This week on DVD (04/28/09)…

Looking for that next thing to buy or rent? Here goes:

The big release of the week for geeks is undoubtedly the appearance of the original Star Trek Season 1 on Blu Ray. The reviews have been smashing.

Other TV shows out this week include Mission Impossible S6; The Rookies S1, Spin City S2 and The Waltons S9. That’s the last year of The Waltons, and there’s a complete series megapack too.

Movie Pick of the week:
The She-Beast Barbara Steele directed by Michael Reeves. C’mon, what else do you need? Long out on crappy PD discs, this Dark Sky DVD is supposedly gorgeous. Features a commentary with Steele and her co-star Ian Ogilvy.


Attack of the Giant Leeches
(2009) Sad-looking shot on video remake of Corman’s old sci-fi potboiler. Looking at the trailer on YouTube made me depressed. Say what you will for Corman’s shoestring productions from the ’50s, but they were films. These video things just look like crap. And I don’t know if the remake will offer nudity or whatever, but even if it’s full of naked boobs, I can pretty much guarantee it won’t generate a tenth as much of the heat that Yvette Vickers did in the original.

Booby Hatch Presumably sleazy sexploitation comedy like they only made in the ’70s.

Boogievision/Transformed/Lightning Bolt Retroflix offers three obscure flicks in one package, including a low-rent exploitation comedy from 1977, a 2005 martial arts film with a cameo by Fred “the Hammer” Williamson and a ’60s Italian James Bond knock-off.

Centerfold Girls 1974 psychokiller sleaze starring (who else?) Andrew Prine. Co-stars (who else?) Aldo Ray.

Cold Eyes of Fear 1971 Italian thriller directed by the prolific Enzo Castellari.

Craving Desire A 1993 erotic thriller by veteran giallo helmer Sergio Martino.

Deadly Sweet The third semi-Giallo out this week, from 1967.

The Hit The good folks at Criterion release an edition of this 1984 cult crime fave, starring John Hurt as a hitman fascinated by his philosophic victim-to-be, Terrence Stamp. Features a director commentary from Stephen Frears, who is joined by costars Hurt and Tim Roth.

In Search of Lovecraft Boy, there have been a lot of Lovecraft movies lately.

JCVD Weird sounding semi-biographical art house action comedy about and starring Jon Claude Van Damme. Roger Ebert gave it two and a half stars, for what that’s worth.

Keep My Grave Open/Beast of the Yellow Night The first film is a 1974 pyschokiller flick. In the second feature, Satan turns John Ashley into a hairy murderous beast in this flick shot (where else?) in the Philippines.

Louisiana Hussey 1960 Hicksploitation.

Never Surrender The action film that finally brings the guys from the Mixed Martial Arts something or other to the screen.

Storm Cell Are they still making these crappy made for TV stormsploitation flicks? Apparently so. This one stars Mimi Rogers and Michael Ironside.

Terminators Look at the box art at Amazon. How can these guys hope to avoid getting sued?

War Gods Collection Image gives us eight sword and sandal flicks in one nice package: Son Of Samson, Son Of Cleopatra, Hero Of Rome, Invincible Gladiator, War Gods Of Babylon, War Goddess, The Magic Voyage Of Sinbad and Day The Earth Froze.

  • Ericb

    Beast of the Yellow Night!!! When I was a kid I remember seeing a commerical for it and begged my parents to take me to see it. They took me to see it even though it was part of a late night double feature and was rated R. I have vague memories of the film but could never remember the title, until today!. I actually fell asleep before the end. It was paired with another film whose title I don’t remember. I think it was something like “The Monster with the Blue Hand.”

  • Probably The Creature with the Blue Hand (see the ‘color’ theme), a late German krimi starring Klaus Kinski.

  • Ericb

    That must have been it. I never saw it as I had fallen asleep by that point and my parents took me home. The only “R” quality I remember from the Yellow Night film was some boobies. It wasn’t very gorry.

  • Eric–see the above added poster. I think that answers that question.

  • Ericb

    Thanks. I’ll have to rent Yellow Night from Netflix.

  • Note that if you wish to see “creature with the blue hand” there are two different versions of it. One is a standard German krimi, while the other has had extra gore parts tacked on randomly (with no reference to the plot). Be forewarned.

  • fish eye no miko

    Oh, Lovecraft.. Hmmm…

    And for what it’s worth, I’ve heard good things about JCVD

    Never Surrender! I liked that film… back when it was called The Karate Kid.

    Day The Earth Froze
    o/~ “He failed to bring back the Sampo!
    (Sampo!)
    We shall die of starvation!
    (Sampo!)” o/~

  • Heli

    JCVD is interesting. I don’t know if I’d call it “good,” exactly, but interesting for sure. Seeing Van Damme actually act is novel enough to make it worth a rental.

  • The Rev. D.D.

    OH man, I’ve been wanting to see Day the Earth Froze for ages. I loved Jack Frost. I bet that other stuff’s pretty fun too.

    I liked Never Surrender when it was called Never Back Down. *summons Foywonder*