BLOODLUST! -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 2/15/14

 

I've never seen BLOODLUST! (1961) get the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment, but it would certainly seem like a suitable subject.  It's cheap, somewhat sub-par in most production aspects,  not overly well-written, and, suffice it to say, a bit silly at times.  And the fact that Robert Reed plays the lead teenage hero is, by itself, enough for a buttload of "Brady Bunch" jokes.

(In one scene, the bad guy shoots a ceramic horse with a crossbow and shatters it.  The horse--wouldn't you know it--looks almost exactly like the one in the Bradys' livingroom.  Hence the line "Mom always said, don't shoot crossbows in the house" simply writes itself.)

The thing is, though, once you get past the TEENAGE ZOMBIES vibe of the opening minutes (two flaky teenage couples discover a heretofore unknown island and romp merrily into the clutches of the evil recluse who owns it), the film rises above its potential Jerry Warren-level awfulness and approaches the relatively higher quality of FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER--which was directed by BLOODLUST!'s cinematographer, Richard E. Cunha--or perhaps even Ray Kellogg's minor classic THE KILLER SHREWS. 

Wilton Graff (LUST FOR LIFE, LILI) helps lend gravitas to the proceedings as Dr. Albert Balleau, former military sniper who now continues his passion for hunting humans on his private island and is delighted to have such fit new specimens to grace his trophy room.  Johnny (Reed) and his nerdy pal Pete (Gene Persson) get to be the designated prey, while their lucky girlfriends, pretty blond judo expert Betty (June Kenney, EARTH VS. THE SPIDER) and jittery Joan (Jeanne Perry), face induction into Dr. Balleau's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Femmes. 

Also giving the film a leg-up in quality are first and only time director Ralph Brooke's brother Walter--the insanely-prolific character actor who would gain screen immortality with the single word "Plastics" in 1967's THE GRADUATE--as reluctant Balleau cohort Dean, and the equally-familiar Lilyan Chauvin (SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, PREDATOR 2) as Balleau's beautiful but miserable wife Sandra.  She and Dean are secret lovers who dream of escaping the island together, which now seems doable with the help of the four captive teens.  This plan works out about as well as you might expect, as long as you keep your expectations nice and low.

Bad movie lovers will enjoy the low-rent look of the interiors of Dr. Balleau's mansion (although the jungle sets and rock-walled trophy room aren't half bad) and relish the sight of young Robert Reed all puffed up in a tight T-shirt while giving his character the same easygoing suavity  and mild horndoggishness that he would later ooze as Mike Brady.  He also adopts his familiar fatherly tone in dealing with his more weak-willed pals Pete and Joan, who prove rather useless during the whole ordeal. 

The more capable Betty, meanwhile, gets to use her judo skills when she flips an oncoming henchman into a vat of acid, which, through the magic of cutaway editing, disintegrates him nicely.  BLOODLUST! is generally pretty gory at times for 1961, especially when Pete and Joan observe Balleau's chief lackey Jondor (Bobby Hall) arranging dismembered body parts to be stuffed for the trophy room. 

Jondor himself emerges from  a pit of quicksand later on with a host of live leeches squirming on his face, one of the film's lovelier images, and the whole thing ends with one of the cast skewered on wall spikes as blood gushes freely.  But somehow, perhaps due to the above-average cast taking the whole thing seriously, the film doesn't exude nearly the kind of lurid, H.G. Lewis-type aura it might have.

The DVD from Film Chest has a 4 x 3 aspect ratio with original mono sound.  No subtitles, but scrolling closed-captioning is available.  No extras. 

Touted as an "HD restoration from 35mm film elements", it still has some rough spots--particularly during the main titles and reel changes--along with occasional specks throughout the entire film.  Still, this print looks way, way better than the ragged PD copy I have on a Mill Creek collection, and is generally pretty nice-looking.  (Stills used for this review are not taken from the Film Chest restoration.)

While this modest (to put it mildly) reworking of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME isn't exactly riveting, it remains fairly entertaining from start to finish and I had a good time watching it.  The mood is effectively morbid, the jungle hunt sequence sufficiently suspenseful, and the ending particularly satisfying.  If you're the kind of person who has a sweet tooth for flicks like TEENAGE ZOMBIES, FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER, and THE KILLER SHREWS, then BLOODLUST! may actually belong in your very own trophy room.

BLOODLUST! -- DVD Review by Porfle

IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 10/19/14

Some movies can pretty much divide a roomful of people in half. That is, one half will sit in rapt attention while the other half flees the room in all possible haste to escape paralyzing, soul-crushing boredom.

IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES (1973) is one of those movies. Many viewers will find its dry, pseudo-scholarly tone, glacial pace, and static images of crumbling ruins and desolate landscapes to be the absolute opposite of entertainment.

And yet, those who used to sit fascinated week after week by every episode of the subsequent television series "In Search Of" (1976-1982, hosted by Leonard Nimoy) will most likely be riveted to the screen from beginning to end.

The open-mindedness of this film's producers and writers--which skeptics would no doubt find excessive--is what allows host/narrator Rod "Twilight Zone" Serling to pose baffling questions about ancient civilizations and then offer theories involving alien visitors from outer space and other paranormal phenomena.

Most of the now-familiar subjects are touched upon, from the mysterious lines carved into the vast Nazca plains of Peru--which Serling supposes may have been a landing field for alien aircraft--to the gigantic etchings of people and animals seen here and in England which can only be discerned from the air. Were these created for the benefit of our ancestors from the sky?

The ruins of Inca cities and other wondrous sites such as Troy and Jericho are examined for further evidence of such visitors sharing their advanced knowledge with ancient humans. Serling, along with various scientists, historians, and other experts whose credentials may or may not be impeccable, endeavors to explain why we should suspect an alien influence shaping much of our shared history as citizens of Earth.

In a seemingly stream-of-consciousness manner, Serling whisks us from Peru to the Bermuda Triangle for a quick retelling of the famous tale of disappearing military planes, and then it's off to search for the fabled lost city of Atlantis.

Unexplained artifacts are examined as well, including human skulls that display evidence of successful brain surgery, intricately designed machines created seemingly ahead of their time, and painted or sculpted images that resemble modern-day astronauts or aircraft.

Serling follows all of this up with some NASA-related anecdotes and a tale of unexplained radio waves received from outer space, again told by guest "experts" whose reliability we must either accept or discount. More interstellar speculation wraps things up, unsurprisingly, on an inconclusive note.

The DVD from Film Chest is in full screen (4 x 3) with original mono sound. Running time is 53 minutes. No subtitles or extras. The picture quality varies between okay and "ehh" (some of the stock footage shots in particular look like somebody's home movies) but then again the "In Search Of" shows always looked like that and it never really made that much difference.

While I don't know how every diehard skeptic will react to IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES, I'm pretty sure the less patient ones would rather skip it altogether. But if you've ever entertained the notion that we've been visited and indeed colonized by aliens throughout history, you may find this documentary's earnest "what if" tone to be both intriguing and fun.

IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES -- DVD Review by Porfle

HELL HUNTERS -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 7/7/16

 

Interesting Brazilian locations, including Rio de Janeiro's fabled carnival, and some venerable actors doing a little slumming highlight the cheap-but-fun action thriller HELL HUNTERS (1986), now on DVD from Film Chest. 

An aging but lively Stewart Granger seems to be having a good time playing mad scientist Martin Hoffmann, an escaped Nazi (loosely based on Joseph Mengele) living in South America and performing experiments he hopes will result in a serum that will turn people into Hitler-heiling zombies.

Meanwhile, a rag-tag group of armed Nazi hunters headed by Amanda (Maud Adams, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, OCTOPUSSY) keep pursuing Hoffman through the Brazilian jungles.  An early gunfight between the two factions helps kickstart the film.

Amanda even goes so far as to marry Hoffman's nephew so that he'll take her to the ex-Nazi's secret jungle compound, the route to which she records in her diary before she's assassinated by Hoffman's lethal toady El Pasado (Eduardo Conde) in a suspenseful scene that takes place in an airport bathroom.

When Amanda's estranged daughter Ally (Candice Daly) comes to Brazil to attend her mother's funeral, she gets caught up in the search for Hoffman and gets a taste for revenge in which her training in self-defense and target shooting comes in handy.

What follows is a rather lighthearted--as well as lightweight--action flick with some touchy romantic interplay between the skittish Ally and an amorous young Nazi hunter named Tonio (Rômulo Arantes) that yields much amusingly bad dialogue and a softcore sex scene or two. 

Tonio's female partner Nelia (Nelia J. Cozza) is a dark, sassy beauty who likes to leap into the fray right alongside the guys even when the bullets are flying fast and furious. 

During the group's foray up the river toward Hoffman's elusive hideout (one of the production companies mentioned in the credits is called "Heart of Darkness") they pick up a man-mountain named Kong (Russ McCubbin) who adds to the film's comedy-relief quotient as well as ramping up the amount of physical mayhem whenever they confront the bad guys.

The inevitable bullet-riddled climax pays off pretty well for such a modest production, reminding me a bit of the finale of Ted V. Mikels' THE DOLL SQUAD (1973).  Nothing really amazing happens, but like the rest of the film it's well-paced and competently handled by director Ernst R. von Theumer, who also manages a nifty chase scene in and around Rio de Janeiro earlier in the film.

 

Acting is all over the place among the lesser members of the cast although they all seem to be having a good time.  Aside from the jovial Granger, Maud Adams is more appealing to me here than in both her previous Bond appearances.  And speaking of Bond, one-time 007 George Lazenby (ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE) makes a brief but welcome appearance as one of Hoffman's associates. 

The DVD from Film Chest is in 16x9 widescreen and is "restored in HD from the original 35mm print."  Meaning that the visual quality won't knock your socks off but it looks pretty good for a film of its age and low budget.  No extras. 

There are those, of course, to whom HELL HUNTERS will be well out of their tolerance range for low-budget and hopelessly hokey action flicks.  For me, however, it was a nice bit of good, clean, nostalgic fun. 

HELL HUNTERS -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE KILLER SHREWS -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 10/24/14

 

One of the most well-liked, perhaps even loved, titles in the bad-movie pantheon is a low-budget horror/sci-fi thriller from 1959 called THE KILLER SHREWS.

As I myself pointed out in great detail in an earlier review--intended, admittedly, more for Medved-style cuteness than anything else--there's a lot to poke fun at in this modest effort if you've a mind to.

But even as it gets its share of well-deserved ridicule (especially for the giggle-worthy fact that its mutated shrew creatures are actually dogs wearing monster costumes) and is one of the most popular films to have been given the MST3K treatment, one of the main reasons this tense little flick has such staying power is that in addition to being "so bad it's good", it is also, in many ways, just plain good.

For one thing, it's one of the first movies in which a disparate group of people barricade themselves in a house to defend themselves against an outside menace. As has often been pointed out, the similarities between it and George Romero's 1968 horror classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD indicate that Romero was influenced by the earlier film.

Which gives rise to an even more intriguing thought--did Alfred Hitchcock see THE KILLER SHREWS before coming up with his own barricaded-house thriller THE BIRDS four years later?

The story is pure straightforward pulp novel stuff, with manly cargo boat captain Thorne Sherman serving as a no-nonsense working class hero. When he and first mate "Rook" Griswold (Judge Henry Dupree) deliver supplies to a group of research scientists on a remote island that's about to be hit by a hurricane, he finds he's walked right into danger in the form of wolf-sized, man-eating killer shrews whose teeth drip instantly-lethal venom.

Heading the research group is Dr. Marlowe Craigis (leading Yiddish theater actor and famed director Sidney Lumet's father, Baruch Lumet), a well-meaning scientist wracked by guilt for having unwittingly unleashed such monsters. Among those threatened by them is his own daughter Ann, played by Ingrid Goude who was Miss Sweden of 1956 and, while not a very skilled actress, at least brings a likable earnestness to her performance.

In the role of Dr. Craigis' cowardly assistant Jerry Farrell is Ken Curtis (THE SEARCHERS, THE ALAMO), who would go on to TV superstardom as Festus Haggen on "Gunsmoke." Curtis has a field day playing Jerry as a weaselly lush driven by ambition and burning with jealousy after Ann starts making goo-goo eyes at Captain Thorne, and we can't wait to see the shrews chow down on this insufferable jerk.

Rounding out the cast are executive producer Gordon McLendon as endearingly nerdy scientist Dr. Radford Baines and Alfredo DeSoto as loyal handyman Mario. McLendon and Curtis also co-produced THE GIANT GILA MONSTER that same year, and both films were directed by Ray Kellogg, who co-directed THE GREEN BERETS along with John Wayne. A special effects man as well as director, Kellogg supplies some really nice-looking matte paintings to the shots of Thorne's boat anchored in the island harbor.

While many low-budget horror flicks of the era are technically inept and heavily padded, THE KILLER SHREWS' lean, suspenseful story moves along briskly once the exposition is out of the way. The shrew attacks themselves are often frightening as the revolting creatures relentlessly chew their way through the soft adobe walls of the house in a frantic search for "food."

It helps that the actors seem so thoroughly convinced that the dogs-in-monster-suits menace is real. James Best, known mainly as Rosco P. Coltrane on "The Dukes of Hazzard", somehow fits his own laconic persona into the part of a macho action hero well enough for us to buy into Thorne Sherman as a guy with the brains and brawn to get these people through this seemingly hopeless ordeal.

Meanwhile, some of the dialogue is laughably off-kilter and seems even more amusing as the cast strains to deliver it with utmost seriousness, often while guzzling martinis like they're going out of style. Yet they're able to make us care about these desperate people during the escalating shrew attacks, up to and during one of the most ludicrous (yet somehow riveting) climactic sequences ever seen in a film of this kind. The fact that it's played absolutely straight--as is the entire movie--makes it both exciting and, yes, perversely hilarious.

The DVD from Film Chest is in 4 x 3 full screen with original mono sound. No subtitles or extras. While I don't see much difference in this "digitally restored" version than the ones I already have, the image is quite good despite the usual specks and scratches.

What makes this release stand out for me is that the opening narration is complete, beginning with the line "Those who hunt by night will tell you that the wildest and most vicious of all animals is the tiny shrew." Usually this narration is joined in the middle of the final sentence with the truncated line "...Alaska, and then invading steadily southward...there were reports of a new species...the giant killer shrew!"

Apparently only the longer audio survives since the footage to accompany it seems to consist of the same brief shot seen before, only greatly slowed down until the bolt of lightning that heralds the main title. But it's nice to finally hear the whole thing.

Even if you've already watched the MST3K version of THE KILLER SHREWS, it deserves to be seen on its own terms. (Unlike much of the total crap that Joel, Mike, and the robots have comically endured over the years.) With repeated viewings, the unintentional comedy remains entertaining as ever while the suspense and chills contained in this nifty little monster movie steadily creep their way up your spine.


Read our original "The Killer Shrews" review HERE

DVD street date: November 11

THE KILLER SHREWS -- DVD Review by Porfle

DEADLINE -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 11/17/19

 

One thing 50s and 60s television did so well, and which seems to have been lost these days, was the powerful half-hour drama. This is especially true of the better written and produced anthology shows of the time, including the hardboiled, often riveting journalism drama "Deadline."

Film Chest's new 3-disc, 39-episode DVD collection DEADLINE ("When Reporters Were Heroes") contains the entire run of the show (which aired sporadically from 1959 to 1961), with each episode covering various true-life news stories and the dogged reporters who unearthed them, often putting their lives in jeopardy to do so.

Paul Stewart (CITIZEN KANE) lends the show a distinguished air as the gravel-voiced host who, while sitting in a busy newsroom amidst diligent reporters and other workers, introduces each front-page story and the journalist who broke it.

Most of the stories are crime-related, as the reporters often work alongside police detectives on cases involving murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping, extortion, prison riots, mad bombers, juvenile delinquency, shoplifting, and political corruption.

The reporters track down leads and confront bad guys like hardnosed cops, sometimes giving the show the feel of a "Dragnet" episode.  The low budget and abundance of location shooting in the heart of the city also give it a gritty, realistic look. (Listen for some familiar "Plan 9 From Outer Space" library music within the show's score.)

Some stories are particularly powerful, as when a man (actor/director Mark Rydell) is accused of planting a bomb in his mother's suitcase and killing an entire planeload of people for her insurance money.  In another, a college student's thesis on how to commit the perfect murder is tested with the cold-blooded killings of two innocent men.

In addition to these subjects are the ones more related to human interest and social justice, with the reporters often being portrayed as crusading angels and pillars of moral virtue. Indeed, the series goes to great lengths to dispel any popular notions regarding the profession which are anything but positive.

Here we witness stories of amateur spelunkers being rescued from a cave (a very young Christopher Walken is billed as "Ronnie"), a pair of Burmese nurses being saved from deportation by a reporter (Frank Sutton, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.")  whose life they once saved in a makeshift army hospital, and another reporter going undercover to expose the exploitation of illegal immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.  There's even a heart-tugging Christmas episode.

The stories are lean, terse, and to the point. They're also somewhat addictive, making them good binge-watching material for those so inclined. Like many anthology shows of the time, "Deadline" was a place for writers and actors to hone their talents, often doing work that is inspired.

The film quality of these black and white episodes is generally pristine save for occasional rough spots, which I think only add to their character. According to the promo information, these films were lost and forgotten in a garage in New Jersey for over 50 years before rediscovery.

Stewart himself plays the lead in many of the episodes. Other familiar faces include Telly Savalas, Peter Falk, Simon Oakland, Malachi ("Mal") Throne, Diane Ladd, Joanne Linville, Robert Lansing, George Maharis, Sydney ("Sidney") Pollack, Bibi Osterwald, Frank Overton, Lee Bergere, Jan Miner, Bob Hastings, Walter Brooke, Dana Elcar, Lonny Chapman, Jason ("Herb") Evers, Micheal Conrad, and Alfred Ryder.

As mentioned, the show glorifies the reporter's role as a crusader for justice and defender of all that is good, vowing (also quoting the promo info) to "uphold everything that our civil society stands for."

The text material found in the enclosed episode-guide booklet stresses how tarnished the reporter's image has become in recent years, blaming this not on any failing on the part of today's mainstream media but on its being undermined by alleged "fake news" being spread by the internet and other independent sources.

I find this either willfully naive or intentionally misleading, considering the fact that, in recent years, major print and television news sources seem to have relinquished a great deal of their former integrity while much of the actual truth one is able to glean these days does, in fact, come from the internet. 

Not only that, but the booklet's text as well as a DVD interview with a noted broadcast journalism professor seem to be just as politically biased as is much of today's mainstream media.

Putting such gripes aside, however, DEADLINE is a rich source of entertainment for vintage TV lovers, and Film Chest has done a fine job of preserving and presenting these exciting episodes that are such a valuable part of television history.



BONUS FEATURES
Episode Synopses • Photo Gallery • Trailer •
Trivia • Extended Synopsis: Journalism Past and
Present Overview • Interview with Broadcast
Journalism Professor Joe Alicastro


SKU: FC-647
UPC: 874757064796
SRP: $19.98
Street Date: 11/19/2019
Pre-Book: 11/5/2019
Discs: 3
Box Lot: 30
Production: Arnold Perl
Run Time: 1,006 Mins
Format: DVD
Color/B&W: B&W
Aspect ratio: 4x3
Year Prod: 1959 - 1961
Sound: Mono
Studio: Film Chest
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Television, Crime, Drama
Actor(s): Paul Stewart (narrator), Peter Falk,
Diane Ladd, George Maharis, Robert Lansing
and many more.               
Director(s): Various

DEADLINE -- DVD Review by Porfle

DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/8/14

 

Despite some seriously threadbare production values, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, aka "The Forgotten" (1973), is wonderfully weird and deliriously demented. Lensed in Texas on a shoestring budget and in a single location, this dark madhouse shocker starts out messed-up and just gets more messed-up as it goes along.

Set in a large, seedy old house that serves as an insane asylum, the story revolves around a tightly-knit group of crazies presided over by Dr. Stephens (Michael Harvey), whose methods of treatment are somewhat unconventional.

This includes handing one of the nuttiest residents an axe and encouraging him to chop away his hostilities on a handy log out in the yard, which is great until the guy gives Dr. Stephens a nice big chop in the neck when his back is turned. Exit Dr. Stephens before the titles have even moseyed into view.

Next in charge of the place is the matronly Dr. Masters (Anne MacAdams in a solid performance), who regards the inmates as family and doesn't want to disrupt their routine with anything as pesky as a murder investigation. So she sweeps the whole matter under the rug (so to speak) right before the new nurse that he hired earlier arrives unexpectedly, ready to start work.

Although initially gung-ho about nursing and eager to delve into her new job, it doesn't take long before pretty, perky Nurse Charlotte (1972 Playboy covergirl Rosie Holotik, HORROR HIGH) regrets ever laying eyes on the place as she contends with a hostile and domineering Dr. Masters and meets the downright unnerving nutcases wandering around loose at every turn.

There's the insecure nympho constantly ripping off her clothes and begging every man she meets to "love" her (including the guy who shows up to fix the phone), the former army sergeant who's still fighting some war, the drug-pilfering Goth chick, the frizzy-haired nerd who keeps popping up everywhere like a giddy poodle, and the childless young woman pitifully coddling a doll as though it were real, having already offed a nurse whom she mistakenly thought had tried to steal her "baby."

Bill McGhee (QUADROON, THE TRIAL OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD) is gentle giant Sam, a likeable lug who seems harmless enough since being lobotomized by Dr. Stephens. (Or is he?) Giving HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL's Mrs. Slydes a run for her money in the "creepy old lady" department is a cackling hag named Mrs. Callingham (Rhea MacAdams) whose cryptic warnings to Nurse Charlotte to get out of there as fast as she can will later be proven worth heeding.

Worst of all, perhaps, is the guy with the axe, Judge Oliver W. Cameron (Gene Ross, THE GOONIES, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK), who seems to have presided over one nerve-wracking trial too many and now shows up at the least opportune times (including standing over Nurse Charlotte's bed in the dead of night) wielding whatever sharp stabbing or hacking instrument he can get his mitts on. When the nympho sets her sex-crazed sights on this wretched piece of work, they make quite a pair.

The screenplay by Tim Pope (who would become a major music video director during the 80s) moves along nicely from one unsettling situation to the next, aided by a capable directing job from former Larry Buchanan collaborator S.F. Brownrigg and a cast of actors who, while mostly unpolished, really throw themselves into their roles--often with surprising intensity.

Imaginative writing helps the story avoid getting too cliched while supplying plenty of scintillating dialogue and unexpected plot twists, with a surprise ending that you won't see coming unless you're one of those "I saw it coming" types.

The film's leisurely pace is punctuated by a few startlingly grotesque scenes--one in particular in which a patient is found one morning with her tongue having been cut out during the night--while building to a nightmarish free-for-all finale that pretty much pulls out all the stops. It all boils down to who kills who, who gets away and who doesn't, and who really is or isn't who we think they are. Oh yeah, and somebody finally looks in that basement, too.

The DVD from Film Chest is in 4 x 3 full screen with original mono sound. No subtitles or extras.

With an eerie atmosphere and weirdness to burn, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT transcends its meager budget to deliver the gruesome goods for the horror fan who appreciates a good B-movie with some imagination behind it. It may not be terrifying, but don't be surprised if you feel it warping your mind just a bit.

DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/10/12

 

Back when Saturday morning was just about the only time a kid could watch hours of wall-to-wall cartoons--along with live-action stuff like "Shazam!", "Banana Splits", and even "The Roy Rogers Show"--one of my favorite series was the simian spy spoof "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp."  Now, Film Chest has collected all 17 episodes plus some nice extras in the 3-disc set LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP (1970), which the faithful and the simply curious alike should find both interesting and more than a little bizarre.

A takeoff of popular shows of the era such as "Get Smart" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", with a little 007 thrown in, "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp" boasted an all-chimp cast performing on scaled-down sets with all the appropriate costumes and props, and practical effects which allowed them to drive cars, motorcycles, speedboats, etc. (In a couple of western-themed segments they even ride Shetland ponies.) 

Dayton Allen provides the voice for Lance, who's sort of a cross between Humphrey Bogart and George Burns, while Joan Gerber channels Olive Oyl as the voice of Lance's partner and love interest, Mata Hairi.  The two agents work for a secret spy organization known as A.P.E. (Agency to Prevent Evil) and are forever foiling the evil schemes of C.H.U.M.P. (Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan).  A.P.E.'s leader is Commander Darwin ("What's your theory, Darwin?" Lance often asks), a character based on Leo G. Carroll's "Mr. Waverly" from "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." 

"Get Smart" regular Bernie Kopell is the voice of C.H.U.M.P. mastermind Baron von Butcher, a monocled megalomaniac whose associates include his chauffeur Creto, evil genius Dr. Strangemind (hilariously based on Bela Lugosi), Dragon Woman (who lives on an atomic-powered junk), her henchman Wang Fu, the Duchess, and Ali Assa Seen, who for some reason tends to burst into song after each sentence.

The stories (each episode contains two 15-minute segments) are very simple and serve mainly as an excuse for the chimps to perform funny bits of business that are often quite impressive.  With the perfect deadpan expressions, their simulated delivery of the show's droll dialogue can be priceless ("A thousand pardons, Dragon Woman.  A swarm of locusts attacked my moustache") as are the cleverly-edited reaction shots and slapstick performances. 

Lines were often improvised on the set to match the chimps' lip movements, yielding some delightful digressions and non-sequiturs as well as Ali Assa Seen's odd musical asides.  A typical "Get Smart"-style running gag is this exchange between Lance and Darwin:

"Give me one good reason why you should fire me."
"Because you're incompetent, an idiot, and a bumbler!"
"I only asked for ONE reason."

Some of my favorite scenes take place in Lance's apartment, which seems inspired by the ultra-modern bachelor digs of both Derek Flint and Matt Helm.  The apartment contains three secret exits ("It sounds like there's someone at the table," Lance observes in one episode) and a host of gadgets that don't always work as expected ("I need to get that button fixed"). 

So well executed is the illusion, it doesn't take long before one begins to think of these chimps as talented comic performers and grow fond of their characters.  Although a cool super-spy, Lance is also a lovable shlub.  Mata is the cutest and most appealing of the chimp cast, her expressions and demeanor matching perfectly with her Olive Oyl voice. 

One of her funniest moments is when she performs undercover as a blonde-wigged torch singer in a waterfront dive, belting out hilariously awful songs while bad guy Wang Fu cries in his beer.  Actor Malachi Throne ("It Takes a Thief") supplies the show's mock-serious narration: "Mata, fearing Lance was in danger, saw her chance to slip past the sleeping Wang Fu, who was emotionally exhausted from her singing."  Meanwhile, the chimps portraying Baron von Butcher and his cohorts seem to be reveling in their roles like a bunch of hammy human actors.

Since just about every Saturday morning show in those days had to feature a band a la "The Archies", Lance and Mata are members of an undercover rock group called "The Evolution Revolution" who in each episode perform a song which is introduced by an Ed Sullivan takeoff named "Ed Simian."  ("And now for you young youngsters out there...")  This is followed by a brief collection of "Laugh-In" inspired bits called "Chimpies." 

The DVD set from Film Chest comes with three slimline cases in a 60s-mod box that features Lance on the cover.  The episodes are 4:3 full screen with no subtitles.  Disc three contains bonuses including interviews with producer Allan Sandler and musical director Bob Emenegger and the short documentary "I Created Lancelot Link" featuring the late Stan Burns and Mike Marmer.  Sandler is shown being reunited with Lance, who now lives at the Wildlife Waystation in Los Angeles (to whom proceeds from the DVD sales will go).  Rounding out the extras is a slideshow and all of the "Evolution Revolution" songs and "Chimpies." 

A major concern which always arises regarding shows like this is the treatment of the animals involved during filming.  Producer Sandler never addresses this directly in his interview, but his recollections are of such a fond and seemingly benign nature that one gets the impression the chimps in this case were treated very well and, to a certain extent, even enjoyed performing.  At any rate, I thoroughly enjoy watching LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP and recommend it to anyone with a taste for entertainment that's not only funny but just plain wacky. 

LANCELOT LINK: SECRET CHIMP -- DVD review by porfle

Cult TV Classic, Reality-Based "DEADLINE" (Not Seen Since 1961) Debuts on DVD Nov. 19

 Not Seen Since It’s Original Broadcast TV Run (1959-61), "DEADLINE" Makes Home Video Debut

“A free, independent and professionally-trained press is irrefutably both the backbone of a democracy and the foundation upon which a free civil society is built; without which a democratic nation simply cannot exist.” - Sir Howard Ding

Lost and forgotten in a garage in New Jersey for over 50 years, the Deadline TV series (1959-61), which dramatized stories drawn from actual newspaper headlines of the 1950’s, has been rediscovered to remind us of a time when newspaper reporters were revered as heroes and the guardians of truth and justice.

Reporters are the first line of defense of the principles rooted in our Constitution and protected under the first amendment. They uphold everything that our civil society stands for.

At a time when print news media is rapidly disappearing and news reporters are being vilified as “enemies of the people,” Deadline has emerged from hibernation and is making its home video debut. Starring Peter Falk, Diane Ladd, George Maharis, Robert Lansing, and many more, this anthology series is available for the first time since it aired on prime-time TV nearly 60 years ago.

BONUS FEATURES
Episode Synopses • Photo Gallery • Trailer •
Trivia • Extended Synopsis: Journalism Past and
Present Overview • Interview with Broadcast
Journalism Professor Joe Alicastro

SKU: FC-647
UPC: 874757064796
SRP: $19.98
Street Date: 11/19/2019
Pre-Book: 11/5/2019
Discs: 3
Box Lot: 30
Production: Arnold Perl
Run Time: 1,006 Mins
Format: DVD
Color/B&W: B&W
Aspect ratio: 4x3
Year Prod: 1959 - 1961
Sound: Mono
Studio: Film Chest
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Television, Crime, Drama

Actor(s): Paul Stewart (narrator), Peter Falk,
Diane Ladd, George Maharis, Robert Lansing
and many more.               
Director(s): Various

Cult TV Classic, Reality-Based "DEADLINE" (Not Seen Since 1961) Debuts on DVD Nov. 19

Action-packed ’80s B-movie "HELL HUNTERS" with George Lazenby -- on DVD July 5

Film Chest Media Group Proudly Presents
Hell Hunters

Murder. Rage. Revenge.

Action-Packed ’80s Horror Drama Restored in HD from
Original 35mm Film Elements on DVD July 5th

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — July 1, 2016 — A group of Nazi hunters must stop an evil doctor from getting his revenge for the fall of the Third Reich in the action-packed, ’80s, B-movie Hell Hunters –  restored in HD from original 35mm film elements – on DVD July 5 from Film Chest Media Group.

Wanted for war crimes, Nazi zealot Dr. Martin Hoffmann (Stewart Granger, North to Alaska, Bhowani Junction, The Prisoner of Zenda, Scaramouche) has been hiding deep in the jungle of Paraguay for 40 years. Searching for a weapon powerful enough to restore his dream of Aryan domination, the evil scientist experiments with the venom of a poisonous spider and creates a mind-controlling serum.

With his cohort, Heinrich (George Lazenby, Gettysburg, Who Saw Her Die?,  On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Hoffmann forms a plan to test his concoction on the population of Los Angeles while a dedicated band of Nazi hunters, led by the beautiful Amanda (Maud Adams, Octopussy, The Man With the Golden Gun), is rapidly closing in on them. Who will win this deadly game of hide and seek?

Also starring Candice Daly (Liquid Dreams, After Death) and directed by Ernst R. von Theumer (Jungle Warriors, Red Heat), Hell Hunters is presented in full screen with an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 and Dolby Digital 2.0.

About Film Chest Media Group:
Founded in 2001, Film Chest Media Group offers high-quality content for a wide variety of production and distribution needs, boasting one of the world’s largest libraries (10,000+ hours) of classic feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio—much of it restored and digitized in HD. Headquartered in Bridgeport, Conn., with offices in New York City, the company also produces and distributes collector’s DVD sets. Visit us online: http://www.filmchestmediagroup.com

Hell Hunters
Film Chest Media Group
Genre: Action/Adventure/Horror/Drama
Original Release: 1986 (Color)
Not Rated
Format: DVD
Running Time: Approx. 98 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $17.98
Pre-Order Date: June 14, 2016
Street Date: July 5, 2016
Catalog #:  FC-529
UPC Code:  #874757052991

Buy it at Amazon.com

Action-packed ’80s B-movie "HELL HUNTERS" with George Lazenby -- on DVD July 5

Coppola/Corman Classic "DEMENTIA 13" DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack Out April 26th

Film Chest and Virgil Films & Entertainment Proudly Present DEMENTIA 13 on the HD Cinema Classics and CULTRA Labels

Which Mourner Has a Motive for Murder?

Roger Corman & Francis Ford Coppola Explore the Demented World of the Seedy, Greedy & Insane, all in HD for the 1st Time Ever!

NEW YORK CITY - April 1, 2011 - For Immediate Release - Produced by celebrated B movie icon Roger Corman and directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, 1963's terror-ific Dementia 13 will be available in a special DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, April 26 from Film Chest on the HD Cinema Classics and CULTRA labels (distributed by Virgil Films & Entertainment).

Considered Coppola's first mainstream, "legitimate" directorial effort, this gothic psychological
thriller - based on a story idea Corman penned in one night - was shot for a budget of $42,000. The majority of the American actors were college pals of Coppola, many of whom paid their own way to Ireland for the opportunity to appear in a film. Although Coppola promised "lots of sex and violence," Corman later battled with Coppola and hired director Jack Hill to shoot additional scenes of carnage. For years, it was rumored that the film's print had mysteriously disappeared. Now, Film Chest makes Dementia 13 available to fans, restored and in HD for the first time ever!

 After inadvertently causing her husband's fatal heart attack, Louise, a scheming young woman (Luana Anders, Easy Rider, The Last Detail, TV's Santa Barbara), attempts to have herself written into her wealthy mother-in-law's will. 

Forging a letter from her deceased spouse to convince his family he's away on business, Louise - determined to get into their good graces - pays a surprise visit to the ancestral home in Ireland. With other family members gathered at the foreboding castle, she joins in a morbid ritual to honor Kathleen, her sister-in-law who died mysteriously seven years earlier.



When an axe-wielding lunatic begins murderously stalking the gatherers, her plans are permanently interrupted. But which one is the killer?  Is Louise - or one of the other peculiar mourners, each with a dark motive - willing to do anything to gain fortune?

Also starring William Campbell (Cannonball, Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte), Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange, Chariots of Fire), Bart Patton, (THX 1138, TV's Riverboat) and Ethne Dunne (No Resting Place, The Mutations).

Dementia 13, restored from original 35mm elements, is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 and 5.1 surround sound. Enclosed is a collectible postcard reproduction of the original movie poster. Special features include Spanish subtitles, before-and-after film restoration demo and trailer.

About Film Chest:
Film Chest, headquartered in New York City, boasts one of the world's largest digitized libraries (10,000+ hours) of classic feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio, which it continues to grow aggressively. Founded in 2001, the company offers high-quality content (much in HD) for a wide variety of production and distribution needs and produces collector's sets for consumers. In 2010, Film Chest unveiled three new labels. HD Cinema Classics are films that have been painstakingly restored in HD and 5.1 stereo - utilizing state-of-the art digital technology - from original film assets. American Pop Classics restores classic American film and TV shows from the '30-70s. CULTRA showcases the best (and worst) of cult cinema, a cinematic cesspool of films that are surreal, eccentric, controversial, comical and scary but ultimately engaging and entertaining. With directors who were both visionaries and crackpots, these films were originally misunderstood and rarely a box office success, achieving status by word-of-mouth and underground distribution. Film Chest releases theatrically, on DVD (distributed by Virgil Films & Entertainment) and digitally on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Verizon FIOS and more. Visit us online at www.FilmChest.com.

About Virgil Films & Entertainment:
Virgil Films & Entertainment, formerly Arts Alliance America, was founded in 2003 as Hart Sharp Video by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical film, documentary, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with such high-profile entertainment brands as Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment and Morgan Spurlock's Warrior Poets, among others. For more information, please visit: www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com.

Dementia 13 (2 Discs)
Film Chest / Virgil Films & Entertainment
Genre: Horror
Original Release: 1963 (B&W)
Not Rated
Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack
Running Time: Approx. 75 Minutes (Plus Special Features)
Suggested Retail Price: $15.99
Pre-Order Date: March 22, 2011
Street Date: April 26, 2011
Catalog #:  APC-005
UPC Code:  #851169003056

Buy it at Amazon.com

Coppola/Corman Classic "DEMENTIA 13" DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack Out April 26th

Al Adamson Cult Film "CARNIVAL MAGIC" on DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Jan. 25

Film Chest & Virgil Films & Entertainment Proudly Present (on the CULTRA Label) … Carnival Magic

Magicians, Monkeys, Mad Scientists & More!

Cult Classic Long Thought Lost is Newly Restored - Never Released on Video, First Time Ever on DVD and in HD

Special DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack Appears Jan. 25th


NEW YORK CITY - Jan. 1, 2011 - For Immediate Release - A supernaturally skilled conjurer and his simian sidekick, the stars of a small-time circus, must defeat a jealous rival and evil doctor to stay together in the cult classic Carnival Magic, being released in a special DVD/Blu-ray combo pack Jan. 25 from Film Chest on the CULTRA label (distributed by Virgil Films & Entertainment).

In Carnival Magic - never before available in any home entertainment format - swarthy, mystical magician Markov the Magnificent (Don Stewart, TV's Guiding Light, Knots Landing, Dragnet) can read minds and levitate people and objects at will.  Working a small-time carnival, he teams up with Alexander the Great ("Alex"), an über-intelligent chimp who has the ability to speak. Soon the duo is the belle of the fair, their act drawing huge crowds.

The carnival's dastardly and envious wild animal trainer, enraged that his own act has been unseated as the circus' top attraction, plots to rid himself of competition. "Chimp-napping" Alex, he hands him over to a shady scientist who is planning some very nasty medical experiments. A desperate Markov must quickly come up with a plan to save Alex, as well as his own livelihood.

Co-starring Regina Carrol (Doctor Dracula, Black Heat, Jessi's Girls), Jennifer Houlton
(TV's The Doctors) and Howard Segal (The Last Game), Carnival Magic was directed by Al Adamson and was once called "The finest family film since E.T." by Joe Franklin, WWOR-TV.
 

The late Adamson's G-rated talking monkey movie has been the source of rumors and wild speculation for nearly 30 years. Some insist only a single print was ever made, while others claim the film never saw the light of day until a copy was "found" in Adamson's Florida home shortly after he was murdered (on the cusp of a reported comeback effort) in 1995, his corpse discovered beneath the concrete and tile-covered whirlpool bath in his newly remodeled bathroom. Adamson was married to the film's star, Regina Carrol, from 1972 to 1992, when she passed away from cancer.

Carnival Magic was originally released theatrically in 1982 in 30 markets, doing well at the box office. Not until 2009 were the negative, screenplay, 16 complete 35mm prints, outtakes, press books, one-sheets and other treasures discovered in an east coast warehouse.  To celebrate, TCM Underground premiered the newly restored master this past October.

Carnival Magic is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 and 5.1 Dolby Digital Stereo. Special features include an interview with producer Elvin Feltner; outtakes; audio commentary with cult film historian Joe Rubin and Feltner; "Making Of" featurette; original theatrical trailer; and Spanish subtitles.

About Film Chest:
Film Chest, headquartered in New York City, boasts one of the world's largest digitized libraries (10,000+ hours) of classic feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio, which it continues to grow aggressively. Founded in 2001, the company offers high-quality content (much in HD) for a wide variety of production and distribution needs and produces collector's sets for consumers. In 2010, Film Chest unveiled three new labels. HD Cinema Classics are films that have been painstakingly restored in HD and 5.1 stereo - utilizing state-of-the art digital technology - from original film assets. American Pop Classics restores classic American film and TV shows from the '30-70s. CULTRA showcases the best (and worst) of cult cinema, a cinematic cesspool of films that are surreal, eccentric, controversial, comical and scary but ultimately engaging and entertaining. With directors who were both visionaries and crackpots, these films were originally misunderstood and rarely a box office success, achieving status by word-of-mouth and underground distribution. Film Chest releases theatrically, on DVD (distributed by Virgil Films & Entertainment) and digitally on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Verizon FIOS and more. Visit us online at www.FilmChest.com.

About Virgil Films & Entertainment:
Virgil Films & Entertainment, formerly Arts Alliance America, was founded in 2003 as Hart Sharp Video by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical film, documentary, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with such high-profile entertainment brands as Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment and Morgan Spurlock's Warrior Poets, among others. For more information, please visit: www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com.

Carnival Magic (2 Discs)
Film Chest / Virgil Films & Entertainment
Genre:  Family/Cult/Classic
Original Release: 1982 (Color)
Rated: G
Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack
Running Time: Approx. 100 Minutes (Plus Special Features)
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99
Pre-Order Date: December 21, 2010
Street Date: January 25, 2011
Catalog #:  APC-004
UPC Code:  #851169003049

Buy it at Amazon.com

Al Adamson Cult Film "CARNIVAL MAGIC" on DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Jan. 25