Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Twilight Zone The Movie) 『I've been a huge fan of Twilight Zone for a long time now but never really got around to watch this film. I'm glad I did because while this film had moments, it was an overall disappointment. The start of the film was good but Aykroyd turning into a monster at the start of the film made me scratch my head.
The first film is surrounded in contraversy because the actor died on set. It started off pretty good with a man getting passed over for a promotion and he runs down races. He gets transported into different times that were hard for the races. The only part that I hated was the ending was beyond stupid and I hated it. For a PG movie, this one really pushes the censors with alot of racist terms.
The second film was a remake of the classic epsiode Kick The Can. I hated this film and it's probably Speilberg's worst effort.
The third film was awful. The first few minutes were nothing but references to different towns in original Twilight Zone epsiodes and even a directors name. The rest of the film just sucked and was unwatchable.
The final film featured John Lithgow in a remake of Nightmare at 5,000 feet. Lithgow did a great job as the lead actor and was by far the best story on the film.
Overall, started good but things got out of control. The final story was good but not enough for me to go out and recommend it to anyone.』
(Mediocre Movie Looks Good on Blu-ray) 『Twilight Zone - the Movie is a bit of a mess as a film. Only the last two segments are any good, along with the humorous introduction before the title sequence. The original Twilight Zone episodes were much better.
If you like the film, though, you can't do much better than to get the Blu-ray version. It looks the best by far, as if the film was shot and printed recently. Clarity and detail look great, especially considering the age of the film.
The only extra included is the theatrical trailer, which isn't much. Tragedy haunts this film, so maybe the producers of the DVD and BD didn't want any extras included that would delve into that history.』
(IT'S GOOD!) 『I first saw this film on Chiller, and I liked it a lot. I was happy to see that when I went to Target, I saw this on the Best-Seller wall! This movie can be funny and kind of creepy at the same time! I love the beginning, with the two guys humming theme songs.... "Do you want to see something really scary?" I like the last segmant. It is a little racial in the first segmant, but that doesn't matter. I love this movie, and I hope it is going to do great in the future.』
(Good Release of a Fun FIlm) 『Even though this is the film where the traggic accident with the late Vic Morrow occured - it still had the big screen flavor of the classic series.
Divided into four stories with a book-end open and close, Joe Danta, John Landis, George Miller and Steven Spielberg each direct their stories of magic, fun and the world only known best as Rod Serling's THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
My favorite story is called "Kick The Can" and stars the late Scatman Crothers as a man with a mission - a mission that makes all those who haved lived a full live realize how special their life really is. This one has a heart and sole and is touched with that Spielbergian Magic that only he can do.
Joe Danta directed "It's A good Life" which is a direct remake of the orginal series episode where a young boy controls his 'world' around him until he realizes through a stranger who mistakenly is visiting - that life is better when life happens on its own and is not whimmed up at the blink of an eye!
George Miller gets to direct another famous episode made popular by WIllaim Shatner origionally - now starring John Lithgow as the "Terror At 20,000 Feet" unravells it scarry tale aboard an airplane that may or may not have an extra passenger - but only Lithgow knows!
John Landis directed the late VIc Morrow final performance in a bizzar story of the Nazi's world and entering a surreal enviornment where everyone is treated exactly like you treat others. Evil, harsh and recist!Subtle but directly pointing at the dark side that is in each of us!
The book-ends are with Dan Akroyd and Albert Brooks - you have to see it to get the enourmous amount black comedy of the sequence. It will make you laugh - but you may jump a little! Boo!
Great production value - and although the DVD doesn't have any extra's - its still a good film at a good price. I liked watching it.....a lot! 3-27-09』
(2 stars out of 4) 『The Bottom Line:
A misbegotten film that has nothing to offer fans of the show, neophytes, or anyone else, The Twilight Zone movie is poorly made and only worth watching for TZ fans who have to see it so they can say they hate it for themselves.』 『A highly anticipated release for fantasy fans in the summer of 1983,Twilight Zone: The Moviepresents three adaptations of classic episodes (and one original story) from Rod Serling's anthology series by a quartet of the biggest directors in Hollywood. With Stephen Spielberg (also the film's co-producer), John Landis, George Miller (The Road Warrior,Happy Feet), and Joe Dante behind the camera for this portmanteau feature, one might expect Serling's episodes to positively gleam with star power, but the truth is thatTwilight Zone: The Movieis a hit-and-miss affair. Landis opens with an amusing nod to the original series' pop-culture appeal with Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks riffing on their favorite episodes before a hair-raising shock finale; unfortunately, his second offering is a bland morality plan about racial tolerance that will forever be overshadowed by the accident that claimed the lives of star Vic Morrow and two child actors during shooting. Spielberg's take on George Clayton Johnson's "Kick the Can" looks lovely and is well performed by its cast (especially Scatman Crothers), but it struggles to bear up under the weight of treacley sentiment so common to the director's films at the time. Dante's version of Jerome Bixby's "It's A Good Life" (about a boy with monstrous powers) is rife with his trademark energy and black humor (and his cast of regular players, including Kevin McCarthy and William Schallert, strike the right balance of terror and comedy). But it's Miller's revamp of Richard Matheson's legendary "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" that delivers the biggest payoff, thanks to John Lithgow's super-charged turn as a nervous airline passenger who's convinced he's seen a monster tampering with the plane's wing. Burgess Meredith (himself a veteran of the originalTZ) provides narration; the widescreen DVD features no extras save for the original trailer and a remastered digital transfer.--Paul Gaita』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The Best Terrible movie ever!) 『This was made to be a very bad movie; there's a reason that it's a cult classic. You have to appreciate bad B movies to get this; if you do, you'll love it.』
(Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - 25th Anniversary Edition (Purchased on 08/17/2009)) 『It was hilarious. Even better than I expected. When the tomatoes started throwing themselves at the the "humans" I wanted to throw a few myself. It got a little slow at times and super fakey all over the place... but this is what I was looking for. Not as moving as the Blob.... but I'll be watching it again....once I can get it back from my friends who had never heard of this movie... So.. roll on little guys.. we'll see you soon I'm sure!!』
(When Ketchup Bites Back!) 『Attack of the Killer Tomatoes has to one of the oddest films to ever grace cable TV. I remember watching this cheese-flick on Monster Vision with Joe Bob Briggs and kind of freaking out that my favorite snack was attacking people. The whole plot is ridiculous and extremely corny in a funny way. Basically it's like GRINDHOUSE, except this one spoofs those horrible Sci-fi 50's films like "Earth vs. The Spider".
The whole point of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is to be funny, which the 50's Scifi plots are trying to be so serious it was ridiculous decades later, but were laughed at years later. This cheesy film was popular enough that it spawned an animated series based on the film(s), which I watched almost religious as the Ghostbusters cartoon.
A great popcorn movie and still great for laughs at the ulimate cheese factor. Also check out the Animated series which expands upon the plot point of a mad scientist mutating tomatos into people to take over the world. Great for laughs and beware of the catchy theme song as well, you'll be singing about Killer Tomatoes for quite sometime.
Attack of the killer tomatoes... ATTACK of the Killer Tomatoes... I forget the rest, lol.』
(Vine-Ripened And Ready To Roll (Oh Yes, There Will Be Ketchup)!...) 『They roll! They swim! They even fly! Most disturbingly, these crimson marauders kill without mercy or remorse! There is no safety or escape, once they've marked you for termination! Yes, the KILLER TOMATOES are here! It's been 30 years since I first watched this accursed film, and it has lost none of it's power to transfix and / or assault the senses! I fear there's no going back now, as the flashbacks, nightmares, and heeby-jeebies have only increased over the years! Fool that I am, I figured I could face down and overcome my terror, so I bought the ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES: SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION! This was a gargantuan miscalculation on my part! This wretched collection is jam-packed w/ featurettes, 8mm footage, trailers, lobbycards, a putrid poster, the hideous soundtrack disc, and other not-so-gentle reminders of this malignant movie! Buy it ONLY if you can handle life-long trauma in its most intense form! As for me, I shall continue to strive for a somewhat normal existence. Pray for me...』
(Good Cornball) 『This classic movie was never meant to be taken seriously, but it is seriously funny and a great spoof on horror movies.』 『Movies with "wacky" titles are almost never any good, andAttack of the Killer Tomatoes!was intentionally made to be an instant golden turkey. Despite that, and the grade-Z production values, this is a regularly funny film. You need to be a fan of the kind of low-budget horror movie it's spoofing, and you need to be very forgiving of the technical ineptness and frequent clunkers, but it works. The story? Well, tomatoes attack, basically. Jack Riley and the San Diego Chicken are in it, and that genuinely alarming helicopter crash you see in an early scene was a real accident. Seen now, the whole ratty affair brings back agreeable memories of the circa-1978 college-movie/midnight-cinema era, when seeing this film was virtually unavoidable. The sequel,Return of the Killer Tomatoes!(with a young George Clooney), is actually an even funnier film. Director John De Bello would continue to squeeze theTomatoesfranchise for years to come.--Robert Horton』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (GREAT OLD FLICK) 『Great copy of a classic old movie! No one can top Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in playing Holmes and Watson. It was a great copy and the seller shipped quick』
("My conjecture is that he'll be murdered." -- Sherlock Holmes) 『"If I believed all the legends about this place, I wouldn't live here. I wouldn't have the courage." -- Dr. Mortimer
The affection classic film fans have for Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is so strong it seems near sacrilegious to even consider any others in these two roles. The portrayal of Sir Conan Doyle's famous detective on film dates all the way back to the silent era, John Barrymore having a stab at the author's timeless creation. But everything clicked with Rathbone and Bruce in the hearts of filmgoers and from this film forward, they were Holmes and Watson to the public. The Universal "B" series which followed the second topflight film from Fox, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was great fun even in updated settings, and fans couldn't get enough. This first film is quite special, however, capturing the real flavor of Holmes and Watson in their own time, with a quality production. Eerie moors and a howling which might be ghostly in origin add to the allure of mystery, a dash of romance thrown in for good measure.
The moors of Dartmoor in Devonshire in 1889 are quite perilous if your name is Baskerville. Charles has already met with an "accidental" death, but Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) knows better, and travels to London to seek out the help of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes has been reading the papers and is already worried for Sir Henry Baskerville's life, as he makes his way from Canada to claim his birthright. The great detective sends Watson in his stead to protect young Henry (Richard Greene) from the wild howl on the moors, which might have a very earthly cause. Holmes is busy as well, but I cannot ruin the fun for the first time viewer of this fabulous classic. An atmosphere of mystery and perhaps the supernatural mingle with the workings of Sherlock Holmes as he ferrets out the more tangible danger.
In the meantime, young Henry has become quite smitten with his beautiful neighbor, Beryl (Wendy Barrie), and just about everyone seems a bit suspect in regards to the legend of the hounds, who have reportedly caused the death of all the prior Baskerville owners. The romance is blended quite nicely with the story, Barrie quite a lovely distraction as Holmes and Watson do everything in their power to save Sir Henry from a savage death. A great cast and class A production values enhance this fun story of a mansion on the moors prone to untimely death. Ernest Pascal's screenplay of Doyle's story is both solid and fairly faithful, and Sidney Lanfield's direction keeps the viewer guessing right up till the end. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will forever hold a special place in the hearts' of classic film fans. If you are familiar with the fine "B" series but have never gone back to see where it all began, I urge you to do so. An excellent and very fun film to watch time and again.』
(About seventy years after it was produced, still fresh and involving) 『Moody, efficient, and very satisfying adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic. The print of the film was wonderfully restored, allowing viewers to just sit back and get immersed in the action with no bad splices, sound dropouts, or other technical distractions. "Hound of the Baskervilles" is the first of the 14 "Sherlock Holmes" films made by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, and the first of two set in the original late 19th-century time period of the original stories (films three through fourteen magically move the action to the World World II era, with varying degrees of success). Fun fact about the story on which this film is based: "Hound" was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in response to the public's clamoring for new Sherlock Holmes stories despite the fact that Sir Arthur had killed the character off years before. Interestingly, "Hound" didn't undo the death of Holmes, merely present a "previously untold" adventure of Holmes and Watson set sometime before Mr. Holmes demise. The author would more formally undo that supposed death in a subsequent story, however.』
(You Can't Beat These Restoration Prints!) 『These UCLA Restoration DVDs on the Sherlock Holmes movies are fantastic - all of them! These, with the black-and-white covers - are the ones to buy, nothing else.
As for the story, despite the famous title - perhaps the most famous of all the Sherlock Holmes stories - I found the movie to be just an average Holmes tale. It was entertaining and well-done but nothing spectacular. I am certain not knocking this film. I love these old Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce movies. An "average" Holmes film with these two guys still gets an 4-star rating!
This was the first pairing of the above-mentioned two actors and Bruce, as "Dr. Watson," was not the bumbling, buffoon as he was in subsequent episodes. However, I prefer Watson in that role because he added a lot of humor and entertainment. In this movie, Watson is pictured as fairly intelligent, for a change!
I enjoyed the lighting in this story. It made for some superb cinematography. The stark black-and-white shots inside the Baskerville mansion were great, as were the many facial closeups in this movie. The gray of the moors outside were in stark contrast to the indoor shots.』
(The Hound) 『Like the others...I think it is the Best of the Rathbone series.....Just need to know if someone else has the same problem with the DVD I do....it looks as if the DVD is more like a Film that has a framing problem. Can anyone let me know?』 『Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in this 1939 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's frequently filmed novel, and the result is one of the most atmospheric and purely enjoyable versions ofThe Hound of the Baskervilles. Except for minor changes, the script is true to Doyle's enthralling mystery about a centuries-long curse against heirs to the Baskerville estate, situated within the haunting and deadly Dartmoor in the southwest of England. With the arrival of a new master, Canadian Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene), Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called upon to solve the strange case of the "gigantic hound" that may be readying to savage the poor fellow. Wonderful sets, crisp performances, and Rathbone's accessible but no-nonsense take on the Great Detective make this a real delight. Typical of the 20th Century Fox Holmes pictures, there's an in-joke, a final line of censor-defying dialogue alluding to Holmes's little problem with cocaine.--Tom Keogh』 『The Hound Of The Baskervilles
The most celebrated tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, `The Hound of the Baskervilles' is set in the Victorian Age and was originally released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1939. It is the first of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
When Sir Charles Baskerville is killed outside of Baskerville Hall, his good friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) fears that the curse of the Baskervilles has struck once again. Mortimer enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone), before yet another Baskerville can succumb to the evil legend.
Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene) arrives in London to claim his inheritance. Mortimer takes Sir Henry to 221b Baker Street and expresses his fear for Sir Henry's life. Baskerville soon learns that along with the grand mansion on the moor, comes a devilish curse, a curious butler (John Carradine) and a cast of bizarre neighbors. Holmes, pressed with "other business," sends Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to accompany Sir Henry to the dreary moor to protect the young Baskerville from the legend of the wicked hound. Of course, with danger afoot, Sherlock Holmes may not be so far from the scene as is assumed.
Special Features -Audio Commentary with David Stuart Davies -Selected Theatrical Trailers -Production Notes By Richard Valley -Photo Gallery Run Time - 80 minutes』
price:$3.99
20th Century Fox
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Great Film) 『I had searched high and low for years for the next hidden great classic sci-fi film for me to watch and I finally found it right under my nose.
Enemy Mine and me go way back...way, back to the first time I saw it on cable back when I was barely a teen and changed the channel after only attempting to watch only a few minutes of it. Since then, every time I saw it on cable, I would change the channel shortly thereafter. I used to wonder why it seem to have always pop up every now and again either in name or display. After watching it tonight, I discovered why.
It is a great film.
When I first saw it, I could not appreciate what makes this film so great, a story of loyalty, friendship, and good characters. This film is not your high speed space chase with with lasers blasting all over the screen and I think this is why I never gave the film a chance initially but I am glad I did tonight. The second half of teh film really gets even more interesting and was pretty moving. Great job by Louis Gossett Jr. and Dennis Quaid.
I highly recommend this film. Forget that the special effects are dated and just enjoy the characters and story.
』
(This film has aged well - it's still watchable and fun!) 『Many old sci-fi movies, such as 1971's Andromeda Strain, are embarrassingly "dated" and unwatchable now, but Enemy Mine is still entertaining (even though I do admit that I would trim about 10 minutes if I were the editor).
I give 5 stars only to movies that I think everyone should see before they die, and Enemy Mine isn't in that league, but still I highly recommend it.』
(sci-fi) 『worlds collide as two enemy soldiers crash on a mining planet and have to work togeter or die.』
(He ain't ugly... He's my brother) 『"Enemy Mine" is an unusual kind of film. If you walk in on someone watching it, it just looks kind of corny, and in some ways it is. In some ways it is kind of a sci-fi "dances With Wolves" (but thankfully not so long) where the protagonist soldier goes "Native" when deprived of the company of his own kind.
And while I don't want to read too much into this story, it does have a lot of food for thought, from how differences can seem much bigger than they are if reasonable people take the time to (pardon the metaphor) "walk a mile in the other persons moccasins", to what it means to be human. One of my favorite Authors, Orson Scott Card, has posited in one of his stories that it is impossible to really, truly know someone without loving something about them. I know, I know there are a million examples you can counter with, but it is food for thought.
Believe it or not, I used to tell a part of this story when teaching several classes on marriage relations. A weird part in this story is that the "Draconians" were asexual and "Gerry" the Draconian gives birth, he explains to the Human the reason why humans are so lonely is that they divided into two sexes. I used this as a metaphor to explain the "they shall no more be twain, but one flesh" scripture. I'm sure some may have had an issue with it, but it makes sense to me.
So here's the deal, this isn't the best sci-fi movie you'll ever watch, but it is one I really like, and you might too.
3¾ *
』
(E#nemy Mine) 『This film is an oldy but a goody. The story line is very rivetting and is based on a story line that is often used now. One race is at war with the other race, they both crash land on a deserted planet and end up becoming the closest of friends. Very very good,uplifting, exciting, with good special effects,especially when one takes into consideration the fact that the film was filmed in the early to mid 80's. If you like scifi and are looking for a film for the whole family this is the one for you.』 『Lizard-like Draconian Louis Gossett Jr. and his mortal enemy, earthling Dennis Quaid, crash-land on a hostile planet during a brutal space battle. Forced to rely on one another for survival, they overcome their differences and become fast friends. You can almost hear them break into an off-key version of "It's a Small World." German director Wolfgang Petersen, so brutally honest with his filmDas Boot, turns warm and cuddly on us with this intergalactic buddy movie. Much of the problem, though, is that the script sets us up for an intriguing encounter, then settles for a simple and sentimental resolution. Noteworthy set design and strong performances, especially by Gossett, push this beyond mere mediocrity. His performance is fascinating, as he must speak in an alien tongue, which he maintains with artistry and consistency.--Rochelle O'Gorman』 『A soldier from earth crashes on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor but from the enemy species he was fighting: they band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 02/06/2007 Starring: Dennis Quaid Louis Gossett Jr Run time: 108 minutes Rating: Pg13』
price:$3.99
Turner Home Ent
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Perfect) 『This was exactly what I wanted.It was in perfect condition and was sent here quickly.』
(Horrified me as a child.) 『If you want to watch Scooby Doo with your children, try "Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders", "Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico", "Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster", "Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase" or "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School".
This is far too dark, and scary, for most young children, or even older children.
I adore this movie now that I am a teenager, though. It's great for older Scooby Doo fans.』
(Not for young kids - too scary and deals with supernatural concepts.) 『Though this is a good movie to watch as an adult or kids over 7...my kids 3, 5 and 8 watched it tonight and my 5 year old does not want to watch any more Scooby-Doo because it was too scary. My youngest looked worried and I wanted to turn it off but, Dad felt differently so we watched it. The youngest two started to hide toward the last 1/4 of the movie.』
(Zombie Island Scooby) 『For a cartoon featurette, this one reallly stands out. Mostly because it's not the usual hijinks of the Mystery Machine crew battling bad guys dressed as goons to commit crime and meyhem. This time the spooks are surprisingly real, even though it takes some convincing from the fab four and the famous pooch. As usual, the haunts and creeps are looked at from the disbelieving view until the forms take shape of real occurrences. Even the songs that set up the scenes refer to past ghost and ghouls found as always have been "fake". Which makes this round of investigation more chilling when the creeps and haunted settings are true blue to the source. Although the place located is refered to Zombie Island, there are alot of fun things on the way, including fiesty pigs, attacking alligators, and a swarm of lively cats. In fact, the reference here to cats and cat people almost steal the storyline away from the fact that the zombies are indeed the good guys, and the catatonic beings the real villains. This leads to frightening confrontations with really violent night creatures that mean business in fulfilling their mission of darkness. Also, if anyone has seen the original Creature From The Black Lagoon, there is a nice little scene of a riverboat driver that is the spitten image of the one in the famous black and white movie. Definitely one for the halloween movie collection, cartoon or not.』
(too scary for smaller kids) 『My kids were watching this movie and I had to fast forward through it....wish I had read the reviews before letting them see it....they are too freaked out by the werewolf creatures and zombies to enjoy this movie. No comedic value whatsoever. This is a scooby movie for parents and maybe eight or nine year olds, NOT kindergarteners. Forget this movie, get the collections of the old episodes instead』 『A dog and his pals encounter creepy characters at a haunted house on a Louisiana bayou.』
price:$4.99
Starz / Anchor Bay
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Bad Slasher film!) 『I am a big fan of alot of 80's slasher films. This is one I had not seen and was eager to check it out. First, the film is very slow and really does not show anything, there is s stupid backstory about brainsurgery, and bad acting. I give it one star for the good film score. Skip this one and check out Tourist Trap.』
(Very well done forgotten slasher) 『My first exposure to this movie was back in 1981 when I saw the tail end of it at my friend's house. His sister was watching it when I walked into the room. I remember seeing the birthday cake and its lit candles and Melissa Sue Anderson singing, "Happy Birthday...to me" to herself. That's an image I haven't forgotten. This is one of those horror movies that will stay with you. Even though it was just the ending I saw, it sparked a curiosity to see it in its entirety.
This movie was very well done. Good acting, a good score, good makeup, good special effects, and above all, a good story. This movie stars Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie). A lot of people can't believe she did a horror film. I can. It was a chance for her to shed her clean "Little House" image and enter the twentieth century - and in a horror film, no less. She drops a few swear words, drops her underpants, and gives one great performance as Ginny, a new student at Crawford Academy. She wants to be accepted amongst the popular people at her school. A number of these people end up being killed. But who is the killer? This movie will keep you guessing all the way through as to who the killer is. This movie is a horror mystery, basically. It has a lot of twists and turns. Ginny had been involved in a serious accident in the past that required brain surgery, so her mental state and lack of memeory could explain her fellow students' disappearances and murders. Ginny thinks she is the one who's killing her friends. She's lost her mind and can't remember very much. Ginny's 18th birthday is days away. What kind of birthday party will she have? Watch to find out.
This movie has certain elements to it that remind me of other horror movies, such as Carrie, Halloween, and Friday The 13th. Yet, it is very unique in itself. During the late seventies and early eighties there was a flood of horror movies that were imitations of Halloween, and a lot of them made holidays or special occasions dangerous, just like Halloween made Halloween night dangerous in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Some of these movies were My Bloody Valentine, April Fools Day, Silent Night Deadly Night, New Years Evil, Happy Birthday To Me, Friday The 13th, Prom Night, etc. Actually, Black Christmas (1974) was the first holiday horror movie. But Happy Birthday To Me is strong and stands apart from some of the low budget slashers or slasher movies with bad acting, such as Friday The 13th Parts I and II, for example. This movie has depth, whereas some of the above mentioned movies lack depth. This movie also stars the legendary Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Tracy Bregman, and Lisa Langlois. I don't want to give away too much of the movie. You'll have to see it to solve the mystery.
If you want to see a well done slasher film from the golden age of horror films, then Happy Birthday To Me is highly recommended.』
(Wow, better than I expected it to be.) 『I picked this movie up, having read some decent things about it online. Most of my experience with old slasher flicks is that they are filled with exceptionally bad acting, so I was pleasantly surprised that all around the acting was pretty good. The quality of the picture was also far better than I've come to expect when watching older horror films, so that was a nice surprise as well. I felt like I was watching a more recent movie the whole time. The plot is good enough to pull you in, but the twists it takes keep you guessing until the end, even if at some points you think you understand what is going on. I got a great deal on this DVD and thought I was paying a nice cheap price for what would be an ok movie, and instead I got a great one. The makers of this one really got it right!』
(Starz/Anchore Bay 10/13/2009) 『So is this the Version with the original music? Has anyone purchessed it yet?
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Good 'Ol Fashion Apocalyptic Story!) 『I literally just got finished reading Primitive and I just had to share what a GREAT novel this was. Gonzalez has successfully pulled off one of the most exciting apocalyptic stories since Keene's zombie invasion in The Rising. And what's great about this particular novel is that it's a very interesting and orginal take on the end of the world. What's scary is how realistic Gonzalez creates the beginning to the end of the world; on how people would react, their emotions, society as a whole. I easily think this is J.F.'s best book since Survivor. Please check it out whether you buy the tradeback or the digital release. It's a great story and it needs to be read.
』
(Great Apocalyptic Novel!!!!!!) 『I highly recommend Primitive if you like apocalyptic novels. I love the idea that Gonzalez came up with the world reverting back to their primitive nature that still exists deep within us. Something releases it one day upon the world. There are survivors that are struggling to stay alive but are constantly hunted down. Something evil and ancient awakens once again that rules over the Primitives and it is very old.』 『It began as just another day for David Spires and his wife Tracy: coffee, breakfast, and getting the kids ready for school. Then the bottom dropped out of civilization. The world ends not with a bang or a whimper, but with a dizzying downward spiral. Instead of the rat race of commuters scurrying to beat the clock, humans are now packs of animals reduced to snarling primitives. David, Tracy and their daughter Emily, along with fellow survivors, leave Los Angeles for the safety of the country where fewer people means fewer primitives. But as they venture farther away from the city, they realize an unnatural force is at work. Civilization didn't just fall apart...it was overtaken by an ancient evil that was present before the first cave paintings. Human history has no formal record of it, but the dark presence that's fueled nightmares since time began has crept out of the shadows...and its influence is growing.』
price:$3.29
Vertical
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The Book I've Been Looking For!) 『Ever since I became interested in modern Asian horror films, I've been trying to find a book that would help me pick out what films to watch next. This is that book! Whereas other books touch on such films, this book focuses on them in detail, fully explaining all the different versions of The Ring and The Grudge, which films influenmced them and how they have influenced subsequent films. Fully covers all recent horror films fro Japan, Korea and Hong Kong; as a result of it, I have bought a number of fantastic films that I would not otherwise have heard of.
It includes detailed chapters on: The Ring series; The Grudge series; the Tomie series; Kiroshi Kurosawa; Korean films; Hong Kong films; American remakes. Very readable. Written with enthusiasm and knowledge. Excellent!』
(Has a lot of interesting information, but is spoiler riddled and too heavy on the author's opinion.) 『This is a good read for someone interested in modern Asian horror, but is best suited to people who already have a healthy amount of experience with the genre. Kalat's book has a LOT of great information about these films, but unfortunately he doesn't seem to know who to target with his book: the neophyte will be put off by the sheer number of spoilers in the book, while the experienced viewer will get irritated by the number and breadth of the plot summaries.
The spoilers are really my problem. If you read the book, you'll see that Kalat makes these half-hearted attempts to avoid spoiling these films for the reader, but at the same time gives away MAJOR twists in some of them.
As someone who's seen a large number of the films he discusses, I've found a lot of useful and interesting information in here, but this really isn't for the neophyte.
The book is also riddled with the author's opinions, many of which are easy to disagree with or, as is the case of his chapter for the "Tomie" films, based on such tenuous reasoning that it seems like he missed the point of the film(s) entirely.
Still, for entrenched fans willing to sift through the opinions and plot summaries, there's some real meat here, and I'd conditionally recommend this.』
(J-Horror is must-have for anyone watching Asian horror films) 『A terrific book! I also have ASIA SHOCK, which is great, but I think this one is even better, and I hope the author will do an updated edition in another year (if not sooner!). The only thing I would add is an index; there's a lot of great information in here, and index would be a huge help. Otherwise, full marks for a wonderful book that I dip into time and time again!』 『The first year on the job a young idealistic teacher, tries to persuade a shy, virtually autistic boy call Tetsun to give up his obsession for flies. She changes her mind when she becomes aware of the breadth and depth of his knowledge of various flies. When a local food-processing factory begins to suffer from a fly problem, it is young Tetsun to the rescue, vindicating his teacher's belief in him.』
price:$2.80
Picador
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Sank to the bottom of Bareneed's harbor with this book) 『This is one of the best books I've read in the past decade and I wanted to weigh in with a more recent review. I loved this book. I see that it has solicited some mixed reviews on Amazon, and I expected as much.
Here's the most useful litmus test I can think of to determine if you'd like this book or not: If you're a fan of or can tolerate magical realism and/or ghost stories (think Isabel Allende at her best), this book is a stunner. It's written entirely better than it needs to be, and the reader is rewarded by being effortlessly sucked into a watery, mysterious world falling apart at the seams and trying to suck itself back together. I rank Kenneth Harvey right in there with Gregory Maguire as a mind-bogglingly poetic and proficient writer who remains underrated in this regard.
This also means that he's not Dean Koontz. Harvey does not write a bookfull of three-word sentences. His writing requires you to slow down and savor the eeriness of the story he spins. If you enjoy reading simply for the sensuousness of being caught up in an alternate reality, this is a treat. If your favorite part of a book is finishing the last page so you can put another books-read notch on your belt, don't tackle this one.
I personally find this book to be a feast for the senses. The smell of rural Canadian sea town air, the visual of winding roads through the hills and town of Bareneed, the cold dread that seeps over you like a pea soup fog and the ghosts of those lost at sea; it's all effortlessly here.
One thing that bothers me about this book: the softcover jacket design. The hardcover version is a beautiful, graphic, b&w package that jumps off the shelf and into your hands (why I read it in the first place). The softcover looks like a 9th grade goth kid in art 101 got a crack at it, and doesn't reflect the true beauty this book has to offer. Just my two cents on that little issue, since it bothers me.』
(Sometimes it's hard to remember to breathe...) 『I really enjoyed this story. It was incredibly imaginative and Kenneth Harvey painted a very vivid picture in my mind of the town, the people, the smells, the feel... there were moments when I had to pay attention to my own breathing! I didn't think that he was trying to write like any other author, including Stephen King. As a huge King fan myself, I didn't see any similarites that were upsetting. It only took me a few days to get through this story because I didn't want to put the book down! Good stuff, I recommend it.』
(Really original.) 『This book has a really good flow. I enjoyed the story and read it at a steady pace because I was so intrigued to see what was wrong with the town and how everything would wrap up. The characters were believable and I liked a lot of their personalities. Only, it kept at that pace, and then all of a sudden the action and the ending just wrapped in a few pages...that was it. Perhaps it would help next time to let the action flow a little more and make the ending longer instead of it being seemingly rushed.』
(Depends upon what you expect...) 『While the quoted blurb on the back cover intrigued me by referencing Lovecraft, it took me about ten minutes of reading to realize that the author of the quote could not actually be familiar with either HPL or "The Town that Forgot to Breathe"...and, quite possibly, with neither.
No, this book has much more similarity to Stephen King...and while the later New England horror-writer was without doubt inspired by the earlier, their sympathies could not be more different. Lovecraft wrote of bookish scholars confronting alien powers, and quietly revered a certain elitist nobility that has failed to endear him overmuch to readers more swayed by literature that aims to speak to 'the common man'.
King, on the other hand, is often at his best when he portrays the more-or-less modern, more-or-less small town setting. He knows about working class people who are out of work, and he knows about middle-class people who are growing more or less out of touch with their roots. It is precisely this human perception, in addition to a master's grasp of the technique of narrative, that allows King to tower above the rank and file of modern genre writers. We may quiver in the night over his bloody clowns and monster movie remakes, but if the works stay with us at all, it is because his characters and settings ring rich and true.
Kenneth J. Harvey has even more of this power. It is somewhat of a shame that anyone familiar with King will be unable to avoid making easy comparisons (as I have just done). Harvey's setting is nearly stereotypical King: a depressed Northwestern coastal fishing town beset by the supernatural. His characters, like many from King's pages, include a colorful and keenly authentic cross-section of wise old-timers, small-town (forgive the phrase)'white trash', and often adrift middle-age professionals...not to mention the obligatory police and military interlopers.
However, where King shows the cancerous effects of the supernatural on his characters (a recurring Lovecraft theme), Harvey takes almost the opposite stance. It is humanity's disease which afflicts these townsfolk, technology and progress which have sapped the vitality and magic of the community. The ill omens of supernatural danger occur not because man has foolishly dared to come too close to mysterious things, but because he has strayed too far from them.
Without doubt, this is an ideologically motivated work. Some may dismiss it, seeing a misguided nostalgia for a simpler time, and some may welcome it as an ode to traditional virtues of community and locale. One may feel that it gently preaches, and affirm or rebel as suits their temperament.
The author makes missteps and sometimes fails to deliver on his promises. It's easy for us to say that a tighter editing would have resulted in a stronger work, and possibly a slightly shorter one...perhaps Harvey was trying to include a little too much and despaired of bringing it all together at the end. In trying to strike a balance between comfort and complexity, it is easy to drop a few threads along the way; many and more well-known authors have had the same problems, and vastly more have failed to produce anything as uniquely engrossing and enchanting as this book.
This is just barely able to be called a work of horror. Do not buy this because you've read everything else in the genre and need your horror fix (though it will serve a more specific Stephen King addiction, and offers a touch more substance than anything he's produced in the last thirty years). It is barely even a work of 'modern fantasy' (and by this I mean the many dreary books which have fairies talking on cell phones, or witches working at publishing houses). It is well worth reading, mainly because it is well-written and memorable and speaks Newfie like a native.
Read this, instead, if you want to smell salt air and hear the sound of the ocean at night. Read this if you want to reflect on the dangers of too much progress and the decay of small-town strength and wisdom. Read this if you've ever deliciously shuddered at the thought of mysteries of unseen depths that have nothing to do with man-eating sharks and lost undersea civilizations.
Just drop your expectations at the door and curl up with nothing more, and nothing less, than a good book that is both eerie and thoughtful. You'll find it easy to forgive a little clumsiness at times, because the rest is as satisfying as homemade soup and an old book of true true fairy tales.』
(Totally bizarre but fun!) 『At times I really felt that I was a part of "The Town that Forgot How to Breathe". Very descriptive. All the characters, even the minor ones were very well developed. There were some parts where I got a little confused and felt the author didn't describe the scene well enough but overall a very interesting read. The "horror" is minimal. This is not a gore fest or even that scary. It's kind of hard to describe because I have never read anything else like it!』 『With no more cod to fish, Bareneed, the setting of Kenneth J. Harvey's powerfully eerieThe Town That Forgot How to Breathe, has become another Newfoundland outport village on the wane. As one character laments, "Bareneed, once a lively and warm place, now stank of drabness and heartbreak." It's not much of a magnet for tourists, but it has attracted two visitors for the summer: a fisheries officer and his young daughter. Deeply pained by the recent break-up of his marriage, Joseph fails to notice the more curious aspects of the town. It takes him a while to hear about the townsfolk who've been dropping dead for no apparent reason. He's also slow to realize that his daughter Robin's new playmate is the ghost of a drowned girl. When he and Robin find an "exceptionally ugly" sculpin at the end of their fishing line, Joseph again tries to stay calm. But then he takes a closer look at his catch. "Feeling his fingers turn warm while he tried to disengage the hook," Harvey writes, "Joseph whisked them away. Flesh-coloured fluid seeped from the sculpin's wide mouth. A solid object began edging out as he wiped his fingers on his pants--a flesh-coloured sculpted orb, topped with something that resembled hair, matted in mucousy clumps." The porcelain doll's head that emerges from the fish is one in a series of unsettling sights in Harvey's book. As more and more objects are expelled from the sea, Bareneed's most painful secrets come to the surface.
By setting his story in this desolate Atlantic locale, Harvey seeks to do more than add regional flavour to a Stephen King-style tale of an ordinary community plagued by inexplicable events. Instead, the terrors that Harvey describes are rooted in very real psychological and societal traumas. What makesThe Town That Forgot How to Breatheso cunning is the way Harvey uses the horror genre as the basis for a provocative defence of Newfoundland's imperiled cultural traditions. Even though his ornate prose style can sometimes get waterlogged in the scenes between the shocks, Harvey has created a book that is as compelling as it is unique.--Jason Anderson』
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Something strange is happening in the seaside town of Bareneed. Mythical creatures are being pulled from the sea, perfectly preserved corpses of long-lost villagers are washing up on the shore, and residents of the town are suddenly overcome by a mysterious illness that is making them forget how to breathe.
A page-turning gothic thriller reminiscent of H. P. Lovecraft,The Town That Forgot How to Breatheis "a novel of dazzling ambition and strange, haunting loveliness. . . . An absolute triumph of the storyteller's art" (Joseph O'Connor, author ofStar of the Sea).