Re-Animator
D: Stuart Gordon; with Jeffery Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton,
David Gale.
Laserdisc
Elite Entertainment Those folks over at Elite really are a horror fan’s best friend, having
released deluxe discs of classics like Night of the Living Dead and
Horror Hotel, among others. Now, they’ve blessed us with this “10th
Anniversary” edition of Re-Animator — a picture highly regarded as one
of the finest genre efforts of the 1980s. Although not identified as such, this
release is surely definitive. It includes an astonishingly crisp transfer, two
different audio commentary tracks, trailers, and a whole 20 minutes of deleted
footage. Elite’s Re-Animator is an essential (and surprisingly
affordable) purchase for any horror buff. — Joey O’Bryan
Invaders From Mars
D: William Cameron Menzies; with Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt,
Leif Erickson, Hillary Brooke,
Bert Freed.
VHS Home Video
20th Century-Fox Something’s not quite right with Professor George MacLean (Erickson). Son
David (Hunt) suspects that it has something to do with the small hole in the
back of Dad’s neck. Or perhaps it’s the sudden violent change in his father’s
behavior. With a plot that addresses the dangers of atomic energy and aliens,
Invaders stylishly combines slightly hokey dialogue, eerie theremin
music, and entertaining special effects. Hunt is all spunky innocence as the
boy who cried UFO, but with the help of an understanding social worker
(Carter), David uncovers the mystery behind the quicksand and the small holes
in the townspeople’s necks.
— Alison Macor
Before the Rain
D. Milcho Manchevski; with Rade Serbedzija, Katrin Cartlidge, Labina
Mitevska, Gregoire Colin.
VHS Home Video
PolyGram This tragic, modern love story told in three parts and inlaid with religious
and cultural strife affects all involved whether they choose sides or not.
Alexander, a photojournalist working in London, returns to his village tucked
away in the Balkan Mountains of Macedonia where boundary lines have been drawn
separating the Macedonian Orthodox [Christians] and the Albanian Muslims. Here,
an unfortunate incident stirs up a vengeful feud requiring an “oco for
an oco.” Director Manchevski handles war’s complexities and nuances with
extraordinary care and brutal honesty, creating a wrenching turmoil that is
symbolically, cinematically, and stylistically arresting to watch. —
Stephany Baskin
Mi Vida Loca
D: Alison Anders; with Angel Aviles, Seidy Lopez, Jacob Bargas, Marlo
Marron, Jessie Borrego.
VHS Home Video
Sony Filmed in Anders’ Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park, Loca focuses
on a group of young Hispanic women as they persevere through heartbreak, hard
times, and single motherhood. The story unfolds as a series of narrations, with
various characters putting their own spin on the tale. The structure is
admirably complex, but ultimately compromises the focus of the film. As the
women’s voices approach something genuine, the stiff, stereotyped males only
drag them down, cursing like sailors and toking to Cypress Hill. By the time
everyone has said their peace, there’s scarcely film left to convey anything of
depth.— Brian Barry
Hexen: Beyond Heretic
Raven Software/id Software
CD-ROM for IBM-PC An appropriate title for the latest game from id Software and Raven, to make
use of the famous Doom game engine, Hexen is indeed a big step
beyond Heretic or any of its predecessors. You choose to play as either
a warrior, cleric, or mage when you start a new game; and each character has
unique advantages and weaknesses which demand a different style of play. The
game play is intense; the puzzles are large and complex. The levels are
elaborate and convoluted, but also breathtaking: You can move back and forth
amongst them in a given episode in any order you’d like. The monsters are
fearsome yet graphically beautiful. Hexen has earthquakes, ice floors,
magic staves, a Porkelator, and the ability to freeze your enemy and shatter
him like an ice sculpture. What more could you ask for?
— Kurt Dillard
Beavis and Butt-head in Chicks -N- Stuff
D: Mike Judge.
VHS Home Video
MTV Home Video Having grown up in one of Beavis and Butt-head’s supposed hometowns, Humble, I
appreciate seeing them flushed from the crevices of society to voice
middle-America’s take on life. Why try your luck with MTV reruns when you can
rent? It’s a guaranteed, 50-minute fan-fix of nine episodes. Sorry, no music
video slams, but gems from writer Joe Stillman include “Pregnant Pause” (Is
Beavis pregnant?) and “Top o’ the Mountain” (cop-a-feel off the hairdresser).
Sure to trigger a chuckle from your pre-pubescent pituitary gland, Chicks
-N- Stuff is “there, dude” as American satire. — Stephany Baskin
This article appears in November 24 • 1995 and November 24 • 1995 (Cover).