Mars Invades The Earth: The Night America Trembled (1957) / The Martian Eyes from ""Lights Out"" (1950) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great example of live television from the 1950s and one of the few surviving kinescopes of the long running CBS dramatic anthology series "Studio One" (1948-58). "The Night America Trembled" is a recreation of the Orson Welles/Mercury Theatre radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" broadcast of October 30, 1938. This early docudrama makes the most of its low budget thanks to a taut script, crisp direction and an incredible ensemble cast that included Ed Asner, Warren Beatty, James Coburn, Vincent Gardenia, Frank Marth, Warren Oates, Alexander Scourby and, in an uncredited role, John Astin. The production was hosted by famed CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, who provides historical context for the show.
This release, by Alpha Video, is not the first time that "The Night America Trembled" has appeared on DVD. This episode has also appeared on the Canadian label VSC (Video Service Corp.) as part of their trio of "Studio One" DVD releases. Alpha's presentation is fairly solid for a live show from the 1950s. But those searching for Betty Furness and the original Westinghouse commercials will need the VSC version as this release eliminates almost all of the commercials, save for an opening reference to Westinghouse and a commercial near the end. Alpha rounds out this release with an episode of another early live anthology series "Lights Out," which had its origins in radio and focused its stories on the supernatural. Though rare to see, the episode "The Martian Eyes" is one of the murkiest looking television episodes that I've ever seen committed to DVD, and the script simply doesn't hold one's interest in the way that "The Night America Trembled" does. However, it's great to see Burgess Meredith in an early television role, along with veteran J. Pat O'Malley.
This DVD release will likely be of interest to those who appreciate vintage, live television. "Studio One" fans are better served by the releases from VSC, but if you're looking just for "The Night America Trembled," this release will do just fine. I'm giving **** for "The Night America Trembled" and ** for "The Martian Eyes."


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A horrific and dramatic recreation of the night Mars invaded earth via the infamous Mercury Theater ""War Of The Worlds"" broadcast / A terrifying episode from the classic TV horror series ""Lights Out.""

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Dracula - The Dark Prince (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Or so they would have us believe. This film is strongly influenced by the Bram Stoker novel in mood and menace, but it is still highly entertaining and quite well done. Meant to be a historical drama about the real life of Vlad the Impaler, Dracula: The Dark Prince takes us to Romania in the 1400's, to see what made the man the legend he is today. The story is told from Vlad's point of view, as he recounts the story of his life before an Orthodox Ecclesiastical Court in defense of his crown. We first see Vlad as a child, training for battle with his father and younger brother, Radu. But soon after, Vlad's father is killed by the noblemen of his own country, who are constantly looking after their own interests above anything else. His brother kidnapped and brainwashed by a perverted Turkish Sultan, and himself believed to be long dead, Vlad eventually raises an army to help him take back the throne that rightfully belongs to him from the noblemen and their hand picked NEW prince. Once back in power, Vlad and his beautiful, new, young wife commence to having a son. Simultaneously, Vlad takes his revenge on the noblemen of his country who were responsible for the death of his father and so many others. With that matter taken care of, Vlad focuses on his main interest, dealing with the accursed Turks that have plagued him all his life. This brings up the problem of his younger brother, who is now one of them, and matters are not helped by the failing mental state of Vlad`s wife, who is disturbed more and more as she discovers the brutality of her husband`s style of government.
While the film does mention and even depict Vlad's more legendary and gruesome exploits, those that were less likely to be true were presented only as rumors amongst the people and noblemen of Romania that the Prince himself always denied. The film doesn't really take much of a fantasy angle, it simply drops hints here and there to remind you that this is the man known as Dracula. True, in the end the possibility that Vlad did become one of the undead is left open, but even the act that many have claimed ruined the reality of the film could easily be interpreted as the hallucination of a dying man. Overall, this is a pretty good film for what it is, and I recommend it to all fans of Dracula, real or imaginary.

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The Monster Squad: The Complete Collection (2pc) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Not to be confused with the 80s movie of the same name, "The Monster Squad" was a fond memory from my childhood. This 70s NBC Saturday morning show featured a pre "Love Boat" Fred Grandy as Walt, a night watchman at
a Hollywood-type wax museum who was also a criminology college student during the day. He built a "Crime Computer" to monitor police activity during his shift. The computer somehow brought to life the statues of the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, and the Wolfman(not Laurence Talbot, but Bruce WW. The initials stood for WereWolf). To make up for past misdeeds, the three use their unique abilities to fight crime. The show featured "special guest villians" like Marty Allen, Alice Ghostly, Jonathan Harris, amoung others. If the show reminded you of the 60s "Batman" tv show, that's because both shows were produced by the same people. I can't wait for this DVD, and I still think an updated version of this show would work today.

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MONSTER SQUAD - DVD Movie

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