DVD Collectors Online

House of the Long Shadows, a review by Danae Cassandra

House of the Long Shadows
Year of Release: 1983
Directed By: Pete Waller
Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Newly Re-mastered in HD! Horror legends Vincent Price (The Oblong Box), Christopher Lee (The Crimson Cult), Peter Cushing (Madhouse) and John Carradine (The Sentinel) star as the screen's greatest gruesome foursome! When a young novelist, Kenneth Magee (Desi Arnaz, Jr., Billy Two Hats) spends a night at Baldpate Manor to win a bet that he can turn a best-selling novel in 24 hours, he gets more than he bargained for. The grizzly Grisbane clan arrives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a ghoulish family secret. And their dinner party has murder on the menu. Lightning! Thunder! Torrential rain! Clattering shutters! Creaking doors! A locked attic! A sinister secret! Murder! All the ingredients of the classic "Old Dark House" tale come together in this top-notch horror film by cult film-maker Pete Walker (House of Whipcord). Co-starring Richard Todd (The Assassin) and Sheila Keith (Frightmare).

My Thoughts:
Price, Lee, Cushing, Carradine.  These are the reasons to watch this film.  They're all the elder statesmen of horror by the time this film gets made (Lee is the youngest at 61), and this is the only film that all four appear in together.  If you're a fan of any of these actors, and most especially if you're a fan of all of them, their performances make this film worth watching.  All of them are superb.  Arnaz Jr. is also competent enough in his role.

On the other hand, the neat little twist at the end is completely overshadowed by the lame second twist and the lamer third twist.  Though it's true to the novel that inspired it (Seven Keys to Baldpate), I really think the film would have been better leaving those off and ending the film before the second twist.  The repeat twists were very much a let down after the rest of the film.  I was also really annoyed by Julie Peasgood's character.  Every time she would scream and cower all I kept thinking was "what a useless person!"

Recommended if you're a fan of the four lead actors.  These men are always a treat to watch, and this film is no different.  Not necessarily for the more casual, or modern, horror fan - I'd recommend a number of their earlier films first, simply because of the let down in the ending here.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

2015 Horror Movie Count: 10

(From Horror/Halloween Marathon 2015 on October 17th, 2015)

Rush Hour 3 , a review by Dragonfire

Rush Hour 3 When a Chinese criminal mastermind flees to Paris, there's only one culture-clashed, crime-fighting duo for the job. Ready to raise hell in the city of lights, Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and Detective Carter (Tucker) instead get caught in an explosive battle between the French police, the Triad gang and two gorgeous femmes fatales! With everybody kung fu fighting to the top of the Eiffel Tower, this one-two punch of hilarious action doesn't let up until the final heart-stopping au revoir! My Thoughts Like the second movie, this one isn't as good as the first, but it is still entertaining for the most part. For this movie, more time is supposed to have passed since the end of the second movie.  Carter has done something to end up directing traffic.  Lee is in town with Han who is now an ambassador.  Someone tries to kill Han, seriously wounding him and Lee and Carter start trying to track the bad guy.  The search takes them to Paris.  The different location is really the only new thing added to the movie.  Both of the main characters end up out of their element when they go to Paris instead of just one of them like happened in the first two movies.  There are some new characters and new situations, but things still aren't that original. There is a decent amount of action in the movie again.  Lee ends up in a few fights that are done well.  Carter is even involved in a few of them.  The violence isn't that extreme or graphic, so it shouldn't bother anyone.  There is also humor added.  Like happened in the previous movies, some of what is done is silly and not all the attempts at humor work.  Carter ends up being rather annoying again in some scenes that I'm sure were supposed to be funny.  Carter continues to be obsessed with hooking up with women, and that does get him into one or two bad situations. Overall, the movie is entertaining even though it has issues with the plot.  It would have been nice if Chris Tucker had dialed it back a bit so he wasn't as annoying.  People who enjoyed the first two movies may like this one too. I did get a review posted on Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater. Rush Hour 3

(From Rush Hour 3 on September 30th, 2010)

Caroline in the City Marathon, a review by Tom

Caroline and the Opera (1995-11-09)
Writer: Marco Pennette, Fred Barron, Dottie Dartland, Carol Gary
Director: Tom Cherones
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Jean Stapleton (Mary Kosky), Peter Krause (Peter Welmering), Tom La Grua (Remo), Lauren Graham (Shelly)

Peter Krause (Sports Night, Six Feet Under) guest stars as a classmate from Caroline's old High School. She invites him to the opera because Del doesn't want to go. Del gets jealous and both men compete over Caroline.
A rather funny episode.



Caroline and the Balloon (1995-11-16)
Writer: Bill Prady
Director: Tom Cherones
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Florence Henderson (Herself), Lauren Graham (Shelly), Michael Burger ("Parade Announcer"), Maty Monfort ("Parade Announcer"), Joel Miller (Peter), Marlon Archey (Captain Markham), Brian Hargrove (Crowd Member)

Caroline has a balloon of her comic strip at the Thanksgiving parade and it gets loose.
Not a very good episode.
One thing that really bothered me:
I do not have anything against "stunt casting". I liked the cameo appearences of our beloved Friends and Frasier characters. But when they bring in a celebrity playing themselves and doing something which would never happen, I have a problem with it. Here, one of the characters is a big fan of the "Brady Family". So they convince Florence Henderson (Mrs. Brady) to come visit Caroline at her apartement to cheer her up. Like that would happen!



This finishes off the first disc of the set.

(From Caroline in the City Marathon on September 14th, 2008)