Greg Barbrick

Book Review: Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas by Alonso Duralde

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 16, 2014

Christmas time is a time for many things, and one of the things that I most enjoy are the movies. ...

History Presents: The Definitive WWI & WWII Collection DVD Review: Nirvana in a Box for War Buffs

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 30, 2014

At the close of the Second World War, Winston Churchill was quoted as saying, “One must regard these thirty years ...

Very Extremely Dangerous (2012) DVD Review: A Life of Utter Chaos

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 20, 2014

Three-time felon Jerry McGill (1940 - 2013) was a musician whose life was the stuff of legend. Very Extremely Dangerous ...

Book Review: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: Daily Cartoons 1929-1930

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 1, 2014

The new Ripley's Believe It or Not!: Daily Cartoons 1929-1930 from the Library of American Comics is a fond look ...

The Prosecution of An American President DVD Review: Former Manson Prosecutor Takes on George W. Bush

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 7, 2014

Vincent Bugliosi is best known as the prosecutor of Charles Manson, and for writing the book Helter Skelter (1974) about ...

Book Review: The Art of Greg Spalenka by Greg Spalenka

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 27, 2014

The name Greg Spalenka may or may not be a familiar one to you, but once you have seen his ...

Radio Free Albemuth Movie Review: Faithful Adaptation of the Philip K. Dick Novel

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 28, 2014

One of Philip K. Dick's (1928-1982) finest inspirations was VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System), which he first laid out ...

Hearts and Minds (1974) Criterion Collection Review: A Riveting Documentary of the Vietnam War

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 21, 2014

The Academy Award-winning Hearts and Minds is the most riveting war documentary I have ever seen. The raw footage and ...

Mama’s Family: The Complete Fourth Season DVD Review: Firing on All Cylinders

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 16, 2014

Mama's Family was one of the most popular recurring skits on the old Carol Burnett Show, so it was not ...

Jurassic Park Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Review: Mondo Releases John Williams’ Music on Vinyl

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 9, 2014

We are obviously big fans of the movies around here, and the soundtracks to those films can be equally compelling. ...

SIFF 2014 Review: Strictly Sacred: A Film about Girl Trouble

By Greg Barbrick | May 30, 2014

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) may not be Cannes, or Tribeca for that matter, but it sure was the ...

The Class: The Complete Series DVD Review: An Updated, Expanded Friends

By Greg Barbrick | May 13, 2014

Warner Archive have been releasing some very interesting DVD sets this year, especially in the realm of “lost” television programs. ...

Midsomer Murders: Village Case Files DVD Review: Probably the Greatest Current British Mystery Series

By Greg Barbrick | May 4, 2014

Midsomer Murders is probably the greatest British mystery series currently on the air. The show is in its 17th season, ...

Book Review: Popeye: The Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume One: 1986-1989 by Bobby London: Absolutely Fabulous

By Greg Barbrick | May 1, 2014

When it comes to reprints of classic comics, The Library of American Comics from IDW Publishing are the absolute gold ...

Little Feat: Live in Holland 1976 Review: Featfans, Rejoice!

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 23, 2014

They call themselves “Featfans,” and are to Little Feat what the Deadheads are to the Grateful Dead. Recently the Featfans ...

Search: The Complete Series DVD Review: About 40 Years Ahead of Its Time

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 18, 2014

Search was a show that aired for one season back in 1972-73, and if you do not remember it, join ...

DC Comics Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures Volume 1 DVD Review: They Cannot Be Beat

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 6, 2014

DC Comics are one of the oldest and most successful comic-book publishers of all time. They have also made some ...

Mr. & Mrs. Murder: Series 1 DVD Review: Worth a Look

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 3, 2014

Thanks to Acorn Media, I have discovered some great shows from outside of the U.S., and had high hopes for ...

The Bigamist (1953) DVD Review: A Sensitive Treatment of the Subject

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 27, 2014

I must admit that my prurient interests were piqued by the title of The Bigamist (1953). This Ida Lupino-directed film ...

Eric Clapton: The 1970s Review DVD Review: Between Cream and 461 Ocean Boulevard

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 11, 2014

The video company Sexy Intellectual specialize in unauthorized biographies, such as From Straight to Bizarre: Zappa, Beefheart, Alice Cooper and ...

Mama’s Family: The Complete Third Season DVD Review: A Blast from the Past

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 10, 2014

Spin-offs have been a part of the television world for many years now. As a matter of fact, there is ...

Last Stand of the 300 and Other Famous Greek Battles DVD Review: Grand Theft Auto at Thermopylae

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 5, 2014

Remember when The History Channel actually showed programs of historical interest? For a lot of people (generally men), those history ...

Tess Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Polanski’s Vision of Victorian England

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 1, 2014

Tess is an unforgettable film, and one of the finest of Roman Polanski's career. The fact that it lost to ...

Midsomer Murders: Set 23 DVD Review: Britain’s Finest Mystery Series

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 20, 2014

For murder mystery fans, I believe there is no better show on the air right now than Midsomer Murders. The ...

Killing Kennedy Blu-ray Review: The Assassination Fox News Style

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 16, 2014

If Killing Kennedy did not present itself so seriously, I would swear that it was a parody of the whole ...

Dallas (2012): The Complete Second Season DVD Review: Who Killed J.R.?

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 15, 2014

Through an extraordinary set of circumstances, the legendary J.R. Ewing actually got a proper send-off from Dallas. In 1980, the ...

LEGO Legends of Chima: The Lion, the Crocodile, and the Power of CHI! Season 1 Part 1 DVD Review

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 10, 2014

With the theatrical release of The LEGO Movie (2014), the famous building-block company have gone wide with their latest animated ...

Space Voyages DVD Review: The Real Continuing Missions

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 6, 2014

The Smithsonian Channel's Space Voyages miniseries was one of the best programs I saw last year, and for anyone who ...

Jules and Jim Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Seminal French New Wave Love Triangle

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 4, 2014

The greatest literature is often inspired by true events, and the story behind Francois Truffaut's Jules and Jim (1962) is ...

Being Human: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Review: A Melting Pot of the Supernatural

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 1, 2014

Giving good-looking vampires their own shows has become standard practice in television these days, so with Being Human, the Syfy ...

The Blue Eyes Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Review: Another Strong Entry in the JG Thirlwell Catalog

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 18, 2014

JG Thirlwell is nothing if not prolific. He has recorded over 30 albums in a variety of styles, under such ...

Book Review: The Mayor of MacDougal Street by Dave Van Ronk

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 4, 2014

The 2013 reprint of Dave Van Ronk's (1936 -2002) autobiography The Mayor of MacDougal Street (2004) has a cover blurb ...

Fantastic Voyage Blu-ray Review: The Coolest Ship in the Movies

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 1, 2013

The Proteus is just about the coolest movie ship ever. The only real competition would be the Nautilus from Mysterious ...

The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection Review (Sampler): One Black, One White, and One Blonde

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 28, 2013

If you are looking for something for the classic-TV enthusiast this holiday season, the people at Visual Entertainment have you ...

The Day Kennedy Died DVD Review: One of the Darkest Days in History

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 22, 2013

There are a few days in American history when the world just seemed to stop. November 22, 1963 is one ...

MOMO: The Sam Giancana Story DVD Review: Rat Pack Gangster

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 20, 2013

Sam “Momo” Giancana (1908-1975) was one of the most fascinating gangsters of the 20th century. He has been the subject ...

Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Edition DVD Review: Wild Times in San Francisco

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 17, 2013

The six-part mini-series Tales of the City (1993) boasts an all-star cast, including the city of San Francisco itself. The ...

East End Babylon: The Cockney Rejects Story DVD Review: Punk Hooligans for Life

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 7, 2013

For a guy from the northwest corner of America, watching the story of the Cockney Rejects in East End Babylon ...

Various Artists: Mad Men Christmas Album Review: Smell the Booze, Feel the Christmas Angst

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 2, 2013

The only question I had about the Mad Men Christmas collection was what took them so long? This 12-song compilation ...

Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Snoopy’s Doghouse Edition) Soundtrack Review

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 26, 2013

I look forward to the holiday season for a few reasons, and one of them is the undeniable joy of ...

On the Riviera Blu-ray Review: Double the Danny Kaye!

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 20, 2013

There was a time when Danny Kaye was one of the top entertainers in the world. Although Bob Hope and ...

Book Review: Star Trek FAQ 2.0: Everything Left to Know about The Next Generation, the Movies, and Beyond by Mark Clark

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 10, 2013

Sometimes I wonder if I am a “Trekkie,” or “Trekker.” What does it take exactly? A working knowledge of every ...

I Married a Witch Criterion Collection DVD Review: Truly Bewitching

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 7, 2013

Forget Elizabeth Montgomery in Bewitched; the most beautiful witch of all time is Veronica Lake in I Married a Witch ...

3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman Criterion Collection DVD Review: The Definitive Journey

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 28, 2013

When Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City (1945) won the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1946, he was recognized as the ...

Two and a Half Men: The Complete Tenth Season DVD Review: Getting Better

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 23, 2013

The fact that Two and a Half Men survived the firing of Charlie Sheen is nothing short of a miracle. ...

Revolution: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review: The Revolution Is Televised

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 18, 2013

How does one describe a show as wild as Revolution? It is one of the most action-packed, science fiction programs ...

Doctor Who: The Ice Warriors DVD Review: A Classic

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 16, 2013

Whether you are a new fan of Doctor Who, or have been watching the show since its debut in November ...

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Fifth Season DVD Review: The End of the Line

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 12, 2013

The fifth and final season of The Twilight Zone aired during the 1963-1964 season, almost exactly 50 years ago. I ...

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Sixth Season DVD Review: Best Sitcom Since Seinfeld

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 10, 2013

Is The Big Bang Theory the funniest show on network TV? It is to me, and apparently to a whole ...

American Guerrilla in the Philippines DVD Review: An Interesting Detour

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 4, 2013

By 1950, it appears that Fritz Lang had gone from being one of the most innovative and daring directors in ...

Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone’s Magic Man (Director’s Cut Special Edition) DVD Review: A Must for Fans

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 2, 2013

Charles Beaumont (1929-1967) is credited with writing 22 episodes of the original Twilight Zone (1959-1964). That number is only about ...

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Fourth Season DVD Review: Charles Beaumont Is the Star of This Season

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 28, 2013

The original Twilight Zone aired for five seasons (1959-64), on CBS. Like most of the people I know, the first-run ...

Doctor Who: The Green Death: Special Edition DVD Review: Hello, Giant Maggots; Goodbye, Jo Grant

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 20, 2013

“So the fledgling flies the coop,” states the Doctor in one of the opening scenes of The Green Death. It ...

Frank Zappa: A Token of His Extreme DVD Review: FZ TV Circa 1974

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 12, 2013

In 1974, Frank Zappa recorded a concert for television titled A Token of His Extreme. It was intended as a ...

Book Review: The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time by Phil Hall: A Great Compendium

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 10, 2013

The celebration of the worst films ever made has become something of a cottage industry over the years. Although college ...

Lord of the Flies (1963) Criterion Collection DVD Review: Lightning Struck Twice

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 20, 2013

William Golding was 43 years old when his first book was published. The year was 1954, and the title of ...

Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited: First to Fourth DVD Review: The Fantastic Four

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 16, 2013

The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is coming up, and the BBC is pulling out all the stops. There have ...

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Third Season DVD Review: An Epiphany

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 15, 2013

I had what you might call an epiphany the other night. It happened while I was watching “The Hunt,“ an ...

Safety Last! (1923) Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Silent Comedic Masterpiece

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 25, 2013

The three comedic geniuses of the silent film era were Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. For various reasons, ...

Things To Come (1936) Criterion Collection DVD Review: An Unforgettable Piece of Cinematic History

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 19, 2013

H.G. Wells has had a number of books turned into classic films, including The Island of Lost Souls (1932), and ...

Doctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition DVD Review: Murdering Radioactive Mutants Unite!

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 18, 2013

We are just a few months away from the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, and the BBC continues to roll ...

George Gently: Series 5 DVD Review: The Most Intriguing and Intense So Far

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 8, 2013

As the BBC series George Gently embarks on its sixth series, Acorn Media have been helping us catch up with ...

Book Review: Doctor Who: Harvest of Time by Alastair Reynolds

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 4, 2013

Forget about the Rolling Stones' 50th anniversary, the one that really counts is coming this November, which will mark 50 ...

George Gently Collection: Series 1-4 DVD Review: A Hidden Treasure

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 2, 2013

In 1955 author Alan Hunter published a novel entitled Gently Does It, which marked the first appearance of the British ...

Book Review: A Quick Guide to Screenwriting by Ray Morton

By Greg Barbrick | May 28, 2013

Just about everybody I know has said words to the effect of “I could write a better movie than that!” ...

3:10 to Yuma (1957) Criterion Collection DVD Review: You Gotta Trust Delmer Daves on This One

By Greg Barbrick | May 22, 2013

The opening shot of 3:10 to Yuma (1957) sets the film up as perfectly as anything I have ever seen. ...

Star Trek: Generations Movie Review: Passing of the Torch

By Greg Barbrick | May 7, 2013

“Kirk or Picard?” was one of the first questions Dr. Sheldon Cooper asked Dr. Leonard Hofsteder when they first met ...

Parade’s End (1964) DVD Review: A Very Impressive Period Drama

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 27, 2013

The current success of Downton Abbey is just the latest example of a subject that the English never seem to ...

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Movie Review: Classic Storytelling

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 25, 2013

For this fan, the greatest Star Trek movie of all time is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). ...

Richard III (1955) Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Tremendous Film

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 24, 2013

One of the most striking aspects of the newly restored Richard III (1955) is its magnificent use of color. As ...

Spies of Warsaw DVD Review: A Rare Misstep for the BBC

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 20, 2013

At their best, spy films incorporate espionage, the old double-cross, corruption, opportunities for incredible rewards, and cold-blooded murder at every ...

Repo Man Criterion Collection DVD Review: Punk All Over

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 16, 2013

The seamy underbelly of Los Angeles has been explored in numerous films over the years. A few of my favorites ...

One Life DVD Review: Most Impressive

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 9, 2013

Nature programs have been a staple of family-friendly viewing for decades now. Some have proven to be very popular with ...

Book Review: Doctor Who: The Dalek Generation by Nicholas Briggs

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 5, 2013

Of all the creatures the Doctor has met in the universe, none are more evil than the Daleks. But what ...

Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here: Live in Japan DVD Review: Brilliant in Every Way

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 2, 2013

The Pat Metheny Group concert that was recorded for the We Live Here: Live In Japan DVD took place at ...

Lost Angels: Skid Row Is My Home (2010) DVD Review: A Sobering Look

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 1, 2013

I guess that every major city in America has a “skid row,” but none can compare to the one in ...

Book Review: Doctor Who FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Most Famous Time Lord in the Universe by Dave Thompson

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 29, 2013

In some ways, I have found the history of the Doctor Who television series to be even more fascinating than ...

Elvis Presley: Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite (Legacy Edition) Album Review

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 27, 2013

If you are old enough to remember the original broadcast of Elvis Presley's Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite, then it ...

Wilson DVD Review: A Forgotten Classic About the 28th U.S. President

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 24, 2013

As superficial as this may sound, I actually learned a lot from watching Wilson (1944), part of Fox Cinema Archives. ...

Scavenger Hunt: An Unlikely Union DVD Review: It’s for the Birds

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 18, 2013

The new documentary Scavenger Hunt: An Unlikely Union hopes to alert people to an unusual problem. It is the effect ...

Doctor Who: The Ark in Space (Special Edition) DVD Review: Wheel in the Sky Keeps on Turnin’

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 15, 2013

The "wheel in space" was the New Frontier-era notion of what space stations of the future would look like. I ...

Book Review: Hopper: A Journey into the American Dream by Tom Folsom

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 14, 2013

I had decided on the opening line of my review of the new Dennis Hopper biography Hopper: A Journey Into ...

Mister 880 DVD Review: A Forgotten Counterfeit Gem

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 12, 2013

I wonder if there has ever been a more charming actor than Edmund Gwenn. In 2013, his name may no ...

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp: Season 2 DVD Review: Historically Accurate TV Classic

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 11, 2013

"Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp, brave courageous and bold, Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp, long may his story be told..." Those are ...

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978) DVD Review: A Stunning Achievement

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 8, 2013

Muriel Spark's Miss Jean Brodie was one of the great literary characters of the 20th century. Her book, The Prime ...

I’m Now: The Story of Mudhoney DVD Review: The History of the Godfathers of Grunge

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 25, 2013

In 1988, the song "Touch Me, I'm Sick" by Mudhoney was the first blast of what would come to be ...

Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror DVD Review: Re-Animating the Doctor

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 9, 2013

When it comes to resurrecting lost Doctor Who episodes, the people at BBC Home Video have come up with some ...

Undersea Edens DVD Review: A Marvelous Viewing Experience

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 7, 2013

The Smithsonian Channel are known for their documentary programs, and Undersea Edens is an example of what they do best. ...

The Origins of Oz DVD Review: The Story of the True Man Behind the Curtain

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 31, 2013

The Wizard of Oz (1939) is one of the most beloved films of all time. It is hard to believe ...

Midsomer Murders: Set 21 DVD Review: The Fictional British County of Midsomer Is Beautiful and Deadly

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 26, 2013

The fictional Midsomer County is one of the most beautiful areas on British television. It is also home to a ...

Doctor Who: Shada DVD Review: The Doctor Goes to Cambridge to Save the Universe

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 17, 2013

The story behind Shada is one of the strangest in the long history of Doctor Who. The six-part serial was ...

The Tin Drum Criterion Collection DVD Review: Familial Insanity Mirrors Nazi Germany

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 13, 2013

For a film that won both the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, The Tin ...

The Story of Math Collection DVD Review: Informative, Fascinating, and Entertaining Study of Mathematics

By Greg Barbrick | Jan 9, 2013

I would like to preface this review by mentioning that I was about as far from being a “math-lete” in ...

The Point Definitive Collector’s Edition DVD Review: Celebrating Non-Conformity

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 31, 2012

I must confess that I never really “got” Harry Nilsson. Now don't get me wrong, I like what I have ...

Blackmore’s Night: A Knight in York DVD Review: The Most Ridiculous Real-life Spinal Tap Situation Ever

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 28, 2012

“King” Ritchie Blackmore and “Queen” Candice Night formed Blackmore's Night back in 1997 to perform Renaissance music. When I first ...

The Yardbirds: Making Tracks DVD Review: Great Performances from the 21st Century Edition of the Band

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 17, 2012

The Yardbirds are a legendary British band, who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2013. There have been a ...

The Qatsi Trilogy: (Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, Naqoyqatsi) Criterion Collection DVD Review: Fans Should Be Very Pleased

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 12, 2012

When Koyaanisqatsi (1983) came out, my girlfriend at the time talked me into seeing it with her. She was very ...

Motorhead: The World is Ours, Vol. 2: Anyplace Crazy as Anywhere Else Review: Live at Wacken 2011 and More

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 10, 2012

I remember seeing Motorhead live at (of all places) Bumbershoot in Seattle about ten years ago. Unlike pure music fests ...

Saxon: Heavy Metal Thunder: The Movie DVD Review: About as Rock and Roll as it Gets

By Greg Barbrick | Dec 7, 2012

Saxon were one of the premier bands of the short-lived, but glorious New Wave of British Heavy Metal, (NWBOHM) which ...

Books Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion Volumes 01, 02 & 03 and Volume 13 by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 29, 2012

The first known screening of the form of Japanese animation referred to as anime was way back in 1917. My ...

Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos Special Edition DVD Review: Earthbound Doctor Saves the Day Again

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 25, 2012

The budgetary constraints placed upon the BBC during the early '70s resulted in an interesting chapter in the long saga ...

Culinary Masterpieces: Special Edition Box Set Review: Appetizing Flicks

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 23, 2012

The four films collected in the new Culinary Masterpieces box set provide an alluring glimpse into the world of high-end ...

Woody Herman: Blue Flame DVD Review: An Impressive Story

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 12, 2012

Although I was born long after the big-band era, I have an abiding appreciation for the music. One of the ...

Rashomon Criterion Collection DVD Review: The Best of the Best

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 6, 2012

Director Akira Kurosawa (1919-1998) was known as “The Emperor” of Japanese film for a few reasons. For those he worked ...

Book Review: All the Emperor’s Men by Hiroshi Tasogawa

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 4, 2012

For anyone who has seen such masterpieces as as Rashomon (1950) Ikuru (1952), or Seven Samurai (1954), it goes without saying that Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) was ...

Rosemary’s Baby Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Masterful Film

By Greg Barbrick | Nov 2, 2012

There have been countless movies that were either so shocking, or just captured the zeitgeist of the culture so well ...

Nazi Collaborators DVD Review: A Worthy Addition to any WWII Buff’s Library

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 31, 2012

The 13-episode, four-DVD set Nazi Collaborators offers yet another fascinating perspective on the events of World War II. It has ...

Review: If You Like Quentin Tarantino… by Katherine Rife

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 26, 2012

The new If You Like… series of books from Limelight Editions focus on items that fans of a particular director ...

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye DVD Review: Should be Titled Plastic Surgery Disasters

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 23, 2012

At its core, the tale of Genesis P-Orridge and Lady Jaye is a heartbreaking love story. As everything the musical ...

Alcatraz: The Complete Series DVD Review: Lost on the Rock

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 16, 2012

Is Alcatraz "Lost on the Rock?" Well, sort of. J.J. Abrams is the mastermind of both shows, and he brought ...

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Eighth and Final Season DVD Review: End of Days on Wisteria Lane

By Greg Barbrick | Oct 4, 2012

“There's nothing more peaceful than a night on Wisteria Lane, until someone comes along, and disturbs the peace,” says Mary ...

Doctor Who: Planet of Giants DVD Review: Reconstructing the Doctor

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 25, 2012

The legendary BBC program Doctor Who holds the world’s record for the most episodes of any series. The count is ...

Holy Flying Circus DVD Review: A Pythonesque Look at the Controversy Surrounding Life of Brian

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 21, 2012

Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuted on the BBC way back in 1969. To call it “ground-breaking” is an understatement. The ...

Terra Nova: The Complete Series DVD Review: A Missed Opportunity

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 14, 2012

Terra Nova was a show that I had high hopes for. When it premiered on the FOX network in September ...

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season DVD Review: Their Funniest Season Yet

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 11, 2012

Although The Big Bang Theory got off to a rough start early on, the ratings have improved dramatically over time. ...

Book Review: An Askew View 2 by John Kenneth Muir

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 10, 2012

Director Kevin Smith’s production company is called View Askew, which made the title of John Kenneth Muir‘s filmography An Askew ...

The Lieutenant: The Complete Series Part Two DVD Review: Gene Roddenberry Sows the Seeds of Star Trek

By Greg Barbrick | Sep 7, 2012

The Lieutenant was the first TV series created by legendary Star Trek guru Gene Roddenberry. The show ran for one ...

SpokAnarchy! DVD Review: An Excellent Documentary

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 31, 2012

Spokane, WA is about as unlikely a place I can think of to have developed a thriving punk scene in ...

Queen: Greatest Video Hits DVD Review: Talent, Style, and Grace on Display

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 29, 2012

If ever there were a band suited to the format of music videos, Queen were it. Even though there were ...

Lonesome Criterion Collection DVD Review: Groundbreaking Cinema That Should Not Be Missed

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 28, 2012

Paul Fejos (1897-1963) directed something of a “lost” classic with Lonesome (1928). The Criterion Collection have just released a digitally ...

The Zombies: Live at Metropolis Studios, London DVD Review: A Real Treat for Fans

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 26, 2012

Of all the great British rock acts of the “60s, I have always felt that the Zombies never really got ...

Planet Dinosaur DVD Review: Some of the Best CGI Dinosaurs Ever

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 24, 2012

The new BBC Video release Planet Dinosaur DVD contains all six half-hour episodes of the series, which originally aired in ...

Nektar, Brainticket, and Huw Lloyd-Langton: Space Rock Invasion DVD Review: The Next Best Thing to Being There

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 21, 2012

For those so inclined, the Space Rock Invasion Tour of 2011 was a once in a lifetime event. The lineup ...

Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space (Special Edition) DVD Review: One of the Franchise’s Very Best

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 18, 2012

The first Doctor Who serial to be filmed in color was Spearhead From Space (Story #51), and originally aired January ...

Damon and Pythias DVD Review: Greek Fable of Friendship and Loyalty

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 11, 2012

The film genre was called “Swords and Sandals,” and it was quite popular, for a while at least. I guess ...

The Costume Drama Classic Collection DVD Review: An Embarrassment of Riches

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 3, 2012

Besides music, one of the greatest British exports in the field of entertainment is the “costume drama.” Programs such as ...

Frontier Marshal (1939) DVD Review: Randolph Scott Steps into Wyatt Earp’s Boots

By Greg Barbrick | Aug 1, 2012

The story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona has been told ...

They Came to Blow up America DVD Review: A Propaganda Piece Through and Through

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 28, 2012

Such terror! Such suspense! Such propaganda! Oh, wait, we weren’t supposed to notice that, where we? They Came To Blow ...

Van der Graaf Generator: Live at the Metropolis Studios, London Review: Who Doesn’t Love the Prog?

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 22, 2012

Van der Graaf Generator were one of those groups who could have only flourished in the late ’60s English psychedelic ...

Bill Nelson and the Gentlemen Rocketeers: Live at the Metropolis Studios, London Review: An Electrifying Set Spanning Nelson’s 40-Year Career

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 18, 2012

I must admit that when I heard that Bill Nelson was planning to revisit some classic Be Bop Deluxe tunes ...

The Sinking of the Laconia DVD Review: A Top-Notch BBC Program

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 15, 2012

The second RMS Laconia was a Cunard ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson as a successor to ...

Jimi Plays Berkeley DVD Review: Flawed but Fascinating

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 12, 2012

The newly re-mastered film Jimi Plays Berkeley (1971) is an incredible document of its time. Back in the late ’70s, ...

Doctor Who: Death to the Daleks DVD Review: A Very Suspenseful Story

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 10, 2012

”Exterminate! Exterminate!” Don’t you just love it when the Daleks show up on a Doctor Who series? The newly released ...

Book Review: If You Like The Terminator, Here Are Over 200 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Scott Von Doviak

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 8, 2012

Love him or hate him, Arnold Schwarzenegger was arguably the action-hero of the ’80s. His roles in films such as ...

This Is Civilization DVD Review: Examining the Controversial Role of Art in Civilization

By Greg Barbrick | Jul 6, 2012

“Whenever I hear the word ‘culture’, I reach for my pistol,” is a line attributed to the infamous Nazi Luftwaffe ...

Springtime in the Sierras DVD Review: A Prime Example of the Roy Rogers Formula

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 29, 2012

Is it wrong to be attracted to the most evil villainess in the Sierras? The remastered release of Springtime in ...

Treasure Houses of Britain DVD Review: How the One-Percenters Used to Live

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 22, 2012

Although I have never been to Great Britain, I am aware of the fact that some of the most beautiful ...

The Gold Rush Criterion Collection DVD Review: One of Chaplin’s Most Acclaimed Films

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 20, 2012

Although Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” character remains so iconic, people all over the world are still familiar with it, even ...

Gas Pump Girls DVD Review: A Nearly Perfect Example of a Late-’70s Drive-In Flick

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 19, 2012

Somehow I missed the “disco-gas-station” phenomenon of the late seventies, and it is a real shame. As a consolation however, ...

The Code DVD Review: An Intriguing Educational Journey

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 14, 2012

The new Athena two-DVD set The Code is not to be confused in any way with The Da Vinci Code. ...

Harold and Maude Criterion Collection DVD Review: Timeless Classic Has Never Been More Appropriate

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 12, 2012

The oddest couple in cinematic history have got to be the 20-year old Harold (Bud Cort) and the 80-year old ...

Gene Simmons Family Jewels: Season Six Volumes 1 and 2 DVD Review: An Emotional Season for the Demon

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 12, 2012

When I first heard that Gene Simmons was finally getting married, the cynic in me figured it was to boost ...

Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp DVD Review: Very Funny Stuff Indeed

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 6, 2012

For those of us of a certain age, Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp is fondly remembered. The Saturday morning live-action show ...

The Beatles: Yellow Submarine DVD Review: A Great Movie with an Even Better Soundtrack

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 6, 2012

For their third film, the Beatles kind of phoned it in. Their first, A Hard Day’s Night was brilliant, and ...

Sealab 2020 DVD Review: Underwater Environmentalism for the Kids

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 5, 2012

I have to admit that as a kid, I was never much into the “action adventure” genre of Saturday morning ...

American Pickers: Volume Three DVD Review: They’re a-Pickin’ and You’ll Be a-Grinnin’

By Greg Barbrick | Jun 4, 2012

The History Channel (now just called History) has come a long way since their debut on basic cable back in ...

Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved DVD Review: Compelling in Its Scope

By Greg Barbrick | May 28, 2012

The recent 100th year anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic has spurred interest in that famous “night to ...

Pawn Stars: Volume Four DVD Review: To Pawn or Not to Pawn in Las Vegas

By Greg Barbrick | May 25, 2012

Remember when pawnshops used to be scary? Maybe it was the area I grew up in, but there was always ...

Book Review: Music on Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Dave Thompson

By Greg Barbrick | May 17, 2012

As Roger Ebert so memorably put it a few years ago, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not so much ...

Doctor Who: The Happiness Patrol DVD Review: Don’t Worry, Be Happy or Else

By Greg Barbrick | May 16, 2012

Has anyone ever stopped to consider what the politics of The Doctor might be? I must admit that before watching ...

Being John Malkovich Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Remarkable Achievement

By Greg Barbrick | May 12, 2012

The year 1999 was a strange one. The dot-com bubble was going strong, and the economy was booming. Yet there ...

In Their Own Words DVD Review: Entertaining and Informative

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 20, 2012

The Athena Company’s series of DVDs provide some of the most entertaining and educational programs I have seen. Their recent ...

Book Review: Film Noir: The Directors by Alain Silver and James Ursini

By Greg Barbrick | Apr 2, 2012

Film critics Alain Silver and James Ursini are responsible for the brilliant four-volume Film Noir Reader series. Their latest outing ...

A Night to Remember Criterion Collection DVD Review: The Best Film about the Titanic Disaster

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 27, 2012

The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic will be April 14, 2012, and it is being recognized with ...

The Beat Hotel Movie Review: Expat Writers in Paradise

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 23, 2012

The lives and works of the Beats are a continuing source of fascination for many. Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, ...

The Doors: Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Making of L.A. Woman DVD Review: The Story of a Truly Great Album and Band

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 22, 2012

The final album The Doors recorded with Jim Morrison was L.A. Woman in 1970. It may well be their finest ...

The Sitter: Totally Irresponsible Edition DVD Review: Adventures in Bad Ideas

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 21, 2012

Hollywood is a tough town, and Seth Rogen is the latest to get thrown under the bus, by a friend ...

Public Image Limited: Live at Rockpalast DVD Review: A Must for PiL Fans

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 19, 2012

When John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd. in 1978, nobody knew what to make of it at first. With the ...

Hell Boats DVD Review: An Island-Based, Low-Budget Dirty Dozen

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 13, 2012

James Franciscus first came to prominence as Detective Halloran in the great 1958-1959 TV series The Naked City. By the ...

Pianomania DVD Review: Surprisingly Compelling Study of a Master Piano Technician

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 10, 2012

When listening to master pianists such as Vladimer Horowitz or Keith Jarrett, I wonder if many people consider the actual ...

Vanya on 42nd Street Criterion Collection DVD Review: Chronicling the Last Days of Multiple Eras

By Greg Barbrick | Mar 4, 2012

As it turned out, Vanya On 42nd Street (1994) was the final film completed by legendary director Louis Malle. Although ...

World on a Wire Criterion Collection DVD Review: A Superb Piece of Science Fiction

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 25, 2012

What if everything you thought you knew was nothing but a fabrication? This is but one of the many themes ...

Book Review: Reel Culture: 50 Classic Movies You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends) by Mimi O’Connor

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 24, 2012

Reel Culture: 50 Classic Movies You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends) by Mimi O’Connor is an ...

Book Review: How To Fight, Lie, and Cry Your Way To Popularity (and a Prom Date): Lousy Life Lessons From 50 Teen Movies by Nikki Roddy

By Greg Barbrick | Feb 16, 2012

Not to put too fine a spin on it, but Zest Books cater to a fairly small, but an incredibly ...