DVD PICK OF THE WEEK
HARDWARE (Severin Films):
For a grisly, grungy, highly stylized brand
of Halloween fright, screenwriter/director
Richard Stanley’s award-winning 1990
sci-fi shocker comes to DVD ($29.95
retail) and Blu-ray ($34.99) in an unrated
version more explicit than the one
released to theaters.
Set during the Christmas season in a
ravaged, decayed future, the film stars
Dylan McDermott as Mo, a soldierof-
fortune who brings his sculptor
girlfriend Jill (Stacey Travis) some
pieces of an android he came across
on his journey home, unaware that the
’droid in question is a MARK 13 — a
highly sophisticated (and highly lethal)
piece of military hardware.
It’s not long before the relentless robot
rebuilds itself and goes on a bloody
rampage in Jill’s apartment building,
utilizing its many battle components to
brutally slay anyone in its way.
Hardware freely borrows from any
number of sci-fi films and stories, yet
also boasts a gritty, claustrophobic tone
and a genuine sense of despair. Many
have cited the film as a perfect example
of the “cyber-punk” sub-genre. It’s also
a quintessential example of style over
substance, but the style is both effective
and impressive, especially given the
film’s budget.
The cast, which also includes John
Lynch and William Hootkins, does an
admirable job, but the star of the show is
unquestionably the mechanized monster,
and with a name like MARK, you know
he’s bad news. ***
ALSO ON DVD
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A “Full Moon Edition” of John Landis’ popular 1981 chiller about a college student (David Naughton) who’s bitten by a werewolf… and we all know what that means. Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine and gorgeous Jenny Agutter round out the cast of this successful, snappy and still-potent combination of horror and humor. This won the first Academy Award for Best Makeup. The DVD retails for $19.98 and the Blu-ray for $26.98. Rated R. ***
ARMY OF DARKNESS (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A “Screwhead Edition” of Sam Raimi’s light-hearted, award-winning 1993 horror romp, the third in the Evil Dead series, with Bruce Campbell (also a coproducer) reprising his signature role as the heroic Ash, this time battling the forces of evil in 1300 AD. Great fun for Dead heads and, like its predecessors, a cult favorite… although previous releases of this film boast more special features. The DVD retails for $19.98 and the Bluray for $26.98. Rated R. ***
CARNIVOROUS (North American Motion Pictures): In this sub-par shocker, a giant CGI serpent is roused by a voodoo curse and goes on the rampage. The dialogue is unintentionally embarrassing and the actors (including DMX, also an executive producer) hardly appear to care. Even on bad-movie terms, this is terrible. Rated R. Zero stars.
EAGLES OVER LONDON (Severin Films): Enzo G. Castellari’s 1969 “spaghetti war” saga is set in World War II-era England, with the Battle of Britain imminent and a group of Nazi saboteurs at large. Frederick Stafford plays the square-jawed officer on their trail, unaware that his new buddy (Francisco Rabal) is one of them! Hollywood veteran Van Johnson turns up as a British (!) air marshal in charge of the nation’s defense. Resourcefully and amusingly made — check out those aerial dogfights! — but also melodramatic and slow-moving, particularly for a Castellari film. Spottily released in the US in 1973 as Battle Squadron. Rated PG. **
GHOST HOUSE UNDERGROUND (LionsGate Home Entertainment): Just in time for Halloween, the latest quartet of independent shockers as selected by producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert: Screenwriter/director Tom Shankland’s The Children stars Eva Birthistle and Stephen Campbell Moore; Amy Hargreaves and Art Hindle star in Offspring, adapted from Jack Ketchum’s novel by the author himself; Amy Smart stars in screenwriter/director Eduardo Sanchez’ Seventh Moon; and Val Kilmer stars in writer/director Mark A. Lewis’ The Thaw. Each film is rated R (big surprise), and each film retails for $19.98 (DVD) or $29.99 (Blu-ray). “
GHOST WHISPERER”: THE FOURTH SEASON (CBS DVD/ Paramount Home Entertainment): Executive producer Jennifer Love Hewitt continues to hear (and sometimes see) dead people, in all 23 episodes from the 2008- ’09 season of the award-winning, primetime CBS-TV series. Hewitt even directed a few episodes during the season. This boxed set retails for $63.98, and the selfexplanatory “Ghost Whisperer”, Seasons 1-4 collection retails for $239.98.
HORI SMOKU SAILOR JERRY (IndiePix): Writer/director Erich Weiss’ debut documentary feature traces the life and career of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, one of the most renowned tattoo artists of his time. This DVD, which retails for $24.95, includes director’s commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes.
HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD (A&E Home Entertainment): The title tells all in this documentary feature that examines the worldwide impact that martial-arts superstar Bruce Lee (1940- 1973) has had upon popular culture. Not so much a biography as a tribute — but an entertaining one. Among those who discuss Lee’s legacy are Jackie Chan, Ang Lee, John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, LL Cool J, Eddie Griffin, the RZA, Sugar Ray Leonard and others. *** “
JONAS: ROCKIN’ THE HOUSE” (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment): A collection of five episodes from the popular, awardwinning Disney Channel series starring the Jonas Brothers (Nick, Kevin and Joe) as the Lucas Brothers (Nick, Kevin and Joe). They sing, too! This DVD retails for $19.99.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A 25thanniversary edition of director Nick Castle’s jaunty 1984 sci-fi adventure, starring Lance Guest as a teenaged videogame enthusiast recruited to help save the universe (including Earth) from an interstellar threat. This was the first film to rely almost entirely on computer-generated special effects, and it marked the final screen appearance of the great Robert Preston, having a grand time sending up his Music Man persona as a fast-talking, inter-galactic con artist. Rated PG. ***
MAD MONSTER PARTY (LionsGate Home Entertainment): A special edition of the animated 1967 Rankin/Bass musical comedy featuring the voices of Boris Karloff (as Baron Frankenstein) and Phyllis Diller (as the Monster’s Mate). Not quite as much fun as you might remember as a kid, but still a pleasing bit of nostalgia — especially for classic monster mavens. **½
MANSON: 40 YEARS LATER (A&E Home Entertainment): For real-life horror, you won’t find much scarier than Charles Manson and his “Family,” and this documentary uses re-enactments to trace his horrific murder spree in the late 1960s. Among those interviewed are prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi (author of Helter Skelter, perhaps the most frightening true-crime book you’ll ever read), Deborah Tate (sister of victim Sharon Tate) and former Manson Family member Linda Kasabian, giving her first interview in 20 years. In covering only the crimes and not the subsequent trial, however, lends this a sense of incompleteness. **½
“MEDIUM”: THE FIFTH SEASON (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment): Patricia Arquette returns as the real-life suburban psychic Allison Dubois (who serves as a show consultant), balancing life as a mom while helping to solve crime, in all 18 episodes from the 2009 season of the award-winning primetime drama, which recently made the jump from NBC to CBS. Arquette also directed a couple of episodes. This boxed set retails for $60.90, and a boxed set containing every episode from all five seasons retails for $239.98.
MY NAME IS BRUCE (Image Entertainment): Cult icon Bruce Campbell produces, directs and stars in this good-natured, lowbrow horror spoof in which the residents of a small town, menaced by an ancient Chinese spirit, turn to Bruce Campbell to save the day — unaware that he’s a drunken, sexist lout. Lots of in-jokes including the presence of Ted Raimi (in a dual role) and Campbell’s Evil Dead co-star Ellen Sandweiss as his ex-wife. Rated R. ***
POOH’S HEFFALUMP HALLOWEEN MOVIE (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment): A limited-edition DVD gift set ($29.99 retail) of the 2005 animated film based on the classic character’s from AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books and set, appropriately enough, during the Halloween season. This marked John Fiedler’s final stint as the voice of Piglet. Bonus features include games and a Pooh doll dressed as Tigger. Disney also gears up for the next holiday season with a 10th-anniversary edition ($29.99 retail) of Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving, which marked Paul Winchell’s final stint as the voice of Tigger. Rated G.
“SCARE TACTICS”: SEASON THREE, PART ONE (Warner Home Video): Tracy Morgan takes over as host for this uncensored collection of 13 episodes from the reality/comedy series involving everyday people being scared and pranked. This series ran on the SyFy Channel back when it was called the Sci- Fi Channel, and this two-DVD boxed set retails for $29.98.
“TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE”: THE SECOND SEASON (CBS DVD/ Paramount Home Entertainment): There are thrills and chills to spare in all 24 episodes from the 1985-’86 season of the syndicated horror anthology series executive-produced by George A. Romero and Richard P. Rubinstein. Guest stars included Darren McGavin, John Heard, Penelope Ann Miller, Joseph Cortese, Bill Macy, Adolph Caesar, Michael Warren, Lisa Bonet, Fritz Weaver, Phyllis Diller, Susan Strasberg, Seth Green, Marie Windsor, Lorna Luft, Jerry Stiller, Lawrence Tierney and many others. This boxed set retails for $36.98. Mark Burger can be heard Friday mornings on the “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show on Rock-92. Copyright 2009, Mark Burger !
ALSO ON DVD
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A “Full Moon Edition” of John Landis’ popular 1981 chiller about a college student (David Naughton) who’s bitten by a werewolf… and we all know what that means. Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine and gorgeous Jenny Agutter round out the cast of this successful, snappy and still-potent combination of horror and humor. This won the first Academy Award for Best Makeup. The DVD retails for $19.98 and the Blu-ray for $26.98. Rated R. ***
ARMY OF DARKNESS (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A “Screwhead Edition” of Sam Raimi’s light-hearted, award-winning 1993 horror romp, the third in the Evil Dead series, with Bruce Campbell (also a coproducer) reprising his signature role as the heroic Ash, this time battling the forces of evil in 1300 AD. Great fun for Dead heads and, like its predecessors, a cult favorite… although previous releases of this film boast more special features. The DVD retails for $19.98 and the Bluray for $26.98. Rated R. ***
CARNIVOROUS (North American Motion Pictures): In this sub-par shocker, a giant CGI serpent is roused by a voodoo curse and goes on the rampage. The dialogue is unintentionally embarrassing and the actors (including DMX, also an executive producer) hardly appear to care. Even on bad-movie terms, this is terrible. Rated R. Zero stars.
EAGLES OVER LONDON (Severin Films): Enzo G. Castellari’s 1969 “spaghetti war” saga is set in World War II-era England, with the Battle of Britain imminent and a group of Nazi saboteurs at large. Frederick Stafford plays the square-jawed officer on their trail, unaware that his new buddy (Francisco Rabal) is one of them! Hollywood veteran Van Johnson turns up as a British (!) air marshal in charge of the nation’s defense. Resourcefully and amusingly made — check out those aerial dogfights! — but also melodramatic and slow-moving, particularly for a Castellari film. Spottily released in the US in 1973 as Battle Squadron. Rated PG. **
GHOST HOUSE UNDERGROUND (LionsGate Home Entertainment): Just in time for Halloween, the latest quartet of independent shockers as selected by producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert: Screenwriter/director Tom Shankland’s The Children stars Eva Birthistle and Stephen Campbell Moore; Amy Hargreaves and Art Hindle star in Offspring, adapted from Jack Ketchum’s novel by the author himself; Amy Smart stars in screenwriter/director Eduardo Sanchez’ Seventh Moon; and Val Kilmer stars in writer/director Mark A. Lewis’ The Thaw. Each film is rated R (big surprise), and each film retails for $19.98 (DVD) or $29.99 (Blu-ray). “
GHOST WHISPERER”: THE FOURTH SEASON (CBS DVD/ Paramount Home Entertainment): Executive producer Jennifer Love Hewitt continues to hear (and sometimes see) dead people, in all 23 episodes from the 2008- ’09 season of the award-winning, primetime CBS-TV series. Hewitt even directed a few episodes during the season. This boxed set retails for $63.98, and the selfexplanatory “Ghost Whisperer”, Seasons 1-4 collection retails for $239.98.
HORI SMOKU SAILOR JERRY (IndiePix): Writer/director Erich Weiss’ debut documentary feature traces the life and career of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, one of the most renowned tattoo artists of his time. This DVD, which retails for $24.95, includes director’s commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes.
HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD (A&E Home Entertainment): The title tells all in this documentary feature that examines the worldwide impact that martial-arts superstar Bruce Lee (1940- 1973) has had upon popular culture. Not so much a biography as a tribute — but an entertaining one. Among those who discuss Lee’s legacy are Jackie Chan, Ang Lee, John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, LL Cool J, Eddie Griffin, the RZA, Sugar Ray Leonard and others. *** “
JONAS: ROCKIN’ THE HOUSE” (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment): A collection of five episodes from the popular, awardwinning Disney Channel series starring the Jonas Brothers (Nick, Kevin and Joe) as the Lucas Brothers (Nick, Kevin and Joe). They sing, too! This DVD retails for $19.99.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER (Universal Studios Home Entertainment): A 25thanniversary edition of director Nick Castle’s jaunty 1984 sci-fi adventure, starring Lance Guest as a teenaged videogame enthusiast recruited to help save the universe (including Earth) from an interstellar threat. This was the first film to rely almost entirely on computer-generated special effects, and it marked the final screen appearance of the great Robert Preston, having a grand time sending up his Music Man persona as a fast-talking, inter-galactic con artist. Rated PG. ***
MAD MONSTER PARTY (LionsGate Home Entertainment): A special edition of the animated 1967 Rankin/Bass musical comedy featuring the voices of Boris Karloff (as Baron Frankenstein) and Phyllis Diller (as the Monster’s Mate). Not quite as much fun as you might remember as a kid, but still a pleasing bit of nostalgia — especially for classic monster mavens. **½
MANSON: 40 YEARS LATER (A&E Home Entertainment): For real-life horror, you won’t find much scarier than Charles Manson and his “Family,” and this documentary uses re-enactments to trace his horrific murder spree in the late 1960s. Among those interviewed are prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi (author of Helter Skelter, perhaps the most frightening true-crime book you’ll ever read), Deborah Tate (sister of victim Sharon Tate) and former Manson Family member Linda Kasabian, giving her first interview in 20 years. In covering only the crimes and not the subsequent trial, however, lends this a sense of incompleteness. **½
“MEDIUM”: THE FIFTH SEASON (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Entertainment): Patricia Arquette returns as the real-life suburban psychic Allison Dubois (who serves as a show consultant), balancing life as a mom while helping to solve crime, in all 18 episodes from the 2009 season of the award-winning primetime drama, which recently made the jump from NBC to CBS. Arquette also directed a couple of episodes. This boxed set retails for $60.90, and a boxed set containing every episode from all five seasons retails for $239.98.
MY NAME IS BRUCE (Image Entertainment): Cult icon Bruce Campbell produces, directs and stars in this good-natured, lowbrow horror spoof in which the residents of a small town, menaced by an ancient Chinese spirit, turn to Bruce Campbell to save the day — unaware that he’s a drunken, sexist lout. Lots of in-jokes including the presence of Ted Raimi (in a dual role) and Campbell’s Evil Dead co-star Ellen Sandweiss as his ex-wife. Rated R. ***
POOH’S HEFFALUMP HALLOWEEN MOVIE (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment): A limited-edition DVD gift set ($29.99 retail) of the 2005 animated film based on the classic character’s from AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books and set, appropriately enough, during the Halloween season. This marked John Fiedler’s final stint as the voice of Piglet. Bonus features include games and a Pooh doll dressed as Tigger. Disney also gears up for the next holiday season with a 10th-anniversary edition ($29.99 retail) of Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving, which marked Paul Winchell’s final stint as the voice of Tigger. Rated G.
“SCARE TACTICS”: SEASON THREE, PART ONE (Warner Home Video): Tracy Morgan takes over as host for this uncensored collection of 13 episodes from the reality/comedy series involving everyday people being scared and pranked. This series ran on the SyFy Channel back when it was called the Sci- Fi Channel, and this two-DVD boxed set retails for $29.98.
“TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE”: THE SECOND SEASON (CBS DVD/ Paramount Home Entertainment): There are thrills and chills to spare in all 24 episodes from the 1985-’86 season of the syndicated horror anthology series executive-produced by George A. Romero and Richard P. Rubinstein. Guest stars included Darren McGavin, John Heard, Penelope Ann Miller, Joseph Cortese, Bill Macy, Adolph Caesar, Michael Warren, Lisa Bonet, Fritz Weaver, Phyllis Diller, Susan Strasberg, Seth Green, Marie Windsor, Lorna Luft, Jerry Stiller, Lawrence Tierney and many others. This boxed set retails for $36.98. Mark Burger can be heard Friday mornings on the “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show on Rock-92. Copyright 2009, Mark Burger !
