ROBOT WARS (1993) (Full Moon Blu-ray Review)

ROBOT WARS (1993)

Label: Full Moon Entertainment
Region Code: Region-FREE
Rating: R
Duration: 72 Minutes 
Audio: English Dolby Digital Surround 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Albert Band
Cast: Barbara Crampton, Don Michael Paul, Lisa Rinna, Danny Kamekone, Yuji Okumoto, and James Staley

Robot Wars (1993) is set in the not-as-distant-as-it-once-was future of 2041, the United States is now known as the North Hemi, where in 1993 large areas of the country were decimated by an some sort of toxic gas event... and that's about all the backstory we get. One of the other super-powers of this post-apocalyptic world is the Eastern Alliance, represented by Gen.Wa-Lee (Danny Kamekona, Robot Jox)and his assistant Chou_Sing (Yuji Okumoto), both of whom have arrived in the North Hemi to do business with corporate greed-monger Rooney (Peter Haskell, Child's Play 2), the boss at a tour/tech company that runs tour groups to a 20th century ghost town,  Crystal Vista, located out in the wastelands. The tour groups are transported through the desert via a giant robot called the MRAS-2 - a giant mecha-robot in the shape of a scorpion, which looks way cool. This is the last of a series of giant robots that were once utilized in times of war, the MRAS-2 is piloted by the sexist 80's ma-cheese-mo of Drake (Don Michael Paul, Rolling Vengeance) and his wise-cracking copilot Stumpy (James Staley). The Eastern Alliance dignitary has arrived in hopes of purchasing mini unarmed versions of the mecha-technology for use in the Eastern Alliance territories.

During a tour trip to the Crystal Vista ghost town the MRAS-2 comes under attack by a group of wasteland raiders known as the "centros", who attack the giant robot with a laser canon. Drake blows up the weapon with the MRAS-2's own laser defense system, afterwards warning his boss Rooney against further tours, worried there could be casualties next time. Despite showing his boss tangential evidence that the Eastern Alliance may be aligned with the rebel centros the tours continue, upsetting Drake, who refuses to run tours, instead going into the wasteland on a reconnaissance mission, once again finding evidence of collusion between the raiders and the EA, but again Rooney refuses to acknowledge the threat for fear of losing funding for his mech-program, but of course there's collusion and the inevitable double-cross happens.

Slice of horror-hotness Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) shows up as a scientist named Leda who joins one of the tours, believing that the company is hiding something beneath the Crystal Vista ghost town. She plays a battle-of-the-sexes love interest for mecha-pilot Drake, but it's probably one of my least favorite of her roles honestly, it's very bare with no meat to it, she's just arm candy for the most part, but still a cutie. Also showing up is a reporter played by Lisa Rinna, another 90's cutie who went onto appear in TV's Melrose Place and a few even less interesting roles before becoming one of the bitchy, leathery-nags on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The film absolutely delivers on what the artwork promises, which is not always something you can say about a Full Moon movie to be honest, but you definitely get two giant robots battling each other in the final ten-minute stretch, but the first 61-minutes are a bit hit and miss, but if you're a vintage Full Moon junkie and you love David Allen's stop-motion artistry there's a lot here to enjoy, plus you get Barbara Crampton!  

Audio/Video: Robot Wars (1993) debuts on Blu-ray from Full Moon in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1, a new HD transfer derived from the original 35mm negative. Film grain looks natural and is nicely managed, there is some dirt and debris throughout, but overall this is very clean looking, with only minor instances of white speckling and visible dirt showing up occasionally, more prominently in the optical shots. 

Audio options include choice of English Dolby Digital surround 5.1 and stereo 2,0, there's no lossless audio option, typical of Full Moon's Blu-ray releases so far. The stereo is probably more true to the original presentation but the new surround options does give
David Arkenstone's score some nice buoyancy in the surrounds, no subtitles are offered on the disc. 

Onto the extras we get a brand new feature with Charles Band, "The Wizard if Wars: Remembering David Allen" which runs just over eleven-minutes, with the Full Moon impresario fondly remembering his collaborations with his friend David Allen who first worked on Band's Laserblast (1978), recalling his fastidious nature, suggesting the stop-motion animator might have actually thought one frame at a time, that he was so very meticulous.  

We also get a vintage 28-minute Videozone featurette, Band opens it up with some cool teaser artwork for the then upcoming Puppet Master IV entry, and then into the program proper with some cool behind-the-scenes and interviews with director Albert Bands, and the cast including Barbara Crampton, Don Michael Paul, Lisa Rinna, Sanny Kamekone, Yuji Okumoto, and James Staley. There's even a bit with the stop-motion special effects team of David Allen an Jim Danforth, plus optical editor Linda Linda Obalil gives a tour of the optical printer explaining how it works. The Videozone also has an interview with composer Richard Band in the studio while he works out the score for Doctor Mordred (1992), working out some musical ideas on the piano before going into the studio and laying basic tracks on a synth, recording it on a computer and playing back the semi-finished score to a scene from the film, it's actually a pretty cool piece, The Videozone is a finished up with a series of upcoming Full Moon trailers and finished up with actress Charlie Spradling (Puppet Master II) giving us a brief tour of music/video shops around L.A. and pointing out where you can buy a lot of Full Moon merch. Also on the disc is a five-minute Full Moon promotional video and some Full Moon Trailers.  

The release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork. The disc itself features an oddly-tinted excerpt of the same work, odd in that the red-purple tinting obscures the artwork. 

Special features:

- The Wizard of Wars: Remembering David Allen (11 min)

- Vintage 1997 Full Moon Promo (5 min) 

- Original Videozone program (28 min) 

- Trailers: Robot Wars (1 min) HD, Castle Freak (2 min) HD, The Dark Angel (1 min) HD, Puppet Master III (2 min) HD, Head of the Family (2 min) HD, Specters (2 min) HD 

At just barely 71-minutes long (with extensive credit sequences) the movie is hella-short but still manages to be hampered by some obvious filler that drags it down to a crawl in spots, this despite the fact that we have some awesome David Allen (Dolls) stop-motion animation. The robot miniatures are loads of retro fun, the artistry of Allen is undeniable and his special effects are absolutely the highlight of the film. The story itself is a bit uninspired, though it is competently directed by Albert Band, however, the best visuals come from David Allen's stop-motion work, not from Band or his cinematographer. It lacks the energy and visual design of Stuart Gordon's Robot Jox (1990), but it's a fun enough spectacle for a Friday night watch, I still have fun with this movie, and if you're a vintage Full Moon/Empire junkie like myself I know you are hoping that we get the other Full Moon giant robot movie on Blu-ray this year, that being Crash and Burn (1990) directed by Charles Band - c'mon FM, make it happen! 

THE DUNGEONMASTER (1985) / ELIMINATORS (1986) DOUBLE FEATURE (Blu-ray Review)

THE DUNGEONMASTER (1985) / ELIMINATORS (1986) 

THE DUNGEONMASTER (aka RAGEWAR) (1985) 
Label: Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 77 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 
Director: Rosemarie Turko, Steve Ford, Ted Nicolaou, Charles Band, David Allen, John Carl Buechler, Peter Manoogian
Cast: Jeffrey Byron, Leslie Wing, Richard Moll

Synopsis: Paul, a young computer ace, is forced to pit his physical and mental skills against unimaginable odds when a hulking wizard looking for formidable opponents picks Paul as his next challenger. Paul faces a series of seven spectacular and death-defying challenges and must survive not only to save his life but that of his girlfriend's too! Jeffrey Byron (Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn) and Richard Moll (Night Court) star in this eye-popping thriller featuring an appearance by W.A.S.P.!

This version of The Dungeonmaster is unrated and different from the PG-13 version shown theatrically and released by Scream Factory as part of the All Night Horror Marathon Volume 2 DVD. It includes an additional scene with some nudity, which is always fun for lover's of b-movies, nudity certainly never hurt a movie. I love this slice of '80s b-movie schlock, we have computer whiz Paul Bradford (Jeffrey Byron) who wears the 80's version of Google Glass that links him into his home computer, the X-Cal-BR8, which allows him to do such nifty things as turn traffic lights green when it suits his needs... AWESOME!  At night Paul is plagued by nightmares, one of which comes true when a demonic wizard named Mastema (Richard Moll, Night Train to Terror) whisks Paul and his girlfriend Gwen (Leslie Wing) away to a netherworld, where Paul is forced to complete seven challenges or lose Gwen to the devilish demon. Each of these challenge sequences are directed by a different director working for Empire Pictures at the time, making this a strange anthology of sorts. Directors Rosemarie Turko, Steve Ford, Ted Nicolaou, Charles Band, David Allen, John Carl Buechler and Peter Manoogian do their best to keep this thing afloat on a limited budget and for the most part they succeed, creating an entertaining series of connected vignettes, each with it's own flavor

In "Ice Gallery" from director Rosemarie Turko Gwen and Paul must face off against a rogue's gallery of Mastema's former challengers, ranging from Jack the Ripper to Einstein! Next up is John Carl Buechler "Demons of the Dead" which takes place in a cave where Paul is made to battle the undead and contend with the pint-sized demon Ratspit, looking a bit like a reject from Ghoulies. My favorite of the bunch has to be "Heavy Metal" which is directed by Charles band and pits the couple against the band W.A.S.P. and their maniacal lead singer Blackie Lawless as the band tears through their song "Tormentor", the short is basically the band's stage show with poor Gwen being the centerpiece, it's truly not anything of substance, I just love the vintage W.A.S.P. performance. 

I am a fan of anything David Allen did, he was Empire Pictures king of stop-motion stuff, his entry  "Stone Canyon Giant" pits Paul against a stone giant and is a fun change up, while Steven Ford's "Slasher" has Paul on the run to stop Gwen from becoming a next victim of a serial killer stalking the street of Los Angeles. We're back in a cave for Peter Manoogian's "Cave Beast" and we finish strong with Ted Nicolaou's "Desert Bandit", a cheap Mad Max knock-off with armor-plated golf carts in place of muscle machines, which brought to mind the Roger Corman production Battle Truck, only shorter and therefore less painful. 

The movie has a definitive '80's sheen to it, Paul's short shorts are proof of that, as is his fantasy-based Tron-esque costuming, which also smacks of cheapness. The Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar) may not be a great movie but it is certainly entertaining in a bad '80s sort of way. I cannot imagine my kids watching this and enjoying it, I think you need to have a certain amount of '80s nostalgia and reverence for the era to fully appreciate it, which I have plenty of, so this went down quite smoothly with a few brews and a head full of youthful nostalgia. 

ELIMINATORS (1986) 
Region Code: A
Duration: 99 Minutes 
Rating: PG-13
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 
Director: Peter Manoogian
Cast: Andrew Prine, Conan Lee, Denise Crosby, Patrick Reynolds, Roy Dotrice

Synopsis: A mandroid – part man and part machine – seeks revenge on the evil scientist who created him. Enlisting the help of a beautiful woman and a mysterious ninja, he pursues the scientist in hopes of stopping him before he can further harm humanity. Andrew Prine (The Town That Dreaded Sundown) and Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation) star.

Up next on this double feature is the Eliminators, which Scream Factory have previously issued on DVD as part of the SciFi Movie Marathon collection, and to my knowledge this is the exact same version only with a new HD transfer. The movie starts with reclusive inventor Abbott Reeves (Roy Dotrice, Amadeus) hard at work on perfecting time-travel for nefarious reasons, sending his half-human, half-robot "mandroid" (Patrick Reynolds) back to Ancient Rome, which is successful. No longer requiring the "mandroid" he orders his assistant Dr. Takada (Tad Horino) to destroy his creation, however, Takada has compassion for the "mandroid" and helps him escape from the compound, with Takada dying in the ensuing fire-fight with Reeve's henchmen. 

In the aftermath the Mandroid is damaged and he seeks the aid of Colonel Nora Hunter (Denise Crosby) who helped design some of his parts. From here Hunter and Mandroid, dubbed John by Hunter, head back to Mexico to put an end to Reeve's diabolical time-travelling plans. The duo enlist the help of a river guide named Harry Fontana (Andrew Prine, The Town That Dreaded Sundown) who guides them down the river to the mad scientists laboratory, along the way they must fend off Fontana's own personal rogues gallery, including a butch rival river guide named Bayou Betty (Peggy Mannix)

I found it hard to watch this and not think of the Astron-6 movie Manborg, obviously the guys drew a lot of influence from this one, just look at the design similarities, I found this a ton of fun, again I don't think this is good cinema, but its fun and entertaining, and further proof that Empire Pictures knew how to stretch a dollar bill to the breaking point. Bringing Andrew Prine into the cast was an inspired idea, the guy is a blast and by far my favorite part of the movie, as is the tiny scout bot named SPOT. The special effects are done by John Carl Buchler and David Allen, a team that deserves a lot of credit for what they were able to achieve on what was likely a small budget, loves the Madroid's mobile unit and overall design, somewhat cheeseball but '80s awesome at the same time. 

Both films arrive on Blu-ray from Scream Factory on a single disc. the 1080p HD framed in 1.78 widescreen, and looking good for the most part. The image can be a bit soft and some of the optical special effects show some grit, but not bad at all.  The English DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo 2.0 does the job, not the most dynamic but a solid stereo track with optional English subtitles. 

Extras on the disc include a brand new interview with director Peter Manoogian who recalls is early years at New World Pictures and working for Charles Band at Empire Pictures, going into the production of Eliminators. There's also a trailer for The Dungeonmaster.

Scream Factory have done a fine job bringing these two junk-food slices of '80s cheese to Blu-ray for the first time, I give them a proper tip of the hat for making the longer and more explicit version of The Dungeonmaster to fans, and while I would have loved new interviews from Richard Moll or Denise Crosby or a director commentary from John Carl Buechler or Ted Nicolau, there are only so many resources you can throw at these movies, they're not even cult-classic, they're video obscurities and just having them on Blu-ray might seem like overkill to some. 2.5/5

 

ROBOT JOX (1990)

ROBOT JOX (1990)

Label: Scream Factory 

Region Code: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 85 Minutes
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Stuart Gordon
Cast: Anne-Marie Johnson, Paul Koslo, Gary Graham, Danny Kamekona, Robert Sampson, Jeffrey Combs

Somehow this is the one Stuart Gordon joint I just never got around to watching in my youth, I've seen the classic stuff (Re-Animator, From beyond) and even most of the more obscure stuff (Fortress, Space Truckers) and the more current (Edmond, Stuck) but this one has eluded me, until now. I was worried that since I didn't catch this one on VHS back in the day that just maybe not having a sense of nostalgia might skew my enjoyment of a mecha-combat kids movie - because this is totally something aimed at the 80s kids who loved Transformers, Voltron and Battle of the Planets, and I think having loved those animated shows as a kid probably amped up my enjoyment of this one.

Fifty years after the nuclear bombs have dropped the remaining people of Earth have split into two separate factions, the Western-influenced Market and the Russian-themed Confederation. Now the Market and Confederation land-resource disputes are settled through gladiator-styled matches fought by human-piloted robots, the pilots are knows as "robot jox". 

The film opens on a snow-covered battlefield in Siberia as the camera pans past the corpses of destroyed robots. The Russian, oops, I mean Confederation pilot Alexander (Paul Koslo) cripples the Market robot piloted by Hercules. Despite being judged the winner of the match the bastard stomps the defeated bot killing Hercules -- what an asshole. 

The next robo-battle is for the mineral and forestry resources of Alaska, this time the Confederation warrior Alexander is up against the battle-scarred Market champion Achilles (Gary Graham), and it ends in a draw despite some unfortunate human casualties when Alexander misfires a banned rocket which hurls towards hundreds of spectators in the stands. Achilles maneuvers his robot o block the rocket but is knocked back by the blast onto the spectators, crushing a few hundred to death. In the aftermath Achilles declines to the rematch, having already served his ten-fight tour of duty for the Market, angering both his fans and his sworn enemy Alexander, both of whom taunt the pilot as a coward.

In Achilles place is a female robot jox, or a "gen jox", a genetically engineered warrior bred pilot who has been engineered to have no fear. These genetically engineered jox are termed "tubies" by the veteran pilots, and the two faction don't get along so well. We have some decent sexual-tension between Achilles and Athena though I don';t see why either would be attracted to each other, there's zero chemistry between the actors or their character. Eventually Achilles agrees to the rematch angering Athena which forces her to take drastic measures to ensure she has her chance piloting the robot.

There's also a sub plot involving a robot designer "Doc" Matsumoto (Danny Kamekona) and Southern-fried Texan strategist named Tex Conway (Michael Alldredge), there's apparently a spy selling top-secret information to the Confederation which some believe lead them to Victory, which alongside the Love story only serve to detract from the awesome stop-motion robotic warfare. 

The special effects seem to be a mic of green-screen and vintage stop-motion, masterminded by the late and very great stop motion animator David Allen (Dolls, Puppetmaster)  who was a definite student of the Ray Harryhausen school of stop motion. Love the nostalgic herky-jerky articulation style and the scale model robot looks fantastic, I love this stuff. Love the battle scene, each robot has an array of weaponry they employ to defeat the enemy combatants; lasers, rockets, enormous buzz saw, and a very phallic chainsaws -- some great stuff. 

Gary Graham, whom I loved from the Alien Nation TV show, is in fine form as the Confederate robot jox, but everyone comes fully loaded with an arsenal of silly dialogue on Robot Jox -- so prepare yourself for some goofy verbal vomit, particularly the venomous Alexander played with plenty of Cold War-era vileness by Paul Koslo. While the love-story is a joke and the espionage angle s tolerable the one thing that almost ruined this for me was the anger-inducing final moment of the movie, never before has a fist-bump so angered me!

Audio/Video: Robot Jox debuts on Blu-ray from Scream Factory with an HD master provided by MGM. The many optical effects shots make for an uneven viewing experience but I am happy to report the 1080p HD image is pretty strong, with some additional grain and dirt present in the optical effects shots. The English DTS-HD MA 2.0 is strong, a nicely balanced stereo mix of dialogue, score and sound effects that is pleasing to the ears, free of distortion and crisp. There are optional English subtitles available.

Onto the extras we have two commentaries, one from director Stuart Gordon moderated by Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures and a second technical commentary with Associate Effects Director Paul Gentry, Mechanical Effects Artist Mark Rappaport, And Stop-Motion Animator Paul Jessel who go into detail about creating the myriad of stop-motion and other effects used in the movie, both are good stuff. 

There's a new commentary with Actor Paul Koslo who played the role of Alexander in the film and looks back at his time on the film with joy, not the most in-depth interview but a nice extras just the same. There are also about 30-minutes of archival interviews with Director Stuart Gordon, Pyrotechnic Supervisor Joe Viskocil, Associate Effects Director Paul Gentry, Stop-Motion Animator Paul Jesse and the Animation and Effects Artists Chris Endicott And Mark McGee.

There's some great behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the movie, quite a few with the late stop-motion master David Allen in the desert while shooting the film. Bonus content is finished up with a pair of still galleries, a trailer and TV spots for the movie, plus a sleeve of reversible artwork. 

Special Features
- Audio Commentary With Director Stuart Gordon moderated by Michael Felsher
- Audio Commentary With Associate Effects Director Paul Gentry, Mechanical Effects Artist Mark Rappaport, And Stop-Motion Animator Paul Jessel
- Brand-New Interview With Actor Paul Koslo
- Archival Interviews With Director Stuart Gordon (7 Mins)
- Archival Interview with Pyrotechnic Supervisor Joe Viskocil (8 Mins)
- Archival Interview with Associate Effects Director Paul Gentry (7 Mins)
- Archival Interview with Stop-Motion Animator Paul Jessel (8 Mins)
- Archival Interview w. Animation Effects Artists Chris Endicott And Mark McGee (9 Mins)
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage (14 Mins)

- On Location Gallery (7 Mins)

- Illustrations Gallery (4 Mins)
- Theatrical Trailers (1 Mins)
- TV Spots (1 Mins) 

It pleases me to see Stuart Gordon's Robot Jox on Blu-ray where I could enjoy it for the first time with the benefit of a nice HD presentation. The disc has some strong A/V qualities and a wealth of extras to enjoy, this was quite a fun smash 'em up robot battle movie that I think kids of the 80s and their offspring should enjoy quite a bit, recommended. 3.5/5

DVD Review: EQUINOX (1969)

EQUINOX (1969) 

Label: Umbrella Entertainment

Region Code: 0 NTSC

Rating: PG

Duration: 82 Mins

Aspect Ratio: Original Full Frame (1.33:1)

Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Cast: Barbara Hewitt,Edward Connell,Frank Bonner

Director: Jack Woods

Tagline: An Occult Barrier Between Good and Evil!

Synopsis: A unique tale of fantasy and horror, EQUINOX is set deep within the guarded woods and canyons of California, where four leisure-seeking teenagers discover the 'Book of the Damned', an ancient text that will lead them on a mystifying journey into a malevolent world. Here the intrepid youths discover a parallel universe populated with all manner of monsters, zombies and gargantuan beasts.

Fun schlocky stuff right here as a group of college kids spend the day in the wooded canyons and encounter a cackling old man in a cave and obtain an ancient text called "The Book of the Damned" which has the power to unleash unspeakable evil - sounds familiar huh? I think one would be hard pressed not to think of Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) when viewing this one - a professor unearthing an ancient text, reading it's words aloud and other-dimensional creatures emerge from the woods wreaking havoc on a group on fun-loving teens. Someone in the Raimi camp definitely saw this films there can be no denying that; the ancient book, the recorder, etc.

Fans of Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation are in for a real treat with the David Allen effects works, just fantastic stuff, a Lovecraftian tentacles creature, a winged demon, and a gigantic purple gorilla creature. Allen would go onto work extensively with Charles Band and Full Moon Entertainment, even directing PUPPET MASTER II as well as creating special effects work on DOLLS, THE HUNGER, THE HOWLING, THE STUFF and many others - quite a talented artist even at this early stage.  

While the teens must contend with the Satanic creatures they are also under attack by a demented forest ranger named Asmodius (played by director Jack Woods) who falls under the control of a malevolent supernatural force whom wants the book back, and he's not afraid to molest a pretty young lady to get his way either, it's a fun performance that's absurd and creepy, love it. Overall the performances are pretty terrible as one might expect from a student film but as a schlocky slice of b-movie making it totally works, adding to the aural excitement is some wonderfully goofy post-dubbing of the actors voices.

Not a good film, but a fun one chock full o' bad acting, continuity issues and sci-fi schlock, quite a fun watch all in all, perhaps as enjoyable as the film is the behind-the0scene story of how a student film turned into a cult classic.

DVD: The film shot on 16mm is pretty rough at times with heavy grain and print damage but this is edition is jam-packed with bonus content which is amazing given the obscurity of the flick, when compared to Criterion Collection's 2-disc DVD there are a few things missing including radio spots,  the Forrest J. Ackerman video introduction and the original 1967 version with the accompanying commentary from special effects director Dennis Muren, co-director Mark McGee and artist Jim Danforth but still this is a fantastic edition with some very sweet DVD art to boot. The interviews and commentaries offer up more than one could ever hope to know about the production and the love of genre filmmaking the creators so clearly had when they were making it, just awesome stuff. One downside is that the Australian releases have the rating plastered on the front DVD cover and spine which is just unsightly but small packaging blemish aside this is a knock-out package.

The Interview with co-director / effects guru Dennis Muren features him reminiscing about his love of effects work from an early age, the feature also displays some great super 8 footage of his early works, recalling his first meeting with producer Jack Harris (THE BLOB), gaining respect for writers and directors and lessons learned from working on EQUINOX, selling the film and his views on CGI vs stop-motion animation. Cast Interviews with Frank Bonner, Barbara Hewitt and James Duron were also fun, many will recall Frank Bonner as "Herb Tarlek" from the TV series WKRP IN CINCINNATI  and he seems genuinely mind-boggled that the film is remembered at all. There's a collection of silent outtakes and deleted scenes, two rare films featuring cast and effect work by the EQUINOX crew and a very cool KING KONG themed Volkswagen commercial featuring Fay Wray's daughter plus test footage, too. The Audio commentary with writer-director Jack Woods and producer Jack H. Harris is quite an entertaining listen, the two men are reunited after  25 years to talk about all aspects of the film and bringing the cast back together for the extended 1970 version of the film which is presented here, the two have a great rapport and a wonderful chemistry not to mention storied careers, particularly Jack H. Harris. 

Special Features:

- Interview with director / effects guru Dennis Muren (7:39) 

- Cast Interviews with Frank Bonner, Barbara Hewitt and James Duron (9:37) 

- Trailers (1:43) 

- Audio commentary with writer-director Jack Woods and producer Jack H. Harris

- King Kong Volkswagen Commercial (1:02) 

- Kong Commercial Test Footage (:37) 

- The Magic Treasure (19:17) 

- Taurus Test (1:49) 

- Outtakes (7:05) 

- Zorgon: the H-Bomb Beast From Hell – short film featuring Equinox crew.(8:44) 

Verdict: While I would never claim this is a particularly good film (it's not) EQUINOX is quite the entertaining lo-fi film that should appeal to fans of EVIL DEAD and THE CLASH OF THE TITANS with it's blend of supernatural schlock and awesome stop-motion and miniature effects work. I simply loved this film from start to finish, if you love b-movie grinders, classic creature features or just schlockly cinema this is a must-see in my opinion. A good barometer of how much you might enjoy this is if you were a fan of THE CRATER LAKE MONSTER (1977) also featuring effects work from David Allen, if that was a fun watch for you then this is probably a no-brainer. 3.5 Outta 5 

Additional Screen Captures

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Blu-ray Review: PUPPET MASTER II (1991)

PUPPET MASTER II (1991)

Label: Full Moon Features
Rating: R
Region Code: A
Duration: 88 Minutes
Video: 16x9 Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
Director: David Allen
Cast: Elizabeth MacLellan, Collin Bernsen, Gregory Webb, Charlie Spradling, Steve Welles , Jeff Weston, Nita Talbot
Tagline: They're Back. No Strings Attached!

Summary: The nasty little puppets are back to take care of unfinished business. Joined by Torch, the newest member of the sinister troupe, they exhume their beloved creator Toulon to gather the brain matter that keeps them alive. But the Puppet Master has a deadly plan of his own…


Film: Puppet Master 2 open with a nicely macabre pre-credit sequence as Pinhead, Leech Woman, Jester and Tunneler unearth the grave of their departed master Andre Toulon at the Shady Oak's cemetery which is conveniently located just a stones throw away from the Bodega Bay Inn. Pinhead pries open the casket and pours the re-animating serum onto the rotted corpse as the other puppets look on in wonder and awe as Toulon is the reanimated, his rotted skeletal arms reaching toward the sky from his casket. Some time later we see a group of paranormal researchers led by Carolyn (Elizabeth Maclellan, Crash and Burn) arrive at the Bodega Bay Inn to investigate the murder of the hotel's previous owner as well as the lunatic ramblings of Alex Whitaker, the lone psychic-survivor from the previous entry. Apparently the victims had their brain-matter extracted through the nose - Egyptian mummification style. Carolyn is joined in her quest for paranormal activity by her brother Patrick (Greg Webb, TV's Boone), the psychic Camille (Nita Talbot, Chained Heat), sexy red-head Wanda (Charlie Spradling, Wild At Heart), and techie Lance (Jeff Watson, The Player).

That night psychic Camille spots the puppets and plans to leave the Inn in fear of her safety but before she can go is pummeled  dragged off by Pinhead and Jester. The next to go is poor Patrick who gets his forehead rather bloodily excavated by Tunneler, it's a great gory scene. Lance runs into the room after hearing Patrick scream bit it's too late to save Patrick though he is able knock-out Tunneler. While looking at Tunneler's body under x-ray the team deduce that the puppets are being sustained by a chemical in their bodies. Soon after a mystery-man calling himself Enrique Channe (Steve Welles, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers) appears and announces that he has inherited the inn. Mr. Chanee is really Toulon's reanimated corpse decked out in an Invisible Man-esque costume of gauze, goggles and a cape. Chanee/Toulon retires to his room were he sets about creating a new puppet, Torch, a  flame-throwing assassin. There is a flashback to Cairo Egypt at the turn of the century where we see the origins of the reanimating formula and how it came into Toulon's possession and catch a glimpse of two unique animated puppets; Mephisto and Hermuncules. We also find out that the formula involves human brains, and this is why the puppets are murdering people. In fact, the puppets are not content to murder visitors at the inn, they travel to a nearby farmhouse where they attack a farmer played by George "Buck" Flowers (They Live, The Fog) and his wife in an effort to get more brain tissue to complete the formula, the scenes wherein Torch, Blade and Leech Woman murder the couple is fantastic, she's set afire in a blaze and then Blade hacks a chunk of her brain with his hook. Torch really amps up the kills this time out including roasting a young boy he encounters in the forest with his deadly flame-thrower, it's dark stuff. Toulon's is portrayed as an obsessed madman in this film, not very likable, it seems that rotting in a casket for 50+ years has had a poor effect on his mental health . He's also laboring under the belief that the gorgeous Carolyn is the reincarnated soul of his long dead wife Elsa and has devised a plan by which the two can be reunited forever. 

This time around the puppets are more fully realized and articulated than the first film, great stop-motion effects works from director David Allen and his team of puppeteers, really imaginative and wonderful artistry on display here. We get to see them on screen more which is a treat and their movements are more fluid. I enjoyed the flashback to Cairo and the origins of the formula. Toulon's disguise is creepy and effective and while for 90% of the film he remains bandaged and his face is not visible Welles performance and vocal characterization recalled the great Christopher Lloyd, wonderfully dramatic and the final unmasking of his rotting face is just grotesque 

Something I did not care for was the need for brain-tissue to create the life-giving serum Toulon administers to reanimate himself and the puppets as I feel it it vilifies both Toulon and the puppets, which I guess was Allen was going for here, it really ramps up the gore and horror. In the first film you liked Toulon, he was a good man who sacrificed himself so that the Nazi's could not use his formula for evil and without giving too much away about either film the puppets obey their master until they realize they are being used or mistreated for evil purposes. Here they are more villainous and it degrades the characters a bit in my opinion. The ending of the film is also a bit wacky and felt too far out of left field for me. It's telling that future installments dismiss it or out right ignore the events of this film, which on it's own separate from the series is a very strong entry. 

In closing I must say that viewing the film in anamoprhic widescreen for the first time was a revelation, the 1080p visuals were popping off the screen at me with great locations, wonderful set dressing and seeing this 35mm film get the high-definition treatment made this feel like a first time viewing which is quite wonderful, very excited to see future installments of the series and other Full Moon titles like Stuart Gordon's Castle Freak (1991) and The Pit and the Pendulum (1995) get the 1080p treatment - let's hope they all look this good if not better,. 

Blu-ray: To my knowledge this may be the first-time ever that Puppet Master 2 has been presented in it's original anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio. The MPEG-4 encoded image is transferred from the original negative and remastered in high definition with all new color timing and color correction and the results are simply stunning, it's like night and day. I've seen this film several times in it's VHS and DVD incarnations and it's always been the same fullframe standard-definition transfer, interlaced with rampant compression issues and artifacting of both the audio and visual variety. The cropped image was always soft, murky and lacking any fine detail. What we get with this Blu-ray release is a pleasingly crisp 16x9 widescreen presentation from a very nice negative with a pleasant amount of natural grain left intact, with that though we also get a fair amount of noise, too. The noise is mostly noticeable during the darker scenes naturally but overall this widescreen presentation blows away any of the previous SD transfers of the film with wonderfully saturated and vibrant colors, natural skin tones, decent black levels and a fair amount of fine detail.

On the audio front we have something a bit less exciting than the image. Sure, we get a newly created 5.1 sound surround mix but it's Dolby Digital and not lossless. Like the previous DVD edition it is equally lamented by compression issues most notably with a metallic-ringing throughout the film. Dialogue and score sounds very nice but this is a disappointing oversight. More so than even the video upgrade that the 1080p format allows for is a sonic upgrade and this is a bit of failure.  

On top of the sweet widescreen transfer we get a nice array of bonus content beginning with a new Introduction (2:35) to the film from creator Charles Band filmed on the set of the forthcoming Puppet Master 10 in which the always fun auteur discusses the difficulty getting the early Full Moon Films on Blu-ray. Band also offers up a brand new commentary track for the film beginning with explaining that director David Allen passed in 1999. The commentary is regularly off topic but  quite a treat for fans of the series and of Full Moon Entertainment in general. It doesn't get too scene-specific but there's a ton of FM anecdotes and history, his association with director David Allen whom he met in the 70's whom he co-credits with creating the Puppets and commenting on his skill as an effects artists and director and that he was a protege of the works by Ray Harryhausen. Bands again goes into the troubles with getting early FM films on Blu-ray, creating new high-definition transfers and the financial woes that were prohibitive to that end. He speaks to his love of practical effects and disdain for CGI when overused it becomes cartoonish and he prefers the jittery stop-motion technique over it because of it's 3-dimension physicality. Band specifically talks about Dave Allen creating the iconic Bodega Bay Inn on a cliff shot used in the PM series. The interiors of the Bodega Bay Inn were shot at a an actual castle were they also shot Meridian, Skullheads, Castle Freak, The Pit and the Pendulum, and Demonic Toys 2. Lie k a lot of the commentary it's not Puppet Master II specific and he talks at length about the evolution of the FM Roadshow and the trials, tribulations and rewards of going theatrical with the film Ghoulies, including acquiring an R-rating from the MPAA. My favorite anecdote about Ghoulies being hate mail from pissed-off parents who had a Hell of a time potty-training their toddlers after viewing the film.  Band also discusses his wish to find all the deleted scenes and reinstate them, he also mentions wanting to find all the deleted scenes from this film and others and re-instating them at some point, it's a pretty entertaining listen. There's a Killer Puppet Montage (1:52),  a Rare Puppet Master Toy Promo (1:30) and one of FM VideoZone video magazine which were probably some of the first featurette/bonus content I ever recall seeing from the VHS era. This one featuring a behind-the-scene glimpse of  of PM2 highlighting the new character of Torch and some of the SFX work with interview with David Allen and the puppeteering team, Steve Welles, Jeff Weston, Nina Talbot, Gregory Webb and others. Also featured on the episode is an interview with director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) who speaks about his film The Pit and the Pendulum plus trailers for the film and Puppet Master (1989), Shadowzone (1990), Meridian (1990), Crash and Burn (1990). Finally we get a selection of eight Full Moon trailer in HD widescreen including Stuart Gordon's Castle Freak (1995) and The Pit and the Pendulum (1991) which are both slated for Blu-ray editions in the near future, so psyched for that!

Special Features:
-Brand New Introduction by Puppet Master creator Charles Band (2:35) 16x9 
-New 2012 Audio Commentary by Charles Band
-Behind the Scenes VideoZone  (21:37) 4:3
-Killer Puppet Master Montage (1:52) 4x3
-Rare Puppet Master Toy Promo (1:30) 4x3
-HD Full Moon trailers:
Puppet Master (1:38) 16x9
Castle Freak 2:15) 16x9
Zombies vs Strippers (1:19) 16x9
Demonic Toys 2 (1:15) 16x9
Evil Bog 3  (1:00) 16x9
Gingerdead Man 3 (1:02) 16x9
Killjoy's Revenge (1:39) 16x9
Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2:06) 16x9 

Verdict: In the past I felt that Puppet Master 2 lacked much of the charm of the first film. It's definitely a bit darker and more menacing, the horror elements are ramped up and the puppets are rendered with more detail and articulated movement plus they get more screen time but the film just seemed a bit hollow in my opinion and was outmatched by the first film. However, viewing the film on Blu-ray and in widescreen for the first-time I think it's definitely stepped up a few notches, presentation is everything, it's a wonderfully entertaining watch, the Blu-ray looks great and while the audio leaves a bit to be desired this is still recommend. 3.5 outta 5
  

DVD REVIEW: Puppet Master (1989)

PUPPET MASTER (1989)

DISTRIBUTOR: Full Moon Features
RATED: R
DURATION: 83 Min.
DIRECTOR: David Schmoeller
CAST: Paul Le Mat (Alex Whitaker), Jimmie F. Scaggs (Neil Gallagher), Matt Roe (Frank)Irene Miracle (Dana Hadley), Kathryn O'Reilly (Frank)Robin Frates (Megan), Barbara Crampton, William Hickey (Andre Toulon)
TAGLINE: A box of little toys has just become a gang of little terrors. This is not child's play...


SUMMARY: Psychics investigating Andre Toulon battle his five killer puppets—each one uniquely qualified for murder and mayhem: Tunneler, who has a habit of boring holes in flesh; Ms. Leech, who sucks her victims dry by regurgitating killer leeches; Pinhead, a professional strangler; Blade, who's armed with razor-sharp, killer hands, and Jester, the ruthless brains of the bunch. Together, they're an army of skilled assassins, diabolically programmed to guard the deadly secrets of the Puppet Master. Enjoy this original cult classic in all its bloody glory.

FILM: Puppet Master (1989) opens at the Bodega Bay Inn, California 1939. Puppeteer Andre Toulon is putting the final touches on a puppet called Jester. Toulon is played by the great William Hickey whom you may recall as Drogan from the "Cat from Hell" segment of the Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) or as the voice of Dr. Finklestein in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). I recall him most fondly as the cantankerous Uncle Lewis from what I consider one of the top 3 Christmas films of all time - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). Toulon performs a short incantation and the puppet springs to life. At the same time there are two puppets keeping a watchful eye on the Bodega Bay Inn; an unnamed oriental puppet (that never reappears during the film) and the menacing Blade who notices two Nazi operatives arrive at the inn. Blade makes a mad dash to Toulon's room to let the puppet master know he may be in danger. We get some great point-of-view cinematography as Blade traverses the lobby and hallways of the inn climbing over baggage and furniture. It seems that the Nazi's are after Toulon's secrets which is later expanded on in the prequel/sequel Puppet Master 3. Toulon takes his puppet and places them into a chest which he then hides in a hidden wall panel. Just as Nazis break down his door Toulon blows his brains out as blood splatters the wall behind him. That's the last we see of Hickey, a far too brief appearance in my opinion but a memorable one at least. Flash forward 50 years later and four psychics are being psychically summoned to the Bodega Bay Inn by their colleague Neil (Jimmie F. Scaggs) who's been searching for Toulon's alchemy secret for years, his investigations have led him to Toulon's last known whereabouts. As the psychics converge at the inn they meet Neil's wife Megan (Robin Frates) who informs them that he has committed suicide in a manner eerily reminiscent of Toulon's own death 50 years earlier. The psychic friends are Alex (Paul Le Mat) a Yale professor, Dana (Irene Miracle) a white witch fortune teller and lovers Carissa (Kathryn O'Reilly) and Frank (Matt Roe). Also in attendance is the nosy inn keeper Theresa (Mews Small). As the group settles in for the night several among them have visions foretelling of their own or other's deaths. The dream/vision sequences are well done, particularly those of Alex. As night falls the psychics and the innkeeper are killed off one by one by Toulon's puppets. But to what end? I won't spoil the rest of the film as it's definitely worth a watch.

The puppets featured in the film are the aforementioned Jester - an emotive clown. Blade - a knife and hook wielding puppet with a face modeled after actor Klaus Kinski. Pinhead - the muscle of the bunch with a head that's too small for his body. Tunneler - a Nazi-uniformed puppet with a drill-bit head. Ms. Leach - a lady puppet who can regurgitate deadly leeches. Oddly, he oriental puppet from the start of the film is never seen again. The marionettes do not get a lot of screen time in the film until the last 3rd but their sequences are well shot and their interactions with the actors are believable and eerily effective. I love stop-motion animation and rod puppeteering and there's some really great work here in that respect, and even more so in future installments.

Puppet Master is a bit slow in spots but is permeated by that peculiar Full Moon atmosphere that is so evident in most their films. The puppet design and articulation is very good and the psychics make for interesting characters. Alex is the most likable character of the bunch. He seems good natured while the others have selfish agendas. The films eroticism comes from the character of Carissa whose particular psychic talent is to channels past events. Throughout the film she becomes aroused while channelling trysts that have occurred at the inn. Dana as played by Irene Miracle is the bitch of the bunch. Genre fans may recognize her as the character Rose Elliot from Dario Argento's Inferno.


The gore effects of the films are handled well, nothing too bloody mind you. This film was Full Moon Entertainment's first offering and was intended for theatrical release until Charles Band realized there was more money to be made in the home video market. The rest is Full Moon history.

DVD: The remastered PUPPET MASTER is presented in a very clean looking anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio with  5.1 surround sound. The print looks great with only minor blemishes. The image appears a bit soft in places but otherwise very good image quality.


Special Features:
- Special Introduction by Charles Band
- Promo for Puppet Master: Axis of Evil
- No Strings Attached Original Making Of Featurette
- Original Trailers for the First 12 Full Moon Features


VERDICT: The long running PUPPET MASTER franchise has been good to Full Moon Features and this initial film is quite enjoyable. While watching I was reminded of another Charles Band production, Stuart Gordon's DOLLS (1987) which was a Empire Picture's production, a  precursor to Full Moon Features. DOLLS has better direction and is a superior film but Puppet Master is not without its 80's charm. Great puppet design, interesting characters, creepy atmosphere and a fairly good premise and finale. It definitely made me want to watch the other films in quick succession.
***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)


- McBASTARD