No one that knows me will ever accuse me of being a "film snob" ("laser snob" maybe, but that's another story). I freely admit to often watching, and even buying, movies that are, shall we say, not quite intellectually stimulating. So I like dumb movies. Sue me.
And speaking of dumb movies, several titles of interest to the action and sci-fi crowd have recently been released or reissued. Here's a sampling of some of the better (and not so better) choices.
'Streets Of Fire' has long been one of my favorite "no-brainers". Two dimensional characters and laughable dialog seem to fit the strange, alternate universe world the filmmakers created. This new 1.85:1 matted transfer from MCA is also a treat. The image is extremely smooth with excellent clarity and detail. Colors are perfectly saturated and unusually stable. Some may find certain scenes a bit dark and contrasty, but I found the look of the film closely follows the overall mood. The soundtrack is also a real improvement over the earlier disc. Certainly one of the real pleasures of this film is Ry Cooder's terrific score and it has never sounded so good. The Dolby mix also contains plenty of directional effects and effective use of the surrounds. The film runs 93 minutes and the disc contains 28 chapters. The side break is only so-so. MCA did throw in not one, but two trailers. List price is $34.95.
'I Come In Peace' has recently been reissued by Lumivision. This magnum opus has a drug dealing alien (that's outer space alien) prowling the streets of Houston using unsuspecting Texans as endorphine factories. Of course, to get to the endorphines, he has to drive a spike through their forehead so narcotics detective Dolph Lundgren decides to put a stop to his shenanegans. This is the classic "B" action film. It never takes itself too seriously and it never make an apology for itself. There's just enough story to provide an excuse for the mayhem and just enough humor so you don't forget this isn't Lawrence Of Arabia. Lumivision's transfer is something of a mixed bag. The image is very smooth and colors are generally strong, though the image lacks the sharpness and detail of most recent transfers, particulary in darker scenes. The matted 1.85:1 ratio looks fairly well balanced, but some scenes seem a bit tight at the top. The soundtrack is about the same story. Dialog is clear and there are a number of good directional effects but, overall, the dynamics and range are somewhat limited. The film runs 92 minutes and contains 18 chapters. The side break is excellent. A theatrical trailer follows the feature. List price is $39.95.
I admit it. I initially bought 'Barb Wire' for one reason (okay, two reasons), Pamela Anderson Lee. This is the only (mostly) real live woman I have ever seen that actually looks like a Boris Vallejo painting. What suprised me was that Mrs. Lee actually does a pretty good job with what had to have been a tough action role. That is not to say that Meryl Streep should be feeling threatened, but then, I doubt Ms. Streep would be half as interesting in skin-tight black leather and assorted firearms. 'Barb Wire' is not a great movie, but hey, it IS based on a comic book. The letterboxed transfer on this Polygram Video disc is excellent. Colors are solid and accurate without a trace of noise. Contrast and brightness are very good, as is sharpness and detail. The image is matted to a ratio of about 1.85:1. The soundtrack is, like the film's star, anything but subtle. Very little in the way of ambience here. Basically, just real loud rock music. Those with subwoofers, be warned. I have rarely heard this level of very low frequency effects. The film runs 109 minutes and contains 17 chapters. The side break is a bit awkward. Following the feature is outtake footage from the opening sequence showing a bit more of Mrs. Lee. It beats the hell out of a lousy trailer. List price is $34.95.
Last (and definitely least in this group) is 'Screamers'. 'Screamers' could have been a much better film but for one thing. It's a "B" movie pretending to be something it isn't. Despite better than average effects (way better in some cases) and a competent performance by Peter Weller, if the filmmakers wanted to make a serious film, they would have needed a lot more money and a lot more story. As it turns out, they didn't have nearly enough of either. 'Screamers' is not a total waste. If it were, I wouldn't bother writing this. As mentioned, some of the effects are very good and Peter Weller elevates his role as commander of an abandoned outpost in an intergalactic war. Many sci-fi fans will find something to like in this film. Certainly I had no trouble with it. But the disc jacket contains the following quote from The Washington Post, "Everything you enjoyed in Alien, Star Wars, Tremors, Blade Runner and Total Recall comes entertainly together in Screamers". Yeah, right. The film runs 108 minutes and contains 43 chapters. No trailer or other extras is included. It should also be noted that Columbia Tristar did not even think enough of this film to release a matted transfer. Though this full screen presentation is adequate, the rather noticable amount of "dead" space on the top and bottom of the frame makes me wonder if a matted transfer might not have improved the visual appeal. At least the quality of this transfer is good. Actually, it's very good with strong colors and excellent detail. Contrast and brightness are also very good. The Dolby Stereo soundtrack contains a number of good directional effects and liberal use of the surround channel. List price is $34.95.
This review is copyright, and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the author.
