January 30, 2003

The following is an excerpt from the February, 2003 issue of "TOTALLY! MOVIES! NOW!"  - a magazine dedicated to movie news and reviews.

DVD DUNGEON:  This Month's New Horror DVDs

"The Honor of Dracula"  *****(Five stars):  Hot on the wings (bat wings, that is) of the very successful DVD releases of several classic Hammer Dracula films starring Christopher Lee comes this much anticipated reissue.  Although originally released after "The Horror of Dracula" and "Taste the Blood of Dracula," "The Honor of Dracula" has earned its reputation as an obscure seldom-seen cult classic.  Now thanks to the Criterion Collection's deluxe new reissue  we can appreciate this unusual and entertaining film.  "The Honor of Dracula" was released in 1944 and was intended as a war time morale booster for the English public still suffering the ravages of World War II and the Blitz.  Instead of a traditional Dracula horror film, this is a rousing war-time adventure told in the classic Hammer fashion with plenty of thrills, chills, blood, and heaving bosoms.  The story begins as one-time Dracula paramour and victim Mina Harker, now an undercover agent for British Intelligence, is captured by Nazi SS troopers on the eve of D-Day.  Her mission is to infiltrate Boomstrassa, a top secret Nazi heavy water research plant in Norway which is on the verge of creating an atomic bomb.  Enraged by the news of her capture, Count Dracula descends from his eerie mountaintop castle and pledges his support to MI5 and the British Special Forces.  After a brief training period, the film centers on Dracula leading a company of crack British commandos on a daring midnight raid on Boomstrassa to rescue Mina Harker and destroy the plant.  The sight of Christopher Lee as Dracula dressed in black fatigues with the Union Jack stitched on his long, flowing black cape valiantly leading his troops over the heavily defended fortifications is as inspirational today as the day it was made.  Between sinking his fangs into SS troopers as bullets harmlessly pass through him and rallying his men for the final attack, Dracula epitomizes the valor and  courage of war-time Britain.  Trudy O'Day co-stars as Mina Harker, a beautiful but deadly English Rose.  She demonstrates equal parts grit and leering sensuality, particularly in her climactic cat fight with the leather-clad Mistress Helga of the SS. 

    The DVD transfer is impressive with the original aspect ratio maintained, and digital remastering has restored the film's vibrant colors, particularly Dracula's blood red eyes.  Lavish bonus features include a nine hour interview with Christopher Lee during which the still vital actor discusses his approach to acting in horror films as well as his thoughts on carpeting, the weather in England, and the early French language albums of songstress Celine Dion.  Featurettes include "The Shoes of Dracula," an in depth study of vampire footwear across the ages, and "Hammer:  House of Bosoms," a video essay on the important role of  cleavage throughout the storied film company's history.

"The Omen IX:  The Devil's Country" * (one star):  This direct-to-DVD installment of the "Omen" series is frankly disappointing.  A stellar cast featuring Johnny Depp as renegade Vatican priest Father Giuseppe Giuseppe and Wynona Ryder as plucky fallen Irish nun Sister Mary O'Mary is wasted in this failed chiller.  Depp's priest uncovers lost Biblical prophesies which indicate that a new anti-Christ will soon be born.  The scrolls prove that the Beastmaster and future father of the anti-Christ is obnoxiously banal country singer Garth Brooks.  If Brooks is able to breed with the Whore of Babylon by the Eve of the Damocletian New Year, the earth will be destroyed by their unholy spawn.  Ryder is expelled from her convent in Ireland when she discovers that the Whore of Babylon's true identity is sickeningly annoying country singer Shania Twain, who's name translated from the original Latin means "Dancing She-Devil of Hades."  The premise is exciting enough with Depp and Ryder earnest and determined as they stalk the hideous country superstars with enormous sacred ceremonial daggers.  However, the plot frequently bogs down for long stretches as Garth Brooks sings not one but three big, schmaltzy country ballads.  Shania Twain is convincing as the foul repository of all that is evil preparing to give birth to the doom of mankind, though many might point out that this is merely type casting.  Unfortunately whenever she appears on screen, she bursts into one of those chirpy, nauseating songs of hers and insists on leading her band of demons in elaborate line dancing routines.  As she bumps and grids away through these production numbers like a waterfront stripper with a seizure disorder, the whole movie and its plot stop dead in their tracks. 

    It comes as no surprise when reviewing the credits and "making of" featurettes that that the film was originally financed by The Nashville Network.  Sadly, the movie works neither as a thriller nor as a showcase for contemporary country music.  Nonetheless, it is truly horrifying if you have the stomach for this kind of thing.

"Edgar Allen Poe's Thank You Notes of Mystery and Imagination" ** (two stars):  In the Sixties, filmmaker Roger Corman teamed with horror star Vincent Price to produce a series of spooky and commercially successful adaptations of the works of Edgar Allen Poe.  Films like "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Masque of the Red Death" are now rightfully viewed as classics.  Corman and Price were loathe to abandon a winning formula, and lesser works such as "The Premature Burial" and "The Tomb of Ligeia" were also filmed.  By 1970 with all of Poe's tales already made into movies, Corman purchased the screen rights to a series of thank you notes the Master of the Macabre wrote to friends and family after his gala surprise thirtieth birthday party.  Though the resulting film has some genuinely scary moments such as when Price, as crazed monk Rasputo, returns a severed head to a guest, the results are in general disappointing though the lush Gothic sets are outstanding and add much needed atmosphere.  The failed screenplay was written by a then unknown Jack Nicholson who also has a brief cameo part as the severed head.  This DVD is perhaps best reserved for diehard Price and Corman fans only.

"Friday the Thirteenth Part 23:  Jason Goes to the Zoo" o (no stars):  Frankly, this is merely a curiosity.  Due to an unusual loophole in international copyright laws, the film rights to sequels to "Friday the Thirteenth" are not protected in Brazil.  With no fear of lawsuits from the original American producers, several independent Brazilian film companies have made a long series of  unofficial sequels to the gory slasher classic.  Number 23, "Jason Goes to the Zoo" is the first to receive a general release on DVD, and it is a peek into a strange and disturbing world.  Over the course of the years and many sequels, Jason has developed into a lively and popular minor celebrity in Brazil.  Though still wearing his trademark scarred hockey mask, Jason spends much of this light musical film dressed in chinos and a colorful Hawaiian shirt as he leads a band of happy dancing street urchins on a fun-filled tour through Sao Paolo's world-renowned public zoo.  Badly dubbed and filled with periodic musical numbers by Brazilian teen idol singers, this film is actually much scarier than many of the legitimate sequels.  Be careful with this one.  Be very careful.