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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Space Monster Dogora (1964)

Several satellites have been destroyed without explanation. A few days later, a group of diamond thieves are thwarted when the gems they are after suddenly disappear. Strangely enough, the two incidents are connected when scientists discover that a giant jellyfish like creature, which was mutated due to a high amount of radiation hovering over Japan, is drawing up all carbon based matter, including coal and diamonds. Soon the creature is also attacking bridges and ships. Can anything be done to destroy the creature before he begins drawing up all mankind?
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Japanese film companies such as Toho made a bunch of Godzilla-type movies. You know, giant dinosaur-like monsters which often were just guys in big rubber suits stomping on plastic cities and military equipment. Some are entertaining (such as the first Godzilla film) and many were just ridiculous and dumb (such as seeing Gamera the giant killer turtle flying away by shooting flames out his butt). I didn't realize "Dogora" was in this same genre but once I saw it, I felt it was a bit better than these sorts of movies. Yes, there is a big silly monster but he was used sparingly (thank goodness) and the rest of the film was decent.

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Japan, Sci-Fi,

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Wham! Bam! Thank You, Spaceman! (1975)

Two aliens from a dying planet are on a mission to impregnate Earth women.

This is one of those movies that defies description. There's absolutely no way any words of mine can adequately convey just how stupid, cheap and cheesy this ultra-low budget 70s sci fi softcore silliness is, so I won't even begin to try. All I can say is that if you have a taste for trash ala Ed Wood, Russ Meyer, Jack Hill, or even (the absolutely worthless) Ted V. Mikels, then you NEED to see 'Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman' sometime in your life.

Two alien doofus studs are sent to Earth to save their race by bedding down as many human women as they can. That's it for the plot. 'Blackenstein' director William A. Levey looks like he had a budget of $100 to work worth. The aliens spy on "hot" babes getting it on, then by electronic jiggery pokery beam them up to their spaceship where they give them some good extraterrestrial loving via their unusual equipment. This is repeated with variations over and over, interspersed with some "humour" as comic relief. Cult fans will probably want to track this one down as it includes Dyanne Thorne ('Ilsa, She Wolf Of The S.S.) and Haji ('Faster Pussycat!) in the cast, but I wouldn't get your hopes up, it isn't erotic OR amusing. Even so, it is impossible to tear your eyes from the screen as long as this unbelievably moronic movie is running. Afterwards you will shake your head and exclaim "How did this crap ever get made?!"

Now available on DVD!

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Sci-Fi,

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King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)

King Kong vs Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese-American production created by Toho Studios. It was the third film for both monsters and was the first time both were featured in color.  It became the highest grossing Godzilla film in history. The director of special effects was Eiji Suburaya.

Plot
The story takes place seven years after the events of Godzilla Raids Again (1955).  A U.S. nuclear submarine known as the Seahawk spots a strange light emanating from a large iceberg in the Arctic. The crew discovers that something inside it is causing the light and goes in to investigate. While submerged, the sub ends up crashing into the iceberg, accidently releasing the dreaded King of the Monsters, Godzilla, from his icy tomb. The radiactive dinosaur quickly makes his way to his Japanese homeland and destroys an attacking army base with relative ease.

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1962, Sci-Fi, Tokusatsu,

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Vintage Sci-Fi Movies, 6 Film Set -The 27th Day, The H-Man, Valley of the Dragons, 12 to the Moon, Battle in Outer Space, Night the World Exploded

Six sci-fi flicks on two single sided dual layer discs. That's squeezing quite a bit of material onto those little discs but overall the features all look pretty good, all with nice transfers provided by Columbia Pictures and all in their original theatrical ratios. You get two Japanese dubbed features in CinemaScope and color, 1958's "The H-Man" and 1960's "Battle in Outer Space", both with so-so special effects and the usual atrocious dubbing which may give you a few chuckles. Then there is the Sam Katzman produced snoozer "The Night the World Exploded" with Kathryn Grant and by comparison considerably better (but still not great!) "The 27th Day" with Gene Barry, both from 1957. Finally a couple of (in my opinion at least!) real duds, "12 to the Moon" from 1959 and "Valley of the Dragons" from 1961. I'd never seen either but had trouble staying awake for both.

Nothing really great here but you do more than get your money's worth and the films (from pretty good to BAD!) bring back fond memories of Saturday matinees and dusk-to-dawn movie marathons at drive in theaters way back in the day. As mentioned previously the films all have original theatrical aspect ratios, 2:35 to 1 for the two Japanese 'Scope films and 1:85:1 for the other four films and that's always a good thing. No extras or scene menus, only a very few chapter stops on each feature. Recommended for fans of 1950's shlock, not so much for most younger audiences who will most likely be extremely bored.

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DVD, Sci-Fi,

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Fire Maidens of Outer Space (1956)

After landing on the 13th moon of Jupiter, the men from Earth debark from their ship to find a forested area containing the last remnant of lost Atlantis: an old man named Prossus, a bevy of nubile young women eager for husbands, and -- The Creature. "The beast with the head of a man," laments Prossus. "It must be destroyed -- yet it is indestructible!"

Francesca, a seventeen-year-old Roman, is finally sure she has found love. Almost sure. She spends the day observing other lovers' behaviors and considering whether she is ready to jump. Her age notwithstanding, this movie is more about coming of age than about improper or illegal romantic relationships.

If Catherine Spaak, beautiful and innocent, acts with brio, the quality of the supporting cast makes the movie. From a fifty-year-old indebted socialite who is having too much fun for her daughter's taste to a jaunty gigolo who turns out to be eaten by unreciprocated love, the minor characters entertain, delight, and subtly teach valuable lessons to both Francesca and the audience.

This film's unpredictability is refreshing. Whether written or filmed, coming-of-age stories often fail to surprise or intrigue the audience. In I Dolci Inganni, most characters seem at first to be crazily entertaining walking clichés, but they later astonish the audience by revealing their depth and their inner struggles. If love is widely accepted as a common human need, it can be expressed in mysterious, unsettling, incomprehensible ways. The variety of its forms in the movie gives the spectator an opportunity to reflect on his or her own endeavors and dreams.

This movie will seem slow paced to Gen-Xers, but anybody interested in human nature should see it.

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1956, Sci-Fi,

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Westworld (1973)

An amusement park for rich vacationers. The park provides its customers a way to live out their fantasies through the use of robots that provide anything they want. Two of the vacationers choose a wild west adventure. However, after a computer breakdown, they find that they are now being stalked by a rogue robot gun-slinger.
In a near future, the Delos Company offers the vacation of the future in the present days in the amusement parks Medievalworld, Romanworld and Westworld for U$ 1,000.00 per day. The vacationers can feel in the Middle Age or in the Roman Empire or in the Wild West and have joust, sex, duel against gunslinger and whatever he or she wants interacting with robots.

Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) and John Blane (James Brolin) travel in the hovercraft to Westworld and sooner Peter duels against a Gunslinger (Yul Brynner). However, when there is a malfunctioning of the machinery, the robots get out of control jeopardizing the guests.

"Westworld" is a very successful sci-fi of my generation and a sort of grandfather of other robots films, such as "The Stepford Wives", "Blade Runner" and mainly "The Terminator". There is a scene in this last franchise that is an updated rip-off of Yul Brynner's character chasing Peter.

The story has flaws, but is engaging and suspenseful, holding the attention until the very last scene. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Westworld – Onde Ninguém Tem Alma" ("Westworld – Where No One Has Soul")

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Action, Sci-Fi,

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Jaws 2 [Blu-ray]

The horror is far from over as Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton reprise their iconic roles in Jaws 2. Four years after the great white shark terrorized the small resort of Amity, unsuspecting vacationers begin disappearing in an all-too-familiar fashion. Police Chief Brody (Scheider) finds himself in a race against time when a new shark attacks ten sailboats manned by teenagers, including his own two sons. The same heart-stopping suspense and gripping adventure that enthralled movie audiences throughout the world in Jaws returns in this worthy sequel to the original motion picture classic.
To believe that any effort to make a 'Jaws' sequel could compare with the impact of Steven Spielberg's original was a doomed notion even in 1978: the original was and is a cinematic classic of the highest order (despite having spent much of the '90s in almost-infinite rerun on the Turner networks), so much so that no sequel would ever have been able to measure up to its legacy. What happened basically is this: Universal execs saw the budget and schedule for 'Jaws' balloon so badly because of all its production troubles that they told Spielberg he'd never work in Hollywood again, UNTIL the movie was released and broke every box-office record imaginable. As they are wont to do in the face of staggering profit, these moneymongers quickly turned keel and told Spielberg they were behind him 100 percent the whole time and they wanted to know when he was planning to start shooting 'Jaws 2'. Spielberg, being smart, said 'No thanks', so the execs decided to go ahead with 'Jaws 2' without him. BIG mistake.

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Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller,

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The Mysterians (1957)

Description: Aliens arrive on Earth and ask permission to be given a certain tract of land for their people to live on. But when they are discovered to be invaders, responsible for the giant robot that is destroying cities, the armed forces attempt to stop them with every weapon available.

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Japan, Sci-Fi,

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Ebola Syndrome (1996)

Hong Kong 1986: A restaurant employee murders his boss and mutilates his wife, he escapes to South Africa where he rapes a Zulu-girl, who is infected with the ebola virus. In the restaurant where he now works he murders his boss and the bosses wife after raping her. He chops them up and makes them into hamburgers, which he sells in the restaurant, spreading the ebola virus. When the police come on his trail he moves back to Hong Kong and an ebola epidemic starts there.
I've always loved movies with Anthony Wong in them. Especially his cat 3 epics. Such as this obviously and the excellent untold story. In this Wong plays a lowly restaurant worker named Kai. Who's practically a slave. He gets all the lousy jobs. Wong like to have sex with his bosses wives though. This obviously doesn't go down very well when they find out so he moves job. In one instance when Kai is discovered practically raping the bosses wife, boss man is angry. He threatens to castrate Kai, things get out of hand and Kai ends up slaughtering his boss and his wife. Though not his daughter. Next we meet Kai 10 yeras later. Cutting up REAL frogs in grotesque detail. He is still the same low life restaurant worker, but he's moved. Anyway long story short Kai catches the ebola syndrome and becomes a carrier. I'm sure you can imagine what follows so I won't ruin it for you here. I'll just say that their are some scenes of extreme gore, although it never really feels disturbing as the scenes leading up to these events are always comedic. This is a fun film and definitely more of a gross out comedy than straight up horror. Whatever it is its great

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1996, Asian, Category III, Hong Kong, Sci-Fi,

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Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Disco Club Layla (1991)

Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Disco Club Layla is a Japanese original video directed by Tomo’o Haraguchi. It was released by Toho in Japan on November 8, 1991.
In the movie, a deadly half-man, half-machine called Mikadroid was developed by scientists in Tokyo during World War II. However, it was buried under rubble in an American bombing attack. Now 45 years later, a disco club has been built over the area and its patrons are completely oblivious to the fact that a soulless killing-machine buried beneath them won’t remain dormant for long.
At the end of the second world war the Japanese buried one of their projects to make a super armored soldier. Almost fifty years later it wakes up and begins to kill. Steam punk-esquire scifi action film is a pretty good little time killer. Its very pulpy and grind house like in that its just trying to tell a rip roaring little tale made before computer generated effects (ooo models). I have to be honest since this film was highly touted by the publisher of Asian Cult Cinema in his books on the subject. Back when he was still running Video Search of Miami this was high on my must see list, but for whatever reason I never ordered it. Now that its out in an official US release I've picked it up and found that too many years of waiting for a GREAT film have taken its toll. Its a good one but not a great one. Worth a look as a rental.

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1991, Action, Japan, Sci-Fi,

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Mutant Girls Squad (Blu-ray)

2010 seems like a lifetime away in the Sushi Typhoon universe. Mutant Girls Squad was initially finished nearly two years ago and had its premiere screening in Japan two years ago to the day before it's Blu-ray debut on US home video from Well Go USA. Part of the reason for the delay is the transition from FUNimation to Well Go of the Sushi Typhoon license, which happened almost exactly when this film should have hit store shelves. In the meantime, several more recent films have already been released to varying degrees of success, but if you've begun to suffer from Sushi Typhoon fatigue, I think this might be the time to give them another shot.
Mutant Girls Squad is the story of a young girl whose body changes in adolescence beyond what most of us would consider normal. While she's busy growing Freddy Krueger hands, and developing acrobatic martial arts skills, a special task force is sent to her house to dispose of her mutant father, and her co-conspirator mother. This random violence leads Rin (Yumi Sugimoto) down a path of vengeance, on which she's led by a revolutionary set of secret mutants led by a cross-dressed Tak Sakaguchi and fellow Mutant Girls, Yoshie (Suzuka Morita) and Rei (Yuko Takayama). Rin eventually discovers that their mission goes beyond revenge to complete domination over the human race, and fights back against her former general, in a massively kinetic final half hour that blows the roof off of the mother.

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2010, Action, Adult, DVD, Japan, Sci-Fi,

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From Hell It Came (1957 / DVD)

Beware Tabonga! On a remote South Seas island, no one is safe from this hideous…and unique…monster. Tabonga is part man, part tree, all doom. Formerly an island prince, he was unjustly put to death by a witch doctor. Now he’s returned to life with roots, branches and a vengeance. Against natives. Against visiting American scientists who investigate the tree’s radioactive green sap. Against anyone unwise enough to expect a tree to stay put.
A macabre medley of creature feature, Polynesian kitsch and Atomic Age cautionary tale, From Hell It Came is the killer-tree movie you woodn’t want to miss!

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DVD, Horror, Sci-Fi,

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Flash Gordon - Saviour of the Universe Edition (DVD)

Prepare to save the universe with the King of the Impossible! Alex Raymond's famous comic strip blasts to life in the timeless sci-fi cult adventure Flash Gordon! When energy waves pull the moon out of orbit, New York Jets quarterback Flash Gordon unwittingly finds himself heading for the planet Mongo, where - with assistance from beautiful Dale Arden - he'll take on Ming the Merciless and rescue humankind.

This must-own Saviour Of The Universe Edition features a digitally remastered picture, 5.1 surround sound, and the unforgettable musical score by Queen. Bursting with spectacular thrills and colorful dialogue, this Special Edition DVD features never-before-seen bonus materials. Flash Gordon: He's a miracle!






SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Alex Ross, Renowned Comic Artist, on Flash Gordon - Learn how Flash Gordon influenced this legendary artist, both personally and professionally
• Writing a Classic: Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. - Meet the man who wrote the screenplay that would live on as a cult favorite
• Flash Gordon 1936 serial episode - See where the adventure began in Chapter One: Planet of Peril
• Flash Gordon SciFi Channel TV show trailer

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DVD, Sci-Fi,

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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

Dare To Look Into The Eyes Of Madness! Fantastic tale of heart-pounding suspense, this harrowing and terrifying sci-fi shocker will fascinate horror film fans. Starring Ray Milland (The Premature Burial), it charts the startling transformation of a doctor so blinded by ambition that he dares to glimpse eternity! When the brilliant Dr. Xavier (Milland) concocts a serum to improve human sight, he stumbles upon a formula for x-ray vision. Inspired by its awesome medical potential, but shunned by his short-sighted colleagues, the doctor tests the potion on himself, only to discover that his ability to see through walls, clothing and flesh is slowly eclipsed by and insatiable desire to look still further - even if it means seeing more than any mortal can bear! Featuring wonderful direction by the great Roger Corman (Tales of Terror) and a strong supporting cast that includes Harold J. Stone (The Wrong Man), John Hoyt (Blackboard Jungle) and comedy legend Don Rickles (Run Silent, Run Deep).

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1963, Films, Sci-Fi,

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Battle Of The Worlds

Scientists race against the clock in an attempt to stop a collision between an alien planet and Earth.

"Battle of the Worlds" is not the best 'B' movie and probably can be rated as a 'Z' movie, but it is still a cult classic. Cheezy Flicks prided themselves on owning thousands of titles so where are they? And if they think so much about getting them out on disc, why is this version absolutely un-watchable? The print looks like it was dragged behind a car and the colors are washed out and as usual, they have cut off the film company credits and replaced it with their own. So far the best version for print quality and color is the one Alpha has though it is not properly framed.

I guess we will never know because Cheezy Flicks has been cited releasing bootleg versions of films that are not in the public domain and don't have the rights to release. They haven't released anything new since 2005 and will not answer e-mail. Too bad as other companies like Dark Sky Films are doing what Cheezy Flicks should have and the follow-up film entitled "War Between The Planets" on their label is stunning! Maybe they will pick up Battle as well? One can hope but stay away from Cheezy Flicks version by all costs.

It is sad that Alpha has taken this title out of its current catalog. Their version is the best copy out there. Not full of lumps and bumps, scratches or blemishes and colors "are" colors. The framing is a bit off (over scaled).

Don't bother with the Cheezy Flicks version at all... a total waste of money! There are several budget versions out there but Alpha's is the best I have seen thus far. If you like this movie and have an opportunity to find one in bargain bins or offered as a used copy, buy Alpha's.

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Sci-Fi,

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Unknown Island

"A fantasy adventure film in the style of "King Kong" and "The Lost World."" The film recount the adventures of a group of intrepid folk on an uncharted island in the South Pacific where primordial monsters still survive.

I really enjoyed this film, although I never saw it in my youth. It was shot in Cinecolor which, I think, must have been a "two-strip" process. As a result you see a lot of cheesy pastels but the skin tones are great. Now granted, the monsters are pretty hokey in this one and it's clear that the "beach" is a studio one... but, somehow, I still liked it. This flick is sort of a King Kong rip-off with no central monster to love or to hate. So, the principals shoot at darn near every one that they see. There are some cool weapons and the casting is near perfect, even though there are no big stars here. All in all, as a baby boomer and horror/sci-fi film nut, I find this film a nice nostalgic return to the good old days.

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Sci-Fi,

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Fantastic Voyage (1966)

One of the more influential and copied sci-fi films of all-time. The BRILLIANT effects work may underwhelm some members of the CGI generation, which is a shame. Just imagine all the work and visual trickery needed to make this film look as great as it does. That is art and craftsmanship on a level we rarely get to see anymore. The plot has been copied and adapted enough times that this film will feel quite familiar, especially to first time viewers.  But, this is by far the most entertaining of the bunch. This film has almost everything a film lover could want in a film. Great effects, an interesting premise, a ticking-clock tension build, and just enough overacting to make the performances fun. Stephen Boyd was a touch wooden, but Raquel Welch was smoking hot–and not just a screaming damsel…most of the time. Love Arthur Kennedy and Donald Pleasance here. Although, it’s really not hard to figure where Dr. Michaels (Pleasance) is going. But that’s part of the fun–waiting for the penny to turn. This is an amazingly fun film, one that is required viewing for cinephiles. Parents–take away your kid’s copy of BATTLESHIP and make them watch some real sci-fi. There’s still time to save them…unless they were watching WING COMMANDER–some lines cannot be uncrossed. Sorry.

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Sci-Fi,

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At the Earth's Core (Kino Cinema Classics) (Blu-Ray)

At the Earth's Core (Kino Cinema Classics) (Blu-Ray)
They're in it deep, now! Murderous monsters, scantily clad prehistoric playmates and telepathic pterodactyls inhabit the center of our world in this colorful fantasy-adventure about a manned "drill-craft" boring its way to the center of the Earth! Starring sci-fi superstars Doug McClure (The Land That Time Forgot), Peter Cushing (Nothing But the Night) and Caroline Munro (Maniac), this subterranean chiller is the most endearingly whimsical entertainment on - or under - the planet's surface! There's more than lava at the Earth's core. There's also Pellucidar: an underground empire where gargantuan pterodactyls torture and enslave all humanoids - including the lovely Dia (Munro). But all that could change when a surface-dwelling scientist (Cushing) and an American businessman (McClure) drive their powerful "Iron Mole" straight into Pellucidar... stirring up a great deal more than dirt, rocks and lava! Wonderfully directed by sci-fi specialist, Kevin Connor (The People That Time Forgo

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Sci-Fi,

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Planet of the Apes '68 [Blu-ray]

20th Century Fox released the film previously on DVD by itself and in a box set with the rest of the Apes films plus a bonus DVD of extras. Now, for those who just want the first (and best) film of the series and all of the extras, Fox has released an excellent two-DVD special edition of Planet of the Apes to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
The DVD's extras get off to a shaky start with the two lackluster audio commentaries. The first is by legendary composer, Jerry Goldsmith, and the second by actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and make-up artist John Chambers. Both commentaries could benefit from some extensive editing. There is way too much dead air that one has to sit through to get to the few interesting tidbits of information. The DVD producers should have edited down these commentaries to only the scenes in the movie that are actually commented on, like with the audio tracks on the Glengarry Glen Ross and The Right Stuff DVDs.

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1968, Blu-Ray, DVD, Planet Of The Apes, Reviews, Sci-Fi,

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