Shout Factory’s The Vincent Price Collection: Timely, Indeed (Warts and All)…

Posted on October 7, 2013 by geelw

Someone hipped me to this upcoming Shout Factory box set of six classic horror flicks featuring the late, great Vincent Price (who’s also Star of the Month on TCM all October) and I had to give it a thumb and a three-quarters up just for that lovely cover art alone. Oh, alright, the six sick flicks here are all top picks (and on Blu-Ray for the first time, I believe). But I’d still have to gripe out a grape sized whine about the total lack of love for Doctor Phibes Rises Again, which SHOULD have been grafted into this sextet just because it’s the darn sequel to The Abominable Doctor Phibes and yes, I’m STILL waiting my ass off for Tim Burton to announce he’s remaking both Phibes philms at the same time like Peter Jackson did with his epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Granted, Phibes’ offbeat mix of camp and 70’s era gore “lite” isn’t anywhere on the same level as Tolkein’s works, folks. But hey, I grew up glued to the tube with many of Price’s films and those two hold a very special place in my still beating heart. Hey, it’s not as if I’m asking for Scream and Scream Again, right? RIGHT? If you ever see that one, you’ll understand, kids…

Anyway, if you’re too lazy to click links, that collection costs $55, features tons of special features and the six films are as follows:

THE PIT & THE PENDULUM

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

THE HAUNTED PALACE

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES

WITCHFINDER GENERAL (aka THE CONQUEROR WORM)

Who needs to go out on Halloween and get a tummy ache from some lousy cheap candy bought at the dollar store? Get this Blu-Ray set, pop up that dried out corn display you’ve had on the table for years and sprinkle some chili powder on it, slap a few razor blades into a pomegranate (apples are SO last century!) pull up a chair and veg out! Friends optional, but go “borrow” some (have some rope and gags handy) so you can show them a good time before you kick them out in a more bewildered but appreciative state (like Maine or maybe California, ha ha)…

Shout Factory Zaps Out Another “B”-Flick Sci-Fi Bundle…

Posted on August 16, 2013 by geelw

Nice. At a measly $6.95, these four sci-fi “classics” of assorted quality (mostly of the “so bad they’re awesome” variety) work out to a no-brainer “BUY ME!” price of $1.75 each, which is a BARGAIN if you love old cheese and don’t mind falling off your couch or chair in a heap a few times.

Of this new set of four, Reptilicus is pretty darn amazing as it fails on so many levels (to a jaw-dropping extreme, in fact) but makes for a surprising great visitor’s guide to Denmark’s nightlife (you’ll see). And of course, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die is completely mind-blowing in many ways for what it brings to the table. See it and you’ll get my stupid puns in that last sentence. I’ll make sure I’m out of town when you come to chase after me with a blunt object. The other two are also pretty awesome in that bad way, but it’s been a few years since I’ve seen either (which means I just may have to get this disc at some point)…

I actually didn’t know this the the second entry in this series of MGM non-masterpieces (calling them “classics” is a bit of a stretch that makes me smile and almost feel sorry for someone who grabs these thinking they’ve discovered solid gold in the trash heap). The first disc’s a doozy as well, but EVERYONE who considers himself a sci-fi or “B” movie fanatic needs to have seen Angry Red Planet and The Man From Planet X at least once before they flee this mortal coil.The again, if these are your bucket list flicks… you’ve either seen way too many movies or just not enough. Consider taking long walks (at least five miles a day) and drinking a gallon of prune juice a week. You’ll live longer than your buddies laughing at you for liking such lousy films.

“Why so serious?” You ask? Well, you might actually drop dead after seeing these flicks if you go in thinking they’re “great” and your brain rage quits on you, but hey, what’s life without a little risk, I say? Don’t choke on that popcorn either, stay away from diet soda and watch out for the cat when you plop down on the couch (it’s hiding under that big pillow again, me-ow!)…

Swamp Thing Headed to Blu-Ray/DVD August 6: Still A Coin Toss For This Fan…

Posted on July 31, 2013 by geelw

I wasn’t the biggest supporter of either of the two Swamp Thing films as neither was as close to the comics as I’d have liked and even the 70+ episode TV series was hugely flawed (but the makeup and costume were superb by that time). Still, after recently watching a friend’s copy of the DVD (it’s the recalled 2000 version he lent me, by the way), I have to say I don’t dislike it as much as I did back in 1982. I definitely liked it a LOT more than the stupidly campy sequel (which has a grand total of ONE really funny line in it that was worth the ticket price) and inane kiddie cartoon series created primarily to sell toys to parents who probably would be shocked out of their skins by the darker tone of many of the first ten issues of the original comics by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson and especially Alan Moore’s later (and much darker) run on the series that featured some amazing scripts and still stunning artwork primarily from Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch.

Of course, those who were kids when the films, cartoon or TV show were new may feel otherwise, so there’s that to consider. Of course, I’ve always “gotten” the weirder elements of the character and for some kooky reason, he’s been one of my favorites to draw (so I guess that piece above can indeed be called “fan art”, whee). Anyway, I’m not sure just yet if I’ll buy this new Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, but it’s nice to know it exists if I decide to take the plunge…

Random Film BUY of the Week: Shout Factory Gets The Producers Back on Stage!

Posted on July 2, 2013 by geelw

Well, not back on Broadway, bubbeleh… but as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack for you to buy and own. Thank you, Shout Factory!! Anyway, I say you ab-solutely need a copy of The Producers: Collector’s Edition because it’s PERFECT for those crappy days any time of the year when you want to pop something laughing. or those great days where you want to pop something laughing. Oh,and that that *new* Drew Friedman cover? Gorgeous! I say shaddup and buy this if you haven’t seen it yet (sure,sure – the play is funny, but the film is better and cheaper, I say!), then round up some of your friends and invite them over for a nice laugh or a hundred. Of course, they’ll be bringing food. There’s ALWAYS food when you want to have a little get-together, right? You want to come over too? Sure, sure – just call me, and I’ll make a nice chicken (plain, in the oven!)…

Fat (Albert) Tuesday, Too: Hey, Hey, Hey! Shout Factory Says Press “Play!”

Posted on June 25, 2013 by geelw

Scene 215

INTERIOR: Shout Factory Mail Order Department

6/24/2013 APPROXIMATELY 1:54:36PM

(phone rings)
Hello, Shout Factory!
Ow. My. Ears. Dude.

Sorry. This IS Shout Factory, you know! How Can I help you today?!
Hang on, dude… let me get some cotton balls and half an earmuff… (sounds of drawer opening, followed by rattling noises)… OK, I think I’m better now.

That’s good to hear! So…How can I help you today?
Ehm, er… say there? Do you have Fat Albert in the can?

(*sighs*)…NO. sir, We don’t currently sell ANY of our videos in can form. However, you can buy Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: The Complete Series, which has all 110 episodes of the classic show with Bill Cosby, Fat Albert, Rudy, Weird Harold, Mushmouth, Dumb Donald, Russell and, yes the Brown Hornet! 15 Discs, 39 hours, $99!
D’oh! Oh, COME ON NOW, You’re supposed to say “Yes, we do!” or something like that!

(*yawning*)… REE-aaalllly now? I did not know that! So, can I put you down for a copy of this set or what?
Blaaaaaaaaah! You’re no fun, grrrrr! I’ma go call the stupid drug store instead!! (slams phone down) *click!*
*Snicker…* Dopey kids and their ancient pranks! Boy, some people never learn!

Shout Factory Wants You All Howling – I Say Oblige Them.

Posted on June 21, 2013 by geelw

Thank yooooooou, Shout Factory (awoooooooo)! Getting Joe Dante’s classic werewolf flick The Howling back into circulation on DVD and Blu-Ray? Nice. Now I can stop telling folks I run into campfire tales of how awesome (and freakishly LONG) that wonderful Rob Bottin-created transformation sequence was while also rambling on about Pino Donaggio’s excellent score and how the film managed to be at turns scary and silly as well as packed with in-jokes and plenty of references to other films. Huzzah! That and I can stop getting picked up by the fuzz here for setting campfires to lend a scary atmosphere to things whenever someone asks me about the film. Well, and carrying an axe in public, using said axe to chop up the nearest wooden sign for firewood (I don’t go after trees, as we need them around here), scaring little kids by acting out the transformation and a few other minor offenses. Er, um… saaaay, isn’t that some nice *new* cover art on the right up there?

(“Exit, stage left!” Oops, that’s YOUR right. Damn, you Snagglepuss!)

Shout Factory Keeps The 70’s Rolling Along With Some Genre Classics…

Posted on June 4, 2013 by geelw

Seeing these three films pop up on the Shout Factory site almost makes me feel old, except for they got me excited that they’re back in circulation, so I’m bouncing around the room. OK, not so much at my age… but any activity is good when you get this creaky. I added the road movie from hell Race With the Devil as a Random Film of the Week last year, but haven’t got around to Electra Glide in Blue (a really good, quirky cop flick with one of those depressing 70’s endings) and Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, a pretty cool extended car chase flick with some great action and yep, another smasher of an ending sequence.

Hmmm, with all this road wreckage, wild hippie women, devil worshipers doing their thing in the woods and assorted traffic cops going through really lousy workdays, it’s a wonder real people drove ANYWHERE during this period. Well, they had to go to the movies too, so I’d gather an evening at the drive-in for a triple feature of all three might have been happening somewhere out there back in the day…

Anyway, that’s two more films I’ll need to add to the RFotW pile – stay tuned…

The Burning [Collector’s Edition]: Once Again, Shout Factory Mutates Into Scream Factory…

Posted on May 15, 2013 by geelw

the burning blu-ray_dvd Man, I haven’t seen The Burning in YEARS, but thankfully, Shout Factory’s Scream Factory arm is bringing it back to life, and on a bonus-filled Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack at that. If you’ve never seen this 1981 cult classic, carve out a space under or behind the couch, pop in this flick and get prepared to lose a lung screaming as the horrifically disfigured camp caretaker Cropsy gets revenge on the teens who accidentally set him ablaze in a prank gone wrong.

Yeah, it’s got some minor to moderate similarities to Friday the 13th (which, along with its sequel lifts some of its bloody murders directly from Mario Bava’s awesome gore classic Twitch of the Death Nerve), but hey, at that time, these horror flicks were being churned out pretty quickly and a little gleeful borrowing here and there wasn’t a crime at all. That and hell, Tom Savini doing the effects on both this and Friday meant you were getting the best Hollywood gore for that ticket money. That and hell, Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander are in this one! Do they survive? Mwah-ha-ha-haaaa… you’ll need to watch and find out!

Anyway, you modern gore fans (aka “Meddling kids!”) who want to see something old farts like me were into back in the day should definitely check this “moldy oldie” from the 80’s out. And yeah, yeah you aged sticklers for gory detail, the original poster art for the film is on the reverse of that new, more colorful cover art. You think Shout Factory’s going to leave you hanging? As always, they’re killing you with kindness…

Random Music Battle Time: Blur vs. Liberace (Well, They Both Kind Of Win)…

Posted on May 10, 2013 by geelw

While waiting for a game to download the other day, I randomly Googled something and got something else entirely, and with a little brain work and rewriting here’s one result of that mistake: Song 2 by Blur, meet Song 2 as performed by Liberace. Yeah, it was a tough battle, folks… but believe it (or else), the results were a dead tie at the end of the voting. Well, actually, one half of my brain was bouncing up and down and the other was laughing, so that’s how that all worked out.

Liberace DVD Of course, Liberace gets the last laugh (and probably wins the bigger prize) because hell, he was a lot more talented (and funnier) throughout his long career than Blur will most likely ever be (or have been… hey, are they still even around?). That and you won’t lose your hearing from listening to too much of his music with the volume way up (well, depending on your age, you probably have some hearing loss if you’re a Liberace fan, ha ha).

Anyway, the fine folks at Shout Factory and Timeless Media Group have actually just released Libreace: The Ultimate Entertainer on DVD this week, so you can go see for yourself (c’mon, be brave! Expand those musical horizons! I won’t tell…) for a mere $13.98, which is a bargain considering what’s on the disc. Hey, get it as a Mother’s Day gift for someone old enough to appreciate that man’s work and you’ll get a few cheeks pinched afterward (make sure you’re sitting sown when you hand over that package)…

And hey, I’m betting Michael Douglas will make me fall of the couch laughing in a few with that HBO biopic coming up… we shall see, I suppose…

Two More Reasons To Grab Message From Space On DVD…

Posted on April 18, 2013 by geelw

Sure, it’s not the best sci-fi flick out there, but there’s a certain crazy exuberance in these clips that makes Message From Space pretty hilarious in its own right. Yeah, I like bad films as well as great ones, so sue me. or at least watch this one and some of the others I recommend from time to time. You’ll get an education on cinema and not have to pay too much to some silly film school where all you’ll learn is you’ve gone into debt and no one will hire you to work on a feature film because you spent too much time in class listening to some old guy telling you there’s nothing better than Citizen Kane. Which is true in some respects, but there are a LOT of great (and not so great) movies in other genres worth seeing…