Summer of Fear (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)To be truely correct: Wes Craven's "Summer of Fear". Actually, "Wes Craven Presents Lois Duncan's Summer of Fear".
18 year old Rachel Bryant is getting used to the fact that her aunt and uncle have died in a car crash. But mostly, her cousin Julia who was at boarding school at the time. It's summer, and Rachel thinks she can deal with her cousin Julia. But there is something funny about Julia....
Rachel finds strange artifacts in her room that she is sharing with Julia such as a picture of herself with red splotches all over it. Wait a minute....Rachel suddenly suffered from hives a few days ago. And Rachel's horse has acted strangely around Julia until it suddenly had to be put down. And there is a strange figure with her horses hair on it....What is going on with Julia?!
I enjoyed "Summer Of Fear" since I first saw it on TV several years ago under the title "Stranger in Our House". It's creepy and some good plot twists help make this a winning horror flick for the ages.
RECCOMENDED TO FANS OF:
Witchcraft (1988)
Burnt Offerings (1976)
The Craft (1996)
CAST
Linda Blair .... Rachel Bryant
Lee Purcell .... Julia
Jeremy Slate .... Tom Bryant
Jeff McCracken .... Mike Gallagher
THE MOVIE: 3.5/4
THE PICTURE QUALITY: 7/10 In 1.33:1 full screen. That's probably the original aspect ratio since it's a tv movie. There is a large amounts of specs and grittyness thoughout the movie.
THE AUDIO QUALITY: 9.5/10 You can choose from 5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 dolby Stereo. The commentary is in 2.0 Stereo. Great listening!
THE SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary with director Wes Craven and producer Max Keller, director and cast filmographies and sneak peeks.
SUBTITLES: English.

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Item Name: Summer of Fear; Studio:Live / Artisan

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Silent Night, Deadly Night (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)NOTE: The four stars are merely for the film and it's earlier DVD presentation.
I've been waiting for December 11th, 2007. Why? Because I'm a huge fan of the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" film series. Most folks either love the films or loathe them. For me, they're all guilty pleasures. Never 100% genre classics in the conventional sense (the first is the closest, while the 3rd has the benefit of a most-skilled director, Monte Hellman), but fun nonetheless.
Of course, this isn't the first time "Silent Night" has appeared on DVD. Anchor Bay previously released a double feature DVD in 2003, containing the original film in it's uncut, restored form along with the notoriously bad "Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2". While I was thrilled to have these films on DVD, it always irritated me that neither a theatrical trailer nor TV spot was included for the first film (there was a trailer included for "Part 2"). How could this be? Anyone who knows the history of SNDN also knows that the film itself wasn't the cause for the tremendous uproar from parental groups, everywhere. Rather, it was the actual publicity materials (movie posters and televised commercial spots, especially) that sparked the true controversy. There had already been Christmas-themed horror films, some even involved Santa-suited psychopathic slasher fiends, but none of which received the degree of SNDN's multimedia marketing saturation. These were the ads that freaked out the mass public and ultimately won SNDN it's forbidden reputation. Overwhelmed by the astounding negative attention (including a slew of horrible reviews), the film's distributor, Tri-Star Pictures, withdrew it from circulation and eventually disowned the film entirely. Ironically, Tri-Star distributed "Santa Claus: The Movie" the following year.
I've come to expect such goodies from Anchor Bay and was truly disappointed to find that no trailers or TV spots were made available. So, when I learned of a new edition, I was hopeful that it might include SOMETHING more.
With the latest DVD firmly in hand, my eyes delighted to the words "theatrical trailer" advertised prominently on the back cover. That was all the incentive I needed to plop $13 at the checkout counter. Sadly, after a quick spin in my DVD player, I discovered these words held no such relevance. No trailer to be found. Even though the packaging boasts "one of the most controversial slasher films of all time... uncut, uncensored and back like never before," this is the exact same pressing as the '03 release. Such a phrase should indicate a "fresh presentation" of sorts. If by "like never before" Anchor Bay meant that this release features newer, over-blurbed packaging and that the disc is no longer a double-sided one containing a sequel, then perhaps the statement is correct.
On the subject of having no new special features, why didn't Anchor Bay consider doing an interview with Miss Linnea Quigley just for this disc? It could have been easy. They actually had such an opportunity after previously interviewing her for their "Night Of The Demons" release. "Hey, Linnea... might we ask about 'Silent Night' now... for a possible future DVD re-release?" Guess not.
To summarize, really what we have here is a re-hash of Part 1 only, in exactly the same presentation as before. The catch being that this DVD is in print while the other is not. I want my thirteen dollars back... like never before! NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY!

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Luther the Geek Review

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(More customer reviews)Sorry for the ridiculous title but this crazy film deserves nothing less. "Luther the Geek" is a basic slasher movie containing a few things that truly set it apart from most. First, the actor who portrays Luther does an excellent job at portraying a seriously deranged psychotic. I don't know of too many actors who could pull off the fact that their only dialouge consists of squawking like a chicken, yet not make it seem funny. Second, a generally twisted feel overall that culminates in a very unsettling ending. The film also has a clausterphobic feel to it as most of the action takes place in or around an isolated farmhouse, somewhat in a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" mold. The gore effects are generally good with the vomiting blood scene being the most shocking. "Luther the Geek" is simply a disturbing movie that is one of my guilty pleasures, check it out. One note, since Troma acquired this, they have tacked on a rather obscene prolouge with Lloyd Kaufman introducing the film. Normally his stuff is kind of funny, this one is just tasteless.

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A young country boy is plunged into the depths of homicidal madness after witnessing the strange exploits of a carnival "geek", a caged drunk so desperate for whiskey that he bites the heads off of live chickens in front of a freak show audience.30 years later, Luther is all grown up and out on parole after spending his childhood behind bars for a series of grisly murders.Armed with a pair of razor-sharp metal dentures and only able to communicate through chicken clucks, Luther starts his bloody rampage anew as he terrorizes the citizens of a small town and takes a young mother and her family hostage in their isolated farmhouse.Featuring one of the most intense endings ever put on film, Luther the Geek is good gory fun in the splatter flick tradition of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Toxic Avenger!DVD Features Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger!- Interview with Luther the Geek director Carl J. Albright -Deleted scenes from "The Shower", "The Bedroom" and "The Bullet Hits"- Troma's "Freak of the Week" from Troma's Edge TV, featuring "Tim the Torture King"! -Tromatic music video "Freak of the Week" featuring Ron Jeremy and DJ Polo and directed by Lloyd Kaufman! -Freaky theatrical Trailers for Luther the Geek, Bloodsucking Freaks, Tales From the Crapper, and Citizen Toxie! -Freaky poster art and production stills! -"Make Your Own Damn Movie" Film school in a box! -Radiation March -Learn about the only truly independent film festival with the Tromadance PSA! -Special tribute to Rue Morgue Magazine

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Friday the 13th Uncut (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've already recorded my thoughts on the original Friday the 13th. I think it's among the top two or three greatest slasher films ever made. It has a kind of 'Blair Witch Project' feel about it, as you never see who or what you are dealing with until very close to the end. This creates an aura of dread, as well as a nearly tangible feeling that these characters are pretty much doomed.
I don't waste too much time mincing words about such matters-to me, this is a great movie. Not just a great slasher film, but a great film, by ANY standards. And it continues to grow on me. By now, I've seen it around 100 times, but I continue to like it better over time.
One word of caution, though. They refer to it as 'uncut',as if this is a big deal. I expected there to be major differences, such as reinserted deleted scenes or something of that nature. There isn't. So don't expect to get anything radically different than what you've had in the past. In fact, the major difference-the death scene of Kevin Bacon-looked better BEFORE. Some things get cut for a reason.
But the picture and sound quality are outstanding. The other special features are okay. But if you are satisfied with the version you have at present, there is no overwhelming reason to replace your old dvd with this one.
A lot has been said about this being a graphically violent film. That may be the case, up to a point. But I believe that it's often what you DON'T see that most powerfully affects your imagination. And that's where this movie really sets itself apart. The killer is hardly ever shown, up until the final twenty minutes,but their presense hovers ominously and continually over the entire movie.
For example, you could consider the scene where the girl is brushing her teeth at the sink. Off to her far left, we see a shower curtain shift a couple of inches. We, as the audience, realize the implications: if she goes back there, she will be killed. She,of course, is oblivious to the danger. The killer is back there, silently waiting. The movement of the shower curtain is so subtle, so understated.........yet you know full well what it means.
Most of the horror movies I have sat through, even taken in their entirety, simply do not compare with that brief, seemingly trivial scene. Mystery, dread, suspense,horror, tension-all found, in abundance, in a scene that only lasts a minute or two.
I regard this as a masterpiece.

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Item Name: Friday the 13th Uncut [Blu-ray]; Studio:Paramount

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