Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

From the 1991 laserdisc of "Dumbo".

Even before the special edition was released on dvd, I had a transfer of the laserdisc special edition, so I've seen all those extras. Ex: Making of.. But this has all new interviews with John Carpenter, Jamie Lee, Adrienne B, to name a few. Also a new transfer of the film by Dean Cundey! I am over excited! Pre-order now and you'll get the limited edition poster. Otherwise release date is scheduled for 7/30/13.

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

At the Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, Queens, NYC.

THE BEATLES: LET IT BE 16MM UNCROPPED FILM PRINT IN STEREO DVD

For the Beatles completist and serious fans, the biggest frustration has been in not finding the "Beatles - Let It Be" in a complete, uncropped, great quality version.

The reason for this is quite interesting. The original film was shot in 16mm (standard TV 4x3 format). However, when the film was released, they cropped the 16mm

print by chopping off parts of the top and bottom and blew it up to 35mm widescreen. I myself wondered in the 70's why the picture quality was so mediocre right in

the movie theatre! Now we all know why. So even in the theatre, one did NOT get to see the full picture that was filmed.

Then to add insult to injury, when Let It Be was released in the 1980's on Beta and VHS videotape and on Laserdisc (all in standard TV 4x3 format), the manufacturers

did NOT go back to the original 16mm film that was shot in the same format. INSTEAD, they sourced it from the 35mm widescreen theatre print and CHOPPED it AGAIN,

this time from the sides. So anyone purchasing previous Beta, VHS and Laserdisc versions of Let It Be, now got to see even LESS since it had now been chopped on all 4 sides.

The WIDESCREEN STEREO VERSION rectified a lot of the problems. For anyone that saw the film in the theatres in the 70's, it is great now to be able to see the original

theatrical release, in stereo AND in much improved quality, including clearer picture and more natural colours. However, as enjoyable as this version is (which would satisfy

most collectors), it still is missing the top and bottom portions from the originally shot 16mm film version.

Now for the first time ever, we have available the original uncropped 4x3 version taken from a rare German 16mm film print. This not only has ALL of the original picture filmed,

but is also in much better quality and in stereo. Of course, it is in 4x3 which is the old non-widescreen TV format. Some collectors will prefer the widescreen version that they

are familiar with from the movie theatre. Some will prefer the originally shot 4x3 film as it was originally intended. THE FULL UNCROPPED VERSION in STEREO!

UPSCALED AND COLOR CORRECTED FOR THE BEST QULAITY! Complete fim: Twickenham, Apple Studios to the finale on the roof top! With film trailers.

Approx 85 minutes 31 chapters.

PLAY ALL: Let It Be Trailers

01 Piano Theme

02 Don't Let Me Down

03 Maxwell's Silver Hammer

04 Two Of Us

05 I've Got A Feeling

06 Oh! Darling - Just Fun

07 One After 909

08 Piano Boogie

09 Paul and George

10 Across The Universe

11 Dig A Pony

12 Suzy Parker

13 I Me Mine

14 For You Blue

15 Talk

16 Besame Mucho

17 Octopus's Garden

18 You Really Got A Hold On Me

19 The Long and Winding Road

20 Oldies Jam

21 Dig It

22 Two Of Us

23 Let It Be

24 The Long and Winding Road

25 Get Back

26 Don't Let Me Down

27 I've Got A Feeling

28 One After 909

29 Dig A Pony

30 Get Back

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

I'm deep in production on a new book, which means that my sleep schedule is completely screwed up. Sunday night, I woke up at 11 PM after a six hour nap.

By 6 AM, I knew that I hadn't the slightest inclination to fall asleep. Which meant that contrary to plans, it was actually quite possible for me to go to the annual You-Do-It Electronics Presidents' Day Sale.

The Sale is a minor legend among New England geeks. YDI is to Radio Shack what Roger Daltrey is to Clay Aiken. It's the good electronics store, the dangerous one. It's the store for folks who know from personal experience that each integrated circuit contains a cubic centimeter of Magical Blue Smoke that makes it run, and that the moment this Magic Smoke is released, it stops working.

You-Do-It can't sell you replacement Magical Blue Smoke, but they'll sell you a replacement part. In high school I used to make regular You-Do-It runs to buy 74LS ICs by the half-dozen. Whenever a floppy drive at school broke down, it invariably turned out that one of those chips had released its blue smoke.

My ability to fix these $400 drives for about $1.25 endeared me even further to the school faculty, which was probably not a good thing. I was already getting away with a lot of stuff and it only made me bolder. :)

Any part you need, any tool you need, any sort of networking, radio, or power whatsit you need...they have it. On the top floor, they sell all sorts of home, car, portable, and professional A/V toys. In a nutshell, You-Do-It in Needham is in the GPS database of anybody who was likely to own a GPS receiver in 1990.

The Sale (which dates back to the Seventies, I think) is the stuff of legend for two reasons. Way way way before Sears and Best Buy stole the idea for their after-Thanksgiving sales, YDI instituted the idea of the Earlybird Special. You know, certain advertised items that they have only a few copies of, advertised at (ideally) insanely-low prices to bring people in.

The nature of the Specials tends to vary and there are usually five or six different attractions of varying intensity. If you get there late (say, close to 8 AM, when the store opens) you could get a 19" color TV (tube) for a decent but not unbeatable price. One year, the reward for being one of the first two in line was 50% off your entire purchase of any store merchandise, with the total discount maxed at a very sensible $1000.

Yes, that year I got to the parking lot at 10:30 PM and was first in line. I beat #2 by just 45 minutes. This is how an impoverished freelancer replaced his busted TV not with a cheap 20" Goldstar, but a $1000 Sony bigscreen.

The other attraction is a room full of salvaged merchandise ranging from high-end audio equipment all the way down to bags of resistors and capacitors, all at "please, just take it off our hands" prices. Seriously, shiny audio-video gear that normally sells for $500-$1000 is stickered at a flat $25 or so. No box, no manual, not even a solid promise that it works. But crimeny, at those prices you can buy two or three and trust to the law of averages.

In addition to civilians, the Sale also attracts a regular army of entrepreneurs and sharps, who swarm through the room to scoop up merchandise that they can fix up and sell online or at flea markets and such. Some of them throw elbows as though their next month's rent depended on it.

I actually haven't attended the sale in years...maybe not even at any time in the 21st century. For one thing, unless you get there early enough to be one of the first ten in line (4 AM...though 3 would be better and 1 is optimal) there's a law of diminishing returns in effect.

Plus, it's sort of a young man's game, I realized. After x years of dutiful attendance, I lacked the eye of the tiger. Or at least I lacked the desire to shove a retiree over a stairway railing to get my hands on a $20 laserdisc player (back in the days when, I should say, a Laserdisc player cost $600, and a very neat thing to have).

I seem to remember that in my last year or the year before, I was near the head of the lie of people waiting for the doors to be thrown open and for the race to the Surplus Room to begin, and there were a bunch of people behind me that were so twitchy and sketchy that I chose to step aside and let the pack pass me by. Chalk it up to maturity. Also to the fact that I can now afford to buy my home electronics at prices that don't require hand-to-hand combat.

YDI still sends me the sale flier every year, and I always examine the earlybird specials with interest. All that it'd take is a $50 20" LCD TV to get me back in that parking lot. But like every flier in recent years, I didn't spot anything so dramatic in this year's ad that I felt particularly motivated to make the trip.

But again, it was 6 AM and I was awake. I knew that I'd be up for another eight hours at least. I was a bit nostalgic for the Sale...and I had a bitchin' SLR to take pictures with. I imagined that I'd arrive way too late to be anywhere near the head of the line, but I could still come home with some great shots.

And so I closed my eyes, commended my soul to God, and left the sanctity of central heating and cable TV for a dark 15 degree parking lot.

Ninety minutes plus supplemental material with superior sound and video quality. This album is considered to be one of the best laserdiscs made.

From the 1982 laserdisc of "Dumbo".

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is a bracing, dazzling movie serial, 12 chapters of nonstop action that are as entertaining today as they were in 1940. The movie's visual appeal is still startling, its action taking place in settings that mix 19th century European opulence with spaceships and other futuristic inventions. The cast -- including Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Frank Shannon, Charles B. Middleton, Anne Gwynne, Roland Drew, Carolyn Hughes, and Don Rowan -- were at the peak of their powers as performers. Yet even beyond these attributes, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe also offers a unique mix of mythic imagery and 1940 topicality. Each of the three Flash Gordon serials reflected elements of popular culture sensibility and contemporary history that were unique to the particular time in which it was made. The first, Flash Gordon (1936), depicted Emperor Ming as a Fu Manchu-type character, with a distinctly Oriental appearance, both personally and in the design and costuming of his court. The second, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), offered such conventions as the wisecracking reporter (Donald Kerr) and the presence of a Martian adventure at a time when the notion of possible life on the fourth planet was starting to be discussed widely (a period culminating with Orson Welles' infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast).

The third serial, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, reflected the world of 1939-1940; in place of the Oriental robes that he wore in the first serial, Emperor Ming (Charles B. Middleton) now wears a European-style uniform cut along military lines and he employs stormtrooper-type soldiers in his attempt to conquer Mongo. The various kingdoms of Mongo now seem like an array of Central European-type duchies and principalities, and Flash Gordon (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) is the bold, impetuous Earth man who arrives to help lead them in their struggle for freedom while protecting his home planet. The equating of Ming with Adolf Hitler should have been obvious, but just in case it was missed by anyone, the first chapter includes a pointed mention of Ming's concentration camps and his efforts to control the thoughts of his captive populations. The whole serial is an allegory about World War II, with Crabbe's Flash Gordon representing a kind of American Siegfried, arriving to face the would-be conqueror Ming, who now relies much more on science than the magic and mysticism of the earlier movies.

The serial also reflects a growth in the role of women in chapterplays of this type. Often presented as little more than a reason to put the hero in jeopardy, heroines in 1930s serials walked a tightrope between being necessary characters and plot impediments, especially in the eyes of the usual majority audience for serials: pre-adolescent boys. In the first Flash Gordon serial, Dale Arden (as portrayed by Jean Rogers) didn't have much more to do than scream and faint while looking pretty enough to convince us that Ming the Merciless would go to any lengths to possess her. Four years later, in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe -- a serial that was aimed at a slightly broader audience than the usual chapterplay (it ran in major downtown theaters and was seen by some adults) -- and Dale (as portrayed by Carolyn Hughes) is shown piloting a spaceship in battle, quite capable of defending herself, and presenting a potential threat to Ming -- even as his prisoner. All of those elements, coupled with lush costuming and decor, in addition to the most glorious music score ever heard in a serial (largely derived from Franz Liszt's "Les Preludes"), resulted in an intensely complex and satisfying aesthetic experience, as well as a very diverting four hours of action.

Ironically, Crabbe himself never thought much of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, mostly because he objected to the producers having "cheated" in chapters two and three, in which they used large sections of stock footage from the 1929 German film The White Hell of Pitz Palu (scenes that, strangely enough, very probably included long shots of Leni Riefenstahl as an actress). Even that material, however, helped to make those chapters memorable and compelling. The special effects were up to standards, with excellent spaceship sequences (the final chapter, featuring a ship-to-ship escape, is genuinely exciting to this day) and some very eerie sequences involving Ming's deadly robot army midway through the serial. There are certainly a few flaws -- including some very hasty dubbing that is embarrassing at times -- but those are isolated moments. Potential purchasers are advised, however, to be wary of unauthorized editions. The copyright on Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe lapsed in 1968, and since then it has come out through various pirate distributors in editions of widely varying quality. The version issued by Image Entertainment on laserdisc and DVD, licensed by the Hearst Corporation (which owns the underlying copyright on the Flash Gordon comic strip), is the best looking edition and the only fully legitimate release of this title. The movie was also re-edited into feature-length films -- including the title Purple Death From Outer Space -- that convey only a fraction of the majesty of the complete serial. The serial's title, by the way, is explained in the final shot when Ming the Merciless declares "I am the universe!" As Zarkov explains, having defeated Ming, Flash Gordon has, thus, conquered the universe.

Larry "Buster" Crabbe - Flash Gordon

Charles B. Middleton -Ming the Merciless

Frank Shannon - Dr. Zarkov

Carolyn Hughes -Dale Arden

Roland Drew - Prince Barin

Shirley Deane - Princess Aura

Anne Gwynne - Lady Sonja

Ben Taggart - Lupi

Don Rowan -Torch

Edgar Edwards - Turan

Harry C. Bradley - Keedish

Lee Powell - Roka

Michael Mark - Karm

Victor Zimmerman - Thong

William Royle - Capt. Suden

Chapter Titles:

Chapter 1 -- "The Purple Death."

Chapter 2 --”Freezing Torture”

Chapter 3 --”Walking Bombs”

Chapter 4 -- The Destroying Ray

Chapter 5 -- The Palace of Peril

Chapter 6 -- Flaming Death

Chapter 7 -- Land of the Dead

Chapter 8 -- The Fiery Abyss

Chapter 9 -- The Pool of Peril

Chapter10 -- The Death Mist

Chapter11 -- Stark Treachery

Chapter12 -- Doom of the Dictator

Amid the political chaos sweeping across the world in 1939, a new terror arises -- the Purple Death -- and people around the world succumb at random by the hundreds, then thousands, with the identifying symptom being a purple spot on the victim. The authorities are baffled as to the cause or the treatment, and panic is spreading. Dr. Alexis Zarkov (Frank Shannon) determines that the Purple Death is linked to extraterrestrial events. Along with Flash Gordon (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) and Dale Arden (Carolyn Hughes), Zarkov finds an alien spaceship, which they recognize as being from the planet Mongo, home of their old enemy, Ming the Merciless, spreading some sort of dust in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Flash, Dale, and Zarkov head for Mongo, where they discover that Emperor Ming (Charles B. Middleton), whom they believed had been killed at the end of their battle with him on Mars (told in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars), is still alive. He is threatening not only to conquer all of Mongo, but is attacking Earth again, using a "Death Dust" spread by his spaceships that will eventually destroy everyone on Earth.

Flash, Dale, and Zarkov form an alliance with their old friend, Prince Barin (Roland Drew), the rightful ruler of Mongo, who with his wife, Princess Aura (Shirley Deane) -- Ming's own daughter -- rules the peaceful kingdom of Arboria, resisting Ming's military might with their small fleet of ships, the aid of neighboring free kingdoms, and the help of a tiny handful of officers within Ming's own palace who remain loyal to the prince. Their first task is to secure a neutralizing agent for the Death Dust, which exists in the frozen northern kingdom of Frigia, but before they can do that, they have to free the imprisoned Frigian military leader General Lupi (Ben Taggart), who has been captured by Ming. Flash rescues the general, who is about to be used as the subject of a scientific experiment, and secures the aid and gratitude of the Frigians. This barely slows Ming in his plans for conquest, however, and over the next 11 chapters, Flash Gordon and his friends and allies -- including Ronal (Donald Curtis), Roka (Lee Powell), and Captain Suden (William Royle) -- take their battle for the safety of the Earth and the freedom of Mongo to the far reaches of the planet. Battling Ming and his villainous henchmen -- including Captain Torch (Don Rowan) and Lady Sonja (Anne Gwynne) -- from Mongo's frozen northern wastes to its uncharted deserts, Flash and his allies outmaneuver and generally outfight and outwit Ming's larger, better equipped army and spaceship fleet, but they are nearly undone by the spies that Ming has placed in Barin's own household. The bravery of the Earth hero and his friends, and the patriotism and sacrifices of Mongo's people ultimately prove too much for the evil emperor, who finally faces impending destruction from one of his own fiendish inventions.

Considered by many to be the most elaborate and elegant of the three serials Universal Studios produced starring Buster Crabbe as space traveler Flash Gordon. Beginning with the release in 1936 of Flash Gordon, based on the comic strip created by Alex Raymond, Universal rose to the top of the serial market with this science fiction/adventure chapter play. They followed up with Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars in 1938 and finally, this chapter play, considered by many to be the best. Flash is now faced with ridding the world of a mysterious malady called the Purple Death which has inflicted Earth courtesy of Ming, the Merciless (Charles Middleton), evil ruler of the planet Mongo.

This serial was based on Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon comic strip continuity involving Prince Barin and his kingdom of Arboria. Much of the serial's action also takes place in the comic strip kingdom of Frigia. The movie serial characters of Queen Fria, Count Korro, Gen. Lupi and Capt. Sudin all originated in the strip.

King Features Syndicate released the 3 Flash Gordon serials as well as "Buck Rogers," "Red Barry", "Ace Drummond" and other comic strip cliffhangers to US TV in 1951. Because the television show Flash Gordon, starring Steve Holland as Flash, was in syndication in late 1953, the three Universal Pictures' Flash Gordon theatrical serials were retitled for TV broadcast. Flash Gordon became "Space Soldiers", Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars became "Space Soldiers' Trip to Mars", and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe became "Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe". To this day both the 3 original "Flash Gordon" serial titles and the 3 "Space Soldiers" titles are used.

In the final chapter before his demise, Ming is looking to escape. In the endings of most serial episodes the hero is is the one trying to escape (then thought to be killed - until the next week). This might suggest another sequel or fourth Flash Gordon serial. However, after 7 December 1941 and the attack on Pearl Harbor, just 3 years after Orson Welles' infamous 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast simulating an attack from from outer space, the production of "space travel" films were put on hold.

John Hamilton, who plays Flash's father Professor Gordon, is best known to 1950s TV fans as editor Perry White of Adventures of Superman.

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

The Postcard

A postcard bearing no publisher's name that was posted in Cheltenham on Monday the 19th. March 1906 to:

Mrs. Allen,

1, Savoy Road,

Raynes Park,

Wimbledon,

Surrey.

Savoy Road is now called Vernon Road.

The message on the divided back of the card was as follows:

"Dear E,

This will bring back to

memory days of long

ago.

Letter next.

Jennie".

Abingdon-on-Thames

Abingdon-on-Thames, commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town in the county of Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames.

Historically the county town of Berkshire, since 1974 Abingdon has been administered by the Vale of White Horse district within Oxfordshire.

The area was occupied from the early to middle Iron Age, and the remains of a late Iron Age and Roman defensive enclosure lies below the town centre. Abingdon Abbey was founded around 676, giving its name to the emerging town.

In the 13th. and 14th. centuries, Abingdon was an agricultural centre with an extensive trade in wool, alongside weaving and the manufacture of clothing. Charters for the holding of markets and fairs were granted by various monarchs, from Edward I to George II.

The town survived the dissolution of the abbey in 1538, and by the 18th. and 19th. centuries, with the building of Abingdon Lock in 1790, and Wilts & Berks Canal in 1810, was a key link between major industrial centres such as Bristol, London, Birmingham and the Black Country.

In 1856 the Abingdon Railway opened, linking the town with the Great Western Railway at Radley. The Wilts & Berks Canal was abandoned in 1906 but a voluntary trust is now working to restore and re-open it.

Abingdon railway station was closed to passengers in September 1963. The line remained open for goods until 1984, including serving the MG car factory, which operated from 1929 to October 1980.

Abingdon's brewery, Morland, whose most famous ale, Old Speckled Hen, was named after an early MG car, was taken over and closed down by Greene King Brewery in 1999, with production moving to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The site of the brewery has been redeveloped into housing.

The rock band Radiohead formed in 1985 when its members were studying at Abingdon School, a day and boarding independent secondary school.

The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 33,130. This is 2,504 more than in the 2001 Census total of 30,626, and represents a growth of just over 8% in the population.

Roy Roberts

So what else happened on the day that Jennie posted the card?

Well, the 19th. March 1906 marked the birth of Roy Roberts.

​

Roy Roberts (born Roy Barnes Jones) was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.

Roy Roberts' Life and Career

Born in Dade City, Pasco County, near Tampa, Florida, Roberts began his acting career on the stage. He first appeared on Broadway in May 1931 before making his motion picture debut in Gold Bricks, a 1936 two-reel comedy short released by 20th. Century-Fox.

He appeared in numerous films in secondary parts, and returned to perform on Broadway in such productions as Twentieth Century, My Sister Eileen, and Carnival in Flanders until he began making guest appearances on various television series.

After appearing on Gale Storm's My Little Margie in 1956, he became part of several television series for which he is best remembered.

In a show that was the precursor to The Love Boat, Roberts played the ship's captain for four years and in Oh! Susanna, which aired on CBS and ABC from 1956 to 1960.

Roy guest-starred in scores of series, including the western-themed crime drama, Sheriff of Cochise, the western series, My Friend Flicka, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (as Texas cattle baron Shanghai Pierce. He also featured in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Brian Keith's Cold War drama, Crusader.

Roberts appeared on four episodes of the CBS legal drama, Perry Mason, including the role of murderer Arthur Janeel in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Malicious Mariner."

During the middle 1960's, Roberts was one of the most recognizable faces on television, and had recurring roles concurrently on a number of popular programs, including:

-- Bank president Mr. Cheever on CBS's The Lucy Show

-- John Cushing, president of the rival Merchants Bank on CBS's The Beverly Hillbillies

-- Railroad president Norman Curtis on CBS's Petticoat Junction

-- Darrin's father Frank Stephens on ABC's Bewitched, alternating with actor Robert F. Simon depending upon availability.

-- Banker Harry Bodkin on CBS's Gunsmoke

-- Neighbor Bruce MacDermott on ABC's Our Man Higgins

-- Preston "Press" Wasco on the NBC western, Laredo

-- "Doc" on John Payne's The Restless Gun in the 1957 episode "Trail to Sunset"

-- Banker George Bristol on NBC's Bonanza

-- Admiral Rogers on McHale's Navy

-- Capt. Walter A. Bascom in three episodes of the religion anthology series, Crossroads

-- The Governor in a season two episode of Green Acres, "One of Our Assemblymen is Missing".

In the 1940's and 1950's, Roberts was a regular in many films noir, including Force of Evil (1948), He Walked by Night (1948), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Brasher Doubloon (1947), Borderline (1950) and The Enforcer (1951).

In 1953, he appeared as Vincent Price's character's crooked business partner (and first victim) in House of Wax. In 1956 he was Colonel Sam Sherman in The First Texan. In 1962 Roberts appeared as John Kemper on the TV western Lawman in the episode entitled "Heritage of Hate."

Roy also appeared in the neo-noirs The Outfit (1973) and Chinatown (1974). He also had a small role in the hit 1963 Stanley Kramer comedy, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as a police officer. Unfortunately, his role was cut from later television and movie versions to reduce running time. However, because of an interest in restoring IAMMMMW to its original length, Roberts' brief role has seen life again in versions made for laserdisc and extended-length DVDs.

Roberts appeared in an episode of the situation comedy A Touch of Grace in 1973. His last television appearance was on the 21st. January 1974 CBS broadcast of Here's Lucy. In that installment, Roberts played a veterinarian.

The Death of Roy Roberts

Roy died at the age of 69 in Los Angeles, California, of a heart attack on the 28th. May 1975. He was laid to rest at Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas.

Vintage technology: Laser and Video Discs. From a blog article here at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Vintage technology: Laser and Video Discs. From a blog article here at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

JOHN LENNON: THE VIDEO COLLECTION VOL.2 1972-1982 2 DVD 2017 REMASTER

Second of three sets of all of John's promo films, along with ads and trailers and a few guest appearances, plus some rare live material!

The ultimate John collection! This set covers 1972-1982! All clips have been remastered so the audio is consistent and clips color corrected

and MANY new upgraded sources found and used - THE BEST EVER! Honestly - alot of time and care put in this project, the best you will

find ever period! Audio of each song is excellent - you will be a amazed! Plus video tape wobble on the bottom of the videos has been fixed

and is gone! Make a a BIG difference! All original promos unless marked.....

1992 promos from The John Lennon video Collection LaserDisc

2003 - 2016 promos Lennon Legend 2016 remasters on Lennon You Tube Page in HD

2010 promos from Power to the People - The Hits DVD

Includes I'm Losing You 1980 Video shoot and MSG 1974 footage!

DISC ONE:

01 720830 Come Together - One To One - 2-way Comparison

02 Hound Dog - One To One - 3-way Comparison

03 721124 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 1 1972

04 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 2 1992

05 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 3 2003-2016

06 731024 Mind Games Ads

07 731029 Mind Games 1 1992

08 Mind Games 2 2010-2016

09 740913 Pussy Cats Ad

10 740926 Walls and Bridges Ad

11 741004 Whatever Gets You Through the Night 1

12 Whatever Gets You Through the Night Outtakes 1

13 Whatever Gets You Through the Night Outtakes 2

14 Whatever Gets You Through the Night 2 1992

15 Whatever Gets You Thru The Night 3 2003-2016

16 #9 Dream 1 1992

17 #9 Dream 2003-2016

18 741118 Goodnight Vienna 2 Ads

19 741128 Madison Square Garden 2 8mm Films

20 Madison Square Garden 3 - EJ Site

21 750208 Roots LP Commercial - 2 ads

22 750217 Rock'n'Roll LP Commercial

23 750217 Rock'n'Roll LP Reissue 1988 Australia ad

24 750408 Stand By Me 1 1992 - Old Grey Whistle Test

DISC TWO:

01 750408 Stand By Me 2 2003-2016

02 Stand By Me 2010

03 Slippin and Slidin 1 1992 - Old Grey Whistle Test

04 Slippin and Slidin 2 2003-2016 - Old Grey Whistle Test

05 Imagine 1992 - Salute to Sir Lew Grade

06 800818 I'm Losing You 1 Unreleased

07 I'm Losing You 2 Unreleased

08 801020 (Just Like) Starting Over 1 1992

09 (Just Like) Starting Over 2 2003-2016

10 801113 (Just Like) Starting Over - Top of the Pops

11 801218 (Just Like) Starting Over - Top of the Pops

12 810112 Woman 1 1981

13 Woman 2 1992

14 Woman 3 2003-2016

15 810220 Walking On Thin Ice - Yoko Ono

16 810313 Watching The Wheels 2003-2016

17 811100 Goodbye Sadness - Yoko Ono

18 821101 Beautiful Boy 2003-2016

19 The John Lennon Collection Ad 1

20 The John Lennon Collection Ad 2

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

youtu.be/eSxaJD0O-54?t=4s Full Feature

The final installment in Hammer Studios' Dracula series is also the least interesting of the lot. A fairly direct follow-up to Dracula A.D. 1972, this sequel finds the Count (Christopher Lee) developing a potent strain of bubonic plague which he and his devil-worshipping disciples plan to release from 1970's London to wipe out nearly all life on earth. His efforts are challenged once again by the dedicated Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), leading to a rather uninvolving climax. Despite the always-welcome presence of Lee and Cushing, this installment plays too flagrantly with the time-honored Hammer Gothic formula, giving Dracula actual dialogue and surrounding the leads with a dull, amateurish supporting cast -- with the possible exception of Joanna Lumley (later of BBC-TV's Absolutely Fabulous). This also marked Lee's final performance as the Count and signaled the beginning of the end for Hammer's horror heyday. Also known as Satanic Rites of Dracula and Dracula is Dead and Well and Living in London.

The last entry in the Christopher Lee/Hammer/Dracula series, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, has finally been given the definitive treatment it deserves thanks to Anchor Bay's DVD edition.

Warner Brothers released the film under its original title in the U.K. in 1974, but they refused to distribute it in the U.S. The film was released here five years later as COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDE (through Dynamite, an independent company) and was missing several minutes of footage. In the late 80s, the film was falsely believed to be in the public domain and released on video tape by several lesser-known companies, most notably Liberty Home Video.

Liberty's transfer was culled from a beat up 35mm print with painfully annoying soundtrack noise, and the title "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" was super-imposed over the beginning credits. To make matters worse, Warner obtained the U.S. television rights, and the film was finally shown here under its original title with the expected TV cuts (mostly the film's brief nudity). Since Warner owned the rights to this troubled title, a proper video or laser release seemed out of the question due to their constant lack of interest for this sort of film.

Thankfully, the rights reverted back to Hammer Films in the 90s, and Anchor Bay was able to acquire the video rights. THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA was then released officially on tape, laserdisc (through The Roan Group), and finally in this great DVD edition. The DVD displays the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, and the colors are rich and vibrant, though a bit on the grainy side in certain spots.

For once, the source material is in excellent shape. There are some scratches here and there, and there are some slight jump cuts present, but these problems are minor and do not at all distract the viewer's enjoyment. Since this is one of Anchor Bay's earlier discs, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is not digitally time-encoded.

The film itself immediately continues the fun of Hammer's previous installment, DRACULA A.D. 1972, transporting Dracula to modern 1970s London. This time, Dracula abides in an isolated mansion and is affiliated with some of London's most prestigious citizens, bullying them into practicing the Black Arts. He plans to take over the world by unleashing a deadly virus, but Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his Scotland Yard cohorts easily foil the dimwitted vampire king.

It sort of plays like "Dracula Meets The Avengers." This is mainly due to the film's espionage plot, ex-Avengers director Alan Gibson, and actors Michael Coles (as Inspector Murray) and future "The New Avengers" star Joanna Lumley (as Jessica Van Helsing). This is not a bad thing; the film is actually very offbeat and filled with unique scenes, including the demise of a cellar full of vampire women from the sprinkler system, and the below-the-breast staking of Valerie Van Ost.

The most prominent flaw is Dracula's brief screen time. Dracula--posing as foreign--accented industrialist D.D. Denham-shows up only to have his master plan of a worldwide bacterial virus destroyed in a fire in a matter of seconds. In the cat and mouse chase between Dracula and Van Helsing, Van Helsing proves he can build a better mousetrap as he effortlessly leads Dracula into the deadly thorn bush. Dracula gets caught in the branches, clumsily trips and is conveniently staked.

Even with its flaws, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is still a lot of fun, and it's great to see Lee and Cushing reprise their classic Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry one more time. The DVD--part of Anchor Bay's ongoing "Hammer Collection"--includes an episode of "World of Hammer" entitled DRACULA AND THE UNDEAD, as well as a U.K and a U.S. trailer (though these are mislabeled on the screen menu). The DVD is single-layered, so you have to flip it over to access these extras. Also included is a collector's card that depicts the original British quad theater poster.

Vintage technology: Laser and Video Discs. From a blog article here at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

Vintage technology: Laser and Video Discs. From a blog article here at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

JOHN LENNON: THE VIDEO COLLECTION VOL.1 1969-1972 2 DVD 2017 REMASTER

First of three sets of all of John's promo films, along with ads and trailers and a few guest appearances, plus some rare live material!

The ultimate John collection! This set covers 1969-1972! All clips have been remastered so the audio is consistent and clips color corrected

and MANY new upgraded sources found and used - THE BEST EVER! Honestly - alot of time and care put in this project, the best you will

find ever period! Audio of each song is excellent - you will be a amazed! Plus video tape wobble on the bottom of the videos has been fixed

and is gone! Make a a BIG difference! All original promos unless marked.....

1992 promos from The John Lennon video Collection LaserDisc

2003 - 2016 promos Lennon Legend 2016 remasters on Lennon You Tube Page in HD

2010 promos from Power to the People - The Hits DVD

DISC ONE:

01 690710 Give Peace a Chance 1 1969 Original #1

02 Give Peace a Chance 2 1969 Original #2

03 Give Peace a Chance 3 1992

04 Give Peace a Chance 4 2003-2016

05 Give Peace a Chance 5 2010

06 Give Peace a Chance 6 1988 Imagine

07 690802 Give Peace A Chance 7 Beat Club B/W

08 691106 Cold Turkey 1 1992

09 Cold Turkey 2 2003-2016

10 700205 Instant Karma 1 Top of the Pops

11 Instant Karma 2

12 700212 Instant Karma 3 Top of the Pops 1992

13 700219 Instant Karma 4 Top of the Pops Orig Audio

14 Instant Karma 4 2003-2016

15 700220 Instant Karma 5 Pop Match B/W

16 701211 Love 2003-2016

17 Mother 2003-2016

18 Working Class Hero 2003-2016

DISC TWO:

01 701211 Why - Yoko Ono

02 710312 Power To The People 1 1992

03 Power To The People 2 2003-2016

04 Power To The People 3 2010

05 Power To The People 4 2006 USVSJL

06 711011 Imagine - Film Outtakes

07 Imagine 1 1971 Long Intro

08 Imagine 2 1971 Short Intro

08 Imagine 3 1992

09 Imagine 4 1998

10 Imagine 5 2003-2016

11 Imagine 6 2006 Instrumental

12 711217 Imagine - Apollo Theatre, NYC, NY

13 Sisters O Sisters - Apollo Theatre NYC, NY

14 720117 Crippled Inside

15 Gimme Some Truth 1

16 Gimme Some Truth 2 2003-2016

17 How

18 Jealous Guy 1

19 Jealous Guy 2 2003-2016

20 Oh My Love

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Luciana Paluzzi, Ivo Garrani, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici, Mimmo Palmara, Lidia Alfonsi, Gabriele Antonini, Aldo Fiorelli, Andrea Fantasia, Fabrizio Mioni. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Heralding a decade of Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, Hercules -- as it's been known in the United States since its 1959 release -- draws most of its plot from the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Hercules, the half-immortal son of Jupiter (or Zeus) rescues Iole, the daughter of Pelias, the king of Jolco, when the horses pulling her chariot run wild. Returning her to the court, he is engaged by Pelias to train his vain, arrogant son in the use of arms, that he may one day become a warrior king. Pelias' hold on power is very uncertain, owing to the way he became king -- his brother, the previous monarch, was murdered by persons unknown in the palace -- and he looks to leave a dynasty. The prince is later killed through his own foolishness, however, and the blame falls on Hercules. In order to win back the grieving heart of Iole, Hercules surrenders his immortality and manages to triumph in a savage test of his strength against the Cretan Bull. One day, a stranger arrives in Jolco claiming to be Jason, Pelias' nephew, and son of the murdered king -- and the rightful king. To prove his claim, he vows to sail to the ends of the Earth and reclaim the Golden Fleece, the symbol of rightful rule in Jolco, which was stolen on the night that his father was murdered. A crew is assembled that includes various legendary figures out of Greek mythology, with Hercules at the head of the list. They survive encounters with sea storms and a predatory race of women, the machinations of a traitor in their ranks, and Pelias' treachery, and Jason slays the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. On their return, however, the Fleece is stolen and Hercules is imprisoned. Jason and his men are surrounded by Pelias' soldiers and a battle ensues. Iole frees Hercules, who comes to the aid of Jason and restores him to the throne that's rightfully his. This battle features one of the best action sequences in the film as Hercules, his wrists still in the shackles and chains that bound him in Pelias' dungeon, first kills the man who murdered the old king and then, faced with mounted cavalry charging him on the steps of the palace, pulls down the pillars supporting the facade and wipes out the cavalry. Pelias, unable to contain his own guilt, commits suicide and Iole, seeing the truth about her father, goes to Hercules and accepts him as her husband. Ray Harryhausen's Jason and the Argonauts, made six years later, told the same story with far superior effects and a less conclusive ending, but Hercules is a fun movie in its own right, and Steve Reeves cuts a stunning figure, even if his voice is dubbed. Curiously, there are two different dubbed versions of Hercules in circulation, one of which (the one that was on television in the early '60s, and was on the VidAmerica videocassette) features a simpler range of English dialogue that works better. The other version occasionally uses more florrid language (and appeared on the Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc), which doesn't really resonate well. The giveaway comes in the scene where Hercules prays to Jupiter at the temple, surrendering his powers. The simpler, better track has the echoed voice come back "the Cretan Bull awaits."

.

Philips CD-202

Pioneer PD-70

Pioneer CLD-1950

Blade Runner.

Edición francesa.

Laserdisc.

Francés.

On the left, we have a pretty cool laser-disc of the Stallone detective yarn "Nighthawks" - joined by "First Blood" in competing VHS and laser-disc formats. Format wars live on in Korea! (Let's not even get into the ideological variety.)

Vintage technology: Laser and Video Discs. From a blog article here at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Part of possibly the largest Voogie's Angel merchandise collection in North America. 恐らく全北米の最大 『電脳戦隊ヴギィ'ズ・エンジェル』 グッズコレクションの一部です。

Contents of this photo （この写真の内容）:

- Promotional poster (on the left) for OVA Episode 3

- Promotional poster (in the middle) for OVA Episode 2 , using OVA character redesigns but illustrated by original character designer Shin'ichi Miyamae （宮前真一）

- Promotional poster (on the right) for Forever and Ever (movie re-edit of the OVA series, with 7 minutes of new footage added to the ending, never released in North America)

- OVA Episode 1 LaserDisc (2 copies, 1 with obi)

- OVA Episode 2 LaserDisc, with obi

- OVA Episode 3 LaserDisc, with obi

- Forever and Ever LaserDisc, with obi

- Forever and Ever DVD, with obi (obi not shown)

- Making of Voogie's Angel LaserDisc, with obi

- Making of Voogie's Angel VHS tape

- Susume! Super Angels! OVA Episode 1 LaserDisc, with obi

- Susume! Super Angels! OVA Episode 2 LaserDisc, with obi

- OVA Episodes 1-3, Region 1 DVD (English-subtitled VHS tape also owned but not at hand)

- OVA soundtrack CD Vol. 1, with obi

- OVA soundtrack CD Vol. 2, with obi

- OVA animation cel of Voogie

- Tenshi ni Naritai!! （天使になりたい！！） assorted materials CD Vol. 2, with obi (obi not shown)

Note: I do not actually own a LaserDisc player. LDプレーヤーを持っていません。

Ad for the Atari coin-op Firefox game. This was the only laserdisc based game Atari developed.

See 14 vintage ads for video games based on movies here