DVD Collectors Online

Doctor Dracula, a review by Jimmy

Title : Doctor Dracula (1980)

Overview
Though his readers find it hard to believe, prominent author John Wainwright claims in his books to be the reincarnation of famed magician and mind controller Svengali. The black magic forces of Radcliff (Carradine) allow Wainwright to stage the ritual sacrifice of his newest Trilby, wich leads to a bizarre confrontation with the strange Dr. Gregorio - Who is actually the long undead Count Dracula.

My Impression
Even if I'm a fan of Al Adamson usually, I wasn't expecting much from this movie (this isn't for nothing if I've wait more than one year and a half to watch it). This film was destined to be a mess, why? Because it was first a Paul Aratow's incompleted movie made in 1975 under the name Lucifer's Women about a satanic cult. Years later Adamson had shoot some new footage and add a vampire plot to the film. Evidently the result is inegal and the story isn't an easy one to follow (without forgetting that the appearance of Larry Hankin had changed in 6 years). The acting isn't too good and no one seems really interested by the project. This is really sad to see John Carradine in this film, since he looks very unhealthy and had to read his text (he even do that with many difficulty). Of course
Jane Brunel-Cohen is easy on the eyes but she's one of the worst actress I've seen (and I've seen my part of bad acting in my movie genre).

By chance the movie was a part of a 3 movies set and the others were good...

Rating :

(From Jimmy's 2009 Horror Marathon on October 9th, 2009)

Rabid Dogs, a review by Jimmy

Title: Rabid Dogs (1974)

Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: Unrated
Length: 1h36
Video: Widescreen
Audio: Italian
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Riccardo Cucciolla
Lea Lander
Maurice Poli
Don Backy
George Eastman

Plot:
It was to be the most startling film of Bava's entire career: After a botched payroll heist, a trio of vicious criminals take hostages in a desperate getaway that explodes with cruelty, degradation and shocking violence. But when the film's financier was killed during the last stages of production, his entire estate -- including the sole unfinished work print of RABID DOGS -- was seized and impounded by an Italian court. Mario Bava's final masterpiece -- one of the most intense EuroCrime thrillers of all time -- would remain locked away for nearly 23 years.

One of the last movie directed by Mario Bava and very different than his precedents one. This is a pretty good crime film that follow the escape of the three criminals and not really the crime himself that happen fast in the beginning (by the way I don't like the speed up frame when it's happen, but since it's a working print it's understandable). So we have a "psychological" study of the characters. The viewer can easilly feel the tension through all the course of the film, the fact that 90% of it happen in the car interior sure help to create the claustrophobic mood. The acting is particullary good and this is certainly the best career performance of George Eastman (he had used his real name for this film, but you are certainly familliar with his works in many Italian horror films). The actors do a real good job to act obnoxious (Backy and Eastman characters looked completly crazy and dysfonctional) and even Dottore (the gang leader) who sounds so calm is a cold blood killer. Lea Lander plays the hostage perfectly also, you feel her desperation and her breakdown completly. The movie had also a real surprise ending that had completly took me off guard the first time I've watched the film (at least in its original version).

In fact what we have here is the best Bava's film after Four Time That Night (at least for me).     

Rating :

(From Mario Bava marathon on July 28th, 2009)

Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews, a review by Tom

Star Trek: The Next Generation
1.26 The Neutral Zone
Writer: Maurice Hurley (Screenwriter), Deborah McIntyre (Original Material By), Mona Clee (Original Material By)
Director: James L. Conway
Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Denise Crosby (Lt. Tasha Yar), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Marc Alaimo (Commander Tebok), Anthony James (Sub-Commander Thei), Leon Rippy (Sonny Clemonds), Gracie Harrison (Clare Raymond), Peter Mark Richman (Ralph)

Not really a time-travel episode. But three persons from the 20th century are found frozen. Strangely this side-story takes over way too much, considering the A plot of this episode is the return of the Romulans and hints at the Borgs. Because of this, this episode has generally bad reviews. But besides this, I somehow enjoyed it nonetheless.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews on October 29th, 2011)