Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection (The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Tales of Terror / Theater of Blood / Madhouse / Witchfinder General / Dr. Phibes Rises Again / Twice Told Tales)

Description

Disc 1 Side A: Abominable Dr. Phibes WS Disc 1 Side B: Dr. Phibes Rises Again WS

Disc 2 Side A: Tales of Terror WS Disc 2 Side B: Twice Told Tales WS

Disc 3 Side A: Theater of Blood WS Disc 3 Side B: Madhouse WS

Disc 4: Witchfinder General (aka Conqueror Worm) WS

Disc 5: Bonus Disc **"Vincent Price: Renaissance Man" - Documentary **"The Art of Fear" - Featurette **"Working with Vincent Price" - Featurette

Customer Reviews:

Only one new transfer!!.......2007-09-16

For those Price fans who already own his prior DVD film releases, note that only Witchfinder General is a new transfer to DVD. The other film transfers are from previously released editions. And as such, Twice Told Tales, Theater of Blood, and Madhouse are in letterbox format, not anamorphic. So if you already have these films, Dr. Phibes and Tales of Terror on DVD you only need to buy Witchfinder General separately, you'll get nothing else new here. Fox cleverly fails to disclose the format of its DVDs by calling everything "widescreen" whether or not the films were processed in letterbox or anamorphic formats. Its a huge difference for those of us with HDTVs. What an opportunity lost for remastering these horror classics.

This Price is Right!.......2007-09-15

Ignore the carping here about the thin-sleeve packaging of this set (an asset, anyway, to some of us with large DVD collections and limited shelf space) -- these classic British horror films at a bargain price are worth grabbing! The PHIBES pair and THEATRE OF BLOOD are models of how to camp successfully on a low budget, with Diana Rigg, Coral Browne, Robert Morley and others joining Price to chew every piece of scenery in sight. Screenplay, design, direction -- all great fun. And WITCHFINDER GENERAL has been on many a DVD wish list for years. Price never disappoints, never plays down to his material or his audience, is always full-steam-ahead, to good advantage. If you know these movies, you'll jump for this set. If you don't, check them out -- you'll be glad you did!

Films are Great but FOX Went Cheap!!!!.......2007-09-12

The cases in this box set are the SLIM LINE cases and are just not as cool as the reg sized keep cases. Slim Line cases are fine for a TV show but not for collecting movies. Films 5 Stars The oustide package cover art is fine also, just the use of SLIM LINE cases has to be stopped. Warner Bros has caught on that fans don't like being cheated. and these cases just don't make me happy at all.

A collection of Price's better horror films plus extra features.......2007-07-26

This set will contain seven of Vincent Price's better horror films of the 1960's and 1970's and even includes a bonus disc of extra features. MGM is no Warner Home Video when it comes to DVD boxed sets and extra features, but this one shows progress in that direction. The following are the details on the included films and extra features.

Abominable Dr. Phibes: Price gives a campy performance in one of the few horror films which successfully and intentionally joins comedy and horror. Joseph Cotten and Terry-Thomas are just two of the victims on whom Price seeks vengeance for his disfigurement and his wife's death. The Art Deco sets give the film a stylish look and the British deadpan delivery of many of the jokes helps immensely.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again: The disfigured madman (Price) is back as he and his deceased wife go boating down the Underground River of the Dead in this sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Once again, everybody is in it for the laughs including the set designer.

Tales of Terror - Three stories adapted very loosely from the work of Edgar Allen Poe - "Morella", "The Black Cat" and "The (Facts in the) Case of M. Valdemar", each roughly one half-hour in length.

Twice Told Tales - This is a compilation of three short films based on Nathaniel Hawthorne works - Heidegger's Experiment, Rappaccini's Daughter and The House of Seven Gables. In both this film and "Tales of Terror", the idea is not so much to be true to the original story, as it is to use the foundation of the story to the advantage of Cormen's ability to make scary movies and in Price's ability to star in them.

Theater of Blood: An entertaining horror film about a demented Shakespearean actor (Price) who takes a bloody revenge against the eight theatre critics who gave his performances bad reviews. To me this one of Price's often forgotten and most underrated films. He really hams it up and it works perfectly.

Madhouse: Price stars as an actor who returns to the screen to reprise his role as a killer a few years after his wife-to-be was decapitated by a killer nobody caught. Price is good as always, but it just seems a little tired and more like a tribute to his past and better films.

Witchfinder General (aka Conqueror Worm): In 17th-century England during the struggle between Cromwell and the Crown, Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) and his associates seek out and persecute those thought to practice sorcery as well as anyone else who incurs their wrath. When Hopkins executes the priest of a small town for being a warlock, he and his partner find themselves the target of a young soldier who leaves his post in Cromwell's army to hunt down and kill the pair. The movie captures this period in English history very well for a low-budget production. Price is at his menacing, sadistic best without the intentional camp that he injects in so many of his other horror films.

An extras disc will contain a documentary ("Vincent Price: Renaissance Man") and two featurettes ("The Art of Fear" and "Working with Vincent Price"). The set will be available on September 11th.

Theater Of Blood/MadHouse (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

Perfect Pair of Movies
Some of the best theater you'll ever see . . .
Great Double Bill
Price Double
Vincent Price's magnum opus plus one

Theater Of Blood/MadHouse (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Starring: Vincent Price , Diana Rigg , Ian Hendry , Harry Andrews , and Coral Browne
Director: Douglas Hickox , and Jim Clark
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0007R4T2Q
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

Theater of BloodVincent Price delivers a thrilling "tour-de-force" (Variety) performance as a small-time actor plotting big-time revenge in inventively Shakespearean ways! Boasting a topnotch supporting cast, this dramatically "delicious concoction" (New York) delivers an "equal mixture of horror, comedy and Shakepeare [that'll] please just about everyone ? critics included" (Boxoffice) and proves that all the world really is a stage for MURDER!MadhouseMasters of macabre Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Robert Quarry give performances to die for in this "diverting little chiller" (Boxoffice)! When horror star Paul Toombes' fiancée is brutally killed, he loses more than this job he loses his mind. But twelve years later, when he returns to TV ? only to discover a fresh batch of corpses ? Paul finally begins to understand that melodrama can be murder on your career!

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Pair of Movies.......2007-09-15

I fell in love with Theater of Blood a number of years ago. I love the fact that it is a good horror movie with some goofy parts that make it even creepier. I think that Vincent Price is great and works so perfectly with Diana Rigg. It reminds me a bit of Dr. Phibes, but I find this movie to be more entertaining because the main character is rather eccentric. Also, I like hearing Vincent doing Shakespeare.
I had not seen Madhouse before getting this DVD. WOW!! Not only does it include clips from Tales Of Terror, The Haunted Palace and The Raven, but it also has a direct reference to Theater of Blood. This movie actually startled me a couple of times. In some ways it doesn't seem like it takes itself seriously, yet it is more serious than funny. I like seeing Robert Quarry in his Count Yorga costume and Peter Cushing dressed up as a Vampire. I love Herbert's house. This is good if you are a Vincent Price or old horror movie fan that can recognize some of the references you will enjoy this movie. You even get to hear Vincent sing, but you have to listen closely to catch it. If you have yet to discover Vincent Price, but like good horror movies that are capable of making fun of themselves I also recommend this DVD. He is definitely one of the great actors of our times and these movies include some great supporting actors as well.

Some of the best theater you'll ever see . . ........2007-09-13

Rejoice, Price fans, for THEATER OF BLOOD is finally available in a widescreen version. (It is paired with MADHOUSE, a lesser effort, although Price offers a marvelously snarly characterization of a has-been actor.)

THEATER OF BLOOD is an extraordinarily well-made film. It is beautifully paced, with never a dull or padded moment. It is imaginatively photographed and edited. To mention just two examples, using a theater spotlight to "iris in" to fade out a scene; and the use of deep-focus, slightly anamorphic lenses in certain scenes, lending them a subtly and effectively nightmarish distortion - notably in the tenement-murder of Michael Hordern, and in Price's suicide scene, when he speaks Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy to enormous effect, while the watching critics change from sneering mockery to unease and then fear as it slowly becomes clear that this is no empty theatrical gesture on the part of the spurned actor. (The marvelous score, alternately tender and menacing, reaches one of its most persuasive moments during this scene.) The odd foreground distortion and the unnatural crispness of the distant background caused by the deep-focus lens give these scenes a truly hair-raising feel and force.

The film abounds in subtle touches. My favorite is that Diana Rigg's character is a professional makeup artist - lending a nice plausibility to the various disguises she and Price assume during the course of the story. There's also a wonderful EC touch when an absent critic proves that his heart is truly with his friends.

Then there is the acting. Price and Rigg stand out in a brilliant cast. Their beautiful simplicity of delivery and lyrical intensity - their sheer believability - during Rigg's death scene makes me wish that these two actors could have essayed Lear and Cordelia in a full-fledged production.

Oftentimes Price has been characterized as a "ham" actor, or, at best, "flamboyant." I completely disagree. There is a difference between passionate intensity and hamminess, and Price knew well how to walk that tightrope. Although he adds his characteristic touch of sardonic wit to many of the scenes, he plays Lionheart with dead (and deadly) seriousness in key moments. I've already mentioned Edwina's moving death. Also savor Vincent's feverish, yet completely convincing "hate moment" at the climax of the dueling scene, when he grimly warns Ian Hendry, "I'll make you suffer as you've made me suffer." In moments like this, Price gloriously rose over the tongue-in-cheek approach and showed himself to be a true master of his craft, and one of the world's great actors. At such moments we can completely believe that Lionheart will stretch out his bloody and terrible revenge over years, and go to such elaborate lengths to achieve the downfall of his enemies. (I particularly love the pregnant pause Price drops before the final three words of Hamlet's speech, wittily turning them into a poignantly colloquial "So long, life!" as he leaps into the Thames.)

The script is nothing short of marvelous, giving Price a juicy assortment of Shakespearean moments and wittily twisting the Bard's lines into pure sardonicism, as when Lionheart refers to suffocating Robert Morley's character with dog-meat pies with a speech from ROMEO AND JULIET ("Oh thou detestable maw, crammed with the dearest morsel of the earth! Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open, and in despite I'll cram thee with more food!" taken from the moment when Romeo breaks into Juliet's tomb to commit suicide therein).

Snap this one up; it's worth three times the Price. (Sorry; I couldn't resist.)

Great Double Bill.......2007-08-04

"Theater of Blood" is Vincent Price's magnum opus - several Shakespearian soliloquies throughout the film give the viewer an appreciation for the level of acting to which Price could easily rise if given the chance. Funny, chilling, and at times touching -- a must for any Price and horror film fan.

"Madhouse" is a mixed bag, perhaps even better when viewed alongside "Theater of Blood" as a classic that might have been. Even though "Madhouse" misses the bullseye, it has its moments -- the film warrants watching if for nothing more to hear Price singing a lovely version of "When Day is Done" over the closing credits.

Price Double.......2007-06-27

Two cool Price movies. Price fans will not be disapointed. I love these cheap double bills.

Vincent Price's magnum opus plus one.......2006-12-31

If "Theatre of Blood" were the only film on this DVD it would still be worth the price. Make that the Price. Made more than a decade before the legendary actor's graceful last act, which began with "The Whales of August" and culminated in "Edward Scissorhands," this was by far Vincent Price's best film. Playing the demented (and supposedly dead) dreadful classical actor Edward Lionheart, Price gets a chance to strut his stuff like never before in a host of Shakespearean snippets (and his Shylock and Richard III are gems). In addition, he gets to gruesomely murder the critics who have assailed him over the years -- dead critics...what's not to love? Even more fun is the fact that the smarmy critics are played by a host of some of the best supporting actors Britain then had to offer.

"Madhouse," made only a year later, doesn't exactly try to copy the format of "Theatre of Blood," but it has certain elements of it in its story of horror film actor Paul Toombes (Price) who may or may not delve too deeply into his signature character "Dr. Death" and kill young women. "Madhouse" is basically a murder mystery disguised as a horror film, and not a bad one, but it suffers from a few too many ingredients. The character of Dr. Death (Price in rather simple, but very effective skull-face makeup) is clearly patterned after "Dr. Phibes," the two-film series that had been hugely successful a few years earlier, while Paul Toombes (who is nothing like the character from the source novel, "Devilday," by Angus Hall) is slightly reminiscent of the character Jon Pertwee played in "The House That Dripped Blood" -- a role for which Price had been sought. In structure, the film is also a bit reminiscent of the 1969 oddball film "Scream and Scream Again," which involed a serial killer stalking young girls in London, and there is a very peculiar subplot with Adrienne Corri as a burn-scarred and crazy former actress hiding in Peter Cushing's cellar, which seems like something out of a mid-1960s Italian horror film. It's quite a stew. Where the picture really drops the ball, though, is as a conscious effort to do for Price what Peter Bogdanovich's "Targets" did for Boris Karloff: present him with a canny career summation role in which he more or less plays himself. Price does more or less play himself -- an affable, good natured man who has managed to retain his professional integrity even after years of questionable films, which he gamely continues to make even as he believes himself to be unfairly exploited -- but the use of old film clips from past AIP epics (including "House of Usher," "Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Raven") does not have the resonance that "Targets"' employment of old clips from "The Terror" did. A prolonged sequence of Toombes appearing on Michael Parkinson's chat show is more dull than illuminating. "Madhouse" does at least offer Peter Cushing a decent role, after years of wasteful cameos in AIP's British productions, and a good one for Robert Quarry, who AIP was then grooming as a horror man for the 70s, as a shady producer. Director Jim Clark stages some very effective, atmospheric scenes of Dr. Death stalking the countryside, but it must be said that the identity of the killer is not a big shock to anyone paying attention. "Madhouse" was not widely released in the US and for years was something of an "unknown" Price movie, which makes its availability doubly attractive. It's no "Theatre of Blood," but it's fun.

Average customer rating:

Houseguests, houseguests, and more houseguests!
START DVD PETITION!
Madhouse should be on DVD!
The Obnoxious Houseguests That Wouldn't Leave! (The Title Of My Review Sound Like It Should Be The Title Of A Horror Movie)
The Obnoxious House Guests Who Wouldn't Leave (The Title Of My Review Sound Like The Title For A Horror Movie)

Madhouse
Starring: John Larroquette , Kirstie Alley , Alison La Placa , John Diehl , and Jessica Lundy
Director: Tom Ropelewski
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Alley, Kirstie | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bringleson, Mark | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Diehl, John | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ginty, Robert | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gregg, Bradley | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Larroquette, John | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lundy, Jessica | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | VHS | Video

Ropelewski, Tom | ( R ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Comedy | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 6305812187
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Customer Reviews:

Houseguests, houseguests, and more houseguests!.......2007-01-30

This is definitely the movie to own. Although if it would come out as a DVD as a RErelease it would definitely be one you'd want to buy. It stars John Larroquette, Kirstie Alley, Dennis Miller, John Diehl, Alison LePlaca, Jessica Lundy. It starts off with Mark and Jessie Bannister (Larroquette and Alley) enjoying their home and what they're accomplished in it with the exception of their broken toilet. Jessie works for a TV news station doing nothing but surveys, Mark works at an insurance company and when they receive word that their good friends are coming to town to visit, that's when the excitement begins. The mysterious part is THE CAT. No matter how many times Scruffy the cat dies, he comes back. First the cat dies of drowning in the fish tank, then it dies of being squashed, then the cat dies of a crack overdose. The sick part is when they first encounter the cat and it showers cat vomit ALL.......OVER....THEM. And you can just see Kirstie Alley showered in it. When their friends start to leave and head back home, she slips and falls to the ground and ends up having to stay with them. OH Lundy leads them all to believe she's pregnant and ready to have a baby. But, it turned out she wasn't. Mark and Jessie do all they can to not just get rid of their friends but, Jessie's sister who gets thrown out (Alison LePlaca), their next door neighbor (John Diehl) and one mishap after another happens. I think this movie deserves a DVD RErelease and I hope Orion/Warner Bros. puts it out.

START DVD PETITION!.......2006-04-18

There really should b some way the public could tell these movie distributers WHAT WE WANT ON DVD! We'll get Basic Instint 2 and The Postman on DVD before we get MadHouse! FOR SHAME!

Madhouse should be on DVD!.......2005-11-28

I have enjoyed this film since I was a kid. It is funny, outrageous and just cool. I really do not understand why this film is not out on dvd yet, baffling quite frankly! Also, this marks John Larouquette and Kirsty Alley at their best. The supporting cast in ridiculously funny and this is really a great exaggeration of what having houseguests are like -- for an extended period of time -- an unexpected long period of time -- that never ends -- FUNNY!

Vote yes below so they can put this on dvd! Thanks!

The Obnoxious Houseguests That Wouldn't Leave! (The Title Of My Review Sound Like It Should Be The Title Of A Horror Movie).......2005-10-17

I like John Laroquette and Kirstie Alley and I truly enjoyed watching this funny movie called Madhouse which is about obnoxious houseguests. The situations in this movie with the obnoxious houseguests may be exaggerated but haven't you ever had a houseguest who was really annoying and you couldn't wait til they left? I recommend this movie to anyone who has ever had obnoxious houseguests and I would like to see this movie put out on DVD. (Widescreen!)

The Obnoxious House Guests Who Wouldn't Leave (The Title Of My Review Sound Like The Title For A Horror Movie).......2005-10-17

Average customer rating:

The forgotten in the basement
what happens when Identity and Silence of the Lambs meets...
Never trust a schizophrenic....ever........
Not Bad.......
William Butler-- one of the best up-and-coming directors.

Madhouse
Starring: Lance Henriksen , Natasha Lyonne , Jordan Ladd , and Joshua Leonard
Director: William Butler
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0006ZXJ2U
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Customer Reviews:

The forgotten in the basement.......2006-09-15

And this movie slipped under the wires. It is a good movie...and proving to me that anything Joshua Leonard is in will be worth a look. It has creepy moments...and twists along the way...but it is all easy to follow. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the head nurse act...she was off the wall! Smiling a Joshua one moment...glaring and moving her eyes to your eye level the next in a stern stare down like a snake.

Red herring driven, the plot will keep you entertained. And guessing as to who or what is killing the staff......

what happens when Identity and Silence of the Lambs meets..........2006-08-13

This movie was on my list of possible psychological thrillers for me to buy for quite a while now. I'm not sure what made me pause. Maybe it was the perfectly fantastic Session 9 that kept me from it. I figured that no other movie of it's type could possibly chill me quite as much. With the release of House of Voices recently as well as Boo, I figured hey, why not, I'll try madhouse. This movie is clever, scary and intensely riveting. You never truly know whether there really is a malevolent force at work possibly possessing a resident of the facility or if it's just some nut in general. There are plenty of suspects and lots of gruesome imagery both imagined and real. The boy "ghost" who continues to pop up is sure to raise the hairs on your arm as will the scene at the end when we learn the truth of the patient in that room in the basement. Like The Sixth Sense, clues abound everywhere and you don't really understand that they were clues until the end. Why this movie wasn't released in theaters is beyond me. Madhouse is a truly worthy addition to any genre fan's collection of twisted, psychopathic movies.And the door to a sequel is wide open at the end. More PLEASE!

Never trust a schizophrenic....ever...............2006-06-06

I believe horror fans will love this one. It centers around a student who is interning at a mental hospital, with a jaded past.
From the first second, this movie pulls you in with a violent collage of brutal images. It follows our main character, as he tries to unlock the mysteries of this asylum.
Once he meets the strange prisioner in the basement, things go from normal to crazy real quickly.The casting in this movie wasn't the best, but the characters WERE well written. Overall, I had fun watching it, and the violence is top-notch.
Great movie for horror fans.

Not Bad..............2006-04-01

I can surely say that I've seen alot of horror movies that were alot worse than this one. This one wasn't bad. I liked the creepy mental institution, the creepy mental patients and the cool gory scenes! The acting wasn't bad either. At least I didn't want to shut the movie off halfway through like I have with other horror movies. With a surprise twist ending, this is a good movie to watch for horror fans. It will keep you interested throughout the movie. Worth seeing and at least renting.

William Butler-- one of the best up-and-coming directors........2006-01-03

[brief plot synopsis]
Clark (Joshua Leonard) is a young and idealistic new intern at a run-down and out-dated mental health facility. His aspirations for cleaning the place hit a snag when he butts heads with Dr. Franks (Lance Henrikson) who seems to not mind that the patients never seem to get any better. Shortly Clark begins seeing things and death and mayhem invade the reality of the "Madhouse". Together Clark and Sara must uncover who or what it is that stalks the asylum and survive the massacre.

[good things]
Nicely directed, some pretty good kills, and a good story. The directing was superb, and it gave us some nice visual experiences, great cinematography, and all around tight scenery. There weren't many kills in this, but the ones it showed were pretty brutal and bloody. I also liked the cast, alot of good actors, and alot of very seasoned veterans (Lance Henrickson and Leslie Jordan).

[the bad]
It was hard for me to believe that an asylum like this existed. I don't see alot of this happening in real life, and I guess it is a horror film and they don't really have to mirror reality. I would have also liked more kills. While the script wasn't at all unique, but nicely done and directed, it was almost obvious who the killer was.

[final thoughts]
I may be playing favorites with this because William Butler is a friend, but it is a damn good movie. The all around feel to this movie is pretty cold and eerie. Joshua Leonard (from Blair Witch Project) delivers a great performance that almost makes me forget about his role (as himself) in The Blair Witch Project. Each character was nicely done and scripted. Even though the script could have taken a few different turns and made the story a bit harder to figure out, I still feel this is one of the better movies to be released in 2004.

Average customer rating:

A Worthy Diversion From The Norm!

Tales from the Madhouse

Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000DHFZZ
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Description

Set inside the crumbling walls of a dilapidated Victorian sanatorium, eight mysterious characters reveal their secret stories to the visiting camera. The eight are linked by one unifying and crucial event in their lives: each of them has had an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth in some way — an experience that has left an indelible mark.

Each character brushed with Jesus but most missed the moment. They touched the light then lingered in the shadows. They were offered freedom but made friends with their chains. Now they are haunted by the memory of what was and what might have been. Here is an acclaimed series that opens up the Scriptures, the story of Jesus, and Easter week in a fascinating way.

Includes Pilate's Wife starring Clair Bloom, The Rich Man starring Peter France, The Best Friend starring Tony Robinson, The Mourner starring Eileen Atkins, The Servant Girl starring Helen Baxendale, Barabbas starring Joss Ackland, The Centurion starring James Cosmo, and The Thief starring Jonathan Pryce.

Eight 14-minute episodes/color

Customer Reviews:

A Worthy Diversion From The Norm! .......2005-04-14

I recommend this collection to any sunday school class that has fallen into a funk. Produced and broadcasted on the BBC, each episode is both masterfully directed and acted by veterans from the British stage and film industry.

As the title would suggest, these stories fall into the creepy, if not macabe, worlds each of the charactors have created for themselves. These are not tales of inspiration, but lessons of tragic failure and missed opportunities for salvation. Pain, loneliness, shame, despair, bitterness, selfishness - all of the dark corners of the human experience are revealed in the rooms of the madhouse......rooms for which Christ is only a memory and no longer welcome.

The purpose of this collection is not to raise the fear of damnation. Instead, it is a contempative exercise most suited for those who have already chosen the faith, yet humbly acknowledge their own shortcomings. There is insight to be gained from every hell presented here. Believe me. A single viewing of each episode will not be enough. Repeated viewing will inspire new discoveries each time.

Highly entertaining and provocative!

Carried by the Wind - Tsukikage Ran - Shocking Secrets (Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Ignore what Charles Solomon has to say...

Carried by the Wind - Tsukikage Ran - Shocking Secrets (Vol. 2)
Starring: Madhouse
Manufacturer: Bandai
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00006LPAV
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Amazon.com

The second volume of this picaresque transvestite series veers between Slayers-like silliness and a succession of sword fights that suggest a watered-down Rurouni Kenshin. Lady Meow of the Iron Fist, the childish half of the roving duo, is flattered when an artist wants to paint her portrait in episode 5, and she falls for a handsome scientist in episode 7. Ran remains aloof and uninvolved; even when she's drunk on sake, her deadly accuracy with her sword never falters. Director Akitaro Daichi somehow misses when he attempts to recapture the appeal of his previous Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl. The silliness isn't quite silly enough and the feats of derring-do lack panache. Also, there's no sense of affection or respect between the recurring characters, and the viewer is left wondering why they continue to put up with each other. (Rated 13 and older: violence, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Description

Famed director, Akitaroh Daichi (Jubei-Chan the Ninja Girl) reveals a different side of life in feudal Japan! From MADHOUSE studios (Ninja Scroll) comes a martial arts comedy like none you've ever seen! Carried by the Wind is a story of Ran, a young ronin samurai on a journey across Japan. She's a master swordsman with a strong sense of honor combined with the courage to fight injustices. Along with Neko martial artist, Meow - the two will seek good food and good drink! Our heroine Ran is still saddled with her erstwhile sidekick, Meow. Together, they continue traveling the countryside looking for wrongs to right, and of course, a good drink! When Meow is scouted by a "modeling" agent, things don't seem quite right and its up to Ran to figure out what it is. When a string of robberies are committed, all fingers point towards our heroic heroines! Can the two clear their names and help a poor inventor on the verge of discovering electricity?! Carried by the Wind - Shocking Secrets features Interactive animated menus, the original Japanese and English language tracks, along with English subtitles option, liner notes, production art gallery, and Bandai Previews.

Customer Reviews:

Ignore what Charles Solomon has to say..........2002-12-22

Tsukikage Ran is classic. However, Ran is not a transvestite. The clothing she wears is unisex, for an example see any of the "shrine maidens" in Sailor Moon, Haunted Junction and many others. Yes, there were very few, if any, female samurai, yet this does not make her a transvestite. Also, Jubei-chan was a comedy, Tsukikage Ran is more of a parody/satire/tribute to samurai films. Ran and Meow never show feelings towards each other, true, but do they need to spout platitudes to be companions? This show is quickly becoming a must see throughout my circle of friends and is one of my choices for "Best of" 2002.

Carried by the Wind - Tsukikage Ran - Big Trouble in Little Nippon (Vol. 3)

Average customer rating:

She's Good - For a Parody!

Carried by the Wind - Tsukikage Ran - Big Trouble in Little Nippon (Vol. 3)
Starring: Madhouse
Manufacturer: Bandai
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00007G1U4
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Amazon.com

Director Akitaro Daichi belatedly develops some chemistry between the sake-swilling female samurai Tsukikage Ran and her chattering sidekick, Lady Meow. In "There Was No God in This World," Meow is initially taken in by the cult leader Rokkan but helps to defeat him once his corrupt practices have been exposed. Tsukikage attracts a would-be student: Stephanie, a Caucasian giantess who nurtures weird illusions about Japanese society, in "That European Girl Was Huge." She's strong as an ox, clingy as a tick--and difficult to get rid of. The story takes an oddly serious turn in "I Counted On an Enemy." Meow revisits a childhood friend, only to discover she's now a wealthy dealer in "dream incense," obviously a euphemism for opium. Tsukikage Ran aired on the Japanese satellite channel Wowow in 2000. (Rated 13 and older: violence, profanity, alcohol use, implied drug use) --Charles Solomon

Description

The sake-swilling swordswoman continues to cut a path through Edo, Japan with her hilarious adventures. And the ever-present Meow of the Iron Cat Fist remains stalwartly at her side. When a mysterious cult catches Meow's fancy, it's up to Ran to discover the group's secret. Old friends, new friends - the group just got a lot bigger when a foreigner from across the seas decides to follow Ran around Japan!

Customer Reviews:

She's Good - For a Parody!.......2003-03-31

This DVD series seems to be a sleeper but I really enjoy it. On the surface the stories of Tsukikage Ran are definitely parodies of the Samurai Epic Films like Ran, Kagemusha, Seven Samurai, and other long-running series like Lone Wolf and Cub.

Deeper, beneath the amusing facade of obviously recognizable storylines, there is a much more engaging message. Because both the main characters are female in a primarily male dominated genre, seemingly predictable stories often come to surprising conclusions.

On more than one occasion this series has been deeply moving. Volume 3 begins the slow exploration of Ran and her companion Meow, starting with Meow's past in one of these episodes. Like anything hinting at Zen, there is much beneath the surface here. Expect laughs but also expect to realize that 'nothing is permanent' and those laughs will fade to some surprising emotions every now and then as you watch this series.

One technical note: I enjoy the fact that you don't see blatant re-used footage (in the way of flashbacks or such tricks) in any of the eps of this series. And the fight scenes are fantastic. Ran is a powerful samurai and excellent with a sword. She's fun to watch and after your first few eps you won't take her lightly! Meow, too, but of course, she's the exuberant side-kick, so expect and enjoy comic fight scenes with her -- but not always.

Description

During their outrageous adventures, Ran and Meow, of the Iron Cat fist have had some rather unqiue experiences: they've fought off clans of evil bandits, stopped a crooked sake producer, and have been chased across Japan by a giant foreign blonde woman! Now, their adventures are about to come to an end, but there are still some surprises left. What's this? Ran had a boyfriend?! But this guy looks like some washed-up loser. There's no way Ran would fall for a guy like that!

KEY SALES POINTS:
* Genre: Martial Arts/Comedy
* Animation by MADHOUSE (Jubei-Chan the Ninja Girl, Ninja Scroll)

DVD FEATURES:
Reversible DVD Foil Cover
Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Liner Notes
Production Art Gallery
Bandai Previews

Customer Reviews:

She's Good -- For a Parody.......2003-03-31

Deeper, beneath the amusing facade of obviously recognizable storylines, there is a much more engaging message. Because both the main characters are female, seemingly predictable stories often come to surprising conclusions.

On more than one occasion this series has been deeply moving. Volumes 3 and 4 begin the slow exploration of Ran and her companion Meow. Like anything hinting at Zen, there is much beneath the surface here. Expect laughs but also expect to realize that 'nothing is permanent' and those laughs will fade to some surprising emotions every now and then as you watch this series.

Product Description

A strange bond exists between Julia and her identical twin sister Mary whom she has not seen for seven years. Their Uncle, Father James persuades Julia that she must visit Mary in hospital. But he warns her that she may not recognize her sister who has become horribly deformed. At the hospital Julia is startled by Mary's hideous appearance as the deformed sister suddenly grabs her wrists from the shadows and pulls her close, threatening to terrorize her again... This former video nasty is directed Ovidio G. Assonitis (THE DEVIL WITHIN HER / FOREVER EMANUELLE / TENTACLES).

Average customer rating:

Paranoia Agent (EPISODES 1 ~ 13)
Director: SATOSHI KON
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

"When the darkness overcomes the heart, Little Slugger appears..." After the first victim's story, the police felt the overly stressed woman was having a breakdown and lied to cover-up for some crime. However, after the third and fourth attacks upon unrelated victims led to the same description of a young attacker with a golden baseball bat and in-line skates, the police had to wonder- is the "Lil' Slugger" real or a sinister phantom?

DVD:

DVD

DVD