Archive for February, 2012
Schlock-Wire: Shout! Factory Brings Sexy Back To DVD With THE NURSES COLLECTION
Feb 29th
It looks like Shout! Factory will be hitting a new vein of gold in the Roger Corman film catalog very soon. April will bring the release of The Nurses Collection, a 2-disc/4-film set devoted to the “nurse” sexploitation-drama genre that New World Pictures popularized during the early 1970’s. This set will contain Candy Stripe Nurses, More >
THE BEACH BOYS — SURFER GIRL: The Eternal Teenage Surfside Paradise Is Born
Feb 28th
Surfer Girl was the third album for the Beach Boys but it’s where the magic really begins for this group. It represents the first time that Brian Wilson was allowed to assume sole production responsibilities on a Beach Boys album. Freed up to follow his muse, he’d quickly develop the group’s basic “surf and drag” More >
DRACULA (1979 version): Less Blood, More Romance, Fangs Optional
Feb 27th
In this post–Interview With A Vampire/post–Twilight era, it’s hard to believe that there was a time when it was a controversial move to make a Dracula movie that presented its anti-hero as a figure of seduction rather than a figure of terror. However, this was true in the late 1970’s: you were expected to deliver More >
THE BEACH BOYS — SURFIN U.S.A.: Goodbye Surf Rock, Hello Golden Harmonies
Feb 24th
The specific classification of the Beach Boys is something of an ongoing debate in retro-pop circles. They started with surf and hot-rod tunes that slot in nicely alongside the surf rock genre yet their reliance on vocal harmonies puts them at odds with the likes of Dick Dale and all the guitar-driven instrumental combos he More >
CONTRACT ON CHERRY STREET: Ol’ Blue Eyes Vs. The Mob… And The System
Feb 23rd
Did you know that Frank Sinatra could have played the role of Dirty Harry? He was one of several actors originally approached for the role (John Wayne was another) but he bypassed the role. Having Sinatra in that iconic role would have been very different but it could have been interesting — he was moving More >
Schlock-Wire: A Disc Production Update And An Award Nomination For Synapse
Feb 22nd
This update has been posted to pass a long a few bits of news from Synapse Films. The first regards a delay regarding their forthcoming Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except blu-ray/DVD combo pack release. The second part regards some award nomination news regarding one of their releases from last year, the Coffin Joe film Embodiment More >
THE BEACH BOYS FAQ: The A Thru Z Of America’s Band
Feb 21st
If you’re a Beach Boys fan, you know there’s much more to the story than the “America’s Band” exterior lets on, a story that most casual observers have little idea about. The music of the Beach Boys is mostly considered sun & fun fluff by outsiders, give or take Pet Sounds and The Smile Sessions. More >
AMIN — THE RISE AND FALL: A Genocidal History Lesson For The Grindhouse
Feb 20th
The 1970’s were full of larger-than-life human monsters: Charles Manson, Jim Jones, the Zodiac Killer, etc. Their exploits seemed too sleazy to be true and tantalized public curiosity, thus inspiring exploitation film moguls to pump out grotty little exposes based on their evil deeds (Manson alone inspired an entire subgenre). Idi Amin Dada was one More >
Seven Great Episodes From POLICE WOMAN: SEASON TWO
Feb 17th
Season 2 brought some changes to Police Woman: it went for a more “uptown” feel, with glossier production values, more guest stars and cases that shifted the show into more upscale settings. Despite these changes, Season Two managed to offer a number of strong episodes that served up plenty of action and some clever variations More >
Seven Great Episodes From POLICE WOMAN: SEASON ONE
Feb 16th
One of the best things about Police Woman: Season One is its consistency. Some episodes might have had a more b-movie tone than others but all the episodes from this season have a slick sense of craftsmanship in how they are assembled, always managing to deliver the goods by the time the end credits roll. More >
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