DVD Collectors Online

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, a review by Danae Cassandra

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Year of Release: 1962
Directed By: Abe Levitow
Starring: Jim Backus, Morey Amsterdam, Jack Cassidy, Royal Dano, Paul Frees
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Animation, Television

Overview:
In this seasonal Charles Dickens' tale, the bumbling and lovable Mr. Magoo is Ebeneze Scrooge. Remember the hilarious and heartwarming story of how Mr. Scrooge transforms after a visit from Christmas past, present, and future. This Original Christmas Classic is a must-have for the holidays!

My Thoughts:
Not the worst version of A Christmas Carol that I've seen, but close to it. If Mr. Magoo doesn't make a bad version of Scrooge, the reordering of the ghostly visits, and the elimination of Fan and his nephew sit hard with me. There's also a lot of music for as short as this special is. I love musicals, but there's a need for more story here, and less razzleberry dressing.

Overall, I'd say this is more for fans of Magoo than fans of A Christmas Carol. As far as cartoon versions of the story for kids, Mickey's Christmas Carol is much, much better.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

(From Christmas 2016 on December 16th, 2016)

Horror of the Blood Monsters, a review by Jimmy

Title: Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970)

Genre: Science fiction
Director: Al Adamson (I Spit on Your Corpse!)           
Rating: PG
Length: 1h26
Video: Full Frame
Audio: English
Subtitles: No Subtitles

Stars:
John Carradine (The Howling)
Robert Dix (Forbidden Planet)
Vicki Volante (Brain of Blood)
Joey Benson (Blood of Ghastly Horror)
Jennifer Bishop (Impulse)   

Plot:
One of cult movie director Al Adamson's most popular films, known for its use of weird color effects by "Spectrum-X," stars horror icon John Carradine as scientist Dr. Rynning, who leads a space journey to a distant planet of blood-sucking vampires intent on contaminating Earth. While exploring the planet, the crew becomes entrapped by warring tribes of primitive vampire-like men and, in order to escape bloody death, must battle snake-men, bat-demons, and the other hideous denizens of this evil world!


Al Adamson in vampire make-up 

The movie really start with a spaceship expedition to another planet. The expedition will arrive on the planet and explore it. At this point we will learn that there was a nuclear incident who happens on the planet and that's why all the image are tinted (red, blue, yellow,...). That's how Adamson had incorporated the Tagani footage and I think that it was a really brilliant idea.


As seen on Robot Monster

This is a prehistoric planet and 2 tribes fight each other the Taganis and the Tubatons. The Taganis are human and the Tubatons are bat-man (not Batman, but some kind of vampire humanoids), by the way this is the Filippino movie. So the expedition will encounter a member of the Tagani tribe on the run and implant her brain with some kind of translating device.


Do you find the Tagani lovely?

The story will continue they will encounter crab monsters, Bat-man and caveman untill they will have to quit the planet urgently.

So, how I've found the movie? Quite good to be honest. It makes me think at another sixties sci-fi movie (Women of the Prehistoric Planet), but it's much better. John Carradine does a good job in one of his rare leading role (he had made more than 300 movies, but a lot of them are just small parts). The rest of the cast is so-so, but none of them are really bad. As I've said I like the idea of the tinted colour, really clever and original. This is a small budget movie, so it shows : bad miniature for the spaceship, bizarre editing (they use the same footage when the spaceship arrive and quit the planet), ...

I don't know if all the film of Al Adamson are that good (probably not), but expect a massive addition of his movies in my collection soon. I recommand this one, this is really a good little drive-in sci-fi movie (it is market as an horror movie, but I don't see it as one at all).

Usually I don't comment on the extra on the DVD, but the commentary track by Sam Sherman (the producer of the movie) is one of the best that I've listen. It is very informative about the film and the making of a low budget movie in the seventies.

Rating :

Movie Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj-78jRaWJ4

(From The little known movie review depot on March 21st, 2008)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Life of the Party
Original Air Date: 10/29/2003
When Lorne foregoes sleep in order to prepare for the firm's big Halloween party, the dark side of his subconscious begins to manifest itself, and affect the gang in strange ways.

Guest Stars:
Sarah Thompson
Jonathan Woodward
Leland Crooke

My Thoughts:
The one and only Halloween episode! A fun episode... but it could have been better.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 22nd, 2010)