Wonder Woman - The Complete First Season (1976)

Wonder Woman - The Complete First Season (1976)

Running Time: 725 minutes

MPAA Rating: NR
Format: Standard 4:3
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Region: 1
MSRP: $39.98

Gloria Steinem's favorite fictional feminist finally makes it to the digital age, and while I let my subscription to Ms. magazine run out years ago, I couldn't resist picking this 3 disc set up for simple nostalgia value. Being a long-standing comic book fanboy, as well as being a child of the late 1970s/early 1980s, it's needless to say that I had a boyhood crush on Lynda Carter as the leggy Amazon princess...

And, I'm not ashamed to admit that I still do.

Lynda Carter as Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman

Making its debut in late 1975, ABC's The New Original Wonder Woman pilot film blended camp sensibilities with good old fashioned Saturday matinee action (with a healthy dose of "subtle" sex appeal), and led to one of the most fondly remembered television shows of the disco era. This set collects what many fans, myself included, consider to be the best of the show's three seasons (ABC airred it during it's inaugrial 14 episodes, and CBS later picked it up for the latter two seasons), which firmly plants Princess Diana in a wartime 1940s setting, reflecting the character's time of conception in her parent medium, comic books.

The quality of the scripts vary during this run of shows, from good clean fun: The pilot and "Formula 407" (episode 11, 1/22/77) to wild, cliffhanger serial-esque hijinx: "Wonder Woman vs. Gargantua" (ep.6, 12/18/76), to downright goofy: "Judgement From Outer Space" (eps. 9 & 10), but likeable, deadpan performances by Carter and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor (a character I used to jokingly refer to as the "male Lois Lane") and several of the celebrity guest-stars (Roy Rogers, Red Buttons, and Cloris Leachman being amongst the best of them) make up for anything lacking in the plot department. Plus, there's the pre-fame Debra Winger as Wonder Girl, a sight that has to be seen to be believed, unintentional humor included.

The show still looks fairly well, even after nearly 30 years and several syndication packages later. I'm sure Warner Bros. probably did some digital clean-up for the transfers, and the Dolby mono mix is surprisingly clean, free of the usual reverb that makes one feel that they're listening the track from a distance while at the bottom of a well.... heh.

Pilot Film Audio Commentary by Lynda Carter and Executive Producer Douglas S. Cramer - Too self complimentary and "cutesy" to be taken as a serious insight into the creation of the show, but it's fun to hear Carter's thoughts on her performance.

Beauty, Brawn and Bulletproof Bracelets: A Wonder Woman Retrospective - Nice documentary featuring interviews with Carter and several of the production team behind the conception of the show, as well as insights from comic book illustrator extraordinaire Alex Ross (the painter behind such works as Marvels, Kingdom Come, and the 2003 Oscars poster, to name a few) and author Les Daniels (who has penned several in-depth books on the history of various comic book publishing entities and their characters) about the history of the amazing Amazon herself in various media venues.

From the incredibly bad faux funk theme song (for some laughs, track down and read a copy of the lyrics to it) to Lynda Carter's patriotic adventures utilizing the "feminist mystique" and a good right hook, all the while dressed in what is essentially a bathing suit, "Wonder Woman- The Complete First Season" is more fun that you could wrangle with a Magic Lasso.

Did I mention the whole "boyhood crush" thing? Lynda Carter could tie me up anytime...hee hee!

Blood Freak: Special Edition (1972) Something Weird Special Edition

Blood Freak: Special Edition (1972)

Running Time: 80 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Format: Standard 4:3
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Region: 1
MSRP: $19.99

Blood Freak: Special Edition (1972)'

Praise the Lord and Pass the Turkey! Testify! 

Possibly the only film that can not only claim to be a "turkey", but star one as well - and certainly the ONLY Pro-Jesus, Anti-Pot, Turkey Monster Splatter flick in existence. 

After an intro like that, how does one follow up with a simple and concise plot synopsis? I'm placing my talents in the hands of the Lord on this one....(heh) Steve Hawkes (a former low-rent Tarzan movie star) is "Herschell", a tall, dark, and clueless type who can't decide whether he's an Elvis impersonator or a motorcycle riding tough guy. Seriously, this flick's opening looks like they took some discarded, out-of-focus footage from an AIP biker flick and hastily cut it together....with a cleaver! 

Anyway, during his Easy Rider experience, Hersch meets up with two sisters: Pure and God-fearing Angel and her "naughty" younger sister, Anne...who turns Hersch onto the devil weed.....Marijuana! Hersch also gets a job with an old research scientist. Who does turkey research... 

Oh, wait.....it gets better. It seems that the pot grown in this particular goofy-ass alternate universe is the most addictive stuff on Earth. It makes crack cocaine look like marshmallow s'mores. Hersch is sent into crazy-mad withdrawal sickness, and the loco-weed kick combines with chemically treated turkey meat (which he has to consume at his job) to cause a genetic mutation in Herschell of the wacky kind. No kidding....he becomes GOBB-LOR! The TURKEY of DEATH!  

Okay, I made that last part up, but it makes this crap seem a heck of a lot cooler than it actually is. And Hersch does become a blood-thirsty turkey-headed monster who goes on a kill-crazy murder spree to feed his hunger. Best bit: Turkey monster pleading with God to forgive him and end his existence. 

Intercut into all of this is footage of director Brad Grinter (former nudie movie star) giving pseudo-philosophical moral warnings, looking as if he just came off a three day bender. His ending speech on the dangers of drugs just has to be seen.

 Sadly, if you're expecting high definition in picture and sound, yer in the wrong place, brother. Time has not been kind to the original elements of this flick, and that's understandable, seeing as how I don't think Blood Freak is on the AFI list, or sat around in any major studio vaults since its 1972 debut. Seeing as how this is a Something Weird release, Mike Vraney probably stumbled across it in somebody's basement behind the hot water heater or buried in a lock box somewhere in the Louisiana bayou. It's watchable, but "the curse of 1970s cheap film stock" lingers around it to the worst possible degree. The original mono track has degraded severely and Hawkes' crazy (and vaguely European.... y'know...like Fabio's) accent doesn't help matters much. Kudos to Something Weird, though, for rescuing this little oddity and pushing it, squawking and gobbling, into the digital age.

This is where the disc excels.....packed to the brim with over 2 hours worth of supplementary material, as if to make up for the really bad movie and it's deteriorated condition. 

Original Theatrical Trailer- yep....see all the hype that made this film a "classic" 
Bonus "Blood Drenched Horror Trailers- Teasers for the following: Blood Feast, The Blood-Spattered Bride, Bloody Pit of Horror, Color Me Blood Red, The Dorm That Dripped Blood, I Drink Your Blood/ I Eat Your Skin, Night of the Bloody Apes, and Flesh Feast 
The Walls Have Eyes- Steve Hawkes in soft core nudie 28 minute 1968 sex flick 
Brad Grinter: Nudist- Pro-naturalist short subject starring the Blood Freak co-director/co-star 
Narcotics: Pit of Despair- 1960s anti-drug scare film 
Beggar At The Gates- late 1960s short subject which deals with weird tangents of the Christian denomination
Turkeys in the Wild- Everything you wanted to know about woodland fowl (but were afraid to ask) 1960s nature short subject 
A Day of Thanksgiving- 1950s proganda short subject on Thanksgiving that reveals the origins of the November holiday and how great it is to be an American....and not a dirty pinko commie!
Ghastly Gallery of Ghoulish Comic Book Art- Several still shots of various cheapo Stanley and Eerie publications of the late 1960s and 1970s, with several horror rockabilly punk cues by the Dead Elvi played as atmosphere music. Great band, too.   
Incredibly stupid film, poorly made....yet, fun nonetheless and the unintentional humor is hilarious. Something Weird's disc is a definite must-have for "bad" movie enthusiasts.

AMERICAN SCARY

American Scary (2007)

Running Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Format: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Languages: English
Subtitles: None
Region: All
MSRP: $19.95

It's funny the things you remember from your childhood.  Like, for instance, I put four years of high school "college prep" English classes under my belt, and few Lit. and Writing courses were attended during my college years....yet if you asked me how to deconstruct a sentence, or what a adjective was...you find me stuttering and stammering a response.  But, if a complete stranger were to walk up to me on the street and asked me to recite Green Lantern's oath or what the origin of the Flash was (Jay Garrick?  Barry Allen?  Wally West?  Pick yer poison...), I'd kick that stuff off the top of my head.

Examples: Q: What was your first girlfriend's last name?
A: Um....Gollum?  Giggly?  Gaffin?   I think it was Gaffin...it involved a "geee" noise.

Q: What's your favorite Stones song?
A: "Gimme Shelter", "Let It Bleed" album, 1969.

Q:  What's your mother's phone number?
A:  It has a three and there's a zero somewhere in there...besides, it's stored in my cel-phone's address book (which also has an entry for my number, the number to that particular cel-phone, so's if anybody should ask me for it.  C'mon....how many times do I call myself?   Zero.)

Q: Where'd you first see "The Devil Bat" starring Bela Lugosi?
A: Channel 19 WXIX, Cincinati Ohio.  May 11th, 1986, after midnight.  Hosted by the Cool Ghoul.  Sponsored by Hudapohl Beer and Grippo's Potato Chips.

I think one of the things that I miss the most from childhood is the concept of independent television stations.  It seemed every summer there were at least two or three popping up on my UHF dial, in various stages of acceptable reception, from snowy static to crystal clear.  The really fun thing about these broadcasters was the sheer amount of inventiveness that substituted for production budgets and, in most cases, talent.  This is where I learned to love three things:  cheezy local kid shows, crazy syndicated television packages... and the truly oddball: late-night horror movie hosts.

Now, I live (and grew up) in Ohio, which has come to be viewed as the "mecca" of this particular breed of on-air MCs, especially in the Cleveland and Cincinatti markets.  In my neck of the wood, the south central and southwestern areas of the state, the Cincy stations were king, and the big indy here was WXIX, which began it's broadcast history in 1968.   And ask anybody in these parts over the age of 30 who the "Cool Ghoul" is, and you'll be met with a mile-long grin followed by a story that either involves the funniest television viewing experience of their childhood and/or the scariest.

I've heard horror hosts being likened to the Greek Chorus of old, giving commentary on the gruesome proceedings being played out before an audience... but I'd like to think it's something simpler and far more innocent.  The primary audiences of horror hosts during their hey-day were children and teenagers, and these ghoulish lunatics, using their on-air charisma, would talk kids into doing something they shouldn't be doing ("Hey, kid!   Stay up past your bedtime and I've got all this really cool stuff to show you..."), and while doing it...allow them to watch....GASP!...horror movies, which added to the allure.

Yet....while nudging kids headway into a bad experience with one hand (or hook....or claw...or sometimes a tentacle), every once and a while, they'd stop the whole thing and take a kid under their care with the other arm and provide comfort ("Wasn't that silly?  Ain't no reason to be scared... that tentacle is obviously rubber. And that werewolf?  Wasn't it a hoot when he banged his head against the boom-mic?").  Kind of like a mischievous imaginary friend who lived on the airwaves, who you had to sneak downstairs and tune in on the magic picture box.  But you could only do it once a week... after midnight.  When your parents were asleep...

AMERICAN SCARY is a loving tribute to these "imaginary friends" on the airwaves, chronicling it's earliest beginnings, with Vampira (Maila Nurmi,1922-2008) on the west coast, John Zacherle on the east, and near and dear to my heart, Ghoulardi ( disc jockey, voice announcer, and actor the late Ernie Anderson) who later left Cleveland, became the voice of ABC Television for a generation and left his influence on such notable names as former broadcasting partner Tim Conway, Drew Carey (watch for Ghoulardi t-shirts on episodes of his sitcom), rockabilly punk act the Cramps, and his son...director Paul Thomas Anderson, who did a couple little films you may have heard of:  BOOGIE NIGHTS and THERE WILL BE BLOOD. P.T.'s production company isn't named  "The Ghoulardi Film Company" for nothin'.

After an exploration into the beginnings of the phenomena, we're given a look at some of the highlights of the 1960s and 70s era, with long, loving looks at guys like Bob Wilkins of CREATURE FEATURES, Chilly Billy Cardille (probably most infamous for his appearance as a television newsman in Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), Chicago's Svengoolie (Jerry G. Bishop), and more hometown boys such as Big Chuck and Lil' John, The Ghoul (Ron Sweed), and my beloved Cool Ghoul (the late Dick Von Hoene... "Bleah, bleah, BLEAAAHHH!") before moving on to more recognizable fare such as Cassandra Peterson's Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and an interview with Joel Hodgson of MYSTERY SCINCE THEATER 3000 fame.  All along the way, we're treated to glimpses of folks still in the business via the wonders of the inner-netz and public access television, most notably Count Gore De Vol, portrayed by Dick Dyszel, a favorite of mine.

For a piece of work that looks to have been shot completely on Digi-Cam, it's pretty professional looking.  As far as bells and whistles go, disc-wise, it's a pretty tight package.  Even though it's an indy release, (and as far as I know, the disc publisher is doing their own distribution, as well, with exception to Amazon), expect to see the now-typical built-in marketing material prior to the the disc's root menu (trailers for two other oddball docs, AMERICAN ZOMBIE and AMERICAN SHOPPER, which looks to be fun and reminds this reviewer of Errol Morris' VERNON, FLORIDA).

- Audio Commentary by Directors John E. Hudgens and Sandy Clark- Pretty interesting stuff, almost as good as the film itself.
- Original Pitch Reel
- Theatrical Teaser and Trailer
- Extended Interviews:  Some decent stuff here, with one focusing on the Nashville horror host scene and it's elaborate history, and another doing the same for the great state of Texas...

Batman - The Complete 1943 Movie Serial Collection (1943)

 BATMAN- THE COMPLETE 1943 MOVIE SERIAL COLLECTION

Running Time: 259 minutes (approx)
MPAA Rating: NR
Format: Standard 4:3
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Region: 1
MSRP: $29.95

I'm a long-time fan of the cliffhanger serials, a love stemming from my interests in both superheroes and film. Masked radio, pulp, and comic book heroes circa the time period were perfect fodder for the studio serial department machine for nearly two decades, and I've always loved the 1943 attempt at Batman. An evil "yellow peril" mastermind, zombies in goofy metal helmets, atomic ray pistols....what's not to love?

Well....there is that li'l bit of World War 2 era blatantly racist propoganda dialogue....yes, kids, before we learned to hate the dirty pinko Commies (when we weren't hatin' each other), we dished it out to those nutty "Japs" and "Ratzi Krauts". Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, and all that jazz...

Interesting story about that. Seems that at some point in the mid-1980s, Sony (the Japanese company that currently holds the leash on Columbia Pictures and its repertory) did some serious editting to a video cassette master of said Bat-adventure for use by Goodtimes Home Video, specifically to the voice track, dubbing over several lines of dialogue deemed offensive. This master was then used for the only licensed prerecord VHS release, circa 1990, during the second Batmania merchandising craze that was a result of the 1989 Tim Burton-directed Bat film. For years, the only way folks could see an uncut version of the 1943 serial was if they somehow lucked into seeing a repertory showing.... which, to my knowledge, was never.

Fast-forward to 2005. After hearing about the original unaltered version of the serial for years, I hear about the DVD release. I pick it up at the local Wal-Mart...and then I watch the first disc....

Not five minutes into it....I realize something's different from my prior viewings of the film (via the Goodtimes release)....there's a different voice narrating. And then... there's some hate for the Orientals showing it's ugly head. Isn't this age of DVD mastering wonderful, where those doing the transfers are forced to seek out the original elements to get decent stuff? My only question is: Does Sony (translation: Japanese company who went through the effort nearly two decades ago to try and smooth over the situation) even realize or know about this....or is this a situation akin to the Texas "MGM Swamp Thing DVD" case a few years back, in which an enraged mother discovered that the DVD she bought for her kids at a Toys R Us clearly labelled as PG rated was actually transferred from a more racy international cut print (mmmmm....Adrienne Barbeau nudity)? That situation caused MGM to recall that disc, and "Swamp Thing" wasn't made available again until just a few years ago by the manufacturer. And the Batman disc? Not a disclaimer in sight...which seems to be the thing that Disney (see Leonard Maltin's stuff on the now out of print Disney Treasures sets) and Warner Bros. (see Whoopi Goldberg's contributions to the LOONEY TUNES Golden Collection sets) have resorted to, gladhanding any of the racial stereotyping and ridiculing those respective studios have done in the past.

Below:  an example of the GOODTIMES VHS ADR edit

 And.....the original uncut 1943 audio

A very interesting and ironic situation indeed, if this isn't a case of preserving and/or presenting the original uncut film warts and all.

The plot? Standard serial fare....a lot of fun, very thin holes script-wise when it comes to the "daring escapes" at the beginning of the next chapter. J. Carrol Naish portrays Daka, an evil Japanese mastermind bent on destroying America's war efforts, while doing the worst impression of a Japanese accent I've ever heard. Lewis Wilson as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Douglas Croft as Dick Grayson/ Robin obviously seem to be having a blast with the roles and are genuinely funny at times....and alot of unintentional humor stems from Batman's slightly ill-fiting costume and droopy Bat-earred cowl. Don't think too hard and try not to wince whenever there's any hate-talk goin' on, and you'll find yourself having as much of a good time. Look for Charles Middleton (Ming the Merciless of Buster Crabbe "Flash Gordon" fame) in a small role as a radium mine owner.

Head and shoulders above the Goodtimes release, the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment two disc set looks great. The transfer's crisp and clean, a nice change from Goodtimes' fairly murky and scratched VHS release. The elements show their age, but the revelation that this is the first time since the 1960s that this film is available to a mass audience in an uncut and uncensored form should take the sting from that.

None to speak of, not even a theatrical trailer. Nifty menus, though.

A nice package and a fun film, if you're willing to forgive some of the ignorance of the past that went into demonizing the enemy.

BATMAN: RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS (2016) Bluray

BATMAN: RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS (2016, Warner Bros) Bluray

 

Batman and Robin (voiced by Adam West and Burt Ward) find themselves caught up in a delightfully goofy plot devised by four of their greatest arch nemesises to conquer Gotham City.  Along the way, Aunt Harriet wonders if she might just be a beard in her relationship with Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward, Dick Grayson, Batman turns evil and takes over Gotham via the use of a matter replication ray,  Robin is forced to team up with Catwoman (vocals by Julie Newmar), and the Dynamic Duo take a ride into outer space in a Bat Rocket.

All in all....a pretty typical day in campy 1960s Gotham City....

Being a child of the 1970s growing up in the '80s as a comic book fanboy, it was admittedly a dry period for those of us who also enjoy film adaptation of superheroes.   Sure, there were the Christopher Reece SUPERMAN films and HOWARD THE DUCK, but that was about it....

 So, we had to seek solace in television, and luckily there was BATMAN (1966-68).  Much like classic STAR TREK, the show 's popularity as syndicated packages of reruns was at it's height.  You practically could trip over an episode on a daily basis on numerous channels in any given market.  As a kid, I loved the show, drinking it's particular brand of Bat Kool-Aid and fell for the hyperbole laden melodrama, caught up in the action.  As an adult, my appreciation changed gears when I finally came to the realization that it's all an elaborately staged campy sitcom.

Equal parts loving homage and biting parody/ satire of not just the 1960s TV series, but of all things Batman....keep an ear out for lines of dialogue slyly criticizing everything from Aunt Harriet's role in Bruce and Dick's life to the ending of Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT RISES....BATMAN: THE RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS is a fun little romp that manages to capture the spirit of the original show and finds witty ways to poke fun of itself.  It's all good natured fun, and hats off to the production for rounding up the surviving cast members of the original show and giving them the chance to shine once again in the roles that they made so iconic in live action five decades ago.

Adam West: Iconic Gotham Guardian

Things I've learned watching RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS?  It's incredibly disturbing to hear hear Adam West deliver lines from Tim Burton's 1989 BATMAN or those written by Frank Miller from DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
And, the best line of dialogue...ever?   "Holy Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"

Be sure to check out this little gem of goofy entertainment. ....same Bat time, same Bat Bluray release....at a retailer near you.

DOCTOR STRANGE: Visually Impressive Fanboy Pleasure

I've made no secret in the past that I'm a HUGE fan of the Stan Lee/ Steve Ditko creation known as the Sorceror Supreme,  Doctor Strange (see my over-blandished rant on the subject HERE).  Of all the product that the immensely successful Marvel Studios division of The Disney Company has put into production mining the Marvel Comics properties, DOCTOR STRANGE was the one film I've went into with heightened expectations, scrutinizing every bit of casting,  plot. and piece of production design imaginable.

I loved it.

Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch turns in an impressive performance, which is joyful to watch because he's clearly having fun doing it.  His ability to juggle the arrogance and pathos involved in Strange's comic book backstory (which the film adapts pretty literally) while maintaining the feeling that, deep down, Stephen Strange is a likeable,  funny guy worthy of redemption possessing the merits to finally become a hero is truly something to watch unfold.  Sure....it takes one a few minutes to get over hearing Cumberbatch sans his UK accent...but I blame that on my also being something of a SHERLOCK fan, as well.

The plot of the film is lifted straight from the classic Silver Age issues of STRANGE TALES:  Brilliantly talented, yet arrogant and vain surgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)  suffers injuries in a car crash that leave him with inoperable nerve damage to his hands.  Exhausting his means exploring experimental medical procedures to correct his condition,  he then begins to seek out potential spiritual and holistic cures.  This leads him to Nepal, rumored location of the Ancient One (Tilda Swanson), a supposed spiritual leader possessed of mystic healing abilities. 

Ejiofor as Baron Karl Mordo

 Once accepted into the Ancient One's order of followers,  which includes Karl Mordo (Chitwetel Ejiofor....try spelling that without reference) and Wong (Benedict Wong), Strange is given the knowledge of the order's true purpose: defense of the world from malevolent other dimensional occult and mystic threats.   They do this though educating themselves in ways of harnessing the "Mystic Arts"....which to me appear to work like this:  Imagine that the reality we perceive is basically the interface or desktop to an operating platform....kinda like Windows...and "sorcerors", such as Strange and the like, have figured out the backdoors and cheat code to it, allowing them to bend and change it to their whim...kinda like tinkering with the source code of the Universe's software. 

Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecillius

 It is then that Dr. Strange learns of the plot of one of the Ancient One's former pupils,  Kaecillius (Mads Mikkelsen ), who plans to destroy Earth 's outposts, or Sanctums, of mystical defense allowing an evil otherdimensional tyrant known as the Dread Dormammu into our realm of existence to generally fuck things up for us, good ol' Mankind.

Steve Ditko's original 1960s design for Dormammu,  and a more contemporary interpretation below

First of all....and this is me revealing my deep cut Marvel Comics fanboy underbelly....but, holy shit.   I've finally lived to see a big screen version of Dormammu.  It's impressive, and I'd have liked to have seen the character design go a little more....flamey. ..in the head design....but awesome nonetheless. 

Benedict Wong....Beyonce fan #1

 Real standouts in the supporting cast are Ejiofor as Mordo, Rachel McAdams as Strange's love interest/ connection to his former life, and Bendict Wong, who gets some of the best jokes in the film, the best being his secret love for the music of Beyonce.

The Cloak of Levitation....potential comedy goldmine

 Speaking of funny, the CGI creation that is Strange's Cloak of Levitation,  is a brilliant character all of it's own, and some of the better bits of humor are played out by this whimsical bit of pixel generated garment.

If you're a fan of good adaptations of comic book source material on film, DOCTOR STRANGE is not to be missed.