Machete: 1st images of Alba and Seagal!

The resurrection of Seagal begins...I want Nico:Above the Law II after he's done Machete!

Inappropriate Soundtracks

A very funny series that I've stumbled upon, Inappropriate Soundtracks and first up we have "Philadelphia"!

Steven Seagal: Lawman

I can't wait to see this...Is there something wrong with me?

Porn for the Kids?

Well not really but the UK government for the last 25 years failed to properly enact the 1984 Video Recordings Act so technically 18 rated violent and pornographic could be sold to anyone under 18 without fear of prosecution!

The Times reported:

"The disclosure that for 25 years the Act governing the classification and sale of videos, video games and now DVDs was never brought into force is a big embarrassment to both Conservative and Labour governments.

It also leaves the industry in disarray with the classification system designed to protect the under-18s from violent and explicit material no longer officially in operation."

Click HERE to read the full article.

Super Mario Sex Tape!

The Ballad of GI Joe!

How excellent is this from Funny or Die, how did they get this cast to do the video:

• Alexis Bledel as Lady Jaye
• Billy Crudup as Zartan
• Zach Galifiankais as Snow Job
• Tony Hale as Dr. Mindbender
• Vinnie Jones as Destro
• Joey Kern as Tomax and Xamot
• Chuck Liddell as Gung Ho
• Julianne Moore as Scarlett
• Henry Rollins as Duke
• Alan Tudyk as Shipwreck
• Olivia Wilde as The Baroness

Fantastic stuff! I'm loving the hype GI Joe is getting at the moment, my favourite childhood 80's cartoon ever! Go see the movie as well, best popcorn flick of the summer by miles! I even won the USS F.L.A.G.G playset in a competition when I was 12! Wish I still had all the parts...

Cast of Machete Revealed!

OMG - What a cast for Robert Rodriguez's update from fake Grindhouse trailer to fully fledged movie, "Machete", looks pretty awesome!

• Danny Trejo
• Robert De Niro
• Steven Seagal
• Don Johnson
• Cheech Marin
• Jeff Fahey
• Jessical Alba
• Lindsay Lohan
• Michelle Rodriguez

Seriously Seagal and De Niro, I can't wait!

Blu-Ray Review: The Ipcress File

The Ipcress File

DVD released: November 10th, 2008
Approximate running time: 107 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: 12
Sound: Dolby Digital English 5.1 & Dolby Digital English 2.0
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: ITV DVD
Region Coding: Region FREE Blu-Ray
Retail Price: £19.99

The Film

Around the time of the fledgling and successful Bond series of the 1960’s, co-producer Harry Saltzman was also involved in perhaps one of the best non-007 spy films of the era, and there were plenty of Bond rip-offs trying to cash in.

As a result we are introduced to Agent Harry Palmer, played by Michael Caine in surprisingly only his second starring role. In a way he was to become the working class James Bond, as he is gawky in appearance, wears specs and his spy world seems to amount to dull offices, paperwork and boring assignments, with only a blue Zodiac to drive rather than a gadget laden Aston Martin. To his superiors, Harry is little more than a crook and having been court-martialled from the army, they feel he is more adept to being a spy for them, as he will fit right into that world!

The plot consists of Harry trying to locate the whereabouts of a Western scientist, but upon retrieval of said scientist, it is discovered that his memory has been wiped and Harry is put swiftly on the case to discover why! Based on a novel by Len Deighton, The Ipcress File moves along at a great pace and is well written with convincing performances by Caine and in particular Nigel Green as his superior Major Dalby! While Bond movies embraced the special relationship of Britain and the US, Harry positively puts this relationship to the test with a clear dislike of American consumerism and more importantly his mistaken disposal of an US agent who was tailing him, so no Felix Leiter for this cockney boy!



In addition, both the camera work from director Sydney Furie and the cinematographer himself Otto Heller were at the time both revolutionary and extreme, with shots being tilted, low, high, at an angle...well you get the idea, but it works and adds to the puzzling nature of the film. Add a fantastic John Barry score to the proceedings and you have a crackling yet fascinating spy flick that perfectly captures a 60’s London going through many social changes with the classless Harry Palmer leading the way!

Transfer and Sound

Having previously only seen the washed out and badly framed DVD from Network, this 2:35:1, MPEG-2 1080p Blu-Ray from ITV DVD is a revelation, yet some reports were claiming the transfer was a huge disappointment. Although not stellar and perhaps not near the level of the 4K restored Bond movies, this is a fantastic effort and is probably as good as The Ipcress File will ever look! The colours are strong and vibrant with high levels of detail not previously seen and yes there is still some video noise and some grain but really nothing to worry about in a film from 1965, a fine job by ITV DVD! Also note that this BD is Region Free!



Two flavours on offer here sound-wise, with both DD5.1 and DD2.0 soundtracks available, there are very little differences between the two, with only minimal rear effects coming into play with the DD5.1 track. The dialogue is both clear and crisp with the fine John Barry score done a lot of justice. Removable English subtitles are also available.

Supplemental Material

Unfortunately only a Stills gallery and original trailer are available (both in HD). A little disappointing, given that the Network Special Edition had a 2nd disc full of interviews and documentaries!

NF

Roundtable on Vacation during August!

The Roundtable will return in September after the summer holiday period! Hopefully suntanned and relaxed!

DVD Review: Slime City Grindhouse Collection

DVD released: July 28th, 2009
Approximate running times: 81 minutes (Slime City), 75 minutes (Undying Love), 79 minutes (Naked Fear), 8 minutes (Johnny Gruesome)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (Slime City, Undying Love & Johnny Gruesome), 1.33:1 Full Frame (Naked Fear)
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
DVD Release: Shock-O-Rama Cinema
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

Shock O Rama have another great collection this month, this time slime is the name of the game to complement their recent fantastic WIP collection! Greg Lamberson's Slime City, Undying Love and Naked Fear are included on this set with a load of extras as well to complete a great bang for your buck!

Slime City

"When Alex (Robert Sabin) and his girlfriend Lori (Mary Huner) move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that transform Alex into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped!"

When Alex moves into his new apartment in the Big Apple with his girlfriend, little does he know the evil that lurks there and that it is going to take over his very being! Despite it's low budget (reported to be around $35,000) appearance this is actually quite good fun despite the questionable SFX, and while not scary, definitely gives a nod to flicks like Re-Animator! Performances are fine but really this is a beer and pizza movie that gore hounds will no doubt enjoy!

Undying Love

"Undying Love - Scott Kelly tried to take his own life. Now he finds himself seduced by
a beautiful woman named Camilla who has promised his life will NEVER end! Now hunted by a detective, Scott must decide whether to battle his growing need for blood, or embrace his new unholy existence!"

Perhaps the most lacklustre title within this collection, it never quite knows what it wants to be with a vampire story that lacks in originality! The plot never quite gets going and there is not enough blood or guts to keep the audience involved, however the budget for this was virtually zero so Lamberson had very little to work with!

Naked Fear

"Naked Fear – When traumatized agoraphobic Camden (Robert C. Sabin) takes in a new roommate - who happens to be both claustrophobic and an orphan – he overlooks indications that Randy may not be what he seems. But then neighborhood lowlifes begin turning up dead. And Julie, Camden’s new girlfriend, is convinced there is something very, very off about Randy…"

Again, an 80 minute run time seems twice as long, with poor acting and it's also shot on video which in my opinion never lends itself to a decent viewing experience, coming across as cheap and half-assed! Again I think it would help if you were having a few beers or a joint as it would probably make more sense that way!

Transfer and Audio

All features except for Naked Fear (1:33:1 full frame) are presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with the images at times presenting signs of softness and green tinges but thankfully no other major artifacts or problems!

Again all features are presented in clear and concise Dolby Digital Stereo, with no problems at all in hearing the bad acting that is on show here! No subtitles are available!

Extras:

Funnily enough despite what I've already stated above, the extras are where this set excels and why you might want to pick up this collection. The extras are both plentiful and interesting! First of all we have a Slime City poster and nice 3 page booklet of liner notes written by Roy Frumkes. Disc 1 houses commentaries for Slime City and Undying Love starring Lamberson, Sabin, Sweeney and Huner; we also have featurettes "Slime City: Making Slime" and "Undying Love: Making Love the Grindhouse Way" Rounding off the disc is a Shock-o-Rama Trailer Collection.

Disc 2 hosts the nine minute short "Johnny Gruesome" starring Misty Mundae and there is also making of called "Johnny Gruesome: Meeting his Maker". Also included is "Slime Heads" that has interviews with Sabin and Huner who discuss working with Lamberson. Also on Disc 2 is the commentary for Naked Fear. A great selection of extras that really give and insight into the low budget cinema world and shows Lamberson's love of what he does!

Overall

If you are interested at all in the career of Greg Lamberson then this disc is a must have for the fantastic extras that are included, indeed they are generally more interesting than the movies themselves! If you don't own the original 2006 release of Slime City, then definitely pick this set up!

Comic-Con Costume Circus!

Comic-Con 2009: The Best Costumes

...and some of the not so good

...the weird (but imaginative)

and finally simply just hot!

The Roundtable: Week 12 - Your Contributions

With the popularity of Pink titles arriving more and more on DVD thanks in the past to Panik House and more recently Synapse and Pink Eiga, what are your favourite "Pink" movies or if you've yet to sample any, where would you like to start?"

KingMob (Dear Bastards)

I've dutifully purchased the first four Pink Eiga titles, though I've only found time to watch S & M Hunter and A Lonely Cow Weeps At Dawn so far. I was rather impressed with Lonely Cow, as it seemed to be a fairly legit drama, a story of unrequited love that just happens to be filled to the brim with outlandish sex sequences between the dramatic beats that move the story along.

I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more from this genre, though I may try to look into a book on the subject before I blind-buy too much more, just to be more aware of the history of specific titles, or their significance of release.

Kimberley Lindbergs (Cinebeats)

I prefer early pink (and violent pink) films over the new ones I've seen and I usually like the work of artistically inclined directors who bend the rules a bit and inject their films with radical politics or social critiques. A few of my favorite pink directors are Koji Wakamatsu (Go, Go Second Time Virgin), Yasuharu Hasabe (Assault! Jack the Ripper), Shunya Ito (Female Scorpion films), Teruo Ishii (Female Yakuza Tale) and Norifumi Suzuki (School of the Holy Beast). A couple of more current working directors I like a lot are Takashi Ishii (Freeze Me) and Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Kichiku). It would be impossible for me to list all my favorite pink movies, but these directors are responsible for many of my favorite Japanese films and I highly recommend all their work.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Funny you should ask that as just yesterday I reviewed my DeepDiscount Wishlist and noticed to my dismay that the Pinky Violence Collection appears to now be discontinued. *This* would have been the place for me to start my Pinkedumacation. The only Pink movies I am so far familiar with (and that have me gagging for more) are SEX AND FURY and FEMALE YAKUZA TALE.

Rorschach is Freddy Krueger!

I'm not a fan of remakes of already good movies but this does look interesting as the 1st image of Jackie Earl Haley as Freddy emerges...

DVD Review: Tsumugi

DVD Released: May 19th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 62 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Non-Anamorphic
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Pink Eiga
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.99 (BUY)

Tsumugi - Seifuku bisyojo sensei atashi wo daite

The Film

Tsumugi is the latest title from US outfit Pink Eiga who are slowly but surely releasing celebrated “pink” titles into the marketplace. For the uninitiated the “pink” genre must follow some pretty strict guidelines:

1. The film must have the requisite number of sex scenes (typically a minimum of five).
2. The film must be approximately one hour in length (perfect for the Pink Eiga triple-bill format).
3. It must be shot on 35 mm film (or occasionally 16mm) in a week and finished within one month.
4. The film must be completed within an extremely limited budget (around $35,000 US).

Tsumugi stars AV idol Sora Aoi, as the titular student who starts an affair with her teacher Mr. Katagiri (Takashi Naha) who in turn is having a liaison with another teacher, Yoko, despite his wife about to give birth to their first child. In addition to this Tsumugi is very keen on one of her class mates as well, so all in all many love triangles are occurring as we are introduced to each character!

Katagiri despite realising what he’s doing is wrong starts a relationship with Tsumugi as well as keeping Yoko happy as well; Tsumugi is happy with her experienced lover but likes to have fun with Kosuke, her classmate although he is very much less experienced in the bedroom area. We are also introduced to a punk rocker friend of Katagiri who also experiences a life lesson which I won’t allude to so as to not spoil the movie. Yoko however, who seems to very much love Katagiri, soon discovers the tryst between Tsumugi and him and she is not happy....

Director Hidekazu Takahara, has managed to weave a very touching, yet erotic story in little less than 62 minutes which is quite a feat, managing as well to make you care very much for the characters involved especially Tsumugi as Sora Aoi, who while being bewitchingly pretty also does an excellent job in the acting stakes and, not surprisingly given her AV background, very well in the more racy scenes.

The film I feel is trying to teach us that we all need to grow up sometime and face the consequences that life throws at us and this is all too apparent for Katagiri and his punk rock chum as we head towards the end! Tsumugi herself is in a quandary that is resolved in a surprising way in the film’s finale, as she is perhaps loved too much by Katagiri and too little by Kosuke, so what is she to do? Overall an excellent little entry into the Pink Eiga genre, and although director Takahara veered away from the main story with the punk rocker subplot, the accolades for both the film and Sora Aoi are well deserved.

Definitely one of Pink Eiga’s best releases so far, Tsumugi strikes the right balance of story, empathy and eroticism; Definitely add this to your DVD shopping list.

Transfer and Audio

The transfer is problematic but this seems to be a problem with many films within this genre, with the 1:85:1 non-anamorphic image being quite soft at times with some vertical banding apparent as well. This is due I would imagine due to it being mastered from a tape source rather than from a 35mm print which is a shame given it was only released in 2004. The 2.0 audio is fine with no real problems and the hard-matted subs are fairly precise and well translated!

Extras

The film has been released in both a Standard and Special Edition, I was given the standard edition and it includes: Hidekazu Takahara’s Director’s Notes, Tsumugi International Movie Trailers, Cast and Crew Biographies and Filmographies, Still Image Slide show, Original Japanese Movie Poster and Sneak Peeks: More PINK EIGA Trailers. Also note that the Special Edition also includes a 5.1 DD soundtrack as well as 3 featurettes, production diaries as well as a music video as well! Congratulations to Pink Eiga for such a great package as it’s always fantastic to get a bit of background into these interesting movies!

Worst Kung-Fu Movie Ever??

Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan it ain't!

The Roundtable: Week 12

"With the popularity of Pink titles arriving more and more on DVD thanks in the past to Panik House and more recently Synapse and Pink Eiga, what are your favourite "Pink" movies or if you've yet to sample any, where would you like to start?"

As usual, entries by the end of the week, by comment or email!

The Roundtable: Week 11 - Your Contributions

"Since I've been watching loads of 80's action movies recently, simply tell me a few of your favourites when Sly, Ahhnold and many others ruled the cinema?"

Matt McAllister (Total Sci-Fi Online)

I’m going to weigh in with Lone Wolf McQuade, possibly Chuck Norris’s finest hour. Norris never quite had Arnie or Sly’s presence or way with one-liners, but he had a ridiculous, grizzly charm all of his own.

My second choice is China O’Brien, starring the imitable Cynthia Rothrock as the karate-kicking ex-cop out to avenge her father’s death. Somebody needs to make China O’Brien III, and they need to make it now!

James Kloda (Rusty Shrapnel)

Muscles rippling like freshly-netted tadpoles and greased like deep-fried haggis, the '80s action-movie star stands as a square-jawed monument to masculinity, machismo and the mullet. Bad hairstyles rule these pictures far more than body oil and bicep brawn. Sly Stallone's saliva-wetted curls in Cobra; Arnie's limp hippy locks in Red Sonja; Brigitte Nielsen in anything. But the crowned prince in all of these ventures is Troma's War. It's like a convention for Tygers Of Pan Tang enthusiasts. In the jungle. Short on the top and long at the back, the men look like the type of vacant beefcakes who could only ever kick sand in their own faces. The women are either scantily-clad hotties or cellulite-dripping, butt-kicking Milfs like an army of combat-Chers. With shoulder-length perms. The action is as suitably badass as the coiffures, Kaufman and co. needing only a hint of hormones to blow something up. The tagline asserts that Troma's War "makes Rambo III look like Lassie Come Home". Maybe. But at least collies have decent hair.

Douglas Waltz (Divine Exploitation)

Well you have already posted the pic of Stone Cold with The Boz. Does it get any better than that? Bikers, The Boz, Lance Henriksen, William Forsythe. This movie is epic!

Others might be;
Commando, I can't not watch this if it comes on television.
Escape From Ne York was so cool that I have the movie, the novel, the soundtrack (on vinyl) and the damned boardgame.
And with that Big Trouble IN Little China is magnificent.

But none of these compare to the magnificent epic-ness that is...
EYE OF THE TIGER starring the maniacal Gary Busey and the scene chewing of William Smith. This movie has it all. Guy coming home from priosn for a crime he didn't commit. Roving gangs of bikers who do what they want when they want and have the local law in their pocket. Yaphet Kotto tearing up the screen. The bikers dragging the coffin of Busey's wife back to his house and leaving it there. That's it! I gotta go watch this again right now. And the best character name ever. Buck Matthews! Yeah this flick rocks.

Kingmob (Dear Bastards)

This is a rather timely question, as I've also been re-watching a few action flicks myself recently, leaving the subject fresh on my mind. Going chronologically, the first big action flick I can recall seeing would be Rambo: First Blood Rat II, which I was able to con my mother into allowing me to see theatrically even though I was about 11, so it has a certain amount of nostalgia to me, though I think everything else on my list was most likely seen on home video.

The home viewing would include stuff like Aliens, Robocop, Predator and the first Die Hard film. I also have very specific memories of watching Lethal Weapon 2 over at a buddy's house while skipping school one afternoon, it might've been my first exposure to Riggs and Murtaugh, as I don't recall seeing the first film until much later, for whatever reason.

Definitely a heyday for fun, over the top action, with the CGI nonsense we have today, I don't think films like these will ever be made again.

Ian Price

Can't remember the years but I did enjoy Nighthawks, Blade Runner, North Sea Hijack, Ladyhawke, Midnight Run, Death Hunt, Runaway Train and Violent Cop. Highlander is in there somewhere as well as Southern Comfort.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Ooooh, too many to mention.

Off the top of my head (and I know I'll forget a good bunch) some of my absolute favourite movies of all time are TERMINATOR, ROBOCOP and DIE HARD. Other action faves by actors:

Chuck Norris: The Octagon, Missing in Action Sylvester Stallone: Rambo II Arnold Schwarzenegger: Red Heat Jean Claude Van Damme: Hmmm, I think he really only came into the scene in the 90s apart from Kickboxer and Bloodsport which I haven't seen. (Shame on me.) From his smaller parts of the 80s I'd go for Black Eagle

Let's not forget Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja. And also Red Dawn. And Enter the Ninja with Franco Nero.

You seem to focus primarily on the US Action flicks, but there were of course also lots of HK and Euro flicks of its ilk. To name but a few:
the Bronx Warriors and Thunder movies as well as all the John Woo stuff (my fave for the time: The Killer) or Ringo Lam's City on Fire.

I already know I'll be kicking myself for forgetting dozens of other worthwhile flicks once I read the other entries, but it sure was a fab decade for action films.

DVD News: Slime City Grindhouse Collection

Street Date: July 28, 2009

I'll have a review of this fantastic 2-disc Special Edition set very soon, but in the meantime have a read on what to expect!

"A DEADLY NEW COLLECTION OF CULT AND MIDNIGHT MOVIES INCLUDING SPLATTER CLASSIC “SLIME CITY”, BY NOTED HORROR DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR, GREG LAMBERSON"

Slime City – When Alex (Robert Sabin) and his girlfriend Lori (Mary Huner) move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that transform Alex into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped!

Naked Fear – When traumatized agoraphobic Camden (Robert C. Sabin) takes in a new roommate - who happens to be both claustrophobic and an orphan – he overlooks indications that Randy may not be what he seems. But then neighborhood lowlifes begin turning up dead. And Julie, Camden’s new girlfriend, is convinced there is something very, very off about Randy…

Undying Love - Scott Kelly tried to take his own life. Now he finds himself seduced by a beautiful woman named Camilla who has promised his life will NEVER end! Now hunted by a detective, Scott must decide whether to battle his growing need for blood, or embrace his new unholy existence!

2-DVDs, Three Films, One Mini-Movie, a Collectible Poster and a Shocking Number of Bonus Features!

DVD 1

• Slime City Feature Film
• Slime City Commentary
• Undying Love Feature Film
• Undying Love Commentary
• Making Slime (Making of Slime City)
• Making Love the Grindhouse Way (Making of Undying Love) – New!
• Slime Collection “Grindhouse” Promo Teaser – New!
• Grindhouse Trailer Vault

DVD 2

• Naked Fear Feature Film
• Naked Fear Commentary
• Gruesome Mini-movie
• Meeting His Maker (Making of Johnny Gruesome) – New!
• Slime Heads (Interview with Robert C. Sabin and Mary Hunar) – New!

Torchwood: Children of Earth

I'm not sure if any of you watched Torchwood last week on BBC 1 and BBC HD, but just WOW! I can't believe how good this was, perhaps one of the best written pieces of Sci-Fi on British TV for years. Season 1 and 2 of Torchwood were merely ok, formulaic, with the usual monster of the week for Captain Jack and his crew to battle with! Season 3 and Children of Earth though has shown how it should be done and with good viewing figures, hopefully there will be more to come! Grab the DVD or Blu-Ray when it comes out if you've not seen it, you won't regret it!

The Roundtable: Week 11

"Since I've been watching loads of 80's action movies recently, simply tell me a few of your favourites when Sly, Ahhnold and many others ruled the cinema?"

Reply by email or comment as usual, and I'll make Friday the last day for entries!