Adams Movie Reviews

Both movies are a very good addition to any classic or horror movie collection. This disk, however, is not! The video transfer is supposedly "restored", but you would never know it. The Most Dangerous Game was watchable, but certain scenes were very washed out with lots of dirt and scratches. I had even worse success with The Vampire Bat. The movie started ok, but my DVD player actually had trouble reading the disk about mid-way through. It got so bad, that I had to stop watching the movie. If your main interest in this disk is, The Most Dangerous Game (by far the superior of the two films), then I suggest the Criterion release.

Well, if there is a catch, it's the picture quality. Althoughthe DVD states that the films have been 'digitally remastered fromsources provided by National Film Museum', all that really proves is that the prints held by National Film Museum aren't that good. They picture quality is what you might charitably describe as 'mediocre' - not awful, not great, merely OK. The print for 'The Most Dangerous Game' is a bit grainy with slightly too much contrast and on-screen motion appears blurred instead of crisp. 'The Vampire Bat' is shown in a sort of greyish / light blue tint. As this is the first version I've seen, I can't say if it's supposed to be like this. What I do know is that my Leonard Maltin Movie Guide bills 'The Vampire Bat' as lasting 71 minutes with the warning 'beware of shorter prints'. Guess what folks? This version only lasts 61 minutes...so I assume this is one of the shorter prints Leonard Maltin refers to.

So why have I given the DVD three stars? Well, despite the shortcomings and a lack of special features, this is still over two hours worth of the wonderful Fay Wray. Both films provide cracking entertainment - especially 'The Most Dangerous Game' - at a fairly reasonable price. The sound quality is fine and like I say, the picture quality is not completely terrible.

Finally, in case you didn't already know, 'The Most Dangerous Game' is also available on the 'Criterion' range of DVDs. For a few dollars more you'll find a much better print of the film and their DVD also features a movie commentary. So, if you're only interested in 'The Most Dangerous Game', I strongly recommend you check out the Criterion DVD instead.

I actually think there is a lot to like about this collection of 2 Fay Wray classics, especially if you know what you are getting from the start. What you are getting are 2 films, mastered from some pretty tired source material, on one DVD. The digital mastering is rather "so so" for these films, with some only a few minor artifacts not eminating from the original film source (lines, pixlation, etc). With these techinical weaknesses in mind, I think most veiwers will find a lot to enjoy here.

I first saw "The Vampire Bat" when I was 9 years old on TV. It certainly made an impression on me. What starts out to be a creepy, standard vampire flick, actually turns into a diverting murder mystery. Fay Wray is naturally luminous and Melvyn Douglas is at his leading man sexiest. Sure, there are some formulaic elements to the film: the squeemish spinster, the vengeful townfolk, lots of talk about vampire and werewolf lore (and even a wasted appearance by Dwight Frye, who seems lost in his Renfield role from DRACULA 2 years before). All these formulaic elements add up to a great hour of entertainment. This particular print of the THE VAMPIRE BAT is weak, but certainly not awful.

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is an exciting predcesor to THE VAMPIRE BAT on this disc. A popular short story turned into movie, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is an intelligently written and wonderfully atmospheric film. Joel McRae is oh so macho as a man washed ashore from a sunken ship onto an island where he is not alone. An eecentric millionaire snare wayfaring travelers to his island, only to hunt them down for sport. This ghastly concept has not lost a bit of its punch. Fay Wray is actually given a role with some substance and plays it with lots of conviction. The beautfiul photography makes this a visual feast. Unfortunately, the print for this film has a very soft image almost throughout. This takes a little getting used to at first, but soon you are so caught up in the story, you forget.

If you are looking for pristine images of these films, this is not the disc for you. But considering the age of the films and the nominal price, you will not be disappointed. Criterion Collection has released THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME on one of their deluxe editions. For a little less you get an ok copy, plus the wonderful THE VAMPIRE BAT added on on this two-on-one DVD from Slingshot (a better value in my mind).

It was very campy. The make-up on Lou Ferrigno never looked very convincing. It was a name only production, had really nothing to do with the Incredible Hulk comic, they changed everything about the character. Having a tabloid reporter named Jack Magee following the Hulk everywhere sounds like it was lifted a lot from the David Jansen "The Fugutive" series from 1965. It's really embarrassing that so many people thought this was what the Hulk was like in the comics, but he never was. The comic is light years away from this cheap production. Something Marvel is better off putting as much distance between them as possible.

I'll be brief. I LOVED the Hulk in all his iterations. The comic, and the original run of the series, heck I even give the cartoon on Saturday morning credit.

HOWEVER, this movie [garbage].

Using the Hulk to push this spin-off vehicle for Marvel's Thor was a terrible idea and totally ran against the grain of what was a decent sci-fi drama TV series, even with the token appearance of Jack McGee.

The subsequent Daredevil idea in the "Trial of The Incredible Hulk" was equally weak.

Only in the third movie, "Death of the Incredible Hulk" did they come even close to the flavor of the original series.

I would say only the most hardcore fan with blinders on could really appreciate this movie.

I must agree with the others. It was a good reunion film for the cast but it will only be repected by the fans. FYI - Columbia House is offering the original Incredible Hulk episodes on DVD. Great for the fans.

i have seen this movie a few times and it isn't the best movie, but i didn't hate it. actually until i just read the reviews i thought it was a comedy, mocking the first movie. like a "scary movie" type thing. but to know that the writer might have been serious does down-grade the movie a bit. i didn't think the cheesy characters and scenes could be anyhting but a joke!

with that said it was stupidly funny, i would reccomend watching it for a cheap laugh.

Troubled boy, Sebastian, plays troublesome pranks that end with more finality than he seemingly bargained for; placing him in "hot" water while making this reviewer laugh. Troubled boy then goes to stay with father who is living with rich wife and the focla point; rich daughter, Kathryn, who has it and accordingly is it "all." Head of the class in popularity, dancing the ditches of demise in seething, she seems bent on making or breaking anyone she chooses.
And that seems fine to troubled boy at first, because the new life, it seems like the promise land. Herein, troubled boy is smart enough to try and begin anew, placing everything that he has done on the blank slate called "bribery" and forging himself a new "he." The only "snag" with that is the fact that he thinks that he and Kathryn should find out who is the master of the house. He thinks he should teach her a lesson that she perhaps knows, one on domination, and thus a duel begins.
And the game, o the game, that's what its all about.

While I can agree with the critics in some ways and say that this movie wasn't original and that it wasn't like the first Cruel Intentions, I do disagree with them regarding how the movie was played out. The reason I say that is because the punchline to the build of everything, the breaking of the shell that was once called dignity in the playground of souls, it is done well.
Cruelty, that is the name of the game and, honestly, these people know how to play.
From the very beginning, the viewer is thrust into a world where things aren't exactly as they seem. Multiple players are playing games on multiple levels, some not really knowing they are players in the process at all, and nothing is sacred. And the way they go to extremes to destroy one another, all for a little spite, it places a warm spot in a heart that paid money to see some damage being done.

Regardless of proposed "intentions" by watchers, this movie wasn't geared to teach me a lesson on good triumphing over the vile plots of some manipulative soul, nor was it supposedly going to showcase an arena in which the outcome has already been decided. No, the ending of the movie, by those standards, would leave many people sitting at home and questioning why. And, honestly, that's why I thought it was worth watching. The "scripting" of something that happens at the ending, it doesn't produce the same drab results that make everyone wonder why the game was played in the first place. Instead, the bottle produces a little bit of wickedly-spawned lightning, and that is always good for the wandering soul.

Perhaps the production "value" has decreased and perhaps there is more of the seemingly unlovable aspects that R-rated moviegoers seem to imply that they don't want to see - a girl being driven to the big "O" in public by being duped into thinking that the proper way to ride a horse is more stimulating than it should be and (gasp) nudity - but these things happen in the big kid's ballpark. Frankly, its part of the game being played and it makes everything more manipulative - not to mention more meriting in the ratings category. In fact, that's why, in some ways, some of the games had an evil chuckle behind them because, again, nothing is sacred.
The only real flaw I found in it was that it ended too soon, cutting off the downward spiral that would have, otherwise, been a delicious spiral to watch descend.

Cruel Intentions 2: Manchester Prep's origin is a bit weird, like a singer who becomes a soap star, CI2 was a television show that became a movie - albeit a straight to video movie. Originally this film was meant to be a two episode pilot for a show to be called 'Manchester Prep'. This helps explain the quirky nature of the picture, its poor production values, miscasting, plot inconstancies, underdeveloped characters and the unshakeable feeling that about 20 scriptwriters worked on the film. I am amazed the same guy; Roger Kumble, wrote and directed CI2 as well as the original. Despite its many many faults, if you can sit out the first third of CI2 (where it takes itself very seriously) the second two 'acts' are well worth it. After watching about 40 minuets of what I though to be utter rubbish and deeply regretting the [money amount]I spent hiring this movie, I was just about to give up on CI2 but fortunately I stuck it out and it suddenly got very very funny. Then it got very very cool with a great twist and more lesbian kissing. It would be very easy to write this movie off as being crap but I can't help but feel that there is an uncredited scriptwriter out there who knows far more than they are telling and turned this very ordinary film into a masterpiece by having their way with the plot while the directors back was turned.

My first impression of Habitat was that this was gonna be a really underrated and overlooked sci-fi gem, but the end results are one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The storyline is intriguing and interesting, but the screenplay and direction are overly sloppy, not to mention that Balthazar Getty and Tcheky Karyo are wasted in their roles, if they're acting talents were better used, this movie might have been not so bad. One good quality though, there is some nice T&A, and I never realized how hot Alice Krige was until I saw this, but other than that this movie is a waste.

Yup, Alice Krige and Laura Harris showing their gorgeous bods is the "best" thing about this film.
There's really not a whole lot to say about a film that seems like it was probably originally an exciting-sounding concept to its creators, but ended up being somewhat....blah. I'm not sure how they could have pulled off a film in which a family's house turns into a living jungle, and the Dad turns into some sort of weird creature which can break down into little green molecules and fly around because of his science experiments. The neighbors who dislike them get killed trying to put a stop to the house's growth. Okay. BUT...
Laura goes for a nice skinny-dip, which makes this essential viewing for any Celeb skin collector.

Yep! It's me again. You must think all I do is sit around and watch movies. You're right. In a stressful job this is the best therapy. At work I earn every penny of my salary. At play (home) I indulge in my love for film.

So what did I think of the Science Fiction thriller "Habitat"? It's definitely for Sci Fi folks...only. It is a bizzarre tale of what happens when the ozone layer is destroyed and mankind must shield itself from the microwave effect of sunlight.

So why is it called "Habitat"? An obsessed scientist and his beautiful and sexy wife, create their own environment inside the confines of their home...a vegetation filled fantasyland of plants and flowers that literally ooze with life.

This one plays out like an expanded episode of "The Outer Limits"...but it is definitely "R" rated for the seductive passions of mom and girlfriend. Quite bizzarre. A definite 8 on my 10-scale for Sci Fi. Many people did not like this flick. I was intrigued and thoroughly entertained. A great Friday Night flick...in early November...alone in my own HABITAT. Paul

My first impression of Habitat was that this was gonna be a really underrated and overlooked sci-fi gem, but the end results are one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The storyline is intriguing and interesting, but the screenplay and direction are overly sloppy, not to mention that Balthazar Getty and Tcheky Karyo are wasted in their roles, if they're acting talents were better used, this movie might have been not so bad. One good quality though, there is some nice T&A, and I never realized how hot Alice Krige was until I saw this, but other than that this movie is a waste.

Yup, Alice Krige and Laura Harris showing their gorgeous bods is the "best" thing about this film.
There's really not a whole lot to say about a film that seems like it was probably originally an exciting-sounding concept to its creators, but ended up being somewhat....blah. I'm not sure how they could have pulled off a film in which a family's house turns into a living jungle, and the Dad turns into some sort of weird creature which can break down into little green molecules and fly around because of his science experiments. The neighbors who dislike them get killed trying to put a stop to the house's growth. Okay. BUT...
Laura goes for a nice skinny-dip, which makes this essential viewing for any Celeb skin collector.

Yep! It's me again. You must think all I do is sit around and watch movies. You're right. In a stressful job this is the best therapy. At work I earn every penny of my salary. At play (home) I indulge in my love for film.

So what did I think of the Science Fiction thriller "Habitat"? It's definitely for Sci Fi folks...only. It is a bizzarre tale of what happens when the ozone layer is destroyed and mankind must shield itself from the microwave effect of sunlight.

So why is it called "Habitat"? An obsessed scientist and his beautiful and sexy wife, create their own environment inside the confines of their home...a vegetation filled fantasyland of plants and flowers that literally ooze with life.

This one plays out like an expanded episode of "The Outer Limits"...but it is definitely "R" rated for the seductive passions of mom and girlfriend. Quite bizzarre. A definite 8 on my 10-scale for Sci Fi. Many people did not like this flick. I was intrigued and thoroughly entertained. A great Friday Night flick...in early November...alone in my own HABITAT. Paul

dont waste your money. would rather have watched attack of the killer tomatoes again.

Maybe you SHOULD see this wretched excuse for a film... after all, where else can you get such succinct lessons in how to make a bad film, AND offend your target audience? Wally White's pathetic take on "What I Did Last Summer" is not only boring, self-absorbed and poorly done... it's also offensive as hell. He's trying to be funny here, but what White doesn't realize is that he encapsulates just about everything that's wrong with gay society. Since when is picking on others publicly (a la the jaw-droppingly insensitive "Square State" scene) humorous? How much worse is it that this smug little twerp is aiming it at his own people? This isn't just a rotten film, it's mean-spirited and Wally White doesn't even know it.

With an incredibly low budget, Wally White succeeded to piece up this little masterpiece of witty (almost Oscar Wildesque) sarcasm. Funny and incisive, the character synthesis is so true it hurts (and maybe this accounts for so many offended viewers). If you look closely enough you may find a glimpse of someone you know -even of yourself... and all unexpected mirrors are startling and/or hateful.

I am a little surprised that Harvard has not sued the makers of this film for associating the ivy-league college with such a horrible cinematic experience. I, like many, sought this film out because Sarah Michelle Geller was in it; when I learned Rebecca Gayheart was also in the cast, I thought to myself: How bad can a film with both Geller and Gayheart be? Let me tell you: pretty doggone bad. First and foremost, the storyline and script are simply dreadful and ill-conceived, and these problems are only exacerbated by the prominence of some untalented actors in the cast. Alan Grenier is Alan Jensen, supposedly the starting point guard on the Harvard basketball team, despite the fact that he is rather short, has no semblance of athletic skill, and really doesn't even try to look like he knows what he's doing when he's on the basketball court. Honestly, this is one of the worst casting decisions I've ever seen. Did I mention the fact that his acting skills also seem to be in short supply? Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Cindy Bandolini, the unprincipled daughter of a mafia don and girlfriend of Alan; talk about your odd couple; several love scenes between the two are just icky. Of course, our ruggedly unhandsome Alan is not content with Cindy; no, he is also sleeping with his philosophy professor Chesney Cort (played by the helium-voiced Joey Lauren Adams).

Back in Kansas, a tornado destroys the home of Alan's parents, and he is determined to get the one hundred thousand dollars needed for them to rebuild. In steps Cindy with a plan to make a killing off a sports bet; all Alan has to do is throw the big game against Dartmouth. Soon, the FBI is nosing around, everybody sort of panics, hope rises in the viewer that at least one of these dreadful characters will die, and then a pretty impossible if not ludicrous ending is thrown together at the end. You don't really even care how bad the conclusion is because you are just glad the film is finally over.

I don't think I've ever seen a movie go to such lengths to annoy its audience. Almost every scene features what I would call stop gaps; every few seconds, the film seems to jump a few frames for no reason whatsoever; this is a short-term technique that should be used sparingly, but the director of Harvard Man shot the entire movie this way, and it made me want to scream. Then there is the music; it's just awful, and even worse it is constant and far too loud most of the time. I guess a lot of it is supposed to sound Italian or something, even though the Mafia bit is not that important to the film. The inclusion of Ray Allen, an actual basketball player, in the movie also makes no sense. When Allen's character talks to Grenier, both of them seem to be in a race to see who can say his lines the fastest, and Allen tries so hard not to look like a professional basketball player that he ends up looking just as bad as everyone around him on the court. Just when you think things can't possibly get any worse, we are taken along for an extended LSD trip in which all the voices the character hears building up inside his head assault our own ears as well in a rising crescendo. This, in conjunction with all the other problems, qualifies this film as pure and utter torture. I have no idea why Sarah Michelle Gellar chose to participate in Harvard Man, but it almost has to be a decision she now regrets.

Harvard Man is a very good film. I got a used copy of the DVD from blockbuster, and it was well-worth the price. The acting in this film is great, Rebecca Gayheart really does a good job in this one. The other cast members are amazing as well. The directing in this film is also wonderful, I really like the tone. I gave this movie four stars, because It was good. I just didn't like one thing about it, when the main character, Allen (adrien Grenier, or however it is spelled!), is on drugs, I guess they wanted you to see the movie from his point of view, but all that really happens is the picture squishes (for lack of better word) up, and THAT REALLY GETS ANNOYING! The script for this film is great! I just wish the editing would have been a little different, all-in-all HARVARD MAN is a very entertaining film. It is worth watching more than twice.

Well, I was surfing the TV channels late at night one day and I ran across this movie on UPN. I had never heard of it before, and I decided to give it a try due to the fact that I was extremely bored.

Myself being a casual Buffy fan, meaning I've seen 15 episodes at the most, I figured I'd watch it because Sarah Michelle Gellar was in it. But keep in mind that is only what got me to watch the movie in the first place and skip over Goldeneye on Telemundo (which is, by the way, a very good version of the movie, si tú hablas español and can find it on some station.)

If you go into this movie expecting to see a lot of Sarah Michelle Geller (henceforth called SMG), you will be grossly dissapointed. She doesn't have that big of a role in this film. I went into the movie with an open mind, and tried to ignore the really annoying scenes in the beginning with slow frame rates and jerky camera movements, plus hearing 2 songs at once, overtop of commentary.

But even though the beginning is very annoying, the rest of the movie is very good. I don't need to give a rundown of the plot, but I will say it takes a bit of understanding and intelligence to be able to take in all that is happening and not be overly confused.

I personally really enjoyed the movie, and can't understand how all of these negative reviewers didn't like it at all. In my opinion, it is a must buy.

So sad, so bad! Readers Beware! I was vastly disapointed in this. I was hoping for that "Garwood magic" and ended up wanting to drop the video off my deck. They totally revamped a wonderful story to garbage. Yes, there was a MaryRose and 4 brothers that went west to Rose Hill and that's where they stop. There is a woman they bring along to cook that never exhisted, there was an indian woman ( I think these 2 were to take Crazy Corey's place). They add a cattle rustler for a love intrest. Cole dies. and there is this Irishman that also didn't exhist.Where Is Maryrose's husband? And MaryRose never goes off to school which is the big part of the story. Where is Mama Rose?? we never get a letter. She is a big part of the story. And Adam marries the Indian woman...Huh? Where'd the story go.. Please don't do a sequel. Take my advice catch it on the Hallmark channel instead of wasting money on this. They missed the stagecoach folks!

There was no SPUNK! "For the Roses" is one of my favorite books, and boy was I excited to find in my local video store. What a waste of 90 minutes. There was none of the charm, none of the humor (except for a couple of chuckles), and zero romance!! There was no frustration that came with the Elliot family, no drop dead gorgeous man to sweep Mary Rose off her feet, and couldn't they have found a better Mary Rose? Mary Rose with a short little guy like Fergus?? COME ON! And where was Adam's elegance, and Cole's heart, and Travis's sweetness, and Doug's maturity? As a movie, even without the book, it was terrible. It left alot out and wasn't much better than a summary of the book (an inaccurate summary at that).

I have never been more aggravated with a movie.

This is a great, great movie! The actors did an excellent job and it was a good story about family and love.

I agree with the other reveiwers that they should have shown Gacy as "Pogo The Clown" more. This movie was creepy knowning that this guy truly existed, but they should have gone more into his back story and possibly why he was so messed up. Obvious he had big issues about his feelings towards men, but things are much deeper then that.

He kills about three or four people in this movie, but you never see him in the act. That would made it even better for the fans who want to watch the movie for gore and horror. If you are looking for that stay away. Not much blood in this film.

Mark Hutton did a great job as Gacy, but the script kept him down from possibly making a big impact.

I went into this movie with some knoledge of John Wayne Gacy and was surprised to see how well protrayed he was, how well the murders were portrayed, and how well the story was portrayed.
A lot of reviewers were not pleased with the movie, but I must say that it was entertaining. Although this is not the movie you go out and buy, it is one worth renting.

I was reading through the other reviews for this movie and I must agree with one, they should have showed Mr. Gacy as "Pogo". How me seeing this movie came about was,(here comes a long drawn out story)I was in my room watching TV one day when my cousin Ryan calls me, Psyched about a movie he just saw at Best Buy, I asked him what it was and he said it's called "Gacy", as in John Wayne Gacy. I was pumped, but I had no money to get it, so me and him rented it and watched it. I liked it except for not showing him as Pogo, he talks about it but is never shown as him. I loved the scene where he drowned the kid he got the car from, and the kid crawls out of the bathroom and dies right behind John's mom(asleep in a chair) I know my killer trivia but that movie added more to my knowledge than what I already knew. I think it's worth seeing, rent it or buy it, it's pretty good. Well I'm done for now folks, 'till next time. Stay outta trouble. Later

Rondo Hatton was a victim of acromegaly whose deformed face (and voice) were tastelessly exploited in several films of the Forties. This one has two distinctions -- it was Hatton's last film (he died before its release) and it was the only Universal horror film which Universal did not bother to release, but rather sold to the ultra-low budget studio PRC for release, altho the film still begins with the Universal logo. The plot involves a handsome college student whose face becomes deformed due to a laboratory accident. Since Hatton actually was handsome and athletic in his pre-acromegaly period, the film has a bizarre parallel with his own life. (But it is difficult to accept that this type of deformity could be caused by a splash of acid.) The nouveau ugly man becomes a brutal killer, proving it is possible to be grotesque on the outside and rotten on the inside, too. He befriends a young blind woman who believes blind people have good character judgment, yet she never suspects he is a brutal killer. This grim, depressing film is interesting in a perverse way.

The Brute Man was the last film of Rondo Hatton, an acromagly sufferer whose disfigured looks were exploited by Hollywood in a series of movies in which he played a psychopathic back-breaker called The Creeper (although none of the movies, including the Sherlock Holmes thriller Pearl of Death, has any link and were not part of any series).

This cheap PRC production has Hatton hunt down the people responsible for his disfigurement (an explosion in his college lab) and also murder various others who get in his way. The victims include a nosy shop assistant and a jeweller who insists that Hatton pay for a broach. Meantime, he falls in love with a blind woman but she eventually betrays him to the police and he tries to kill her too.

One of the amusing things about this movie is that there's supposed to be a huge Dragnet out for Hatton but he's always walking down the street openly despite his looks and appearance. He actually doesn't give a bad performance. Deapite his reputation as The Ugliest Man Alive his looks aren't really bad enough to warrant the screaming reaction he gets from some of his victims. Film is padded out by some silly footage involving the investigating police (at one point playing cards when the Commissioner comes in and then taunting him). A pretty silly script and a general lack of style.

Another customer review very nicely covers the movie itself, so just let me chime in with a few quick words about the technical quality of the DVD release.

You might think that this disc would be grainy, or soft, or with poor contrast, particularly since it's from the legendary poverty row studio PRC, and a few other PRC videos are so-so. Truth is, although the film was released by PRC, it was produced by Universal Studios!

You'll be exceedingly happy to discover that the transfer to DVD is outstanding. Contrast is excellent, and the image is sharp and clean. This is a Criterion-level transfer here! Sound is nice and clean too. Of course, the disc hasn't anything in the way of extras. Running time is just about an hour, the case is a snapper.

If you're interested in the related films, this one is the last of the "Creeper" films. The Creeper is Rondo Hatton's "signature role" begun in 1944 in the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes film PEARL OF DEATH, followed by 1946's HOUSE OF HORRORS, and finally THE BRUTE MAN (which was indeed Hatton's last film).