Reviews

This movie dated 1974 was produced and directed by legendary Dan Curtis and like his earlier series "Dark Shadows" there is several unintentional funny moments. Richard Matheson was co-writer of the stories and wrote several great episodes of "Ghost Story," which is the first time I laughed at Karen Black in the episode "Bad Connection." Please read my review on this. There are 3 short stories, which starred Ms. Black. The first one "Julie" about a wallflower college professor who gets blackmailed by one of her students. It is funny to see Karen in a drab role. Then, she plays two sisters in "Millicent and Therese," one is again a drab sister and the other is a buxom blonde sister. The buxom blonde portrayal is what makes you laugh and how the drab sister sister complains about her is funny. When you think you have seen Karen Black at her campy best, you are in a really nice treat in "Amelia." This is about a woman controlled by her mother, who buys a Zuni fetish doll. Ha, ha, the doll comes to life and starts attacking Karen. Instead of being scared even with blood being seen, I couldn't stop laughing. This episode is so crazy and unintentionally funny. Famous line from Karen Black, "I can't believe this is happening to me." Please buy this DVD and invite some friends, who love to laugh. The last episode alone is worth buying. There is a surprise ending but watching Ms. Black interact with the doll is so funny, who cares about an ending. Ms. Black I love you and will be looking for more of your funny movies. A+ to your DVD collection.

Lies, murder, incest, prostitution, skeletons, sex, adultery, fashion, and back stabbing, you get this all here in Jackie Colins's trashy novel, which comes to life in this spectacular mini-series. The theme song alone is worth owning a copy of this miniseries. The late legendary Laura Branigan bails out this song with lyrics such "the men with their lies on Rodeo Drive." Why this has never been released on a Laura Branigan's greatest hits albums is beyond me. The 3 episode mini-series was released in 1985. It features an all star cast which includes: Candice Bergen, Joanna Cassidy, Mary Crosby, Robert Stack, Steve Forrest, Angie Dickinson, Suzanne Somers, Rod Steiger, Anthony Hopkins, Stephanie Powers, Roddy McDowall, Andrew Stevens and Catherine Mary Stewart. The television show has many story lies and plenty of glamor. Suzanne Somers makes a return after losing her contract with "Three's Company" as an ambitious sex symbol movie star, who will do anything to get a great movie role. In summary, you get Chrissy as a whore without her little girl's voice. Also, Candice Bergen gives an effective performance as a neglected wife to fading actor Steve Forrest. Angie Dickinson is a very powerful agent with a big skeleton in her closet. Stephanie Powers is an on the rise movie script writer, who doesn't know her husband, Anthony Hopkins is cheating with Suzanne Somers. Mary Crosby is the spoiled rich bitch who sleeps with her best friend's husband to get attention from her father, Robert Stack. Andrew Stevens,actress Connie Steven's look alive son, plays a dual role, one as a mentally disturbed twin and the other twin as a guy looking to get into movies. Catherine Mary Stewart is married to the the good twin and is quite beautiful. There is a great revelation at the end but I am not going to spoil this for you. Funny scenes: Stephanie Powers at a Hollywood party being almost thrown out because she is driving a Volkswagon. Candice Bergen's kleptomaniac scenes, and Suzanne Somers and Anthony Hopkins bedroom scene at the end. This is definitely worth having in your collection. Why this isn't released on DVD is a wonder. It is definitely much better than the other Hollywood Wives movie with Farrah Fawcett and Melissa Gilbert. Find a copy for your collection or write to the producers to have this on DVD.

Originally I bought this movie thinking this would be a campy movie with a lot of overacting from Karen Black. Boy was I surprise. "Burnt Offerings" has excellent performances by Oliver Reed, legendary Bette Davis and the young Lee Montgomery. However, this is clearly Karen Black's movie. This is a summer dream house, which becomes a nightmare. The movie itself doesn't have too much action until the very end. Needless to say, it does have solid performances, which make this an excellent movie. The argument scene between Karen Black and Bette Davis was well performed. Echoes of the t.v. show "Dark Shadows" also dominate this movie with the haunting music of Robert Cobert and the excellent direction of Dan Curtis. Movie has a surprise ending, which I will not spoil. Enjoy this delightful movie, which makes me want to buy more Karen Black movies.

Above average movie based on the Kitty Genovese murder case of 1964. Kitty Genovese was a lesbian and so is the first murdered victim in this movie. Movie shows how callous people can be by ignoring a poor girl's murder. It is an all star cast, which has Dinahann Carroll as a potential suicide victim, Tina Louise as a lesbian, Ed Asner as a jealous husband, Cloris Leachman as nymphomaniac wife, Lucie Arnaz, Lucille Ball's daughter, as a potential murder victim, Art Carney and Nancy Walker play an older couple who ignore the murder. Kate Jackson has a nice cameo but this is clearly Raul Julia's movie. It is also nice to see Helen Hunt as a child actress and Tony Dow, Wally on Leave it to Beaver, in a scene as well. Sadly, this was a true case. Of all the cameos, Tina Lousie gives the best performance as the lesbian, ex-girlfriend of the victim, who is taking in to be questioned. What would Ginger Grant say? Enjoy this fun movie.

Karen Black plays Barbara Sanders, a widow who is about to be remarried. All of a sudden, she is being follow, receives phone calls at work and at home from a stastic voice, who states he is her husband and she will die soon. First of all, it is funny to see Karen Black with her big hair and heavy mascara in general, which may have been the style of the early seventies. What is really hilarious is to see Karen Black over act with her screaming every time the phone rings? The show is really more campy than scary, which was the original intention. Is Barbara Sanders really receiving calls from her deceased husband, being victimized by someone else, or imagining these things? You will have to find out on your own through a collector's copy, unless fans write to a DVD company to have these rare special stories placed on DVD. After watching this episode, I have become a real Karen Black fan. Hee, Hee, I dedicate this episode to Ms. Karen Black.

Former horror star (John Austin) now works with a limp as a security guard to a studio, which is in the process of being torn down. He suddenly is tormented by a group of teenagers, one who is the son of legendary John Garfield. However, is it the teenagers doing the tormenting? This is a very childish story about a group of horror characters ghosts who become upset because their studio is going to be torn down. Patty Duke Austin's part is minimum as the pregnant wife of John Austin. However, she is ultimately tormented by the ghosts with a plot, which can't be disclosed because it would be a spoiler. The terrorizing scenes are very childish and are more for four year old children, who watch cartoons on Saturday morning. Legendary producer William Castle makes a cameo appearance in this weak episode. If they do decide to make "Ghost Story/Circle of Fear" into a DVD set and have to cut an episode, this would be one to cut. It is very stupid. Enough said.

When I first saw the title, I thought this would be a mediocre plot. However, I was first surprise to see the beautiful Susan Oliver heading the cast and being reunited with her former "Peyton Place" costar Chris Connally. The story involves a widow, who is being terrorized by three patients that have inherited her dead husband's parts. Don Knight makes an excellent scary ghost as the dead husband. It is nice to see Meg Foster the first future "Cagney and Lacey" star looking young and attractive. The resemblance to Kirstie Alley then is amazing. Rick Lenz makes a nice attractive doctor, who replaces Susan Oliver's husband as the new doctor at the hospital. For t.v. trivia fans, Barbara Stuart as the older nurse was the one who played Sargent Carter's girlfriend Bunny on "Gomer Pyle." Is Susan Oliver an innocent victim? Unfortunately, the only way you can find out is to find a collector's copy because this rare excellent series is not available on d.v.d. Find, watch and enjoy.

As for the anthology set of "Ghost Story/Circle of Fear", I put this last to watch because I didn't really recognize any of the actors. It was only until now that I put Shirley Knight Hopkins as the beautiful actress Shirley Knight, who starred with Paul Newman in "Sweet Bird of Youth. " Story is very intense and features a young naive virgin, who accepts a job on the advice of her best friend, to work in an office. As a realist, there are many symbolisms, which are played for anyone, who is an office worker that gets frustrated with their job. Shirley Knights's friend goes missing and the intense story begins. Is this in Shirley's mind or is there really a realistic terror at the office? I can't tell you more or this would be a spoiler. Don't want to spoil your fun. As of now, you will need to find this copy from a collector's set in order to watch. However, I fully recommend this episode. P.S. It is nice to see Neva Patterson in an earlier role. For nostalgic t.v. reviewers, she played the warden, who force the original Charlie's Angels to try and become prostitutes in the forever classic "Angels In Chains." P.S. Try to write and get Ghost Story/Circle of Fear released on professional DVD. These are too good to be true not to be shared. I dedicate this episode to me, Perry Johnson, because I can relate to frustration at the office place.

Barbara Parkins just filmed "A Taste of Evil," around this time and it looks like she was going to become the early seventies scream queen. Barbara Parkins was one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. The first episode of "Ghost Story" is done very well. It is the only episode, which I can recall with the stars filmed inside the Del Coronado in the opening scene. Barbara Parkins and David Birney make a very attractive couple. However, the show definitely belongs to Barbara. Barbara makes an enchanting heroine, who reminds you of Victoria Winters from "Dark Shadows." Barbara hears intruders in the house and the husband finds no one. Oh I forgot to say, Barbara is a pregnant rich heiress. The house is built over a gallow. Is Barbara being haunted or is her husband trying to drive her crazy in order to get her money? The only way you will find out is to watch this episode, which is surprisingly not on DVD. Please try to find this from a collector and be prepared to be entertained and scared.

"Time of Terror" was the last episode of the "Ghost Story" series before the show was reformatted to "Circle of Fear". The new title did away with the setting of "The Del Coronado Hotel," one of the most beautiful and famous hotels in the world today. Also, Sebastain Cabot was no longer host. In fact the show no longer had any host, which one was created originally to compete against Rod Serling's "Night Gallery". "Time of Terror" is probably the best episode of the whole series. The chief reason due to Patrica Neal's over the hilt acting as Ellen Alexander. The episode is clearly dated with its 1970's hair styles and clothing. However, it is a nice nostalgia of the past and refreshing to see today. In today's current horror tales, the stories aren't written as well as they used to be. Who can compete with William Castle, who produced the series. Patricia Neal plays an ordinary southern woman with excellent manners through out the episode, even though she doesn't know what has happened to her husband. There are many unintentional funny scenes. One funny scene is when Patricia goes to the bell boy and asks if the luggage he has belongs to her husband. He states "yes," and Patrica exclaims, "well who told you do that?" The facial expressions of Miss Neal are never the less so funny, as they are through out the whole episode. Alice Ghostly makes a great co-star as the domineering wife, who barely lets her husband talk. Ironically the actor, Doug Henderson,who plays the husband, would do one more t.v. show before he died from suicide. The scene of Patricia going out the exit screaming is really funny. It was really nice to see Lynn Hamilton, Fred Sandford's girlfriend Donna of "Sanford and Son", as the disturbed puzzled attendant. Lynn greets Patricia Neal in the beauty parlor room. This episode alone is reason enough to buy the whole series "Ghost Story/Circle of Fear". However as of 2010 it hasn't been released on DVD. Find a collector's copy, watch it somehow and enjoy. This review is dedicated to my best friend Eric Lyons, who introduced me to Patricia Neal and to the whole "Ghost Story" series.

A Taste of Evil is an unintentional funny movie. As mentioned before, story revolves around a daughter who comes home to an estate on the outskirts of San Francisco. Movie has an excellent lovely Barbara Parkins, underrated legend Barbara Stanwyck, Roddy McDowell, and Arthur O'Connell, most notably for "Bus Stop" with Marilyn Monroe. It is interesting because the first half of the movie is focused on Barbara Parkins and then the 2nd half is focused on Barbara Stanwyck. Movie has unintentional funny moments. Here are some of them. Barbaba Parkins calls the caretaker to see what is for dinner because the mother is out all night shopping, cold cuts and salad. However, the camp award goes to Barbara Stanwyck. The funniest scene, which my friend and I keep laughing at, is when Barbara Stanwyck is cooking. Barbara acts so bi-polar with a manic look on her face, she yells at Barbara Parkins as they leave to hunt, "Work up a healthy appetite, I'll have hamburgers piled right up to the ceiling." You have to see the scene to see what I am referring too. As the movie progresses, you see funny scenes as a Raggedy Ann doll floating in the bathtub. All the humor is on Barbara Stanwyck's facial expressions in the 2nd half. There is a surprise twist but guidelines won't allow me to tell you what it is. Enjoy and this is a must to keep your video collection. I am glad I taped this off t.v. 15 years ago.