DVD Collectors Online

Four Times That Night, a review by Achim

Title: Quante volte... quella notte
Year: 1972
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: NR
Length: 83 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Daniela Giordano
Brett Halsey
Dick Randall
Valeria Sabel
Michael Hinz

Plot:
For his sole foray into the sex comedy genre, Mario Bava delivers a swinging orgy of mod design, leering humor and daring late '60s erotica. American leading man Bret Halsey and former Miss Italy Daniela Giordano star in this Rashomon-inspired tale of a playboy and a virgin's first date that may or may not have included rape, nymphomania, lesbianism, and groovy inflatable furniture.

Extras:
Scene Access

I have yet to see Kurasawa's Rashomon (now rather sooner than later) to judge just how close this film was to it, but Bava's inspiration is undeniably clear ( only after typing this sentence did I realize that the cover blurb actually gives it away ). The same story is told from 4 perspectives (hence the title), with each one shedding a different light on how and why things happened. Saying much more about the plot would spoil it for first time viewer, so I'll stay away from that.

Bava starts out (again, as per cover blurb) in telling the story like a sex comedy which were so popular in Europe at the time. However, then the tone shifts and everything seems rather dark when the claims to her mother that she's almost been raped. Only when we head into the second telling of the events do we realize, that things may not be as they seemed and begin trying to put the puzzle together to find the truth.

I highly enjoyed the witty dialog, especially in the beginning; it fell partly flat in later parts The film is shot with some inventive camera work, giving the limited locations a sufficiently fresh fell throughout the film. It has not entirely aged well, but ignoring some signs of the times it was made in it's still much enjoyable today.



(From Mario Bava marathon on July 13th, 2009)

Curly Sue, a review by DJ Doena

Director: John Hughes

James Belushi    ...    Bill Dancer
Kelly Lynch   ...    Grey Ellison
Alisan Porter   ...    Curly Sue
John Getz   ...    Walker McCormick
Fred Dalton Thompson   ...    Bernard Oxbar

Synopsis: Bill and his "adopted" daughter Curly Sue are two hoboes who fight their way through life with minor cons. But with their latest scam they hit the jackpot. The lawyer Grey Ellison takes them into her home, gives them food and clothes. But how long will this work?

My Opinion: And another favourite comedy of the harmless kind of mine. All the scenes with Curly Sue are so funny, when she sings "Star-Spangled Banner" or when they play Poker or when they teach Grey the high art of conning.
Too bad, Alisan Porter doesn't act anymore. But her new career ain't bad either:



(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2010 on January 25th, 2010)

The Hunger: The Complete First Season, a review by addicted2dvd

The Hunger: The Complete First Season (1997/Canada) Terence Stamp hosts the first season of this spine-tingling horror anthology series from Executive Producers Tony and Ridley Scott, which features a phenomenal cast of familiar faces as you've never seen them before. Inspired by leading genre writers, each episode will draw you into a mesmerizing world of terrifying characters and erotic encounters, where demons feed on the weaknesses of men and temptation consumes reason. Episodes: 1. The Swords 2. Menage a Trois 3. Necros 4. The Secret Shih-Tan 5. Bridal Suite 6. Room 17 7. Anais 8. No Radio 9. But at My Back I Always Hear 10. Red Light 11. I'm Dangerous Tonight 12. The Sloan Men 13. A Matter of Style 14. Hidebound 15. Fly-By-Night 16. The River of Night's Dreaming 17. The Lighthouse 18. The Face of Helen Bournouw 19. Plain Brown Envelope 20. The Other Woman 21. Clarimonde 22. Footsteps

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Stars:
Terence Stamp as Host

Extras:

• Featurettes

I just finished the first season of this Anthology series that originally ran on Showtime in the mid '90s. It is a bit tough to review this set. I mean I enjoyed it quite a bit... but there is a lot of weird episodes in the set as well. I classify this as a horror anthology as it deals with vampires, ghosts and other supernatural beings. But then there is episodes that deals with normal murders and such as well. Since this series originally ran on Showtime each episode also has a bit of sex/nudity. Though nothing overly adult oriented. Each episode runs about 26min. Unfortunately I didn't care much for Terrance Stamp as the host. I even found myself fast forwarding through his little introductions to the episodes towards the end of the set. But over-all I would say it is worth checking out.






(From Addicted2dvd's Random TV Series Watched on May 5th, 2012)