Oh, The Horror!

Well, I’ve made considerable headway plowing through my DVD review pile, and even managed to pull together a column more or less on time! It helps that the weather’s been uncharacteristically grim of late. Nothing helps keep one in front of the TV than rainy, windy, unpleasant days. This week, I’ve got reviews of a bunch of horror films recently released (or re-released) on disc, a couple of films that simply are horrors, and probably my favorite current television series.

Let’s begin with two new DVDs that feature the hauntingly beautiful Sixties star of dozens of European Gothic terrors, Ms. Barbara Steele…



NIGHTMARE CASTLE
1965, Severin Films
Commonly available on home video and DVD under several titles (including The Faceless Monster) with subpar transfers culled from beat-up, edited TV syndication prints, this Gothic Eurohorror gem has been given new life by the fine folks at Severin Films.

Directed by Mario Caiano and featuring an eerie organ score by maestro Ennio Morricone, Nightmare Castle (Amanti D'Oltretomba) tells the familiar tale of a mad scientist, Dr. Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) and his unfaithful wife, Muriel (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday). In a rage of jealousy, he murders his wife and her lover by cutting out their hearts. Unfortunately, his castle belonged to Muriel, and she’s bequeathed it to her twin sister Jenny (Steele in a blonde wig). Arrowsmith woos and weds the sister, but when he brings her home to the manse, strange things begin to happen.

Severin Film’s DVD provides this much abused title with a quality presentation at last. First, there’s a remarkable new HD anamorphic transfer from the newly discovered original negative, uncut and restored, and presented in its proper 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is amazing and truly showcases the atmospheric black & white photography. The audio is Dolby Digital mono (English) and there are no subtitles provided. Severin has also included a brand new on-camera interview with Ms. Steele, who still appears quite striking. She discusses not only Nightmare Castle, but also her entire career, with an emphasis on her horror film experiences. There’s also a second featurette with director Caiano, who reminisces about the film from his home in Italy. Finally, there are both the UK and US theatrical trailers.

As Severin’s packaging says, "Throw away all those inferior transfers," because this is by far the best Nightmare Castle has ever looked. Highly recommended for fans of the great Ms. Steele and/or old school Gothic horror films.


THE SHE BEAST
1966, Dark Sky Films
The following year, Barbara Steele appeared in another notable Eurogoth thriller, The She Beast. Notable really only for the presence of Steele and for being the first feature by cult director Michael Reeves (Witchfinder General), The She Beast (La sorella di Satana) is an offbeat, rather crude effort that is, frankly, not very good. But the DVD presentation is quite entertaining in its own right, thanks to a great commentary track.

The She Beast tells the tale of a young couple on their honeymoon in communist Transylvania during the Sixties, who stop for the night in a small village. As these things go, the village is under the curse of an evil witch who was executed there in the Middle Ages, but not properly exorcised. It comes as no surprise then, that the hideous witch (a rather laughable makeup) soon possesses the young bride Veronica (Steele) and wreaks havoc on the community. It’s up to her husband Philip (Ian Ogilvy, And Now The Screaming Starts) and an old man named Von Helsing (John Karlsen) to break the curse and save Veronica’s soul.

As a horror movie, it’s really not very scary at all, and the tone of the film is all over the place, with some very odd and inappropriate slapstick humor mixed in with the attempted chills.

Steele was hired for one day’s work, which stretched into 22 hours! The experience angered her so much that she didn’t speak to producer Paul Maslansky (later to produce the inexplicably popular Police Academy series) until Dark Sky brought them together to record the commentary for this DVD. And it is this commentary, which also includes male lead Ogilvy, that really makes this film worth watching. Their frank, funny, and informative discussion of the difficulties and challenges of making the film and their memories of the tragically short-lived director are fascinating and very entertaining. It’s the only special feature on the disc, but it’s a great one.

The movie is presented in a nice, clean 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, color transfer, with very little age-related wear or dirt. The English soundtrack is presented in 2.0 mono. Subtitles are included.

As stated above, this release is really only recommended for Barbara Steele completists and fans of director Reeves.


FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV: THE FINAL CHAPTER DELUXE EDITION
1984, Paramount
When this year’s Friday The 13th remake/reboot hit theaters back in February, Paramount released the first three films in the original series in new, "Deluxe Editions." Well, now that aforementioned reboot has come to DVD, and the studio has decided to give the next three movies in the series the same treatment.

In Part 4, optimistically titled The Final Chapter, the studio decided to kill off Jason Vorhees and bring the series (which while profitable, was kind of embarrassing) to an end. They introduced young Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman, The Lost Boys), a thirteen year-old monster movie fan that managed to accomplish what no horny teenage camp counselor or redneck law enforcement officer had previously managed. Briskly directed by B-movie vet Joseph Zito (Invasion U.S.A.), with special make-up effects by a returning Tom Savini, The Final Chapter is a fun, furious Friday thriller, with plenty of exciting, bloody "kills" and all the requisite nudity.

Paramount’s DVD (the third release of this title) has a new, machete-sharp 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, a robust 5.1 surround sound mix, and a slew of bonus features. There’s an interesting commentary by director Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen, and editor Joel Goodman. Then there’s a second, fun "fan" commentary by Adam Green and Joe Lynch, the directors of the modern slashers Hatchet and Wrong Turn 2. There are several "slashed scenes," alternate ending footage and a clip reprising Crispin Glover’s geeky dance moves from the film. There is also a retrospective featurette with interviews with many of the film’s principals, the first installment of an amusing mockumentary, The Camp Crystal Lake Massacres, and the fourth installment of the Lost Tales of Camp Blood fan film that was included on the previous three discs. Finally, there’s the original theatrical trailer.

If you already own one of the earlier DVD releases, you might want to consider upgrading, especially if you’re a diehard fan of the franchise.


FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING DELUXE EDITION
1985, Paramount
Well, The Final Chapter made so much money that the studio wasted no time, immediately knocking out A New Beginning, or "The One without Jason."

Tommy Jarvis, the boy who killed Jason in Part 4, is now eighteen and a different actor (a somnambulant John Shepherd). Having spent six years in a mental institution after the traumatic events of Part 4, Tommy is transferred to a halfway house in the country. Soon, however, someone in a hockey mask is making like Jason and knocking off the other residents – and neighboring rednecks. Is it Tommy or someone else?

Probably my least favorite in the series so far, A New Beginning suffers from slapdash direction by Danny Steinman (Savage Streets), a poorly structured screenplay, and an anticlimactic climax. In fact, if not for the extended nude scene by sexy Debi Sue Vorhees (her real name!) and a couple of creatively executed "kills," I’m not sure there’d be much reason to watch this.

Paramount’s Deluxe Edition features a new high def anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 Surround sound, along with plenty of extras. There’s a commentary by director Danny Steinman and other cast and crewmembers, a retrospective featurette, the second chapter of The Crystal Lake Massacres mockumentary, the original trailer, and another Lost Tales of Camp Blood installment.

As with the other Deluxe Editions, this is a marked improvement over the previous DVD releases, and well worth checking out.


FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES DELUXE EDITION
1986, Paramount
A year later, the studio bowed to the fans and returned Jason Vorhees to his rightful place at the center of the franchise. It’s also with this installment that the series finally committed itself to outright fantasy, as the previously nigh invulnerable-yet-still-mortal Jason officially became an undead, supernatural monster.

Part 6 begins with a scene deliberately echoing the classic Universal Frankenstein films as a handsomer and more likable Tommy Jarvis (now played by The Return Of The Living Dead’s Thom Matthews) and a pal of his from the institution (Ron Palillo, Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter) sneak into a cemetery to dig up Jason’s corpse so Tommy can cremate it and get some closure! Unfortunately, Jason is resurrected by a convenient lightning bolt, and is soon back to his old tricks, only stronger and completely unkillable.

Directed by Tom McLoughlin with a sense of humor and some genuine style, Part 6 is by far the slickest, most mainstream entry in the series to date. Beautifully shot and edited, the movie just plain looks great. The "kills" are all creative and over-the-top, as befits a supernatural killer, and the movie is loaded with self-referential humor and horror in-jokes. My only complaint is that nobody takes their tops off in this one, but then, I’m a perv.

Again, Paramount has stepped up with a Crystal Lake clear 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 Surround sound. There’s a great, entertaining commentary track by director McLoughlin and select cast and crew, some "slashed scenes," a retrospective featurette, addition chapters of the genuinely amusing Crystal Lake Massacre mockumentary and the tedious Lost Tales of Camp Blood, and the original theatrical trailer.

Jason Lives is a smart, fast, funny and suspenseful stalk & slay flick, and a high point in the long-running Friday The 13th franchise. If you’re a fan, an upgrade is essential, and for everyone else, I suggest a rental. It holds up very well, and, well, it’s just plain fun.


LOST TREASURE OF THE GRAND CANYON
2009, Anchor Bay
Shannen Doherty (Charmed) stars in this unfortunately tedious adventure tale directed by Farhard Mann. It wants to be an epic pulp adventure in the style of King Solomon’s Mines (with an added CGI monster and graphic gore added for the SciFi Channel crowd), but it’s so lethargically paced that it takes a real effort to get through it.

When a scientific expedition led by an elderly archaeologist disappears in the Grand Canyon while searching for Aztec treasure, his daughter (Doherty) leads a poorly-equipped, unqualified bunch of annoying characters into the canyon to search for them. Sure enough, they find her father (despite not actually having any idea where the original party went) and a lost Aztec(!) civilization guarded by a cartoon gargoyle.

The CGI monster is really rather laughable, both in design and animation, the gore effects are gratuitous, and the human-sacrificing Aztecs appear to mostly be white guys with insta-tan make-up. Really, is this the best stuff the SciFi Channel can get?

Anchor Bay’s DVD is a solid effort, with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 Dolby Surround sound. The only extra is a brief behind-the-scenes featurette and trailers for other Anchor Bay releases.

Maybe on TV with frequent commercial breaks to liven it up, this might be passable fluff, but otherwise, it’s not recommended.


THE TERMINATORS
2009, The Asylum
The fine folks at The Asylum are at it again with a shameless "mockbuster" knock-off of not only the Terminator films, but Battlestar Galactica, as well.

In the future, mankind has built millions of cyborgs, most of which look like a grumpy bodybuilder (Paul Logan, Komodo Vs. Cobra). They rebel, and take over the Earth. They also send some back in time to invade Earth in the past(?), and a small band of resistance fighters (including Jeremy London of Mallrats and A. Martinez of L.A. law) rises up to fight them.

While I have a grudging respect for The Asylum for having the balls to so blatantly rip-off the big guys, I also have to wonder whether they might be better off sticking with their (slightly) more original stuff. The Terminators just plain sucks. But... they’ve got a few decent actors, the CGI space battles in this one (by Tiny Juggernaut) are actually quite respectable, and the music by Chris Ridenhour is very good, if as derivative as the rest of the film (Ridenhour is probably the company’s greatest asset, as his musical scores are often the only things injecting any life into their movies). Too bad that the good parts of the flick are overshadowed by the half-baked, unoriginal script and clearly rushed production.

The DVD features a solid anamorphic widescreen transfer and 5.1 Surround sound. There’s a commentary by the director and producer/screenwriter, a short "making of" documentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, and a half-dozen trailers for other Asylum films.

Can’t actually bring myself to recommend this one to anyone, unfortunately.


BURN NOTICE SEASON TWO
2008, Fox
In season two of the USA Network’s popular spy series, Burn Notice, blacklisted ex-spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan, Blair Witch 2) finds himself firmly under the thumb of a mysterious new "handler" named Carla (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica), who has threatened to kill his friends and family if he fails to do her bidding. Even with this omnipresent threat – and the hazardous missions she forces him to carry out – Westen still finds time to help out the helpless of Miami with the aid of his gun-and-bomb happy girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar, Body Snatchers) and ex-SEAL buddy Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell, Army of Darkness).

The second season continues the fast pace, sharp dialogue and generous helpings of gunplay and explosions that distinguished the first, with the addition of some significant character development, especially between Westen and Fiona, and between the hero and his family. It's probably the best action adventure show currently being produced, with attractive, appealing characters, plenty of real-world action and stunts, and its gorgeous, sun-drenched Miami location work. In fact, it's an almost perfect blend of old school, 80's escapist fare, with it's self-contained, single-episode plots (helping out is civilian clients) and today's continuity-heavy serialized dramas (with his ongoing "burn notice" investigation).

Fox's 4-DVD set includes all 16 episodes of the basic cable series' second season, presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, and 5.1 Dolby Surround. There are Deleted Scenes from nearly every episode, commentary by cast and crew on select episodes, and a Gag Reel.


COMING ATTRACTIONS: Anchor Bay resurrects the 80's "classic" Children of the Corn on Blu-Ray, and more!