From Deseret News archives:

Halloween horror flicks new to DVD this week

Published: Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007 12:24 a.m. MDT
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The Halloween collections continue, with an extremely mixed bag of horror flicks in a box set and some campy B-movie double-features, as well as many other films new to DVD this week.

Horror films

"TWISTED TERROR COLLECTION" (Warner, 1973-92, R/PG, six discs, $49.92). This set has a pair of goodies, but mostly it's take-out-the-trash time. However, since each film is sold separately, my recommendation is to get "From Beyond the Grave" and "Someone's Watching Me!" and forget the rest.

"From Beyond the Grave" (1973, PG) is one of those fun '70s anthologies, with four stories (five if you count the wraparound) with "Twilight Zone"-style twists. Most are a bit predictable but get some juice from the cast of British veterans — David Warner, Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Diana Dors, Donald Pleasence and newcomer Lesley-Anne Down. Peter Cushing is especially good as the shopkeeper whose antiques set off each story, and Margaret Leighton steals the show as a very funny clairvoyant.

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"Someone's Watching Me!" (1978, not rated) is a TV movie, John Carpenter's third directing effort (which he also wrote). He went directly from this one to film history with "Halloween." The story is familiar — an L.A. voyeur stalks a TV director (Lauren Hutton) — but Carpenter borrows heavily from Hitchcock (with specific nods to "Rear Window," "Strangers on a Train" and "Marnie") to ratchet up suspense. Adrienne Barbeau and David Birney lend solid support.

"The Hand" (1981; R for violence, sex, nudity, language) is the second film directed by Oliver Stone, with Michael Caine as a cartoonist whose hand is cut off and takes on a lethal life of its own. Or does it?

"Eyes of a Stranger" (1981; R for violence, sex, nudity, language) marks Jennifer Jason Leigh's film debut, as a deaf and blind mute whose TV anchorwoman sister (Lauren Tewes, of "The Love Boat") is stalked by a rapist/killer. Unpleasant.

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