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Category:    Home > Reviews > Horror > Brick Of Blood (Elite set)

Brick Of Blood (Elite DVD set)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Films: C

 

 

Elite Entertainment has simply taken six of their catalog titles and wrapped them up (literally in cellophane) for a set they have dubbed Brick Of Blood, which offers those titles at a discount when you buy all six.  The titles are as follows:

 

 

Dark Forces (1980) – The second most interesting title in this blah set stars Robert Powell as a strange male harlequin/savoir figure who may rally be pure evil.  David Hemmings is purposely cast here so the producers can try to do a supernatural take on his association with Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up (1966, reviewed elsewhere on this site) and Broderick Crawford also shows up to try to make this seem like legitimate Horror product.  The result is too silly, light and unintentionally dated parts that hurt what little effect the film may have had.  A curio at best, the anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image has moments of good color, but the picture is above average, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono also shows the film’s age.

 

Horror (2002) – See my review for this turkey at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2904/Horror+(2002)

 

 

The Incubus (1981) – John Cassavetes and John Ireland star in this miss about a demon who kills in relation to sex and dreams.  The creature is never convincing and the idea that it can become a succubus makes that problem much worse.  The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image shows the age of the soft print and transfer too much, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is adequate at best.  A trailer is included.  This was towards the end of Cassavetes life and career, followed by the Horror film Tempest.  Rosemary’s Baby neither were, but this had potential.  We recently looked at the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker on DVD, which included one of the four shows not broadcast since 1975, Demon In Lace.  It was about a succubus and is infinitely scarier, more creepy and smarter than this film, including a more believable creature.  Try that one (and that set for that matter) instead.

 

Mutant (1984) – This disaster is only saved form total bomb status by Wings Hauser, Bo Hopkins and some semblance of an attempt of storytelling.  Too bad this drags on forever and has a stupid monster on all levels.  Yawn!  The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image shows the age of the print and transfer too much, with only some good shots, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is adequate at best.  This was a Dolby A-type analog release, but the sound is too old.  A trailer is included.

 

Night Of The Living Dead – Basic THX Edition (1968) – Yet another edition of the over-released classic, this one is THX-approved and involved George Romero.  Elite released this basic edition before their expanded Millennium Edition.  If you must own it, that version and NOT this one is the one to have for now, though it has its own performance problems.  Read more about that Millennium Edition and its sequels elsewhere on this site.  You can reach the Millennium Edition review at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2677/Night+Of+The+Living+Dead+-+Mil

 

 

Syngenor (1990) – This mess is about a creature dubbed “synthetic genetic organism” and it is too bad the script was not a tenth as clever.  This bomb is just an excuse to mix in very badly done Robocop elements with the already played out elements of the Alien films and blow things up while grossing out the audience.  There are many extras for a good laugh for all the wrong reasons, but this is a dud.  The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image shows the already tired age of the print and production with ugly shots throughout, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds and 5.1 mix are lame and shrill.

 

All added together, this is only for genre obsesses, and even they could do better.  Elite has better product on the market, but if you must have them, now they’re cheaper.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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