New MGM Midnite Movies Exclusives?

[StatCat]

Are they in stock at Best Buy? I heard they were suppose to come out on the 24th- anyone see them in there yet?

[Mr_Vindictive]

Which ones?

I know that they already have out some great ones like Motel Hell, Beast Within, Deranged, etc.

[StatCat]

Best Buy has just confirmed to DVD Drive-In that MGM's August batch of Midnite Movies Double Features will be exclusives to their stores. The titles will be available in Best Buy stores on August 24 and they will carry a low retail price.

COUNT YORGA VAMPIRE/THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA (1.85:1, 16x9)

THEATRE OF BLOOD/MADHOUSE (1.85:1 letterboxed)

THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT (1.85:1, 16x9)/THE THING WITH TWO HEADS

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1.85:1, 16x9)/PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT

THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW (full frame)/GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI (2.35:1, 16x9)

GAS-S-S-S-S/WILD IN THE STREETS (both 1.85:1, 16x9),

INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES (1.66:1 letterboxed)/INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1.85:1, 16x9)

THE WILD ANGELS/HELL'S BELLES (1.85:1 letterboxed)

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS/TENTACLES (2.35:1, 16x9)

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES/DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN

ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE/VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS

BEACH BLANKET BINGO/HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI

BEACH PARTY/BIKINI BEACH

FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER/PIT AND THE PENDULUM

[Mr_Vindictive]

StatCat,

Thanks for the info!  I'll without a doubt pick up a copy of the Phibes disc!

[StatCat]

The one I'm looking most forward to is Wild in the Streets but I'll certainly grab a few other ones.

[Yaddo42]

That's the problem,  "Theatre of Blood" I already bought as a single. But I can see picking up the Phibes films on one disc, and Usher/Pit. Some of the others that I haven't seen I'd like to see like the Yorga films, but don't know if I'd want to own them. Then there's stuff like the beach films and "The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant" that I've seen and can do without.

But count me on wanting "Wild In The Streets", always thought that one was a cut above the usual AIP stuff. Still a film targeted for its times, and very dated now, but the political satire and social humor is unique. I've even got the title song "The Shape of Things to Come" on a favorite mix disc. I've also got a version by glam-rockers Slade off a best of album, but the less said about it the better. I'm glad WITS is paired up with "Gas-s-s-s-s" always wanted to see that one, if nothing else than just because it was the last film Corman did with AIP, he left after they re-cut it and made changes against his wishes.

Now if someone would just put "Warlords of Atlantis" out on DVD, maybe soon if they're putting the Doug McClure "Forgot" dinosaur films.

[Mr_Vindictive]

I wasn't familiar with Wild In The Streets before now.  

I just imdbed it and it looks awesome.  I'll probably be picking up that DVD as well.

[Yaddo42]

Dr. Freex has a great review of WITS on his site. And "Night Flight" used to play the film's trailer during those weird drugged out montages of cartoons, music, film trailers, 50s instructional films and odd stuff like those "Bob, Church of the Sub-Genius" promotional films.

Great now I'll have "14 or Fight" playing in my head all day.

[StatCat]

They're in stock now and I grabbed 5 of them:

GAS-S-S-S-S/WILD IN THE STREETS (both 1.85:1, 16x9),

INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES (1.66:1 letterboxed)/INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1.85:1, 16x9)

THE WILD ANGELS/HELL'S BELLES (1.85:1 letterboxed)

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS/TENTACLES (2.35:1, 16x9)

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES/DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN

Watched wild in the streets- weird movie, really bizarre and different- I'd say check it out. I only knew of it from the Nuggets boxset by Rhino which has Shapes of Things To Come by the fake band in the movie Max Frost and the Troopers.

[The Foywonder]

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS/TENTACLES

I ordered it through their website two weeks before the release date and they sent me a notice the day of release saying the item was on backorder. That makes no sense. They have it on their shelves but not in stock? Say what?

[Yaddo42]

StatCat, glad you found WITS bizarre and different. The scene where we find out the fate of Hal Holbrook's character sticks in my head, maybe it's the odd background or the jumpy extreme closeup, But it stays with me. Kind of a shame Christopher Jones flamed out after a few years, I think it could have been interesting to see what he would have been like beyond the few films he did.

Have you watched "Gas-s-s-s" yet? If so, is it any good? I'm certain to get the disc for WITS anyway, just wondering if I'll get a good double feature out of the deal?

I've seen "Invasion of the Bee Girls" and remember liking it, but I'd still like to see it again. I've seen "The Wild Angels" also and thought it was decent, but biker movies aren't particular favorites of mine.

[StatCat]

I've only watched WITS so far- I'll check out Gas-s-s-s tomorrow. If the movie sucks I still think it would be worth it for WITS alone. As for 60s movies though the Psych-Out/ The Trip dvd can't be topped- possibly my favorite pair out of the midnite movies double features.

Wild Angels is quite possibly the best biker movie of all of them. The Davie Allan music helps a lot and so does Bruce Dern who is the master of looking sleazy biker like. It started the whole trend at least back then. Hell's Angels members were p**sed and they really had every right to be because Corman based the whole film around them and they didn't make a dime from it. There were threats to attack Corman when the movie came out. In Sonny Barger's book he writes about how it went to court and they got something like $10,000. Sonny said the most accurate Hell's Angels movie is Hell's Angels '69 by the way. Maybe he said that because he and his crew are in it.



Post Edited (09-04-04 02:46)

[The Burgomaster]

I have already bought a bunch of these.  Great stuff.

[Yaddo42]

I bought "Psyche Out/ The Trip" a little while back, a good combo.

Was the Barger book you mentioned "Hell's Angel" or that newer one that came out. I read "Hell's Angel" a while back, interesting but I took it with a grain of salt. Have you read Yves Lavinge's book "Hell's Angels"? It's a little sensationalistic, but makes an interesting contrast to Barger's book. But his focus is broader, more info on other chapters and other rival biker gangs. Very interesting section on a series of biker wars and betrayals in Canada during the 70s. Kind of tempers the "badass" image country singer David Allen Coe has too.

I heard that the Corman experience is part of what lead the Angels to go corporate, copyrighting their name and logo, etc. While I find them interesting, I have little sympathy for them. They probably stepped up their methamphetamine trafficking to make up for their perceived loss of income.

I thought "Hell's Angels '69" was interesting only because some of the Oakland Angels from Barger's book were portraying (being?) themselves. And of course they'd like that film, in addition to being in it, they get to avenge themselves on the guys who use them in the story. They get to show off their society's outcasts/TCB/tough as coffin nails image of themselves.

[StatCat]

Hell's Angel by Barger is the only thing I've read but I know there's a bunch of books out there on the Angels. Always liked biker gangs for some reason but I've never even rode a motorcycle. Sonny is also in Hell's Angels on Wheels which I think is a pretty cool one. He only appears at the beginning though briefly.

Oh yeah Gassss by the way looks majorly stupid. Pointless 1969 hippie comedy mess. I don't think I even want to sit through it. Only flipped through a few scenes to realize this thing sucks!