Every now and then we receive something for review that no one at Literary Illusions is really interested in seeing. When this happens the DVD or product is usually given to the writer with the least seniority to handle. The idea is that eventually, they won’t be the last in line and they will not have to do DVDs that no one else will review. As the last in line, Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song was mine. This just prompts me to recommend that Literary Illusions start taking applications for reviewers post haste. I am only one man and I’m not sure I can handle another repeat performance of a dry, over-edited piece of junk again.

The premise of this BET series is simple enough and from what I can tell, people seem to really enjoy the television production of Celebration in Gospel . However, this heavily edited piece of television history is likely not worth the cost of the DVDs that it was placed on. I don’t recall seeing anything on the cover that explains that this DVD is edited from the performances that were shown on television though I heard this common complaint from the people that seem to like this show. For me, it didn’t really matter though the addition of Steve Harvey might have added some comedy to the boredom that I was forced to endure while watching this crap.

Release Information:
Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song was made available by Paramount Home Video and BET on April 29, 2008. This DVD, which likely has limited release availability, is able to be found at most DVD venues online, including Amazon, where it is available for $20. Why anyone would want to pay $20 for a DVD that lasts an hour and has been edited more than an episode of Sesame Street where the Muppets smoke crack is beyond me, but if you want the DVD you know where to find it.

The Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song Plot
I am not going to deny the popularity of Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song. When it’s in its televised form, people really seem to enjoy the show. I haven’t seen it, and I’m not big into gospel, so I really cannot comment on how great it is. When it comes to this specific DVD, it is a huge waste of time. It stands to reason that the eighth time is not the charm for Celebration in Gospel, at least not once it came to DVD.

The performances included offer some of gospels hottest names. Is gospel hot? Anyway, you get to see Patti LaBelle, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin perform. The performances are good for what they are offering, but they aren’t great, and they aren’t worth the cost of the DVD. If you’ve seen the other seven Celebration in Gospel specials then you won’t see anything here that is so drastically new that you need to see or own this one, as well.

The performances in order include:

Kirk Franklin: “Declaration (This Is It)”
Patti LaBelle: “Walk Around Heaven”
Henry Simmons and John Legend: “Show Me”
Fred Hammond: “Sprit of the Lord/Loud, Loud”
BeBe Winans: “I Feel Like Going On/I Got a Feeling”
J Moss: “Jump Jump”
Kirk Franklin: “Jesus”
Pastor Shirley Caesar: “Never”

I could have let this one pass as not for me, but maybe for you if the editing hadn’t hacked it to pieces. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Removing the hosting spots by Steve Harvey made little sense and left the DVD feeling pretty odd overall. Other cuts were made to the performances, such as the removal of a Yolanda Adams spot. Considering this was supposed to be one of the better performances, it really didn’t help to sell the DVD any by not adding it.

In the end, this uplifting powerhouse of gospel fizzles and dies thanks to a bad editing job. I wouldn’t have been interested in seeing it before, but knowing the difference between television and DVD versions makes me loathe it even more.

If you really need something to do, save your time in watching this and go clip your toenails instead. It may just prove to be a more interesting experience. That and it will save you about $20 in the process. I know entertainment doesn’t come cheap, but this isn’t even entertaining so what’s with the highway robbery?

Storyline/Plot: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song offers a standard video quality much like you might expect to see on television. The video quality is available at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The quality here isn’t awful, but it’s nothing spectacular either. I could see it. Nothing was obstructing my vision. Of course, the colors weren’t too impressive and nothing really stood out either. Much like the production, it was just there, for better or worse.

Like with the video, the audio leaves a lot to be desired, as well. You would think that Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song would have good audio track since it’s primarily about the sound of the songs. Unfortunately, the Dolby Digital Stereo is basic at best, and at worst it’s utterly boring to listen to with absolutely no dynamic sound, although, on a more positive front it’s nice to see they’ve ruined every aspect of this DVD and not just the main performance.

Visual: 2 out of 5 stars
Audio: 2 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are two lone special features on this DVD and I would like to thank the folks at BET and Paramount for only making it two. The special features include “Wise Words with Pastor Shirley Caesar” and “Access Gospel”. Neither feature was really worth watching. It felt like they were added because they needed to have something on there.

“Wise Words:” includes BET interviews with Pastor Shirley Caesar concerning gospel and BET, among other things. The interview segment is dull and unnecessary. Fans might find some worth in it, but most everyone else will be happy enough to leave it behind them. “Access Gospel”, is the second featurette, hosted by the host of Sunday Best. This feature serves as a behind the scenes look and includes information and shots of the parties, the red carpet moments, and serves as a general all access pass.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Don’t bother buying Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song because it certainly isn’t worth the asking price. There is absolutely no point in buying a DVD that has been over-edited the way that Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song has been. In the age of DVR and Tivo, you would be better off catching it on BET and just recording it. $20 is ridiculous for this special, but then again with the way it has been handled, I would have probably said the same thing for a purchase price of $5.

Overall Rating: 1.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, BET, Paramount, Celebration in Gospel, Spirit in Sound, Music, Gospel, Kirk Franklin, Patti LaBelle

Writers:

I deliberately postponed my review of A Wonderful Christmas, which is also known by the name Feliz Navidad. I wanted to wait until it was closer until Christmas. I know that the fact that Christmas movies are released as early as September and October these days is an utter turn off. I’m not ready for the season to begin until Thanksgiving is over. It’s best to take it one holiday at a time.

With that in mind, I decided to post my review of A Wonderful Christmas in early December. At this time, nearly everyone is in the Christmas spirit, so this fun, overlooked Christmas comedy is the perfect gift to place in a loved one’s stocking. Even if you aren’t buying this movie for Christmas, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of A Wonderful Christmas. Surprisingly enough, it is my favorite, new Christmas movie to be released. I don’t think I’ve laughed at a movie quite so hard in a long time.

Release Information:
A Wonderful Christmas has been listed as being completed in 2006. However, it wasn’t released on DVD until Lionsgate put it out, on November 13, 2007. A Wonderful Christmas is available at online retailers and may also be available at local retailers such as Walmart and Target. You can purchase this DVD, which comes in a single disc clamshell box. A Wonderful Christmas is available for $17.99 on Amazon. If you cannot find it by the name A Wonderful Christmas, it also goes by the name Feliz Navidad. If you aren’t sure if you have the right DVD, make sure to find out if the DVD you purchase has a case that looks like the one I’ve displayed on this page.

The A Wonderful Christmas Plot
A Wonderful Christmas is a family comedy. Its claim to fame seems to be that it features Jose Feliciano, who created the hit single, ‘Feliz Navidad’. However, I think the film stands well on its own. For whatever reason, I didn’t realize Jose was in this movie until I saw him in it. While it definitely added a funny touch, as he mentions he’s way better at singing ‘Feliz Navidad’ then that Jose Feliciano guy, he doesn’t have a huge role in the movie and without him it’d still be funny anyway.

The story focuses on Josie Rivera (Jatnna Toribio), a young, Hispanic girl growing up in an apartment building in the Bronx. The superintendent aka resident handyman in the building is her father, Martin (Luis Jimenez), and her mother, Luz (Giselle Blondet) is several months pregnant with the third child in the family. Josie is the older sister to Junior (Reymond Wittman), an obnoxious and somewhat troublesome child, who enjoys cooking with his mother. Meanwhile, Josie has been learning the tools of her father’s trade and has become quite the little handywoman.

As Christmas rolls around, Josie has only one thing on her mind, Star Wonder. The television show about a superhero female who kicks a lot of butt is a favorite in the Rivera house by everyone but Luz. Luz sees the tight outfit that shows off every female curve and the glimmer in her husband’s eye when watching Star Wonder. She wants nothing to do with the show and won’t buy Josie the hottest toy of the season, the Star Wonder action figure. Not only is Star Wonder dirty in Luz’s opinion, the toy costs over $100! That’s money the Rivera family just doesn’t have.

Josie’s house is a lively one. They have their own Rooster, which wakes them up. Martin is constantly harassed by the new apartment manager, who threatens to fire him if he does not step up to the task of handling more repairs, and Bootleg Bobby is always willing to stop by to see if the Riveras want to buy any of his pawned or stolen stuff. The Riveras all have their own quirks that add to the excitement of the film. Martin is obsessed with winning the lottery, ever since a friend he had in school did just that. Luz is obsessed with her weight and is very sensitive about everything due to her pregnancy. Junior is willing to put anything in his mouth and/or nose, and Josie is just Josie. She’s the most normal of them all, and that’s not saying much!

When Martin hurts himself after a series of accidents, one of them involving the art of getting to a Christmas tree before another family gets to it first, Josie must step up and help her dad out so he doesn’t lose his job. When Josie finds out that people will tip her for her services, she decides to save up to buy the Star Wonder doll herself. However, what she doesn’t realize is the effect her father not working will have on the family and on Christmas, without the tips her father has relied on for additional monetary support.

Not only does Martin have to deal with finding a place for his winning from playing the Bootleg Lotto (at Bootleg Bobby’s suggestion), he also has to deal with his wife’s relatives this Christmas. One relative is Tio Pepe (Feliciano) who is the life of the party. Of course, winning an ice cream truck really is convenient when you have a wife who is pregnant. On top of that, Josie loses the family Rooster when she takes it to show and tell at school and the neighborhood keeps the family up to date on Rooster sightings throughout the movie.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well A Wonderful Christmas was. The acting was great. The storyline was fun. The movie didn’t look to be as low budget as it probably was. Overall, it was one of those guilty pleasure movies you might not want to admit liking, but deep down you secretly do. It is the realistic aspect of A Wonderful Christmas that stands out. You might just see a little of your own family in this movie and if you do, you can appreciate it all the more.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
A Wonderful Christmas was transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The video has been anamorphically enhanced, which is impressive considering A Wonderful Christmas was a movie that was a straight to DVD release. The widescreen format is nice though colors are not always vibrant and there is the occasional blur creating a slightly fuzzy picture. Nonetheless, it was much better than I expected it to be.

The audio for A Wonderful Christmas is a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mix track.
The sound is great. It’s much better than the video is and it’s great to hear such clear, crisp sound throughout the movie. Since the family is Hispanic, one thing you need to be aware of is the fact that there is both English and Spanish in the movie. The Spanish has easy to read subtitles and is mainly spoken by Luz. There is also closed captioning available on the A Wonderful Christmas DVD for the hearing impaired.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The only bonus feature included on the A Wonderful Christmas DVD is a series of deleted scenes. While I was a little disappointed there wasn’t more, the movie is still worth the purchase.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
A Wonderful Christmas was one of those surprisingly good Christmas movies. It has its feel good moments as well as some really funny, comedic hi-jinks. While this may not be the most original Christmas movie out there, I did get that Christmas ‘warm and gooey’ feeling at the end and I’m all the better for owning this as I cannot wait to watch it again before the Christmas season has ended.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: A Wonderful Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano, Christmas, Comedy, Lionsgate, Luis Jimenez, Giselle Blondet

During the 1980s, Hollywood’s top directors delved into the horror genre. Oliver Stone took on horror with, The Hand. Stephen Spielberg chose to do so with, Poltergeist, and what both of these directors have managed to do is create cult classics that remain true horror favorites even today, over 20 years after they were originally made. Despite, The Hand being an excellent film, Spielberg was more successful with, Poltergeist.

Release Information:
This is the 25th Anniversary edition of Poltergeist. It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the film was first released, but it’s true. Poltergeist debuted in 1982. In April of 1997, the first DVD release of this movie was made by Turner Entertainment. This is the second release of the film on DVD, which was released by Warner Bros. Home Video on October 9, 2007. Much to the chagrin of fans of the series, this edition is only available in a single disc edition DVD.

Poltergeist Plot:
While this story was directed by Tobe Hooper (Salem’s Lot, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Steven Spielberg, who wrote the screenplay and produced the movie, had a major hand in the making of this film, from the casting to the storyboards. In fact, how much of a hand he had in this movie is often disputed and seems quite controversial. Nevertheless, credit for direction goes to Hopper by both Spielberg himself and the Hollywood production community at large.

Poltergeist explores the life of a young family, the Freelings. There are the parents, Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane (JoBeth Williams. It is pretty obvious the two were teenage parents to their older, teenage daughter, Dana (Dominique Dunne). They also have two younger children, Robbie (Oliver Robins), who appears to be around the age of ten, and five year old Carol Ann (Heather O’Rourke). The Freelings seem like a normal, loving family, but their life in a house that just happens to sit on an Indian Burial Ground is about to get unusual very quickly.

Whenever the television set goes to static, Carol Ann can talk to the ones she calls the TV people. While her brother, Robbie is afraid of everything, Carol Ann seems resilient and unafraid of anything. While Robbie fears clowns and spooky looking trees outside his window (something Steven Spielberg admits was inspired from his own youth), you have to wonder how that is going to play into this movie. What better way is there to scare someone then to exploit their weaknesses?

When strange things start happening around the house, Diane thinks it’s great. She even puts little Carol Ann in a football helmet and sends her shooting across the floor by the force of these other-worldly beings. However, when these entities turn evil and kidnap Carol Ann, the Freelings must do something to bring their daughter back and escape the house before it destroys them.

Another major player in this movie is the supernatural psychic of sorts, Tangina (Zelda Rubenstein). Tangina is out to help Carol Ann and does so in more than one of the Poltergeist flicks. She becomes one of Carol Ann’s greatest allies against the forces that want Carol Ann for whatever reason they have.

Audio/Visual:
This is supposed to be the 25th Anniversary edition of Poltergeist. I own the original DVD release version as well and frankly, I think the original DVD has better quality with its anamorphic widescreen format at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. This DVD for Poltergeist has an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which I think transferred differently and is not in as good in quality as the former release. Compared to the first version of Poltergeist, in the visual department, this one fails.

As for the audio, I had to constantly turn the sound up and down to keep it from getting too loud or too soft in certain parts. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound could have been transferred better from the original mixes created for this film. Overall, I found the quality inconsistent with what should be released with any 25th Anniversary edition of a DVD.

There are more language options with this Poltergeist DVD, which is the only redeeming quality of the audio. There is Dolby Digital 5.1 also available in Spanish and French. Both the film and the bonus features are subtitled, as well, for those who have trouble hearing.

Note: For those who have never seen this movie, be prepared for an editing glitch in the scene where they are talking about going to Pizza Hut and Carol Ann is in the football helmet. This glitch has been in the film since nearly the beginning. You can thank Pizza Hut for it, since they complained about a line in which Steve mentions he hates Pizza Hut. Instead of redoing the scene, it has been cut in parts and there is no transition before Steve and Diane are standing on the front porch of their next door neighbor’s house. This is intentional. This is not your DVD player skipping!

Bonus Features:
When you think of Anniversary releases of films, you usually imagine the DVD is going to be filled with extras and might even have additional DVDs to hold all the goodies. Warner Bros. held out. While there are rumors this release was to “test the waters” and see how well Poltergeist did selling-wise before releasing an ultra-bonus feature packed DVD set, people were psyched this DVD would contain these features anyway. It was a major disappointment to those who purchased this disc, to find out just how bare bones it was.

While a much deserved tribute to the now deceased members of the cast (particularly Heather O’Rourke and Dominique Dunne) would have been fitting, the only extras included on the 25th Anniversary Edition release of Poltergeist are featurettes in two parts. The total air time of this featurette is 30 minutes and both parts are about the art of ghost hunting and psychic phenomenon with little focus on the movie Poltergeist.

Bottom Line:
The 25th Anniversary Edition release of Poltergeist is a disappointment. With little to nothing in the way of extras and worse quality four audio and video then the original release of the movie, it hardly seems worth the purchase if you already own the original DVD. The actual story for Poltergeist is amazing and if you do not own a copy of Poltergeist, you need to purchase one. I just recommend you find the earlier release and I hope Warner Bros. gets the message that a better release needs to come out soon.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: Poltergeist, child, Carol Ann, Heather O’Rouke, Steven Spielberg, Horror, DVD Review

The House without a Christmas Tree, while it has its devoted fans, was a few years before my time. The first audiences of this Christmas movie were able to see it on television. The story is a made for TV movie, and for many years, remained elusive to those of us who only knew about it by name though we had not seen it. Luckily, Paramount has put The House without a Christmas Tree out on DVD for all older audiences who remember this film, and newer audiences yet to be introduced, to this story to enjoy together.

Release Information:
The House without a Christmas Tree originally aired on CBS in 1972. It was loosely based on a book by Gail Rock and adapted to be a made for television movie. In 1996, for the first time, the movie was released on VHS and October 16, 2007, Paramount Home Video has released The House without a Christmas Tree on DVD. Fans of the television movie speak highly of it and question why it has not joined other classic Christmas movies, such as A Christmas Story on network television during the holidays.

The House without a Christmas Tree Plot:
Director, Paul Bogart (Torch Song Trilogy, The Heidi Chronicles), had a superb group of actors to work with on this project. With the right direction by Bogart and the outstanding performances by the cast, all it would take was the writing, adapted to screenplay magnificently by Eleanor Perry (Diary of a Mad Housewife, David and Lisa), to bring the movie together. I can honestly say, after watching The House without a Christmas Tree, they don’t make made for TV movies like they used to back in the 70s.

The House without a Christmas Tree chronicles the life of young, Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas). It’s 1946 in Nebraska and 10 year old Addie lives with her Grandmother (Mildred Natwick), and her father, Jamie (Jason Robards). Throughout the story we learn that Addie’s mother died when she was a baby from pneumonia and Jamie has never really accepted or recovered from her death.

It’s Christmastime at Addie’s house, and every year, she is one of the only kids to not have a Christmas tree. Her father makes every excuse in the book for why they cannot have a tree this year (or any year) from “it’s too expensive and a waste of money” to “because I said so”. Addie’s schoolmates make fun of her for not having a tree and because they say her Grandmother is a nut and a character. Addie solves these dilemmas by getting in fights, which her teacher breaks up and tries to have a discussion to explain why it is not nice to make fun of people.

Addie would do anything to have a Christmas tree this year, though her father won’t budge. It isn’t the Christmas tree that’s the problem or Addie’s behavior for that matter. The quiet, incredibly damaged, Jamie just isn’t ready to be reminded of the death of his wife, which he blames himself for and which happened during Christmastime. Since Addie is the spitting image of her mother in every way, it’s hard for him to forget they aren’t the same person and he needs to start living again.

Audio/Visual:
Upon seeing that The House without a Christmas Tree was filmed in an archaic videotape format, I have to admit I was a bit nervous about the quality of the film overall. While this movie looks quite different then most you will watch (and it cannot be updated like a movie that was filmed with Hollywood style cameras can), it gives a more realistic feel to it. The House without a Christmas Tree was transferred to DVD at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

Once you get past the “I’m watching a family Christmas video” feel, how the movie was shot and the visual quality, which is acceptable, doesn’t take away from the powerful story behind The House without a Christmas Tree. The audio was incredibly easy to hear despite being Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. I didn’t have problems hearing like I have with other DVDs that have mono audio tracks, so there are no complaints, and though there are no subtitles, those with a hearing impairment can use closed captioning while watching The House without a Christmas Tree.

Bonus Features:
Sadly, there are no bonus features on The House without a Christmas Tree disc. I would have loved to see some commentary from the actors that made this film, a where are they now featurette, to see Addie all grown up, and perhaps some deleted scenes or bloopers. Let’s hope they include something else in future releases of this movie.

Bottom Line:
The House without a Christmas Tree is a heartwarming movie. I knew I was going to like it, but I was truly surprised how much I enjoyed this film. The House without a Christmas Tree has been added to my family’s collection of Christmas movies. It is something I plan to enjoy with my children and husband this year and every year. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys warm, family friendly movies.

If you love Christmas Classics, it is time to add a new one to your collection. So, make sure to give The House without a Christmas Tree a try this Christmas and learn about the true meaning and spirit of Christmas in this realistic family drama.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: The House without a Christmas Tree, DVD Review, Lisa Lucas, Jason Robards, Christmas movie, Family

Release Information:
Amityville: Dollhouse was released in a three pack (three movies on one disc) by Lionsgate Films on October 16, 2007. The other two films in the bunch are Amityville: A New Generation and Amityville: It’s About Time. While none of these were particularly interesting from what I’ve read of the other two reviews, I would have to say Amityville: Dollhouse took the cake for the one that turned stupid the fastest and the one that had one of the dumbest endings.

Amityville: Dollhouse Plot:
Bill Martin (Robin Thomas) and his new wife Claire (Starr Andreeff) have moved in after getting married with Bill’s two children Todd (Allen Cutler) and Jessica (Rachel Duncan) and Claire’s son, Jimmy (Jarrett Lennon). While Bill is divorced, and his ex-wife seems to hate Todd, Claire’s husband died. This is a major reason Jimmy resents Bill, Todd and Jessica. He hates Bill the most and isn’t afraid to show it.

The house that Bill, a contractor, built was on a lot where a house burned down. He used the original fireplace and jazzed it up to make it look modern. After moving in, Claire and Bill find a child’s dollhouse in the garage and they decide to give it to Jessica for her birthday. However, the dollhouse is haunted by spirits. Bill’s clairvoyant sister, Marla (Lenore Kasdorf) and her boyfriend, Tobias (Franc Ross), can sense the evil almost immediately. They begin a paranormal investigation as all these weird things happen around the house and cause harm to the occupants.

Audio & Sound Quality:
The audio quality was fair for this movie. I did have to turn it up to hear what was going on, but once it was close to 40, I could hear it just fine. The sound was transferred to this DVD for Amityville: Dollhouse as Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound. It could be better, but it could be worse. The only available language for Amityville: Dollhouse is English and there are no subtitles so those who are hard of hearing will have to use closed captioning or turn the volume way up. The visual quality was fair, with some visible flaws, crackles in the screen, and an unflattering, full screen image at times. The visual transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and trust me it shows.

Bottom Line:
It’s pretty simple. Don’t watch Amityville: Dollhouse. Run from this movie. This movie never should have been made. In fact, no sequels to the Amityville Horror should have been made because all of them stink. If you are a glutton for punishment then please do buy this DVD. You’ll love it. Otherwise, head for the hills…I mean it. You’ll regret it if you watch it, so I’m warning you now. Amityville: Dollhouse is a total flop and it makes the Amityville Collection’s quality drop because of it’s addition to this 3-pack.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: Amityville Dollhouse, DVD Review, Amityville Collection, Three Pack, Sequel, Horror Movie, Bad Movie

The Twisted Terror Collection is made up of six movies. Each of these movies was made between the mid-70s and the early 90s. Here is a brief synopsis and information on each movie that is included in this six pack.

Deadly Friend (1986) – This movie was directed by Wes Craven and stars Kristy Swanson and Matthew Laborteaux. After moving to a new town and befriending his cute, next door neighbor (Samantha) who just happens to have an abusive father, Paul cannot handle it when Sam is badly injured. This genius, teenager taking college classes decides the answer to bringing Sam ‘back to life’ is a robot chip, which he places in her brain. [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

Dr. Giggles (1992) – This movie was directed by Manny Coto and stars Larry Drake and Holly Marie Combs. Evan Rendell disappeared when he was seven years old from his father’s house of carnage and death. His father, a doctor, had gone nuts after Evan’s mother grew ill, and started a killing rampage with hopes of using his victims’ hearts to save her. After Evan escaped he had no name other than Dr. Giggles. All grown up and in the asylum for being a murderer himself, Dr. Giggles thinks he’s a real doctor. He’s escaped the asylum and is intent on helping a new girl he meets, Jennifer, find the heart she needs, to survive, if he doesn’t kill her first! [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

Eyes of a Stranger (1981) – This movie was directed by Ken Wiederhorn and stars Lauren Tewes and Jennifer Jason Leigh. A serial killer/rapist is on the loose and nothing can stop him except for the investigative efforts of television reporter, Jane Harris. Jane’s investigation has a significant effect on her relationship with her boyfriend, David, as well as puts her blind and deaf sister, Tracy, at risk. This movie marks the debut of Jennifer Jason Leigh. [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

From Beyond the Grave (1973) – This movie was directed by Kevin Connor and stars Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance. This is a compilation of four stories that all tie in together by purchases the characters in each scene have made at an antique store. All of the purchasers have cheated the proprietor of the antique shop in some way and the stories tell of their fates. [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

The Hand (1981) – This movie was directed by Oliver Stone and stars Michael Caine and Andrea Marcovicci. When a semi-famous artist of a comic strip loses his drawing hand, his whole life seems to be falling apart. His wife is obviously having an affair with her yoga instructor. She won’t move with him to California, where he takes a job teaching art at a University, and his hand, which was severed, has never been found. Things can’t get any weirder until he starts having an affair with one of his students and his severed off hand appears with a life of its own and a vengeance. [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

Someone’s Watching Me (1978) – This movie was directed by John Carpenter and stars Lauren Hutton. When Leigh Michaels moves, she believes the creepy phone calls she’s been receiving will stop. However, at her new place, more exposed then ever, with large, picturesque windows showing off every part of her apartment, Leigh begins receiving phone calls, presents, and notes from a stalker who can see and hear her every move. [Click here to read the full review and find out more]

The Twisted Terror Collection is made up of some good, decent, fair, and unmentionable movies. If you’re a horror fan then you should add this to your collection.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: Twisted Terror Collection, Warner Bros., The Hand, Wes Craven, Oliver Stone, John Carpenter, Peter Cushing, Eyes of a Stranger, Dr. Giggles, Deadly Friend, Someone’s Watching Me, From Beyond the Grave

Release Information:
From Beyond the Grave was originally released in 1973. This movie was the first movie directed by British film director, Kevin Connor. The writer for the film, Raymond Christodoulou, is basically known for From Beyond the Grave and that’s about it. It is pretty clear to see why he didn’t have a flourishing career as a screenplay writer. The screenplay was adapted from short stories written by British author R. Chetwynd-Hayes. I can only hope the stories were better than this movie.

From Beyond the Grave was released with six other movies in the Twisted Terror Collection Box Set. The other movies included in this box set are Dr. Giggles, Deadly Friend, The Hand, Someone’s Watching Me, and Eyes of a Stranger. The box set came out on September 25, 2007, courtesy of Warner Bros.

The From Beyond the Grave Plot:
There is an antique dealer (we don’t know his name or if he has one) played by Peter Cushing, who owns a store, Temptations Ltd. He is the common link between these four stories and they are all tied together by him. It’s hard to explain the plot of each story without giving everything away, but in short, these are the customers of Cushing’s character’s store. Each story tells their fate because they have tried to cheat him in some way during their excursion at the antique store.

The first story involves a magic antique mirror that is filled with evil. The mirror turns its owner into a psycho murderer, but to find out why and what happens, you will just have to check this one out. The second story is about Jim Underwood (Donald Pleasance) a street peddler who has made up a story about being in the war to sell his wares. Jim steals an Infantry medal from the antique shop to provide more authenticity to his story. Jim meets Christopher Lowe (Ian Bannen), a man who works as an office manager and is no longer in love with his wife, Mabel (Diane Dors). He invites Christopher home to have dinner where he meets Jim’s daughter, Emily (Angela Pleasence). Emily is an interesting girl who practices witchcraft and is willing to get rid of Mabel, for the right price.

In story three, we learn about the scamming ways of Reggie (Ian Carmichael). Reggie has switched price tags at the antique shop, wanting to pay a smaller price for an antique box of higher value. On the train ride home, Reggie meets a psychic named Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton). She tells him that he has evil on his shoulder, but he doesn’t listen to her and when he returns home he tries to kill Susan (Nyree Dawn Porter), his wife. Now its time for an emergency exorcism, though it might be too late for that. In the fourth and final story, it is believed that William Seaton (Ian Ogilvy) stole some of the money from Cushing, to pay for a new door for his cabinet. When the door is put on the cabinet, and the clock hits midnight, a blue ghost appears with evil intentions aimed at William’s wife, Rosemary (Lesley-Anne Down).

Audio & Visual Quality:
The audio for From Beyond the Grave is terrible. I had my volume turned up at over 40 on my television and it was still barely audible. I ended up having to put on the English subtitles just to know what was going on in this movie. Subtitles are also available in both Spanish and French. The audio quality is Dolby Digital mono for all three languages (English, French and Spanish). The visual quality is fair, especially for a movie released in 1973, but it isn’t winning any awards for excellence. The DVD is presented in an anamorphic widescreen format.

Bonus Features:
From Beyond the Grave has only one bonus feature. It is the theatrical trailer for the movie. I guess I should say that I’m glad there aren’t any more. I wouldn’t want to prolong any suffering felt by those who dislike this movie, myself included.

Bottom Line:
I didn’t like it much, but I’ve seen other reviewers praise this movie. I guess, to each their own. This is one of those films that you might watch if you get it in a pack, but I don’t really recommend purchasing it on its own. This one really drags down the rating of the entire Twisted Terror Collection. Watch with the intent to dislike From Beyond the Grave because maybe if your expectations are so low, it won’t be that bad after all.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: From Beyond the Grave, Twisted Terror Collection, Warner Bros, Horror, Box Set, Review, Peter Cushing

Release Information:
The Hand is one of six movies included in the Twisted Terror Collection. The original release of The Hand was in 1981, and was the second semi-major release by Oliver Stone. The other movies in the Twisted Terror Collection are From Beyond the Grave, Someone’s Watching Me, Deadly Friend, Dr. Giggles and Eyes of a Stranger.

Plot:
Jonathan Lansdale (Michael Caine) is a semi-famous, skilled artist. He even has his own comic strip, which is a fantasy-based comic that has enjoyed a bit of success. Jonathan’s wife, Anne (Andrea Marcovicci), believes the two of them need some time apart, so she proposes they move into New York City. While Jonathan doesn’t want to move, she doesn’t really want him to go with her, so she is going to get a one bedroom apartment for her and their daughter, Lizzie (Mara Hobel).

While the two are fighting about Anne moving with Lizzie, Anne drives recklessly, causing a horrible accident to occur where Jonathan loses his hand. This is his drawing hand, and Jonathan sees his life falling apart at the seams. To make matters worse, the company that releases his comic strip has brought in a new writer, who changes Jonathan’s ideas for the strip. After Jonathan refuses to give up the comic strip, he decides to take a job in California teaching an art class at a small University.

Jonathan heads out to California without his wife and daughter, assuming they will be joining him in the near future. However, Anne is having an affair with her yoga instructor, Bill (Nicholas Hormann), and decides to stay in New York until Christmas. To get out his frustration, Jonathan ends up having an affair of his own with one of his students, Stella (Annie McEnroe). In the meantime, the stump of hand that no one found after Jonathan’s accident seems to have a life of its own and it wants revenge for all the bad things that are happening in Jonathan’s life.

Audio & Visual Quality:
The anamorphic widescreen format is nice for the quality of The Hand. It is easy to watch and while it retains that retro feel films from the 80s possess, it still comes in clear visually. The sound quality of The Hand, which is English and Spanish Dolby Digital Surround Sound, is excellent for the time in which this film was released. Unlike other films in the Twisted Terror Collection, The Hand doesn’t have any sound issues at all. For the hearing impaired, The Hand also includes subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Bonus Features:
The Hand has more bonus features than any of the discs in the Twisted Terror Collection. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have very many at that. The first extra is the original theatrical trailer for The Hand. This film also includes audio commentary from Oliver Stone to accompany the film. It isn’t a lot to look forward to, but the movie makes up for the lack of extras.

Bottom Line:
The Hand is a really smart film. If you are looking to scream, you won’t find that kind of horror here. This film delves more into the psychological world of horror and Stone does so masterfully. It helps that he has such an amazing cast because I could see the idea behind the film getting ruined by poor acting. Luckily the acting is on par with most of the other films Michael Caine has been in and if that won’t entertain you, the inventive storyline certainly will.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: The Hand, Oliver Stone, Horror, Michael Caine, Evil Hand, Twisted Terror Collection

Release Information:
Dr. Giggles is one of six movies in the Twisted Terror Collection. The other movies include From Beyond the Grave, The Hand, Eyes of a Stranger, Someone’s Watching Me, and Deadly Friend. Dr. Giggles is the latest movie out of all of them to be released, having first made its debut with audiences in 1992. With all of the movies made between the late 70s and early 90s, the quality of the filmmaking appears to be similar. All of them are horror movies and most of them have a lower budget then the Blockbusters Hollywood is used to pumping out. Still, this collection of DVDs has promise.

The Dr. Giggles Plot:
A mental patient orphaned at the age of seven, whom they refer to as Dr. Giggles, escapes from the asylum where he has been staying, leaving a trail of carnage and death along the way. The true identity of Dr. Giggles was unknown so no one could warn the town he once lived in of his return.

Dr. Giggles (Larry Drake) was the son of a doctor who went mad when his wife developed a rare heart defect. The older Doctor Rendell trained his son to be his assistant and together they murdered a slew of people, in an attempt to use their hearts to save his wife and the mother of the boy (Dr. Giggles), whose name was Evan. When they discover the bodies, the doctor is killed, but the boy, at the mere age of 7, managed to escape somehow from the home and vanish into thin air. Now Evan has returned to town as Dr. Giggles, ready to cure the town of its ailments, by killing them. He got the nickname Dr. Giggles because he really believes he is a doctor and once his patients have died, he giggles maniacally in this very funny sounding high pitch. If nothing else, his giggling is contagious.

Along the way, Dr. Giggles discovers Jennifer Campbell (a young Holly Marie Combs), who has a heart defect. Wanting to continue his father’s work, he develops a soft spot for Jennifer and begins a quest to murder people for their hearts so Jennifer can have a new one. Adding to the cast are Jennifer’s father, Tom (Cliff De Young), her boyfriend, Max Anderson (Glenn Quinn), her dad’s either girlfriend or new wife, Tamara (Michelle Johnson) and police officers Joe Reitz (Keith Diamond) and Hank Magruder (Richard Bradford).

Audio & Visual Quality:
The audio quality on Dr. Giggles was fair. I’ve heard better sound, but it wasn’t as bad as Deadly Friend where I had my volume up on 40 just to hear the characters in the movie talk. The movie was transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and was transferred to DVD in an anamorphic widescreen format. The sound was transferred in English as Dolby Digital surround sound. Dr. Giggles has English, Spanish, and French subtitles.

Bonus Features:
Dr. Giggles has no bonus features. Please check the reviews of the other DVDs in the Twisted Terror Collection to find out what bonus features are included in this box set.

Bottom Line:
Dr. Giggles is a silly movie. It is going to make you laugh and the performance by Drake is hilarious. However, this is meant to be a horror film, so in that genre it fails. There is no terror in this movie, but it does have humor. The movie was great as a “horror-based” comedy. It works like that and is so cheesy you cannot help but laugh at the premise. If you’re looking to be scared by Dr. Giggles you’re going to be disappointed. If you go into this wanting to see a comedic film, then this will be right up your alley.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: Dr. Giggles, Horror, Twisted Terror Collection, Holly Marie, Combs, Larry Drake, Warner Bros.

There are a few pluses to Deadly Friend. First, Kristy Swason is in it. I like Kristy. She’s an okay actress. Second, her co-stars include the late, great Anne Ramsey (Throw Momma from the Train, The Goonies) and Matthew Laborteaux (Albert from Little House on the Prarie). Unfortunately, this fairly decent cast can’t save even the most preposterous of storylines. To make this even more surprising is the fact that this film was directed by Wes Craven. Craven was just coming off the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street when Deadly Friend was released in 1986. Why he directed this film is anyone’s guess.

The Plot:
Deadly Friend tells the story of Paul Conway (Matthew Laborteaux). Paul is a genius who is taking college classes (despite being of high school age) and has even designed and built his very own robot, BB, who is a high tech robot that can move and think on its own. Paul and his mother, Jeannie (Anne Twomey) have moved to a new town where his mother has a new job and Paul will be attending classes. He quickly befriends the girl next door, Samantha Pringle (Kristy Swanson) and a guy in town named Tom “Slime” Tooney (Michael Sharrett).

Life in a new town isn’t paradise for Paul and his friends. They have to deal with the evil lady down the street, Elvira Parker (Anne Ramsey) who hates teenagers, fun, and just about everything else you can imagine. Samantha has it the worst because she lives alone with her alcoholic, abusive father, Harry (Richard Marcus). Despite these obstacles, the three plus BB have a great time together until Elvira shoots and “kills” BB with her shotgun. From there, things really go downhill.

At Sam’s house, Harry has been drinking. As Sam returns home and attempts to go upstairs to get away from him, he throws her down the steps where she body (and head) slams into a wall. Harry is furious because he thinks Sam is playing, but she really is hurt and is taken to the hospital. The prognosis isn’t good. She has some swelling in her brain. Harry covers by saying she tripped on something and fell down the steps. Damn Kids. You know how they are.

Since it is pretty clear Sam is going to die, Paul gets a great idea. He can keep her alive and help her to function by putting a robotic microchip in her brain. Luckily he’s studied brain chemistry so he knows exactly how to operate on her. When Tom and Paul go to steal Sam’s body (which was on life support) from the hospital, they discover she’s been taken off life support. They decide to go to option B, which is to bring her corpse back to life, only who returns, isn’t quite the Sam they remembered.

Release Information:
Deadly Friend was released as one of six DVDs in the Twisted Terror Collection by Warner Bros. The box set was released on 9/25/07. The other five movies included in this box set are The Hand, Someone’s Watching Me, Dr. Giggles, Eyes of a Stranger, and From Beyond the Grave. The Twisted Terror Collection has had mostly decent movies thus far, but Deadly Friend might make a consumer take a second look before purchasing this box set.

Audio & Visual Quality:
I didn’t have a problem with the visual quality for Deadly Friend. It was your typical 80s movie. The picture was clear in an anamorphic, widescreen format. It was transferred at an aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The audio quality was bothersome. I had to continuously turn my volume up and down and up again. I had little to no background noise while I was watching Deadly Friend, so that had no effect or bearing on the sound.

When music was played, I ended up having to turn the sound way down because I’d turned it up so high just to hear the spoken text of the movie. When I did that, you could hear the music blasting throughout most of my house. Like the other movies in this box set, Deadly Friend has English, Spanish and French mono audio. It also has subtitles in all three languages. If you are hard of hearing, I highly suggest you use them to save yourself the trouble of trying to hear quiet audio.

Bonus Features:
Thankfully, the only bonus feature included on this DVD is a theatrical trailer for Deadly Friend. It’s bad enough you would have to watch this movie. Why add more junk to an already junky movie? It is better there are no extras included, even if you are a bonus hound, you most likely wouldn’t want to see extras from this movie.

Bottom Line:
Deadly Friend is such a crazy movie. The plot is so farfetched and the surprise ending is nothing short of ridiculous. I would say pass on this one if you plan to buy it on your own. If you want to get your kicks by watching Wes Craven’s worst film (at least of the one’s I’ve seen), you should rent this one from Blockbuster. Otherwise, it isn’t worth your time. If you end up purchasing the Twisted Terror Collection you may want to avoid watching this one. Of course, there is always eBay. You could auction off this one and keep the rest.

Rating:

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Warner Bros., Deadly Friend, Kristy Swanson, Albert, Little House on the Prarie