Warriors: Playstation 2 Game & Ultimate Directors Cut: I have to say I have been a fan of the Warriors since I was a little kid. I wore out the video we had of it back in the day. I have another video copy that is just as wore out and the dvd is totally scratched from repeated viewing. So this new Ultimate Directors Cut was a welcome addition. However it is quite lite on the side of extras. There is a pretty good making of documentary, but they should have talked to more people. What the hell is Cowboy doing now? And Cleon or Cyrus even... they talked to all the main guys and even Vermin from the Rogues but the rest were absent... There is also some weird new comicbook disolves between scenes. It looks like they were getting people ready for the Game... so I would say that if you already have it on DVD then rent this one once to see the documentary and leave it at that! The game on the other hand is COMPLETALY AWSOME!!! I am not that big a fan of fighting games... I'm more on the Tony Hawk tip or some Motocross thing. But the Warriors Game is just completly nuts. It really is like being in the movie. I starts three months before the big meeting and kind of gives a back story to the whole thing. Then you also have to mug people and steal car stereos to make money to buy "flash" (which is an inhalant that gives your health a needed boost) and spraypaint to mark your territory. The game is pretty hard and had me stuck for a couple days a couple times. I also didn't like how hard it was to tag walls when you need to in a hurry. Definately check out the game if you are a fan of the movie and fighting games in general! Toby Dammit THE RAVEN (1935)As in the previous year's THE BLACK CAT, Universal once again teamed up that dastardly duo of darkness, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. And although Karloff plays a smaller role than Bela in THE RAVEN, he gets top billing in the opening credits, his name reduced to merely one word, "KARLOFF". It shows that, even though just a few years had passed since DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN (both 1931), Bela's popularity was already waning while Karloff was still going strong. This thriller begins with a dramatic car crash. We find out the driver was the daughter of a wealthy judge, and her father turns to a retired surgeon, Dr. Vollin (Lugosi), as he reputedly is the only one with ability to save her. And save her he does, with a twisted side effectŠhe falls in love. When his interests are shunned by her father, Vollin concocts a scheme to punish the father, the girl, and her lover. Meanwhile, a bank robber and escaped convict Bateman (Karloff) arrives, and is blackmailed by the mad doctor into assisting him in his heinous plot. The twisted scheme unfolds with the fate of the group resting on the conscience of the grotesque Bateman, as he weighs his selfish needs against the lives of Vollin's victims. Lugosi is in great form here, cackling with sick joy during scenes of torture, and Karloff, under another heavy makeup job by the legendary Jack Pierce, gives a brutish but sympathetic portrayal of the pathetic Bateman. Vollin's house itself is filled with trap doors, hidden passageways, and an assortment of torture devices, including a pendulum blade from another Poe story. And actually, this is hardly based on the poem by Poe, with just some hokey references and a stuffed raven to merit usage of the titleŠnonetheless, it's a fun and entertaining thriller with some great performances. James Leroy Brown III THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) Directed by Jack Arnold, who also directed Universal's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955), this is a deeply spiritual metaphysical treatise disguised as a science fiction thriller with great special effects. Scott Carey (portrayed by Grant Williams) and his wife are cruising around in his brother's boat, when a strange mist engulfs Scott while she is below deck. The incident is disregarded, until Scott starts noticing weird changes in his body, namely his clothes aren't fitting so well anymore. Gradually he releases that he is, in fact, getting smaller and smaller by the day. We see him go through many emotional stages in his attempts to deal with the phenomena, such as pessimism and feelings of inadequacy. Clever use of perspective, giant sets and props, and composite matting give the premise solid credibility. Eventually things normally harmless in the home start becoming threats (i.e. the cat) as Scott continues to shrink until finally, his wife loses him and he takes up residence in the basement. He becomes locked in mortal conflict with a tarantula, now a giant by comparison, but through the many obstacles he faces he gradually learns to accept his situation. The final scene is mind blowing: one man courageously facing the vastness of infinity with calm awareness as he literally becomes one with everything. This movie has it all, a script by Richard Matheson, great acting, ingenious special effects for the era, and taut pacing that keeps you glued to the screen. You simply have to know what's going to happen next, all the way to the transcendental climax. This is the best science fiction film of the 50's, hands down. James Leroy Brown III THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)Obviously I am in love with Boris Karloff, who truly shines in this gleefully demented visual poem. Directed by Robert Wise and produced by Val Lewton, this is a masterfully written and sublimely filmed work of psychological horror, which also marks the final pairing of Karloff and Bela Lugosi. John Gray (Karloff) is a lowly cab driver and "body snatcher" who supplies a medical school with illegal cadavers for their student research, giving him a kind of power over the head of the school which he exploits with great pleasure. None could argue that Karloff's sympathetic portrayal of the Frankenstein's monster was his greatest role, but here, as the irresistibly despicable John Gray, we get a glimpse of his remarkable range, depth, and ability to handle such a complex and contradictory character. He simply steals every scene he's in. Lugosi's part is nary more than a cameo, as the dim-witted assistant Joseph who finds out about Gray's mischievous deeds. He tries to blackmail the cab man, but the hapless maneuver backfires. Producer Lewton had a knack for elevating subject matter such as this to a much higher level of sophistication than was typical for the era, and generations of filmmakers today are indebted to his great influence. James Leroy Brown III DIARY OF A MADMAN (1963)This is an average yet enjoyable thriller starring Vincent Price as Simon Cordier, a sculptor possessed by an evil spirit called the Horla. A girl enters his life and becomes a model for him, until the Horla drives him to murder her. The entire affair is detailed in the diary he left behind after committing suicide, hence the title of the film. While the plot is fairly predictable and not among Price's finer works, the actor nonetheless turns in a committed performance as the tortured Cordier. The production quality is reminiscent of the Corman/Poe cycle of films, and the colors are gorgeous and eye-popping. Campy at times, with the only special effects being a band of colored light that falls across Price's eyes during his moments of "possession", and some chairs being knocked over by the invisible Horla. But fans of Vincent Price should definitely seek it out. James Leroy Brown III MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1932)This is an atmospheric and moody chiller starring Bela Lugosi in one of his earliest post-Dracula roles. As a mad scientist bent on proving the evolutionary connection between man and ape, Dr. Mirakle (Lugosi) rants on regarding his theories using powerful and convincing prose, then sends an intelligent ape out to kidnap girls so he can experiment on their blood. He eventually messes with the wrong girl and her fiancée brings a posse to stop the madman and his simian accomplice. The premise (somewhat based on the Poe story of the same title) may seem a little silly, but a strong and dedicated performance from Lugosi, dark and stylish art direction, and cinematography by the great Karl Freund make this a must see gem of the era. James Leroy Brown III MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932)Featuring the first speaking role of Boris Karloff, his portrayal of the psychotic Fu Manchu is a pure pleasure to watch. This one came from MGM studios, and the $328,000 budget was spent to compete with the raging success of Universal's DRACULA (1931) and FRANKENSTEIN (also 1931). The sets are massive and ornate, and the world they create is strange, exotic, and sinister. Somewhere in the Gobi desert lies the tomb of Ghengis Khan. Buried within are Khan¹s sword and mask, which legend has it gave the ancient warrior his power and strength with which he nearly conquered the world. Fu Manchu is after the artifacts, convinced he will reincarnate the power of Khan and exterminate the white race, bringing the East back into an age of glory. A British expedition sets out to find the tomb before the nefarious madman, and one by one they are captured and tortured with the most ingenious devices ever conceived. Myrna Loy plays Fu Manchu's daughter, and she is sultry and menacing. This is a campy movie, full of racist overtones and exaggerated characters, but Karloff's acting here communicates callousness, evil, and dread. He's brilliant. As the net closes in on the British expedition, Fu Manchu becomes seemingly all-knowing and ever-present, and his long, cunning fingers find their way into even the most well protected of places. A pre-code treasure, this film was later truncated with many of the "offensive" scenes cut out. If you can find the MGM Horror Classics laserdisc set, you can see MASK OF FU MANCHU in all its politically incorrect glory. James Leroy Brown III THE GHOUL (1933)This was the first British horror film of the sound era, and for many years was thought to be lost. A pristine print was found uncut and in its original aspect ratio, and this is the one MGM released on DVD a few years ago. The quality is nothing short of stunning. Boris Karloff plays a superstitious professor on his death bed. His dying wish to his supposedly faithful servant is that he be buried with a rare and sacred jewel, the Eternal Light, which is to be wrapped in his hand with bandages. It is this jewel which will appease Anubis, Egyptian god of the dead, and allow the Professor to achieve immortality. The servant is sternly warned, if the jewel is tampered with, "I will come back, I will come backŠto KILL!" The professor dies and of course, the servant swipes the jewel. Meanwhile, news of the Professor's death travels to his nephew and his wife, who then show up to settle the Professor's estate and get involved in multiple plots by other conniving players to get the jewel for themselves. The jewel changes hands numerous times while the Professor makes good on his promise and returns from the grave to exact his revenge. While Karloff has only a few scenes at the beginning and end, his tremendous acting skills are showcased in moments filled with the deepest conviction and shuddering emotion as the Professor grimly conveys his heartfelt beliefs in the Egyptian afterlife. Highly recommended! James Leroy Brown III THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) - This stark, apocalyptic masterpiece is based on the novel "I Am Legend" by sci-fi mastermind Richard Matheson. Matheson himself was so dissatisfied with the final product, however, that even though he co-scripted the film, he requested the use of a pseudonym in the credits. The centerpiece of this film is a focused and restrained performance by Vincent Price. Price took a break from Roger Corman's "Poe" cycle to star in this American International picture which was produced and shot on location in Italy. The desolate, empty streets are convincing and give enormous plausibility to the bleak premise. Price plays a scientist, Robert Morgan, who somehow is spared from a virus that wipes out humanity, turning everyone but him into zombie-like vampires. For the next three years Morgan spends day after monotonous day crafting wooden stakes, hanging garlic and mirrors outside his barricaded house, and patrolling the streets hunting the bloodsuckers. Through Morgan's flashbacks we see the whole story as it happened, including the rise of the plague and the death of his wife and daughter. In one of his finest scenes, Price bears Morgan's grief with dignity as he watches his former family on a home movie, and his laughter during a funny moment in the video degenerates into heaving sobs of anguish. One day he suddenly encounters a woman who, at first glance, appears to have also been spared from the plague. But are things really what they seem? He balances his joy and excitement from his discovery of the female with a wise and healthy dose of skepticism. This movie becomes a close examination of man's isolation and longing for meaningful contact, and, like many of Matheson's stories, is deeply allegorical and the horrific exterior conceals layers of thought-provoking subtext. James Leroy Brown III