DVD Collectors Online

Clambake, a review by GSyren

Title	Clambake (Disc ID: 6B9C-892B-2F44-538F)
Director	Arthur H. Nadel
Actors	Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Will Hutchins, Bill Bixby, Gary Merrill
Produced	1967 in United States
Runtime	99 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	French, Spanish
Overview	Elvis Presley sizzles as a lovelorn million-'heir' in this riveting and romantic rock 'n' roll romp. Vying for the attentions of the lovely Shelley Fabares ('Coach'), Elvis finds himself caught up in a rivalry with playboy Bill Bixby ('The Incredible Hulk') "against a tuneful background of comedy, romance, and speedboat racing" ('Film Daily')! Clambake is "pleasing escape entertainment" ('Boxoffice') and the wildest party to hit the beach since they invented the beach ball! It's a hip version of 'The Prince and the Pauper' as Elvis relinquishes his oil-baron's fortune and trades identities with a penniless water ski instructor (Will Hutchins) to learn about life from the bottom up. Suddenly short on money but long on determination, he repairs a radically designed powerboat in order to win the regatta and the affection of a girl who's determined to marry rich!
My thoughts
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on June 30th, 2014)

I Walked With a Zombie, a review by Jon

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
4 out of 5

A young Canadian nurse (Betsy) comes to the West Indies to care for Jessica, the wife of a plantation manager (Paul Holland). Jessica seems to be suffering from a kind of mental paralysis as a result of fever. When she falls in love with Paul, Betsy determines to cure Jessica even if she needs to use a voodoo ceremony, to give Paul what she thinks he wants. (from IMDB because I couldn't bothered to type one, alright? So sue me.)

Another example of Val Lewton being far ahead of his time. This certainly fits the horror bill in atmosphere, set in a far off land with strange customs. The story is again, much more subtle and is especially noteworthy for its depiction of Voodoo, normally such a big obvious target for villains to employ. Even modern representations clumsily try to show "good" voodoo and "bad" (Bones for instance). Here it is shown to be far from that simple and it works beautifully as a plot device.

It's less about there being a good/evil split, and more about having the courage to make decisions that are for the greater good. In simple terms, very cruel to be kind. It's a moral and challenging film dressed up in b-movie fun. The atmosphere is again superb and you get a tangible sense of this girl being so far from home, dealing with strange customs. The "zombies" obviously aren't gory corpses wandering around groaning, but the blank hypnotised characters (the wife and a strange, imposing figure under voodoo control) are just as creepily effective.




(From Val Lewton Horror Marathon on October 4th, 2008)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Adventures of Superman
The first superhero created for comic books, SUPERMAN leaped from radio to television when Adventures of Superman debuted in 1952. Produced by Robert J. Maxwell (who also produced the radio version) and Bernard Luber (a veteran of Hollywood serials), each first Seasson Episode screens like a classic crime movie, where danger and death lurk in the shadows. Working with some of the industry's best character actors, George Reeves plays the MAN OF STEEL with a genuineness that captivates viewers of all ages. Now, enjoy this legendary series as never before, digitally mastered from original film elements, in a soaring DELUXE 5-DISC SET WITH EXCITING EXTRAS.
- Allan Asherman, DC Comics Historian

Superman on Earth
Recounts Superman's flight from doomed Krypton, being raised by the Kents, his arrival in Metropolis, and getting hired as reporter Clark Kent at the Daily Planet when scooping Lois on Superman's debut.

My Thoughts:
This is another classic series I loved as a kid. I remember watching the reruns (I am old... but not THAT old!) after school every day. Of course they had to tell Superman's origin story for the pilot episode. It is a great start to the series... even if I am still not used to Clark's parents being named anything other then Jonathan and Martha. While I do understand they did this to match the early comics of the time... it just seems strange to me. I think all the actors did a great job at bringing the characters to life. Definitely a recommended series for any Superman fan!

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on October 28th, 2009)