Reviews (59)

The Demon of the Amazon
The classic feature "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is the latest DVD in Universal's Classic Monster Collection. In a forbidden lagoon on the Amazon, a scientific expedition searches for the fossilized remains of an "amphibious missing link" and discover a living specimen that falls for the head scientist's female assistant. When attempts to capture the creature failed, the powerful beast plots his revenge upon the scientists. Though not the scariest feature in the Universal Monster Collection, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" is a solid and effective Sci-Fi film that features one of the most inventive movie monsters. This 1954 film contains a well-paced storyline, interesting characters and great underwater photography. The "Gillman's" scaly design is quite remarkable. The cast includes Richard Carlson, Julie Adams and Richard Denning.

Universal earns high marks for giving a classic monster feature a great DVD presentation. The film is presented in its original fullscreen format. The DVD contains a stunning B&W picture quality with great clarity. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound is well preserved and surprisingly clear. The DVD also includes audio commentary with film historian Tom Weaver, theatrical trailers and "Back to the Black Lagoon" featurette. With such fine picture quality and interesting supplements, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon" earns a solid "B".

THE GILL-MAN OF THE AMAZON.....
Probably the most celebrated monster film of the 50's (it even had a small role in "The Seven Year Itch"), "Creature from the Black Lagoon" deserves re-issue along with it's two sequels "Revenge of the Creature" and "The Creature Walks Among Us". The legendary tale of an ill-fated expedition up the Amazon after the discovery of a humanoid claw fossil remains a favorite for so many reasons. The Gill-Man monster suit and the leading lady Julie Adams are two reasons in my book. The Creature still looks good on film and Adams was the perfect heroine in her short-and-halter top oufits and, of course, that white swim suit. The underwater scenes of the Creature swimming underneath her in the lagoon have stayed in my memory all these years. Director Jack Arnold created a lasting film that may not hold up as well as it once did, but it's a treasure for sci-fi/horror fans all over the world. Richard Carlson and Richard Denning provided the stalwart male drama and heroics but the Creature's pursuit of Julie Adams is what gives this classic that strange sort of sex appeal that lies underneath the terror. It's a beautifully photographed b&w thrill ride for those of us who never get tired of watching it. Out of print? For now maybe. But he'll be back. And maybe with his sequels...

Should have included a Field Seqential 3-D version!
Not that many people are aware of the Field Sequential 3-D.
This is a 3-D TV system that uses special shutter glasses that can be purchased here through Amazon in a set that includes 3 DVD's using this process. This system Is the only way to view a 3-D film effectively on TV to date. The result is about 90% close to the effect you will see in a theatre showing.. like IMAX and Disney and Universal.
These glasses are made of sturdy plastic and clear not these cardboard red and blue pieces of garbage, so you can view the film without constricted to seeing red and blue colors and with this system you will see more actual 3-D depth with the films true colors.. It's really amazing!
For some add reason the big studios haven't adapted to include a separate version of a 3-D title in this great format.
Films like:
"House of Wax","Kiss Me Kate","Friday the 13th Part 3", "Robot Monster, "Cat Woman on the Moon", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Jaws 3" are all now in 2-D DVD, but were originally shown in 3-D and could have been included using the Field Seqential 3-D system on the same disc with the 2-D version.
In Japan in the late 80's there were a few 3-D titles released using Field Sequential and can be found on e-bay converted to DVD and VHS.
Why aren't the studios producing these now!
I boycott any film DVD release that was originally intended to be seen in 3-D that's only presented in a 2-D version or anaglyph (Red and Blue Glasses).

Since this is out of print maybe we can hope that Universal will wake up and produce a new version containing Field Seqential 3-D!
The studios should really be awaken to this great 3-D system.

Good thing it was made in the 50's
This movie is one of the best horror/scifi/monster movies ever! Its shows how good monster movies could be even after the Golden Age of Universal's horror into the fifties where there were more chessy than classy monsters terrifying audiences. A marine humanoid goes after a human girl for whom he is attrached to. May sound hoaky but this movie is nothing of the sort. If it had been made today, it would proably be another crapfest like "Sabertooth" or "Reptilian" made by the Sci Fi channel. The characters wouldn't be likable (Yeah I think Mark's a jerk) and the Creature would just have no pride. This movie was good enough and the Creature is cool enough to be included alongside Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and the Phantom of the Opera. To stand alongside such a classy work of Gothic art like Dracula or the first two Frankensteins is pretty good. This movie got me into old horror movies. Now I am a classical horror fanatic thanks to this movie. Above are the eight characters I think of when I think of horror

Better than I thought it would be, now one of my favorites.
First of all, I am fairly new to these classic monster movies. I have seen Dracula before but that was it. I knew that the Creature dvd was out of print and considerably rare, so when I stumbled upon it for $25 I knew I had to give it a shot. I am glad because it turned out to be a great movie, a true classic to be sure.

The story revolves around a scientist who discovers the hand of some unknown creature in the rocks. Knowing it was a water based creature, he heads back to get an expedition together to further explore his finding. The thought was that this creature could be the link between man and aquatic animals. When two scientists dive into the black lagoon they encounter the creature, and one of the scientists becomes determined to kill the creature in order to get the credit for this find. Later Kay, played by Julie Adams, goes for a swim in the lagoon and becomes the object of the creature's desires. That is all I will say about the plot, but you need to see this classic for yourself because it has such a great story, great acting, and the underwater scenes look terrific.

I love this movie now, and I am sure any fan of classic monster movies will too, that is if you havent seen it already. I was lucky enough to find this for a reasonable price but since it is out of print it is in high demand, selling for around $60 and up on Amazon/Ebay. Also there are some great extras on the disc, such as the 40 minute Back to the Black Lagoon which goes behind the scenes for The Creature and two sequels made after it. There are also theatrical trailers and posters which are interesting to see. Since I liked this so much I will view The Monster Legacy set, but I am sure the Creature will rank right at the top with the best of them. Get this if you can, you won't be sorry you did.

(...) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Catherine wonders if Vincent is "the bad guy"
A vigilante reported to have beast-like features is on the prowl in New York's subway trains. Catherine has suspicions the vigilante may be Vincent. There is some interesting interaction between Vincent and Catherine very early in their relationship, as Catherine doesn't seem to be fully comfortable with him (this was the 2nd episode to be broadcast). The "villain" in this episode is a little more complex and interesting than most.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Terrible Savior" finished 40th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Terrible Savior" 35th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

"Bionic" Blast from the Past!
This two part episode of "Six Million Dollar Man" is a real treat. Just hearing Lee Majors sing is worth the price. I can't believe that this show was the "coolest" in its time. (Then again, I can't believe I'm 37!) Majors and Wagner are good together, and the video makes you hunger to revisit some more of these episodes. Why Universal has only released these particular shows is beyond me. Universal Playback, their European distributor, has many episodes of both "SMDM" and "Bionic Woman" available, but in the PAL format. It's time for Universal to open the vaults and make these shows available to fans in the U.S. I'm sure there are many people like myself who want to see Jaime Sommers fight the Fembots and Steve Austin slug Bigfoot! UNIVERSAL- get it together!

Bionic babe
At 32 years of age, I have to say that today's TV shows do not compare to the shows I watched as a child. One of my favorite shows as a kid, and heck, even today, may be The Bionic Woman. Lindsay Wagner is just a unique woman, no other actress compares. What happened to all those wonderful and imaginative TV shows like Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, and Wonder Woman? The only way to see them is reruns on TV. This tape is available, but who really buys VHS anymore? I want all of the Bionic Woman on DVD. The company that owns the rights to this show should realize they are sitting on a goldmine, and release it on DVD. I remember I had received the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman dolls for Christmas one year, it was the best present ever. I wish I had kept those dolls.
I want to see Jaime Sommers run with the Bionic Dog. I want to see her fight the Bionic Bigfoot. I want to see her rip telephone books in half and jump from windows. But most of all, I want to see the lovely Lindsay Wagner whenever I please, simply by popping in the DVD.

The BIonic Woman
This is a great intro to the Bionic Woman series, and also the Six Million Dollar Man. I grew up watching these two classic shows. I can believe that they are not already out on dvd. But you know what. They are out on region 2 in the UK and Europe. For those of you out there not familiar with region 2 dvd formats, and PAL, they will not play on region 1 dvd players, in which we have in the US. Why Europe has them all and we in the US do not? I really dont have the answer to that. I wish I did. If you can get your hands on this tape, I recommend you do so. Its all we have, at least until Universal wakes up and decides to put these classic shows on dvd. But, when will that be?

The Bionic Woman: Simply the best!!
I've had this release in my collection for ages and it is a good introduction to Jaime Sommers, The Bionic Woman. However, this is not a good example of what was to come in her own series. The episodes had a lot more action and first-class acting from Emmy-award winner, Lindsay Wagner. The story lines varied from week to week and there was a lot of variety. Lindsay did not want to be typecast, so she made sure she was impersonating someone different every week so that the audience would get used to her in different roles and it paid off; she has been featured in over 50 feature films and made-for-tv movies in the last 25 years. Now Universal needs to get their act together and release DVD season sets of this classic series starring one of the most talented and busiest actresses on television.

Bring Jamie & Steve Back!!
I love this video! Steve & Jamie were my favorites growing up! Someone needs to release all the Bionic shows on DVD. This is just a tease. I glad there are still so many die hard fans out there that agree, Bionic Fans unite!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best television detective series ever made!
PETER GUNN remains a television landmark. A half-hour show with enough material for a feature film in every episode. A groundbreaking marriage of narrative and music--many scenes play like Henry Mancini music videos (from the era when Mancini was cutting great jazz tracks with talent like Shelley Manne). The series' low budget is cleverly disguised behind the minimalist film-noir atmosphere. Blake Edwards created the series in response to the poor television handling of his RICHARD DIAMOND radio show--many episodes were actually rewritten from RICHARD DIAMOND radio scripts! Edwards proved he was an authentic successor of Hammett and Chandler (simply working in a different medium). Gunn is sophisticated, amusing, classy, tough, and always likable. His friendly relationship with Police Lt. Jacoby was a welcome change from the hard-boiled stereotype of P. I.'s who hated corrupt and/or stupid cops. The racy (for the 50's) banter with his night club singer/girlfriend and the bizarre, comic-relief contacts round out the format for this great series. The only complaint with this box set is the poor quality of the picture (it helps explain the low price). Collectors take note that three of the ten episodes were previously issued by Rhino Home Video about ten years ago. A must for mystery fans--PETER GUNN was Blake Edwards at his creative pinnacle.

Not A Bad Deal!
These are the only videos currently available for the vintage television series, "Peter Gunn", starring Craig Stevens. They are not too easy to find and Amazon.Com is one of the few places I've seen them available. This is a box set of five (5) videotapes with two (2) thirty minute episodes per tape for a total of ten (10) episodes. To begin, I bought this set with a little bit of apprehension. First, the price for the five tapes was very inexpensive ($15.83). Second, they are distributed by a company that I am unfamiliar with, Diamond Entertainment Corporation. However, for the price of $15.83 for ten episodes, I thought I would take my chances. Well, the episodes themselves were no surprise, your basic classic late 1950's/early 1960's detective show. The show was filmed in black and white which adds a film noir effect. This, combined with jazzy background music by Henry Mancini, are a "cool" combination. This is what "Peter Gunn" is known for. As for the quality of the tapes, well, they were okay. These are not digitally remastered copies by any stretch of the imagination, but the quality was decent. In fact, I was expecting a lot worse. Belive me, I've paid a lot more and seen a lot worse. With this in mind, if you like Peter Gunn or vintage detective shows, go for it! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Brady Bunch Should Have Complete Season DVD Boxsets!
I was 4 years old when The Brady Bunch aired on TV for the first time and I grew up watching some of the original airings and the syndicated reruns. These two episodes are very good. My favorite is the episode titled Tattletale where Cindy drives everyone crazy with her constant snitching which results in Alice the housekeeper's boyfriend Sam getting mad at Alice and breaking her heart by cancelling their date and Cindy has to set things right. The episode Law & Disorder is good too. Bobby becomes a hall safetly monitor at school and he angers his friends when he becomes way too bossy and at home he makes everyone mad when he accuses them of breaking the rules including Greg who was late getting home, but it turns out that Greg had a very good reason for being late and soon Bobby will learn a lesson when has to break a rule to help a friend find her cat who is lost in an old condemned house. It's great that these two episodes are on tape but I would really like to see the whole show get on DVD in complete season DVD boxsets!

BRADYS ARE PRICELESS
I have to admit, I was skeptical at first about buying this video..being a big time Brady fan...I am glad I did..will buy more..wish they had this on dvd...like some shows have a whole season...someone needs to do that with this classic show!

One Of The **BEST** TV Shows Ever Made!!
I grew up with the Brady Bunch. I have seen every episode at least three times. I have seen some episodes more than that. I hope to get this tape for Christmas. I love the episode Law & Disorder. It has always been one of my favorite episodes. I also love the Tattletale episode. It's so funny when Greg is making a face at Cindy in the beginning of the Tattletale episode.

If you haven't seen this show I suggest either buying this tape or watching it on TV Land or on Nick At Nite. You won't be sorry if you do.

A great video collection
This video contains two of the best episodes involving the two youngest children, Cindy and Bobby. In the first episode, "The Tattletale", Cindy does what she does best: snitching. She drives the rest of the family crazy with her tattling. The second episode, "Law and Disorder", features Bobby, who wants to be the best hall monitor in school. However, he brings his job home with him and rats on all of his siblings.

These are two great episodes, especially for fans of the younger Bradys.

These two episodes were really good for any Brady lover.
These episodes were really good, particulary because Cindy is my favorite character, and "The Tattletale" is focused around Cindy. In "Law and Disorder", Bobby wants to be a good safety monitor, but becomes really bossy at school and at home. He goes too far, but then he saves a girl's cat, and in doing so, he breaks a rule and rethinks the concept of rules. "The Tattletale" is about Cindy tattling on other people so much that the Brady kids start avoiding her. Then she tries to stop tattling so much that she almost loses something that is important to Alice. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Melancholy Remembrance of Things Past
Catherine is introduced to a new hire at the District Attorney's Office. One evening she sees him go to the tunnel entrance in Central Park. It turns out that the man (named Devin) was Vincent's closest boyhood friend. He has returned after a decades-long absence from the tunnels. Making extensive use of flashbacks, this well-crafted episode gradually reveals to us details of Vincent's relationship with Devin, and details behind friction between Devin and Father. We learn of childhood dreams, never realized. The final shot, a flashback moment involving Vincent and Devin, is quite moving.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Promises of Someday" finished 11th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Promises of Someday" 20th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Father, Looking for a Lost Love, is Charged with Murder
Father receives a message from Above, and tells Vincent he must venture there briefly. The message has led Father to believe that the love of his life, a woman named Margaret with whom he hasn't communicated in decades, is looking for him. When Father doesn't soon return to the tunnels, Vincent enlists Catherine's aid in finding him. Catherine finds that Father is in jail and charged with murder. Father, in seeking out the source of the message he received, has inadvertently managed to FRAME HIMSELF for the murder of Margaret's lawyer. Catherine goes to great lengths to clear him of the charges and help bring about a bittersweet reunion between Father and Margaret. The episode achieves some emotional power, with regretful thoughts over lost opportunity. Vincent and Catherine, witnessing this, must wonder if THEIR opportunity will be lost.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Song of Orpheus" finished 16th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Song of Orpheus" 19th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Chandler and Welles deliver once again
Good performances highlight this film. Jeff Chandler once again gives an excellent portrayal as the stoic, strong silent type as he upholds the law in this modern day western. Orson Welles turns in another convincing performance as the powerful rancher, a similar patriarchal role that he perfected in several of his latter films. Jeff Chandler was a rugged, virile leading man characterized by his steel gray wavy hair, high cheekbones and a muscular physique. He starred in action films from the late 1940s into the early 60s, often as American Indians, hoodlums and cavalrymen. Not an obliging star, Chandler often rebelled against Universal's mediocre action projects he was often relegated to and was suspended on several occasions. Chandler deserved better roles than he was given in the likes of "SIGN OF THE PAGAN" and "YANKEE PASHA." In his best roles Chandler was the introverted enigmatic and stoic leading man of high uncompromising character as this film demonstrates. This quality can also be seen in his performances in "AWAY ALL BOATS," "FOXFIRE," "RAW WIND IN EDEN," "THE JAYHAWKERS," "RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE" and "MERRILL'S MARAUDERS." He left us much too early at age 42. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Fatal Attraction" in Beauty and the Beast
An ex-fiance comes back into Catherine's life. Catherine is not terribly comfortable with this as we see from flashbacks that the breakup up was not particularly amicable. Vincent is very uncomfortable with this as he battles feelings of jealously. He also worries for Catherine's safety as he is haunted by ominous dreams of Catherine being in danger.

The notion of an ex-fiance coming back into Catherine's life could potentially have made a compelling episode, but unfortunately this episode goes off into an unimaginative "fatal attraction" direction.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Down to a Sunless Sea" finished 36th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Down to a Sunless Sea" 37th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Because it's Been the Most Wonderful Year of My Life"
So says Catherine to her plastic surgeon when he expresses surprise after she declines his suggestion that he remove a scar from the side of her face. It is the only remaining visible scar among those she acquired one year ago on the night Vincent discovered her, bleeding and left for dead. She apparently cherishes it. This episode has a rather unremarkable main plot wherein Catherine's boss is victimized (and Catherine endangered) by a conspiracy of unscrupulous (to put it mildly) lawyers. But there is a nice subplot involving preparations leading up to, and the culmination of, Vincent and Catherine's one-year anniversary celebration.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Temptation" finished 27th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Temptation" 29th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clumsy Episode with Dubious Moral Wisdom
Catherine befriends a gypsy boy who has been disowned by his grandparents and turned out into the streets due to an alleged misdeed of the boy's deceased father. Vincent and Catherine help the boy clear his father's name in order to facilitate reunification with the grandparents. This is a questionable goal considering their values are such that they were willing to disown the boy based on something his FATHER had supposedly done. An all-around clumsy episode relying on such things as doltish villains to reach its "happy" ending.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Everything is Everything" finished 37th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Everything is Everything" 44th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Complete Season DVD Boxsets Would be Nice!
I was 4 years old when The Brady Bunch was on TV for the first time with their pilot episode Honeymoon and it is one of my favorite episodes as well as the Camping episode, both episodes are great with really cute humor and I would like to see The Brady Bunch put on DVD in complete season boxsets!

Classic... BUT.... Something's missing....
Honeymoon is the first episode, where they "must somehow form a family" -- Mike and ... get married.

A Camping We Will Go is a classic from early in the series where they are still trying to form a family.

HOWEVER, having watched these episodes when they first ran, this video seems to have trimmed scenes out of both episodes! Especially in the camping video, there seems to be NO support for the girls projecting the bear onto the boys tent. In the original I saw, the boys did something to provoke it. NOT IN THIS VIDEO. So dissapointed. I've noticed the same thing (cut scenes) in the Gilligan's Island videos from AOL/TimeWarner.

Anyone else notice this? Am I dreaming?

Yet another collection of great Brady episodes.
This video collection contains two episodes "The Honeymoon" and "A Camping We Will Go". For all of you classic TV buffs, you'll be interested to know that the first episode in this collection is the pilot for the series, and explains how Mike and Carol got married. In the second episode, Mike offers to bring the girls on an annual camping trip with Greg, Peter, and Bobby, much to their dismay. You can be sure that some interesting things will happen. Almost reminds me of the camping scenes in The Parent Trap. A truely classic episode.

These are two of the greatest episodes from the first season of The Brady Bunch, and is an excellent addition to your home library.

I think that these are the 2 best episodes
I think that these 2 episofdes are 2 of the best they did. They are both funny abd heartwarming and both show the true Brady spirit in the end. The two families constant changes as they adapt to thier new life styles are hilarious, and the "bear" beats them all.

This video contains the "Pilot" episode.
In the pilot episode, "The Honeymoon", Carol (and her 3 daughters) marries Mike Brady (and his 3 sons). The battle of boys against girls begins in classic Brady Bunch style!

In the second episode, "A Camping We Will Go", the Brady boys are not exactly happy when their dad invites Carol and the girls on their annual camping trip. The boys do everything in their power to ensure that the girls will never want to go camping again!

If you're into TV pilot episodes, there are lots of other ones available at Amazon.com. I have a list of over 70 so far! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A pair of first season episodes of the classic idiot sitcom
This videotape has a couple of first season episodes of "Gilligan's Island," including only the second appearance of a guest star. In Episode #15 "So Sorry, My Island Now," Vito Scotti, the Italian character actor who would go on to appear in "The Godfather," plays a Japanese sailor (I know, it strikes me as especially odd too) who shows up on the island in his one-man submarine and thinks World War II is still going on since his radio broke in 1942. Of course, Gilligan (Bob Denver) initially mistakes the submarine for a strange creature in their lagoon and it is not long before the visitor has captured most of the Castaways. Then, in Episode #16 "Plant You Now, Dig You Later," Mr. Howell (Jim Backus) hired Gilligan to dig a barbecue pit. When Gilligan hits a buried treasure chest, a custody battle ensues over ownership, which comes down to the principle of "finders keepers" versus the "out of court" settlement approach of paying off the jury. Both of the episodes are standard fare for the classic "idiot" sitcom, certainly representative of the first season but not classic episodes by any means.

what a great tape of Gilligan's Island
this tape is so so great... i loved it. in your local video stores these tapes are out of print so BUY IT NOW from amazon.com !!! these episods are funny and they look great in color. best thing you dont have those commercials ! i love Gilligan's Island and this is a MUST for any Gilligan's Island fan out there.... hury !!! these videos might be gone soon so buy it now while you have the chance!!

japanese sailor on gilligan's island
is cool the first time seeing the japanese it was in black and white on nick at nite but on this tape it is in color wan giligan was in the lagoon a peasocp came out of the wather gilligan ran a way gilligan thinks it is a seasurpint wan it was a japanese sailor from ww2 the japanese sailor dos not kown ww2 is over the japanese sailor capsers the castways to find out what happans next you must buy this video

Excellent colorized version of episodes 15 and 16
Excellent true-to-life colorized version of episode #15 (first aired on January 9, 1965) and #16 (first aired on January 16, 1965). Contains original music and scenes not shown in re-runs. END ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Vincent Searches Below for a Kidnapped Catherine
Paracelsus (arch-nemesis to the tunnel dwellers) kidnaps Catherine in order to lure Vincent into a trap. Vincent and friends encounter some (perhaps overly) fanciful settings as they venture deeply below ground in seach of Catherine. We eventually get a WWF-style wrestling match between Vincent and a very large man as a chained damsel-in-distress (Catherine) looks on. What Paracelsus wants to achieve by setting up this whole thing is not entirely clear. Paracelsus' actions are particularly puzzling when one considers his behavior in later episodes (when Vincent seems to be the apple of his eye). "To Reign in Hell" does have some good moments, including some mournful ones.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "To Reign in Hell" finished 25th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "To Reign in Hell" 34th in my own personal rank-ordering of the episodes.

To Reign in Hell is boring as hell.
Paracelsus, an old enemy of Vincent's, kidnaps Catherine and Vincent goes in search of her. She is being held deep down in the sewers, a few days travel for Vincent. Most of the show is about Vincent's journey which is mind-numblingly boring. I found myself fast forwarding through much of it. Catherine is hardly in the show at all, and she is the main reason I watch. Please do not buy this video. It is sorely disappointing. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bob Denver Rules!! Cute Family western!!
Bob Denver rules in this cute family western.It's a must see!!

History only.
It's Gilligan's Island of the west. A wagon train with Denver, Forrest Tucker, and a group of forgettable "castaways". Denver and Tucker aren't bad. The writing, direction, photography, production, sets, and acting are terrible. It's done by many of the same people that did Gilligan's Island, but they didn't seem to care much about this program. I will admit that since it's just a pilot episode and Gilligan's pilot wasn't that good either maybe it would have made it if it had more time to develop. Denver and Tucker have good chemistry. The banker and his wife have little air time, for good reason. The school teacher is not a good replacement for Russell Johnson. The saloon girl is rough and tumble not soft and sexy like Tina Louise. The girl from Petticoat Junction (I can't remember her name) was alright in Dawn Wells roll, but she spent too much time lost and getting horrid lines. Even Denver fans might find this program too much, but I think it's worth it for 5 dollars. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gilligan wins $3 million and has to guard the water supply
This video tape offers up a pair of episodes from the first season of "Gilligan's Island." First up is "Three Million Dollars More or Less" (Episode #13, December 26, 1964), where Gilligan wins $3 million from Mr. Howell in a golf game. Mr. Howell then tricks Gilligan into buying a worthless oil well that he owns. Of course, then Mr. Howell hears on the radio that the oil well is a gusher and now he needs to find a way to get the productive well back. Unfortunately he is going up against Gilligan. This episode was written by Bill Davenport & Charles Tannen and directed by Ray Montgomery. Then in "Water, Water Everywhere" (Episode #14, January 2, 1965), the castaways have to deal with the fact that their supply of fresh drinking water is running out. This forces the group to strictly ration what little water they have, which simply means they wait until Gilligan is on guard to get themselves some more. Written by Tom Waldman & Frank Waldman and directed by Stanley Z. Cherry, I appreciate the fact that this is one of the few episodes that actually deals with one of the "real" problems the castaways would have confronted. While neither of these are classic episodes of "Gilligan's Island," they do show why the series is usually considered the epitome of the "Idiot Sitcom" that dominated television in the middle-1960s.

Gilligans Island One of the greatest shows of all time!
In this episode of Gilligan's Island Mr. Howell is getting tired of playing golf by him self so he askes Gilligan to be his partner. Mr. Howell realizes that Gilligan is an excellent player. Mr. Howell bets Gilligan that he can't play better than him and Gilligan beats him every time! Mr. Howell still doesn't give up and he keeps playing and playing until he loses three million dollars in gambeling against Gilligan! Gilligan is so happy that he became a millionaire he is confident that he can win more of Mr. Howell's money so he plays another game and bets all of his money. Unfortunatly Gillligan plays a game he is not all good at and loses and Mr. Howell becomes the millionaire on the island once again! This episode is full of laughs! See it now and witness the luaghs and comedy of the castaways on Gilligan's Island! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bob Denver Rules!!
Bob Denver and Forrest Tucker star in this wacky western about their wagon and stage coach getting lost from the other wagon trains and finding their own wandering path to California.It rules!!Hopefully, Direct Source Special Products will aggressively pursue the video release of the hilariously reknowned Soupy Sales Comedy"Birds Do It"1966 co-starring Tab Hunter and Arthur O'Connell also many of the Pat Boone movie-musicals from the 50's and 60's have never been released on video,it could prove to be very profitable if they were.I mean Elvis as great as he was,should'nt get all the glory!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Is it a serious look at drug addiction and the "narcotics problem," oris it pure exploitation? Well, High School Confidential opens up withJerry Lee Lewis rolling into town on a flatbed truck, pummeling an upright pianoas he bellows one of his hits, so that should tell you something right off.Eminently slappable punk Russ Tamblyn enrolls at the local high school andimmediately starts to hit on the teacher (Jan Sterling). Soon he proves thathe's even cooler than jive-talking king daddy-o John Drew Barrymore (Drew'sdad), and is getting acquainted with the local dope peddler (Jackie Coogan).Never mind that Barrymore should be able to pick him up over his head and throwhim; Tamblyn has a switchblade at the ready should trouble break out. At home,he's constantly fending off the amorous advances of his "aunt," Mamie Van Doren.Of course, Russ's character is a narc, sent undercover to infiltrate the schooldope ring. High School Confidential's cast includes Lyle Talbot, MichaelLandon and famous offspring William Wellman Jr., and Charlie Chaplin Jr. Fiftiesteen movies (and drug-hysteria movies) just don't come any better than this;simultaneously absurd, exciting, and hilarious. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Box mislabeled as Full Screen!!
It's actually in widescreen letterbox, thank goodness!

HIGH SCHOOL HOP (HEADS)....
Drugs infiltrate a small town high school and swaggering young "stud" Tony Baker (Russ Tamblyn) makes the scene as a new student unsubtly "grazing for grass". He encounters a sympathetic teacher (Jan Sterling), "pretty kitten" Joan Staples (Diane Jergens), her pusher boyfriend with a hillbilly accent (John Drew Barrymore) and assorted other "teens" including Michael Landon as well as the infamous "Mr.A" (Jackie Coogan). These characters swirl around a delirious plot involving "weed heads" and busting a narcotics ring. There's a drag race, beat slang, switchblades, a serious lecture on the danger of "marijuana addiction", racy dialogue and hilarity to spare. And speaking of busts, there's Mamie Van Doren as Tony's "guardian aunt" with more than a healthy yen for the skinny guy. She parades around in several sexy outfits and actually delivers a funny performance. She apparently wisely knew this was anything but serious material. When you've got Jerry Lee Lewis opening the film on the back of a truck singing "High School Hop" how can you go wrong? "High School Confidential" is a deliciously trashy JD exploitation flick that makes an OK transition to DVD. It's not the best print but it's in good shape and very watchable. I'm very happy to have it. Bare Bones and all. Good deal, man.

For those so inclined, a masterwork.
... let me tell you, this is the one. High School Confidential has it all, everything you're seeking in disreputable youth-gone-wild 50's entertainment. This is juvenile delinquent movie Ground Zero, covering all but one of the categories that make this brand of escapism what it is:
1. Cars/racing;
2. Gangs/crime rings/rumbles;
3. A high school setting;
4. Rock 'n' roll;
5. Parties (pool, beach, dance, etc.);
6. "Controlled substances;
7. Leather jackets, poodle skirts, et al;
8. Dysfunctional families;
9. Outmoded acting;
10. Ridiculous dialogue;
11. Over-the-top histrionics (see #9);
12. "Messages" many will find dated;
13. Mamie Van Doren.

It lacks only a scene in a malt shop to fill out the Eisenhower-era roster. I am willing to overlook that due to the unbelievable cast. Mamie is just one of the draws, if you can believe it. See also: Russ Tamblyn; John Drew Barrymore; Jerry Lee Lewis (playing piano on a pickup truck!); Charles Chaplin, Jr.; William Wellman, Jr.; Michael Landon; and Jackie Coogan as the Drug Kingpin! Note I never said it was a *good* cast, merely an unbelievable one. And it's directed by Jack (Creature From the Black Lagoon) Arnold! Huzzah!!

MST3K skewered their share of these kind of films; perhaps with this one, like Plan 9, they saw too great a challenge in improving upon it, and passed it by. (Although it would've been great fodder, and interesting to see what they could've come up with.)

So... if you want to bask (or perhaps wallow) in all that is JD, pick this up. It will make you smile; it will also likely make you wince with discomfort. If you want a good movie, one that will make you think, get East of Eden.

P.S. The tape is not that great, but what in the sockhop do you expect?

Old-Time "The Fast and the Furious"; Watch Drew's Father
"High School Confidential" is a kind of a movie your mothers (or grandmothers) with their dates were watching (or pretending to watch) at their local driving theater. There is no plot except that Russ Tamblyn got involved with drug in his high school, and the picture goes on showing a series of car chase, students who brandish knives, and girls who love them. And some adults too who cannot understand their behaviors. But, never mind, it's nothing serious.

In short, the film was one of the major studios's way to cash in on the advent of recently born rock'n'roll age, and as if to prove it, it begins with nice Jerry Lee Lewis number "High School Confidential." His role? Of course, himself. And the cast, catching the eye of prospective audience quickly and cheaply, is the most attaractive part even now. There is Jackie Coogan (in the original "Addams Family" and Chaplin's "Kid") and talking of him, Charles Chaplin Jr. (!). There is Ray Anthony from the music industry, but most interesting thing is probably the appearance of John Drew Barrymore, real-life father of Drew Barrymore. His name might interest some fans who knew his daughter through "ET" or "Charlie's Angels."

There is a car chase scene (in which a car overturns in a very, very ridiculous way), Mamie Van Doren (who looks like much more famous MM), and ostentatious moralistic preaching about the harm of drug. But the formula itself survived and still we can find it in the hit movies like "The Fast and the Furious," which to some extent resembles "HSC." Nothing great, but still fun as a period piece.

One of my all time favorites
One of the greatest movies ever made. It has everything including teen-age girls having marijuana withdrawals to the most bizarre lexicon of teen jargon you have ever heard. Mamie Van Doren--what else can I say. In a stroke of casting genious, we have Jackie Coogan (yes, Uncle Fester) as Mr. "A", the biggest drug dealer in town. Five stars--check it out. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Nothing Ugly About Him; He's Just...Different"
So says a female member of a youth gang that has kidnapped Vincent. Vincent has been badly-injured in an explosion and, now chained, is being cruelly taunted and tortured by the gang. Vincent manages to make his escape, killing one of the gang members in the process. Suffering from badly-blurred vision and other injuries, he must try to find his way to safety Below, all the while being sought by the youth gang who are now seeking revenge against him. As bad as his plight is, one can envy him one thing: there is a woman desperately seeking him, seeking to help him, ready to lay her life down for him. Her name...is Catherine.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "No Way Down" finished 34th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "No Way Down" 26th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes.

Moving, emotionally charged
Vincint is captured by a ruthless gang after following Catherine to an explosive witness meeting. The episode tells of Vincint painful search for a way back to his home after escaping the gang. It is slightly violent, but has some touching moments. If you like emotionally charged shows then this is for you. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Romantic!
Probably the most romantic series - or movie - I've ever seen! The spin it puts on the "Beauty and the Beast" scenerio points out what is truly important in a relationship. A second aspect of the series is that I find it also fuels the imagination for what might really be going on in the great cities' underground subway systems. You never know.....

"I'm Not One of the Bad Guys, Cathy"
So says Elliot Burch to Catherine Chandler, a woman who has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with him. Before long Vincent and Father become trapped when a section of the tunnels caves in, and Catherne finds herself in the awkward position of begging for help from a man she has previously judged unfit for her company. She needs equipment from Elliot (no questions asked) in order to have hope of excavating Vincent and Father from the cave-in. The episode has some sharply-written dialogue between Vincent and Father as they endure their difficult circumstances in the best humor possible. The interaction between Catherine and Elliot is also well-done, and there is a memorable ending between Vincent and Catherine.

In 1998 I conducted a poll among Beauty and the Beast fans asking them to rate the 44 episodes of the first two seasons on a 1-to-10 scale. 31 fans participated. "Shades of Grey" finished 6th out of the 44 episodes.

I placed "Shades of Grey" 17th in my own personal 1-through-44 rank-ordering of the episodes. ... Read more