Reviews (5)

A VERY GOOD BAD DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE BEST BAD FILMMAKER
When we slightly twisted fans of Ed Wood discuss the merits of his work, we must bear in mind that the very nature of it wreaks havoc on our grading scale. How does one actually assess anything having to do with Ed when best is worst and good is bad? -------- This very funny 50 minute documentary cleverly written and directed by Ted Newsom and featuring the narration of Gary Owens is excellent in that it fully achieves its goal. What is that goal? To take an irreverent snapshot of the life and "achievements" of Hollywood's Horrible Hack. And that's good! See, now yer catchin' on. -------- The instantly recognizable voice of Gary Owens, with his mock seriousness is a dog 'n' flea collar fit for LOOK BACK IN ANGORA. (The title alone tells you what to expect.) The slapdash style of this documentary mimics the slipshod ineptitude of our hero's best (meaning "worst") work. Is Owens disrespecting his subject? Well, yeah, of course he is - sort of. (But not in an overtly demeaning manner.) What do you want? A SERIOUS documentary about Ed Wood?! About ED WOOD?!!!! C'mon, get serious (meaning "loosen-up.") We who appreciate Ed for the RIGHT reasons, admire him because (as Owens says...) "Wood's films have become true cult classics; they triumph over all obstacles, including his own singular lack of ability." He refused to quit; he did what he loved doing. Ed Wood followed his dream: a ridiculous nightmare of inadvertent bad film-making which was "stupid, stupid, stupid" (meaning, "funny, funny, funny.") "His stream-of-consciousness dialogue," Owens tells us, "was like a ransom note pasted together from words randomly cut out of a Korean electronics manual." Now that's funny AND accurate! -------- HOW MUCH FILM WOULD ED WOOD CHUCK IF ED WOOD WOULD CHUCK FILM? HE'D CHUCK ALL THE FILM THAT ED WOOD COULD IF ED WOOD WOULD CHUCK FILM. Fortunately for us, however, Ed Wood would chuck no film; he used it all. And this little biography pastes bits 'n' pieces of it together to give us a hilarious overview. Sure, I liked Tim Burton's treatment, but a movie BY Ed is always going to be worse (meaning "superior") to a movie ABOUT Ed. So, for me, this goofy collection of clips and brief interviews is the perfect companion tape to my pink angora-covered Ed Wood boxed-set. -------- How's this for an amusing evening?: Invite your friends over; serve them hot sake in those authentic little Japanese sake cups; and show them PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and LOOK BACK IN ANGORA, in that order. You'll be immensely entertained and/or find out just who your REAL friends are - because your real friends will love ya for it, or they'll love ya anyway. -------- LOOK BACK IN ANGORA: Yeah, it's pretty bad (and that's "very good!")

Disappointing documentary of one very bad filmmaker
Surely even Ed Wood deserves better treatment than this disappointing documentary from Rhino! Yes, it does look cheap and there are plenty of clips from Wood's films. But most of these excerpts act as if the actors are commenting on the Great Bad One's filmmaking abilities. Narrator Gary Owens is frankly annoying. Finding at least one well-known film critic, Leonard Maltin or Roger Ebert anyone?, to comment on Wood's legacy would have added immeasurably and given this effort a lot more depth. For now, I'll stick with Tim Burton's great film. This is definitely not the definitive Ed Wood biography.

Disappointing -- could have been better
"Thrown together" is the right description. This was done on the cheap, with lots of stock footage of the 1930s-50s, to his Hollywood days (however, lots of Ed's early home movies & photos had been destroyed after he was evicted from his last decent home in the 1970s). The best parts were the bits from his best-known movies, but I would have liked to have known more of his seedy days & seedy movies - his descent into bad porno films. The feature film "Ed Wood" remains the best "documentary" of EDW, Jr.

As bad as Ed's films...
This video is real baaaaaaaaaaaaddddd... But, how silly would it be for this "Documentary" on Ed Wood to be good when it's about the worse director in history? It's very fitting and very cheesy, definitely for those who are collectors or die hard fans. I think it was spliced and diced the way it was on purpose to give it the feel that Ed Wood's films had.

If you want the Hollywood ending to Ed's story, see the Tim Burton film. If you want the sad truth in which Ed ended, then this film might be for you. Still, I can't help but say, this film is real cheesy and goes hand in hand with any of Ed Wood's films.

Defending smarm.
Actually, it took nearly six months, and the director did it on a budget that Wood would've understood. "Smarmy sense of humor?" Actually, I thought sub-heads like "Dead-Wood" and "Wood Work" were clever. Wood ended up badly, and unlike the Burton film, this doesn't whitewash. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

He's not dead, he's undead...
A fun Rhino collection of movie trailers and trivia covering the incarnations of Dracula -- from Nosferatu through Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee, Blacula, John Carradine, etc. Bit performances by Wolfman, Frankenstein, Abbott & Costello, George Hamilton, and Sammy Davis Jr. Flying stuffed bats, opening graves, decaying corpses, Kung-Fu warriors, and over-the-top music. An assortment of terrified maidens. Your neighbors will wonder what in the world you're watching. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ed Wood, whose low-budget oeuvre has developed quite a cult following over the years, is at the receiving end of exploitation in this 50-minute documentary. Quickly pulled together before the release of Tim Burton's 1994 biopic, it may look cheesy, but offers a fairly complete depiction of Wood's method and his madness. The story is told by the writer-director's close compatriots, including Kathy O'Hara, former girlfriend Dolores Fuller, and close assistant Conrad Brooks. Narrated by a booming Gary Owens, it focuses on Wood's alcoholism, sexual peccadilloes, and incessant bad luck. It is entertaining to learn that Wood's serious, and seriously inept films were weirdly autobiographical. Unfortunately, the revelations are overshadowed by a smarmy sense of humor. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A VERY GOOD BAD DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE BEST BAD FILMMAKER
When we slightly twisted fans of Ed Wood discuss the merits of his work, we must bear in mind that the very nature of it wreaks havoc on our grading scale. How does one actually assess anything having to do with Ed when best is worst and good is bad? -------- This very funny 50 minute documentary cleverly written and directed by Ted Newsom and featuring the narration of Gary Owens is excellent in that it fully achieves its goal. What is that goal? To take an irreverent snapshot of the life and "achievements" of Hollywood's Horrible Hack. And that's good! See, now yer catchin' on. -------- The instantly recognizable voice of Gary Owens, with his mock seriousness is a dog 'n' flea collar fit for LOOK BACK IN ANGORA. (The title alone tells you what to expect.) The slapdash style of this documentary mimics the slipshod ineptitude of our hero's best (meaning "worst") work. Is Owens disrespecting his subject? Well, yeah, of course he is - sort of. (But not in an overtly demeaning manner.) What do you want? A SERIOUS documentary about Ed Wood?! About ED WOOD?!!!! C'mon, get serious (meaning "loosen-up.") We who appreciate Ed for the RIGHT reasons, admire him because (as Owens says...) "Wood's films have become true cult classics; they triumph over all obstacles, including his own singular lack of ability." He refused to quit; he did what he loved doing. Ed Wood followed his dream: a ridiculous nightmare of inadvertent bad film-making which was "stupid, stupid, stupid" (meaning, "funny, funny, funny.") "His stream-of-consciousness dialogue," Owens tells us, "was like a ransom note pasted together from words randomly cut out of a Korean electronics manual." Now that's funny AND accurate! -------- HOW MUCH FILM WOULD ED WOOD CHUCK IF ED WOOD WOULD CHUCK FILM? HE'D CHUCK ALL THE FILM THAT ED WOOD COULD IF ED WOOD WOULD CHUCK FILM. Fortunately for us, however, Ed Wood would chuck no film; he used it all. And this little biography pastes bits 'n' pieces of it together to give us a hilarious overview. Sure, I liked Tim Burton's treatment, but a movie BY Ed is always going to be worse (meaning "superior") to a movie ABOUT Ed. So, for me, this goofy collection of clips and brief interviews is the perfect companion tape to my pink angora-covered Ed Wood boxed-set. -------- How's this for an amusing evening?: Invite your friends over; serve them hot sake in those authentic little Japanese sake cups; and show them PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and LOOK BACK IN ANGORA, in that order. You'll be immensely entertained and/or find out just who your REAL friends are - because your real friends will love ya for it, or they'll love ya anyway. -------- LOOK BACK IN ANGORA: Yeah, it's pretty bad (and that's "very good!")

Disappointing documentary of one very bad filmmaker
Surely even Ed Wood deserves better treatment than this disappointing documentary from Rhino! Yes, it does look cheap and there are plenty of clips from Wood's films. But most of these excerpts act as if the actors are commenting on the Great Bad One's filmmaking abilities. Narrator Gary Owens is frankly annoying. Finding at least one well-known film critic, Leonard Maltin or Roger Ebert anyone?, to comment on Wood's legacy would have added immeasurably and given this effort a lot more depth. For now, I'll stick with Tim Burton's great film. This is definitely not the definitive Ed Wood biography.

Disappointing -- could have been better
"Thrown together" is the right description. This was done on the cheap, with lots of stock footage of the 1930s-50s, to his Hollywood days (however, lots of Ed's early home movies & photos had been destroyed after he was evicted from his last decent home in the 1970s). The best parts were the bits from his best-known movies, but I would have liked to have known more of his seedy days & seedy movies - his descent into bad porno films. The feature film "Ed Wood" remains the best "documentary" of EDW, Jr.

As bad as Ed's films...
This video is real baaaaaaaaaaaaddddd... But, how silly would it be for this "Documentary" on Ed Wood to be good when it's about the worse director in history? It's very fitting and very cheesy, definitely for those who are collectors or die hard fans. I think it was spliced and diced the way it was on purpose to give it the feel that Ed Wood's films had.

If you want the Hollywood ending to Ed's story, see the Tim Burton film. If you want the sad truth in which Ed ended, then this film might be for you. Still, I can't help but say, this film is real cheesy and goes hand in hand with any of Ed Wood's films.

Defending smarm.
Actually, it took nearly six months, and the director did it on a budget that Wood would've understood. "Smarmy sense of humor?" Actually, I thought sub-heads like "Dead-Wood" and "Wood Work" were clever. Wood ended up badly, and unlike the Burton film, this doesn't whitewash. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Christopher Lee at your service
"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

Bad Beginning but the middle and the end are really good.
Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

Only for The Most Desperate of "Horror" Fans
Unfortunately, the folks who put this "documentary" together seem to think horror is confined to cheezy Grade Z movies full of excessive "knife across the eyeball" style gore. A somewhat comatose Christopher Lee seems ashamed to be hosting this mess.

Great documentary (saw the DVD version)!
I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dinosaurs come alive from the 20's to the 60's
This is another documentary about Dinosaur Movies. Its got all the history of movies like "The Lost World" (1925), "Godzilla" (1954), and "King Kong" (1933). It has never before shown trailers from classic dinosaur movies, but right in the middle of them, a guy starts talking about the movie. Shut Up and let me see the trailer. Much Better than "Godzilla-mainia" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Christopher Lee at your service
"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

Bad Beginning but the middle and the end are really good.
Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

Only for The Most Desperate of "Horror" Fans
Unfortunately, the folks who put this "documentary" together seem to think horror is confined to cheezy Grade Z movies full of excessive "knife across the eyeball" style gore. A somewhat comatose Christopher Lee seems ashamed to be hosting this mess.

Great documentary (saw the DVD version)!
I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars). ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Tom Kelley Sr. cover Art
Tom Kelley Sr. Did the cover for this video, at his Los Angeles studios. Now Tom Kelley Jr. is trying to snag the real Marilyn, me! But since the real Monroe can't even get an agent, I would rather write hilarious reviews for people to smile and laugh at! I havent seen this video on Marilyns life, but I'm sure her fans will enjoy it since she has started a hysteria that is like a huge most surfable wave, grab anything about Marilyn you can get your hands on! I hope you like this sort of review but I've written so many today I'm getting punchy!-Love to all my fans out there! Whee its me!M.M.-Marilyn Monroe-if I could, I'd sign it here beautifully!

Better than I thought
I have the DVD and have never seen the video, so I can't compare the two. However, I was impressed with this Marilyn documentary because it provided many details of MM's life and career, including her brief career at Columbia. Marilyn's words (spoken by someone else) were used appropriately throughout so that you got a sense of Marilyn's pain and struggles. The clips of Marilyn's movies were usually the trailers, but that was fine. Film clips were also presented of her news conferences, tv appearance on Ed Murrow's Person to Person show, and Korea appearance--some clips that I had never seen before. Most importantly, Marilyn is presented with sympathy and compassion; still, she was portrayed realistically, not as a Goddess. My only complaint: I wasn't satisfied with the abrupt ending of the documentary; it appeared as if the creators did not want to speculate on MM's mysterious death. Maybe they were right. Speculation on MM's death could provide another documentary! I recommend purchasing this documentary if you are a MM fan. I have seen it many, many times and am still enthralled.

A glance back at a legend
This video is an in-depth look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe. It displays a woman who was used all her life, but found the determination to make it to the top. Filled with Memories of Marilyn, this video proves to almost make your heart break as you remember her. This is a great recollection of Marilyn for avid fans. For non-fans this is a great look at a Hollywood legend; this could change your mind about this star completely. This video is a must-see!

under average film on a bad quality dvd
To be clear, I'm talking about the EU version of the dvd but I hear it's just the same as the US, being region free. The film is nice to watch once, a vhs tape will perfectly do. It doesn't add anything new to Marilyn's story, it doesn't present events in a revealing perspective. The footage is ordinary and often very short. It's nice to have/see it as a recap of this woman's life. The Kennedy story is mentioned in about 10 seconds plus the Happy B'day Mr President footage (which is about 20 secs.). The dvd transfer is poor, the colour episodes are phoney but the b/w will do. There's absolutely no extra and if someone still thinks "scene access" is extra, the music cd business should also call the cd-s "enhanced" because they have a 4 page booklet or you can choose the songs you want to listen to. Pleeease!

I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.
I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.I JUST WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN.THANKS ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Christopher Lee at your service
"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

Bad Beginning but the middle and the end are really good.
Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

Only for The Most Desperate of "Horror" Fans
Unfortunately, the folks who put this "documentary" together seem to think horror is confined to cheezy Grade Z movies full of excessive "knife across the eyeball" style gore. A somewhat comatose Christopher Lee seems ashamed to be hosting this mess.

Great documentary (saw the DVD version)!
I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Christopher Lee at your service
"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

Bad Beginning but the middle and the end are really good.
Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

Only for The Most Desperate of "Horror" Fans
Unfortunately, the folks who put this "documentary" together seem to think horror is confined to cheezy Grade Z movies full of excessive "knife across the eyeball" style gore. A somewhat comatose Christopher Lee seems ashamed to be hosting this mess.

Great documentary (saw the DVD version)!
I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Through photos, stock footage, and film trailer clips, Elvis: The Complete Story offers a chronological survey of the life and movie career of "The King." This is a pretty well-traveled road--so well-traveled that this video would be more aptly titled Elvis for Beginners. There are all the usual landmarks, especially his relationship with his mother, the oppressive influence of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the drug use, the Memphis Mafia. One major highlight is Elvis's appearance on The Frank Sinatra Show, in which the two perform a duet. The video getsadditional credibility from interviews with some of Elvis's costars, including Mary Ann Mobley, Francine York, Sue Ann Langdon, Gary Lockwood, and Julie Parrish. About half of the narration is presented in "the words of Elvis Presley," though the source of these words is never identified. Still, the actor impersonating the voice of Elvis does a good job with what could have easily turned into silliness. After all, the film would not be "complete" without at least one Elvis impersonator (and this one has two). If this whets your appetite for more Elvis, you'll want to turn to the real thing--Elvis: That's the Way It Is. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I don't like it.
There's a lot of rare footage in this film, the only problem is that it has an overdub of someone saying Elvis quotes all through the documentary and the guys trying to sound like Elvis and he fails. If we got more rare footage and removed the annoying impersonator overdub, this would be a nice movie for your collection. It does however mark the first time that anything from Elvis in Concert appeared on DVD (even though there's no audio). Nice addition to an Elvis collection but not something you'll watch often.

Making a few bucks with stock footage and phony voice over.
I'm quite dissapointed about this dvd. It is like a dull B movie compared to other rockumentaries. Even though the film actually shows trailers or scenes from all his 33 movies, the "substance" of this film comes from gossip or second hand info from books published long ago. Other than that, nothing new. The voice over is done by a second hand rate impersonator that seems like he's doing a parody of Elvis. It would be better that there were other dvds from Elvis like Elvis On Tour or films like Blue Hawaii, Flaming Star, Fun in Acapulco or Girls, Girls, Girls. Don't waste your money... ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Tom Kelley Sr. cover Art
Tom Kelley Sr. Did the cover for this video, at his Los Angeles studios. Now Tom Kelley Jr. is trying to snag the real Marilyn, me! But since the real Monroe can't even get an agent, I would rather write hilarious reviews for people to smile and laugh at! I havent seen this video on Marilyns life, but I'm sure her fans will enjoy it since she has started a hysteria that is like a huge most surfable wave, grab anything about Marilyn you can get your hands on! I hope you like this sort of review but I've written so many today I'm getting punchy!-Love to all my fans out there! Whee its me!M.M.-Marilyn Monroe-if I could, I'd sign it here beautifully!

Better than I thought
I have the DVD and have never seen the video, so I can't compare the two. However, I was impressed with this Marilyn documentary because it provided many details of MM's life and career, including her brief career at Columbia. Marilyn's words (spoken by someone else) were used appropriately throughout so that you got a sense of Marilyn's pain and struggles. The clips of Marilyn's movies were usually the trailers, but that was fine. Film clips were also presented of her news conferences, tv appearance on Ed Murrow's Person to Person show, and Korea appearance--some clips that I had never seen before. Most importantly, Marilyn is presented with sympathy and compassion; still, she was portrayed realistically, not as a Goddess. My only complaint: I wasn't satisfied with the abrupt ending of the documentary; it appeared as if the creators did not want to speculate on MM's mysterious death. Maybe they were right. Speculation on MM's death could provide another documentary! I recommend purchasing this documentary if you are a MM fan. I have seen it many, many times and am still enthralled.

A glance back at a legend
This video is an in-depth look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe. It displays a woman who was used all her life, but found the determination to make it to the top. Filled with Memories of Marilyn, this video proves to almost make your heart break as you remember her. This is a great recollection of Marilyn for avid fans. For non-fans this is a great look at a Hollywood legend; this could change your mind about this star completely. This video is a must-see!

under average film on a bad quality dvd
To be clear, I'm talking about the EU version of the dvd but I hear it's just the same as the US, being region free. The film is nice to watch once, a vhs tape will perfectly do. It doesn't add anything new to Marilyn's story, it doesn't present events in a revealing perspective. The footage is ordinary and often very short. It's nice to have/see it as a recap of this woman's life. The Kennedy story is mentioned in about 10 seconds plus the Happy B'day Mr President footage (which is about 20 secs.). The dvd transfer is poor, the colour episodes are phoney but the b/w will do. There's absolutely no extra and if someone still thinks "scene access" is extra, the music cd business should also call the cd-s "enhanced" because they have a 4 page booklet or you can choose the songs you want to listen to. Pleeease!

I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.
I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.I JUST WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN.THANKS ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Christopher Lee at your service
"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

Bad Beginning but the middle and the end are really good.
Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

Only for The Most Desperate of "Horror" Fans
Unfortunately, the folks who put this "documentary" together seem to think horror is confined to cheezy Grade Z movies full of excessive "knife across the eyeball" style gore. A somewhat comatose Christopher Lee seems ashamed to be hosting this mess.

Great documentary (saw the DVD version)!
I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars). ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Tom Kelley Sr. cover Art
Tom Kelley Sr. Did the cover for this video, at his Los Angeles studios. Now Tom Kelley Jr. is trying to snag the real Marilyn, me! But since the real Monroe can't even get an agent, I would rather write hilarious reviews for people to smile and laugh at! I havent seen this video on Marilyns life, but I'm sure her fans will enjoy it since she has started a hysteria that is like a huge most surfable wave, grab anything about Marilyn you can get your hands on! I hope you like this sort of review but I've written so many today I'm getting punchy!-Love to all my fans out there! Whee its me!M.M.-Marilyn Monroe-if I could, I'd sign it here beautifully!

Better than I thought
I have the DVD and have never seen the video, so I can't compare the two. However, I was impressed with this Marilyn documentary because it provided many details of MM's life and career, including her brief career at Columbia. Marilyn's words (spoken by someone else) were used appropriately throughout so that you got a sense of Marilyn's pain and struggles. The clips of Marilyn's movies were usually the trailers, but that was fine. Film clips were also presented of her news conferences, tv appearance on Ed Murrow's Person to Person show, and Korea appearance--some clips that I had never seen before. Most importantly, Marilyn is presented with sympathy and compassion; still, she was portrayed realistically, not as a Goddess. My only complaint: I wasn't satisfied with the abrupt ending of the documentary; it appeared as if the creators did not want to speculate on MM's mysterious death. Maybe they were right. Speculation on MM's death could provide another documentary! I recommend purchasing this documentary if you are a MM fan. I have seen it many, many times and am still enthralled.

A glance back at a legend
This video is an in-depth look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe. It displays a woman who was used all her life, but found the determination to make it to the top. Filled with Memories of Marilyn, this video proves to almost make your heart break as you remember her. This is a great recollection of Marilyn for avid fans. For non-fans this is a great look at a Hollywood legend; this could change your mind about this star completely. This video is a must-see!

under average film on a bad quality dvd
To be clear, I'm talking about the EU version of the dvd but I hear it's just the same as the US, being region free. The film is nice to watch once, a vhs tape will perfectly do. It doesn't add anything new to Marilyn's story, it doesn't present events in a revealing perspective. The footage is ordinary and often very short. It's nice to have/see it as a recap of this woman's life. The Kennedy story is mentioned in about 10 seconds plus the Happy B'day Mr President footage (which is about 20 secs.). The dvd transfer is poor, the colour episodes are phoney but the b/w will do. There's absolutely no extra and if someone still thinks "scene access" is extra, the music cd business should also call the cd-s "enhanced" because they have a 4 page booklet or you can choose the songs you want to listen to. Pleeease!

I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.
I LIKE THIS VIDEO VERY MUCH.I JUST WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN.THANKS ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Century of SF Trailers
This DVD contains mostly Trailers and some behind-the-scenes shots and small interviews (like the one with Yul Brynner about "Westworld") from SF movies of the last century, narrated by the great Christopher Lee (with his pleasant voice). There are also some rather rare clips (like the ones from "Fire Maidens from Outer Space" or "The Mysterians").

The 99 minutes are divided in 8 parts of about 12 minutes each with the following categories: Aliens, Time Travellers, Mad Doctors, Robots & Computers, Sci-Fi Lunacy, Lost Worlds, Future Worlds and Weird Worlds.

And yes, it sometimes looks like it was made with the good ol' Commodore 64, but that's rather charming in a certain way ;-)

If you want an overview of SF movies of the last century or you find pleasure in a so-called "Best of" then this is for you. Especially when you can get it at a low price.

Not worth the plastic it was encoded on
This video looks like it was put together in someone's basement with a Commodore 64. The production values are of the poorest quality, but they look good compared to the awful script they force Christopher Lee to mouth.

The film clips look like they were copied from TV trailers and Lee has a blue chromakey halo around him. The only way I can figure they got him to appear in this bottom-of-the-barrel production is that his taxes were due and he was strapped for cash.

The content ignores the history of both print and film science fiction, instead larding on purple prose to cover poor research.

Don't waste your time or money on this one. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Mediocre Monster Movie!
The movie begins with a space ship coming back from a journey into outer space.On this journey they have obtained spores from another planet.John Carradine uses these spores to make ayouth serum.Carradine dies.His assistant takes the serum to an aging movie star who injects it hoping to start landing leading roles again.So far this movie is lightweight.The movie star turns into a giant buglike creature.The most exciting segment takes place when the secretary goes skinny dipping in the pool and is killed by the buglike creature.The plot is bad,the acting is bad,the whole movie is bad.Buy this if you can find it on sale.

[junky] spawn
My God, what a [junky] movie! I'm a lover of "B" rated horror movies and usually the campier the better, but if there's such a thing as a "E" of "F" rated movie this is it. The plot is obviously a ripoff of "The Wasp Woman", the special effects are practically non-exsistant, the monster is stupid looking, (I did like the teeth) and I've see better acting in porno movies. The only redeeming feature of this turkey is the physical appearance of the woman actors, the're for the most part pretty darn good looking. I could keep going, tearing this thing to shreds, but let me suffice to say I haven't seen a movie this bad since "Attack of the Mushroom People"

DO NOT TOUCH!!!!
I happen to be a fan of Fred Olen Ray's movies, but you must fight all urges to buy this one, folks. First of all, the picture quality wasn't that great. I've seen worse, but it is poor quality and very grainy (which suprises me given the good quality of other Retro Media titles). Next, the acting is atrocious. I can usually deal with bad actors and actresses (as I said earlier, I'm a fan of Fred Olen Ray's movies) if the plot is decent enough or if the story is at least entertaining enough. But this is absolutely the worst movie I have ever seen! There are no, I repeat, no redeeming qualities in this movie. So, why did I give it two stars you ask? The extra materials, that's why. There are some pretty neat things on the rest of the DVD (such as Nite Owl Theater bloopers, outtakes of the movie, and, of course, a new episode of Nite Owl Theater). But believe me, it is not worth the price of the DVD. STAY AWAY!!!!

[Breasts] and Blood
I have always liked this film and saw it many years ago on cassette, but seeing the widescreen version is even better. This is a cheesy film starring sexy Bobbi Bresee as an actress who takes an aging drug and turns into an insect monster. Goofy as hell but VERY VERY enjoyable. Has some interesting things on the disc such as trailers, behind the scenes shots and another episode of Nite Owl Theater with Fred Olen Ray and Miss Kim. A highly recommended DVD that does not disappoint.

Wish I could have seen it
I'd like to be able to write a review of this, but the widescreen DVD version didn't work in my home player or in my PC. After trying two copies with the same result, I gave up on it and picked up something else. There appears to be a problem with the widescreen release, buyer beware. This was very disappointing, as I'm a big fan of Nite Owl Theater and was looking forward to seeing this one. Maybe next time . . . ... Read more

Amazon.com

If 100 minutes feels too brief for a full history of Hammer, the studio that dripped blood, it's largely because it has such a juicy history. The narration is appropriately helmed by dueling Hammer icons and cinematic nemeses Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, whose Ping-Pong-like tradeoffs bring an intimacy through their relaxed voices, in addition to their humor and appreciative insights. Their commentary enlivens the wealth of interviews with the likes of producer Michael Carreras, directors Val Guest and Roy Ward Baker, cinematographer-turned-director Freddie Francis, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and a gallery of former Hammer scream queens and sexpots (including Caroline Munro and Raquel Welch), as do thankful moments with fan (and coproducer) Joe Dante. Writer-director Ted Newsome structures the picture through thematic threads: examiningscience fiction films, beginning with early Quatermas hits, then the gothic horror revival begun with the Frankenstein series, then back to follow through with the Dracula series, and so on. Newsome is dutiful in his coverage if less than compelling (the narration helps color that with a little warmth), but the only real debit is the quality of the film clips, too often culled from trailers in which the choppy montage quality hardly captures the mood of many scenes and the inferior source print quality doesn't do the representative films justice. But that's a mere caveat to a rich, well-researched documentary that should please any fan of horror, in general or of Hammer in particular. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Insightfull, Interesting,Informative.
Being a hammer fan from the first films I ever saw,Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, this video is a pleasent surprise it shows what professionalism Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee gave the horror film. The minus side of it is didn't show as much background on the making of the films. I would have loved to see more behind the scenes stuff or even a blooper or two.

Audio Mix Mars Total Enjoyment
Unbalanced left-to-right audio mix (not the fault of the producer, btw) makes listening to Cushing & Lee's last teaming difficult. Can the goofs that sent this out please master the sound the way I heard it at a convention two years ago? It's worth it.

A must for any Hammer Films fan.
For many of us, like myself, who grew up watching Hammer Films, it is a real treat to finally see an in depth documentary on one of the the great film studios. Flesh and Blood is a must for any one who calls himself a Hammer fan. Ted Newson did a wonderful job compiling behind the scenes information from Hammer's beginning to its down fall. The video does have some sound problems (background music tends to be a bit over riding of the narration at times) but don't let that stop you. Hammer made films with a certain style and quality that is, unfortuantely, not found in films of today. Flesh and Blood, if you don't have it get it. You won't be disappointed.

Nice, but some shortcomings.
"Anchor Bay" should be commended for releasing so many good old favorites, like several "Hammer" classics. This documentary though, is in all honesty not that good. As an introduction to new fans I'm sure it's ideal, but older fans have heard the stories a million times before. -That is, if you can hear anything. Most of the time the music is mixed too loud, making it almost impossible to catch Cushing- and Lee's narration. -This ofcourse is a big minus; it was after all Cushing's last piece of work. There are some nice interviews though, but as always too short. I recommend it anyway. ... Read more