Christopher-Lee Movie Reviews

If "Gone With The Wind" and "Ben Hur" and "Titanic" are the movie equivalents of dove under glass and "Terminator" and "The Matrix" are the same as a roast beef dinner, then "Remote Control" is like a peanut butter sandwich. It is a nice experience but it probably won't change your life. It is a sci-fi look at a world where the enemy is a VHS tape called "Remote Control." In this movie in a movie a guy named Cosmo and a girl named Belinda have to save the world from an interplanetary gang that threatens to take over by using the video rental store as it's base of operations. It also has a hideout in a video reproduction industrial warehouse. Kevin Dillon is attractive as the hero. There is enough action without going overboard. The movie doesn't always look good but that is probably explained in the credits where we see the names of 38 stunt performers and only one make up person. I liked the movie and would show it to friends as a comedy science fiction flick that would pair well in a double feature with "Lust in the Dust" or "Teen-agers From Outer Space." Tom Willett

The doberman's are the "gimmick" in an otherwise average movie. However they are an impressive gimmick.The trainers get the dogs to do some amazing things. Imagine a "Benji" movie for grown-ups. If you are interested in animal training or dobermans, you'll like this movie.

There should be a law against this film - it will damage your brain.

A flashback shows how a woman is killed when she is caught in the crossfire between local goons lead by Judd Nelson. Turns out this woman was married to a cop, who, of course, blames himself for her murder.

Fast forward to the present day and the cop's now teenaged son Jason becomes entangled with Judd and his goons-on-loan, after he takes a fancy to Judd's girlfriend Alyssa Milano. So its up to daddy-the-guilt-racked-cop to load his gun and save the day.

Actually the film sounds quite good wrote down, but don't be fooled. The biggest surprise is that Alyssa keeps her clothes on. Then again, she's only on screen for 5 mins.

-- Don't waste your money --

I'm sorry but this film is [junk]. It only gets two stars because I feel sorry for ALYSSA MILANO (why I got the video in the first place). Alyssa is the only one who can act, but shes shoved into a small, unchallening role. You know the storyline - cops wife is killed, cop mopes around, cop goes back to work only to have son framed for another murder. Throw in some guns, topless women (not Alyssa), and pointless sex scenes. The result? The most boring movie of all time.

This movie rocked my world. Judd Nelson is an underappreciated, versatile actor who also has a great behind. This was his best performance since Suddenly Susan episode 12. Buy this movie quickly before someone else gets the last one. I have six copies myself. I'm going to use them as Christmas, Hanukkah, birthday and anniversary presents. Buy, buy.

Let me see...I've seen every film Lou Ferrigno has made. I've seen Batman & Robin...twice. I've memorized the dances in Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...I've watched unfinished Blade Runner rip-off student films...yet this film is the most painful thing I've ever seen.

This was the first movie for the "straight to video market." So you can thank Blood Cult for all of those mysterious Michael Dudikoff films at your local Blockbuster. You should know that this isn't even high quality video. This is consumer grade. This is you father's video camera he never uses. This is what you have to look at for 90 minutes.

I won't bore you with plot details since I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it, but I will tell you that watching this movie is a form of torture. I only watch this movie when I am angry at myself. So I recommend this film if you are suicidal, or if you are up for a mighty challenge.

If you happen to rent this film (God have mercy) you will know what you are in for from the first 10 minutes. This is when you are hit by the usual horror film intro. You know the drill. There's a lot of suspense and build up before some girl dies. Yes, you've seen it before, but not like this. This is the most boring intro I've ever seen. I honestly believe that you could get a camera off ebay for ten dollars, grab the bum that most smells like gin and candy, and tell him to film your mom cooking dinner and it would be more interesting than this intro. It bored me to tears. I cried like a baby.

Another one of the things that makes this film so unbelievably painful is its actors. Yes, I've seen bad acting. TRUST ME. I've seen 4th grade productions of Oliver Twist with more realistic dialog. The lead actor makes me ill. The "supporting" actress is a train-wreck of a human.

I will not even comment on the boyfriend. True horror.

So, rent this movie if you can find it. You'll never be more depressed that you spent 3 dollars on anything else

The is by far the WORST MOVIE EVER! There is no way one could understand how bad this movie is. If you just need a reference to base all other bad movies on this is the bottom of that list. Please for the Love of Marr do not buy this movie.

It seems that there is someone on a college campus killing girls by dismemberment and leaving only one clue in the crime scene: a golden amulet with a dogs head on it. The local sheriff is up for re-election and the only sure way to win is to solve the murders. Is the long-dead cult Caninus behind the evil doings? And if so, why?

BLOOD CULT isn't scary. It's pretty gory. You got to hand it to the actors: if they hammed it up anymore, an Easter dinner could be served to the crew.

RECCOMENDED TO FANS OF:
555 (1988)
Hell Night (1981)
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

CAST
Charles Ellis......Sheriff Wilbois
Julie Andelman..Tina
Josef Hardt.......Detective

THE MOVIE: 2/4

THE PICTURE QUALITY: 4/10 Presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, BLOOD CULT has it's scenes where the camera becomes mirkey and you can't see some things.

THE AUDIO QUALITY: 8/10 2.0 stereo sound is fine on my tv's sound system.

THE SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary with the director, musical director and effects supervisor, several trailers for both this film and others. (City of the Dead A.K.A Horror Hotel, Don't Look in the Basement, Blood and Black Lace, The Bird With Crystal Plumage,
Satan's Cheerleaders, Murder Rap, Forever Evil, Death Game and
Ruby)

SUBTITLES: none

Having the National Geographic name behind a project certainly lends it a higher level of credibility, but also raises our expectations to a higher level as well. Some of the things presented in this production are contradicted by other sources - mainly about JRR's war experiences influencing the books. The section about "modern day Frodos" was a bit over the top for me, getting a little too "tree hugger-ish" for the over all theme. The sections about the loss of language and oral history was interesting, but I still felt like I was being preached to.

There are other DVDs available through Amazon.com which cover Tolkien's life and works rather well, but this is the only work to really touch on Peter Jackson's film.

The video quality was excellent, seeing clips from the movie makes me anxious for the DVD to be released. There's even some snippets from the next two films. I would have liked to see more of the 'Making of' and cast interviews and less of the 'horros of tropical deforestation' this is not the place for that sort of material. I read Tolkien and go to movies to get away from the daily worries of "should I recycle this or that" and the fears that my tuna fish sandwich may not be dolphin friendly.

For the video quality and some of the 'Behind the Movie' material, I give it a 5 star rating, but for the rest of the content I have to knock my rating down a notch

If you're a fan of Tolkien's works, I mean a fan of the works beyond the movie and beyond the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then you might be interested in watching this DVD. If you're looking for a behind-the-scenes dvd about the blockbuster movies by Peter Jackson, then you might want to turn off this DVD after the first ten minutes and pick up a Fellowship of the Rings boxed set.

This documentary fulfills its claim of going beyond the movie. It certainly does! This dvd goes beyond even the works of Tolkien and centers around the author's life and influences. If you're interested in languages and history, you might find sections of the DVD fascinating as National Geographics takes us to places like Finland and spends what seemed to me to be ages talking to people about language and myths.

I'm not really a linguist, nor am I a historian interested in Norse mythology, but I am quite intersted in Tolkien and the things that influenced his works. For these reasons, I found this DVD to be filled with a wealth of information that goes beyond the shallow tv-style approach to movie backgrounds. This DVD explores several possible influences on the Lord of the Rings trilogy ranging from foxholes in World War II to epic poems such as Beowulf. It was very interesting to see how historians and archeologists can shed light on modern fantasy novels and can influence our interpretations of the events within them.

I do have a few detractions for this DVD. It is true that when I purchased it, I expected more of a behind-the-scenes look at the films by Peter Jackson, and I think the cover and description is somewhat misleading in this way. I was surprised, and not unpleasantly, by the content, but some of the sections discussing language seemed to drag on for a while and leave the audience behind.

If you're a Tolkien addict, check out this DVD. If you're a Peter Jackson addict...buy the boxed set of FoTR.

How sad that so many so-called fans of LOTR don't want to think about the actual meaning of the story. Tolkien's passions, his influences, the things he most valued and most feared, permeate the Lord of the Rings, and it is his life and influences that this documentary explores, not a behind-the-scenes look at the movies. If you want to see how the movies were made, there are plenty of other dvds to watch. One review said Tolkien would be horrified at this documentary; on the contrary, he would probably be fascinated by all the "boring" parts about nature, language and vanishing culture!

I love the Merchant-Ivory period films for their visual beauty and intricate literary adaptations that are usually done with great intelligence and taste. The Bostonians is not up there with Remains of the Day or Howards End by any means, but it's a very fine adaptation of the Henry James novel. That said, let me talk about this DVD: I have seen better quality on video! DVDs should be sharp, pristine, not muddy and with lines flashing across the screen and other annoying defects. This movie needs to be remastered and presented in wide screen. Some scenes actually cut people's faces in half. It's so disappointing to see a gorgeous movie like this on a format that has so many technical flaws. The night scenes, of which there are several, are abominable. My suggestion to the distributors is to release a better quality copy on DVD. Vanessa Redgrave's brilliant, Oscar-nominated performance deserves much better than this mediocre (at best) disc. I'm returning my copy today!!!!!!!

This is a solid, Merchant-Ivory screen adaptation of the Henry James novel of the same name. Set in the nineteenth century, shortly after the civil war, a young newcomer to the then nascent suffragette movement, Varena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter), captures the hearts of many with her eloquent, passionate oratory on the second class citizenry of women.

Olive Chancelloer (Vanessa Redgrave), a wealthy Bostonian, is a patroness of the suffragette movement. Together with her southern cousin, the handsome and strapping Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), she goes to hear Varena speak. Both are entranced by Varena, and Olive takes her under her wing, trying to give her the polish she needs in order for Varena to take a prominent place of leadership within the women's movement.

Basil has other plans, as he is smitten. He pursues Varena relentlessly, with the objective of making her his wife and having her assume a traditional role within the framework of marriage. In his way, stands Olive, who, though still in the closet, clearly has very strong and passionate feelings for Varena, who seems oblivious to Olive's true desires.

In the meantime, Varena expands her horizons and become a favorite on the lecture circuit. She captures the hearts of many young men along the way, much to Olive's dismay, including that of wealthy, Henry Burrage (Jon Van Ness), who is fully supportive of Varena's participation in the movement. His mother, Mrs. Burrage (Nancy Marchand), is very much aware that Olive is an impediment to the potential union of Henry and Varena. She tries to talk to Olive about a match between the two, only to have Olive immediately take Varena away in response to the threat that Henry poses.

Unfortunately for Olive, her cousin Basil is more persistent. To see who wins this tug of war for Varena's heart, one must see the movie. Vanessa Redgrave, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Olive Chancellor, gives a stunning performance as the sexually represessed, still in the closet, lesbian. Fearsome in her devotion to Varena, she passionately fights tooth and nail, within the constraints of the mores of the time, to keep Varena free of any romantic encumbrances with the opposite sex. Regdgrave does this with a deft touch, giving a beautiful and well nuanced performance.

Madeleine Potter does the best that she can with the role of Varena, managing to imbue the character with a certain intelligence and sweetness. She lacks, however, the beauty, charm, and winsomeness necessary to convince the viewer that she can so passionately stir the hearts of so many. She also lacks the skill necessary to persuade the viewer see what is, obviously, not there.

Christopher Reed gives a credible, though not showstopping, performance in the role of Basil, Olive's rival for the affections of Varena. Nancy Marchand, on the other hand, gives a superb performance as Mrs. Burrage, the woman who, seeing what Olive is up to, plays a verbal cat and mouse game with her in hopes of having Olive see reason with respect to her son's suit for Varena's hand.

All in all, those who love period pieces should enjoy this one, if only for Vanessa Redgrave's brilliant perofrmance. Unfortunately, this DVD does not offer much of anything by way of special features. It does not even provides a particularly good picture, as it is somewhat grainy in quality.

And compared to the book, it's a rip-roarer. The actress who plays Verena lacks the appeal that would make Olive's and Basil's fascination with her really explicable, and Christopher Reeve's Basil isn't very convincing either. But who cares, he's gorgeous, and the scene where Basil kisses Verena is worth the price of the movie.

"Theatre of Death" is another of Anchor Bay's well produced low-budget horror DVDs, though the film doesn't quite deliver. Christopher Lee turns in another professional performance, this time as a violence obsessed theatre director suspected in a series of grisly Parisian murders. The photography combines bright colors with deep shadows to produce a fervid, over-ripe environment. The music kicks in loudly whenever needed to underline the action triply, and the story keeps jumping along.

It jumps, but it doesn't make a lot of sense and there isn't much connection between events. We're rapidly introduced to most of the characters and the central situation, but then they stand still for so long and often, endlessly re-hashing the situation, that when something does happen, it seems to come out of the blue. Lee's character disappears about half way through the movie, for example, and not only are we completely unprepared for the disappearance, it is staged so fast that if you blinked, you might miss it. One moment Lee is playing happily with his cat; the next, his theatrical troupe is mourning his loss.

The filmmaking doesn't help. The hand held camera follows people around, or violent actions are momentarily frozen, or scenes are shot from self-consciously striking angles, or lighting setups rely on the blatant artifice made possible by the story's theatrical setting. These stylish, post-French New Wave mannerisms are cleverly executed, but on top of a lumpy story that needs all the unifying it can get, they are more modish than helpful.

On the other hand, the violence is fairly understated, more talked about than depicted, which in one sense is praiseworthy, but also rather silly. After all, you don't watch low-budget horror for clever understatement. Since the movie otherwise is both blatant and overwrought, shying away from the coup de grace just deprives it of much emotional impact. "Theatre of Death" ultimately feels a little unfocused, not quite certain where it wants to go. It produces the odd effect of making you think you've missed something, even though everything has been right on the surface.

... as far as this film contains creepy acting by Christopher Lee and Leila Goldoni. The plot actually is not that bad. It is not a horror film but a murder mystery, with a completely pointless vampiric angle added almost as an afterthought. A Christopher Lee completist might want to take a peak.

The first thing you should know, is that this is more of a murder mystery than a horror movie. It's definitely not a bad one, but definitely not scary. There seems to be some confusion, as if two separate scripts were filmed or one swapped for an other during the filming, but the result is quite good. There are some really beautiful actors / actresses, good score (if my memory serves me properly, by a female composer) and a nice dark overall mood. The backstage feeling is quite realistic as well and presents a good picture of what the life of an avant-garde theatre personality must have looked like in the sixties. And more important, the sound / picture quality (wide screen) of this DVD (Momentum / Kino, with a mustard-toned cover) is so good it is really difficult to explain to the non initiated viewer that this movie is 35 years old....

I get a big laugh out of watching inferior low-budget horror-science fiction films that feature major stars who once appeared in great movies. "End Of The World" is such a film.

Aliens have come to Earth and taken over the bodies of a head priest(Christopher Lee) and a group of nuns at a convent. A scientist has discovered the extraterrestrials and they force him to steal a device that will enable them to return to their home planet. After the scientist brings this device to them, the aliens suddenly reveal that they don't plan to leave quietly.

"End Of The World" is one of Christopher ("The Wicker Man") Lee's worst films. Lew ("All Quiet On The Western Front") Ayres, Macdonald ("Shadow Of A Doubt") Carey, Sue ("Lolita") Lyon, and Oscar-winner Dean ("Twelve O'Clock High") Jagger are other stars who waste their considerable talents on this film. They obviously made this movie just for the money. The special effects are both laughable and cheesy, and the aliens actually look like leftovers from TV's "Star Trek." The opening scene is both violent and inept. Also, the extraterrestrial characters are masters of disguise and possess the power to destroy anything in their path, so I don't fully understand why they needed the scientist to snatch the device; they could have stolen it much more quickly by themselves. I have also rarely seen a movie that is so inappropriately-titled. The name, "End Of The World," is a giveaway that the movie is certainly going to be at least about the threat of Armageddon, but the film only deals with this issue in the LAST FEW MINUTES before the closing credits! The screenwriters seemed to have merely tacked on this theme at the very last minute, and viewers are left feeling much more cheated than shocked.

"End Of The World" is only for diehard Christopher Lee fans and those who enjoy laughing at bad movies. For a respectable Christopher Lee-science fiction movie, wait for George Lucas' upcoming "Star Wars: Episode II."

Just like in "Deep Impact" and "Armageeden" this film is all about the world threatening to end, but not with metiorites, and their are some frightening scenes that are shown happening around the world, and a space view of the earth, and their are no people who are about to die saying goodbye to their families and it doesn't have a happy ending. This film is rated PG and (thankfully) their is no profanity whatsoever, and not as much violence. But that final scene is MOST DEFINATLY rated R!

Okay, I know this movie isn't a "classic." But I enjoyed seeing Christopher Lee in a story of a lone priest who finds a bizarre "other world" at a diner late a night. A steaming coffee machine accident and electrocution by neon sign... original ideas abound in this mixture of genres. Sure it's cheap, but if you don't enjoy the sci-fi elements, at least you can provide your own "Mystery Science Theater" commentary!

While The Howling II has elments of a horror film, the truth is, its graphic sex scenes and multiple orgies make the horror element mere trappings for what it really is: soft core. Not even a b movie, really. I'll never forget seeing this film at a friend's sleepover birthday party when I was in junior high. We were a bunch of girls who wanted to be scared, and get a good adrenalin rush or two. It started out promising enough, with a woman in a black dress who turns out to be a werewolf who you think is going to be taken advantage of by a couple of sleezebags. We were impressed by that, and the architecture -- but one can only take landscape and architecture so far in this context. Instead we blushed and made jokes about the sex scenes. The idea of summoning the Queen of the Werewolves was good, but they didn't look like werewolves -- they looked like even hairier versions of Big Foot. And that's neither attractive or enthralling to watch in any way.
We didn't even finish watching it. If hormonal pre-teens who are looking for an adrenalin rush didn't go for this movie, I have to say watch out. We couldn't go back to the video store so we ended up watching Pee Wee Herman's big adventure a couple of times -- that was much scarier than the Howling II!

Howling 2 is probably worth seeing just because it is one of very few Werewolf films that has ever been made. Even though it's not as good as it's original it did start howling series that is really quite good. Get it for Christopher Lee if nothing elce

The first Howling film was meant to be a serious, scary horror film, and that it was. I think however, the sequals were just meant to be wild and outlandish werewolf movies and this one really is. It has nothing to do with the original plot but that dosen't matter anyway because the other sequals don't either. This movie has a really cheesey plot, and the acting is horrible in it (except for Christopher Lee), but I love it because of it's extreme 80's horror film charisma. The special effects are really good in it to.

While The Howling II has elments of a horror film, the truth is, its graphic sex scenes and multiple orgies make the horror element mere trappings for what it really is: soft core. Not even a b movie, really. I'll never forget seeing this film at a friend's sleepover birthday party when I was in junior high. We were a bunch of girls who wanted to be scared, and get a good adrenalin rush or two. It started out promising enough, with a woman in a black dress who turns out to be a werewolf who you think is going to be taken advantage of by a couple of sleezebags. We were impressed by that, and the architecture -- but one can only take landscape and architecture so far in this context. Instead we blushed and made jokes about the sex scenes. The idea of summoning the Queen of the Werewolves was good, but they didn't look like werewolves -- they looked like even hairier versions of Big Foot. And that's neither attractive or enthralling to watch in any way.
We didn't even finish watching it. If hormonal pre-teens who are looking for an adrenalin rush didn't go for this movie, I have to say watch out. We couldn't go back to the video store so we ended up watching Pee Wee Herman's big adventure a couple of times -- that was much scarier than the Howling II!

Howling 2 is probably worth seeing just because it is one of very few Werewolf films that has ever been made. Even though it's not as good as it's original it did start howling series that is really quite good. Get it for Christopher Lee if nothing elce

The first Howling film was meant to be a serious, scary horror film, and that it was. I think however, the sequals were just meant to be wild and outlandish werewolf movies and this one really is. It has nothing to do with the original plot but that dosen't matter anyway because the other sequals don't either. This movie has a really cheesey plot, and the acting is horrible in it (except for Christopher Lee), but I love it because of it's extreme 80's horror film charisma. The special effects are really good in it to.