Dean Martin Is...Matt Helm: 4 Movie Set

 

Four-disc set includes: The Silencers (1966)After the success of the James Bond films, Dean Martin swung his way onto the big screen as super-cool secret agent Matt Helm. This debut film in the series finds Helm and klutzy assistant Gail Hendricks (Stella Stevens) saving America's nuclear arsenal from Asian mastermind Tung-Tze (Victor Buono). With Daliah Lavi, Roger C. Carmel, Robert Webber, Arthur O'Connell, and Beverly Adams as "Lovey Kravezit"; based on two novels by Donald Hamilton 102 min. C/Rtg: PG Murderers' Row (1966)When criminal kingpin Julian Wall (Karl Malden) threatens to destroy Washington with a hijacked "helio-beam," it's up to ICE agent Matt Helm (Dean Martin)-who fakes his own death and poses as a Chicago gangster-to stop him, in this fast-paced, light-hearted sequel. Also stars Ann-Margret, James Gregory, Camilla Sparv, and Dino, Desi & Billy. 105 min. C/Rtg: NR The Ambushers (1967)Ace spy and lady-killer Matt Helm (Dean Martin) goes to Mexico with gorgeous female scientist Sheila Sommers (Janice Rule) to track down a mysterious, government-built flying saucer which was hijacked by exiled ruler José Ortega (Albert Salmi). Third Helm outing co-stars Senta Berger, James Gregory, Kurt Kasznar, Beverly Adams; loosely based on Donald Hamilton's novel. 102 min. C/Rtg: NR The Wrecking Crew (1969)The series' final film sees superspy Matt Helm (Dean Martin) teaming up with sexy sidekick Freya Carlson (Sharon Tate, in her final film) to find the criminal genius known as Count Contini (Nigel Green) who's behind a billion-dollar gold hijacking. With Elke Sommer, Nancy Kwan, Tina Louise, and a debuting Chuck Norris; Bruce Lee served as the film's martial arts adviser. 105 min. C/Rtg: PG Widescreen; Soundtrack: English. Region Free

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Action, DVD,

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Friday the 13th Collection [Blu-ray]

 

Jason is back in a new deluxe set of the long–running slasher series! This set enshrines the most successful horror series in cinema history. Jason slashes his way from Crystal Lake to outer space and back to fight Freddy! This Deluxe Collection includes all of the previously released extras plus all-new bonus materials, including new audio commentaries with cast and crew!

Disc 1 - Friday the 13th (1980):

New 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative

U.S. Theatrical Trailer

International Theatrical Trailer

TV Spot

U.S. Radio Spots

U.K. Radio Spot

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 2 - Friday the 13th (1980):

New 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative

New Restored Original Mono Track

Audio Commentary by Director Sean S. Cunningham, Screenwriter Victor Miller, Actresses Adrienne King and Betsy Palmer, Composer Harry Manfredini, Editor Bill Freda and Assistant Editor Jay Keuper, Hosted by Peter M. Bracke

Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th

The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham

Friday the 13th Reunion Panel

Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Disc 3 - Friday the 13th Part 2:

New 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative

New Restored Mono Track

NEW Slashed Scenes – The Long-Awaited Uncut Gore Footage!

New Audio Commentary with Actress Amy Steel, Filmmaker Thommy Hutson and Author Peter M. Bracke

New Audio Commentary with Actors Russell Todd, Kirsten Baker, Bill Randolph, Lauren Marie-Taylor, Stu Charno and Author Peter M. Bracke

New My Life with Ginny – A Conversation with Actress Amy Steel, Moderated by Justin Beahm

Inside Crystal Lake Memories: The Book

Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions

Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 2

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

U.S. Theatrical Trailer

Japanese Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Radio Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Poster and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 4 - Friday the 13th Part 3:

New 4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative for Both the 2-D and 3-D Versions of the Film

New Restored Mono Track

New Blu-ray 3-D Version of the Film (to watch the 3D version, you must have a fully capable 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray player)

Audio Commentary with Actors Dana Kimmell, Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka and Richard Brooker

Fresh Cuts: 3-D Terror

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Radio Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 5 - Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter:

New 4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative

New Restored Mono Track

Audio Commentary by Director Joe Zito, Screenwriter Barney Cohen and Editor Joel Goodman

Fan Audio Commentary by Filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch

Slashed Scenes with Audio Commentary by Director Joseph Zito

Jason's Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

The Lost Ending

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4

Jimmy's Dead Dance Moves

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spot

Radio Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 6 - Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning:

New Restored Mono Track

New Audio Commentary with Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees, Tiffany Helm and Author Peter M. Bracke

New Fan Audio Commentary by Filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch

Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Screenwriter Danny Steinmann, Actors John Shepherd and Shavar Ross

Lost Tales of Camp Blood – Part 5

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II

New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th Part V

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Poster and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 7 - Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives:

NEW Restored Stereo Track

NEW Audio Commentary with Thom Mathews, Vincent Guastaferro, Kerry Noonan, Cynthia Kania, C.J. Graham and Author Peter M. Bracke

NEW Fan Audio Commentary by Filmmakers Adam Green, Joe Lynch and Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin

Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin

Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin, Actor Vincent Guastaferro and Editor Bruce Green

Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 6

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III

Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VI

Meeting Mr. Voorhees – Alternate Ending Storyboards

Slashed Scenes

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Still Gallery

Disc 8 - Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood:

NEW Restored Stereo Track

Audio Commentary with Director John Carl Buechler and Actor Kane Hodder

Audio Commentary with Director John Carl Buechler and Actors Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder

Jason's Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII

Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis

Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, My A

Slashed Scenes with Introduction

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spot

Movie Stills Gallery

Poster and Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Disc 9 - Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan:

Audio Commentary with Director Rob Hedden

Audio Commentary with Actors Scott Reeves, Jensen Daggett and Kane Hodder

New York Has a New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII – Jason Takes Manhattan

Slashed Scenes

Gag Reel

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Behind-the-Scenes Gallery

Disc 10 - Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday:

NEW 2K Scan of the Interpositive

NEW Introduction by Director Adam Marcus

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Behind-the-Scenes Gallery

A Look at the Friday the 13th Prop Museum Book

Disc 11 - Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday:

NEW 2K Scan of the Interpositive with HD Inserts

NEW Introduction by Director Adam Marcus

NEW The Gates of Hell – An Interview with Director Adam Marcus

NEW Jason vs. Terminator – Adam Marcus on Growing Up with the Cunningham's

NEW Über-Jason – An interview with Kane Hodder on Playing Jason

NEW Audio Commentary with Director Adam Marcus and Author Peter M. Bracke

Additional TV Footage with NEW Optional Audio Commentary with Director Adam Marcus and Author Peter M. Bracke

Audio Commentary with Director Adam Marcus and Screenwriter Dean Lorey

Disc 12 - Jason X:

NEW 2K Scan of the Interpositive

NEW Introduction by Kane Hodder

NEW Audio Commentary with Writer Todd Farmer and Author Peter M. Bracke

NEW Outta Space: The Making of Jason X – Featuring Interviews with Producers Noel Cunningham and Sean S. Cunningham, Actor Kane Hodder and Writer Todd Farmer

NEW In Space No One Can Hear You Scream – An Interview with Writer Todd Farmer

NEW Kristi Is a Headbanger – An Interview with Actress Kristi Angus

NEW Jason Rebooted – Sean S. Cunningham on Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X

Audio Commentary with Director Jim Isaac, Writer Todd Farmer and Producer Noel Cunningham

The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees – A Documentary on the History of Jason

By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X - Making-of/Production Documentary

Club Reel

Vintage Cast and Crew Interviews

Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Electronic Press Kit – Cast and Crew Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Theatrical Trailers

TV Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Posters and Behind-the-Scenes Gallery

Disc 13 - Freddy vs. Jason:

Audio Commentary by Director Ronny Yu, Actors Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger

21 Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Including the Original Opening and Ending with Optional Commentary by Director Ronny Yu and Executive Producer Douglas Curtis

Genesis: Development Hell

On Location: Springwood Revisited

On Location: Cabin Fever

Art Direction: Jason's Decorating Tips

Stunts: When Push Comes to Shove

Make-up Effects: Freddy's Beauty Secrets

Visual Effects Exploration

My Summer Vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash

Pre-fight press conference at Bally's Casino in Las Vegas

Music Video: Ill Nino's "How Can I Live"

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Disc 14 - Friday the 13th (2009):

Terror Trivia Track with Picture-in-Picture Featuring Comments from the Cast and Crew

The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees – A Look at the Making of Friday the 13th

Hacking Back/Slashing Forward - Remembering the Groundbreaking Original Movie

Slashed Scenes

The Best 7 Kills

Disc 15:

NEW Crystal Lake Confidential – An Interview with Producer/Director Sean S. Cunningham

NEW Machete Memories – An Interview with Producer/Director Steve Miner

NEW Chicago to Connecticut: The Early Career of Harry Manfredini – An Interview with Composer Harry Manfredini

NEW The Magic Keyboard – Harry Manfredini on Scoring Friday the 13th

NEW Blood Types – An Interview with Actor Harry Crosby

NEW Once Speared, Twice Shy – An Interview with Actor Bill Randolph

NEW Back to Camp: The Locations of Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2 hosted by Michael Gingold

NEW It Came from the Vaults – An Interview with La-La Land Records' Matt Verboys and Michael V. Gerhard and Composer Harry Manfredini

NEW Finding Friday: On Location of the Friday the 13th Films

The Friday the 13th Chronicles – An 8-Part Featurette on the First 8 Films

Secrets Galore Behind the Gore – A 3-Part Featurette on the Makeup Effects of Part 1, Part 4 and Part 7

Crystal Lake Victims Tell All!

Tales from the Cutting Room Floor

Friday the 13th Artifacts and Collectibles

Jason Forever – Q & A with Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham and Kane Hodder

Legacy of the Mask

Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular

The Friday the 13th Playing Cards Still Gallery

Easter Eggs

Disc 16:

Music Video: Alice Cooper's "The Man Behind the Mask"

NEW Alice Lives: Alice Cooper and Friday the 13th Part VI - A Look at the Music Video "The Man Behind the Mask" Featuring Interviews with Alice Cooper and Director Jeffrey Abelson

NEW Legends Never Die – Tom McLoughlin at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

NEW Life, Death and Jason Voorhees – An Interview with Director Tom McLoughlin

NEW The Road to Crystal Lake – An Interview with Producer Sean S. Cunningham

NEW Faceless Evil – Sean S. Cunningham and Jason

NEW Jason Was Here: Friday the 13th Part 3 – 6 Locations Then and Now

Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed (2014) – Including Interviews with Adrienne King and Melanie Kinnaman (80 mins.)

Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2013) – Including Interviews with Corey Feldman and John Carl Buechler (78 mins.)

Trailer Reel – All 12 Friday the 13th Trailers in a Row

Freddy vs. Jason Storyboards and Production Galleries

Friday the 13th (2009) Teaser Trailer

Friday the 13th (2009) Theatrical Trailer

Friday the 13th (2009) TV Spots

Friday the 13th (2009) Electronic Press Kit – Interviews with Cast and Crew, Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Friday the 13th Series Newspaper Ad Still Gallery – Vintage Newspaper Ads for All 12 Films

Easter Egg.

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Bluray, DVD, Horror,

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Limited Edition Steelbook [Blu-ray]

 

Labeled as perverted and violent, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was banned in many countries and, at the time, recognized by only the bravest critics as the film that redefined horror. The Texas Bloody Judgment has divided, shocked and stunned audiences around the world, setting a benchmark in its genre and resetting the course.

In 1974, writer, director and producer Tobe Hooper unleashed his dark vision upon mankind - a story about five young friends whose innocent drive into the countryside on a summer afternoon turns into a horrible nightmare. Tobe Hooper's Chainsaw Massacre remains a milestone in exploitation cinema and remains one of the most terrifying horror films of all time... 

bonus material

+ four audio commentaries by cast, director, cameraman, editor and sound engineer

+ documentaries and interviews The Chainsaw Business: From Grandfather's Stitching Box, The Chainsaw Cut, The Hallowed Ground of Horror

+ Documentaries: TCM – A Family Portrait; The Shocking; Truth, Flesh Wounds and Off the Hook

+ A Tour of the TCM House with Gunnar Hansen

+ Removed Scenes and Outtakes

+ The Shocking Truth Outtakes

+ 40th Anniversary Trailer, Cinema Trailer (USA, D), US TV & radio spot

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Bluray, DVD, Horror,

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Dragons Forever (1988)

 

Dragons Forever (Chinese: 飛龍猛將) is a 1988 Hong Kong martial arts action-comedy film directed by Sammo Hung, who also starred in the film and co-directed by Corey Yuen. The film co-stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Deannie Yip, Pauline Yeung, and Crystal Kwok. It is the last film in which Hung, Chan and Biao all appeared in together, as later Chan subsequently focused on his solo film career.

A fishery is seeking court action against a local chemical factory for polluting the water. The mysterious chemical company hires lawyer Jackie Lung (Jackie Chan) to find information that will discredit the fishery. He employs his arms dealer friend, Wong (Sammo Hung) to woo the fishery owner, Miss Yip (Deannie Yip), to try to convince her to settle out of court.

Lung also brings in goofy inventor and professional criminal, Tung (Yuen Biao), to bug her apartment. Unfortunately, Wong and Tung are unaware of each other's roles and soon come into confrontation, while Lung tries to maintain the peace.

Wong falls for Miss Yip, whilst Lung woos her cousin, Miss Wen (Pauline Yeung), an environmental scientist who is going to testify on Miss Yip's behalf. The three men inadvertently discover that the chemical company is just a facade for a narcotics empire, ran by Hua Hsien-Wu (Yuen Wah). They soon come up against Hua's thugs, and ultimately infiltrate the factory for a showdown with Hua himself and his henchman - martial arts master (Benny Urquidez).

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1988, Action, Comedy, Hong Kong, Romance,

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The Curse of the Vampyr (1972)

Director: José María Elorrieta (as José Mª Elorrieta)

Country: Spain

Language: Spanish

Release Date: 16 December 1972 (Spain)

A small rural Spanish village of the present is haunted by vampires. Dr.Dora Maeterlick is called to a nearby castle to cure the father of Baron Carl von Rysselbert who suffers from a strange blood disease. Erika, assistant to Doctor, falls in love with Carl. But Carl is a vampire and pretty soon he makes Erika his vampire bride. From now on Dr.Maeterlick plunges into a nightmarish whirl of dark happenings...

An enthusiastic fan of European Gothic Horror productions, I was quite disappointed in the first film by José María Elorrieta I saw, the overall boring "Las Amantes Del Diablo" ("Feast of Satan", 1971), and my expectations for this film, "La Llamada Del Vampiro" ("The Curse of the Vampyr", 1972), were therefore considerably low. But while this film is pretty far away from being a masterpiece, of course, (in fact it is incredibly nonsensical and silly), at least it isn't boring, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the aforementioned other film by Elorrieta I've seen.

"La Llamada Del Diablo" looks quite amateurish, and mostly doesn't make the slightest sense, but it is entertaining enough for my fellow Eurohorror-fans to check out without feeling regret for the wasted time. The film is set in a remote village, which is haunted by vampires (though the mayor and a Baron living in the village are denying their existence). When the village doctor doctor dies, a new foxy female doctor (who goes by the beautiful name 'Dr. Materlick') arrives with an even foxier female assistant... there are also a bunch of weird characters, the weirdest being the Baron's son Carl (Nicholas Ney, who has never been part of another film). Then, the vampires begin to fill people's hearts with terror again... This may not sound like a proper plot description, but fact is that "La Llamada Del Vampiro" is a very confused little flick with an extremely incoherent storyline that hardly makes any sense.

Still, the film has a nice atmosphere at times (though it never gets even slightly creepy, let alone scary). The lack of sense is a likable one, and in spite of the incoherence, the film didn't bore me. The female cast members are entirely hot, the most prolific one being sexy Loreta Tovar, who plays a female vampire here, and whose filmography includes roles in Narciso Ibáñez Serrador's masterpiece "La Residencia" ("The House that Screamed", 1969), as well as the second part of Amando De Ossorio's "Blind Dead" saga, "El ataque de los muertos sin ojos" ("Return of the Blind Dead", 1973). Funnily, two of the female cast members (one of them Trovar) are suddenly fully naked for no reason, whereas the camera fades out when other female cast members strip for specific reasons (such as taking a shower). In nice early 70s tradition, some Lesbian Vampire action is thrown in.

Nicholas Ney, who gives his only performance here, plays one of the weirdest characters ever, who sports one of the weirdest hairstyles ever, which makes it even less understandable that a really hot chick would fall for him. The film was obviously shot on an extremely low budget, but director Ellorieta still managed to build up some nice Gothic atmosphere and throw in a bunch of stylish sequences (though none of them are remarkable).

Overall, this film isn't nearly as terrible as I feared it might be, and it is quite a bit better than "Las Amantes Del Diablo". Still, it is a bad, and very substandard example for Spanish Gothic Horror. My fellow fans of low-budget Eurohorror can give this a try, but if you're not too familiar with the genre I recommend to skip it, as there are about 5.000 European Gothic Horror flicks that are 5.000 times better. For good Spanish Gothic Horror Exploitation, check out some of the many films starring the late Paul Naschy, or any of the countless other European Gothic masterpieces. This one is just for my fellow Eurohorror-fanatics, and even those may well skip it unless there's really nothing else to watch.

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Horror, Spain,

{[['']]}

The Invasion of the Vampires (1963)

A doctor and his assistant hunt down a vampire named Count Frankenhausen, who is terrorizing the populace.

The opening scene of La Invasion de los Vampiros sets a wonderfully chilling, Gothic tone which carries through. It's a very effective, creepy movie. Mexican horror is unique. It's not often in a classic horror film you can mix a desert setting equip with blowing sand and tumble weeds with lush atmosphere and vampires. This film very effectively captures the essence of what made great Mexican horror what it is. Although some of these films are often considered campy, one should realize that this is largely due to the infamous English dubbed prints Americans watched in the late 60s, which often times were poorly done and therefore often detracted from the films serious elements.

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Horror, Mexico,

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Night Of The Sorcerers / The Loreley’s Grasp (Scream Factory) (Blu-Ray)

A DOUBLE FEATURE FROM DIRECTOR ARMANDO de OSSORIO of the notorious Blind Dead series!

THE NIGHT OF THE SORCERERS
1080p High-Definition (1.33:1)

A group of explorers arrive in Africa to study the wildlife in the same area where a brutal native ritual occurred in 1910. All is tranquil until night falls and distant drumming draws one of the female members of the group to investigate the jungle. From there, a nightmare will be awakened … a nightmare of zombie natives and scantily-clad vampire women who prowl the moonlight jungle in search of fresh blood and more victims to sacrifice.

THE LORELEY’S GRASP
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)

In a town by the Rhine river, young women are turning up dead … savagely torn to pieces and their hearts missing. Concerned that whatever beast is doing these horrible murders will end up attacking the female students, a nearby school for women hires a hunter to find and kill the creature. The hunter will soon find out that this is no ordinary beast that craves human hearts, but rather a deceptive, alluring and mysterious being – The Loreley – who is already looking for another heart to use in a gruesome ancient ritual.

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Blu-Ray, DVD, Horror,

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Projected Man (Scream Factory) (Blu-Ray)

A million volts of death in each of his hands!

Dr. Paul Steiner and Dr. Christopher Mitchell have created a projection device that can transmit any object within a few miles of their new device. The device works well on inanimate objects, but using it on a living device causes death. When Steiner is accidentally projected, he becomes a disfigured monster who has the ability to kill by electrification.This first-time-on-home-video release features a new 2K scan of the film’s interpositive.

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Blu-Ray, DVD, Sci-Fi, Thriller,

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Zodiac Killer (AGFA / Something Weird) (DVD / Blu-Ray Combo)

A new 4K transfer of the only movie in history made explicitly to catch a serial killer.

Directed by Tom Hanson, who had previously owned a chain of Pizza Man restaurants, The Zodiac Killer was made to capture the real-life Zodiac Killer. That plan didn’t work. Instead, we got the most outrageous and compelling “tabloid horror” vortex in the history of planet Earth. And beyond. During theatrical screenings, Hanson constructed in-theater “traps” to lure the killer from hiding. These included the use of an ice cream freezer filled with rent-a-cops and a raffle with a motorcycle as a prize. You won’t get insight like this by watching a David Fincher movie. But you will get it while watching The Zodiac Killer.

Audio Commentary with director Tom Hanson and producer Manny Nedwick
On-camera interview with director Tom Hanson and producer Manny Nedwick
Bonus movie: ANOTHER SON OF SAM (1977)
Tabloid-horror trailers from the AGFA archive!
Liner notes and director Tom Hanson interview by Chris Poggiali of TEMPLE OF SCHLOCK

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Crime, Thriller,

{[['']]}

The Master (1984)

Sometimes even a television series as profoundly dumb as The Master (1984) can fill a void in one's viewing habits. A faux martial arts action-adventure, this short-lived series (13 episodes), rather emblematic of mid-1980s TV action, might turn one's brain into cottage cheese, yet it's oddly appealing in other ways.
Predating by six months the unexpectedly popular The Karate Kid, a modest $8 million feature that became a well received $90-million blockbuster, The Master operates from a similar premise. Lee Van Cleef stars as a mysterious ninja guru who takes on 24-year-old pupil Timothy Van Patten, roaming the country (all of which resembles Southern California scrub country) aboard the latter's customized van and partake in various improbable adventures.

Squinty-eyed, hooked-nose, and hawk-faced Lee Van Cleef had specialized playing the third heavy on the right in innumerable ‘50s Westerns, including in his debut film, High Noon (1952). He toiled away in movies and on television for years. He seemed to be everywhere, with a good supporting role in Roger Corman's low-budget It Conquered the World (1956), for instance, but he never quite working his way up to character star, let alone a leading man. But, finally, he struck gold playing the mysterious, sympathetic protagonist opposite Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More (1965), and worked again with Eastwood and Leone, this time as the villain Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966). Eastwood scurried back to Hollywood, never to return, but Van Cleef remained in Europe, becoming a huge star there, headlining some of the best Spaghetti Westerns, notably The Big Gundown (1966), Death Rides a Horse, Day of Anger (both 1967), Sabata (1969), and The Grand Duel (1972). Returning to America, he appeared as Yul Brynner's character, Chris, in The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972), a weak, cheap-looking sequel, at about the same time Brynner was playing Van Cleef's Sabata role in that series' second sequel, made in Europe. Director John Carpenter put Van Cleef to good use in Escape from New York (1981), but Van Cleef's unique appeal seemed to baffle casting agents.

He's not really a good fit for The Master, either. Van Cleef's screen presence was all about the threat of violence, of gunning somebody down in cold blood, not third-rate chop-socky action moves. His knee shattered in a ‘50s car accident, and more recent heart surgery necessitated finding a stand-in for the uniquely compact, wiry, bald actor missing part of one finger and sporting bushy gray sideburns, resulting in surreally unbelievable stunt doubling. And, yet, Lee Van Cleef is a pleasure to watch, the actor clearly relishing the leading role on an American TV series.

Creator Michael Sloan, who'd soon move on to the much superior The Equalizer, packs The Master with entertainingly goofy situations and a dizzying array of guest stars. One-off 007 George Lazenby, of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, turns up in one episode as a British spy in a tuxedo who drives an Aston Martin DB-5, helping the stars battle terrorist David McCallum. And one can only imagine the loopy casting genetics that resulted in burly, pit-bull-faced Claude Akins playing the father of demure, 21-year-old Demi Moore.

The pilot episode is cut for the usual hour format but plays like it might have been shot as a 72-minute TV movie for a 90-minute slot. Certain story elements make little sense, as if crucial exposition were cut out, though the action is very nearly non-stop. Van Cleef plays John McAllister, World War II vet who remained in Japan after the war, training as a modern-day ninja. Leaving the order to search for a stateside daughter gone missing, McAllister signs his own death warrant, with former student Okasa (Sho Kosugi), determined to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, free-spirited drifter Max Keller (Van Patten), who drives around the countryside with his pet hamster (yes) rescues Holly Trumball (Demi Moore) from lascivious redneck Sheriff Kyle (Bill McKinney), a corrupt lawman in the employ of slimy developer Christensen (Clu Gulager). Christensen wants the airstrip owned by Holly's father (Claude Akins). When Sheriff Kyle corners Max in a bar, McAllister turns up, nearly destroying the bar with his ninja moves much like Jonathan Winters with his bare hands trashed that gas station in Mad Mad World. Suitably impressed, easy-going Max all but begs McAllister to train him in the ninja arts. Now, admit it - aren't you just a little curious to see The Master now?

McAllister's introduction in Japan and later flashbacks there are limited to a single set, probably a Los Angeles-based Japanese garden or maybe the grounds of Yamashiro, the Hollywood Hills restaurant often used by filmmakers. Ninja disappeared from the Japanese landscape two centuries even before the last samurai, and the gimmick of modern-day ninja lacks any sense of authenticity. It's more an outgrowth, the last gasp, really, of the type of genre popularized by Bruce Lee, mainly in Hong Kong movies a decade earlier. The show's writers and designers might have done well to study the colorful iconography from Japanese-made ninja movies of the 1960s, which show much imagination despite their budgetary limitations. Instead, most of the costumes and weapons have only a passing resemblance to the real historical articles, and how they were used.

The half-brother of Dick and Joyce Van Patten, the much younger Timothy at this point in his career had facial features and a likeability akin to a young Sylvester Stallone. His character narrates the stories with much self-deprecating humor. Emblematically an ‘80s-type but not quite a "Brat Pack" star, Van Patten is not exactly handsome but projects an agreeable confidence and affability. He gave up acting in 1990 to become a television director, where he's enjoyed considerably more success, helming episodes of such prestigious shows as Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Wire, numerous episodes of The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones.

As for directors of The Master, the series culled movie/TV veterans like Sidney Hayers and Gordon Hessler, noted for their action genre work, and even Enter the Dragon director Robert Clouse for one episode. Compared to most ‘80s TV shows The Master crams more action set pieces into each hour episode than most shows.

The list of guest stars is a wild jumble of veteran character actors and up-and-comers, notably Crystal Bernard, Edd Byrnes, William Campbell, J.D. Cannon, Robert Dowdell, James Gammon, Mark Goddard, Jack Kelly, George Maharis, Jock Mahoney, Monte Markham, Doug McClure, Diana Muldaur, Robert Pine, Jennifer Runyon, William Smith, Janine Turner, and Stuart Whitman. That's quite a pack for just 13 shows.

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{[['']]}

Steve McQueen: American Icon

In trivia of the personally strange, I tend to gravitate to documentaries on Steve McQueen, as I've watched the one where McQueen labored over years to get his Le Mans film made, and I've also seen the one that examines why McQueen was so charismatic and his life with remembrances by his son Chad. I didn't know what to expect from Steve McQueen: American Icon, but it wasn't without intrigue.

There was a point late in McQueen's life that he had discovered spirituality and faith and his love of Jesus Christ. Yes, THAT Steve McQueen! And American Icon spends some exploratory time diving into that period in his life, but this is spent near the end of the 80-minute film, after the film has hit touchstones in McQueen's life like his popularity amongst men and women and the amount of money he amassed making movies, and some personal turmoil as well.

Greg Laurie is a pastor based mainly in California, but more relevant to this is that he is a fan of Steve McQueen, and he drives a Mustang that looks a lot like the one McQueen used in the film Bullitt, and he drives around various places in California that have some relevance and/or significance in McQueen's life. While the film is narrated by Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump), his narration is kept fairly minimal in impact as the film includes interviews with McQueen's widow and pastor. Admirers of McQueen like Mel Gibson (Braveheart) talk about why McQueen was so admired, why he was so cool.

Laurie initially wrote "The Salvation of an American Icon," a book that became the inspiration for the film, and he handles the interviews of the subjects, to an occasional strange result or two. It's in the bonus material but at one point, devoted Steve McQueen fan Laurie apparently forgets how old McQueen was when he died? It's not part of the final cut of the film but it certainly gave me pause. That concern aside, McQueen's exploration of his faith is an interesting and somewhat mysterious journey. At one point, McQueen and the Reverend Billy Graham met to discuss faith, the Lord and afterlife when McQueen was suffering from mesothelioma, cancer in his lungs. The few people aware of McQueen's quest, who were interviewed for the film, share the insight they have on what he was doing in these discussions.

A couple of things I noticed about American Icon that I was taken with, the big one being the lack of connection to McQueen's journey for faith. McQueen's widow talks about how he came into a room with her and said she should put on a dress, they were going to church. It seemed like there should be some sort of further explanation to his faith that was explained in the film or even in the book somehow, but the film comes off as saying ‘Hey look! Steve McQueen liked God, you can too!' and that left me feeling that that was a little below board. Secondly, if you're going to talk about Steve McQueen, I think you better be sure to include whatever component you're looking at within the larger context of his life, and I think American Icon lands short in that bar. We know about McQueen the womanizer, the desire for fame, the gearhead, and how that was part of his persona. We don't really get McQueen the lover of Christ with that here and it's disappointing.

To be clear, Steve McQueen's fascination with God near the end of his life was something I wasn't aware of and was curious to learn more about. American Icon spends less time about that and almost kind of nods in approval that McQueen did find the Lord, being enamored of a notable convert rather than exploring this important part of the convert's life. For the ways it could have been handled, American Icon could have done better with it.

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Documentary,

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The Hard Road (1970)

A cautionary tale. At 17, Sherman Oaks high schooler Pam Banner has a baby out of wedlock. The baby is adopted, but Pam's too embarrassed to go back to school, so her dad gets her a job as the receptionist for a talent agent. A rock star takes her to a party, seduces and abandons her; that starts a spiral of partying, free love, and drug use. Pam becomes friends with Jeannie, a hooker who supports Jimmy, a useless druggie. Soon the three of them are living together, and Jimmy seems appealing to Pam. She's missing work more and more often, Jeannie wants out of the life, Jimmy is going through withdrawal, and Pam is in the middle of a maelstrom. Is there any exit for Pam?

The film begins with a pregnant 17 year-old (Pam) in the back seat of her parents' car. She is driven to a hospital or health clinic and they begin talking to her about her plans for the baby. At this point, a guy dressed like a doctor (but who obviously isn't as he mispronounces some of the words) talks--giving a dry lecture about pregnancy. This is NOT integrated into plot--just an interruption in the movie. Then, once the guy is finished, it returns back to the story and you see Pam about to give birth. Then, the baby pops out and she smiles. The narrator then tells us that that's the last she ever saw of the baby--it was soon adopted by strangers.

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Drama,

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