Reviews (12)

Trashy! Ridiculous! Awful Performances! DON'T MISS IT!
This movie is so bad, it's good!

Without giving away the wacky concept behind this mess, "The Lonely Lady" has all the appearances of being a made-for-TV movie produced sometime around the late seventies/early eighties, with some superficial nudity thrown in for good measure. Definitely a period peice.

The characters are so two dimensional, it's almost like watching lip-syncing cardboard manikins. Pia Zadora's squirrelly acting style is particularly amusing. The storyline is sort of nonexistent.

So Martha S. says here's what to do in order to make this occasion a cheery holiday funfest: Have a low-rent party!!! All you have to do is make a batch of fruit punch and spike it with MD 20/20 or some other cheap wine; Whip up some Hors Deuvers made of Ritz crackers, Spam and Cheez Whiz. Fry up some Okra!

Then, get a copy of the other Pia Zadora Epic, "Butterfly", invite all your freinds over, and have a Pia Zadora Film Festival... So what's not to like?

An American Classic
Don't listen to all of those stuffy movie critics and people who ripped on this movie without even watching it. If they had their way, we would watch nothing but endless reruns of foreign films (w/ subtitles) and hapless domestic productions that are short on action and long on boredom.

This HOLLYWOOD rags to riches story was truly inspiring! Pia Zadora gives an Oscar worthy performance while displaying all of her assets (no pun intended).

In short, if there is one movie you see this year, "The Lonely Lady" should be tops on you list.

Sometimes your in the mood for that
Don't listen to all the uptight reviewers who say this movie is awful. People need to lighten up. I hardly think Pia and company were aspiring to great art here; instead they've created a deliciously tacky movie that has plenty of sex, drugs, and campy acting. Sometimes your in the mood for that, you know. p.s. pia's body is to die for.

Glop!
This was one of those movies I watched on cable one night when I was a kid and my parents were not at home and It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen so vapid and trite and stupid! A pile of glop!

Total "Camp" Classic!
I didn't like this movie much when it was released back in 1983. Over the years it has sort of grown on me. I seemed to always catch it playing on TV and couldn't stop watching it. Recently, I saw it on TV, and figured I might as well buy it on video since I like it so much. The copies I purchased here in Canada from a record store were awful, and was I able to find a clean playing copy that was new on the internet. It's basically about an up & coming writer that sleeps here way to the top and meets a lot of unscrupulous people along the way. It's a drive-in movie through & through. Lots of nudity, violence, and a really lame script, but it has a certain charm that I can't put my finger on. If you like 'B' movies, this one is a must have for your collection. ... Read more

Description

Three elderly distinguished gentlemen are searching for some excitement in their boring borgoueis lives and gets in contact with one of count Dracula's servants. In a nightly ceremony they restore the count back to life. The three men killed Dracula's servant and as a revenge, the count makes sure that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own sons. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The last decent film in Hammer's Dracula series
"Taste the Blood of Dracula" begins with the conclusion of "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave," as a traveling salesman makes off with the count's cape, ring and some of his blood. Figuring these mementoes will be worth something, the salesman returns to England. A few years later we find three decadent London gentlemen--William Hargrove (Geoffrey Keen), Samuel Paxton (Peter Sallis), and Jonathan Secker (John Carson)--who spend their nights drinking and whoring in the East End under the guise of "charity work." The trio have become bored with their indulgences and then have the misfortune of encountering Lord Courtley (Ralph Bates), who comes up with the bright idea of bringing Dracula back to life for fun. The three purchase the relics the salesman brought over from Transylvania but freak out during the magic ritual that involves drinking the potion made from Dracula's blood (one thing you have to say for Hammer films, the titles usually come into play at some point in the narrative). The trio beat up Courtley and flee, but the potion transforms the Lord into the Count (Christopher Lee). Dracula immediately decides Courtley is worthy of revenge and goes after the three men through their children, whereupon much blood-letting ensues.

This is yet another one of Hammer's Dracula films where it ends up being less about the title character and more about what the director is up to. Unlike those films in the series directed by Terence Fisher, who had great affection for the 19th-century, director Peter Sasdy is more interested in seeing the Victorians as hypocrites who basically get what they deserve in the end. "Taste the Blood of Dracula" not only lacks the strong moral counter-presence of a Van Helsing type, it lacks a true hero. Dracula again meets his fate at the end of the film because that is what is supposed to happen, not because we have any vested interest in the boy rescuing the girl. Dracula is clearly an erotic figure whose seduction of the children of the Victorian debauchers heralds their sexual awakenings (e.g., Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood laying sensuously on the lid of Dracula's sarcophagus). For those of you looking for Freudian overtones, look no further, because things get pretty blatant in this film. "Taste the Blood of Dracula" is the last decent film in the Hammer Dracula series, so if you are working through the series in order, you might consider stopping here.

Lee is good as usual, but the movie is deathly dull
William Hargood (Geoffry Keen), Samuel Paxton (Peter Sallis) & Jonathan Seder (John Carson) are three men, well respected in the community who make a pact to sell their souls to the devil. In order to do this they must use the following in their ritual: Dracula's cloak, signet ring, clasp... and his blood in powdered form. (It won't be spoiling anything to say they drink the blood). Unfortunately in the process they murder Lord Courtley, (Ralph Bates) one of Dracula's disciples (It won't be a spoiler to say that HE drinks the blood too) & the Count returns from the grave to seek revenge.
However, it takes one third of the movie until he actually appears. An old codger stumbles across Dracula's body & meets a predictably bloody end. When learning of Courtley's death Dracula announces: "They have destroyed my servant" (Dramatic music) "They will be destroyed". And FINALLY, the movie becomes watchable all of a sudden; with Dracula stalking & doing away with the men one by one in gruesome ways. Go Drac!
This is the fourth entry in Hammer's series of Dracula films; in between DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE & SCARS OF DRACULA. Directed by Peter Sasdy, this is actually one of the lesser of the series, & despite Lee's usual good performance & lots of pretty girls in the supporting cast; TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA is actually pretty dull & forgettable.
It was obvious by this point that the series needed a rev-up, so the follow-up to this was the amusing "modern" DRACULA AD 1972, which is a bit better than this. Watch if you must, but you'll wonder why Lee even bothered to waste his time with this one.
However, the movie is NOT recommended viewing for devout Catholics (Especially the crazy Baptists in Dunedin- stop sending me those dumb hellfire & brimstone letters!) but you'd have to be pretty dogmatic to write this film off as glorifying Satanic practices- especially when they symbolicly drink "blood" every Sunday, right? Mu ha ha. (P.S That's supposed to be evil laughter. Give me a break, I haven't written a review for a while!)

bloody good !
well we had prety much given up hope of ever seeing a decent version of this classic Dracula adventure when Warner anounced
it's release in an unbutchered state.the image is flawless , the sound is good if not expansive but the real treat is that the 4 minutes missing from every print released so far has this time been included.The bordelo scene is now free of the savage editing done by warner in the early 70's to be able to market it to the kiddies.The other additions are very short scenes juged to violent at the time.The result is a film that flows better & has a stronger story & that's it rates a 5 on my scale.
review of the DVD edition

Good story about having children turn on their parents
Well, this time around, Dracula is not the killer, except for when he kills Lucy. He turns the children of the three thrill seekers against them for killing off his "servant". Christopher Lee is great as always playing the count, but it makes you wonder what the point even was of having him in the film. He does not even appear until 45 minutes into it, just when you think the film has nowhere to go.

The version I bought has an "R" rating, although I do not see the difference from the old "PG" videos. Yes, there are a couple of scenes added back like when one person is staked to death and has blood on his face. They also show women barebreasted for a moment, but other than that, what was so "R" about it?

A good sequel, and of course, it leaves the door open for another one.

He's Back
In this version of Dracula, played by Christopher Lee, the location is in Victorian England. Lord Courtley, played by Ralph Bates, resurrects Dracula with the aid of three Victorian gentlemen, but when Courtley drinks Dracula's blood he dies and the three leave him for dead. Dracula revenges the death of his servant by seducing their children and having them kill their own fathers.

This movie was made a year after Dracula Has Risen From The Grave and the next in the series was The Scars of Dracula.

Another interesting note is that Ralph Bates became Hammer's next leading man. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A darkly hilarious satire of old age based on the novel by England's favorite curmudgeon, Kingsley Amis, Ending Up will keep you simultaneously laughing and gasping in horror. Tuppenny-Hapenny Cottage is home to a hodgepodge of oldsters forced to live together more out of financial consideration than mutual affection. In this bizarre household, each of the elderly resident's unique peeves, ailments, quirks, and charms compounds into a terrible, wonderful tragicomedy of what it means to be old in Britain. The residents are divided in most things; some, for example, dote on the resident dog, others loathe it. The strange entourage is made up of vivid, well-acted characters including a man struggling with his vocabulary after a stroke, a woman concerned about her increasing senility, and a practical joker who often goes too far. Some of the comedy is so dark it's painful to watch, but the cast does an alluring job. This is a refreshing look at old age without the kid gloves and an unsanctimonious sense of sarcasm. --Tara Chace ... Read more

Reviews (7)

British cult classic -- wonderful
This seems to be a film made out of several episodes of the British 70's TV show -- which was essential viewing for me and my brother growing up. The basic elements are still there and I was left wanting to see more. Now my son can enjoy this perhaps more realistic look at who Arthur might have been.

+: The original cast (Oliver Tobias as Arthur and Brian Blessed as Mark of Cornwall, Lud & Kai -- excellent.)
+: More believable than Disney will ever produce
+: Clever take on the sword-in-the-stone story (a small subplot in the film).
+: Believable battle scenes (e.g. people running away when the bodies start piling up) without undue gore.
-: sound track has aged and was not cleaned up (the technology exists -- they did not use it!).
-: visual quality has deteriated a little (perhaps the change from PAL to USA's NTSC format?) but not too bad.

I hope they publish more episodes. Making it a film is totally unnecessary though. Many TV shows are converted successfully to video (3 or 4 shows per tape) e.g. Ab Fab, Thunderbirds, All Creates Great and Small, The Avengers.

BTW This is the least camp show I can think of -- I don't understand the previous reviewer. Perhaps he needs to have a look in the dictionary...or a word with the formidible Brian Blessed!

King Arthur the Young Warlord
I was delighted to have (at last) obtained a copy of this. Yes, the quality of colour and sound is poor, but who cares! This was a ground-breaking programme, and it still stands up well after more than two decades. I hope one day it will be available in the original unedited version, and transferred to DVD. It deserves to be seen, just as much as Robin Of Sherwood, which is now available as a complete edition on DVD (also an HTV programme). There are thousands of people in the UK who would buy this fondly remembered series.

Camp, Camp, Camp
Cerdic The Saxon looks more like a pizza-tossing Italian named Luigi than a tough Saxon warlord. He belongs in a 20th century pizza parlor not in 5th century Britain

BTW, this audio and visual quality of this video is HORRENDOUS. ENTER INTO YOUR VCR AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Gritty
A gritty view of a possible 6th century Arthur. Had a good look to it.

A lovely memory
OK, technically we can fault this but it was a child of its time. A generation brought up on Star Wars might not understand that this was what we got as entertainment back in the very early 70s. Yes, this is a selection of a TV series and the editing's bad and so are the wigs but this was a low budget series back then. The language is totally too modern but go with the flow, enjoy and we women can admire the lovely Oliver Tobias who to his credit puts in a very believeable performance and the gorgeous Michael Gothard. A lovely momento of a series I wish was available in its entireity - using first generation tapes please! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An alien doesn't like the way humans treat their children
While the Enterprise is investigating an unusual nebula that has formed around a neutron star, one of the aliens living in the nebula decides to check out the ship. The alien encounters Clara Sutter, a lonely little girl who spends her time conversing with her imaginary friend Isabella. The alien becomes Isabella and after seeing the world through Clara's eyes becomes convinced that human beings are very cruel to their children (the adults keep trying to stop the kids from going into restricted areas). The only reasonable thing to do is to summon more of her kind who can then destroy the Enterprise by absorbing all its energy, although how this will benefit Clara and the other children is not exactly clear. This is one of the better episodes focusing on the children stuck on the Enterprise while their parents are exploring the universe, mainly because both of the young actresses do such a nice job with their parts. I especially enjoyed watching the two young girls deal with the adults, Clara (Noley Thornton) trying to explain that Isabella is no longer imaginary but real and Isabella (Shay Astar), dressing down Picard for the shortcomings of humans as parents. This is a slightly-above average episode that younger fans will especially enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Avoid, avoid, avoid!
If you're like me, and love seeing new or new-to-you Sherlock Holmes movies, please do not be conned into viewing this one; it's a real spirit-breaker.

Even at two hours, the film is an hour too long, and yet it still feels like it takes five hours to watch. As the previous reviewer commented, the editing down of the four hour mini-series is atrocious, ham-fisted, and done with no skill whatsoever. This results in huge gaps in the story that make no sense when the characters refer to a previous event that wound up on the cutting room floor.

There are few if any examples of Holmes' methods, and even Lee seems tired and bored with the proceedings. Patrick Macnee serves as an okay Watson, but he too seems bored with the whole thing. Morgan "Old Navy Chick" Fairchild ranges from alright to downright hammy as Irene Adler, and one wonders why such a young-ish babe would be hot for the grandfatherly-by-comparison Lee. Engelbert Humperdinck seems in search of "The Love Boat", the show he probably thought he was going to be guest starring on when he found himself in this insult to Sherlockia instead.

And as for the mystery, you simply will not care who did what or why because the movie will cast you into a somnambulic state long before the first twenty minutes elapse. If by some miracle your brain can struggle out of this movie-induced torpor for but a moment, all you can think of to say is, "End, movie! END!" Purgatory could not last any longer than this movie, unless in Purgatory they make you watch this movie twice.

A certain professor of mathematics, known to the followers of the world famous consulting detective, must surely have been at work here in an evil attempt to denegrate the hallowed name of Sherlock Holmes!

Avoid like Richenbach Falls!

see the other listing.
This is the same film as the other video you have listed by this title. See my review there.

A completely incomprehensible mess based on a lovely idea.
I originally wrote the four hour miniseries (with considerable help from British author H.R.F. Keating) as "Sherlock Holmes and the Merry Widow," and in it Irene Adler was starring in a Vienna Opera Company production of "The Merry Widow" when she and Sherlock Holmes meet up once more. I used various subplots from "The Merry Widow" as subplots for the actors/singers performing in the produciton, so that the effect was that these people were having affairs, etc., in real-life that reflected those in the opera they were performing. Also the subplot between Holmes and Sigmond Freud concluded with a scene on a fast moving train in which Freud gives Holmes a Rorschach test in which all the words Freud shouts out remind Holmes only of famous clues in his famous cases. The main subplot had Holmes and Irene meeting each other again and exploring their dysfunctional relationship with the help of Freud, and finally getting it on! The main mystery -- a spy story -- was based very loosely on Conan Doyle's "Bruce Parkington Plans." Soon the production company discovered that "The Merry Widow" was still under copyright. So they changed the operetta the cast would be performing to "Der Fledermous." So now we had the cast of "Der Fledermous" living out subplots from "The Merry Widow." Then the company moved the production site from Budapest to Luxenbourg where they have no old-fashioned looking trollies, so the most important sequence from the "Bruce Parkington Plans" had to be dropped. Then Englerbert Humperdink walked out midway through shooting, so his subplot stops halfway through. Then the brilliant director refused to edit and include in the final film the scene where Freud adminsters the test to Holmes, so that the Freud subplot leads nowhere and that key scene is missing in the Holmes-Irene love story. The mini at four hours was an abomination. But if that isn't bad enough, the company hired someone without the slightest interest in coherence to cut the mini down to a two-hour video. The end result is completely incoherent, the worst piece of filmmaking I've ever seen. Even Ed Wood couldn't have equalled it.

However, the same year another miniseries was made in Zimbabwe called "Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls" that worked, even though the script (also by me) wasn't nearly as good as this one started out to be. A vastly better director and a vastly better set of locations made all the difference in the world. I'd recommend you get that one instead. -- Bob Shayne ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Can be fittingly described as a "Classic"
Welcome to Hammer's outstanding "Hands of the Ripper", one of the studio's last movies and one of their best. The story tells of Anna, a young girl who is actually Jack the Ripper's daughter, and who was traumatised as a toddler by witnessing a vicious killing (seen in the prologue). Now an adult, she is prone to murderous seizures which provide the many grisly highlights of the film. It sounds rather lurid, but the film takes the subject seriously, and as a whole, the plot is tremendously engaging. Anna's rages are only triggered by a specific set of circumstances, and the script creates a surprising and clever staging for each one, following on every time with a suitably gory slaughter. The film features great performances from its prestigious cast, particularly Angharad Rees who is luminously beautiful as Anna, and Eric Porter as the doctor who realises her identity but is compelled to try and cure her rather than turn her in (as well as falling for her charms, as she has no recollection of what she does when she goes into a trance). Of course, in the movies such a situation can only end in tragedy, and the climax of the story is elegantly downbeat and very effective. The period London setting, the photography and the directing all fall perfectly into place, and "Hands of the Ripper" can be judged as one of Hammer's greatest acheivements. It's crying out for a DVD release, so hopefully someone will take the initiative very soon. There is a UK region 2 release, but it's only available as a box set with two far inferior British 70's horror movies "The Monster" and "The Uncanny". I was lucky and got one from a split set, but it's a real shame that most people will miss out on enjoying this movie by it not getting the circulation it deserves. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

BBC meets Hammer House of Horror?
Doomwatch was one of those BBC dramas aimed at the youth market fulfilling the BBC remit to entertain and educate. The television shows utilised the concerns of environmentalists of the nineteen sixties and seventies and forged an articulate and intelligent series of shows which became a sort of mini-cult and was made possible strangely enough by the success of Doctor Who and other SF dramas.

The television shows were somewhat formulaic in their need to hook the viewer from week to week by standard dramatic devices but the plots were based on the latest scientific material and the evidence of some ecological problems so that they were somewhat reality based which added to their attractiveness. Added to this was the use of child actors portrayed as relatively normal teenagers with a sense of discovery rather than the Enid Blyton goody-two shoes types or the Swallows and Amazons of the world. Basically it was not really a talking down type of show.

The success of the show heralded a foray into the world of the big screen with a tale of chemical pollution on an imaginary island off the Southern English coast thought to anyone familiar with Britain the scenes seemed to have been shot in Scotland. A minor quibble but...

The story herein is more like a Hammer House of Horror meets Quatermass with strange genetic results happening a few years after some chemical waste is dumped in the sea. As an extension of the TV show it did not really work as the youthful aspect was absent and the heroes were a couple in their late twenties or early thirties, generously speaking.

Therein lies the relative failure of this movie. Not a horror movie nor a teen movie but something else. It did not do too badly but there was never another one.

Perhaps the BBC could see itself clear to bringing the show to DVD a format which has proved so successful here in the US. That is if they were not too environmentally sensitive by reusing the tapes as they did with other shows of the time.

Still a worthwhile effort even if the scientific basis is now seen as somewhat questionable.

Moderately-paced but very intelligent drama
MOST URGENT.

TO COMBAT WORLDWIDE POLLUTION PROBLEM
RECOMMEND FORMATION NEW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT
TO BE CALLED...

DOOMWATCH.

That is the message rattled out on the teletype machine preceding the opening titles. The poignant scenes of dead oil-covered birds scattered on the beach and people rolling barrels down a cliff show a devastating effects of petroleum on a local habitat. A timely movie, considering how the United Nations Declaration on the Environment also came out in the 1970's, heralding ecological awareness that arose in Britain in that decade, and that filtered into Doomwatch, inspired by the TV series of the same name, and Dr. Who stories such as The Green Death. In fact, Doomwatch was written by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, the co-creators of the Cybermen in Dr. Who.

The story: a year previously, off the island of Balfe, an oil tanker spill caused ecological devastation to the sea and beach. Dr. Del Shaw is sent by Doomwatch to discover the effects of the detergent used to clean up Balfe and to send samples as well as examine the marine life. He gets more than he bargains for, as he discovers a body, and then digs around some more when headquarters report a massive increase in the phytoplankton and animal plankton concentration. His boss, Dr. Quist, asks him for fish samples, and we realize something's wrong when Del's shown a turbot the size of a very large dinner plate. Something else has clearly happened near Balfe, something even more catastrophic than the oil spill. Without giving too much of a hint, "old mother nature has been nobbled."

As for the people of Balfe, they are a "strange closed lot" with an air of secrecy about them. It's the typical small village mentality, where outsiders aren't welcome-(q.v. Dr. Who-The Daemons, The Reptile).

He is befriended by Victoria Brown, a schoolteacher and mainlander transplant who is just being accepted by the islanders. She is willing to help Dr. Shaw, but not at the cost of intruding into the lives of the islanders.

Ian Bannen (Shaw) is all right, but his brusque manner isn't exactly typical for a scientist. Judy Geeson, best known as the schoolgirl with a crush on Sidney Poitier in To Sir With Love, lends credible support as Victoria. John Paul is Dr. Quist, a plummy Jon Pertwee-ish type. George Sanders (Sir Geoffrey) appears in one of his last roles--he committed suicide later that year. And Shelagh Fraser (Ms. Straker) is best known as Luke's Aunt Beru in Star Wars.

Another bit of info. Balfe is clearly a fictional island, but in one scene, the admiral points near the southwestern peninsula of England, off Land's End to indicate where near the mainland Balfe is.

An intelligent ecology drama that slowly builds up, especially in the second half, and one whose message is still relevant today. A Doomwatch member's wry comments on trying to get petroleum companies to remove lead additives from gas reminds me that back in my day, "regular gas" meant petrol that had lead in it. Another message is the implied responsibility high tech industrial companies have to nature and people but seem blissfully unaware of. Why else are movies like Erin Brockovich or A Civil Action still being made?

Environmental horror!
I saw Doomwatch at the old Queen Theatre in Toronto in August/September 1974. It was part of a triple bill with Garden of the Dead and Grave of the Vampire. Cinepix, the local distributor, had changed Doomwatch's title to Island of the Ghouls for the show (a title I've never seen Doomwatch referred to anywhere else). Cinepix already owned the rights to Garden and Grave. Since Doomwatch hadn't received any distribution in Ontario the distributor figured the title change made for a perfect triple bill for the back to school crowd. All three flicks were rated "Recommended as Adult Entertainment" (what the Ontario Film Review Board used to call PG). Therefore, as an excited thirteen year old, off I went! Doomwatch is the movie version of the eponymous British television show (1970-72) about a team of environmental scientists/investigators who monitor polluters. I've never seen the tv version. However, Doomwatch the movie, is fun, albeit slow. It concerns strange incidents on an isolated island off the UK coast. If anything, Doomwatch suffers from the lack of any real villain. It's tough to anthropomorphize pollution. Still, it's worth the low price. The print is complete and in excellent condition. Unfortunately, the DVD is full frame. However, in its defence, Doomwatch doesn't appear to have been shot with more than a 1.66:1 aspect ration in mind anyway. I didn't notice any obvious misframing. Overall, worth the money for fans of British science fiction and horror. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Avoid, avoid, avoid!
If you're like me, and love seeing new or new-to-you Sherlock Holmes movies, please do not be conned into viewing this one; it's a real spirit-breaker.

Even at two hours, the film is an hour too long, and yet it still feels like it takes five hours to watch. As the previous reviewer commented, the editing down of the four hour mini-series is atrocious, ham-fisted, and done with no skill whatsoever. This results in huge gaps in the story that make no sense when the characters refer to a previous event that wound up on the cutting room floor.

There are few if any examples of Holmes' methods, and even Lee seems tired and bored with the proceedings. Patrick Macnee serves as an okay Watson, but he too seems bored with the whole thing. Morgan "Old Navy Chick" Fairchild ranges from alright to downright hammy as Irene Adler, and one wonders why such a young-ish babe would be hot for the grandfatherly-by-comparison Lee. Engelbert Humperdinck seems in search of "The Love Boat", the show he probably thought he was going to be guest starring on when he found himself in this insult to Sherlockia instead.

And as for the mystery, you simply will not care who did what or why because the movie will cast you into a somnambulic state long before the first twenty minutes elapse. If by some miracle your brain can struggle out of this movie-induced torpor for but a moment, all you can think of to say is, "End, movie! END!" Purgatory could not last any longer than this movie, unless in Purgatory they make you watch this movie twice.

A certain professor of mathematics, known to the followers of the world famous consulting detective, must surely have been at work here in an evil attempt to denegrate the hallowed name of Sherlock Holmes!

Avoid like Richenbach Falls!

see the other listing.
This is the same film as the other video you have listed by this title. See my review there.

A completely incomprehensible mess based on a lovely idea.
I originally wrote the four hour miniseries (with considerable help from British author H.R.F. Keating) as "Sherlock Holmes and the Merry Widow," and in it Irene Adler was starring in a Vienna Opera Company production of "The Merry Widow" when she and Sherlock Holmes meet up once more. I used various subplots from "The Merry Widow" as subplots for the actors/singers performing in the produciton, so that the effect was that these people were having affairs, etc., in real-life that reflected those in the opera they were performing. Also the subplot between Holmes and Sigmond Freud concluded with a scene on a fast moving train in which Freud gives Holmes a Rorschach test in which all the words Freud shouts out remind Holmes only of famous clues in his famous cases. The main subplot had Holmes and Irene meeting each other again and exploring their dysfunctional relationship with the help of Freud, and finally getting it on! The main mystery -- a spy story -- was based very loosely on Conan Doyle's "Bruce Parkington Plans." Soon the production company discovered that "The Merry Widow" was still under copyright. So they changed the operetta the cast would be performing to "Der Fledermous." So now we had the cast of "Der Fledermous" living out subplots from "The Merry Widow." Then the company moved the production site from Budapest to Luxenbourg where they have no old-fashioned looking trollies, so the most important sequence from the "Bruce Parkington Plans" had to be dropped. Then Englerbert Humperdink walked out midway through shooting, so his subplot stops halfway through. Then the brilliant director refused to edit and include in the final film the scene where Freud adminsters the test to Holmes, so that the Freud subplot leads nowhere and that key scene is missing in the Holmes-Irene love story. The mini at four hours was an abomination. But if that isn't bad enough, the company hired someone without the slightest interest in coherence to cut the mini down to a two-hour video. The end result is completely incoherent, the worst piece of filmmaking I've ever seen. Even Ed Wood couldn't have equalled it.

However, the same year another miniseries was made in Zimbabwe called "Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls" that worked, even though the script (also by me) wasn't nearly as good as this one started out to be. A vastly better director and a vastly better set of locations made all the difference in the world. I'd recommend you get that one instead. -- Bob Shayne ... Read more

Reviews (7)

British cult classic -- wonderful
This seems to be a film made out of several episodes of the British 70's TV show -- which was essential viewing for me and my brother growing up. The basic elements are still there and I was left wanting to see more. Now my son can enjoy this perhaps more realistic look at who Arthur might have been.

+: The original cast (Oliver Tobias as Arthur and Brian Blessed as Mark of Cornwall, Lud & Kai -- excellent.)
+: More believable than Disney will ever produce
+: Clever take on the sword-in-the-stone story (a small subplot in the film).
+: Believable battle scenes (e.g. people running away when the bodies start piling up) without undue gore.
-: sound track has aged and was not cleaned up (the technology exists -- they did not use it!).
-: visual quality has deteriated a little (perhaps the change from PAL to USA's NTSC format?) but not too bad.

I hope they publish more episodes. Making it a film is totally unnecessary though. Many TV shows are converted successfully to video (3 or 4 shows per tape) e.g. Ab Fab, Thunderbirds, All Creates Great and Small, The Avengers.

BTW This is the least camp show I can think of -- I don't understand the previous reviewer. Perhaps he needs to have a look in the dictionary...or a word with the formidible Brian Blessed!

King Arthur the Young Warlord
I was delighted to have (at last) obtained a copy of this. Yes, the quality of colour and sound is poor, but who cares! This was a ground-breaking programme, and it still stands up well after more than two decades. I hope one day it will be available in the original unedited version, and transferred to DVD. It deserves to be seen, just as much as Robin Of Sherwood, which is now available as a complete edition on DVD (also an HTV programme). There are thousands of people in the UK who would buy this fondly remembered series.

Camp, Camp, Camp
Cerdic The Saxon looks more like a pizza-tossing Italian named Luigi than a tough Saxon warlord. He belongs in a 20th century pizza parlor not in 5th century Britain

BTW, this audio and visual quality of this video is HORRENDOUS. ENTER INTO YOUR VCR AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Gritty
A gritty view of a possible 6th century Arthur. Had a good look to it.

A lovely memory
OK, technically we can fault this but it was a child of its time. A generation brought up on Star Wars might not understand that this was what we got as entertainment back in the very early 70s. Yes, this is a selection of a TV series and the editing's bad and so are the wigs but this was a low budget series back then. The language is totally too modern but go with the flow, enjoy and we women can admire the lovely Oliver Tobias who to his credit puts in a very believeable performance and the gorgeous Michael Gothard. A lovely momento of a series I wish was available in its entireity - using first generation tapes please! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

British cult classic -- wonderful
This seems to be a film made out of several episodes of the British 70's TV show -- which was essential viewing for me and my brother growing up. The basic elements are still there and I was left wanting to see more. Now my son can enjoy this perhaps more realistic look at who Arthur might have been.

+: The original cast (Oliver Tobias as Arthur and Brian Blessed as Mark of Cornwall, Lud & Kai -- excellent.)
+: More believable than Disney will ever produce
+: Clever take on the sword-in-the-stone story (a small subplot in the film).
+: Believable battle scenes (e.g. people running away when the bodies start piling up) without undue gore.
-: sound track has aged and was not cleaned up (the technology exists -- they did not use it!).
-: visual quality has deteriated a little (perhaps the change from PAL to USA's NTSC format?) but not too bad.

I hope they publish more episodes. Making it a film is totally unnecessary though. Many TV shows are converted successfully to video (3 or 4 shows per tape) e.g. Ab Fab, Thunderbirds, All Creates Great and Small, The Avengers.

BTW This is the least camp show I can think of -- I don't understand the previous reviewer. Perhaps he needs to have a look in the dictionary...or a word with the formidible Brian Blessed!

King Arthur the Young Warlord
I was delighted to have (at last) obtained a copy of this. Yes, the quality of colour and sound is poor, but who cares! This was a ground-breaking programme, and it still stands up well after more than two decades. I hope one day it will be available in the original unedited version, and transferred to DVD. It deserves to be seen, just as much as Robin Of Sherwood, which is now available as a complete edition on DVD (also an HTV programme). There are thousands of people in the UK who would buy this fondly remembered series.

Camp, Camp, Camp
Cerdic The Saxon looks more like a pizza-tossing Italian named Luigi than a tough Saxon warlord. He belongs in a 20th century pizza parlor not in 5th century Britain

BTW, this audio and visual quality of this video is HORRENDOUS. ENTER INTO YOUR VCR AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Gritty
A gritty view of a possible 6th century Arthur. Had a good look to it.

A lovely memory
OK, technically we can fault this but it was a child of its time. A generation brought up on Star Wars might not understand that this was what we got as entertainment back in the very early 70s. Yes, this is a selection of a TV series and the editing's bad and so are the wigs but this was a low budget series back then. The language is totally too modern but go with the flow, enjoy and we women can admire the lovely Oliver Tobias who to his credit puts in a very believeable performance and the gorgeous Michael Gothard. A lovely momento of a series I wish was available in its entireity - using first generation tapes please! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The last decent film in Hammer's Dracula series
"Taste the Blood of Dracula" begins with the conclusion of "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave," as a traveling salesman makes off with the count's cape, ring and some of his blood. Figuring these mementoes will be worth something, the salesman returns to England. A few years later we find three decadent London gentlemen--William Hargrove (Geoffrey Keen), Samuel Paxton (Peter Sallis), and Jonathan Secker (John Carson)--who spend their nights drinking and whoring in the East End under the guise of "charity work." The trio have become bored with their indulgences and then have the misfortune of encountering Lord Courtley (Ralph Bates), who comes up with the bright idea of bringing Dracula back to life for fun. The three purchase the relics the salesman brought over from Transylvania but freak out during the magic ritual that involves drinking the potion made from Dracula's blood (one thing you have to say for Hammer films, the titles usually come into play at some point in the narrative). The trio beat up Courtley and flee, but the potion transforms the Lord into the Count (Christopher Lee). Dracula immediately decides Courtley is worthy of revenge and goes after the three men through their children, whereupon much blood-letting ensues.

This is yet another one of Hammer's Dracula films where it ends up being less about the title character and more about what the director is up to. Unlike those films in the series directed by Terence Fisher, who had great affection for the 19th-century, director Peter Sasdy is more interested in seeing the Victorians as hypocrites who basically get what they deserve in the end. "Taste the Blood of Dracula" not only lacks the strong moral counter-presence of a Van Helsing type, it lacks a true hero. Dracula again meets his fate at the end of the film because that is what is supposed to happen, not because we have any vested interest in the boy rescuing the girl. Dracula is clearly an erotic figure whose seduction of the children of the Victorian debauchers heralds their sexual awakenings (e.g., Linda Hayden as Alice Hargood laying sensuously on the lid of Dracula's sarcophagus). For those of you looking for Freudian overtones, look no further, because things get pretty blatant in this film. "Taste the Blood of Dracula" is the last decent film in the Hammer Dracula series, so if you are working through the series in order, you might consider stopping here.

Lee is good as usual, but the movie is deathly dull
William Hargood (Geoffry Keen), Samuel Paxton (Peter Sallis) & Jonathan Seder (John Carson) are three men, well respected in the community who make a pact to sell their souls to the devil. In order to do this they must use the following in their ritual: Dracula's cloak, signet ring, clasp... and his blood in powdered form. (It won't be spoiling anything to say they drink the blood). Unfortunately in the process they murder Lord Courtley, (Ralph Bates) one of Dracula's disciples (It won't be a spoiler to say that HE drinks the blood too) & the Count returns from the grave to seek revenge.
However, it takes one third of the movie until he actually appears. An old codger stumbles across Dracula's body & meets a predictably bloody end. When learning of Courtley's death Dracula announces: "They have destroyed my servant" (Dramatic music) "They will be destroyed". And FINALLY, the movie becomes watchable all of a sudden; with Dracula stalking & doing away with the men one by one in gruesome ways. Go Drac!
This is the fourth entry in Hammer's series of Dracula films; in between DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE & SCARS OF DRACULA. Directed by Peter Sasdy, this is actually one of the lesser of the series, & despite Lee's usual good performance & lots of pretty girls in the supporting cast; TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA is actually pretty dull & forgettable.
It was obvious by this point that the series needed a rev-up, so the follow-up to this was the amusing "modern" DRACULA AD 1972, which is a bit better than this. Watch if you must, but you'll wonder why Lee even bothered to waste his time with this one.
However, the movie is NOT recommended viewing for devout Catholics (Especially the crazy Baptists in Dunedin- stop sending me those dumb hellfire & brimstone letters!) but you'd have to be pretty dogmatic to write this film off as glorifying Satanic practices- especially when they symbolicly drink "blood" every Sunday, right? Mu ha ha. (P.S That's supposed to be evil laughter. Give me a break, I haven't written a review for a while!)

bloody good !
well we had prety much given up hope of ever seeing a decent version of this classic Dracula adventure when Warner anounced
it's release in an unbutchered state.the image is flawless , the sound is good if not expansive but the real treat is that the 4 minutes missing from every print released so far has this time been included.The bordelo scene is now free of the savage editing done by warner in the early 70's to be able to market it to the kiddies.The other additions are very short scenes juged to violent at the time.The result is a film that flows better & has a stronger story & that's it rates a 5 on my scale.
review of the DVD edition

Good story about having children turn on their parents
Well, this time around, Dracula is not the killer, except for when he kills Lucy. He turns the children of the three thrill seekers against them for killing off his "servant". Christopher Lee is great as always playing the count, but it makes you wonder what the point even was of having him in the film. He does not even appear until 45 minutes into it, just when you think the film has nowhere to go.

The version I bought has an "R" rating, although I do not see the difference from the old "PG" videos. Yes, there are a couple of scenes added back like when one person is staked to death and has blood on his face. They also show women barebreasted for a moment, but other than that, what was so "R" about it?

A good sequel, and of course, it leaves the door open for another one.

He's Back
In this version of Dracula, played by Christopher Lee, the location is in Victorian England. Lord Courtley, played by Ralph Bates, resurrects Dracula with the aid of three Victorian gentlemen, but when Courtley drinks Dracula's blood he dies and the three leave him for dead. Dracula revenges the death of his servant by seducing their children and having them kill their own fathers.

This movie was made a year after Dracula Has Risen From The Grave and the next in the series was The Scars of Dracula.

Another interesting note is that Ralph Bates became Hammer's next leading man. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Trashy! Ridiculous! Awful Performances! DON'T MISS IT!
This movie is so bad, it's good!

Without giving away the wacky concept behind this mess, "The Lonely Lady" has all the appearances of being a made-for-TV movie produced sometime around the late seventies/early eighties, with some superficial nudity thrown in for good measure. Definitely a period peice.

The characters are so two dimensional, it's almost like watching lip-syncing cardboard manikins. Pia Zadora's squirrelly acting style is particularly amusing. The storyline is sort of nonexistent.

So Martha S. says here's what to do in order to make this occasion a cheery holiday funfest: Have a low-rent party!!! All you have to do is make a batch of fruit punch and spike it with MD 20/20 or some other cheap wine; Whip up some Hors Deuvers made of Ritz crackers, Spam and Cheez Whiz. Fry up some Okra!

Then, get a copy of the other Pia Zadora Epic, "Butterfly", invite all your freinds over, and have a Pia Zadora Film Festival... So what's not to like?

An American Classic
Don't listen to all of those stuffy movie critics and people who ripped on this movie without even watching it. If they had their way, we would watch nothing but endless reruns of foreign films (w/ subtitles) and hapless domestic productions that are short on action and long on boredom.

This HOLLYWOOD rags to riches story was truly inspiring! Pia Zadora gives an Oscar worthy performance while displaying all of her assets (no pun intended).

In short, if there is one movie you see this year, "The Lonely Lady" should be tops on you list.

Sometimes your in the mood for that
Don't listen to all the uptight reviewers who say this movie is awful. People need to lighten up. I hardly think Pia and company were aspiring to great art here; instead they've created a deliciously tacky movie that has plenty of sex, drugs, and campy acting. Sometimes your in the mood for that, you know. p.s. pia's body is to die for.

Glop!
This was one of those movies I watched on cable one night when I was a kid and my parents were not at home and It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen so vapid and trite and stupid! A pile of glop!

Total "Camp" Classic!
I didn't like this movie much when it was released back in 1983. Over the years it has sort of grown on me. I seemed to always catch it playing on TV and couldn't stop watching it. Recently, I saw it on TV, and figured I might as well buy it on video since I like it so much. The copies I purchased here in Canada from a record store were awful, and was I able to find a clean playing copy that was new on the internet. It's basically about an up & coming writer that sleeps here way to the top and meets a lot of unscrupulous people along the way. It's a drive-in movie through & through. Lots of nudity, violence, and a really lame script, but it has a certain charm that I can't put my finger on. If you like 'B' movies, this one is a must have for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

British cult classic -- wonderful
This seems to be a film made out of several episodes of the British 70's TV show -- which was essential viewing for me and my brother growing up. The basic elements are still there and I was left wanting to see more. Now my son can enjoy this perhaps more realistic look at who Arthur might have been.

+: The original cast (Oliver Tobias as Arthur and Brian Blessed as Mark of Cornwall, Lud & Kai -- excellent.)
+: More believable than Disney will ever produce
+: Clever take on the sword-in-the-stone story (a small subplot in the film).
+: Believable battle scenes (e.g. people running away when the bodies start piling up) without undue gore.
-: sound track has aged and was not cleaned up (the technology exists -- they did not use it!).
-: visual quality has deteriated a little (perhaps the change from PAL to USA's NTSC format?) but not too bad.

I hope they publish more episodes. Making it a film is totally unnecessary though. Many TV shows are converted successfully to video (3 or 4 shows per tape) e.g. Ab Fab, Thunderbirds, All Creates Great and Small, The Avengers.

BTW This is the least camp show I can think of -- I don't understand the previous reviewer. Perhaps he needs to have a look in the dictionary...or a word with the formidible Brian Blessed!

King Arthur the Young Warlord
I was delighted to have (at last) obtained a copy of this. Yes, the quality of colour and sound is poor, but who cares! This was a ground-breaking programme, and it still stands up well after more than two decades. I hope one day it will be available in the original unedited version, and transferred to DVD. It deserves to be seen, just as much as Robin Of Sherwood, which is now available as a complete edition on DVD (also an HTV programme). There are thousands of people in the UK who would buy this fondly remembered series.

Camp, Camp, Camp
Cerdic The Saxon looks more like a pizza-tossing Italian named Luigi than a tough Saxon warlord. He belongs in a 20th century pizza parlor not in 5th century Britain

BTW, this audio and visual quality of this video is HORRENDOUS. ENTER INTO YOUR VCR AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Gritty
A gritty view of a possible 6th century Arthur. Had a good look to it.

A lovely memory
OK, technically we can fault this but it was a child of its time. A generation brought up on Star Wars might not understand that this was what we got as entertainment back in the very early 70s. Yes, this is a selection of a TV series and the editing's bad and so are the wigs but this was a low budget series back then. The language is totally too modern but go with the flow, enjoy and we women can admire the lovely Oliver Tobias who to his credit puts in a very believeable performance and the gorgeous Michael Gothard. A lovely momento of a series I wish was available in its entireity - using first generation tapes please! ... Read more