F-H
This is a listing of videos you can check out at the library.
These videos have been reviewed over the last few years by Audio-Visual
staff member, Bob Statzer. List of titles
Back to Reviews listing
THE FILM CREW
The crazy creative team behind television's long-running series, MYSTERY
SCIENCE THEATER 3000, are back as THE FILM CREW! Once more, cult classics
and grindhouse exploitation titles are the target for comical commentary
by Bill Corbet, Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Mike Dodge. The
so-bad-they're-good films are entertaining enough on their own but,
once
they've been "fine-tuned" by the Crew, you'll never look at
these titles,
or their stars, in quite the same light.
Kicking the series off is future "Golden Girl" Rue McClanahan
in HOLLYWOOD
AFTER DARK, and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE's Peter Graves in KILLERS FROM SPACE.
Exotic dancers, evil aliens...no threat is too great for THE FILM CREW!
GAMARA
With all the recent interest inspired by the new GODZILLA,
let’s look at that other radioactive reptile imported from
Japan. Over 20 years before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
“Turtle Power” would have referred to Gamara, a giant
prehistoric turtle revived by nuclear testing. Created by Daiei
Studios to compete with the Toho terrors, Gamara—like Godzilla—launched
his career in a grim black & white sci-fi thriller. And also
like Godzilla, the shelled saurian series became campy as color
was introduced. Aimed at a younger market, Gamara became a friend
to the children of the Earth, guarding against alien invaders
intent on trampling Tokyo. To date, only five of the original
films are available: GAMARA (THE INVINCIBLE), GAMARA VS. BARUGON,
GAMARA VS. GAOS, GAMARA VS. GUIRON and GAMARA VS. ZIGRA. (No
truth to the rumors that a legendary “lost” film, GAMARA
VS. VIAGRA, ever existed.) Still following in Godzilla’s
(oversized) footsteps, the titanic turtle has recently been given
a high-tech face-lift in the new feature, GAMARA: GUARDIAN OF
THE UNIVERSE, starring Ayako Fujitani (the daughter of American
action star Steven Seagal), and this time it’s no more Mr.
Nice Turtle!
Gene
Autry: An Empty Saddle and a Silent Guitar
In July of 1998, six-gun cinema lost Roy Rogers, “The
King of the Cowboys.” As fans around the world mourned,
none of them knew tragedy would strike twice that same year.
On October 2, the unimaginable happened when Roy’s (friendly)
rival, Gene Autry, died at the age of 91. Although Autry was
not the screen’s first singing cowboy (Indiana-born western
star Ken Maynard blazed that trail in 1930), he soon made the
genre his own. While more modern audiences may find the notion
of cowboy crooners quaint, those stylized westerns of yesterday
presented a storybook look at life, where everything was either
black or white. There is a charm still to be found in those films...and
a sense of hope that helped to lift the spirit of American audiences
through the Depression and World War II. Autry (who recorded
here early in his career, at Richmond’s Gennett studios)
had such an impact and influence on the entertainment industry,
that until he sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,”
no one would touch the song. His rendition of “Rudolph”
became a #1 hit...and an instant Christmas classic. Perhaps somewhere
out there, Gene and Roy are riding the range together, doing
a duet.
An early Autry epic of interest to fans is the 12 chapter
serial, THE PHANTOM EMPIRE. Combining “Cowboy Thrills and
Sci-Fi Chills,” this classic cliffhanger finds Gene’s
Radio Ranch menaced by Murania, an advanced civilization beneath
the earth. Robots and rayguns are pitted against repeating rifles
in this pre-Flash Gordon adventure. Back at THE OLD CORRAL, we
find Gene Autry and Roy Rogers (billed as Dick Weston in the
credits) on opposite sides of the law when a woman on the run
from gangsters heads west to escape mob vengence. The film also
features Lon Chaney, Jr., Smiley Burnette and the Sons of the
Pioneers.
GOLDENEYE
After an absence of almost six years, British secret agent
James Bond returns to the screen in this 1995 techno-thriller.
A Russian space weapons system, codenamed “Goldeneye,”
is stolen by an unknown faction behind the Iron Curtain. With
its ability to cripple all communications and computer systems,
the device could be used to literally hold the world for ransom.
Time is running out, and Bond must join forces with a Russian
computer expert to deactivate or destroy “Goldeneye”...or
see our technology-based civilization brought to its knees. As
Bond learns that former enemies are now allies, he also finds
one of his oldest friends may be his most bitter foe.
Following in the wake of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger
Moore and Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan makes his Bond debut
in GOLDENEYE, the 17th entry into the “official” 007
series. (There have been three other Bond outings: CASINO ROYALE
was filmed twice—first in 1954 as a live television drama,
then in 1967 as a big screen spy spoof—and a “rogue”
Bond film, 1983’s NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, brought Connery
back into Bondage one last time.) Avoiding the grimness of Dalton
and the cute, campy tone of Moore, Brosnan’s Bond balances
wit with deadly determination, depending upon the mood of the
moment. While this new Bond’s attitude may be more reminiscent
of his ’60s screen persona, Agent 007 has definitely been
thrust into the ’90s. The head of British Secret Service
(both reel and real( is now a woman, and both she and her aide
(Miss Moneypenny, with whom Bond is forever flirting) have made
it rather clear that 007 has neither one of them wrapped about
his little finger. But the reality of the 1990s doesn’t
end there, as one of the most pivotal plot points demonstrates
how deadly dependent we’ve become on a little item known
as the microchip. However, like all those politically incorrect
Bond adventures of before, GOLDENEYE is a rollercoaster ride
of action and adventure, with Brosnan seemingly tailor-made for
the role.
GOOSEBUMPS
The best-selling series of books by R. L. Stine is now a set
of spine-tingling videos. Originally created to give young horror
fans their own tales of terror, the scary Scholastic novels proved
so popular that other offerings with a similar format soon followed.
Produced by 20th Century Fox for broadcast on their television
network, GOOSEBUMPS provides imaginative chills, with plot-twists
reminiscent of vintage TWILIGHT ZONE and OUTER LIMITS episodes:
“The Haunted Mask” proves to be more than part of
a cool Halloween costume. As a matter-of-fact, it fits its new
owner, Carly, like a second skin...until it actually becomes
a part of her skin. Not only can she not get the mask off, it
begins to exert a power over Carly and those around her.
“Stay Out of the Basement” is the warning Margaret
and Casey get from their father after losing his job as a botanist.
Locking himself down in the cellar for hours on end, the scientist’s
eerie experiments with plant life seem to be taking their toll
on him...and taking him over!
“The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” sounds like a legend
to the new family who have just moved into the desolate marsh
area from the big city. Although the kids think they’re
in the most boring place on the face of the earth, as the time
of the full moon grows closer, it seems there may be more to
the myth than they thought. What is that howling across the swamp...and
what happened to all those people who vanished over the years
during the full moon?
Just as the books continue to grow in popularity, the GOOSEBUMPS
video versions seem to be multiplying at a monstrous rate, with
more titles slated for release in the near future.
GREASE
After enjoying long-running success on the stage, the Broadway
smash GREASE seemed like a natural choice for a hit film. Hollywood
could not have been more correct. John Travolta and Oliva Newton-John
(in her American film debut) head up an all-star cast in this
musical tribute to the spirit of the ’50s. A treat for the
eyes and ears, the film remains as entertaining today as it was
on opening night in 1978. With stage revivals starring the likes
of Lucy Lawless (XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS) and Brooke Shields (SUDDENLY
SUSAN), and even a special theatrical re-release in cinemas,
GREASE celebrated its 20th anniversary as an audience favorite.
GULLIVER’S
TRAVELS
Mention the name Gulliver, and most people will immediately
think of Lilliput, the land of little people, where Gulliver
was cast ashore. Some may even recall his trip to Brobdingnang,
where Gulliver was surrounded by giants. But few realize that
these were only the beginning of his adventures, as most film
adaptions end after Gulliver’s first two voyages. Finally—thanks
to the mini-series format—the complete travels of Dr. Lemuel
Gulliver, ship’s surgeon, have been brought to the screen.
Ted Dansen stars as the ill-fated sailor who finds himself awash
with adventure in far-off lands in this latest adaption of Jonathan
Swift’s fantastic travelogue. In addition to the inches
tall Lilliputians and sky-high Brobdingnagians, Gulliver encounters
the citizens of an island that floats in the sky, as well as
a race of intelligent, civilized horses. Helping to capture these
marvels on film are state-of-the-art computer effects, creating
a seamless tapestry of illusion. However, not all of the talent
is digital; lending further credibility to the goings-on are
an incredible international cast featuring Ned Beaty, Geraldine
Chaplin, James Fox, Sir John Gielgud, Omar Sharif, Mary Steenburgen,
Kristin Scott Thomas, Peter O’Toole and Edward Woodward.
Like the novel upon which it is based, this production should
prove to be a durable classic, providing family fantasy fare
on an epic scale.
HALLOWEEN
In 1978, filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill collaborated
on a modest, low-budget thriller called HALLOWEEN...and the finished
film scared the “yell” out of audiences all across
America, going on to become the largest-grossing independent
film of all time. Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis and P.J. Soles
star as three high school students stalked by an unstoppable
masked madman, a being that lives to kill. Their only hope lies
in Donald Pleasance (in a role originally offered to Christopher
Lee), a psychiatrist who has dedicated his life to ending the
evil behind the mask. HALLOWEEN assaults the senses with its
razor-sharp editing and pulse-pounding score by writer/director
Carpenter. The unexpected success of this screamfest resulted
in a slew of slash-trash imitators, but none matched the freshness
and suspense of the original knuckle-gnawing nightmare.
Hammer
Horror: The Cornwall Classics
In 1966 director John Gilling, working from screenplays by
John Elder, made two films back-to-back for Hammer Films, each
intended to the second half of a diabolical double bill. Both
set along the Cornish Coast, these “B” pictures have
since come to be regarded as atmospheric masterpieces. THE REPTILE
tells a terrifying tale of retribution about a man who, after
an act of desecration in India, finds his daughter has been cursed...cursed
to become a creature that is half snake, half human. THE PLAGUE
OF THE ZOMBIES centers on a mysterious epidemic visited upon
an English village. Although no cure can be found, local authorities
refuse to allow any autopsies on the victims...victims who rise
from their graves at night to walk the earth once more. Using
many of the same sets, cast and crew, these films represent how
“The Studio That Dripped Blood” was able, by clever
and careful planning, to create eerie and imaginative epics that
still chill today, movies that influenced contemporary filmmakers
such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Upon its initial
release, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES was paired with DRACULA: PRINCE
OF DARKNESS, and theaters and drive-ins gave away Dracula Fangs
and Zombie Eyes to patrons, so that they could “bite back”
and “fight back” against the demons of darkness. Each
film in this special video collection contains the original preview,
promoting these premiums.
Hammer:
The Studio That Dripped Blood
In the late 1950s, a small but successful British firm known
as Hammer Films made a ripple in the international cinema scene
with a revisionist retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic novel,
“Frankenstein.” Although condemned (at the time) by
the critics for excess, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) was
a success. It seemed only logical to the producers that if one
creepy classic drew in a large audience, a second one would bring
them back. HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) not only proved the popularity
of the first film was no accident, it surpassed that picture
in quality and profits. These two films introduced the public
to what would become known as “the Hammer style,” a
library of lush, dark terrors...all in gothic, gory color. It
also introduced the world to something else: The chemistry between
actors Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Like Karloff and Lugosi
a generation before, these modern masters of the macabre would
prove as marketable as the monsters they portrayed.
The Dracula and Frankenstein franchise helmed by Hammer would
run throughout the ’60s and ’70s, but the studio’s
grim fairy tales would extend to many other subjects. Their remakes
of earlier films, and new adaptions of books and plays, left
a legacy of fearful fantasies that would inspire future directors
like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Fortunately for fans,
many of these contemporary classics are now available on video:
CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, THE GORGON, HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES,
THE MUMMY, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES, RASPUTIN,
THE REPTILE, SHE, the Dracula and Frankenstein series, as well
as such psychological thrillers as THE NANNY (starring Bette
Davis), and the Jurassic classics ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. and
WHEN DINOSAURS RULE THE EARTH.
Hercules
and Xena: Animated Adventurers
From the creators of the successful syndicated series HERCULES:
THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS and XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS comes the animated
movie HERCULES & XENA: THE BATTLE FOR MOUNT OLYMPUS. Hera,
Queen of the Gods, decides her husband Zeus has ruled Mount Olympus
long enough. Jealous of the power he wields, Hera unleashes the
Titans, terrible monsters imprisoned deep within the bowels of
the earth...the only creatures capable of overthrowing Zeus and
reducing Olympus to rubble. The one hope of defeating the Titans
and restoring Zeus to his throne is if Hercules and Xena team
up against the monsters. However, an earlier confrontation between
Zeus and Hercules has caused the legendary strongman to turn
his back on Olympus and all who live there.
While Hercules and Xena may look unusual as cartoons to fans
of the weekly live-action series, the soundtrack will strike
a familiar note with viewers. In addition to the score composed
by HERCULES and XENA veteran Joseph LoDuca (who has two CDs of
music available from each title), stars Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”),
Lucy Lawless (“Xena”), Renee O’Conner (“Gabrielle”)
and Michael Hurst (“Iolaus”) are on hand to recreate
their roles for the animated antics. Feature-length fun for the
young would-be warrior.
HERCULES,
THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
In 1994, before Disney’s animated adaption of the Hercules
legend, a four film mini-series was made for release to syndicated
television. These boisterous retellings of the Greek myths proved
so popular that a weekly show—as well as a spin-off (XENA,
WARRIOR PRINCESS)—quickly became one of the most-watched
sci-fi/fantasy series in television, surpassing even the current
STAR TREK offerings in the ratings race. Now these films, starring
Kevin Sorbo as the heroic demi-god, are available for viewing
for the first time since their initial broadcast.
The first volume, HERCULES AND THE AMAZON WOMEN, finds our
hero and his friend, Iolaus, asked to save a village from being
raided. When the two comrades are ambushed by Amazons, Hercules
must use his head and heart instead of muscle to overcome the
odds.
In volume two, THE LOST KINGDOM, Hercules agrees to restore
the rightful ruler of Troy to her throne, encountering dragons
and demons along the path to the fabled lost city.
During the third adventure, THE CIRCLE OF FIRE, Hercules meets
his future wife, Deianeira, while traveling to the end of the
earth to find the last remaining fire before the world is engulfed
in permanent winter.
Finally, Hercules goes IN THE UNDERWORLD to confront Hades,
Lord of the Dead, and rescue his wife’s spirit.
Followers of the weekly series will see familiar faces in
unfamiliar roles, such as Lucy Lawless (“Xena”) as
an Amazon warrior, and Renee O’Conner (Xena’s sidekick,
“Gabrielle,”) as a princess of Troy. Also on hand are
Anthony Quinn as Zeus—the King of the Gods, Tawny Kitaen
as Hercules’ wife, and Rom` Downey as the Queen of the Amazons.
In addition to the actors, computer performances provide fantasy
fans with with a menagerie of monsters, with sea serpents, centaurs
and other mythological menaces to keep Hercules busy.
Humorous
Horrors
Some people prefer their spirits to be light-hearted, and
so this week we take a look at titles sure to provide ghostly
giggles.
Novelist Thorne Smith specialized in mixing chuckles and chills,
and two of his tales left a legacy of mirth and magic at the
movies: TOPPER features Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as a
pair of ghosts who aren’t quite ready to be dead yet. The
movie proved such a success that it spawned two sequels, TOPPER
RETURNS and TOPPER TAKES A TRIP, as well as a TV series. In I
MARRIED A WITCH, peek-a-boo girl Veronica Lake stars as a sorceress
who has come back to haunt Frederic March, whose ancestor had
her burnt at the stake. When an effort to curse him backfires,
Veronica is left enchanted and enamored with the man she has
sworn to hate. This classic comedy would go on to inspire television’s
BEWITCHED and I DREAM OF JEANNIE.
In a similar vein, HOCUS POCUS gives us three wacky witches
for the price of one. Their spirits freed from imprisonment by
the Puritans, a trio of enchantresses (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica
Parker and Kathy Najimy) set out to take their revenge on Salem.
There’s just one catch—the girls were not overly adept
at the craft in life, and death has brought few improvements.
The comedy team of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello were pitted
against some of the most famous monsters of all time in a series
of misadventures co-starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lon
Chaney, Jr.. Before it was all over, Abbott & Costello would
meet Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the Mummy and the
Invisible Man. And carrying on in the tradition started by Bud
and Lou, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder brought us YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN,
a spoof of the classic horror films from the 1930s for frightful
family fun.
THE
HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Walt Disney’s 34th animated feature, like many other
offerings from that studio, turns to a classic tale for its inspiration.
However, unlike the various fairy tales and childrens books from
which these cartoon classics originate, this one takes its cue
from a more ambitious source. Showing just how adept at adapting
a story into family fare they are, the Disney writers and artists
have taken Victor Hugo’s literary epic of tragedy and romance
and turned it into a sweeping tale of friendship and self-discovery.
Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer of the cathedral of
Notre Dame, feels he can never fit in due to his deformity...an
idea inspired by his cruel master, Frollo. But when the annual
Festival of Fools arrives, Quasimodo is urged by his gargoyle
friends, Victor and Hugo, to join in the fun and not let life
pass him by. He takes the chance, and finds people do fear him
because he is different. It’s not until he meets a gypsy
girl named Esmeralda that Quasimodo learns friendship is based
on what a person is like inside rather than how they appear on
the outside.
With dazzling animation, and music by Alan Menken (THE LITTLE
MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, HERCULES), THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE
DAME is another example of Disney introducing a new generation
to a timeless tale.
