DVD Collectors Online

Lips of Blood, a review by Danae Cassandra

Year of Release: 1975
Directed By: Jean Rolin
Starring: Jean-Loup Philippe, Annie Belle, Natalie Perrey
Genre: Horror

Overview:
LIPS OF BLOOD (Levres de sang) was considered by Jean Rollin to be the best, or most developed, story he ever wrote. Of all his films, it perhaps best transcends his tendencies toward the poetical and arcane, while remaining at the same time true to his most personal, recurring obsessions: childhood, nostalgia, lost love, romantic quests, the cinema, obsolescence. In the course of its telling, it may also touch on such unsavory topics as vampirism and incest, but it would not be an exaggeration to call LIPS OF BLOOD "Jean Rollin's Somewhere in TimeForever EmanuelleMy Thoughts:
This is my second Rolin film (we watched The Iron Rose last year), and I continue to be impressed with his work.  This is another beautiful film.  It's like visual poetry, dark, romantic, atmospheric.  The visuals, as in The Iron Rose, are simply gorgeous at points.  There isn't much dialog - large parts of the film are silent, leaving us to the ethereal, lyrical beauty of Rolin's visuals - and the pace is relatively slow.  This is horror as art, or art as horror.

I can't say I'd recommend it outright.  I think Rolin is likely an acquired taste.  I've enjoyed both films I've seen of his, and since watching this bought two more (Fascination and The Living Dead Girl), so I definitely enjoy his style, but I don't think it's for everyone.

I have to say, however, that the trailer does absolutely no justice to this film.  It shows most of a single scene near the end of the film, and gives one a completely different idea about the content of the film.  My mom, who had the same opinion of The Iron Rose as I did, was so completely turned off by the trailer that I watched Lips of Blood while she wasn't home.  She wants to see it now, though, after I told her about it.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on November 9th, 2014)

Blade II, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Blade II Year: 2002 Country: United States Director: Guillermo Del Toro Rating: R Length: 117 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround EX, English: DTS ES (Matrixed), French: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround, Music Only: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English

What they say
When the world is threatened by a new and deadlier breed of super vampire, the legendary Blade (Wesley Snipes) and his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors made up of Blade's sworn enemies. These ravenous fiends must be destroyed at all costs in this high-voltage adventure exploding with spectacular effects and martial arts action. The electrifying Snipes reprises his role from the original cult classic, 'Blade.'

My Thoughts
Finally! Blade shown as his superhero self, stylized combat and all! This is my favorite of the series*. As I said, Blade is finally given the superhero treatment, a new breed of über-vampire (love them!), the lovely Nyssa, lots of killings, well done effects, a betrayal you see coming miles ahead. Yeah, I like this movie a lot. Only little thing that bugged is that sometimes, it is very obvious they used CGI for some fighting moves, but hey, it's all part of making Blade the superhero he really is!

Rating:


(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on October 6th, 2008)

Twilight Zone, a review by addicted2dvd

16. The Hitch-Hiker (1/22/60)
Alone on a cross-country trip, Nan Adams (Inger Stevens) has a blowout. Surviving the incident, she gets back on the road - only to see the same hitch-hiker everywhere she looks.

My Thoughts:
This one was a really good episode... one I never seen before. I thought I had this episode figured out early... but the twist turned out not to be what I thought it would be. This episode will go into my list of favorites. The only extra available is that isolated score thing... I still don't get it... why would I want to watch it with only a music score and no dialog or sound effects from the episode? This episode had a TV Spot for The Danny Thomas Show... I was hoping that it would show more different show plugs but so far all been the same couple shows... that can get pretty boring quickly.

17. The Fever (1/29/60)
Tight-fisted Franklin Gibbs is not pleased when his wife wins a trip for two to Las Vegas. But things change when he falls under the spell of a slot machine that calls his name!

My Thoughts:
This one I have seen before. Even though this is a good episode... I would not say it is one of my favorites. This episode does not have any extras attached to it at all. This episode has the same old Wanted Dead or Alive TV Spot attached at the end. I was so hoping that I would start to see some spots for some more shows by now.

18. The Last Flight (2/5/60)
World War I Flying Ace (Kenneth Haigh) flies through a mysterious cloud - and lands at a modern U.S. air base in the year 1960! But the strange part is yet to come...

My Thoughts:
This is another one I have seen before... Think it was one of the ones on one of the volume releases I had. It is a pretty good episode... I enjoyed it.Once again no extras attached to this episode what so ever. and the TV Spot at the end of the episode... once again.... The Danny Thomas Show. And yes I am starting to tire of seeing the same ones over again. Every once in a while it will surprise you with an old public announcement spot... but for the most part it is one of the 2 TV Spots.

19. The Purple Testament (2/12/60)
Lt. Fitzgerald (William Reynolds) has found his own special wartime hell. Looking into the faces of his men prior to battle he has the disquieting ability to see who is about to die...

My Thoughts:
This was a really good episode... enjoyed every minute of it. Was another episode I never seen before. This one has Dick York (Bewitched) in it. At this point I would consider this one in with my favorites. The only extra attached to it is the isolated score. The TV Spot for this episode is Wanted Dead or Alive.

20. Elegy (2/19/60)
Three astronauts land on a remote asteroid where everyone is frozen in place in midst of their activities. The only one who moves is the caretaker (Cecil Kellaway), who reveals that they are in an exclusive cemetery where the deceased's greatest wishes can come true.

My Thoughts:
Once again... this is an episode I never seen before... This episode was pretty good... but I found it to be more on the strange side. I also felt it was a bit on the predictable side. Once again the only extra attached to this episode is the isolated score. The TV Spot for this episode is a public service announcement.

21. Mirror Image (2/26/60)
When Millicent Barnes (Vera Miles) spies her exact double at a bus station, she becomes convinced that the double is trying to take her place in this world. Fellow passenger Paul Grinstead (Martin Milner) thinks she's crazy... at first.

My Thoughts:
One last time on this disc... this is one that I have never seen before. It was a bit on the strange side.. but was definitely a good episode... though I do admit that even now I am not 100% sure what the deal was. I imagine it was as she suspected was going on. The extras with this episode includes an Audio Commentary with Martin Milner and the Isolated Score. I am listening to the Audio Commentary now as I type this. Martin Milner is one of the actors on the episode. His Commentary isn't bad per say... but it could be a lot better. I realize it is hard to remember stuff from 47years ago.. but he got so quiet in parts I actually forgot I was watching the episode with the commentary on!

22. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (3/4/60)
Inexplicable events cause the residents of quiet Maple Street to erupt into rioting. The residents suspect an alien invasion has occurred. If so, where are the alien monsters?

My Thoughts:
This one I definitely seen before... a couple few times before actually... I have caught it a couple times on Sci-Fi Channel marathons as well as it was on one of the volume DVDs I had. This is a really good episode... I enjoyed it a lot. The extras attached to this episode is The Twilight Zone Radio Drama Starring Frank John Hughes and an Isolated Music Score.


Episodes I seen for the First time on this set include:

   1. Judgment Night (Episode 10)
   2. And When The Sky Was Opened (Episode 11)
   3. What You Need (Episode 12)
   4. I Shot an Arrow into the Air (Episode 15)
   5. The Hitch-Hiker (Episode 16)
   6. The Purple Testiment (Episode 19)
   7. Elegy (Episode 20)
   8. Mirror Image (Episode 21)

(From Twilight Zone on February 5th, 2008)