Wholesale and Distribution Movie Reviews

This video basically covers all the calisthenics that you can do in an inner city playground. That, and the yo,yo,yo type "flava" of the commentators is what make this vido entertaining. I especially enjoyed the "Hood Aerobics" chapter. Seriously, there is one! In all seriousness, the video does show some very good bodyweight exercises. I don't personally care for all the stupidity, but there are some ideas in there. If you are serious about bodyweight exercises, I suggest that you look for a copy of the old Karl Gotch video that Matt Furey used to sell. As much as I dislike his current stuff, that video was remarkable and showed everything that could be done without weights. Buy this video for entertainment value or if the gangsta fantasy pushes you to workout.

I liked this DVD. The guy who reviewed this before that seen Superman Pullups in gym class is on [drugs]. ... No one does this stuff in Gym class! Way beyond normal pullups. He either didnt do the workout just watched it. Or he's hating. No other options. This is a very good DVD. My only complaint and why it didnt get Five stars is they need to give more of a unified program that a beginner could do. Instead of flipping from playground to playground with a bunch of different people. Im looking forward to volume 2. Keep the first guy that demonstrated the pullups througout the video in the next one and you have a winner. He seemed to explain things the best.

Thug Workout: Fitness from the Streets is not your customary workout video, in fact, at first glance, the brash language and in your face style would seem more "Thug" than actual "Fitness".
But the operative word here is fitness, and these guys have developed some wickedly good routines that consist of various pull-ups, push-ups and dips. But what makes these common exercises different, is "how" they're executed ... some of which, most people won't be able to immediately perform. For those that can, you'll get a very challenging workout.
The only draw backs are that the video tends to repeat certain exercises throughout and there is no lower body routine.
But if you're looking for a new way to shake-up your workout or add something to an existing one, this will certainly supply you with some new and interesting material.

A clever whodunit, set in a vintage Hollywood movie studio, that reunited three stars from the acclaimed 1931 release, "Dracula". When the star of the fictional production "The Death Kiss" is murdered on the film set during a take, screenwriter David Manners (top-billed here) launches his own investigation into how and why the murder was committed. Among the many suspects are Bela Lugosi as a suspicious production manager and Edward Van Sloan as the film's bombastic director. Manners' detective work involves touring the many different departments at the studio, offering an intriguing look at how early talkies were made. The script includes some subtle satire of early 1930's film personalities (now who could the studio head whose every statement is a malapropism be?!) and there are plenty of red herrings thrown in to complicate the plot. The mystery is solid, and the studio setting is guaranteed to appeal to cinema buffs.

The DVD's biggest drawback is the source print from which the video transfer was mastered. "The Death Kiss" has been in the public domain for many years, and is desperately in need of restoration. There are many breaks in the film during which bits of dialogue are lost; these "jumps" are particularly plentiful during the first half of the DVD. Still ... until a better transfer comes along (which is admittedly unlikely), this is definitely one worth adding to your home video collection, particularly for the fine cast and the unusual setting.

The Death Kiss (1933) is actually a fairly interesting little who-dun-it mystery. The drama unfolds on the set of a movie called-predictably-The Death Kiss. The big scene features a gang of thugs gunning down the character played by Miles Brent after he receives a Judas kiss from a stranger played, wouldn't you know it, by Brent's ex-wife Marcia Lane. To everyone's surprise, Brent doesn't get back up after the scene is finished; this is especially sad given the fact that his death swoon was not convincing enough to satisfy the director. An uproar ensues when it becomes clear that Brent was murdered. None of the eight guns used in the scene turns out to be the murder weapon, complicating matters for the police. Further complicating the work of detectives is the insinuation of studio mystery writer Franklyn Drew into the investigation. Drew basically takes over the investigation himself, while the detectives remain a step or two behind him at all times. Everyone is a suspect to some degree, including studio executives. When the first suspected perpetrator apparently kills himself after being proven innocent, the plot becomes even more complicated. Marcia Lane has a clear motive, and all of the clues keep pointing in her direction, but her boyfriend Drew, with the help of the comically inept head of studio security, is determined to prove her innocence.

One of the suspects is studio manager Joseph Steiner, played by the incomparable and quite dashing Bela Lugosi. This seems something of an odd role for Lugosi to have played two years after bringing Count Dracula to life, for it is a bit of a minor part. Here Lugosi sports a bow tie and actually smiles good-naturedly a time or two; he does have one scene in which he gets rather perturbed, though, so Lugosi fans such as myself can take delight in getting at least one quick glance of the classic Lugosi scowl.

This movie is both a comedy and a murder mystery; seemingly, all murder mysteries of the era were required to have a Keystone Kops element to them. The comedic elements seem needless at first but somehow become rather endearing by the end. The mystery is also pretty compelling, and I admit my guess as to the identity of the murderer was incorrect. Besides the inclusion of Bela Lugosi in the cast, this movie is also somewhat significant for offering an early behind-the-scenes look at how the still rather revolutionary talkies were produced. Lugosi fans should enjoy seeing a softer side of the legendary actor, and I believe the movie is quite capable of sustaining the interest of even modern-day viewers.

I picked up this DVD even though I had never seen the movie before because I figured, it's inexpensive and it has Bela Lugosi in it, so how can I go wrong. I was pleased to discover that this is a pretty good mystery, with a charming performance from David Manners and a few twists to the plot. I would have liked to see more of Bela as a studio executive.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this 5 stars is the fact that, as other reviewers have mentioned, the picture and sound quality is not the best. I don't always mind the scatches, because it can add to the "old movie" atmosphere, but there are too many instances of missed dialogue and skips in the picture.

Like the other posts have mentioned: the video quality is decidedly poor. It seems to have been taken from a videotape source due to the numerous drop outs that are evident througout. Still, it's by far the best version available (aka Nightmare Castle on other low-quality labels) and it's far from unwatchable and even fairly crisp in spots. The audio is okay, the dubbed dialogue is clear even if there's a slight hiss to it.

As for the film... it's a blast! This is my favorite Barbara Steele performance and she plays two roles: the insatiable, insane, raven-haired Muriel and the demure, blonde and driven insane Jenny. The whole thing's encased in a fog-thick atmosphere of dread, sadism and passion that even outdoes many of the Corman/Poe adaptions. Witness the doctor's torture of Muriel and her lover and then Muriel's gleeful climactic revenge. Pretty powerful stuff even by today's standards... and although it's draggy in spots it has many memorable scenes that make it worthwhile.

The print's uncut and 100 min. It's incorrectly framed at what looks like 1.50:1 instead of 1.66:1 and the first couple of credit titles are video generated. There also seems to be some new sound efx of crickets and such added over the first scene for some inexplicable reason.

The box cover art is hideously wretched (doesn't Retromedia have a designer that knows rudimentary Photoshop???). The slightly animated menus are passable as is a small photo gallery set to Ennio Morricone's cool theme.

Again, the quality should have been WAY better but if you can score it for [cheap] (and you're a fan) than it's definitely worth it... until a superior version comes along.

Print was acceptable with 20 min. additional footage missing from previus versions. I've seen far worse prints. Give it a chance!

I can't say that I'm not a little disappointed that cheapo Retromedia released this and not Synapse. The print isn't nearly as good as it could've been with Synapse. However, I still give it 5 stars because it's the best print of this film I've seen yet. It's watchable and the music score is good. It's 100 min. which is longer than what's previously been available. And the storyline is more twisted than I remembered. I'm a Steele fan so I have to be more forgiving because I consider this a real collector's item. So what we have here is "The Faceless Monster" version of "Amanti D'Oltretomba" (AKA "Nightmare Castle"). Just not the best print. The dubbing isn't great either but I don't care. I'm just glad to have it at all.

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Weller and his sidemen put on a nice career survey here, including not just his solo work, but also some Jam and Style Council. Everybody is in fine form: Weller never wrote melodies which tax the vocal range, so he doesn't really do any short cuts on high notes or go flat; Weller's guitar work isn't brilliant, but certainly good enough; great drums, too, and songs also work well when Weller plays the piano. I have to repeat others' complaints about the constant, frequent switching of cameras: it produces a feeling of vertigo after awhile, and you'd like less of it. Not only do the camera angles switch too frequently, but there's one song where the director has chosen to have the cameras to fast zooms on their focal points. It's a fine show to have on "in the room," but if you watch it for any length it gets difficult. And I can't see why anyone would spend money on a DVD for the background.

I agree with other reviewers that the frequent angle shifts are unneeded, but I didn't find that too much of a problem. This DVD is recommended expecially for the songs not in his other live shows, especially the Jam & Style Council oldies. Weller really plays his best in medium-sized halls like this one, rather than massive outdoor fests. The DVD format could be better used if the lyrics had been provided in subtitles - Weller's lyrics are a strong point and should be provided!
Good as this is, I still think his best live show on video is Royal Albert Hall 2000. To date this has not been released in Region One format.

This is a great live show. Too bad the video editor ruined it. Personally I found the camera work in "Blair Witch Project" easier to stomach than this. All the cross-cutting, zooming, and bizarre camera angles remind me of a Monkees' romp, yet with no humour and over 2 hrs long rather than 3 minutes. I still recommend this to Weller fans around the world but if you'd rather enjoy "watching" him and his band play, buy "Live Wood."

This routine is rushed and awkward -- the poses aren't held more than a few seconds, so there's little opportunity to properly stretch or work that muscle group much. If you've done even basic yoga before, you know that "flow" -- the progression and grouping of poses to work muscles, heart, and breathing in well-constructed sequences -- is a big part of yoga. Ain't no flow here, folks. This is just a calisthenic routine, and not a very good one at that. It's laughably short. If you're already a runner, this will increase neither your flexibility nor your stamina. It plays like a Yoga for Seniors workout at doublespeed. Save your time and money; you're better off investing in a Bryan Kest yoga vid instead.

Yoga for runners is important because inflexibility for runners means injuries. Although the series of moves is useful, I find myself distracted by three flaws in the video. Little warm-up precedes the quick, strenuous moves. The sound quality in few places is poor. Most annoying, at the end, Thom disappears right before Birch leads a relaxation segment. I'm supposed to be relaxing and find myself wondering where he had to go. Everything else is done professionally and well, so these flaws mystify me and, unfortunately, distract me.

Although the production and sound quality of this DVD are not the best, it does provide a good, short, and no nonsense power yoga workout. It has one great chapter called Detailed Instructions. When you go into this chapter it lists most of the poses used in the workout. You can chose any or all of the poses, and you will get detailed instructions as Thom and Beryl demonstrate the pose. If you are not familiar with the poses, this would be a great place to start before jumping into the workout. The workout moves along at a quick pace, and there are a lot of down facing dogs. The 1st part of the workout has a lot of repetition (they do a series of poses and then do the same series about 2 more times), but the 2nd part of the workout introduces many new poses. Some of the poses include warrior, down & up dog, expanded leg stretch, sun salutations, spinal twist, triangle, and half bound lotus. The set is nothing fancy, a plain room with a sky/cloud background. They have a voice over instructing Thom & Beryl what to do next. As one reviewer pointed out, it was a little bit wierd at the end when all of a sudden Thom just disappeared,I found myself staring at the TV for a minute wondering if he was going to come back or not! I have read several articles about how yoga is beneficial to runners because it makes them more flexible, and helps to strengthen ligaments around the knees and throughout the body. Workouts like this definitely make me feel better after a long run!

I bought this DVD with high expectations, and came out dissappointed. The video quality is horrible and the yule log is way too close and pixelated. I would love to recommened this DVD, but I can't. The people who I showed it too said I should return it for a refund. Sorry!

I enjoyed this "mood tape" much more than most of the other ones I've sampled. The music is fun and at times brilliant. The snow scenes are enchanting, but repetetive, so it's better used for atmosphere rather than close watching. The "Christmas Log" function, however, is boring. I guess you could use it for atmosphere, but it is a tape loop of the fire, rather than a real fire. Fires have lives -- I would love to have seen the producers film a real fire for 90 minutes with it slowly dying down, logs collapsing and embers glowing when it was done. Instead it seems more like a gimmick.

Still and all I enjoyed the snow and the music.

I loved this DVD! It is a wonderful mix of snowy New England landscapes as well as seascapes. The yule log is...well a yule log burning and not anything more but the video of New England quietly planketed in snow with festive holiday music playing is a perfect compliment to any holiday DVD collection. Perfect to sit at home and enjoy with a cup of mulled cider or as a background for a tree trimming party. I enjoyed every song and moment captured on this memorable holiday, musical feast.

One would think that a band like The Doors, who have proven to be really good experts at how to package and market a product would have delivered a bit more on this DVD release of "No One Here Gets Out Alive." The documentary as a documentary is well-assembled with some great concert footage (mostly from the European tour and Hollywood Bowl show) and informative interviews. But one forgets this was made in the early 80s, producer Paul Rothchild (who gives interesting insights into how The Doors influenced Punk and New Wave groups) has long passed away and Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger are much older and probably have different opinions today than then about some things. Even the book this film is based on has been re-released with new additions. That is a major disappointment here, this DVD has no extra features, it is known there is a lot of Doors footage out there that hasn't been released in complete form as well as recordings (which the band is indeed releasing through their Bright Midnight record label), any true Doors fan already knows this DVD is a waste of cash when you can just go out and get "The Doors Collection" DVD, which is three hours of great footage, music videos and even audio commentary by the band members and extra features including Robby Krieger doing a new version of "The End." This "new" release pales in comparison even to the "The Doors: Live In Europe" DVD. There is nothing here we haven't seen or heard before. It simply serves as a neat piece of footage from the decade when the Doors resurgance that has not died down really began. Ray Manzarek has spent the better part of a decade trashing Oliver Stone's feature film "The Doors," but he can't even offer a better piece of merchandise. "The Doors" movie DVD has a SECOND disc packed with great bonus stuff. I suggest that if anything else will be released soon (whatever happened to "Feast Of Friends" or the famous underground movie Jim Morrison made called "HWY?") it should have extra juicy stuff or it should be something we haven't seen before.

the remaining members of the doors (i think this was filmed in the 80's) and dubious hanger on danny sugerman are as enthusiastic as ever talking about the mysterious former frontman of the most important band of the 60's. however, one gets the sense that they were coached in some of their dialogue (the expression "jim, who was always on the edge of reality" becomes annoying and even suspicious as each doors member utters it about three times every interview) and we learn absolutely nothing new, as usual, about morrison. his approach to life was frenetic, insane: we knew that already. he was a man with a commitment to authenticity in his art and life: we knew that already. he took a lot of acid and drank too much: we knew that already. miami was the culmination of many difficulties in morrison's personal life and his frustration with the sharp divorce between the effect he intended his music to have and the effect it actually had: we knew that already. he was extremely photogenic: we knew that already. in accordance with nietzsche's idea of the dionysian, he constantly changed his personal appearance and approach to his audience: we knew that already. he was moody, erratic and prone to aberrant behavior:we knew that already. he was very intellectual: WE KNEW THAT ALREADY. and yeah, "the end" was used at the beginning of apocalypse now. a lot of people have seen that movie. perhaps the redeeming quality of the documentary are the clips from the roundhouse show, which blend perfectly with the intense portrait of morrison as 'shaman, not showman' in manzarek's overdone terms. well, it's worth watching just because it's about him i guess.

This documentary was out of print for many years! I think it's a superb Idea that it has been re-released again!

Subtitled No One Here Gets Out Alive, this 1983 documentary is not without moments of nostalgic, credible insight; but for the most part it peddles out the checklist of every other bland paean to the Lizard King.

Comprising a montage of interviews with the remaining band members (mullets, beachfronts, cane furniture and way too many "man" 's), the documentary is put together by celebrated biographers Jerry Hopkins, Danny Sugerman and former US Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres. This in mind, the disc should have been much more that a diluted and considerably less interesting abridged version of the Hopkins/Sugerman biography.

The usual anecdotes and footage are here: the naughtiness of Ed Sullivan; the even more naughtiness of Miami. Yet the same times-they-were-a-changin' sentiments are conveyed ad nauseum: "He was the real thing, man", "He wanted to be a poet, man", "He had a fire burning inside of him, man". Bad Morrison poetry floats across the screen, broody photo stills cut into each other... yawn.

Like too many posthumous rock tributes, this is also prone to obscene exaggerations of the subject's cultural worth. In this example, Morrison's bloated and bearded downward spiral is rationalised as a mystical and powerful subversive statement. Dionysus is invoked, and everything about rock music is changed forever. Punk and new wave? A homage to Morrison, apparently. All the while archival footage plays of a stoned and barely coherent Jim.

But still, it's pretty good! I recommend it!

There are two DVD releases of BRIDE OF THE GORILLA - is there any difference in print quality between them???

Ah, if only the movie was a much fun as the tagline. "Bride of the Gorilla" is more of a psychological horror story than you might expect. Raymond Burr, still in his hey day as a stock villain, is Barney Chavez, the foreman who introduces the owner of a South American plantation (Paul Cavanaugh) to a poisonous snake so he can marry the beautiful window Dina (Barbara Payton, the most famous actress to come out of Cloquet, Minnesota before Jessica Lange). However, the local witch woman knows the truth and hits Barney with a drug-aided voodoo curse that makes him roam the jungle at night as a gorilla. Not that gorilla's are indigenous to South America, but why be picky? There are lots of African animals in this film, courtesy of the stock footage that abounds in this low budget film.

This 1951 film is written and directed by Curt Siodmak. "Bride of the Gorilla" was his first American film as a director after one film in pre-war Germany, but his name was really made in both countries as a screenwriter. On this side of the ocean Siodmak did the screenplays for "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" and "Creature with the Atom Brain." However, there really is not much of a story here, which is this film's biggest problem. The big question is whether Barney is really turning into a gorilla or does he only think he is turning into a gorilla? Burr is more than competent in his role and the only real reason to watch "Bride of the Gorilla," but the rest of the cast are little better than the stock footage, although Lon Chaney, Jr. and Woody Strode have bit parts.

Jungle plantation foreman Barney Chavez (Raymond Burr) allows a poisonous snake to bite his boss so he can marry the boss's wife Dina (Barbara Payton). This angers the housemaid who wanted Barney for herself so she goes to the wizened old crone who supervises the house and who witnessed the murder. The old woman concocts a hoo-doo potion from a mysterious and illegal shrub and begins slipping it to Barney along with a curse that he will become an animal of the jungle. On Barney's and Dina's wedding day, the curse goes into effect. Barney takes to the jungle at night as a gorilla leaving Dina perplexed at his behavior. Soon animals and humans alike are found ripped to shreds. Police chief Lon Chaney Jr. suspects native superstitions are true about a "beast that walks like a man" and that Barney killed his boss and warns Dina. But she loves Barney no matter what and sets out to confront him herself. This is pure campy hokum and great fun to watch. Eons away from "Bride and the Beast" and played relatively straight, the film introduces Payton as Dina in a strapless cocktail dress and sexy ankle strap shoes dancing to Latin music. So you know right from the start that this is heading for the twilight zone of bad movie heaven. And since you know the title, you wouldn't have it any other way. The acting is just barely above par and Curt Siodmak's direction keeps things moving smoothly despite low budget restrictions. The print from Image is decent enough and the sound is fine. So for a cheesy early 50's flick about a man turning into a gorilla from a jungle curse and the woman who loves him anyway, this ain't bad.

Opera stars sing Christmas Carols of several nations. The editing and transfer to DVD were done in an unbelievably slovenly manner. The beginnings and endings of numbers are cut off and several numbers are afflicted with audio distortion, especially the "Misericordia" (sung by Jose Carreras) which is unlistenable. These flaws are particularly lamentable since the program itself is very attractive musically and visually. The singers were mostly in prime condition at the time of recording (which, from their apparent ages, I would guess to be 20 or more years ago). I bought this item after seeing the program on TV (Bravo); the telecast sounded far better than the DVD. The singers featured are Kurt Rydl, Hermann Prey, Peter Dvorsky, Edda Moser, Edita Gruberova, Placido Domingo, Peter Hoffmann, Katia Ricciarelli, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Mirella Freni, Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, and The Vienna Boys Choir. This DVD is branded "D3K Films." Judging by their vandalism of this release, I would suggest that you avoid their products.

This is a warm and fuzzy Christmas show...what Christmas is supposed to make you feel. The songs are great and the beautiful snow covered mountains and story by Tony Randall are beautiful! This is worth buying at any price...Treat yourself!

This show is like Christmas...it has warmth and feeling to it. I saw it on BRAVO and decided it was worth purchasing...I was right. It gives you a good feeling and that is what Christmas should do. The snow and the commentary make the feeling that much more vibrant. Treat your self!