A pretty weak week.
TV sets of the week: Diagnosis Murder S1; Dick Cavett: Hollywood Greats; Grey’s Anatomy S2; Las Vegas S3; Moonlighting S4; Office S2; Roseanne S5; Smallville S5; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles S4
Movies:
Colin Farrell: Superstar Collection I really only noted this because, you know, how often will any human being type “Colin Farrell” and “Superstar” in the same sentence? Not often, I’d think, especially after Miami Vice. This is the ludicrous example of star inflation I’ve seen in a while. Meanwhile, a number of actors at least more worthy than Farrell of being called a superstar—Nick Cage, Michael Douglas, Cameron Diaz—are getting similar sets called “Celebrity” Collections today. On the other hand, calling Farrell a ‘celebrity’ is not much less exaggerated than calling him a ‘superstar.’
Crypt of the Vampire (click for disc review) Chris Lee went to Italy and Germany in the ’60s and made a batch of movies. This is an Italian vampire flick. Many of these in the English language versions feature another actor dubbing (!) Lee’s voice. Basically, Lee, and other actors as well, would often do the roles in whatever the native language was, and refused to re-loop the entire film in English too, since that was sort of like giving two performances for one fee. So absurdly in the English dubs another voice would supplant Lee’s stentorian tones. Not here, at least.
Great Yokai War (click for disc review) Modern take on the Japanese “Yokai”, weird monsters and spirits featured in several older Japanese films.
Has Anyone Seen My Pants / High Test Girls Released on separate discs, these are examples of the sort of Euro soft-core nudie/sex films you often used to see during ‘late nite’ cable slots on Showtime and such. Generally a bit silly and thus, arguably, more fun than similar American product, these are for those who want better production values than you get in the sort of Misty Mundae stuff released today. (Actually, Mundae isn’t making those anymore, I think. I’m sure somebody has carried on with those, however.) Joe Bob Briggs noted that High Test Girls—aka Six Girls at a Pump, Gas Pump Girls, etc.—features “excellent dubbed moaning” and “83 full breast exposures.”
Laurel & Hardy Collection V. 2 A-Haunting We Will Go, Dancing Masters, and Bullfighters. Three lesser films of The Boys, but still, Laurel & Hardy. Now about a friggin’ set of all their short subjects? Seriously, WTF.
Murder ala Mod / The Moving Finger A very early De Palma murder film, typically violent, and an unreleased murder flick as a co-feature.
Mutant Wings Hauser and Bo Hopkins try to survive a town full of folks turned zombies following toxic waste exposure.
Star Wars, the Real Ones Finally, the original unaltered cuts of the first three films, begrudgingly included as ‘extras’ with Lucas’ universally adored redoes. (Please read last bit in very sarcastic voice.)
Teen Terror Collection Bundles at a cheap price Teen Doll (Brit JD flick), Teen Monster (horrible, but funny, monster Western) and Teenagers from Outer Space (typically funny cheapie ’50s sci-fi).
