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Sisters of Death, a review by addicted2dvd

Sisters of Death (1977/United States) Mill Creek Entertainment Director: Joseph Mazzuca Writing: Peter Arnold (Screenwriter), Elwyn Richards (Screenwriter) Length: 87 min. Rating: PG Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

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Stars:
Arthur Franz as Edmond Clybourn
Claudia Jennings as Judy
Cheri Howell as Sylvia
Sherry Boucher as Diana
Paul Carr as Mark
Joe Tata as Joe

Plot:
During a sorority initiation ceremony, something horrible goes wrong and one of the new members is accidentally killed. Seven years later, the remaining sorority sisters receive invitations to attend a reunion at an isolated mountain estate. Unbeknownst to any of the women, the resort is owned by the father of the deceased sorority member and he is looking for revenge.

Extras:

• Scene Access

This is a movie I got in the Horror Classics: 100 Movie Pack that I got cheap from Mill Creek Entertainment. Unfortunately... but not unexpected... the quality leaves a bit to be desired. The image seemed to have a slight blur to it... and there was a slight hissing to the audio in some scenes. I wasn't too thrilled with the movie itself either. I found my attention drifting away from the movie. Ending up doing other things while the movie played in the background. But while I didn't get much out of the movie itself... I did find I liked the ending quite a bit. I just wish that the movie up till that point was better then what it is.




(From The Movies from Within My Lifetime: 2012 Edition on April 28th, 2012)

Hostel: Part II, a review by Jon

HOSTEL: PART II

3 out of 5

The first Hostel came in for a lot of criticism for perpetuating "torture porn". Whereas I feel the Saw films fit this description in full, I thought Hostel had more substance. That said it was certainly a guilty pleasure for sick little gorehounds! 

Hostel: Part II also came in for the same complaints, if not more. I must admit, I was put off seeing it for a while because I was given the impression it was more of the same, with less structure; a classic sequel mistake. Also the idea that it uses girls where before it was boys seemed so damn obvious I assumed that was probably the limit of its ambition.

Well I was wrong! Thanks to Empire magazine and a balanced DVD review I was tempted to give it a chance. Overall I liked it. First of all it opens with a simple scene I found very disturbing, then it finishes off the arc of the first film and smoothly demonstrates the depth of the organisation running the show. Then we get two threads running in parallel; the girls being lured into the trap via similar methods that befell the boys, and two business men travelling to Slovakia to take part.

By giving more time to demonstrating the mechanics of the "Hunters Club", the film isn't as immediate and potent as Hostel. It lacks the focus and therefore the punch. The gore seems scaled back, or at least less gratuitous. That's right! It isn't as shocking. This has to be by design though, showing a confidence in the back story. I think I'll appreciate it more on a second viewing when my "I MUST SEE BLOOD!" thoughts have calmed down. Trust me, I really am quite, quite sane. Honest. Really I am...    It'll work really well in a double-bill because it doesn't just repeat, it tries to add something new.

By the way, gorehounds, the blood is still there. There's some really nasty inventive shit to make you squirm! But mainly it's from the point of view of the killer and there's less shock value in seeing the cutter cut than the cuttee be cut. Erm... you know what I mean... 

I found the whole film to have a more slow burn disgust. Hostel was brutal, presenting the killers as relatively faceless monsters with weird fetishes, but here it is more explicit in showing them as normal business men just looking for kicks. I found that quite powerful, probably because it's closer to the truth. In one of the featurettes Eli Roth mentions business men he has met that travel the world just to try different prostitutes. Not so far away really. Those interviews also show how much he is trying to give his film relevance.

This film is worth seeing because it doesn't treat the viewer like a prat. It gives us something new and both parts compliment each other. The first is all round a better film because it has that basic premise of a lonely traveller in a hopeless situation, but two films of that wouldn't have worked (Saw, anyone?). By the end there's been a couple of dafter plot points and cliches, but a nice twist or two. However it's the stories broader targets that are more interesting and give this film real value.

(From Hostel: Part II on November 1st, 2007)

Charmed Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

"The Witch Is Back"
Original Airdate: December 16, 1998
Prue is attacked by a powerful 300-year-old warlock (Billy Wirth) who is furious about having been trapped in a locket by an ancestor of the Halliwell sisters. The vengeful warlock can copy others' powers and the Charmed Ones must stop him.

My Thoughts:
This was a really good episode. One where we learn more about the Halliwell line of witches since we get to meet the witch that started it all... Melinda Warren.

"Wicca Envy"
Original Airdate: January 13, 1999
Prue's devious boss and secret warlock Rex (Neil Roberts) frames Prue for stealing a priceless tiara and puts her in jail. The sisters plot a jailbreak to catch the sly Rex in action.

My Thoughts:
Finally... the end of the storyline with Pru's bosses being warlocks trying to steal their powers... I was never very fond of that storyline or the characters of her bosses.

"Feats Of Clay"
Original Airdate: January 20, 1999
Phoebe's ex-boyfriend Clay (Victor Browne) breezes into town looking for a reconciliation but, as usual, there are strings attached. This time, Clay brings with him a mortal curse in a stolen Egyptian urn.

My Thoughts:
This is a fair episode... not one of my favorites and more of a filler episode. We do find out a little about Phoebe's life in New York and meet one of her ex's.

"The Wendigo"
Original Airdate: February 3, 1999
When a hideous supernatural creature attacks Piper, she begins to make a strange transformation - with similar traits to her attacker. Prue and Phoebe must save her by vanquishing the beast. But at night in the woods, how will they know for sure if it's the creature, or if it's Piper?

My Thoughts:
This one I love... it is not only one of my favorites of the first season... but one of my all-time favorites for the entire 8 year run.  A Wendigo seems to be a creature similar to a werewolf. Of course I enjoy this episode so much... is a big Piper episode!

(From Charmed Marathon on February 27th, 2008)