King Kong vs Godzilla - 1962 - Dir. Ishirô Honda
While the rest of the world is going ape for Peter Jackson's King Kong, I watched this Toho classic. Pity the Japanese version has never been released in the US. This US version seems much more slanted to maked King Kong the winner, whereas the Japanese version is more of a draw. Also, we get all this UN nonsense that adds nothing, whereas the Japanese version has more humor. KKvG is really kinda boring until the final 20 minutes, when the battle royal really kicks into high gear. Then its fun if you like big rubber suit combat.
The DVD is simple, with no extras. But the print is clean, the sound, although mono, is clear, and the english subtitles match the english dialog (a pet peeve of mine). Three out of five beers.
Feast of Satan - 1971 - Dir. José María Elorrieta as Joe Lacy
Ahhh, Spanish horror. Even the Japanese do a better job of dubbing than the these old Spanish horror flicks from the seventies. And who can forget the joys of a drunken couple singing "Happy Party to You"? But the women are beautiful (although there's precious little nudity in the version I have, which is a pity. A bare breast or two never hurt a movie, and we only get one brief flash. Not fair at all. Joe Bob would be disappointed). Camera work shows the age of the days before steadycams, and many of the interior scenes are too damn dark (a complaint I have with a great many movies). The biggest problem I have is that NOTHING ever happens. It is duller than dishwater. I kept thinking, "Okay, now we're gonna get to the meat of this thing", only to discover that what I have here is a veggie platter. Then, suddenly, its over, with a crappy resolution that leaves you saying "And?".
The Retroflicks DVD-R did not have any subtitles, but the MPEG soundtrack was clear, and the dialog was always intelligible over the music.
Two out of five beers
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