Scarlet Street: Kino Classics Edition (1945)

The original story was filmed by the great French director Jean Renoir as "La Chienne" which means "The Bitch." The director was the son of the outstanding impressionist Pierre August Renoir; the son actually sold his father's great art masterworks to subsidize his effort to make films featuring his ambitious wife. In the end, Renoir felt deeply manipulated and divorced her. In Renoir's hands, this is a black comedy. In Fritz Lang's hands, it becomes a tense sexual thriller and the tale of the dark descent of a man who is completely destroyed by his erotic longing for a beautiful woman who never returns his love.

Edward G. Robinson plays a shy, henpecked married man who works as an unimportant bank cashier/clerk. In his spare time, he loves to paint and in fact possesses an original vision in his naive paintings. His wife humiliates him and announces the art is worthless.

The film really begins when the Robinson character believes that he has saved a gorgeous woman from being beaten up by a man in the street. (That man happens to be her pimp). Unable to take his eyes off this woman, he allows his sexual desire for her take complete control. All his normal ethics of honesty are misused in his attempt to raise money.

Let's be fair. A woman as gorgeous as Joan Bennett could demand favors from her admirer, particularly when he is so emotionally vulnerable. Obviously, she just leads him along, takes his paintings, and discovers that there is a hot market for them. But all along, she is really attracted to her pimp, who is handsome in a cheap sort of way, mean spirited, and cunning.

When the truth is discovered, needless to say, things get darker and darker.

Compared to other scratchy and dull versions which have appeared earlier on DVD copies, this Kino Classics Edition is a superb translation of the original film onto the disc. The cinematography of dark and rainy streets and confining apartments creates an exterior landscape that matches Edward G. Robinson's sexually repressed character.

As a cinematic treatment of a man's psychological descent into hell, this is one of the best film noirs that I have ever seen.

One of my favourite film noir movies and in my opinion easily among the best ever made. If you like noir and have not seen this you absolutely MUST. Don't waste time thinking about it just DO IT. Delighted to see that this has finally been salvaged from the poor quality disappointing prints making it to DVD over recent years. The Kino BluRay version is like seeing it clearly for the first time. The 1080p transfer is very good indeed but contrary to what the description says I would not go so far as to call it "immaculate". Some parts of the movie have scratches running down them... now this is no huge deal but if you are going to do a 1080p digital transfer it would seem little additional work to digitally remove these seeing as it's so easy to do... But despite this I have to give the release 5 stars for the sheer quality of the film itself, the superb acting/directing/lighting/script and the fact that we can at last see it all clearly!

Buy Scarlet Street: Kino Classics Edition (1945) Now

When Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson), a meek, middle-aged cashier, ran one rainy night to the aid of Kitty March (Joan Bennett) who was being beaten by her boy friend, Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea), he had no idea how his life would be changed. It's probably also fair to say that Robinson, Bennett, Duryea and director Fritz Lang had no idea at the time that they were making one of the great noirs, a movie so good, in fact, that in my view it transcends the noir genre.

Cross is married to a shrew. He does the dishes wearing a frilly apron. He's taken for granted by just about everyone he knows. After 25 years with the bank, he has just been given a gold watch. And he paints. He loves to paint; it's the only thing that gives him happiness. When he meets Kitty and walks her home, he sees a beautiful young woman who is friendly. He arranges to meet her again. One afternoon he tells her about his love of painting. "Nobody ever taught me how to draw," he says. "I just put a line around what I feel when I look at things. It's like falling in love, I guess." Kitty looks at him sympathetically. When he looks down at his plate, though, she can't keep a little twist of amusement from her lips. He doesn't know that in him she sees a middle-aged figure of pathetic fun. She and Johnny begin to take Chris for every penny he can make or steal. When Johnny sells his paintings and the paintings become famous, Kitty takes the credit and Johnny takes the money. Johnny may beat up Kitty but she loves him. Cross finally realizes not just how he has been used by the pair, but how Kitty has held him in contempt as a little man whose feelings are laughable. One night she screams at him, "How can a man be so dumb? I've been waiting to laugh in your face ever since I met you. You're old and ugly and I'm sick of you." The ending is violent. Kitty and Johnny both pay a price. And Chris...his ending is sad, poignant and will last as long as he lives.

Of all the movies Lang made in Hollywood, this is the one where, I think, all the components came together in a completely satisfying way. Partly, this is because of the story and the script. The tale isn't just about a meek man's descent, it also is about three individuals using each other in a strange mixture of love, contempt and amoral selfishness. It also often is wry and jaundiced. When Kitty uses Chris' words almost verbatim to describe to an art critic how she feels about painting, "like falling in love, I guess," we know she could not care less about art and is, in fact, amused by her own clever use of Chris' feelings. The effect is funny in a sick sort of way.

Most importantly, I think, is that Lang was blessed by having all first-class lead actors. Duryea made a career out of playing sleaze, but he was never better than here. Joan Bennett, in my view, is one of Hollywood's underrated actors, probably because she was so good-looking. Compare her performance here with her performance as Wendy Van Kettering, smart, lovely, sympathetic in Vogues of 1938 and with the warm, understanding mother of the bride, Ellie Banks, in Father of the Bride. Here, Bennett convinces us that Kitty is captured by Johnny and his rough love, that Kitty hasn't a moral bone in her body, that Kitty is happy to be a slob, shallow and sexy. Kitty says "Jeepers" when she wants to emphasize something. She eats grapes and spits the pits on the rug. She tosses a cigarette end onto the dirty dishes that fill the sink. She has great legs and a lazy drawl. As for Edward G. Robinson, he is the heart of the movie. His meekness draws our sympathy as well our impatience. When he finally becomes violent it is startling and satisfying. The end of the movie may be sad, but it also is ironic and strong. Chris loved Kitty, and he'll be forever hearing in his mind, "Jeepers, I love you, Johnny."

Read Best Reviews of Scarlet Street: Kino Classics Edition (1945) Here

I have this movie as part of a set I bought a while back.To be honest I thought this would be a nice period piece.That was my entire expectation.I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a timeless story with emotions that are relevant even in today's modern society. Yes, the 30's feel and atmosphere is there(and wonderfully done), but it's more than that. A film that should be watched with an open mind. Truly a Scarlet Surprise.

Want Scarlet Street: Kino Classics Edition (1945) Discount?

Fritz Lang's 1945 film noir classic "Scarlet Street" may be banal with its golddigger storyline but once the grisly twist hits the viewer, you have no doubt that Lang (known for classics such as "M", "Metropolis", "The Testament of Dr. Mabuse") has successfully drawn the viewer in for something unpredictable and shocking.

It's no surprise that "Scarlet Street" was considered a bleak film noir that was banned in three cities, but nearly 70-years-later, one can marvel and perhaps be amused by how well-crafted this film was for its time.

"Scarlet Street" is a film adaptation by Dudley Nichols ("Stagecoach", "Bringing Up Baby", "The Bells of St. Mary's") of the French novel and play "La Chienne" by Georges de La Fouchardiere and Andre Mouezy-Eon.

Lang would also take his three stars from the 1944 film "The Woman in the Window", Edward G. Robinson ("Double Indemity", "Key Largo", "The Ten Commandments"), Joan Bennett ("Dark Shadows", "Father's Little Dividend", "Father of the Bride") and Dan Duryea ("The Pride of the Yankees", "Peyton Place"), and cast them in "Scarlet Street".

While Fritz Lang was well-known for his films in Germany, it wasn't until decades later that many film historians and critics learned how much of an impact Lang would have in the emergence and the evolution of the film genre, film noir.

VIDEO:

"Scarlet Street" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:33:1 aspect ratio). Because Kino Lorber were able to obtain the video from the archives of the Library of Congress, what we have here is the best print available. And naturally, with it being in HD, this is simply the definitive version of the film to own.

With that being said, it's important for those new to Kino Lorber to know that the company takes a hands free approach. As restoration is quite laborious and very expensive, they present the film from the original master in HD. So, what we have here is a film that does have its fair share of white specks (not too much that it would ruin your viewing pleasure) but in terms of picture quality, clarity is the keyword when watching this film on Blu-ray.

Black levels are deep, contrast in white and gray levels are great and compared to previous version of the film, there is no blurring effect nor the interlacing.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Scarlet Street" is presented in uncompressed Linear PCM 2.0 monaural. As mentioned with video, Kino Lorber takes a hands free approach when it comes to Blu-ray releases. So, "Scarlet Street" does have its share of a few clicks and even some mild hissing. But dialogue is clear and understandable.

There are no subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"Scarlet Street" comes with the following special features:

Audio commentary Featuring a audio commentary by David Kalat (author of The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse)

Photo Gallery Featuring images of deleted scenes and artwork for the film.

Kino Classics Trailers

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Scarlet Street" is a 1945 film which may have seem twisted, dark or grisly to movie fans during that time.

But it was also the beginning of a genre in cinema known as "film noir" that would later become appreciated by cinema fans.

What I enjoyed about this film is that at first glance, it seemed as if it was too banal. A story about an old man named Christopher Cross who doesn't get the love and appreciation from his wife and wonders if men flock to younger women for fun and a exciting life. Maybe it's what he needs because his life is absolutely dull.

And then you have the banal gold digger Kitty who is directed by her boyfriend Johnny to bilk as much money she can from him.

But of course, Fritz Lang is not your traditional Hollywood filmmaker. Even when I first watched this film and even today, I still had this grin of awe of the clever writing he was able to pull off and literally pull the seat under movie watchers because it was nontraditional movie making.

But "Scarlet Street" was a fantastic film that I absolutely enjoyed! But for those who are not erudites to Lang's work in Hollywood, let's just say that "Scarlet Street" is just the beginning to Lang's darker films.

During that era in time, Fritz Lang was well-known for his German films and in Hollywood, suffice to say, many film critics wondered why his films from the '40s to the '50s became darker and darker. In fact, things would get even darker in the '50s with films such as "The Big Heat" and it correlated with Lang's pessimistic view towards the world and seeing how things worked in the move industry.

For Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett, the films they made with Fritz Lang would be in their peak as Robinson's career would be called into scrutiny a few years later as he was threatened with black listening as the government (via the House Un-American Activities Committee) was cracking down on communist sympathizers in Hollywood.

This would lead for nearly a decade of B-movie films for Robinson until Cecil B. DeMille would later cast him in the epic "The Ten Commandments" in 1956.

As for Joan Bennett, she has had a long career since the silent era but a few years after "Scarlet Street", her career would be slightly damaged when her husband Walter Wanger tried to kill her agent Jennings Lang, when Wanger suspected the two having an affair.

And as the careers of these three individuals would change after "Scarlet Street", the film still resonates strongly among fans of Fritz Lang. And it is a wonderful choice for Kino Lorber to release on Blu-ray and one can hope that more of Lang's noir films will receive the HD treatment in the near future.

As for the Blu-ray release, as mentioned earlier, this is the definitive version to own of the film at this time. Watching it on Blu-ray has more clarity and no more interlacing or blurring issues. The film looks good, granted it could look better with restoration. The audio commentary by David Kalat is very good and includes a lot of in-depth information that cineaste will enjoy listening to.

Overall, "Scarlet Street" is an enjoyable, darker noir film from Fritz Lang and one of the earlier films to help kick off the film noir genre. Definitely recommended!

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Night of the Creeps (Director's Cut) (1986)

1986 was a pretty good year for horror films. There were stellar, undeniable classic releases like ALIENS and The Fly. Gore soaked goodies such as From Beyond and Demons. And then there was a severely underrated gem called Night of the Creeps.

A skin crawling tale about parasitic alien slugs accidentally unleashed from a cryogenic state of suspended animation, wrecking havoc on a college campus by way of invading the student bodies bodies through the mouth, effectively turning them into kill-happy zombies. The infesting parasites incubate in the brain long enough to spawn another generation. When the alien slugs are born, the host's top pops!

This is a endearing homage to everything from 50's B-movies, George Andrew Romero's zombies, silly teen/early twentysomething movies, slasher flicks and much more, wonderfully directed by Fred Dekker.

If you enjoy watching college frat boy wannabes screaming like banshees, a cool, catch phrase spewing detective settle old vendettas with an ax wielding reanimated corpse, gratuitous scenes of slugs violently and graphically erupting from peoples heads, and a little T&A to arouse your eyes...well this movie's for you. I know it's certainly for me. I've seen it so many times(lost the exact count)and it never losses it's appeal. The biggest draw in this movie is unquestionably venerable character actor Tom Atkins performance of a lifetime as Detective Cameron. Trust me you will hang on every word Atkins utters.

If you have not yet viewed this cult fave stop for a moment and give this one the chance to creep up on 'ya!

"In the words of Detective Cameron..."Thrill Me!" And for 23-years, this film has continued to thrill fans and has literally become a film that has achieved cult status. Director Frank Dekker gets his wish for a release of a Director's Cut with his original intended ending and fans of the film are treated to a reunion by the original cast 23-years later and also a tribute to the career of Tom Atkins. Definitely an enjoyable DVD release and a great tribute to one of the more hilarious comedy horror films ever created. Highly recommended!"

In 1986, a horror/zombie film called "Night of the Creeps" became a cult hit among fans due to the film's comedic nature but also how it pays homage to the horror genre.

The film is written and directed by Fred Dekker ("The Monster Squad", "RoboCop 3', "Enterprise"), produced by Charles Gordon ("Field of Dreams", "Die Hard", "Hitman"), music by Barry De Vorzon ("The Twilight Zone", "Tatoo", "Private Benjamin) and cinematography by Robert C. New ("So Weird", "Blade: The Series").

Although never considered a scary, horror film, "Night of the Creeps" was a film that caught attention for its screenplay, its special effects and its campiness but it was one of those 80's films that continues to be a fan favorite and for many years, many fans have waited for the film to be released on DVD. On Oct. 27th, the film via a director's cut receives a DVD and also a Blu-ray HD treatment and comes with the ending that Fred Dekker originally wanted and also a reunion of the cast 23 years later.

The film kicks off in a space ship where two aliens hunt down one of their own who has stolen an experiment. The alien in pursuit manages to rid of the canister and launches it out into space.

The film then transitions to 1959 where a sorority girl goes out on a date with a guy and the two go out to a make out point. The two are warned by a police officer, a young Ray Cameron (who dated the sorority girl) that a man has escaped from a mental ward and has hacked a few people with an ax. The two ignore the officer but then see a falling star which crashes near them. The guy and the girl drive to the area of where the meteorite may have crashed and the guy leaves the girl in the car. The guy discovers a canister and a slug from the canister jumps into his mouth. Meanwhile, the girl left alone in the car hears reports that the killer is headed towards their direction. While screaming for the guy to get back into the car, she is unaware that the killer is about to slaughter her.

We are then taken to 1986 where two nerdy college students: Chris (played by Jason Lively, "Mancuso, FBI", "Maximum Force", "Monday Morning) and J.C. (played by Steve Marshall, "Night Heat", "Sleeping in a Dream") are walking around the fraternity and sorority section and see a girl across the street that captures his attention. Chris is the silent type while his best friend and roommate J.C. (who has a disability and walks with crutches) is a lively jokester and tries to get the girl's attention for his buddy.

Because Chris is so shy, J.C. manages to introduce the girl named Cynthia (played by Jill Whitlow, "Mask", "Thunder Run", "Twice Dead") to his friend. But she happens to be dating a frat guy and thus, Chris's hopes are dash. Chris comes up with an idea that they should join a frat and when they try, in order to join, they are told to take a body from the science lab and drop it in the front porch of another frat.

When Chris and J.C. go to the lab to retrieve the body and releases it from its incubator, the body (which happens to be the guy who discovered the cannister back in 1959) has awaken. Startled by the body moving, Chris and J.C. run away in fear.

Meanwhile the scientist in charge of maintaining the body is killed by the zombie man and immediately, the zombie walks to the sorority where he went to visit the girl he was dating back in 1959 (the room of the girl is where Cynthia is now staying in). Immediately, the man's head blows up and slugs are released into the public. The slugs tend to possess a person's body, kills them from the inside and takes over their brain where they can breed and make more of their kind and continue the process of finding a body to breed in.

With murders happening on campus, detective Ray Cameron (played by Tom Atkins, "Halloween 3', "The Fog", "Bruiser") remembers back in 1959 of how his girlfriend was hacked into pieces by the axe murderer who was never caught and worries that these killings may be the work of the killer. He has suffered nightmares in which he sees a skeleton or zombie murdering his ex-girlfriend and with news from Chris and J.C. that the body inside the incubator moved, he worries about what is going on.

With zombie infestations now happening, the friendship of Chris and J.C. is tested, and Chris and Cynthia are brought closer together. But will they be able to survive the onslaught of the zombies during the night of the big dance?

It's important to note that "Night of the Creeps" is a Director's Cut version and that it features the original ending that Director Fred Dekker wanted (the reason why it wasn't used was because Dekker who was a new director at the time, showed an incomplete test screening to an audience and execs without the special effects and the audience and execs wanted a new ending). The original theatrical ending is included on the DVD.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Night of the Creeps" is featured in 1L85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. For a 1986 film, I have to say that the picture quality is pretty good and I didn't see any major compressions or massive warping. I can only comment on the DVD version but it doesn't look like Sony Pictures Home Entertainment used any major Digital Noise Reduction in the release, so I wonder how nice the Blu-ray transfer may have been. But for the DVD itself, fans should be happy to know that this 23-year-old film looks good.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital. I was noticing mainly front and center channel dialogue and the music but nothing that caught my attention via the surrounds. So, I ended up switching the audio to "Stereo on All Channels" on my receiver for a more immersive sound. But for the most part, dialogue was clear and understandable and that 80's new wave electronic music is clear as well.

Subtitles are presented only in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Fans of "Night of the Creeps: Director's Cut" will definitely enjoy the special features included on the DVD. Included are the following:

* Commentary with Writer/Director Fred Dekker An audio commentary with Michael, the DVD producer and Writer/Director Fred Dekker. Dekker gives a more technical insight about the film and how certain cuts were made. Especially certain scenes that Dekker enjoyed.

* Cast commentary (Jasone Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow and Tom Atkins) A lively, hilarious and insightful commentary by the four talent of the film. What's even more interesting is to hear the cast see the original Fred Dekker ending for the first time.

* Original Theatrical Ending (:30) The original theatrical ending. Which one do you think is better? It's important to note that the Director's Cut ending was shown on television while those who saw the original theatrical cut, own the VHS and LD saw this ending.

* Deleted Scenes (7:45) Seven deleted scenes: The Girls Meet Johnny, J.C.'s Positive Thinking, Cameron vs. Raimi, Making cookies, Raimi Follows Protocol, Cameron Spies Spanky, Chris Stays Behind

* Birth of the Creeps (10:43) Director Frank Dekker, the Cast and crew talk about Frank Dekker and how the film became a reality.

* Cast of the Creeps (15:56) Featuring a reunion of the cast (Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow and Tom Atkins) who talk about their involvement in the film and working with each other.

* Creating the Creeps (10:31) How the special make-up FX was created and interviews with David B. Miller (Special Make-Up FX Supervisor), Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman (Special Make-Up FX Creator) talk about their involvement of the film, the challenges due to the short pre-production schedule and more.

* Escape of the Creeps (11:35) Charles Gordon (Producer), Michael Knue (Editor) and Director Frank Dekker talk about how the film became a hit with fans. But also why the ending was changed and how they didn't like the ending the execs wanted.

* Legend of the Creeps (10:59) How over 23-years later, the film has a cult following and Director Frank Dekker and the cast talk about why they think the film has done so well with the fans. Fans talk about why they love the film. And how this film is so different from today's horror films.

* Tom Atkins: Man of Action (19:53) A celebration of Tom Atkins career and talking about his film career and tidbits of the talent he worked with in various films. And how fans love to ask him questions about "Night of the Creeps".

* Trivia Track Fans can watch the film via trivia utilizing subtitles.

* Original Theatrical Trailer (1:32) The original theatrical trailer

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Night of the Creeps: Director's Cut" is a film that has become a cult phenomenon. Over 23-years later and fans continue to enjoy this classic zombie/horror film and it hearkens back to the days when horror films were allowed to have its share of humor and not always were created to frighten the viewer. One of the things that I enjoyed about the film is for the fact that it's hilarious, campy but I feel that in this day and age, horror films have become more or less studio cash cows and writers wanting to create the the most horrific and dark film.

Although, I'm not a horror fan by any means, I can easily remember films such as "Poltergeist", "The Monster Squad" or "The Lost Boys" and although not necessarily horror films in today's standards, back in the 80's, they were very entertaining to watch and the films had its share of scary moments. You were allowed to laugh and be entertained but the clever writing knew when to scare the hell out of you. These were films that families brought their kids out to see and a whole family can be frightened together. "Night of the Creeps" was one of those films that can easily be enjoyed by families and a lot of those kids who watched it back then, are now enjoying it today as adults.

"Night of the Creeps" is a film that pays homage to classic horror films and is a part of Frank Dekker's passion for sci-fi and horror films in the past. The film also has that 80's campiness that some have found enjoyable and some may find it not their cup of tea. But it all comes down to the viewer and if one is wanting a comedy horror film, "Night of the Creeps" is definitely one of the best out there.

As for the DVD release of "Night of the Creeps: Director's Cut", I'm sure people will have their say on what their favorite ending will be but for Frank Dekker, he never was a fan of shock endings and although losing the battle to have his original ending featured in the final theatrical cut, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has given him the thumbs up for a DVD release featuring his original intended ending for the film. Also, I found the reunion by the cast and crew to be wonderful and also fun and enjoyable to not just listen to the commentary but also to see them goof around during the interview portion of the special features. Also, Tom Atkins fans will definitely enjoy a tribute to his career and an interview where Atkins discusses his films and the talents that he has worked with. So, I have no doubt in my mind that fans will find this DVD release to be entertaining and fun to watch. It's a solid DVD release!

Overall, if you are a big fan of this film, I highly recommend "Night of the Creeps: Director's Cut" on DVD or Blu-ray. And yes, you will definitely be "thrilled".

Buy Night of the Creeps (Director's Cut) (1986) Now

An under-appreciated gem of campy sci-fi-tinged horror, this directional debut from director Fred Dekker has everything from a busload of frat-guy zombies to an undead killer puppy to an amusing death by lawnmower rampage that foreshadows Peter Jackson's over-the-top finale to Dead Alive. Virtually unnoticed during its brief theatrical run, this wildly entertaining horror-comedy achieved a cult status following its home-video release. This low-budget effort throws alien monsters, axe-wielding killers, flesh-eating zombies, nudity, and drunken fraternity pranks into a blender, spiced with witty one-liners and references to dozens of horror classics.

The result is a satisfying treat that will tickle the tastebuds of horror fans. The film's nominal protagonists are a pair of randy fraternity pledges who open a can of worms when they steal a corpse from the campus medical facility and release a horde of space-leeches, which proceed to infest the bodies of everyone in sight. The host bodies subsequently become homicidal zombies with a penchant for popping in on unsuspecting sorority girls. The town's only hope seems to be a hard-boiled ex-cop who has uncovered the secret link between the zombie invasion and a 30-year-old axe-murder case... and who's also several sandwiches shy of a picnic. Dekker keeps things moving at a brisk pace thanks to some outrageous set-pieces ,some of which happen so quickly they'll have viewers reaching for the pause button, and clever dialogue, particularly for Atkins ("Girls, the good news is your dates are here; the bad news is, they're dead"), who dives into his crusty character with relish

Not only does director/screenwriter Dekker keep things moving along nicely by offering some exciting and bloody thrills, but he also makes some interesting choices with the portrayal of his main characters as well. In addition to offering a social misfit protagonist who remains uninterested in the usual college party scene, the inclusion of a handicapped sidekick who isn't defined by his disability shows a director unafraid to offer real, identifiably human characters; a refreshing change of pace compared to the all-too-perfect teens that populated horror films throughout the following decade. Along with character names that offer sly nods to numerous famous horror directors, Dekker also includes a beyond hard-boiled police detective hilariously cocksure swagger provides much of the film's effective gallows humor. Sure Dekker includes such college horror film mainstays as the obligatory love interest and the spoiled jock who gets his rocks off humiliating the nerds, but once he turns up the heat during the final act, cinematic clichés take a backseat to fast-paced zombie head-bursting fun.

Now that i've widely spoke my mind, i must turn the table in a violent fashion and speak this out loud, to the top of my lungs: 11 years for the DVD release of one of the funniest, most entertaining campy B-flicks of the 80`s? An extended director's cut in Blu-ray only covers 50% of the misery we've suffered over the years, trying to get a decent version of this deliriously entertaining classic.

BLU-RAY edition of "night of the creepsDirector's cut".

Intro: The sound/video quality is very decent with bright colors and compressing, and good depth for the only audio channel. Below blu-ray standards because there is not much to enhance after all, this is a great work considering the fact that this movie never had an official dvd release untill October 2009 and was available only on VHS since 1987. The movie is restored at the best possible from the original tapes. Grainy on big tv sets, must look great on 21 to 26" tv sets.

The director's cut feature is the adding of the original ending Fred Dekkar planned for this movie, instead of what he calls a popular "cheap scare" for the current horror B-movies back in the middle 80's.

Features:

1-Commentary with writer / director Fred Dekkar:

2-Cast commentary.

3-Original theatrical ending: Less effective and corny in my opinion, glad he put the original ending the company didn't wanted for reasons you will know.

4-Deleted scenes: Little gems that should have been included, specially the phone conversations alerting dead bodies.

5-Five Featurettes: Birth / Cast / Creating / Escape / Legend of the Creeps: These featurettes are very recent interviews with the director, cast and crew and the promotion of the 2009 director's cut. Because of the very little amount of behind-the-scenes footage (only a few pictures), these featurettes are almost entirely based on conversations.

6-Tom Atkins, man of action: An interview with actor Tom Atkins.

7-Trivia Track.

8-Original theatrical trailer.

9-Previews: Blu-ray and 4 special editions of other releases.

10-English language and subtitles.

11-BD live

The Blu-ray Menu features are very simple and not exactly according to the movie's gory humor: Just a bar with a blood stain as an indicator and the sound of what could be a blade. Never the less, this is a very satisfactory edition for fans who waited 20 years for this classic. The 80's feel of the movie is priceless.

Read Best Reviews of Night of the Creeps (Director's Cut) (1986) Here

While Sony Pictures has given "Night of the Creeps" fans a lot to cheer about, they still managed to skimp on the DVD disc packaging, disc & cover artwork and disc features. The DVD case is flimsy and cheap looking and it's missing portions of the plastic on each side. In my opinion the final artwork cover chosen isn't as nice as the Blu-ray edition and this cover artwork doesn't do the film justice. Sony Pictures should have just used the original VHS cover artwork instead. As for disc artwork, well they're just isn't any. The disc is as plain as can be with just the title printed on it and personally I expected a much better effort from Sony Pictures. As for disc features, where are the chapter stops?

Well enough of the bad, now for the good. The widescreen picture is absolutely fantastic and Sony did a great job with the transfer. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is really good, but I preferred the stereo mix much better. The bonus features more than make up for the cheap disc packaging and lack of disc artwork from Sony Pictures and fans will enjoy what they see and hear from Dekker and the gang.

The year is 1959 and a young man spots a mysterious canister after it has crashed nearby, he leaves his date alone in the car while he sets out to investigate the crash site. After opening the canister the young man is infected with a mutant slug creature which transforms him into a zombie; now the real nightmare begins!

The mutant slug creatures contained in the canister were never meant to be released but one of the aliens during a battle on the spacecraft ejected the canister and it fell to earth. Luckily for the rest of the town the infected young man turned zombie has been captured and he has been cryogenically frozen in the basement of Corman University where he is being studied and monitored by a scientist played by veteran character actor David Paymer.

Everything has been quiet in the basement of Corman University for years until two students J.C. (Steve Marshall) and Chris Romero (Jason Lively) accidentally stumble across the frozen body in 1986 while trying to pull off a school prank and they unknowingly unleash the slugs on the University campus. Now that the terror has started up again it's up to J.C. , Chris , Cindy and everyone's favorite cop of course Detective Ray Cameron to save the day. Thrill Me!

Bonus Features plus 60 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes material Include:

"Birth of Creeps" featuring Dekker talking about the origins of the project

"Cast of the Creeps" featuring Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow

"Creating The Creeps" featuring interviews with SFX creators David B. Miller and Robert Kurtzman

A special Tom Atkins centric piece called "Tom Atkins: Man of Action"

"Escape of the Creeps" a detailed look at the post-production.

Deleted scenes

Fred Dekker solo commentary

Cast commentary featuring Atkins, Whitlow, Marshall and Lively

The original theatrical ending

Trivia Track

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It all starts out with a beautiful black & white prologue at Corman (nudge nudge) University in 1959. Some "creeps" (disgusting little things) come to Earth and attack a young man (they get in through your mouth, turn you into a zombie and plant other "creepers" that shot out of the mouth to infect people). He is caught and frozen solid and (for some reason) kept at the university. Then, in 1986, two friends Chris Romero (nudge, nudge)(Jason Lively) and J.C. (Steve Marshall) unwittingly revive him. He wakes up and attacks the university. Soon, it's overrun by the things--it's up Chris, J.C., Cynthia Cronenberg (nudge nudge) and Detective Cameron (nudge nudge) to battle them.

As you can see this movie doesn't take itself seriously for one moment. Heck, there's even a cameo from Dick Miller! And it IS very funny (especially some of J.C.'s lines). But it doesn't shy away from blood and gore--there's PLENTY of that. And it is creepy (sorry) more than once. They even break one of the rules of horror films--POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD--a sympathetic character (I won't say who) dies and it's actually one of the film's more unpleasant moments (you don't see it but you HEAR it). As 83 minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome and ends with an all out massacre (I'm REALLY surprised--and pleased--that this got an R rating). There are some gaps in the plot (things happen way too quickly and characters just automatically correctly guess what's going on) but this is a small quibble.

I saw this back on video in 1986 after Fangoria magazine raved about it. I loved it--then it disappeared. I never even saw it again until today! Here's another great movie awaiting rediscovery. From what I heard Sony owns the rights--hopefully we'll see the DVD someday.

A fun, scary, gory movie. A 10 all the way! "The good news is that your dates are here. The bad news is they're dead!"

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Genevieve (1953)

VCI Entertainment and The Rank Collection presents "GENEVIEVE" [Blu-ray] (1953) (86 min/Color) -Starring: Dinah Sheridan, John Gregson, Kay Kendall, Kenneth More, Geoffrey Keen, Reginald Beckwith, Arthur Wontner Guest Artistes: Joyce Grenfell, Leslie Mitchell

Directed by: Henry Cornelius

Another great film from the British Invasion VCI has restored and brought from their vaults

Light hearted comedy about an antique car rally and the competitive relationship between two friends. Gregson is especially good as the bewildered husband who loves his old car--called Genevieve, baited by his larger than life friend Kenneth More, accepts a bet on who will return to London first.

Sheridan is also sharp as the loving wife who wants a different weekend but who gets into the spirit of things. Kendall sparkling as an upper class fashion model with an unexpected capacity for trumpet playing and heavy drinking almost steals the film.

Joyce Grenfell is funny as the hotel clerk. When giving the rules of the hotel to

Dinah Sheridan and John Gregson, in dismay can't believe what they're hearing. Just then

another tenant walks by and hears them, she then replies to Grenfell "Are they Americans?"

Also the clock across the square that tolls the hour and the inner workings of the clock that

is a bit distracting.

A splendid film of a long forgotten era of English film making, no film of this type has even come close.

I had tears of laughter and totally kept recalling various scenes with a joyful chuckle.

A catchy harmonica soundtrack by Larry Adler, keeps the tempo and spirits high on this very lively film from the Brits.

For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review

** Awards for Genevieve (1953)

1. Oscar Nominated Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Larry Adler) & Best Writing, Story and Screenplay (William Rose)

2. Won BAFTA Film Award Best British Film

3. Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best British Actor (Kenneth More) and Best Film from any Source

4. Won Golden Globe Best Foreign Film UK.

BIOS:

1. Henry Cornelius [aka: Owen Henry Cornelius] (Director)

Date of Birth: 18 August 1913 Capetown, South Africa

Date of Death: 2 May 1958 London, England, UK

2. Dinah Sheridan [aka: Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg]

Date of Birth: 17 September 1920 Hampstead, London, England, UK

Date of Death: Unknown

3. John Gregson [aka: Harold John Gregson]

Date of Birth: 15 March 1919, Liverpool, England, UK

Date of Death: 8 January 1975, Porlock Weir, Somerset, England, UK

4. Kay Kendall [aka: Justine Kay Kendall-McCarthy]

Date of Birth: 21 May 1926 Withernsea, Yorkshire, England, UK

Date of Death: 6 September 1959 London, England, UK

5. Kenneth More [aka: Kenneth Gilbert More]

Date of Birth: 20 September 1914, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Date of Death: 12 July 1982, Fulham, London, England, UK

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:

1. Documentary "A Profile of Genevieve" (30 minutes): An amusing look at the madcap motoring movie

2. Includes interviews with Dinah Sheridan (starring actress), Larry Adler (Composer),

Clive Donner (Film Editor) and Christopher Challis (Director of Photography)

& featuring the veteran cars themselves!

3. Photo & Poster Gallery!

4. Trailers: CAMPBELL'S KINGDOM (Blu-ray) & AGENT 8 3/4 aka HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE (Blu-ray)

Mr. Jim's Ratings:

Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars

Performance: 5 Stars

Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars

Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 86 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment #9006 ~ (September 6, 2011)

Genevieve is one of those wonderful 1950's British comedies that prove that if you have a smart script and good actors, you are three quarters of the way home. Combine that with an atmospheric soundtrack on the mouth organ by Larry Adler that transports you to a magically nostalgic world of 50's Britain.

The film is about two friends who are veteran car nuts and the long suffering women in their lives. They are entered in the two-day London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and the film follows the trials and tribulations the two couples have getting their cars the 58 miles there and back again. The film may not provoke huge laughter or be terribly deep, but it is endlessly watchable, largely due to the great chemistry all the actors have with each other. Gregson, More, Sheridan and Kendall are all on top form, helped no end by playing fully rounded out, believable characters. The same can be said for all the lesser roles too. Joyce Grenfell has a wonderful cameo as the concierge of the abjectly awful hotel Alan and Wendy (Gregson and Sheridan) are forced to stay in when they finally arrive in Brighton.

Image quality on the blu ray is a little soft and a little red shifted on occasions (understandable given that the film is nearly 60 years old) but otherwise is easily the best version of the movie available.

It is a little light on extras, a good documentary on the making of the film and a gallery of images.

If you like the Ealing style of British comedies, then you are going to enjoy this one no end. Just sit back and marvel at the seeming effortless of a near perfect movie.

Buy Genevieve (1953) Now

"Genevieve," (1953). This Oscar-nominated classic British comedy comes down the years not only in full color, most unusual for the time, but in lastingly saturated color of the green English countryside. The early road picture, directed by Henry Cornelius, follows two couples entered in the London-to-Brighton classic car rally. Their friendly rivalry heats up when during a quarrel, Alan McKim ,(John Gregson), wagers more than he can afford, that he and his wife Wendy, (Dinah Sheridan), in their antique car Genevieve, will win the race. Thereby beating Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More) and his fashion model date Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall) to their destination. They pull various dirty tricks which escalate to acts of sabotage as the two teams race back toward London's Westminster Bridge. Ambrose's date Rosalind must endure her wet and dirty maiden voyage on the rally; Wendy McKim, on the other hand, knows the drill, and has packed extra clothes. This fondly remembered movie has been hard to find for years; it is now available with subtitles, how helpful!--though not so many extras on the disk.

I believe it was an accepted principle of comedy that a production should be filtered through the sensibilities of `normal' people. Thus we have the McKims, as played by Dinah Sheridan (who gets top billing), and John Gregson, given more screen time and higher star billings. But I can claim no knowledge of either of them. Much better known today are the comic actor Kenneth More, (The 39 Steps) as Claverhouse. And, outstandingly, though she left us shockingly young, Kay Kendall (Les Girls, The Reluctant Debutante ) as Rosalind Peters. Kendall, a Golden Globe winner who was married to outstanding British actor Rex Harrison, died at 33, in London, of leukemia, cutting off what might well have been a brilliant comic career. She came from an English music hall family background, which may well have had something to do with her most famous scene in the film the film's most famous, show-stopping scene--in which she drunkenly stands up in a nightclub and plays the trumpet (voiced by Kenny Baker). Popular comic actress Joyce Grenfell (The Belles of St. Trinian's ) has a funny cameo as a Brighton hotel proprietress. Other comic favorites such as Reginald Beckwith and Geoffrey Keen round out the cast. The joyous harmonica theme is by Larry Adler, who, when blacklisted by Hollywood, simply took up his career on the other side of the pond.

In reading other reviewers, I can see that they often say this movie was a favorite of their Mom's or Dad's. But I am older than most other reviewers, and this movie was a great favorite of mine. It was the first British movie I ever saw, as a young child, and left some lasting impressions. I was stunned that a woman could get up in public and play a raucous trumpet. And I desperately wanted to live in a cute little mews house, as the McKims did, presumably because it was cheap. Unfortunately I was much too young to be buying mews houses then, could only beg for doll houses, and, as an adult, never could afford a mews house::they became terribly chic and expensive. I remember the film as a laugh a minute, of course, but after seeing it again after a very long wait, find it a bit of a slo-go; and actually rather genteel and restrained through most of the race. And it clearly demonstrates the era's rather demeaning attitude toward women. Never mind, back then I grew to love the dinner gong logo of the J. Arthur Rank Organisation, and to salivate the moment I saw and heard it, in the expectation of a delicious entertainment to come. This one is still tasty, colorful and flavorful.

Read Best Reviews of Genevieve (1953) Here

first saw this movie when i was 16 (1953) and drove to a small movie theater that showed foreign movies enjoyed it very much especially Kay Kendall's role it really put her on the map she later married Rex Harrison and they made a good couple even now i can see just why it got all those nominations and awards including the Golden Globe what prompted my to get this movie was the recent passing of its star, Dinah Sheridan found the movie to be a pleasant surprise all the way to the end very funny flick thank you for having it paul

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This is one of the comedic classics. If you have an interest in movie comedies watch this film. If you don't laugh at this you are too far gone.

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Company Men (2010)

This film seems to be getting mixed reviews at best. It wasn't even released nationwide, or at least not at a theater near me, and very little promotion was given to it. I think that's a shame because it's an enjoyable film that actually explores not just the recent economy and downsizing in Corporate America but the North American situation (obsession with property, possessions and passing pleasures rather than true happiness). That said, I understand that films involving the recent economy haven't done well and I can see why many people wouldn't be eager to get out only to sit in a theater and watch what can be seen as a very depressing story that has a lot of truth to it.

Outside of that fact I still say this is a good film if not entirely great. Ben Affleck is well cast and likable as a man who has it all until his company is hurt by the economy and he finds himself included in the list of recent layoffs, the last thing he expected given his position at the company. He is eager to find a new job and believes he'll have no problem given his credentials but he soon finds the only positions he can attain are those that he considers beneath him. Soon his termination package runs out and he and his wife (excellently played by Rosemarie Dewitt) have to face some realities about their nice house and many possessions including a beautiful sports car. Dewitt and Affleck do a great job of playing a couple under a lot of stress who still clearly love each other.

The film isn't as depressing as it sounds based on that synopsis, from there Ben Affleck's character slowly realizes that when all else fades family remains constant and his parents and brother in law (Kevin Costner) help him make it through to the other side.

While this goes on Tommy Lee Jones plays a higher business executive at the same company who is very upset with the way the company is being run. When he is eventually let go despite suggestions that could help the company he finds himself dissatisfied with his life and looking to find new meaning. Craig T. Nelson plays the head of the company who causes more issues by taking jobs out of the industrial end of the company to keep investors happy. Chris Cooper does an excellent job playing a man in the same position as Affleck only with much less fortunate results when he doesn't have the same support group (truly the most tragic aspect of the film).

Economy films are a lot like films about the Iraq war, not many want to hear anymore about these issues with the media already bombarding us. However, I would say this isn't so much an economy film as it is a film about a very specific aspect of the current human condition that just happens to use the recent economy issues as a starting point (much like how The Hurt Locker wasn't specifically about Iraq).

To me the film wasn't as depressing as others are painting it to be because the message wasn't about how bad things can get, it was about how good we can make things. Everything is a choice, if we stop becoming obsessed with things we have no control over in hopes of stability, if we stop building things up and acting as if they can never fall down, if we accept that nothing is permanent other than the happiness we give ourselves then we might move past all this and be in a better place, a place that can't be taken away from us.

The ending keeps it from being a truly great film, leaving things wrapped up almost too neatly too suddenly despite attempting to be openended and leaving Affleck's character with a mountain to climb. Still, if you liked last year's Up In The Air you'll enjoy this and if your interested in how business's wind up in trouble or if you like films that show the strength of family then this may be for you, give it a try. I hope this film finds a larger audience on Blu-Ray and DVD, I will certainly be adding it to my collection for repeat viewings.

* I hope this release has a director's commentary.

This is a film that oozes with realism and timeliness. The GTX corporation, headed by an overpaid, callous CEO (Craig T. Nelson)--who cares only about the stockholders, a new corporate headquarters, and his salary and stock options--cuts divisions and lays off thousands of workers--some of whom have been with him and the firm for decades. It's not that they aren't hardworking and dedicated, it's just "business."

One of the men who is laid off is in his thirties (Ben Affleck); the other is twenty years older (Chris Cooper). Another (Tommy Lee Jones) roomed in college with the CEO and helped him build the company from the ground up, concentrating on shipbuilding in the Boston area. All three men live lavishly, with fancy houses, furnishings, and cars.

Affleck is great as the proud, bitter, and then humbled white-collar executive, who has to sell his million-dollar home (in the depressed housing market) and Porsche, and then move in with his parents and work for his brother-in-law (played nicely by Kevin Costner) constructing someone else's mega-house. Cooper is also good--downtrodden and desperate, forced to dye his hair, and grovel at job interviews and with associates. And Jones is wonderful--a man with a conscience in the business world, who cares about the people who work at GTX. He also starts to reevaluate his life, both professionally and personally, in middle age.

The film--written and directed by John Wells--hits home. Most of us know people like the ones we see in The Company Men. They can be vain, pushy, and full of themselves; but when things don't go their way, they can be depressed and helpless. Yes, people need to make a living, but they also need to think about what's really important--family, friends, and self-fulfillment. This is a film that makes you think about these things.

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"The Company Men" is a sober telling of life within a modern company. Men come to be defined by their jobs and when the job is taken away from them, they are lost. Their world as they understand it simply collapses.

At a high level, "The Company Men" covers the lives of several executives of the ship building division of GTX Corporation, an American conglomerate. Profitability and growth seems to be eluding the division and the only response of management is downsizing and, when this fails, more downsizing. Each man is thrown into a whirlpool. Their lives of debt and over-consumption come to a screeching halt. If there is one message from this film it is that too many people assume that things won't change. Too little attention is paid to saving for a rainy day. Consumption is king.

There are excellent performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Affleck. Both end up being "let go" and both struggle with the consequences. However, eventually, reality must be faced. This is not an easy row to hoe. In the case of Ben Affleck's character, his life style is forced to undergo big changes. His house is sold, his family moves back to living with his parents, his wife gets a part time job and he takes a job of manual labour from his brother in law.

Without spoiling the plot, there is a somewhat happier ending. However, in the meantime, the film gives an excellent portrayal of so much of modern corporate life. It's a dog eat dog world out there. Just remember that change can be forced on anyone.

Read Best Reviews of Company Men (2010) Here

Mild "spoilers" contained herein:

A decent, well-paced but largely predictable movie showing what a few "downsized" employees at a large corporation go through when the rug is yanked from under them. Unless you were living in a convent for the last 3 years, none of what you see here will be particularly surprising. The makers of the film dutifully present the greedy heartless CEO (Craig T. Nelson), the hot-shot MBA (Ben Affleck), the blue collar heart-of-gold guy (Kevin Costner), the overlooked company lifer (Chris Cooper), and so on. All the actors do a great job, including the always-good Tommy Lee Jones as the disillusioned philandering millionaire, but there's not really a tremendous amount of meat on the bones of this movie. The actors are attempting to give life to thinly-drawn caricatures distilled from the headlines.

In the end, I don't really care too much about anybody, partly because their troubles are not my own (I've got it worse than everyone shown in the movie), but largely because so many character development questions are left unanswered:

Chris Cooper's character is 60: why is losing his job so devastating? How long did he plan to work? Wouldn't he be close to retirement with some money saved up?

Ben Affleck's character is devastated to lose his Porsche and his country club membership. Why? In his parents' house again after selling his house, he tells his wife "I couldn't wait to get out of here. I was gonna be a CEO." That's it? That's all you got? His parents seem like nice folks. Where's the motivation? Why should we care about this corporate wanker?

It's hard not to be sympathetic with any character Tommy Lee Jones plays, but he stands idly by for most of the movie as the company he helped build is taken away from him, and as people he cares about gets fired, and as he himself gets fired, as he has an affair with the H.R. department chick, walks out on his wife, he sits on a giant pile of money and doesn't help anyone... what happens at the end doesn't redeem him, especially considering the speech he gives to Affleck about loving hotel suites and expensive meals.

Craig T. Nelson's CEO is one-dimensional... it could have been interesting to get under his skin, but the movie didn't have time for him.

And really: do they HAVE to show the passage of time through the cliched use of holidays? Halloween, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas trees, working on New Year's Eve, Easter egg hunts are all shown.... the only thing missing is the last scene happening on 4th of July.

And so on.

Rosemarie Dewitt gives a good performance as Affleck's wife, and Maria Bello does the best she can with the H.R. character.

Comparisons are being made to "Up in the Air", however, "The Company Men" is more relentlessly bleak and conventional, and has far less snappy dialogue. Affleck's excellent kiss-off to one potential employer, and a couple of exchanges at the employment agency are the only thing bordering on funny.

As a distillation of the business headlines from 2008-2010 and how it plays out in a few lives, this is a very good film, and probably all it aspired to be. As a compelling, moving work of cinema... not so much. 3-1/2 stars.

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THE COMPANY MEN (2010, but not released until 2011, 105 minutes, do not confuse with the other comedy Company Man [HD], see my review or with Company Man [HD]) is probably one of the most important movies of this era. In the near future I wager it will be considered a downright unequalled classic. I cannot say I feel that way about it now ... but it has a vital symbolism that I would not have wanted to miss. What attracts my curiosity is why this film seems to have been buried and ignored.

Corporate monster GTX, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts and responsible for the rape of New England, is downsizing suddenly and savagely. The depression we keep pretending is a recession is hitting hard and fast. Ben Affleck, who does not deserve the top billing or any special attention yet receives it, portrays the young sales manager who is fired. In a way, we see this mostly through his eyes as he descends the levels of the Hell of Job Loss.

Tommy Lee Jones and Craig T. Nelson portray the corporate bigwigs of GTX, though Nelson is the soulless owner while Jones is just his 'partner' going back to the company's beginnings. Jones worries like an old lady about the employees being fired while Nelson laughs. Soon Jones is fired, along with Chris Cooper, who symbolizes the too-old-to-hire, out-of-work corporate 'wise man'. It is only Cooper's character who meets his appointment with death by his own hand, and I can't say I liked that but I knew someone had to commit suicide in this.

In a way, this film treats with a world I know not. It is not familiar to me, nor is it understandable. I know such men as "corporate monsters" or the less offensive "bigwigs", "stiff suits" and my own term "executroids". Tommy Lee Jones' character admits who he is: "Hell I like $500 lunches and $5,000 hotel suites!", and this after he's been fired and is a bit hopeless.

Guess that is the real 'enterprising spirit'. That is the world I will never, ever understand. My father always always said, "We're all the same, and everyone's just trying to make a living." So I tried to look at it like that and I have my father to thank for my being able to appreciate this film in full. Before thinking of Pop's wise observation, all I could see was the leering, nasty faces of Craig T. Nelson on one side and Ben Affleck on the other.

There is lots to see and hear in this film. While I felt a kind of sad disgust with it at first, I warmed to its importance. This film speaks loudly to anyone, everyone, who has ever struggled on the way up, lost a job or is floundering in a jobless economy. A special appearance by Kevin Costner as Affleck's brother-in-law symbolizes hard-working labor. As owner of a mid-level construction company, he takes pity on Affleck and hires him. What I really liked here is Costner's job is to build modest homes.

The shots are crabbed and claustrophobic yet lovely and meaningful: the multi-million dollar houses representing the mortgage crisis ('McMansions'), with FOR-SALE signs in the front yards. The shots of certain desolate parts of Gloucester, including the dead, boatless harbor. This has meaning since Jones' character began as a shipwright as did Cooper.

In fact the character with the least meaning (for me, anyhow) is Affleck; he represents the resentful, young hard worker who fought his way out of a working-class neighborhood he despised, and really believed he was better than everyone else. Sad.

As my father might have asked, who is responsible for what? Who cheated the worker out of his work, who slammed all the doors then laughed all the way to the bank? I say Affleck more than Nelson represents that evil glibness, that corporate zombie mentality, that has cost this nation everything. In fact, Nelson seems to be Affleck-in-the-future, only Affleck learns his lessons at the construction site where he works for his brother-in-law.

In other words, he has his glibness torn from him savagely. I kept saying, "Good." There was no way I would ever feel sorry for Affleck's character.

Get this and watch it at least twice. Aside from possibly catching all the stupidly mumbled dialogue which you'll surely miss on the 1st viewing, you'll catch a great deal more. Aside from Affleck's unending lack of acting talent, you will discover that every line spoken here is a lesson. This film without the "f-bombs" and the "mo-fo bombs" which can be edited out in a cinch should be shown in schools.

Craig T. Nelson to a fired Tommy Lee Jones: "My shares are worth $600 million. How much are yours worth?"

And I thought, THAT is a profound and challenging question to America. Watch this great film (in spite of Affleck, whom I always jokingly call "Ben Affect" as in "lack of affect"). Find out just what Jones' "shares" are worth. From this, America just might relearn who and what it really is.

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Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, T (2013)

The Curious Case of Benjamim Button is by no means a feel-good movie. In fact upon watching it, I felt depressed even the next day just thinking about it. People may confuse this for a love story but to me the film clearly symbolizes death. The love aspect is certainly present, though it is not the center of attention here.

Brad Pitt stars as Benjamin Button, a man who essentially ages backwards. When he is born, his own father attempts to drown him before a sudden change of heart has him leaving the swaddled and very whithered newborn upon the steps of an elderly home. There he is found by Queenie, played to motherly perfection by Taraji P. Henson. She sees past the deformity and oddity and loves him immediately.

Instead of dying, as a doctor predicted, Benjamin actually begins to age backwards. He appears as a very old man and slowly grows younger, but only in body. His mind seems to function as a typical human's mind. He learns, and dreams and experiences. This basically sets up the magnificent story and from then on, you are taken from country to country, from one decade, to another and it is just superb to witness.

The acting is fantastic all around. Brad Pitt does an outstanding job, portraying both the old Benjamin as well as his younger counterpart. Cate Blanchett as his childhood friend/love interest is also a joy to watch. She can do no wrong, she is simply stunning. For such a short part, Tilda Swinton surely makes the most of it. Her tale and part with Benjamin in Russia is just stunning. There is also the talented Julia Ormond, who has a bigger part to play in the tale than we may realise at first.

The most impressive aspect of the film is the flawless visual effects. Just flawless. You have never seen aging/deaging done like this. There is a scene, towards the end, with Benjamin and Daisy (Blanchett) that had my jaw dropping. It was like looking back in time. I can't describe how utterly impressed I was. The cinematography, the sad musical score, the costumes, just every little minute detail is just so impressive and authentic.

I have heard grumbles from people who compare it to Forrest Gump. What? How? There should not be any comparing the two films-or the two characters. Gump was a slow and mostly ignorant person who fell into unbelievable situations. Button clearly chooses his own paths, though it may not seem it, at the beginning. It irritates me how someone can make such a comparison.

This is a long film, nearly three hours, though with the plot and subject matter, it makes sense and really, it is such a beautiful film, you hardly notice the passing of time. Like I mentioned, it will leave you feeling blue but that does not diminish from the fact this is one of the better newer films out there now, and one that people will remember in the future.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has such a high concept that some people were thrown off. Even major critics like Roger Ebert bashed the film as a whole based only upon his thought that the concept made it a film that no one could ever relate to. I wholeheartedly disagree, and am a little disappointed that after so many years of reading Ebert's reviews, that he's limiting his scope by writing off concepts that, to him, just can't work, especially when this film makes its concept work so brilliantly. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a brooding, sweepingly epic tale about--no surprises here--Benjamin Button, who was born as an old man and will age backwards until he is once again an infant. While this is certainly never the case in life, the unusualness of it even more poignant, because it still does, in a way, mirror real life. When Benjamin Button becomes a boy after years of "growing down," he will begin to lose his memories the same way an elderly man with Alzheimer's would. Truthfully, it is a high concept that perhaps would have been one of those "huge idea, not so much story" films in different hands, but screenwriter Eric Roth and director David Fincher made a film that transcends even this looming premise.

The movie has a sort of Burtonesque whimsy, though it is textured in a way that none of his films are. The film is almost three hours long, and it's such a busy three hours that it feels more like four. There is a framing story, in which a dying woman and her daughter read the diary of Benjamin. These may be considered the weakest parts of the story, but it also comes together nicely in the end. All of the various characters that Benjamin meets along the way are so interesting and so well thought out. There's a man who gets struck by lightning seven times (we see six of these through hilarious flashbacks), a woman who wants to break a swimming record but is limited by her age, a drunken captain who opens up his world to carnal pleasures, and a whole lot of other characters who you will fall in love with over the course of the film. Many people die, because death--one way (old age) or the other (youth)--is sort of the whole point behind this film. People come into your life and one way or another, they leave. And they leave an imprint. The film is such a weird way to tackle the premise but it's so deliciously inventive and brilliantly made that its weirdness plays a central role in its overall greatness.

One of the better movies of 2008, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a universally enjoyable film that I suspect it will be even better to watch on DVD when one can take a bit of a break between scenes. The length, and the war scene, will definitely lose some viewers for a while, but everything that comes before and everything that follows is so fantastic that you'll definitely catch back up with it.

8/10

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"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a wonderfully staged fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's fantasy about a boy born old and aging younger instead of older. The story could obviously be off-putting and distracting, but everyone involved does such a magnificent job of telling this story that it is not hard to accept this as fact, and following the story as it shows Benjamin growing younger and falling in love with a young girl named Daisy.

Benjamin and Daisy's story and the balance of Benjamin's life impart so many valuable life lessons that it is hard to recount them all the idea that life brings many hardships and the best we can do is doing the best we can with what we're given, making the most of every moment because life is fleeting and unpredictable, find the joy and happinessin life and hold on to it dearly, and many other lessons.

"Benjamin Button" gives Brad Pitt the chance to shine in the title role, and he makes the most of it. He is ably assisted by Cate Blanchett as Daisy, Taraji P. Henson as Benjamin's adoptive mother, Tilda Swinton as another love of Benjamin's, and many others. This film is marvelous and a hopeful fable for all of us.

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This is, while a technically brilliant piece of filmmaking that fully exploits all the wizardry of CGI and makeup of which the filmmaker's art is now capable, strangely hollow at the center. One begins the movie expecting some profound truths about human existence to be explored, but it ends not with a big life-affirming bang, but more of a whimper, quite literally. Benjamin says though his diary at one point: "Life is defined by opportunities--even the ones we miss." And that could be a sum-up of this film project as a whole, as well as the life of the bizarre hero at its center. One gets the sense of promise grasped for here but not quite realized as the technical and stylistic gymnastics of this movie overwhelm the fragile love story that should be its beating heart.

The film opens with Mr. Gateau (Cake) constructing a magical clock that runs backwards and mounting it in a train station in New Orleans in honor of his son, dead in the Great War. No mention is made again of Mr. Gateau or whether his clock was successful in rewinding time to bring dead boys back to life. It does have a curious effect on the life of one boy, though, as Benjamin enters the world essentially running backwards. As other reviewers have pointed out, it's quizzical that the clock has this metaphysical effect on only Benjamin among all the other children born afterwards, but then, fantasy is not required to operate by the rules of logic. Perhaps Benjamin, with a Gullah mother was particularly susceptible to magic, and how serendipitous that old-man baby Benjamin's grieving father abandoned him, along with $18 on the steps of an old-folks home, rather than say, a brothel . . .this being New Orleans, after all. What are the chances, outside the realm of fantastical fiction, furthermore that Benjamin's progenitor be named Mr. Button, and that he own a button factory? Otherwise we wouldn't have such nifty alliteration.

Countless comparisons have been made to "Forrest Gump", with which this narrative does share structural similarities. However, that didn't occur to me while I was watching and found instead resonance with one of Pitt's earlier characters, Tristan Ludlow from "Legends of the Fall"--like Benjamin, Tristan is a soul set apart, blessed or cursed with mystical powers he does not fully understand; uncomfortable among other people and destined to lose the true love of his life due to his own inability to live a normal life. Scenes of Benjamin travelling to foreign shores and sailing a boat underscored this impression. (The presence of Julia Ormond, here playing the adult daughter of the aged Daisy was just a bonus, since she and Pitt have no scenes together.) The setting of New Orleans during Benjamin's childhood in the early decades of the last century also reminded me of Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby".

This film is technically dazzling, but I think it was justly deprived of the top acting awards. With so much else to be distracted by, the acting had a job of it to even be noticed, really. Cate Blanchett is luminous, as usual. I had my doubts a 38-year-old mother of three could pull off a 23-year-old ballerina, but La Blanchett can do anything. The greatest curiosity I had, to be honest, was in how they were going to make Brad Pitt look 18 again. Brad has taken pretty good care of his body over the years, but the strain of being father to the United Tribe of Benetton is starting to show . . .at least when he's not on a movie set. When he's lit and coiffed for a film, he does not look anything like a 46-year-old father of six. He can easily pass for a decade younger . . .but I thought 18 would be pushing it. Well . . . did I say that the makeup department is amazing?? Looking at the scene of an 18-year-old Benjamin coming to visit the now-58-year-old Daisy--wow. It was like having a flashback to Mr. Pitt's debut in "Thelma & Louise", and it was a very unsettling feeling. "Unsettling" is the best descriptor for this movie. Parts of it were stunning to look at, but its tragic meditations on the ultimate inablity of love to bring any meaning to human life leaves you wrung out and uncertain whether you are better off having seen it than you were before.

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Visually, this is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every period in the film, from the roaring '20s of Benjamin's earliest years, to the 1960s when he lived briefly with the girl of his dreams, are captured almost perfectly onscreen. The cinematography is practically flawless. The film is so wonderfully atmospheric it's almost worth watching for that alone. The special effects are remarkable as well. At different points in the film, both Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt are made to look roughly twenty years younger than their actual ages. This is relatively new in film. It's been possible since the medium began to age actors with makeup, but now it's also possible to de-age them through the magic of CGI. So where it would once have only been possible to make this film using very young actors to play the leads, and use make up to age them into their 40s and 50s and beyond, they can now cast established stars in their 40s and still have them convincingly play characters just out of their teens. The technical wizardry behind this is amazing, and it's yet another example of the magic of the movies.

So on technical merits alone I'd give the film 5 out of 5 stars. Unfortunately, the story does not quite live up to that high standard. It's not bad, to be sure; I did enjoy the movie, but I couldn't help wonder, at the end of it all, what the point was. As the reviewer for the Sunday Times aptly put it: "It's a gimmick that goes on for nearly three hours." Now I don't think every story has to have a moral, or a great message, or all kinds of weighty allusions and themes, and so forth. But simple, escapist entertainment just works better as a comedy or an action piece. A moody, character-driven drama, one can't help but feel, ought to have a little more to say. This movie, enjoyable as it is, seems like nothing more than an exercise in "what if" thinking -what if a man could age backward? What would that be like? Storywise, the film seems to have nothing to offer beyond that, and one really doesn't need a 2 1/2 hour film to spell out all the sorrowful ramifications of such a scenario.

Still, the film is good for an evening's entertainment, and is a feast for the eyes. Cate Blanchett is nearly always worth watching, and Pitt gives a very good performance as well.

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Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory[Region Free]

I won't bore you with yet another "review" of this film or my personal opinion of it. You want to know what I think of the BD version, right?

My short answer: This BD looks and sounds so good that I've already given away my DVD of it.

The Blu-ray Disc of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is the best I have ever seen of the film. Image quality is sharp & clean and the colors stand out like candy. The DolbyTrueHD sound is excellent allowing all the dialogue and songs to come through crystal-clear.

This BD case is like a book with many pages for the fans. My ONLY (small) regret is that the back cover containing all the BD information is not printed on the book, and instead is merely a printed page that eventually comes loose and detaches after a short while (whereas my "Easy Rider" BD is the same type of book and the information is printed on the back cover much better!).

If you like (or love) this movie and are wondering if the BD is worth the money, wonder no more. You will be pleased with your decision to make the switch to Blu-ray for Wonka.

WOW, I can't believe how long ago this film was made and how wonderful it is even today! It really doesn't seem like it's from 1971. I have probably seen this film over 500 times by now, since the 80's and I still am not the least bit bored of it. At 28 years old, I still totally love this film!!! The characters, especially Gene Wilder who plays Willy Wonka, who is THE Willy Wonka, who could never be topped EVER (yes I've seen the 2005 film!), the music, the setting, the songs, and especially the Oompa-Loompa's! Everything in this film is so wonderfully done and everyone who hasn't seen it yet, needs to as soon as possible!!

My favorite place or scene in the whole film has to be the big candy and chocolate room where Willy Wonka sings "Pure Imagination." Not only for the song but because I can see how much work the director put into this film. All the candy and chocolate looks so real and alive and the whole room looks so beautiful the way everything is set up! I also love that teacher, Charlie's teacher that you see a lot until they go into the chocolate factory, he is so funny! And it's set in London, an added bonus!! I just cannot get enough of this film or recommend this film enough!! It's a masterpiece!!! It's definitely one of my favorite movies of all time!!!

Who could not love Veruca's "I Want It Now" performance? That whole scene was totally brilliant!

The Special Widescreen Edition DVD has tons of extras. There is commentary by the kids who got to go inside the factory. You'll also learn that Gene Wilder wouldn't play Willy Wonka unless he was able to do that somersault that he does before letting the kids through the gate. There is an interview with Gene Wilder from 2001, The Making of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, four sing along songs, a 1971 behind the scenes featurette, and a photo gallery.

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Well, not exactly... Some here have complained that the widescreen version is simply a matted version of a full screen print, and that the widescreen presentation chops off part of the image at the top and bottom. Well, according to my copy of the DVD, that is only half correct. I own the 25th Anniversary 1996 release of this film on DVD, which has both the widescreen and full screen version on one DVD. I compared numerous scenes in freeze-frame between the widescreen and full screen versions. In widescreen, sure enough, a bit of the top and bottom of the image seems to be cut off when compared to the full screen version. But I also noticed that when viewing the full screen version, an equal bit is missing from the left and right compared to the widescreen version. So no matter which version you watch, you aren't seeing "everything". But which is proper? After comparing many images, I conclude that the widescreen version is what we are supposed to be seeing. Consider the beginning of chapter six. If you watch the widescreen version, you see a news anchor sitting at a desk. the bottom of the image is framed with his name plate on his desk, and the right side of the screen says "Evening Report" on the back wall. Watch the full screen version, and you will see a bit more blue background on the top, and more of the desk below the name plate on the bottom, but the right side of the image now reads, "Eveni Repo"! Folks, you ARE missing the left and right sides when viewing the full screen version, and from what I saw, the little bit of information that is missing from the top and bottom of the widescreen version generally was inconsequential. Every scene I watched and compared looked better composed when watching the widescreen presentation. Just FYI...

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The film is based on a much-loved children's book, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', by Roald Dahl. Dahl wasn't always happy with the changes made between his book and the film, and wasn't always consulted on them. Today probably more people are familiar with the film sequence of events than the book. Charlie is a down-on-his-luck boy who is nonetheless optimistic and happy. He and his mother work to tend for their bed-ridden family members, all living together in a one-room home.

One day there is an annoucement that Wonka is going to open his factory to visitors, to be chosen more or less at random through finding the Golden Tickets, contained in Wonka bars (a brilliant marketing device back then). Scenes of shoppers' frenzy are shown all around with world, including a Wonka delivery van shown arriving at the White House.

The five golden tickets are found all around the world the first one in Dusselheim, Germany, by the fat boy, Augustus Gloop (played by Michael Boliner, who is now a tax accountant in Munich, and is still rather large). The second ticket was found in the UK, by spoiled brat, Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole, the only Wonka child still acting), whose father, Roy Kinnear, is a well-known actor in British cinema. The third ticket was found in the USA, by gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson, now an accountant at a nuclear plant in Colorado), whose used-car-salesman father was played by Leonard Stone (who was selected over Jim Bakus). The fourth ticket was also won in the USA, by Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen, considered a real brat by most of the cast and crew); his frantic mother was played by Dodo Denny (later Nora Denny), who was one of the few minor characters in the film to consistently act after this film. The final ticket at first is reported to be won by some shady businessman from Paraguay, but in the end, that is proven to be a forgery. Of course, Charlie buys a Wonka Bar expecting nothing, and gets the ticket.

An ominous figure, Slugworth (the arch-enemy of Wonka who knew chocolate makers also made arch-enemies?), appears to each of the winners, whispering in their ears. Charlie is also confronted, and promised a reward should he bring Slugworth an example of Wonka's latest creation, the Everlasting Gobstopper. One wonders why (a) any candy maker would make a candy that never wears out (thus defeating re-sales), and (b) why Slugworth can't just buy one himself when they are released, analyse it and ruin his own factory the same way? But I digress... Gunter Meisner, a very prolific German actor, played the villain, who wasn't in the book (nor was the 'gobstopper plot').

The grand day of the event, the winners enter the factory with great fanfare, meeting Wonka (Gene Wilder) for the first time, and get the first taste of his bizarre sense of theatre. (It is reported not only Wilder's idea for the limping/somersault introduction to the crowd, but also a condition of his accepting the role.) From that point on, what was truth? It is ironic that Wonka's entrance doesn't occur until the film is half over. What we remember of the film comes after this, but over half the film is actually set-up. This is rather like the Wizard of Oz, where most of the film is done before we see 'the major character', although admittedly Wonka is far more prominent than Oz's balloonist.

Wonka, the man of mystery, only ever became even more of a mystery as the tour progressed. He is constantly switching his words ('we have so much time and so little to do'), and there are surprises at every turn. Wonka borrows a lot of his key phrases (Ogden Nash, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde) and there are a lot of fantasy-inspired elements (Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings).

At each major scene, something ghastly seems to happen, but in epic-fantasy form, it doesn't seem to matter to the majority, who proceed onward with their quest. In the chocolate room, Augustus Gloop meets his untimely exit from the factory by falling in the chocolate river. Violet turns into a blueberry by chewing experimental gum, and has to be squeezed (squoozed?). Veruca, in the room with the geese who lay the golden eggs, turns out to be a bad egg herself, but has a sporting chance of going down a chute with an inactive furnace. Mike Teevee shrinks in the Wonka version of the Star Trek transporter beam, leaving in the end only Charlie, who is denied his prize of a lifetime of chocolate for a minor infraction.

It would seem that Wonka had a sinister side in many ways the boat that carries the prize winners only seated eight, implying that Wonka knew someone would be missing. The Wonkamobile only had seats for four guests. Of course, the children apparently all had sinister sides, too, including Charlie, until the end. None of them let Wonka know of their Slugworth contact.

In the end, we never know what becomes of the fallen questers we are led to believe that in this candy factory they got their just desserts. The Oompa-Loompas put the moral to each downfall in song, with a 1970s karaoke-type presentation of the lyrics as they sing. In the end, of course, goodness and justice win out, as the factory is given to Charlie after his act of unwarranted kindness toward Wonka.

Director Stuart always saw this film as a 'realistic' fantasy film. Those things that are not over the top are very ordinary. The people are not superheroes, and the situations, while fantastic, are not beyond the credible. Stuart also did his best for 'real' reaction the kids had never seen Gene Wilder before his appearance at the door, the chocolate room in the factory, or the Oompa-Loompas prior to the first scene, either, so their reactions are more natural.

A great film for children and adults!

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The famous/infamous Boat Ride Scene in this movie is probably the most talked about piece of film in these reviews, so I thought I'd spill my thoughts about it. To be honest, I love it. It represents a speck of horror, a dark flaw in the sparkling crystal of the movie, and more macroscopically, our lives... that somehow makes the crystal so much more mysterious and fascinating.

The entire movie crescendoes to the moment when Charlie lays down the Everlasting Gobstopper on Mr. Wonka's desk, which he does despite such potentially intimidating things as the boat ride and the also famous "You LOSE!! Good DAY, sir!" tirade. I think Charlie does this because he has carefully paid attention to the fact that Mr. Wonka, despite some threatening stuff, is fundamentally good, and has only illustrated some of the consequences of not listening to him to some people who really should pay attention. "Why don't they listen to Mr. Wonka?" Charlie asks plaintively at one point... but then at another, he himself and Grandpa Joe don't listen and go floating up via Fizzy Lifting Drinks.... even they are sinners... but can be and are forgiven. In a nutshell, I think Mr. Wonka represents God, the chocolate factory represents Heaven, and Charlie represents how one has to behave to get there. The boat ride represents what could happen to us if we don't listen. We are all ON that boat ride right now... the rowers keep on rowing, and they certainly aren't showing any sign that they are slowing. Throughout my life, I plan to do my best to give back the Everlasting Gobstopper... but sometimes I am probably gonna have a few hits of Fizzy Lifting Drinks even though Mr. Wonka told me not to. : ) S

The Prowler (1981)

There was always something about "The Prowler" that made it stand out among the other 80's slashers. It's a fun and scary movie that features some of F/X maestro Tom Savini's most gruesome work. The small town setting, the sprawling mansion and dorm, the innovative backstory all create a great atmosphere. The actual menacing figure of the Prowler himself is just down right creepy, and the unique kills involving a pitchfork, a bayonette and other sharp instruments will keep horror fans happy. The DVD treatment is fantastic, and I really enjoyed Tom Savini's behind the scenes look at some of the great effects. If you are a fan of the horror genre then this movie is a must see. The only two drawbacks to the film; the Prowler looks menacing, but he doesn't instill that sense of dread Jason or Michael posess. And the musical score is kind of flat, not really helping to build suspense, just a trilling violin that kind of gets in the way. But those two minor complaints shouldn't keep you from enjoying a great old-school slasher. And by the way....why do so many people who have reviewed this movie feel the need to give away the entire story? I mean if you are not sure what "The Prowler" is about...just look at the DVD cover art....there aren't too many folks out there that will think this is a romantic comedy!! If you aren't familiar with this movie, don't read further reviews some of which contain quite a few spoilers!

Joseph Zito's relentlessly cruel THE PROWLER is one of the very few memorable films to have emerged from the vast wasteland of 80's era slasher cycle crud. Like THE BURNING and MY BLOODY VALENTINE, THE PROWLER tells an undeniably cliche ridden tale but compensates with memorable characters, decent production values, a surprisingly effective musical score and, of course, some of the most inventive and grotesquely realistic murder sequences in the genre. In fact, this may very well be the most violent movie of its ilk ever made. Despite its ferocious gore, this film somehow managed to get an uncensored theatrical release (with an obviously bogus "R" rating).

While there are no real surprises on hand for the horror aficionado, THE PROWLER is so slickly filmed by real craftsmen that it naturally has instant appeal as one of the only competently directed and watchable movies of its kind. If there is such a thing as a "classic" slasher, THE PROWLER is surely one.

The Blue Underground DVD is a highly recommended purchase for fans of this terrific little gorefest. The film is presented in widescreen format (1.85:1) in a nice, colorful transfer, looking much better than it ever has before. Disc extras include trailers, a poster/stills gallery and a fun but brief behind-the-scenes videotaped look at Tom Savini's awesome makeup effects. Best bonus of all is an occasionally raucous audio commentary by Savini and director Joseph Zito, in which the two apparent friends share informative and entertaining tidbits about the film's often chaotic production.

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To say THE PROWLER is any kind of great film is simply untrue. However, the whole thing has an eerie, unsettling, dream-like quality to it that carries it through the slower patches and makes the film's near-total lack of coherency and logic much easier to take. The tension is kept taught throughout, and with top-notch scoring, photography, gore effects and direction, makes for a surprisingly effective and repeatable horror film. Just make sure you watch it in the dead of night! The Blue Underground DVD has a fine anamorphic transfer that is as good as the original negatives will allow, some fascinating on-set footage of the make-up effects, an impressive stills and poster gallery that is definitely worth ploughing through and a superb, hugely entertaining commentary with director Joseph Zito and make-up maestro Tom Savini. Very much recommended.

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As a long time fan of slasher films, I have been disappointed with the Friday the 13th series and the Nightmare on Elm street series and not to mention the Halloween series. The more sequels there are, the more outragous the storylines. Its a insult to the viewers intelligence. The Prowler, is straight and to the point...to the point of a large pitchfork that is. This movie is what a true fan of horror/slasher films is looking for. The murder scenes are very elaborate and very creative. With special effects by the master Tom Savini (creepshow, Friday the 13th) its a rollercoaster ride of who done its.

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In Australia and the United Kingdom too I think, this movie is called Rosemary's Killer. In America it is ofcourse called the Prowler. I personally like the title Rosemary's Killer better. I just bought an ex rental of the movie and unfortunately is not the best of copies but it is better than nothing. I can't say what the DVD is like because I haven't seen it, but I have seen the movie. I recommend it a lot. It is one of the best horror films out there. It was made when horror films were in their prime. Back in the early eighties when they were turning them out like sausages.

The story is about a young woman who is dating a GI and she writes him a letter ending their relationship. The soldier returns home from World War II and he finds his girlfriend and her new lover in a gazebo and impales them on a pitchfork.

Jump to 35 years into the future and a graduation day is coming up.For some reason this triggers Rosemary's Killer into action again and more murders occur. The killer sticks a knife through the top of a man's head, pitchforks another in a shower, almost severs the head of a girl in a pool. The special effects are great, I would go so far as to say they are the best. They are created by Tom Savini who is much better at horror effects than he is at acting.

Just before the murders occur the sheriff tells his deputy that he is going on a fishing trip.Then the murders start occuring. The only person that could have been old enough in the picture to have done the murders of Rosemary and her new boyfriend was one man.Once you got that down the identity of the killer is pretty obvious although I will say when I found out it did shock me even though it should've been obvious to me. I must have been caught up in the movie.This movie is more gory than the Friday the 13ths, even the final chapter. I don't understand why the Friday the 13ths should be cut more if they were than this.So maybe would have been considered less popular and therefore didn't bother to censor it as much.

I agree with one review. It is not clear what the reason is for the killer to start killing again. Maybe it is simply a graduation.

Be warned-this movie is how it should be. It is a little slow in some places, but the gore makes up for that.

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