AC/DC - "The Bon Scott Years" DVD/CD

Shallow and shameful cash-in

Ah, this is a really shady unlicensed set to be certain. The DVD features a few brief old Aussie TV interviews with the band and original front-man Bon Scott. There's very little insight or history here, at all. According to serious AC/DC fans, these clips have been available online for some time, rendering this one pretty well unnecessary. And the entire DVD runs for about 15 minutes. Shameful.

The attached CD isn't AC/DC at all, but early work from Bon Scott's pre-AC/DC days. Sure, serious fans may be curious to hear these 11 tunes, but as they are classic sixties-style pop (rather than bluesy hard rock), this may come as a big shock to fans expecting balls-out Bon Scott "rawk". 

All-in-all, don't be duped by this dubious set of "rare" AC/DC material.

Laser Media

AC/DC site

"Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey / In Pursuit Of The Dragon" DVD (director: John Little)

Well-done and respectful documentary set

This set of 2 Lee retrospectives/documentaries is deceptively packaged as if it were a pair of long-lost Bruce Lee movies. But, looking beyond marketing gimmicks, these really are interesting and worthy viewing for any fan of the martial arts master.

The first documentary is "A Warrior's Journey", and it showcases Lee's life story -- all centered around 33 minutes of unreleased footage from Lee's unfinished (and final) film, "Game Of Death". Director Little paints a vivid and loving portrait of Lee and his career through interviews, film clips, and photos, even getting as close as an extensive interview with Lee's widow (and mother of his children).

The second film here, "In Pursuit Of The Dragon", proves to be less interesting. Re-visiting the scenes from famous Bruce Lee movies, Little compares and contrasts the locales now, versus the some-40 years since Lee's passing. I'm afraid this is something only die-hard Lee fans will find of interest.

So, a solid set of Bruce Lee documentaries here, and a great gift for serious Lee devotees.

MVD Visual

Bruce Lee site

"Porn Shoot Massacre" DVD (director: Corbin Timbrook)

Mild film that only aspires to be "dangerous"

I have little patience for this sort of thing. Promises, promises. I say, if you're going to go for such a balls-out, all-in trashy title, at least back it up with something of, well, substance. This lame exploitation film goes nowhere fast. The premise? A porno in the making is marred by a grisly murder! The girls are being picked off one-by-one. Interested? Me, neither.

The opening scene is of an obviously-enhanced porn star in the shower. She is killed by an unseen assailant. There is obviously artificial blood. That is about as "hardcore" as it gets. For a film with both "porn" and "massacre" in the title, this one lacks both. Sure, there are plenty of breasts here and there, but there's also atrocious acting, a lame, generic story, and less-than-stellar murders and blood.  "Porn Shoot Massacre" is mild all the way, never quite cashing in all of it's chips. No, thanks.

Lost Empire Films

"Fear The Forest" DVD (director: Matthew Bora)

Shallow Sasquatch Silliness

So, I may know where one of the masks from the "Where The Wild Things Are" movie went! Jokes aside, this silly micro-indie horror was off to a rocky start as the outer packaging included several mis-constructed sentences and misspellings. It didn't get a whole lot better, either.

So, how could a Bigfoot movie that includes a martial arts battle and motocross footage be that bad? Right. And some subtle references (or is it homages) to "Deliverance" and "The Evil Dead" do not make this any better. So what isn't present in "Fear The Forest"? How about a decent script and original idea. How about some acting? A believable monster? Or maybe even some nudity or sex scenes? Nope, we'll have none of that here. Lackluster in most every way, this film could've been a decent film school project, but in a lake teeming with bigger fish, this one is just chum.

Lost Empire Films