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DVD Pick of the week:THE ICONS OF SUSPENSE COLLECTION PRESENTS HAMMER FILMS
(sony Pictures Home entertainment Renowned for its gothic horror and fantasy films, Britain’s Hammer studios also made a string of suspense thrillers, six of which (all making their DVD debuts) are contained in this boxed set ($24.96 retail). The selection includes the uncut version of Joseph losey’s These Are the Damned (1963), released in the Us as The Damned, starring macdonald carey, shirley Anne Field, Alexander knox, Viveca lindfors and oliver Reed; director Guy Green’s The Snorkel (1958), starring Peter Van eyck and co-written by Hammer stalwart Jimmy sangster; writer/director Val Guest’s Stop Me Before I Kill! (1960), starring claude Dauphin and Diane cilento, based on the novel The Full Treatment (the film’s original title); kerwin mathews, Nadia Grey and Donald Houston in Maniac (1963), penned by sangster and directed by michael carreras; Patrick Allen, Felix Aylmer and Gwen Watford in director cyril Frankel’s controversial Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960), adapted from Roger Garis’ play and released in the Us as Never Take Candy from a Stranger. Hammer favorite Peter cushing and Andre morell match wits in Cash on Demand (1961), a taut and tidy thriller in which master criminal morell blackmails officious bank manager cushing into a 90,000-pound heist during the christmas season. Unless cushing obeys, morell will have his wife and son killed — and the clock is ticking. The two leads are in top form and well-supported by Richard Vernon as the bank’s assistant manager.
ALSo oN DVD
BIKINI JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF EROS (Retromedia entertainment/Infinity entertainment Group): Dumb fun from writer/ director Fred olen Ray (operating under his “Nicholas medina” moniker), a low-budget, softcore adventure spoof starring christine Nguyen as a sexy adventuress searching through the “kingdom of moronica.” The usual suspects are on hand: Heather Vandeven (2007 Penthouse Pet of the Year, for those keeping score), buxom Rebecca love, Frankie cullen, Tony marino and my pal, filmmaker Ted Newsom, the only member of the cast to keep his clothes on (sorry, girls) — but who nevertheless provides a few showstopping moments.
BIKINI ROYALE 2: THE RIGHT TO BARE ALL (Retromedia entertainment/Infinity entertainment Group): Beverly lynne’s back in action as sexy super-agent Tanya X, who infiltrates — as only she can — a brothel that’s the headquarters for an enemy spy ring. Yet another bit of silly spy-jinx from writer director “Nicholas medina” (see above), with the inimitable Ted Newsom (see above) reprising his role as gadget-master Newton. Also on hand: Tony marino (who resembles a beefier, more randy Jimmy Fallon), Brandin Rackley, Ashley West, Jayden cole and sam silver. Hardly mature, but definitely not for the kids.
BRITISH FILM NOIR DOUBLE FEATURE (VcI entertainment): A DVD twin-bill ($14.99 retail) of British thrillers, both based on stage plays: James kenney reprises his stage role opposite Joan collins and Hermoine Baddeley in screenwriter/director lewis Gilbert’s The Slasher (AkA Cosh Boy), and 1953’s Twilight Women (AkA Women of Twilight) features lois maxwell, Freda Jackson and laurence Harvey.
AN EDUCATION (sony Pictures Home entertainment): Director lone scherfig’s awardwinning coming-of-age drama, adapted by Nick Hornsby from lynn Barber’s memoir, stars carey mulligan (Academy Award nominee for Best Actress) as a bright, restless teenager who learns some hard lessons about life and love when she falls for an older man (Peter sarsgaard). Familiar screen territory gets a boost from its cast, which also includes Alfred molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic cooper, cara seymour, olivia Williams and emma Thompson. Additional Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted screenplay. Rated PG-13.
FOOTPRINTS ON THE MOON: APOLLO 11, 1969 (VcI entertainment): Rarely seen since its release in 1969, this feature documentary ($14.99 retail) traces the journey of American astronauts Neil Armstrong, edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and michael collins as they become the first men to land on the moon.
KEN ANDERSON FAMILY COLLECTION (VcI entertainment): A selection of four feature films presented by the prolific christian filmmaker ken Anderson (1917-2006), who founded Gospel Films and had a hand in more than 200 faith-based films. This boxed set, which retails for $24.95, includes Held for Ransom (1976), Patmos (1985), Touch of the Master’s Hand (1980) and The Golden Dolphin (1986). VcI is also releasing ken Anderson children’s classics collection, a self-explanatory, four-film boxed set ($19.99) of animated shorts: Secrets of Sinbad, Badrock Valley Gang, Tale of the Comet and Danger on the Pioneer Express.
“MAD MEN”: SEASON THREE (lionsGate Home entertainment): In and out of the office, things are heating up at the sterling and cooper advertising agency in all 13 episodes from the 2009 season of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning American movie classics series. The ensemble cast includes Jon Hamm, elisabeth moss, John slattery, January Jones, Robert morse, Jared Harris, Talia Balsam (slattery’s real-life wife) and Vincent kartheiser. The four-DVD boxed set retails for $49.98, the three-disc Blu-ray boxed set for $49.99.
PLANET 51 (sony Pictures Home entertainment): The sci-fi references come fast and furious in this award-winning animated fantasy about how the denizens of an alien world react when an earth astronaut (voice by Dwayne Johnson) lands in their midst. Gary oldman, John cleese, Jessica Biel, Justin long and seann William scott also lend their voices to this light-hearted romp, which sags in the middle but rebounds in time for the climax. Rated PG.
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE (lionsGate Home entertainment): Powerhouse performances dominate director lee Daniels’ hard-hitting adaptation of the best-seller, with newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” sidibe as an obese, illiterate, pregnant Harlem teenager trying to establish a semblance of normalcy in her life, despite the manipulative machinations of her volatile mother (mo’Nique). Nice supporting work from Paula Patton, lenny kravitz and a deglammed mariah carey. Academy Award winner for Best supporting Actress (mo’Nique) and Best Adapted screenplay, with additional nominations for Best Actress (sidibe), Best Director, Best editing and the big one, Best Picture. Rated R.
REVENGE: DIRECTOR’S CUT (sony Pictures Home entertainment): Tony scott directed this 1990 melodrama, based on Jim Harrison’s novella, stars executive producer kevin costner as a former Navy flying ace who makes the mistake of falling in love with the wife (madeleine stowe) of his old friend (Anthony Quinn), a mexican crime czar. This unrated special edition actually runs 20 minutes shorter than the original theatrical version, but this slick, shallow, robotic potboiler isn’t very good in any version, due in part to absolutely no chemistry between costner and stowe. miguel Ferrer, sally kirkland, James Gammon, Tomas milian, Joe santos, John leguizamo and Quinn try to give it a lift.
SABU DOUBLE FEATURE (VcI entertainment): The title tells all in this DVD twin bill ($14.99 retail) starring matinee idol sabu (1924-’63): Savage Drums (1951) co-starring HB Warner and margia Dean, and 1956’s Jungle Hell co-starring David Bruce and culled from episodes from an unsold television series.
SEA DEVILS (VcI entertainment): Director Raoul Walsh’s 1953 swashbuckling yarn stars a strapping Rock Hudson as a 19th-century smuggler enmeshed in political intrigue when he falls for a British spy (Yvonne De carlo) posing as a countess. Adapted from a Victor Hugo novel by screenwriter Borden chase, but this could’ve done with a bit more action. Gerard oury appears as Napoleon and future filmmaker Bryan Forbes plays Hudson’s sidekick.
SPAGHETTI WESTERN COLLECTION (VcI entertainment): A “quadruple-feature” ($24.95 retail) of Italian-produced Westerns from the drive-in era: ernest Borgnine and George Hilton star in A Bullet for Sandoval (1970); edd Byrnes, Gilbert Roland and George Hilton team up for director enzo G. castellari’s light-hearted Any Gun Can Play (1967); Anthony steffen co-wrote and stars in The Stranger’s Gundown (1969); and “montgomery Ford” (AkA Brett Halsey) and Bud spencer star in 1968’s Today We Kill … Tomorrow We Die! (AkA Today It’s Me… Tomorrow You), co-written by Dario Argento. All four films are rated PG, and are also available as double-features ($14.99 retail).
WRONG SIDE OF TOWN (lionsGate Home entertainment): Few surprises in this action opus, with pro wrestler Rob Van Dam as a retired Navy seAl whose skills come in handy when he and his friends are pursued by the minions of a crime boss (Jerry katz) whose brother he killed in self-defense. Rappers Ja Rule and omarion turn up briefly. Rated R.
Mark Burger can be heard Friday mornings on the “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show on Rock-92. Copyright 2010, Mark Burger !
