DVD Collectors Online

Knives of the Avenger, a review by Jon

Knives of the Avenger (1966)
3 out of 5



Bava proves himself to be a master of all genres by taking on the Western and for the most part, does so very well. As Akira Kurosawa did with Seven Samurai, this is Western at heart even though it's about Vikings. Unfortunately, whereas Kurosawa could claim to have possibly rescued the genre, this is far less important, aping the style of Leone's Fistful of Dollars (1964) a little too close in the newly coined "Spaghetti" Western, and using Shane (1953) as a too obvious template.

It's an interesting mix and the fact it works at all should be applauded and it is very enjoyable, if sadly predictable if you know Shane. The rugged acting and straightforward bare dialogue matches the colourful cinematography, and it really is pure Leone (even the music has a Morricone edge), so if you like those films, you'll know what to expect. To be honest, I always found Shane a bit weak so I didn't mind seeing it filtered through the more passionate Spaghetti style and thank goodness we didn't have the kid whining at the end! No matter how unoriginal his sources, Bava knows how to handle a set-piece or two with good solid knockabout action and a bar brawls to rival John Wayne's. Achim picked up on the colour style as well and it's a very good point as the colours match the mood, as does the style over all. He really is very good at changing the pace and some moments are sinister while others are bright and almost comedic.

It may sound like I'm being too critical of his copycat approach to this film, but it's worth bearing in mind the way the industry worked at the time. Directors didn't always have complete freedom to forge new paths and sometimes were just for hire. Indeed, Bava was apparently drafted into this at the last moment and had to deal with what looked like a complete rip-off of The Vikings (1958), complete with a blonde haired hero (Cameron Mitchell instead of Kirk Douglas). He rewrote it in just a few days, so perhaps was rather shrewd in picking genres and stories that were financially proven. And making the leap from wishy-washy melodramatic Shane to hard-boiled death-ridden Leone was certainly unpredictable!

(From Mario Bava marathon on July 1st, 2009)

Hopalong Cassidy Returns, a review by Rogmeister

The next review is of a Hopalong Cassidy movie.  I have many Hoppy films...I have 8 DVDs of double-feature Hoppy films from Image (which is what the below review is from) and I have 8 other volumes that stuff 5 Hoppy films per disc.  Those are from Platinum, a company not known for high quality releases but their Hoppy discs are pretty good.



Hopalong Cassidy Returns (74 min.), finds Bill on his way to Mesa Grande, where he is the new Marshal. Along the way he stops a runaway horse and saves a woman's life. Upon arriving in town, he discovers his old friend, the town's newspaper editor, has been brutally murdered by the very same woman Hoppy just saved, a hardnosed businesswoman who runs the town.

There were "A" pictures (major films like Stagecoach) and "B" pictures (low-budget moves such as Buck Jones and Tim McCoy would make) and the Hoppy movies were "B" westerns...but a cut above most of the other B's. They put a bit more money into them, show on locations instead of the usual sets and the extra money showed. Also, they were often longer. Most B westerns ran just about an hour but the Hoppy movies ran as long as 80 minutes. Gabby Hayes had been in the first Hoppy movie as Hoppy's uncle, but his character died. They wanted him back so they cast him again as a different character, a friend of Hoppy's named Windy.

This episode has a few unusual touches, including a female criminal and a man bound to a wheelchair...he is the friend of Hoppy's who is attacked just before Hoppy and his younger brother get to town. This movie is part of a double-feature disc from Image (they did 8 of these double-Hoppy releases) and the quality in picture and sound is outstanding.

The only downside? Hoppy kisses a girl. Ewwwwwww!


(From Roger's Ongoing Westerns Marathon on June 23rd, 2009)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Title: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season One: Volume Two
Year: 1984
Director:
Rating: NR
Length: 688 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:


Plot:Extras:
2 Collectible Art Cards
DVD-ROM Content
Featurettes
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

After having it already for a few years, I finally came around continuing with the next volume of the classic He-Man series. I still enjoy watching it. Even though the animation is very limited, I like how much they got out of reusing a lot of stock footage. Filmation series are known to be animated completely in the US without out-sourcing to Korea or such. And having almost 70 episodes per season, it is such a great task that they managed to produce such a continuesly fun series that way.
Also I never got tired of the He-Man theme music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1pmfrS3GeM

#	Episode	Rating
34	The Dragon's Gift
35	The Sleepers Awaken
36	The Search
37	It's Not My Fault
38	Valley of Power
39	Trouble in Arcadia
40	House of Shokoti (Part 1)
41	House of Shokoti (Part 2)
42	Double Edged Sword
43	The Mystery of Man-E-Faces
44	The Region of Ice
45	Orko's Missing Magic
46	Eternal Darkness
47	Keeper of the Ancient Ruins
48	Return of Evil
49	Return of the Gryphon
50	Temple of The Sun
51	City Beneath the Sea
52	Teela's Trial
53	Dree Elle's Return
54	Game Plan
55	Eye of the Beholder
56	Quest for the Sword
57	Castle of Heroes
58	The Once and Future Duke
59	The Witch and the Warrior
60	The Return of Granamyr
61	Pawns of the Game Master
62	Golden Disks of Knowledge
63	The Huntsman
64	The Remedy
65	The Heart of a Giant

(From Tom's Random Reviews on June 21st, 2009)