ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9611050109
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: It Came from the Video Store
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
All right, Halloween was last week, but horror movies are still popular at this time of year, and last week's column couldn't cover all of the new crop. Of course, home video being what it is, the first "new" film is 18 years old.
George Romero's 1978 "Dawn of the Dead" has just been released in its original, full-length version. The new Anchor Bay tape is 11 minutes longer than the theatrical release, also available on video. Horror fans should know, however, that they haven't been missing any extra violence or gore. The film was never rated by the MPAA. It was simply tightened up a bit because theater owners thought that, at two-hours plus, it was too long.
For the target audience, that extra length is a treat. Romero's story of horror, politics and consumerism has aged well. The violence is no longer shocking; gory effects have progressed (if that's the right word) so far that these simple shootings and such seem almost primitive. The rest of the action - mostly set in a huge shopping mall - is suspenseful, intelligent and surprisingly funny at times. This one is easily the best of Romero's "Dead" trilogy, and it gets the right treatment here with a remastered, letterboxed print and soundtrack, plus a second tape with theatrical trailers. At $14.98, it's a bargain.
Producer Roger Corman continues to remake his venerable drive-in hits, but this new version of "Piranha" adds nothing to the 1978 effort from director Joe Dante and writer John Sayles. In fact, it lacks that nice flourish of stop-motion animation in the original, and it may even reuse some of the silly little two-dimensional fish "monsters." The rest of the effects are accomplished, as they were before, with red dye and a submerged bubble machine.
Alexandra Paul and William Katt are the less-than-dynamic duo who must save a summer camp and lakefront development from the titular carnivorous fishies, created by the government as a secret weapon.
Bottom line: flat characters, fast pace, some humor, tongue-in-cheek violence.
"The Surgeon" is a dandy little medical horror/comedy. Think "E.R." meets "Re-Animator" with a first-rate ensemble cast.
The title character (Sean Haberle) is the proverbial mad scientist - actually he's a little madder than most - who's out to get everyone who has thwarted his research into "pituitary extract." Those include Malcolm MacDowell and Charles Dance. Isabel Glasser and James Remar are the good doctors. Peter Boyle is the cop on the case. Director Carl Schenkel and special effects coordinator Steve Johnson have come up with some genuinely creepy moments, most of them infused with strong humor. It's difficult to maintain an effective ratio of laughs and scares, but they manage it all the way through.
Really good horror movies like "The Surgeon" set up their rules - the monster can be killed by silver, is afraid of fire, cannot cross water, etc. - and then play by them. "Rumpelstiltskin" doesn't, though the action scenes are OK, the characters are colorful and the mini-creature is properly gross. There's something inherently frightening about squat, quick critters, and this one, played by Max Grodenchik, bears a distinct resemblance to Ross Perot.
The story has to do with a young widow (Kim Johnston Ulrich) and her baby, but it really doesn't stick to the basic elements of the fairy tale - social advancement, greed, deal-making, fate. Instead, it's a relatively standard chase/horror movie that makes the most of a low budget. Comedian Tommy Blaze provides scene-stealing support. Considering how popular similarly themed flicks have been on video, this one might well become a series.
Next week: "Mission: Impossible" and "Fist of the North Star"!
Got a question about home video or film? Contact your favorite video columnist at P.O. Box 2491; Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491, or by e-mail at 75331.2603@compuserve.com.
New releases this week:
Original Gangstas ***
Starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier. Directed by Larry Cohen. Orion Home Video. 99 min. Rated R for violence, extremely strong language.
Producer/star Williamson brings back his fellow heroes of the 1970s "blaxploitation" adventures and a supporting cast of B-movie all-stars to tell a simple town-taming story set in contemporary Gary, Indiana. Required viewing for fans.
- Mike Mayo
Stealing Beauty **
Starring Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. FoxVideo. 119 min. Rated R for sexual content and language.
There are two puzzles to solve in this movie; unfortunately, neither is very challenging. The first involves figuring out which of the men meandering about a beautiful villa in the hills of Tuscany is the biological father of the Tyler character, Lucy. The second involves figuring out which one will become the proud owner of the Lucy's virginity. It takes just a little more than 30 minutes to solve both mysteries and there isn't much else here, beyond the beauty of Tuscany and the beauty of Liv Tyler, to sustain interest.
- Katherine Reed
The Adventures of Pinocchio **1/2
Starring Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. New Line Home Video. 96 min. Rated PG.
This winning live-action version of the famous allegory really knocks the sawdust off the original tale. Disney fans might be appalled to learn that Jiminy Cricket has been replaced by a grasshopper, they can take heart in knowing that the blue fairy has been replaced by a love interest for Geppetto (Landau). Laudau is effusive as the kindly puppeteer who turns the puppet into a real boy (Thomas). Younger children might be alarmed by the ``Pleasure Island'' scene, but the wide-eyed puppet, a miracle of animatronics, is charming to behold.
- K.R.
Arriving Nov. 12:
The Nutty Professor ***
Starring Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett. Directed by Tom Shadyac. MCA/Universal. 95 min. Rated PG-13 for rude humor, strong language, mild violence.
The funniest movie Eddie Murphy has made since "Beverly Hills Cop" is too strong (with lots of bathroom humor) for younger audiences, but it's still based on the more playful side of Murphy's screen persona; actually several sides. Through special effects and heavy makeup he portrays seven different characters. The Jekyll-and-Hyde story is loosely based on the overrated Jerry Lewis comedy.
- Mike Mayo
Hellraiser: Bloodline BOMB
Starring Doug Bradley. Directed by Allan Smithee. Buena Vista/Miramax. 81 min. Rated R for graphic violence, gore, strong language, brief nudity, sexual content.
The fourth entry in author-producer Clive Barker's series is a century-hopping tale of torture and mutilation told with a creepy affinity for its subjects. Like last year's "Lord of Illusions," it depends on sharp objects graphically piercing or slicing flesh for its horror. Some scenes involve a child, and though they're not explicit, they add a queasy note to an already distasteful effort.
- MM
The Essentials:
Dawn of the Dead ***1/2 Anchor Bay. 137 min. Unrated, contains graphic violence, strong language.
Piranha *1/2 Concorde-New Horizons. 76 min. Rated R for violence, strong language, brief nudity.
The Surgeon *** A-Pix 100 min. Rated R for subject matter, violence, graphic effects, strong language, brief nudity, sexual content.
Rumpelstiltskin ** Republic. 91 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language, sexual content, eyeball eating.
LENGTH: Long : 140 linesby CNB