Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Anybody who says all the best B-movies came from the fifties obviously hasn't seen this little gem. It really is an admirable piece of film making which is actually very clever and inventive. It is reminiscent in someways of The Blob (50s version)in that a teenage couple witness a "comet" fall from the sky and then spend the movie running around trying to get people to believe them. However, this is far more "tongue in cheek" than most movies in its genre and could almost be passed as a black comedy rather than a horror.

The movie isn't particularly scary, although I do remeber finding it very freaky when I was younger. People who have a phobia of clowns should probably stay away from this movie though, because as the title suggests thay are the stars of the show. It is worth watching for the inventive and amusing ways in which the "Klowns" Kill and cocoon their victims alone. But as it happens the film also has a lot more to offer as well. Try as hard as you can to get hold of this movie because it really is a classic. It took me a couple of years of searching but now i've got it and it was definately worth the effort.

Released at the tale end of the 80s slasher movie smothered era, the direct to video monster movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space was a breath of fresh air for the stagnating horror genre. Alternating between unashamed goofiness and actual creepiness, this seemingly unworkable concept of having a race of silly yet very dangerous alien 'clowns' who drop out of the sky one night to scoop up a small town's populace for a quick snack. As one of the Chiodo brothers says, "It's The Blob, but with clowns."

And that it is. Killer Klowns from Outer Space plays the classic 50s monster movie scenario with a sure hand. The Killer Klowns seem overly goofy when first introduced in their Circus Tent Spaceship they use a balloon animal bloodhound to track the escaping teens, shoot popcorn guns instead of ray guns, throw pies, and cocoon their victims in Cotton Candy pods or storage balloons for later cooking. But once they get to work the laughter gets a bit nervous, for these Klowns love to play with their food.

MGM/UA has done a wonderful job on the disc, jamming it with tons of behind the scenes footage, interviews, bloopers, and commentary. We even get to see the Chiodo Brothers first attempt at home movies, which is a treat. The only oversight is the music video of the theme song, performed by The Dickies so don't throw out those old videos or laserdiscs just yet. Still, this release is a must have for any monster movie enthusiast. I give it my highest recommendation.

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In the endless effort to expand my vast array of cult/trash-cinema "classics", I decided to give the Killer Klowns™ a whirl. What I saw was one of the most bizarre and absurd flicks I've ever laid eyes on! Needless to say, this one's definitely a "keeper" for my DVD shelf, filed right next to Flash Gordon™ and The Thing With Two Heads™! The whole flick is so unbelievably ridiculous, you just can't help but be entertained by it!

Indeed, it has it all: A preposterous premise that somehow got approved by the studio suits. Less-than-stellar acting by a few of the principals, and the "hero" playing his part a little too straight-laced. The perversion of various implements of klownery into weapons of annihilation. Silly klown antics gone horribly wrong. It's ludicrously fun to watch on those days when some pretentious bit of "serious" avant-garde celluloid simply ain't gonna cut it.

The special features included with the movie are of the standard type you'd expect to see on a Collector's Edition DVD. There's behind-the-scenes featurettes, a theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, and a commentary track by the movie's creators. In the secondary track, the Chiodo brothers go over the usual stuff you'd expect to hear in a commentary track, including their childhood dreams of becoming to be movie-makers, discussions about how many of the characters were based on childhood friends, memories of the actors that played the various roles, and certain scenes that were particularly difficult to film. Throw in a few quasi-tangential anecdotes, and (voila) you have the Killer Klowns™ Kommentary Trakk in a nutshell.

Then there's the "Easter Egg" materials, which pop up when you let the main menu display run for a couple of minutes. Sadly, these "extra" extras aren't all that impressive. The only items here is a re-dub of a line from the movie, and a few video snippets of people auditioning for the roles of the Klowns in full costume. No offense to all you Klown-o-philes out there, but I think I'd get more excited watchin' paint dry than look at these not-so-special "treats"...

`Late

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Being afraid of clowns is a very common occurrence. This movie gives new reasons to be afraid. The entire idea of clowns is explored and twisted into a wonderful story of alien clowns invading a small town.

Balloons, popcorn, cotton candy, shadow puppets, pies in the face, and even the big top are all twisted into sinister ideals. One character makes a statement wondering if the Ancient Astronaut idea could be applied and these aliens are the basis for our whole idea of clowns.

In a typical B-movie move, a pair of teens at a make-out location are the first to encounter the aliens. They are not believed by the local police (one older officer who hates college kids and the other who dated one of the first witnesses). But the truth soon comes out as the aliens step up their invasion.

The DVD has a clear picture and a couple of interesting deleted scenes (just leave the main menu on your screen for a few minutes and the Easter Egg menu will pop up), making of features, other short animated films and other stuff. The one this I was disappointed about was it did not include the music video for the title song (available on one of the VHS editions). The video has some further scenes of "Big Top Burgers" and the clown with the big hammer (and we get to see just what it does).

A wonderful film that is pretty seamless and follows its internal logic well. Funny and creepy. A real must-see.

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The blu-ray of "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" represents a highly noticeable visual improvement over the 2001 special edition DVD. Some people are grumbling that the blu-ray looks like an upconverted DVD and that is absolutely not the case. Either these people expect all blu-rays to look like "Inception" or they don't have the DVD on hand for a direct comparison as I do.

Detail takes a dramatic leap over the DVD and this is most apparent during the numerous closeups of the various clowns. Black levels are vastly improved and the colors really pop in comparison to the DVD. There is a very nice level of film grain throughout and it doesn't appear that any DNR (digital noise reduction) was used at all. The film will always have a bit of a soft look to it at times but that's due to way it was shot and the type of film stock being used during the late 80's. As a huge fan of this film, I was very pleased with the blu-ray visually. The film has never looked better!

The audio is presented in 2 channel DTS-HD master audio that packs a lot more punch than the DVD did. While some might not like that MGM didn't do a 5.1 mix for the blu-ray, I don't think that it needed it.

All of the extras from the 2001 special edition DVD were ported over and there are unfortunately no new goodies for the blu-ray. Since the DVD was loaded though, at least nothing was left out. I would have liked to have seen the music video for The Dickies be finally added for the blu-ray but that didn't occur. The commentary track is one of the best ever featuring the Chiodo brothers and the featurettes are highly informative too.

As for the film itself, I still love this film as much as I did when I first saw it in 1988. They don't make them like this anymore and it's a great blend of laughs, scares and lots of cotton candy.

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Diary of a Mad Black Woman: The Movie (2005)

I went to see this movie the first weekend that it came out, and I wasn't disappointed at all; I saw the original play, and wasn't greatly impressed with it, but seeing the movie, I enjoyed it very well. Kimberly Elise and Shemar Moore gave great performances; Of course, Tyler Perry playing three roles simultaneously was just as good and I applaud him; Cicely Tyson, of course, gave a gem of a performance helping her daughter become more stronger even though she herself has been wronged; I have heard the good and the bad about this movie; I have heard that Madea is just another stereotypical role model that we need to get away from; But let's be honest, how many of us can attest to a Madea in our family? or at least pieces of such a woman? This was one movie that sex and profanity wasn't splashed forward and yet, the critics bashed it; Yet, I found it a good movie, and can all of us who supported Mr Perry opening weekend be wrong? I don't think so; Look forward to the DVD.

I applaud the earlier reviewer, Ramsess Gray from Fayetteville, NC. Thank you for standing up to all the other so-called critics who trashed this movie. I thought this was an excellent movie from beginning to end. In his big-screen debut, Tyler Perry delivered big-time, no questions asked. Darren Grant, Mr. Perry, Kimberly Elise, Shemar Moore and the rest of the cast were second-to-none in my opinion. I loved each of the characters Mr. Perry played himself, especially gun-toting Grandma. She was funny & very entertaining throughout. As far as best picture and/or any awards are concerned, I think Mr. Perry should have as good a chance as anyone to win an award in some category(ies). Also, in my opinion, Kimberly Elise should win something for her role. And for that matter so should Darren Grant & Shemar Moore. But that's only my opinion. The movie was very entertaining and it had all the qualities you could ask for in a movie. It made you laugh. It made you cry. It made you happy. It made you sad & it made you proud, all in about 2 hours time. I'm sure this movie is not and will not be for everyone. We all have different tastes. All I can really say is "watch the movie for what it is", and that's entertainment at it's best.

Larry

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literally rolling in the aisles at time! i had no intention of renting or buying this dvd until my neighbors were raving about it, plus all these grest customer reviews here at amazon.com! finally i said ok, let's have a look. was i ever glad i did too!yhe cast is impeccable, the script hilarious, everything about this film worked out just fine! the film is a complete head trip from start to great finish! all the acting is superb, the dvd transfer is gorgeous, and the gospel score sounded magnificent as well! do treat yourself to this one as it will blow you away. happy 4th to all, and happier 'diary of a mad black woman' viewing pleasure to everyone out there! it really is one fine film.

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i saw the movie version first & so was pleasantly surprised to discover that the two versions were handled SO differently -so much so that they are BOTH worth seeing & (in my opinion) owning. there are some different characters in each & some of the situations are handled differently, but the overall story remains the same &, of course, madea is HYSTERICAL no matter where she goes! :D i also enjoyed the father character in the play version a lot better than the movie version's joe (joe was a little too real-life disgusting for me -i was having flashbacks to someone i know in real life! =:O) & i LOVED the strong-in-the-Lord singing mom, ESPECIALLY when she sings that song about rebuking the devil -you GO girl! i also enjoyed the fact that there seemed to be a little more Jesus in the play version -the movie version seemed to have more of that "sanitized" hollywood feel? i.e. cleansed of explicit references to God, Jesus & the Bible -which i don't blame mr. perry for & i praise God that he's getting his plays made into movies & reaching a wider audience with the Message \o/ -you GO dude!

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I saw the movie before I got this play. If you have seen the movie you need to see this as well. Other than the songs being too long, it was great. Please don't go in with the mind set of it being like the movie because it is not. Some of the characters are different. So of course the outcome is different. Daddy Charles was a good character choice addition to the play. You will laugh. This play if definitely funny.And it gives you something to think about.

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Repo! The Genetic Opera (2009)

This movie is amazing! The scenes are very creepy and unsettling, but at the same time very appealing and artistically beautiful. Even if you hated the music or plot, which I didn't this movie alone for the scenery is worth a buy.

Now about the music. At first I was uncertain of how to feel regarding their musical numbers, and by the third song I was hooked. The lyrics in this are comedic at times, other times serious, and actually nearing the end there is a song that I think is pleasant, "I Didn't Think I'd Love You This Much," is the name of the song I believe. The vocals of lead Alexa Vega are great, strong, and defined. Even Paris Hilton surprised me as this is the first time I have heard her vocals, and it reminded me some some old school goth rock cd I'd listen to in high school. Finally, Sarah Brightman. What can I say about Sarah that anyone doesn't already know? Musical Wise, she was nothing short of spectacular.

Acting wise, I'm a big junkie for Bill Mosley and it was fun to see him pull off the comedic cult character he portrayed. Paris, actually did great acting, it surprised me how great Alex Vega did considering I had never seen her attempt anything like this, and I was surprised that Sarah Brightman could be as dark as she was in this movie. The casting meshed well and it was fun to see such big names in a movie that hadn't hit theaters in my area.

Art wise, the scenes were mind-blowing. There are scenes where there is much cgi used, but overall it looks good, and that's saying a lot for me considering I hate cgi. Also, the make up was great with good effects, example, if the box hadn't said Paris was in this I doubt I would have recognized her until the end.

Overall, I rarely say this.... But I wish I could give this a higher rating then a 5 star. I will be buying the soundtrack as soon as I complete this review. Repo! Will be played a second time tonight for my posse... Yes, it was that good.

Three, count 'em, three (!) songs from Repo! The Genetic Opera are being considered for Academy Award nomination. That shows how amazing this film is. Sadly, Lionsgate does not consider this film to be all that amazing, and is not doing anything to support this nomination. Generally, a film company would send letters and sample DVDs to the Academy members, promoting their film. Lionsgate, however, is run by a bunch of idiots and they are not doing this. So, it is up to the fans to promote Repo! Here are the three songs that are up for the nomination:

"Zydrate Anatomy"

"Chase The Morning"

"Chromaggia"

Set against a futuristic backdrop where an epidemic of organ failures is plaguing humanity, people turn to the unscrupulous Geneco Corporation to purchase replacements for their failing vitals. Not everybody makes good on their payments, however, which is where Nathan Wallace (Anthony Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) goes into action as one of Geneco's "repo men", brutally reclaiming defaulters organs at scalpel-point.

I loved it! It's basically a very stylized, horror rock opera. I was a little worried about Alexa Vega and Paris Hilton being lead characters in it, but Alexa Vega was marvelous, and Paris Hilton was basically being herself (an heiress to a multibillion-if-not-more-dollar company who's obsessed with fashion and thinks she's capable of singing), so she couldn't really go wrong. Her character didn't sing much either, so you don't really have to hear much of her voice. The songs are incredibly catchy and well written, and the actors had the voices that really brought the songs to life. Imo, the best songs are "Zydrate Anatomy," "Infected," and "Legal Assassin." There wasn't as much gore as expected, but the gore in the movie was great. Lots of someone being cut open and then the Repo Man reaching into his/her abdomen and taking various organs.

I've read/heard a lot of complaints about the film saying "oh the story's too complex and weird!" or "the lyrics were awful and poorly written!" You know what? The movie's called Repo! The Genetic Opera. "Opera" being the key word here. The melodrama and crazy story lines are a staple of classic operas! The story line is just like many classic opera story lines. I read someone's comment that the only opera aspect missing is a mistaken identity, which I find to be totally true. Weird lyrics are also a staple of classic operas. I mean, come on, they sing EVERYTHING in operas. Even "oh no, I've dropped my hat" gets turned into a ridiculously emotional song.

Overall, I loved this movie. The cast was great, the songs were great, and the style of the film was really interesting. I loved the nods to classic opera as well.

Final Verdict: 10/10

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Seemingly forever destined for cult status, Repo! The Genetic Opera is something you have to see to believe. A Goth-themed rock opera directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III, & IV), Repo! tells the tale of a future, Blade Runner-inspired world where massive worldwide organ failures have led to the rise of GeneCo; a biotech company run by Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) that lends out organs to those that need them. Failure to pay in full however results in a visit from the Repo Man (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head), who has no qualms about getting his hands dirty (and bloody) as he takes them back. As the story moves on, we learn of Repo Man's sickly beloved daughter Shilo (Alexa Vega) who learns of some deep buried secrets, and Largo's heirs Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton), Luigi (Bill Moseley), and Pavi (Skinny Puppy's Ogre) who are all warring to be left in charge of their sickly father's empire. The film moves along at a pretty brisk pace, even though its story doesn't always manage to catch up to it. The film's music is spectacular, and the cast (even Paris Hilton believe it or not) is wonderful as well, as Bousman quickly shines well above anything he's ever done with the Saw series. Also featuring Sarah Brightman, Repo! stage vet Terrence Zdunich, and a quick cameo from Joan Jett; Repo! The Genetic Opera is made to be a pure cult classic through and through, and though it definitely isn't for all audiences, the film stands as being something special regardless, and is wholeheartedly worth a look at the very least.

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A few years ago I went to see Rob Zombie's directorial debut "House of 1000 Corpses" and I remember driving home not knowing what the hell I just watched. I wasn't sure it was actually any *good* but I knew it was different. I had that same feeling tonight after watching "Repo! The Genetic Opera."

It is what it is, operatic but with a distinct goth/rock feel. Very little of the dialogue is spoken, it's mostly sung. The look of the whole thing was a mishmash of "Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Moulin Rouge," "Blade Runner" and the Nine Inch Nails music video for "Hurt." So visually it was arresting to be sure.

I didn't like it at all at first, the first 20 or so minutes was pushing me to just turn it off but it grew on me......somehow.

The film's plot (if you can call it that) is we're in the not-too-distant future where the world has seen an epidemic of organ failures and one company offers something of a cure-all. They specialize in organ donors but the catch is if you fail to make your payments, they send a repoman to reclaim the heart, kidney, whatever from you....forcibly.

Obviously there's a strong horror movie vibe going on here with some macabre imagery (and a dash of sci-fi thrown in) and having everything played out in these grand operatic gestures dressed up in trashy goth outfits.....well......it's different. Certainly not something for everyone but I'm willing to bet "Repo! The Genetic Opera" will find a very loyal cult following.

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Everything the acting to costumes and songs are fantastic!

This film is wonderfully paced and a bunch of the songs like Chase the Morning and At the opera tonight are really catchy! another highlight would be Sarah Brightman's role as Blind Mag! Her Performance is so subtle yet very convincing you can't help but feel for her character!

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The Telephone Book (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) (1971)

"The Telephone Book" is about a girl who falls in love with the world's greatest obscene phone caller. Because of horrors in distribution this movie from 1971 has never received it's due as a great comedy. The movie features Barry Morse (Space:1999), Roger C. Carmel (Harry Mudd on Star Trek) and William Hickey (Prizzi's Honor) in supporting roles. But the major star is announcer Norman Rose as the obscene phone caller. At the time of the shooting, Rose was the voice of Ma Bell. Sara Kennedy is perfect as Alice, the girl hunting around Manhattan for the voice of her erotic dreams. Nelson Lyon was the father of Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips.

Vinegar Syndrome truly surprised me this time. They're getting well known for releasing Blu-ray / DVD combo packs that are filled to the brim with bonus material for hard to find films. They're becoming the standard for releasing these films in widescreen looking better than any of them should have a right to, but they surprised me by releasing a film that could be considered to have underground cult status, and had me laughing all the way through. "The Telephone Book" is their best release yet, and a film you need to own.

The comedy stars Sarah Kennedy as Alice who looks and sounds like a blonde Betty Boop. Alice has fallen in love with the world's best obscene phone caller "John Smith" (played brilliantly by Norman Rose). John has dared Alice to try and find him by giving her two clues; his name and that his number is in the Manhattan telephone book. You should see how many John Smiths there are in the Manhattan telephone book! Not to be dissuaded, Alice agrees.

As she starts her search, she heads to a studio where she was told to go by one of the Smiths in the phone book. She finds herself in the middle of an audition with "Har-Poon", an out of work stag movie actor whose real name just happens to be John Smith as well. He is having an orgy audition so that he can star and direct his own comeback. As Alice gets ready to settle in to the audition, the real John Smith calls and tells her that she is not at the right place. This is where rational thinking would tell you to wonder how he knew she was there. Well, rational thought doesn't really have a place in this movie, so just go with the flow and enjoy the laughs. And speaking of laughs, there is so much sexual innuendo going on throughout the film that you really have to pay attention, or you'll miss some of the jokes.

Now, some of the funniest parts of the movie come between Alice's adventures. They are pseudo documentary style confessions of three or four men who used to be obscene phone callers. They have since changed their ways, and are now leading normal lives. The problem is that in every case, their normal lives are more screwed up than they ever were when they were simply making obscene phone calls. You'd think this would play out as padding for the running time, but that isn't the case at all, and I found myself wishing they had found a way to fit one or two more guys in there to share their "normal" lives.

When Alice is taking the subway home, she meets a pervert who decides he will give her pay phone money to try and find John in exchange for her telling him her most exciting sexual escapade. Hilarity ensues as she tells him a story involving a minister, soap and water, and a week long erection. Needless to say, she gets more money than even she was hoping to get. After being robbed, and then seduced by a lesbian, John's call comes to the rescue telling her to go home. Does she meet her John Smith? How do they relate? What will they discuss? Will there be amazing sex? I will give you one hint. The last ten minutes of this movie are absolutely amazing! This is a very under-appreciated art house film that deserves a much wider audience.

Of course Vinegar Syndrome has spared no expense in putting out the highest quality package possible. Widescreen black and white presentation. Only a couple of drop outs in the first few minutes of the movie take away from the overall excellent sound. For the extras, we have an audio commentary with producer Merv Bloch, a reissue trailer, the original trailer, a still gallery and radio spots. There is no reason to wait. Buy this now, and enjoy the laughs.

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