Creepshow

Directed by George A. Romero
featuring Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye
Two of the most venerable names in the horror field, author Stephen King and director George A. Romero, present this anthology of original twisted tales inspired by the E.C. horror comics of the 50's and 60's (themselves a more direct basis for the popular Tales from the Crypt TV series). The five stories are framed within the pages of a comic book which a boy's insensitive father has thrown in the garbage. The first tale, "Father's Day," features a zombie patriarch returning to claim his Father's Day cake; "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" stars King himself as a slack-jawed yokel whose discovery of a radioactive meteorite turns him into a walking weed; "Something to Tide You Over" presents a deadly-serious Leslie Nielsen as a cuckolded husband who plans an elaborate seaside revenge; "The Crate" unleashes its ferocious man-eating contents on the enemies of a meek college professor; and "They're Creeping Up On You" pits obsessively-clean billionaire E.G. Marshall against a swarm of cockroaches in his sterile penthouse. The chapters are uniformly creative, filmed in garish comic-book colors, and Tom Savini's makeup effects are quite memorable (particularly the monster from "The Crate"), though the campy treatment does become exhausting after two hours' runtime. The final segment is the most impressive, thanks to Marshall's over-the-top performance, though the planned scope of the cockroach invasion was drastically reduced (no doubt due to budget constraints)

Tokyo

Three of world cinema's great visionaries: Michel Gondry (BE KIND REWIND, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), Leos Carax (THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE), and Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST) each direct a segment of this surreal triptych set in the ultra-modern metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. In the tradition of such films as NEW YORK STORIES, NIGHT ON EARTH, PARIS JE T'AIME and its forthcoming sequel NEW YORK JE T'AIME, TOKYO! addresses the timeless question of whether we shape cities, or if cities shape us — in the process revealing the rich humanity at the heart of modern urban life.

Island of the Fishmen

It's 1891: Lieutenant Claude de Ross (Claudio Cassinelli), a military doctor, and a few newly escaped convicts are shipwrecked on a mysterious tropical island. They soon come across a strange couple: the sadistic Edmund Rackham (Richard Johnson) and the beautiful Amanda Marvin (Barbara Bach). The doctor finds out that Amanda's father, professor Ernest Marvin (Joseph Cotten), is a mad scientist who is experimenting on horrible human-fish mutations. While Professor Marvin is convinced that he's doing his research for humanitarian motives, Rackham has other plans, since he has discovered an incredible secret lying beneath the island.

American Scary

A DOCUMENTARY FEATURING ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, GHOULARDI, SVENGOOLIE AND MORE

Late Night TV Done Right on DVD February 17, 2009

A nostalgic homage to the glory days of the late night horror shows, AMERICAN SCARY, features interviews and archival footage of the most famous hosts from the 1950s to present day.

The birth of TV horror in the late 1950s also marked the rise of a new American folk art form: horror show hosting. Before syndicated programming and cable were introduced, hosts of locally produced shows were a staple of television. Local programs, such as "Creature Features" and "Mystery Science Theatre 3000," launched a spectacle of beloved kooky TV personalities, who will forever belong in the horror "crypt of fame" with their unforgettable farcical make-up, grimy costumes, grotesque props, and even freakishly altered bodies.

AMERICAN SCARY features extensive interviews with both celebrity fans and the hosts themselves on the genre's beginnings, the ups and downs of '60s and '70s, and modern revivals. AMERICAN SCARY is a wistful memento of that once significant local television programming and a yearning for its resurrection.

AMERICAN SCARY premiered at the Hollywood Film Festival, and has played in multiple film festivals across the nation, including Austin Film Festival, Ohio Independent Film Festival, Longbaugh Film Festival, and others.

SYNOPSIS: AMERICAN SCARY is a tribute to the popular hosts of the golden age of television. They transcended their local stations to become icons. Today, they continue to garner respect, admiration and fondness from fans all over the country.

Across the nation, people remember their local hosts fondly: from Bob Wilkins and John Stanley in the San Francisco Bay area, Chicago's Svengoolie, to Sir Cecil Creepe in Nashville. Follow this American art form from its glamorous beginnings, through repeated waves of popularity and get re-acquainted with those who are a part of television history, featuring interviews

Otaku Unite!

Explore the world of otaku, the devoted fans of Japanese animation. Otaku Unite! is the first documentary to follow the evolution of this phenomenon from its humble beginnings to its current state as a major influence of pop culture.

King Of Kong ( A Fist Full Of Quarters)

In 1982, Billy Mitchell, the "Gamer of the Century," set a score of 874,300 points on Donkey Kong, a record which many in the gaming world thought would never be broken - until Steve Wiebe not only surpassed the record but ended up with a thought-to-be-impossible 1,000,000 points. In the months that followed his feat, Steve and Billy engage in a cross-country duel, filled with publicity, scandal and frustration, to see who could set the highest score and ultimately become the King of Kong!

Lucha Libre

This DVD contains two great "lucha" movies. Side one, "The Champions of Justice", and side two, "Mystery in Bermuda" ; yes folks it's a flipper!

The first movie concerns the nefarious, La Mano Negra ( Black Hand ),who, on kidnapping several Miss Mexico contestants, the reason why is never fully explained, but who cares anyway, enrages their "uncles", the Champions of Justice, featuring Blue Demon, Thousand Masks, ( well about four ), the Avenging Shadow and the Killer Doctor. What you end up with, are, several fight scenes between the wrestlers and Black Hand's super-strength, vertically challenged, red lyca-clad army. This film is so not P.C.

The second film concerns the top three "lucha" fighters - El Santo, Blue Demon and Thousand Masks, dangerous mission to protect the Princess of Irania from evil forces, sent to stop her from signing a peace treaty. This means plenty of wrestling, scene chewing villains and totally illogical plot; coming across like The A-Team on acid.

The disc itself is very good, the picture is sharp, the colours nice and rich.The print for both movies have varying degrees of damage but not to spoil the general viewing. Both have only Spanish audio, in stereo or 5.1, but the English subtitles are on the whole fine, if not a little smirk inducing at times, ".... I believe you knew her in the United Stated."!!

So sit back, pull on the spandex, fasten that cape, adjust that "lucha" mask, and spend a few hours bathing in the glow of El Santo, Blue Demon, et al.

King Kong vs. Godzilla

I am always amused when people say this is a terrible movie. I want to ask "What were you expecting? The title is `King Kong vs. Godzilla' not `King Lear.'" It is a movie with two guys in rubber suits or giant puppets tap dancing on a model Tokyo and beating the snot out of each other. There is no great philosophical debate going on. There is no look into the human soul for answers or guilt.
If you are looking for great acting, plots or heck even FX this is sooo not for you. However if you love this genre or like me, you have fond memories of the Japanese rubber suit movies, then this is a gem for your collection

Pee Wee's Playhouse

The secret word is overdue in regard to a DVD release of the delirious Pee-Wee's Playhouse, but this boxed set, packaged with the assistance and approval of series creator and star Paul Reubens, brings back all the bizarre charm and energy of this terrific Saturday-morning series. In creating Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Reubens blended the innocence of early children's television shows with the surreal visual style of music videos and Reubens' own gleefully manic creation (Pee-Wee grew out of Reubens's stint with the legendary comic improv group the Groundlings). The end result was the rare '80s children's program that encouraged creativity and individuality (and screaming, which was the proper response whenever the "secret word" was uttered) in its younger viewers, and delivered sly, subversive humor for Pee-Wee's older fans that had seen his live shows and movies. Critics were tickled by his antics as well, and gave the show the Television Critics Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1987 (it would also pick up numerous Emmy awards and nominations for writing, editing and art direction through its five-season run).

MXE

"MXC" (also known as "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge") is the ultimate take on extreme reality sports competition. A side-splitting cross between Mystery Science Theater 3000 What s Up Tiger Lilly and the X Games each episode pits two teams (such as America s Meat Handlers and the Cartoon Voice-Over Actors) competing in some of the funniest most hazardous games ever conceived on television.Equally compelling is the hilarious rapid fire commentary by hosts Vic Romano and Kenny Blankership field marshal Captain Tenneal and sideline reporter Guy LeDouche

Happy 09: First post of the year

Crimewave
Extermination is not just a business. It's a way of life!

When Ernest Trend of Odegard-Trend Security decides to hire a pair of exterminators instead of a hit man to rid him of his business partner he thinks he has found the perfect solution. But when they murder the wrong person accidentally and realise their crime has been witnessed, they seek to frame a poor video surveillance man for the murder, whatever the cost!

Featuring a special appearance by Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead Trilogy), this goofy comedy comes from director Sam Raimi (Spiderman) and writers Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo).