No really big TV set news today. Probably the most interesting release is the first season set of the ’60s “Wacky Maid” series Hazel (imagine The Brady Bunch if the show had been built around Alice as the main character), and say what you will, but it didn’t star Fran Drescher.
Other sets this week include Curb Your Enthusiasm S5; Dallas S5; The Girls Next Door S1; and Good Times S6.
Also not a huge week for movie releases, and even much of these are TV movies. Still, you need the slow weeks now and again to pay off your credit card before that next wave of awesome, must-buy releases hit the shelves.
10.5 Apocalypse was the recently telecast mini-series sequel to 10.5, and even lamer.
Alice in Wonderland 1985 TV is a better bet for camp fans, a 1985 TV ‘event’ produced by Irwin Allen (!) and starring such luminaries as Steve Allen, Scott Baio, Ernest Borgnine, Beau and Lloyd Bridges, the recently deceased Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Carol Channing, Imogene Coco, Sammy Davis Jr., Patrick Duffy, George Gobel, Eydie Gorme, Merv Griffin, Sherman Helmsley, Ann Jillian, Arte Johnson, Harvey Korman, Steve Laurence, Karl Malden, Roddy McDowell, Jayne Meadows, Donna Mills, Pat Morita, Robert Morley, Anthony Newley, Louis Nye, Donald O’Connor, Martha Raye, George Savalas, John Stamos, Ringo Starr, Sally Struthers, the also recently passed on Jack Warden, Jonathon Winters and Shelley Winters. Whew!
The Black Hole isn’t the old Disney schlock classic, but rather a recent Sci-Fi Channel flick (uh-oh) about an electricity monster. Stars Kristy Swanson and Judd Nelson (!).
Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is directed by Jesus Franco. That is all.
The Gambler: The Adventure Continues… is another TV movie about the card player who knows when to hold ’em, and knows when to fold ’em. As usual with this series of movies, it’s packed with familiar faces from old TV shows.
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer brings back the murderous Fisherman, this time as an undead, unstoppable killing machine. Wow, where do they get their ideas? I still like the original title better, “Hey, You Kids, Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten What You Did, Like, What Was It, Seven or Eight Summers Ago! Because I Haven’t!”
Mr. Moto Collection Volume 1 Four films from the series that saw Hungarian Peter Lorre playing Japanese detective Mr. Moto. Think Charlie Chan with more Judo.
Putney Swope Rad, “Give it to the Man!” time capsule race comedy from 1969, about a *gasp* black man being accidentally put in charge of a Madison Avenue advertising agency. Socially relevant wackiness ensues. Directed by Robert Downey Sr.
Severed: Forest of the Dead An evil foresting company (zzzzzz) does, well, evil stuff, and soon loggers and environmentalists (ha!) have been zombies. Well, in the case of the environmentalists, they become *meat-eating* zombies.
Warning Shadows is a 1923 film that was influential in the German Expressionism movement.
