Bless the Beasts & Children (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)I first started going to camp when I was 5 years old, just a year after this film was released, but I didn't see it until a few years later, when it was on TV. The first camp I went to was a co-ed camp. Kids ranged from 5 to 18 and were sometimes in a camp-wide group, but more often than not, age groups and genders were separated. As a group of hyper 5-year-old girls, we were taught some cheesy crafts, we went fishing, a little archery and "snipe" hunting. The purpose of snipe (an imaginary creature) hunting was to supposedly capture a live (never before seen) specimen.
One night we were told the entire camp was going to go on an Armadillo hunt. I was very excited... I had only seen armadillos on TV and I really wanted to be able to pet one (and sneak it home in my luggage if I could!). Little did I realize that some of the older boys had intended on really hunting one of these harmless creatures... right when I saw one, I got to see it blown to bits with a shot gun. There are moments like that that you never forget... a split second where one small part of you that was still a child, dies and turns into an adult... all in the twinkling of an eye.
I related to this movie in a million ways. I was one of those kids that no one noticed and if I had gone missing, no one would have remembered I was ever there until my parents showed up and asked for me. I was accustomed to being picked on at school, so I avoided interaction w/ the other kids and always did what I was told by adults... many of whom had no business being in charge of children.
The movie is slow in many places, but it exacerbates the feeling of lonliness and rejection felt by the group of outcasts in this film. I was in awe when I saw them stand up for what they believed in, rejecting authority and doing everything they could to save what could have very well been the last herd of buffalo on earth. They finally say, "no more! We're tired of crying, and now we're going to fight!"
A few funny moments, but those are there to break the tension... many poignant moments, boys confiding in their friends their deepest fears and longings... and there are the senseless tragic moments.
Even as a child, I was keenly aware from watching the news how endangered buffalo were at the time. While they're so common today as to be served up as alternative beef, when this movie was released there were less than 2,000 living specimens. This film must have certainly inspired a more fervent effort to increase their numbers.
Excellent performances by Billy Mumy, Barry Robins, Miles Chapin and others... not to mention the title song performed by The Carpenters. While I saw this film as a child and I survived the experience, I don't recommend this film for young children. The violence perpetrated against the animals in the film will be extremely upsetting to anyone, but especially to little kids... and some young children may find the film to be too slow to pay attention to at length.
If you haven't seen this film, it is a classic and abounding with great talent in these wise-beyond-their-years characters.

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Windy City (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)I too saw this movie several years ago and it still ranks among my favorites. I would describe it as being about childhood friends who have grown apart over the years. And although their neighborhood loyalties cause them to stay in contact with each other, they struggle to stay "friends" in a contemporary way. Yet, despite their adult diversities, a tragedy brings them together in a beautiful and meaningful way. The movie shows me that although old friends follow their own life paths, the friendships are real and can be counted on regardless of seperation.

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Malibu High (1979) / Trip With The Teacher (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)Another exploitation double feature disc emulating the formula of the 2007 film, "Grindhouse", which featured two simulated 70's-era low rent thrillers (contributed by Robert Rodiguez and Quentin Tarantino), along with simulated trailers and concession-stand ads from the same era. Here, though, you get two actual low-rent, 70's-era epics featuring babes, guns, and some nasty violence. "What?" you say. "The cover of the DVD makes it look like you get lots of sexy fun. Where do the guns and violence come in?"
Well, that's the fun of these independent thrillers from a bygone era, an era when independent fare 90% consisted of sleazy gems like these, not the latest Jane Austen adaptation. And added fun always came from the fact that, regardless of the poster art, you never knew what you were actually going to get from these unpredictable movies. So, what are you getting from "Malibu High" and "Trip With the Teacher"? Glad you asked...
"Malibu High" delivers the nudity and high school hijinks promised in the poster... at first. But then it slowly goes off on a kind of descent-into-crime-and-madness riff where the central teen-age girl character, in an effort to gain independence from her nagging mother, becomes a prostitute (first small time, then as a busy, going concern), then- I kid you not- a cold-blooded hit woman working for a mob kingpin.
Oh, yes, during all of this the girl is still concerned about getting good grades, so she bribes her teachers with sexy fun at the local lovers' lane in return for A's. So, yes, the producers do drift back from time to time to the sexy exploitation theme promised on the poster, but it's soon back to assassinations in parking garages and rich guys' mansions.
While many "grindhouse" movies are unfairly lumped into the "so bad it's good" category, this one probably rightfully belongs in that particular bin. But it's definitely worth a look, preferably with a group of friends and a case of beer.
"Trip with the Teacher" doesn't want to distract you with a complicated plot, so it simply employs that old stand-by, "teens on a field trip get terrorized by crazed motorcycle thugs", and uses the rest of its energy to come up with particularly brutal ways for the thugs to terrorize the girls. Though the poster art indeed suggests that there's some kind of menace in the film and not just naked girls, it really doesn't prepare you for the unsavory deaths in store for several of the characters, and not just the girls. Yes, these thugs are mean to everybody, so it would be unfair to hit this creepy little epic with a lot of "another movie that hates women" reviews.
Things are lightened up a bit by a "good" motorcycle guy who comes to the girls' aid, but it's still all rather unpleasant. In the end, though, I have to concede that "Trip with the Teacher" is ultimately an edgy, and (unlike the earlier film) not at all ridiculous example of the grindhouse form. And since you all want to know this: Yes, there's a fair amount of nudity, but none of it is really fun to watch, due to the violent context in which most of the nudity takes place.
Extras include trailers for something called "The Stepmother", offering more thriller/exploitation fun, as mom gets it on with everyone but her husband; and "Weekend with the Babysitter", a silly movie that examines the "relevant" issue of white-haired, late middle-aged married guys suddenly taking up with their teen-age babysitters and their "now generation" friends. This trailer appears on at least one other "Welcome to the Grindhouse" double-feature DVD, but it never gets old. The disc features one or two other trailers from the 70's, but those were the best ones.
The prints used for the main features are generally fine, but both show some wear and tear. But you're not supposed to let that bother you, as scratchy prints and even the occasional missing reel were supposed to be part of the classic grindhouse experience.
In the end, I'd say that "Malibu High" is about 80% worth seeing because it's "so bad it's good" and 20% worth seeing because it's genuinely sort of interesting. "Trip with the Teacher" reverses things: it's 80% actually involving (but only if you can tolerate violent exploitation fare) and 20% fun-to-laugh-at badness.
With that said, if any of this sounds at all interesting to you, go pick this DVD up and see for yourself how you'll respond. After all, what's to lose considering the dirt-cheap price?


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Joyride (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Joyride" is an independent 1977 road flick starring the sons of Desi Arnaz (and Lucy) & John Carradine and the daughters of Tippi Hedren & June Lockhart.
THE STORY: Three footloose youths, two guys and a girl (a young Melanie Griffith) all around the ages of 18-20, decide to leave their dead-end jobs and travel to Alaska. They have some half-baked plan to become salmon fishermen, but they're more likely just looking for adventure, fun and possibly a sense of purpose. Unfortunately they're forced to pick up other dead-end jobs, including working for the oil pipeline. Desperation leads to crime where they acquire a hostage (Anne Lockhart), who ultimately becomes a willing partner.
I never heard of this film before and took a chance picking it up. I was under the impression that it was a fun 70's car-chase flick like "Eat My Dust" or "Grand Theft Auto." Although it shares aspects of those types of films I was surprised to discover that "Joyride" is essentially a serious road flick, the second half taking on elements of "Bonnie And Clyde."
Although this is a fairly low-budget independent film it's quite professionally made. The Washington locations are great and the acting is fine. Anne Lockhart is easy on the eyes and Melanie isn't bad either.
I encourage you to read M.G. DaVega's review from May 11, 2008, because he accurately points out what may turn some viewers off. The story has a meandering vibe because the kids are living aimless lives. They're not necessarily "bad kids" or unlikable (although they later turn bad via bad choices); in fact, one part of the story shows one of the guys boldly taking a stand for what's right while working security for the pipeline, but it ends up costing them. DaVega rightly argues that the viewer is unsympathetic towards the youths because they increasingly turn to crime as the story progresses. He calls them "half-wits" who do stupid things and engage in unsavory & deplorable acts like shoplifting, public drunkenness, pissing contests (literally), auto theft, breaking & entering, and armed robbery of the pipeline company.
DaVega also points out that they (seemingly) learn no moral lesson through their experiences and are not much different at the end than at the beginning.
These valid criticisms will certainly turn some viewers off, but I'd like to point out that the events in the story aren't even close to being as morally shocking & appalling as in, say, 1966's "The Wild Angels."
Although the characters seemingly learn no moral lesson, the film itself is a moral lesson, not to mention it smacks of reality. I can remember when I was in my mid-to-late teens, living an aimless existence and doing incredibly stupid things, just as dumb and senseless as depicted in the movie. So I can relate to the kids, their situations and foolish choices. Simply put, "Joyride" is a portrait of lost, fallen humanity. The title is sarcastic because the kid's adventure is more laborious and miserable than fun and joyful (but, don't get me wrong, there are some lighthearted moments).
The film successfully depicts the meaningless, aimless and darkened nature of life "under the sun," in particularly for those who are unaware of the designs of the Creator, or who simply refuse to seek/acknowledge the Almighty. Read the relatively short ancient book of Ecclesiastes to get my drift.
Anyway, the picture ends with the kids getting lost and stranded in the Northwest wilderness, which is reminiscent of that family that got stranded near the Rogue River in Oregon a couple of winters back.
BOTTOM LINE: DaVega is wrong to say that anyone who likes this film has "extremely low standards for movies." I can see why the film turned him off, but his objections are based soley on moral grounds. This doesn't mean "Joyride" isn't worthwhile or well-made for an independent 70's flick. On the contrary, the meandering story keeps the viewer's attention (which is one of the most important gauges for discerning the worthiness of a picture), and the film itself makes a potent moral point about the fallen nature of humanity. Plus the viewer gets a good glimpse of what it was like to work on the pipeline back then.
If nothing else, "Joyride" is worth seeing because it's like traveling back in time to 1977.

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Emmanuelle 2 - The Joys of A Woman Review

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(More customer reviews)This rating is not for the movie which is good and every bit what the other reviewers have noted. My beef is with the DVD which is 85 minutes and even shorter than the VHS version which is 92 minutes. Can someone tell me why? If anything, the director's cut should have been produced on DVD. What a disappointment!

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The Pigkeeper's Daughter / Sassy Sue (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)Up until three months ago, I was ignorant of producer Harry Novak, his soft-X filmographry or Something Weird Video, the Seattle company that's preserved these nuggets of drive-in history. Now that I've learned about them, I thank God for all three. Both "The Pigkeeper's Daughter" and "Sassy Sue" are goofy hillbilly humpathons that offer plenty of laughs, though most are of the unintentional kind. "The Pigkeeper's Daughter" has qualities more closely associated with porn: Wretched acting, a mere hint of a plot and even less of a script, and lots of extended sex scenes (which are pretty explicit for a softie). Terry Gibson (in the title role) and Patty Smith (a.k.a. Peggy Church) are about the only people anyone would want to see have sex. There's a surprising amount of male nudity--unfortunately it's in the form of out-of-shape John Keith and skinny Peter James (who has some nasty looking teeth). And what happened to the "actress" playing Gibson's mama? Her breasts look chafed and there's a horrible bruise across her lower back. Was she beaten into taking this role? (This might explain her performance.) By comparison, "Sassy Sue"--the story of a young man, his cow, and the women who try to come between them--is a much more polished effort. The acting is a little better (though it's still bad), the cast is more effective and there's actually some genuine laughs. A definite highpoint in this one is John Tull's tryst with one of the horny babes wanting some backwoods boffing ("It would help if you mooed a little," he snipes). The sex--although simulated and not quite as explicit as that in "Pigkeeper's Daughter" (there's a moment in the final scene that pushes the boundaries of softcore, however)--seems a little more genuine in "Sassy Sue." Both movies are raunchy fun, though "Pigkeeper's Daughter" is raunchier and "Sassy Sue" is more fun. Better than both movies are the trailers for other similarly-themed Harry Novak productions, like "Midnight Plowboy," "Country Cuzzins" and "Tobacco Roody." Fans of large breasts and trash cinema will definitely want to add this to their collection.

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Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have more to say about it at DVDtoons.com, but here's the short of it: It does run a little long, and could have certainly used some editing, but this movie is fun and rates well against the R-B TV specials. Anyone who thinks this movie is too confusing could not have been paying much attention, and I also would not say it's scary--- my 3-year old loved it (of course, it will depend on your own child's "scare threshhold"). Personally, I enjoyed the "origin" of Rudolph, found the new mythology of the characters charming, and thought Winterbolt to be a great villain. The movie gets a 7/10 from me, although the video quality could have been a little better on the disc. The lack of extras was disappointing too.

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Ubalda, All Naked and Warm (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)This comedy is about two men in late Middle Ages Italy trying to bed each other's wives. Things are complicated by the fact that both men put their wives in to chastity belts, which only aids the women avoid sex with either of them. However, as the girls have both managed to procure duplicate keys, it hasn't slowed down their interest in other men, so there are assorted lovers secreted in or under various items of household furniture.
The comedy is based on light slapstick: falling down ladders, being clunked over the head with a pipe, brawling in the flour mill. That sort of thing. It has a lightweight script and plot which romps happily along and makes the movie reasonably enjoyable, aided by the Maciavellian machinations of all concerned.
What makes the movie even more enjoyable are the two female leads (Edwige Fenech, before she so tragically cut her hair, and Karin Schubert) who are both sensationally gorgeous and who are rarely fully clad. There is no full frontal nudity or graphic sex scenes, thus preventing the movie deteriorating into outright sleeze, but the ladies spend considerable time desporting themselves in only their chastity belts, which, although they are supposed to have been made by the local blacksmith, appear to have been designed by the Middle Ages equivalent of Victoria's Secret. There is a marvellous scene of Edwige running through the countryside in slow motion in only her chastity belt. This scene on its own makes the movie worth the price and demonstrates, without doubt, why healthy, naturally beautiful women are so much more attractive than modern anorexic, young skeletons with two halves of a basketball sewn on their chests. Especially when they are running topless! Oh, for the good old pre-plastiboob days!
In short, this movies is no masterpiece, but it is lightweight, sexy fun. Watch and enjoy! Oh, and watch for the priest with the reputation!

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The Cheerleaders Collection (The Cheerleaders/Revenge of the Cheerleaders/The Swinging Cheerleaders) (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Cheerleaders must be one of the most heavily censored erotic films around (I know of at least 4 different versions).That's amazing, given that there is no hard-core activity or male nudity. It may be testimony to the sheer erotic intensity the film generates. This is the so-called "hard R" version, the original release print, and it looks great. Included is a stills gallery of "Cheerleader Cheesecake", including what appear to be the motel room audition photos, and some incredible pooside shots of Stephanie Fondue. Fans of this film will be well rewarded.
The film's reputation as an erotic classic stems from numerous things that lift it above its competition: the girls are lovely, sexy and young (they actually look like high schoolers, not srippers); the photography is clear; the editing allows the action to unfold without a lot of jump cuts; the humor is genuinely funny; and the film develops a steady rhythm by quickly moving from one erotic scenario to another. In short, it delivers on its promise to be arousing, and it never lets up. If you liked the shower scene in Porkys, here's a whole movie's worth.
Like any truly great film, this one created a genre of imitations, none even remotely as good as the original. The other two films in this package are interesting only as examples of that, despite the presence of Rainbeaux Smith (Drum) in both.
The package includes a booklet with a good essay by Gary Hertz. All in all, a classy presentation, and thank you to Anchor Bay for doing a first-rate job with a deserving film.

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Swedish Wildcats/New York Wildcats Review

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(More customer reviews)Aunt Marghareta (Diana Dors) runs an exotic brothel in Copenhagen that caters to customers of prurient tastes. Each night, "Marghareta's Maison" puts on a titillating show highlighting her menagerie of exquisite female beauties who are then offered up to the highest bidders for a night of unforgettable pleasures. Marghareta's sexy young nieces - sisters Susanna and Karin - are the most desired of her "performers." Made up in body paint as a pair of Swedish tigeresses, every man or woman pays handsomely to spend an unforgettable evening with them. But Susanna and Karin begin tiring of Marghareta's perverse clientele and their passionless sexual encounters. They long to experience true love and wonder if girls like them can ever find it. Keeping her real identity and profession a secret, Susanna meets Peter - a young Swedish test pilot who quickly falls for her. Will they find happiness together, or will Peter discover the shocking truth about Susanna...and the Swedish Wildcats?
Digitally re-mastered from the original film elements, Swedish Wildcats (16x9 Wide Screen) is Sarno at his most shocking and provocative. This long-awaited favorite is paired with the sexy 2004 remake, New York Wildcats, specially produced for this Double Feature release and starring popular `B' movie sisters Misty and Chelsea Mundae.


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The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant/The Thing With Two Heads (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is certainly a double feature if I've ever seen one! Both films deal with the still unapproved surgical procedure of grafting a second head onto a human body. Just imagine how many lives will be saved when science finally gets this far. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant is first on the bill. It's awfully funny, though it seems to be taking itself seriously. Wacky scientist, fired and disgraced from his surgeon job(for reasons never explained) decides to show the medical world he's worth something by creating a two-headed man. Sounds simple enough, he already has numerous two-headed animals. When an escaped rapist/killer tries to assault the doctor's wife, the doctor blows him away and sticks the head onto the local retarded handyman. Neither men consent to this. The operation is a success, and it certainly is incredible-incredibly stupid, that is. The doctor and his assistant actually seemed surprised that the thing goes on a killing spree after it escapes. I guess the doctor didn't think that he had just revived the head of the guy who tried to rape his wife. And to add to the fun, Casey Kasem is in it too! Some of the editing looks like this could have been a lost Russ Meyer movie...minus the boobs of course.
Next on the double bill is The Thing With Two Heads. This time the movie is going for laughs, and does succeed in a few spots. Though it's less serious, the explanation of grafting a second head is more believable this time. This is definately a career low for Ray Milland, who is established early on as a racist surgeon. He doesn't want to hire a black doctor even though he has a great reputation. Milland is dying of cancer and wants a body donor from death row to graft his head onto, then after his head adjusts to the body, remove the convict's head and replace it with his own. With time running out for Milland and only one donor, it turns out to be a black man who has other plans-he wants to clear his name of the crime he was accused of. Lots of chasing, including a long motorcycle chase where a record number of police cars are trashed. So, get yourself Domino's two for one pizza deal, kick back and enjoy the two-headed double feature.

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Tobacco Roody/Southern Comforts (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)NUDTY!!!The clothes come off quick and often. Wow. The best something wierd video I've ever seen. Good looking girls big boobs, lots of bush. Its great! Both movies have alot of nudity even some quick spread eagle shots. The second film ends with a nude beauty pagent. All the girls from the movie get naked! Full Frontal. The sex is lame and very fake softcore, sept for alittle quick guy to girl oral. As far as story, lots of lame jokes and stupid plots. But it didn't matter cause all these girls like to get naked. Highly recommended!

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The Longshot/They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)Those who remember watching The Carol Burnett Show know that Tim Conway is perhaps the funniest actor to ever live. The two films on this double feature DVD, Longshot and They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way, are not legendary classic comedies, but they each contain a number of very funny scenes and offer an overall kooky good time. Tim Conway not only stars in both films, he wrote both of them. Longshot (1985) is particularly noteworthy because it features a reunion of the funniest comic duo of all time, Conway and Harvey Korman. They team up with Jack Weston and Ted Wass to form a team of all-time losers and underdogs. They continually berate themselves for passing up opportunities in the past, missing out on some big payoffs just because they are afraid to take risks. When a stable worker from the tracks tells them he can guarantee the victory of a longshot horse in a certain race, they decide, for once, to go for it all the way. Their partner in the stables has a special little pep pill that will make the horse run like the wind, and he agrees to slip the pill to the horse if the guys will place a bet for him along with themselves. Logic and common sense says the horse can't possibly win, but the guys not only place a huge bet on the horse, they borrow all of the money from a local mobster. As the movie progresses, there is a lot of pretty funny physical comedy, Jonathon Winters shows up to add his own twist of fun to the proceedings, and the ending plays out much better than I expected.
They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way is actually the older of these two films, dating back to 1978. In this one, Tim Conway teams up with Chuck McCann as incompetent police officers who are sent to jail undercover to try to find out where a notorious bank robber stashed the money from his heist. No one at the prison knows they are cops, and no one would believe it, anyway, as these guys are just pathetically slow about a lot of things. They find the money a few days before they are set to be released, but to their great dismay the only person besides themselves who knows they aren't really criminals suddenly dies. Faced with the dire circumstances of a ten-year stay in prison, the duo decides to break out of jail and take the recovered money to the governor. There are some really funny scenes in this movie, including a truly classic scene wherein Tim Conway finds himself ordered to pull the warden's bad tooth and has just a little bit of trouble with the Novocain - this scenario reminded me a lot of some of Conway's classic performances on The Carol Burnett Show. Another memorable scene features Conway impersonating a Japanese translator at the governor's party. Interestingly, this movie features two characters from The Dukes of Hazzard - Enos (Sonny Shroyer) and Ben Jones (Cooter). This ending of this movie did leave me feeling a tiny bit cheated, but I can't complain about all the laughs I had along the way.
If you are a fan of Tim Conway, this double feature DVD is certainly worth picking up at its affordable price; you get about three hours and fifteen minutes of comedy, and you'll certainly enjoy a number of really funny scenes even if the movies as a whole don't live up to your expectations. For me, the dentistry scene in They Went That-A-Way is worth the price of the DVD all by itself.

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The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)In my opinion, "The World's Greatest Athlete" may very well be the best Disney comedy of the '70's, even better than "Freaky Friday" or "Apple Dumpling Gang." It's also incredibly underrated, with Leonard Maltin seemingly alone among major critics in loving it.
Without giving anything away, it is a goofy, inspired slapstick comedy with a terrific cast including an absolutely hilarious Tim Conway as an inept assistant coach, a well-cast Jan-Michael Vincent as a superathlete, the wonderful Roscoe Lee Browne, rising above his stereotypical, potentially offensive role as
an African witch-doctor, and the wonderful Nancy Walker as a blind landlady who mistakes a tiger for a drunken
frat boy.
But top acting honors go to John Amos as the losingest college coach in history. The fact that he is black is important to the story set-up, but is completely uncommented on in the film and therefore makes the film ahead of its time, at least for Disney studios, who I believe had never before had a black lead actor in one of its films. This is also the film in which Howard Cosell plays himself in a hilarious bit and delivers the great line: "I have never seen anything like this in my entire illustrious career!"
The only reason I don't give "The World's Greatest Athlete" better than a *** rating is that it isn't yet available in the remastered, wide-screen special edition DVD it deserves. Come on, Disney, get on the ball. You have a real gem in your vault and you act like you don't even know it.

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Get on track with Disney's hilarious offbeat comedy starring Jan-Michael Vincent (TV's AIRWOLF) and Tim Conway -- now on Disney DVD. Coach Archer (John Amos) is more famous for losing than winning, but a fateful African safari with his wacky assistant (Conway) leads them to a boy wonder named Nanu (Vincent) -- who just might give them a winning streak. Coaxing him to America is one thing, but the laughs never stop when Nanu meets Jane, fame, and brings the jungle to the gym on his way to becoming the World's Greatest Athlete. Don't miss a chance to take the field with wild family fun for everyone!

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Go Ask Alice (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a 13-year old. I read the book "Go Ask Alice" and I loved it. I rented the movie, and loved it. I am learning about drug abuse now so I wont make the same mistakes Alice made. This is definitely my favorite book, because it it so honest and realistic. I feel like Alice in some ways. I feel like I am all alone sometimes, and I get angry and frustrated and upset over the littlest things.What can I say, I'm normal. So I give this movie a 5 because it is the only film out there that is real. It is based on an actual girl's life, and that's what I like about it so much.

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The Towering Inferno (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Irwin Allen decided to follow up his "The Poseidon Adventure" success with the 1974 suspense-thriller "The Towering Inferno," a movie which also garnered an impressive 10 Oscar nominations and is released as a 2-disc DVD special edition this week.
Whereas in "The Poseidon Adventure" the leads had to travel up, the only way is down for Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner and Faye Dunaway. Attending the opening night gala the guests are trapped on the 129th floor of the world's tallest building which becomes an inferno thanks to the shoddy wiring system installed by chief builder James Duncan (Holden) and his electrician son Roger Simmons (Chamberlain).
Newman plays Doug Roberts, the proud architect behind the Glass Tower, a skyscraper, which dominates the San Francisco skyline at a height of 138-story's. Returning from a long vacation Roberts immediately recognizes that something is wrong and he is proven correct when a circuit breaker burns out and ignites garbage on a lower floor.
While the script can be a tad melodramatic at times, the effort put into this movie is obvious. Nominated for Best Picture and winning for best cinematography, best special effects and best song, the movie was a smash hit and still holds up well today in this age of blockbuster special effects extravaganza's.
As with "The Poseidon Adventure" the previous DVD release was sorely lacking in special features and has been replaced with three hours of extras. Joining the nine all-new featurettes which includes a retrospective, a look at the special effects and the art design is the AMC Backstory on the making of the movie, 32 deleted or extended scenes and an audio commentary by film historian F.X. Feeney.
Feeney's commentary is fascinating and comprehensive, covering all aspects of the production from the writing and dialogue all the way through to the sets and the sense of anticipation director John Guillerman builds up from the start. Feeney tells us that this movie was a milestone for Hollywood in that it was the first time two studios had co-produced a feature. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox owned two separate books, "The Tower" by Richard Martin Stern and "The Glass Inferno" by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, and both planned to make two competing movies on the same subject.
It was Allen who stepped in and proposed the historic deal and the two studios agreed, splitting first the cost and then the profit equally.
Though not for the full length of the feature special effects director Mike Venzina and stunt coordinator Branko Racki both individually comment on individual scenes. Verzina discusses eight scenes and Racki talks about nine separate scenes. Their observations are largely technical in nature and center on their selective specialties.
The longest of the documentaries is once again the AMC Backstory which runs 22:08. It is in this featurette that we learn that the model used for shots of the tower was itself seven stories high, that William Holden became aggravated with Faye Dunaway's tardy-ness to the set and that despite the media attempting to portray conflict between the two stars Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, the two actually got along well together with a mutual respect and friendly competition (as evidenced by a funny blooper).
The other featurettes range from 4:28 in length (on the directing of the movie) to 9:15 on the writer Stirling Silliphant. But they cover a wide range of topics from a retrospective by the cast and crew "Inside the Tower: We Remember" (8:16) in which Richard Chamberlain likens the set to being at a really glamorous Hollywood party day after day with the standard six star dressing rooms being increased to 15 to the architecture of the tower in "Still the World's Tallest Tower" (8:28) which compares The Glass Tower to other real-life skyscrapers and the impact these high-rise buildings have on the surrounding communities.
Other topics touched on include the safety aspects employed on the production in "Putting out fire" (4:58) in which Allen comments "You'd better have all the camera's rolling because fire waits for no man," and also reveals that firemen were on the set each day to "Running on fire" (5:52) which discusses the work of the stuntmen and includes the facts McQueen did not like anyone else doing his stunts and even Newman and Chamberlain did a number of their own stunts.
Also on this special collector's edition are 32 deleted or extended scenes that range from the 40-second "Still Waiting for the Elevator" which featuresshots of crowds of people pushing and shoving each other at the elevator and Holden's character assessing the situation on the telephone to the 2:55 clip "Four Alarm Fire" which covers the spreading of the fire through the building, the call from security requesting a four-alarm fire and shots of fire engines screaming through the streets of San Francisco.
All of the deleted or extended scenes were originally part of a longer television broadcast. Unfortunately their condition has deteriorated and they were deemed of too poor quality for Fox to include them through the popular DVD technique of seamless branching alongside the theatrical cut on the first disc.
Rounding out the special features on this release are three 1975 articles from "American Cinematographer" which run for a combined 83 pages and which, like those on "The Poseidon Adventure" DVD release, include selectable images which take the viewer to image galleries. These articles are all technical in nature and include discussion on how the movie was photographed and the work of the action unit. There are also six storyboard comparisons and five image galleries that range from shot compositions and costumes through to publicity and conceptual sketches.

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A dedication ceremony at the world's tallest skyscraper turns into a high-rise catastrophe when a defective wire in its systems-control panel causes an electrical flare-up. Within minutes the gala event turns into a hellish inferno, as a raging fire traps society's most prominent citizens on the top floor. Winner of three Academy Awards, this spectacular suspense thriller features dazzling special effects and a star studded cast including Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden and Faye Dunaway. **Commentary by F.X. Feeney - Film Historian **Scene Specific Commentary by Mike Vezina, Special Effects Director on X3 **Scene Specific Commentary by Branko Racki, Stunt Coordinator on The Day After Tomorrow **32 Extended and Deleted Scenes and 1 Alternate Opening Sequence **Inside the Tower: We Remember Featurette **Innovating Tower: The SPFX of an Inferno Featurette **The Art of Towering Featurette **Irwin Allen: The Great Producer Featurette **Directing the Inferno Featurette **Putting out Fire Featurette **Running on Fire Featurette **Still the Worlds Tallest Building Featurette **The Write Stirling Silliphant Featurette **AMC Backstory: The Towering Inferno Featurette **6 Storyboard Comparisons **Vintage Promotional Materials: NATO Presentation Reel, Original 1974 Featurette #1, Original 1974 Featurette #2 **Irwin Allen 1977 Interview *Trailer Farm: The Towering Inferno Teaser, The Towering Inferno Trailer, The Poseidon Adventure Trailer **Interactive Galleries: *American Cinematographer Article *The Towering Inferno and How It Was Filmed *Photographing The Dramatic Sequences for "The Towering Inferno" *"Action Unit" Lives Up To Its Name While Shooting "The Towering Inferno" **Stills Galleries: *Shot Compositions *Publicity *Behind the scenes *Conceptual Sketches *Costumes *Cross-promo Fox on BD Trailers

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Pufnstuf (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw a bootleg letterboxed copy of this about seven or eight years ago at a friend's house up in Northern California, and I was astonished. All this is, really, is a 90-minute "H.R. Pufnstuf" episode, but it's one of the best ones ever conceived. In keeping with the times (and, quite possibly, the film's "real" potential audience) there are quickly intercut visual effects that look like they were stolen from the "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" section of "2001" throughout. It's a little thin plotwise (who watches this stuff for plot, anyway?), but there are plenty of musical numbers to keep the viewer entertained and amused. It's worth the price of admission alone to see Mama Cass Eliot (she plays Witchiepoo's friend Witch Hazel - yuk yuk) talking on the telephone while sitting in a bathtub full of food! Sadly, there's no "See You Next Week!" sign-off at the end of the movie, which may disappoint some. That's just a small quibble, though. Fans of Sid & Marty Krofft's work shouldn't miss out on this, and it also deserves shelf space in the collection of any fan of camp or Psychotronic stuff. Incredible.

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From Land of the Lost producers, Sid & Marty Krofft, comes a family comedy filled with mirth, magic and music.After a bad day at school, Jimmy runs to the shore to play his flute, but he can't believe his eyes when his ordinary flute comes to life!When a magical talking boat appears, he boards the ship only to discover that it has been sent by an evil witch named Witchiepoo to keep him prisoner and take his flute.It's up to the fantastic dragon H.R. Pufnstuf and his comical companions, Cling and Clang, to come to the rescue in an adventure beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

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