Something's coming to eat the world whole!

Well, it looks like the folks at WB are trying to be sneaky. In the latest update of MPAA ratings for upcoming films, there's a listing for "Little Shop of Horrors: The Intended Cut." Director Frank Oz mentioned the forthcoming release last November, citing a Halloween 2012 2-disc DVD/Blu-Ray release, but there was no further evidence to support his claim at the time. But with this latest announcement, it appears we're finally on the verge of getting an official release of the 1986 cult classic with the original unhappy ending intact! For those who don't know the story...

"Little Shop of Horrors" began its life as a corny 1960 Roger Corman b-movie which was notorious for its short shooting schedule of two days (and some change). In 1982, the film was adapted into a wildly successful off-Broadway musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (the duo who went on to write music for Disney's "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin") and their musical was ultimately translated into the 1986 film. Initial test audiences loved the 1986 movie... up until the point when this Greek tragedy's hero and heroine were devoured by the carnivorous plant. As a result, this footage (along with the subsequent elaborate $5 million sequence featuring the world being overrun with Audrey II's offspring) was scrapped and replaced with a new, upbeat happy ending.

Full page newspaper ad

Studio-imposed alterations have always happened, though it wasn't common public knowledge back in the days before DVD. However, "Little Shop of Horrors" was a high profile film that was anticipated to do big business during its Christmas 1986 release (it under-performed theatrically but quickly became a smash hit and cash cow on home video). The press ran with the story of the original ending in countless TV and magazine articles (and it was also discussed in The Little Shop of Horrors Book), photos of the now-missing sequences adorned trading cards, paperback novels and other tie-in merchandise and, as the years passed, various cast and crew members voiced their displeasure with the reshoot ending. All of this exposure left fans dying to see the ending that should have been...

Special Edition DVD Cover

In 1998, a few fans finally got that chance when "Little Shop" was released as a special edition DVD. One of the bonus features included was a 23 minute rough black-and-white copy of the original ending duped from director Frank Oz's VHS workprint. Producer David Geffen knew nothing about this release until it hit store shelves and he immediately hit the roof. "They put out a black-and-white, unscored, undubbed video copy of the original ending that looked like shit," Geffen complained to Entertainment Weekly. The result was the world's first collector's-item-DVD; one week after it hit shelves the special edition disc was recalled. When eBay went mainstream later that year, resale prices lingered just under $100 and have increased as the years have passed to as much as $300. Ouch!

Why, this thing could be bigger than hula-hoops!

Geffen rationalized the DVD recall by declaring he had color footage of the original ending and intended to see the film re-released as originally envisioned-- much like a similar move that had paid off for WB in 1993 with the lauded director's cut of "Blade Runner" (gotta remember that DVDs were still in their infancy in 1998... though we'd soon be inundated with unrated editions and director's cuts galore). It was speculated that when the DVD was reissued, it would include the color footage, but instead they essentially just removed the alternate ending and re-released the disc without the "special edition" tag. Then years passed and nothing seemed to happen.

In 2006 Oz's workprint ending surfaced on You Tube, offering the meek who couldn't afford to shell out $100+ for the recalled DVD the opportunity to finally see this infamous lost footage. In 2007 an announcement was made that the studio was working on an HD restoration complete with the original ending. When it failed to happen, rumors began to spread that the color footage of the original ending had been destroyed in a studio fire. I've never been able to pinpoint exactly where this rumor began, but it doesn't seem to have been leaked in any official statement (yet many fans took it as fact) and it's particularly irksome since Geffen stated way back in 1998 that he had the color footage. In 2008, a director's cut was cited by Fangoria for a 2009 release, though the disc that was ultimately issued was just a repackaging of the non-special edition DVD in a plastic case (the original releases were packaged in cardboard snap-cases). And that leads us to today.

Topps Trading Card

So what else is going to be included on this forthcoming release? No telling at the moment since WB seems to have been trying to keep it under wraps. There's no question, however, that "Don't Feed the Plants" will be shorter and more polished than in the now widely-seen black-and-white version (which was a really rough early edit). Some additional footage was excised from the film prior to its original release, including numerous verses from the songs "Some Fun Now" and "The Meek Shall Inherit," the latter of which featured a lengthy Rick Moranis solo accompanied by a trippy dream sequence in which he transformed into a plant. Here's hoping that makes it. It's a good bet that there will be an upgraded dupe of the originally released version along with the new version. Would also be nice to have an isolated score on the new cut, the blooper reel without Frank Oz's commentary (it isn't optional on any of the previous DVD releases) as well as the full workprint ending for posterity. And doubtlessly we can expect some sort of new retrospective featurette along with the other extras from the original DVDs. Beyond that I can't speculate (and this entire paragraph is just mere speculation) but it's wonderful to see it's finally happening!

Thanks to Aryeh for the heads-up!

Help with the Restoration of Manos!

First of all yep, I'm still alive and apologize for the lack of updates and being flaky with email (long, mostly uninteresting story about a downed PC, lack of internet access, legal threats and other personal dramas). But something just came to my attention that I feel the need to pass along...

Generally cited as one of the very worst movies of all time, the 1966 trashterpiece "Manos: The Hands of Fate" quickly fell into obscurity but was resurrected and has since gained notoriety through airings on MST3K. It's notable for kicking off the celluloid satanist motif before "Rosemary's Baby" and the myriad of subsequent '70s drive-in devil-worshiper flicks ("The Devil's Rain," "Brotherhood of Satan," "Warlock Moon," etc.) but it has all the charm and production values of an Ed Wood film.


I'd seen the movie before and too thought it was horrible but, after watching the "Mistress-Piece Theatre" episode of the short-lived "Elvira's Movie Macabre" revival earlier this year, I came to the realization that it's a very interesting, weird, surreal piece of '60s indie, no-budget filmmaking in which practically everything was done wrong -- though the few things they did right were really right, which makes it kind of memorable and special. Plus it has a bizarre soundtrack/score that has a way of getting under your skin. And to boot, countless behind the scenes legends are now fact, thanks to interviews and lengthy exposition on Wikipedia and imdb. Easy to see why it's become a cult movie, and it's doubtlessly one that benefits from the right sort of audience and abundant intoxicants. So thank you, Elvira, for changing my opinion. And thank you for not suing me over my share of your "Attack of the Killer B-Movies" TV-special (please?).

Public domain DVD screen-cap

Unfortunately, the only circulating prints of "Manos" are what one would expect of a public domain film: The colors are so muted that they're murky. The picture's dirty and scratched up. Shot on 16mm, edited on 16mm, blown up to 35mm, transferred to VHS, and finally to DVD (then digitized again on The Internet Archive), details are difficult to discern through this multi-generation visual bastardization (the only visible feature on the black poodle are the whites of its eyes and its wagging tongue!). The picture has been oddly cropped, cutting out many production details and nuances (such as people's heads and feet!). The original opening has been lopped off from every version available. All in all, this is a movie that has not been treated well, and known existing 35mm copies have reddened with age and deteriorated even more than the widely available versions.

Workprint negative scan with cropping comparison

Recently cameraman Ben Solovey decided to resume his hobby of collecting 16mm films and found an eBay auction that had no bidders. Next thing he knew, he discovered he had inexplicably bought the original 16mm workprint of "Manos." The picture is sharp, the colors are bright and vivid, and it's seen in its proper framing for the very first time.


Now Solovey's spearheading an ambitious attempt to both restore the film and preserve it for future generations and he's looking for donations, which will be collected in February. Although he's already exceeded the bare minimal goal of $10,000 for the restoration, all additional money is being sunk into the project for other things, including the creation of documentaries, audio commentaries by surviving cast members and a 2K to 35mm film-out preservation negative, which will enable the striking of new 35mm prints. The tentative release of this new version is August 2012.


I'm the first to admit "Manos" is a bad movie, but it's one that's so spectacularly bad that it's downright endearing. And for whatever it's worth, Quintin Tarrantino has cited it as his favorite "comedy." While it might not reach the importance of something like, say Fritz Lang's "Metropolis," it's still important to see that it's restored and preserved while it's still possible in order to retain the highest quality. And the fact that the film has fallen into the hands of a private collector who's trying to make that happen makes it especially unique and noteworthy.


A lot people who visit this blog are here cuz I cover culty films, so you should know that movies like "Manos" have a tendency to only be available in low quality, having been neglected and/or lost for decades by uncaring studios. The reason more movies don't undergo a proper restorations is because it's ridiculously expensive to have it done right. Whether you like the film or not, here's a chance to help ensure one less movie is forever only seen in a substandard format.

There are a variety of cool incentives for contributing (restoration credits, pins, T-shirts, Blu-Ray/DVD, silkscreen posters, etc.), and if you contribute now you won't be charged until February 4, 2012 (which gives you a while to save up!). Might sound like I'm doing a bad infomercial here (CALL NOW!), but I'm over-selling it because this is one project that I wholeheartedly support -- I mean, things like this sooooo seldom happen. For more, just check out the sites below:

Kickstarter's "Manos: The Restoration" Donation page

"Manos" in HD blog

"Manos" in HD Facebook page

Watch/Download the (bad) Public Domain Print

Fur is murder!

(But not in the way you might think....)
___________________________________

I'm not real anymore....

1969's "Daughter of the Mind" is a creepy, plodding supernatural thriller starring Ray Milland as a scientist who becomes convinced that he can communicate with the spirit of his deceased little girl. The film boasts a great cast including Gene Tierney (in her final film role), Don Murray, John Carradine, and Ed Asner. Tragically never issued on VHS or DVD, this copy is very good quality, duped from a recent uncut movie channel broadcast (massive thanks to the person who ripped it, as I spent years trying to track down a copy!).

DAUGHTER OF THE MIND
1969. Not Rated. 90 mins.

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
MegaUpload


_________________________________

I Dream of... different characters

Thanks to a five year run of 139 episodes that have been in syndication for 40+ years, Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden will forever be known as Tony and Jeannie Nelson. Eden reprised her role in two made for TV movies (as well as appearing in a cameo in "A Very Brady Sequel"), but Hagman never played Major Nelson again. However, a year after "I Dream of Jeannie" went off the air, Eden and Hagman were reunited -- with a bit of role reversal -- for the 1971 movie of the week "A Howling in the Woods." They wouldn't work together again until 1990, when she did a guest-starring stint on "Dallas" as a favor to him.


Liza Crocker (Eden) decides to leave her husband Eddie (Hagman), so she returns to the Nevada lodge her father owns, where she grew up. There she is greeted by her young stepmother Rose (PSYCHO's Vera Miles) and her new step-brother Justin (John Rubinstein). The rest of the townspeople, however, aren't so anxious to greet her, and they're even less thrilled with the mysterious hound who's been baying outside the hotel. And to make matters weirder, her father has vanished to Mexico on a trip. Soon Liza uncovers a mystery revolving around the death of her childhood friend Sally's (Tyne Daly) young daughter.


The movie was filmed in the winter of '71 in Glenbrooke and Dayton, Nevada. The brisk temperatures caused production problems, and Eden claimed that during one scene it was so cold she couldn't make her lips move. But one of the problems during the shoot was off-camera. "Our outboard motorboat ran out of gas on Lake Tahoe where we were filming," said Barbara. "It was choppy and snowballs froze like ice cubes in the water. John Rubinstein look the one oar and rowed us ashore. It took 45 minutes."


Probably should note that there's several scenes featuring Rubinstein playing the piano, and it becomes increasingly clear that it's actually him tickling the ivories. In real life, John's the son of Artur Rubinstein, a renowned Polish concert pianist.

Somebody requested this movie and I was kinda shocked I'd never heard of it. Once again, I turned to those great people at CG and had it an hour later. There's a bit of a sense of deju vu, as the way the story unfolds is very reminiscent of "The Stepford Children," which Eden starred in 16 years later. Like most TV movies from its time, the film is paced slowly and some of the dialogue is laughable, but they amassed talented actors who managed to sell it. And since there's numerous scenes which feature an inordinate amount of exposition, they had to get good actors. On the downside, Hagman doesn't really show up until halfway through the film, and once he's there he has little to do. It's also kinda weird to see HER rejecting HIS advances.


As for the movie's big mystery, there's a few aspects of it that were a bit predictable (like the dog), but I still hadn't put all the pieces together until the big reveal -- and I have a lot of respect for old movies that can keep me guessing. Unfortunately, the final tag scene felt kinda forced, but considering the stars and the era, it's forgivable. All in all, it's a nifty little thriller.


The movie premiered on NBC in November 1971, garnering mostly good reviews, and it aired infrequently on TV until the mid-'90s. As was the trend at the time, it found its way into theatres internationally soon after it debuted, but doesn't seem to have had an official home video release anywhere in the world. Which leads me back to this copy. This is ripped from a broadcast on WGN in the mid-'90s; it runs 93 mins. and has a very good picture quality.


I'm baffled by the running time though. The film debuted in a 90 minute time slot in 1971 -- 1971 TV movies run 74 minutes once commercials are removed. So it's possible that this is the international version. However, imdb cites a running time of 100 mins. Running times on imdb are frequently inaccurate, so I don't know if this is longest version released or not -- and I probably won't know until the studio decides to give it a proper release (but considering what company made it, I don't see that happening any time soon). So without further ado, here's another TV obscurity!

A Howling in the Woods
1971. Not Rated. 93 mins.

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
MegaUpload, MegaShares

________________________________
________________________________

It's time for Roseanne Barr!

Can't explain why I like Roseanne, but I do. Maybe cuz I identify with nuts? But before there was "Roseanne's Nuts," Roseanne Barr (Pentland-Arnold-Thomas-Argent?) appeared in another reality show... that lasted all of two weeks on the air. 2003's "The Real Roseanne Show" chronicled the making of Roseanne's cooking show, "Domestic Goddess."

The original plan was that "The Real Roseanne Show" would air in hour-long blocks over six weeks on ABC from August-September 2003, and "Domestic Goddess" would debut on ABC Family immediately following. Unfortunately, there was no clear concept to "Domestic Goddess," as is painfully evident in "The Real Roseanne Show." Roseanne decided "Domestic Goddess" had to be reworked before it could be aired, but the kibosh was put on both shows when she announced she needed time off for a hysterectomy.


Since only four episodes were broadcast of "The Real Roseanne Show," it's pretty much been forgotten. But with "Roseanne's Nuts" now on the air, it's sort of interesting to revisit her previous reality show. The 2003 series came at the beginning of Barr's relationship with songwriter Johnny Argent, and at that point, it wasn't clear if their relationship was going to last. Roseanne's son Jake and son-in-law Jeff were the inept producers of "Domestic Goddess," and other friends and family members appeared in both series, including Colleen Camp and Sandra Bernhard -- though episodes of the 2003 show featuring John Goodman, Phyllis Diller and Bonnie Bramlett never aired.

So below are the four episodes of the show that aired ("Roseanne Unbarred," "Kinder, Gentler, Hungrier," "What's the Pitch?," and "Where's the Doughnuts?"). Since they're serialized and less than 90 minutes combined, I ripped 'em as a single video. Unfortunately, I didn't have a DVR at the time and there's a buzz on the hi-fi tracks (the tapes were practically inaudible when I turned off the hi-fi), which is annoying but not overbearing.

The Real Roseanne Show
Episodes 1-4

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
MegaUpload

"So lights, camera, shut the f*** up! It's time for Roseanne Barr!"
_____________________________

"The Real Roseanne Show" Gallery!
__________________________

What is wrong with making money?

For those who've discovered the joys of Nai Bonet's goofy disco-vampire comedy "Nocturna," here's a companion. 1980's "Hoodlums" (aka "Gangsters") is Bonet's follow-up, which also holds the distinction of being her final film.


Loretta (Bonet) is a singer and escort in a NYC mob-owned nightclub/illegal casino. The favorite working girl of manager George (Tony Page), Loretta is unhappy with her current occupation and looking for a way out. George, meanwhile, is losing his stranglehold on the business. Complications arise when Loretta finds herself falling for a man she meets in her off-hours. Clearly this isn't gonna end well...


Some backstory is required to fully appreciate this trashterpiece. Bonet is a half-French, Vietnamese-born, NYC raised belly dancer who became a headliner at age 13. Around the age of 20 in the early '60s, Nai was rubbing elbows with Hollywood royalty nightly, and she found her way into a few now-obscure films, an episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies," TV talk shows, and commercials -- almost always appearing as a exotic dancer. By the '70s, Nai decided to set her sights exclusively on acting. She appeared on Broadway and had bit parts in a few films like "Soul Hustler" and "Fairy Tales," but she yearned for bigger roles -- so she began filling up a notebook with ideas for movies to star in.


In 1978, Nai got "Halloween" producer Irwin Yablans to fund a disco comedy called "Nocturna," in which she portrayed the title character, Dracula's granddaughter. The movie received a minor release in '79, horrid reviews, and one home video release in 1983. Hilariously bad, intentionally campy, featuring horror icons John Carradine and Yvonne DeCarlo as well as a pair of club disco hits by Gloria Gaynor and Vicki Sue Robinson, the movie's gone on to attain a small cult following... which is really beginning to snowball, thanks to internet word-of-mouth.


"Hoodlums," on the other hand, has been completely ignored and forgotten. Probably funded by real-life gangsters ("Nocturna" was rumored to have been, but I've since found evidence that it was fully funded by Yablans), the movie seems to have gotten a theatrical release somewhere (I've got a 1-sheet to prove it), but it doesn't appear to have attained wide distribution before its video release(s) by the obscure Twilight Home Entertainment. And today the tapes are very pricey and difficult to obtain.


Again Bonet conceived the story, along with "I Spit on Your Grave"'s Bill Tasgal, and they pawned off screenwriting duties on an unknown named Edith E. Colegrave. "Nocturna" cinematographer Mac Ahlberg returned to direct, and Vicki Sue Robinson's role expanded from that of mere soundtrack singer to starring in a big supporting role.


Clearly a soundtrack was planned to boost awareness of the film, but one was never issued. Robinson, Cissy Houston and Theodore "T" Life all appear and sing in the film -- and their songs are recycled over and over again in the background. It would appear that Nai also sings a song, but her performance of "Long Lonely Night" is actually lipsynched to vocals by Cory Daye. Oddly, not only is it Nai's finest moment in the movie, but she mouthed better to someone else's voice than she did to her own in her 1966 "Jelly Belly" music video.


As for the movie itself, "Hoodlums" is very much akin to "Nocturna" in execution. There's a combination of professionals and people off the street both in front of and behind the camera, overlong disco sequences, slim story, overacting and bad acting galore, atmospheric NYC pre-city cleanup, and corny dialogue. Where the two films deviate is in tone. "Hoodlums" is much darker, and the Loretta character is less one-dimensional than Nocturna. Of course, Nai's performance isn't any more dimensional, but that's part of her charm.


Some of the other actors fare better... though none fare especially great. Vicki Sue Robinson is a scene stealer as Loretta's best friend and coworker. And in a smaller scene-stealing role is Jean Smart ("Designing Women," "24"), who wildly overacts in her second film and is saddled with a clown-styled wig. Michael V. Gazzo ("Godfather II") makes a formidable crime boss, though his performance devolves into total camp at one point. Peter Iacangelo gives a standout performance as George's henchman Zoo, though he's involved in two of the goofiest fight scenes this side of "Dynasty." And then there's Tony Page, who's also pretty good, though it sounds like he gargled with razor blades and horse piss to attain his gravel gangster voice (apologies if that's his real voice, but it sounds fake).

All in all, it's an enjoyable, splendiforously bad little b-movie that deserves to be better known than it is. And this post is a good start! Make sure to watch for one of the phoniest punches ever captured on film (trust me, you'll know it when you see it) and the ugliest cat that ever lived!

Hoodlums
1980. Rated R. 89 mins.

DOWNLOAD LINKS:
MegaUpload
_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

Thanks for lending me the tape, Tess!
_______________________