Description

In this science fiction masterpiece of terror, members of a strange youth cult are being drawn to Ringstone Round hoping to be transported to another world. Dr. Bernard Quatermass tries to convince unbelieving authorities that their world is about to become the killing field for thousands of young innocents. There seems no end to the massacre from the skies - but united world scientists may yet have a solution. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Huffity Puffity Ringstone Round!
This is a haunting 4 episode BBC television show from 1979. A true classic with Quatermass back for his final & most difficult task. As with all of Nigel Kneal's Quatermass works this has great imagination and depth. As far as production values, I believe that Hammer and the BBC worked harder and were more creative due to lack of big budget funding. They make great use of their budget and allow the characters to develop. Hollywood's mega-budget, computer generated effect-laden, unimaginative refuse will never stand up against movies like this one (or Quatermass and the Pit or Quatermass II). Ideas, imagination and substance are what we need today not bland Lucasfilm special effects and Hollywood movies that pander to today's tasteless moviegoers. Bring back Eastmancolor & Technicolor 35mm 70mm film; it looks 100% better than anything released within the past 20 years!!

This 2 VHS set should be given to the folks at Anchor Bay for DVD release. They are the only people who know how to handle this type of film. The VHS looks very good but a Anamorphic DVD transfer would do it justice. Go buy this VHS set and all of the Hammer Anchor Bay releases today and enter the world of true filmaking and imagination!!

Nigel Kneale's finest work (praise indeed!)
This is possibly the bleakest and most chilling television serial in the history of British TV. It posits an all-too believable vision of a decayed society a few years from now: rampant crime, useless governments, huge numbers of people hooked on the hope that occult beliefs will save them. Vast numbers of young people begin gathering at ancient sites, like stone circles, and disappear. Elderly scientist, Professor Bernard Quatermass, leaves retirement and seclusion to seek his lost grand-daughetr in a world that disgusts him. His researches into the mass disappearnces lead him to some of the most shocking speculations ever portrayed on film or TV. Mills is superb as a decent burnt out old man whose energy and powers gradually return as he realises the earth is in imminent danger. Nigel Kneale's script is magnificent and is wonderfully reinforced by haunting music and some great set pieces. Some members of the cast are slightly weak, but on the whole the large supprorting cast is strong. The insights into the nature of society, irrational cults, crime, mass movements and the generation gap flow through a gripping, thought-provoking serial. hack director Piers Haggard even manages to do a decent job with a limited, though sufficient, budget.

A magnificent serial, not to be confused with its shortened, 2 hour version, nowhere near as satisfactory. If you love dark, intelligent works along the lines of Kneale's other Hammer stories, or Wells, Wyndham, Algernon Blackwood, Lovecraft 8with far more brains), gritty 1970s BBC productions, then this is unmissable.

If you're looking for juvenile fun - forget it.

Gripping, intelligent science fiction.
It's a given among science fiction aficionados that the three theatrically released Quatermass films are among the best of British science fiction. This rarely seen, final installment of the series does nothing to tarnish its reputation. Available up till now in a severly truncated version, the complete 4-hour mini-series is now available, and well worth getting.
The premise of 'Quatermass' has to do with an alien 'force' (a beam of energy), originating from a distant part of the universe, which "harvests" human beings. It seems that the beings behind this 'force' visited Earth 5,000 years previously, leaving a collective fright among the human population. As a result of that event, the early peoples constructed megaliths (Stonehenge, Ringstone Round, etc.) to mark places where the aliens landed, and where they left transmitters or beacons under the earth. As the film begins, we see a world in decay. Social and environmental calamaties have been rife, with barbaric tribalism resurgent. Young people seem to be in the grip of some kind of collective madness, compelled to mass at these megalithic locations. It seems that that the alien 'collectors' are drawn to the physiology of younger humans (this assumes great significance as the film progresses). The young, anxious to leave behind this bleak environment, believe they will be taken to another planet (they call themselves 'Planet People').
When large crowds of the young arrive at the various locations, a strange beam emanates from the sky to the location. Puff, they are all gone, leaving only charred dust. This is, as we learn, the "gathering time" for this 'harvest'. Quatermass (well played by John Mills) discovers the truth, and and sets out to combat the malevolent force. He's also searching for his granddaughter, who has run away and joined the Planet People. This subplot assumes a key role during the film's ending.
While this was a television release, it does an outstanding job (within its budgetary limits) of depicting an unsettling world. Nobody does a better job of creating a socially and environmentally depressing setting than the Brits. Reminiscent of the milieu portrayed in such films as 'A Clockwork Orange', the ominous feel generated by the film is hard to match. While much of the film occurs during daytime, this simply adds to the unnerving effect created.
This is the kind of science fiction that does not rely on glitzy special effects or fast-paced action. Rather, it draws the viewer in and dispenses the chills slowly, building the suspense and horror methodically. This is truly the thinking person's science fiction.
I agree with another reviewer that it would be nice for Anchor Bay to release this on DVD. However, even within the technical limitations of videotape (and the age of the production itself), the film transfer is remarkably good. Scenes where the sky is "sick", for example, show subtle transitions from blue to a putrid green. If it ever is released on DVD, I'll snatch it up. In the meantime, however, it is enough just to be able to finally see this engrossing film in any format. If you're a fan of the other Quatermass films, you will want to add this to your collection.

A dose of Quatermass
"The Quatermass Conclusion" is the fourth movie-length installment in the long-lived "Professor Quatermass" series of films, the first of which appeared fifty years ago with Brian Donlevy in the title role. That was "The Creeping Unknown," which remains scary even after the sad jading of our collective special-effects appetite. Donlevy reprised the Quatermass character in the 1958 sequel, known in the United States as "The Enemy from Space." Andrew Keir took over for the 1967 "Quatermass and the Pit," called "Five Million Years to Earth" for transatlantic audiences. It wasn't until 1979 that screenwriter Nigel Kneale managed to get a fourth Quatermass story on film, this time as a BBC "mini-series" in four parts featuring John Mills as a by now aged protagonist. This is conceptually the most ambitious of the Quatermass stories: Kneale sets it in a world afflicted everywhere by social and economic collapse and - this is a key element in the unfolding story - the withdrawal of young people, especially adolescents, from all communal ties. The landscape swarms with packs of juvenile "Space People," as they call themselves, dressed in flower-child fashion awaiting their deliverance to a paradise planet. They believe that their redemption will occur at the ancient megalithic sites and it is to these that they gravitate. Redemption it is not. Quatermass, coming to London from the countryside to seek a lost grandchild and drawn into the investigation of events, theorizes about "the harvesting of mankind." He is aided by an astrophysicist played by Simon McCorkindale, whom many viewers will recognize as a screen presence of the time. This is the most apocalyptic of the Quatermass stories, more so even than "Quatermass and the Pit," with its mass revival of ancient Martian "race memories" in the human population of London, and with its subsequent mad "cleansing of the Martian hives." The images of British society - and by implication all societies all over the world - in its material and moral downward-spiral are stark and disturbing. A few scenes of a near-earth space station and of a space shuttle in distant orbit are unnecessary in that they look toy-like and detract from rather than add to the verisimilitude of the production, but this is quibbling. The atmosphere over the four hours of the story becomes increasingly desperate and grim. Essential equipment breaks down and is irreparable; key people die in riots. The climax smacks of the nihilism that I associate with the 1970s, but it could be interpreted as throwing Quatermass into the role of redeemer, complete with martyric self-sacrifice. A brief epilogue seems tacked on, as though the producers could not accept the uncompromising final scene of Kneale's script - but it does allow for some détente, which might be needed in the moment. Recommended for its far-above-average intelligence: "The Quatermass Conclusion" refreshingly does away with the hoary cliché that the young, and only the young, can save the world.

This is the one!!
........yep! this is the one, at age 8yrs, turned me on to real science fiction!
The thinking man's Dr.Who... This is real enough to be disturbing, even today. One can see this happening, some 35+ years after it was filmed.
Society hasn't changed that much, the concepts are brilliant, even the link back to the Middle Age nursery rhyme....

Go on!! Buy it!! You'll see what REAL science fiction should be!! ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Amazing....but missing something
I eagerly bought this movie after finishing the novel. I know that a lot of movies based on books are different from the original story, but this really isn't one of them, at least not exactly. Almost all of the main and important aspects of the novel are included in the movie. The time constraints obviously play a part of the limited detail, at least compared to the novel, but what seems most annoying is the fact that different characters play the parts of characters in the book. For example, Susan Stern, who travelled in Stu Redman's group originally suddenly is part of Mother Abigail's group. It's small differences like this that get to me in this movie.

Other than that, the movie is awesome. The makeup effects used are amazing. The actors chosen to portray the characters seem perfect, especially Gary Sinise, Adam Storke, Ray Walston, Bill Fagerbakke, Jamey Sheridan and particularly Rob Lowe, who plays a wonderful Nick Andros. I've already watched this movie a number of times, and there are scenes I can't get enough of. I really like it, but I'm going to have to say, read the book first, because it will not only help you keep better track of what's going on in the movie, but it will you keep you informed on the characters as well. Plus, the book is definitely worth it's 1141 pages and you'll be really missing something without it!

Greatness Has a Name
First off, I'd like to say I have never read the book. But I will soon. Even though, I absolutely LOVED this movie. The acting was amazing, especially the performances by Gary Sinise (can that guy play a bad role? Knock on wood) and Rob Lowe, supposedly in a comeback role. It was probably very hard for poor Rob to play a deaf mute! Anyway, the story goes that a virus created by the Army gets loose at it's base and spreads through the United States. Only a few people survive, and the ones that do are separated into two groups. One group is called in dreams by Mother Abigail (played by Ruby Dee) and the other is called by Randall Flagg, the devil (played by Jamey Sheridan, who did an awesome job). Mother Abigail's group is led by Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Adam Storke, and Rob Lowe (although he didn't lead the group, he played an incredibly important part as a retarded man named Tom Cullen. I'm talking about Bill Fagerbakke). The bad guys, led by Flagg, flock to Las Vegas (yes, Sin City itself) and the good guys go to Boulder, Colorado. I won't give away the ending, but it is truly a wonderful movie with many twists and surprises. It made me jump, scream, say aww, and at times cry ew! It is incredible!

It's not the book, but what movie is?
I was disappointed in the amount of changes in the mini-series; I found the book much more filled out. However, this movie brings about all my greatest fears about the end of our way of life. I have worked in the medical field for a number of years and I have often imagined this kind of scenario. Many people focus on the religious aura of this film, but I enjoyed the all encompassing nature. Stephen King did not write about religion, or how one faith survived while all other belivers died. He wrote a story about good versus evil. Don't look for a hinted meaning and enjoy the movie; it's well worth it.

Religious propaganda - cheap and blatant
I feel that I genuinely wasted my time watching this excessively long DVD (TV series).
It is a cheap production, proving how celebrity does not equate to talent.
Worse of all is the blatant religious "stand" which the story takes... It reminds me of the awful movie productions used by missionaries uninvitedly imposing their beliefs upon others.
Oh! And it is worth pointing out that Mr. King should stick to writing and NOT acting....
Although, it would probably appease many, and reinforce their monochrome ideas and perceptions of good and evil.....

Worth it
I am a relatively new fan of Mr. Kings work. My first exposure to his material was when The Stand miniseries aired. I recently read the book and find the movie adaptation to be just about as complete as you could hope for.

The performances are good, with some nice peaks into the early works of some now well known actors.

The only disappointment for me... in both the book and the miniseries.... is that ending. Won't spoil it here. For me it was a sort of "thats it?" moment. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Part 1 Is 5 - Star Excellent, 2's Really Good, Last 2 Bad
Rarely regarded as one of the great horror movie series, "The Omen" movies tell the story of Damien Thorn, the Antichrist (and later his daughter). They range from excellent to shlock, as most horror film trilogies do. This boxed set features all four "Omen" films"

1976's "The Omen" is the first and best of the series. I think it is better than the grossly overrated "The Exorcist", as this one has a more disturbing and realistic plot line. Robert and Kathy Thorn (Gregory Peck and Lee Remick) are an English governmnet official and his wife have given birth to a stillborn child. Kathy doens't know, so Robert adopts one and passes it off as the dead baby. Baby Damien becomes the light of their life. Then when he turns 5, eerie stuff begins to happen. First, his nanny commits suicide. Then a priest comes to see Thorn at his ofice and urges him to kill his son, saying he's the Antichrist, the son of Satan. Soon, a rapid - fire series of coincidences resulting in the deaths of people around Damien make Robert grwo suspicous. He and a photographer David Warner investigate. But it isn't until Warner is killed (in one of the best movie deaths ever) that Robert realizes the truth.

This is a great horror movie. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick turn in their best latter - day performances and prove that there was a place for aging screen vets in Hollywood other than tv movies and "That's Entertainment". Jerry Goldsmith's chilling score is the best I've ever heard in a horror film and he deserved the Oscar he won for it. Extras are several excellent documentaries, trailers and audio commentaries.

1978's "Damien: Omen 2" takes place 7 years later. Damine is now 12 years old, living with his aunt and uncle (Lee Grant and William Holden). This sequel marks a turning point in the series, as Damien is now aware of who he really is. At first, he's scared but soon grows to enjoy them.

This film is lesser than the first one but provides some genuine jitters, especially the "Designing Women" guy stuck in the elevator and the frightening ending. Also, Holden and Grant turn in excllent performances.

"Omen III: The Final Conflict" is where the series really began to slip. Damien (Sam Neil) is now 32 years old and is intent on world dominaton. Whn he soon realizes Christ is coming back for the final battle between good and evil, he soon becomes more ruthlss than ever, going as far as to kill infants. This made me sick. The only thing I liked in this one was that it had a happy ending. The acting is wooden. It's hard to believe that a 5 - year old (the first one's Harvey Stevens) can do Damien better than Sam Neil. Fortunately, Neil found his voice and became one of the most versatile (and well - known) character actors ever. The only thing here other than the acting is another spooky Jerry Goldsmith score.

"Omen IV: The Awakening" tried teribly to resurrect the series. Karen and Gene York adopt a baby and the same things that happen in the first one happen here, only here it stinks. That's all I have to say about this movie.

Overall, a good boxed set of classic horror movies that will scare you to death. The first two are worth watching but the last two are horrible. Best to get the first two separately.

The Five Stars Is Really For Part One
"The Omen" saga is one of the most enduring (albeit longest - running) horror movie franchises in film history, spanning over 16 years and feature Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, William Holden, Lee Grant and Sam Neill in top - notch performances.

The first film is undoubtedly the best in the series, and the main sreason why I gave the set five stars. I tend to like this movie more than the grossly overrated "The Excorcist" because unlike that one this one has a more realistic storyline, plus it did not feature arguably the greatest and bloodiest beheading sequence ever filmed (just wait til you see it, it's amazing). It also features screen legends Gregory Peck (who unfortuneatley left us in June of last year) and Lee Remick in their latter - day prime, as this film undoubtedly proved that there still was a place for aging screen veterans in cinemas other than "That's Entertainment". I also remember being afraid of Jerry Goldsmith's eerie score for the film, especially the gregorian chants (one of them was nominated for an Oscar). All in all, this film is truly scary.

1978's "Damien: Omen 2" is a somewhat lesser sequel. It documents Damien going through his adolescent years. It is also odd to learn that in this film that Damien himself realizes he's the son of the devil. And while it's not as good as the first one, it does feature some truly disturbing moments (the scene with the man stuck in the elevator is eerily reminiscent of Part One's beheading sequence) and features about the same level of star power, as Lee Grant and William Holden are very good in their respective roles.

"Omen 3: The Final Conflict" is when the series begins to slip. It jumps ahead about 19 or so years past the second one. Damien (the usually excellent Sam Neill) is now the U.S. Ambassador awaiting the return of Christ and the final battle between good and evil. Damien then comes up with this rediculous idea of killing babies (how sickening even for a horror movie) before he reaches his last confrontation with The Lord. Unlike the previous two, this chapter of "The Omen" has a happy ending, as ...

In 1991, HBO resurrected the "Omen series with "Omen 4: The Awakening". I hated it. It tells the story of Delia, a seemingly harmless girl who lives with rich, wealthy parents who adopted her. But starnge things happen wherever she goes. And just about every single sequence in the film is an obvious copy of everything that happened in the first part, from the nanny falling out of the window to the ending sequencewhen the main character is shot (though in this one, the main character shoots herself). As you watch it, you can't help think if this made - for - tv junk is the work of Satan himself.

Overall, this isn't a really bad set. It does feature the excellent first chapter and the down but not out second part. Maybe parts 3 & 4 are lesser but are needed if you want to learn the full root of Damian's evil ways (and besides, if you are interested in part 4, you have to get the boxed set, as it is not available seperately). So I do think this is an essential set, especially if you are fan of horror movies.

Inteligent horror
Some of the best horror movies out there, intelligent horror is hard to make, they made three great movies. Fantastic really!

good for it's time but that isn't saying much
OMEN - I'm sure when this movie came out it scared the socks off
people. There were definately some eerie moments within
the film. The book of Revelation has always fascinated me
along with the scriptures that tell about the rise of
the Antichrist. As for the Omen, it held my interest but
seemed to drag at times. Despite the slow pace of the
movie, it was in no way boring. Though you don't get to
see much of the 5 year old Damien (the Antichrist),
his character development is still portrayed during the
film. I give OMEN *** stars.

DAMIEN - Known as OMEN II, this movie is probably the best in
the series. Here we see 13 year old Damien brilliantly
portrayed along with his roots of power. Damien is
smart and cunning. When he learns who he is, Damien
takes desperate measures to ensure that no one close to
him betrays his trust. For the most part, there are no
slow spots within the movie and whether you like the
first Omen or not I'm sure this sequel is sure to
please. I give DAMIEN **** stars.

FINAL CONFLICT - The third Omen in the series takes a bit of a
nose dive from the previous film. Damien is 32
years old and is now in control of the world
powers. If you expect this movie to show the
ruthless reign of the Antichrist, you will be
sorely disappointed. I won't spoil the movie
for anyone who hasn't seen it but I do have a
particular complaint; though this movie gives
accurate scripture references it does not
present the audience with accurate events of
the Antichrist during his reign of power. For
example, Jesus in not going to be born a second
time here on earth. Also, the Antichrist is not
defeated until 3-4 years after he wages a war
on the nations. (Yes, I am a Christian and if
someone is going to make a movie that tells
about the rise and fall of the Antichrist then
the movie needs to stay in accordance with the
scriptures of the Bible). Another complaint I
have is that this movie drags out even more so
than the first one. Unless you want to see the
conclusion of what happens to Damien (as I'm
sure that most people will), this is not a
movie that I would recommend.
I give FINAL CONFLICT ** stars.

AWAKENING - As far as I am concerned, this is the last Omen in
the series that should have never existed. Do I say
that because this Omen is not related to the
previous three? To a certain degree, yes. As for the
movie itself, the fourth Omen was a "made for TV"
movie and it shows. Now don't misunderstand me, I'm
not saying that all TV made movies are bad but this
one definately had a mediocre script. The girl in
this movie is the daughter of Damien (the previous
Antichrist). To sum up the plot, the girl shows her
evil power in various yet ridiculous ways. The fouth
Omen is the Halloween III of the series if you will.
For the most part, it is irrelevent to the preivous
films that somehow spawned it.
I give AWAKENING * star due to the last third of the
movie being interesting.

Great movies at an unbeatable price
This deal really cant be beat. Although the fourth was dysmisal, the first one was classic, the second excellent, and the third interesting.

While not cram packed with extras (and I do wish the omen legacy dvd had been included!) - the first is a special edition with a 45 minute documentary, 666:Curse or coincidence featurette, Jerry Goldsmith discussing his score, and more. The second and third have trailers and full length audio commentaries. The fourth has nothing except trailers for the others (which doesn't make much sense since there is a trailer for the fourth on the omen legacy disc) -- but overall this is a steal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fantastic!!! Begging for more!!
This is one of the best horror collection sets I have ever viewed!! That Creepy chap on the cover box is just a preview to what these videos hold inside. Each tape contains a different story about the supernatural. Smart and imagnitive plots that keep you guessing until the end,and a great cast!! Plus the locations can't be beat. Typical English creepy haunts! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Blair Witch Project
Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should stay away from The Blair Witch Project--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes to filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who armed three actors (Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Josh Leonard) with video equipment, camping supplies, and rough plot outlines. They then let the trio loose into the Maryland woods to improviseand shoot the entire film themselves as the filmmakers attempted to scare the crap out of them. Gimmicky, yes, but it worked--to the wildly successful tune of $130 million at the box office upon its initial release (the budget was a mere $40,000).

For those of you who were under a rock when it first hit the theaters, The Blair Witch Project tracks the doomed quest of three film students shooting a documentary on the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend of the Blair Witch. After filming some local yokels (and providing only scant background on the witch herself), the three, led by Heather (something of a witch herself), head into the woods for some on-location shooting. They're never seen again. What we see is a reconstruction of their "found" footage, edited to make a barely coherent narrative. After losing their way in the forest, whining soon gives way to real terror as the three find themselves stalked by unknown forces that leave piles of rocks outside their campsite and stick-figure art projects in the woods. (As Michael succinctly puts it, "No redneck is this clever!") The masterstroke of the film is that you never actually see what's menacing them; everything is implied, and there's no terror worse than that of the unknown. If you can wade through the tedious arguing--and the shaky, motion-sickness-inducing camerawork--you'll be rewarded with an oppressively sinister atmosphere and one of the most frightening denouements in horror-film history. Even after you take away the monstrous hype, The Blair Witch Project remains a genuine, effective original. --Mark Englehart

Curse of the Blair Witch
Are you wondering just exactly who the Blair Witch was? What the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend was all about? Or what exactly fascinated student filmmaker Heather and what possibly took her, Mike, and Josh from this earth? Get all your background questions answered by Curse of the Blair Witch, a one-stop-shopping "documentary" originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel as a tie-in marketing tool. Entirely fictionalized, Curse of the Blair Witch focuses both on the past and the present, with copious info on the Blair Witch myth as well as on the disappearance of Heather, Josh, and Mike. As it turns out, the original witch was one Elly Kedward, who was accused in 1785 of taking blood from several children; she was subsequently banished to the harsh winter woods and left for dead. Her grisly and bloody legacy involves missing children, polluted water, disemboweled men, and a serial killer of children who claims to have been haunted by "an old woman ghost." Aside from some ineffective "newsreel" footage of the serial killer, all this intriguing information is presented convincingly and chillingly. Curse may in fact freak you out more than the movie, and it evokes the great, pulpy In Search Of series of the '70s, one of the prime inspirations for filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. News clips of the search for Heather, Josh, and Mike lend a vérité atmosphere to the proceedings, but shed little light on their mysterious disappearance or their characters. Basically, it's a tease to go see the movie. Still, The Blair Witch Project provided only ever-so-slight information on the legend that haunted the forest, so you'll want this cleverly constructed mock documentary to supplement your knowledge of the film. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (1695)

Portrays "fear" in it's truest sense.
Blair Witch is soon to become a classic. It's skin-crawling, heart-pounding atmosphere makes it one of the best horror films I've seen. When simply describing it, words don't do this movie justice, for it is the unspoken fear of the characters on screen that makes the film come alive. The fact that this film was shot using only three actors, minimal script, and a "documentary-looking" tape makes it all the more refreshing. Besides the fact that there was no axe murderer or bloody, on-screen killings, it was extremely believable. The actors, having very little to go by, used everyday language, and when they were scared beyond control, they said things and acted the same way anyone would. The movie also portrayed mental games that seemed to intoxicate the characters. They started out as relatively normal people in the woods, and turned into babbling freaked out idiots. Try sleeping in the cold forest for several nights with very limited food, no clean clothes, a missing friend and running from evil that may be after you, not knowing if you're going insane... They showed the real-life situations of the real human persona. Along with the fear, they included comedy which was very amusing, satirical, and realistic. They portrayed fear in it's truest sense. Not knowing what is out there, but knowing something is, makes even the toughest of hearts find butterflies in their stomachs. I highly recommend seeing this film. It almost feels as though you're watching 3-D because you feel the same fear as they do. It's nice to finally have a film that you can relate to, scary or not, it was a low-budget film with three actors and no special effects or elaborate script. In order for a movie like that to make it this big, it has to be good. Instead of giving you the imagination on the screen you have to use your own. This film leaves alot unanswered which only increases the tension. Pay close attention to every detail in the movie because it all fits together, even though your questions will not be answered for you. That's your job... The scariest, most terrifying, (but also bewildering) scene of the whole movie, in my opinion, was at the very end, where you see Mike against the wall....

Haunting and Memorable
First of all, as a counterargument to some of the criticisms - true, documentarians don't record every single little thing - or do they? After all, this was a student project that was presumably meant to be edited later, so why not get as much on camera as possible? Nothing happens, say some - but that's the point of this movie, your imagination supplies what isn't shown on the screen (perfect example - Heather running through the woods, screaming "What was that?" at something unseen). Too much of the F-word, cry others - well, hate to burst your bubble, but a lot of young people talk this way, for better or worse; there is certainly nothing unrealistic about a lot of profanity. Enough with the "Devil's Advocate", though - here's what makes this a five-star DVD. First, good bonus materials - Curse of the Blair Witch adds some nice details. Second, nice presentation, i.e., the menus and background screens. Third, and most important, it's easy to criticize this movie for all the hype, but the premise is genuinely creative, the methodology for the performances is very smart (shoot "real-time", keep actors on their toes with the unexpected), and the ending of this movie is just about the spookiest damn thing I have ever seen. If you haven't seen Blair Witch yet, forget the hype and try to lose yourself in the experience of the students - and turn the lights off. If you're like me, this movie will stay with you for days.

What's the point?
For four years, this movie chilled me to the bone. It also sickened me, because I couldn't believe that someone would actually try and profit off someone's death. That seemed pretty low. It wasn't until 2003 that a friend of mine let me know this thing was a hoax. While I was relieved, I was also pretty angry.

If my anger seems misplaced to you, let me try and explain. If this is not a real documentary, what's the purpose of making it so poorly? Shaky video cameras - it looks like my Christmas videos. Do you think someone would pay me to watch those? "The Legend of Boggy Creek", which covers many of the same issues and is done in a semi-documentary style, is made with much higher production values, and as a result is much, much scarier. Watch it with the lights off if you don't believe me. Also, I can't get behind any horror movie that never shows its monster. How am I supposed to know what to be afraid of? A shaking tent? Stick figures?

I give it three stars for the idea and one star for the execution. I'm off to watch "Boggy Creek" again.

i havent seen it a long time
but i rember that when i did see it i peed in my pant.(i was 9 i was scared!) and i literly couldnt sleep for 3 days!! advise for parents:dont let a 9 year old watch this movie...

Well, I'll admit that I purchased the thing used...
Maybe I'm cynical...but a movie about three college students going out into some woods and yelling at each oher? This is entertainment? ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In the trinity of modern horror films, there's the father (Michael Myers of Halloween), the son (Jason of Friday the 13th fame, a knockoff), and the unholy spirit, Freddy Krueger of the Nightmare on Elm Street films. The spectral man who haunted the nightmares of unsuspecting teenagers with deadly consequences, Freddy (as played by Robert Englund) was a truly frightening bogeyman and icon for the '80s. Unlike the hockey-masked Jason, who dispatched horny teenagers with mechanical and monotonous ease (he never talked, never took off his mask), Freddy was a truly creative and diabolical villain, with a sadistic and blackly funny personality. The hallmarks of the Nightmare on Elm Street series were imaginatively gruesome suspense pieces, set in the overactive imaginations of the teen victims. The first film of the series, Wes Craven's truly intelligent and scary film, was so hugely successful it begat not one, not two, but six more sequels, each pretty much diluting the originality and horror of its predecesor. (Horror fans will fondly remember Drew Barrymore's assertion in Scream that the first Nightmare film was great but all the rest sucked.) Still, there's fun to be had in the remaining films in the series, seeing as a number of aspiring filmmakers cut their teeth on the continuing saga of Freddy. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and Chuck Russell (The Mask) worked on the third installment, Dream Warriors (starring a young Patricia Arquette), and Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2) came to prominence with the ingeniously macabre fourth film, The Dream Master, coscripted by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential). Craven and original star Heather Langenkamp did return for the last film, New Nightmare, which presaged the tongue-in-cheek postmodernism of the Scream films and resharpened Freddy's ability to scare. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (176)

One, Two, this DVD's for you!
This set provides the essentials, the movies one through seven. However the Encyclopedia disc is simply PACKED with extras. I think there is nearly 2 or 3 hours of extras. With that, any Nightmare lover can see the entity of this movie in so much depth and detail. You'll also find, if you haven't already, that Robert Englund and Wes Craven are "Bloody" genius'. There is a reason why A Nightmare on Elm Street is simply the BEST horror movie franchise in existence, and this collectors box set gives you 8 reasons why. Unlike it's rivals, the Nightmare series travels, it covers so many aspects of the evil inside (without embarassing itself by traveling to space!).
If there is one thing I truly respect about this series is the sequels. Although parts 2-6 were not really scary, they did deliver what would become the quintessence of Freddy. The sarcastic, sometimes hilarious demon anti-hero who you can't help but cheer for. Also, it does something that no other horror movie franchise has. It's final part leaves the viewer just like the first one: terrified. I really feel that New Nightmare was so overrated yet so very well done.

If you love these movies, BUY THIS SET! Well worth the money!

Campy horror at it's best! A terrific DVD set.
The "Nightmare on Elm Street" series was, in my opinion, the only one that justified the number of sequels it had. It is also the most entertaining, original, and frightening of all the 80's "slasher" films. They may be a campy as a row of tents, but they are still among my favorite guilty pleasures.

The first three movies are without a doubt the best, with part 4 being okay, and part 5 being awful. "Freddy's Dead" capped off the series nicely, while "New Nightmare" found a brilliant way of making another movie as a self-parody, rather than a cookie-cutting of the older movies. Many don't consider it to be part of the series, but it defintely is in my opinion. I will always pick Freddy over Jason or Michael Myers for his devious sense of humor. Who can forget the classic line "You've got the body, and I've got the brains". Great line.

Collectors can enjoy a whopping 8 DVDs of Nightmare material, including all 7 films and a bonus DVD filled with behind-the-scenes extras, interviews, and other goodies. I enjoyed the book, but the extra DVD is a real bonus. It made the DVD set more enticing, considering the price tag.

Unlike the Friday the 13th or Halloween movies, which specialized in cookie-cutter sequels and little to no variation, the Nightmare series is the one that is worth owning on DVD. The originality, the chills, and the fun make the series stand out from all the other campy 80's horror series. I can join the rest of the horror movie fans in saying "They don't make em like this anymore".

Great Packaging of the Series
Each DVD in this set has special features and the like. All movies have similair menu formats meaning that they were designed for the set, which makes it consistant and enjoyable. There is even an extra DVD full of special features inclucing, interviews with freddy, music videos, cast and crew, and even Clive Barker himself. There is this cool way to find all sorts of hidden facts and videos in an interactive way. You control you way through a dark maze and solve riddles and unlock doors. Really great set!

Pretty fun fare, these "Nightmares"...
Since I've pretty much covered my thoughts on every 'Nightmare' flick in separate reviews-- and because I'm a lazy reviewer-- I'm just gonna talk about the bonus 'Nightmare Series Encyclopedia' disc that's included with the box set. If ya wanna know what I think about the movies, check out my reviews of 'em on their respective product pages-- they're posted in series order, from June 23 to June 30, 2004.

Anyhoo, here goes:

The Encyclopedia includes 'Prime Time', an hour-long documentary on the making of the first 'Nightmare', featuring musings from director Wes Craven, stars Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund, and other people involved with the project. A few behind-the-scenes & technical things are shown as well. While I found some of the subjects' thoughts about the movie's significance and influence rather droning and pretentious, much of the stuff shown here was reasonably interesting.

Then there's the encyclopedia proper, an archive of interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes on every 'Nightmare' flick from the first on through to 'New Nightmare'. Much like the 'Prime Time' doc, the seemingly endless array of stuff has its more interesting parts and its drier and downright boring parts. While most of the interviewees (i.e. the films' directors, actors, writers, & producers) seemed a bit too full of themselves at times and made the 'Nightmare' franchise out to be more important and significant than it really was, these interviews paled in comparison to those of Clive Barker, writer-director of the 'Hellraiser' flicks. I tell ya, this guy's pretentious pontificating and going on and on AND ON about the horror genre could put the worst insomniac to sleep in mere moments! If ever there was a truly scary nightmare, it's tryin' to sit through an interview with this guy! Which now that I think about it would probably make for a pretty good story idea for a possible "Freddy vs." sequel! I can just see it now: "Both combatants possess some truly scary capabilities and skills! Freddy has the power to invade your dreams and kill you in your sleep! Clive Barker has the power to bore you into a coma in mere minutes with his endless babbling! Who will win this titanic tussle of truly horrific proportions? Find out when you go to see: 'Freddy vs. Barker'! Coming soon to a theater near you!" I'd be rootin' for Freddy, myself, even though Barker definitely has the edge in the scariness department...

Also included is a trio of music videos, including Dokken's "Dream Warriors", as well as one by the Fat Boys and another by some other rap group whose name I can't recall. Of the three only the Dokken video is really worth checking out. BTW I'm surprised they didn't include Will "Fresh Prince" Smith's "Nightmare on My Street" video, which I kinda liked when I saw it on MTv many years back. Also included are theatrical trailers to every 'Nightmare' mo-pic.

Finally, there's the Labyrinth game where you walk through the halls of Springwood H.S. to grab a few things and solve puzzles to help you unlock a few of the game's features. These features include a bunch of really corny MTv promo spots hosted by Freddy himself, a couple behind-the-scenes moments and interviews that weren't included in the encyclopedia section. Also thrown into this labyrinth were a few things that were carried over from the encyclopedia section, including several cast and crew interviews, the theatrical trailers, and the trio of music videos. I was kinda disappointed by the latter array of features, since I was able to access them in a different part of the bonus DVD, and didn't have to click through a maze of hallways to watch 'em. The way I see it, they shoulda' made the Labyrinth game completely of stuff I couldn't access anywhere else. Otherwise, I found the adventure engaging and surprisingly quick to get through-- it only took me about 90 minutes. I probably woulda' taken twice as long had I not fast-forwarded through the stuff I'd already seen before...

Overall, I found the movies decent viewing even though none of 'em were all that scary to me. Funny for sure, but scary? Nope. Well, except perhaps for 'New Nightmare', a little bit. And the bonus platter had a nice array of good stuff, as well as some dull stuff. Fortunately, the dull stuff can easily be fast-forwarded through. Bottom line: this baby's worth at least one rental, just so you can finally say you saw all of the 'Nightmare' movies.

'Late

Greatest horror series!
This is one of the greats of horror movies there have ever been. With one of the most infamous killers ever. Freddy Kruegar. These films represent his story...

Nightmare on elm street - This is by far the best on the series. Freddy looks very dark in this one, and this is probably the one were he is the most violent. Robert England plays him so well. It can be shocking at times, but not scary. Lots of disturbing and strange scenes too.

Nightmare on elm street 2: Freddy's revenge - A lot of people really hated this film because it messed with the original story. Robert Englund reprises his role as Freddy. It is set in the same area, but this isn't a film with nightmares. It starts off as a nightmare film, but at the end this is a normal slasher. That's why people didn't like it. Still, I still like it, and it contains so much more gore.

Nightmare on elm street 3: Dream warriors - This is the one that made the second look like it didn't exsist. This one follows from the first, not the second. Many people enjoyed this one, as I did. Robert Englund is back, and so is Heather Lagnekamp (played the main character from the first film). The story concentrates on a group of teenagers this time, and their nightmares, and Freddy is back again, invading their nightmares. This one is probably the most fun, since Freddy gives us better and more creative death scenes, like the puppet scene (SICK!). This one isn't set on Elm street though, it's a hospital, but it has good atmosphere. An enjoyable entry.

Nightmare on elm street 4: Dream master - This was a dissapointing sequel, which I also didn't like. Freddy loses his touch in this film. It can also be very stupid at times, and the deaths are -- creative -- but very OTT. The gore is the same (OTT). It does continue from the third, but the leads who survived in the third don't survive for long in this one, and it changes to another story. This is quite a bad entry to the series I think.

Nightmare on elm street 5: Dream child - This is very much the same to the fourth, but this is the worst in the series. The film doesn't concentrate enough on Freddy, but instead it's his mom. Freddy's one-liners are very cheesey and crap, and there aren'r enough deaths in this one. This one concentrates more on Freddy's past. Shame, 'cause the opening of this is quite scary.

Freddy's dead: The final nightmare - People also don't like this one, the consider it to be more funny than scary - which it is, but it's a really good film. It opens up quite satisfyingly, and the film also gives us information on Freddy, before he became a killer. This is the only elm street film where he doesn't use his claw to kill someone, but he kills people in a cool, fun way. I like this entry, certainly an improvement to the lat tow films.

Wes Craven's new nightmare - I actually like this film. It's all about Freddy in the "real" world. Many roles from the original movie star in this and play themselves, as this film is like a docusoup. Once you get to the last thirty minutes of this film you'll love it. But, Freddy isn't in much of the start of this film, and it has a story that can be quite hard to follow. Other than that, this is an excellent film, and it's a great and different way to end the series.

A classic horror series that must be bought. ... Read more

Reviews (640)

4.5 out of 5
Thirty years after it's release, THE EXORCIST remains the scariest film of all-time. Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his own novel, this legendary horror flick follows the difficulties of a mother (Ellen Burstyn) whose 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair, in her biggest performance) becomes possessed by the devil, and how the mother discovers that the only way to save her daughter is an exorcism. There is frightening directing by William Friedkin (THE FRENCH CONNECTION), a very short by haunting score by Jack Nitzsche, and great performances by Burstyn, Blair, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb and Max von Sydow. To add to that, there's horrifyingly realistic special effects (by Marcel Vercoutere) and eerie cinematography (by Owen Roizman). Now we also have "The Version You've Never Seen" - which, hopefully you have seen, because it includes ten minutes of new, terrifying footage. Once you've seen, the film's hundreds of ghastly images will never leave your mind. Simply put, THE EXORCIST will live on to horrify us for generations to come.

The best horror movie ever made!
The Exorcist is one of those rare finds. It is a superbly crafted film with a great story and top-notch acting and it also manages to scare the "you know what" right out of you. The thought of the demonic posession of a pre-teen girl is too much for most people to ponder rationally. Yet somehow, William Friedkin (making the movie from the gripping page-turner written by William Peter Blatty) presents this tale in a straight forward manner that doesn't flinch in it's ability to deal with this horrifying subject matter. Contrary to what some people have mentioned the special effects are NOT dated. They are still some of the best effects created in Hollywood. (Perhaps minimalist by todays standards which make them even more incredible).
Highlights of the DVD are the soundtrack, which you'll be scrambling to turn down if you have a home theater system, and the documentary about the making of the film which highlights the many challenges the crew encountered and some of the eerie things that took place during the filming. Look for the infamous "Spider Walk" scene which was left cut on the editor's floor.
Some people I know still refuse to watch this film on its reputation alone. Don't be one of them. You'll be missing one of the best films made in the 70's and without a doubt the greatest horror movie of all time.

The Best and Original
This is probably the best horror film to date, still an excellent movies even though the effects are dated. It destroyed (Linda Blair's) the little girl's career as an actress because people were never able to disassociate her with the possesed girl. She was only 15 when she made the movie.

Still packs a punch
It is easy to banter around a movie as being the scariest ever made. Buy this movie actually lives up to the billing and should give shivers up one's spine unless one is already dead. The soundtrack is outstanding in setting the mood of the scenes. I saw the original movie when it first came out (amidst the tremendous controversy) and found it gripping. Of the added scenes, I will agree that the change to the ending was unnecessary. In the years since it was made, it has lost none of it's punch and is a very powerful and well crafted movie. My first DVD had to be replaced (it contained blank portions while the sound continued)and the replacement sometimes did not want to load. But once the movie started, it is one of the best to put one on edge. Sometimes, the medical scenes were more chilling than the possession scenes.
The cardboard DVD case, however, merits a thumbs down from me.

Misplaced images on the walls.
A great artistic masterpiece, with acting and scenery so sincere and genuine it all feels documentary.

The only good about the "Version You've Never Seen" is the added spider-walk scene which is very creepy; although it may be so strong that it attracts too much attention to itself, causing some unbalance in the film.
The added images on the walls I can't understand why they did. Demon manifestations don't live a life by themselves, they are primarily inner states of a person that are then projected and manifested without for the person. (I have had my own experience of this through a harrowing experience, when a cat which I was unable to help died a painful death before me; afterwards a demon visage appeared in the light from a candle, that was shining and reflecting through a glass, forming a picture onto the table before me. Looking into its eyes and raging mouth I stared right into the Abyss. It was no imagined thing, since I consciously noticed that it had the correct anatomy of an actual head.)
Furthermore these images on the walls, which are really only for the audience's eyes alone and not relating to the actors in the movie, make me think of the interactive computor-games of our modern age, where the viewer is part of the events on the screen. Such added new visual cosmetics really doesn't belong in a 1970s movie.

I recommend the 25th Anniversary Edition, which is the original version. It is also better paced. Another added scene in "The Version You've Never Seen" is of Regan's first visit to the hospital for tests; it comes too abruptly, and Regan being in her mother's bed, telling her that she couldn't sleep because her own bed was shaking, doesn't really seem to warrant it. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Stephen King's Golden Years
Well, King has strayed from his usual horror story genre to produce a little bit of TV mini-series heaven. Set in upstate New York, "Golden Years" is based around 70 year old Harlan Williams, a janitor working for a top secret government plant. He is accidently caught in an explosion from one of the labs where mad scientist Dr Todhunter was conducting 'regeneration' experiments. Over time, Harlan begins to notice sudden changes in his body. Brown hairs begin to reappear in the place of grey ones, his skin becomes softer, his eyes don't need glasses anymore! He begins to get younger. The accident causes some concern in the government, so the spooks are soon on the scene. Witnesses to what is happening to Harlan begin to disappear after the arrival of government agent Jude Andrews. The heads of the plant, Terri Spann and General Lewis Crewes, grow suspicious of the intentions of the people they have been working for and decide to get to the old man and his wife before the spooks do. A race across the states begins, Harlan and his wife flee for their lives while coping with the effects of his reverse ageing. This is a great little story, and had it not been rushed to an ending, it may have become a King classic. The original ending to the series finished on a cliff-hanger where Jude Andrews and his henchmen may have actually caught Harlan. It ended with the tag-line 'To Be Continued...' But the TV network was disappointed with viewing figures, so a new ending was shot, providing closure for this quite inventive story. The concept is great, the characters are brilliant (especially the play-off between old enemies Jude Andrews and Terri Spann as she manages to be one step ahead of him every time), it is just a shame that the final scene was so rushed. For die-hard sci-fi and King fans, it's definately worth a look.

Would have Been Five Stars, But.....
This movie was one fun ride. It was so very well done. The acting was so unique, the old man (getting younger) and his wife (who was also in Misery) were so perfect they could never have been better. The Terry chick was so cool, the way she'd pull her gun out to get what she wanted. The general, and the Andrews guy were both great characters, and all the supporting people were fantastic!

So, you may ask, why not five stars? Why have I lowered it from great to really good? Well, the ending. Everyone who's seen the movie remembers the ending. It's horrible! I've read about how different this is on TV, and the ending on the video and DVD is horribly quick and hazy, so very unsatisfactory that people may develop a knee-jerk reaction and go bash this movie. Don't. Aside from the horrid (and I mean HORRID) ending, the movie is a five star expierience. I was riveted in my seat, unable to leave my television set, it was that good!

I got this for Christmas in a Stephen King 5 Pack Collection (The Golden Years, Thinner, The langoliers, The Stand, Cujo), and loved it.

A lot of build up and then it just ends.
'The Golden Years' has a lot of build up and then it just kind of ends. I felt like I was cheated out of four hours of my life. What a disappointment.

Too choppy from the middle to the end
I saw the most of the original series when it came out years back but grew bored. When I was the DVD, I decide to buy it and see how it ended.

The first two hours on this DVD is great. I think it was the two-hour premiere. However, it goes downhill in the next two hours. Things were taken out that made the plot confusing and even worse some thing were left in that did not make the story flow. The last two hours are disjointed and for some reason goes away from the Protagonist. We don't see him.

The ending had to be re-done because the original ending was a cliffhanger for the following season. The ending totally reeks. It is really, really bad. You sit on your sofa for 4 hours and then it ends the way it did was he most disappointing of all.

Buy the Storm of the Century instead. That was four hours of chills.

Golden Years
Short N' Sweet
Good: The movie was mostly true to the series, very entertaining and not bad special effects. Not over played.
Bad: They cut the segment that showed how they group came up with the police car before the bus. They did not have enough of the theme by David Bowie as the series had.
Overall: I liked it and felt worth the bucks I spent for it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Classic 80's Horror!
I'm actually writing this review as I watch Fright Night for what has to be the 50th time. I remember years ago when it first came out on video, having this movie on tape and watching it so much that I knew it word for word. It's a great 80's horror flick. Not only with chills but with laughs! Roddy McDowell is great! Halloween time is right around the corner and Fright Night makes the perfect addition to your frightening features. ... Read more

Description

A New England village is plagued by vampirism in this blood-curdling shocker based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King, directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist) and starring David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres and Ed Flanders.

Year: 1979 Starring:David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres, Ed FlandersDirector: Tobe Hooper Sound: ENG; Subtitles: ENG, FR ... Read more

Reviews (123)

You'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you...
Directed by Tobe Hooper (who would go on to helm "Poltergeist"), "Salem's Lot" is a better-than-adequate condensing of Stephen King's classic horror novel. It's made all the more effective when you consider this is material originally shown on network television.

David Soul ("Starsky and Hutch") plays Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his hometown to write a novel about the local haunted house, and ends up dating Susan Norton (Bonnie Bedelia, future star of "Heart Like a Wheel"). Then evil James Mason comes to town, and pretty soon 70s character actors like Fred Willard, Geoffery Lewis and Elisha Cook, Jr. are dropping dead due to... mysterious circumstances. Okay, enough phony suspense. It's a vampire movie. Vampires... in modern-day Maine. And it works better than it has a right to.

Soul's not exactly tortured enough, and Lance Kerwin's a little too old to play a monster-obsessed youth, but the supporting cast, which includes Ed Flanders ("St. Elsewhere"), Lew Ayres (Paul, from the classic 1930 "All Quiet on the Western Front"), Kenneth McMillan ("Ragtime," and "Dune") and George Dzundza (everything else) more than make up for it. They're sincere, and that counts for a lot. James Mason makes a perfectly urbane villain; he's suave and dangerous, and much smarter than his undead master, who's something of a disappointment in the chills department when finally revealed.

This disk contains the entire miniseries, which manages to maintain a level of suitable creepiness, despite some dated sexual innuendo and a some "made-for-tv" scenes that aren't quite as menacing as they could be. Still, a few sequences are effectively chilling, and it's well worth your time, especially around Halloween.

Mason shines in this one
"Salem's Lot" is one of the better Stephen King-based films, though it suffers from excessive length (three hours in the original TV version) and a lead performance by David Soul that brings new meaning to the word "limp." Soul virtually sleepwalks through his role of middle-class fiction writer who returns to his home town to investigate the "haunted house" of his childhood, and finds, instead of ghosts, a mysterious antique dealer and his Nosferatu-like colleague. The devious and clandestine exploits of the latter gradually lead to an outbreak of vampirism that threatens to bring the entire town within its clutches.

The film boasts a good seasoning of veteran actors in supporting roles, several of whom ---- Elijah Wood, Jr., Lew Ayres, and Marie Windsor ----- appeared in a number of film noir classics of the forties and fifties. (For a treat, see Windsor in the 1952 version of "The Narrow Margin"). But while it's fascinating to see these old pros in their various roles, it's James Mason who truly impresses.

Indeed, "impressive" may be too mild a word for Mason, who plays the recently-arrived antique dealer with such impeccable style that he single-handedly transforms "Salem's Lot" from an overextended B movie into something worth remembering. Observe his reactions, for example, when informally interrogated by the town constable as suspect in the killing of a small child. Or later, when he meets Soul during a gathering in his antique shop and the former broaches the question of "evil." Says Soul: "Do you believe a house can be evil in its very boards and windows? In its stone foundations? Evil?" "Oh, you're the writer," answers Mason with mocking insouciance --- the words are neutral, but his entire manner and inflection create a devastating put-down. Here is an embodiment of "cool" that would do justice to any jazz musician, but Mason does it quietly, slowly, with the limitless patience of a man who knows he can do anything.

The other outstanding element in "Salem's Lot" is Reggie Nalder as the vampire under Mason's control (though just how this control came about, and how it is sustained ---- is never explained). Some older fans of the Karloff-hosted "Thriller" series may recognize Nalder from that TV anthology, most notably in the episode, "Terror in Teakwood," where he played the sinister "Kaffke." Here, by contrast, his face is half-buried in makeup, but Nalder's cadaverous bone structure assists the illusion and makes his image of the vampire "Barlow" one of the most frightening since Max Shreck. He's not on-screen more than a few minutes, but, as Mason's character amusingly prophesizes in an early scene: "I'm sure you'll enjoy Mr. Barlow. And he'll enjoy you. Oh yes. Oh yes."

"Salem's Lot" is not a great horror movie, since, along with the problems mentioned, it's burdened by lack of originality. Some scenes are atmospheric, such as those where child vampires are shown floating and beckoning through moonlit windows ---- hackneyed, but effective. These are offset by many sequences that are silly or adventitious (e.g., the one where students are acting out a historical play, so poorly directed it recalls Ed Wood or Bert I. Gordon). The film could have been better with a good lead actor, as well as more conviction from the supporting cast generally. Otherwise, it's more than worth watching for the tour-de-force performance of James Mason and the sheer scare-value of Nalder.

RC in Dallas
I was 9 when Salem's Lot first aired. It has always been the prototype of a scary movie to me. For years I could give myself the willies thinking about those glowing eyes, that kid at the window, and Mr. Barnes. Buying the VHS about 10 years ago was a bit of a disappointment. The editing is terrible and leaves many holes. Was it that bad on TV, or was it shortened for the VHS? The effects are a bit hoakie and look really old in these days of CGI. I also understand that a new DVD is less butchered.

But let's give this fun movie the credit it deserves. For network TV, this had to be pretty racy material. Who else but Steven King would kill all those kids? And what's creepier than that kid scratching on the window? Plus, it's fun to see how much things have changed in 25 years. Its a hoot to look back at all the funny clothes, cars and phones.

If you watch the TNT remake, you see that the new version is a little closer to the novel and goes deeper into detail. But the original is still the best and gives more goose-bumps for the buck. Enjoy it on a night you want to feel a little creeped-out and revel in it's 70's TV charm.

Awesome Considering it Was Made For TV In the 70's
First off, this DVD is your best bet with the full version. Back in the day, I bought the condensed version on video which butchers a good 70 minutes of footage.

I had the liberty of seeing the TNT remake of this the other night and was rather disappointed. Although it was slightly more faithful to King's novel, I found a lot of it laughable and the effects were idiotic. This is much better. The story centers a writer returning to his hometown just as a vampire and his servant take up residence and begin preying on the townspeople. The vampire Barlow is very Nosferatu-ish in thsi when actually in the book, he was basicly an average man that happened to be a vampire, but oh well. The vampire make-up and everythingis actually pretty scary and convincing *which is more than I can say for the recent remake.* Overall, highly recommended. It's not what you would call scary, but it's good for a creepy night-time viewing. And don't miss out on the book!

Salem's Lot
Salem's Lot was kind of a dissapointment.I love vampire movies and stuff like that , but this T.V. mini-series just wasn't that impressive.I had heard many good things about it too but I don't agree with any of them.Okay this movie isn't all bad; the storyline and screenplay is written fairly well and it does offer some chilling scenes that may make shivers run down your spine.On the other hand this movie is filled with bad acting and ridiculous dialogue.I haven't read the book but I don't think Stephen King was real impressed either.If you are able to sit through 3 hours of this and think it is good then you are a true vampire addict.This movie is overall borderline rotten/fresh.Only check this one out if you are A TRUE VAMPIRE ADDICT.

Salem's Lot deals with unresolved pain and fatal curiosity. Now a successful writer, Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his childhood town of Salem's Lot in Maine. Mears wants to rent a house for six months to investigate the strange and disturbing happenings at a creepy house in the town. Mears himself carries the haunting childhood memories of this Marsten House - a "monument to evil" - a house where young kidnapped. boys where taken.Mears believes that evil places attract evil men, and a mysterious and smug Mr Straker (played with delicious enthusiasm by James Mason), has recently purchased the house for an elusive antiques dealer, Mr Barlow. With the help of his former English school teacher, his new girlfriend Susan (Bonnie Bedelia) and her father, the local doctor, Mears sets about investigating the house and the bizarre events that unfold. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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