Reviews (21)

Demonic clock thriller passes the time.
A clock possessed with some of the evil from the cursed house in Amityville wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting family. This low budget thriller manages to mix some surprisingly entertaining moments in with the expected hokem. Recommended to bad b-movie buffs, those wanting a quality ghost yarn should look elsewhere.

Believe it or not, THIS MOVIE IS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just rented this movie last night, thinking it would just be another average Amityville movie, but man was I wrong!

Last night was the first time in a long time that I actually found myself being scared while watching a horror movie. Seeing that room change from a normal living room to an old French torture prison was just too creepy, and seeing Jacob having those mood swings every two seconds, and seeing Lisa's boyfriend come out of the bathtub faucet all hacked up was just sick.

Without a doubt the best Amity. If you like those, rent it. (13 yrs. old viewer. Lol)

Crazy good fun!
I love this movie - but then, I was a little kid the first time I saw it, which tends to make me like it for nostalgic reasons. However, if you like fabulously bad horror flicks, get this!

Surprises galore!
What a suspensful flick this was! The story is interesting and quite complex. I have noticed that a lot of films kind of branch-off into different sub-plots, but this film doesn't, it has a main story. That makes it easy to follow. The characters were beleivable and that really adds to the horror. I must take away one star, simply because this film was a little to gross than it needed to be. For example, what was the disgusting and un-necessary deal with that guy who was "sinking" into the floor?

Not half bad
This is probably the second best AMITYVILLE film. It has a good plot, good acting, good directing and it's creepy. It does have a very good story, I must say. It's definately a story that's too good for a diret-to-video sequel. If you liked the first film, check this one out. ... Read more

Description

The most popular teen superheroes on Earth are now the coolest space travelers in the universe, and this time they've met their match -- literally! The sinister Psycho Rangers know the Power Rangers inside and out, making them all the more difficult to identify and defeat. It's all part of Dark Specter's scheme to steal Zordon's power and spread evil throughout the galaxies, but the real Power Rangers have other plans in mind, and not even the wickedly beautiful Astronema can destroy them ... or can she? Go galactic as POWER RANGERS IN SPACE takes you on a power-packed journey through the cosmos that'll keep you on the edge of your Megazord. It's a blast! ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Not Great Episodes
Out of all the episodes from Power Rangers In Space, Saban had to pick the Psycho Ranger saga! I'm not saying the Psycho Ranger saga was bad, but it's not the best either. Countdown To Destruction should of been put on video or the Ninja Turtles/Space Rangers team up, ect... Countdown To Destruction was the best 2 part episode ever. This was the best team ever! And they deserved a great video, not a pretty good video.

Blastin off into space
Power Rangers In Space

RANGERS GONE PSYCHO

Five imposters are wreaking havok throughout Angel Grove as Power Rangers. The real Rangers confront them, and they reveal themselves to be the Psycho Rangers, maniacal machines sent by Astronema. The Psychos read the Rangers' minds, and prove to be difficult to defeat with this knowledge of the Rangers' fighting techniques.

A RIFT IN THE RANGERS

Ashley and Cassie have a quarrel over doing chores on the Megaship. Psycho Yellow and Pink manage to capture Ashley.

FIVE OF A KIND

TJ comes up with a way to defeat the Psycho Rangers. Since they are designed to fight their respective Ranger color, the Rangers all disguise themselves as the Blue Ranger, and to confuse them even further, Zhane jumps in as Psycho Silver.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The Psycho Rangers scour the city in search of the civilian Rangers, using voice recognition. Cassie is in town, and must remain quiet to avoid being found.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

The Psycho Rangers have stolen the Mega Voyager. To get it back, the Power Rangers launch a surprise attack on the Psychos.

One of the last seasons that was great unti Dino thunder
This season was great. The ending was sad because zordon was destroyed. I wounder how are they getting their powers know since he is gone. I liked the megavoyager, athe astromegaship (WHich was destroyed in a future season) and the other one that zane had. I still watch the show and i am only 16. Know they finally brought back a good character back. I wounder if they will bring back the rest in future seasons?

Bestest Power Rangers of all
hey! everybody.i am your greatest & biggest fan off all.I loved your movies alot and now also.it's for me so s-suprising that i am writing to you.tell hey to all the power rangers.can you power rangers write me back.i have seen all your movies.the best was volume 10.are you power rangers are making a movie this year? PLEASE TELL ME!
thank you guys
your great fan
sharah

Terrific series; so-so video
Having gotten my copy of "Power Rangers In Space: The Movie" a couple of years ago, I am frankly surprised that they would actually edit the episodes (and even cut one whole episode out) and downsized them to fit a movie plotline.

I like the video, it's just it would have better if they had tried to at least make a miniseries on Fox or make it into a made-for-TV movie.

PRiS is actually a great series, it's just that the Psycho series isn't actually the episodes that would be worth editing and composing into a feature-length "movie." The plot itself is intriguing and semi-original, the acting is terrific, but actually, the first two to three episodes would be worth editing or even better, the last three episodes of "Countdown to Destruction." It wraps up things more fully and is a welcome relief to the usual end to a seasonal PR series.

If you like PRiS, this movie is for you. If you're a PRiS fan who actually thinks this is a full-length movie, better pass this up. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Playboy - Inside Out 1
This is worth it, if only for the short directed by Alexander Payne (Election). It's hysterically funny! In it a woman drifts into sleep while fantasizing about numerous oddball men coming into her room and doing things to her (such as pouring cream corn over her body). Great work! If you're only into the "erotica" though, you may as well look elsewhere. The only originality here comes from Mr. Payne's sharp wit. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Excellent sequel!
The story continues as Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence) is in a asylum after the events of part 1, she discovers that Julia ( Clare Higgens) from the original has been brought back to life. Pinhead ( Doug Bradley) and his Cenobite gang are back, only to have Kirsty play a deadly game in hell.
Highly entertaining and extremely graphic sequel to the original 1987 horror fantasy shocker. This one has fine performances and great gore effects, this DVD from Anchor Bay is quite excellent with it's THX Digital sound and picture. The Extras are very good including the director's commentary, Clive Barker has done it again with this macabre sequel that also includes Pinhead's origin. Be warned, this is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Also recommended: Hellraiser, Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), Hellraiser III, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, City of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Phantasm, Poltergeist, The Others.

3.5stars- A Worthy Continuation of Hellraiser
This is the only true sequel to the original Hellraiser. The cenobites return and all the main characters are back. In this movie, Kirty Cotton travels to hell along with a muted young girl by the name of Tiffany in an attempt to rescue her father's soul, yet finds a nice surprise waiting for her in hell in the form of the Cenobites, her stepmother, Frank, and a crazy doctor.

Full of vivid and violent imagery, Hellbound:Hellraiser 2 takes further in the world of hell by offering the ideas of Leviathan and the creation of the cenobites. It is not as gruesome or as fun to watch as the first Hellraiser, but it is as good as many horror sequels can get. The ideas brought forth in this movie have been with heated debate among Hellraiser fans. This is definitely the most involved into the inner workings of Hellraiser mythology.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is indeed not for those with a weak stomach and I suggest it for fans of the original and of the series only. The atmosphere of this movie and the feel is one that cannot be denied. After this, the series went into a slump until regaining steam with Inferno. This remains a classic along with the original. It is certainly not as entertaining and perhaps a bit tedious, but that does not stop it from being a worthy horror sequel.

Everything is Flesh!
I really feel that the Hell Raiser "tale" should have been left on its own. Pinhead and Clive Barker's work is too precious to me, but then again, you can't help but want more!
So from what I understand, the lady that helped Clive with the original Hell Raiser movie, which is based off of the book: Hell Bound Heart. Was given premission from Clive to continue on with the Hell Raiser story (can't blame him, easy money). What she came up with Hell Raiser 2-4. The effects all seem to be from the same effects artists, at least for part 1, and 2. And the story, while dragging it out a bit too far, and into somewhat comic book proportions, including some failure to explain small details, like how Pinhead came back from death, since he was slain in hell, and if he could come back, then why couldn't he ressurect his minions, rather than slaughter a dance club, and create some kool, yet some what gimpy cenobytes such as CD Man.
Hell Raiser II remains most true in for to the feel and look of the original, with only a dash of comic book, and some VERY delightful creatures, beautiful women (pt 4), and interesting story line. The gore of course is great in the uncut version, and the show down is wonderful! "The Doctor Is In".

Bottom line, as much as I feel that the original should stand on its own, I am still very happy with the 1st 3 sequals. It is NO WHERE near as bad as the Candy Man sequals! :)

I'd give it a 5 star if part 1 did not exist.

The Best of All Time
If you are a horror movie fan like me, this is the movie for you. This movie has it all gore,flesh ripping, blood, guts and sex. The cenobites are the best character demons ever made for a movie. They are truly evil. I think this one was better than the first one only b/c it explores the unimagainable. it lets us into there world and we don't want to leave without seeing what happens. I mean lust, sex, violence,we are all interested in a certain way. This movie explains that the greatest treasure is not always what you may think. I think that 1, 2, and 3 are the greatest gore movies of all time. Storyline is terrific. I like the way these movies make you feel guilty and downright weird. They make you feel like PINHEAD is your neighbor. The scene on the bed and the doctors patient is the most disturbing deathe scene of all time. This movie will scare you and make your skin crawl and have you not wanting to solve any puzzles

not all its cracked up to be....
it is quite boring but apart from that it's okay i suppose.
it's not got pinhead in it very much, just like the first one. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Def Con 4
There's no denying that this is not the best of films, but despite this, I found it to be interesting to watch; filmed twenty years ago, it deals with a common concern of the time: nuclear war, and more specifically, human survival after such a frightful event. The main protagonist of the film is a crewmember of a (top secret) nuclear missle platform orbiting the Earth. Several months after the war, the craft is brough down for some unknown reason somewhere in Nova Scotia, Canada. Here they find a world that has naturally become much more primitive and dangerous, and survival inevitably depends upon adapting to this new unfortunate state of reality. Now, the movie certainly lacks a number of qualities: acting is mediocre, the screenplay quite cheesy at times, and over all the story isn't all that profound. But the movie is, like I said, interesting, because it is in a way, a reminder of the fears, concerns and expectations of what is now a bygone era. And for this reason, it deserves, in my opinions a third star.

CONELRAD TOP 100 FILM
First off let me state that I was very surprised and entertained by this B flick. I almost saw it in the theaters
in the 80's and wish I had, instead I went to see "Blade Runner", and the "Road Warrior" again. OK so it isn't on that level of movie genius. I can tell you something though; the reviewers who pan this film with 1 star are those who probably love a film like "On The Beach" or "Fail Safe", and who rave about a 50's communist made film like "First Spaceship On Venus". Not to say those (the first 2) are bad films, they are not, but in both films the ending is not happy. These reviewers HATE to see anyone live and try to prosper in a post atomic war. It could easily be a horrible film, but the plot and character twists and turns keep it on edge. It's pretty cool (at least to me) to think of a manned "star wars" space platform that comes back to an atomic ravaged world and the survivors stories afterward. Definite cult status and made the CONELRAD.COM TOP 100 (some big budget flicks didn't make it!)!

DEF-CON 4...another perspective
Look, everything ther other reviewers said about this movie is true, but so is this: I like this movie alot. I've watched it again abad again for almost 15 years now. Yea, it's kinda B-rated (budget flick). But it's a cult classic, IMO. You've got to see it to appreciate it. Watch with an open mind. See if you can rent it 1st before you buy. If not, then ask yourself why this old, b-rated movie still commands a top selling price. See? This cult classic b-rated flick is endearing, extraordinary and mutated. :-) You'll really like it or you'll hate it. Good luck.

Jon graham
This movie is rewatchable,...there's alot to be said for that. Basically a post apocalypse theme with pretty thin plot line,...but the action and "actions" or should I say post nuclear war behavior is more than entertaining and almost funny if it weren't for the very real themes concerning lack of food and killing. Definately watch this film whether you like nuke films or not.

How bad is it.......................
I have to tell you a true story; the poster art was so cool I had to see this picture, yet what I got was the biggest disappointment next to The Avengers. The film starts off with a great idea and the opening scenes show good promise when the crew of a nuclear-armed space station has to react to World War 3. A few months later they have to bail out when an earth-based hacker discovers they might have a load of nukes onboard. Once on ground one of their party falls prey to an unknown predator while the other two have to contend with a gang run by a teenager. The rest of the movie is a bore as it turns into a cheap Mad Max/Road Warrior knock-off.

Like many of these films, they all lack the one element that made Mad Max so great, non-stop action. This movie is boring and looks cheap. The only cool thing is the opening scenes and the super cool poster. I wonder why this would even be released on DVD, as I can't remember a single actor I would recognize. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Not Great Episodes
Out of all the episodes from Power Rangers In Space, Saban had to pick the Psycho Ranger saga! I'm not saying the Psycho Ranger saga was bad, but it's not the best either. Countdown To Destruction should of been put on video or the Ninja Turtles/Space Rangers team up, ect... Countdown To Destruction was the best 2 part episode ever. This was the best team ever! And they deserved a great video, not a pretty good video.

Blastin off into space
Power Rangers In Space

RANGERS GONE PSYCHO

Five imposters are wreaking havok throughout Angel Grove as Power Rangers. The real Rangers confront them, and they reveal themselves to be the Psycho Rangers, maniacal machines sent by Astronema. The Psychos read the Rangers' minds, and prove to be difficult to defeat with this knowledge of the Rangers' fighting techniques.

A RIFT IN THE RANGERS

Ashley and Cassie have a quarrel over doing chores on the Megaship. Psycho Yellow and Pink manage to capture Ashley.

FIVE OF A KIND

TJ comes up with a way to defeat the Psycho Rangers. Since they are designed to fight their respective Ranger color, the Rangers all disguise themselves as the Blue Ranger, and to confuse them even further, Zhane jumps in as Psycho Silver.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The Psycho Rangers scour the city in search of the civilian Rangers, using voice recognition. Cassie is in town, and must remain quiet to avoid being found.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

The Psycho Rangers have stolen the Mega Voyager. To get it back, the Power Rangers launch a surprise attack on the Psychos.

One of the last seasons that was great unti Dino thunder
This season was great. The ending was sad because zordon was destroyed. I wounder how are they getting their powers know since he is gone. I liked the megavoyager, athe astromegaship (WHich was destroyed in a future season) and the other one that zane had. I still watch the show and i am only 16. Know they finally brought back a good character back. I wounder if they will bring back the rest in future seasons?

Bestest Power Rangers of all
hey! everybody.i am your greatest & biggest fan off all.I loved your movies alot and now also.it's for me so s-suprising that i am writing to you.tell hey to all the power rangers.can you power rangers write me back.i have seen all your movies.the best was volume 10.are you power rangers are making a movie this year? PLEASE TELL ME!
thank you guys
your great fan
sharah

Terrific series; so-so video
Having gotten my copy of "Power Rangers In Space: The Movie" a couple of years ago, I am frankly surprised that they would actually edit the episodes (and even cut one whole episode out) and downsized them to fit a movie plotline.

I like the video, it's just it would have better if they had tried to at least make a miniseries on Fox or make it into a made-for-TV movie.

PRiS is actually a great series, it's just that the Psycho series isn't actually the episodes that would be worth editing and composing into a feature-length "movie." The plot itself is intriguing and semi-original, the acting is terrific, but actually, the first two to three episodes would be worth editing or even better, the last three episodes of "Countdown to Destruction." It wraps up things more fully and is a welcome relief to the usual end to a seasonal PR series.

If you like PRiS, this movie is for you. If you're a PRiS fan who actually thinks this is a full-length movie, better pass this up. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

COOL LIL VAMPIRE COMDEY
HEY I DUG THIS MOVIE IT WAS MORE FUNNY THAN SCARRY A UNIQUE TWIST ON VAMPIRE LORE WHERE THE VAMPS SURVIRE UNDER WATER INSTEAD OF A COFFIN THEY SPIT THERE LUNGS OUT AND USE THERE LUNGS AS GILS.....PRETTY COOL, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF IT. ALSO IT THIS ONE SCENE WHERE KAREN BLACK COCOONS HER SELF IN HER OWN BODY FLUIDS ITS DISGUSTING BUT REALLY COOL. ALSO THEY GUY WHO PLAYED STAN ON THE MARTIN SHOW WAS VERY FUNNY AS THE TOWN DRUNK WHO SEEMS TO KNOW ALOT MORE THAN HE LET ON....ALL IN ALL ITS GOOD LIL MOVIE FOR LAUGH AND IF YOU LIKE VAMPIRE MOVIES YOU'LL LIKE THIS!

Children Of The Night - Pray For Dawn
Stylish Horror/Thriller That Goes Right For The Neck With Good Fashion...Allburg Is A Small, Far From Outer Culture, The Ideal Setting For A Vampire Movie...A School Teacher (Peter DeLuise) Is Summoned To Allburg When One Of His Friends Claims That He Is Holding Two Female Vampires Locked Up In His Bedroom...The Quiet Town Is The Focus Of Vampire Colonization When Each Townsperson Is Playing Host To These Demonic Creatures...The School Teacher, A Wino And A Teenage Girl Must Now Help The Town From Being "Drunken Alive"...Plenty Of Gory Special Effects, And Splendid Acting...

i didnt love this movie,and i didnt hate it either
this movie was just okay.i just simply didnt mind it.it was really just like "salem's lot".this movie had some scary parts but most of the time it was pretty boring.i can tell why it only got 1 and a half stars.dont waste your time on this movie

a must own
this is without a doubt the worst movie i've ever seen.

the acting is painful, but the set and prop design is oh so much worse.

my favorite is the van and just about everything involving it.

it stretches the laws of physics and common sense to the breaking point.

the climax is amazing.

i have gained a whole new level of respect for tony randel.

ok
Not the best of vampire movies but not the worst kind of vampire movies. It adds a couple of nmew twists to Vampire mythology. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Exciting creepy crawly fun
Ticks is a great fast paced horror flick. Look for the Carlton character from the Fresh Prince tvshow, playing a tough inner city kid (!) This movie has everything, forest fires, disgusting creepy giant ticks which kind of resemble large crabs, two brain dead homicidal marijuana farmers, and a strange subplot involving the troubled teens coming to terms with various personal problems. It isn't overly gory either. A must.

everybody thinks im a whoose because this movie scared me!
i really liked this movie.and my worst fear is bugs so this one scared the hell outta me.and this movie is packed with gore and violence.gross,but cool.like when the doctor steps on the tick and all it's guts come gushing out and then they take out it's insides...up close! the camera is so close to the tick.i wanted to throw up.and im a real fan of Seth Green so this is my movie!some good scares too.I'll warn you,DONT EAT WHILE WATCHING THIS MOVIE! unless you want to throw up.i almost did.after i watched this movie,i was freaked out.now im afraid to step on the floor or go outside,afraid that some giant ticks will eat me! and get inside my skin and eat my insides like in the movie.if you like gore and violence,see this movie.i dont think there could be any other movie grosser than this.it's grosser than friday the 13th! i thought that was the grossest movie i'd ever saw but not anymore.and it had Ami Dolenz and im a big fan of her,too

GET TICKED OFF
TICKS is a creepy crawly extravaganza with amazingly good creature effects for an obvious low budget movie. The plot's fairly simple: a marijuana farmer, played with devilish glee by Clint Howard, is using herbal steroids to increase his marijuana output. Some of the steroidal juice however manages to infest a tick larva and soon all the ticks are growing bigger and bigger, nastier and nastier. Enter a group of troubled teens, led by Rosalind Allen and Peter Scolari, who are off for a camping adventure right near the infested area. Soon the ticks are running around chomping on everyone.
For a run of the mill horror movie, this one is above average in its fright scale and in its effects. I expected something much worse and was pleasantly, if not creepily, surprised!!!!

One of the best B-movies of all time!
My friends and I love to rent the movies with the worst summary on the back of the cover. Ticks made the cut one weekend and that evening it stole our hearts. The character named 'Panic' (Carlton from Fresh Prince) was great. I believed his intro went like this, "They call me Panic...cause I never do." 'Panic' spent the entire movie doing just that- more like he ran away from everything like a little girl. The acting ... but at the same time it was brilliant. The best part of this movie was the ending. Watch for Seth Green to make an awesome jump/fall onto a van and then suddenly drive away cool as can be. Don't watch this by yourself. Get some friends and drinks and get ready to laugh your...off.

When in doubt......SQUISH!!
This is a classic! A must see, especially if you're fed up with all the glossed-over high-tech films out there today, who think they're so cool just because they have things like "computer animation" and "acting". For entertainment value, this movie is right up there with Pirrana and R.O.T.O.R! That's a compliment, by the way. It is a great B-movie packed with stars: Seth Green, that guy from Fresh Prince of Bell Air, and Clint Howard, brother of director Ron Howard, who delivers an Oscar-calibre performance with "Dude, you all messed up!" My favorite part was when the giant tick egg sack was attached to the girl's back and Seth Green ingeniously saves her by (after much suspense) hitting it with a stick.
Of course, the best scene in the movie is when one of the giant ticks is set loose in a vet's office and after they try valiantly but unsuccessfully to capture it with a fishtank net, the vet stomps on it, and the tick explodes into HIGHLY realistic white mush. As I said before, when in doubt... ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Def Con 4
There's no denying that this is not the best of films, but despite this, I found it to be interesting to watch; filmed twenty years ago, it deals with a common concern of the time: nuclear war, and more specifically, human survival after such a frightful event. The main protagonist of the film is a crewmember of a (top secret) nuclear missle platform orbiting the Earth. Several months after the war, the craft is brough down for some unknown reason somewhere in Nova Scotia, Canada. Here they find a world that has naturally become much more primitive and dangerous, and survival inevitably depends upon adapting to this new unfortunate state of reality. Now, the movie certainly lacks a number of qualities: acting is mediocre, the screenplay quite cheesy at times, and over all the story isn't all that profound. But the movie is, like I said, interesting, because it is in a way, a reminder of the fears, concerns and expectations of what is now a bygone era. And for this reason, it deserves, in my opinions a third star.

CONELRAD TOP 100 FILM
First off let me state that I was very surprised and entertained by this B flick. I almost saw it in the theaters
in the 80's and wish I had, instead I went to see "Blade Runner", and the "Road Warrior" again. OK so it isn't on that level of movie genius. I can tell you something though; the reviewers who pan this film with 1 star are those who probably love a film like "On The Beach" or "Fail Safe", and who rave about a 50's communist made film like "First Spaceship On Venus". Not to say those (the first 2) are bad films, they are not, but in both films the ending is not happy. These reviewers HATE to see anyone live and try to prosper in a post atomic war. It could easily be a horrible film, but the plot and character twists and turns keep it on edge. It's pretty cool (at least to me) to think of a manned "star wars" space platform that comes back to an atomic ravaged world and the survivors stories afterward. Definite cult status and made the CONELRAD.COM TOP 100 (some big budget flicks didn't make it!)!

DEF-CON 4...another perspective
Look, everything ther other reviewers said about this movie is true, but so is this: I like this movie alot. I've watched it again abad again for almost 15 years now. Yea, it's kinda B-rated (budget flick). But it's a cult classic, IMO. You've got to see it to appreciate it. Watch with an open mind. See if you can rent it 1st before you buy. If not, then ask yourself why this old, b-rated movie still commands a top selling price. See? This cult classic b-rated flick is endearing, extraordinary and mutated. :-) You'll really like it or you'll hate it. Good luck.

Jon graham
This movie is rewatchable,...there's alot to be said for that. Basically a post apocalypse theme with pretty thin plot line,...but the action and "actions" or should I say post nuclear war behavior is more than entertaining and almost funny if it weren't for the very real themes concerning lack of food and killing. Definately watch this film whether you like nuke films or not.

How bad is it.......................
I have to tell you a true story; the poster art was so cool I had to see this picture, yet what I got was the biggest disappointment next to The Avengers. The film starts off with a great idea and the opening scenes show good promise when the crew of a nuclear-armed space station has to react to World War 3. A few months later they have to bail out when an earth-based hacker discovers they might have a load of nukes onboard. Once on ground one of their party falls prey to an unknown predator while the other two have to contend with a gang run by a teenager. The rest of the movie is a bore as it turns into a cheap Mad Max/Road Warrior knock-off.

Like many of these films, they all lack the one element that made Mad Max so great, non-stop action. This movie is boring and looks cheap. The only cool thing is the opening scenes and the super cool poster. I wonder why this would even be released on DVD, as I can't remember a single actor I would recognize. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Bye bye snake...bye bye snake....bye bye snake..."
The characters are all fairly innocent - a construction company is just blowing away land to make way for a luxurious neighborhood project. Unfortunately, a den of rattlensakes are disturbed right where the explosions go off.

However, these are no ordinary rattlesnakes - no sir! These are super-intellegent ninja snakes! They not only know how to move in large numbers and catch rides on trucks to different parts of the town, but they can also easily sneak up on people with out any one noticing them beforehand, and they're able to sneak in and out of houses, killing their foes with out leaving a trace!

And they are led by one snake. I know not a name for this fellow, but I can only call him the "Master Snake." You can easily identify him by the striped part of his tail, just before his rattler, and the black beady eyes on his head. You can also see him through out the movie, invading homes and leading his snake bretheren in their unholy quest to rid their den of the human scourge. It is he who attacks the yard worker, eats the young boy's gerbil, and at the end of the movie, even though he is frozen and then thrown against a wall twice, still manages to hound the stepdad and bratty son, attacking them again and again with renewed strength.

His finest hour comes when the daughter tries to flush him. Sure, flushing a large rattler down the toilet usually works - but not this time, for this is the Master Snake! He manages to make the toilet overflow and swim to the surface. With the spirit of vengeance, he crawls out of the bathroom and corners the daughter in the bathtub. Though she some how gets away, it is only because of bad editing...but our Master Snake won't let bad editing get him down, for he warps back to the rattlers' new lair where he prepares his defense against the well-meaning but misunderstood stepdad.

Yes, see this movie for the Master Snake...because you surely won't care about the other characters.

Not for the ophiophobic!!!
William Katt and Shanna Reed star in this silly little thriller about a town being terrorized... by rattlesnakes!
Apparently the rattlesnakes are disturbed by the dynamiting at a nearby hillside. The final confrontation will leave some viewers gasping, not for the ophiophobic!!!Average acting, nothing much of a story. ... Read more

Description

From the popular FIST OF THE NORTH STAR comic book series, comes a new hero. The fate of mankind rests with superhuman warrior Kenshiro (Gary Daniels), whom roams the wastelands of the future waging a battle against over whelming evil. With the spiritual guidance of his dead father (Malcolm McDowell), Kenshiro fights to free his stolen love (Isako Washio) from the brutal tyrant Lord Shin (Costas Mandylor). Through his struggle, he must confront his destiny as Fist of the North Star, the mystical guardian fated to fight for the right in a world gone terribly wrong. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

The End?
Here we go again. Kenshiro continues on his quest to rid the earth of worthless scum and uphold the honor of Hokuto Shinken. Heads explode and fists do indeed fly. Some of these episodes delve into Ken's past (a nice change) and we get introduced to his three adoptive brothers who all veying to be the true successor of their father's martial art "Hokuto Shinken".

As a nice bonus, you get a few extra episodes on this disc (compared to the previous 4). Still, one thing left me scratching my head..this isn't the end,not by a long shot! Yes I did check...Kenshiro still has a few more fights in him, but its up to Manga Ent to acquire the rights and put out the rest (quickly, let's hope).

Back to the DVD..audio and video are satisfactory. Obviously I recommend the Japanese language track with subs (hey, its the way it was meant to be!) Just sit back, relax and watch the Ken dispatch foe after foe with skill and the line "You are already dead". You won't regret it.

Good stuff yet bad animation
I enjoyed this. It was on one of those starz movie channels and I got to see the first 4 episodes. It is alright. Ken, a.k.a. Kenshiro, is pretty cool. The boy Bart is a little out of place. He just shows up and trusts this strange martial artists who can kill guys with insanely weird moves. The girl also seems out of her element.

The fights are alright, but the juice of the episodes are the kills. Every episode has these weird deaths like "exploding fingers" or "your dead in 7 seconds from my fingers in your neck". Stuff like that happens.

The problem with these episodes is animation. There is only, mabye 2 scenes you can consider fights. Almost every other death is by some weird killing move that lasts a few seconds but requires 2 clips of animation. Then, instead of showing the actual guys fall apart, they make the screen all bright and you see the shadow of the guys go all squishy and fall apart. Not cool.

On top of that. There is so little animation that it is a little infuriating. It almost feels like the creators tried to use one frame at least twice. I remember seeing 6 cars speeding through a city. 2 cars sped across followed by 4 others. The 4 other cars were just clones of the first 2. You could clearly see the exact same people go across the screen 3 times. As I said earlier, the fights all involve one or 2 moves. A frame is one little shot of the characters. I'd say it takes about 5 frames for a character in Dragonball Z to punch someone slowly. There may be 10 different frames tops to one fight in this anime. It is almost pathetic.

Normally I don't have high expectations. I'm satisfied by even the lowest animation if there is a story or something interesting. I remember seeing tons of old animes that had bad animation but still kept my interest. This seriously though has to be some of the worst use of animating I have ever seen. If Ken wasn't so awesomely cool I would of given this DVD 1 star.

Not for everyone
I give it 5 stars because it is a great introduction to the series, and has some of the best episodes of the whole series. I really watch this disc often.

Fist of the Northstar is a violent japanese animated series, which takes place in a postnuclear western setting where only the strongest, and usually most brutal survive.

FOTNS starts with Kenshiro (the true fist of the northstar and main charactor) searching for his love Yulia, and old-friend (and kidnapper of Yulia) Shin. Kenshiro has seven scars making up the constelation of the big dipper on his chest which were given to him when Shin took Yulia away from him. On Kens journey he encounters and befriends two children who accompany him on his travels. They play a major role in the first 4 discs, and really help level out the story and violence with the humanity they bring.

During their travels they run across people (usually struggling farmers)who get bullied, robbed and killed by ruthless bands of super-strong villains who have no mercy (lots of really innocent people get murdered with brutality by motorcycle thugs). Ken usually gets their a moment to late to save some mom, old man, or child, but he always makes the villain die an explosive death. Ken is a Good man and he knows that the only way to stop the violence is to destroy the villains. There are always ranks of bad guys who Kenshiro must punch his way through, so your always waiting for him to get to the next stronger badguy.

On his way to get to Yulia and Shin (like 20 episodes), Ken uses his Hokoto shinken (misspelled) a special martial art passed on from father to son where by knowing how to press punch or kick certain power points on a body, you can manipulate the body to do what you want it to do. Kenshiro can heal but to his enemies he will probally explode their chest or face out, or cooler. Only one man on Earth can practice Hokto shinken at a time.

If you like horror/scifi/fantasy/comedy/animation, dont mind the gritty feel, and low quality compared to anime gems like Samurai x, Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Rahxephon. You should buy FOTNS (for $18 a disc at Bestbuy, or circuitcity). If you like movies like Army of Darkness, Road Warrior, Conan the barbarian, The Streetfighter, From dusk til Dawn, etc. buy this. If your a fan of great hip hop artists like Mf Doom (listen to most of his albums after watching series especially the 2003 releases ) El-p cannabal ox aesop rock, old Wu tang, Necro, buy this series. Musical taste really has nothing to do with you liking FOTNS though, I'm just saying you can see the influence throughout popular culture.

The only bad part about the whole FOTNS series is that around episode 22 or 23 on disc 4 another journey begins with a different new mission and mostly new charactors , it's still good after but the series could have ended there. Also at the end of the series on episode 35 on disc 5 the last episode of the series there is no conclusion, though disc 5 still follows the recipe found in disc 1 minus the humanity. If you don't mind recurring themes, some recycled content, and probally like 20-25 deaths a 20 minute episode average, and some of the funniest lines you've ever heard on a cartoon, coming from awful post-nuclear mohawked bad guys, buy disc one.

conclusion?
I just bought and watched this disc. Since about 5/03 I've been buying 1,2,3,and 4 and have watched 1,2,3,at least 3 or 4 times, and 4 twice. I first learned of F.o.t.n.s. the movie like ten years ago looking for a video to watch. I haven't seen it in a few years but from what i remember it ended with Kenshiro fighting hi evil brother Raoh, coming to a conclusion.

Disc 5 starts with Kenshiro finishing off The Fang Clan and ends with him setting off to find the oldest of his three brothers Raoh. On the back of the dvd it says 5 deadly Dvd volumes. The fifth volume ended with no conclusion, ken just sets off to face his mightiest opponent.

it's sort of disapointing buying dvd after dvd (of great entertainment) waiting for Kenshiro to defeat a last opponent, and he doesn't.

If you own no fist of the northstar dvds definitly start with the first volume, definitly, or maybe just the movie. Each dvd ends with no real conclusion so be prepared you will always want the next volume. Volumes 1-3 are my favorites, especially the episodes with "gods army". Disc 4 and 5 of the series , to me, lose steam. The introduction of ray in disc 4 doesnt really go any wehere in the 5th disc

Whats good about volume 5
more heads and bodies exploding (though it seems like they use the same animation disc to disc sometime)
bone crushing lines and dialog
unnecesary violence heavy death count
interesting villains
bare boned simple animation
All 5 volumes are great to have on as background dvds, There good to put on when hanging with friends, or drawing, really there good to listen to as an alternative to music sometimes. A good dvd is one you can watch countless times and discs 1-5 you can as long as you know what to expect fists flying heads exploding. Fist of the northstars quality is not in clean animation or even quality dvds, one of the episodes sound is really messed up on disc 5 for like 5 minutes. its quality is in repetition, violence, style, characters, and dialog.

Fist of the North Star
It was a beautifully intricate blend of flavors that make this a classic. I laughed and cried at its beauty.......... The ecstacy is similar to the ecstacy felt that you would recive if you arrived in heaven, looked into god's face, and he said, "You, you are my most wonderous creation. Come, be with me." The most touching, heart felt, truly powerful piece that ever graced my vision. I would rather die than have not have seen it in its glory. The highest elation recived comes when watching this......... ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Excellent sequel!
The story continues as Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence) is in a asylum after the events of part 1, she discovers that Julia ( Clare Higgens) from the original has been brought back to life. Pinhead ( Doug Bradley) and his Cenobite gang are back, only to have Kirsty play a deadly game in hell.
Highly entertaining and extremely graphic sequel to the original 1987 horror fantasy shocker. This one has fine performances and great gore effects, this DVD from Anchor Bay is quite excellent with it's THX Digital sound and picture. The Extras are very good including the director's commentary, Clive Barker has done it again with this macabre sequel that also includes Pinhead's origin. Be warned, this is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Also recommended: Hellraiser, Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), Hellraiser III, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, City of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Phantasm, Poltergeist, The Others.

3.5stars- A Worthy Continuation of Hellraiser
This is the only true sequel to the original Hellraiser. The cenobites return and all the main characters are back. In this movie, Kirty Cotton travels to hell along with a muted young girl by the name of Tiffany in an attempt to rescue her father's soul, yet finds a nice surprise waiting for her in hell in the form of the Cenobites, her stepmother, Frank, and a crazy doctor.

Full of vivid and violent imagery, Hellbound:Hellraiser 2 takes further in the world of hell by offering the ideas of Leviathan and the creation of the cenobites. It is not as gruesome or as fun to watch as the first Hellraiser, but it is as good as many horror sequels can get. The ideas brought forth in this movie have been with heated debate among Hellraiser fans. This is definitely the most involved into the inner workings of Hellraiser mythology.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is indeed not for those with a weak stomach and I suggest it for fans of the original and of the series only. The atmosphere of this movie and the feel is one that cannot be denied. After this, the series went into a slump until regaining steam with Inferno. This remains a classic along with the original. It is certainly not as entertaining and perhaps a bit tedious, but that does not stop it from being a worthy horror sequel.

Everything is Flesh!
I really feel that the Hell Raiser "tale" should have been left on its own. Pinhead and Clive Barker's work is too precious to me, but then again, you can't help but want more!
So from what I understand, the lady that helped Clive with the original Hell Raiser movie, which is based off of the book: Hell Bound Heart. Was given premission from Clive to continue on with the Hell Raiser story (can't blame him, easy money). What she came up with Hell Raiser 2-4. The effects all seem to be from the same effects artists, at least for part 1, and 2. And the story, while dragging it out a bit too far, and into somewhat comic book proportions, including some failure to explain small details, like how Pinhead came back from death, since he was slain in hell, and if he could come back, then why couldn't he ressurect his minions, rather than slaughter a dance club, and create some kool, yet some what gimpy cenobytes such as CD Man.
Hell Raiser II remains most true in for to the feel and look of the original, with only a dash of comic book, and some VERY delightful creatures, beautiful women (pt 4), and interesting story line. The gore of course is great in the uncut version, and the show down is wonderful! "The Doctor Is In".

Bottom line, as much as I feel that the original should stand on its own, I am still very happy with the 1st 3 sequals. It is NO WHERE near as bad as the Candy Man sequals! :)

I'd give it a 5 star if part 1 did not exist.

The Best of All Time
If you are a horror movie fan like me, this is the movie for you. This movie has it all gore,flesh ripping, blood, guts and sex. The cenobites are the best character demons ever made for a movie. They are truly evil. I think this one was better than the first one only b/c it explores the unimagainable. it lets us into there world and we don't want to leave without seeing what happens. I mean lust, sex, violence,we are all interested in a certain way. This movie explains that the greatest treasure is not always what you may think. I think that 1, 2, and 3 are the greatest gore movies of all time. Storyline is terrific. I like the way these movies make you feel guilty and downright weird. They make you feel like PINHEAD is your neighbor. The scene on the bed and the doctors patient is the most disturbing deathe scene of all time. This movie will scare you and make your skin crawl and have you not wanting to solve any puzzles

not all its cracked up to be....
it is quite boring but apart from that it's okay i suppose.
it's not got pinhead in it very much, just like the first one. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Man who saved his life is back to destroy it
This powerful thriller follows the collision of three lives - Matt (Lenny Von Dohlen), his wife Laura (Suzy Amis), and Simon (James Remar). A chance meeting reunites Matt with Simon, the man who saved his life. What should have been a happy reunion becomes a quest for vengeance. One man is driven by guilt; the other by hate; Laura becomes the victim of a twelve-year-old vendetta at the explosive climax of this electrifying film.
Staring James Remar, Suzy Amis, Lenny Von Dohlen and John Savage. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Definitely not one for the weak of stomach, Hellbound takes up where the first Hellraiser left off, piling on the gore to near camp levels. Luckily, the 1988 sequel retains enough of British horror-meister Clive Barker's macabre wit--like the original, it's based on a Barker story--to save it from the schlock-heap. Hospitalized following her last misadventure, Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) implores authorities to destroy a bloody bed at the carnage scene, but the enigmatic Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) brings an addled patient there and unleashes a dread Cenobite instead. As if that's not bad enough, Kirsty's getting distress calls from her father, who begs her to rescue him from hell. When she journey through hell's dark labyrinths with a mute puzzle solver, however, Kirsty only finds the evil Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and other bizarro creatures, plus her nasty former stepmother and lascivious Uncle Frank. Much maniacal laughter and skin shedding later, the newfound compadres unlock the puzzle box again to safety. Hellbound isn't genius, but it does have flair, which goes a long way toward offsetting Laurence's leaden acting and occasionally over the top gore. --Diane Garrett ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Excellent sequel!
The story continues as Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence) is in a asylum after the events of part 1, she discovers that Julia ( Clare Higgens) from the original has been brought back to life. Pinhead ( Doug Bradley) and his Cenobite gang are back, only to have Kirsty play a deadly game in hell.
Highly entertaining and extremely graphic sequel to the original 1987 horror fantasy shocker. This one has fine performances and great gore effects, this DVD from Anchor Bay is quite excellent with it's THX Digital sound and picture. The Extras are very good including the director's commentary, Clive Barker has done it again with this macabre sequel that also includes Pinhead's origin. Be warned, this is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Also recommended: Hellraiser, Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), Hellraiser III, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, City of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Phantasm, Poltergeist, The Others.

3.5stars- A Worthy Continuation of Hellraiser
This is the only true sequel to the original Hellraiser. The cenobites return and all the main characters are back. In this movie, Kirty Cotton travels to hell along with a muted young girl by the name of Tiffany in an attempt to rescue her father's soul, yet finds a nice surprise waiting for her in hell in the form of the Cenobites, her stepmother, Frank, and a crazy doctor.

Full of vivid and violent imagery, Hellbound:Hellraiser 2 takes further in the world of hell by offering the ideas of Leviathan and the creation of the cenobites. It is not as gruesome or as fun to watch as the first Hellraiser, but it is as good as many horror sequels can get. The ideas brought forth in this movie have been with heated debate among Hellraiser fans. This is definitely the most involved into the inner workings of Hellraiser mythology.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is indeed not for those with a weak stomach and I suggest it for fans of the original and of the series only. The atmosphere of this movie and the feel is one that cannot be denied. After this, the series went into a slump until regaining steam with Inferno. This remains a classic along with the original. It is certainly not as entertaining and perhaps a bit tedious, but that does not stop it from being a worthy horror sequel.

Everything is Flesh!
I really feel that the Hell Raiser "tale" should have been left on its own. Pinhead and Clive Barker's work is too precious to me, but then again, you can't help but want more!
So from what I understand, the lady that helped Clive with the original Hell Raiser movie, which is based off of the book: Hell Bound Heart. Was given premission from Clive to continue on with the Hell Raiser story (can't blame him, easy money). What she came up with Hell Raiser 2-4. The effects all seem to be from the same effects artists, at least for part 1, and 2. And the story, while dragging it out a bit too far, and into somewhat comic book proportions, including some failure to explain small details, like how Pinhead came back from death, since he was slain in hell, and if he could come back, then why couldn't he ressurect his minions, rather than slaughter a dance club, and create some kool, yet some what gimpy cenobytes such as CD Man.
Hell Raiser II remains most true in for to the feel and look of the original, with only a dash of comic book, and some VERY delightful creatures, beautiful women (pt 4), and interesting story line. The gore of course is great in the uncut version, and the show down is wonderful! "The Doctor Is In".

Bottom line, as much as I feel that the original should stand on its own, I am still very happy with the 1st 3 sequals. It is NO WHERE near as bad as the Candy Man sequals! :)

I'd give it a 5 star if part 1 did not exist.

The Best of All Time
If you are a horror movie fan like me, this is the movie for you. This movie has it all gore,flesh ripping, blood, guts and sex. The cenobites are the best character demons ever made for a movie. They are truly evil. I think this one was better than the first one only b/c it explores the unimagainable. it lets us into there world and we don't want to leave without seeing what happens. I mean lust, sex, violence,we are all interested in a certain way. This movie explains that the greatest treasure is not always what you may think. I think that 1, 2, and 3 are the greatest gore movies of all time. Storyline is terrific. I like the way these movies make you feel guilty and downright weird. They make you feel like PINHEAD is your neighbor. The scene on the bed and the doctors patient is the most disturbing deathe scene of all time. This movie will scare you and make your skin crawl and have you not wanting to solve any puzzles

not all its cracked up to be....
it is quite boring but apart from that it's okay i suppose.
it's not got pinhead in it very much, just like the first one. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Man who saved his life is back to destroy it
This powerful thriller follows the collision of three lives - Matt (Lenny Von Dohlen), his wife Laura (Suzy Amis), and Simon (James Remar). A chance meeting reunites Matt with Simon, the man who saved his life. What should have been a happy reunion becomes a quest for vengeance. One man is driven by guilt; the other by hate; Laura becomes the victim of a twelve-year-old vendetta at the explosive climax of this electrifying film.
Staring James Remar, Suzy Amis, Lenny Von Dohlen and John Savage. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Excellent sequel!
The story continues as Kirsty ( Ashley Laurence) is in a asylum after the events of part 1, she discovers that Julia ( Clare Higgens) from the original has been brought back to life. Pinhead ( Doug Bradley) and his Cenobite gang are back, only to have Kirsty play a deadly game in hell.
Highly entertaining and extremely graphic sequel to the original 1987 horror fantasy shocker. This one has fine performances and great gore effects, this DVD from Anchor Bay is quite excellent with it's THX Digital sound and picture. The Extras are very good including the director's commentary, Clive Barker has done it again with this macabre sequel that also includes Pinhead's origin. Be warned, this is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Also recommended: Hellraiser, Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), Hellraiser III, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, City of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Phantasm, Poltergeist, The Others.

3.5stars- A Worthy Continuation of Hellraiser
This is the only true sequel to the original Hellraiser. The cenobites return and all the main characters are back. In this movie, Kirty Cotton travels to hell along with a muted young girl by the name of Tiffany in an attempt to rescue her father's soul, yet finds a nice surprise waiting for her in hell in the form of the Cenobites, her stepmother, Frank, and a crazy doctor.

Full of vivid and violent imagery, Hellbound:Hellraiser 2 takes further in the world of hell by offering the ideas of Leviathan and the creation of the cenobites. It is not as gruesome or as fun to watch as the first Hellraiser, but it is as good as many horror sequels can get. The ideas brought forth in this movie have been with heated debate among Hellraiser fans. This is definitely the most involved into the inner workings of Hellraiser mythology.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is indeed not for those with a weak stomach and I suggest it for fans of the original and of the series only. The atmosphere of this movie and the feel is one that cannot be denied. After this, the series went into a slump until regaining steam with Inferno. This remains a classic along with the original. It is certainly not as entertaining and perhaps a bit tedious, but that does not stop it from being a worthy horror sequel.

Everything is Flesh!
I really feel that the Hell Raiser "tale" should have been left on its own. Pinhead and Clive Barker's work is too precious to me, but then again, you can't help but want more!
So from what I understand, the lady that helped Clive with the original Hell Raiser movie, which is based off of the book: Hell Bound Heart. Was given premission from Clive to continue on with the Hell Raiser story (can't blame him, easy money). What she came up with Hell Raiser 2-4. The effects all seem to be from the same effects artists, at least for part 1, and 2. And the story, while dragging it out a bit too far, and into somewhat comic book proportions, including some failure to explain small details, like how Pinhead came back from death, since he was slain in hell, and if he could come back, then why couldn't he ressurect his minions, rather than slaughter a dance club, and create some kool, yet some what gimpy cenobytes such as CD Man.
Hell Raiser II remains most true in for to the feel and look of the original, with only a dash of comic book, and some VERY delightful creatures, beautiful women (pt 4), and interesting story line. The gore of course is great in the uncut version, and the show down is wonderful! "The Doctor Is In".

Bottom line, as much as I feel that the original should stand on its own, I am still very happy with the 1st 3 sequals. It is NO WHERE near as bad as the Candy Man sequals! :)

I'd give it a 5 star if part 1 did not exist.

The Best of All Time
If you are a horror movie fan like me, this is the movie for you. This movie has it all gore,flesh ripping, blood, guts and sex. The cenobites are the best character demons ever made for a movie. They are truly evil. I think this one was better than the first one only b/c it explores the unimagainable. it lets us into there world and we don't want to leave without seeing what happens. I mean lust, sex, violence,we are all interested in a certain way. This movie explains that the greatest treasure is not always what you may think. I think that 1, 2, and 3 are the greatest gore movies of all time. Storyline is terrific. I like the way these movies make you feel guilty and downright weird. They make you feel like PINHEAD is your neighbor. The scene on the bed and the doctors patient is the most disturbing deathe scene of all time. This movie will scare you and make your skin crawl and have you not wanting to solve any puzzles

not all its cracked up to be....
it is quite boring but apart from that it's okay i suppose.
it's not got pinhead in it very much, just like the first one. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

The End?
Here we go again. Kenshiro continues on his quest to rid the earth of worthless scum and uphold the honor of Hokuto Shinken. Heads explode and fists do indeed fly. Some of these episodes delve into Ken's past (a nice change) and we get introduced to his three adoptive brothers who all veying to be the true successor of their father's martial art "Hokuto Shinken".

As a nice bonus, you get a few extra episodes on this disc (compared to the previous 4). Still, one thing left me scratching my head..this isn't the end,not by a long shot! Yes I did check...Kenshiro still has a few more fights in him, but its up to Manga Ent to acquire the rights and put out the rest (quickly, let's hope).

Back to the DVD..audio and video are satisfactory. Obviously I recommend the Japanese language track with subs (hey, its the way it was meant to be!) Just sit back, relax and watch the Ken dispatch foe after foe with skill and the line "You are already dead". You won't regret it.

Good stuff yet bad animation
I enjoyed this. It was on one of those starz movie channels and I got to see the first 4 episodes. It is alright. Ken, a.k.a. Kenshiro, is pretty cool. The boy Bart is a little out of place. He just shows up and trusts this strange martial artists who can kill guys with insanely weird moves. The girl also seems out of her element.

The fights are alright, but the juice of the episodes are the kills. Every episode has these weird deaths like "exploding fingers" or "your dead in 7 seconds from my fingers in your neck". Stuff like that happens.

The problem with these episodes is animation. There is only, mabye 2 scenes you can consider fights. Almost every other death is by some weird killing move that lasts a few seconds but requires 2 clips of animation. Then, instead of showing the actual guys fall apart, they make the screen all bright and you see the shadow of the guys go all squishy and fall apart. Not cool.

On top of that. There is so little animation that it is a little infuriating. It almost feels like the creators tried to use one frame at least twice. I remember seeing 6 cars speeding through a city. 2 cars sped across followed by 4 others. The 4 other cars were just clones of the first 2. You could clearly see the exact same people go across the screen 3 times. As I said earlier, the fights all involve one or 2 moves. A frame is one little shot of the characters. I'd say it takes about 5 frames for a character in Dragonball Z to punch someone slowly. There may be 10 different frames tops to one fight in this anime. It is almost pathetic.

Normally I don't have high expectations. I'm satisfied by even the lowest animation if there is a story or something interesting. I remember seeing tons of old animes that had bad animation but still kept my interest. This seriously though has to be some of the worst use of animating I have ever seen. If Ken wasn't so awesomely cool I would of given this DVD 1 star.

Not for everyone
I give it 5 stars because it is a great introduction to the series, and has some of the best episodes of the whole series. I really watch this disc often.

Fist of the Northstar is a violent japanese animated series, which takes place in a postnuclear western setting where only the strongest, and usually most brutal survive.

FOTNS starts with Kenshiro (the true fist of the northstar and main charactor) searching for his love Yulia, and old-friend (and kidnapper of Yulia) Shin. Kenshiro has seven scars making up the constelation of the big dipper on his chest which were given to him when Shin took Yulia away from him. On Kens journey he encounters and befriends two children who accompany him on his travels. They play a major role in the first 4 discs, and really help level out the story and violence with the humanity they bring.

During their travels they run across people (usually struggling farmers)who get bullied, robbed and killed by ruthless bands of super-strong villains who have no mercy (lots of really innocent people get murdered with brutality by motorcycle thugs). Ken usually gets their a moment to late to save some mom, old man, or child, but he always makes the villain die an explosive death. Ken is a Good man and he knows that the only way to stop the violence is to destroy the villains. There are always ranks of bad guys who Kenshiro must punch his way through, so your always waiting for him to get to the next stronger badguy.

On his way to get to Yulia and Shin (like 20 episodes), Ken uses his Hokoto shinken (misspelled) a special martial art passed on from father to son where by knowing how to press punch or kick certain power points on a body, you can manipulate the body to do what you want it to do. Kenshiro can heal but to his enemies he will probally explode their chest or face out, or cooler. Only one man on Earth can practice Hokto shinken at a time.

If you like horror/scifi/fantasy/comedy/animation, dont mind the gritty feel, and low quality compared to anime gems like Samurai x, Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Rahxephon. You should buy FOTNS (for $18 a disc at Bestbuy, or circuitcity). If you like movies like Army of Darkness, Road Warrior, Conan the barbarian, The Streetfighter, From dusk til Dawn, etc. buy this. If your a fan of great hip hop artists like Mf Doom (listen to most of his albums after watching series especially the 2003 releases ) El-p cannabal ox aesop rock, old Wu tang, Necro, buy this series. Musical taste really has nothing to do with you liking FOTNS though, I'm just saying you can see the influence throughout popular culture.

The only bad part about the whole FOTNS series is that around episode 22 or 23 on disc 4 another journey begins with a different new mission and mostly new charactors , it's still good after but the series could have ended there. Also at the end of the series on episode 35 on disc 5 the last episode of the series there is no conclusion, though disc 5 still follows the recipe found in disc 1 minus the humanity. If you don't mind recurring themes, some recycled content, and probally like 20-25 deaths a 20 minute episode average, and some of the funniest lines you've ever heard on a cartoon, coming from awful post-nuclear mohawked bad guys, buy disc one.

conclusion?
I just bought and watched this disc. Since about 5/03 I've been buying 1,2,3,and 4 and have watched 1,2,3,at least 3 or 4 times, and 4 twice. I first learned of F.o.t.n.s. the movie like ten years ago looking for a video to watch. I haven't seen it in a few years but from what i remember it ended with Kenshiro fighting hi evil brother Raoh, coming to a conclusion.

Disc 5 starts with Kenshiro finishing off The Fang Clan and ends with him setting off to find the oldest of his three brothers Raoh. On the back of the dvd it says 5 deadly Dvd volumes. The fifth volume ended with no conclusion, ken just sets off to face his mightiest opponent.

it's sort of disapointing buying dvd after dvd (of great entertainment) waiting for Kenshiro to defeat a last opponent, and he doesn't.

If you own no fist of the northstar dvds definitly start with the first volume, definitly, or maybe just the movie. Each dvd ends with no real conclusion so be prepared you will always want the next volume. Volumes 1-3 are my favorites, especially the episodes with "gods army". Disc 4 and 5 of the series , to me, lose steam. The introduction of ray in disc 4 doesnt really go any wehere in the 5th disc

Whats good about volume 5
more heads and bodies exploding (though it seems like they use the same animation disc to disc sometime)
bone crushing lines and dialog
unnecesary violence heavy death count
interesting villains
bare boned simple animation
All 5 volumes are great to have on as background dvds, There good to put on when hanging with friends, or drawing, really there good to listen to as an alternative to music sometimes. A good dvd is one you can watch countless times and discs 1-5 you can as long as you know what to expect fists flying heads exploding. Fist of the northstars quality is not in clean animation or even quality dvds, one of the episodes sound is really messed up on disc 5 for like 5 minutes. its quality is in repetition, violence, style, characters, and dialog.

Fist of the North Star
It was a beautifully intricate blend of flavors that make this a classic. I laughed and cried at its beauty.......... The ecstacy is similar to the ecstacy felt that you would recive if you arrived in heaven, looked into god's face, and he said, "You, you are my most wonderous creation. Come, be with me." The most touching, heart felt, truly powerful piece that ever graced my vision. I would rather die than have not have seen it in its glory. The highest elation recived comes when watching this......... ... Read more