Spellbound in Darkness

Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal
Director: Robert Wise

Here it is... the 1995 $69.98 LaserDisc Edition on DVD for less than $20. Lots of extra's. The DVD has 2 feature films. The movie and the making of film. You can't beat that. Warning... don't play the fake stereo sound as it is awful. When you play the DVD always program in the original mono sound or it will always play on the fake stereo. Shame on you 20th Century Fox. Other than 1 foul-up, it is a perfect DVD.
Picture Sound (mono) *** 1/2
               (fake stereo) Bomb

The Day the Earth Stood Still Poster
The Day the Earth Stood Still poster measures approx 24 by 34 inches

This set includes restored films different than the David Shepard Blackhawk restorations.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu A Symphony of Horror (1922), The Golem (1920), Waxworks (1924) - best print on the market. Wonderful prints and loads of extras.
On the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu, there are two musical scores to pick from. Stay with the scores by Donald Sosin. Don't listen to the modern scores for they are horrible to listen to and lots of times they don't go with the movie. The rest of the musical scores are fine on the other movies.
Picture Sound (period scores) *** 1/2
                 Modern scores for Dr. Caligari & Nosferatu (Bomb)

Director: Leslie Stevens

Here is a little 75 min. film with William (Star Trek) Shatner that will scare the pants off you. A very creepy film. The only movie shot in the language of Esperanto. The movie has English sub-titles. Loads of extra's. 2nd BEST BUY OF THE YEAR.
Picture *** 1/2 Sound (mono)

Starring: Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm
Director: Fritz Lang

Kino Video
You have to buy this version. Greatest restoration job I've ever seen. With the original music score in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Lot's of extra's. Even the documentary on Metropolis looks and sounds good in 5.1 sound. BEST BUY OF THE YEAR!

Starring: Charlton Heston, et al.

The only way to get all of these films together is through this set. The Planet of the Apes is back in true stereo for the first time since the early 70's. The stereo soundtrack had been missing for years. All the others are in original mono sound with fake Dolby stereo. It's a pleasure to have the original mono sountrack back. The rest of the series were in mono sound when first released. The sound is much better on Volume's 2 -5 if you leave off the Dolby Surround sound giving it a sound rating of 3 1/2 stars. Includes a feature documentary on the series.
Picture Sound

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger

All I can say about this film is... This is the best buy on the market! Not including DVD-ROM extras, this has the most DVD extras I have ever seen on a special edition. The extra's last 1,027:32 minutes or 17 hours, 7 minutes, and 32 seconds. This also includes 3 versions of the film.
Remember to press 8-29-97 on your remote control to get the longest print of the film. Also remember the future is not set. Get it Today!
I do not recommend the "Extreme" edition because it lacks a lot of the extras the Ultimate Edition has and has no DTS sound.
Picture Sound (Dolby Digital)
               Sound (DTS 5.1)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor

My 8th favorite film of all-time on my top 1,000 list.
Loads of extras including a feature film on the making of the Phantom Menace. Wonderful sound and picture. I just wish the sound was also in DTS 6.1 Surround Sound.
Picture Sound ***½

Starring: Bruce Campbell

What a wonderful way to package a DVD. The film comes in a reproduction of the "Book of the Dead" made to look and feel like human flesh. The picture and sound are great. Wait until you see inside The Book of the Dead... loads of extras, including Bruce Campbell's new short on his fans.
Only one drawback is the DVD is in a tight plastic case and it tends to scratch the DVD every time you pull it out.
Picture Sound (Dolby)
               Sound (DTS)

Starring: Boris Karloff
From the Italian master of horror, Mario Bava, comes "The Three Faces of Fear," known here as Black Sabbath (1964).
If you are only used to the AIP English print with a different music score by Les Baxter, then you are in for a treat. Here is the original film in Italian with English subtitles and the original music score. A must see film for lovers of 1960's Italian horror films.
Picture Sound

Here is another Mario Bava horror masterpiece all about witches and witchcraft with Barbara Steele,. the Queen of Horror. This is the original English language print prepared in Rome, Italy for the European market. AIP made their own English language print, cut 3 minutes, changed the music score, and changed the title. But, this is the original print made in Italy. Very scary and still powerful - even on a $100,000 budget. Buy It!
Picture ***½ Sound

Here's a wonderful horror film from Italy. It comes in two versions, but I like the Limited Edition. There are two features with this edition. First, there is Suspiria and second, a feature documentary about the film. Third, is the scary music from the film by the rock group called Goblin on a third disc. Loads of extras.
Picture Sound (Dolby Digital 5.1)
               Sound (DTS 6.1)

Here is one of the best Criterion collections you can buy. First the film is in 2 versions. A color-tinted restoration and a 1968 sound reissue narrated by William S. Burroughts. Also the director, Benjamin Christensen's 1941 reissue introduction. Many other extras. You can't go wrong with this.
Picture (Restoration) Sound (Restoration)
1968 sound reissue Sound

The one and only $200,000 production that made Mel Gibson world-famous. Here for the first time since the bootleg VHS video tape, is the original Australian language track. Also includes the American track from American-International Pictures in 1979. This print replaces all the voices with American actors, except the girl singer in the bar - her voice is the same in both versions. Loads of extras. I like the mono sountrack the best.
Picture Sound (original mono)
               Sound (Dolby 5.1 Surround) **½

Can't go wrong with Universal's greatest monster thriller such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. - 8 pictures in all. Only one misgiving: When is Universal going to release The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) in 3-D on DVD?
Picture **½ Sound **½

The first and best version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlock. Loads of extras including two different music scores. Color tinted. Also highly recommended: Shadow of the Vampire (2000).
Picture Sound

This is a great and early horror film from Germany. This print is a 1923 reissue print which as a green line at the top half of the picutre quite a bit of the time, caused by poor lab work in procesing the prints. Color tinted and a great music score. Don't be put off by the major defect from watching this great horror classic.
Picture Sound

Starring: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy
Director: Frank Oz

Best of Steve Martins films and my personal favorite along with the trailer to The Jerk (1979). I sure wish they put that out on DVD. Wonderful story of Ed Wood type of filmmakers. Must see. Lots of extra's and inside film buff jokes. If you really like the wild side of filmmaking, this is the film for you.
Picture Sound (Dolby 5.1) ** 1/2
               (DTS)

Director: Ub Iwerks

A great collection that was on Laserdisc years ago for $124.99. You think you know everything about Mickey Mouse, well think again. When you see the film for the original Mickey Mouse Club and hear the theme song sung by Mickey Mouse, that alone is worth the whole collection.
Picture ** 1/2 Sound

Picture has been restored and speed corrected by David Shepard. Originally on laserdisc at $69.95.
Picture Sound **½

Starring: Buster Keaton, et al.
Director: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

My favorite comedy and 7th favorite film of all-time on my top 1,000 list. See the great stone-face at his best. Picture does have some marks on it from time to time. This film was released on Dec. 31, 1926 in Portland, Oregon.
Picture **½ Sound

This is a wonderful set to have. Includes 10 features and 19 shorts from the 1920's with the one and only "Great Stone Face." Also included is a bonus disc, Keaton Plus, with over three hours of rare Keaton material
Picture Sound

Window boxed with 2 music scores. These are the 1989 Carl Davis score and the 1931 original by chaplin. Loads of extras.
Picture **½ Sound **½ (1931), ***½ (1989)

Starring: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, et al.
Director: Charles Chaplin

Window boxed and restored by David Shepard. Beautiful job!
Picture Sound **½

Director: Charles Chaplin

This DVD is over 3 hours long. For fans of Charlie... buy it!
Picture Sound

Starring: Charles Chaplin, et al.
Director: Charles Chaplin

Window boxed print of the 1942 sound reissue print. Loads of extras.
Picture Sound

Starring: Charles Chaplin, et al.
Director: Charles Chaplin

Another beautiful job by film historian David Shepard.
Picture ***½ Sound

Director: Charles Chaplin

Another beautiful job by film historian David Shepard.
Picture ***½ Sound

Starring: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, et al.
Director: Leo White, Charles Chaplin

Another beautiful job by film historian David Shepard.
Picture ***½ Sound

Starring: Douglas Fairbanks
Director: Allan Dwan

Kino Video
Another beautiful job by Kevin Brownlow and wonderful music by Carl Davis will knock you out of your chair. Has the original spoken scenes with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Loads of extra's. Only regret is why wasn't the original score and sound effects also included on another track. MUST HAVE.
Picture *** 1/2 Sound

Starring: Peter O'Toole, et al.
Director: David Lean

Here is a beautiful 2 disc set to one of the greatest pictures of all time. The sound and picture are both 4-star plus a 61 1/2 minute feature on the making of Lawrence of Arabia. Lots of extras - must have.

Starring: Russell Crowe

Here is a wonderful set on a great film. Two features are included on this set. First, there is Gladiator and second, a TV movie called Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport (2000). This flim is just as good as Gladiator, for I have watched this 50 minute film 8 times. Tons of extras on these two discs. A real good buy for your money.
Picture Sound (Dolby Digital 5.1)
               Sound (DTS-ES 6.1)
Note: The DTS-Es 6.1 Surround Sound will blow you out of your home theater... It's wonderful

One of the finest Civil War films ever made. Loads of extras, many hours of enjoyable watching. Picture and sound perfect on this DVD.
When is Turner going to put out the extended version? This is only available on an out-of-print LaserDisc set which retails for $159.99.
Picture Sound

Starring: Lew Ayres, et al.
Director: Lewis Milestone

A beautiful and wonderful picture from the year 1930. This was a banner year for World War I pictures including all Quiet on the Western Front, Hell's Angels, Westfront 1918, Journey's End and The Dawn Patrol. It still holds up today, still missing about 10 minutes, but this is a lot better than the Universal-International 1948 reissue print which was cut down to 103 minutes.
Picture Sound ** 1/2

Starring: Richard Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, et al.
Director: Delbert Mann

One of the best television movies ever made with Richard Thomas. Only one gripe about this picture is when the original was being restored, why did the producers of the remake cut the picture down from 157 minutes to 130 minutes?
Picture Sound

A beautifiul picture with great sound. I prefer the mono soundtrack instead of the fake stereo which is also included on the disc. But, it's your choice.
Picture ***½ Sound (mono) (fake stereo)

Gone With The Wind Posters

Just a great epic to watch over and over. Includes a feature documentary "Ben-Hur the Making of An Epic (1994). Loaded with lots of extra's. In Dolby Digital Sound. I paid $39.99 for this product in 1994 on VHS video tape. Now you can get this for $24.95 or less. Get it now for your collection.
Picture *** ½ Sound

Guest Review from DVD Talk Collector Series:
William Wyler's 1959 classic of epic Hollywood filmmaking, Ben-Hur already saw a fine DVD release a few years ago, but Warner Brothers have pulled out all the stops for the film this time awarding it a massive four disc special edition. And why not? It is, after all, one of the most recognized films of all time, taking home a whopping eleven Oscars at the 1960 Academy Awards. If any film deserves that kind of treatment, surely it's Ben-Hur, right? For the one or two of you out there who haven't seen the movie before and want a bit of a breakdown story wise, the film follows the story of one Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston of Planet Of The Apes) who is born into a life of luxury as a fabulously wealthy Jewish prince. He lives in Jerusalem at the turn of the first century and runs a business that keeps him quite comfortable. In short, anything he...Read the entire review

Director: Louis Feuillade

Here is another beautiful job on restoring film by David Shepard. Great music score by Timothy Brock. The picture is almost 7 hours long. A really great early French chapter play. For serial fans!
Picture ***½ Sound

Citizen Kane Poster

The Citizen Kane movie reprint poster measures approx 27 by 40 inches