CORMAN ACTION PACKED COLLECTION & DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY/RACE WITH THE DEVIL coming from Shout! Factory

SHOUT! FACTORY PRESENTS

TWO COMBO FEATURES IN APRIL 2011

ACTION-PACKED TRIPLE FEATURE:GEORGIA PEACHES,

THE GREAT TEXAS DYNAMITE CHASE,

SMOKEY BITES THE DUST

FROM ROGER CORMAN CULT CLASSICS

* AND *

DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY/RACE WITH THE DEVIL

 

Shout! Factory will release two exciting multi-feature DVDs this April, the Action-Packed Double Feature Dirty Mary Crazy Larry /Race With The Devil on April 5, and the triple feature Action Packed Collection of Georgia Peaches, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Smokey Bites The Dust on April 12.

April 5 - Roger Corman Cult Classics: Action-Packed Collection: Georgia Peaches, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Smokey Bites The Dust

Two sisters running an auto repair shop and their moonshine-running boyfriend are extorted into becoming undercover government agents to outwit the Dragon Lady of the Southern crime belt in Georgia Peaches. Starring singer Tanya Tucker, Dirk Benedict (The A-Team), Sally Kirkland and Terri Nunn (lead singer for the group Berlin), this action-packed comedy was produced by Roger Corman as a pilot for a possible television series.

Candy (Claudia Jennings, Gator Bait, DeathSport) and Ellie Jo (Jocelyn Jones, Tourist Trap) are a pair of sexy bank robbers who blast their way into small-town banks with a carload of dynamite in The Great Texas Dynamite Chase! When they take Slim (Johnny Crawford, Valley Of The Giants) hostage, it begins a thrill-packed crime spree across the state of Texas. Also starring Tara Strohmeier (Candy Stripe Nurses), Bart Braverman (Alligator) and Priscilla Pointer (Carrie).

Smokey Bites The Dust follows the rivalry between a small-town Southern sheriff and a small-town delinquent who steals cars and then destroys them with the sheriff’s daughter by his side. Starring Jimmy McNichol (Night Warning), Janet Julian (King Of New York, Humongous), William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) and Walter Barnes (High Plains Drifter), this action-packed comedy was directed by Charles B. Griffith (Up From The Depths) and co-produced by Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, The Incredible Hulk)

Special Features:

• Theatrical Trailers

April 12 - Dirty Mary Crazy Larry/Race With The Devil

Larry (Peter Fonda) is a former NASCAR racer looking to score some quick cash. Mary (Susan George) is a sexy groupie aching to take a fast ride. Together with mechanic Deke (Adam Roarke), they pull off a cold-blooded supermarket heist and hit the highway in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. Now there is a maniacal lawman (Vic Morrow) on their trail, an entire police force in pursuit and hundreds of miles of roadblocks between their ’69 Charger and freedom. Buckle up for the action classic that blows the doors off all other car chase films as it speeds toward one of the most jaw-dropping finales in movie history. Directed by John Hough (The Legend Of Hell House, The Incubus).

For old friends Roger (Fonda) and Frank (Warren Oates) and their wives (Lara Parker, Loretta Swit), it was supposed to be “the best damn vacation they ever had.” But their RV road trip takes a deadly detour at a secluded campsite when they accidentally witness a satanic sacrifice in Race With The Devil. Now horror hits the highway as the couples are pursued by satanic cultists through some of the most intense car chases and into one of the greatest twist endings in drive-in movie history. Directed by Jack Starrett (The Losers, Cleopatra Jones), who was also an actor and played the memorable role of the vicious Deputy Galt in First Blood.

DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY Special Features:

• Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.78:1)
• Audio Commentary With Director John Hough
• Ride The Wild Side – Featuring interviews with director John Hough and actors Peter Fonda and Susan George
• Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots And Radio Spots   

RACE WITH THE DEVIL Special Features:

• Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.78:1)
• Audio Commentary With Executive Producer Paul Maslansky And Actress Lara Parker
• Hell On Wheels – Interview with Peter Fonda
• Theatrical Trailers, TV Spot And Radio Spots 
 

Depeche Mode - Rewind: 30 Years at the Edge (2011)

Depeche Mode was one of the most successful synth pop bands of the 80's and 90's.  From their humble beginnings in Basildon, England to having a number one album in the US and UK (Songs of Love and Devotion), Depeche Mode has been through it all.  I remember when the song Enjoy the Silence blew up and they used to show the video of singer Dave Gahan dressed like a king on MTV constantly and I HATED it.  I don't think I even paid attention to the song, I just hated the video.  And the band's name, which I thought was pronounced "Dep-ek Mode".  Of course now the song is one of my favorites of all time and I love Depeche Mode.  Unsurprisingly, this 2 DVD set was a must see.

Depeche Mode -Rewind: 30 Years at the Edge is a 2 disc set featuring two separate documentaries on the band.  The first (clocking in at an hour and a half) focuses on the most loved period of the band, the four album span of Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, Violator and Songs of Love and Devotion.  The documentary starts out with the band's formation all the way until they hit their peak.  The hour long second disc is a more broad overview of the band featuring interviews with old friends, producers, etc.

Documentaries don't get much better than this.  When a documentary focuses on a band I love and four albums that I love, there is little that can be done to make me not like it.  Rewind goes above and beyond to show video clips, interviews with not only those who worked with the band but other electronic musicians of the time (Gary Numan, Thomas Dolby, Andy McCluskey of OMD) to give the most in depth information possible.  Though not as strong as the first disc, disc 2 has some nice interviews and is more for casual fans of the band.  The one part that particularly stuck out in the second disc was the interview footage with Brian Griffin, the cover artist for several of the band's early albums where he explains how those brilliant covers came to be.  Overall, MVD has put out another brilliant documentary on an important band that is in-depth, fast paced and very entertaining.

RATING:  10/10

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XX (2011)

Shout! Factory continues churning out the great Mystery Science Theater 3000 box sets with this, their 20th set (yes, the X's are roman numerals, smarty).  I have long been a fan of the show, catching it whenever I could on TV and checking out some of the box sets that had films I loved or knew would be hilarious with the Satellite of Love crew ranking on them.  Though I was unfamiliar with the films in this set, the titles alone assured me they had potential to be great fodder for the humor of Joel Robinson (Joel Hodgson), Tom Servo and Crow.

First up in this great set is Magic Voyage of Sinbad, a Russian film from 1953 that is filled with all of the epic costumes and locations you'd expect from a Sinbad adventure, as well as all of the ridiculousness you'd expect from something chosen for MST3K.  Next up are Master Ninja 1 and 2 which aren't actually films but several episodes of the 1984 television series The Master cut together.  Starring an over the hill Lee Van Cleef as an indestructable ninja and (not so) tough guy Timothy Van Patten as his student/sidekick, a pet gerbil that lives in their van and a slew of soon to be stars (Demi Moore, Crystal Bernard).  Lastly is Project Moonbase, a cheesy sci fi movie from 1953 which has been padded here with a few episodes of the old Commando Cody serial.

This set definitely ranks up there with some of the laugh out loud funniest episodes of MST3K.  The Master Ninja 1 disc was definitely my favorite and had me in hysterics from start to finish.  The other discs were each hilarious as well and to top it off, they include a wealth of bonus features.  Included are a new interview with Master Ninja guest star Bill McKinney, Tom Servo vs Tom Servo 2010 Dragon*Con Panel, an Exploring the Look of MST3K featurette with Director of Photography Jeff Stonehouse and more.  The box set itself has each disc in its own slimcase with artwork and 4 mini posters included too.  The best part of all though is if you order it directly from Shout! Factory (here), you get a free MST3K Stress Ball!  If you are a fan of bad movies or MST3K, then this is definitely a must buy.  Or if you are just in the mood to laugh until you pee yourself, this set won't disappoint.

RATING:  9/10

Heaven 17 - Live at Scala, London (2011)

 Heaven 17 is a synth pop band best known for their musical output in the 1980s, especially their number 2 hit single "Temptation".  Formed in 1980 by vocalist Glenn Gregory and ex-Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, the band named itself after a fictional music group from the novel Clockwork Orange.  After releasing several singles and albums in the 80's, the band went on hiatus but has reunited several times since then, including this 2005 concert in London.

Live at Scala shows Heaven 17 in an intimate setting in front of a small crowd of enthusiastic fans.  The band itself include Gregory, Ware, Marsh and three female vocalists.  Included are "Temptation", "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang", "Let Me Go" and "Penthouse and Pavement" as well as 11 other singles and album tracks (new and old).

This DVD is a great representation of one of the many 80s new wave bands..  Playing new and old songs, singles and album tracks, you hear the band sounding just as good as it did 25 years ago.  The sound is very clear and the singing by Glenn Gregory is especially good.  If I had heard this live recording without seeing the video accompanying it, I would have guessed it was recorded in the band's prime.  The electronic instrumentation (no guitar, bass or drums, just synthesizers and drum machines) sound great as well.  The recent interview footage of Gregory and Ware is very informative and is a dream for fans, especially since they are answering fan-submitted questions.  They touch upon how things have changed since the 80s and how different touring is now without major label support.  It was actually a little depressing but the band members had a good attitude about it.  Overall, this DVD is a great document of a classic synth pop band and anyone who loves 80s pop music will surely be want to check it out.

This title will be released on February 22nd 2011 and is up for pre-order from MVD HERE.

RATING:  7/10

A History Lesson Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984 (2011, Dave Travis)

The early 80s LA punk/hardcore scene was one of the most exciting and beloved.  The fact so many legendary bands all started sprouting up and influencing each other in one area was amazing.  Sure it was going on in many other states at the same time (Boston, NYC, Minneapolis, Athens, etc), but there was something very special about California.  I always love watching video footage from this time.  Films like The Decline of Western Civilization, The Slog Movie, Suburbia, Urban Struggle: The Battle of the Cuckoo's Nest and a few more have lots of great footage.  Now we have one more, MVD's A History Lesson Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984.

This DVD features interview and live footage of four legendary bands from the early-mid 80s punk boom filmed by Dave Travis, a teenager who decided he wanted to make an account of music history as it was happening.  First is The Minutemen with interview footage of bassist Mike Watt.  Then there is The Meat Puppets (who were actually from Arizona) with interview footage with bassist/singer Cris Kirkwood and guitarist/singer Curt Kirkwood.  Next is Redd Kross with interviews featuring Steven (guitar) and Jeff (bass) MacDonald.  Last is the little known, punk supergroup (of sorts) Twisted Roots which at one time featured Pat Smear from the Germs/Nirvana/Foo Fighters and Kira Roessler from Black Flag.  The band here features Paul Roessler (keyboard) from The Screamers and Dez Cadena (guitar) from Black Flag amonst others.  There is also interview footage with Paul Roessler and punk personality Hellin Killer.


A History Lesson Part 1 is a very important punk document and also a very informative and entertaining film.  Though only about an hour long, the interviews and live performances are well worth a watch.  The interviews (which were all filmed recently) show the various band members reflecting on the time the live footage was shot.  The live footage, though filmed on a cheap camera by a teenager are still very clear and the sound surprisingly good.  If you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned or of punk in general, this film is a must see.


This DVD will be released 3/22/11 and can be pre-ordered through MVD HERE


RATING:  9/10

Vampire Circus (1972, Robert Young)

Whether it's their gothic locales, beautiful period costumes on some of the most beautiful actors and actresses ever caught on celluloid, graphic violence which was way ahead of its time or all of the above, Hammer Horror films all have something special about them.  Though known mostly for the classic monsters Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy, Hammer's lesser known films were still well worth checking out and frequently surprised viewers with many wonderful and strange ideas not utilized in the more popular features.  Vampire Circus is a perfect example.

Vampire Circus starts out with a mother and daughter walking through the woods and stumbling upon a castle, as if out of a fairy tale.  What they don't know is that inside lives a vampire named Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman) who bites the young girl to death and seduces the mother.  The townspeople storm in and put a stake through the Count's heart.  Many years later, the town is quarantined by the plague and is visited by a traveling circus.  The town folk find much amusement in the circus until they realize that it is run by disciples of Count Mitterhaus who want to get revenge on the Count's killers.

Vampire Circus is a fun, gory, creepy and just plain weird film.  The story is pretty straight forward and doesn't bore viewers.  There is a good deal of nudity and bloody deaths to keep exploitation and horror fans happy.  Plus it also has many great performances and a who's who cast of character actors (David Prowse, aka Darth Vader for instance).  Synapse does an incredible job in preserving this film on this DVD and Blu-Ray combo pack (this is reportedly the first Hammer Horror film on Blu-Ray).  The picture is crystal clear with barely any visible wear and the colors are all very vivid.  Also present is a wealth of bonus features including a making of featurette, as well as featurettes on Hammer itself and a history of Circus Horror films, a theatrical trailer, still and poster gallery and a motion comic book.  Overall this is a dynamite release of a lesser known film that I'm sure will definitely please Hammer fans and horror fans alike.


FILM RATING:  8/10
DVD/BLU RAY RATING: 10/10

Help out the "Bowman Body" documentary

The makers of the brilliant documentary Virginia Creepers are making a follow up documentary on one of the horror hosts featured in Virginia Creepers, Bill "The Bowman Body" Bowman.

If you are able, please donate whatever you can to help cover final expenses for this documentary here.  Also, you can join the I Want a Bowman Body documentary facebook page, and visit their youtube channel and their official website.

This documentary is sure to be another important history lesson for horror host fans.