DVD Collectors Online

House of the Damned, a review by addicted2dvd

House of the Damned
A perfect romantic getaway turns into a hellish nightmare in this suspense-filled thriller! Architect Scott Campbell ('Ronald Foster') and his wife Nancy ('Merry Anders') join another couple, Joseph and Loy Schiller ('Richard Crane' and 'Erika Peters'), for what promises to be a pleasant stay at an empty castle set on a seculded California hillside. Soon, however, tension mounts as terrifying things begin happening: A group of ghoulish circus performers who once inhabited the castle become increasingly hostile towards their "guests," turning their mini-vacation into a life-and-death challenge of wits!

My Thoughts:
I got this DVD this past October for $5 at Walmart during their Halloween sale. I got it based on a good friend's suggestion that knew I was wanting to check out more classic movies. I got to say... I really enjoyed this one... it is not something that is really scary... actually nothing more then slightly suspenseful. But enjoyable all the same. I am glad I decided to add it to my classics collection. Of course the movie is in Black & White... but the dvd has both widescreen and the Pan and Scam version... as well as a couple extras... the Theatrical Trailer (yay!) and a Photo Gallery of the Movie Posters.

(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVD Collection on April 5th, 2008)

When The Daltons Rode, a review by Rogmeister

When The Daltons Rode (1940)  81 minutes
Director: George Marshall
Cast: Randolph Scott, Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, George Bancroft, Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, Stuart Erwin

Plot: Lawyer Tod Jackson (Randolph Scott), childhood friend of the Dalton family, stops by upon his arrival in Kansas.  Before long, circumstances conspire to put the Daltons on the wrong side of the law with Jackson having to decide on who to help while falling for Bob Dalton's girl.

As with most earlier movie westerns dealing with real historical figures of the Old West, this is a highly fictionalized account of the Dalton family.  Still, director George Marshall (who had directed the comedy-western Destry Rides Again the year before) keeps things lively with some light comedic touches (mostly in the person of Andy Devine) and with some excellent stunt work including such stunts as gunmen jumping in unison onto the top of a moving train, jumping from a railroad car while on horseback and falling under a moving stagecoach, grabbing hold of the back end and hauling himself back onto the top of it.

Surprisingly, Randolph Scott is not the stalwart hero with a six-gun in this film...I'm not sure if he even touches a gun during the entire picture.  He plays a lawyer and tries to help the Daltons in his own way (much of it happening offscreen) while we get a lot of the film concentrating on the doings of the Daltons themselves.  As in real life, the movie ends with the entire Dalton gang meeting their end while trying to pull off a daring daytime bank robbery.  The movie is bookended with Scott talking with a rambling wagon repairman played by Edgar Buchanan.

The DVD has a fine black & white print but there are no extras.

(From Roger's Ongoing Westerns Marathon on September 20th, 2009)

Wonderfalls Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

3. KARMA CHAMELEON
It's like 'Single White Female' all over again when the young girl who Jaye helps get back on her feet slowly begins to assume Jaye's identity.

My Thoughts:
Once again an episode I enjoyed. It was fun seeing how crazy this other girl drove Jayne. Though I must admit the whole how many words you get in a cover blurb seemed pretty rediculous to me.

My Rating:

(From Wonderfalls Marathon on January 20th, 2010)