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Archive for the ‘Horror Videos’ Category

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Unrated Edition)

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on July 24, 2007 The Hills Have Eyes 2 (Unrated Edition) For die-hard horror fans, The Hills Have Eyes 2 is a knock-off remake/sequel that delivers a few queasy thrills. While it represents a minor improvement over the 1985 sequel to Wes Craven's 1977 original (you know, the one with the notorious "canine flashback"), it's yet another cookie-cutter exercise in death by stupidity, focusing its Aliens-in-the-desert plot on a scrappy, ill-tempered unit of National Guard soldiers who've been sent to investigate the first remake's hellish aftermath in the bomb-tested wastelands of Nevada. (Like its far-superior 2006 predecessor, this sequel was shot on location in Morocco.) Unfortunately these bickering recruits are an embarrassment to their inauthentic-looking uniforms, and their reckless inexperience (not to mention a tired, uninspired screenplay by Craven and his son Jonathan) makes them easy targets for the ravenous, irradiated mutants who dwell within a treacherous network of tunnels and caves. As the generically good-looking cast is reduced to a few terrorized survivors (which somehow doesn't stop costars Jessica Stroup and Daniella Alonso from looking like fashion models), music-video director Martin Weisz switches to auto-pilot in his dubious feature debut, serving up a basically plotless succession of grisly makeup FX by Howard Berger and his crack team of gore-mongers. The gross-out factor is sufficiently amusing (including one soldier pulled through a hole with one leg in the totally wrong direction), but even devoted horror connoisseurs will have to admit this is pretty lame stuff. --Jeff Shannon

Director: Martin Weisz
DVD: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Company: 20th Century Fox (2007-07-17)
List Price: $29.99
Amazon Price: $9.75
Used Price: $11.31

The Fifth Element (Remastered) [Blu-ray]

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on July 20, 2007 The Fifth Element (Remastered) [Blu-ray] Sony Pictures The Fifth Element (Blu-ray)
New York cab driverKorben Dallas didn't mean to be a hero. But he just picked up the kind of fare that only comes along every five thousand years a perfect beauty, a perfect being, a perfect weapon. Now, together, theymust save the world. Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Gary Oldman star in acclaimed director Luc Besson's outrageous sci-fi adventure, an extravagantly styled tale of good against evil set in an unbelievable twenty-third century world.

Director:Â Luc Besson
Blu-ray: Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Company: Sony Pictures (2007-07-17)
List Price:Â $28.95
Amazon Price:Â $15.99
Used Price:Â $15.49

The Monster Squad (Two-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition)

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on July 17, 2007 The Monster Squad (Two-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition) Count Dracula adjourns to Earth, accompanied by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gillman. The uglies are in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them power to rule the world. Our heroes - the Monster Squad are the only ones daring to stand in their way.

Director:Â Fred Dekker
DVD: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Company: Lionsgate (2007-07-24)
List Price:Â $19.98
Amazon Price:Â $12.70
Used Price:Â $10.39

Resident Evil – Apocalypse [Blu-ray]

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on July 17, 2007 Resident Evil - Apocalypse [Blu-ray] 2002's popular video-game-derived hit Resident Evil didn't inspire confidence in a sequel, but Resident Evil: Apocalypse defies odds and surpasses expectations. It's a bigger, better, action-packed zombie thriller, and this time Milla Jovovich (as the first film's no-nonsense heroine) is joined by more characters from the popular Capcom video games, including Jill Valentine (played by British hottie Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr, from 1999's The Mummy). They're armed and ready for a high-caliber encounter with devil dogs, mutant "Lickers," lurching zombies, and the leather-clad monster known only as Nemesis, unleashed by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation responsible for creating the cannibalistic undead horde. Having gained valuable experience as a respected second-unit director on high-profile films like Gladiator and The Bourne Identity, director Alexander Witt elevates this junky material to the level of slick, schlocky entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Blu-ray: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Company: Sony PicturesÂÂ
List Price: $28.95
Amazon Price: $18.99
Used Price: $16.25

Eureka – Season One

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on July 8, 2007 Eureka - Season One Some of the government's best-kept secrets are waiting to be uncovered as Eureka:Season One arrives on DVD! Step into the quirky and seemingly perfect small town of Eureka, where the hidden work of America's brightest scientists can lead to innovation or utter chaos. Making sense of the mysteries is Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a former U.S. marshal who is stranded in the surreal small town after a random car accident. Now fans can get in on his entertaining adventures with this 3-disc set packed with over 10 hours of bonus features and innovatively packaged in eco-friendly materials that were "Made in Eureka." Nothing is as it seems in the brilliant and witty new series critics are calling "the most original new drams" (The Courier-Journal).

Director:Â Jefery Levy
DVD: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Company: Universal Studios (2007-07-03)
List Price:Â $39.98
Amazon Price:Â $15.99
Used Price:Â $23.49

Posted by on July 1, 2007

Stargate Atlantis – The Complete Third Season

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on June 27, 2007 Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Third Season With Stargate SG-1 now permanently off the data screen (except for a TV movie or two) after ten productive seasons, it appears that the fate of the universe is now the responsibility of the Stargate Atlantis crew. Based on the latter's third season, whose 20 episodes (plus a wealth of bonus features) are made available here on five discs, we're in good hands.
Three years into it, Atlantis has retained numerous familiar elements while continuing to evolve steadily. The core cast is intact, with the cocky wiseacre-hero Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and the egotistical, neurotic genius Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) still the most entertaining of the bunch; as the series explores the characters' personal lives and backstories, we even meet (in "McKay and Mrs. Miller") the latter's sister, who's every bit the wiz that he is. On the other hand, the roles of team leader Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) and members Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) and Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa) are neither especially well-written nor well-played. The return of Richard Dean Anderson (and his sense of humor) as General Jack O'Neill, the SG-1 mainstay during most of its run, for a few cameos is most welcome, as is the presence of the Wraith, the series' principal villains (SG-1 fans will also recognize the "sentient machines" known as the Replicators from that series). With their flowing white locks, cat-like eyes, pale, almost translucent skin, ultra-fine black leather dusters, and, in one case, shades that would make a Hollywood hipster envious, the Wraith remain the coolest bad guys on the sci-fi scene. We already knew that they feed on humans, but this season brings some startling new revelations, particularly in "Common Ground," an excellent episode that finds Sheppard and a Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl) forming an unlikely alliance against a mutual enemy; we also witness the return of the Wraith known as Michael (Connor Trinneer), who was the subject of the Atlantis team's ongoing "retro-virus" experiment (designed to make Wraiths human) in Season Two and plays a significant recurring role in Season Three. Other developments are apparent as well, but most dramatic of all is the death of one of the team's key members.
Stargate Atlantis isn't the most original TV show ever created; in fact, elements of The Running Man, Alien, The Abyss, Enemy Mine, and other sci-fi works are sometimes so obvious that the characters themselves mention them in dialogue. But as always, the action sequences, special effects, models, and other technical elements are first-rate, as are the bonus features, which include episode commentaries, featurettes, and photo galleries. --Sam Graham

Beyond Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Third Season


Stargate SG-1 Complete DVD Series

Stargate Atlantis Books

Stargate Toys and Games



Stills from Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Third Season









DVD: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Company:Â MGM (Video & DVD)Â (2007-09-18)
List Price:Â $49.98
Amazon Price:Â $30.95
Used Price:Â $28.99

Stargate SG-1 – Season 9 Boxed Set (Thinpak)

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on June 27, 2007 Stargate SG-1 - Season 9 Boxed Set (Thinpak) Stargate SG-1 soldiers on with this five-disc, 20-episode set from the sturdy franchise's ninth season (2005-06), incorporating numerous changes while continuing to distinguish itself as one of the television's best sci-fi shows. Longtime star Richard Dean Anderson makes only brief cameos these days, after seven seasons as Lieutenant Colonel and one as Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. Stalwarts Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Michael Shanks (as Samantha Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson, respectively), are still on hand, but with Season 9, Ben Browder (known to many genre fans for his lead role in the excellent Farscape series) takes over as leader of SG-1, the Stargate project's ace team in the field. As Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell, Browder effectively projects the same kind of cocky irreverence that was Anderson's trademark, but he has a ways to go before he fully equals the latter's appeal. More engaging is fellow Farscape alum Claudia Black as Vala (Daniel Jackson's one-time love interest and a vixen, thief, and liar who becomes an integral part of the team during the several episodes in which she appears), while Beau Bridges is capable but uninspiring as Major General Hank Landry, who runs the show back on Earth.

Then there are the bad guys. With longtime nemeses the Goa'uld having essentially been eliminated, we now have the Ori, whose agenda of domination through religion provides the season's principal story arc. They're certainly a timely addition. With their "Book of Origin," rejection of free will, and goal of subduing all heretics and "unbelievers," the Ori resemble extreme fundamentalists of various stripes; on the other hand, when the U.S. military talks about crusades and "ridding the galaxy of evildoers," parallels to the Bush administration's war on terror are obvious and unavoidable. Problem is, while we know that the Ori are relentless, devious, and bloated with the pride that always attaches itself to false gods, we can't actually see them. They have semi-human apostles, called Priors, who spread "enlightenment" and bad mojo (not to mention plagues of carnivorous bugs) all over the universe. They have mighty ships that that leave the good guys in dire straits in the climactic battle that ends the season (typically, little is resolved, leaving viewers to salivate for Season 10). But the Ori themselves are kin to the all-knowing Ancients, who exist not in recognizable physical form but as energy; unlike previous villains, from the Goa'uld to the Replicators to Stargate Atlantis' Wraith, when it comes to the Ori, there's no there there. Meanwhile, the writers' replacement of the ancient Egyptian iconography used in earlier seasons with various aspects of Arthurian legend (Merlin, Knights of the Round Table, sword in the stone) is sometimes cool, sometimes merely hokey.

As always, Stargate SG-1's production values and effects remain first-rate, even as the stories become more character-driven and less dependent on spectacular action sequences. The DVD transfers are excellent. Special features are similar to previous box sets: audio commentary on all episodes, featurettes focusing on sets, props, and special effects, and five "directors series" entries devoted to particular episodes. --Sam Graham

DVD: Mono, Subtitled, NTSC
Company: MGM (Video & DVD) (2006-10-03)
List Price: $49.98
Amazon Price: $24.99
Used Price: $26.99

Ghost Rider (Full Screen Edition) [Region 99]

Posted by Amazon.com: horror in Amazon.com on June 21, 2007 Ghost Rider (Full Screen Edition) [Region 99] Once intended as a feature for Johnny Depp, the long-germinating feature film adaptation of Marvel Comics' cult title Ghost Rider stars Nicolas Cage as motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who transforms into a skull-faced angel of vengeance to battle the forces of evil. Though perhaps a bit too mature for the role, Cage brings a degree of humor to the outrageous proceedings; he's well matched by the Easy Rider himself Peter Fonda, amusingly cast as Mephistopheles, the demon with whom Blaze strikes a bargain to save his father, and in turn, causes his transformation into Ghost Rider. Wes Bentley is also fine as Blackheart, the rebellious offspring of Mephistopheles, and Blazes' chief opponent in the film. They're joined by a solid supporting cast which includes Donal Logue, Eva Mendes, and Sam Elliott, but their participation and a relentless barrage of CGI effects can't hide the fact that the story itself, though largely faithful to its comic origins, is rife with clichéd characterizations and glum B-movie dialogue. Fans of the venerable title may cry foul over this adaptation (as they did over helmer Mark Steven Johnson's previous comic-to-movie feature, Daredevil), but less stringent viewers may enjoy the fiery visuals and Cage's typically quirky performance. --Paul Gaita

Stills from Ghost Rider (click for larger image)







Beyond Ghost Rider on Amazon.com


On Blu-ray

CD Soundtrack

Ghost Rider: Road To Damnation

Graphic Novels



Director: Mark Steven Johnson
DVD: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Company: Sony Pictures (2007-06-12)
List Price: $28.95
Amazon Price: $9.79
Used Price: $9.88


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