This is the final part of my 30 Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 list that I’ve been slowly putting together. You can find Parts I. and II. HERE.

Please keep in mind that these are all official NTSC Region 1 DVDs of films originally released between 1960 and 1979 and the numerical order means absolutely nothing except that I got these brief reviews written up in the order that they appear.

30 FAVORITE DVD RELEASES OF 2006 PART III.

The Fifth Cord
21. The Fifth Cord (Blue Underground)
Luigi Bazzoni’s impressive giallo stars the handsome Italian actor Franco Nero in one of his best roles as a journalist struggeling with alcoholism, while trying to solve a series of brutal murders. The cast also includes acclaimed actors and genre favorites Wolfgang Preiss, Edmund Purdom, Renato Romano, Silvia Monti, Ira von Fürstenberg and Rossella Falk, who all give fine performances in the film. The Fifth Cord (1971) also features some truly incredible photography by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and an amazing score by Ennio Morricone, which really compliments Bazzoni’s story. Blue Underground released some terrific gialli titles last year, but The Fifth Cord was easily my favorite of the bunch and I can’t recommend it enough. The DVD is presented in widescreen and looks terrific. It also comes with an extra feature called Giornata Nera (Black Days) which contains some insightful interviews with actor Franco Nero and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, as well as a theatrical trailer. Hopefully Blue Underground will continue to release more hard-to-find gialli titles this year!

The Loved One
22. The Loved One (Warner Home Video)
After the talented British filmmaker Tony Richardson won the Best Director and Best Picture Oscars in 1964 for Tom Jones, Hollywood was at his feet and MGM offered him complete creative control over his next project. No one expected that Richardson would take the opportunity to make “The motion picture with something to offend everyone,” but that’s exactly what he did. The Loved One is a blacker then black comedy that satirizes the Hollywood funeral business and definitely contains something to offend everyone. The script was written by Christopher Isherwood & Terry Southern, and it’s based on the original novel by Evelyn Waugh. Isherwood & Southern manage to retain Waugh’s uncompromising wit while giving the story a completely modern twist. The Loved One has an impressive cast that includes Robert Morse, John Gielgud, Roddy McDowall, Jonathan Winters, Anjanette Comer, Dana Andrews, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Tab Hunter, Paul Williams and Liberace, but the real star of the film is Rod Steiger who gives one of his best performance as the embalmer Mr. Joyboy. The Loved One should appeal to anyone who’s ever imagined what it might be like if John Waters had directed Dr. Strangelove. The DVD is presented in widescreen and features some great extras including the theatrical trailer and a new featurette called Trying to Offend Everyone. The film was universally panned when it was originally released and that’s probably because it was so ahead of its’ time. It’s gained a sort of cult following over the years and I think modern audiences might be able to appreciate it’s humor more, so it’s great to see Warner making an impressive effort to release it on DVD.

Spirit of the Beehive
23. Spirit of the Beehive (Criterion)
The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) is a beautiful and spellbinding film that will stay with you long after it has ended. It centers around an enchanting six-year-old girl named Ana (a very young Ana Torrent) who attends a traveling movie show of James Whale’s classic Frankenstein and becomes haunted by her memory of the film. This memory begins to shape her world view and effect the way she see’s the harsh world around her. The story takes place in 1940 following the Spanish Civil War and offers a deeply moving look at a troubled nation trapped under Franco’s tyranny. Director Víctor Erice bathes the film in honeycomb colors and recurring metaphors that give the film a timeless and ethereal quality. The sparse score by Luis de Pablo adds to the somber mood of the film and Luis Cuadrado’s breathtaking cinematography beautifully captures the rural landscapes. The impressive 2 Disc Criterion DVD features a restored widescreen print of the movie and contains lots of great extras including a documentary about the making of the film called The Footsteps of a Spirit and an extensive interview with the director conducted by Japanese filmmaker Hideyuki Miyaoka.

The Conformist
24. The Conformist (Paramount Home Video)
Director Bernardo Bertolucci has made a lot of terrific films and The Conformist (1970) is easily one of his best. The story centers around the disturbed and repressed Marcello, who works as an assassin for the Italian Fascist movement in 1938 and is desperately trying to “conform” to societal expectations. In various flashbacks we learn about his troubling past. Jean-Louis Trintignant gives one of his best performances in the demanding role of Marcello and the rest of the cast is also exceptional. Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography (previously mentioned above in my review for The Fifth Cord) is especially impressive here and Georges Delerue score for the film is haunting. Aldo Lado also worked on the project as Assistant Director and I think fans of Lado’s great giallo films and various thrillers will notice his fingerprints on the movie along with Bertolucci’s. Previous prints of the The Conformist that I’ve seen have been very dull in comparison to the beautifully restored widescreen Paramount print featured on this DVD. The DVD also contains important previously cut footage and features some wonderful extras including three new featurettes about the making of the film.

Deadfall
25. Deadfall (20th Century Fox)
In Deadfall (1968), Michael Caine plays a jewel thief who finds himself caught up in a complex romantic relationship. Is he being played, or is he the player? The movie will keep you guessing and offers plenty of unusual twists and turns along the way. The exotic locations, stylish period clothing and shiny sportcars provide a lot of eye-candy in the movie, but British director Bryan Forbes’ real achievement in Deadfall is getting the incredible composer John Barry to score the film and make an appearance as himself. In one of the greatest combinations of music and cinema that I’ve ever come across, John Barry conducts a concert while Michael Caine makes a desperate attempt to steal some jewels in unison with the music. It has to be seen! Deadfall is presented in widescreen and includes a theatrical trailer as well as an interesting new featurette about the life and music of the British composer John Barry, who’s scored many great films. Deadfall is an under appreciated movie that really deserves another look.

Succubus
26. Succubus (Blue Underground)
Succubus (1968) is one of my favorite Jess Franco films so I was thrilled when Blue Underground announced that they were going to remaster the film and rerelease it on DVD in widescreen for the first time last year. The film stars Janine Reynaud in one of her best roles as an exotic nightclub performer named Lorna who is plagued with sadistic hallucinations that she doesn’t understand. As her dream world becomes more violent and depraved, Lorna seems to loose her grip on reality and the audience is left wondering if she is a victim of some plot to drive her insane, suffering from demonic possession or are her psychedelic hallucinations just a product of her wild imagination and decadent lifestyle? Franco regular’s Jack Taylor and Howard Vernon both have interesting roles in the film, but Janine Reynaud is especially memorable as the seductive Lorna. Franco’s directing is really impressive in Succubus and he manages to beautifully capture Lorna’s frenzied dream states. Extras on the DVD include an insightful interview with Franco and actor Jack Taylor as well as the original theatrical trailer.

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion
27. The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (Blue Underground)
2006 was a great year for fans of the Italian director Luciano Ercoli. It marked the first time that any of his films had been released officially on DVD in the US and we were treated to three impressive gialli films made by the director. I’ve already reviewed the terrific Luciano Ercoli Death Box Set released by NoShame that contained Death Walks on High Heels & Death Walks at Midnight, so I couldn’t resist including this Erocoli thriller released by Blue Underground in my list of Favorite 2006 DVDs as well. In The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970) the beautiful Dagmar Lassander plays a repressed newly married woman named Minou who’s traumatized by a sexual assault as well as obsessed with her attacker. Passions turn deadly and soon Minou finds herself being blackmailed. Genre favorite Nieves Navarro shows up in a memorable supporting role and really spices up the film. Ercoli’s directing is impressive and it’s complimented by Ennio Morriocne’s fantastic score, which is easily one of his best. The film is presented in widescreen and looks fabulous. The DVD also includes the theatrical trailer and a nice featurette called Forbidden Screenplays which contains an interview with co-writer Ernesto Gastaldi. The basic premise of The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is bound to offend some, but if you enjoy erotic films from the 60s & 70s that are more concerned with eroticism & aesthetics then political correctness, you might enjoy the film as much as I did.

The Passenger
28. The Passenger (Sony Pictures)
In The Passenger (1975), the talented Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni once again explores his favorite themes involving identity and isolation. Antonioni has made many brilliant films and I think The Passenger is one of his best, as well as one of his most accessible due to the presence of Jack Nicholson. Nicholson gives one of his most interesting performances here as a burned out journalist named David Locke who decides to assume a dead man’s identity and start his life again as a new person. Locke doesn’t know about the dead man’s past or what he did for a living, and he soon finds himself in over his head. The beautiful Maria Schneider is memorable in her role as the “Girl” and Luciano Tovoli’s cinematography is really impressive, but Antonioni’s directing is the real reason to watch The Passenger. Antonioni knows how to perfectly capture the isolation that his characters feel as well as the world they occupy, which is filled with detached people who rarely understand one another’s motives. The Sony DVD is presented in widescreen and the print looks terrific. I’ve never seen the movie look or sound better. The DVD also includes some insightful commentary tracks by Jack Nicholson, screenwriter Mark Peploe and journalist Aurora Irvine. It’s a shame that it has taken Sony so long to release the film on DVD, but thankfully this release was well worth the wait.

The Black Belly of the Tarantula
29. The Black Belly of the Tarantula (Blue Underground)
Director Paolo Cavara started his career making “Mondo” movies alongside filmmakers like Gualtiero Jacopetti. In 1970 Cavara decided to try his hand at making a genre thriller and The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) was the interesting result. This unusual giallo stars the talented Giancarlo Giannini as the suave Inspector Tellini. Tellini finds himself investigating a series of vicious murders involving a killer who injects his victims with the paralyzing poison of a rare wasp and then forces them to witness their own deaths. The rest of the cast includes many beautiful Bond girls as well as actresses who have appeared in other gialli films including Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, Rossella Falk and Barbara Bach. Paolo Cavara’s directing is inspired and complimented by Ennio Morricone’s effective score. One of the most interesting elements of the movie is Cavara’s use of documentary footage showing deadly insects fighting for their lives, which is added throughout the film. It brings to mind the directors previous Mondo films and adds an interesting touch to this entertaining giallo. The Blue Underground DVD is presented in widescreen. It also includes the theatrical trailer and an interview with the scriptwriter’s son Lorenzo Danon. The Black Belly of the Tarantula is not the best giallo Blue Underground has released, but it is one of the most unique and I couldn’t resist adding it to this list.

Two Undercover Angels
30. Red Lips Double Feature: Two Undercover Angels & Kiss Me Monster (Blue Underground)
This great double feature DVD contains two of director Jess Franco’s best spy spoofs. Both films star Franco regulars Janine Reynaud & Rosanna Yanni who seem to be having a lot of fun playing the “red lips” spy team of Diana (Janine Reynaud) & Regina (Rosanna Yanni) while they seduce their enemies, solve crimes and travel to exotic locations wearing stylish late-60s fashions. Two Undercover Angels (1969) is definitely the best of the two films, while Kiss Me Monster (1969) seems a lot less inspired. Both movies are played for laughs and filled with slapstick comedy routines that get a little tired at times, but Janine Reynaud & Rosanna Yanni keep things entertaining. These are not Franco’s best films but they will appeal to anyone who enjoys spy spoofs featuring beautiful female agents like Modesty Blaise (1966) and Fathom (1967) backed by terrific jazzy scores. Previous DVDs of these films were rather bland and the movies were presented in fullscreen so viewers missed a lot of the action. Thankfully Blue Underground remastered them and the DVD features nice widescreen prints of both films as well as the original trailers and interviews with director Jess Franco.

- TV shows released on DVD in 2006 that deserve a mention: Ultraman: Series One, Vol. 1 and The Wild Wild West - The Complete First Season

- Honorable mentions that didn’t make my list: Magic (1978), The Other (1972) , Scorpion - Female Prisoner 701: Grudge Song (1973) and Satan’s Blood (977).

- DVDs that might have made my list if I had the chance to see them: The Witch’s Mirror (1962), Brainiac aka El Baron Del Terror (1963), The Curse of the Crying Woman (1969), , The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Red Angel (1966), Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales (1970-72) and The Anniversary (1968).

This is the second part of my 30 Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 list that I’ve been slowly working on putting together. You can find Part I. here.

Please keep in mind that these are all official NTSC Region 1 DVDs originally released between 1960 and 1979 and the numerical order means absolutely nothing except that I got the reviews written in the order that they appear.

30 FAVORITE DVD RELEASES OF 2006 PART II!

Lifespan
11. Lifespan (Mondo Macabro)
Lifespan (1974) is a fascinating, sexy and understated science fiction thriller that features two of my favorite actors from the period, Klaus Kinski and Hiram Keller, as well as the recently deceased Tina Aumont. The story revolves around Keller & Kinski who both look terrific in the movie as they search for a mysterious “elixir of life” which could hold the secret to longevity. In the meantime, they’re both distracted by the lovely Tina Aumont who may or may not have plans of her own. Lifespan is a thoughtful film that doesn’t offer easy answers to all the interesting questions it raises and I really appreciate it’s ambiguity. The film has a terrific and eerie score by composer Terry Riley and creatively uses it’s lovely Amsterdam location. The DVD looks great and comes with some really nice extras including an interview with the director Sandy Whitelaw, audio commentary with the director and a still gallery. This was easily my favorite Mondo Macabro DVD release of last year.

Petulia
12. Petulia (Warner Home Video)
Petulia (1968) is one of the most interesting films that I saw last year for the first time thanks to Richard Lester’s terrific directing, Nicolas Roeg’s wonderful cinematography and Antony Gibbs‘s impressive editing. The film stars George C. Scott as a middle-aged doctor who’s struggling to deal with a divorce that he’s not sure he wants, as well a world that’s quickly evolving around him. Scott meets a young and seemingly care free girl named Petulia (Julie Christie) who’s married, but seems desperate to start a relationship with him. Scott soon discovers that Petulia’s husband (Richard Chamberlain) is abusing her and gets caught in the middle of their complicated and violent relationship. All the actors are terrific in the film, but Richard Chamberlain gives one of the best performances of his career as Petulia’s abusive and disturbed husband and Julie Christie is perfect as the fragile and troubled Petulia. She’s also never looked lovelier and wanders around San Francisco is some beautiful outfits! George C. Scott is also great in the film along with Shirley Knight who plays his ex-wife. Petulia really uses the city of San Francisco as well as its music to its fullest and in turn the city becomes an important character in the film, which at its center is about individual freedom and the choices we make. Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company even make a brief appearance! The DVD comes with some fantastic extras including a vintage “making of” documentary called Petulia: The Uncommon Movie shot during the making of the film with lots of great behind the scenes footage and The Uncommon Making of Petulia which features new interviews with some of the cast and crew. The original trailer is also included with this terrific DVD.

Equinox
13. 17. Equinox (Criterion)
Equinox (1970) is a low-budget horror film that I first saw on late night TV many years ago. It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Criterion DVD” but I really appreciate that a company like Criterion would take the time to clean up an old horror film like this and offer it up to interested movie viewers and horror fans like myself. The story involves a group of college kids who go to visit one of their professors who’s living in a cabin deep in the woods. During their trip a strange old man offers them a mysterious ancient book of magic and the kids soon discover that the woods surrounding them aren’t exactly what they seem to be. When giant monsters start appearing, you know things are going to get nasty! The movie has few scares and the performances are forgettable, but it is entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. Just make sure you have lots of popcorn on hand! Despite its’ flaws, Equinox was actually a really influential movie which obviously inspired directors like Sam Raimi to make his Evil Dead trilogy. Criterion did an amazing job on the DVD release which comes with a lot of impressive extras including two audio commentaries, a video introduction by horror icon Forrest J. Ackerman, interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes and outtakes, archival test footage, an extensive gallery, the original trailer and radio spots, and much much more! If only every Criterion DVD release was so comprehensive.

Night of the Iguana
14. Tennessee Williams Film Collection (Warner Home Video)
Warner really outdid themselves with this amazing Box Set which contains six films based on the work of the great American playwright, Tennessee Williams. Why this DVD set didn’t make it to the top of every critics “best DVDs of 2006” list is beyond my comprehension since you’d be hard pressed to find a collection of recently released American cinema that equals it. This Box Set contains A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Baby Doll (1956) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) which are three of the finest American films from the 1950s. It also contains three films from the 1960s and that’s why I’m including it in my list of favorite DVDs from 2006. The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) stars Vivian leigh in one of her last starring roles as a washed up movie star trying to find love and acceptance in Rome with a young gigolo played by Warren Beatty. Vivian Leigh is really terrific in the film and makes the desperate Mrs. Stone a very sympathetic character. Watch the movie for her memorable performance and try to ignore Beatty’s bad attempt at an Italian accent. Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) stars Paul Newman as Chance Wayne, a handsome fast talking aspiring actor who returns to the town he grew up in with an aging alcoholic actress in tow (played brilliantly by Geraldine Page) in an effort to further his acting career and impress his childhood sweetheart. Newman is always terrific playing a Tennessee Williams’ protagonist and he looks fantastic in the film, but Geraldine Page really steals the show with her frantic over-the-top performance as Alexandra Del Lago. The rest of the cast includes such talented actors as Rip Thorn, Shirley Knight and Ed Begley, Sr. who won an Oscar for his performance. The real treat in this excellent DVD collection for 1960s & 70s cinema fans like myself is the incredible Night of the Iguana directed by John Huston. The film is definitely one of Huston’s best movies and it features Richard Burton in one of greatest roles as a defrocked minister trying to find some kind of salvation in Mexico where he becomes a tour guide for a group of frustrated spinsters that includes the wonderful Deborah Kerr and a teenage “Lolita” played perfectly by Sue Lyon. After the group finds itself at a rundown hotel owned by the vivacious Ava Gardner, human frustrations as well as sexual and romantic tensions start to stifle the group along with the hot Mexico air and in usual Tennessee Williams’ fashion, emotions are soon erupting with dramatic results. The acting is all topnotch and Huston’s directing has rarely been better. Along with Reflections in a Golden Eye which I mentioned in the first part of My favorite DVD Releases of 2006 list, the release of Night of the Iguana is a real treat for Huston fans and makes 2006 one great year for DVD releases! 4 of the 6 films in this terrific collection were released on DVD for the first time and the other 2 films in the set (A Streetcar Named Desire & Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) were both released in Special Editions with a ton of great extras, but all 6 films in this collection feature great extras such as “making of” docs, trailers, etc. and they can all be bought individually if you don’t want to purchase the set. The Tennessee Williams Film Collection also comes with an insightful documentary about the playwright called Tennessee Williams’ South which features rare interviews with the writer talking about his work as well as him reading The Glass Menagerie. The 6 films all look fantastic and are presented in widescreen when possible. Altogether this incredible collection from Warner is one of the best box sets I’ve seen released in recent years. Most of these films have been criticized for toning down the original plots of Williams’ plays, but considering the times that these movies were made in it’s understandable and the films still manage to deal with the complicated adult issues they address in creative and interesting ways. Watch them for what they are - great American movies offering some of the greatest performances ever caught on film.

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death
15. Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (Paramount Home Video)
Eerie and haunting are two words that quickly come to mind when I think about Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1970), which is one of the most unusual and effective American horror films made during the 1970s. The movie stars Zohra Lampert who gives a memorable performance as Jessica, a woman just released from an institution after suffering a mental breakdown. Jessica moves to the Connecticut countryside with her husband and a friend to recuperate, but soon after arriving at her new home she begins to experience strange events which force her to start questioning her sanity again. I had only previously seen Let’s Scare Jessica to Death on a low quality VHS tape, so I was extremely impressed with this Paramount DVD which presents the film in widescreen and looks great. Unfortunately the DVD doesn’t come with any extras, but you can forgive Paramount since this is the first time this terrific chiller has been released on DVD.

The Illustrated Man
16. The Illustrated Man (Warner Home Video)
Thisthoughtful science fiction anthology film stars the late great Rod Stieger in one of his most interesting roles as a tattooed man hunting for the woman who “illustrated” his body. The three short stories featured in the movie are all loosely based on original stories by Ray Bradbury and Stieger stars in each one along with his real-life wife at the time, the talented actress Claire Bloom. Some creative set designs lend impressive eye-candy to the movie and the stories are all told in interesting ways. The Illustrated Man (1969) has long been one of my favorite science fiction films, but lots of critics seem to have very little regard for the movie and even Ray Bradbury thought it was awful. If you enjoy unusual psychedelic adult science fiction from the late 1960s a much as I do, I highly suggest giving the movie a look for yourself and ignore any negative reviews you may have read. This is the first time the film has been available on DVD and Warner did a really nice job with the release. The DVD features a beautiful widescreen print, the original theatrical trailer and an interesting featurette from 1969 called Tattooed Steiger.

Sister Street Fighter
17. The Sister Street Fighter Collection (Ronin Entertainment / BCI Eclipse)
Ronin Entertainment / BCI Eclipse has a done a great job of gathering every Sister Street Fighter movie together for this nice new collection which contains Sister Street Fighter (1974), Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread (1974) Return of Sister Street Fighter (1975) and Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist (1976). All four movies star tough girl Etsuko Shihomi, a talented actress and graduate of Sonny Chiba’s famous Japan Action Club that trained Japanese actors in the martial arts. Etsuko is terrific as Koryu Lee - the “Sister Street Fighter” - who takes on numerous bad guys with much success in the first three films which were all directed by the talented Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. The last film in the series differs a lot from the previous three and is helmed by a different director. In the last Sister Street Fighter movie Etsuko Shihomi plays another character called Kiku and it doesn’t really match the excitement of the previous Sister Street Fighter movies in the collection. This great DVD Box Set comes with trailers for all four films as well as a really nice twenty page booklet with lots of information about the movies and an interview with director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. All four films are presented in widescreen and look great. The sound quality is also impressive which really helps you appreciate the great soundtracks. This set is a terrific treat for Sister Street Fighter fans!

Murmur of the Heart
18. Murmur of the Heart (Criterion)
I’ve always been especially impressed with the way director Louis Malle dealt with the complex emotions of young people in his films and Murmur of the Heart (1971) is a wonderful example of this as well as one of the director’s finest films. This thoughtful movie about a young man named Laurent (Benoît Ferreux) coming of age in France during the early 1950s is loosely based on Malle’s own life and in turn it offers an especially personal and unflinching look at growing up with plenty of warmth and humor as well. Many of the issues addressed in the film such as the rather infamous sexual encounter the young man has with his mother, are handled with an understanding that only a great director like Malle could manage. This is the first time Murmur of the Heart has been available on DVD in the US and as usual Criterion has done a great job with the DVD release. The film doesn’t come with a lot of extras but the DVD looks terrific and is presented in widescreen along with the original theatrical trailer and a new essay by film critic Michael Sragow.

Trilogy of Terror
19. Trilogy of Terror (Dark Sky Films)
Karen Black gives a tour de force performance in the terrific Trilogy of Terror (1975). This entertaining horror anthology is probably familiar to anyone who grew up in the 1970s and owned a television and now thanks to Dark Sky Films it’s finally available on DVD for everyone to enjoy. The last episode in the anthology is the most infamous thanks to Karen Black doing battle with a creepy Zuni fetish doll, but the other stories in the anthology are also worth a look thanks to Black’s interesting take on her various roles. The DVD looks great and is presented in fullscreen since it was originally shot for TV. It comes with some terrific extras including a featurette about Karen Black called Three Colors Black and another featurette about writer Richard Matheson called Terror Scribe, as well as an audio commentary with Karen Black and screenwriter William F. Nolan.

Pretty Poison
20. Pretty Poison (20th Century Fox)
Pretty Poison (1968) stars Anthony Perkins as a troubled man just released from a mental institution after spending many years locked away for arson. He moves to a small Massachusetts town and tries to start a new life for himself, but his overactive imagination soon begins to get the best of him. He becomes obsessed with a cute high-school girl played by Tuesday Weld and tries to convince the girl that he’s a CIA agent on a special mission and she seems to believe him. When Perkins’ fantasy life begins to collide with his real life and spiral out of control, Weld becomes his willing partner in crime. This great black comedy takes a disturbing and somewhat sad turn since Perkins had the ability to create incredibly sympathetic characters who you should be repelled by, but can’t help rooting for. Tuesday Weld is really riveting as a less then innocent 17 year old and manages to give one of the best performances of her career in Pretty Poison. This is the first time this film has been available on DVD and it looks terrific! The original trailer is also included on the DVD.

10 more DVD reviews coming soon!

Selecting my Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 was no easy task. As a matter of fact, I found it pretty impossible since there were so many great films released last year that I could easily compile a list of 50 impressive titles. Instead of limiting myself to 25 Favorite DVD Releases I’ve decided to share 30 Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 instead, but I’ll post my list in 3 parts over the next week.

The one thing all these films have in common is that they’re all official NTSC Region 1 DVDs and they were all originally released between 1960 and 1979.

Keep in mind that I don’t consider my list to feature what many might consider “the Best DVDs of 2006.” Instead, this list just contains 30 of my personal favorite DVD releases from last year and the numerical order means absolutely nothing except that I got the reviews written in the order that they appear.

30 FAVORITE DVD RELEASES OF 2006!

Ganja & Hess
1. Ganja & Hess: The Complete Edition (Image)
When I stuck Ganja & Hess (1973) into my DVD player last year I didn’t know what to expect. I had never seen the film before and only read brief reviews where the movie was simply called “an odd blaxploitation horror flick.” Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that it didn’t resemble any horror film I had ever seen with the exception of George Romero’s Martin (1977) which was made some 4 years after Ganja & Hess. Ganja & Hess manages to mix African mythology and modern vampirism into a fascinating and original story. The performances by Duane Jones and Marlene Clark are both really terrific in the movie and Bill Gunn’s impressive directing is especially noteworthy. Also worth a mention is the wonderful soundtrack by Sam Waymon which adds lots of depth to the film. Ganja & Hess is simply one of the most thoughtful and interesting horror films I’ve seen in years and this beautifully presented DVD from Image Entertainment was a real treat. The DVD also comes with some terrific extras including The Blood of the Thing featurette as well as a copy of the original screenplay by Bill Gunn and a great article by Tim Lucas & David Walker which sheds a lot of light on this excellent film.

The Red Queen Kills 7 Times
2. Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set (NoShame)
This great double DVD set contains The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (La Notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba, 1971) and The Red Queen Kills 7 Times (La Dama rossa uccide sette volte, 1972) which are both directed by Emilio Miraglia. These stylish gothic giallo films are a terrific treat for the eyes and ears! I had never seen The Red Queen Kills 7 Times before, but The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave is probably familiar to a lot of Eurohorror fans like myself since it was easily available in various edited forms on VHS as well as DVD, but the quality was always lackluster. In contrast, both DVDs in this set are presented in widescreen for the first time and contain loads of wonderful extras including interviews with the cast and crew of both films, a nice 20-page booklet and postcards featuring lobby card art. The Box Set even comes with a fun Red Queen Figure that you can display. The casts of both films are great, but Barbara Bouchet is espically memorable as Kitty in The Red Queen Kills 7 Times and the talented Italian composer Bruno Nicolai created the terrific soundtracks for both films. Overall this is a really nice homage to an under-appreciated filmmaker who passed away much to early. NoShame’s great DVD Box Set left me wishing Miraglia had lived longer and made more films.

Reflections In A Golden Eye
3. The Marlon Brando Collection (Warner Home Video)
This terrific DVD Box Set from Warner contains five of Brando’s films which have never been available on DVD before. I think The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) is the weakest film in the lot and it’s a bit embarrassing to watch Brando pretend to be Japanese so I can’t recommend it and The Formula (1980) is a somewhat forgettable film with an interesting plot costarring George C. Scott, who gets much more screen time than Brando. Thankfully the other three films in this set more then make up for the previous two mentioned. In the Joseph L. Mankiewicz film Julius Caesar (1953) Brando gives an impressive and Oscar nominated performance as Marc Antony, but my two favorite films in this set happen to have both been made in the 1960s so that’s why this collection made my list. In Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) Brando gives a noteworthy and underrated performance as the troubled Fletcher Christian and the two disc DVD presentation of Mutiny on the Bounty is really impressive. It comes with no less then 5 special featurettes, as well as a Brando trailer gallery and alternative footage that was not seen during the films theatrical release. Last but not least is John Huston’s remarkable and under-appreciated film Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) which has long been one of my favorite Brando films (as well as one of my favorite John Huston films!) and it’s presented in its’ original “golden color treatment” for the first time since it’s theatrical release. Huston’s addition of a golden hue to the film gives it a more surreal quality which I think adds another dimension to the movie. Brando is terrific as the sexually confused Major Weldon Penderton and Elizabeth Taylor is totally over-the-top as his frustrated wife. Together they’re lots of fun to watch, but their relationship in the movie is also abusive and disturbing. Julie Harris is really memorable in the film and gives one of the best performances of her career as the deeply troubled wife of Brain Keith. Reflections in a Golden Eye also comes with some fascinating behind-the-scenes footage which John Huston fans shouldn’t miss. Even though only three of the five movies presented in this collection are truly noteworthy, this is still a great treat for Brando fans as well as John Huston fans like myself since the Warner release of Reflection in a Golden Eye is only available in this collection.

Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion: Beast Stable
4. Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion: Beast Stable (Tokyo Shock / Media Blasters)
Having loved the previous two Female Prisoner Scorpion movies, I was really looking forward to the release of this film on DVD which is the third of the series and I was not disappointed. Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion: Beast Stable (Joshuu Sasori: Kemono-beya, 1973) quickly became my favorite movie in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series because of all the complex issues it dares to deal with including incest, abortion and prostitution. The movie is also beautifully shot by talented director Shunya Ito and features one of the greatest openings of any movie I’ve ever seen. Star Meiko Kaji gives another sensational and intense performance as tough girl Sasori, but this time she’s out of jail and battling cops as well as pimps. Yayoi Watanabe is also very memorable in her role as the tormented Yuki. The DVD comes with few extras, but the movie looks terrific and it’s great to see Media Blasters releasing so many previously hard-to-find Japanese films.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
5. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (20th Century Fox)
I wrote about the DVD release of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) last year so I won’t bother going over it again, but this DVD was a real treat for Russ Meyer fans like myself and it came with lots of terrific bonus material.

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas
6. I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (Warner Home Video)
Peter Sellers made a lot of great comedies in the 60s and I happen to think that I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968) is one of his best. Thankfully for Sellers fans like myself, Warner decided to release this movie on DVD last year for the first time and the widescreen print looks fabulous. Modern critics love to slap criticism on comedies like this using words like “dated”, “politically incorrect”, “sappy”, etc. which really just show how limited their ability to see anything made before 1980 is. I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! naturally shows some age and may look a bit worn out around the edges, but if you watch the film while keeping in mind it was a satirical comedy made in 1968 and written by the same guys (Paul Mazursky & Larry Tucker) who created and wrote for The Monkees TV show, you might lighten up a bit and actually enjoy a few laughs while watching this fun film. Sellers puts on a passable American accent and plays an uptight lawyer who’s pressured into marriage by his conventional girlfriend of many years. When he suddenly falls for another free spirited girl called Nancy (Leigh Taylor-Young) he decides to leave his previous life behind and plunge head first into the “counter culture” of 1968. In turn he finds himself in all sorts of silly situations, but there’s also a dark edge to some of the comedy at times which I appreciate. The DVD doesn’t come with any extras except the original theatrical trailer, but it’s great to see these kinds of comedies, which are so often ignored by critics, finding their way onto DVD and presented in widescreen. Warner should be commended for digging deep into their vaults last year and releasing so many great old films on DVD. A lot of terrific Warner DVDs found their way onto my list of favorite 2006 releases.

Don’t Deliver Us From Evil
7. Don’t Deliver Us From Evil (Mondo Macabro)
Long before Peter Jackson dazzled audiences with his impressive film Heavenly Creatures (1994) that dealt directly with the infamous Parker-Hulme murder, French director Joel Seria was exploring the same topic in his debut feature Don’t Deliver Us From Evil (Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal, 1971) which is one of the most fascinating films I saw last year. Don’t Deliver Us From Evil was banned in France on it’s initial release and it’s easy to see why the film disturbed so many viewers in 1971. Don’t Deliver Us From Evil is not easy viewing and I really commend Mondo Macabro for continuing to release previously little known and under-appreciated as well as controversial movies like this one. In some ways Don’t Deliver Us From Evil reminded me a little of Lopez Moctezuma’s Alucarda (1975) since both films deal with two sexually naive young girls dabbling in satanism who come to similar ends, but Don’t Deliver Us From Evil takes a much more transgressive approach to the subject matter. Director Joel Seria conjures up some impressive imagery in this film and the young French actress Jeanne Goupil is absolutely captivating in her role as the complicated Anne. The DVD looks terrific and also comes with some great bonus material including interviews with the director and the films star.

Jigoku
8. Jigoku (Criterion)
Jigoku (1960) is a unusual Japanese horror film that explores the definition of hell as it’s envisioned in the Buddhist scriptures and this is the first time this classic film has been released on DVD in the US. Influential director Nobuo Nakagawa does a fantastic job of evoking the tortures of his imagined hell with creative set designs and great use of color. The entire cast is memorable, but Yoichi Numata really stands out as the “evil” Tamura and Shigeru Amachi is great as the tortured Shiro. The talented Japanese composer Michiaki Watanabe created a really memorable score for the film as well. This Criterion release features some great bonus material including a new documentary called Building the Inferno and the picture quality of the DVD is fantastic. Jigoku starts off rather slowly, but it builds to a spectacular conclusion filled with amazing imagery that will stick with viewers long after the movie has ended.

The Magus
9. The Magus (20th Century Fox)
Lots of negative criticism has been heaped on The Magus (1968) but when I watched this film for the first time last month I found it really entertaining and engaging. Michael Caine plays a roguish English teacher who avoids a developing romance with the lovely Anna Karina by taking a teaching post in Greece. He is soon drawn into a strange game involving magic and greek mythology with a mysterious Greek island inhabitant played by Anthony Quinn who uses Candice Bergen as bait. Michael Caine looked terrific in 1968 and I enjoyed watching him roam around Greece. The film is filled with some really striking imagery and I thought the love scenes between Caine & Karina had plenty of sparks. In contrast Candice seemed a bit uncomfortable in her role, but you can forgive her since she looks great and seems to be having fun as does Quinn. The Magus also contains a nice soundtrack by the great British composer John Dankworth. The film is based on John Fowles’ book of the same name and he also wrote the screenplay. The DVD comes with an interesting featurette about John Fowles as well as a theatrical trailer and I thought the widescreen print looked great.

Death Walks on High Heels
10. The Luciano Ercoli’s Death Box Set (NoShame)
This is another great Box Set released by NoShame last year that really impressed me and contains Death Walks on High Heels (La Morte cammina con i tacchi alti, 1971) and Death Walks at Midnight (La Morte accarezza a mezzanotte, 1972). NoShame has released some terrific and hard-to-find films in recent years and last year they really went the extra mile for giallo fans like myself by releasing this great DVD set as well as the Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set. Both films in the The Luciano Ercoli’s Death Box Set offer unusual takes on the giallo formula and star the talented and beautiful Nieves Navarro who was married to director Luciano Ercoli and made three films with him. Ercoli had a great eye for detail and his entertaining movies show a lot of imagination and creativity. The Box Set comes with plenty of great bonus materials such as a very nice collectible booklet and a terrific CD featuring the music of the talented composer Stelvio Cipriani who has scored many giallo thrillers, including Death Walks on High Heels. I really hope that NoShame will offer more great Box Sets like this in the future.

20 More DVD reviews to come soon!