Blood & Chocolate

Amazon.com

When graphic novelist Aiden (Hugh Dancy) travels to Bucharest to research the loup garou legend, he nearly gets devoured in the latest female werewolf film, Blood and Chocolate. In the tradition of Werewolf Woman and Ginger Snaps, Blood and Chocolate stars Vivian Gandillon (Agnes Bruckner), a girl who's forced to face her lupine tendencies in order to discover how capable of loving Aiden she really is. Based on a book by Annette Curtis Clause, the film chronicles the lives of the remaining loup garou who are an extended Romanian family waiting for their pack leader, Gabriel, to select his new mate. His desire for Vivian means trouble when her wish to be with Aiden results in her revealing too much about the clan's secretive lifestyle. In this film, werewolves look fully human until their eyes glow with colored contact lenses while they fly through the air to then land as full-fledged wolves. Gone are the days, apparently, of films showing the transformation in all its hairy, explosive detail. A lack of scenes describing the werewolf metamorphosis make this film more a love story than a monster tale, though two forest gatherings in which the loup garou hunt human sacrifices offer some grizzly satisfaction. Unlike the aforementioned femme werewolf films, Blood and Chocolate features a girl fighting her urge to kill in a bid to unite humans with her brethren, making this movie the most peaceful in its genre. With a tame wolf as protagonist, the potential nightmare is really just a pleasant dream to unite the two disparate worlds. The question is: Do we want that to happen? --Trinie Dalton

Product Description

As a young girl living in the remote mountains of Colorado, Vivian (Bruckner) watched helplessly as her family was murdered by a pack of angry men for the secret they carried in their blood. Vivian survived the attack by running into the woods and changing into a wolf. Ten years later, Vivian is living a relatively safe and normal life in Bucharest, Romania. Vivian spends her days working in a chocolate shop and nights trawling the city's underground clubs, fending off the reckless antics of her cousin Rafe, and his gang of delinquents he refers to as "The Five."

Vivian's life begins to unravel when she has a chance encounter with Aiden (Dancy), an artist researching Bucharest' ancient art and relics for his next graphic novel. Aiden pursues Vivian until she relents and begins to see him, but she can't bring herself to tell him the truth - and lives in fear of showing him who she really is. Even though Vivian has sworn never to kill, she is as much an animal as she is human, and her love for Aiden threatens to cast him to the very wolves who saved her life and who are waiting for their chance to hunt him as prey.

Stills from Blood & Chocolate (click for larger image)

Beyond Blood & Chocolate at Amazon.com

Gothic Horror on DVDs
More from Olivier Martinez
DVDs of "Things That Go Bump"

Customer Reviews:

It's own story.......2007-09-17

I've read the book and saw the movie. I took both as its own story, the movie took the idea from the book yes but twisted the storyline into it's own story, rather weak. The movie itself was beautiful the scenery, etc made me want to be the photographer for it. Shouldn't judge a movie based on what book it came from each is it's own story.

Beautiful, Gothic Wolves!.......2007-09-11

I loved this movie!

I fell in love with it from the first transformation scene!

It was visually gothic in the style of The Lost Boys, The Covenant, Underworld,etc. The wolves (and the transformations of them from human) were GORGEOUS! I was expecting a gory transformation, but thankfully, it was artfully delicate, unforgettable and DIFFERENT!

This movie is great for women who love lushly-scenic, non-gory gothic-yet-modern romances (like me!:)

I wonder how they got so many real tame wolves for the film?

It was quite a treat,watching them perform. They really stole the movie, visually. The director should've focused on more scenes with them, in my opinion.

This one's in my collection and will be watched often!

Never read the book. But I might, now!

Great film for teens and adults.

Warewolf story.......2007-09-10

If you are a fan of the warewolf movies, this one may be for you. I was hoping for much better production though especially with actors like Hugh Dancy and Olivier Martinez. Story is just too predictable and the happy ending totally spoiled the experience. For light entertainment, this one is just right. Do not expect too much and you will be fine. I did like the music in this movie. My sincere compliments to composers and performers.

The movie's horrible, you're better off reading the book!.......2007-09-08

This movie wasn't great at all! It didn't follow the book for one second! I thought this movie would turn out like the book that I read in High School, but it SUCKED! It was like they didn't care enough about the central points that made the book work in the first place. I feel that the movie ripped me off because the characters in it didn't connect to the book at all! First of all, there's Agnes Bruckner, who played Vivian. She looked nothing like the "Vivian" in the book, her agenda and motivation were not the same,her personality was completely different from the book,her performance in the movie was poor in that Agnes just wasn't in character most of the time. The script was very stale and terrible! My imagination longed for more drama and accuracy. The red-haired woman who played Esme` underplayed the character(for whom was the most important hench-villaness in the book). Everybody's acting in this movie was just too flat in general!Whatever you do, avoid this movie like the plague! This movie wasn't even scary or clever. For those of you who loved the book,don't BOTHER with the movie because it's a DEAD END!

They werent really werewolves..........2007-09-01

just regular wolves, and very easily killed. And why, except for two characters, were all of them teenagers? This movie was not as bad as I was expecting, but it could have been so much better.

Average customer rating:

The howling but not a good
OK WEREWOLF ENTRY! WORTH 2 1/2 STARS AND A LOOK!
An Entertaining Horror Film
Werewolves, support this film!
Light-Hearted film about Werewolfs

Cursed (Unrated Version)
Starring: Portia de Rossi , Mya , Shannon Elizabeth , Solar (II) , and Daniel Edward Mora
Director: Wes Craven
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0009ETDAK
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Amazon.com

When you consider its unfortunate production history, Cursed turned out surprisingly well as a werewolf thriller that horror buffs will appreciate. It's hardly the disaster critics made it out to be, but extensive rewriting, reshooting, recasting, and lengthy delays in production and release (including the elimination of R-rated gore to earn a PG-13 rating) clearly took their toll. The result is a fun but flawed monster-show that begins when a young talk-show producer (Christina Ricci) and her teenaged brother (Jesse Eisenberg) are bitten by a werewolf, setting the stage for a horror-in-Hollywood scenario that reunites director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, creators of the Scream franchise. What could have been a classic horror comedy is instead a fairly solid, if unremarkable, exercise in Los Angeles lycanthropy, featuring werewolf makeup by Rick Baker (combined with CGI transformation effects, of course) and some of Williamson's snappy dialogue and trademark pop-culture references. The title of Cursed doubles as a description of this movie's ultimate fate, but in a market filled with straight-to-video horror fodder, it's anything but a lost cause. The supporting cast includes Shannon Elizabeth, Portia de Rossi and Joshua Jackson, so genre aficionados should definitely check it out. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Packed with even more intense thrills than audiences experienced in theaters, this unrated version of Wes Craven's CURSED brings you the terror of werewolves as never before! Christina Ricci (MONSTER), Jesse Eisenberg (THE VILLAGE), Joshua Jackson (TV's DAWSON'S CREEK), Judy Greer (THE VILLAGE), and Milo Ventimiglia (TV's GILMORE GIRLS) find themselves caught up in an unimaginable horror! A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults who, after being mauled by the beast, learn that the only way to break the curse put upon them is to kill the one who started it all! From the creators of SCREAM, this never-before-seen version is shockingly more frightening and undeniably more fun than the original release!

Customer Reviews:

The howling but not a good.......2007-07-30

This movie has good plot and phonimal plot. But the few action seqeucnes they have that are violent and are brief lasting about maybe 2 to 7 minutes maybe less. Can a boy and his sister stop a curse after they witeness a young girl brutally kiled by what seems like a more ferce and stronger than normal wolf and they are bitten and the curse is passed on to them. Even though this movie has some gasp of about maybe 5 to 20 minutes in some parts with no action. The seqeunce are very violent as typocial of monster movie starting around the release time of p-13 rate horror movies such as king cobra with higher fatalites than had been seen in previous films. Due to the violence and gore pluse that fact that since werewolves like ghost even though they have been recently pretrayed lighter in films and books such as Harry potter III - VI have been consider for centuires at least since the 1500 AD as unhollym vicious back stabbng murders sent to earth from the depths of hell under the binding of the devli and demons to test purity of man kind or to elimate threats to the power struggle between lusifer anhd Jesus. As a rewsult I consider this film suitable for kids age 17 to 105 years old and do not have super overeactive beliefs that consider anything supernatural as a messengers of the void. Will the coupld undo the curse before more innocent blood is split find out in thrilling spingtrngling conclusion to this 2005 horror madsterpiece.

OK WEREWOLF ENTRY! WORTH 2 1/2 STARS AND A LOOK!.......2007-07-04

This is not a classic by any means,but I thought it had enough going for it to warrant a "worth watching" review. The story seems to teeter between serious and humor and that is it's major downfall. The cast does what is can with the material given to them. The DVD transfer looks good and worth checking out.

An Entertaining Horror Film.......2007-06-14

Cursed is a horror film that does not take itself too seriously! I loved the scene where they describe the werewolf to the police using human terms since no one believes them when they say werewolf. An amusing time! If you like a horror flick with some comedy, then you should like this. If you like a horror flick that is all serious and believable, then you should probably pass on this. Also note that because of the kill scenes, the PG-13 version sucks, so if you want to see it, get the unrated version!

Werewolves, support this film!.......2007-04-26

Well, as I am indeed an actual werewolf, I liked this movie. I found it to treat the subject of werewolves with respect, while maintaining the dignity and resoursfulness of the prey (Ricci and her onscreen brother). I especially liked the car scene where the girl is cut in half, it was very surreal and attention grabbing. The whole silver thing is a bit outdated, since everyone knows we can only be killed by fire or decapitation, but all in all, not a bad attempt by you humans. Good luck actually using anything in this movie to protect you from an actual werewolf though, lol

Light-Hearted film about Werewolfs.......2007-04-23

This movie was better than I thought. It has a young cast of familiar faces from both popular films and TV shows. It's actually on of the better Wes Kraven films in a long time (Wishmaster SUCKED)...

The plot kinda reminded me of the LOST BOYS, where it envolved siblings confronting becoming Warewolves and had to destroy the warewolf that turned them.

The movie didn't have any lows and the story flowed well. The special effects were so-so (But to me, nothing beats the FX in regards to Warewolves found the Underworld films.)

It's a cool film to watch, all and all..

Average customer rating:

Not too bad until the end
AAAugh.... horrible movie.
Great Move...
Blood of Beasts
Total C rate movie, dont waste your money

Blood of Beasts
Starring: Etienne Changuion , David Dukas , Candicé Hillebrand , Antony Jardin , and William Gregory Lee
Director: David Lister
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AQOHMG
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Description

In the tradition of Lord of the Rings come this medieval tale with plenty of action and adventure, starring Jane March (Color of Night). Freya is the beautiful daughter of King Thorsson, who must undertake a deadly battle when her father and fiancé are captured by a tormented monster - a man with the body of a beast, cursed by his God and cast out by his people. Struggling to control the raging monster within, the Beast clings to the honor that he had as a man and battles with Freya for his redemption.

Customer Reviews:

Not too bad until the end.......2007-08-23

I love Beauty and the Beast, but I think I'll stick with Disney from now on. The idea for this wasn't bad. I was enjoying it, really, despite the not so great acting and my doubts about historical truths, until the end. If I ever do pop this DVD in again I'm so skipping the last two minutes! It made my last 1hr and 20 some minutes pointless.

AAAugh.... horrible movie. .......2007-07-23

The only good actor and redeeming quality of this movie would be Jane March. The set piece look like they were taken from a high school play, the wigs on some of the warriors looked like jokes and the actors don't even re-act realistically. Watch this movie with friends, have a few beers and be ready to make fun of this horrible movie.

Great Move..........2007-06-26

Once you get past the cheesiness of the effects and some of the costumes, this is a really great movie, with an amazing and surprisingly sweet storyline.

Set in a Viking like place, Freya, daughter of the King must go to a "cursed" island where a horrible Beast lives to avenge her father, presumed dead because of a made-up story told by Sven, one of the people who went to the island with her father. When Freya goes to the island however, she must stay there with the Beast to set her best friend Ingrid and her Father, who is extremely sick, free.

During Freya's time on the island, she becomes close to the Beast and finds his soft side. She eventually comes to care greatly for him and see past his frightening and monster-like exterior.

Yes, it is a Beauty and the Beast story, but who doesn't like the classic fairy tale. True love, adventure, and lots of action... Blood of Beasts is a great movie... :)

Blood of Beasts.......2007-03-11

A cash in on The Vikings style of movie. Acting OK but no substance to the movie

Total C rate movie, dont waste your money.......2007-01-17

The theme was good, thats where the good ended. The Acting was predictable and a very cut rate. It was too threatrical, more like a BroadWay Show then a movie.

Average customer rating:

ONE OF THE FINEST HORROR MOVIE EVER MADE!
A Classic Horror Film
an OK disappointment
"Wolf, Gysy, Woman, Murder. What Is This?!"
The Definitive Werewolf Classic!

The Wolf Man
Starring: Claude Rains , Warren William , Ralph Bellamy , Patric Knowles , and Bela Lugosi
Director: George Waggner
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00001TZ6Q
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

Even a man who is pure in heart,
And says his prayers by night,
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright.

If you haven't heard this piece of horror-movie doggerel before, you'll never forget it after seeing The Wolf Man for two reasons: it's a spooky piece of rhyme and nearly everybody in the picture recites it at one time or another. Set in a fog-bound studio-built Wales, The Wolf Man tells the doom-laden tale of Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), who returns to the estate of his wealthy father (Claude Rains). (Yes, Chaney's American, but the movie explains this, awkwardly.) Bitten by a werewolf, Talbot suffers the classic fate of the victims of lycanthropy: at the full moon, he turns into a werewolf, a transformation ingeniously devised by makeup maestro Jack Pierce. Pierce was the man who turned Boris Karloff into the Frankenstein monster, and his werewolf makeup became equally famous, with its canine snout and bushy hairdo--and, of course, seriously sharp dental work. The Wolf Man was a smash hit, giving Universal Pictures a new monster for their already crowded stable, and Chaney found himself following in the footsteps (or paw prints) of his father, who had essayed a monster or two in the silent era. This is a classy horror outing, with strong atmosphere and a thoughtful script by Curt Siodmak--well, except for the stiff romantic bits between Chaney and Evelyn Ankers. It's also got Bela Lugosi (briefly) and Maria Ouspenskaya, the prunelike Russian actress who foretells doom like nobody's business. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE FINEST HORROR MOVIE EVER MADE!.......2007-08-15

This was a classic during the 60's late night horror host programs. I can hear the howl of the Wolfman as he creeps through those wonderful foggy sets looking for his next victim! Hans J. Salter was responsible for most of the music in Universal's horror films and what incredible scores he gave us! The thing that I love about this movie is like the original Frankenstein there is a generous amount of pathos with the monsters in these films. You can't help but feel sorry for these creatures and the cruel hands of fate bestrode upon them. The make-up for the Wolfman is unsurpassed to this day. This is the best and coolest looking wolfman I've ever seen! Jack Pierce really out did himself with this creation. The DVD transfer looks really good even better in the legacy collection.

A Classic Horror Film.......2007-04-20

Made during the horror movie heyday of the late 1930s and early 1940s, this classic suspenseful thriller introduced audiences to one of the most well-known movie monsters; Lon Chaney Jr.'s "Wolf Man".

Chaney plays Larry Talbot, who is returning to his home in Wales after spending eighteen years in the United States. Larry's brother was recently killed in a hunting accident. Claude Rains stars as Larry's father, Sir John Talbot. Upon returning home, Larry helps his father install a new lens in his telescope. While peering through the lens, Larry discovers a beautiful girl in the window across the street. Her name is Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers). Larry goes over and introduces himself, and the two agree to go for a walk together that evening.

Gwen invites her friend Jenny Williams to come along. The three decide to go to have their fortunes told by a group of gypsies who have set up camp in town. Jenny goes first. Gypsy Bela (Bela Lugosi) reads Jenny's fortune. He is immediately disturbed when he sees the shape of a pentagram appear in Jenny's palm. He immediately tells Jenny to leave. Meanwhile, Gwen and Larry have walked off on their own. Minutes later, they hear a blood-curdling scream. Larry runs to investigate and finds a large wolf attacking Jenny. Larry manages to kill the wolf with his silver-handled cane, but he is bitten in the process.

Gypsy Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) tells Larry about the legend of the werewolf, and if a person is bitten by a werewolf and survives, they too will become a werewolf. Maleva gives Larry a charm to wear around his neck to protect himself, but he gives the charm to Gwen. On the night of the full moon, Maleva's predictions come true, as Larry Talbot is transformed into a werewolf. Will the charm protect Gwen, or will she suffer the same fate as her friend Jenny?

This movie has remained a classic for over sixty years, and it takes the viewer back to a time before the blood-and-guts horror films were popular, and movie producers relied on psychological terror to scare audiences. There is no blood in this movie, but the viewer is still scared by the unique movie sets, the fog rolling through the trees, and the haunting musical score. Lon Chaney Jr. made his role as the wolf man famous, and he's the only actor to have ever played the wolf man. Although the character was originally designed for Boris Karloff, Chaney made this his signature role. He will always be remembered as the wolf man. The other actors, especially Maria Ouspenskaya and Claude Rains, give good performances as well.

I give this movie my highest recommendation. This film takes me back to when I was a young child, and I used to stay up late on weekends watching the scary movies on television. Remember, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright".

an OK disappointment.......2007-01-19

for a so-called "classic horror movie" from 1939-41 era this one is definitely the least horrorific.

"Wolf, Gysy, Woman, Murder. What Is This?!".......2006-11-14

"Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."

Universal was famous for their horror films and "The Wolf Man" is one of their most entertaining. Foggy sets, a great cast and an atmospheric score from musical director Charles Previn offer late night fun for classic film fans.

Lon Chaney, son of one of the great actors of the silent film era, stars as Larry Talbot. He has come home after the tragic death of his older brother. Talbot Castle, where his father ( Claude Rains) still lives is surrounded by legends of men who turn into wolves at the full moon.

It seems like hog-wash to Larry, who sets his eye on pretty Evelyn Ankers (Gwen). Small romantic touches such as his spotting her through his telescope and immediately becoming smitten lighten the mood and make the events which follow an even deeper tragedy.

It isn't long before Gwen's gal pal is struck down in the woods by something no longer a man and no longer human. When Larry rushes to save her and is bitten in the process his fate is sealed.

Maria Ouspenskaya stands out as the knowing gypsy who forsees Larry's future and tries to help. Once he realizes the legends are true and no one is safe, he turns over the charm given him to Gwen for protection and puts the final touch on his sad destiny.

Curt Siodmak's original screenplay has just the right mix of romance and horror to make this one of the most famous and entertaining of Universal's horror films. Evelyn Ankers, who starred in many of Universal's horror and mystery films, looks lovely in Vera Ralston's gowns and makes the perfect heroine to Chaney's tortured character. This is as much fun as you can have on a rainy night with a big bowl of popcorn. Don't miss it!

The Definitive Werewolf Classic!.......2006-08-05

I can't praise this movie highly enough, it is not only the best of the universal monsters series and one of the greatest werewolf films ever made certainly the definitive treatment, but also one of my all time favourite movies. Lon Chaney turns in an outstanding credible performance worthy of his father the legendary man of a thousand faces, actually the entire cast is outstanding, Claude Rains, Maria Ouspenskaya and Bela Lugosi.

The script by Curt Siodmak is marvellous, borrowing from genuine werewolf folklore and adding its own. The plot device of having the werewolf see the pentagram on the palm of it's next victim is truly ingenious and I don't know why it was never utilised in any of the sequels or any other werewolf films for that matter.

The score by Frank Skinner and Han J Salter is so haunting, and has a nice rich romantic sound to it, especially the cues used in the gypsy camp, if only The Wolf Man weren't a b movie it probably would have won an Oscar.

Lastly it must be said that Jack Pierce's make up and John P Faulton's werewolf transformations really go along way in making this film, who could ever forget the image of the wolf man walking through the fog shrouded forest in search of fresh victims.

Average customer rating:

A Mermaid Legend from a Different Perspective.
A Sexy and Scary Mermaid Film.
Good little tale
A KILLER MERMAID!!
THIS GIRL'S GOT GILLS

She Creature
Starring: Rufus Sewell , Carla Gugino , Jim Piddock , Reno Wilson , and Mark Aiken
Director: Sebastian Gutierrez
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005YUNQ
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

This surprisingly satisfying horror movie centers on a mermaid--but it's hardly one of the giggly types from Peter Pan. Rufus Sewell and Carla Gugino play a couple of small-time circus people who discover that an eccentric old man keeps a genuine mermaid in a water-filled tank. Dreaming of an invitation from Ringling Bros., Sewell steals the mermaid and loads her on a ship for America. But in the middle of the Atlantic, the hungry mermaid shows her darker side--and Gugino learns that she may be linked to the mermaid in unexpected ways. She Creature was no doubt made on a low budget, but it looks excellent and the above-average script gives the strong cast firm ground to stand on. The mermaid herself (Rya Kihlsted) is both lovely and eerie. All in all, an enjoyable homage to classic horror films. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A Mermaid Legend from a Different Perspective. .......2007-03-20

Great cast- Rya Kihlstedt (as the mermaid) was hypnotic. I really enjoyed the depiction of the mermaid and the way she was perceived by other characters in the movie. Feelings for the mermaid would range from anger, to fear, fascination, attraction, curiosity, and of course, horror. I think that certainly applies to anything we don't quite understand. It's always fun to delve into the darker side of Mermaid lore. A fun movie to watch if you like this genre.

A Sexy and Scary Mermaid Film........2006-11-15

This film was made as part of a television series of films using old 1950s' American-International film titles, but having no relationship to the original films' storylines. This particular film is a highly literate and well-directed story of an 1800s' carnival huckster who greedily steals a REAL (and sexily good-looking and bare-breasted) mermaid with the intent of using her as a traveling exhibit. Unfortunately--during an ocean voyage to the United States from England--things don't work out as planned, and chaos and terror ensue as the film builds to a horrifying climax. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. One caveat: for some reason, the volume of this DVD's soundtrack is very low, and you'll really have to crank-up your system in order to hear what's going on!

Good little tale.......2006-08-28

(3.5/5 stars) Curious that Stan Winston's name had his name stamped all over this production, given the fact the creature effects factor so minimally in the film. Nonetheless, this is a pretty cool grade B horror film. A group of English hucksters kidnaps a real, live mermaid despite warnings from her captor. They plan to head to the states to make a fortune on the sideshow circuit. Wise move, or not? Similarities with "King Kong" aside, this made-for-cable movie has much going for it: it makes good use of its limited budget by establishing a decent atmosphere, adapting a good story and getting some believable performances from its cast. In fact, lack of a large budget might be an asset for a horror movie because it forces the filmmakers to be resourceful and work within their budgets in order to be effective. Films, such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Halloween" come to mind as being successful because they relied on atmosphere, story, music and characters rather than special effects and established actors. Given the dearth of mermaid stories, seeing the legendary creature come to life in a horror film is a singular treat. I cannot very well compare this to the 1956 movie by the same name because I have not seen that one. On its own merits, however, this one is good.

A KILLER MERMAID!!.......2006-07-18

This is not exactly my cup of tea since I am a fan of mermaid movies!! I am most particularly fond of SPLASH, NIGHT TIDE and Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. This mermaid movie is graphic and it's mermaid is evil...although very mysterious and beautiful!
It's not an awful movie, but definetely not my favorite mermaid movie!!

THIS GIRL'S GOT GILLS.......2006-06-02

Another entry in the Stan Winston CREATURE FEATURES, remakes of older horror films. This is not a faithful remake of the sixties' version, but an updated one, in which a lovely mermaid is captured by an old gent who finds himself falling under her malevolent spell. She is kidnapped by a carnival showman played with great relish by Rufus Sewell; he whisks her off to America and while on board their vessel, she wreaks havoc.
Carla Gugino co-stars as Sewell's lover, and she finds herself mesmerized by the lovely but lethal mermaid.
It tends to get a little confusing at times but there is a commendable eeriness to it, but the ending is a little veiled.

Average customer rating:

Great series: Lion's Gate, please keep it going
Blood of Dracula
Monsters are cool!
Nicholson/Arkoff fans rejoice!
Arkoff/AIP legacy revived

How to Make a Monster/Blood of Dracula
Starring: Sandra Harrison , Louise Lewis (II) , Gail Ganley , Jerry Blaine (II) , and Heather Ames
Director: Herbert L. Strock
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BYA5I2
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Customer Reviews:

Great series: Lion's Gate, please keep it going.......2007-08-15

Great start on this series (despite the apect ratio problems), but Lion's Gate seems to have given up, which is unfortunate, as there are a number of Arkoff titles that haven't yet seen the light of day on DVD. While I'm not 100% sure if Lion's Gate owns the rights to the films I list below, I would venture to guess they do. So how about a pairing of I Was a Teenage Frankenstein/I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Invasion of the Saucer Men/Attack of the Crab Monsters, Voodoo Woman/The Undead, Not of This Earth/It Conquered the World (two of the best AIP titles), and The Amazing Colossal Man (whose sequel, War of the Colossal Beast, is part of this line). I think this accounts for the rest of the Arkoff 1950s horror/sci-fi library, maybe there is something else that could be paired with Amazing Colossal Man.

Blood of Dracula.......2006-08-27

I have waited a long time for Blood of Dracula to come to DVD. In the mid-1990s I had a VHS version of the horror classic and, being the age I was at the time, enjoyed the campy fun as well as the chill of horror. I suppose this film plays on every students idea that his/her teacher is experiementing on them in one way or another.

If you have a young horror fan in the family this is a safe movie to enjoy as a Halloween treat and certainly has some history in their about the Arms Race. There is also a corny musical number that the family will enjoy laughing about before getting back to the vampire thrills.

Happy Hauntings!

Monsters are cool!.......2006-06-24

I like monsters. They're cool. These movies are cool. They're about monsters. Monsters are cool. Buy this DVD.

Nicholson/Arkoff fans rejoice!.......2006-02-07

Two of the cheesier films from AIP vaults are presented well on a really good DVD transfer. Herbert L. Strock directed both, and "Blood of Dracula" is really the better one. A girl vampire? What fun! Jerry Blaine singing "Puppy Love", and some crazy Lesbian overtones make this loads of fun. If it was released today, politically-correct idiots would be protesting. "How to Make a Monster" is also tacky, a sort of toned-up version of Ed Wood, but not as entertaining as Wood's films. If Ed Wood had studio backing, he might've had a chance. Mr. Strock had that support. Ed Wood was around at the wrong time; the drive-in crowd came only a bit later, and Nicholson & Arkoff cashed in. I absolutely love this stuff for its tackiness, bad acting, bad attempts at musical interludes... I was around for that drive-in crowd back when, and words can't express how fun it was. Even if the films were garbage, we were entertained, and, despite what critics say, I believe entertainment is what it's all about. I was entertained, and never forgot how much I enjoyed these tacky films.

Arkoff/AIP legacy revived.......2005-12-02

Another double dip into the drive-in glory that is AIP. A double dip into the career of director Herbert L. Strock. How to Make a Monster (1958 - 73m). A madman is loose on a movie set. And it's hard to tell what killing is prepaid. Don't be shocked at the color part of the black and white film. Blood of Dracula (1957 - 68m) A woman is turned into a vampire by more than getting her neck bit.

If you grew up a fan of the Creature Double Feature or have bought up MGM's Midnite Movies, this is perfect for your collection.

Average customer rating:

It's own story
Beautiful, Gothic Wolves!
Warewolf story
The movie's horrible, you're better off reading the book!
They werent really werewolves...

Blood & Chocolate [Blu-ray]
Starring: Tom Harper , Katja Riemann , Olivier Martinez , Kata Dobo , and Agnes Bruckner
Director: Katja von Garnier
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000OCY7YE
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Product Description

Sony Pictures Blood And Chocolate (Blu-ray)
The story takes place in modern Bucharest and tells the tale of nineteen year old Vivian Gandillon, who has spent her life on the run from the truth... that she is a werewolf! When her affections for a visiting American artist threaten to expose her family's secret society, she must choose between her love for an outsider and betraying the secret vows of her family.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

It's own story.......2007-09-17

Beautiful, Gothic Wolves!.......2007-09-11

Warewolf story.......2007-09-10

The movie's horrible, you're better off reading the book!.......2007-09-08

They werent really werewolves..........2007-09-01

just regular wolves, and very easily killed. And why, except for two characters, were all of them teenagers? This movie was not as bad as I was expecting, but it could have been so much better.

Average customer rating:

what the h... !? and ........!
An original creature...
best sci flick ever
Very strange
cheap (convincing) SFX, good acting and one hell of an ugly monster!

The Deadly Spawn
Starring: Charles George Hildebrandt , Tom DeFranco , Richard Lee Porter , Jean Tafler , and Karen Tighe
Director: Douglas McKeown
Manufacturer: Synapse Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002Z0F12
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Description

A group of campers stumble upon the remnants of a meteorite and discover some fanged, worm-like creatures have hitched a ride to Earth. After the "camper" appetizer, the alien spawn take refuge in the basement of an isolated house… and get ready for the main course! With the people in the house now becoming the entrees of an intergalactic monster buffet, a group of teenagers, led by a small boy, decide to take this matter into their own hands… to stop the aliens from reproducing and rid the world of THE DEADLY SPAWN once and for all!

Featuring classic creature designs and gory special effects by John Dods (THE X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE, SPOOKIES, "MONSTERS" TV Series), THE DEADLY SPAWN has been totally re-mastered from the original 16mm camera negatives. With extra materials compiled from the personal collections of the cast and crew, THE DEADLY SPAWN can finally invade your home theatre in the best version ever! Just try not to put this DVD in the basement… you might be surprised what you find down there.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
- New, Digitally Mastered Windowboxed Transfer in the Original Filmed Aspect Ratio of 1.33:1
- Two Audio Commentaries
- Extensive Still Galleries of Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Make-Up Effects, and the Premiere in New York City
- A Comic-Style Prequel with Its Own Musical Score
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Alternate Opening Sequence with New Effects and Credits
- Animated Menus
- Outtake Reel
- Cast and Crew Biographies

Customer Reviews:

what the h... !? and ........!.......2007-08-25

awesome for this orig. hor. flm. like none other nor itself. i wish there were a lil more scene action in the beg. and in the mid. . the end showed this tri or is it quad or more thing, more dried up; the very end's an even drier trip-yull c if ya dare-esp. from beg. to midfilm. its all good enough action though. where did it come from exactly and the more reasons y?

An original creature..........2007-02-02

This is truly on of the most original sci-fi creatures I have ever seen. The movie is about a meteor that crashes on earth. Some people discover it and in it is a living creature. The creature begins to multiply in numbers and size upon eating its favorite meal--humans. Very cool little flick with plenty of gore, interesting story, excellent creatures. Check it out, it is a worthy addition to your sci-fi/horror library. I don't want to ruin anymore of the story so go on and get it...you will not regret it.

best sci flick ever.......2007-01-20

Awesome effects, creepy aliens, loads of gore, awesome story. What more do you want in an Alien horror movie. One of my favorites of all time!! Im not going to ruin any of the movie so thats all I will say, see it!

Very strange.......2006-12-27

I've just watched this movie and to be honest, I don't know what to make of it. It's very weird, even by the standards of things I usually watch. Still, I didn't fell like it was a waste of time and I was in a bad mood to begin with, so taking that into consideration, overall I think I should give it a positive score.

Anyway, the movie mostly takes place inside of a house. It has more preliminary victims than most horror movies before they introduce the main cast. The house is invaded by fish/tadpole-like aliens, and a larger alien that has three mouths and two very frail limbs, but somehow manages to break down doors.

Damn, I've been staring at the screen for a few minutes now, and I don't really know what else to say. I guess that's it.

cheap (convincing) SFX, good acting and one hell of an ugly monster!.......2006-11-06

Let me start by saying that this movie has been through one hell of a history, along with Last House on Dead End Street (even less budget, around 800-3000). Douglas Mckeown was smart enough to direct a movie with a few close friends and it became a HUGE hit after 23 years!. The characters live out their normal lives when the ultimate alien is living in their basement, unaware that they're being devoured one by one. Pete is the science geek, Ellen is the love interest (Hint: noone is safe!), Frankie is Pete's best friend, not very good on science, Kathy is a friend of theirs (famous line of the movie is said by her) and Charles, the horror fan. The main title music always gets my spine tingling, it's very chilling for a horror movie (Another Hint: Hollywood don't know how to make great composers). The reason why this movie is successful being a cult hit is because you can believe the situation they're in, they don't know anything about it until the last 25 minutes. It was only shot on 20,000 budget and the special effects are amazing (that's what all the money went to!) Heads dropping off, little Spawns swimming (they have their own personality, subtle hint), faces being ripped off and that's just the tip of the iceberg on the effects used. So, if you want some cheap entertainment thatwill give you the creeps, go for this title, you'll not be disappointed.

Rated R18+ for Aussies for Violence, Gore, Nudity and Coarse Language

Average customer rating:

ROMEO, JULIET & PUMPKINHEAD.

Pumpkinhead 4 - Blood Feud
Starring: Lance Henriksen
Director: Mike Hurst
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000TGJ81W
Release Date: 2007-10-02

Customer Reviews:

ROMEO, JULIET & PUMPKINHEAD........2007-08-20

Having been a fan of the original PUMPKINHEAD i've been extremely disappointed with the so-called sequels. JEFF BURR's (1994) BLOOD WINGS and JAKE WEST's (2006) ASHES TO ASHES. Both had me wishing i could contact the hag and resurrect PUMPKINHEAD myself, for making me sit this pile of crap.

But MICHAEL HURST's BLOOD FEUD is different. The basic storyline is that of ROMEO and JULIET. Two long feuding families find themselves forced together, when one of thier own resurrects PUMPKINHEAD to avenge the death of his sister, but also so he and his estarnged love can be together, (by killing off the rest of her family. Ahh true love)

Although the film is very sterio-typical, and plods along from A to B, it is still an competant piece of work, the death scenes are bloody and gruesome, as you'd expect from a striaght to DVD released film, but why this film works is PUMPKINHEAD. He stands, quite literally, head and shoulders above everyone else and more to the point he looks great, even in broad daylight.

MICHAEL HURST will never be an ANTHONY HICKOX (WAXWORK, WARLOCK THE ARMAGEDDON) but he knows what looks good and what looks crap. The C.G.I. in the film is awful, but HURST seems to acknowledge this and uses it rearly, a wise choice.

PUMPKINHEAD: BLOOD FEUD was never going to win any Oscar's but at least someone has finally realised, 19 years later, why people love and buy these films, for PUMPKINHEAD of course.

PUMPKINHEAD is big, mean, ugly and doesn't take any crap off anybody, just as we like him.

Long may he stay that way.

Average customer rating:

I Wish You Were My Mummy
Blood From The Mummy's Tomb: The Mummy Film Based On A Stoker Book
Who - - Or What - - Must Not Be Named
Great piece of late Hammer hokum
Jewel is Right

Blood From the Mummy's Tomb
Starring: Andrew Keir , Valerie Leon , James Villiers , Hugh Burden , and George Coulouris
Director: Michael Carreras , and Seth Holt
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005KHJO
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Product Description

A British expedition team in Egypt discovers the ancient sealed tomb of the evil Queen Tera. But when one of the archaeologists steals a mysterious ring from the corpse's severed hand, he unleashes a relentless curse upon his beautiful daughter. Is the voluptuous young woman now a reincarnation of the diabolical sorceress or has the curse of the mummy returned to reveal its horrific revenge? One of Hammer's most notorious productions, BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB was plagued by the sudden deaths of director Seth Holt and the wife of original star Peter Cushing, leading to rumors of a real-life curse. Andrew Keir (QUATERMASS AND THE PIT) and the luscious Valerie Leon star in this supernatural shocker based on Bram Stoker's classic novel JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS. Includes a 4-Page Collector's Booklet. The first 10,000 copies will contain a free bonus DVD of THE HAMMER TRAILER COLLECTION.

System Requirements:
Starring: Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, James Villiers
Director: Seth Holt
Producer: Howard Brandy
Running Time: 93 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

I Wish You Were My Mummy.......2006-01-20

One of the last in a long line of Hammer horror films, 'Blood From the Mummy's Tomb' is not among the best. It doesn't possess the same depth and dimension of light and atmosphere that many of the early features are famous for. The footage is dull and drab throughout appearing as though it was filmed in an old abandoned warehouse. The set is also quite spartan, there certainly didn't seem to be much of a budget available for this feature.

However the one thing Hammer didn't jeopardize in this film was there reputation for having at least one beautiful, bosomy woman among their cast of characters. That woman is British actress Valerie Leon in the dual role of the soon to resurrected Queen Tera and Margaret, daughter of the archeologist/Egyptologist responsible for the discovery of Queen Tera's tomb and remains.

Neither scary or insightful, making it quite easy to pass on this one altogether if not for the presence of Valerie Leon on-screen.

Blood From The Mummy's Tomb: The Mummy Film Based On A Stoker Book.......2006-01-09

TO: Hammer Film Fans

WARNING! SPIOLERS!

The Good:
This is a great film based on a Bram Stoker book (Jewel Of the Seven Stars). It dosen't actually have a waling mummy, wrapped up in cloth. Tera is a dark queen of egypt. When a man opens her grave, his wife dies, birthing his daughter. She also dies, but Tera lives inside her. Years later when she gets a ring, tera is relesed inside her, and a ritual to reunite tera with her body begins.

The Bad:
There is one pothedic scene where a cat statue kills a woman.

FROM: The Hammer Film Reveiwer

Who - - Or What - - Must Not Be Named.......2005-10-06

The bosomy young woman Margaret wakes up screaming from a nightmare. Her father Julian comes into her bedroom to comfort her. A scar across Margaret's right wrist makes it look like she has tried to slash it in the past. What could have driven this young woman, who lives alone with her father, to try to kill herself?

Julian gives Margaret a ring with seven stars in the shape of the Big Dipper reflected in it and makes her wear it "for protection." (This movie is based on Bram Stoker's novel Jewel of the Seven Stars and is better than the book.) Margaret and her father hold each other for just a little too long, and Julian looks just a little too longingly into Margaret's eyes.

Wearing the ring, Margaret belongs to her father in a way she hasn't until now. But this relationship must be doomed.

I've read that victims of incest sometimes feel like it's happening to someone else. Margaret really is someone else - - Tera, the uncorrupted beauty Julian stole from Egypt and now keeps hidden in his basement, the woman he sneaks away to look at every night, the woman he wishes his daughter was. (Of course Tera and Margaret are identical).

Decades ago Julian and a group of archeologists found Tera in her crypt, where she had been placed by ancient Egyptian priests who chopped off her right hand (to represent the unnamed "sin" she had committed) and left her to rot. But first they obliterated all reference to Tera, and left a message over her tomb that within lay "She Who Must Not Be Named."

But Tera is "above law and taboo" and it is the priests who die, while Tera waits in her tomb for Margaret to begin to dream of her once Margaret "comes of age." In other words, once Margaret is old enough for her father.

The scientists found Tera's preserved body with its perpetually bleeding right arm (Hammer films did this kind of thing very well) at the exact moment Margaret was being born in England. Both Margaret and her mother died, but once Tera was uncovered by Julian, the baby Margaret started breathing again.

Why did Julian leave his wife in England when she was about to give birth? Egyptian sarcophagi had waited thousands of years; they'd wait another few weeks. Why did he abandon his wife to search for the beautiful Tera, or whatever Tera represented to him? Was Julian tired of his wife already? Did he already want something more? Something strange? Something forbidden?

As Tera's personality gradually replaces Margaret's, she dreams of a "land far away" with "no scheming priesthood, no repressive or archaic laws, and love is the divine possession of the soul." A place where any love is permissible.

Now we may guess what at least one of Tera's sins was. At the moment Margaret's mother died, Margaret became her relplacement.

As Julian looks down at Tera's body, wanting her, you see his knowledge of the wrongness of it in his face. I think Andrew Keir (star of Quatermass and the Pit) - - fleshy, with a sensuous Scottish accent - - was better suited to this role than the thin and flinty Englishman Peter Cushing, who started work on Blood from the Mummy's Tomb but left after his wife died. (If Cushing had played the role, I wonder if I would have even thought about the idea of incest. Which leads to more questions - - did the filmmakers intend it or did that "taboo" come from the actors' performances?)

Margaret has a boyfriend who hits her at one point. Most of the men in her life now that she's a grown, sexually available woman brutalize her in one way or another. Her father is using her, as is one of Julian's old colleagues who wants to control Tera's evil power. (Margaret's boyfriend is named Tod Browning, for the director of Bela Lugosi's Dracula and Freaks. Sometimes in-jokes just take you out of the story and are unnecessary. In a film that doesn't pretend to be anything but a comedy, like Shaun of the Dead, it doesn't matter, but in a movie that takes its story seriously it's better to resist the urge. But to be fair, when this movie came out in 1972 fewer people may have even gotten the reference.)

Julian and Margaret are sh