Weekly DVD Dissection
By Scott Weinberg
300 -- Zack Snyder's orgy of stylish violence, pulpy dialog, hyper-intense action, and non-stop testosterone certainly hit a chord with both genders -- although probably for different reasons. It gets a FEARnet mention because A) it's awesome, B) it's pretty bloody, and C) it's got monsters in it. Choose between a single-disc or dual-platter special edition. (Warner Bros.)
The Cradle -- Lukas Haas and Emily Hampshire move into a haunted house in an isolated town, and are then shocked to discover an underage ghost lives nearby. (Genius Entertainment)
Creature -- Craig T. Nelson and Kim Cattrall star in this 4-hour 1998 mini-series based on a novel by "Jaws" author Peter Benchley. And get this: It's about a sea creature who's eating people. Can you believe it? I remember watching it on network TV and thought it might make for a half-decent 89-minute matinee. Just be sure you have a comfy pillow nearby. (MGM)
(Special Note: Also available this week is the fantastic 1971 shark documentary "Blue Water, White Death." Not a horror movie, obviously, but if you dig the sharks (which are scary), then definitely queue this doco up.)
Dead Clowns -- What, like lying in a pile somewhere? What's so scary about that? From the director of "Gut-Pile," "Psycho Santa," and "Cremains" comes the story of ... well, I guess it's all right there in the title. But one of my trusted horror experts had some fairly positive things to say about this particular indie, so into the queue it goes.
(Lionsgate)
20 Million Miles to Earth -- Ray Harryhausen provides the stop-motion creature effects in this basic-yet-amusing tale of alien invasion. Maybe not among the master's finest work, but definitely a worthy addition to his catalog. Plus this stellar 50th Anniversary Edition is pretty much swollen with nifty treats. (Sony)
Also today: Shriek Show's "Mutant Monsters" 3-pack which features John Cardos' "The Dark," Jackie Kong's "The Being," and the little-seen "Creatures from the Abyss" (aka "Plankton"); Velocity's backwoods inbred rape 'n' revenge tale "Bloodlines"; and the cool-looking Brit vampire flick "Night Junkies" from Allumination.
Coming Next Week: Strange titles that include words like "reputation," "Merryweather," and "Schizophreniac." Plus a handy little way trilogy set for all you "Darkman" fanatics.
(P.S. I know that many horror junkies are also film noir buffs, so I'll remind you all that Warner's Film Noir Collection Vol. 4 hits the shelves this week. Definitely worth checking out!)
