by Johnny Butane
Call of Cthulhu (2005)
Directed by Andrew H. Leman
This highly-praised, ingeniously executed adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous story does what so many Lovecraft tales before it could never manage to — make the master’s stories real. Using stop-motion animation, filmed in black and white and fully silent aside from a haunting score, the DVD includes almost a half hour of making-of footage, deleted scenes, a slide show and a lot more. This is a must-own DVD for anyone who calls themselves a Lovecraft fan.
Carnival of Blood (1970)/Undertaker and His Pals (1966)
Directed by Leondard Kirtman/T.L.P. Swicegood
Oh, how nice — a grindhouse double feature with a very familiar looking cover. Wonder why it took companies this long to finally start calling things “grindhouse” again? Me too. Carnival of Blood is about a maniac who uses a carousel ride at Coney Island to capture his victims, whom he then dismembers. It’s up to a local DA vacationing with his fiancée to stop the madness. Undertaker tells of three friends who drum up business for the local undertaker by randomly murdering about town.
Defenceless (2006)
Directed by Mark Savage
Previously released as part of the Savage Sinema From Down Under box set, this latest entry from ballsy Aussie filmmaker Mark Savage is the very sad tale of a woman who has everything taken away from her many times over, all because she won’t sign off on a land deal to develop condos on an isolated stretch of beach. Eventually she gets to return from the dead for revenge, so that’s all right. Notable because Savage decided to make it a silent movie, aka no dialogue, which makes this the first week in the history of the DVD list that we’ve had two silent movies coming out at once!
Drive Thru (2006)
Directed by Brendan Cowles
It sure sounds like a good idea on paper; a food chain restaurant’s mascot, Horny the Clown (sure, that’d work) goes on a killing spree surrounding young Mackenzie Carpenter, who’s just about to turn 18. Unfortunately, according to The Foywonder’s review of Drive Thru, no one involved with the film had a clue what they were doing. Which is even worse when you take into consideration the fact that this is one of the coolest covers Liosngate’s come up with in a while.
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