What with WWE celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their flagship series “Raw” this year, the company that gave us Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant offers fans the chance to revisit twenty years of the show. Rather than all of the episode from every show since 1993, WWE compiles twenty of the “best” episodes from “Raw” that fans may just enjoy re-visiting in all of their uncut and un-edited glory.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
Saturn 3 (1980) [Blu-Ray/DVD]
Director Stanley Donen’s “Saturn 3” is one part killer robot horror film, one part love triangle thriller, and one part Christian biblical nonsense. The couple Adam and Alex live in their own Garden of Eden and are tempted by their own snake in the grass that begin building a rift between then. Meanwhile they’re tormented by a sentient force, and have to battle a really boring killer robot that most likely wants to kill the men and marry Farrah Fawcett. I was never quite clear on what was going in the final fifteen minutes, to be honest.
Kenny Rogers: Keep Christmas With You (DVD)
This hour long special I fondly recall sleeping through in the nineties thanks to a country music obsessed mom, is now available in all of its uncut glory. Truth be told, time has been kind to this special, and tapping Kenny Rogers’ popularity in the decade, we get to see him have a ball with a group of kids.
KnightRiders (1981) [Blu-Ray]
It’s obscene how underrated “KnightRiders” is. For a Romero movie, it’s such a departure from the norm that his fans are accustomed to, but it’s also very much a George Romero film. Not only does “KnightRider” garner much of the tropes that Romero is fond of, including the biker aesthetic, journeymen characters anti-heroes, commentaries on the monotony of domestic life, and a meshing of various races, but you can also make a great game out of spotting cast members that have been in Romero films, or will eventually be in one. Hey, there’s Joe Pilato! Look! Scott Reiniger! Patricia Tallman!
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection) (1962)
If you’re like me, you’re a fan of “Zatoichi” and know all too well how expensive the movie series can be to purchase. Zatoichi garners almost thirty films in his movie series, two of which are released separately. The first twenty five are, of course, often released in box set form and are sold at terribly expensive prices, and immediately go out of print. If you want to collect all of the movies individually online through a purchase, good luck finding an online seller that won’t charge an arm and a leg. Back in the early aughts I attempted to buy as many “Zatoichi” films as I could, and only ended up finding four. I never could bear to buy the rare box sets at almost five hundred bucks. Thankfully, Criterion comes to the rescue, offering a deluxe box set of one of my favorite action movie series of all time, “Zatoichi.”
The Horror Show (1989) [Blu-Ray/DVD Combo]
Also known as “House III: The Horror Show” for—reasons, “The Horror Show” has a significant place in my collective memories. Back in the beginning of the nineties I vividly recall watching “The Horror Show” on late night HBO with my parents. It didn’t scare me like they thought it would, but it sure kept me watching with mouth agape and quite stunned. I don’t care what generation you’re from, Brion James is a terrifying son of a bitch even if “Meat Cleaver Max” isn’t a household name. Continue reading
Man of Steel (2013) [DVD/Blu-Ray]
While I’m often opposed to re-inventing characters, director Zack Snyder alters the story of Superman, not just for the sake of a new audience, but for dramatic benefit. The origin of Superman present in “Man of Steel” is a compelling and often gut-wrenching tale, followed by a wonderful glimpse at the introduction of Superman to a world in need of a savior. Director Zack Snyder hones much of the awe and grit from “Watchmen” and implants it in to “Man of Steel” where we’re given an exciting and often entertaining new Superman.