Cinema Raiders: 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Another Disappointing Release of Death Wish

I had high hopes when I saw the above box set on Amazon.com's pre-order list. The release date was pushed back three times, so I was quite anxious to get my hands on this set. It arrived today and I quickly opened the packaging and was pleasantly surprised at the set itself, at least until I opened it. The movies come in a glossy/metallic box with a photo of Charles Bronson from Death Wish 3. It really is quite nice, but the above scan doesn't do it justice. The metallic effect just doesn't scan very well. I was feeling good and seeing the MGM & 20th Century Fox logos on the back of the box was a good sign, or so I thought.

But lurking within the box were these two previously released single disc DVD sets. The first disc, and the one I purchased this release for, features Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3 and Death Wish 4 crammed onto a single sided dual layer disc. At the time, the Amazon.com page made no mention of this, but the three films are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The page has since been updated to include the aspect ratio and the number of discs within this release. I wish this information was made available sooner, had I seen it, I don't believe I would have placed my order.

The number one question most people reading this will have is whether or not Death Wish 2 is the complete uncut version. Sadly, the answer is no. This is the watered down 82 minute cut yet again. However, it does appear that the audio sync problems regarding Death Wish 4 have been corrected from the previous release. The set also features 10 To Midnight and The Mechanic on a second disc.

What is it with getting a decent release of the Death Wish films? The only good one (that I'm aware of anyway) is still the long out of print Death Wish: The Vigilante Collection from Australia. It features all five Death Wish films on five separate discs, all uncut and in anamorphic widescreen. MGM and 20th Century Fox have once again provided us with a mediocre release of the three Death Wish movies in their collection. I should have known better, but I was suckered in by that artwork. Shame on you MGM!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Star Wars Holiday Special

With the holiday season in full swing, let me just say bah humbug and pull out Starlog issue #19 with an article about an infamous show that needs no introduction... The Star Wars Holiday Special.

Star Wars Invades TV

A behind-the-scenes look at the CBS Star Wars
TV special, a star-studded affair that broke all
the rules regarding the do's and don'ts of television.
By Natalie Millar

Last month CBS aired one of the most ambitious television spectaculars ever attempted by an American network, The Star Wars Holiday Special. The original Star Wars scenario, penned by Rod Warren, Bruce Vilanch, Leonard Ripps and Pat Proft, ran for two hours, cost over a million dollars to produce and had a taping schedule of an entire month... rather unheard of in the TV business. Because of its totally unique approach to television, the Star Wars special presented its makers with some equally unique problems as well.

The plot, for instance, was long in coming. Some Sort of format had to be constructed that would allow the reuniting of Star Wars' stars Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Mark Hamill (Luke), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Tony Daniels (C-3PO). Finally, a storyline was conceived in which Chewbacca would attempt a visit to his home planet and his family (Wife Malla, Grandpa Itchy and Son Lumpy) in time for the celebration of Life Day. The plot paired the Star Wars cast with guest stars Beatrice Arthur, Harvey Korman, Diahann Carroll, Art Carney, The Jefferson Starship and a horde of new alien characters.

The elements called for in the script presented the show's creative team with a sometimes sticky situation. The special, geared for a family audience, had to present its alien horde as realistically as possible, and dramatically as well. The show's first director, David Acomba, left in the middle of production because of "artistic differences." He was replaced by veteran TV director Steve Binder. Under Binder's guidance, the aliens paraded before the camera in an orderly fashion... with quite a few surprises. For instance, although Darth Vader didn't make the show (he appears in voice only), intergalactic bounty hunter, Boba Fett, a villain from the upcoming Star Wars sequel film, did.

Binder's creature complications were manifold. For Bea Arthur's Cantina sequence, all of the original film's alien barflies were resurrected under the supervision of makeup whiz Rick Baker, who added two new faces to the crowd: the Lion Man and the Baboon Man. These makeups were fairly complicated, taking two and one half hours to apply (as opposed to the rest of the Cantina cutups who sported slip-on masks).

The taping of the scene took from six one morning until six the next, with the creature actors suffering from heat and claustrophobia through take after seemingly endless take. Makeup man Baker was astonished to see the Cantina band members squeezing their masks in order to increase their oxygen flow. As a result of their prodding, at least one band member had a dent in his head throughout the finished sequence. Having much more of a difficult time with oxygen intake were the Lion and Baboon actors, who suffered under their heavy appliances for 24 hours.

Even stalwart R2-D2 presented problems during the show. Artoo (not portrayed by Kenny Baker, but rather by a remote-controlled model, a hollow shell and an unnamed actor) was scheduled to sign autographs at a special photo session following the completion of the Cantina sequence. Unfortunately, his robotics were a bit off' that day and the remote-control model failed to respond to controller Mick Garris' frantic machinations. The little robot was saved from public embarrassment, however, when the entire press affair was cancelled due to the marathon Cantina caper's overtime.

Adding a light note during the lengthy taping was Harvey Korman who, in portraying a multitude of alien roles, succeeded in keeping cast and crew members in stitches. After a solid month of patience and puns, the show was finally wrapped up and delivered to the network. But the Star Wars video invasion isn't over. Artoo and Chewbacca are slated to appear in cameo roles in this month's Mickey Mouse Birthday Special and both Artoo and C-3PO are currently hawking Kenner SW toys on a series of TV commercials.

These appearances will have to keep SW fans happy until the appearance of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 (see Starlog #18)... or until Chewbacca decides to take another video vacation.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Latest Acquisitions - Black Friday

It's been somewhat difficult to get motivated to finish this video. I recorded it about a week ago and it took this long for me to finish and upload it. Anyway, here's the Black Friday video and happy holidays...

Monday, December 5, 2011

Latest Acquisitions - November

Here's the Latest Acquisitions Video for November 2011. When you get to the section about the Trans World VHS, I forgot to ask a question. Does anyone know where to purchase that type of clamshell case? I have a number of TWE tapes that would benefit from a replacement case and I haven't been having much luck on finding any.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Spaghetti Westerns

Let's take a look at the first budget label collection of spaghetti westerns that I picked up. This one is simply called Spaghetti Westerns and was released by St. Clair Vision back in 2005. I was at the Tower Records on Fullerton (remember that store?) and it seems like only yesterday...

The Cover Art

The cover art is nothing to write home about and blends in with all those other budget label releases. The back cover lists the films on each disc and gives a brief plot summary.

The Discs

This set contains three single sided dual layer discs that come in a four disc keep case. The discs are red with the film titles clearly written in a yellow western-type font. The set also has two unusual features. The first is a foam insert to keep the discs from sliding around in the case and the second are some special features, but we'll cover those a little bit later.

The Menus

The menu loads after the obligatory FBI Warning, St. Clair Vision Logo and a note about the varying quality of the source material. This time we have an animated menu that plays scenes from the movies in the upper right while a bit of music continually loops. Each film also has total of eight chapter stops.

The Movies

The set contains nine movies, three per disc. Better yet, all of them are actually spaghetti westerns! Again, the plot summaries will be taken from the back cover while the reviews are from Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent by Thomas Weisser.

Disc One

The Grand Duel (1972)

Original Title: Il grande duello

Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Peter O'Brien, Horst Frank

Directed by: Giancarlo Santi

Music by: Luis Bacalov

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (non-anamorphic)

Original Runtime: 98 minutes

DVD Runtime: 90 minutes

Synopsis: A young gunslinger is falsely accused of murder and only one man can set things right. An action-packed Western with European flair, starring Peter O'Brien and Horst Frank.

Review: The story is an engaging whodunit. Good direction from Giancalo Santi, the initial director for Duck You Sucker before stars Rod Steiger and James Coburn demanded Sergio Leone's personal attention (is that really true?). This film features another stirring score from Django composer Luis Bacalov.

Notes: Wild East released an anamorphic widescreen version of this film which is out of print, but it also has a runtime of 90 minutes. An Italian DVD from Titanus Wild West released the uncut version in non-anamorphic widescreen, but it does not have any English audio or subtitles.

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This Man Can't Die (1967)

Original Title: I lunghi giorni dell'odio
Starring: Guy Madison, Rosalba Neri
Directed by: Gianfranco Baldanello
Music by: Amedeo Tommasi
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 90 minutes
DVD Runtime: 90 minutes

Synopsis: Director Gianfranco Baldanello works his magic in this classic Eurowestern, starring Guy Madison a a cowboy out for revenge against the men who killed his parents.

Review: This is yet another "revenge for a slaughtered family" movie with Guy Madison as government agent Martin Benson... In France, it was promoted as a "Ringo" movie, distrubted under the title Ringo Was Not Born To Die.

Notes: I could find no other releases of this film aside from in other budget packs. Sometimes the film is in black & white and sometimes in color.

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It Can Be Done... Amigo (1972)

Original Title: Si può fare... amigo
Starring: Jack Palance, Bud Spencer
Directed by: Maurizio Lucidi
Music by: Luis Bacalov
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 109 minutes
DVD Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: Jack Palance stars as Sonny, a gunfighter out for revenge against the man who dihonored his sister. Chock-full of true tongue-in-cheek Spaghetti Western wit and style.

Review: Director Maurizio Lucidi constructs an enjoyable parody with this film. He recreates the flavor and style of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, but substitutes slapstick for violence. Some of it works. Unlike many Spencer-tailored roles, this one allows him to be something besides a brutish clown.

Notes: An uncut, anamorphic widescreen disc has been released by Wild East.

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Disc Two

Minnesota Clay (1964)

Original Title: Minnesota Clay

Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Fernando Sancho

Directed by: Sergio Corbucci

Music by: Piero Piccioni

Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (non-anamorphic)

Original Runtime: 90 minutes

DVD Runtime: 85 minutes

Synopsis: One of the earliest Spaghetti Western masterpieces, this film sees a captured gunlsinger (Cameron Mitchell) sentenced to hang, but before his execution he escapes from prison to seek the one man who can prove his innocence.

Review: This is Sergio Corbucci's first western (not counting the one he co-directed with Albert Band in 1963 under the pseudonym Stanley Corbett, Massacre At Grand Canyon). Unlike Sergio Leone's first western (Fistful of Dollars, being shot during the same time period) this one follows the Hollywood formula and generally produces no surprises, with one exception; the hero dies at the end.

Notes: An uncut anamorphic widescreen DVD has been released by VCI Entertainment.

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Johnny Yuma (1966)

Original Title: Johnny Yuma
Starring: Mark Damon, Rosalba Neri
Directed by: Romolo Girolami
Music by: Nora Orlandi
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (non-anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 100 minutes
DVD Runtime: 95 minutes

Synopsis: A conniving widow gets more than she bargained for in this fun edgy film that has it all - romance, betrayal, gunfights, suspense and a great musical score. A true Eurowest classic.

Review: Upon its 1967 release in the United States, many critics called it "the most violent Italian western ever." But, while it might be conspicuously brutal, it's also very talky and (ultimately) just another variation of the patented spaghetti western revenge theme.

Notes: Triple X Films from Thailand released an anamorphic widescreen DVD which has an English audio track and clocks in at the full runtime of 100 minutes. Wild East also released this movie, but it too has gone out of print and I can find no details on their release.

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Any Gun Can Play (1967)

Original Title: Vado... l'ammazzo e torno
Starring: George Hilton, Edd Byrnes
Directed by: Enzo G. Castellari
Music by: Francesco de Masi
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (non-anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 98 minutes
DVD Runtime: 97 minutes

Synopsis: Edward Byrnes stars as a wily criminal, with bounty hunter George Hilton hot on his heels. With a fortune in buried gold at stake it's a formula for great gunfights and action-packed adventure.

Review: Here is Edd Byrnes' second Enzo G. Castellari western. This one is decidedly weaker. There's an obvious attempt to capitalize on the three-way dynamics of Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly including a parody of the final showdown, but the lame plot about missing gold is too feeble to support it.

The most memorable thing about the film is the throwaway opening sequence, showing three men on horseback riding into a desolate town. The first, dressed in full poncho, resembles Clint Eastwood. The second is a Lee Van Cleef clone. And the third looks like Franco Nero's Django. Within seconds, the three men are cut down, killed by a bounty killer.

Notes: VCI Entertainment has released this film a number of times on DVD. To the best of my knowledge, the newer releases are in anamorphic widescreen.
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Disc Three

Death Rides A Horse (1967)

Original Title: Da uomo a uomo
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law, Mario Brega
Directed by: Giulio Petroni
Music by: Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 116 minutes
DVD Runtime: 114 minutes

Synopsis: John Phillip Law stars a revenge-seeking outlaw who pairs up with veteran gunslinger Lee Van Cleef with an agenda of his own. With guns a'blazing, the two wreak havoc until they uncover a secret that changes everything.

Review: The surprisingly effective direction from Giulio Petroni (one of his five spaghetti westerns, and certainly his best) is punctuated with an outstanding Ennio Morricone score, giving this film a bigger than life quality bordering on horrific. Especially memorable is the opening rape/murder sequence.

Notes: Wild East recently released a nice anamorphic widescreen print of this film.
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The Hellbenders (1966)

Original Title: I Crudeli
Starring: Joseph Cotten
Directed by: Sergio Corbucci
Music by: Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 92 minutes
DVD Runtime: 92 minutes

Synopsis: A group of ex-Confederates try to re-start the Civil War with an ingenious plan. Joseph Cotten stars as the leader of the pack in this western with an artistic edge.

Review: After the very successful Django and the critically praised Johnny Oro, director Corbucci teamed with his old friend producer Albert Band who co-wrote the script for this film. It's also rumored that Band took a heavy hand in the production and actually acted as co-director on the set.

Notes: Anchor Bay's anamorphic widescreen DVD is actually shorter than the version presented here.
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White Commanche (1968)

Original Title: Comanche blanco
Starring: William Shatner, Joseph Cotten
Directed by: José Briz Méndez
Music by: Jean Ledrut
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 94 minutes
DVD Runtime: 94 minutes

Synopsis: The sons of an Indian mother and a white father come face to face after leading very different lives. William Shatner stars in the unforgettable lead role as the White Commanche.

Review: This film is William Shatner's only contribution to the spaghetti western genre.

Notes: White Commanche is a staple of the spaghetti western budget label collections, but the print used here is the nicest one that I've seen (not that anyone wants to watch the movie).

The Special Features

Believe it or not, this set does contain special features. Disc One features seven minutes of black & white clips of showdowns from The Grand Duel, This Man Can't Die and It Can Be Done... Amigo. Disc Two contains a four minute featurette on Edward Byrnes and Disc Three has the trailers of For A Few Dollars More; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Gunmen of the Rio Grande; The Magnificent Seven and Ride the High Country.

The Bottom Line

Nine movies on three discs, five of them are pan & scan, six of them are cut, some are pretty good and some are pretty bad. This set shows its age, so I can't really recommend picking it up unless you can get a good deal and want to see one of these films.