Wednesday Cover: PSYCHO FRANKENSTEIN!

Getting a jump on October with Skywald's Psycho magazine, featuring Boris Vallejo's interpretation of the Frankenstein Monster.

Diabolik!

Wednesday Cover: Blackhawk

Another terrific Blackhawk cover by my pal Rick Burchett, from the thirteenth issue of the 1989-1990 DC series.

Robert Conrad Double Feature

Two 70's exploitation films starring the great Robert Conrad, Live A Little, Steal A Lot (a/k/a Murph The Surf) and Sudden Death, will be hitting DVD in October as a double-feature disc from Inception Media. I've never seen either movie, but I have seen the trailers for both films, and they look like great B-movie fun!

Here's the full press release from Inception Media Group:

Prepare to go retro for a double dose of action, mayhem and intrigue with the Robert Conrad Double Feature, breaking onto DVD Oct. 16 from Inception Media Group.

Classic TV icon of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, Robert Conrad (Black Sheep Squadron, The Wild Wild West, Hawaiian Eye) – and frequent sidekick Don Stroud (License to Kill, The Amityville Horror, The Buddy Holly Story, Joe Kidd) – are at their macho best in these action-packed feature films from the mod ’70s.

Live a Little, Steal A Lot aka Murph the Surf (1975): Based on the true story of the daring 1964 theft of the J.P. Morgan jewel collection from New York’s American Museum of Natural History.  Called the “Greatest Jewel Heist of the 20th Century,” the robbers nabbed 22 precious gems, including the 563.35-carat Star of India sapphire, the 100.32-carat de Long ruby and the 16.25-carat Eagle diamond (never recovered) … stones so famous they would be impossible to sell. Directed by Marvin Chomsky (Evel Knievel and TV’s The Wild Wild West, Star Trek, Gunsmoke, Roots), with one of the original thieves serving as a film advisor. Also stars Burt Young (the Rocky movies) and Donna Mills (TV’s Knots Landing).

Sudden Death (1977):  When Ed Neilson’s entire family is viciously murdered, he pleads with retired CIA operative Duke Smith (Conrad) to investigate. He refuses, but relents after Neilson too meets an explosive death. Deception, international intrigue and a ruthless “syndicate of businessmen” intent on raping a South Pacific Islands nation of its resources keep the pace fast. But when the executives hire a treacherous assassin (Stroud), the two are thrown head-to-head in a predestined match of cunning, wit and brute force. Only one will survive. For the other … it’s Sudden Death. Directed by Eddie Romero (The Twilight People) on location in the Philippines.

Robert Conrad Double Feature is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16x9 (1.85:1) and digital stereo 2.0. 

DVD Late Show Update

Since the last time I posted here about my DVD Late Show website, a number of new reviews have been posted, including looks at the 1981 horror cult classic The Boogens, on Blu-ray from Olive Films; the Cuba Gooding/Dolph Lundgren actioner, One In The Chamber, on Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment; The MGM Limited Edition Collection MOD disc of Hammer's The Quartermass Xperiment from 1955; the first authorized DVD of the kaiju classic, Godzilla Vs. Megalon from Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock; and the 1976 kids' TV series, Monster Squad, from VCI/Fabulous Films. Check 'em out!

In the next week or two, I expect to have articles on the recent DVD and Blu-ray releases of the 1981 martial arts opus, Kill And Kill Again; Gene Roddenberry's The Lieutenant from Warner Archive; Piranha 3DD on Blu-ray; The Asylum's Bigfoot; Jersey Shore Shark Attack and The Walking Dead - Season 2, on Blu-ray from Anchor Bay, and a couple of vintage children's TV series. Stay tuned!