The Twilight Zone: Essential Episodes Collection

What can be said about the Twilight Zone that hasn't been said a thousand times before? Rod Serling's creation changed science fiction and TV forever in 1959. The original run went until 1964 and features strange, frightening and sometimes funny tales of the weird and fantastic. Influencing genre film makers and writers for decades, it spawned a reboot series, several "knock off" series and even a feature film and remains popular for how damn good it really was.

CBS DVD and RLJ/Image Entertainment have released this 2-disc DVD set in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the series and in preparation for a re-release of the complete series box set. Without running down every episode on this set (believe me, it is far better to see these without knowing their twists and turns for the first time) I will say that this is a perfect starter set to get you introduced and interested in the Twilight Zone. A/V quality is quite good and lets the vintage black and white photography to shine.

17 episodes are included with a few of my personal favorites such as "Nick of Time" "The Eye Of The Beholde" and "To Serve Man". I can't recommend this set highly enough if you're looking for a high quality and inexpensive way to test the waters on The Twilight Zone before you inevitably fall in love and want the whole series!

The Twilight Zone: Essential Episodes Collection is available HERE

Wolf Creek 2 (DVD Review) - Image

Australia/2013
Directed By; Greg McLean
Written By: Greg McLean, Aaron Sterns
Starring: John Jarratt, Ryan Corr, Phillippe Klaus
Color/106 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: June 24, 2014

The Film
Almost a decade ago the horror world was introduced to Mick Taylor, the wild pig hunter from the Outback who also happens to be one of the most vicious serial killers we've ever seen. In a time of incredibly shitty horror films Wolf Creek rose above the rest to be a pretty damn solid film. Now Mick is back in the sequel where he's up to his old ways, taking out anybody who tests him or disrespects him or his beloved land. Mick happens upon a couple of German backpackers who have been hitchhiking their way across the Outback. When the girl escapes while Mick is busy dismembering who boyfriend she is able to hitch a ride with a local who is passing by named Paul Hammersmith. Hammersmith is thrown into Mick's wild game of cat and mouse across the Australian wilderness because he simply stopped. And as Mick says, the first rule of the Outback is "You never stop."

When horror films take eight or nine years between the original and the sequel it usually doesn't end well. That simply isn't the case with WOLF CREEK 2. John Jarratt is simply fantastic once again as the menacing and somewhat sarcastically funny Mick Taylor. His heavy Australian accent and hardened face lends itself to his credibility and director Greg McLean really can direct an exciting sequence. The game Mick plays with Hammersmith of Australian History manages to be tense and amusing at the same time. WOLF CREEK 2 has no shortage of the gore that helped make the first film so popular and even manages to up it. This film gets messy. I think the last act is a bit of a risk as it definitely could be looked at as cliche but it manages to be effective enough that I can overlook how mid-2000s "torture porn" it felt. In fact the only thing I completely hated was the Kangaroo sequence which made me want to slam my head in a wall repeatedly.

WOLF CREEK 2 isn't a perfect film nor is it even a perfect horror film but it is entertaining and every bit as good as the first and features one of the most interesting horror villains we've seen in a long time.

The Audio & Video
Image Entertainment's DVD of WOLF CREEK 2 looks very good. Details are very strong and overall picture quality is quite sharp in this anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer. The only upgrade I could see is if this were the Blu-ray version. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is great. The track is perfectly mixed and crystal clear.

The Extras
Extras include a "Making Of" featurette and well over 20 minutes of deleted scenes.

The Bottom Line
If you're a fan of the first film or are just looking for a modern horror film that doesn't totally fucking suck, WOLF CREEK 2 is definitely worth checking out.

WOLF CREEK 2 is available HERE

Hunting The Legend (DVD Review) - Image

USA/2014
Directed By: Justin Steeley
Written By: Justin Steeley
Starring: Hannah Wallace, Jeff Causey, Justin Steeley
Color/95 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Five years ago on a hunting trip Chris' dad was killed by an unknown beast. The police investigation turned up nothing. Chris knows the beast that killed his father was Bigfoot and he has organized a group to hunt the beast down and a film crew to document it. The group consists of his girlfriend, his best friend, and a cameraman and sound man. The investigation begins with interviews of various locals who have stories of Bigfoot, including a guitar shop owner who has a plaster casting of a footprint. He tells the group of a local hermit who lives in the woods and has more knowledge of the beast than anyone else. After buying a couple guns and acquiring a hunting/security dog the group finds the hermit's cabin to interview him. He shows them pictures he's captured of the beast and informs them that there's an entire population of sasquatches. The hermit goes missing after his cabin is seemingly attacked and the group runs for cover in their cars to start their investigation in the woods. Days go by with limited evidence until the last night when the group is starting to fall apart and the group is attacked by the beasts.

HUNTING THE LEGEND is your typical found footage style horror film. One of the pre-requisites of found footage films is incessant bitching among the group and there is plenty of that here. It begins quickly and doesn't stop for the duration. When it comes down to it there is very little going on in HUNTING THE LEGEND.  We get but a single shadowy glimpse of the Bigfoot, the dog and a crew member go missing for a night and the hermit pulls a gun on the group. That's about it before the climax which is entirely predictable and doesn't try to set itself apart from anything we've seen in found footage films before.

The Audio & Video
Image Entertainment did a nice job on the DVD of HUNTING THE LEGEND. All of the cameras used look good and the dark scenes are handled quite well both in night vision and standard lighting. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation probably couldn't get any better on DVD. The 5.1 Dolby track sounds great too, where we're able to pick up on subtle noises in the woods along with having a nice mix and clear dialogue.

The Extras
None.

The Bottom Line
I wish I could recommend HUNTING THE LEGEND to those interested in the Bigfoot legend or fans of Bigfoot films but there's really no sasquatch on display here. If you're a lover of the found footage style then it's worth a look but otherwise I'd skip it.n

HUNTING THE LEGEND is available HERE

Bloody Birthday (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

USA/1981
Directed By: Ed Hunt
Written By: Ed Hunt, Berry Pearson, Julie Brown
Starring: Lori Lethin, Melinda Cordell,
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Three kids are born in the same hospital just minutes apart during a planetary eclipse of the sun. Ten years later these kids have grown up in the same neighborhood as best friends and are growing into manipulative, maniacal little shits. Their bad behavior quickly turns murderous as they start dispatching of anyone they feel inclined to kill. Another neighborhood boy and his older sister who is into astrology begin to catch on to the pattern of violence destroying their neighborhood and the older sister realizes they may be missing their conscience as a result of the astrological even they were born under so that they feel no remorse.

BLOODY BIRTHDAY was born at the start of the slasher film craze which makes it a bit less gory than many films that would follow it in subsequent years but that doesn't make it any less mean spirited and violent. Shootings, poisonings, arrows, and bludgeonings are just some of the ways that these little pre-teen brats kill. The little girl who is the leader of the group looks plain evil, and really the entire cast of kids and Lori Lethin are excellent. Hell the movie even features a pre-MTV Julie Brown. BLOODY BIRTHDAY may not be regarded as a "top tier" slasher film like Friday The 13th but it is still a breezy hour and a half of entertaining horror that gets better every time I watch it.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films gives Bloody Birthday a rather nice looking HD presentation. The 16x9 transfer is pretty clean, with just a bit of speckling and a few scratches. Colors are warm and vivid while skin tones are natural and healthy. The audio track is good as well. It is crisp and well mixed with no background noise.

The Extras
-"Don't Eat That Cake": Video interview with star Lori Lethin
-Audio interview with director Ed Hunt
-"A Brief History of Slasher Films" featurette

The Bottom Line
BLOODY BIRTHDAY isn't the best or most notable slasher film of the 1980s but it is a damn entertaining film about some bastard kids and stands the test of time from the glory days of the slasher. 

BLOODY BIRTHDAY is available HERE

Barbed Wire Dolls (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1976
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Lina Romay, Monica Swinn, Eric Falk
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 25, 2014

The Film
Lina Romay stars as Maria, a woman thrown in to the nasty women's prison after murdering her father who tried to rape her. Maria is exposed to the despicable warden and her guards, the lesbian inmates and the various forms of torture lying within the walls. Eventually Maria plans an escape with her cellmates leading to a chase through the jungle exteriors.

BARBED WIRE DOLLS is a mean spirited film. All of the prisoners are badly mistreated physically, sexually and mentally. Monica Swinn does a great job at playing a warden that would give Ilsa a run for her money. BARBED WIRE DOLLS is pretty much an exploitation fan's wet dream.

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite's transfer of BARBED WIRE DOLLS is top notch. The picture is sharp, colors are vibrant and there's a healthy grain structure while skin tones are natural. The English 5.1 DTS-HD track sounds great. It is nicely mixed, and free of any audible disturbances. There is also English subtitles for the German language track.

The Extras
-Interview with Jess Franco, Lina Romay and Erwin C. Dietrich
-Jess Franco audio interview
-"Falk's Frauen" featurette with Eric Falk and Erwin C. Dietrich
-Trailer
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
Jess Franco fans will find a lot to love here, especially with the performance from Lina Romay. In broader terms, any sleazy film fan will be doing a disfavor to themselves if they don't at least give BARBED WIRE DOLLS a chance and this Blu-ray is the best way to do so.

BARBED WIRE DOLLS is available HERE

Sexy Sisters (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Manfred Gregor
Starring: Karine Gambier, Pamela Stanford, Jack Taylor
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
Edna keeps her sister Milly chained up in her secluded bedroom. Milly suffers from sexual trauma after being raped as child by a large muscular man. Milly may be curable but Edna has no desire to help her sister as she is the sole heir to their father's large fortunes he left for inheritance as long as Milly is mentally incompetent. Edna and her lovers long plot of drugging Milly to keep her in a state of sexual desire, a nymphomaniac will soon unravel and Milly will get what is rightfully hers.

Another piece of sexploitation from Jess Franco. It seems in 1977 that is all the director had on his mind. This one isn't as weird as Blue Rita, and not as boring as Voodoo Passion. SEXY SISTERS lies somewhere in between. At the very least it has a story but then again, it isn't a very interesting one. The entire point of this film is for Franco to show off his beautiful actresses. There's nothing particularly wrong with that but a more interesting movie would certainly have made it more enjoyable. 


The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite's transfer of SEXY SISTERS is good, despite being one of the weakest I've seen from their Jess Franco Golden Goya collection. The film is mostly very sharp and detailed with a nice natural look to it. Colors are vivid and skin tones healthy and fleshy. There are instances throughout that are soft and overly grainy. These scenes aren't terrible but they don't hold up to the high bar that Ascot Elite has set for themselves. The English 5.1 HD audio track (the only English friendly option) sounds very good, as usual. It is a full bodied track that is well mixed with no instances of background noise that I could notice.

The Extras
A trailer and photo gallery are the lone extras

The Bottom Line
Franco completists or sexploitation super fans will want to add this disc to their collection immediately. As for the rest of us you'd be better off seeing the movie before plopping down the big bucks to buy it. 

SEXY SISTERS is available HERE

The Baby (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

USA/1973
Directed By: Ted Post
Written By: Abe Polsky
Starring: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, Marianne Hill
Color/84 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Anjanette Comer stars as a social worker who looks in on the case of the Wadsworth family. Mrs Wadsworth and her three grown daughters look after Baby, their adult infant. Baby has the capabilities of a child about a year old and is pretty much well taken care of by his family but the social worker suspects foul play and that Baby's condition is due to years of negative reinforcement. When the social worker starts prying a bit too much, the Wadsworth family invites her to Baby's birthday party and plans on a way to get rid of her for good. The family is caught completely off guard when their plan backfires in the most unimaginable way possible.

Called "one of the most bizarre films to come out of Hollywood in the 1970s" by DVD-Drive-In, I'd be willing to go a step further and say it is one of the most bizarre Hollywood films ever. THE BABY bathes and breathes in it's weirdness. THE BABY is more than weird it is a well made film. From Ted Post's excellent A-list direction to the great casting and performances from the entire cast, THE BABY manages to be a piece of exploitation from Hollywood that works in just about every way.


The Audio & Video
Severin Films has given THE BABY it's Blu-ray debut with a beautiful, film-like transfer. Detail level is high and the print is in great condition with minor speckling and scratching. Colors are natural and very warm. The English mono track is free of background noise and pretty clear but is nothing exceptional.

The Extras
-"Tales From The Crib": Audio interview with director Ted Post
-"Baby Talk": Audio interview with David Mooney
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
THE BABY is a totally bizarre film. It draws you in from the opening moments and you won't be able to look away until the credits roll. THE BABY is something you need to see.

THE BABY is available HERE