Description

She was a temptress, siren, seductress...and spy.In a time of war she was a treacherous woman and dangerous weapon.Hers is a story of intrigue and betrayal in a world torn by battle.Mata hari changed the fate of nations in her bedroom to become infamous in her own time and a legend in ours. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thank You! To the Late Robert Urich
Hello, I'm Janie Strifler. My only and deepest regret is that I wasn't able to say "hello" or "thank you" to this great actor. So, if you were ever a fan of Robert Urich from his character on "Soap, to Dan Tanna, Spenser, you'll want to add this video to your collection and to keep him in your memory. If by chance you happen to be a fan of Las Vegas and the Desert Inn Hotel this video is what you've been looking for. As a fan of this late actor and a fan of the entertainment industry Robert Urich will be forever missed but not forgot by this fan. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Perkins Flick
Being a hard-core Perkins fan, this is a nice addition to anyone's collection. Very creepy and very suspensful! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A truly chilling thriller!
KILLING KIND is a terrifically dark Brit thiller, released in the UK under its original (much more resonant) title MR IN-BETWEEN, where it got some rave reviews, particularly from the more "intelligent" press. Directed by Atom Egoyan's longtime cinematographer Paul Sarossy, it's a highly ambitious journey into the mind of an antihero Jon (superbly played by Andrew Howard), who kills and maims for a living, in the employment of the malevolent Tattooed Man. KILLING KIND doesn't pull its punches, and maintains its darkly disturbing tone right up until the end, which has to be one of the most uncompromisingly shocking endings in recent years. But it is also a love story of sorts, and is punctuated by the most bizarre black humour, which at times gives it a heightened style of almost David Lynchian proportions (particularly in scenes with David Calder's Tattooed Man and his unnerving friends). It also reminds me of the best of those 70s films, which dared NOT to have the predictable happy endings that are now the Hollywood norm. For this alone, Sarossy should be highly commended. There really isn't anything else out there like this right now.

An overlooked masterpiece in the "mind of a killer" genre
The Killing Kind is a powerful and disturbing portrait of a killer, an entry in the genre that has never received anything close to the attention it deserves. This is a film that you will not soon forget. Curtis Harrington's direction is almost mesmerizing in its intensity and poignancy, and standout performances by John Savage and Ann Sothern are more than award-worthy in my opinion. This isn't your typical "look inside the mind of a serial killer" movie; you won't find any visceral gore or killing for the sake of killing. The Killing Kind is instead a psychological masterpiece that may send shivers up the spine of viewers uncomfortable with this particular genre. There is plenty of psychosis to spare in this neighborhood, but the focus of this black hole of doom and gloom is the special relationship between a mother and her only son.

Be ready to watch this movie as soon as you put it in because the opening shots will reach right out and grab you. The first thing you will see is a young lady being thrown beneath a pier, stripped of her clothes, and raped by a gang of hooligans. One young man just stands there, only to be forcibly thrown on top of the girl by his buddies. We see him scream, but we are not really shown what the scream really indicates (although it becomes much clearer later on). This scene sets the stage for the entire movie. Two years have passed since the "incident," and young Terry has suddenly been released from prison, coming home to the boarding house his mother runs. Thelma, his fawning mother, is overjoyed to have her little boy back; she knows her Terry would never have touched that girl - Terry is a good boy. It quickly becomes apparent that the relationship between Terry and his mother just isn't normal; there's no sign of a sexual relationship between them, but one can't help but wonder what lies beneath. Thelma is definitely overly fond of her son, and she refuses to see anything wrong with him. When a new lodger moves into the boarding house, she warns her to stay away from Terry, wrongly accusing her of misconduct even after witnessing a troubling encounter between the two in the pool. A young Cindy Williams give a memorable performance as young Lori; it's not the type of role you associate with Shirley of Laverne & Shirley, and that only makes it all the more powerful. Naturally, things only get worse as the days go by, especially when the people "responsible" for Terry's incarceration begin to die mysteriously. A spinsterish neighbor casts a further pall of dementia on the plot, and one could argue that she is even more mentally unbalanced than Terry and Thelma. I can't say the suspense really builds as the movie progresses because the suspense is there in spades from the very start; one simultaneously awaits and dreads the culmination of all this psychological horror, and director Curtis Harrington does not disappoint, delivering a powerful and truly fitting end to a film I found to be utterly amazing.

The Killing Kind deserves attention; it is a tour de force look at the very roots of a murderer's creation. I have to admit I hesitated to watch it, knowing that there was some violence to animals featured in the plot. Cruelty to animals is of course a dire warning sign of a killer in the making, but I can hardly bear to watch animals being made to suffer, even in the unreality of a film. For all the animal lovers out there, let me say that the scenes in question, while disturbing, are not overly graphic. Don't let this facet of the production deter you from seeing this outstanding film.

Not worth your time.
John Savage, five years before he hit it big in "The Deer Hunter", stars in this dull and silly horror film. He plays Terry, some guy who is forced by his so-called friends to participate in a gang rape. That puts him away for a couple of years in prison.

Well, Terry isn't too well-adjusted when he gets out of the slammer. It doesn't take long before his violent tendencies overcome him. His first victim is a cute and furry white kitty. You see, Terry was trying to spy on a neighbor of his (played by Cindy Williams!) while she was getting undressed. I guess Terry's not too bright because he thought it was a good idea to take a cat along with him on his voyeuristic journey. The cat meowed and Terry had to shut the thing up so his cover wouldn't get blown. Poor little thing.

Anyway, his mom (Ann Southern) is just as demented as he is. She loves her son in more than just the usual motherly fashion, if you know what I mean. The whole movie just comes across as being really scuzzy and I don't know who it is trying to appeal to. There isn't enough violence to entertain the splatter/gore fanatics. There is also no substantial nudity or humor to be found for the viewers who like those mixed in with their horror. Without a good script, that doesn't leave much to enjoy in "The Killing Kind". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of Shelly's best thrillers!
I'm so happy that this creepy movie is finally out on video! I still have vivid memories from childhood of poor Debbie Reynolds propped up in her 'stars-and-stripes' costume, blood dripping out of her mouth, on the original posters. When viewed today, the film is not quite as scary, but it is a lot of fun because you see exactly where it's headed as Shelly's 'Helen' character begins to really lose it. Winters played quite a slew of looneys during this era, including a great turn in 'Whoever Slew Auntie Roo' - still not available on video. I think this is Shelly at her campy best!

A sadly overlooked gem from the sensational '70's.
Two women(Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters), the mothers of murderous sons, move to 1930's Hollywood in hopes of building a new life together. Soon after their departure however, it is apparant that they didn't leave as much of their shady pasts behind as they thought, and one of the mothers starts displaying psychotic tendencies of her own. Reynolds and Winters are first-rate in this colorful period piece. Reynolds perfects that platinum blonde/Jean Harlow image, while Shelley Winters gives what is perhaps her finest performance ever as the maniacal Helen.Director Curtis Harrington, always one for great detail and atmosphere, has a definite feel for the period, making this film a divine tribute to both horror and Hollywood! Those who enjoyed "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" are sure to get a real kick out of it as it was written by Henry Farrell, author of the orignal "Baby Jane" novel and co-author of the "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" screenplay.

an overlooked gem
Campy, colorful and eerie, this is one of my favorite horrors. There is a tense and wonderful chemistry between Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters which keeps things going even when the pace of the script occasionally flags. This is marred by some awkward production values, but there is also a marvelously old-fashioned quality that enhances this film, and makes its more shocking moments stand out in relief. It all points toward a creepy, unhappy ending which is nevertheless mordantly amusing. Highly reccomended for fans of the "Baby Jane" school of film fear. (Not coincidentally by the same author.) Deserves rediscovery.

John Steinbeck Meets Baby Jane!
Pretty terrible but kind of fascinating in its own way; it's basically a camp variation of "Of Mice and Men". Reynolds and Winters run a children's talent school so Debbie can have some musical numbers; she plays George to Winters' screw-loose, rabbit-fixated Lenny and when we finally do find out What's the Matter with Helen there are DEAD RABBITS EVERYWHERE! Everyone always makes fun of Winters in "The Poseidon Adventure" but she has to be seen to be believed here. This is probably the worst movie either woman ever put their name to. (Although an argument could be made for Winters' performance in "Delta Force"; it's the Matterhorn of bad acting.) ... Read more

Amazon.com

"...But I took them away from all that, and now they work for me. My name is Charlie."

Kelly, Jill, and Sabrina--three young women right out of the Academy, working for the illustrious and mysterious private investigator Charles Townsend. Charlie's Angels is a true time capsule of the 1970s, expressed through crime fighting, daunting intrigue, and subtle sexuality.

"Angels in Chains" is a tale of deception in a corrupt women's prison. A distressed woman is desperate to solve the mysterious disappearance of her sister in a Southern prison. The law can't help her, the system can't help her. As a last resort she turns to Charlie's Angels. The Angels accept the assignment and discover that the prison serves as the warden's private ring of prostitution. Among the Angels' "prison mates" is a young Kim Basinger.In "Angels Under Covers," the Angels are hired to investigate a string of strange occurrences in the red light district's massage parlors. Guess what? It appears that more than just "massages" are going on under those red lights. And behind the shenanigans is none other than the police department's crooked Lieutenant played by Ed Lauter. Yes it's campy, but in a wonderfully dated sort of way. --Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Kate, Farrah and Jaclyn at their best
This one episode alone displays the essence of "Charlie's Angels." It's what the pop-culture obsession, that continues to this day, is all about. This episode comes from the first season, in the fall of 1976. I believe it's show number four. Sabrina, Jill, and Kelly are given the undercover assignment to investigate crimes, ranging from rape to murder, in an all-women's prison. It's non-stop action from the moment the trio is picked up on false drug possession charges. Watch for the action and excitement as the three try to escape their own deadly fate with the bad guys... It's probably the most popular and well-known of all the episodes in the show's history. By the way, in or out of prison, these girls always look GREAT...

the episode ever!!!
This episode only tells me how old I am now. Not that I am old but HELLO!, This was over fifteen years ago and I actully remember watching this with my mother. Now here I am watching it again and this campy show is the best episode of all of the series. Thank God, I found it at Sam's. Don't you just love Farrah's Do.
And best of all the three Angels, Jill,Kelly, Sabrina are just beautiful and hey at least the show gave them some brains. Which is something of a miracle for women shows that came out of the seventies which were not many. Being a kid that was born in the mid-seventies I was bombared with t.v. reruns and I was lucky inough to be able to come home and watch this show. The three original Angel's are the best. Cherly Ladd, was great too. But...it just wasn't the same after Farrah left the show. Eventhough though later she did make guest appearances. So buy this video and relive the spirit of the seventies with "Charlie's Angels". Oh, and an added bonus, check out a young fresh Kim Basinger.

CULT FAVE EPISODE of the classic 1970's series
This episode has become a cult classic!The angels go undercover as prison inmates to uncover a prostitution ring. Among the guests stars of this episode are Lauren Tewes(Julie on Love Boat) and a young Kim Bassinger. But the real treat is seeing cult movie icon MARY WARONOV of "Eating Raoul,","Rock and roll high school" and Andy Warhol fame. Seeing Mary Woronov as a sadistic prison warden is a hoot and any Woronov fan needs to own this episode! (during admission to the prison while the angels are being sprayed down with a cleaner by Maxine: KELLEY(Jaclyn Smith) says to MAXINE(Mary Waronov) "How long has it been sinse you've been sprayed?" MAxine: "Get cute in here deary and you can get hurt!"HILLARIOUS campy dialouge!Besides the guest stars, the episode is top-notch camp at it's peak! This episode is the highest rated of the series(including the re-runs in syndication) and is a MUST for Mary Woronov fans and Charlie's Angels fans!

Charlie's Angels - Angels in Chains
"Angels in Chains"...the quintessential Charlie's Angels episode!

Before Buffy, there were the angels.
Before the show was sullied by the addition of Cheryl Ladd, Shelly Hack and Tanya Roberts, it was an unlikely example of both feminisim (women working together to save each other from abuse) and anti-feminism (the bad woman is still butch and grotesque).

Featuring a very young Kim Bassinger, this episode is a classic for Charlie's Angels fans. Set approximately in the first half of the first season of the ABC series, it features flouncy hair, guns and empowered women. This time, the angels are going undercover in a corupt women's prison to save women from being the warden's call girls.

Yes, the idea of a prison prostitution ring is designed to titilate the audience, but the fact that the Angels are resucing those women breaks from the traditional damsel in distress routine. Although critics blasted it and suggested that it was a cheesecake factory, it (unlike the modern counterpart, baywatch) is much less exploitative for women.

This series is so much more, that is should be considered the path breaker for Buffy the Vampire Slayer which shows brains and beauty can coexist. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fantastic DVD release
CHARLIE'S ANGELS gets a wonderful DVD release with perfect picture and two choice episodes.

Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson star in two stories from the memorable first season; "Night Of The Strangler" and "To Kill An Angel". The only main qualm is the lack of chapters in the episodes.

Also included is the entertaining "Angels Forever" retrospective featurette which quizzes fans of the show as well as providing footage from the show and details from later cast members including Cheryl Ladd and Tanya Roberts.

Pretty impressive DVD package all-round!

The Angels are back !!!!!!!
This two-part special edition is definitely a collector's item especially for those die-hard "Charlie's Angels" fans.It features Jaclyn Smith, who deserves the recognition as the "most angelic of them all," and two of the best episodes of the series. We're not talking award-winning stuff in this dvd issue but an outstanding entertainment to "visit" the undisputed queens of the 70s television.

The episode "Night of the Strangler" shows why Jaclyn Smith lasted so long in the series. Her looks and style are timeless plus that scene in her famous white bikini is a must to see. Of course, Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett are on hand to complete the trio.

For the episode "To Kill An Angel," new fans will be surprise that the show is not just pure bikini's and guns. It showcases also the dramatic sides of the trio.

The cover alone is worth the trip, so buy it now and collect! A must!

Charlie how do you your Angels get down
OMG, please tell me this is the first of many more to come, Having the Angels on DVD is way fun. One mishap though, NO SCENE SELECTION. But it makes up for that with the Angel Featurette and the digitally enhanced audio and video.

CHARLIE,S ANGELS
WONDEFUL lots of added features and Angels Forever is highlights from alot of the shows.This is a must for any Charlie,s Angels fan. Columbia and Tristar have done a GREAT job. Hope they come out with more. Charlie would give them all a week off with pay ,for a job well done.

Contains an Exclusive Featurette! Must Have For Angel Fans
Just finished viewing The DVD and in addition to the Two Classic epiodes mentioned in the description, the DVD also has an Exclusive Featurette Titled "Angels Forever"! This 20 Minute Documentary tells of The Impact that Charlies Angels has had on Various Fans and includes Vintage Scenes from The Series from The Farrah Year until the Tanya Roberts Last Year! The Special Feature Contains Hilarious Montages made of vintage scenes from the series! It made me realise why I loved Charlies Angels so much as a Kid and Love it even more now as an adult! The Show was Pure Fun and Escapism an I really missed those days when I would eagerly await every Wed Night for a New Angel Episode and to see what the Angels were Wearing(and in many cases not wearing). Hey for a 13 year old, seeing Farrah Fawcett's Nipples was a Big Deal(probably would not even be talked about today). If your an Angel Fan, you really need this DVD. I hope they release more episodes on DVD! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Professionals always have the last word
This is a Hitchcockian suspense film. How can a social climber who marries a rich heiress get rid of her to seize her fortune ? He uses the services of a professional killer, in this case a woman, Mrs Schindler, a German woman. Simone Signoret is a marvelous professional killer. The wife is made crazy, little by little, with the help of a delivery boy who likes playing games. This boy, this accessory to the final crime, is in fact turned into a haunting ghost taunting the woman into a crazy killing reaction. The boy thinks he is playing a trick on her and that the bullets will be blanks, but they are no blanks and he is killed, assassinated. The woman is thus captured by the police and the husband gets his hands on her fortune. He sells at once all he can sell in order to go to foreign countries and live on his prize. But his professional accomplice is a professional killer and thus she has the last word and captures the spoils of the action. The details are in the film. Simone Signoret is marvelous, even if she has a French accent, rather than a German accent. She is of course an allusion, nowadays, to another film due to her name. Mrs Schindler. But she does not save lives. She executes people in order to get a profit out of it. If you want to kill your wife, never get in touch with professionals because you are an amateur and amateurs are always the victims of professionals. And never drink anything presented to you by your professional accomplices. As for the plot, it is very imaginative and creative. Hitchcock himself could not have done better. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Games, The ultimate thriller
This is the BEST thriller I've ever seen. The plot is written to keep even the most intelligent viewers guessing to the end. The movie takes a little time to build steam, but watch out when it does, these guys play some powerful mind, and reality games.

Not too bad for an obscure remake
This is the first time that I have seen this film available ANYWHERE! This is the first remake of the great DIABOLIQUE with Simone Signoret. The film stars James Caan and Katherine Ross as idle-rich urbanites who are into games of all kinds. They encounter Simone Signoret (in a different part from the original} as a cosmetics saleswoman who becomes their houseguest. Then the real games begin. There are a lot of neat twists in this movie, and remember enjoying it immensely when I originally saw it in the theatre. I haven't seen the most recent remake of DIABOLIQUE, but I doubt it is more entertaining than this one. Also with Don Stroud in one of his first parts. I may just have to buy this one. ... Read more

Description

(1966-USA) COLOR. With JOHN SAXON, BASIL RATHBONE, JUDI MEREDITH, DENNIS HOPPER. A talented cast sparkles in this unique and riveting combination science fiction-horror epic. Indeed, after watching it, you may never ever want to stare into the eyes of a beautiful woman again! The year is 1990. Mankind has long ago explored and conquered the moon. The primary question about outer space remains unanswered: Does life in any form exist on other planets? To find out, plans are under way to send spaceships to explore the planets Mars and Venus. The institute has received some special signals relaying a message that a spaceship from a faraway galaxy has been dispatched toward our planet. Meanwhile, an "unknown object" crosses the moon and is headed toward our planet. It reportedly is not the spaceship in question. Various events quickly follow, highlighted by the blast-off into space of a rocket headed to Mars. What is found there is utterly shocking: a gorgeous "queen!bee" vampiress who, in order to survive, must feed off the blood of earthlings! The special effects are imaginatively devised and frequently eye-popping, and it is fascinating to note the manner in which the filmmakers perceive everything from space flight to international relations in the "future" year of 1990! It also is great fun to see young Dennis Hopper in his role as Paul, a space pioneer who is one of the astronauts on board the flight to Mars. This film was produced for only $50,000, using footage from a Russian film made seven years earlier and writing the script around it. Even more astonishing, this is the second Basil Rathbone film to use this same footage! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

She is green with envy
Fantastic cast (JOHN SAXON, BASIL RATHBONE, JUDI MEREDITH, and DENNIS HOPPER.) This formula program uses a standard threat that you have seen from the old 50's sci-fi and even pops up now and then today. Check out the 1990 technology such as a reel-to-reel tape recorder of which many of today's viewers have never seen. If you only had $50,000 to make a movie you would bring your home tape recorder also.

In the year 1990 a technically advanced society has crash-landed on Mars just prior to our plans to go there. We sped up the process to see if we could help the survivors. I will not go into details however at one point the female alien (Florence Marly) looks up and find the female astronaut owns three male food containers and she is green with envy. What great threat can this being pose to earth? Worse still she seems to have her eye on a young Dennis Hopper. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not that bad.
I love zombie movies and in that case, this one is disappointing. Not your typical zombies. Aside from a couple, these act normal, talk, and aren't too interested in eating brains.

I've seen some horrible b-movies that drag forever and this one isn't one of those. It is 75 minutes long and, to me, was entertaining. The story is puzzling and makes you shake your head. Some of the images and scenes are just haunting in the lack of people in this old big city. If this was seen in theaters, I'm sure there are a few moments that would make the audience jump.

It's not a fantastic movie by any sense of the imagination, but it's not as bad as the two previous reviewers make it sound.

Dull Garbage
I saw this movie on sale for only $3 so I got it. Hey, what do I have to lose? Well, I lost $3. Even for a measley $3 I feel ripped off. There is no redeeming quality in this movie, it drags and drags with no substance, not a single scary or enlightening moment. Just a really bad 70's film. It had Poor film quality, corny dialouge, ridiculous zombies (were they even trying to make them look liek zombies), boring music scores. The basis of the stroy was some guy's brother gets the electric chair. And before his brother died, he made a promise to find the real killer of his sister in law. Turns out there was some stupid plot about a zombie master. The story on the back of the box made it sound like a big epic apocalyptic movie because the "Zombie Master" (who's just some old ugly guy) tries to take over the world with zombies (which are just people that give you blank stares, oh yeah and there was only one zombie) Throughout the whole film I was so bored that I actually wished I was in math class! By all means avoid at all costs and if you haven't seen this pathetic excuse of a movie yet, count your blessings. The title makes it soudns like one of those artsy italian zombie films but it's not. The movie has no effect on the viewers at all. You'll just see fuzzy people talking about silly things and giving poor performances over a story that doesn't make sense. I read somewhere this was a made for tv movie, of all the things to show on tv, why show people this?!

Made for TV Zombies: No Gore, No Cannabalism.....
This Made for TV movie from the mid-70s although the only memory I had of it was the symbol emblazened on the palms of the zombies...(a snake I think). Starts out with the execution of a man and his long lost brother comes to say goodbye and to avenge his brother's death by proving his innocence. Seeing his brother after the execution he follows his brother into a shop only to discover he's not really there. Hmmmm..... Well, he turns to the owner of a dance hall for help, a place where his brother had won a dance marathon once...turns out this guy is the "Zombie Master" and he likes to bring back dead people through voodoo who have unjustly died. He apparently wants to gather enough of them to take over the world. But, George Hamilton soon puts a stop to this, even though nobody believes him... There are several holes here and there and you can't quite figure out what the hell is going on. But being such a simple script, you can pretty much fill in the gaps on your own. This movie does have somewhat of a creepy feel, but that's about as scary as this thing gets. No blood, no guts, no brain munching... Just zombies that look like me and you. Here's hoping they don't put this one on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Essential viewing for cult movie fans
I adore this little film . It was obviously made on a shoe string but it offers more entertainment value than many big budget blockbusters. All the players do a grand job and they've all got interesting characters to work with . The two standouts for me , however , are the woman who plays the fortune teller (haven't got her name on me right now) and Gavin Muir as Captain Samuel Murdock. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Santa Monica pier amusement park adds to the film's surrealistic air of fantasy. If you're looking for an excellent , low budget early 60's movie that's really well crafted stick this one in your trolley and proceed straight to the check out. If you like "Carnival of Souls" you'll like "Night Tide". It certainy goes into my basket of "Desert Island" videos. Essential viewing for cult movie fans.

Creative & thought-provoking...
I saw this film first in 1963 as the 2nd half of a double-bill; American-International pictures usually put out the Corman/Poe films which were mostly under 90 minutes in length, and they filled up the time by throwing this off as a 2nd bill. It was certainly better than "The Comedy of Terrors" (1st bill). Here we have Curtis Harrington before he "went Hollywood" (Who Slew Auntie Roo?, etc.), an intuitive director who creates an atmosphere that's hard to describe; slow moving, never boring, always compelling. An innovator of the "indie" scene, Harrington couldn't find a distributor in 1961, but A-I picked it up. There's a wonderful bongo/jazz score and a wonderfully understated and heartfelt performance from Dennis Hopper (before he tried to impress everyone with his individuality and maverick style). The photography, often in dark venues, is remarkably clear and atmospheric. There's also the excellent Luana Anders, who, along with Salome Jens, was never given the career she deserved. The style of this film seems to suggest a mood which the great John Frankenheimer later perfected ("Seconds"). Not a horror film, "Night Tide" certainly had a head-start on the psychological suspense stories that became popular. Definitey worth a look!

Mermaid Nightmares
Great low-budget indy horror film from the 60s inspired by the Val Lewton classic 'Cat People'. Fans of other b/w indy horror flicks like 'Carnival of Souls' should really enjoy it. It stars the great Dennis Hopper ('Giant', 'Easy Rider', 'River's Edge', 'Blue Velvet', etc.) as a naive young sailor named Johnny who falls for a mysterious & beautiful girl called Mora. Mora works as "Mora the Mermaid" in a sideshow during the day on a CA Boardwalk. After they become lovers, Johnny discovers that Mora's last two boyfriends mysteriously drowned and soon he starts wondering if Mora is a real mermaid or one of the spooky "Sea People".

The soundtrack is a mix of great bongo numbers & bad b-movie music, but the real highlight is the eerie atmosphere and great stylized photography. The director tried hard to raise "Night Tide" out of the usual b-movie abyss and it shows. Excellent flick!

A movie before its time
I was surprized when this film came out. I didn't think it would. The plot was pure genius and was well produced, especially
with the low budget. It was also Congo Drummer, "Chaino's" first
film appearance. It was interesting to see him as young as he was
when he recorded 6 LP's that have appeared in many films and Videos since, HBO's "Sex and the City" and Steven speilbergs, "The Forces of nature." This film will no doube become a classic, being the first film for "Dennis Hopper." We love it. It's the kind of film one can enjoy no matter how many times they see it.

Poetic horror movie
This film is a fine example of how low budget is sometimes better than big budget: its qualities come partly from moody black and white lighting on ordinary locations and subtle suggestions of fear and the supernatural with lighting and editing rather than blatant special effects. It has a quiet and eerie, dream-like atmosphere, with excellent acting by Dennis Hopper, Luana Anders, and Linda Lawson as "Mora the Mermaid." The music score by David Raksin is excellent, and a rare example of a major film composer working on a very small budgeted film. Curtis Harrington's directing creates a sense of psychological eerieness and shadowy imagery rarely seen since the Val Lewton classics of the forties, which it is similar to (especially the original "Cat People" with Simone Simon). This DVD release is very good quality, and features an excellent and informative commentary by Curtis Harrington and Dennis Hopper. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Essential viewing for cult movie fans
I adore this little film . It was obviously made on a shoe string but it offers more entertainment value than many big budget blockbusters. All the players do a grand job and they've all got interesting characters to work with . The two standouts for me , however , are the woman who plays the fortune teller (haven't got her name on me right now) and Gavin Muir as Captain Samuel Murdock. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Santa Monica pier amusement park adds to the film's surrealistic air of fantasy. If you're looking for an excellent , low budget early 60's movie that's really well crafted stick this one in your trolley and proceed straight to the check out. If you like "Carnival of Souls" you'll like "Night Tide". It certainy goes into my basket of "Desert Island" videos. Essential viewing for cult movie fans.

Creative & thought-provoking...
I saw this film first in 1963 as the 2nd half of a double-bill; American-International pictures usually put out the Corman/Poe films which were mostly under 90 minutes in length, and they filled up the time by throwing this off as a 2nd bill. It was certainly better than "The Comedy of Terrors" (1st bill). Here we have Curtis Harrington before he "went Hollywood" (Who Slew Auntie Roo?, etc.), an intuitive director who creates an atmosphere that's hard to describe; slow moving, never boring, always compelling. An innovator of the "indie" scene, Harrington couldn't find a distributor in 1961, but A-I picked it up. There's a wonderful bongo/jazz score and a wonderfully understated and heartfelt performance from Dennis Hopper (before he tried to impress everyone with his individuality and maverick style). The photography, often in dark venues, is remarkably clear and atmospheric. There's also the excellent Luana Anders, who, along with Salome Jens, was never given the career she deserved. The style of this film seems to suggest a mood which the great John Frankenheimer later perfected ("Seconds"). Not a horror film, "Night Tide" certainly had a head-start on the psychological suspense stories that became popular. Definitey worth a look!

Mermaid Nightmares
Great low-budget indy horror film from the 60s inspired by the Val Lewton classic 'Cat People'. Fans of other b/w indy horror flicks like 'Carnival of Souls' should really enjoy it. It stars the great Dennis Hopper ('Giant', 'Easy Rider', 'River's Edge', 'Blue Velvet', etc.) as a naive young sailor named Johnny who falls for a mysterious & beautiful girl called Mora. Mora works as "Mora the Mermaid" in a sideshow during the day on a CA Boardwalk. After they become lovers, Johnny discovers that Mora's last two boyfriends mysteriously drowned and soon he starts wondering if Mora is a real mermaid or one of the spooky "Sea People".

The soundtrack is a mix of great bongo numbers & bad b-movie music, but the real highlight is the eerie atmosphere and great stylized photography. The director tried hard to raise "Night Tide" out of the usual b-movie abyss and it shows. Excellent flick!

A movie before its time
I was surprized when this film came out. I didn't think it would. The plot was pure genius and was well produced, especially
with the low budget. It was also Congo Drummer, "Chaino's" first
film appearance. It was interesting to see him as young as he was
when he recorded 6 LP's that have appeared in many films and Videos since, HBO's "Sex and the City" and Steven speilbergs, "The Forces of nature." This film will no doube become a classic, being the first film for "Dennis Hopper." We love it. It's the kind of film one can enjoy no matter how many times they see it.

Poetic horror movie
This film is a fine example of how low budget is sometimes better than big budget: its qualities come partly from moody black and white lighting on ordinary locations and subtle suggestions of fear and the supernatural with lighting and editing rather than blatant special effects. It has a quiet and eerie, dream-like atmosphere, with excellent acting by Dennis Hopper, Luana Anders, and Linda Lawson as "Mora the Mermaid." The music score by David Raksin is excellent, and a rare example of a major film composer working on a very small budgeted film. Curtis Harrington's directing creates a sense of psychological eerieness and shadowy imagery rarely seen since the Val Lewton classics of the forties, which it is similar to (especially the original "Cat People" with Simone Simon). This DVD release is very good quality, and features an excellent and informative commentary by Curtis Harrington and Dennis Hopper. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best Show
I love watching charlie's angels. I am looking for a certain epsiode that I can't find on tape it seems. It's either called Let Our Angel Live or To Kill an Angel the final episode. That is my favorite. If anyone knows or has this epsiode please email me, [e-mail address]I wish they would make a Charlie's Angels reunion movie. With all of the angel's. I can't wait o see the new movie Charlie's Angels's 2, I heard jaclyn smith is supposed to star in it with cameron diaz,and lucy lui. Hopefully it will be good.

Angels forever....
The series was based on three female detectives who worked for the Charles Townsend Detective Agency. Charlie, who was their anonymous boss, gave them assignments via a speaker phone. The show was based on guns, hair, and make-up. The trio consisted of Sabrina Ducan (Kate Jackson) best known for being the "smart angel," Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett) known as the "athelic angel," and rounding out the team was "street wise" Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith). The Angels worked with their trusty male counter-part, John Bosley, played by David Doyle.

Charlie's Angels was a huge success the moment it hit the airwaves. Each Wednesday night, around 10 o'clock, women tuned in for the clothing and hair, while men just tuned in.

Contains two tapes of the Angels battling the bad guys. features two tapes Angels in Chains and Angels Under Covers. Each tape contains two episodes:

Angels in Chains features: 1- AGELS IN CHAINS (10/20/76): in which the Angels infiltrate a prison with a secret brothel. Guest stars: Kim Basinger, Lauren Tewes, Christina Hart. 2- THE BLUE ANGELS (05/04/77): The Angels find themselves barely covered in a massage parlor while investigating a prostitution ring. Guest stars: Dirk Benedict.

Angels Under Covers features: 1- TO KILL AN ANGEL (11/10/76): Kelly helps a young boy and finds herself accidentally shot by a gun that was used to kill someone else moments before in an amusement park. 2- NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER (10/13/76): The Angels go undercover to find who is killing high fashion models. Guest stars: Richard Mulligan. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Essential viewing for cult movie fans
I adore this little film . It was obviously made on a shoe string but it offers more entertainment value than many big budget blockbusters. All the players do a grand job and they've all got interesting characters to work with . The two standouts for me , however , are the woman who plays the fortune teller (haven't got her name on me right now) and Gavin Muir as Captain Samuel Murdock. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Santa Monica pier amusement park adds to the film's surrealistic air of fantasy. If you're looking for an excellent , low budget early 60's movie that's really well crafted stick this one in your trolley and proceed straight to the check out. If you like "Carnival of Souls" you'll like "Night Tide". It certainy goes into my basket of "Desert Island" videos. Essential viewing for cult movie fans.

Creative & thought-provoking...
I saw this film first in 1963 as the 2nd half of a double-bill; American-International pictures usually put out the Corman/Poe films which were mostly under 90 minutes in length, and they filled up the time by throwing this off as a 2nd bill. It was certainly better than "The Comedy of Terrors" (1st bill). Here we have Curtis Harrington before he "went Hollywood" (Who Slew Auntie Roo?, etc.), an intuitive director who creates an atmosphere that's hard to describe; slow moving, never boring, always compelling. An innovator of the "indie" scene, Harrington couldn't find a distributor in 1961, but A-I picked it up. There's a wonderful bongo/jazz score and a wonderfully understated and heartfelt performance from Dennis Hopper (before he tried to impress everyone with his individuality and maverick style). The photography, often in dark venues, is remarkably clear and atmospheric. There's also the excellent Luana Anders, who, along with Salome Jens, was never given the career she deserved. The style of this film seems to suggest a mood which the great John Frankenheimer later perfected ("Seconds"). Not a horror film, "Night Tide" certainly had a head-start on the psychological suspense stories that became popular. Definitey worth a look!

Mermaid Nightmares
Great low-budget indy horror film from the 60s inspired by the Val Lewton classic 'Cat People'. Fans of other b/w indy horror flicks like 'Carnival of Souls' should really enjoy it. It stars the great Dennis Hopper ('Giant', 'Easy Rider', 'River's Edge', 'Blue Velvet', etc.) as a naive young sailor named Johnny who falls for a mysterious & beautiful girl called Mora. Mora works as "Mora the Mermaid" in a sideshow during the day on a CA Boardwalk. After they become lovers, Johnny discovers that Mora's last two boyfriends mysteriously drowned and soon he starts wondering if Mora is a real mermaid or one of the spooky "Sea People".

The soundtrack is a mix of great bongo numbers & bad b-movie music, but the real highlight is the eerie atmosphere and great stylized photography. The director tried hard to raise "Night Tide" out of the usual b-movie abyss and it shows. Excellent flick!

A movie before its time
I was surprized when this film came out. I didn't think it would. The plot was pure genius and was well produced, especially
with the low budget. It was also Congo Drummer, "Chaino's" first
film appearance. It was interesting to see him as young as he was
when he recorded 6 LP's that have appeared in many films and Videos since, HBO's "Sex and the City" and Steven speilbergs, "The Forces of nature." This film will no doube become a classic, being the first film for "Dennis Hopper." We love it. It's the kind of film one can enjoy no matter how many times they see it.

Poetic horror movie
This film is a fine example of how low budget is sometimes better than big budget: its qualities come partly from moody black and white lighting on ordinary locations and subtle suggestions of fear and the supernatural with lighting and editing rather than blatant special effects. It has a quiet and eerie, dream-like atmosphere, with excellent acting by Dennis Hopper, Luana Anders, and Linda Lawson as "Mora the Mermaid." The music score by David Raksin is excellent, and a rare example of a major film composer working on a very small budgeted film. Curtis Harrington's directing creates a sense of psychological eerieness and shadowy imagery rarely seen since the Val Lewton classics of the forties, which it is similar to (especially the original "Cat People" with Simone Simon). This DVD release is very good quality, and features an excellent and informative commentary by Curtis Harrington and Dennis Hopper. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Corman splices Rathbone into Soviet Sci-fi
This is for those of you who have a taste for the strange, esoteric joys of B moviemaking. Notorious cheapie producer Roger Corman has evidently bought an interesting, serious sci-fi opus made in the '50s behind the Iron Curtain, dubbed it into English and added brief scenes of the great thespian Basil Rathbone and Faith (This Island Earth) Domergue and it comes off like something David Lynch would dream up! It makes no sense, but it's fascinating! Rathbone's diction is so veddy erudite (though noticeably slurred in one scene), and he seems bored and bummed out, but he's got the MAGIC- even though his scenes are shot entirely seperate from everyone else in the movie. Domergue, gorgeous just a few years before, is unrecognizable- something dreadful was happening to this actress to make her so haggard and listless. She "communicates" with cosmonauts on Venus through a microphone on a panel, and halfway through, removes her lab coat to reveal her once stunning figure in a sweater. After that, the two English-speaking actors are not seen again (they dub in some dialogue to "explain" what happened to Domergue). The cosmonauts are obviously from another movie. They all look so Slavic it's amazing (kind of resemble young Charles Bronson): short noses, long upper lips, wide, stern mouths, beetling brows, and craggy cheeks, but with teased Kremlin-style pompadores like TV evangelists (what is it with Communism and high hair, does it represent Progress?) The prop designs are pure Workers' Paradise Futurism: retro-cool (to us) spacesuits, and a robot that looks like it lumbered out of a Socialist Realist poster. Whatever language they're speaking, the consonants and vowels roughly match up with the English translation, but the dialogue is delivered so monotonously by the dubbers, and the "philosophical" discussions are so awkwardly pointless, that the odd phrasing and long, inappropriate pauses make for a very weird dialogue track. There's an impressive Brontosaurus (basically stationary), a nifty man-eating plant, some ridiculous men in rubber dinosaur suits and a "pteradactyl" that looks like a vulcanized rubber Muppet, but the coolest thing is the hovering, bubble-topped land-rover they ride around in. Get the Diamond Entertainment version that has "First Spaceship on Venus" on the same DVD- the transfer is basically in magenta and gray, panned and scanned by a guy who obviously wanted to get home early, and in one scene there's a green, horn-shaped piece of crud that gets stuck in the film gate for about 20 seconds, but I got it for under $7, and I was spellbound.

Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet
The movie was surprisingly poor for a 1965 film. The story line was meandering. The special effects were hokey and Basil Rathbone was on screen about a total of 15 minutes for the entire movie. Overall compared to other SF films of this time period, it sucked. Don't fall for the Amazon.com hype. There are much better films to buy on DVD. This is not one of them.

Dont Let The Title Fool You
This film is much better than it looks. Its a film about the exploration of Venus and its really good especially if you factor in when it was made. The scenes with Basil Rathbone at the lunar base are definitely a little hokey and I didnt recognize Faith Dominque (This Island Earth) at first, but the rest of the film is great! The plot is basicly explore Venus and rescue the first team that landed and got into trouble. The explorers have a really neat hover craft that they travel in to save their comrades. There is a tough metal robot that is realistic. Dinosaurs and other nasties try to make a meal of various crew members without success. Its just an all around fun film along the gendre of First Spaceship to Venus. The special effects are innovative and impressive especially considering the time when the film was made. I saw this film when I was a kid and was happy to make its reacquaintance. If you like classic science fiction, you will love this film.

Take a Soviet science fiction film, add new scenes, stir...
Okay, according to my research "Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet" is a Roger Corman production that uses footage from a 1962 Soviet science fiction film produced by the Leningrad Studio of Popular Science Fiction films and entitled "Planeta Bur" (variously translated as "Planet of Storms" and "Storm Planet," but more accurately titled at one point "Cosmonauts on Venus"). This Soviet film was apparently strong on production design, but weak on the plot: Cosmonauts and their robot, that plays dance music, land on Venus looking for intelligent life but only find dinosaurs, killer plants, and, of course, a volcanic eruption. As the crew departs an intelligent Venusian watches they leave. Anyhow, much of the footage from the Venus sequences was used in "Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet" in 1965, intercut with new material from writer/director John Sebastian (a pseudonym of Curtis Harrington), which does not really constitute a remake of the Soviet film, but which is certainly in the ballpark. Some of the "Planeta Bur" footage was used in another Corman production, "Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women" (1966, a.k.a. "Gill Woman), which was Peter Bogdanovich's directorial debut courtsey of the Roger Corman apprenticeship program.

"Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet" stars Basil Rathbone as Professor Hartman, who is in charge of Earth's expedition of three ships to Venus, even though he is back on a Moon Base. One of the ships is taken out by a meteor while another crashes on Venus, leaving the third to rescue it (good thing they sent three ships, huh?). There is one beautiful women in the crew, played by Faith Domergue, but she does not get to go down on the planet. That is because the footage of the astronauts is really of the cosmonauts from the Soviet film, and they did not have a woman in their crew. Got it? Anyhow, two of men from the rocket in orbit, along with their robot, go down to the surface to rescue the crew from the rocket that crashed. There they encounter, well, dinosaurs, killer planets, and, of course, a volcanic eruption. Meanwhile, the big question down on Venus is whether the planet is inhabited by beautiful women. This question might be more than wishful thinking, because some of the boys think they hearing a woman's voice singing.

I have to admit that all things considered I would be more interested in seeing "Planeta Bur," even without subtitles, than "Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet" (I have a question about that title: do you have to have "humans" to have history? Because these "dinosaurs" are probably a lot smarter than these humans so maybe they have some sort of oral history going at this point). There are just too many unintentional laughs in this film to ever take it seriously and the cutting back and forth between the old and the new is no where as smooth as it is in, say, the original "Godzilla" with Raymond Burr. Of course, there is something to be said for a "remake" that includes so much footage from the original. But I will stop now. This is a party movie, not something for the serious connoisseur.

Only if you're REALLY loaded
Dreadful patched-together thing, assembled from a Russian movie which was cut up to include el-cheapo Roger Corman style sequences featuring Faith Domergue (who appears almost comatose) and Basil Rathbone (who leans on things a lot). The rest of the cast is Russian, and the rest of the movie is dubbed, very clumsily indeed. The film has an overall reddish tinge (outer space is inexplicably fire engine red) and the DVD was mastered from a really terrible film copy. The plot points are horribly obvious, the special effects are garbagey, and the film moves at a glacially slow pace. I can only imagine what it was like before Corman cut it to its current length!

That being said, the robot IS cool, as is the air-car. The vision of Venus is hilarious, especially considering what we know now, and the idea of calling the robot "Robot John" and addressing him as if he were a particularly stupid child is peculiar to say the least.

Overall this is pretty dang awful. I like bad movies but...this might just be irredeemable. If the MST 3K crew were still working, this would be perfect fodder for them, and with a sufficient amount of beer and three witty friends, you might be able to have a fun evening. But there are much better bad movies out there than this one to make fun of. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Essential viewing for cult movie fans
I adore this little film . It was obviously made on a shoe string but it offers more entertainment value than many big budget blockbusters. All the players do a grand job and they've all got interesting characters to work with . The two standouts for me , however , are the woman who plays the fortune teller (haven't got her name on me right now) and Gavin Muir as Captain Samuel Murdock. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Santa Monica pier amusement park adds to the film's surrealistic air of fantasy. If you're looking for an excellent , low budget early 60's movie that's really well crafted stick this one in your trolley and proceed straight to the check out. If you like "Carnival of Souls" you'll like "Night Tide". It certainy goes into my basket of "Desert Island" videos. Essential viewing for cult movie fans.

Creative & thought-provoking...
I saw this film first in 1963 as the 2nd half of a double-bill; American-International pictures usually put out the Corman/Poe films which were mostly under 90 minutes in length, and they filled up the time by throwing this off as a 2nd bill. It was certainly better than "The Comedy of Terrors" (1st bill). Here we have Curtis Harrington before he "went Hollywood" (Who Slew Auntie Roo?, etc.), an intuitive director who creates an atmosphere that's hard to describe; slow moving, never boring, always compelling. An innovator of the "indie" scene, Harrington couldn't find a distributor in 1961, but A-I picked it up. There's a wonderful bongo/jazz score and a wonderfully understated and heartfelt performance from Dennis Hopper (before he tried to impress everyone with his individuality and maverick style). The photography, often in dark venues, is remarkably clear and atmospheric. There's also the excellent Luana Anders, who, along with Salome Jens, was never given the career she deserved. The style of this film seems to suggest a mood which the great John Frankenheimer later perfected ("Seconds"). Not a horror film, "Night Tide" certainly had a head-start on the psychological suspense stories that became popular. Definitey worth a look!

Mermaid Nightmares
Great low-budget indy horror film from the 60s inspired by the Val Lewton classic 'Cat People'. Fans of other b/w indy horror flicks like 'Carnival of Souls' should really enjoy it. It stars the great Dennis Hopper ('Giant', 'Easy Rider', 'River's Edge', 'Blue Velvet', etc.) as a naive young sailor named Johnny who falls for a mysterious & beautiful girl called Mora. Mora works as "Mora the Mermaid" in a sideshow during the day on a CA Boardwalk. After they become lovers, Johnny discovers that Mora's last two boyfriends mysteriously drowned and soon he starts wondering if Mora is a real mermaid or one of the spooky "Sea People".

The soundtrack is a mix of great bongo numbers & bad b-movie music, but the real highlight is the eerie atmosphere and great stylized photography. The director tried hard to raise "Night Tide" out of the usual b-movie abyss and it shows. Excellent flick!

A movie before its time
I was surprized when this film came out. I didn't think it would. The plot was pure genius and was well produced, especially
with the low budget. It was also Congo Drummer, "Chaino's" first
film appearance. It was interesting to see him as young as he was
when he recorded 6 LP's that have appeared in many films and Videos since, HBO's "Sex and the City" and Steven speilbergs, "The Forces of nature." This film will no doube become a classic, being the first film for "Dennis Hopper." We love it. It's the kind of film one can enjoy no matter how many times they see it.

Poetic horror movie
This film is a fine example of how low budget is sometimes better than big budget: its qualities come partly from moody black and white lighting on ordinary locations and subtle suggestions of fear and the supernatural with lighting and editing rather than blatant special effects. It has a quiet and eerie, dream-like atmosphere, with excellent acting by Dennis Hopper, Luana Anders, and Linda Lawson as "Mora the Mermaid." The music score by David Raksin is excellent, and a rare example of a major film composer working on a very small budgeted film. Curtis Harrington's directing creates a sense of psychological eerieness and shadowy imagery rarely seen since the Val Lewton classics of the forties, which it is similar to (especially the original "Cat People" with Simone Simon). This DVD release is very good quality, and features an excellent and informative commentary by Curtis Harrington and Dennis Hopper. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

" Damn Good Movie "
I saw this movie when I was 10 years old. I stayed up late that night because my mom and dad were out of town and my aunt was the babysitter and we got away with the "Staying up late" thing. Well, anyway, I turned on the t.v. and there it was, RUBY, I kept my head covered up during most of the movie. I almost fainted when I heard a bump after finally going to bed. I am now 33 and have had trouble trying to locate the movie. Knowone remebers the good movies! but, I still remember " Ruby " That's a great movie.

GOOD HORROR SHOCKER....
50's actress Piper Laurie followed up her "comeback" in "Carrie" with this neglected horror item. She plays Ruby, a former gangster's moll now running a drive-in employing several of her old mob friends. She married a wealthy rival of her old beau who had him killed while she was pregnant with the younger man's child. Now the child is a teenager and mute. She begins exhibiting strange behavior and scary things start happening at the drive-in and Ruby is convinced her old lover has come back for her. The supernatural is played up well and there is no shortage of shocks. A lot of good moments and an overall creepiness pervade the film directed by Curtis Harrington. Piper Laurie gives another full-barreled performance as Ruby--still beautiful but half-deranged by alcohol and memories. Her blood red costume at the end is a knockout. VCI has done well with this on DVD. It deserves it.

An overlooked treasure.
Piper Laurie(the crazed mother in CARRIE) gives another expert performance: This time around she's Ruby Claire, an ex-gun moll running a 1950's drive-in theatre which is haunted by the spirit of her murdered lover, Nicky(Sal Vecchio). Long available in only a grainy, horribly butchered version that was made for television, RUBY has finally been restored to its original luster and demands rediscovery! A special bonus on the DVD is audio commentary given by star Piper Laurie and director Curtis Harrington. A must for the horror film buff!

It's me he wants, damn you -- me, me, me! Grade "A" B-movie
Even with the few flaws, especially the ending, you will have a great time with this one. The commentary is great and I really enjoyed the banter between the director and Ruby herself, the LOVELY Ms. Piper Laurie. Stuart Whitman is great as well. If you're in the mood for a fun & effective drive-in delight, get this! By the way, Ms. Laurie, you look great in a turban!

Not A Harrington Classic
Thanks to the DVD format many films that have suffered abuse at the hands of untalented studio executives and film censors have finally been given a chance to prove themselves for the classics that they truly are. Despite it's cult status Ruby is not one of those classics. According to Harrington, Ruby (1977) was the top grossing independent film of its time before John Carpenter's Halloween usurped its crown. Ruby's theatrical success and it's rareity on the video market have earned the film a cult following over the years. Now, finally having seen it I cannot understand why. Piper Laurie plays Ruby, an aging overly dramatic has-been who was amazingly beautiful in her day. Laurie's performance is fine but the character she plays is tired, cliched, and annoying. I had to force myself to get through her intolerable and lengthy scenes. The only performance worth watching is Ruby's mute daughter played by Janit Baldwin. Without Baldwin's eerie presence this film has little going for it, which is probably why her image is used for the poster art even though her character has only a minor role. The film is not without its moments, the finest being when Ruby's possessed daughter seduces then tries to kill her mother acting on behalf of the murdered father. Harrington is a very good director but I fail to see why fans count Ruby among his best work. My quibbles aside I am always pleased to see a lovingly presented DVD and VCI's 0 Region disc is just that. Transferred from the original 35mm negative in a rather tight 1:85:1 ratio Ruby looks as good as this low budget film can be expected. The sound is fine but it's nothing to crow about. The real goodies here are the supplements, which include a full length commentary by Harrington, an interview with Harrington by film critic David Del Valle, a photogallery and the theatrical trailer. Also noted among the DVD's special features is that this presentation is the "Director's Theatrical Cut". Please note the careful wording, this is NOT the Director's Cut. According to Harrington, Ruby is missing 6 minutes of footage (NOT noted on the case). He states in his interview with Del Valle that the film is very much his until the abrupt ending. VCI's presentation of Ruby contains a tacked on and artisically degrading ending which was not approved by Harrington. Aside from the loss of Harrington's original ending fans should be pleased by this release all others have been warned. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A truly chilling thriller!
KILLING KIND is a terrifically dark Brit thiller, released in the UK under its original (much more resonant) title MR IN-BETWEEN, where it got some rave reviews, particularly from the more "intelligent" press. Directed by Atom Egoyan's longtime cinematographer Paul Sarossy, it's a highly ambitious journey into the mind of an antihero Jon (superbly played by Andrew Howard), who kills and maims for a living, in the employment of the malevolent Tattooed Man. KILLING KIND doesn't pull its punches, and maintains its darkly disturbing tone right up until the end, which has to be one of the most uncompromisingly shocking endings in recent years. But it is also a love story of sorts, and is punctuated by the most bizarre black humour, which at times gives it a heightened style of almost David Lynchian proportions (particularly in scenes with David Calder's Tattooed Man and his unnerving friends). It also reminds me of the best of those 70s films, which dared NOT to have the predictable happy endings that are now the Hollywood norm. For this alone, Sarossy should be highly commended. There really isn't anything else out there like this right now.

An overlooked masterpiece in the "mind of a killer" genre
The Killing Kind is a powerful and disturbing portrait of a killer, an entry in the genre that has never received anything close to the attention it deserves. This is a film that you will not soon forget. Curtis Harrington's direction is almost mesmerizing in its intensity and poignancy, and standout performances by John Savage and Ann Sothern are more than award-worthy in my opinion. This isn't your typical "look inside the mind of a serial killer" movie; you won't find any visceral gore or killing for the sake of killing. The Killing Kind is instead a psychological masterpiece that may send shivers up the spine of viewers uncomfortable with this particular genre. There is plenty of psychosis to spare in this neighborhood, but the focus of this black hole of doom and gloom is the special relationship between a mother and her only son.

Be ready to watch this movie as soon as you put it in because the opening shots will reach right out and grab you. The first thing you will see is a young lady being thrown beneath a pier, stripped of her clothes, and raped by a gang of hooligans. One young man just stands there, only to be forcibly thrown on top of the girl by his buddies. We see him scream, but we are not really shown what the scream really indicates (although it becomes much clearer later on). This scene sets the stage for the entire movie. Two years have passed since the "incident," and young Terry has suddenly been released from prison, coming home to the boarding house his mother runs. Thelma, his fawning mother, is overjoyed to have her little boy back; she knows her Terry would never have touched that girl - Terry is a good boy. It quickly becomes apparent that the relationship between Terry and his mother just isn't normal; there's no sign of a sexual relationship between them, but one can't help but wonder what lies beneath. Thelma is definitely overly fond of her son, and she refuses to see anything wrong with him. When a new lodger moves into the boarding house, she warns her to stay away from Terry, wrongly accusing her of misconduct even after witnessing a troubling encounter between the two in the pool. A young Cindy Williams give a memorable performance as young Lori; it's not the type of role you associate with Shirley of Laverne & Shirley, and that only makes it all the more powerful. Naturally, things only get worse as the days go by, especially when the people "responsible" for Terry's incarceration begin to die mysteriously. A spinsterish neighbor casts a further pall of dementia on the plot, and one could argue that she is even more mentally unbalanced than Terry and Thelma. I can't say the suspense really builds as the movie progresses because the suspense is there in spades from the very start; one simultaneously awaits and dreads the culmination of all this psychological horror, and director Curtis Harrington does not disappoint, delivering a powerful and truly fitting end to a film I found to