Reviews (12)

good idea but bad come out
Fred Williamson(Black Ceasar, From Dusk Till Dawn) is John Bookman and he returns home after his father is shot up by a gang called the rebels, a gang he formed back in his day, led by Spyro and Damien..two ruthless thugs who changed the gang from what it used to be, the rebels think they own the streets. well Bookman and co. join forces to try to stop them. an allstar cast including Jim Brown(Mars Attacks,Salughter) Ron O'Neal(Superfly), Pam Grier(Ghost Of Mars, Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown), Paul Winfield(Mars Attacks, The Terminator), Richard Roundtree(Antitrust, Shaft, Corky Romando) and many more. takes its toll on the 70's black films but is too much uninspired with wooden performances and a lack of, anything...was expecting much more

A violent reunion from back in the day
The reason to watch this movie is the reunion for those of us who remember the protagonists from the era of blaxploitation films in which we were introduced to them/ Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, reconvene to take back their home town of Gary, Indiana from several well organized and terribly violent street gangs.

Also appearing in almost cameo roles are Ron O'Neal ("Superfly") and Richard Roundtree (the original John Shaft). Seeing them all together is a treat, but left me wondering why this quintet did not get more screen time all together. It is particularly pleasing to see Brown and Grier, who, as one of the expert reviewers noted, have aged very very well. However, the re-ignition of their former relationship is tepid and seemingly forced. By contrast, it has nowhere near the intensity seen when barely restrained Brown confronts a gang leader about the murder of his son.

I agree that the simplistic plot and the consistent (and predictable) violence keep this from being one of the great films of our time. Those who remember the first time seeing these individuals in character now some thirty years ago will enjoy seeing them all together again, and that makes this disc worthwhile.

great re-union of 70's actionmovie st ars
if your a film buff, and wanted to see just outta curiosity
what happened to the black star's of the early 70's...see this movie, sorry to say that most of the aging star's except for pam grier now could be cast in a new version of sanford and son...as fred's old buddies from the hood drinking
grape ripple. it was a good social commentary of life in gary,
indiana and how dependent that city was on the steel mills and the off shoot business's that gradually closed down, see this movie on a saturday afternoon,,,but if you have to mow the lawn or paint the house...you'd be better off doing that.

An solid comeback for an action movie vet--
Original Gangstas: Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier. Williamson is John Bookman, former football pro turned coach, who comes back to his old hometown to find it overrun by gangs. The last straw is when Bookman's dad is assaulted and his grocery store vandalized. Grier is the mom of a basketball prodigy slain by the Rebels, one of three major gangs in the city. Brown is Bookman's best friend who comes back to bury his son. In a touch of irony, the gangs are the modern day incarnation of the crews started by Bookman & his friends decades ago. But whereas the original intent was to be a teen militia of sorts, the modern crews-mostly people well over 21-- are about nothing but victimizing their neighborhood.

Filmed entirely on location in Gary, Indiana, the film uses many city landmarks to illustrate the decay that has taken place. The film rightly postulates that the abrupt downsizing of the US Steel mill in the late 60's started an economic domino effect that the city has yet to recover from. Abandoned storefronts still abound, while neighborhoods are peppered with derelict houses and other rag-tag buildings.
Supporting roles are offered by Robert Forster as a police detective, and Ron O'Neal & Richard Roundtree as longtime residents who join the effort to take the city back.

Williamson and his contemporaries first came to prominence in the black action movie trend of the 70's. Some of his real life was slipped into the script: Williamson was a Northwestern football star before turning pro; also, according to the star the film was inspired from an encounter he had while visiting his mother, who still lives in Gary.

Fred and the actors of his generation deserve better from the Hollywood industry-- folks like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have used them in a handful of contemporary films, but they should have the status of a Clint Eastwood or Burt Reynolds..

ORIGINAL GANGSTAS Review
In a reunion of the big-name 70's blaxplotation stars, you can expect a whole lot of fun. They're all here. Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam "Foxxy Brown" Grier, Richard "Shaft" Roudntree, and Superfly himself, Ron O'Neal. A host of other infamous character actors and some of today's big name underground rappers also show up for this bullet-riddled nostalgia pic.

It's "old school" versus "new school" as the Rebels, a gang once known simply for protecting their neighborhood has transformed into a gang of thugs who specialize in drive-by shootings and drug dealing. This doesn't sit well with the gang's founding members who reunite with the support of the community to clean up the streets once and for all.

While not nearly as energetic and entertaining as many of the 70's pics that it is paying homage to, "Original Gangstas" does have fun while delivering a solid anti-violence message. Seeing all your old favorites strap up again makes for some real good times. There are also some good performances from relative unknowns like Christopher Duncan as the leader of the new Rebels and rapper Dru Down as the group's loud-mouthed "trigger man". Also look for rappers, Scarface and Bushwick Bill in cameos. A genuine good time. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Good blaxploitation flick, but often disturbing.
If you think John Shaft is tough, then wait until you see the character Tommy Gibbs in Black Caesar. The acting is terrible, the film could use some re-editing, but it's definitely one of the more revered inclusions in the genre. And the James Brown soundtrack is killer!

The quintessential "blaxploitation" film. . .
Those of us who know what it takes to make a powerful film know that you don't need a gargantuan budget and a big-name director. This stylish, gritty crime film from the 1970s "blaxploitation" library stars Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs, a tough, confident hood who works his way up the organized crime ladder in New York City. Director Larry Cohen perfectly blends elements from DePalma's "Scarface", 1930s gangster films, and the powerful, in-your-face violence is expertly complemented with the themes of loyalty, redemption, and greed (The scene in which Tommy's gang heads a bloody gun battle at a Mafia pool party was exceptionally well done). The performances were all convincing, especially D'urville Martin's over-the-top portrayal of Tommy's preacher friend. Combining raw, uncompromising violence, a complex morality tale, a dynamic soundtrack from the godfather of soul, James Brown, and believable performances, this film is a powerful journey into the realm of organized crime and its a shame that more people don't know about this movie. So for those of you who like big-budget, socially acceptable Hollywood garbage with action scenes almost completely lacking adrenaline, go see a James Cameron film. If you want an honest, uncompromising character study, definitely check out this underappreciated gangster flick. Don't miss a particularly entertaining scene in which Tommy gets knife happy on one of his victims in a barber shop, cutting off a certain appendage. This scene receives an indirect if perverse tribute in Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs."

Blaxploitation.....A Perfect 10
This is by far the best in the genre.....raw and rugged....a perfect 10....should not be missed if your a fan of blaxploitation flicks.....enjoy!

A CLASSIC I LOVE FRED WILLIAMSON!!!
THIS MOVIE IS SO AWESOME I WISH THAT I COULD GIVE THIS MOVIE 100 STARS BECAUSE THE ACTING IS WONDERFUL BY JULIUS W. HARRIS, GLORIA HENDRY, AND MINNIE GENTRY THIS IS A POWERFUL DRAMATIC ACTION PACKED MOVIE BASED IN HARLEM, NEW YORK I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE WHO ENJOYS BLAXPLOITATION MOVIES AND I LOVE THE ACTING THE PLOT EVERYTHING THE WHOLE PACKAGE DELIVERS I WOULD ALSO RECCOMMEND THE SOUNDTRACK I AM NOT TRULY A JAMES BROWN FAN BUT HE REALLY DELIVERS WITH"THE BOSS" AND ALSO "MAMA" I LOVE THIS MOVIE AND THE SOUNDTRACK!!!

Perhaps The Very Best Of This Genre
Growing up in the early 1970s, I never really took Shaft, Black Caesar, or Superfly seriously. Thirty years later, my perspective has changed drastically. Black Caesar, starring Fred Williamson, is a masterpiece and represents the absolute elite of this genre. Williamson does a fabulous job portraying the rise and fall of a NYC gangster. Many have referred to Williamson as "The Black Burt Reynolds", but I'm quite hard pressed to come up with a Reynolds performance that is actually better than Williamson's in Black Caesar.

It's a shame Williamson wasn't given access to a broader array of high quality scripts. In a lot of ways, Williamson is more accomplished, educated, and polished than Reynolds. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It has that Adam Arkin feel
Ed McMahon is a right-wing father that has to go on a mission to Romania and takes his son Adam Arkin. The father is interrogating a couple of female contacts. He tells them that in the US they would be free to walk the streets at night.
You can guess what biting experiences the son has to go through. Later requiring him to roam the world until he gets tired of packing. Then he must fulfill his destiny. There is a reference to ALPO. And a teenage sweetheart and his old friends haunt him. Will the little nipper complete his task? Get out the flea powder and watch.

THIS MOVIE ROCKS!
This is so funny. Fans of werewolf movies should love this spoof. This one is funny for the right reasons. Perfect sense of humor for this film. Ed McMahon is a right-wing father that has to go on a mission to Romania and takes his son Adam Arkin. The father is interrogating a couple of female contacts. He tells them that in the US they would be free to walk the streets at night. Don't take it seriously, because it is so ubsurd that you would have to laugh at it. This movie is great, but where is the DVD!

It has that Adam Arkin feel
Ed McMahon is a right-wing father that has to go on a mission to Romania and takes his son Adam Arkin. The father is interrogating a couple of female contacts. He tells them that in the US they would be free to walk the streets at night.

You can guess what biting experiences the son has to go through. Later requiring him to roam the world until he gets tired of packing. Then he must fulfill his destiny. There is a reference to ALPO. And a teenage sweetheart and his old friends haunt him. Will the little nipper complete his task? Get out the flea powder and watch. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Wonderful acting
One does not usually expect to find quality acting in a movie like this, but I was quite surprised.

David Carradine plays a policeman on the trail of two cases that seem linked. The first involves a window washer who suddenly loses his head. Later there are more rooftop disappearances, seemingly perpetrated by a giant bird. The second case involved a series of ritualistic murders. They seem to be the work of a fanatic following Aztec rituals to bring back the god Quetzalcoatl.

Carradine's portrayal is excellent but he cannot hold a candle to Michael Moriarty who plays a down-on-his-luck loser. He wants to be a jazz pianist but is still unemployed. He is also a timid small-time crook. He is a driver ("I don't go inside and I don't carry a piece!"). But a job goes wrong and he finds himself on the run.

Moriarty hides in the Chrysler building and discovers that the run-down art-deco spire is the home of the giant bird. There is even an egg in the nest. A body hidden there gets him thinking. The city is in fear of the bird and he knows where it is. He is convinced he is now the most important man in the city.

Now that he thinks he has power, he holds the safety of the city for ransom. He wants money and a "Nixon-like" pardon. But his arrogant cockiness loses him his girl (she had felt sorry for him but now could see how mean he really is).

The city acquiesces to Moriarty's demands and go after the monster. Because the bird is not in the nest when they arrive, the city is able to pull out of the deal.

In the end, Carradine manages to take care of the bird and track down the ritual killer. Moriarty is back where he started minus one girlfriend (although Carradine tries to convince him to go back to her).

Good tight acting with Moriarty giving an amazing performance. The stop-motion effects on the creature are a little crude at times but not really bad considering the time period and the budget.

Definitely a fun film to watch with a minimum of gore (although there is a scene where street crowds are splattered by blood from the skies). Find it and watch it.

Larry Cohen Strikes Again!
If you like outrageous humor, Q is simply irresistable. First, there's a giant mythic Aztec "serpent" which makes a habit of swooping down on unsuspecting New York sunbathers and construction workers. (We get to see New York through the eyes of the bird---expressionistic style.) In a likeable performance, David Carradine as a police detective, diligently researches the creature and then tracks it down---his efforts climax in a hilarious "finale" in which Carradine and his cohorts attempt to machine-gun the monster as it collides into buildings. Doubling the fun is a wonderful performance by Michael Moriarty as a frustrated jazz pianist who resorts to small-time crime to make a living and ends up discovering the serpent's egg at the top of the Empire State Building. (As Mr. Moriarty happily confides to the audience, "I'm afraid of almost everything, but I'm not afraid of heights!") Whether singing scat songs, hobbling through New York on a gimpy leg, or demanding immunity from the police ("I want a Nixon-like pardon!"), Mr. Moriarty is always a delight. And so is this movie.

Horror In The Sky
I remember seeing this film when I was 7 or 8 years old and it scared me senseless. Seeing people getting their heads chopped off and mutalated from who knows what that flies around a big city gave me an uneasy eerie feeling. I didn't know what the name of this movie was and I was looking for it in the video stores. I stumbled onto this accidentally and taking my chances of this being the dragon in the sky killing people movie that I saw 20 years ago, I bought it. After seeing it again, this is the movie that scared me to death so many years ago. Though, by today's standards, this movie is rather cheap and cheesy, it still gave me that uneasy eerie feeling. This movie is original, having a flying dragon that is summoned by ritual killings, that eats people like birds eat worms. This movie is a hybrid of Godzilla and slasher flicks. This is definately B-movie material, but it's fun to watch and brings back some childhood memories... and that is worth more than the price of admission.

Quetzalco-What-L?!
Q is for Quetzalcoatl, the flying, feathered serpent god of the ancient aztecs. It seems that some nut is loose in NYC, performing ancient sacrificial rites on willing participants, skinning them alive and taking out hearts and things. The police figure it's just another crazy serial killer. Only David Carradine's character believes there's more to it than that. Meanwhile, a small-time, ex-heroin addict, and street crook (played perfectly sleazily by Michael Moriarty) is being hunted by thugs who think he's ripped them off. These elements begin to merge when a gigantic flying monster starts biting people's heads off in broad daylight! Moriarty stumbles upon the creature's nest, complete with giant egg, while trying to hide in the top of the Chrysler building. He later leads his enemies back to the nest, telling them he's hidden their money there. They quickly become monster chow. Moriarty then decides to tell police where the beast lives, if they will drop all charges against him, and give him a million bucks. He considers himself to be prince of the city, and becomes extremely arrogant about it. The cops destroy the egg and it's mum, in a battle reminiscent of king kong. The "high priest" serial killer guy is enraged by this, and pays a visit on our slimey anti-hero. This is a movie only Larry Cohen (It's Alive!, God Told Me To) would / could make! Low-low budget, but excellent nonetheless. We don't see a lot of the monster, but when we do, it's pretty cool for 1982. Q for Quality...

Don't bother
I was lured to buy the DVD version of "Q" after reading some amazon costumers' reviews. However, once I saw the film, I had to conclude they greatly overrated it. "Q" is badly written and has a terrible edition. Besides, it focuses so much in Michael Moriarty's character that it ends overlooking the snake itself (and I don't actually mean showing the monster... sometimes you can achieve really artistic results without doing that frequently). There are better low budget monster movies out there. Thus, my recommendation is that you forget about this title and get "The Howling" or something like that. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Future B movie maverick Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Q: The WingedSerpent) made his directorial debut with this sly, often savage, socialsatire set in Beverly Hills. Yaphet Kotto swaggers into the backyard of anaffluent, upper-middle-class Beverly Hills couple (Andrew Duggan and Joyce VanPatten) with a dangerous grin on his face and demands: "I want money and I wantit now." Nothing from this point on goes as planned. The home invasion tears theveneer of civility that has been holding the couple's loveless marriagetogether, exposing their lies and schemes, while Bone (as Kotto's character iscalled) is revealed as a conflicted serial rapist just looking for a littletenderness. Directed with raw energy and aggressive flamboyance, this cynicalportrait of American hypocrisy and corruption is more punchy than perceptive, alittle glib in its conclusions, but thoroughly unpredictable in its execution.Cohen tweaks stereotypes and twists expectations, while offbeat characters andjuicy dialogue electrify the drama. Kotto takes a big, meaty bite of his role,commanding every scene with a threat always beneath his stocky frame and burningeyes. Jeannie Berlin makes a memorable appearance as a ditzy shoplifter with athoroughly off-center philosophy. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Larry Cohen's Dark Black Comedy
This 1972 comedy-drama marks the directorial debut of popular and prolific B-movie auteur Larry Cohen, who also wrote the screenplay. Though Cohen is known today for penning and directing well-crafted but low-budget indie flicks in the science-fiction, horror, or fantasy genres, BONE is a brilliant and biting Juvenalian satire that astutely dissects the issues of race relations and economic stratification in the United States. Part of the film's intelligence comes from the fact that Cohen's script is not one-sided. Not only does he take lunges at average white folks and their stereotyped views of themselves and those of darker-skinned ethic persuasions, he also uses his dark rapier-like wit to flay the typical black citizen's equally stereotyped attitudes towards upper-class whites. But Cohen doesn't end it there. BONE is a complex, multi-layered story in which one can find many subtle comments and observations above and beyond the primary theme. Addressed are socio-economic issues such as honesty, avarice, marital ennui, contemporary sexual mores, familial trust, the consequences of acting on one's personal fantasies, and lots more, and it definitely requires multiple viewings to peel back the layers and take it all in.

Though some socio-political pundits will rightly argue that race relations and the social standing of non-whites have improved since the era in which this film was made, there are still palpable gaps between the social and economic classes in America, and recent notorious racial hate crimes demonstrates that there is certainly a lot of ground yet to cover where racial issues are concerned. This being the case, BONE still seems just as fresh and relevant--and just as satirically witty--as it did in 1972.

The principal actors in BONE are phenomenal. In the titular role, actor Yaphet Kotto portrays a black robber and rapist who upends the calm, boring life of an affluent middle-aged white couple. His Oscar-caliber performance is forceful and dynamic, yet the character he creates is still sympathetic and at times downright hilarious. Character actor Andrew Duggan, in what is probably the best performance of his career, creates a dead-on three-dimensional portrait of a smarmy and greedy salesman who one day finds his daily routine abruptly disrupted by Bone. And Joyce Van Patten is delightfully dingy as the bored, cheerless housewife who eventually develops romantic and erotic feelings towards her abductor.

Certain aspects of BONE leave the narrative open to interpretation. In the end, one is left to decide if the events depicted really happened, if they were simply a fantasy of the housewife, or if they took place in the imagination of the affluent couple's son (who, we learn, is in a European prison for drug smuggling and is therefore regarded by his parents as an embarrassment and a social liability). This is a brilliant tactic on Cohen's part, as it forces the viewer to mentally review the film's issues and themes--or even to view the film again--and consider everything more deeply in order to formulate a personally sensible interpretation of the open-ended plot.

Unfortunately, the complex themes, the sophisticated satire, and the generally controversial nature of the film have proved too deep for the average audience, and BONE has therefore never achieved the notoriety or the distribution that it deserves. Instead, it has basically been relegated to the status of a cult film or an exploitation flick, and only film aficionados who actively seek quality non-mainstream works have been lucky enough to obtain access to a copy of BONE in recent years.

Until now, that is. Thanks to the folks at Blue Underground, BONE has been lovingly restored and made available on DVD. In addition to a fantastic picture and great sound, the DVD also features extras such as a humorous and informative commentary by writer/director Cohen and his protégé, Bill Lustig; a short statement from the film's original distributor, Jack Harris; some footage from an earlier aborted shoot of the film, which includes some differences in cast and dialog; and a theatrical trailer in which the film is marketed under an alternate title of THE HOUSEWIFE.

Anybody who appreciates good filmmaking and great satire will enjoy BONE, and fans of Larry Cohen will definitely want to snatch up a copy of this disc for their DVD collections. Blue Underground's DVD edition of BONE is well worth the price of admission.

A Bad Day in Beverly Hills
Well, here it is, in all its' wide screen glory. Blue Underground presents writer/director/producer Larry Cohen first film Bone, also known as Housewife, Dial Rat for Terror, or Beverly Hills Nightmare completely uncut and uncensored with a whole lot of juicy extras.

This is truly a bizarre film. The title, Bone, refers to the character played by Yaphet Kotto. The movie opens by the pool of a seemingly affluent, older couple that lives in a rather large house in Beverly Hills. Bone, an unstable, unpredictable violent criminal forces his way into the lives of this couple, looking for some easy money, and we are treated to one wild ride as the plot veers into the uncharted waters of absurdity.

The very nature of perversity is explored, as the characters are forced to confront hidden desires, exposing the seamy underbelly of modern life. The material presented here may have been tamed over time, thirty years after its' inital release, but the I think the film still commands the effect to disturb, shock, and make one laugh through its' use of imagery and dialogue. Yes, I said laugh, as I would call this a black comedy of sorts.

The movie can be hard to take at times, but the use of jump cuts and incidental music are used very effectively. What may seem insignificant at times later reveals it to be of some importance. Probably my favorite performance in this film was that of Oscar nominee Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid) who played The Girl. Her character was truly fascinating even though she had little screen time compared to the rest.

As I said, Blue Underground provides a wealth of extras on this, up until now, rare movie. There's a wonderful commentary with Larry Cohen, a short interview with distributor/director/producer Jack H. Harris, selected scenes from an early shoot of the film, trailers, a radio spot, a gallery of promotional materials, a Larry Cohen biography, and even a small reprinted still of a poster for the movie inside the case. If you are willing to take a chance on something a lot out of the cinematic mainstream, then this is as good a place as any to start.

Jump-cut masterpiece
You're right- my previous review of this film sucked. But the film itself decidedly does not suck. What we have here is a highly sophisticated satire with the denouement hinted at with stylish jump-cuts fron scenes (as in "Performance" and "Petulia"), which if fully understood as we just catch glimpses of them during the buildup, would explain the whole thing before we'd had the fun of hanging with the three main characters. Cohen's dialogue and characterizations are interesting and funny. A really good satire of wealthy whites and why they are wrong to look down their noses at poor people of color. ... Read more

Description

Third installment of the It's Alive! series where the mutant babies have been placed by court order on a deserted island. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Michael Moriarty Rescues This One
In 1987, Larry Cohen finally made the long-awaited third (and final) installment of his unique (and cult fave) IT'S ALIVE! series. Coming after an interminable-seeming nine-year wait following IT LIVES AGAIN (1978), Cohen decides to place his second sequel way into the future, when murderous mutant babies are a much more frequent occurrence, though still a maligned and misunderstood oddity. He also called upon his old friend Michael Moriarty---star of his Q (1982) and THE STUFF (1985)---to star as a new mutant-baby dad, Stephen Jarvis. Thankfully, Moriarty was amenable to doing this favor, as his priceless Method acting is the only thing that saves this installment from being an otherwise blah picture.

That's not to say that the awkwardly-titled IT'S ALIVE III: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE would otherwise have been total garbage; however, it's safe to say that without Michael Moriarty in the lead, this movie would have been, well, awkward. Instead of using rubber models for the babies, director Cohen decides to use claymation to achieve a more "realistic" effect. It's interesting for a moment, but it doesn't really work. After an impassioned courtroom plea by Mr. Jarvis (one of Moriarty's best scenes in his career, actually), it is decided that murderous little Baby Jarvis be sent to live with his "own kind"---banished to this island, to where mutant tykes have apparently been sent for quite some time now. Of course, since "out of sight, out of mind" would have been precisely the wrong tack for this movie to take (given that the whole point is to see these babies, and to see them kill), we are given a fairly implusible excuse for the main characters to journey to this island, where...well, you can pretty much figure the rest out from there!

Although at the end, this movie *does* answer a burning "what if?" question in our minds (namely, what would these mutants look like if allowed to grow into mutant-adulthood?), the result looks suspiciously like Larry Cohen had run out of whatever little bit of money he had! If for nothing else, watch IT'S ALIVE III for the Michael Moriarty performance alone. His scene with a hooker is also priceless, and is also one of his career-best. Other than that, this film is

SO-SO
MODERATELY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF THIS SERIES ONLY

Larry Cohen suceeds again!
Larry Cohen has turned to stop-motion to show the babies without any strings. He does this quite amusingly. Now where is the Trilogy DVD Box set!!

No Gerber mush for these babies
IT'S ALIVE 3 opens with a woman giving birth to another deformed mutant baby in the back of a taxi on a rainy night. When the cabbie tries to blast the little nipper into oblivion, the quick little sprout drags him inside the cab and makes a meal of him. Thus begins director Larry Cohen's belated return to his much adored B-horror series.
The mutant is captured, caged and bought before a court which will decide its fate. The judge sides with the creatures dad, Steve Jarvis (Michael Moriarty) and decides it to be in the child's best interests that it is protected, so the monster is sent to a remote island inhabited by other mutants.
The FX in ISLAND OF THE ALIVE are none too convincing, the top-motion models (which are okay)add to the B grade fun, and there are some amusingly cheesy gore scenes. The movie does tend to be a bit sluggish in places, and Moriarty gives a decidedly erratic performance. My final quibble is that the finale is very similar to the first two movies, but generally speaking, it's still a pretty good movie.

pretty good movie
this movie is a gem for B-movie aficianados. It's got a decent amount of gore, some pretty funny scenes, a couple scenes which will make you jump, and a dash of Elephant Man-type emotion. I really like this movie, but if your one of those people who expect Hollywood class acting and special effects, then you might not like this movie. but for us b-movie lovers, this movie is great and i would highly recommend buying it.

Fantasic Goofy Movie.
If you are looking for horror, don't bother with this film. Cohen can handle horror, but his films usually are more like comedies featuring monsters. The mutant babies are back, and this time, good guy daddy Michael Moriarty, a Cohen favorite, is trying to protect his child. Too bad Sam Fuller, Cohen favorite and weirdo director himself, couldn't have been in this one, but he was in partII. If you liked Q and The Stuff, check this one out. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Billy Dee does it again! What "it" is remains a mystery...
Billy Dee Williams (yes, he was Lando in the Star Wars movies) plays Hamberger, a rebel detective who plays by his own rules. These rules happen to include shooting anybody he feels like, and getting down and dirty with all the ladies. Heh. Ok, first and foremost; the plot in this movie is confusing. VERY confusing. Granted, I've only watched it once, but you'll probably be left at the end with more than one question about what just happened. But, there is more than enough action in this movie to make up for it, most scenes involving Billy Dee kickin' butt, with little regard for who's around when he does it. And man, can the people in this movie act! Heh, the way some of these people "die" when they're shot will make you laugh out loud! As for the illusion in "Deadly Illusion", let's just say it has something to do with a really bad wig, and a certain renengade cop with bad eyesight. So in short, confusing plot, but with action scenes like this, who needs plot? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Return to Salem's Lot
Larry Cohen wrote and directed this film which is very loosely based on the vampire legend of 'Salem's Lot. Stephen King had nothing to do with the making of this movie.

The plot (what little there was) was inane and virtually non-existent throughout most of the film. The acting wasn't great, either, not by fault of the actors, but because of the script. The weak attempts at humor are more pathetic than funny.

Here is the bit of plot I managed to glean: Joe Webber, played by Michael Moriarty, is an anthropologist who takes his son, Jeremy to Salem's Lot, where a colony of vampires has taken over the town. (Hmmm, wonder where THEY came from?) Well, the fact becomes clear that these blood suckers have no or very little association with the original vampires in Salem's Lot.

Webber visits Aunt Clara, played by June Havoc, the sole common character to this movie and the original novel. (Ben Mears mentioned an Aunt Clara in he original 'Salem's Lot.) Sadly, all similarities to the original end here. These vampires rely on human assistants for protection and provisions (human victims). And they want Webber to write a book about them. They should have also begged him to write a script.

Andrew Duggan bears the paper-thin character of Judge Axel as best he can. Evelyn Keyes stars as his wife. Even with Samuel Fuller as Van Meer and David Holbrook as a human assistant to the vampires, this movie cannot be salvaged, not even for spare body parts.

surprisingly good vampire movie
Having seen the first movie, read the book, and being a big Stephen King fan, I didn't have my hopes up for this "sequel" (when I was finally able to find it). However, I was surprised to find that this is actually a very enjoyable movie.

A Return to Salem's Lot doesn't really have anything to do with the first film or the book, but it stands on its own as a good vampire movie. The music for the film, mostly fast-paced organ music, seemed original and was strangely effective. The violence was occasionally remiscent of Romero's Living Dead series. The acting was decent and some of the dialogue is (sometimes unintentionally) funny. And you can't forget the scenes of vampires sucking the blood from a cow!

I'm not a huge vampire movie fan per se, but this was a very enjoyable film. I'd even go so far as to say that this is what all horror movies should be like. Highly recommended.

Corny piece of "terror"
I just saw this movie. I actually enjoyed the first one and the book, but this is kind of a mix between a cheese comedy and a very low budget horror film. The history develops around a town of vampires, settled since the colony times, and an antropologist "invited" to write a revindicative book about them. Well, it might sound interesting, but it looses interest at the mid point.
Save some bucks and buy other thing, or if you are too curious, rent it.

A YOUNG Tara Reid plus FILMED in MY HOMETOWN!
That's right, when you watch this movie...the young vampire girl who is hanging around Moriarty's son all the time is a YOUNG Tara Reid (from American Pie 1/2, Urban Legend, etc.). Enough of that though. The real reason I love this movie is because the majority of it was filmed in my hometown of Newbury, Vermont. The school where the Vamp kids hang out is the elementary school where I spent my grade school days, and the house with the Antique shop out front is where my friend Toby used to live (well, his parents still live there). I wish this movie would be released on DVD!!!!

A Horror Film for People Who Don't Like Horror Films
Actually, this little movie has a number of things to recommend it. A youthful Michael Moriarty looks charming romping about in baggy shirts and cargo pants with a camera slung over his shoulder. And there's a geriatric Indiana Jones---ex-Nazi killer, now Vampire slayer--played by a no-nonsens Samuel Fuller. When these two actors team up at the end of the film, along with Ricky Addison Reed who plays Moriarty's young son--it's really a lot of fun. There are also two eye-popping love scenes involving Katya Crosby, although the size of Ms. Crosby physical endowments seems to be in inverse proportion to her acting ability. And the film is riddled with amusing moments---some unintentional (B grade actors who looked as if they were cast because they just happened to wander onto the set at the right moment) but also intentional ones (hilarious dialogue deliver by actors with deadpan commitment). All in all, this movie is a great choice if you're looking for something TOTALLY DIFFERENT! ... Read more