DVD Verdict reviews: THE COMPANY, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, and more!

Today, DVD Verdict posted reviews of ASYLUM OF THE DAMNED, THE COMPANY,
DAWN OF THE DEAD: ULTIMATE EDITION, DEAD END, DESTROY ALL MONSTERS,
FLESH AND BLOOD: THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR, INTERMISSION, NATIONAL
LAMPOON'S LOST REALITY, NORMAN GRANZ JAZZ IN MONTREUX PRESENTS: COUNT
BASIE JAM '75, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: SUPERBIT EDITION, SNIPER 3,
THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER, and THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS:


ASYLUM OF THE DAMNED (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 77/100):
"Thankfully, the whole affair is short, but too much exposition
shortchanges the climax and leads to an outrageous cop-out ending that
makes no sense. It seems like something vomited out of a freshman
creative writing class."

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

THE COMPANY (reviewed by Patrick Bromley, overall score 83/100):
"Every filmmaking technique that we've come to know and love from Altman
is present: the overlapping dialogue, the forever-moving camera, the
long zooms, the use of an ensemble cast. Unfortunately, that's pretty
much all there is to be found here -- the weight of his previous works
is missing. There is such a thing as being too offhanded, too removed,
and this movie proves it."

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

DAWN OF THE DEAD: ULTIMATE EDITION (reviewed by Patrick Bromley, overall
score 98/100):
"Romero and company are obviously working with some grand ideas and
themes about consumerism, class, and race issues (even the onslaught of
zombies isn't enough to overcome the racial divide in America, as
evidenced in the opening moments). These are the concepts that elevate
it above nearly all other films of its genre (and, had it not been made
in the 1970s, would have elevated it above nearly all other films of
the time)."

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

DEAD END (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 82/100):
"These aren't boring characters. Derivative, sure; but played up with
such gusto, you'll forgive the been-there-seen-that personalities of the
jerk teen or the temperamental father or the passive-aggressive mother.
There's lots of red-faced screaming and hollering and fist-shaking and
disrespectful behavior towards parents, and each actor gives it their
all to make their characters as over-the-top as they can."

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

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 87/100):
"Here we have it, the ultimate monster mash, the old-school royal
rumble, the brouhaha to end all brouhahas, a knock-down, drag-out,
rock'em, sock'em, radioactive breath-spewing, nuclear melting, tail-
smacking, creatures-from-outer-space-trash-talkin', supersonic, quasi-
bionic, sort-of-moronic ultra-mega-biggie-sized throwdown
spectacular!!!"

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

FLESH AND BLOOD: THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR (reviewed by Dennis
Prince, overall score 93/100):
"With the current proliferation of DVD, the Hammer legend continues to
thrive, and will no doubt entrance and enthrall new generations of film
fright fans, who know a good gothic horror when they see one. And when
it comes to documentaries, this particular program is highly satisfying
and, therefore, is highly recommended."

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

INTERMISSION (reviewed by Patrick Bromley, overall score 85/100):
"That's what's implied by the title, Intermission -- these connections,
these moments of clarity, these smaller but infinitely more important
events that occur in between the larger acts of our lives. It's why we
find new love during a harmless conversation with the Last One We'd
Expect, or why we reconnect with an old love in the middle of a botched
kidnapping, or get a serendipitous career boost when our job is at its
lowest point. Whether it's acts of Chance, acts of Choice, or acts of
Fate, the doors seem to open and close when we're not watching them."

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

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOST REALITY (reviewed by David Johnson, overall
score 82/100):
"Lost Reality is a refreshing change of pace for the solar system's
seeming leading producer of debauchery starring adolescents. Here, we
simply have adolescent debauchery."

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

NORMAN GRANZ JAZZ IN MONTREUX PRESENTS: COUNT BASIE JAM '75 (reviewed by
Maurice Cobbs, overall score 84/100):
"One of the most important bandleaders of the swing era, Count Basie
became the standard by which all big bands must be judged, and it's easy
to see why. I have never known a time when the great Count Basie
organization was off its game, and this DVD is no exception."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/countbasiejam75.php

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO: SUPERBIT EDITION (reviewed by Joel Pearce,
overall score 80/100):
"If the film has a major flaw, it's certainly its failure to balance
this many plots and characters. Salma Hayek has been completely
wasted here, and Antonio Banderas doesn't have nearly enough screen
time to be considered the protagonist. Overall, though, I didn't find
it to be a critical problem. This is an epic western flick with a fun
ensemble cast."

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

SNIPER 3 (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 82/100):
"I've never seen the first or second Sniper. But if the prequels are
anything like this one, I just might be interested. Coming into this
flick, my expectations were ground-zero, but Berenger and crew managed
to leave me happy."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/sniper3.php

THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER (reviewed by Mike Pinsky, overall
score 90/100):
"Intelligent and charming diplomat, or monstrous opportunist who treated
human beings like chess pieces? Celebrity strategist, or the model for
the mad Dr. Strangelove?"

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

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (reviewed by Maurice Cobbs, overall score
89/100):
"Indeed, the entire movie is quite intimate, evoking thoughts of lazy
Sunday afternoons and warm, cozy fires, making the film seem like a
comfortable old blanket that you'd forgotten but can snuggle right into
and feel young again."

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

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