Entertainment Movie Reviews

The final chapter in this series is also the best, culminating in a slam-bang final confrontation between Alucard and the villian that will amaze the viewer. Helsing is not as popular as some other Anime series and that is a shame. It is well worth your time and money.

The Japanese seem to find the western version of the Vampire myth quite appealing, and the expression of that fascination reaching a peak with the anime series Hellsing.

The fourth and concluding volume of the series offers four episodes. In the first, Sir Integra Hellsing--leader of the Hellsing Organization dedicated to defending "God, Queen, and Country" from the ravages of vampires--must battle for her life after slitting her throat to avoid becoming undead after a vampire attack. In the episode, much of the history between Alucard and Integra is revealed, though never exactly why the vampire serves a human against his own kind.

Ensuing episodes culminate in a battle between Alucard and the evil Incognito. The ending doesn't exactly convey a true sense of completeness, suggesting a sequel in the works, as neither do we find out who was responsible for the artificial freak vampires or what becomes of Integra.

If you haven't already figured out who Alucard really is--from his own statement of the anagram nature of his name (look at it in a mirror!) to his method of dispatching Incognitio, neither the series nor I shall come right out and tell you--but you'll figure it out.

The animation itself is done really well in terms of visual quality, with a blend of CG and hand-drawn cel work; however, it is somewhat more static in nature than much contemporary anime, comparable to that done for the Record of Lodoss War series.

The audio, though presented only in stereo sound, features a soundtrack you'll want to hunt down like a freak after fresh blood. Surprisingly, the english dubbing is quite good, featuring British-accented voice actors far superior to the average anime dub.

Hellsing is an excellent addition to any anime fan's library and a must-watch for vampire lovers everywhere.

"In the name of God, impure souls will be banished to eternal damnation. Amen."

Hunting the undead is a nasty business, but someone has to protect Her Majesty and Britain. In the Hellsing organization its more than just an objective, it flows in the bloodline that's been culminating in those veins throughout the centuries. To achieve these ends, some oddly fashioned means must be adopted, though, including the use of state-of-the-art technology, forces that are highly trained in the matters of disposal, and a certain secret weapon called Arucard. Yes, it is their duty to dispose of the threats to queen and country, and even the use of something as powerful as he, a vampire that seems almost unstoppably magnificent in his abilities, is suitable as a weapon to forward those causes. May God and her majesty be with you.

In these last 4 episodes bringing the series to a head, many things take places that work in the realms of explanations, dealing with the loose ends that seem to trouble even Arucard as he struggles to find suitable prey as it does so. This leads to oceans of blood and a rich atmosphere of violence that climaxes in the best of fashions, rewarding those who have been proud enough to stand throughout the continuing struggle. None of these rank in the realms of the disposable, either, building upon brick after carefully laid brick and making it all the more worthwhile.
The orders included are:

Order 10, Master of the Monster, where the mysterious connection between our beloved vampire and his master are finally revealed, plus some finality is given to some of the deeds taking place in Order 9. Herein is the explanation I know I was waiting for, helping to bring to light not only the mysterious Arucard but also Sir Integra and her ascension to the top of the Hellsing ladder.

Order 11, Transcend Force, spotlights a plan that is thrown into action of the darkest sorts as an army of ghouls is created from some specially trained forces and used to threaten her majesty herself. Still, Hellsing is ready to play ball - or are they? This order touches on some undead ranks of past episodes, playing games with the parties of a powerful nature.

Order 12, Total Destruction, sets things into motion that with a battle that pits Freaks against the legions of Hellsing, Arucard against the nemesis he's been desiring, and Sir Integra against the military? Within it is one of the sadder moments in the series as a something a valuable member of Hellsing is lost, too, not to mention some of the more interestingly intense struggles within the realms of brutal struggle.

Order 13, Hellfire, finally brings many of the mysteries within the series to a climax, pitting, amongst other things, Sett against a fully unrestricted Arucard in a battle that amounts to the sheer pleasure. It also holds many of the keys to Hellsing and Sir Integra's unsure future as well, rewarding the viewer with a few feats of lovely carnage and out-and-out undead warfare.

If you are a newer recruit to the ranks of Hellsing, do not skip ahead! Follow the exploits of the organization from the onset to the climax, and you will be rewarded in your struggles. If you have followed these instructions, then this comes as something of the highest recommendation order.

For those of you who don't know, Sailor Moon is an anime series about a group of girls with the ability to transform into warriors so that they can battle the forces of evil. It sounds like something that's been done to death, but this series pulls it off nicely. Each episode of the series contains a good deal of dramatic action, with some comedy thrown in to make the series a bit more appealing. Originally it was intended for pre-teenage girls in Japan, but it has drawn in fans from many age groups and nationalities. The series began airing in America as early as 1995, but the episodes were horribly edited, and the dialogue was butchered. The poor time slot didn't help things ever, and eventually it vanished without a trace, until it was picked up by the Cartoon Network, which aired several new episodes, but these suffered the same flaws as their early North American predecessors. But at long last, Pioneer has created the solution to the problem - DVDs of the series, in all their original uncut glory.

Now on to the DVD itself. You get several episodes, which you can view in English or Japanese (if you choose the latter, subtitles have been provided.) However, I was hoping to find more extra features than this.

Overall this is an excellent DVD release for an excellent anime series. Contrary to popular belief, THIS DVD IS NOT OVERPRICED. It is slightly longer than most standard episode DVDs, so the slght price increase shouldn't be a problem. Fans of the original uncut Sailor Moon series, I strongly recommend you buy this item.

Im a 17year old girl in the 11thgrade and watches Sailor Moon. Everyone i know thinks sailor moon is Boring and not very good. Ive been a huge moonie fan since i was in the 8thgrade thanks to tonnmai wich got me hooked to Sailor Moon and Tenchi Muyo. Other good animes are Super Gals, Love Hina, Cardcaptors, Mao-Chan, Ranma1/2 and a few others im in to. But Sailor Moon is defentiley the best anime around! Usagi Tsukino is the coolest! I have all 200episodes of Sailor Moon and all 3movies on DVD.

well i been a sailor moon fan since i was 10 and still today! this was a great dvd! so hope you will buy this one today or any day!

This 2 disc set provides a most wonderful glimpse of an important time in both music and television history. Most notably, it contains the three full length shows (along with commercials) that were integral in the Beatles' first visit to the United States. The Beatles perform their chart toppers in the U.S. including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "From Me To You," and "Please Please Me." The set also includes a most intriguing (and complete) 1965 show where you can clearly see the group's growth as songwriters. The 1965 song set consists of "I'm Down," "Ticket to Ride," and "Help." This is a long way in a relatively short time from "All My Loving" and "From Me To You." The first show is the one most treasured by fans, and it obviously is a must-see. Viewing the complete show allows you to better appreciate the magnitude and importance of the Beatles appearance in the U.S. However, ALL of the shows provide an amazing look at popular music during this time. Performances by Mitzi Gaynor, Cab Calloway, and the original brodway cast of Oliver (including Davy Jones who later became a member of the Monkees) are incredible and historical. Cilla Black (also managed by Brian Epstein) performs two enjoyable numbers.

One interesting note about the entire set is that you might get a feel for the generation gap that existed in America at that time and what impact the Beatles had on whom Ed Sullivan called "youngsters." Performances by Acker Bilk, Tessie O'Shea (from England), and Gordon & Sheila McCrae show us what most adults who tuned in to Sullivan were listening to. The Beatles clearly went against the grain. As one famous person noted, "Suddenly, there were the Beatles and everybody else. And everybody else just looked wrong." As you see the younger generation embrace the Beatles, references to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and even Dave Barry's comedy routine (on disc 3) seem like something that only the "old folks" would be interested in and perhaps considered very "square." Suddenly, the younger generation has decided what they like and what they would listen to. Soon after the Beatles first visit, Sullivan would be sure to always include "something for the youngsters."

Historic and classic comedy routines by Allen & Rossi, Morcombe & Wise (also from England), and Soupy Sales are enjoyable to watch as well. The novelty acts are quaint and somewhat amusing, but nevertheless important because they were an integral part of Sullivan's shows. The real importance of these discs lies in the music and musical productions.

The only drawback to the set is that it leaves Beatle fans hungry for more in the sense that now we want "the story behind the story." Davy Jones mentioned his inability to leave the wings during the broadcast because he was so enraptured by the Beatles' performance and how he suddenly realized that he wanted a future in a band. McCall & Brill, who perform a comedy skit on the first show, have told of their experience that Sunday night. Ed Sullivan hated their skit and wanted them to switch to another routine just before they hit the air. They panicked and didn't know what to do. By chance, they met the Beatles backstage while John Lennon was looking for a Coca-Cola. All of the Beatles made them feel more at ease and they went ahead with the routine, but Sullivan was not pleased. You'll notice that he does not call them over to shake hands, which is what Sullivan usually did with the acts he truly liked. It would have been nice to see interviews with reflections from those involved in the production of the first show.

There are naturally some technical glitches once in a while but they are really not noticable. The shows are in glorious black and white and the audio is at its best. If you are a Beatle fan, this is definitely a must-buy. If you're not, but have a longing for musical variety programs once again, this set is still classic and enjoyable.

This is a must have DVD even if you are not a Beatles fan so to speak. It's a historic document of a special time in history when The Beatles were introduced to America in their prime. A must see.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of receiving my copy of this marvelous, long-awaited DVD from another retailer, and boy, am I glad it's in my library. (I'm getting another copy soon since one of the discs is unplayable...boo hoo).

Here for your viewing pleasure are four episodes of the "Ed Sullivan Show" from February 1964 (3) and September 1965 (1) featuring the Fab Four in all their early chart-making glory (20 songs), along with other great acts such as Cilla Black, Allen and Rossi, Mr. Acker Bilk, Gordon and Sheila MacRae, Cab Calloway, Soupy Sales, and others.

These are the complete one-hour shows as originally broadcast in glorious black and white...with classic commercials for Anacin, Pillsbury, Lipton Tea, and others.

Too bad that the TV variety show genre is virtually non-existent (except for American Idol). This is a glorious trip back to a time when we had wholesome, family-oriented programming - in stark contrast to the junk that we're currently viewing.

The volume begins with what is one of the most bizarre parts of the manga: Shinobu's wanting to get her first kiss. Though it doesn't turn out the way she wants it to, it could have ended much worse. The next episodes involve some of the wierdest scenes in the anime. Seta, Naru's old tutor, returns to Japan and Kitsune does everything in her power to keep the two from meeting, with hilarious results. Keitaro, meanwhile, has been employed by Seta as an assistant, and has to deal with Seta's bratty daughter Sara McDougal. In the next episode, Sara is forced to stay at the Hinata Apartments while Seta's woking on an archaeological dig, and gets into all sorts of trouble. I won't say anything other than an army of robot turtles is involved somehow.

The final episode is the best one. It's summer, and the residents of the Apartments go to the beach to work at the Hinata Seaside Teahouse. They perform the play "Journey to the West" (the play that Dragon Ball was loosely based on, by the way) and end up destroying the teahouse. Seta finds them a new place to perform the play if he can be in it, and Seta and Motoko end up having an eye-blurring fight that is awesome to watch.

Despite the fact that my favorite character only appears in a flashback of sorts in this volume, it's still awfully good.

I loved this DVD. I really loved, "The Making of Love Hina" featurette. If you like Love Hina, I recommend you buy this DVD. Seta and Sara McDougal appear in this DVD! Also, Shinobu wants to learn how to kiss. This is a great DVD! Buy this!

Love Hina continues in this volume with the introduction of Seta, Naru's old crush who was her tutor, and his violent, two-faced "daughter" Sarah. Seta is a weird character and adds friction between Keitero and Naru plus gets on Kitsune's nerves. In this volume, there are 4 hilarious episodes. The first one is some-what based on the manga story where Shinobu explores the deadly and confusing world of kissing with hilarious results. (The whole episode basically spoofs Japanese teeny-bopper movies) The other episodes are basically Kitsune trying to hide the fact that Seta is in town but Naru finds out anyways. Keitaro gets sulky and Naru tries to stop him from blurting out her secret about Seta!

Well I am not going to delve into facts expressed more eloquently by all those that preceeded me. Suffice to say that the movie is fantastic, so much so that 25 years since I last saw it i had to hunt it down on DVD.

It is the DVD itself that was a bit surprising, it starts right into the movie and the menu button will give you a list of chapter/scenes that you can jump to, in a rather primative format.

That's why my review rates this as a 3 star product but in reality the movie itself is a nona-fide 5 star+ winner. Just would have liked to see more. I don't know if movies of that era showed closing credits because a lot from Britain had them at the start. Having said that the dvd ends with the words "the end".

So once again great movie, would have liked to have seen a bit more effort on the dvd, star bios, trailers, awards etc

Dean

ODD MAN OUT portrays life in an unnamed city in Northern Ireland via the unlikely narrative structure of the episodic fantasy--that is, in the tradition of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THE WIZARD OF OZ; it is quite possible, in fact, that it influenced the Jim Jarmusch film DEAD MAN. James Mason plays Johnny McQueen, an Irish freedom fighter who is seriously wounded early in the film. As he wanders about the city in delirium, Johnny becomes a sort of talisman sought after by several eccentric characters for their own purposes, and he is reduced (or is it, elevated?) to the status of fatalistic symbol. The film presents us with an unlikely, outrageous, and irresistible portrait of an Ulster community, filmed by Carol Reed with delicious visual style. Every frame bursts with some brilliant image--the contrast of light and shadow, stunning camera angles, ingenious special effects, and snow in the night. In my opinion, the film rates slightly above Reeds THE THIRD MAN and slightly below his underappreciated THE FALLEN IDOL.

Belfast is a city of two faces. One city consists of bustling streets and energetic people with ready smiles. The other was that presented in this gripping film, that which the world media has focused on with increasing attention with the passage of time, the city of conflict where tensions accelerate to the boiling point and explode into violence.

"Odd Man Out" is a 1947 release which represents Carol Reed's first of three successively acclaimed international masterpieces. It was followed by "The Fallen Idol" with Ralph Richardson and Michelle Morgan and "The Third Man" with Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and the moving appearance in the last thirty minutes by Orson Welles. James Mason was also greatly assisted career-wise in his sensitive role as a young Nationalist underground leader living the last day of his life in a state of excruciating pain. Mason had earlier come to prominence in the 1945 release "The Seventh Veil" with Ann Todd. This role completed his momentum swing into the top ranks of international cinema stardom.

"Odd Man Out" and "The Third Man" have been selected as representative of British film noir at its finest. Reed uses shadows to compelling effect, while Robert Krasker, who would win an Oscar for Cinematography in "The Third Man," handled the camera with equally consummate skill in "Odd Man Out." The Reed-Krasker team present compelling silhouettes of characters who cross the path of Mason, whose face reveals the requisite painful sensitivity as underground gang leader Johnny McQueen.

The film begins with the clock in the main square striking noon and ends at the ring of midnight. Mason, despite the urgings of his faithful girlfriend Kathleen Ryan and members of his gang, decides to participate in the holdup of a mill, from which the underground group hopes to obtain funds to live and continue pursuing political objectives.

Ryan knows Mason's condition well. Since his escape from prison he has been confined to the same residence for six months, prompting her to intercede in an effort to let subordinates carry out the job without him, but Mason remains stubbornly in charge. The robbery is a directive from the very top of the organization and he intends to personally direct it, he emphatically tells a subordinate.

On the ride to the mill a haziness is visible, a clever camera ploy indicating that Mason is subject to blurred vision and potential fainting spells. The robbery is staged in silence, after which, on the way out, Mason becomes groggy. While his subordinates wait in the car for him, Mason's delay costs him as a guard surfaces from the street. In the ensuing confrontation Mason kills his adversary, but is shot in the arm in turn by the dying guard.

The group is able to pull Mason back into their car, but as it negotiates a rapid turn at a nearby corner he falls out. From that point, to the end of the film, Mason is reduced to wandering. He walks in rain and snow. His future is subject to potential barter by local dealmaker Cyril Cusack, who tries to obtain money from the poor parish priest, Father Tom, played by W.G. Fay, in exchange with providing information on Mason's whereabouts.

At one point Mason is taken inside a residence and ministered to by two women. When the husband of one of the women comes home and learns that they have Mason, then wanted for murder, in their midst, he demands that he be put out into the street. When he sees the emaciated Mason with his sensitive expression, however, he weakens to the point of giving him a generous shot of whiskey before the dying man staggers back onto the street.

One of the dramatic high points of the film is the stirring performance rendered by Robert Newton, who plays a crazed painter. When a badly weakened Mason arrives at the local pub the proprietor uses Newton to dispose of the underground political leader wanted for murder. He knows that if word gets around that he threw Mason back onto the street that he is in for trouble from Mason's loyal followers. Since the wild Newton had previously caused damage in the pub, the proprietor informs him that he will call the police if he will not get rid of the dying man. Newton takes him to his flat, where he delightfully begins painting him, longing to create an enduring work of a man in the final throes of death.

Before the film ends the loving Ryan, who does not want to continue her existence on earth without Mason, figures out a way to end his misery and hers at the same time. When the police, with the omnipresent Cusack and the local priest trailing along, finally reach Mason, Ryan fires a shot, provoking the police to fire back. Ryan and Mason are both killed instantly.

This is a film that presents struggle and conflict in a city plagued by religious strife through the prism of one man and his last painful day on earth as he interacts with those around him. These are the shadowy sketches of people reacting to conflict in their quest to endure. The novel by F.L. Green was brought to the screen with full force fidelity by the novelist and R.C. Sherriff. It is a film whose message has only broadened with the passage of time and the ongoing efforts to achieve peace in Northern Ireland. The suffering of Belfastians in their strife was vividly presented with laudable good taste, with the minimum of violence, and the maximum of stirring passion. It represents a jewel from one of the cinema's true geniuses, Carol Reed, operating at the top of his form.

The Prime Suspect series had 7 stories, several at 4-hour length, the rest at 2-hour length. The first two were released on DVD some time ago, then discontinued. This release of the first story has a new cover, with a big circled 1, suggesting they know there's more and, dare I assume, will be releasing them. That's the question here. The data given here shows 2 discs instead of the original flipper disc. The cover art is also new. One can only hope this is the beginning of the release of the entire series now, at last, as this series is exceptional in every way and deserves a strong DVD release, all seven productions of it.

As the other reviews here attest, this is a tremendously compelling series - initiated beautifully in 1992 with this nearly 4-hour episode (the next three episodes were about the same length...PS5 and PS6, which I don't think actually had those titles, were about 2 hours each). Lynda La Plante's script reconsiders the drab police procedural as a breathtaking and life-shaking event. Indeed there is much here that can be savored and appreciated on repeated viewings. Helen Mirren's performance is nothing less than astonishing. She is very human(e) and someone who endures much that both women and men will be able to easily identify and empathize with. However, while this series is certainly welcome (and wanted!) on DVD (although Prime Suspect 1 and 2 were available briefly on DVD in 1998 - and now out of print), this new edition - issued in 2003 - may not be the perfect release. (1) There is at least one full scene missing (Tennyson meets George's mother at her seaside rest home). (2) There seemed to be a couple of brief - though not awful - visual glitches on the first disc of my copy. (3) The handsomely packaged 2-disc set is quite expensive. None of these reasons is meant to fend anyone off of such an incredible performance (Dame Mirren) and one of the best crime series ever aired on TV. But such great work certainly deserves a little better attention.

Beginning in 1991, Granada released 7 stories called Prime Suspect. The first and second were given DVD releases on flipper discs, now discontinued. They can still be found through various internet sites. But this new release of the first Prime Suspect is given a handsome and tight-fitting digipac, a two-disc layout, and new and proper menuing to find your way through the four epsisodes. The quality of the picture and sound is excellent. The box cover shows a red circle "1" and the menu lists this as "Season One". This suggests the other six stories will be forthcoming. One can only hope so as this series was superb in every way. Some of the procedural stuff is a little dated and, of course, crime solving has new technology tools that are not reflected here. Still, if you just let the story unfold on its own terms, you will be captivated from start to finish. I rate it a must buy and encourage HBO Video to rush the remaining six stories out as fast as they can get it done. Good stories, good packinging, good presentation on the DVD.

Sorry, I'm going to be a dissenter here. Can't add anything to the evaluation of the performance itself, since the other reviewers have said all that needs to be said.
But the work itself is not intrinsically outstanding. Good, but not great. Since I take it that one's rating ought to be of the intrinsic artistic value of the performance, that means that significant weight ought to be placed on the merits of the underlying work.
I place emphasis on this for the following reason: based on the reviews here, I was thinking of purchasing Attila. After all, I reasoned, better buy a great performance of a lesser work than a so-so performance of a central work. Fortunately, I have access to a good college library which has an excellent opera collection. I'm glad I didn't spend my money.
If you have lots of money, and have seen Traviata, Don Giovanni, and Walkure four or five times each, then sure, treat yourself to something different. But if you are new to opera, and are looking for a great introduction to the form, there are plenty of very good to excellent performances of more central works available here. Go for those first.

Ramey makes the whole thing work. His voice and ability to dominate the stage make this production work. Atilla is not a great opera, but when well performed, as it is here, it's enjoyable and impressive.

This one is outstanding performance done by second to none artists. I have been seating breathless from the first up to last sound of this beauty. If you one like me, seek on Verdi, this definitely for you. I rent this DVD from Netflix and kept it for 1 mount but finally decided to get my own.
I highly recommend watch to this one.

Yet another good offerring in the Zatoichi series of films. About the only thing I can offer that I have not seen mentioned before in any of the reviews is that this one is a fair bit shorter than part one but it has quite a bit more action than the first. At any rate, and most importantly, if you liked the first, you will like the second as well as the rest of the recent releases on dvd( of which they are apparantly going to release the first seventeen films in the Zatoichi series.). Also, a company called animeigo has the rights to a few of the later Zatoichi films and are supposedly planning on releasing them in the near future as well.

Let me say this, I saw my first Zatoichi movie back when I was 14 and since then I was absolutely hooked.

The move was beautifully done and I can not stress enough what an awesome character Shintaro Katsu can play. I have all of his VHS tapes and I am slowing starting to build my DVD collection. I have DVD's from overseas subtitled and let me tell you.
It invokes a feeling that no one anywhere, time, or place can in this day and age. The movies are genre films (Feeling invoking). DO you remember the first time you saw seven, primal fear, titanic - (kind of cheesy now) but at the time the movies gave you a feeling right.

Well all of his movies are like that. This one here is 1 of my top 10's! 5 out of 5. He has over 30 movies made and also 100's of TV episodes. Trust me on this. Its great. Once you get hooked you'll love it as much as me. BUT BEWARE YOU HAVE TO ENJOY FILM> If those action packed rockem sockem's are your only cup of tea then not for you.

I really appreciate Home Vision Entertainments production of the Zatoichi movie series. Each release has been an excellent presentation of Zatoichi. As a Japenese Samurai Movie fan I think that this series of DVD's is the best. The character of Zatoichi is very compelling and each story helps you identify with this Blind Swordsman who is always trying to do good for others. The examples of Japenese culture during this time period is very beautiful and detailed. Shintaro Katsu displays a wide range of emotions as Zatoichi and his display of swordmanship is excellent.

He really made it a COMEDY.

Five stars for the story; four stars for the DVD only because I cannot fathom why - with all the advancing technology and options available - any DVD theatrical release would not be offered in a wide-screen format. Otherwise this has to be the best Neil Simon work I have ever seen. Although I am from a much newer generation, I could identify easily with many of the characters, both from similar personal experiences, and from the culture within which I was raised. I would highly recommend this film, but only to true drama fans (of any age) and to older generations who have lived the times portrayed in this delightful romp. There is mild adult content, so be wary if you allow your young teens to watch. This is one of those rare classics that never received the publicity it deserved on the big screen; but then it can only appeal to a certain audience. If you feel like going out on a limb and watching something different or you want to conjure up old memories of yester-year, then by all means watch this film and enjoy!

I was cast as Eugene (I'm 15) In our highschool show of Brighton Beach. When I first read the script I fell in love with it, it is an AWESOME script. At the end of our performance the audience cheered loudly, they loved it. I then purchased this film, and it was amazing. It's a wonderful story, wonderful acting, and very touching. "It's called the unbelievable, fantastic, and completely private thoughts of I Eugene Morris Jerome, In this, the fifteenth year of his life, in the year ninteen-hundred thirty-seven, in the community of Brighton Beach, Burrow of Brooklyn, Kings County, City of New York, EMPIRE STATE of the American Nation".

Unrelated to the 1936 Tod Browning movie of the same name; DEVIL DOLL has a similar story to the (later) famed segment of DEAD OF NIGHT and also to William Goldman's later novel MAGIC, which was filmed in 1978 with Anthony Hopkins.
Scripted by George Barclay and Lance Z. Hargreaves, and based on a story by Frederick Escreet Smith; DEVIL DOLL is a compact but enjoyable little chiller.
The Great Vorelli (Bryant Halliday) is a charismatic hypnotist/ ventriloquist who arrives in London to do his famed show, in which his dummy Hugo can walk and talk by himself- but there's one hitch: This is no trick.But the audience don't realize that. Of course no magic show would be the same without audience participation; and co-incidentally one of the chosen patrons is Marian Hore (Yvonne Romain), the attractive daughter of one of England's richest men. Vorelli uses this opportunity to offer to do a charity performance for her.
But during the act Hugo gets carried away and he reveals his homicidal tendencies. Would it have anything to do with his "Master" locking him in a cage and goading him into committing murder? There's an amusing bit at this performance where Vorelli makes Hugo drink wine, saying to him: "Don't drink too much, Hugo. It might make the sawdust in your stomach swell".
DEVIL DOLL is more funny today than frightening, but Halliday is perfect as Vorelli; helping make a silly idea into a fairly good chiller, albeit one with a wholly predictable resolution.

Although less well known than a lot of it's contemporary horror films, DEVIL DOLL is a remarkable effective production that deserves a place in any afficianado of the 'golden age' of British horror.
The title is slightly misleading, as the doll of the title is not the evil protaganist - That role falls to the dummy's 'master', the Great Vorelli. The story is fairly routine - A journalist (William Sylvester) wants to debunk noted stage hypnotist/ventriloquist Vorelli so eggs his girlfriend into going on stage to take part in the act. Vorelli then plots to place the woman in his thrall (and as played by the stunning Yvonne Romain, who can blame him?), but help comes from unexpected quarters.
It's the stylish direction of the film that makes it so amazing - Director Lyndsay Shonteff was young & inexperienced when fellow Canadian Sidney Furie had to step aside, but it certainly doesn't show on screen. The use of freeze frames, negative images & accelerated motion are all experimental for a film of this type and they add enormous atmosphere to the prceedings. The stock music is very appropriate and the sound effects are genuinely unsettling - The tension between Vorelli & 'Hugo' is palpable thanks to the conviction of the actors - There isn't a single bad performance in this film, with Bryant Halliday's extraordinary voice lending his potentially on-dimensional character great gravitas. The immediately recognisableWilliam Sylvester is also excellent, moving from sceptisism to belief throuhout the film.
Produced by the legendary Richard Gordon for around £50,000 (!), this film stands proudly alongside his more famous films like FIEND WITHOUT A FACE & GRIP OF THE STRANGLER - Highly recommended!

Two versions of the movie "Devil Doll" are available on the DVD; the American version and the alternate Continental version of the film. For some reason, the Continental version includes a striptease number in place of a key scene between the Great Vorelli and his assistant. As presented, what's left of the scene immediately following the striptease makes no sense. The makers of this DVD should have taken the Continental striptease scene and added it to the American version of the movie, creating a longer and better movie.

The Great Vorelli is a master hypnotist as well as a ventriloquist, whose dummy Hugo acts more like a real person than a puppet. Whoever designed the dummy did a great job. Hugo's smirking face is both amusing and threatening at the same time. Instead of engaging in comic banter, Hugo argues with Vorelli on stage. When Hugo insists that the audience's applause is for him, Vorelli instructs him to walk to the front of the stage to properly thank the audience. Hugo gets up off Vorelli's lap and walks under his own power, amazing the audience. Reporter Mark English, who is assigned to report on Vorelli, is determined to expose him as a fraud. He is sure that Hugo is a mechanical puppet or a small person disguised as a ventriloquist's dummy. Mark convinces his girlfriend Marianne to volunteer to be hypnotized by Vorelli on stage. Vorelli is clearly smitten by her. Marianne later asks Vorelli to perform at her aunt's charity dinner party. During that performance, Hugo is surly and disobedient. He grabs a knife off the table and brandishes it at Vorelli. I guess you could call Vorelli's act, theater of the absurd for dummies!

While previous reviewers did not discuss the extent of Vorelli's amazing powers, describe the secret of Hugo's true nature, or reveal the twist ending of the movie, I will now divulge all of the details. What's that noise? Is that you, Hugo? Vorelli?? Whoever you are, put down the knife! Aaaaaaauuuugh!!!