers thrills and chills galore.
The first episode opens with the original GHOST HUNTER guys (Jay and Grant) realizing they are getting more and more requests for investigations overseas. Being unable to attend to these cases themselves they make the choice to instead build a new team and send them on over.
After some discussion they come up with a some folks they know can get the job done, Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari, Brandy Green, and Barry FitzGerald.
Low and behold GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL is born.
Once the team is compiled they are off on their first mission. It's in the UK at a place called CHILLINGHAM CASTLE.
The thing I really like about these T.A.P.S. investigations is that they go out of the way to find a non-paranormal reason for way things are happening and they often do. Footsteps are actually a shaking window, an orb is actually a bug that a camera couldn't focus on. You get the idea.
While they do find "regular" explanations for a lot of the phenomenon they also discover lots and lots of stuff that just can't be explained away.
The same formula that made GHOST HUNTERS so popular is followed here to a tee. We get the back story, the investigation and then going through of all the collected information.
It's interesting to see all those rather exotic locations and hear all the stories of folks seeing and hearing things that are just plain creepy and then watching the team search for answers as to why these things are happening.
I also always love being able to watch the episodes back to back without the commercial interruptions.
The episodes included on this set are:
Chillingham Castle
Evil Unearthed
Whispers from Beyond
Haunted Village
Fortress of Fear
Frankensteins Castle
Lamach Castle
Devil Dog
Castle of the Damned
Shattered Spirit
There is also a reel of deleted scenes.
This set is available now and the second half of Season One hits DVD on Aug. 24th.
Lots of fun, it's one of those shows that the whole family can sit around and get creeped out together watching. Go get it!

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