Topic: Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar

[Achim]

But if I'm watching a movie and I start thinking "Isn't this over soon?" then it's too long, and by my definition not a good movie, no matter what other merits it may have.

I don't even think that's a different perspective to Ebert... Seems exactly the same to me.

[GSyren]

I don't even think that's a different perspective to Ebert... Seems exactly the same to me.

Well, it's a reversal of cause and effect. "Good = not too long" vs "Too long = not good". But the end result is the same.

[GSyren]

Title	Kommissar X - Jagd auf Unbekannt (4-020628-952471)
Director	Gianfranco Parolini
Actors	Tony Kendall, Brad Harris, Maria Perschy, Christa Linder, Ingrid Lotarius
Produced	1966 in Germany
Runtime	88 minutes
Audio	German Dolby Digital Mono, English Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	German
Overview	Wo Privatdetektiv Jo Louis Walker alias Kommissar X auftaucht, kommen selbst die härtesten Ganoven mächtig ins Schwitzen. Gefürchtet in internationalen Gangsterkreisen und unschlagbar mit seinem Kumpel Tom Rowland, Chef der Mordkommission Manhattans. Die Jagd auf Unbekannt führt Kommissar X auf die Spur des seit längerem verschwundenen Kernphysikers Bob Carrell. Was steckt hinter dessen Verschwinden? Welche teuflischen Pläne sollen mit Hilfe des genialen Forschers verwirklicht werden? Wird es Kommissar X und Tom Rowland gelingen, den entscheidenden Schlag gegen ein mörderisches Syndikat zu führen? Unter der Regie von Frank Kramer (Gianfranco Parolini) entstand diese mit Tony Kendall und Brad Harris exzellent besetzte, höchst rasante Gangsterjagd, die tief in die Abgründe skrupellos agierender Verbrecherorganisationen blicken lässt. Basierend auf einer der erfolgreichsten Kriminalromanserien bildete dieser Film den Auftakt einer siebenteiligen Filmreihe, die sich rasch zu einem regelrechten Publikumsmagneten entwickelte.
My thoughts	The latest issue of Video Watchdog (#175) had a very interesting and thorough review of a German box set of Kommissar X movies. The box was ridiculously expensive, but I was so intrigued that I decided to splash out EUR 200 for this 7 DVD box. Kommissar X is obviously inspired by the James Bond books and movies. Having grown up with Bond (both books and movies) and various Euro-spy movies (like OSS 117) I have a soft spot for this kind of movies. Judging from the first film, these are pretty much in the same league as many of the other Bond wannabe movies. The quality of the DVDs are superb, though. I don’t know if the transfers were made from the original negative, but it looks like they may have been. And they’re in the correct aspect ratio. The movies have both German and English audio. And - strangely enough - German subtitles, but no English subtitles. Why anyone who speaks German would want to watch the English dub with subtitles instead of the original German dialog is beyond me. I would have liked to watch the film with the original German audio, but my German isn’t good enough to watch it without subtitles. The English dubbing is ok, but not perfect. The box set contains all six Kommissar X movies from the sixties, but unfortunately not the one made in 1971. It also contains a 2012 documentary called Die X-Männer schlagen zurück. I find it hard to give this DVD a suitable rating. The film itself is perhaps 3.5 out of 5, but the great picture quality deserves a better rating, so I’ll give it a 4. I’m looking forward to watching the rest of the movies.
My rating	4 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	Count Dracula (5-014503-248628)
Director	Philip Saville
Actors	Louis Jourdan, Frank Finlay, Susan Penhaligon, Judi Bowker, Jack Shepherd
Produced	1977 in United Kingdom
Runtime	150 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	English
Overview	In this eerie, erotic and highly acclaimed adaptation of Bram Stoker's horror classic, Louis Jourdan brings a subtle menace and dark sensuality to his memorable portrayal of Count Dracula. One of the most faithful screen versions ever of the original novel, the story begins with Jonathan Harker visiting the Count in Transylvania to help with preparations to move to England. It is in the Count's castle that Jonathan becomes a prisoner and discovers Dracula's true nature. After Dracula makes his way to England, Harker becomes involved in an effort to track down and destroy the Count, eventually chasing the vampire back to his castle. A true gothic classic, 'Count Dracula'  contains many scenes shot on location - such as London's Highgate Cemetery and Whitby Abbey - adding extra atmosphere to an already powerful production.
My thoughts	I may have come to this with too great expectations. It has very good reviews on IMDb, and I didn’t feel that it lived up to its reputation. Since this TV movie was part of a series called ”Great Performances”, let us start with the performances. Louis Jourdan as Dracula - I usually like Jourdan, and he’s not bad, but not freightening either. It’s not really fair to compare him to Christopher Lee, because their characters are written completely different, but the comparison is inevitable, and not to Jourdans favor. Frank Finlay as Van Helsing - as with Jourdan, Finlay is a good actor, and again the comparison may not be entirely fair, but when I think of Van Helsing I think of Peter Cushing, and Finlay can’t measure up. Judi Bowker as Mina Westenra - I’m not fan of Bowker. I think she was the least interesting actor in Clash of the Titans, and she’s not very interesting here. She gets a little better in the second half, but not enough to satisfy me. Susan Penhaligon as Lucy Westenra - I am a fan of Susan Penhaligon, and she starts out fine, but I don’t think she cuts it as a vampire. Many reviewers have said that this is the version closest to Bram Stoker’s book. Others mean that the 1992 Coppola version has that distinction. Well, in my opinion, being faithful to the literary source doesn’t always make for a better movie. I would say that Hammer’s [Horror of] Dracula is a lot better movie than this is, even though that one departs a lot more from the book. Then there were some weird photographic effects that looked totally out of place. And the cinematorgraphy in general was only adequate. BBC probably didn’t have a very large budget for this film, but neither did Hammer in 1958, and they made it look so much better. To sum up, not a total waste of time, but - for me, at least - nowhere near the ultimate Dracula.
My rating	3 out of 5

[GSyren]

Old horror movies

I just stumbled across this:

Click the image to see the list of movies.

Now, I know these are all old PD movies, and probably in the sorry condition that PD movies usually are. But if you're into old horror movies and you don't own most of these, it can still be a pretty good deal. You can get it for less than half price ($21.43) at ImportCDs.com. That's about 27 cents per film if you include US postage in the calculation. Slightly more if you're overseas.

[GSyren]

If you're really a glutton for punishment they have a 200 movie box as well...

[Jimmy]

Anatomy of a Psycho: was just released some month ago by Vinegar Syndrome from a theatrical print and not a VHS tape.

The Brain That Wouldn't Die: Shout Factory just released an uncut version of it taken from the original film negative.

Doctor Jekyll and the Werewolf: Released by Code Red DVD and this film isn't in the public domain.

Don't Answer the Phone!: not in the public domain but Mill Creek legally own the Crown International library (better release were done for this film by BCI and Scorpion Releasing)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920): Kino Lorber will release it on blu-ray in january

The Dungeon of Harrow: was just released some month ago by Vinegar Syndrome using film materials and not a VHS tape.

Grave of the Vampire: This is the cut TV version. Retromedia released a more complete version some months ago (the original negative is in the MGM vault since they own the TV rights)

The House by the Cemetery: This is not in the public domain at all.

The Little Shop of Horrors: Shout Factory released it some years ago using a film print.

Satan's Slave: not in the public domain but Mill Creek legally own the Crown International library (a better release was done for this film by Scorpion Releasing)

The Vampires' Night Orgy: Released by Code Red DVD and this film isn't in the public domain

[Piffi]

Thank you for this!

[GSyren]

Thank you for your insight, Jimmy. I guess I stand corrected and I should have said "mostly PD". But my point remains that you can get a whole bunch of old horror movies for a pittance, but you get what you pay for.

But at 27 cents a piece you can afford to double dip on those that are available in better releases, if they are films you like. Of the 100 I already own 42, so not quite so exciting for me personally, but I may still consider a purchase.

[GSyren]

Title	Friday the 13th (7-321937-111724)
Director	Sean S. Cunningham
Actors	Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Jeannine Taylor
Produced	1980 in United States
Runtime	91 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono, German Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles	Danish, English, French, German, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
Overview	A group of fun-loving teenagers take jobs at a recently re-opened summer camp, unaware of the circumstances that had led to its closure: the drowning of a young boy named Jason and subsequent murder of two counsellors over twenty years before. No sooner has the camp re-opened for business than the killing begins again, as the teens are picked off one by one.
My thoughts	I had planned on a Friday the 13th marathon, watching parts 1 through 8 one day at a time. But when I started I realized that I was missing part 6, so I ordered it from Amazon UK. But since that usually takes about a week, I may have to pause for a few days after part 5. But let’s start at the beginning... Friday the 13th isn’t a very good film. But it’s a film that has had a significant influence. It is a film that anyone who is interested in films should have seen. So if - against all odds - anyone who reads this hasn’t seen it, I urge you to stop reading and get the film, one way or the other. One of the strange things about Friday the 13th is that although it sparked the Jason mythology, it’s not really part of that mythology. Jason isn’t in the movie. Well, except that short scene at the end. And that may or may not be just part of a nightmare. Nothing in the film indicates that Jason has any special or supernatural properties, so that scene seems like a dream to me. Jason is just a kid that drowned, and his drowning drove his mother round the bend. The unstoppable Jason doesn’t turn up until part 2 (and the hockey mask in part 3). So this is pretty much just a rather ordinary slasher movie. The thing that really sets it apart is Tom Savini’s makup effects. And to some extent Harry Manfredini’s music. Sean Cunningham is a mediocre director and the actors are mainly young wannabes. Of the kids, pretty much only Kevin Bacon ever amounted to anything. If the sequel hadn’t invented the unstoppable Jason, this film would have been just another of the eighties slasher, and wouldn’t have been any more well remembered than, say, The Burning or The Prowler (both also with Savini effects). So, a mediocre slasher, but one that was made famous thanks to its sequels, more than anything else. Still, in order to appreciate the success of the Friday the 13th franchise, you need to start here. So my rating reflects the film’s impact and Savini’s effects more than the quality of the film itself.
My rating	4 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	Friday the 13th - Part 2 (7-393805-103964)
Director	Steve Miner
Actors	Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King, Kirsten Baker,  Charno Stu
Produced	1981 in United States
Runtime	83 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, French Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, German Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, Italian Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles	Danish, English, French, German, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Other, Dutch, Swedish
Overview	Just when you thought it was safe to go back to camp...here's even more heart-pounding terror. Five years after the horrible bloodbath at Camp Crystal Lake, all that remains is the legend of Jason Vorhees and his demented mother, who had murdered seven camp counsellors. At a nearby summer camp, the new counsellors are unconcerned about the warnings to stay away from the infamous site. Carefree, the young people roam the area, not sensing the ominous lurking presence. Ony by one, they are attacked and brutally slaughtered. Suspense and screams abound in this compelling thriller.
My thoughts	Is part 2 better than the first film? Most people seem to think so, and I tend to agree. Steve Miner may not be a great director, but he is certainly better than Sean Cunningham. Acting-wise it’s a toss-up. Still mostly young wannabes who never made any real impact. The makeup effects are done by Carl Fullerton this time. He’s competent enough, but not as innovative as Rick Baker was. Or perhaps not allowed to be. The film starts with a somewhat lengthy recap of the first film. This seems rather unneccessary until you come to the end of part 2 where Ginny tries to impersonate Jason’s mother. Actually, I think the audience would understand what Ginny was doing without immediately recognizing Betsy Palmer as Mrs. Voorhees. Personally I think part 2 would have been better without the references to the first film. At least the recap just helped me to realize how unlikely it would be for Jason to have evolved from that scrawny kid to a big hulking killer in the five years that supposedly had passed between the two films. That said, this part is more effective than the first. Not quite as innovative makeup effects. And the signature hockey mask is still to come. As part two, not as much a milestone in horror cinema. So I’ll judge this one on it’s entertainment merits alone. And that puts it half a point below part one.
My rating	3.5 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	Friday the 13th: Part 3 (097361-405940)
Director	Steve Miner
Actors	Terry Ballard, Richard Brooker, Gloria Charles, Anne Gaybis, Rachel Howard
Produced	1982 in United States
Runtime	95 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital Mono, French Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Overview	It's spine-tingling horror in a whole new dimension as Friday the 13th Part 3-3D: Deluxe Edition comes to DVD! A carefree summer becomes a deadly nightmare for another group of naive counselors who choose to ignore Camp Crystal Lake's gruesome legacy. They find themselves in a bloody game of cat-and-mouse with the maniacal Jason, who stalks their every move...and ruthlessly kills them off one by one.
My thoughts	Quite frankly I’m shocked at how many people praise this movie, because to me it was really a letdown. Sloppy writing, clichés, continuity errors, reused ideas and pointless 3D poke-it-at-the-audience shots ad nauseam. Where to start? Well, at the beginning. Another pointless flashback to the previous film. And to add insult to injury they finished the flashback with a new continuity error. Jason removes the machete from his shoulder while in the shack. Back in part two he still had the machete in his shoulder when he crashed trough the window after the incident in the shack. If Ginny had come back in part 3 this flashback would have made some sense storywise, but she doesn’t. Then we have Jason. This film supposedly starts the day after part two. So how come Jason looks completely different than in part 2? And what’s his motivation for all the killings? In part 1 mrs. Vorhees killed the camp counselors because Jason had drowned while some previous counselors at that camp were making out instead of watching the children.  In part 2 Jason killed the counselors to avenge his mother. Now he is suddenly killing random unconnected people that he never bothered about before, without any explanation. As in parts 1 and 2, there is a crazy old man warning off the kids. But unfortunately they killed off Crazy Ralph in the last film, so they had to find another crazy old man. Really? The opening credits has no credit for makeup effects this time. Probably because they spent so much on 3D that they couldn’t afford any known makeup man. And the result shows. Stabbed from below bed/hammock? Savini did it better in part 1. Guy run through with a pitchfork? Savini did it better in The Prowler the year before. And talking about these murders... If you get into a hammock, wouldn’t you notice a corpse hanging above you or a great big Jason under the hammock? Slopp writing! And the pitchfork? Jason approaches with a five pronged pitchfork and in the next scene the guy is run through with a four pronged one! Sloppy continuity! Knife thrown and misses nearly. Guide wire visible. Spear shot from speargun. Guide wire visible. Head squeezed so eye pops out. Fake looking head and wires visible. Sloppy effects! Chris jumps into the van and tries to drive away from Jason. After less than 100 yards runs out of gas. Talk about tired chiché! And they saved the ”best” for last. Chris gets away in a canoe and in the morning a zombiefied mrs. Vorhees jumps out of the water (now with her head attached to her body again) and drags Chris down. Where did they get the inspiration for that brilliant scene? To be fair, Steve Miner manages to build up some tension occasionally, but you’d have to turn off your brain completely in order to actually enjoy this movie. So 2.5 (+ .5 for the hockey mask).
My rating	3 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (5-014437-100337)
Director	Joseph Zito
Actors	Erich Anderson, Judie Aronson, Peter Barton, Kimberly Beck, Tom Everett
Produced	1984 in United States
Runtime	88 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono, German Dolby Digital Mono, French Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono, Italian Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	Arabic, Bulgarian, Danish, English, French, German, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Slovenian, Swedish, Croatian, Hebrew, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Turkish
Overview	The body count continues in this vivid thriller, the fourth — but not final — story in the widely successful Friday the 13th series. Jason, Crystal Lake's least popular citizen, returns to wreak further havoc in Friday the 13th — The Final Chapter. After his revival in a hospital morgue, the hockey-masked murderer fixes his vengeful attention on the Jarvis family and a group of hitherto carefree teenagers. Young Tommy Jarvis is an aficionado of horror films with special talent for masks and makeup. Has the diabolical Jason finally met his match?
My thoughts	The final chapter? Wishful (?) thinking. Well, after part 3 (which I did not watch in 3D, in case anyone wondered, because any color film looks like crap in anaglyphic 3D) I didn’t have very high expectations for part 4. And maybe that was a good thing. I liked it better than part 3. Tom Savini is back doing the makeup effects, so that helped. Unfortunately much of his effects got cut from the film in order to avoid an X rating. But what remains is still better that what we got in part 3. If the cast of part 3 was bland, at least we have one actor in this one that stands out - Chrispin Glover. Not necessarily in a good way, though. Does he ever play a normal person? Can he play normal? And then there is Corey Feldman. He has his moments. His character gets a little too weird for me in the final moments, though. Joseph Zito seems to be a fairly competent director. He has made some fun action movies, like Missing in Action with Chuck Norris and Red Scorpion with Dolph Lundgren. And I guess he does ok here. Watching these films in such a short order, I get rather jaded when it’s basically the same thing happening in each of them. The killer (Mrs. Vorhees in part 1, Jason in part 2 - 4) sneaks around killing off young people in secluded surroundings. It starts to get difficult to tell the films apart. I’m going to to have to take a break and watch a good film before going on.
My rating	3 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	Vertigo (5-050582-958317)
Director	Alfred Hitchcock
Actors	James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones
Produced	1958 in United States
Runtime	128 minutes
Audio	Japanese DTS 5.1, English DTS 5.1, French DTS 2-Channel Stereo, Italian DTS 2-Channel Stereo, German DTS 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish DTS 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Icelandic
Overview	James Stewart and Kim Novak light up the screen in this spellblinding classic of deception and betrayal. Scottie Ferguson (Stewart), a recently retired detective, is hired to shadow a friend's tragically suicidal wife, Madeleine Elster (Novak). After he saves her from drowning in the San Franscisco Bay, Scottie's interest in the beautiful but icy blonde shifts from business to romance. But when tragedy strikes again, Scottie must overcome the vertigo that haunts his dreams in order to unravel the secrets of the past and find the key to his future.
My thoughts	Ok, this is a good movie. I promised myself to watch one before going on with the Friday the 13th movies, remember. It’s actually a great movie. Some say it’s the best. I wouldn’t quite agree, but it’s probably in the top ten for me. Of Hitchcock’s movies I actually like North by Northwest better. But hey, this is a great movie. There are two great females in this movie, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes. I was never a fan of Dallas, so for me this is the one I remember Barbara Bel Geddes for. This and The Five Pennies. And maybe Panic in the Streets. Kim Novak is quite good, but I rather prefer her in lighter roles, like Bell, Book and Candle or Kiss Me, Stupid. Hitchcock’s first choice for the female lead was Vera Miles, but she was unavailable because she was pregrnant. Hitchcock had worked with her before, and she got another chance to work with him in Psycho. James Stewart is excellent, of course. When is he not? This is his fourth outing with Hitchcock, so I guess Hitch must have liked him, too. The story has an interesting twist. I’m not going to give it away, in case anyone is unfamiliar with the film. Since much of the film hinges on this twist, you don’t see it in quite the same way when you have seen it before, like I had. Still it’s hugely entertaining to rewatch it. Especially on blu-ray where it looks better than ever. I was surprised to notice a continuity error that seemed quite glaring to me. When Madeleine (Novak) runs into the church she flings the door open without closing it. When Scottie (Stewart) follows seconds later, the door is closed. And that sequence is even repeated as a flashback later. I know no film is perfect if you study it closely enough, but this just seemed to stand out. No matter, Hitchcock is always good, and this is Hitch at his best. And this blu-ray release is Vertigo at its best. This is a must-see!
My rating	4.5 out of 5

[GSyren]

Title	The Informers (5-060105-721212)
Director	Ken Annakin
Actors	Nigel Patrick, Margaret Whiting, Katherine Woodville, Colin Blakely, Derren Nesbitt
Produced	1963 in United Kingdom
Runtime	100 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	None
Overview	'The Informers' sees Scotland Yard battle organised crime in this tough 1960s drama, a forerunner to the 1970s TV series 'The Sweeney'. Following a number of high profile robberies, Superintendent Bestwick (Harry Andrews) decrees that his officers should adopt new scientific police methods and Chief Inspector Johnnoe (Nigel Patrick) is ordered to break contact with his network of snouts. However, when his best informant Jim Ruskin is murdered whilst on the trail of the gang responsible for a number of bank robberies, Johnnoe follows his detective instincts rather than orders. Following up Jim's earlier tip off, Johnnoe encounters two mobsters, Bertie Hoyle (Derren Nesbitt) and his wily cohort Leon Sale (Frank Finlay). When Hoyle's attempt to bribe Johnnoe fails the criminals fit him up with the help of Maisie, a cheap tart. Having been suspended, but released on bail, Johnnoe again ignores orders as he attempts to clear his name. With the help of the Ruskin family he tries to track down the murderers of his informer, solve the robberies and gain revenge on the criminals who framed him.
My thoughts	A good old British police thriller from the early sixties. Lots of familiar faces; Nigel Patrick, Derren Nesbitt, Roy Kinnear, Harry Andrews, Allan Cuthbertson and Frank Finlay. Like so much other police drama from the UK, this relies more on good acting than on good action. Ken Annakin seemed to be able to direct almost any genre, from war epics like The Longest Day and Battle of the Bulge, to comedies like Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or family fare like Swiss Family Robinson and The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. And he does very well here, too. Not a terribly well known film, it seems. Only 78 votes on IMDb, but a 7.3 score, which seems quite fair. If you’re into old b&w police dramas, you certainly could do worse than watching this one.
My rating	3.5 out of 5