HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981) (Retro-VHS Blu-ray Review)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981)

Retro-VHS Blu-ray Edition 

Label: Mill Creek Entertainment
Rating: R
Duration: 111 Minutes 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Lenore Zann, Lisa Langlois, Michel Rene Labelle, Lesleh Donaldson

In this early 80's slasher directed by J. Lee Thompson (Cape Fear) we have a setting at the elite Crawford Academy's high school, where a group of popular teens form a click known as the Top Ten, they seem to have it all, but someone is killing them off. This is a movie I caught on cable TV back in the 80's, it's always stuck with me, starring a pair of my  childhood crushes, and blending American slasher-isms with a Euro-thriller notes, namely an endless parade of red-herrings and a black-gloved killer.

Our focus here is top ten member Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, Little House on the Prairie) who had some weird experimental brain surgery some years back, which figures into the story. The identity of the killer is kept from us for a long while, it has a sort of giallo flavor you don't usually see in an 80s slasher. The first kill involves a black gloved killer with a sagtright-razor, but sadly the film is no 80s slasher blood fest, with the kills themselves a bit bloody but very tame. Director J.Lee Thompson was a solid director, but in his later years he found himself working for Canon Films, relegated to some sub-par action and adventure films, stuff like Death Wish 4 and King Solomon's Mines, but with this slasher he showed some great direction, and the movie is lensed quite nicely.

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The kill are a lot of fun, featuring teens offed by the gassed-up rear tire of a motorbike, skewered by a shishkabob, and a guy having a hefty weight dropped on his balls while pumping some iron! It's all great stuff, nut the bloody payoff of each kill has been heavily edited, but the climax of this movie is so deliciously overwrought and WTF it erases anything that I had an issue with by that point. The reveal of the culprit's identity and reasoning in this one always leaves me reeling, and while I do think the movie is a bit too convoluted and over-plotted, I still count this is one of my favorite slashers of all time, it's just so dang fun. 

The film has a surprisingly great supporting cast, including the legendary Glen Ford (Pa Kdent from Donner's Superman!), and some lesser known, but no less solid actors, Lawrence Dane (Scanners), Lisa Langlois (Deadly Eyes) and Tracey E. Bregman who I had such a crush on as a kid, she having appeared on one of my mom's soap operas she use to watch in the 80's. 

Audio/Video: The film was previously available from Mill Creek Entertainment on a double-feature Blu-ray with with babysitter classic When a Stranger Calls (1979), now available in the U.S. as a proper stand alone Blu-ray, presented in 1080p HD and framed 1.85:1 widescreen. The slasher looks quite good, blacks are solid, the grain is well-managed. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Stereo, with the original score from composers Bo Harwood and Lance Rubin, no subtitles are offered, and there are no extras for the film.

The single disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with one sided sleeve of artwork, strangely they've gone with what looks to be a variation of the original DVD release, of a young woman (who's not in the film!) holding a birthday cake, it's ugly as sin. However, this release is part of the Retro-VHS Look collection from Mill Creek and features a slipcover with the original movie one-sheet, the one with the shiskabob skewering, that looks like a vintage VHS release with rental store stickers that label it horror, be kind rewind, and penalty stickers for not rewinding, not dissimilar to what MVD are doing with their MVD Rewind Collection. The disc also features an excerpt of the same key art as the slip, with one side of the spine looking like a VHS release, the other looks like the label from the VHS cassette, though I do wish they had used the skewering artwork for the wrap as well. 

Happy Birthday To Me (1981) is a pretty great slasher, it loses some points for being less bloody than others of the era but it's stylish, ludicrous and fun with a giallo bent and one hell of a shocker finale, just the way I like 'em. 

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) EXTENDED CUT (WAC Blu-ray Review)

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) 

EXTENDED CUT / SPECIAL EDITION 2-FILM COLLECTION 

Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-FREE
Duration: 188 Minutes (Extended Cut), 151 Minutes (Special Edition) 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 – English (Extended Cut), English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Dolby Digital Surround 5.1, French Dolby Digital Surround 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5,1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080P HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York

Synopsis: Decades before blockbuster Extended Cuts were common, Superman proved a true “Man of Tomorrow.” Superman: The Movie received an ahead-of-its-time makeover for its television premiere – nearly 40 more minutes of story, creating a two-night television event. Audiences had already been swept off their feet by Christopher Reeve’s Last Son of Krypton, and now there was more to enjoy. Unseen in decades, this version is paired here with Richard Donner’s definitive vision of his film, the Special Edition Director’s Cut (2000), to create a supersized celebration of Metropolis’ favorite son that preserves the director’s intent while feeding superfan demands.

I was five when Superman: The Movie (1978) arrived at the cinemas, I was in kindergarten and I was the perfect age to take a kid to see this movie, but like Star Wars the year before I never did get to see it in the theater, I grew up poor and the cinema was a luxury my struggling parents could not afford. It wasn't until Superman aired on ABC in 1982 that I would catch-up to the Man of Steel, and that was the version I grew-up with, the 182-minute version aired over two nights on network TV packed with additional scenes not seen in the cinema, which was cool. In the 90's when I was well into my teens a longer 188-minute version was syndicated on TV, but I didn't catch that version until a VHS bootleg showed up years later, but that longer 188-minute version is what Warner Bros. have released on Blu-ray to the delight of fans. 

This longer version is known as the "Salkind International Television Cut" or the "KCOP Version", it was long though to only exist in a full frame, pan and scan version, but when Warner found eighteen reels in their vaults they were delighted to discover this version of the film in the original widescreen aspect ratio, and they devoted months of preparation into restoring and cleaning it up for it's debut on any legit home video format. 

Watching this 188-minute version of the film took me right back to being a nine-year old kid watching the two-night movie event, the movie that made me believe a man could fly!  Now this runs about forty-five minutes longer than the theatrical cut, but some of this footage was reinstated in Donner's special edition, so what we are really getting a about twenty-minutes or so of footage not seen in either the theatrical or special edition versions of the film, though two scenes of Lex and Otis in their subway lair feeding some unseen beasts  kept locked away in a pit can be found in the additional scenes section of extras on the special edition Blu-ray. 

What exactly is new? Well, I'll be honest and say I don't know exactly, I sort of wish the film has the option to denote all the  new/extended/alt scenes the way the Alien special editions did, but I know that there are additional/extended scenes on Krypton, Smallville, The Daily Planet and the scenes of reprogramming the nuclear missile, a fun comic scene with Lex berating/beating Otis for his incompetence. The scenes are a mix of interesting and superfluous stuff, for fans of the film this should be a delight, for the casual viewer it might be a long watch, but I fall firmly into the earlier category. I loved watching this longer cut, even if I think the theatrical version is still he best version at the end of the day, I love that I have the option to watch this longer cut. 

None of the new stuff adds new story lines the film, it enhances and elongates the movie, sometimes complementary, sometimes slowing t down, but that it works as well as it does is a minor miracle as producers the Salkind's assembled this version using nearly every scrap of additional footage shot for the movie to extend the running time, it was a straight up cash grab on their part, selling the longer version to the network who paid by the additional minute! 

The movie still stuns after all these years, it has a sense of innocence and wonder, after all this was made at a time when superhero movies weren't jaded - this was one of the first super hero movies, don't forget that. The stuff that worked then works still, though it is slightly dated, the miniature work is sort of laughable now, those trains and images of the dam crumbling do not hold up, but for the most part the scenes of Superman flying around still make you believe! Christopher Reeve (Death Trap) is the one true Clark Kent/Superman in my eyes, everyone else has paled in my opinion, his sense of honor, nice guy naivety and super-strength embody everything we've come to love about this character, and this movie in particular still manages to make magic that keeps me in awe, even in this longer, extended cut. 

Audio/Video: The 188-minute cut of Superman: The Movie (1978) arrives on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive, sourced in large part from a recently discovered interpositive, framed in the original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. They've given it a new 2K scan with some additional clean-up done to improve the viewing experience, but thankfully they didn't scrub away the film grain, this is a very filmic looking experience. Watching both cuts and switching back and forth between the two there are notable differences in the image, the extended cut is granier, which I actually like,  and the color timing is slightly different, the blacks seem deeper and the blues, yellow and reds of Superman's iconic suit look more saturated. Honestly I prefer the extended version image to the special edition disc on this set, but both are fantastic in their own unique way. 

Audio on the extended cut is presented in English DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0, with optional English, French, Dutch, Chinese, Korean and Spanish subtitles. The audio is sort of true to the original TV broadcast mono presentation, the opening and end title credits  present the score in stereo, but as with most re-releases of movies of such high acclaim it has not gone without some concern from die-hard and passionate audio/cinephiles who have noticed that the title credits music by John Williams have been re-edited and seemingly pitch adjusted, none of which I noticed during by two viewings, but I'm not the biggest soundtrack nerd either, I'm just happy to have this three-hour version available on Blu-ray, a tint music glitch won't affect my enjoyment. 

Unfortunately there are no extras on the extended cut of the film, but this release comes with a second disc, the special edition cut of the film with all the same extras from that solo release, so this makes for a nice little package, you get the 151-minute special edition and all the extras, plus the 188-minute TV version, the only thing I would have liked s the original 143-minute theatrical cut of the film. I would like to think that someday we will see a comprehensive release of Superman: The Movie (1978) with all the versions together on one release, along the lines of the Blade Runner: 5-Disc Complete Collectors Edition or the Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition, which would be all sort of awesome, but I also applaud Warner for making this available at a great price! This 2-disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a non-reversible sleeve of art, and that artwork is rather bland, it looks like a budget release (which it is) but I wish they had sprung for new artwork for this one, it deserves it. 

Special Features (on Superman The Special Edition Disc): 
- Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz
- Taking Flight: The Development of Superman (30 min) SD
- Making Superman: Filming the Legend (31 min) SD
- The Magic Behind the Cape (24 min) 
- Screen Tests; (23 min) 
- Restored Scenes (11 min) 
- Additional Scenes (3 min) 
- Additional Music Cues (36 min) 
- Music-Only Track (91 min) 

Superman: The Movie - The Extended Cut is a wonderful gift from WB to fans of this iconic superhero movie, it's not the definitive cut, but it is certainly the longest, and was previously the one least likely to ever get a home video release - let alone such a wonderful looking Blu-ray presentation. Looking ahead I have to wonder if this will spur Warner release the TV versions of Superman 2 and beyond? As a cinema-deprived fan who grew up with the TV cut of the film I love this release, this is a wish-list item for sure, and I'm glad to have it in the collection with an official Blu-ray, a high recommend.  

Blu-ray Review: THE BIG HEAT (1953)

THE BIG HEAT (1953) 

Label: Twilight Time

Region: Region FREE

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 90 mins

Video: 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono with English SDH Subtitles 
Director: Fritz Lang 
Cast: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Marvin 
Tagline: "Somebody's Going to Pay...Because He Forgot to Kill Me..."

Synopsis: A dark masterpiece of film noir, pantheon director Fritz Lang’s excoriating The Big Heat (1953) takes an unflinching look at the endemic corruption of small-town America, pitting a tough cop against the forces of evil represented by a syndicate boss  and his all-too-obedient flunkies within the police force. Gloria Grahame co-stars, indelibly, as a gangster’s moll with a decent heart, exploited by both good guys and bad; and Lee Marvin makes a terrifying early appearance as a thug whose sharp clothes and fancy apartment do little to conceal his animalistic nature.

The Film: I've had the pleasure of viewing two of Fritz Lang's films the dark masterpiece of German expressionism Metropolis (1927) and the disturbing M (1931) which deals with a villages struggle to capture a child-killer, it's grim stuff with an amazing Peter Lorre performance. Otherwise I am largely naive about Lang's other works. Once again niche label Twilight Time DVD have opened my eyes to a classic bit of cinema that heretofore had escaped mine eyes, this time it's Fritz Lang's noir masterpiece The Big Heat (1953). 

When corrupt Kenport cop Tom Duncan blows his brains out at his home it's Sgt. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford, Superman: The Movie) whom is called into investigate what appears to be a open and shut case of suicide. The seemingly grieving widow Bertha (Jeanette Nolan)  explains that his poor health may have lead to the tragedy but his mistress Lucy (Dorothy Green) casts doubt on that scenario - planting a seed of foul-play in the mind of the Sgt. There might be something to her suspicions too because the very next day Lucy's corpse is thrown from a car covered in cigarette burns and strangled. Lt. Wilks (Willis Bouchely) tells Bannion to drop the case which is out of his jurisdiction and to ease off  the widow too - the case is closed as far as he's concerned. This doesn't sit well with the justice-minded Sgt. and it soon becomes apparent that both Lt. Wilks and the Police Commissioner (Howard Wendell) are clearly having their strings pulled like puppets by wiseguy Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby, The Stuff). Undeterred the Sgt. shows up at Lagan's home stirring up a hornet's nest of trouble which results in Lagana ordering a hit on Bannion. The hit claims the life of Bannion's beloved wife Katie (Joclyn Brando, Dark Night of the Scarecrow). The tragic loss of his wife further pushes the obsessed Sgt. to the breaking point, after resigning from the force the enraged, armed and grieving Bannion will stop at nothing to bring those responsible for his wife's death to justice - badge or no badge.  

Lee Marvin (The Big Red One) appears as Lagana's henchman Vince Stone, a sadistic brute of a man whom alongside conspirator Larry Gordon (Adam Williams, North by Northwest) carried-out the car-bombing that claimed Katie. Bannion makes the connection when Stone's sassy-mouthed boozer girlfriend Debbie (the fantastic Gloria Graham, Blood and Lace) betrays him after he throws a scalding hot pot of coffee into her face, disfiguring the mouthy dame.  She's a fiery, sharp-tongued presence who's smart-mouth makes for an amazing performance.

Glenn Ford is a true force of vengeance as a man driven by a sense of justice but who is quite willing to skirt the law as necessary. He's definitely an anti-hero who's colored in shades of grey - the man leaves a trail of dead women as collateral damage in his wake. Lee Marvin as the menacing Vince is quite an imposing figure who dishes out grotesque violence throughout the film - a truly despicable man.  While it must be said that the violence is implied rather than depicted it is nonetheless brutal and affecting - there's torture, mutilation and disfigurement - not pleasant stuff at all - this film has a definite sting to it. 

Blu-ray: Twilight Time's Blu-ray presents the film in gorgeous 1080p black and white in it's original 4:3 aspect ratio. Sourced from a pristine print it looks fantastic with great contrast. It's a sharp image with an appropriate amount of film grain and fine detail. The film lacks the classic deeply shadowed noir aesthetic but its a great looking image nonetheless. The English DTS-HD MA mono audio renders dialogue and score accurately. Overall another great presentation from Twilight Time. 

Special features include the signature isolated music score, a re-release trailer of the film and my favorite part of any Twilight Time presentation - Julie Kirgo's liner notes which never fail to enrich the viewing experience.

Special Features: 

- Isolated Score Track 

- Re-release Theatrical Trailer (1:43) 4:3
 -  8 pg. Booklet Featuring Extensive Julie Kirgo Liner Notes and Film Art

Verdict:  Fritz Lang's The Big Heat (1953) is a brutal and stinging noir thriller that holds up quite nicely and while it may not be shocker it surely once was it's still a mighty potent cocktail of sadism and corruption. As with all of Twilight Time's Blu-rays the release is a limited edition run of 3,000 - so get it while you can exclusively from http://www.screenarchives.com. 4 outta 5 

DVD REVIEW: Rare Cult Cinema - 12 Movie Collection DVD

RARE CULT CINEMA

12 MOVIE COLLECTION (3-Disc Set)

STUDIO: Mill Creek Entertainment
YEAR: 1962-1994
REGION: 0
RATED: Various Ratings
GENRE: Drama, Comedy, Western
RUNNING TIME: 18 Hours 42 Min. .


I love me some Mill Creek Entertainment box sets and they're back with the the 3-disc RARE CULT CINEMA set - a eclectic 12-movie collection of lost but not forgotten films from the legendary drive-in fare distributor Crown International Pictures archives. How does it fare? Well let's have a gander and this decidedly non-horror collection of films, shall we?

AFRICAN SAFARI (1968)
Documentary/G/98 Min
Director: Ronald E. Shanin
Narrator: Michael Rye
AFRICAN SAFARI (1968) is an account of a safari through the African continent by noted wildlife photographer Ronald Shanin. As a kid Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom was one of my favorite shows and this took me right back to those nostalgic days of wonder and curiosity of the natural world. Shanin takes us from the scorching deserts to the savannas of Africa  right up to the satisfying finale of Mt. Kilimanjaro erupting. Shanin is quite the independent filmmaker here  as he wrote, directed, produced, shot and edited this adventurous documentary on his own.  The film also features thoughtful and captivating  narration by voice actor Michael Rye who also provided his vocal talents to many Marvel, DC and Scooby-Doo animated television programs. The film is presented fullscreen and looks a bit worse for the wear but nonetheless a high recommend to fans of nature docs.
***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

ALMOST HOLLYWOOD (1994)
Thriller/R/96 Min.
Director: Michael Weaver
Cast: Nancy Alexander, Alicia Allain-Ryder, India Allen
ALMOST HOLLYWOOD is a pretty funny and biting indictment of low-budget erotic thriller film making in Hollywood. A sleazy Hollywood produced is at odds with pretty much everyone on the set of his latest soft core thriller including the films financiers who replace the films director in hope of classing up their movies. After the new director is murdered our sleazy producer is the lead suspect. Lots of double-dealing and back-stabbing ensue. The film features Playboy centerfold India Allen who really can’t act for shot, but she sure is attractive. It shares a kindred spirit in SWIMMING WITH SHARKS (1994) another satirical look at the film industry and its movers and shakers. The film is presented in fullscreen and looks quite good. ** (2 out of 5 stars)


DEATHROW GAMESHOW (1987)
Tagline: In the year 1991, contestants don't play for prizes...they play for their lives!
Comedy/R/94 Min.

Director: Mark Pirro
Cast: John McCafferty, Robyn Blythe, Beano
In this undeservedly obscure 80’s dark comedy Chuck Toedan (John McCafferty) is the effervescent host of a RUNNING MAN (1987) type game show called Live Or Die. It featuring death row convicts competing in life-or-death contests in hopes of cheating the executioner or perhaps winning some cash and prizes for their next of kin. McCafferty is great in the role; he’s smarmy and sleazy but oddly likable. There are a series of scenes not dissimilar of what we saw with Nicolas Cage’s character in the THE WEATHER MAN (2005) as people attack him on the street, he's rather disliked by the public despite the fact they're hooked on watching a show they deem despicable. After executing a mob boss Toedan is stalked by Luigi Pappalardo (Beano) - a hitman hired by the Mafia. Pappalardo shows up at Chuck's office. Through a series of miscommunication Pappalardo’s mother ends up on Live Or Die and 80’s hilarity ensues. I’d rank this right up there with any of Paul Bartel’s 80’s comedies. Pure 80’s Cheese. Deathrown Gameshow is presented in it's original 16x9 enhanced 1.85:1 aspect ratio and looks very good. *** (3 out of 5 stars)

INDIAN PAINT (1965)

Western/G/91 Min.

Director: Norman Foster

Cast: Johnny Crawford, Jay Silverheels, Pat Hogan

As a kid I was not into Western films and television programs, it just didn’t interest me much at all. That was until my introduction to Sergio Leone's spaghetti western classic THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966). Then even still I’ve been slow to open myself up to the films of John Ford but occasionally I’ll squeeze in a western from Sam Peckinpah or Clint Eastwood. I’m definitely a novice to the genre save for my love of Peckinpah and Leone. INDIAN PAINT is the melodramatic tale of Nishko (Johnny Crawford, TV's THE RIFLEMAN) who is the son of Chief Hevatanu (Jay Silverheels, Tonto from the LONE RANGER series) in the Great Plains of North America prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Nishko is determined to tame a wild spirited painted pony and along the way must deal with an attack from a neighboring tribe and his mother’s illness. Definitely a fun coming of age film though probably a bit condescending towards Native Americans as so many film were of the time. A good looking film and it's presented here in a 16x9 enhanced 1.85:1 aspect ratio. **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

THE KIDNAPPING OF THE OF THE PRESIDENT (1980)
Tagline: Unthinkable. Improbable. Incredible… but it could happen tomorrow!
Thriller/R/114 Min.
Director: George Mendeluk
Cast: William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Van Johnson
A South American revolutionary terrorist named Roberto Assanti (Miguel Fernandes) manages to kidnap the U.S. President (Hal Holbrook) during a diplomatic visit to our Canadian neighbors in Toronto. With an armored truck, elaborately rigged with high explosives (and the President trapped inside) the two terrorists keep the Secret Service at bay. I am a sucker for any film featuring Hal Holbrook, I love this guy. He’s appeared in a few of my favorite films including John Carpenter’s THE FOG (1980) and George A. Romero’s CREEPSHOW (1982) and a lot of hits n’ misses in-between ranging slasher genre fare like GIRLS NITE OUT (1984) to surprisingly good survival horror fare like RITUALS (1977) and all point in-between. This time out Holbrook is the Commander-in-Chief Adam Scott and William Shatner stars as the hard-nosed Secret Service agent Jerry O’Connor who heads up the effort to rescue the pres from the bomb-laden armored truck. Good performances from Holbrook, Shatner and Fernandes, overall an intriguing political thriller that while not knocking it outta the park definitely proved entertaining. On the downside, there are a few extraneous plot points involving the Vice President (Van Johnson) and his conniving wife that I could’ve done without and there must be 15 renditions of “Hail to the Chief” in this film but I recommend it on the Shatner/Holbrook pairing alone.  The film is presented in a 16x9 enhanced widescreen transfer.  **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

LIAR’S MOON (1982)
Tagline: They were hopelessly in love...
Drama/PG/106 Min.
Director: David Fisher
Cast: Matt Dillon, Cindy Fisher, Hoyt Axton
The summer after high school graduation, Jack (Matt Dillon) falls in love with Ginny (Cindy Fisher), the daughter of the town's banker who was once Jack's mother's high school sweetheart. Over her father's strenuous objections the young couple fall deeply in love and elope to Louisiana where Jack gets a job in the oil fields. Her dad hires a private eye (the ALWAYS menacing Richard Moll) to find them. Further complicating their lives is some troubling news the town doctor delivers to Ginny following the discovery that she’s pregnant. Not your typical boy-meets-girl drama, that’s for sure. Features great performances from a very young Dillon and Fisher plus an appearance from Alex Hoyt (GREMLINS) as Jack’s father. A tragic tale of young love, maybe a bit too melodramatic for some, it has a bit of a Lifetime channel feel to it but its well directed and looks great despite it's fullframe treatment here.  *** (3 out of 5 stars)

MY MOM’S A WEREWOLF (1989)
Tagline: Jennifer's mother is having an identity crisis.
Comedy/G/90 Min.
Director: Michael Fischa
Cast: Susan Blakely, John Saxon, Tina Caspary
The frustrated housewife Leslie visits an animal shop to purchase a flea-collar. Unknowing that the owner is a werewolf, she accepts his invitation to lunch and later in his apartment. Through a bite in her toe he starts her slow transformation in a werewolf. Once home she desperately tries to hide the often disgusting process from her family. My Mom's a Werewolf is a b-movie knock-off of TEEN WOLF. You can't have a film as successful as that and not have a c-grade cash-in. The transformation effects are quite terrible, the comedy is pretty flat, but nonetheless it features genre-legend John Saxon as the lycanthropic owner of a pet shop. It's pure 80's oddball stuff that's not great but good fun. Bonus, the film is presented in 16x9 widescreen.
**1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

ROAD TO NASHVILLE (1967)
Tagline: It's Pickin' and Singin' time with the Nashville Sound...Y'ALL COME!!
Music/Unrated/88 Min.
Director: Will Zens
Cast: Marty Robbins, Bill Anderson, Doodles Weaver
A Hollywood film company wants to make a movie about country music and sends Colonel Feetlebaum (Doodles Weaver) to round up talent to appear. It's a weak wrap-a-round plot line that proves unimportant though it's fun watching the cartoonish Doodles Weaver as the Co. Feetlebaum  a play on his character Prof. Fietlebaum from the Spike Jones Radio Show (1947-1949). Despite a weak set-up the film is heavy with stellar performances from country music legends. I loathe most country music post-1975 but this is jammed packed with country and western goodness from the like of the Carter Family, Johnny Cash, The Stoneman Family,Hank Snow and the legendary Marty Robins and much more.  ***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

SANTEE (1973)

Tagline: He's the best tracker in the west, but sometimes justice can be hard to find.
Western/PG/93 Min.
Director: Gary Nelson
Cast: Glenn Ford, Michael Burns, Dana Wynter
Jody Deakes (Michael Burns) joins up with his father after many years, only to discover that his dad is part of an outlaw gang on the run from a relentless bounty hunter named Santee (Glenn Ford). Jody is orphaned soon after Santee catches up to the gang, and follows Santee in hopes of taking vengeance for his father's death. Instead, however, Jody discovers that Santee is a good and loving man, tormented by the death of his young son at the hands of another outlaw gang. Santee and his wife Valerie (Dana Wynter) take Jody in and an unlikely father-son relationship begins to grow. A really good western here with  great performances from Glenn Ford, Wynter (Valerie) and Jay Silverheel as ranch-hand John Crow. This would be Ford's final starring role in a western. For the non-western viewers out there you will know iconic Ford as Pa Ken from SUPERMAN (1978). A bit of trivia: SANTEE was the 1st western to be shot on videotape instead of film. It looks good but has a bit of a made-for-TV look stemming from the use of videography. That said the film looks good and is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. *** (3 out of 5 stars)

SECRET FILE HOLLYWOOD (1962)
Tagline: Daringly takes you behind the studio gates!!!
Drama/Unrated/85 Min.
Director: Rudolph Cusumano
Cast: Robert Clarke, Maralou Gray, Francine York
An ex-detective gets a job as an investigator digging up dirt on celebrities for a tabloid scandal sheet. This is one of those films I've heard about for years, it's infamous for it's visible boom mics throughout the film and after watching it I'll verify it's all true. A bit o' trashy fun in a low-rent kinda way but more of a slog to watch than I'd care to sit through again.
*1/2 (1.5 out of 5 stars)

THE SPECIALIST (1975)
Tagline: Every BODY has its price!
Comedy/R/93 Min.
Director: Howard Avedis
Cast: Adam West, John Anderson, Ahna Capri
None other than BATMAN’s Adam West stars as a courtroom lawyer Jerry Bounds who finds himself involved with sex-pot juror Londa Wyeth (Ahna Capri) in this 70’s courtroom comedy. He discovers that Londa is actually a high-class hooker planted on the jury by Jerry’s courtroom rival in an effort to discredit him. The sexy shenanigans of Ahna Capri are indeed fun, she’s a gorgeous woman, but they aren’t enough to carry this one through. Surprisingly the film is presented in 16x9 widescreen and looks pretty great for its age. Good cinematography and a bumping’ 70’s soundtrack add to this otherwise flavorless courtroom drama that plays like an episode of MATLOCK with tits.
 ** (2 our of 5 stars)

THE YOUNG GRADUATES (1971)
Tagline: The Hot Pants Generation is Loose!
Color/Drama/PG/100 Min.
Director: Robert Anderson
Cast: Patricia Wymer, Tom Stewart, Gary Rist
Attractive and naughty high school senior Mindy Evans (Patricia Wymer) spurns her boyfriend Bill and has a fling with a married teacher which leads to a possible pregnancy. While waiting for the results of her pregnancy test Mindy decides to steal Bill's buggy and take a road trip to Big Sur, California with best friend Sandy. Along the way the two run amuck of a biker gang, skinny dip with hippies and generally cause a ruckus. The acting is pretty terrible throughout and the film meanders a bit too much and never fully commits to it's true trashy nature. My favorite parts of the film would have to be the crazy hep cat slang throughout and the performance by the band The Spare Change at the school dance, groovy man! You can see tons more of the vivacious Wymer in THE BABYSITTER (1969) which is available on the CULT TERROR CINEMA 12 movie collection from Mill Creek Entertainment. The film is presented in a 16x9 enhanced widescreen transfer. 
 ** (2 out of 5 stars)

DVD: The RARE CULT CINEMA set contain 12 films spanning 32 years culled from the archives of drive-in fare provider CROWN INTERNATIONAL PICTURES. The films are presented on 3 double-sided flipper discs containing four titles per disc in black paper sleeves housed in a double-sized DVD case. Surprisingly 7 or the 12 features are presented in anamorphic widescreen and look pretty great. I hope this is a continuing trend with forthcoming Mill Creek Entertainment sets.

VERDICT: Mill Creek Entertainment budget collections are like your favorite pair of worn-out jeans. Sure they’re worn to shit, faded to hell and have seen better days but goddamn if there not comfortable. This set skews a bit too much on the melodramatic side of things for my tastes personally but there are some gems here including DEATHROW GAMESHOW, MY MOM’S A WEREWOLF and THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRESIDENT. Something that sets this collection apart from other Mill Creek collections is the films don’t seem to have been recycled on countless other Mill Creek collections. Of the dozen films here I think only MY MOM’S A WERE WOLF is a repeat offender and THE YOUNG GRADUATES only appeared on the DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS VOL. 4 - which is a deleted title. I would dare say that Mill Creek Entertainment output has generally been improved and refined upon  since acquiring the Crown International Pictures catalog of films. Looking forward to what they’re still sitting on, there’s bound to be some goodies yet to see the light of day. Let’s hope we see more restored and anamorphic transfers and a special feature or couldn't hurt either.
OVERALL RATING: **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

- McBASTARD