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Ban the Sadist Videos!, a review by Jimmy

Title: Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

Genre: Documentary
Director: David Gregory
Rating: NR
Length: 1h34
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1:78.1
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Chris Theobald (Narrator)

Plot:
An in-depth analysis of the "Video Nasty" scandal of the early 1980s in Britain.

As an outsider I've always find all that Video Nasty phenomena that happen in the UK ridiculous... in fact it's a good exemple of what happen when the "hollier than you" crowd take control. Here in my province we have one of the least strict film board in the world, everything goes as long as it isn't illegal (those being pedophilia, bestiality or necrophilia) or if they are humiliating for the people involved (and the only one I can thing fitting that criteria is Bum Fight who is always banned for good reason), so we don't ban or cut movie because of violence, nudity or rumours.

That two parts documentary is a very complete study of that case from the start of the video boom untill the end of that over the top case of censorship (and in case it was when you think that movie like The Exorcist were banned in England). Of course you must like talking head documentary since it's what it is, but we got some short films excerpt and archive footages (it's the only way to see how insane was Mary Whitehouse since she was already dead in 2005 and to listen Graham Bright since he was to chicken to appear).

If you are interested by the phenomena this is recommanded. The documentary was done when the "Box of the Ban" set were released in the UK (the first part in the first set and the other in the second one) but those sets are OOP and costly. Now you can get it from Severin Films since it's a bonus disc in their recent release of House on Straw Hill, but if you want the disc you must act fast since it's limited and only included in the first pressing. 

Rating :

(From Jimmy's - 2013 Ooctober Horror Marathon on October 11th, 2013)

Summer of Fear, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Summer of Fear (AKA: Stranger in Our House) Year: 1978 Director: Wes Craven Rating: PG-13 Length: 98 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Linda Blair
Lee Purcell
Jeremy Slate
Jeff McCracken
Jeff East
Carol Lawrence

Plot:
From famed horror master Wes Craven comes a chilling thriller starring acclaimed actress Linda Blair!

When Rachel's cousin Julia comes to live with the family at the farm, unsettling things begin to occur. Casting an alluring spell over everyone she meets, Julia slowly lures everyone away from Rachel. Terrifying instances of the occult begin to take place, forcing Rachel to fight for survival against what is revealed to be a horrifying demonic presence!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Bonus Trailers
Production Notes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is actually an old TV Movie. Yes I realize there is an MPAA rating above for this movie... but it is one of those rare occasions where a TV Movie put through the MPAA for an official rating at the time of it's DVD release. Another familiar face in this movie is Fran Drescher (The Nanny) who has a small part as Rachel's friend. Surprisingly she don't have that nasally voice in this that she is now so famously known for. Which makes watching her in this a little more bearable. This is actually one of the few movies I have dealing with witchcraft... at least compared to other horror sub-genres. Being a '70s TV movie there is of course no type of gore and most of the bad things that happens occur off screen. But it is a good story with characters you care about. I enjoyed this one quite a bit... I would recommend checking it out.




Count:
Movie Count: 103 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 55 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010 on October 31st, 2010)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season marathon, a review by Tom

07. The Demon Hand (2008-02-25)
Writer: Josh Friedman (Created By), Toni Graphia (Writer), James Cameron (Original Characters By), Gale Anne Hurd (Original Characters By)
Director: Charles Beeson
Cast: Lena Headey (Sarah Connor), Thomas Dekker (John Connor), Summer Glau (Cameron), Richard T. Jones (Agent James Ellison), Mark Ivanir (Dmitri Shipkov), Angela Gots (Maria), Traber Burns (Chief of Staff), Brian Austin Green (Derek Reese), Bruce Davison (Dr. Peter Silberman), Mark Bloom (FBI Evidence Clerk), Ron Butler (Social Worker), Alex Veadov (Russian Man)

I like it when they are referencing events of the movies. I think Derek is a good addition to the cast.

But I don't think it was a good choice to have Cameron ballet dancing. Only because the actress is a ballet dancer doesn't mean you have to incorporate it into the story.

Rating:

(From Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season marathon on January 27th, 2009)