Horror Double Feature (Hellraiser / Hellbound: Hellraiser 2)

Bound to Raise the Hell Bar
Graphics, audio and true-black contrast better than I expected. Nice addition to my holloween collection especially in wide screen format. Equal if not better than theater presentation I attended years ago.

Best of Hellraiser movies
I think these two are the best of the Hellraiser series. It was more convenient that having to buy two different films.

awesome...
This is something you just have to see. It is not for everyone, but it is for everyone with any sense!

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Chronos (IMAX)

A visual and aural treat!
Originally released as an IMAX film in the mid-80s, Chronos on DVD unfortunately can not match the power of the IMAX experience. But really; what TV can compete with a 5-story-high screen? I saw the film three times in IMAX and each time I saw something new and amazing. I couldn't wait to get this film on DVD. Any shortcomings the Chronos DVD has are related to the size and clarity of the image as displayed on a television, not the film's content. The images of earthly constructions both natural and man-made are drop-dead-gorgeous, and the music -- a nonstop electronic instrumental score -- is mesmerizing. At roughly 45 minutes in length, you'll not want it to end. The disc has a spare and clunky interface and no special features, but who cares? Chronos is a wonder that I find myself watching again and again.

A great disappointment
Playing my Chronos Blu-Ray I was literally shocked at the incredibly poor image quality that was possible in a transfer to Blu-Ray. As one reviewer stated - even some standard-def DVDs look better. The image resolution is not what I expected from a HD format. Excessive grain permeates even the brightly lit scenes. The constant brightness shifting or flickering was simply annoying and was present throughout the entire presentation. The shaky image in the first Grand Canyon scene looked amateurish. I thought Chronos in Blu-Ray would be an impressive feature to show off the capabilities of HD , unfortunately I would be embarrassed to show this to anyone.

The subject matter of Chronos was impressive in some locations but the harmonious blend from scene to scene that was displayed in Baraka was not present , simply a conglomeration of shots that seemed to be added together with no real theme. The dated music (even by 1980s standards) by Michael Stearns makes watching this poor...

From Some of The Fathers of Wordless Narrative Film
Released in 1985, "Chronos" is a forty-minute long "visual-music journey". It is a Presentation of the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater of San Diego, California and S.E.M. Lagode, Paris, France.

"Chronos" was filmed on location at over sixty sites around the globe. Images of significant natural beauty, architectural complexity, iconic historical sculpture and various panoramic cityscapes were captured on 70mm film using mostly slow motion and time lapse cinematography.

The wordless narrative structure of the work primarily attempts to convey feelings of reverence and appreciation for the breath-taking subject matter. In addition, it also suggests states of significant anxiety experienced as a consequence of the pace and complexity of modern urban life.

Electronic music, composed and performed by Michael Stearns, is thoroughly integrated with the considered, slowly paced editing of Alton Walpole and Ron Fricke. Image and sound interpenetrate one...

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Sleepwalkers [Blu-ray]

What's Up
I must say I always have enjoyed this movie and as I was breezing through the reviews it seems like I was one of the few. Sleepwalkers is by no doubt the best movie I have seen, but I thought it has some merit as being a good movie. Sleepwalkers introduces you to these mysterious creatures that cats don't like. They appear human most of the time but can change either voluntarily and sometimes involuntarily into their cat like forms. They feed off human virgins it seems they suck their souls right out of them per oral. The plot is kind of thin and it could have been more developed, but it was still pretty good. The movie leaves a lot of questions about what these things are. If you are a movie watcher that likes to know all the facts this may not be the movie for you. The special effects were not all that great and I think the monster's appearance could have taken a little more attention, but I have never rated special effects above the plot. I think maybe Sleepwalkers would...

This is Barely a Horror Movie, but it is VERY Entertaining
Sleepwalkers has all the elements of a horror movie, and yet it isn't one. The first scene is very effective, and sets the tone for a good horror movie. We see Mark Hamill (unrecognizable from his Luke Skywalker days) as a cop checking out some odd goings-on at a house. But I wonder - did the girl scream or was she already dead? Or was it a dead body that screamed? The music and imagery during the opening credits is great. There's a definition of a sleepwalker from an old occult encyclopedia. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and art look really cool. The sketch of a sleepwalker breastfeeding an infant looks scary. The thought that the infant might actually be a human being makes the sketch even more unsettling. Anyway, that first scene and the opening credits create an atmosphere of dread that we would expect to last throughout the rest of the movie. But Stephen King (who wrote the script) and director Mick Garris wanted to make a movie that was campy AND scary at the same time...

All-Dancing/All-Slashing Cringefest
Stephen King's Sleepwalkers is a fairly-good B-movie. Most of it is enjoyably watchable, due mainly to the easy-on-the-eyes-ability of its lead cast members Brian Krause, Alice Krige, and Madchen Amick. Then there are the cringeworthy moments: the violent moments that are both poorly executed and overly gory, as well as the disturbing dance sequences (creepy incestuous slow dance/hottie teenybopping with a carpet-sweeper ) early in the film.

There are a number of nicely put together scenes in the movie: the Trans Am chase, Krause and Amick at her house, as well as Krige's first two scenes with Amick. The "superpowers" of the Sleepwalkers are nice and original, but much of their history is left to our imagination. We are given some backstory via an "encyclopedia" definition, a snippet of Krause's creative writing assignment, and a few comments dropped here and there by Krause and Krige, though more would have been helpful. Questions remain as to why Krige can't "feed" herself and...

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Re-Animator [Blu-ray]

Blu Review
One of the more frustrating blu rays that I've ever purchased.

I have had the DVD version of the film for a few years, and had gotten the DVD from my collection and was comparing the features listed on the backs of both boxes. I put the blu ray in and settled in to see what kind of improvement in picture and sound quality that the blu ray was going to have.

When the film started, I actually had to get up and make sure that I had, in fact, inserted the blu ray into my player, and not my old DVD version. I literally could not tell a difference in quality. This went on for a few minutes, and then the picture became very clear and had a slight improvement in quality...then it went back to DVD quality. I am about 45 minutes into the film and it keeps doing this. It honestly looks like an upscaled DVD in image quality.

After only 45 minutes, however, I have seen enough scratches and specks in the film to tell myself that this was not worth upgrading to blu...

You wanna see a REAL horror movie?
The best horror movie ever made, period. For me anyway, this has to be my personal favorite. Forget all that Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer junk. You wanna see a REAL horror movie? Rent this one. Skip it if you're squeamish, though--trust me on this.

The plot is taken (loosely) from an HP Lovecraft tale, "Herbert West, Re-animator". The taglines kinda say it all. Dan Cain is a young medical student dating the Dean's daughter, who takes in a roomer and meets up with West, brilliantly played by Jeffrey Combs. West has discovered a "reagent" that will bring the dead back to life, except the serum still needs lots of work. When the dead people wake up, they do not seem happy at all to be brought back, and in fact have the tempermant of a grizzly bear on PCP. Added to the mix is the creepy Dr. Hill (who looks like an uglier, way creepier version of James Woods), who clashes with West and also has an icky obsession with Dean Halsey's daughter. (the...

Man what a great flick
A reviewer below said that this film will only seem good to those who saw it in the 80s and that people who have never seen it shouldn't. Well I really have to disagree. I'm only 15 so I obviously never saw this film in the 80s, but a few months ago I bought this DVD for 15 bucks and it was one of the best 15 bucks I ever spent. This film is great. If you actually like real horror films then you should like this film. Also the same reviewer said that the special efx were only good when the film came out, but I thought the efx were great and better than the CGI of today. So if you're a fan of horror and haven't seen this film yet you should go out and buy it right now. The DVD is amazing by the way and pretty cheap.

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