SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: 'RUDY RAY MOORE IS DOLEMITE' (2010)

Traffic Entertainment Group have outdone themselves with their latest soundtrack re-release...the classic "blaxploitation" soundtrack to the 1974 film 'DOLEMITE' starring Rudy Ray Moore!


When I was a kid, I sought long and hard for the soundtrack album to this classic film, so much so, that I had nearly spent $100.00 bucks on my credit card for a vinyl reissue that was available overseas way back when. Needless to say, there wasn't a CD version available at the time. Luckily, my turntable still had some kick to it, and I dubbed a copy of the album onto a cassette tape and played the Hell out of that. Despite hearing the album verbatim, I had always felt like there was something missing at the time. Lo and behold, I was right, and over the past ten years, there have been a few reissues of this funky soundtrack album. Here's the lowdown on the good, the bad, and the fugly...


In 2006, Relapse Records had recognized this funky masterpiece for what it's worth, and had released it onto the CD format. Truth be told, I thought the mastering was rather lame to say the least. You could hear the pops and whistles throughout most of the tracks, not to mention a few of the tracks getting abruptly cut off at the tail end of the song. "Ouch!" Relapse made up for a poor quality restoration by adding bonus tracks to their release, which included the original "Dolemite" theme from the film, featuring the opening narration by Rudy Ray Moore, as well as a few songs from 'The Human Tornado' (the 'Dolemite' sequel) and radio spots for both films. For more information on the Relapse Records release, go here sucka': DolemiteSoundtrack.com


This past year, Traffic has released the original album in an impressive specially designed cardboard sleeve, similar to an LP cover from the vinyl era! The soundtrack has been "faithfully" digitally mastered from the original multi track files, and includes a second bonus CD, which features previously unreleased takes, mixes, a capellas & instrumentals! Honestly, I can't say enough about this wonderful release! The musical talents of Arthur Wright and the Soul Rebellion Orchestra, as well as the Revelation Funk and Mary Love are beautifully realized here, and haven't sounded better! Listening to Ben Taylor's vocals on the "Dolemite" theme song put a really big smile on my face! This is a Dolemite fan's dream come true, and a must for "blaxploitation" lovers everywhere!


For those of you who are hip to the digital age of buying mp3s instead of CDs, you can purchase the "Special Edition" of the 'Dolemite' soundtrack on amazon.com, which features the same tracks as the Traffic release, plus some extra bonus mixes for all you completists out there!

My rating:
2006 Relapse Records CD: 1 star out of 5 stars
2008 R N P Muzak "Special Edition" mp3: 5 stars out of 5 stars
2010 Traffic Entertainment Group 2-CD Set: 5 stars out of 5 stars


For more information on where to buy Rudy Ray Moore merchandise, check out the official website here, fool!: http://www.shockingimages.com/dolemite/merch.php

NOW PLAYING: 'I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE' (2010)

Today marks the "Day Of The Woman"! Meir Zarchi's classic rape and revenge horror film gets the remake treatment, courtesy of Anchor Bay Films! The studio is releasing the film theatrically in ten major cities in its original unrated form. If you're lucky enough to be in one of those major cities...go see it! Yours truly will have to wait for the home video release, which has been slated for the first quarter of 2011.

For more information: http://www.ispitonyourgravemovie.com

DVD OF THE WEEK: 'THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE)' (2010)

When I had first heard about 'The Human Centipede', director Jorg Buttgereit came to mind. The infamous German filmmaker, who brought us the cult class-sick 'NEKRomantik' (1987), gave us a whole new meaning to the world of necrophilia, and displayed some of the most bizarre and inhumanly grotesque acts of mankind ever thought possible! After watching one of his notorious horror films, you are literally left with a gangrene feeling and a bad taste in your mouth. Buttgereit's unique style of filmmaking is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. However, Tom Six's filmmaking style is quite the opposite, making his debut film Von Ningue's DVD OF THE WEEK!

The storyline follows two young American girls (played by actresses Ashley C. Williams and Ashlynn Yennie) who are traveling through Europe on their passports. While on their trek through Germany, they both become stranded after taking a wrong turn on a deserted roadway while getting a flat tire in the process. Like two naive babes in the woods, they come across the mad scientist's estate and knock on his door asking for help. The big bad wolf (played to the nines by actor Dieter Laser) lets them in and offers them shelter, only to have plans of his own device. The diabolical madman drugs both women and carries them down to the bowels of his laboratory, where he will perform his greatest creation...siamese triplets! Thus, the human centipede is born!

After hearing about Tom Six's new film, you can't help but wonder what the Hell is going on here. You can only imagine the worst "shit-eating" joke in the world and even that wouldn't come close to what the film's title suggests. I was curious enough to pick up a copy at Target this past Tuesday, but quite leery about watching the film while eating a meal. Needless to say, I'm totally glad that I decided not to snack during the movie! However, I was really quite impressed that throughout the entire film, I didn't feel the need to puke my guts up, which is quite a relief! In fact, I had a blast watching this movie and, despite the horrific premise of the story, I couldn't help but laugh my ass off! Tom Six not only delivers an interesting premise to a strange situation, but he also does it in style. Granted, there aren't too many filmmakers nowadays that seem to impress this old movie lover here, but Tom Six knows how to shock your senses without alot of gross-out. Hats off to Tom Six for being creative! 'The Human Centipede' deserves a rightful seat next to some of the greatest sci-fi/horror films ever made, and is destined to become a "cult classic" in years to come!

My rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: ROY BUDD'S 'GET CARTER' (2010)

For those of you who are familiar with the musical works of Roy Budd, you already know that this is one of his most revered scores. Simply put, Roy Budd is to 'Get Carter' as Isaac Hayes is to 'Shaft'. That being said, it was only a matter of time before this classic soundtrack would get re-released again, and Silva Screen Records does just that. They put the icing on the cake with this groovy reissue of the classic soundtrack album.

'Get Carter' was previously released on CD over in the UK during the past ten years. Back in 1998, Cinephile Records in the UK released a "Special Edition CD" which included a mini-replica film poster and a nifty slipcase! Being a soundtrack collector myself, I hold this version of the soundtrack near-and-dear to my heart, as it was the first soundtrack release from this film that I had ever listened to. Two years later, when Sly Stallone remade 'Get Carter', the media jumped all over it, and re-released what Cinephile had already established with their previous soundtrack release, but this time around, they added a few alternative "remixes" of the infamous "Get Carter" theme song. Now, recently obtaining the licensing rights to Roy Budd's extensive film music catalogue, Silva Screen Records kicks off their reissue series with his most famous film score.

'Get Carter' (2010) includes a total of 28 tracks of music and dialogue from the film, a three-track differential from the Cinephile release. Silva Screen Records has done a boss job of remastering the music from the original source elements! Some new sound effects were added to the songs, such as the "Intro" track that leads into the "Main Theme - Carter Takes A Train", or the powerful stinger that's been upgraded at the beginning of "Goodbye Eric!" In fact, some of the songs are slightly extended versions that were previously shortened on the Cinephile release. Listen to the end of "Love Is A Four Letter Word." The segue way between the end of the song track and the beginning of the dialogue track is quite different. My only beef with the new release is the absence of the classic lounge song "How About You" that was on the Cinephile release. Perhaps Budd had nothing to do with the song, hence the reason why it's not featured on here. There was another song that played intermittently during one particular scene in the film, where Carter (Michael Caine) is chasing Thorpe (Bernard Hepton) down the street, and Thorpe ducks into a dance hall. I was hoping that mystery track would have been included on this release, but I guess not.

The new 'Carter' also features classic dialogue bits from the film that were previously released, but Silva Screen added some new ones, including my all-time favorite..."You're A Big Man But You're In Bad Shape"! Classic!

The new release also includes a 20-page booklet featuring an interview with the director of the film, Mike Hodges, as well as color and black-and-white behind-the-scenes stills from the film. If you're a fan of Roy Budd's musical works, there's no doubt that you're going to want to add this to your collection. If you're a 'Get Carter' fan and love the music, but aren't sure whether or not to upgrade to this new version, trust me...you'll want to. Whatever you do, don't piss all over this soundtrack release, or Carter will come for you!


My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

SPOTLIGHT ON...GEORGE A. ROMERO

August is finally here, which means Summer is almost over! Since this is the month that literally marks the "dead" of Summer, we're spotlighting the career of one of the most legendary horror filmmakers in history...George A. Romero! In fact, this month also marks the home video debut of his latest entry into his ever-popular 'Dead' series,'Survival Of The Dead'! Yours truly is looking forward to seeing it!

NOW PLAYING: 'INCEPTION'

Christopher Nolan's latest masterpiece is finally here! The much-anticipated film starring Leonardo DiCaprio opens nationwide today. Yours truly is hoping to catch the excitement sometime this weekend. Go see it!

DVD OF THE WEEK: 'BROOKLYN'S FINEST' (2010)

This week, Antoine Fuqua's 'Brooklyn's Finest' leads the pack in new releases at your local video store. The movie stars Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes (!), who's been off the proverbial Hollywood map since the release of 'Blade: Trinity' (2004). This all-star cast is powerfully orchestrated from none other than the director of 'Training Day' (2001), making this Von Ningue's DVD OF THE WEEK!

The story revolves around three New York police officers: Sal, played by Ethan Hawke, who's desperate for money to help out his family; Tango, played by Don Cheadle, who's trying to keep it together while working undercover; and Eddie, played by Richard Gere, a burnout cop who's just trying to get by. Director Antoine Fuqua, who's best known for his other cop drama, truly hits the mark with this film. The film has a knock-out cast and balls-out performances, including a suprise guest appearance by "Mr. New Jack City" himself...Wesley Snipes! I've gotta admit...it's great to see Wesley doing his "thang" in a film like this one.

Ethan Hawke's performance is simply fantastic as the cop who's trying to "do the right thing" by doing the wrong thing to help out his struggling family with their money troubles...a different type of role from the rookie cop in 'Training Day'! Two days after you watch his performance in the film, you'll be quoting some of his best lines, including my favorite: "I don't want God's forgiveness...I WANT HIS FUCKING HELP!"

Don Cheadle's work is quite impressive here too, and truly makes up for his 'Iron Man 2' stint! You can tell that he was working his real-life Hollywood mood swings here, probably from all of the 'Iron Man' fanboys who were giving him shit about replacing Terrance Howard. Either way, Cheadle keeps his cool by losing his cool in this flick.

Last, but definitely not least, is the surprising role of Eddie Dugan, played by my man Richard Gere! When I heard that Richard Gere was playing a cop in this film, I had no clue how far things would go. Waking up to a bottle of whiskey and a game of Russian Roulette is how Eddie strives to survive in the urban jungle of Brooklyn, New York. Seven days away from his retirement, Eddie could care less about what's happening in the world around him by losing himself to his bottle of booze and hooker/friend "Chantel"! Watching Gere downward spiral into the depths of depravity really blew my mind. Honestly, I never thought in a million years that I would see Gere do a straight-up sex scene on film again. The only other person that could have outdone Gere in this film would have been legendary actor/singer/songwriter David Alexander Hess, who's considered to be the "Richard Gere" of the horror genre.

Watching all of these characters stories unfold was truly amazing. There wasn't much "downtime" during the two-plus hours of film that is here, and what is there is good filmmaking. Without giving anything away, lemme just say that after watching the last reel, I was pumped to follow up this film with a class-sick Italian horror film...Lucio Fulci's 'The New York Ripper'! Trust me...you have to see it to believe it!

My rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

SPOTLIGHT ON...CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

The widely popular filmmaker behind such films as 'Memento' (2000) and 'The Dark Knight' (2008) has taken classic film noir and made it cool again. July marks the release of his latest film 'Inception', starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and to celebrate, we'll be taking a look back at the young filmmaker's career all month long. Stay tuned!

VON NINGUE REMAKES...'ZOMBIE'!

Remakes, remakes, remakes! Hollywood is fresh out of ideas, which means that it's time to make what's old brand new again. Unfortunately,the past ten years has shown that, and sadly, not everything that gets reinvented works as well as the original, although now and then, one remake makes quite an impression.

This month, we're taking a classic horror film and "remaking" it (for no apparent reason) in today's world...Lucio Fulci's 'ZOMBIE'!

"The boat can leave now. Tell the crew." -- Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson)

Those famous opening lines were spoken by none other than famous actor Richard Johnson, who's best known for his starring role in the 1963 classic, 'The Haunting'. My choice to fill the good doctor's shoes would be none other than Pierce Brosnan. As of late, the former "007" star has made some second-rate fare, most notably the Brett Ratner actioner 'After The Sunset' (2004) and 'The Matador' (2005), pictured below. Since his departure from being Bond, he's got a rough look about him, which makes him perfect for the role.


So who's going to play the damsel in distress, you ask? "Anne Bowles", who was originally played by the lovely Tisa Farrow, would be perfectly portrayed by the "Ghost Whisperer" herself...Jennifer Love Hewitt! Love, who's no stranger to horror films, has a sweet and innocent "girl next door" quality about her that would make great eye candy for anyone who's willing to travel to the Island of Matool to scope out the mysterious goings on.


The lucky guy in question, ace reporter "Peter West", originally played by Ian McCulloch, would best be portrayed by actor Guy Pearce, who's best known for his role as "Leonard Shelby" in writer-director Christopher Nolan's 'Memento' (2000). Pearce has a knack for winding up in crazy situations and makes them that more interesting. I would love to see how he gets off the island alive!


And what would a remake of 'ZOMBIE' be without a good supporting cast? Let's pick out an interesting couple to lend both Anne and Peter a boat ride...actor Michael Pare and actress Michelle Rodriguez. Both come from the school of Uwe Boll, so there's no surprise that these two lucky candidates would make a cute couple! Originally played by actor Al Cliver ("Brian Hull") and actress Auretta Gay ("Susan Barrett"), these colorful characters were in for more than two weeks of fishing, bathing, and sunshine...that's fer sure!


Last but not least, we need to pick out a love interest for the good doctor. Hmmm...how about Salma Hayek? Both showed good chemistry working together in Brett Ratner's 'Sunset' flick, so this would make an interesting reunion for the both of them. Plus, the lovely actress has an "eye-popping" quality about her, too!

"THE BOAT LEAVES...SUMMER 2010"

DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEW: 'CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD' (1980)

Today marks the birthdate of the Maestro himself, Lucio Fulci, and what better way than to celebrate the life of one of Italy's most beloved filmmakers than by reviewing one of his greatest films...'City Of The Living Dead'! Blue Underground breathes new life into this classic horror film with a High Definition transfer plus all new special features, making this Von Ningue's DVD/Blu-ray 'Pick Of The Month'!

'City Of The Living Dead'(1980), (a.k.a. 'The Gates Of Hell'), is the second entry into Fulci's popular "dead" trilogy. Similar to his earlier "zombie" outing, this film centers around a priest, who by hanging himself, opens up the gates of Hell, causing a maelstrom of violent proportions! Mary Woodhouse (played by the lovely Catriona MacColl), a young psychic who, through a seance, witnesses the priest's hanging and the outcome of what's to come. Enter Peter Bell (played by the late, great Christopher George), a journalist who, fascinated with the mysteries surrounding Mary and her vision, decides to investigate further by tagging along with her all the way to Dunwich. Upon their arrival in the small New England town, they meet Gerry (played by Carlo De Mejo), a psychiatrist, and Sandra (played by the lovely Janet Agren), one of his patients, who have both been witness to the strange goings-on. Together, they race to close the gates of Hell before All Saints Day!

Done in traditional Lucio Fulci style, 'City Of The Living Dead' gives the audience what they want to see...blood, guts, and plenty of gore! Following up his earlier on-screen exploits, Fulci takes it to the next level! This time around, Fulci pulls out all the stops when he drills poor Bob (played by none other than Italy's "Whipping Boy" himself...Giovanni Lombardo Radice) through the head! I've seen this movie quite a few times now, and I've gotta admit...that particular scene still makes me cringe. Whether you're a newbie to his works or a veteran like myself, you'll be squirming in your seat...I guarantee it!



Luckily, Blue Underground has added some bonus features to compliment their Special Edition of the film, including a thirty-minute "Making Of" documentary, which features interviews with most of the principal film crew as well as star Catriona MacColl and co-star and filmmaker Michele Soavi. The Blu-ray disc also features some extra featurettes that weren't available on the standard DVD version...my sole purpose for jumping into the High Definition format! Rounding out the Blu-ray disc is a cool poster and still gallery, courtesy of Mike Baronas and Paura Productions, as well as the original theatrical trailers and radio spots...maggots not included!

Personally, this is the best time that I've ever had watching this film on the home video format. The picture quality looks rather sharp and sounds crystal clear for being thirty years old. Honestly, I was quite leary after seeing what Paramount Pictures had done with their High Definition transfer of 'Friday The 13th Part 3', which was quite grainy, to say the least! Have no fear...the picture is clear, thanks to the folks over at Blue Underground! If you're still sitting on the fence about whether or not to jump into the High Definition pool, trust me...the waters fine!

My rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars


For more information on Lucio Fulci's 'City Of The Living Dead', pick up a copy of the May/June 2010 issue of HorrorHound, where you'll find a spread on the film in a 30th Anniversary Retrospective. Check it out!

SPOTLIGHT ON...LUCIO FULCI

This month, we're paying tribute to the Godfather of Gore...the late, great Lucio Fulci! Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of 'City Of The Living Dead' (a.k.a. 'The Gates Of Hell'), we'll be taking a look back at the Maestro's film career all month long. Stay tuned!

MOVIE REVIEW: 'IRON MAN 2'

Ahhhh...Summer is FINALLY here, which means it's time for another season of blockbuster movies at your local movie house! One of the most anticipated movies to come out this year is none other than 'IRON MAN 2', the sequel to the 2008 box-office smash, starring Robert Downey Jr.!

Reprising his role from the original movie, Downey Jr. plays billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who dons the classic red-and-yellow metallic suit whenever trouble is afoot and saves the day. This time around, Stark is faced with problems from the US Government, who wants to use the Iron Man technology for military purposes. However, Stark is resilient in the matter and refuses to do so, whilst publicly shaming his rival Justin Hammer in the process. Hammer (played brilliantly by Sam Rockwell), whose failures in copying the Stark technology have proven to be his lot in life, has decided to make a deal with the devil, or in this case, Ivan Vanko (played by the great Mickey Rourke), whose got a beef of his own with Tony Stark. However, Stark's problems don't stop there. This time around, he's faced with a problem in the arc reactor that sits inside of his chest as the palladium slowly but surely begins to poison his body. As Stark's world slowly downward spirals out of control, his ole pal "Rhodey" (played by newcomer Don Cheadle) confronts him about his strange and illicit behavior and makes off with the Mark II armor in the process. All is not lost for Stark though, as Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (played by Sam "Mothafuckin" Jackson) and Natasha Romanoff, whose alias is the "Black Widow" for all you non-comic book fans out there (played by the sexy Scarlett Johansson) come to his rescue. Throw in the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow as love interest Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, played by the director himself (the talented Jon Favreau) and you've got a Summer movie!

Overall, I was impressed with the follow-up to the original movie. Since Marvel Studios has opted to reboot most of their popular franchise titles a few years ago, 'Iron Man' (2008), which is also the first film of the new wave, seemed to be the best of the bunch (the Punisher reboot, anyone?). Despite all the controversy and hoopla surrounding the replacement of character actor Terrance Howard, who was a perfect choice to play Lt. Col. James Rhodes in the original film, I had no problem watching Don Cheadle don the Mark II armor and bring War Machine to life. However, I will say this...in comparison of both actors, Howard would have been the perfect choice to play the role, and it shows in Cheadle's performance on screen. Howard had presence in the original film, whereas Cheadle does not. In fact, I totally forgot all about Cheadle when I saw Johansson in her Black Widow costume...AROOOGAH! If nothing else is to be said about 'Iron Man 2', you can say alot for Johansson's performance in the film. Mickey Rourke, who's movie career has been on the upswing over the past year, plays a mean s.o.b. as Ivan Vanko, and balances out well with Sam Rockwell's nasally humor. Lest we forget about Robert Downey Jr., who was born to play this role, and does it so damn well. If you don't believe me, watch the scene at Tony Stark's birthday party when he's trashed off his ass. Good stuff!

'Iron Man 2' is not a perfect film, but it is a decent film, and a good excuse to get away from your everyday problems and watch someone elses. To be honest, I was not initially moved to see this film when it had arrived in theaters on May 7th...I happened to catch an evening show over the Memorial Day holiday to pass the time, and I'm really glad that I did!

My rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars

WELCOME

Greetings fellow bloggers, and welcome to my blog! Here you will find a plethora of information related to the entertainment world featuring reviews of the latest music and movie releases, as well as a bit of nostalgia for all you "old schoolers" out there in blogland!

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