Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D (Blu-ray)

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Released earlier in the year as a Deluxe Edition DVD, Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 3 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).

This installment centers around Chris and her friends as they make there way to her family’s cabin at where else, but Crystal Lake. Throw in some sex, some drugs, some really bad decisions combine with Jason Voorhees, his first use of the now-iconic hockey mask, (literally) eye-popping 3-D, and you’ve got Friday the 13th Part 3. While it isn’t necessarily the best in the series, it does have its merits.

The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.

The third installment in the franchise literally comes at us this time, not only in 1080p high definition, but also in its original 3-D presentation. The 2-D version that most of us are familiar with is also on hand but it’s this special feature that, to me, trumps all others in the franchise. But before we visit this third dimension in terror, let’s discuss its more familiar incarnation.

The standard 2-D version, while still inherent with grain, is a drastic improvement on the previous Deluxe Edition DVD released earlier in the year. Again, the grain is part of the film and to ‘scrub’ this grain away would also result in losing detail. Add to that the trappings of a low-budget production taking place entirely at night, and you’ve got a film that isn’t ever going to look like the more polished studio releases of the day. Making matters worse, it was released in the early ‘80s when nobody gave a shit about film preservation, focusing more on the future of video. But I digress since who in the hell is going to watch this version when they can watch the real thing in 3-D?!!

The 3-D on the Deluxe Edition DVD was a failed attempt for anyone without a large, preferably HD-viewing area. I watched it on a standard TV and it looked awful, giving me mostly a headache if not actual nausea. It has to do more with the size of the viewing area than anything else. With that said, watching the Blu-ray experience on a true HD television is a dream come true (yes, I’ve actually dreamed about seeing this in 3-D someday).

It’s one thing to watch popcorn and juggled apples coming at you, but it’s definitely something to write home about when you’ve got eyeballs, legs, and even a doobie in your lap. Every trick works, even the ones you didn’t notice the first time around (the antenna on the TV, the knitting needle through the mouth, blood dripping from the rafters). And when things aren’t being directly projected at the screen, you can sit back and marvel at the fact that every scene has been carefully constructed for maximum effect. Technical supervisor Martin Jay Sadoff makes sure there is always a foreground and a background present, resulting in the deep focus necessary to pull of the effect. Being an extreme enthusiast of the 3-D format, I find this title to be one of the very best examples in that every shot exploits the process perfectly.

As for the Audio portion of this release, we are given an upgrade of 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless audio that unfortunately, like the recent Blu-ray of Part 2, suffers in the sound FX department. Don’t worry, the dialogue and now-classic score sound great, especially when compared with the original English mono, but I can’t help but think more should have been done with the rear channels. This of course is the same soundtrack it had in the theaters and I usually wouldn’t want it any other way but in this instance, it would have been nice to have the sound be just as alive as the picture. It’s 3-D so throw some shit at my ears too! Whatever. I could seriously watch this thing without sound and still be in total awe. For purists, there is also its original English mono soundtrack, along with Spanish and French mono.

Now those that scooped up the previous Deluxe Edition DVD probably did so just to see the film in 3-D. And I’m pretty sure, unless you already had an HD monitor, this was more than a disappointment seeing that ‘Presented in 3-D’ was its only special feature. The Blu-ray makes up for it this time out by adding a nice little round of extras that, while being somewhat brief, only sweeten the pot. Along with its original trailer there is also: “Fresh Cuts:3-D Terror” (12:42) discussing the making of the film and the 3-D process, “Legacy of the Mask” (9:33) which details the origins of the iconic hockey mask, “Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular” (7:09) which has some of the most embarrassingly pretentious remarks about the genre ever made, and “Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3” which in keeping precedence with the other parts, I scanned through (fan-made and I’m pretty sure my dead cat could do a better job).

Looks like a no-brainer folks. Trust me, if I could find a way to make my text jump out and throttle you into making this purchase, I would. We’ve waited 25 years to see this film the way it was intended and now we finally can thanks to the advances in technology. Hopefully the success of this 3-D release will usher in the rest of the early ‘80s titles that sit in the shadows, handicapped by weak 2-D transfers. In fact, the only thing that might possibly trump 3-D Jason is 3-D Bruce (Jaws III).

Holding breath now...

Friday the 13th Part 2 (Blu-ray)

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Released earlier in the year on standard DVD as a Deluxe Edition (and I thought we had lucked out then), Paramount’s Friday the 13th Part 2 now makes its debut on Blu-ray, tying in with New Line’s home-video release of Friday the 13th (2009).

Released in 1981, Sean Cunningham handed director duties over to producer and longtime friend Steve Miner. The film’s prologue opens two months after the horrific events of the original and introduces Jason as he seeks revenge for his mother’s death. The story then jumps ahead five years where he takes over her role terrorizing teenagers in the hands-down scariest installment of the franchise.

The review of the Deluxe Edition DVD can be found here.

Part 2 has a widescreen 1080p presentation is a considerable improvement and even boasts a new aspect ratio at 1.78:1 (all previous releases were 1.85:1). It should be noted that there is still a considerable amount of grain present but this is to be expected with its low-budget production and almost all of its running time taking place in low-lit situations. Newbies to the format, expecting a crystal-clear image, may find this troubling but it’s exactly how the film would have looked in the theaters. With grain comes detail and needless to say, it’s never looked better.

On the audio side, Part 2 boasts a new 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless upgrade and, while being an improvement on previous releases, it still could have used a little more work in the rear channels. The dialogue and score come across fine, a significant improvement to anyone that’s only heard it in its original mono form, but the sound FX channels are considerably weak. Again, it was a low-budget film and I’m sure that the intended sound design was little more than “crickets” or “heavy thunder”. With that said, I’d rather have what is here than a soundtrack with stock sound FX added. Other sound options on this Blu-ray are its original English Mono, along with Spanish and French Mono.

Unfortunately, the Blu-ray format brings nothing new to the table as far as extras go. All extras from the standard Deluxe Edition have been carried over and as the only plus, all but one are now presented in HD. These include “Inside Crystal Lake Memories,” “Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions,” “Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 2,” “Jason Forever” (not in HD), and the original theatrical trailer.

Considering the fact that there is nothing new in the name of extras, purchasing this release may seem like double-dipping to some. But if you’re either a fan of the format or just a fan of the franchise, there’s little doubt that the presentation is the best it’s ever looked and therefore a justified purchase. I recommend it without hesitation and consider us extremely lucky that the franchise is getting the Blu-ray treatment this early in the game.

Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D (Deluxe Edition)

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Friday the 13th Part 3 picks up directly where Part 2 left off. Actually, Part 3 and The Final Chapter (Part 4) are direct continuations of the second installment, each one picking up where the last left off. I realize that that has them taking place on the completely not scary Saturday the 14th and well into the week of Monday the 16th but, really, if your going to scrutinize the timeline of this series, you had better just press “Eject” now. Suspend disbelief, embrace the clichés (it’s all part of the formula), let yourself get scared, and have a damn good time. This is Friday the 13th Part 3…IN 3-D!!!

So Part 2 ends in Jason’s terrifying shack in the woods, where Ginny whacks him a good one with the machete, and she and boyfriend, Paul, flee into the night. Omitted here is the “just when you thought it was safe” scare where Jason blasts through the window. Instead, Ginny and Paul leave the shack where we cut to Jason still lying on the ground. He reaches over, picks up the bloody machete, and begins to wriggle his way across the floor and towards the door. Pan up to Pam Voorhees’ rotting, severed head, sitting on the table, and it is right into the in-your-face credit sequence

The story (body count) for Part 3 centers around Chris (played by the wonderfully awful Dana Kimmell) and her friends as they make there way to her family cabin at where else, but Crystal Lake. There are seven of them in all, including a pregnant girl and her boyfriend (who’s prone to walking on his hands), a stoner couple, a feisty Latina, and a chubby prankster. Then there’s a couple of local storeowners, a trio of bad-ass bikers, and Chris’ boyfriend Rick (who’s already at the lake). Throw in some sex, some drugs, some really bad decisions, and, of course, Jason Voorhees, and you’ve got the next Friday the 13th movie. Throw in, for the very first time, a hockey mask and (literally) eye-popping 3-D effects, and you’ve got it in 3-D.

Steve Miner returned for his second stint in the director’s chair, for this third installment in the series where 3-D was the clear gimmick of choice. A pitchfork, a harpoon, a yo-yo, popping popcorn, a hot poker, a passed joint, a striking snake, and eyeballs popping out are just some of the scares thrown directly in your lap now that we’ve added this new dimension, this third dimension, in terror. Duck!

Also of note with Part 3 is the introduction of the now-iconic hockey mask. Whether or not they knew what they were doing, remains to be told. All I know is that part way through the movie Jason walks out of the barn, now wearing a hockey mask, and the rest is history. It isn’t on the poster. It wasn’t marketed as the new face of Jason, or anything like that. It just all of a sudden was, and it was and remains perfect.

Part 3 seemed to ramp the gore factor up again. While it wasn’t quite back to the level we saw in Part 1 (and, eventually Part 4), it was definitely a step in the right direction with some of the nastiest scenes to date.

The 12 kills are:

• meat cleaver to the temple
• knitting needle to the back of the head
• pitchfork impalement through the neck
• pitchfork to the stomach
• throat slashed
• spear gun to the eye
• chopped in two while walking on hands
• knife through the chest from underneath
• electrocution
• hot fireplace poker to the stomach
• head squeezed until eyeball pops out
• hit with a pipe; hacked with machete

The handstand halving is something to behold all cleaned up and in 2.35:1, as well as the after shot of him stacked one half on top of the other. Certainly, most of the kills were designed with 3-D in mind. The spear to the eye and the head crushing with the eyeball popping out into the camera are the most notable. They were talked about on the playground, on the bus, and just about anywhere else young boys with a taste for this sort of thing got together, as was usually the case with any recently released Friday film at the time. It was movie lore until you finally saw it for yourself, and this head crushing/eye popping scene was quickly becoming the Holy Grail.

While Friday the 13th Part 3 isn’t necessarily the best in the series, it does have its merits. First off, it is the birth of the Jason we’ve come to know and love, but just before he becomes the clichéd caricature of himself in the sub-par Friday films following The Final Chapter. We’ve added the hockey mask and, overall, Jason just seems more intense in this one. Where in the last one he seemed a bit more oafish and childlike, in this one he is fast and precise and seems to have only one thing on his mind and that is killing young kids like the ones who killed his mother. This time he is on a mission. There will be no slipping on Mom’s sweater and reasoning with this new Jason.

Friday the 13th Part 3 is also the only film in the series that is widescreen, 2.35:1, and that’s certainly a leg up in my book. Again, the handstand death is the first thing that comes to mind. Gorgeous.

The newly released Deluxe Edition DVD of Friday the 13th Part 3 is actually in 3D. Well,…kind of. Yes, they’ve included the 2-D version and the 3-D version (both on the same disc), as well as two pairs of traditional red-and-blue lens 3-D glasses. Does it work? I think that depends on the viewer and, possibly, the TV it is viewed on. I viewed it on a standard 27” screen, and after 20 minutes of trying (I tried it sitting way up close, way far back, and right in the middle, as well as with my eyes crossed, squinted, and slightly rolled back) I almost threw up and had acquired quite the headache. Technically, I could get the 3-D moments to work, but there was a lot of pain involved, and even with my Goldilocks-seating method, the screen was always either a little reddish, or a little bluish, but never quite rightish. In the end I just went back and watched all of the kills in 3D and that was enough, I guess. I finally got to dodge the eyeball as Jason squishes Rick’s head and it was worth it just for that.

Friday the 13th, Part 2 (Deluxe Edition)

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Friday the 13th, Part 2 opens two months after the horrific events of the original. We see Annie, the heroine and sole survivor from Part 1, is still living in the town of Crystal Lake trying to put her life back together. A phone call from mom and a quick shower later, Jason is jamming an ice pick into her temple as she stares at the rotting, severed head (her own handy work form the climax of the previous film) of Jason’s mother, Mrs. Voorhees. Revenge has been served, establishing our new killer, setting the tone for the next 80 minutes.

Now, why Annie didn’t leave Crystal Lake (or New Jersey, altogether) is the first thing to come to mind, but if you’re looking for convention and logic in this series, or any fine slasher film for that matter, then you should probably just leave the room and make it easier on the rest of us who are well aware of what we are in for, and eager to play along.

So, now it’s five years later and a new group of kids has gathered at a near by camp to train as counselors for the upcoming season. Paul, the guy in charge, assures everybody that the past is the past: Jason drowned, his mother was killed, and “Camp Crystal Lake is off limits.” The only thing he’s right about is Jason’s mother being dead.

What ensues is a killing spree as Paul and half of the team goes out to the local bar, while the other half stay back to fuck and get high. Teen stuff. The staples of the genre. Paul and Ginny, his girlfriend and this chapter’s heroine, return to find the carnage and the masked man responsible. Before we know it, we are in Jason’s all-too-creepy ramshackle shack, deep in the surrounding woods, for the final showdown and eventually Jason’s first ever unmasking.

Released in 1981, Part 2 saw Sean Cunningham handing director duties over to producer and longtime friend Steve Miner, who would also go on to direct the series’ next installment. With the tagline “The body count continues,” Friday the 13th, Part 2 was to be bigger and bloodier than the last, and apparently it was, until the MPAA got a hold of it. They had been gearing up for it since the last one, which they had obviously slept through the first time around. What results are ten delightful kills where the payoffs remain on the cutting-room floor. Unlike the cut scenes from the first film, these scenes are not included here, are said to be lost forever, and will likely never be seen again.

The 10 kills are:

• ice pick to the temple
• barbed wire strangulation
• claw hammer to the head
• upside-down throat slitting
• stabbing
• machete to the face
• double impalement
• knife to the stomach
• One presumed death (Paul)

The most notable of these being the Jeff and Sandra sex-kabob, and of course wheelcahir-bound Mark’s machete to the face and push down the stairs in the pouring rain. Now Texas isn’t the only place where wheelchairs aren’t off limits.

While it’s hard to pick a hands-down favorite in the franchise, I do feel Part 2 is the scariest. With this sequel we see the birth of Jason Voorhees as our killer. He’s not the unstoppable killing machine we’ve come to know over the years. You’re not rooting for him the way it came to be around the sixth installment in the F13 franchise (where it all went downhill in my opinion). In this one he’s terrifying as fuck and you just want him to go away. Say what you will about his now-iconic hockey mask, but Jason has never been scarier than with the potato sack, with the one eye cut out, over his head.

The newly released DVD, sadly, isn’t anything to rush out for. The transfer looks suspiciously similar to past releases and the featurettes are pretty goddamn rotten. It does have the infamous theatrical trailer with the continuing body countdown (“14…15…”), which is a real treat, but nothing new to past purchasers. There is one featurette with the author of Crystal Lake Memories, Peter M. Bracke. While the feature itself is pretty worthless, it is a great plug for the book, which I cannot recommend enough. It is a must -have for any fan of all things Friday. It really is the definitive companion, and a huge resource for this review. In fact, don’t spend your money on the new DVD (keeping in mind it has nothing to do with the film, rather this particular release), and instead save up for this book.

KISS LOVES YOU

Written by Tío Esqueleto

In 1993 KISS was experiencing moderate commercial success with their latest studio album, Revenge. It was nowhere near the attention they had received back in their 1970s grease-paint glory days, but compared to recent offerings, and with two singles, “Unholy” and “Domino” getting rock radio play, Revenge was by all means a success. Gone were the day-glow spandex and ripped blouses of the previous ten years. Instead it was a return to black leather and studs and all things metal. The fans took note, as this was one step closer in the direction they had all been longing for, but were told would never happen. Could it be? Were the make-up and boots to follow? Or, better still, a full-blown reunion with all four original members? Over the next five years fans would get their wish, for better or for worse.

KISS Loves You is a documentary by Jim Heneghan that looks into the world of KISS fandom at this particularly crucial point in the band’s history. Its focus is on convention-goers at the time and, in particular, follows rival tribute bands, Strutter, Firehouse, The KISS Family, and one-time Ace Frehley tribute artist, Bill Baker, as their idols triumphant return leads to unexpected consequences.

Heneghan sets the mood by first taking the viewer to the show floor at a KISS convention where we meet the many colorful characters (many painted up as their favorite member) in attendance. Think heavy metal trekkies, if you will. It is here we learn that it is the fans, not the band, who are responsible for putting on the event, and the fans would love nothing more than to see their idols put aside their differences, put on the make-up, and give it one last go around as the KISS they had originally fallen in love with.

It is also here that we meet rival tribute bands, Strutter and Firehouse, each aptly named after defining songs from KISS’s seminal first album. Also in tow are likable, up-and-coming tributists, Dressed to Kill. All three attempt to make a living on the rapidly growing convention circuit, but it is the bitter and childish rivalry between #1, Strutter, and #2, Firehouse, that is on display here. It would appear that life emulated art when faux Peter and faux Ace of Strutter (the premiere KISS tribute band at the time) had had enough of the way they were being treated by faux Gene, and broke off to form their own tribute band. What ensues is an entertaining, tactless, array of cheap shots (some even aimed at supposed idol, Peter Criss), backstabbing, and questionable business practices in this surreal arena of competitive impersonation.

In the end, all is for naught as KISS first start to hold their own official KISS conventions where they perform live (still no make-up, no Peter, no Ace), shutting down any unofficial KISS conventions along the way, and cutting out any potential tribute gigs for the rivaling camps. When asked what a reunion tour would do for the tribute business as fans could now opt for the real deal, faux Ace of Firehouse speculates with confidence that it could only help to create more buzz and more bookings in small towns in rural America where the “real deal” wouldn’t be playing. Ultimately, after the full-blown reunion extravaganza begins in 1996, both bands find themselves out of work and are forced to make amends, pool what members and resources they have left, and champion on once again as Strutter.

Heneghan also focuses his lens on the family Ventrice, or The KISS Family, as the patriarch lovingly refers to them throughout the film. They are a four-member unit each with his or her own favorite member. You have Dad, a drum fan, as Peter Criss; mystery family member #2, who doesn’t say a word, but is clearly the Gene fan of the brood; a four-year-old son who says he loves Paul Stanley, but looks a little coaxed, if not just a shy four-year-old, and finally, there is Mom, who admits she just got into KISS, and has conveniently chosen to go with Ace.

As with the other fan focuses on display here, we follow The KISS Family through the unofficial conventions, where they take it all in and further their son’s Paulophillia. Next we rejoin them at the official convention, where the family (in full regalia) has shelled out $100, each, for tickets, as well as go through the trouble of getting a custom-made plaque professing their son’s love for Paul Stanley complete with a photo of junior in full make-up and firehouse helmet, in hopes that they can maybe present it to Mr. Stanley, himself. A lot of work went into this plaque, and it eventually makes its way to Paul during a Q & A, only to be left behind after the band has left the building. The filmmakers retrieve the forgotten plaque from a stagehand at the venue who agrees just how embarrassing it would be to go through all that hard work and sentiment only to have it tossed aside at the end of the night. The whole plaque debacle is a real crusher all the way around.

We revisit the Ventrice family six years later. The reunion tour has come and gone and, sadly, so has the family Ace. Mom and Dad are now separated, with Dad’s new lady-friend now part of the mix. The filmmakers tell Dad that his son’s plaque was left behind and that they retrieved it from the venue that same day way back when. It takes a couple of minutes before he realizes exactly what happened and clearly he is hurt and disappointed. Junior is now ten years old and, sans Paul make-up, is ready to move on to something new.

Bill Baker is also under Heneghan’s microscope. Tribute artist and one-time friend of Frehley’s, Baker’s focus is strictly on Ace. He looks like Ace, can talk like Ace, and even owns a great deal of original Ace artifacts, including the star earring he wore on the first album cover, original Destroyer and Love Gun costumes, and those amazing Japanese marionettes (you know the ones) often seen in fan-club pictures of Ace back in the day. Aside from collecting and impersonating Ace, Baker also befriended Frehley in the early ‘90s while doing work on his guitars. It was this guitar work that landed Baker his collection, as he would tech the guitars in trade for memorabilia and time spent with his idol turned friend. As with a lot of KISS fans, Baker separates Ace from Gene and Paul, pointing out how cool and down to Earth he is (we even get to hear a message Ace left on his answering machine saying he’s really sorry he missed him at a recent gig and to give a call back), and conveying just how lucky he was that he had picked “the good one” to emulate. It is clear that Baker is not only a Frehley fan, but Frehley’s friend.

Flash-forward, we learn that ever since the MTV Unplugged special and reunion tour that followed Frehley hasn’t been in touch with Baker nor will he return his phone calls. Basically, a phone call from the majors was all it took to cut Baker out of his life completely. Now it is here, and only here, that Baker let’s slip that Frehley would occasionally ask him for money, putting to rest any viewer speculation as to why the sudden disconnect. Hurt, Baker has since sold most of his collection (affording himself a home) and has now moved his focus towards Elvis, ultimately trading in one lighting bolt for another.

KISS Loves You is a backhanded love letter that reads both ways, from fan to artist and artist to fan. Its focus is on those of us who took that ride from Revenge to reunion, and its aftermath. From wishing for something I would never get (to see the original four in make-up), to finally getting everything I had asked for and more (multiple shows on multiple tours and an album), to just plain over saturation (KISS bathrobe) and overkill (KISS caskets?). It was hard. I was there. I got KISS fever from a Revenge-era videotape called KISS: X-Treme Close-Up that a friend had to force me to watch. Up to this point, all I knew of KISS was the pinball machine at the old roller rink, the song on my first K-tel record (“I Was Made for Lovin’ You”), and the guy with the tongue was in that Tom Selleck movie with the robot spiders. Very limited. The first half of the tape chronicled the early years of the band, from inception to breakup, and I must have watched it fifty times. Being a superhero freak, and a horror-movie geek, this was so up my alley. Add to that my recent obsession with everything 1970s, and I was a bonafide born-again KISStian.

Heneghan could have easily turned his lens on my friends and me at the time and gotten similar results. I was at many of the same events, including the now infamous convention in Troy, Michigan, when Gene and Paul showed up unannounced and reclaimed some original costumes that had gone missing from their private collection only to show up later on the convention circuit, all of which is caught in Heneghan’s film. To say this little film turned out to be strangely personal to me, would be an understatement. That is not to say that a KISS fan under different circumstances couldn’t or wouldn’t enjoy it, or the same of a non-KISS fan for that matter. Like all good docs, it takes a very specific subject and reports it in a matter that’s both interesting and engaging, regardless of prior affiliations. However, I took this very same ride, in a lot of ways, bumps and all, and now I have a nice little 70-minute film as a souvenir. First piece of KISS merchandise I’ve picked up in quite a while.

Twisted Terror Collection

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Not surprisingly, the new releases in the niche DVD market have shifted heavily towards “horror,” “thriller,” and “suspense” over the last few weeks. Many of these titles are making their way to the shelves for the first time, while others are simply finally getting the treatment they’ve always deserved. A perfect example is Warner Brothers Twisted Terror Collection, although I have to believe that a couple of these titles weren’t released, so much as they escaped.

With six titles to offer – The Hand, Someone’s Watching Me!, Eyes of A Stranger, From Beyond The Grave, Deadly Friend, and Dr. Giggles (the latter two being those that escaped), at an average price tag of just under forty bucks, fans of the genre have a lot to get excited about this holiday season. With the exception of Dr. Giggles, the remaining five titles are making their DVD debut. Two of these titles, The Hand and Deadly Friend, have been long-time fan requests via numerous online petitions. Warners is notorious for owning libraries of sought-after, out-of-print, genre films (most notably the harder to find titles in the Hammer Films catalog), with no intention of ever letting them see the light of day, despite evidence that the audience is there and the discs will sell. Whether intentional or not, they picked their six titles in twos. With each film running an average of ninety minutes, they make for great, drive-in style, double bills.

First up are The Hand and From Beyond the Grave. Upon first reading about this collection, these were the two titles I was the most excited for. I’ve signed more than one online petition to see The Hand released, and From Beyond The Grave is a lost AMICUS classic that certainly deserves its due. Both take me back to my childhood, as they were both staples of the after-school/Saturday afternoon horror shows bought in packages, and played in syndication, in the early 1980s.

The Hand (1981) stars Michael Caine as Jon Lansdale, a successful cartoonist (think Prince Valiant meets John Carter of Mars) who loses his hand and his livelihood in a horrific car accident. The hand is never recovered from the scene of the bloody collision, but still manages to make its way back into Lansdale’s life as a creeping, murdering, instrument of revenge. Everybody who angers Jon Lansdale, from his ex-wife, to his fellow teaching faculty (he takes on a job at a university after his ex-wife leaves him for her yoga instructor), to his trampy student lover, all fall victim to his not-so-phantom limb. Lansdale, now an alcoholic (it is fair to say the old boy’s been through a lot), blacks out whenever the murders occur, leaving the audience to wonder if it is really the severed hand, or Lansdale himself, committing the murders. Is it all in his head? You’ll have to watch and see. The Hand is presented in a matted widescreen format, preserving its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It also comes with a commentary track from screenwriter and director, Oliver Stone. Yes, that Oliver Stone.

From Beyond The Grave (1973) is an AMICUS horror anthology that stars the great Peter Cushing as the owner of an antiques shop (aptly titled Temptations LTD.) whose customers often get more than they’ve bargained for. Like every other AMICUS anthology, the film presents moral tales as each customer swindles Cushing out of whatever it is they desire from his shop, only to take it home and unleash a fate far worse than the few extra dollars it would have cost to go the honest route. Four tales make up this particularly fun anthology. From a haunted mirror to an old wooden door that leads to an ancient evil, nothing in Temptation LTD is what it seems, nor is the seemingly kind old man that sold it to you.

Guest stars include such great British character actors as David Warner (The Omen), Donald Pleasence (Raw Meat), and Ian Ogilvy (Witchfinder General); with the rest of the cast supplying enough British charm to fill the Tower of London. While not nearly as flawless and exciting as earlier AMICUS offerings, Tales From The Crypt or Asylum, From Beyond The Grave still delivers when it comes to quaint, British, horror anthologies. Aside from a gorgeous transfer in its original, 1.85:1, aspect ratio, the only other extra is a beautiful original British theatrical trailer.

Next up are two top-notch stalker thrillers. Someone’s Watching Me! (1978) is a made-for-TV movie directed by a young John Carpenter. It is the story of Leigh Michaels (Lauren Hutton), a live-television director who moves from New York to L.A., only to end up the victim of a ruthless stalker killer, watching her through the windows of her high-rise apartment, and torturing her via telephone. While not a completely original idea, it is the cast, and Carpenter’s direction, that really take this thriller above and beyond.

The cast is rather likable. Hutton’s Michaels is a strong, funny, female lead who, while a bit overly quirky at times (she does a lot of talking and laughing to herself for expositional purposes) has the viewer pulling for her with each step closer to fingering the party responsible for her torment. Also in tow are Carpenter’s future wife Adrienne Barbeau as Hutton’s extremely likable and openly gay assistant, Sophie; David Birney as Hutton’s love interest, Paul; and Carpenter staple, Charles Cyphers (Halloween/The Fog/Escape From New York) as the skeptical detective assigned to the case.

Someone’s Watching Me! is presented in a matted, 1.85:1 aspect ratio which worries me as it was made for TV. Regardless, the transfer is great and, who knows, it could very easily have been shot it open matte. The only special feature is a phenomenal little featurette, “John Carpenter: Director On the Rise,” in which Carpenter goes on to explain how it directly influenced the way he shot Halloween (Someone’s Watching Me! was shot prior to Halloween, but aired the following November), his first real dealings within the studio system (he is and was notoriously independent), working with Hutton, and just what a positive experience it was overall. He is very proud of it, and for a little made-for-TV movie, he certainly should be.

Also included, and in the same vein, is Eyes Of A Stranger (1981), a little grittier, lot gorier, thriller where Lauren Tewes (The Love Boat’s Julie McCoy!) plays Jane, a Miami reporter who learns that a man living in the high rise across from hers (sound familiar?) is, in fact, a notorious serial killer/rapist whose been terrorizing the city. A nineteen-year-old Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Tracy, her younger sister who, due to Janet’s neglect, was kidnapped and raped as a child, the trauma leaving her psychosomatically blind and deaf. It doesn’t take long for the killer to learn who she is (after all, she is a television news reporter), and that she is on to him, and targets her helpless sister. Terror ensues as this sleazy thriller comes to a head that is part Rear Window, part Wait Until Dark.

Eyes Of A Stranger is directed by Ken Wiederhorn who is best known within the genre for the Euro-horror, Nazi-zombie classic, Shock Waves, and not much more. The real star behind the scenes here is special make-up effects legend, Tom Savini. This is an obscure blip on a resume that, to name a few, includes Dawn of The Dead, Friday the 13th, and Creepshow, and with no special features (other than a really crisp, uncut, transfer), is ultimately why this disc is to be celebrated.

Last, and certainly least, we come to Deadly Friend, and Dr. Giggles (groan). Not sure how they got included in the first place, but they certainly belong together. Both hail from the horror genre’s nosedive that started right around 1985’s Fright Night (one of the last great ones), and continues right up through, oh, let’s say, Dr. Giggles.

Deadly Friend (1986) is a Wes Craven-directed, Frankenstein story of sorts, about a genius teen scientist (Albert Ingalls himself, Matthew Laborteaux) whose unhealthy love for science and his friend’s next door neighbor Samantha (Kristy Swanson) and a really, really, really lame robot named BB (I can’t begin to stress how very lame!), translate into what has to be one of the worst offerings of the late ‘80s slump.

I’ll make this quick: Lame robot gets shotgun blasted to bits by crazy neighbor (Mama from Throw Mama From The Train) during failed Halloween prank. Genius boy can only save microchip brain, and is inconsolable. Coincidentally days later, neighbor girl is pushed down stairs by sexually abusive, alcoholic father and pronounced dead at hospital. Genius boy, and not-so-genius paperboy friend, drug not-so-genius mom, steal van, steal body from morgue, and insert robot brain chip. Problem solved, right? Wrong! Hybrid human/lame robot brain causes neighbor girl to wreak havoc on those who wronged her (and lame robot), leading to what has to be one of the single greatest scenes in Throw Mama From The Train lady’s short but illustrious career: a beheading (more of an explosion, really) by basketball! See she stole their ball earlier in the film, when it bounced over into her yard – Sweet comeuppance! I’ll leave the rest for you to discover.

Somehow, this is the same man responsible for The Last House On The Left and A Nightmare On Elm Street. I’m still not really sure how that’s possible; I only know it’s true. There are no special features here, only that after 90 minutes the movie ends. Oh yeah, and it is uncut…so you got that going for ya.

Dr. Giggles (1992) – don’t bother.

So, with six titles to choose from, either individually, or doubled up drive-in style, the Twisted Terror Collection offers quite a bit for your hard-earned Halloween buck. While they aren’t six great titles, each and every one of these titles deserves its DVD due for one reason or another, sans Giggles. From the early television works of now-legendary John Carpenter, to lost shockers, to obscure Savini splatter, this collection is more than worth it for the price. Even Deadly Friend was once the subject of countless online petitions for release (I know it’s crazy, but it is true), and here it is, uncut, in all its cult glory.

Now, if we can just get Warners to dip into that Hammer Films library. Vampire Circus, anyone?

THE FOOD OF THE GODS

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Writer, director, producer, and special effects artist, Bert I. Gordon got his start in the early, black and white days of American International Pictures. Helming such 1950s B-classics as Earth vs. The Spider and Attack Of The Puppet People, Gordon’s (“Mr. Big” as he became known) best known early works for A.I.P. were his Colossal Man pictures, The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), and War of the Colossal Beast (1958). In 1976, after 20 years of other projects for other people, Gordon returned to A.I.P., in color (yellow credits and all!) with The Food of the Gods, the first of two H.G. Wells adaptations (Empire Of The Ants would come out a year later) that would go on to be drive-in/late night TV staples. The Food of the Gods is a nature-gone-amuck tale where, once again, man’s meddling with nature has swung around to bite him in the ass, this time, with teeth, tails, beaks, and stingers.

On a remote island in Canada, Morgan (Marjoe Gortner), a football player, along with his agent, Brian (Jon Cypher), and his teammate, Davis, go hunting on horseback. Davis ends up ahead of the pack where he is ambushed by giant, two-foot wasps. When they finally catch up to him, Davis is dead, stung to death, his face swollen and unrecognizable.

Morgan rides on for help, where he happens upon the remote farmhouse of a religious fanatic named Mrs. Skinner (Ida Lupino). While snooping in the barn, Morgan finds himself in a bloody battle with a menacing, eight-foot rooster that he eventually brings down with a pitchfork. A bewildered Morgan learns that Mrs. Skinner has been feeding her chickens a watery, oatmeal-like goo she found oozing from a hill in the yard. She declares it a gift from the Lord, an “answer to our prayers,” a means to get rich. Think Beverly Hillbillies meets The Twilight Zone. She collects it in mason jars, and has affectionately labeled it F.O.T.G. Morgan warns her that whatever it is, it is more than likely responsible for the bizarre stinging death of his friend, and vows he’ll be back to the island to get to the bottom of it. He rides off, ending the first act, setting us up for the rest of the picture.

Morgan and a reluctant Brian return to the island determined to get to the bottom of their friend’s mysterious death. They arrive at the Skinner farm just in time to save Bensington, a greedy businessman, who had come to make the Skinners an offer on the ooze. The same giant wasps that killed Davis are attacking him. Also with Bensington (played by television staple of the time, Ralph Meeker) is his assistant Lorna (Pamela Franklin), a bright young scientist who quickly realizes the ooze’s negative effects clearly outweigh any positives. While inside, we learn that we can add worms and rats to the list of contaminated critters that’ve gotten into the "Food of the Gods." Lots and lots of rats!

Also on the island are young lovers, Tom and Rita, who were enjoying a camping trip until their camper got stuck and broke an axel. Rita (played by Joe Dante staple, Belinda Balaski) is at least nine months pregnant, leading one to wonder why she was ever on such a trip in the first place. Teams of giant, bloodthirsty rats eventually overrun their camper. They are forced to make a run for it, eventually ending up at the Skinner farm, with Rita about to pop.

So, we have the football star and his agent, the greedy businessman and his sensible scientist assistant, the god-fearing recluse, and the pregnant couple about to go into labor, all held up in a farmhouse in the woods, about to get overrun by legions of six foot rats. Now that’s a damn fine and fun set up for an exploitation film of the highest lowest quality! I won’t tell you how it ends up, who lives and who dies, but something tells me you can probably figure it out.

The Food of the Gods is too often summed up as a bad, cheesy, movie, but it’s not. The Oscar-winner Crash (2004) is a bad, cheesy, movie. The Food of the Gods is a good, B-movie, which knowingly embraces the aforementioned knocks with its tongue placed firmly and lovingly in its cheek for all to see. Nobody was out to win an award or leave a mark in cinematic history. They were out to entertain, to freak out, possibly jump start a career or two, and first and foremost, to sell tickets to 200-plus cars filled with two to seven teenagers and young adults each, at sold out drive-in theatres across America. At a budget of about thirteen bucks, the returns were astronomical and that was the point.

All cheapness aside, the special effects are really quite impressive, contrary to what other reviewers may say. Gordon and his assistant, a young Rick Baker, created them. They are a combination of live animal, matte, effects, and forced perspective, as well as Baker’s albeit early, but still highly effective, puppets and latex. Good stuff. Clearly not a special effect, are the deaths of the live action rats. Whether shot at close range with .22 caliber bullets, or drowned, or electrocuted, many animals (just rats really) were harmed or killed during the making of this motion picture. Not so good stuff.

As with most of MGM’s Midnight Movies, The Food of the Gods comes with no special features. It contains an original mono mix, as well as a stereo mix, and is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. No trailers, no extras, just a really good transfer of a really great “bad” movie. Enjoy!!

Family Guy Live! in Chicago

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Seth MacFarlane, the creator/writer/producer of Family Guy, took his show on the road for two packed shows at the beautiful Chicago Theatre. MacFarlane, the voice of family guy Peter Griffin, as well as fan favorites Brian the dog and baby Stewie, to name a few, brought the entire “family” with him for a mini variety show of sorts, aptly titled Family Guy Live! The show consisted of a live table reading, musical numbers, a sneak preview of things to come, Q & A, as well as plenty of R-rated insight into both the characters, and the folks who bring them to life.

The stage was set with nine director’s chairs, an overhead screen, and various life-sized cutouts of the Griffins and friends. After a brief clip reel of greatest bits, MacFarlane took the stage, drink in hand, and welcomed everyone to the ten o’clock show or, “the one we don’t remember tomorrow.” If you’ve never seen him, he is your average 30-something, white male, his voice baring a close resemblance to that of his own “man’s best friend,” Brian.

Next, he introduced us to the rest of the team, which included voice regulars Alex Borstein (Lois Griffin), Mila Kunis (Meg Griffin), Seth Green (Chris Griffin), and Mike Henry, the voice of Peter’s friend Cleveland, and fan favorites: the greased-up deaf guy and the neighborhood senior citizen pedophile, Herbert. Filling out the rest of the chairs were executive producer and writer, Danny Smith, voice actors Alexandra Breckenridge and H. John Benjamin, as well as show writer and voice talent John Viener.

Everybody seemed genuinely excited to be there. Kunis appeared to be a little under the weather, but excited nonetheless. Most of them carried their beer of choice onto the stage with them (no less than three bottles at a time), with Green taking the half-full, fifth of Jack Daniels approach. Borstein, a Chicago area native, came out in a Bears jersey, smack-talked QB Rex Grossman (I know the words “hairy” and “vagina” were thrown around), and instantly had the crowd in her pocket.

They then transitioned into the meat and potatoes of the evening’s festivities: the table read. Viener played the part of narrator, reading the stage directions, while the rest of the cast worked their usual magic. They chose an episode from last season titled “Whistle While Your Wife Works,” in which Lois ends up having to work for Peter as he has blown off some fingers in an earlier seen fireworks accident. For the regular “Brian and Stewie” subplot, this particular episode finds baby and dog feuding over Brian’s new extremely stupid, yet forgivingly hot, girlfriend. As usual, the subplot in this one steals the show. They added a third storyline especially for the night’s event in which Meg and Chris start to work at the same place. The material will be aired in an episode later this season. They were looking for audience reaction to see if tweaks needed to be made down the road. I thought it was a nice touch. It gave the audience a feeling of exclusivity, as well as the cast an opportunity for some much-appreciated improv.

Seeing the cast in action was a sight I will not soon forget. I have a new respect for everyone involved, especially MacFarlane. Most of the time when Peter isn’t interacting with Lois, he’s in a scene with either Brian, or his sex-freak neighbor, Glenn Quagmire. The same goes for Brian. If he’s not in a scene with Stewie, he’s with Peter, and vice versa. Here’s the thing, MacFarlane voices all of these characters, and then some. Watching his face contort back and forth from Peter’s Archie Bunker-like “know it all” speech from the side of his mouth, to Glenn’s wide-eyed “giggity giggity,” to Brian’s deadpan omnipotence, was simply amazing. But it was Stewie, the eyebrow-cocked, purse-lipped nellie, that got the crowd the most. From the minute they first showed Stewie in the opening clip reel, it was quite clear that this was a Stewie crowd. One gets the feeling that there is a Stewie nation out there.

Mike Henry is the cast’s secret weapon. He barely had to glance up from his paper to make the crowd roar. His Cleveland drew thunderous applause with each line, but it was Herbert the pedophile (my, hands down, favorite Quahog resident) that really left them pissing, myself included. He has a way of subtly and precisely whistling each ‘s’ that damn near sounds like an effect done in post production. It is voice-talent gold, and exactly why you came to see it for yourself. Everybody was top notch, but it was MacFarlane and Henry who nabbed the most laughs.

Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly gain any more respect for MacFarlane and his team, they began their brief, but nothing short of fantastic, musical portion of the show. They started off with MacFarlane doing “I Need a Jew” from the controversial episode, “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein.” Seth sang as Peter, while the footage from the original episode played on the overhead screen. It was easy to just watch the original footage, forgetting that it was being sung live on the stage below. The sync was that close, and the vocals that dead on.

Afterwards, Peter and Lois did an X-rated version of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” that included various call-and-response doozies like “you don’t cup my testes” and “you don’t tongue my asshole.” After which, at a good hour and a half into an already filthy show, they thought it a good time to remind us that if there are kids in the audience, it could get “a little blue” as this is the late show. Brilliant. Finally, they rounded out the musical portion with Herbert the pedophile’s rendition of The Little Shop of Horrors’ “Somewhere That’s Green.” This was a song sung to Chris in an earlier episode and, again, I was brought to body-trembling hysterics. This was the highlight of my night.

There was a sneak preview of the upcoming, Star Wars-themed season opener (airing this Sunday, the 23rd). It was wonderful seeing extended scenes of what looks to be a retelling of Episode IV, with Stewie’s Darth Vader demanding the most applause again.

Rounding out the evening was the dreaded Q & A. I can’t stand these things. They are painfully embarrassing cringe-fests for all involved. If you’ve ever been to a disastrous Comic Con panel, this was right up there with the disastrousest. There was, however, one good question. One we’d all been wondering, and that was what did they think of the South Park episodes dedicated to breaking down Family Guy? Their response? They tiptoed around it, but said they were just thrilled to be featured, and that they have an undying respect for the South Park guys.

Not much, but at least it was covered. And then it was covered again in true, botched Q-&-A fashion when they were asked if they were mad at the South Park guys for calling them dolphins. To which they responded, “It was manatees,” and “Where the hell were you less than five minutes ago when we just covered that?” Q & A’s; I hate them. It pretty much took the rest of the steam right out of the evening, which was actually okay. At this point we were over two hours plus, and it was time to call it an evening.

I have a whole new respect for Seth MacFarlane and the cast of Family Guy. Up until now, I’d always loved the show, but I have to admit, I certainly agreed with South Park’s sizing up of the show on their “Cartoon Wars” episodes. To be fair, they did rip on The Simpsons, but it was Family Guy who was clearly in front of the firing squad for their writing techniques and, further, their use of cutaway jokes that have nothing to do with the plot. It is the Family Guy’s M.O. (along with singing, cursing, and chicken fighting), and it works extremely well for them. Seeing them in action only solidifies this. All I know, is there were nine of the funniest manatees on the planet on that stage that night, and I’m so glad I was there to see it.

KISSOLOGY: Vol. 2, 1978-1991

Written by Tío Esqueleto

KISSOLOGY: Vol. 2 is the latest installment of KISS's vast video history. From promo spots and newsreels, to television appearances and live shows, KISS documented nearly everything they ever did. Dedicated fans have bought, sold, and traded this material in various bootlegged formats at conventions and online for years now. Here, finally, are the official releases, straight from the vault, all cleaned up and, for the most part, exactly as you remember them.

I must say I was not prepared to enjoy this offering nearly as much as I did. I am a die-hard KISS fan. More so, I am a dedicated Ace Frehley and Peter Criss fan. Those other two guys? Yeah, I like them, but only when book-ended by Peter and Ace. It's all about the original lineup for me. If it doesn't have them, it simply does not do it for me. So, you can imagine my surprise when I found myself really digging the material at hand. More on that in a second, but first a brief history of KISS '78 - '91.

1978 was a strange year for KISS. They were at the pinnacle of their fame. They had just come off of their biggest tour to date with Love Gun and were in the midst of filming their first (and only) movie. It also marked the release of their four solo albums, in which each member assembled his own band in an effort to better demonstrate their individual tastes and talents. The idea was that each member would do his own thing, dedicating the albums to each other; all in an effort to still do everything under the KISS umbrella. This was to ultimately keep the band together, rather than taking some time off, or outright splitting them up. It worked...for about a year. Inevitably, it signaled the beginning of the end for the original four.

1979 saw the release of Dynasty and ushered in their short-lived disco era. This both gained and lost some fair-weather fans, as well as utterly confusing the die-hard fans who were now affectionately and officially known as The KISS Army. By this time Peter and Ace had fallen so far into drugs and alcoholism, that it was really taking its toll on the band. Couple that with Peter's head strong desire to make it on his own, and you've got the end of the original four. Was Peter fired? Did he quit on his own accord, citing personal and creative differences? The answer differs depending on whom you ask. Either way, now it was Gene, Paul, and Ace at the start of a new decade with one ridiculously large drum riser to fill.

The 1980s saw a new KISS emerge with drummer Eric Carr taking on his role as "The Fox". We also saw the release of The Elder, the band's overly ambitious and ill-received concept album. Just what the concept was I'm still not sure. By the end of 1982, Ace had finally had enough. Not liking where the band was headed, feeling the loss of his good friend Peter, and not without a few problems of his own, Ace finally called it quits to embark on a fairly successful solo career. With the addition of Vinnie Vincent in 1982, KISS went on tour with the fan favorite, Creatures of The Night and, unknowingly, gave it one last go around with the make-up.

In 1983, KISS ditched the make-up and costumes with Lick It Up, and instead opted for the no less garish, torn fluorescents and big hair that were synonymous with the growing glam metal movement of the time. Ace proved difficult to replace as Vincent was fired at the end of the Lick tour in March 1984 and Mark St. John, who played on Animalize, was let go at the beginning of that supporting tour due to health reasons. They would finally land on Bruce Kulick, who would continue to work with the band well into the '90s, and up to the eventual reuniting of the original four.

Which brings us to KISSOLOGY: Vol. 2. I was quite upset to find that when the first KISSOLOGY came out, it only went to 1977. I thought why would you make us original four fans buy a whole other volume, just to get those last two glorious years of footage? Sounded like a very Gene & Paul thing to do, in an attempt to make themselves even richer. I'm not completely convinced that it wasn't; however, to their credit, they did the right thing. After all, those two years really weren't so glorious. You've got drugs, alcohol, and ego tearing the band apart, as well as an era that, aside from myself, nobody really seems to like. Pretty smart to leave the glory years to the first volume, and make the second volume the transition and rebirth edition. That is basically what you've got here.

Highlights include, "The Land Of Hype And Glory" (excerpt). This originally aired on NBC news on January 10th, 1978. Basically, it's a gorgeous vintage newsreel featuring the KISS phenomenon at its peak, narrated by a rather skeptical Edwin Newman. His disdain is palpable as he struggles to interview what was then America's biggest rock band. I absolutely love it! This is the stuff we've been patiently waiting for, even if we had no idea it ever existed.

Next, it's KISS In Attack of the Phantoms, from 1979. Here is, hands down, the single greatest contribution to this volume. As I mentioned earlier, in 1978 KISS was asked if they'd like to make Star Wars meets A Hard Day's Night. Being the huge Beatles fans that they were, and considering where they were headed, it seemed the logical thing to do. What resulted was KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. It was made by Hanna-Barbera for NBC television and you can tell. It is legendary to both KISS fans and lovers of all things schlocky. If you've never seen it, think an old episode of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, except that it stars KISS, with real magical powers, and uses Magic Mountain as its backdrop rather than Universal Studios. That's the best way I can think to describe the glorious cheese on display here.

Up until now, only poor quality, bootleg copies were available on DVD or your old worn-out VHS copy. If you're a KISS Army member, you have one. Now, with this box set, you get the international theatrical cut dubbed for larger distribution as KISS In Attack of the Phantoms. First and foremost it is widescreen, 2.35:1, so now, instead of looking like an episode of Battlestar Galactica, it looks more like Battlestar Galactica: The Movie. Hallelujah!! I cannot tell you what a huge difference this makes. It also contains an alternate intro (KISS still sings "Rock And Roll All Night" while towering over the rides at Magic Mountain, don't worry), as well as multiple deleted scenes, and a variety of different edits. Most noticeably, all of the music has been swapped out for the theatrical version. Gone are the funky, canned, sounds of the Hanna-Barbera band. Instead, in their place, you get various excerpts from the solo albums. I'm still not sure how I feel about this as some of it just doesn't work, so hold on to those old VHS tapes. There was a charm to the old soundtrack, and it really added to the overall vibe.

The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder from 1979. Another legendary bit of Kisstory, this is the one KISS fans know as the footage where Gene is noticeably really pissed at Ace for being completely wasted on national television. Up until now I had only seen snippets, and I just have to say...ho-lee-shit! You find that each member is pretty sick of the next. Nobody can get a straight answer out without the other one stealing his thunder. Sure Ace is rocked, really really rocked, but he is far from the most embarrassing one on screen. In the liner notes, Paul goes on to say "The truth is, we probably could have used more of Ace's personality and point of view than ours, at that point". He pretty much nailed it. It's a train wreck in the best possible way.

Next up is a rare performance on ABC televisions Fridays from 1982. First off, it is always nice to see footage from this often-forgotten sketch show. Here, we have what is pretty much the only live footage of anything having to do with The Elder. You get three actual live performances (some better than others) of "The Oath," "A World Without Heroes," and "I." Say what you will, but this is some pretty interesting stuff to say the least. I don't hate The Elder. I still just don't get it. This helps....kind of.

There is also a bevy of live performances. However, there is one glaring omission. "KISS, Live in Largo Maryland in 1979." This was always one of my favorite bootlegs if not my favorite. For a fan of the Dynasty era, this was all you had. I'm told that depending on where you purchase the set, you could get it as the bonus disc. For instance, my copy's bonus disc was "KISS Live at Budokan in 1988", part of the Crazy Nights Tour. Being the only known taping of a Dynasty-era show, I cannot fathom why it wasn't included as one of the main features on disc one.

All in all, for fans of this transitional era, this is really quite a collection of live shows. The setlists are spot-on for their respective eras, and it's kind of cool to hear the different versions of the classics as played by Carr and Vincent. Now, there's something I never would have thought would ever come out of my mouth, but it's true. Nice to have it there if you ever need it.

KISS made it a point to document nearly everything they ever did, and here is just the second installment. As a staunch advocate of the original four, I had my mind made up that I would only ever watch the first disc. I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised to find just how much I enjoyed this second installment of the KISSOLOGY series, all three discs. Here's hoping for another installment. Something tells me, with the next one, I just may get to see Peter and Ace again.

Jonny Greenwood is The Controller

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Trojan Records has been at the forefront of all things reggae since 1967. Roots, dub, dance hall, you name it, it’s all been featured, helped along, and in many cases, born under their imprint. The Trojan library ranges from mainstream crossover artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers, Inner Circle, and Toots and The Maytals, to artists such as Desmond Dekker, David “Scotty” Scott, and Horace Andy, equally valid artists you may not know about depending on your dedication to the genre. Needless to say, it is vast.

Now in their 40^th year, Trojan has enlisted the help of fellow enthusiasts from all walks of the musical spectrum for its Artist’s Choice Jukebox series, a celebrity mix-tape for all things Trojan reggae. With recent releases from Don Letts and DJ Spooky already available plus future releases from Lee “Scratch” Perry and Fatboy Slim on the horizon, this latest installment finds Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood as “THE CONTROLLER.”

Greenwood’s take is an interesting one. After six months of listening to nothing but reggae, he forgoes the obvious crossover artists (no Marley, no Toots, no Circle), and instead opts for the aforementioned lesser-known superstars of the Trojan roster. This album is for the learned, which isn’t to say that one can’t, in turn, learn from it. At just under 70 minutes, his choices run the full gamut of their catalogue, each with a detailed description of both artist that penned it, as well as the song’s origin and impact. He is thorough and informative without coming off as a know it all. His passion and enthusiasm for the project are quite evident in his selections and the words that accompany them.

The opening track, “Dread Are The Controller” by Linvall Thompson, has heavyweights Sly and Robby providing the rhythm, and is the obvious inspiration for this installment’s title. Next up is Derrick Harriott’s rendition of Van McCoy’s “Let Me Down Easy.” Here we have the most accessible track on the compilation. Full of soul and oozing with crossover potential, it does a magnificent job of setting up the next two tracks in Greenwood’s wish list. Marcia Aitken’s “I’m Still In Love With You” and the legendary Gregory Isaacs’ “Never Be Ungrateful” are shining examples of the skillful songwriting and musicianship that have been displayed in their most traditional forms up to this point in the collection. It is with this next track that we venture into the other defining (and altogether Johnny Greenwood) side of reggae: its production values.

What better way to usher in the notion of the producer as reggae superstar than with Lee “Scratch” Perry, the obvious star of this compilation. In his liner notes, Greenwood compares Perry’s work to that of The Beatles during their experimental phase. Perry’s ability was to make the studio an instrument in itself. Not unlike Beatles producer George Martin, he made the traditional acoustic instruments, voices, and microphones, upon playback, sound nothing like the initial recording.

It comes as no surprise he would be so prominently featured by the man largely responsible for bringing Kid A and Amnesiac into the world. One need only listen to Greenwood’s own quirky instrumentation, laden with effects and trickery both in the studio and on stage to hear the profound effect that Lee Perry (and those that followed) has had on his work.

Perry appears three times in this collection. Track 5 is an out there, echo-heavy, solo effort entitled “Bionic Rats.” Track 8, “Black Panta,” is with his outfit The Upsetters and features a classic opening sampled prominently in fellow dub enthusiasts The Orb’s “Outlands.” The final Perry cut (track 15) is “Dreader Locks” and features Junior Byles, who shows up earlier in the compilation with a fairly straightforward, but altogether eerie, cover of “Fever,” another major highlight on the album. With similar efforts from Lloyd’s Allstars, The Heptones, and Marcia Griffiths, the album maintains this theme of traditional roots reggae interspersed with spaced-out, production-heavy dub.

Now, one might question the variety on such a compilation. The common complaint that “it all sounds alike” could be used here. To that, Greenwood simply asks that you take a listen. It’s in the little nuances throughout, subtle changes in tempo, rhythm, and overall mood. As an avid listener of all forms of minimalist techno, long form disco, and a variety of motion picture soundtracks (the closest I get to classical), I couldn’t agree more. There is far more here than what is picked up on a first listening.

Mr. Greenwood starts his liner notes by stating that he is still discovering Jamaican artists that he feels should have been included here. He wraps up by saying that this is by no means a “best of;” it is merely a starting point. If you come across something you like, be it voice, style, or tempo to simply pursue and enjoy. With that, there are two tracks in particular that I will be investigating further – Delroy Wilson’s “This Life Makes Me Wonder,” and my personal favorite, The Jahlights “Right Road To Dubland." Now, that’s what a good compilation is supposed to do.

Depeche Mode: A Broken Frame

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Following the success of their seminal first album, 1981’s Speak and Spell, Depeche Mode was faced with a major dilemma. How to carry on without Vince Clarke? Clarke, the band’s songwriter and all-around musical architect, abruptly left the group citing creative differences, and a general distaste for the interviews, television spots, and constant attention that comes with a band whose star is rapidly rising. With him gone, it was up to remaining members Andrew Fletcher, Dave Gahan, and Martin Gore to prove to Clarke (and themselves) that they could carry on with Gore as sole songwriter and arranger. What ensues is 1982’s A Broken Frame, their first album as a three piece, and an album that longtime producer, and Mute Records founder, Daniel Miller would call “a transitional album” and later refer to as the beginning of the so-called dark phase.

The 2nd installment of Rhino Records re-releasing, and remastering, of the Depeche Mode catalogue includes A Broken Frame, 1984’s Some Great Reward, and 1993’s Songs of Faith and Devotion. This follows the initial re-releases of 1981’s Speak and Spell, 1987’s Music for The Masses, and 1990’s Violator. Each two-disc set comes packaged in a slick, gatefold slipcase and includes a CD of the album, as well as a bonus DVD with the album digitally remastered in 5.0, with various extras.

The CD, minus the art on the actual disc itself, has nothing to offer that wasn’t included on its original UK release. Singles include “See You,” “The Meaning of Love,” and “Leave in Silence.” Also on this album are such fan favorites as “My Secret Garden,” “Monument,” and “The Sun and The Rainfall.” A Broken Frame most certainly is a transitional album. It is a reboot, of sorts, taking the band from Clark’s original point of view to the more complex song structures of Gore’s more brooding, melancholic point of view. It is an obvious window into the future of the Depeche Mode we are familiar with today, a landmark album in a discography spanning 25 years.

The DVD, as you can imagine, is the intended point of purchase, not just for A Broken Frame, but for all of these Rhino remasters, with a bevy of audio and video content to offer. Each track from the album is reproduced in both 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and DTS 5.1, as well as a stereo 2.0 mix. The DTS 5.1 is sure to set any audiophile’s head spinning, fan or not, most notably with “Monument” and the sweetly haunting “Leave In Silence.”

Also included on the DVD are the three rare B-sides to each of the aforementioned singles: “Now This Is Fun” (originally b/w “See You”), “Oberkorn: It’s a Small Town” (b/w “The Meaning of Love”), and “Excerpt from: My Secret Garden” (b/w “Leave In Silence”). Until now, all three of these cuts were only available on the original vinyl releases, and through The Singles box sets.

Also in 5.1 and 2.0 stereo mix are six tracks from A Broken Frame recorded live in Hammersmith in October 1982. Included are two singles (“See You” and “The Meaning of Love”) as well as “My Secret Garden,” “Satellite,” “A Photograph of You,” and an extremely rare, and wonderful rendition of “Nothing To Fear.” Outside of the overall sound quality, this is the major perk to this purchase.

Rounding out the DVD is the video content. Depeche Mode: 1982 (The beginning of their so called dark phase) is a continuation (one would assume the second installment) of the ongoing documentary produced specifically for these special editions. Each member, past and present (if applicable), as well as producer Miller and various players in the Depeche Mode family, from public relations to tour managers, recalls the atmosphere and events surrounding this release.

This particular episode deals mainly with the loss of Vince Clarke, the appointing of Martin Gore as sole songwriter, and the direction the band took, therein. Each member gives a detailed account, and it is always nice to get anything with Clarke reminiscing about his Mode days before going on to form Yazoo and Erasure. We learn that his post break-up intention was to pursue a day job, but that he was unexpectedly tapped to do a demo for a then relatively unknown Alison Moyet. The addition of eventual fourth member Alan Wilder is also covered here, from his beginnings as a hired gun brought on to help with the live shows leading up to the album’s release to his eventual retention in the lineup that would go on to define them. All in all, a very insightful 30 minutes, on a very important album.

Very few bands are, or were, as collectible as Depeche Mode has been throughout their career. To date, six Depeche Mode albums have been given the Rhino “Special Edition” treatment, with the four remaining albums slated for an early ’07 release. All of which, have been nothing short of spectacular. These re-releases have been lovingly put together with the fans in mind. A souvenir from a particular band, for a particular album, if you will. Have a favorite Depeche Mode album or period? Perhaps, A Broken Frame? Then I highly recommend picking up that souvenir.

Get The Message: The Best of Electronic

Written by Tío Esqueleto

When word first surfaced back in 1988 that New Order frontman Bernard Sumner and The Smiths guitarist/all-around Manchester-darling Johnny Marr were to collaborate on a side project, the UK music scene was all ears. Could it get any better than one part Joy Division/New Order and one part The Smiths? Having worked together briefly in 1983 for fellow Factory mates Quando Quango, longtime friends and mutual fans of each other Sumner and Marr met up in the summer of 1987 and decided to hit the studio with the hopes of adding something new to the scene they had both helped to create: the amalgamation of music, drugs, fashion, and technology that was the Manchester music scene.

With Electronic, both Marr and Sumner saw this as a chance to take a break from their current mainstays (Sumner having just finished recording and touring New Order’s Technique, and Marr rounding out a stint both on record and on tour for The The’s seminal Mind Bomb album), and to further the marriage of Manchester indie guitar-pop with a growing dance music scene. They also saw it as a catalyst to collaborate with people they’d always wanted to work with, starting quite simply with each other. In 1989, Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe entered the fold and what resulted was something not quite New Order, The Smiths, or Pet Shop Boys, but rather something very unique and most importantly, very Manchester.

Get The Message: The Best of Electronic is the first hits compilation from this UK super duo, now legends in there own right. The 15-track disc spans three albums over nine years; represented here are various choice cuts from 1991’s Electronic, 1992’s stand-alone single, “Disappointed”, 1996’s Raise The Pressure, and 2000’s Twisted Tenderness.

It opens with “Forbidden City”, the opening track from Raise the Pressure. Out of all the tracks penned by Sumner/Marr, none scream The Smiths/New Order more so than this, the perfect trumpeting of their ‘96 return. Marr’s guitar jangles and wails behind Sumner’s sweetly melancholic vocals. One has to wonder if this isn’t what the beginnings of an unrealized Smiths album would have sounded like had Morrissey lent his signature croon back in 1996, or the same side of the opposite coin had Peter Hook lent one of his signature bass lines to the mix.

“Getting Away With It” is the song that started it all. It reached #11 on the UK charts, hit the Top 40 here in the states, and still holds its own nearly 16 years later. Co-written by Tennant, who also sings the chorus, it is “the” Electronic song to those who never heard more than this first single and have since distorted and wondered all these years “whatever happened to that one New Order song with the guy from the Pet Shop Boys?”. Unlike “Forbidden City”, “Getting Away With It” is a sound all its own, the sound of Electronic.

From the same vein we get the bouncy singles “Get the Message” and “Feel Every Beat”. Both are very much a Sumner/Marr product and both scream Manchester, not unlike early Stone Roses or Happy Mondays of that period. Sadly, these are the only three songs represented from that first album. The one glaring omission being “Patience Of A Saint”, another track co-penned and sung by Tenant.

Track five is the single mix to 1992’s “Disappointed”, the highly anticipated follow-up to the debut album. Again, co-written and this time sung entirely by Tenant, “Disappointed” is a piano-heavy, Euro-House track that falls a hair short of expectation. It is aptly titled, but I must say it sounds better to me today than it ever did then.

What follows is a mixed bag of singles and prime cuts from the remaining two Electronic albums, Raise The Pressure and Twisted Tenderness. The former finds Marr and Sumner working with former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos, a legend both Marr and Sumner had longed to work with since their humblest beginnings. “Second Nature”, “For You”, and “Imitation Of Life” are all worthy selections, the latter being the B-side to the already mentioned “Forbidden City”. Again, there are glaring omissions form the source material. Foremost is “Dark Angel”, a driving song that is representative of the dance music revolution of the mid 1990’s. A tad dated, probably, but its absence is certainly noticed in a collection of hits.

Twisted Tenderness saw a return to the rock roots of both Marr and Sumner’s prospective pasts. Not nearly as fun and accessible as prior Electronic releases (it actually serves more as foreshadowing for what would be Sumner’s next New Order release, Get Ready), it did however provide “Out Of My League”, another classic Electronic song.

Get The Message is an unexpected surprise. Not that it’s surprisingly good, quite the contrary. It’s great! The surprise is that it was ever conceived of in the first place. A Greatest Hits from a band (a side project, no less) scarcely heard of by those outside “the know”. One would think that anyone interested in a Greatest Hits, from a band like this, would already own all of the source material. Sure, but to that I say here they are, all in one place, abridged, and with only a few minor omissions/complaints. The packaging is pretty nifty too! A-

The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 3

Written by Tio Esqueleto

Spanning from 1971 – 1987, The Old Grey Whistle Test was the perfect platform for the album rock period when commercial pop was overshadowed by good ol’ fashioned musicianship, innovation, and albums you could listen to and enjoy from the first groove on Side A to the last groove on Side B. It premiered on BBC2, and up to that point, the standard for weekly musical performance television was Top of the Pops in the UK, and American Bandstand here in the states. What The Old Grey Whistle Test offered was something new, something different.

Top of the Pops and American Bandstand, for the most part, promoted both big and small acts performing their current hit via canned music, smiles, and lip sync. The Old Grey Whistle Test gave these same artists (focusing more on the up-and-comer rather than the tried-and-true) the opportunity to play their songs completely live (with the occasional live vocal over a pre-recorded audio track) and, in many cases, were encouraged to play deep album cuts in place of their current hit. This paved the way for such 1970s American staples as The Midnight Special and Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert, both of which prided themselves on their all the way “live” performances.

On August 29th, BBC Video, in conjunction with Warner Home Video, will release The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 3 on DVD, both separately, and as part of a limited edition box set, compiling this new offering with two previously released editions of this legendary live performance show. In contrast to the first two volumes, which featured familiar hits and artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” and Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”, Vol. 3 focuses more on the lesser-known songs and acts in a catalogue that spans 16 innovative years, offering an even more eclectic, and almost overtly British group of performances. All of which have since gone on to become record shop darlings on either side of the pond. Had Yo La Tango, !!! (chk-chk-chk), or Le Tigre been around circa ’71-’87, they more than likely would have made it on this installment.

Some performances certainly stick with you over others, and with a collection like this, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. Memorable performances include Stealers Wheel shedding their signature, Dylan-esque vocals, for a grittier, more Paul Rogers and Bad Co., rendition of “I Get By” from 1972. Freddy King’s “Boogie Funk” is a stellar offering from 1973 of traditional blues with just a touch of ‘70s funk, dripping with all things Chicago. In the same vein, B.B. King also delivers a strait shot of Chicago blues with his rendition of “When It All Comes Down/Hold On”.

A 1976 performance from Janis Ian reminds us what a perfect song can be with her signature, and sweetly haunting, song “At Seventeen”, including an introduction dedication to the real life cheerleaders who inspired it. The Jam’s “A Bomb in Wardour Street” captures a seminal Brit band as they embark on their prime, while “Chelsea Girl” gives us a rare look at an alt rocking, pre-Breakfast Club, Simple Minds in 1979. Finally, King Crimson’s “Frame By Frame”, from 1982, is a rare look at Fripp, Bruford, Levin, and Belew, at their best. Also of note are stand out performances by Jackson Brown, P.I.L., and a rare look at Japan that would make any Radiohead fan proud to know their hero’s heroes.

The Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 3 runs the gamut from traditional blues and rock, to singer songwriter pop, to punk and new wave, to traditional and contemporary folk. Many of which, are debuting their sound for the very first time. Sadly, for some the first would also be their last. On its own, it may prove a little to schizophrenic or “out there” for the random music DVD purchase, but to those in the know, and certainly as part of a three-disc set, it is more than acceptable; it is essential.

Pet Shop Boys: Fundamental

Written by Tío Esqueleto

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, better known as British pop duo Pet Shop Boys, have been recording together, in one form or another, since a chance meeting in an electronics store in their native England back in 1981. It wasn’t until their eventual signing with Parlaphone Records in 1985, and the re-release of their breakthrough (and now signature) single, “West End Girls”, that the band first saw major success, selling 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Often viewed as a one-hit wonder here in the states, Pet Shop Boys are anything but. With a rampant fan base the world over rooted deeply in, but certainly not limited to, the gay community, and over 38 Top-40 singles in the UK, Pet Shop Boys have enjoyed fairly constant success (the usual peaks and valleys apply) throughout their always ambitious 25-year career. Chris Lowe’s synth-driven pop compositions ranging in everything from traditional classical, early New Wave and European disco, and contemporary House, Techno, and Electro are the unlikely, perfect companion to Tennant’s (undeniably British) wit and charm, his unique singing style, and (often poetic) flair for the English language, earning them a spot at the top, among fellow artists of the same cut: Depeche Mode, New Order, Erasure, and O.M.D.

Fundamental is the boys’ 9^th studio album (16^th, if you count various remix, hits, and b-side compilations), continuing in a long tradition of to the point, one-word (Please, Actually, Behavior, Very, etc.) album titles. This time around they have enlisted the help of ‘80s producer extraordinaire, Trevor Horn, who the duo last worked with on the song “Left to My Own Device” from 1988’s Introspective, their compilation of 12” dance singles.

A founding member of The Buggles, Horn is responsible for the ‘80s smash and MTV catalyst, “Video Killed the Radio Star,” as well as being a founding member of Art of Noise. He also enjoyed a stint, albeit brief, as the lead singer for the band Yes on 1980’s Drama album. Horn has since gone on to produce the likes of Tom Jones, Tina Turner, LeAnn Rimes, and Belle and Sebastian, to name a few, but is most known for his work with Frankie Goes to Hollywood in the ‘80s, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Seal throughout the 1990s.With Fundamental, the marriage of Horn’s trademark orchestrals to Lowe’s usual disco delights is the perfect blend of producer-artist commerce, with either side taking center stage. It doesn’t sound overtly Trevor Horn, yet there is something setting it apart from the last few PSB releases, something ultimately different, yet very familiar. It runs the usual Pet Shop Boys gamut from traditional four-on-the-floor, club tracks to sweeping, lovelorn ballads to biting (this time political) anthems.

“Psychological”, the album’s opening track, is a sweet, little electro ditty, dark in its lyrical content and, in a word, paranoid. Not your usual Pet Shop fare, and certainly not indicative of the rest of the album, but a stellar opener nonetheless. The next track, however, “The Sodom and Gomorrah Show”, is a trademark PSB anthem about sense of belonging with the usual strings and lush synth chords you’ve come to expect, and a Xanadu feel throughout that would have any good E.L.O. fan questioning his whereabouts.

From there, the album unfolds much like a typical Pet Shop Boys release. Overall, I would say it is better than recent efforts, Nightlife and Release, with one exception, the singles. “I’m With Stupid”, the album’s first major single, is a riff on Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair’s relationship with George W. Bush. While it is certainly the most Trevor Horn of all the tracks (second only to the 1:30 “God Willing”), relying too heavily on its political content, it falls short as a single, certainly radio friendly, but mediocre at best. Even more lackluster and predictable is the album’s second single, “Minimal”. Its reliance on an all-to-used (and, unfortunately, now cliché) vocoded chorus spelling out the word M-I-N-I-M-A-L and bad Ibiza-style synth line throughout are more than enough to overshadow what few good elements lie underneath. The right remix(er), however, could make all the difference. Compared to “You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk” from Nightlife or “Home and Dry” from Release, the singles from Fundamental, so far, leave something to be desired.

Having said that, there are plenty of wonderful “deep” cuts on this album to keep the fans coming back for more. The painfully applicable “I Made My Excuses and Left” is a brilliant account of running into one’s ex, while Chris’s bounce and Neil’s brains on “Twentieth Century” are more than enough to make up for a couple of lacking singles.

Pet Shop Boys are currently on tour in Europe and the UK with a North American leg kicking off in Montreal on October 10^th. They hit the states on October 13^th in Boston, continuing through November, finally ending in Los Angeles, before moving on to Mexico. On Friday, October 27^th they will be at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, and God willing, so will I.