Two Words, One Answer.
Jay's return
 Men in Black II: The Return of Jay and Kay $4.99 Here come the Men in Black!They're not part of society or of government. They are over the law. Beyond it. Above it. They are the Men in Black -- and they're back!Aliens are running loose in the streets of New York City. It's up to Agents Jay and Kay to stop them. If they don't succeed, it could be the end of planet Earth for good!  First Strike $1.99 Unbox video download speed is a little slow and the quality is somewhere between DVD and HDTV. Other than that its great.  The Return of the Vampire $14.94 This movie will only be of interest to fans of the Universal horror films. The production imitates the popular Universal horrors, even to the extent of casting Bela Lugosi as a vampire with a werewolf sidekick, but in most departments it falls far short. The story itself is interesting, and touches on Stoker's original Dracula plot, but the dialogue is terribly clunky, and there are a couple of major plot holes (to do with Jane not recognising Tesla, and the inconsistent effect of crucifixes). The acting is not up to Universal's standard, but this may partly be due to a rushed production schedule. The sets are atmospheric (especially the overgrown graveyard), though obviously done on a budget (Lady Jane's staircase looks like a parade of showgirls will dance down it at any minute). Sadly, the director wastes many opportunities to create atmosphere or drama, and doesn't even bother to hide the blank wall at the back of the graveyard set. The music by Tedesco is a high point - written to resemble the work of Salter, Skinner, et al. at Universal, it is nonetheless original and well crafted, though the small size of the orchestra reveals itself. Lastly, Lugosi himself is actually not on-screen for long, and when he is, his enfeeblement (due to sciatica) is obvious. The slipshod direction does not give him a chance to shine as he does in other roles. The Universal horror films were ostensibly B movies, but, with Universal's lavish resources, could boast the production standards of an A picture. Columbia's imitation, in comparison, is notably inferior in almost every respect, and falls well below even Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, arguably the weakest of the Universal series. If you are a fan of the Universal horror films, you'll find Return of the Vampire makes an interesting point of comparison, but don't expect to find present the same elements that make those films so enjoyable. |
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