Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

1977's "Orca" was created to cash-in on the massive, industry-changing success of 1975's "Jaws," with executive producer Dino De Laurentiis trying to get in on a developing trend with his own take on man vs. sea creature. He can't quite shake the shark envy out of his system (the film opens with sequence involving a Great White), but De Laurentiis elects to head in a slightly different direction with the picture, overseeing a screenplay that puts a killer whale on the hunt for revenge against a particularly selfish human hunter. Director Michael Anderson strives to make something somber with "Orca," dealing with an intelligent apex predator and a screenplay that endeavors to use some sense of marine science to inspire a suspenseful tale of vengeance. The feature wants to be sensitive and deliver a B-movie event, and while Anderson tries to mount an extravaganza featuring "Jaws"-like attacks and conflicted characters, this effort wipes out when it attempts anything more than cheap thrills. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Perhaps the first mistake the producers made was titling the film "3:15" (aka "3:15 the Moment of Truth"). It's a poor title, doing little to sell what the viewing experience involves, offering numbers when swinging fist imagery was in order. The screenplay by Sam Bernard and Michael Jacobs explores gang warfare in a Los Angeles high school, downplaying real-world violence to make a graphic novel-style revenge picture, which blends in a little of "The Warriors" for taste. "3:15" is a broad offering of teen aggression, and while it gets a little too silly at times, director Larry Gross (who knows his Walter Hill stuff, co-scripting "Streets of Fire" and "48 Hrs.") has a certain level of authority with the pulpy aspects of the plot, trying to reinforce the danger of the central situation of intimidation. The feature gets away from him at times, but the entertainment value of the endeavor is present, especially for viewers who enjoy their mid-'80s offerings of juvenile delinquency. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1990's "Death Warrant" is a dramatic reminder of Jean-Claude Van Damme's rise to screen glory, starring in a kooky B-list prison picture that attempts to merge the subgenre's propensity for violence and community intimidation with a mystery of modest means. The endeavor permits the martial artist an opportunity to branch out as an actor, playing traditional fist-first beats while working on his range of reactions to uncovered clues. For this type of entertainment, "Death Warrant" is actually quite engaging, with an amusing supporting cast of the trained and the terrible. Nevertheless, the glue here is Van Damme, offering his pronounced concentration and his kick-happy athleticism to what might've been a dreary viewing experience, bringing a funky foreign energy to a movie that's in need of all the oddity it can get its hands on. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Receiving a career boost with his work on 1979's "Penitentiary," Leon Isaac Kennedy keeps the boxing gloves on for 1981's "Body and Soul," which returns the actor to the ring to portray another underdog battling his own demons. However, instead of toplining a scrappy B-movie, Kennedy tries to bend this production into something with more mainstream appeal, also scripting this loose remake of a 1947 Robert Rossen picture. With a blazing, triumphant score and story that concerns the efforts of a man to better himself and his life, it's clear Kennedy was hunting for another "Rocky"-style success. "Body and Soul" isn't as friendly as the Sylvester Stallone smash, offering harder behavioral edges and a strange sense of honor. The boxing is there, complete with a supporting turn from Muhammed Ali, but Kennedy doesn't crack the challenge of likability, giving his feature a distractingly weird assessment of nobility. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Entering the 1970s, a decade that would see his star power rise to its greatest level, Charles Bronson wanted to do one thing, and he did it exceedingly well. 1972's "The Mechanic" contributes greatly to his reputation as an actor of few words and less facial reactions, taking such restraint to the extreme with an opening sequence that doesn't include any dialogue for the first 16 minutes of the movie. The material (scripted by Lewis John Carlito, who went on to direct "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea") is unnervingly suited to Bronson's thespian abilities, offering him a chance to act hard, kill people, and remain as perfectly still as possible. "The Mechanic" is a peculiar picture, but it does have defined highlights of intimidation and action, while the procedural aspects of the feature are fascinating, presenting a cooler overview of the assassin workday while director Michael Winner (who struck gold with Bronson in 1974's "Death Wish") fiddles with editorial and scoring dials to give a straightforward story some intrusive avant-garde touches. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Trying to keep their success with all things Dracula going, Hammer Films aims for a slightly different tale of monstrous menace with 1963's "The Kiss of the Vampire." Instead of mounting another take a single force of evil, the production heads into a more psychological direction for this period chiller, taking the slow road to the command of innocents, keeping more explosive genre elements to the final moments of the movie. Hammer isn't shy about using filler to get their run times where they need to be, and "The Kiss of the Vampire" certainly isn't a pulse-pounder. It does retain some eeriness courtesy of director Don Sharp, who guides a capable cast through compelling mysteries and unnerving acts of submission, coming up with an engaging genre offering that actually works best when dealing with silent horrors. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Keeping up his interest in large things destroying little things, director Bert I. Gordon tries to top his work on "The Amazing Colossal Man" with 1958's "The Spider" ("Earth vs. The Spider" is the title on the print), chasing moviemaking trends for giant terrors with his offering of a massive arachnid making a mess of a mountain community. It's not a slick special effects display, but the crudeness of Gordon's vision is nearly enough to keep the viewing experience engaging, watching the actors do battle with oversized props and spider photography as they try to get a monsterpalooza going. It's the filler that isn't nearly as welcome, as Gordon has difficulty reaching a paltry 73-minute run time, throttling enjoyable nonsense as the feature wheezes to a close. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Torpedo U-235" is Belgium's attempt to create a Hollywood-style war story that's big on sweeping action and intense performances. More precisely, co-writer/director Sven Huybrechts wants his own "Inglourious Basterds," crafting a violent, history-bending WWII adventure that thrives on attitude and confrontation. It's a lively endeavor, with a distinct mission to please potential viewers with an assortment of dangerous doings and submarine movie formula, attempting to light up the screen with a much lower budget than any blockbuster would accept. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's always a tricky proposition to translate the work of Japanese author Yukio Mishima, and writer/director Lewis John Carlino has his hands full with "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea." The 1976 production moves the action from Japan to England, trying to bring Mishima's interests in honor, obsession, and anger with it, doing a credible job keeping the tale's uneasiness alive while juggling some strangely polar-opposite performances. "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea" deals with heavy eroticism and profound psychological issues, and it remains a specialized viewing experience for those interested in a disturbing picture, but one that also does a fine job connecting the behavioral dots, while Carlino's commitment to the story's impossibly bleak ending is astounding. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Trauma" has been classified by the experts as a giallo, but it's a stretch to keep it in the subgenre. Sure, there's something of a mystery going on during the feature, and hellraising is committed by a black-gloved killer wielding a straight razor. Elements are there, but the screenplay is more influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," going the slasher route with its tale of a remote inn and the strange person who runs it. Perhaps this distance from strict giallo-ing is good for director Leon Klimovsky, who gets far enough with strange interactions and sexploitation interests here. "Trauma" isn't a nail-biter, but it holds together as an odd knock-off. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The title, "The Police are Blundering in the Dark," is remarkably memorable, but doesn't quite describe the viewing experience of the 1975 picture. In fact, the cops aren't really involved in the story, which follows a series of murders involving beautiful women, and the ladies' man who's on the hunt for the perpetrator. Director Helia Colombo tries to deliver a traditional giallo event, tracking a deadly villain who preys on innocents, using long scissors to dispatch victims. There's a list of suspects and plenty of sexploitation. However, there's also a sci-fi element to the material, which has the potential to inspire some needed insanity, but Colombo is hesitant. He keeps the endeavor low to the ground, trusting in violence and nudity to sustain a movie that takes long breaks between moments of mayhem. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1973's "The Killer is One of 13" has more in common with Agatha Christie than a true Euro ripper about a gloved killer. It's an extraordinarily patient production, with the screenplay locked in exposition and confrontation mode for a whopping 63 minutes of screen time before the first murder occurs. The wait for mayhem is actually the most shocking element of the picture, which provides more of a theatrical-style viewing experience, watching capable actors devour the motivations they've been assigned, offering hearty performances for a feature that promises horror, but doesn't make immediate plans to showcase genre highlights. "The Killer is One of 13" is not a movie for viewers who require their genre offerings to be relentless. Director Javier Aguirre takes the long way to bloodshed in this sluggish endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While a forgettable offering from 1994, "Princess Caraboo" is best known as the final major film role for actress Phoebe Cates before she entered retirement (popping up in a small role for 2001's "The Anniversary Party," doing a favor for pal Jennifer Jason Leigh). Making a splash in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Gremlins," Cates struggled to find success as the 1990s began, ending up in "Drop Dead Fred," which is either one of the worst movies of 1991 or a grossly misunderstood cult classic. You make the call. Cates made one more play at starring power with "Princess Caraboo," giving her an interesting challenge of non-verbal communication, portraying a foreign woman in 19th century England who arrives with her own secret language. Cates does well in the role, even without much dialogue to work with, supported by a cast of talents who really give the material (which is based on a true story) some thespian muscle. It's the overall direction of the plot that's problematic, with co-writer/director Michael Austin weirdly watering down the farcical potential of the project, aiming to create a soggy romance instead. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dark Castle Entertainment was initially a welcome idea to bring mid-range horror to theaters, using industry flexing from Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler to make it happen. However, the experiment to generate genre entertainment was quickly contaminated by content, with the company unable to secure quality projects as they fumbled with box office disappointments. Trying to limit financial exposure with a direct-to-DVD offering, "The Hills Run Red" aimed to give Dark Castle something macabre to offer horror fans without the burden of mounting a theatrical campaign. The end result is a semi-nasty offering from screenwriter David J. Schow and director Dave Parker, who try to celebrate the world of horror with "The Hills Run Red," delivering a self-aware chiller with a killer hook but extreme limitation in execution. It's a neat idea suffocated by mediocrity, finding a place for itself on the list of inexplicable Dark Castle whiffs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Biochemist Stendhal (Otto Kruger) maintains a respectful position of science during the day, working on an experiment to bring the dead back to life. Showing signs of success, Stendhal's dark vision aims to collect the deceased Ape Woman (Vicky Lane), using hulking enforcer Moloch (Rondo Hatton) to bring back the body. On the case is Inspector Harrigan (Jerome Cowan), who looks to Stendhal's assistant, Don (Phil Brown), as a possible suspect. Stendhal is actually interested in Ann (Amelita Brown), another assistant and Don's girlfriend, hoping to use her blood to help revive the Ape Woman and crack the mystery of the beastly female. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After experiencing the rampage of gorilla woman Cheela/Paula (Acquanetta), an investigation into the incident is organized, with Dr. Fletcher (J. Carrol Naish) at the center of questioning. Working through the details of the case, Dr. Fletcher recounts his time bringing Paula back from the brink of death, giving her a home as he continues research into her bizarre animalistic origin. When Dr. Fletcher's daughter, Joan (Lois Collier), arrives for a visit, she brings along her fiancé, Bob (Richard Davis), and his presence stirs up something uncontrollable within Paula. As Dr. Fletcher follows science, Paula is a slave to her instinct, trying to claim Bob for herself. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Animal trailer Fred (Milburn Stone) has returned from safari with a collection of exotic animals to use in his circus, with one, a gorilla named Cheela, showing remarkable communication abilities. Fred's girlfriend is Beth (Evelyn Ankers), who's concerned about the declining health of her sister, Dorothy (Martha MacVicar). Bringing Dorothy to Dr. Walters (John Carradine), Beth hopes for a miracle, but what the medical professional has in mind is fiendish experimentation. Toying with glandular development, Dr. Walters manages to use Dorothy's essence to help transform Cheela into a human, named Paula (Acquanetta). Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Scot Webster (Phillip Terry) is a regular man put in a difficult position when he's framed for the murder of a gangster. Willing to accept his fate to protect his sister, Susan (Ellen Drew), who's caught up in underworld business against her will, Scot follows justice to his death, soon offered a shot at revenge when he's selected for experimental surgery, with his brain transferred into a gorilla's body. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It was a box office bomb during its initial theatrical release in 1986, but something has happened to "Rad" over the decades. The movie hit right when BMX culture was growing and landed on VHS when rentals were all the rage, soon becoming a cable staple, developing its cult appeal. Due to many reasons, "Rad" hasn't been available on disc until now, with the feature suddenly cleaned up and reissued to a rabid fan base that's been waiting a long time to see the endeavor in near-pristine condition. It's a glorious development for a picture that's often ridiculous but always fun to watch, especially when it bathes in a time period that treasured the coolness of dancing bikes and primal emotions from teenage characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the world anticipates the release of a new "Ghostbusters" sequel next year, the comedy "Extra Ordinary" comes out of nowhere to actually deliver all kinds of supernatural happenings and consistently hilarious comedy. Co-writers/directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman present an Irish take on demonic problems, but instead of going wild with visual effects and sheer noise, the duo plays everything with a terrific dryness, enjoying the weirdness of the material instead of trying to emphasize all levels of quirk. "Extra Ordinary" isn't a massive production, but it uses its moments well, creating a snowballing sense of the absurd while tending to the genre aspects of the story, finding a near-perfect balance of outrageousness and subtlety. It's a special film with a large imagination, and Loughman and Ahern do whatever they can to protect the project's stealthy charms. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com