No comments about Children's Christmas Matinee: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

No comments about LAST HOLIDAY (2006) / (WS CHK) - LAST HOLIDAY (2006) / (WS CHK).

No comments about Jingle All the Way (+ Digital Copy).

5 comments about I Vampiri.

1. I expected more from this film because so much had been written about it and when I saw the packaging I assumed it would be a wild little movie. This was not the case however. Due to obvious budget constraints "I Vampiri" is somewhat of a letdown. It's not bad, it's just disappointing. A wealthy countess stays beautiful thanks to "scientific methods"---blood transfusions---from female victims. Atmosphere is plentiful but it's SO low budget that it's creaky and not creepy. It would have helped had Bava been more daring with the story and plot elements but for some reason he wasn't. What is here is timid with very little action. Much time is spent on the detective pursuing leads and a lot of talk when the running time is so short. It's worth noting as an early Bava horror film but that's about it. He would obviously fare better in the future.



2. This movie is famous for two reasons: First, it was the the first talking horror film from Italy. Second, it was the directing debut of the Italian master of horror, Mario Bava. Original director, Riccardo Freda, had captured the first half of the film in 10 days of filming. The producers had agreed to a 12 day shoot and were not about to go over that. Mario was the cinematographer on the film and was asked if he could finish the movie in 2 days. He agreed and it was pulled off in what became a very stylish (almost a fimm noir) and well made gothic horror. It does have it's flaws mind you, but I really liked virtualy everything about this movie.

   I Vampiri (The Vampire in Italian) plays almost as more of a detective movie than a straight horror. There is the dashing and hip reporter, Pierre Lantin (Dario Michaelis), who is trying to find out who is murdering people and draining their bodies dry of blood. He gives leads to the police who investigate them along with Pierre, but they find nothing useful in them. After he goes out on his own to investigate, Pierre is led to the local castle that houses an old and decrepid duchess along with her beautiful niece, Giselle du Grand (Gianna Maria Canale - director Riccardo Freda's longtime girlfriend and frequent star), whom he has some mysterious tie to from his past.

   Pierre's partner from the newspaper they work at is on love with Giselle and is always making comments about her, even though it is clear that Giselle is romanticaly interested only in Pierre. Pierre spurns her at every turn and becomes interested in the friend, Lorette, of one of the victims (played by Wandisa Guida).

   There are two story lines that I found hard to really figure out in this film: The first was the romantic interest between Pierre and Lorette. I didn't know there was an interest and then suddenly they are obviously an item. The second is that in the lower regions of the castle, there is a doctor who has faked his own death along with an assistant. They are doing experiments with lots of cool looking lab equipment and victims that have been kidnapped by a drug addicted thug (played by Paul Müller, who later appeared in many of Jess Franco's films). They are in cahoots with the duchess but exactly what they are doing with her is never clear. But neither of these nebulous plotlines takes away much from the movie.

   The dvd is presented in 2.35:1 widscreen and the sound is Dolby Digital mono. The print looks fantastic, especially for a relatively obscure, 45 year old movie. It is released by Image Entertainment who has released several Mario Bava films on dvd. There are several trailers for these other Bava films on the disk along with the usual filmographies and also a 4 page insert with liner notes by film historian and author of "Mario Bava: All of the Colors of the Dark", Tim Lucas (who also recorded the commentary for Bava's next major film after I Vampiri, Black Sunday). The film really is well done and considered a classic for a good reason. My brother had bought this dvd and I borrowed it from him, but it is definitely on my list of movies to get, even in the [price] range.




3. Very underrated film, IMO-- Beautiful gothic atmosphere, a mad doctor, a hopped-up (and later undead) thug. The plot is a pulpy rollercoaster ride that doesn't always make sense, but manages to wrap itself up neatly. The fact that our hero's by far the least interesting character on the screen barely ever occurs to you as you try to keep track of the convolutions. It was the fore-runner not only to gothic horror in Itally, but also the giallo crime dramas. Excellent B-movie!



4. I've always had it in mind to view this film but never got around to it until recently. It wasn't what I thought it would be either. It's not quite about vampires, although the title seems to connotate that, and the visual imagery on the dvd cover also tends to present something other than what it really is. This is actually a sort of "mad science" film if anything. Despite that I got something different than what I had hoped for, it's still a good film.



5. Elizabeth Báthory (aka "Lady Dracula") became infamous for murdering over six hundred young girls, and allegedly bathing in their blood to retain her youth.
   
   Well, probably the bathing-in-blood part is untrue -- just a centuries-old version of an urban legend. But who cares? It makes for a fascinating horror movie in "I Vampiri," which gives a scientific slant to the legendary use of blood to retain youth -- and it's a pretty good murder mystery too.
   
   Girls in Paris keep vanishing, only to turn up drained of blood. Of course, reporter Pierre Lantin (Dario Michaelis) is determined to find out who is doing this, when he's not fending off the advances of the Duchess du Grand's sultry niece Giselle (Gianna Maria Canale). Apparently the old duchess was in love with Pierre's dad, and now Giselle wants to continue. Pierre is more interested in finding the "vampire."
   
   But then an unwanted suitor tries to seduce Giselle -- and sees her instantly transform into a withered old woman, right before she shoots him. Turns out she's the old duchess, keeping herself eternally alive and young by transfusing blood from young girls into herself. But this murderous therapy is taking its toll on the duchess -- and Pierre is getting too close to the truth...
   
   If "I Vampiri" doesn't have Mario Bava's distinctive flavour, that's for one simple reason -- it was originally directed by Riccardo Freda, and when he left the production Bava had to wrap things up. So don't expect the same kind of experience that Bava's solo pictures had, although it's a pretty solid Euro-horror movie on its own.
   
   Half of the movie is steady, not very captivating detective work, with Pierre ticking off the local police chief, flirting with schoolgirls, and reluctantly attending a ball -- where, of course, he hears someone screaming from the tower but doesn't clue in. And of course, lots of creepy men in the streets and autopsies of the dead girls.
   
   No, the creepiness is there when the Good Guys are not present -- dungeons, coffins, sinister labs, zombies, junkies, mad scientists, and old gothic castles with long white drapes blowing in the wind. Not to mention the decrepit old lady shooting mirrors, and ranting endlessly about how she just HAS to be young and beautiful again, no matter what the risk. And despite being from the mid-fifties, the "aging" special effects are still very, very well-done.
   
   The final scenes are where Bava's influence comes out, as Pierre and the police finally get a clue. Director No. 2 toys around with light and shadow, music, and the ghastly architecture -- turning a formerly mundane transformation into a thing of horror.
   
   Michaelis and Carlo D'Angelo do pretty tepid jobs as Pierre and the police chief, though admittedly they're not given much to work with. Canale is the real star of this piece -- she can flip from a sultry seductress to screeching harridan on a moment's notice, and you can see the absolute insanity bubbling under the surface. And Wandisa Guida has a good, brief performance as the love interest/latest blood victim.
   
   "I Vampiri" is less about vampirism than about a Hollywoodesque determination to preserve youth and beauty, whatever the cost. And that devastating vanity is what makes this REALLY horrific.

2 comments about Salem's Ghost - Witchcraft.

1. only for fans cause lets face it why in the world would u be looking at this unknown movie unless u r a true fan I knew someone who was and they told me to see it it was allright but I'm really not into horror so only for true fans of horror movies



2. Basically the only people who are going to watch this movie are those who are already into watching the series. Once again its a paper thin plot with lots of nudity and sex thrown in to keep the viewer interested. If you are a fan of cheesy horror flicks then this is for you. I recomend the whole series if you can find them and actually sit through them. Basic plot. A ancient witch was burned and burried and sealed in a tomb. A new teacher moves into the salem area and finds a secret room in his basement that is, guess what, the ancient tomb. A relic is removed and the witch is set free to wreak havok and make this guys life hell. and thats about it.

2 comments about Little Women's Christmas Story.

1. My daughters love this movie. They remember seeing it as a Christmas Special when they were little girls in the 1980's.
   I have been trying to find it to purchase for years.



2. Although it has a copyright date of 1992, "Little Women's Christmas Story" appears to consist of two episodes from the 1987 Japanese animated "Little Women" TV series edited together to make one 47-minute special. Even though they cover incidents that come right at the beginning of Louisa May Alcott's novel, these don't appear to be the first two episodes of the series since they refer to events that were evidently seen in at least one previous episode. (Episodes from an earlier Japanese animated TV version of "Little Women," produced in 1981, have also been dubbed in English and released on home video in the U.S.)
   
   The events dramatized here include the visit by Aunt March in which she gives the four sisters each a dollar for Christmas which the four agree to use for gifts for their mother ("Marmee"). Jo meets Laurie, the boy from next door, and also his grandfather, Mr. Laurence. We also see Jo write the play that the girls will perform on Christmas and watch as Amy and Beth fight over the script. Curiously, the tape ends with the girls going to bed on Christmas Eve, so we never see the performance of the play or the celebrated incident where the girls decide to give their Christmas breakfast to a poor family in town, the Hummels. (These incidents are dramatized in episodes from the 1981 series that have been released in English.)
   
   There's a pretty, cheery look to the animation, with round-eyed happy faces, bright primary colors, fluid movement, and beautifully rendered background art depicting the town and the local environs. (This is a far cry from the 1981 version, which had a starker, more dramatic look to it and more of a 19th century feel.) The character design is by Yoshifumi Kondo, who went on to work for Hayao Miyazaki (PRINCESS MONONOKE) and directed the 1995 Studio Ghibli production, WHISPER OF THE HEART (1995). Haim Saban (of "Power Rangers" fame) produced this English dub, adding new music, for one thing. The quality of the voice acting will be an issue for some, since the most childlike voice, that of youngest sister Amy, is the one that gets to narrate!

No comments about Kennedy Space Center: Official Tour.

1 comments about Roman Holiday.

1. A princess (Audery Hepburn) is petty much a prisoner of her position; she is on a European tour. While in Rome she has an opportunity to escape her overseers and join the local festivities. A freelance reporter (Gregory Peck) accidentally spots her hand knows who she is. Out for an exclusive interview he pretends to be a businessman and befriends her. Together they see the real Roam accompanied by his incognito photographer pal (Eddie Albert.)
   
   Does the reported get his exclusive and a ticket back to the states?
   Or do they setup house?
   Will the princess ever get caught?
   
   Everyone has fun and you will too.

No comments about The Road to Chiang Mai The Road to Chiang Mai: Bangkok, Oriental City.

1 comments about The Snowden Raggedy Ann & Andy Holiday Show: A Spectacular on Ice.

1. This was originally a Target exclusive movie. I purchased my VHS copy at a discount after Christmas the year it was released. Truthfully, I would not have purchased it originally if it had not been 50% or 75% off. Now I wish I had purchased several more and the DVD version. It has become a favorite.
   
   This video is like an Ice Capades show only MUCH better as you are treated to close up interaction between the performers and some video magic that isn't possible during live performances.
   
   The story line is sweet and appropriate for all ages. The story is tender with fantasy and generously sprinkled with high spirited fun. Some of the skating has the beauty of a ballet. Other sequences are high energy. Scott Hamilton is incredible on a pair of skates and makes a cute Elvis. Ekaterina Gordeeva is so beautiful. Love to watch her on skates. (This performance was after her husbands untimely death.) Kurt Browning and Josee Chouinard are also a joy to watch.
   
   I have been trying for several years to find DVD copies of this video--one for our home library and several more for our grandchildren. The DVD version hasn't been available on ebay. People seem to be holding on to this one.
   
   Since the Amazon product info is bare for this video, I have copied some info from several ebay auctions for the VHS version below:
   
   "Daring leaps, amazing acrobatics, marvelous music, sensational skating and a magic mirror make this special holiday show a skating spectacular on ice. In this exciting tale of dreams fulfilled, a beautiful magic mirror reveals the wishes of small children to Snowden, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Doc and an all-star cast of skaters."
   
   Stars:
   Scott Hamilton
   Ekaterina Gordeeva
   Kurt Browning
   Josee Chouinard
   
   1998. 60 MINUTES. COLOR. NOT RATED. NTSC VHS HI FI. STARRING SCOTT HAMILTON, EKATERINA GORDEEVA, KURT BROWNING & JOSEE CHOUINARD. THE SNOWDEN RAGGADY ANN & ANDY HOLIDAY SHOW - A SPECTACULAR ON ICE. DARING LEAPS, AMAZING ACROBATICS, MARVELOUS MUSIC, SENSATIONAL SKATING AND A MAGIC MIRROE MAKE THIS SPECIAL HOLIDAY SHOW A SKATING SPECTACULAR ON ICE. IN THIS EXCITING TALE OF DREAMS FULFILLED, A BEAUTIFUL MAGIC MIRROR REVEALS THE WISHES OF SMALL CHILDREN TO SNOWDEN, RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY, DOC AND AN ALL-STAR CAST OF SKATERS. THIS EXCLUSIVE VIDEO, WHICH INCLUDES SPECIAL FOOTAGE OF THE MAKING OF RHE SHOW, WILL WARM YOUR HEART TIME AND AGAIN.