Good news for Sword & Sandal fans!

No sooner do I watch ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS from the Mill Creek Warriors pack of 50 peplum films then I see this news posted over on DVD Drive In--

On March 31, Image Entertainment will release the HERCULES COLLECTION, a four-disc peplum set featuring such stars as Steve Reeves, Mark Forest, Reg Park, Gordon Scott and Richard Harrison. Titles in the set include HERCULES, MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES, HERCULES THE AVENGER, HERCULES AND THE BLACK PIRATE, HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, HERCULES, PRISONER OF EVIL, HERCULES AND THE PRINCESS OF TROY, ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS and GIANTS OF ROME. Image promises 2.35:1 widescreen transfers on most of these English-dubbed titles, and the set will retail for $19.98

Of course, I hope that ALL of the nine movies listed will end up presented in their proper aspect ratios but even if only a few are this is a very good thing. Hercules films in widescreen are not as easy to find as I'd like them to be, sad to say. I can't wait to see what this set brings us in April.

Christmas tradition

Each December I watch SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS. Not because its a good movie and fills me with holiday spirit but because its a BAD movie and fills me with holiday spirit. It's a wonderfully awful cinematic error that never fails to put a smile on my face. Of course, the only way I can watch it is by heckling it to death which is why I only view it in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. Recorded 15 years ago and it is still comedy gold.

Merry Christmas!

Two things for your December 25th enjoyment: this great blog entry combining Lovecraftian madness with IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

And second- this video set to one of my favorite alternative Christmas songs. Have a good one!

Viking Apes!

Nothing says winter like gorillas in Viking dress. (Click on the image for a more detailed look.)

This is the cover art for issue 26 of Marvel's 1970s Planet of the Apes magazine. I don't have this one but I really need to locate it eventually. As an avowed Apes fanatic the idea of combining them with Vikings conjures a movie starring Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas that ends with a bloody axe duel on a beach in front of the Statue of Liberty.

Mario Bava should direct. And Cameron Mitchell should play a significant role. Yeah....

I Hate People! (Not really)

I simply love the 1971 musical film version of Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol. Entitled SCROOGE it stars Albert Finney as Ebenezer Scrooge and he gives one of the best performances of his life. Ripping into the character, Finney shows us both the despicable aspects of the old man and the warm, loving human being he was in his younger days leading to a series of incredibly touching scenes in the last twenty minutes of the film. I’ve heard some folks remark that Scrooge is such a mean spirited bastard here that he becomes unsympathetic but I think that is way off the mark. For the man’s redemption to really mean something you have to see him as a truly cold hearted creature and this version nails it. This film never gets old for me and never stops making me glad I’m alive and surrounded by loved ones during the Holiday season.

Here is my favorite song from the movie- and actually my favorite song in the world.

Marvel Christmas past

When I was a young lad I had this over-sized comic book. Back then $1.50 was a lot of scratch to pay for a 'funny book' but I was thrilled to get this. I may eventually use the magic of Bay E to get another copy because, 30 years on, I can only remember one tale from the collection. The Nick Fury Christmas story has stuck with me for some reason- possibly because he had a flying car and was James Bond cool ending up with the girl on Christmas Eve- if I recall correctly.

Aahhh- to be eight again!

The SPIRIT that wasn't

I have no idea if Frank Miller's film adaptation of THE SPIRIT will be good or not. I was excited at first but some of the footage I've seen in trailers make me wonder if he'll strike the right tone. Still- I'll go see it out of curiosity and hope. You never know.....

I know there was a TV movie about the character years ago that was apparently not very good but I was unaware of THIS earlier attempt to bring Will Eisner's most famous creation to the cinema. What might have been.....