Budget DVD reviews - Alpha/Diamond/Brentwood/Etc.

[Andrew Monroe]

Originally Posted by Fred Anderson

Anyone knows how terrible the Televista version of Ark of the sun god is?

You mean the one from Substance? Same difference really, it's six of one half a dozen of the other with this outfit. It's a dupey looking fullscreen copy. Watchable if you're in a giving mood.

[John K]

Originally Posted by Andrew Monroe

You mean the one from Substance? Same difference really, it's six of one half a dozen of the other with this outfit. It's a dupey looking fullscreen copy. Watchable if you're in a giving mood.

It's also available as TALES OF VOODOO VOL 4, along with a nifty Chinese horror flick called CURSE. $10 for two movies isn't too bad, in my opinion, even if they're bootlegs (CURSE actually isn't too bad...it's a VCD rip, though with dual audio...ARK is VHS-sourced...can't remember if it's letterboxed)

[Scott Shell]

Originally Posted by John M. Bernhard

I have a copy of the UK VHS under the TERROR ON THE MENU title, I believe it's the complete film.

the US-actually Canadian I think-VHS I have titled TERROR ON THE MENU is cut, but has stills on the back of the box of scenes you don't see in the movie(including the murder of one of the girls).

is the Academy VHS version uncut? for some reason I recall the running time on the box being longer than most(not that that means anything but...).

[Scott Shell]

Originally Posted by Lorne Marshall

Mike, it's possible the version they used is the one Madacy put out in 2003 - which was before MGM's release - since it too was widescreen (and up to that time, the best one around):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...centriccine-20

I guess it depends on what were the release dates of those box sets.

yeah I have a beautiful version from Diamond that came out long before the MGM release.

on the other hand I did get a Dollar Tree DVD of THE GHOUL that is a rip of the MGM version.

[Lorne Marshall]

This Mill Creek collection released this week...

http://www.amazon.com/Undead-Vampire...8299600&sr=1-1

...contains a movie I've never seen in any of these collections: the Spanish HORRIBLE SEXY VAMPIRE. I wonder if they sourced this from Midnight Video, which I believe carried it when they were in business.

[Bill Piper]

title: Brides of Blood

company: Alpha

info: Three white folks arrive on Blood Island and discover something isn't right. Mutated plants and bugs are in the wild as well as a beast that is terrorizing the natives. In order to appease the beast, the natives have turned to human sacrifice! Shot in the Philippines in the late '60s, this horror / scifi film is a hoot!

video: Full frame video. Nothing looks cramped, so it could have been filmed that way. The print is quite dirty and isn't in the greatest of shape. While watchable, it leaves a lot to be desired. C+

audio: Slightly muffled, no bass at all. Overall, it's the typical quality found on these types of releases. B-

extras: Audio commentary, interview with Beverly Powers and theatrical trailers.

overall: Like the Mikels' films, Alpha has licensed this movie and it's extras from IMAGE entertainment. This DVD is a much cheaper alternative to that OOP disc. I recommend picking it up.

[Bill Piper]

title: Mad Doctor of Blood Island

company: Alpha

info: The second film in the Blood Island trilogy. The film starts out by telling the viewer to drink some green blood potion so that you can safely view the movie without fear of contamination from the green blooded monsters (so be sure you have some handy!). As you can already tell, this movie involves green blooded monsters inhabiting Blood Island. An American doctor is sent to investigate a bizarre killing involving a man that bled green blood. Upon arriving at the island, other strange murders come about involving green monsters. The murders are quite graphic, as legs, arms, heads and guts are shown flying everywhere! Add this to some gratuitous nudity, and you got yourself a great drive-in style movie.

video: The quality is pretty much the same as the Brides of Blood Island DVD. It's full frame, but appears to be shot that way. Print is dirty and soft, color also goes out of whack at times, but it is watchable. C+

audio: Just like the Bride DVD, it's slightly muffled with no bass. At times it did become hard to understand what is being said. C+

extras: Audio commentary, interview with Eddie Romero and trailers.

overall: Alpha licensed this movie and extras from IMAGE entertainment and is a much cheaper alternative to that OOP disc. I greatly enjoyed the film, more so than the first entry.

[Bill Piper]

title: Mama Dracula

company: Millcreek

info: Countess Dracula (basically Elizabeth Bathory) uses the blood of virgins to keep her alive. Unfortunately, virgins are hard to find these days so she hires a doctor to create synthetic blood. This movie is more a comedy than horror, but it's really not funny. Some parts are amusing, but most of it misses the mark. Also, the movie is extremely disjointed. Scenes don't flow together and often don't make sense. Someone was obviously on drugs when putting this film together. It's a weird flick.

video: VHS sourced, full screen. First part of the movie is very black and has a red/orange tint to the movie. I was ready to give the movie a F as it was hard to watch at times, but around half way, the movie started taking place in day light and the image got better. It still sort of had a red tint to it, but at least you could see whats going on. Like most VHS transfers, the image is very soft. The Millcreek watermark makes it's appearance on the movie several time. D+

audio: Much better than the video, but nothing spectacular. C

extras: Part of the Millcreek 50 movie pack titled "Drive-in Movie Classics."

overall: It's worth watching once, though the 50pack set is worth getting.

[Bill Piper]

title: Beast of Blood

company: Alpha

info: Picking up right where "Mad Doctor of Blood Island" left off, we once again follow Dr. Foster back to Blood Island to take out the green monster menace once and for all. One unique aspect of the movie is that the mad Dr. Lorca has captured the surviving creature from the previous monster and decapitated him, leaving the head in a jar. The head is still alive and the doctor taunts him throughout the movie. But the monster has the last laugh. Unlike the other two entries, I felt this one lacking. That seems to be the case with most part 3s of series/franchises.

video: It's the same as the other two ("Brides of Blood" and "Mad Doctor of Blood Island"), full frame, dirty and hard to watch at times. It's passable. C+

audio: Sounds fine, maybe a slight muffle (the audio was obviously dubbed in in post), no bass. B-

extras: Audio commentary, interview with Celeste Yarnall and trailers.

overall: Not as fun as the first two entries, but if you're going to watch them, you might as well finish out the trilogy.

[Marshall Crist]

Originally Posted by Bill Piper

title: Brides of Blood


video: Full frame video. Nothing looks cramped, so it could have been filmed that way.

I disagree, although I'm going off of the full-frame Image disc. The credits threaten to spill over the sides of the screen quite a bit. The other two full-frame discs from Image seemed better composed IMO.

[Bill Piper]

I must have been grabbing for the pop-corn during the credits as I didn't even pay attention to that part. lol

[Bill Piper]

title: Wild Riders

company: BCI

info: Two bikers are kicked out of a gang after killing an innocent girl. These bikers head to California and invade a home occupied by two women. Their encounter starts off innocent, then turns violent. I rather enjoyed how the movie ended.

video: The movie is anamorphically enhanced at 1.78:1 ratio. The video is brighter than it probably should be. MPEG artifacts pop up, and at times, it seems like a VCD! Encoding could have been a bit better. Sort of reminds me of BCI's encode of The Pink Angels. The source of the movie looks like it could have been from a video master. C

audio: I thought everything sounded fine. B

extras: Part of the "Drive-in Cult Classics" volume 4 set, which includes 7 other films. As for this film, it includes a "drive-in" experience option that will play a mighty mouse cartoon and two trailers before the movie.

overall: Entertaining biker film though this box set is quite expensive since it came out right when BCI went bankrupt so copies are scarce. However, I'm sure the movie was released on other BCI, and now Millcreek, sets as that seems to be the standard with these Crown titles.