Scott W. Davis
01-06-2003, 06:58 PM
Another batch of goodness for the Region 1 folks as MGM unveils their latest batch from the Midnite Movies line. MGM introduced this line a few years ago. They combed their archives ( which included a number of the old AIP titles ) for the best cult films. This is why we've got MOTEL HELL, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES and those nifty Roger Corman/Edgar Allen Poe movies. The transfers have been typically great and the prices have been affordable. There are typically two or three batches released each year.
The latest batch continues the tradition started last year of providing double feature discs with the same quality but for about the same price. As promised, there are five releases, each from a different genre. They include:
Horror - A Gordon Hessler Double! - CRY OF THE BANSHEE (1970) starring Vincent Price as a witchfinder whose family suffers the wrath of the real thing. MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1971) a retelling of the classic tale where the people in a Paris theatre are targeted for murder. Starring Jason Robards and Herbert Lom
Bikers - ANGEL UNCHAINED (1970) where bikers protect hippies from redneck townspeople. THE CYCLE SAVAGES (1969) starring Bruce Dern in a role that must have inspired David Hess. He plays a prostitute-mongering biker who decides to punish a local artist.
Sci-fi - A John Agar Double! - INVISIBLE INVADERS (1959) has a group of invisible moon men out to destroy the human race by occupying the bodies of our dead. JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET (1962) in which a voyage to Uranus ( stop giggling ) turns into a mind-bending adventure as the planet's brain designs people and places from the astronauts' childhoods.
Beach Party - MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964) the second film in the series has Frankie Avalon and Annette Funnacello trying to stop a businessman from turning their beach into a training ground for a bunch of bodybuilders. SKI PARTY (1965) is just what it says, a beach party with snow. Nyeeh, I was never much for Erich Von Zipper and his cohorts, but there ya go.
Psychadelic/Drugs - PSYCH-OUT (1968) is a hoot, featuring Jack Nicholson and Dean Stockwell as feuding hippies with Susan Strasberg caught in the middle. Also featuring Bruce Dern, Henry Jaglom, and a brief walk-on by future exploitation director John "Bud" Cardos. Directed by Richard Rush, who made the criminally underrated THE STUNT MAN. Also, THE TRIP (1969) is Roger Corman's classic LSD tale starring Susan Strasberg and Bruce Dern, again. Also featuring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. Jack Nicholson doesn't star, but he wrote it! Not surprisingly, this set has the best cover art. It's like, beautiful, man....
, who initially broke the story, tell us we shouldn't feel short-changed that our favorite genre has been omitted: "Horror fans who are disappointed by the fact that this batch of Midnite Movies only includes two horror films can be rest assured that MGM's August batch of double features will include several highly-anticipated horror titles (many with extras), including the long-delayed double feature of THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and COUNTESS DRACULA."
The site also mentions Retromedia is finally releasing an uncut version of NIGHTMARE CASTLE later this year, so you can finally toss that old Madacy disc.
To see more covers from the upcoming Midnite Movies, click .
The latest batch continues the tradition started last year of providing double feature discs with the same quality but for about the same price. As promised, there are five releases, each from a different genre. They include:
Horror - A Gordon Hessler Double! - CRY OF THE BANSHEE (1970) starring Vincent Price as a witchfinder whose family suffers the wrath of the real thing. MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1971) a retelling of the classic tale where the people in a Paris theatre are targeted for murder. Starring Jason Robards and Herbert Lom
Bikers - ANGEL UNCHAINED (1970) where bikers protect hippies from redneck townspeople. THE CYCLE SAVAGES (1969) starring Bruce Dern in a role that must have inspired David Hess. He plays a prostitute-mongering biker who decides to punish a local artist.
Sci-fi - A John Agar Double! - INVISIBLE INVADERS (1959) has a group of invisible moon men out to destroy the human race by occupying the bodies of our dead. JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET (1962) in which a voyage to Uranus ( stop giggling ) turns into a mind-bending adventure as the planet's brain designs people and places from the astronauts' childhoods.
Beach Party - MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964) the second film in the series has Frankie Avalon and Annette Funnacello trying to stop a businessman from turning their beach into a training ground for a bunch of bodybuilders. SKI PARTY (1965) is just what it says, a beach party with snow. Nyeeh, I was never much for Erich Von Zipper and his cohorts, but there ya go.
Psychadelic/Drugs - PSYCH-OUT (1968) is a hoot, featuring Jack Nicholson and Dean Stockwell as feuding hippies with Susan Strasberg caught in the middle. Also featuring Bruce Dern, Henry Jaglom, and a brief walk-on by future exploitation director John "Bud" Cardos. Directed by Richard Rush, who made the criminally underrated THE STUNT MAN. Also, THE TRIP (1969) is Roger Corman's classic LSD tale starring Susan Strasberg and Bruce Dern, again. Also featuring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. Jack Nicholson doesn't star, but he wrote it! Not surprisingly, this set has the best cover art. It's like, beautiful, man....
, who initially broke the story, tell us we shouldn't feel short-changed that our favorite genre has been omitted: "Horror fans who are disappointed by the fact that this batch of Midnite Movies only includes two horror films can be rest assured that MGM's August batch of double features will include several highly-anticipated horror titles (many with extras), including the long-delayed double feature of THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and COUNTESS DRACULA."
The site also mentions Retromedia is finally releasing an uncut version of NIGHTMARE CASTLE later this year, so you can finally toss that old Madacy disc.
To see more covers from the upcoming Midnite Movies, click .