PREYHSTERIA! (Blu-ray Review - Full Moon)

USA/1993
Directed By: Charles Band, Albert Band
Written By: Michael Davis
Starring: Austin O'Brien, Brett Cullen, Colleen Morris
Color/83 Minutes/PG
Region Free
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Rico Sarno is a crooked collector and dealer of antiques and finds a stash of unhatched dinosaur eggs in a South American temple. He brings them back but mixes up the cooler he's keeping them in with that of frequent customer Frank Taylor (Brett Cullen). Frank's kids discover the mix up and take care of the hatchlings after the family dog incubates the eggs and try to keep their discovery a secret but Rico and his henchman turn the Taylor's life upside down and put their lives in jeopardy to get his dinosaurs back.

PREHYSTERIA! is a video store era family classic that cashed in on the building buzz surrounding the release of Jurassic Park very similarly to how production companies like The Asylum operate today. Instead of trying for a mock blockbuster Charles Band, ever the businessman, went in the direction of a children's adventure movie keeping costs low. Austin O'Brien stars as Jerry Taylor, and he's a face that you certainly recognize as he was a go-to child lead in that era having also starred in Last Action Hero and My Girl 2. He's a good lead that any kid can connect with as he rips on his older, cooler sister played by Samantha Mills in what seems to be her final screen acting credit. The siblings end up bonding over their little baby dinos including T-Rex, Triceratops, and "the flying one" among others.

I remember PREHYSTERIA! fondly, it's one of the earliest introductions to Full Moon and their children's imprint Moonbeam Films that I have and it was definitely a favorite that you'll find people in their late 20s to mid 30s remembering renting at the video store even if they grew up to have no interest in Charles Band or cult film at all. That's the type of power and pull a lot of the Moonbeam titles had over kids looking up at the seemingly endless rows of tapes for rent. My excitement dwindled and dwindled as I rewatched the movie however. It became pretty clear that PREHYSTERIA! might not be the rip-roaring prehistoric adventure I remember and by the end I was honestly surprised by just how little there is going on in the movie. There's a couple wacky scenes of dino shenanigans and one scene of the family really being attacked by Rico but this plays more like a two-part TV episode than a feature film and even at that I'm not sure I would have tuned back in after the "to be continued" screen flashed at the end of part one. Some dinosaur eggs are better left buried in the past and it pains me to say that PREHYSTERIA! is one of them.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon finally brings their children's label Moonbeam Films fan favorite to Blu-ray with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks solid overall with good colors and clean, warm transfer. The high definition transfer has been remastered from the original 35mm negative but at times lack truly excellent detail depth. The audio is presented with two options, a 5.1 surround track and a 2.0 digital stereo track. There's not much going on in the movie in terms of exciting or flashy sound design or effects so either track really does the movie justice. The quality is solid, free of any distracting distortions or background noise.

The Extras
Special features include a commentary track by star Austin O'Brien and director Charles Band and the original Videozone featurette.

The Bottom Line
PREHYSTERIA! has received a suitable Blu-ray release to give all of us that remember the film from its video store days a trip down memory lane but unfortunately once the nostalgia wears off you'll find out that there's really not much going on in PREHYSTERIA! and it's better left as a childhood memory.

PREHYSTERIA! is available HERE

DEEP RISING 20th Anniversary Blu-ray Review (Kino Studio Classics)

USA/1998
Directed By: Stephen Sommers
Written By: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Head
Color/106 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: August 21, 2018

The Film
A group of hijackers target the most luxurious cruise ship ever built on its maiden voyage but find that all of the passengers have vanished. They're not alone however and they quickly find a terrifying creature from the ocean depths is on board and is more deadly than anything they could have imagined.

DEEP RISING was another movie in a line of mid to late 90s creature feature revivals that featured everything from killer snakes and insects to mythic gods and sharks. The setting could be anywhere from land to sea and even sky but the monster movie returned during that time thanks in part to CGI becoming an increasingly common special effects tactic that saved time and money over practical effects. There were pros and cons to using computer effects that still stand to this day but the return of these types of monster movies that are reminiscent of the monster movies that were staples of drive-ins during the 1950s was welcomed as far as I'm concerned. Stephen Sommers has been responsible for some huge productions that were massive box office smashes like the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies and the more recent under the radar cult hit Odd Thomas that starred the late Anton Yelchin. DEEP RISING had a decent box office return despite being largely panned by critics as a cheap Alien knockoff. And it might be an Alien knockoff but it had effects that were top notch for its time and was quite a sharp looking film. More importantly it was a lot of fun.

Sure, if you want to dig in to DEEP RISING on an analytical level you can pick it apart. You can note that Treat Williams is far more of a supporting player than a dashing, charismatic leading man. You can look at the group of hijackers and play "Bad Guy Bingo" with their stereotypes and you can pick apart the lapse in logic in how the giant sea creature manages to be everywhere on the boat at any given time. You can do all that but then you'd be showing yourself to be the uptight party pooper that you really are. DEEP RISING asks you to do one thing; enjoy. Enjoy the shootouts that tear entire rooms on the cruise ship to shreds at the slightest hint of a sound. Enjoy Famke Janssen looking smoking hot. Enjoy that this movie puts the pedal to the metal and never lets up or slows down. Enjoy the tentacle monster and enjoy how it turns its victims into a gloppy mess of blood and guts.

Oh that feeding room scene!

There was one question I had before watching DEEP RISING for this review - Would it hold up? It has been two full decades since its release and I wondered if it would hold up to modern eyes and scrutiny. Despite effects that are aging poorly and some questionable casting choices I found DEEP RISING to be a proper example of the 90s creature feature revival for better and for worse. Thankfully DEEP RISING knows what it is and succeeds at staying true to its identity. It's loud and proud and quite a bit of monster madness fun.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber has released DEEP RISING under its Studio Classics banner with a new 4K scan and restoration that blows any previous home video release of the film out of the water. Colors are strong and dark levels are deep. Detail is good, but finer details could be a bit more realized. The gore remains a strong visual point for the film which should delight viewers as it is properly gooey and gross. Skin tones look healthy as well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix sounds properly powerful  with all sorts of screaming, gun blasts and various other knocks, crashes and booms to give your system a workout. The dialogue comes through crisp and clear despite the boisterous sound effects showing off how well the mix job on this Blu-ray is.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary by director Stephen Sommers and editor Bob Ducsay
-Interviews with stars Wes Studi, Kevin O'Connor, and Anthony Heald
-Interview with second unit director Dean Cundey
-Interview with visual effects artist John Berton of ILM
-Interview visual effects artist Van Ling
-Interview with special effects make up artist Brad Proctor
-Interview with special effects make up artist Doug Marrow
-Interview with director of photography Howard Atherton
-ILM behind-the-scenes
-Image gallery

The Bottom Line
Nineties creature features have been unfairly maligned over the years because of their dated effects work but some of them hold up as entertaining and exciting horror thrillers and DEEP RISING is certainly one of them and Kino has given us what I consider to be a definitive edition to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.

DEEP RISING is available HERE

ROBOT WARS (Full Moon Blu-ray Review)

USA/1993
Directed By: Albert Band
Written By: Jackson Barr
Starring: Don Michael Paul, Barbara Crampton, James Staley
Color/72 Minutes/R
Region Free
Release Date: January 2, 2018

The Film
In a dystopian future America is split into two blocs with opposing views and they're both the target of a band of pirates. Though peace between the blocs has reigned and the mega robots once used for war are now mere tourist attractions and public transportation and the once heroic pilots are now little more than chauffeurs, a diplomat has secret plans to wage war with the robots and take control of the world. It's up to Barbara Crampton who co-stars as a journalist to uncover the secret plans and warn everyone in time for Drake (Don Michael Paul) to prove he's still the tough pilot he claims to be.

ROBOT WARS was the first Full Moon release of 1993 and may have got lost a bit in the shuffle of a strong year for the studio because I don't hear it talked about too often in Full Moon discussions and that's a shame because it really is an entertaining film. Albert Band directs this stop motion sci-fi romp that stars Don Michael Paul and Barbara Crampton. It is Crampton, who should be no stranger to Full Moon fans as she appeared in Trancers 2 and would go on to star in Castle Freak, among others, that carries the film and really brings a veteran prowess to the screen. It is also her character that really advances the movie along. Albert Band rarely gives us anything especially stylish from a directorial standpoint but he does competently capture the action and give us a good view of the world they've created and interesting set pieces.

But for all of the comments we can make on acting and set design what we really care about is the robot action. After all, this movie is called ROBOT WARS and the artwork promises a giant humanoid robot fighting a giant scorpion robot with lasers and explosions. Well at only 72 minutes ROBOT WARS is a quick one and though one of my main gripes with the film is that most of the time we see the robots they are relegated to taxicab status as they transport tourists around, they did manage to fit in a few really great stop motion animation fight sequences and those are obviously the best parts of the film. David Allen made a name for himself doing special effects work from the 70s through his death in 1999 and collaborated with Charles Band for the first time on 1978's Laserblast but some of his best stop motion sequences can be found right here in ROBOT WARS. The fight scenes are very well done and the robots themselves look great. How awesome are the scorpion and mastodon bots? Bad. Ass. I would have loved for this movie to give us another 15 minutes of robot fighting but budgetary constraints made that impossible. I understand the disappointment some viewers may have that there isn't more robot action, I'm right there with ya but what we get is fantastic and the rest of the movie serves up some good laughs so it's not like it's a waiting game to get to the good stuff.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon restores yet another of their video store era classics with a new full HD anamorphic widescreen transfer which gives way to a very nice looking picture and certainly the best you've seen it look in your living room. There is some speckling and very minor dirt/debris but the picture is very sharp. Detail is high in all aspects but especially in closeups of faces and set dressing which at times does reveal it to be a bit cheap in its construction - A lovable detail for sure. Colors are vibrant and skin tones are natural and fleshy with no signs of waxiness from excessive DNR. The Blu-ray is presented with 5.1 digital surround sound and it sounds very nice. The mix is solid and steady with no volume fluctuation and the score and dialogue are mixed nicely. There's no background noise or distortions to speak of.

The Extras
-The Wizard Of Wars: Remembering David Allen - 11 minute featurette with Charles Band in honor of special effects artist David Allen who did the stop motion animation on ROBOT WARS.
-Vintage 1997 Full Moon Promo
-Original Videozone featurette - A half hour behind the scenes feature straight from the VHS days of Full moon

The Bottom Line
ROBOT WARS is the exact type of movie to bring you back to your childhood of roaming the video store shelves and picking out a movie based solely on its cover. ROBOT WARS delivers exactly what's on the cover. And just take a look at that cover.

ROBOT WARS is available HERE

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (Blue Underground Blu-ray Review)

Italy/1996
Directed By: Dario Argento
Written By: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Starring: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi
Color/119 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Blu-ray/2x DVD

The Film
There's no shortage of great films in Dario Argento's filmography. While he did not invent the giallo he is certainly one of the main reasons the genre rose to prominence in Italy during the early to mid 1970s. Half of the maestro's output fits in to the giallo genre and he has made at least one in every decade since he began directing films with the exception of our current decade, though he does have one in the works titled The Sandman. The popularity of gialli began declining in the late 70s giving way to more gore oriented horror films (not that gialli didn't have their fair share of gore) but Argento found ways keep his gialli fresh enough that they worked even when the genre wasn't in vogue. By 1996 horror and what was popular in the genre was very different from when Dario Argento directed his debut feature film The Bird With The Crystal Plumage in 1970 and the giallo was a mostly forgotten part of horror and Italian film history but Argento was able to craft a film centered around a beautiful protagonist who played the tough role of a police detective but who was also quite fragile and flawed and blended psychological horror, bloody violence and the giallo to create one of the best horror films of the 1990s.

Asia Argento stars as Anna Manni, a beautiful police detective on the case of a serial rapist and murderer named Alfredo. She follows a tip that the killer will be at an art museum at a specific time and while there Manni falls victim to the Stendhal Syndrome, a real disorder that causes adverse physical and psychological reactions when viewing pieces of art of great significance. Manni faints, smashing her lip on a ledge and her purse spills out across the floor, including her gun. She's helped to her feet and back to her apartment when she realizes her gun is missing. Soon after Manni is attacked and raped by Alfredo but escapes with her life. Eventually the two encounter each other again as Manni is abducted by Alfredo but is able to turn the tide on his attacks and badly injures him and kicking him into a river. The police believe Alfredo to be dead but Anna begins receiving phone calls from Alfredo when she meets a young French man named Marie who she falls in love with. Anna's world quickly spirals out of control and everyone closer to her including her psychologist and Marie are in grave danger.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME is a giallo based in the psychological horror and thriller world but also takes cues from the rape/revenge exploitation films such as I Spit On Your Grave and The Last House On The Left at times. Anna's moment of vengeance against Alfredo is a powerful one that will leave you cheering her as she leaves him a bloody mess. This is Anna's first moment of overcoming everything she had taken from her by him earlier in the film. Sadly that isn't to last as the terror starts again and she again has everything ripped away from her. Asia Argento's character is written in three stages. She stats out as a feminine police officer with long hair, a skirt and attractive blouse. It's immediately evident that her confidence and femininity is taken from her after the initial rape as she chops her hair off in the hospital leaving a more masculine look complete with baggy pants and oversized flannel shirts. There comes a moment when you can see that she wants to reinvent herself, she begins wearing a long blonde wig and finding a new interest in art which is how she meets Marie while shopping for art prints. It's no coincidence that art again plays a major role in her transformation as she is still deeply affected by it but now, at least on the surface, she loves it and surrounds herself with it, even creating her own paintings.

Anna Manni was a brave role to take on. Obviously the physicality and mental suffering the character is exposed to will take its toll. A rape scene is never fun to play and being involved in multiple such sequences only multiplies the intensity of the experience. It goes even deeper for Asia Argento who portrays a character that was named for her sister Anna who died in a motorcycle accident shortly before production began on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME. While this probably doesn't affect your on screen performance I can only imagine that it would be a little voice in the back of your head telling you that you have to do your best in a tribute to your sibling and that can be an emotional weight to bear. Thomas Kretschmann co-stars opposite Asia Argento as Alfredo. Kretschmann had previously appeared in La Reine Margot (1994) with Asia Argento and the pair would reunite for Dario again in 2012's Dracula 3D as the infamous Dracula and Lucy. Kretschmann has had a long and successful Hollywood career for good reason - He's a fine actor and he shows it here. He has limited screen time but is effectively menacing and brutalizing. The perfect mix for a nasty serial rapist and murderer.

Dario Argento wrote the majority of the film with only changes in small details such as Manni being a cop instead of a lawyer being made by co-writer Franco Ferrini. Argento's story and script are gripping and have just a touch of that "what the fuck?" aspect that gave so many gialli their identity. The reveal of the killer's identity is bloody and gruesome but also emotional and heartfelt. Argento's style is on display here with locations reminiscent of 1985's Phenomena and using locations across various Italian cities to give a natural cityscape and maze of streets and alleyways. The scene of Anna entering a painting and crossing through a waterfall is a beautiful image that you could read into her washing herself of her previous traumas that is juxtaposed against a film full of intense violence. There's a mix of practical effects which smear bloody reds across the screen numerous times but he also mixes in CGI effects for the first time in his career for effects such as paintings melting, scenes of a pill following the esophageal tract and a bullet penetrating flesh. These effects are badly dated and stick out like a sore thumb. I admire what Argento was going for on two out of the three (I don't see the purpose of the pill swallowing scene) and in 1996 we'd judge these effects much less harshly but bad effects are bad effects. Thankfully Argento doesn't rely too heavily on this new found "toy" and keeps things grounded with practical storytelling techniques.

A discussion on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME would not be complete without mention of the brilliant score done by the legendary Ennio Morricone who has worked with Argento five of his films, most recently 1998's Phantom Of The Opera though it had been nearly 25 years between collaboration for Argento and Morricone who prior to STENDHAL hadn't worked together since Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971). Morricone's theme on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME elicits an emotional response from the viewer, with a dark and almost sad string movement accompanying a haunting woman's vocal cries of "la la la". It is the perfect piece to pair up to Anna Manni's dark journey.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME gets lumped in to a period of time where fans have harshly critiqued Argento's output often saying he was on the decline or going as far to say that his films were not good by this point. I have to harshly disagree with both of those opinions. Not only do I feel Argento was still putting out very good films in the 90s (Trauma is vastly underrated, even more than STENDHAL) but I feel THE STENDHAL SYNDROME not only fits right in with the classic giallo films of the 70s but is among the best horror films of the 90s. It blends graphic violence with psychological horror and mystery very well while giving us a lead we can immediately get behind and care about all wrapped up in a stylish package that while flawed at times is really quite well made. It's time to for audiences to stop judging THE STENDHAL SYNDROME on what it isn't and appreciate what it is.

The Audio & Video
Blue Underground has delivered what I consider to be the definitive version of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME on home video. Their brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative shines in the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are crisp and vibrant, while detail levels are high. Skin tones are natural and not waxy. The overall picture is quite sharp and suffers from only the rare imperfection dealing with artifacting. There are several audio options available including a 7.1 DTS-HD mix, a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX mix and a 2.0 DTS-HD mix all in English or Italian with optional English subtitles. French and Spanish subtitles are also available. The sound quality is rich, letting Ennio Morricone's score envelop you while never interfering or overpowering the dialogue. The levels are mixed brilliantly and I didn't find anything in the way of background noise or damage while watching the film. It's an extremely pleasant listening experience. This is a noticeable step up from Blue Undergrounds previous 2008 Blu-ray release of the film.

NOTE: The screen grabs do NOT represent the new 2K restoration picture quality

The Extras
The previous Blu-ray release of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME had a healthy selection of special features but this new limited edition release blows it away by porting over all of the old extras and introducing some brand new material as well spread across two discs.

Disc 1 Special Features:
-Audio commentary with Troy Howarth, author of the giallo film book series So Deadly, So Perverse
-"Three Shades Of Asia" - 20 minute+ interview with Asia Argento
-"Prisoner Of Art" - Interview with co-writer Franco Ferrini
-"Sharp As A Razor" - Interview with special effects artist Franco Casagni
-Theatrical Trailer
-Poster and Still Gallery

Disc 2 Special Features:
-Interview with Director Dario Argento
-Inspiration: Interview with Psychological Consultant Graziella Magherini
-Interview with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti
-Interview with assistant director Luigi Cozzi
-Interview with Production Designer Massimo Antonello Greleng

Also included is a booklet with a brand new essay by author Michael Gingold

The Bottom Line
THE STENDHAL SYNDROME film is a powerful mix of psychological thriller, horror and giallo and is deserving of being revisited by its harsher critics and there's no better way to watch this later Argento classic than this new Blu-ray from Blue Underground.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME is available HERE

PSYCHO COP RETURNS - Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review

USA/1992
Directed By: Adam Rifkin
Written By: Dan Povenmire
Starring: Robert R. Shafer, Barbara Niven, Miles Dougal
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Blu-ray/DVD
Limited Slipcover Edition: 1,666 Pieces

The Film
When the original Psycho Cop movie was released in 1989 the slasher film was on life support and Psycho Cop's underwhelming reception did little to help it but in 1992 the genre had one last gasp of air with Psycho Cop's lone sequel, PSYCHO COP RETURNS where Robert R. Shafer reprises his role as Officer Vickers the killer ex-cop who stalks a group of a office workers who have planned an after hours party in their office complex complete with all the booze your liver can't handle and strippers. Why a bunch of grown men need to party in their place of employment instead of at one of their homes or a hotel room or anywhere that would be more comfortable is beyond me but it makes for an interesting slasher film setting.

It doesn't take long for Officer Vickers to make his presence felt at the party, with a gruesome pencil to the eye murder almost as soon as the booze starts flowing. It immediately lets us know that writer Dan Povenmire has written a screenplay that isn't fucking around and that director Adam Rifkin under his Rif Coogan moniker, is going to let loose and show us the goods in this picture. PSYCHO COP RETURNS is a gleefully violent and gory film letting Robert R. Shafer really sink his teeth into the Officer Vickers role and run with it. Shafer comes up with some great one liners and memorable quotes and his charisma sets him apart from the traditional mute stalk and slash villain. Shafer is perfectly campy which fits the tone of the film to a T. The filmmakers understood the movie they were making and in the special features even admitted they weren't expecting it to be nearly as good as it turned out to be but the outcome was a success when you have a cast that is putting their all in to it, a solid script that flows well and a director who understands that he needs to create a fun film. In 1992 there was really no room for dreadfully serious and dead pan slasher movies, but this one proves that the formula could still work if you create something fun and light.

PSYCHO COP RETURNS is precisely that. We may be dealing with grown adults in their late 30s and 40s but this is every bit the exact same movie as the teen summer camp slasher film just replacing the jerky frat boy for a jerky middle aged man and the sexy co-ed who gets hacked up after having sex with someone for a slightly older but no less sexy stripper, including former Penthouse Magazine Pet Of The Month Julie Strain. The tropes and formula are exactly the same but we've traded in our tents for cubicles and dark wooded trails for elevator shafts and it works. Adam Rifkin even gets a bit of social commentary in at the end with a reverse take on the Rodney King beating which is a great scene for the final act of the film.

Perfect it is not but PSYCHO COP RETURNS is a damn entertaining slasher film that makes me upset they didn't role with more sequels for Officer Vickers to appear in. Robert Shafer did sign a contract for five pictures after all...

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome delivers PSYCHO COP RETURNS on Blu-ray with a rock solid anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 transfer. Clarity is great with a light and natural grain structure and no DNR or digital noise. Colors are a bit subdued with the intentional look of the film taking place in a dimly lit office building at night so they look as they should. Black levels are deep and show no signs of macroblocking or compression issues. Detail levels are high, even in finer details which makes the gory scenes especially nasty. The English audio is presented with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo mix that sounds crystal clear and has a nice crisp quality. Levels are mixed perfectly so there's no problems with dialogue or music becoming overpowering. English SDH subtitles are included.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with Director Adam Rifkin
-"Habeas Corpus" - A 43 minute documentary featuring interviews from the majority of the main cast and crew. This was extremely well done and worth the price of the disc by itself.
-"The Victims Of Vickers" - A 9 minutes featurette with special effects artist Mike Tristano. It's always entertaining to hear how some of the more gruesome moments of these movies are done and this interview is no different.

The Bottom Line
It doesn't matter that the first Psycho Cop film hasn't been released on DVD or Blu-ray because PSYCHO COP RETURNS is a fucking blast. Vinegar Syndrome gives this unsung hero of early 90s horror a home in HD and I'm calling a must own for slasher fans.

PSYCHO COP RETURNS is available HERE

HEAD OF THE FAMILY (Blu-ray Review) - Full Moon

USA/1996
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Charles Band, Neal Marshall Stevens
Starring: Blake Adams, Jacqueline Lovell, J.W. Perra
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: December 20, 2016

The Film
Loretta is having an affair with Lance and they're looking for a way to knock off Loretta's husband Howard who is the toughest guy in town. When they spot the local family of weirdos disposing of a body from their truck they get an idea to enter into business with the Stackpools but then Lance finds out their secret that they're quadruplets with one specific human trait each including super strength, incredible beauty, highly sensitive senses and massive intelligence. The smart one is the leader of the group, a massive cranium with a tiny body rolling around in a wheel chair... this is only the beginning of the weirdness.

HEAD OF THE FAMILY is a total oddball science fiction horror film steeped in dark comedy. It is easily one of Full Moon's best productions. The script is strong and well written with genuinely funny moments along with a likable pair of protagonists in Lance and Loretta. Jacqueline Lovell is gorgeous and adds the sex appeal by frequently shedding her clothes. She's also quite good as the damsel in distress type character during a forced performance as Joan of Arc by Myron, the head of the Stackpool family.

Myron is such a well designed villain, as is the rest of the family, but Myron is easily the star of the show here. His giant bulbous cranium is an excellent makeup job and the performance from J.W. Perra is quite aristocratic and domineering with his massive brain power. His control over the rest of the family is an interesting dynamic and the way it all plays out isn't overly original but it is a wildly entertaining love letter to oddball sci-fi horror flicks of the 50s. It's an absolute shame that the long rumored sequel Bride Of The Head Of The Family never came to fruition.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon's foray into Blu-ray continues to be mostly a success as HEAD OF THE FAMILY looks and sounds quite good. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has a nice sharpness and natural color scheme. There's a thin but healthy grain structure and very little dirt or debris. Black levels are deep and there's no signs of edge enhancement or DNR. English audio options include 5.1 and 2.0 HD options that are mixed skillfully and sound crisp and clear. There's no distortions or background noise. The film doesn't have a lot going on to really give either mix a work out but it is very pleasing to the ear and that's all I need for this movie.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with actor J.W. Perra
-Bride Of The Head Of The Family Promo
-Original Trailer

The Bottom Line
HEAD OF THE FAMILY is an absolute B-movie blast and one of Full Moon's crowning achievements. Highly recommended!

HEAD OF THE FAMILY is available HERE

CHILDREN OF THE CORN Franchise Retrospective Part 2: Urban Harvest & The Gathering

Before I get in to the next two chapters of the CHILDREN OF THE CORN SERIES let me admit that I'll be writing about Urban Harvest on memories close to two months old. I watched the movie in anticipation of writing this entry into the franchise retrospective and simply forgot to write about it. I honestly don't want to sit through the movie again this soon after having just watched it.

Eli and Joshua who know nothing but life on the farm are adopted by a couple from Chicago after the death of their father at the hands of Eli and have a hard time adjusting to life around the big city, especially the younger brother. They dress weird and talk weird and even packed a suitcase full of corn to bring a taste of home to their new family. During his first night at the new house Eli sneaks out of the house to an abandoned factory on the other side of the fence and plants corn seeds while praying to He Who Walks Behind The Rows. Almost instantly a field of corn has grown which gathers the attention William, his adopted father, for the massive profits it could bring. Unfortunately for William this corn will turn any child who eats it into brainless followers of He Who Walks Behind The Rows and they turn on the adults of the school which would be bad enough but then He Who Walks Behind The Rows rises from the soil of the cornfield in the form of a giant monster that looks like a giant deformed penis and it's up to Joshua and the remaining normal kids to destroy the monster and send him back to where he came from.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN III: URBAN HARVEST was released in 1995 and was the first film in the series to be produced by Dimension films and Mirimax and is largely a dud. While there are some unintentionally funny moments including the reveal of a suitcase full of corn and the mom thinking her Eli is not only a bratty little bastard but also a weird kid she wants nothing to do with and I do think the monster was a nice change for the series that up to now has only had unseen forces paired up with the killer children to do the evil. Yes, the giant dick shape that it's head has gave me the chuckles because sometimes I'm still a 12 year old boy who thinks farts and dicks are hilarious, but it was actually a well designed creature that didn't look cheap or fake which is no surprise since Screaming Mad George (Nightmare On Elm Street 3, Society) worked on the special effects and makeup. The imposing monster is easily the best thing about the movie because otherwise it is dull, full of cookie cutter characters and offers little in the way of anything redeeming. It's worth noting that this film is the debut feature film for Charlize Theron who plays one of Eli's followers.

Late edit: After viewing the end monster battle again I have to say that if the whole movie was as entertaining as that 10 minutes this movie would be fucking awesome. It's a death filled, giant monster video game boss battle and it's a lot of fun to watch. Too bad the rest of the movie stinks.

1996 brought CHILDREN OF THE CORN IV: THE GATHERING, the first in the series to go straight to video. The film centers around Grace Rhodes (Naomi Watts in her starring role debut), a pretty young college student who returns home to help her mother June (Karen Black) who suffers from Agoraphobia take care of her younger brother and sister. June has been stricken with nightmares of being attacked by children and her condition is only getting worse. While home Grace takes on her old job as the assistant to the local doctor and a serious and widespread illness has hit the children of the town, giving them dangerously high fevers and their teeth falling out, similar to June's nightmares. The children all begin calling themselves different names - all dead children of the town's past. The children seem to be following a decades old child preacher named Josiah who was murdered by the townsfolk and now Josiah is using the blood offerings of the children to regain power and life.

THE GATHERING actually surprised me. I found myself engaged in the movie, caring about Grace and her family, and being mildly entertained. The movie has its shortcomings including questionable effects and plenty of overacting but it also expands on the mythos of He Who Walks Behind The Rows in a manner that is believable (believable in the Children of the Corn universe anyways) and carries a mean spirit to it as we watch the kids degrade from normal happy go lucky kids to near death with their fevers reaching 105 degrees and higher and then finally seeing their teeth fall out before they finally become servants of Josiah.

The fourth entry of the series rivals part 2 as being the most violent as there's no shortage of farm equipment flying around impaling people here. Unfortunately much of the violence happens just off screen and we only see the aftermath. THE GATHERING is a darker film, making the violence feel more intense than part 2 however, where much of the violence, while entertaining, feels corny (ha!) and humorous as opposed to scary or horrifying. There's also a serious Freddy Krueger and Nightmare On Elm Street influence on this movie as there are more than a couple of scenes involving special effects makeup that strongly resembles Freddy's burns and the entire plot line that Josiah haunts June's dreams. It's not a direct rip off but there's a strong influence.

And it's not that the fourth entry into the CHILDREN OF THE CORN series isn't also cheesy because it definitely is. Karen Black doesn't exactly turn in the same award winning performance that she did for Five Easy Pieces and a young Naomi Watts doesn't seem comfortable in her own shoes carrying the picture but she gets the job done. There's nothing stylish or overly imaginative about the direction or design of the film but that probably shouldn't be expected from the fourth entry of a mediocre horror franchise, especially when it is the first to not get any sort of theatrical run.

Film Scores
CHILDREN OF THE CORN 3: URBAN HARVEST - 3.5/10
CHILDREN OF THE CORN 4: THE GATHERING - 5/10

SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D. (Blu-ray Review) - Troma

USA/1990
Directed By: Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz
Written By: Charles Kaufman, Andrew Osborne, Jeffrey W. Sass
Starring: Rick Gianasi, Susan Byun, Bill Weeden
Color/105 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: November 10, 2015

The Film
Harry Griswold is a sergeant with the NYPD, he's a hot dog loving Bronx boy who is about to learn his destiny - harnessing thousands year old powers that will transform him into a superhuman Kabukiman sent to protect New York and the world from ultimate evil with his arsenal of weapons and powers including deadly chopsticks, sushi and Geisha fans.

First a bit of background - While filming The Toxic Avenger 2 in Japan Troma presidents Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz were approached by Japanese financiers connected to Namco to create a Japanese superhero since the first Toxic Avenger film was a big hit in Japan. Namco became a producer and SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD was greenlit with a 1.5 million dollar budget, the biggest budget Troma had ever worked with.

Ideas differed for the film as Michael Herz and the Namco boys wanted a more family friendly, mainstream oriented film while Lloyd Kaufman wanted to go the traditional Troma route filled with offensive material, dark comedy and sex and violence. Kaufman won the battle (mostly) and SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD would end up being R-rated and the Namco boys pulled their distribution leaving the future of the film up in the air until it was finally released theatrically in 1996 despite being screened at Cannes upon its initial completion.

I find SGT. KABUKIMAN to be one of Troma's most iconic characters that could stand toe to toe with Toxie had it been granted sequels in the way The Toxic Avenger was. Now, there's really no denying Toxie is the Troma icon, but Kabukiman is no slouch and neither is the film. Sure the film starts out with a confusing set of astrological circumstances to turn our everyday cop into the striped-bathrobe wearing superhero but that's part of the charm. Planets are in houses, Jupiter has a hole that tigers are jumping through and some other bullshit immediately tell the viewer they're in for classic Troma fare. The movie is gory complete with its own head crushing scene, and its sleazy with a daytime public rape attempt. It's silly and stupid with some cultural stereotypes and cliches on full display. We even have Brick Bronsky! BRICK BRONSKY! I dare not say his name a third time.

The movie is a bit uneven at times because there still seems to be a bit of hokey family friendly attempts thrown in which on a first time viewing may pull the viewer out of the film briefly but I think it adds to the charm once you get to know the film. And you can't dislike the original use of the trademark Troma car crash, can you? No, I think not.

SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD was the first step in Troma attempting to break into the mainstream, something they'd have an unexpected bit of success with a few short years later with The Toxic Crusaders cartoon and brand. While Troma found the crack that allowed a Troma product to squeeze through on to TV sets, video game systems (despite the games being damn near unplayable) and toy chests in homes across America perhaps the timing just wasn't right in 1990 for SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD to be the movie that made "Troma" be a weird word that parents in their 50s and 60s now somehow remember, but they aren't sure where from. Who knows what the world would be like if Micahel Herz and the Namco financiers had won the battle over the film and made Kabukiman an international superhero and icon.

The Audio &a Video
Troma gives SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD a beautiful full 1080p HD presentation. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer has a healthy and natural grain structure giving the movie an actual film look. Colors are sharp and vibrant while black levels are deep and come across with no signs of compression issues or blocking. Skin tones aren't at all waxy and detail level is strong in textures and surfaces. The English audio mix is well done as the dialogue comes across loud and clear and the soundtrack is complimentary without ever drowning it out. I didn't notice any damage to the audio but there is a constant whirring in the background similar to that of a running projector that is a bit distracting and annoying at first until you tune it out.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary
-Interview With Star Rick Gianasi
-New Introduction By Lloyd Kaufman
-Full Episode Of KABUKIMAN'S COCKTAIL CORNER (Troma's new web series)
-Kabukiman Cocktail Karaoke
-Original Trailer
-Highlights From Tromadance 2015
-Stupid Moments In Troma History

The Bottom Line
Kabukiman is one of Troma's most iconic characters and it's great to see him shine in HD with an awesome release like he deserves to.

SGT. KABUKIMAN NYPD is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 2

A very late night/early Friday morning viewing of Tremors was perfect. A comforting favorite that was easy to unwind and relax with before calling it a night after celebrating a friend's birthday and a Ravens win over the hated Steelers. There's nothing more to say about this one.

The Poltergeist remake was on deck later in the day and it seemed like a weak checklist of scenes from the original without creating a full investment from the audience like the original did. The acting was uneven and writing lacked common sense. It was surprising to see a family go through such a bizarre, scary and tragic series of events and treat it with such a passive attitude. It's as if they were driving passed the aftermath of a car accident on the highway and it grabs their attention for a few fleeting seconds before they turn their attention back to the road ahead of them never to think of the accident again. I'll sum up the film as "watchable, but little else."

After attending the Monster Mania 32 convention where I was finally able to meet George Romero and talk to him for a few minutes about his film Martin, I came home and popped in GHOST TOWN. I had been anxious about watching this one since Scream Factory announced it and the wait was finally over only to be disappointed. I like the movie but it isn't very exciting. The setting is good and there's some great makeup work on the main villain but overall the movie's cover art conjures up more interesting ideas than the film can deliver on. I enjoyed it but not nearly to the level I thought I would.

Today's Rundown
Tremors - 8/10
Poltergeist - 4/10
Ghost Town - 6/10

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN (Blu-ray Review) - Troma

USA/1991
Directed By: Eric Louzil, Donald G. Jackson
Written By: Lloyd Kaufman, Carl Morano, Matt Unger, Eric Louzil, Mark F. Rolling, Jeffrey W. Sass
Starring: Brick Bronsky, Lisa Gaye, Leesa Rowland
Color/95 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 14, 2015

The Film
The CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH trilogy reaches it's pinnacle with SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN, where the students of Tromaville have graduated to college and now have to deal with more nuclear waste problems including the Subhumanoid, emotionless beings created to make life easier and better for the rest of us. Unfortunately as the title suggests, these creatures tend to meltdown! One man is determined to keep his loving subhumanoid alive even when he has to battle Tromie the giant nuclear squirrel... WHAT?

This trilogy is some of my favorite Troma work. The series continues in the present day with the Return to Nuke 'Em High films as the first has been released and was excellent and the follow up should be getting its release shortly. These uber cheesy, raunchy and downright gooey and messy films are a freaking blast to watch but they maintain a certain level of social awareness that really makes them something special.

You should know what you're in for with this film (and the rest of the series), spotty acting, intentionally over the top action and comedy and a rather offensive script. This series is fantastic from the effects and ridiculous stories to the awesome soundtracks.

The Audio & Video
Troma seems to be hit or miss with their Blu-rays lately but CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2 is about as good as it gets. The 1080p HD anamorphic widescreen transfer simply shines. Surfaces and textures show exceptionally high detail levels while skin tones look healthy and fleshy with no sign of waxiness or excessive DNR. Colors are vivid and have a natural realism to them without looking artificially pumped up. The English audio track has a nice crispness to it. The levels are mixed very well so that dialogue and the soundtrack compliment each other without competing for the foreground. The track is high quality and free of any distortions, background noise or other damage.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary
-Music Video Trailer
-Interview with Lisa Gaye
-Premiere of MYSTERY "Return To Nuke 'Em High" music video
-Llyod Kaufman interviews James Gunn on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy
-Troma At The Museum Of Modern Art
-The American Cinematheque honors 40 years of Troma
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
A gorgeous presentation of one of the best Troma movies that has some really cool special features. Go ahead and treat yo'self! Seriously, this release is Grade-A

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN is available HERE

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Day 1

Another April has arrived and what better way to ring in the warmth of Spring than with the warmth that only exploitation films can give you? As part of the DVD Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-in challenge I'll be keeping track and reviewing my monthly viewing with daily (or semi-daily) posts.

To start the challenge I decided to go with a Scream Factory Blu-ray release I'd been putting off watching for a while... THE ISLAND from 1980. A journalist and his son head off to the Bermuda Triangle to do a report on the hundreds of vehicles that have turned up missing in recent years. Their plane crash lands and they're quickly abducted by the pirates who inhabit the area and have been doing their thing for 300 years. The rest of the movie is spent with the father trying to escape and undo the brainwashing they've done to his son. With only a handful of exciting scenes it really drags on and isn't anything great. It's competently made and has a few notable names like David Warner but there's just not enough excitement to stop it from being a chore.

Next up was another that I knew would be bad but I was somewhat surprised by how bad. The Mondo film cycle that began in 1962 with Mondo Cane had seen dozens of entries by the time BRUTES AND SAVAGES rolled around. This 1977 entry to the genre is bad, bottom of the barrel bad. All movies like this stage many of the scenes but BRUTES AND SAVAGES does so with such low quality and such cheapness that it's shameful. This movie is shock value for the sake of shock value and the worst kind at that. Numerous animals are slaughtered on screen and it isn't in the interest of art or documenting and preserving the traditions of a culture or tribe, it's simply to shock the audience and to make a buck. There's a fake alligator head eating a man, scenes of what seems to be an actual brain surgery (you have to wonder if the patient knew he'd be filmed while under such dire circumstances) and just to end on a high note the film closes with a bit of beastiality because why the fuck not? This is pure dreck but manages to be a small piece of exploitation and Mondo film history if anything.

Day 1 was bad, and if this was really the best movie I watched that pretty much sums it up... A BETTER PLACE is an indie film from 1997 about a high school kid that moves to a new town and the only person that really welcomes him at all is the loner outcast kid of the school. The two quickly become friends and seem to be good for each other. That is until an accident leaves a man dead and the new kid tries to distance himself from his new friend. A BETTER PLACE has solid acting from a young and what I assume to be a fairly raw cast. It's predictable and nothing we haven't seen before but is worth a watch and is really pretty decent.

BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY was the biggest disappointment of the day as I was hoping for a sweaty, adrenaline driven piece of Roger Corman produced action. Instead this down south good-old-boy movie about a Hollywood stunt man that returns home when his mother falls ill and finds that his family's land has been swindled from them is too hokey and tongue in cheek with virtually no pay off to make it all better. The audience wants to see Jingo the stunt man take down the corrupt town and mining company and get back what is rightfully his but instead we get potatoes stuffed in exhaust pipes a few fights that go nowhere and some car chases that really don't go anywhere. It's not awful but it'd be interesting to find out why they didn't go for a more revenge styled approach.

Disappointment after disappointment for day 1 as we close out with the 1973 Spanish horror film A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL. A small town inn ran by two religious sisters is the subject of a woman's investigation as she has noticed that her sister and several other English tourists who are a bit more sexy and free than the conservative sisters would prefer have gone missing from the inn. The police become involved when a man finds something suspicious while eating dinner and the truth is revealed. This one had potential to be really good, even a minor classic of 70s Spanish horror. It needed to take a sleazier path than it did. It's slow burning and not incredibly graphic in its violence. Had this film been more graphic and ramped up the sex and violence a bit we'd have something really worth talking about but as it stands it's a slow burn that doesn't reward the viewer enough.

Today's Rundown
The Island - 4.5/10
Brutes And Savages - 2/10
A Better Place - 5/10
Black Oak Conspiracy - 4/10
A Candle For The Devil - 4.5/10

Sweet & Perverse Milly - One 7 Movies

Italy/1990
Directed By: Christoph Clark
Starring: Milly D'Abbraccio, Joanna Lin, Lou Louray
Color/80 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: December 9, 2014

The Film
Milly craves sex like no other. She wants the ultimate satisfaction so badly that she is heading to America to fuck her way through the states. Her sex acts happen early and often, in cars, in driveways, with two men, at live sex shows and beyond. 

SWEET & PERVERSE MILLY is 80 minutes of sex and some ridiculous dialogue. With lines such as "You're fucking me to smithereens", "this is a Guinness record blowjob!" and "I love commanding dicks with my iron pussy" you should know what you're getting in for. As far as production goes it is a decent enough production, but there are some laughs in there along with some of the raunchiest sex I've seen in any movie. It takes anything and everything to satisfy Milly!

The Audio & Video
One 7 Movies brings this piece of early 90s Italian hardcore to DVD with an average but passable presentation. The 1.33:1 full frame transfer has decent clarity and sharpness with good looking colors. The source material was in good condition as there is little damage such as scratches and little dirt or dust. The Italian mono audio track sounds fine and is also in pretty good condition with no background noise or damage to the track. English subtitles are optional and are well timed and translated.

The Extras
None.

The Bottom Line
Recommended for fans of hardcore adult fare that like it raunchy.

SWEET & PERVERSE MILLY is available HERE

Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings (Blu-ray Review) - Scream Factory

USA/1994
Directed By: Jeff Burr
Written By: Ivan Chachornia, Constantine Chachornia
Starring: Ami Dolenz, Andrew Robinson, Steve Kanaly
Color/88 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: November 18, 2014

The Film
Years ago a tormented boy was murdered during a mean spirited prank by other kids. Now a group of teens has unwittingly unleashed the monster known as Pumpkinhead and the tortured boy's soul is guiding the monster's vicious killings. Pumpkinhead has to be stopped but how do you stop him without further hurting the innocent child within?

PUMPKINHEAD 2: BLOOD WINGS is simply an underrated sequel. I almost never see it discussed on horror message boards or at conventions but it is an entertaining film and is another example that the 90s weren't the terrible years, barren of any good horror movies that they sometimes get called. The thick atmosphere and mood of the original is instead replaced with a bit more excess and camp here but it doesn't hurt the film. The plot is something that has been done before but it is tried and true and it allows Pumpkinhead to be brutal, perhaps even meaner than before.

I don't think we'll ever see the day when PUMPKINHEAD 2 is considered a classic, though I'm sure it does have its fans that  would call it that, but it is a really fun horror movie. It doesn't have to be a classic, or art, or this or that. It is a campy, early 90s horror movie with some gore and good entertainment value. And it doesn't have to be anything more than that.

The Audio & Video
Scream Factory delivers a beautiful Blu-ray for this film that was mainly overlooked on DVD with only a crappy fullscreen release that looked like crap. Scream Factory has given fans the release they've wanted and deserved with an attractive 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that has very good sharpness. Colors are warm and vivid without looking artificially boosted. Skin tones look natural and healthy and have good detail as do textures and surfaces. The English DTS-HD stereo audio track is a quality mix, with crystal clarity and no background noise. There's also no damage to the track and the level mix is well done. A great job overall. 

The Extras
A decent lineup of extras here inlcuding:
-Interview with director Jeff Burr
-"Re-creating The Monster" - a 32 minute+ featurette featuring interviews with Greg Nicotero, Gino Cragnale, and Mark McCracken
-Behind-the-scenes footage
-Audio Commentary with Jeff Burr

The Bottom Line
PUMPKINHEAD 2 is one of the more entertaining and well made early 90s horror films. It stands up well to the Stan Winston classic and deserves a bigger audience. 

PUMPKINHEAD 2: BLOOD WINGS is available HERE

Doctor Mordrid (Blu-ray Review) - Full Moon

USA/1992
Directed By: Albert Band, Charles Band
Written By: C. Courtney Joyner
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Yvette Nipar, Jay Acovone
Color/74 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: September 23, 2014

The Film
DOCTOR MORDRID is the story of two rival sorcerers and their long running battle over Earth. Mordrid has sworn to protect Earth from Cabal who wants to turn the planet it a burnt pile of nothing. Cabal sends his minions to distract Mordrid while he works on freeing the demons from the Fourth Dimension who are locked away and patrolled by Mordrid's friends to help with his plan of destroying Earth. Mordrid and his neighbor who works for the police department must rush to stop Cabal from getting the Philosopher's Stone, the final piece Cabal needs to unleash hell. The museum that houses the stone turns into a battleground between two experts in magic.

DOCTOR MORDRID is one of the most underrated Full Moon films there is. It moves incredibly fast and is ridiculously entertaining. Jeffrey Combs takes the cheeseball movie and turns in a fantastic performance, as he has done numerous times in his career. He's a brilliant genre actor, one of the best this generation has to offer. There's some fun early 90s special effects which are obviously dated but still bring a smile to my face. The Band family (directed by Albert and Charles and scored by Richard) do a great job making a movie that far exceeds its budgetary constraints in terms of fun and quality. The stop motion animation is awesome and the battle between the T-Rex and the Mastodon is one of my favorite scenes in Full Moon history.

There's no secret that Full Moon isn't high art but DOCTOR MORDRID was made during the years I like to refer to as the "Golden Age" for Full Moon which I think ran until about the mid-90s. This time period had some fantastic B-movies being released from the company and MORDRID is one of the best.

The Audio & Video
In comparison to the old DVD put out by Full Moon this new Blu-ray is a revelation. The film is finally available in an anamorphic widescreen print and features great PQ. The detail level is high, especially in skin tones and textures. Colors are vivid and vibrant while remaining realistic and not overly enhanced. There's a few instances where the film is a bit soft but they are few and far between. There's no signs of edge enhancement or DNR. Two audio options are available, a 5.1 surround track and a 2.0 stereo track. The 2.0 track sounds good with no hiccups or background noise or damage to the track. The very good soundtrack by Richard Band is mixed beautifully with the dialogue to compliment the film. 

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Charles Band and Jeffrey Combs
-Original Videozone featurette
-Over 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage
-Vintage interview by William Shatner with Jeffrey Combs, Stuart Gordon and Barbara Crampton
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
Full Moon has done a great job with the majority of their Blu-ray releases and DOCTOR MORDRID is no exception. It is one of the most underrated films from Full Moon and it finally has a home video release that does it justice.

DOCTOR MORDRID is available HERE

Toho Godzilla Collection Double Feature - Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II / Godzilla vs Spacegodzilla (Blu-ray Review) - Sony

Japan/1993, 1994
Directed By: Takao Okawara, Kensho Yamashita
Written By: Wataru Mimura, Hiroshi Kashiwabara
Starring: Masahiro Takashima, Jun Hashizume
Color/216 Minutes/Unrated
Region A
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Films

What happens when a baby Godzilla egg is discovered by some explorers with questionable intentions and Rodan and Godzilla both claim it as their own? Well Godzilla and Rodan start fighting of course. And Japan's Self Defense Force has to unleash MechaGodzilla to protect Japan from the giant monsters and their maternal instincts.

GODZILLA vs MECHAGODZILLA II features a few of the more "awww" inducing moments of the entire franchise along with some intense fight sequences between the monsters and robot. MechaGodzilla is absolutely bad ass in this one, even before he turns into Super MechaGodzilla... yeah, wrap your mind around that one. A very entertaining entry.

Not to be outdone, GODZILLA vs SPACEGODZILLA features a government program which attempts to implant a device on Godzilla that will allow them to controll him telepathically to protect Japan. That plan takes a backseat when Godzilla cells carried into space by Biollante and Mothra have formed a new Godzilla creature that has came through a black hole and invades Japan. This new monster, dubbed Spacegodzilla, is a super charged version of Godzilla, with the ability to absorb the Earth's energy through his giant crystals on his shoulders. Spacegodzilla's first victim is Little Godzilla, which pisses off Godzilla and the fight is under way. Japan's backup plan to their telepathy is Moguera, their penguin-like giant robot which has replaced MechaGodzilla. Can the team of Godzilla and Moguera stop Spacegodzilla before he destroys all of Japan and sucks all of Earth's energy from it's core?

WOO BOY! I love this movie. GODZILLA vs SPACEGODZILLA has vicious fight scenes, an original story, and a pretty cool giant robot, that isn't quite as neat at MechaGodzilla, but has his own advantages. The cuteness of Little Godzilla, who has a stare down with Spacegodzilla early on, is overwhelming and because of the beating he takes from the extraterrestrial monster you spend the rest of the movie just cheering for Japan and Godzilla to team up and give him what's coming. It is great to finally get Godzilla as Japan's ally for the first time in several movies in this one.

The Audio & Video
Both of these films have very similar looking transfers from Sony. The prints are mostly clean and in nice condition. Detail levels are an improvement over the DVD versions of the films, with the monster suits looking good. Colors are a bit less muted than the previous double feature but there's still room for improvement on Toho's end. Skin tones look good and it is a sharper image than you could ask for on DVD. The Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD audio tracks sound strong and boisterous. There's no annoying popping or crackling in the background and the optional English subtitles are timed perfectly and translated nicely. 

The Extras
There are original trailers for each film, and Ultraviolet digital copy codes. 

The Bottom Line
These 2-disc Blu-ray sets are easily found for under $15 each and that price they're really a no-brainer for Godzilla fans and cheap enough to take a chance on if you're interested in checking out these movies. These two movies are immensely entertaining and I'm thrilled to own them on Blu-ray.

The Toho Godzilla Collection Double Feature is available HERE