Christopher-Lee Movie Reviews

The movie is excellent, what's left of it, that is. The original cable TV production went on for several more hours than the VHS tape does. A good bit of footage of the more eccentric characters (Blind Pew, Black Dog, Squire Trelawney), and an unconscionable amount of the Chieftains' music, got lopped so that the cut would fit onto a two-hour VHS tape. I, personally, would pay to see the original full-length film on DVD. Whether TNT will be offering this any time soon is moot.

All that said, the scurrilous lot of pirates, headed by an especially effective Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, is all that could be hoped for, even if you rehearse for National Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) all year.

The good guys are pretty well-played, too, especially the Squire, Captain Smollett, and Dr. Livesey. I'd have given this a 5 if it weren't so short, and a 10 for the original on DVD, by thunder!

Although Ms. Sandy, UT said there was "quite a bit of profanity", I think she's crazy. I have seen this movie several times and would never feel bad about anyone of any age watching it. There is, however, one time that Billy Bones was talking to blind pue and said "Flint's dead goddam him" Blind Pue: "yes dead and damned". This may not be the "gee golly" language that she wants, but this movie isn't as bad as she makes it sound, remember, the movie is rated G.
I thought Charlton Heston was a perfect Long John Silver. I also thought the music was perfect too. It really helped to enhance the film. The music is done by The Chieftains. I don't know if there is an actual soundtrack, but the chieftains have an album out titled Film Cuts. This disc has songs from Treasure Island, Rob roy, and Far and away. I have listened to the CD as well. I rate the disc at a 10. I rated this movie as a five, but I would actually rate it as a 10 if the scale went higher. Please give this movie a chance, it will make its way into your heart as it has into mine.

One day a mysterious person comes to stay at an inn ran by a boy and his mother. It is obvious that this stranger led a rough sea going life. What was not obvious is that events with his previous associates would eventually lead to adventure and 'Treasure Island.'

Of course nothing can replace the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, ISBN: 3895084581. However this movie comes closest. I also have a copy of Treasure Island (1934) ASIN: 6301977068 because that is what I watched as a kid and thought of it as a classic. But Wallace Beery can not come near Charlton Heston as Long John Silver. What you do not want to waste your time on is Treasure Island (1950) ASIN: 6304293941. This version is chopped up. People are missing. And the story is so sweet that you don't recognize the plot.

You can tell that the folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment love movies. It shows in every disc they release (like last years wonderful "MAD MONSTER PARTY" DVD). And this new release of director Richard Lester's delightfully enjoyable 70's comedy/ swashbuckler's "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" and "THE FOUR MUSKETEERS" in one 2-disc set is yet another example of their care and love. This is a wonderful release and a superior job over the DVD's Fox-Lorber have had on the market for the last couple of years. No one ever mentioned it (maybe nobody noticed it), but the Fox-Lorber DVD of "3 MUSKETEERS" was missing about 1 minute of footage in a scene between Charlton Heston and Christopher Lee. These new discs have the complete versions of both films and they look and sound great! For the first time they are presented in anamorphic widescreen in their proper aspect-ratio (full screen versions are also included but I haven't yet viewed them so I can't comment on them). The extras are also very nice. Two half hour documentaries on each disc includes interviews with stars Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, Michael York and Frank Finlay and producers Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler. Trailers, tv spots, radio spots, photo & poster galleries and star biographies (that are actually informative and worth reading) round out this very pleasing package! Buy it, watch it and enjoy!

Of course these are 5 star films so I'll just comment on the new release 2 DVD set. The picture and sound quaity is GREATLY improved over the fox/lorber release and both films are presented in their CORRECT widescreen with The Four Musketeers offering a choice of pan n scan or widescreen. Includes great current day interviews with Heston, Lee, Welch, York, Salkind among many others on the making of the film. Even the 'two movies' dispute is discussed in detail by all!! Nice packaging, great interviews and improved transfer makes this a must for upgrade. Too bad Return wasn't included. If you havent seen these films get set for a real treat. I wish I could go back and see them for the first time again. They don't make 'em like this anymore...

This is the best version of Dumas' "The Three Musketeers", not only by virtue of the cast and script -- it also, despite the heavy doses of slapstick, is the most faithful to the novel. At the time it was a daring move to have one long movie released as two. In retrospect, it was a bad idea, since the movies should be seen as a whole. Seen as two, they make up a slapstick ("The Three Musketeers") and a dark drama ("The Four Musketeers"). Seen together, the two blend well as one.

Richard Lester, who is an interesting if not always good director, does a superb job here. He handles the slapstick well, and he and the writer Geo. MacDonal Fraser (yes, the "Flashman" guy) do a great service by not only making each sword-fight scene interesting, but keeping them individual (there's a sword-fight on the ice in "The Four Musketeers" that has to be seen to be believed).

In 1989, fifteen years after these movies, the same cast, director and writer came together again for an abbreviated, single-film version of "Twenty Years After" called "Return of the Musketeers" (it's too bad Roy Kinnear and Oliver Reed are gone so they can't do "The Man in the Iron Mask"!). This film is not included, but it's a small loss. It's interesting to devotees of the original movies, but not necessary viewing for everyone.

The cast of "The Complete Musketeers" is awesome. Michael York, years before he was Basil Exposition, was a the promising young actor of the time. The three musketeers (Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay) are wonderful (although one may carp about Finlay's Porthos). And though it was the movie that proves she could act, Raquel Welch, the reigning sex goddess of the day, also has her more prominent assets on display in low-cut bodices. Christopher Lee, who has recently added "Star Wars","Lord of the Rings" and Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" to his credits, here makes a threatening Rochefort. Charlton Heston, Faye Dunaway and the rest are uniformly excellent. This is one of the best movie treats of the 1970s.

Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed the entire miniseries on TV in the 1980s, I bought this set and expected it to be the same. I was very disappointed with the editing done to reduce the length from 8 hours down to 5 hours. The result is choppy, with dialogue frequently referring to scenes and sequences that were cut. In addition, there are editorial gaffes in some of the recaps of previous episodes where the cut scenes are recapped. These instances left me wondering what I had missed -- and then I realized that the scenes had been cut out. While this cut is still riveting, if you're willing to sit still for 5 hours of this version of Shaka Zulu, I'd recommend spending the additional 3 hours watching the complete version -- and at about the same price. It's well worth it!

The video is great; the one unfortunate aspect being that it is edited from the original TV series to a degree in which some of the characters do not fulfill their personalities and impact upon the life of Shaka. Aspects of Shaka's childhood have been left out that appeared in the TV series and which greatly help to clarify some of his later actions and personality traits. Yet another thing I found disappointing is that it is told from the point of a white man, a needless aspect.

In spite of this though it is a great story of a little known part of African history documenting the difficult childhood of Shaka, his rise to prominence and forging of the Zulu Empire from a kingdom of a few thousand to one of hundreds of thousands.
Some great characterizations, a particular favourite being Shaka's maiden aunt Mkabayi. If anyone is interested they may also want to purchase E.A. Ritter's book 'Shaka Zulu' which explores many of the myths surrounding Shaka. A great video though and well worth the money.

Shaka Zulu, the story of one of the world's most brillant military minds, who revolutionized warfare on the face of Africa forever. This has to be one of my favorite epic films, i regret that i have watched it so many times that i know all the words, i wish i had never seen it before so that i could watch it again and get the feeling that i had when i first saw it 15 years ago. It dosen't star Elizabeth Taylor, it's not about the great British empire conquering the "savage" people, or about the "all mighty" U.S. calvary hunting down Geronimo and Mexican bandits out on the lone prarie. So you most likely won't see it on AMC or TCM anytime soon. They showed this on the History channel a few weeks ago and i was astounded, they finally showed something about black people besides Roots. Something where the black people weren't slaves or servants to White Americans, but were the heads of a large quarter-million empire that dominated any other on the continent. I found out recently that the white sport hunters nearly wiped out the Black Rhino population in the 1800's, only about 14 survived. Those 14 only survived because they were on Shaka Zulu's land and they were forbidden to be hunted there. All present day Black Rhino's come from those 14, so if not for anything else than for that alone, this story needed to be told in honor of Shaka Zulu. I am glad the movie is as long as it is [nearly 4 hours], the director didn't cut any corners to fit it in the standard 2 hours. Watch Shaka grow from boy to King, follow him on and incredible journey from outcast to ruler. I highly recommend it.

I have not seen Horror Hotel in years, I saw it back in the early 70's on the Chiller theater show out of New York. This movie gave me the creeps when I was a teenager. Although a low budget, campy B&W film with a witchcraft theme. With a guest appearance by the classic horror man himself, Christopher Lee, the film is dark and shadowy, set in a spooky Salem Mass. town filled with dreary fog, and strange looking town folk. But the real spooker is a woman (Witch)by the name of Elizabeth Sullivan - she has a face of pure evil, without any makeup ! The kind of person you might have trust in, but when your not looking, she'll put a knife in your back ! The best scene is when the deaf mute 'Lottie' is found in the hidden catacomb just before the climax of the film - a satanic sacrifice. But beware of the shadow of the cross !

A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

The 1960 British film "City of the Dead", or as it is more popularly known in the US as "Horror Hotel", has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television back in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time favorite horror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution") plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a New England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the dead, running the Raven's Inn (guests check in, but don't check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the place isn't exactly a big "tourist draw". Enter shapely blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has come to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely sinister Christopher Lee). Miss Barlow checks into the Raven's Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of horror movie cliches, but they work! Dark, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they're all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley's musical score (a hybrid of horror movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors' performances, particularly that of the "heavies" (especially Ms. Jessel), are good , making for a very entertaining and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone right to the source, the original British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that's only the beginning. The picture quality is superb, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is good, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that's "Sir" Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the original American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this love letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic horror films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an excellent textbook example on how to make a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. "Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither stare, that strips my conscience bare..."

I have not seen Horror Hotel in years, I saw it back in the early 70's on the Chiller theater show out of New York. This movie gave me the creeps when I was a teenager. Although a low budget, campy B&W film with a witchcraft theme. With a guest appearance by the classic horror man himself, Christopher Lee, the film is dark and shadowy, set in a spooky Salem Mass. town filled with dreary fog, and strange looking town folk. But the real spooker is a woman (Witch)by the name of Elizabeth Sullivan - she has a face of pure evil, without any makeup ! The kind of person you might have trust in, but when your not looking, she'll put a knife in your back ! The best scene is when the deaf mute 'Lottie' is found in the hidden catacomb just before the climax of the film - a satanic sacrifice. But beware of the shadow of the cross !

A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

The 1960 British film "City of the Dead", or as it is more popularly known in the US as "Horror Hotel", has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television back in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time favorite horror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution") plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a New England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the dead, running the Raven's Inn (guests check in, but don't check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the place isn't exactly a big "tourist draw". Enter shapely blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has come to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely sinister Christopher Lee). Miss Barlow checks into the Raven's Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of horror movie cliches, but they work! Dark, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they're all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley's musical score (a hybrid of horror movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors' performances, particularly that of the "heavies" (especially Ms. Jessel), are good , making for a very entertaining and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone right to the source, the original British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that's only the beginning. The picture quality is superb, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is good, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that's "Sir" Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the original American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this love letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic horror films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an excellent textbook example on how to make a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. "Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither stare, that strips my conscience bare..."

I have not seen Horror Hotel in years, I saw it back in the early 70's on the Chiller theater show out of New York. This movie gave me the creeps when I was a teenager. Although a low budget, campy B&W film with a witchcraft theme. With a guest appearance by the classic horror man himself, Christopher Lee, the film is dark and shadowy, set in a spooky Salem Mass. town filled with dreary fog, and strange looking town folk. But the real spooker is a woman (Witch)by the name of Elizabeth Sullivan - she has a face of pure evil, without any makeup ! The kind of person you might have trust in, but when your not looking, she'll put a knife in your back ! The best scene is when the deaf mute 'Lottie' is found in the hidden catacomb just before the climax of the film - a satanic sacrifice. But beware of the shadow of the cross !

A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

The 1960 British film "City of the Dead", or as it is more popularly known in the US as "Horror Hotel", has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television back in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time favorite horror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution") plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a New England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the dead, running the Raven's Inn (guests check in, but don't check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the place isn't exactly a big "tourist draw". Enter shapely blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has come to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely sinister Christopher Lee). Miss Barlow checks into the Raven's Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of horror movie cliches, but they work! Dark, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they're all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley's musical score (a hybrid of horror movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors' performances, particularly that of the "heavies" (especially Ms. Jessel), are good , making for a very entertaining and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone right to the source, the original British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that's only the beginning. The picture quality is superb, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is good, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that's "Sir" Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the original American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this love letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic horror films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an excellent textbook example on how to make a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. "Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither stare, that strips my conscience bare..."

I have not seen Horror Hotel in years, I saw it back in the early 70's on the Chiller theater show out of New York. This movie gave me the creeps when I was a teenager. Although a low budget, campy B&W film with a witchcraft theme. With a guest appearance by the classic horror man himself, Christopher Lee, the film is dark and shadowy, set in a spooky Salem Mass. town filled with dreary fog, and strange looking town folk. But the real spooker is a woman (Witch)by the name of Elizabeth Sullivan - she has a face of pure evil, without any makeup ! The kind of person you might have trust in, but when your not looking, she'll put a knife in your back ! The best scene is when the deaf mute 'Lottie' is found in the hidden catacomb just before the climax of the film - a satanic sacrifice. But beware of the shadow of the cross !

A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

The 1960 British film "City of the Dead", or as it is more popularly known in the US as "Horror Hotel", has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television back in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time favorite horror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution") plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a New England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the dead, running the Raven's Inn (guests check in, but don't check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the place isn't exactly a big "tourist draw". Enter shapely blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has come to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely sinister Christopher Lee). Miss Barlow checks into the Raven's Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of horror movie cliches, but they work! Dark, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they're all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley's musical score (a hybrid of horror movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors' performances, particularly that of the "heavies" (especially Ms. Jessel), are good , making for a very entertaining and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone right to the source, the original British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that's only the beginning. The picture quality is superb, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is good, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that's "Sir" Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the original American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this love letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic horror films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an excellent textbook example on how to make a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. "Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither stare, that strips my conscience bare..."

I have not seen Horror Hotel in years, I saw it back in the early 70's on the Chiller theater show out of New York. This movie gave me the creeps when I was a teenager. Although a low budget, campy B&W film with a witchcraft theme. With a guest appearance by the classic horror man himself, Christopher Lee, the film is dark and shadowy, set in a spooky Salem Mass. town filled with dreary fog, and strange looking town folk. But the real spooker is a woman (Witch)by the name of Elizabeth Sullivan - she has a face of pure evil, without any makeup ! The kind of person you might have trust in, but when your not looking, she'll put a knife in your back ! The best scene is when the deaf mute 'Lottie' is found in the hidden catacomb just before the climax of the film - a satanic sacrifice. But beware of the shadow of the cross !

A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

The 1960 British film "City of the Dead", or as it is more popularly known in the US as "Horror Hotel", has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. I have seen this film countless times since I first saw it on television back in 1966 in numerous edited versions, and in varying degrees of quality. Made on a modest budget, similar to the Val Lewton chillers of the 1940s, it has remained one of my all-time favorite horror films. Stage actress Patricia Jessel (she won a Tony Award for the role of the duplicitous Christine Vole in Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution") plays Elizabeth Selwyn, burned as a witch in Whitewood, a New England village in 1692. Selwyn made a pact with Lucifer prior to her death, placed a curse on the village, and has indeed returned from the dead, running the Raven's Inn (guests check in, but don't check out!), and, basically, all of Whitewood. The citizens of the creepy, run-down village, with the exception of blind Reverend Russell (Norman McCowan) and his granddaughter Patricia (Betta St. John), are all witches, so the place isn't exactly a big "tourist draw". Enter shapely blonde co-ed Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson, daughter of director John Stevenson and actress Anna Lee) who has come to Whitewood to write a term paper on witchcraft, upon the recommendation of her professor, Alan Driscoll (a suavely sinister Christopher Lee). Miss Barlow checks into the Raven's Inn, and becomes a sacrificial victim of Ms. Selwyn and her pals on Candelmas Eve. A subsequent investigation of her disappearance, led by her brother and boyfriend, along with the assistance of Patricia Russell, leads to a hair-raising climax. The film is chock-full of horror movie cliches, but they work! Dark, film-noirish photography, loads of fog, cobweb-filled catacombs, run-down graveyards, they're all here, and they are simply perfect. This film is practically a style source for Goths! Douglas Gamley's musical score (a hybrid of horror movie meets Gregorian chant, with some jazz passages thrown in) is catchy and memorable, and the actors' performances, particularly that of the "heavies" (especially Ms. Jessel), are good , making for a very entertaining and satisfying 78 minutes. VCI has gone right to the source, the original British print, and has restored 2 minutes of footage that have been unseen in American prints, and that's only the beginning. The picture quality is superb, tho maybe a tad grainy in spots, and is presented in widescreen format. The sound quality is good, nothing spectacular, and then there are the extra features! Interviews with director John Llewellyn Moxey, Christopher Lee (that's "Sir" Christopher Lee now!), and Venetia Stevenson, talent bios, a photo gallery, the original American teaser-trailer, and fun art and graphics add immeasurably to this love letter DVD to a well-made, genuinely creepy film. If you are a fan of classic horror films, this is a must-own. If you are an aspiring horror-film maker, this is an excellent textbook example on how to make a well-crafted, tight film on a modest budget. "Those fingers through my hair, that sly, come-hither stare, that strips my conscience bare..."

Out of all the episodes from Power Rangers In Space, Saban had to pick the Psycho Ranger saga! I'm not saying the Psycho Ranger saga was bad, but it's not the best either. Countdown To Destruction should of been put on video or the Ninja Turtles/Space Rangers team up, ect... Countdown To Destruction was the best 2 part episode ever. This was the best team ever! And they deserved a great video, not a pretty good video.

Having gotten my copy of "Power Rangers In Space: The Movie" a couple of years ago, I am frankly surprised that they would actually edit the episodes (and even cut one whole episode out) and downsized them to fit a movie plotline.

I like the video, it's just it would have better if they had tried to at least make a miniseries on Fox or make it into a made-for-TV movie.

PRiS is actually a great series, it's just that the Psycho series isn't actually the episodes that would be worth editing and composing into a feature-length "movie." The plot itself is intriguing and semi-original, the acting is terrific, but actually, the first two to three episodes would be worth editing or even better, the last three episodes of "Countdown to Destruction." It wraps up things more fully and is a welcome relief to the usual end to a seasonal PR series.

If you like PRiS, this movie is for you. If you're a PRiS fan who actually thinks this is a full-length movie, better pass this up.

Power Rangers In Space

RANGERS GONE PSYCHO

Five imposters are wreaking havok throughout Angel Grove as Power Rangers. The real Rangers confront them, and they reveal themselves to be the Psycho Rangers, maniacal machines sent by Astronema. The Psychos read the Rangers' minds, and prove to be difficult to defeat with this knowledge of the Rangers' fighting techniques.

A RIFT IN THE RANGERS

Ashley and Cassie have a quarrel over doing chores on the Megaship. Psycho Yellow and Pink manage to capture Ashley.

FIVE OF A KIND

TJ comes up with a way to defeat the Psycho Rangers. Since they are designed to fight their respective Ranger color, the Rangers all disguise themselves as the Blue Ranger, and to confuse them even further, Zhane jumps in as Psycho Silver.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The Psycho Rangers scour the city in search of the civilian Rangers, using voice recognition. Cassie is in town, and must remain quiet to avoid being found.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

The Psycho Rangers have stolen the Mega Voyager. To get it back, the Power Rangers launch a surprise attack on the Psychos.

Out of all the episodes from Power Rangers In Space, Saban had to pick the Psycho Ranger saga! I'm not saying the Psycho Ranger saga was bad, but it's not the best either. Countdown To Destruction should of been put on video or the Ninja Turtles/Space Rangers team up, ect... Countdown To Destruction was the best 2 part episode ever. This was the best team ever! And they deserved a great video, not a pretty good video.

Having gotten my copy of "Power Rangers In Space: The Movie" a couple of years ago, I am frankly surprised that they would actually edit the episodes (and even cut one whole episode out) and downsized them to fit a movie plotline.

I like the video, it's just it would have better if they had tried to at least make a miniseries on Fox or make it into a made-for-TV movie.

PRiS is actually a great series, it's just that the Psycho series isn't actually the episodes that would be worth editing and composing into a feature-length "movie." The plot itself is intriguing and semi-original, the acting is terrific, but actually, the first two to three episodes would be worth editing or even better, the last three episodes of "Countdown to Destruction." It wraps up things more fully and is a welcome relief to the usual end to a seasonal PR series.

If you like PRiS, this movie is for you. If you're a PRiS fan who actually thinks this is a full-length movie, better pass this up.

Power Rangers In Space

RANGERS GONE PSYCHO

Five imposters are wreaking havok throughout Angel Grove as Power Rangers. The real Rangers confront them, and they reveal themselves to be the Psycho Rangers, maniacal machines sent by Astronema. The Psychos read the Rangers' minds, and prove to be difficult to defeat with this knowledge of the Rangers' fighting techniques.

A RIFT IN THE RANGERS

Ashley and Cassie have a quarrel over doing chores on the Megaship. Psycho Yellow and Pink manage to capture Ashley.

FIVE OF A KIND

TJ comes up with a way to defeat the Psycho Rangers. Since they are designed to fight their respective Ranger color, the Rangers all disguise themselves as the Blue Ranger, and to confuse them even further, Zhane jumps in as Psycho Silver.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The Psycho Rangers scour the city in search of the civilian Rangers, using voice recognition. Cassie is in town, and must remain quiet to avoid being found.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

The Psycho Rangers have stolen the Mega Voyager. To get it back, the Power Rangers launch a surprise attack on the Psychos.