DVD Verdict reviews: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005), BEYOND THE FRINGE, and more!

Today, DVD Verdict posted reviews of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005), THE
BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY, BEYOND THE FRINGE, THE HISTORY CHANNEL PRESENTS:
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, MATA HARI, MONSTER HIGH, MORTUARY ACADEMY, THE
NEW KIDS, PLATFORM, and TORTURE GARDEN:


THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005) (reviewed by Brett Cullum, overall
score 74/100):
"None of the details are accurate, and it seems everything has been
changed for the sake of sensationalism. This movie is a simple cash grab
based on a franchise name. Fine if you want to make a more elaborate
fictional version, but admit that is what you are doing. Stop treating
your audience as if they can't read a book or do some on-line research.
We aren't that stupid."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/am...horror2005.php

THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY (reviewed by Bryan Pope, overall score 85/100):
"Astaire and Rogers get a musical sendoff worthy of their legacy. And as
they glide effortlessly off the stage during the song's closing strains,
one can't help but feel the heart break as the curtain closes on a
wonderful era."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/barkleysbroadway.php

BEYOND THE FRINGE (reviewed by James A. Stewart, overall score 90/100):
"The sense of playfulness with language and ideas holds up, even if the
topical material is no longer timely and the style is now familiar."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/beyondfringe.php

THE HISTORY CHANNEL PRESENTS: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (reviewed by David
Johnson, overall score 85/100):
"Benedict Arnold, the man synonymous with the word 'traitor,' actually
was a bad-ass mofo before he turned into a punk."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/am...revolution.php

MATA HARI (reviewed by James A. Stewart, overall score 85/100):
"It's a throwback to her silent-screen vamp roles, but one that gives
her room to put her own personality into it by creating sympathy for the
devilish Mata Hari."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/matahari.php

MONSTER HIGH (reviewed by Mitchell Hattaway, overall score 25/100):
"It wants to be a goofball comedy, but nothing about it is funny. It
wants to be a horror flick, but nothing about it scary."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/monsterhigh.php

MORTUARY ACADEMY (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 50/100):
"Mortuary Academy sucks antelope sack. It is so bad Slobodan Milosevic
forbade his cronies to use it as an interrogation tool."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/mortuaryacademy.php

THE NEW KIDS (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 89/100):
"Everything worked for me with this flick. The characters, the pace, the
action, the sweet climactic comeuppance, all of it -- great."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/newkids.php

PLATFORM (reviewed by Joe Armenio, overall score 87/100):
"What does it all mean? Jia is elliptical and elusive, refusing to
provide anything as straightforward as 'messages.'"

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/platform.php

TORTURE GARDEN (reviewed by George Hatch, overall score 86/100):
"You would think that Amicus itself had predicted the short attention
span of the future MTV generation, but the anthology horror film harkens
back to the classic Dead of Night (1945), with the most horrific tale
being 'The Ventriloquist's Dummy' starring Michael Redgrave."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/torturegarden.php

Mike Jackson
Editor & Webmaster, DVD Verdict
www.dvdverdict.com

DVD Verdict