I still think the magazine is terrible. I'm still riding my 12 issue deal I bought three years ago when they were inside DVD. I'm up to issue 9 so I've got three more coming. The DVD itself was decent this month, but the magazine is terrible.

The section of the magazine where they review discs should just be removed since their reviewers make such terrible reviews. They give UHF (a cult classic) only one star because its a stupid movie, but right next to it they give How High (probably one of the worst movies ever made) three stars.

They know nothing about video games. They give Bruce Lee which is considered the worst Xbox game ever made three stars, oddly enough the same score as the incredible Eternal Darkness.

There is no consistency with any of their reviews. The magazine still focuses too much on quick hit rapid fire articles that tell me very little and of course the focus is still very Maxim like with hot girls throughout the mag.

Problem is I can get much better girls in Maxim and much better Movie news in almost any other magazine. I'm done with Total Movie once my next three issues come. The discs aren't worth the subscription price for me and I toss the mag straight into the garbage when I get it.

Well, my credit card company came through for me after all. They called me up friday and told me they got my $75 back. It really sucks that they were able to sit on the money for that long and benefit from it.

And I agree with darkside, the magazine is terrible.

This is to follow up on my post dated 08/02 regarding the damaged disc...

...an envelope arrived today (08/22) with a replacement disc. Although there was a little adhesive on the disc itself (which I was able to carefully remove) and a plastic/glue burr on the edge, it played fine.

Thanks Total Movie for following up on this.... I really appreciate it!

Do I have a story for you:

I too have been a Total Movie subscriber since October 2000. At that time I paid $59.95 for a two-year subscription, and the bonus 40 movies on DVD. AS of August 23rd, 2002, I have still not received my 40 movies.

I had previously called customer service and was told that my movies would ship out in March. Come July, I still had not seen them so I called back. This time I was told I had missed the March mailing, missed the mailing for that week in July, and that I would be included in the September mailing. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I asked to speak with a supervisor, and was put in touch with Amanda. She was very helpful and promised to mail the movies out ASAP and apologized for the problems.

Also during this time, I was able to speak with other people (whom shall remain nameless) at the magazine and heard the problems they were encountering; “that they took on a bigger project than was planned”; “had a higher response than was planned”; “took longer for the movies to be finalized”; etc. etc. etc.

Being a reasonable person, I appreciated Amanda’s response and left it that.

Come August 19th, I had still not received the movies, so placed a follow-up call to customer service. This time I had the pleasure of speaking with Myra. Myra informed me that there was nothing showing in the computer as to the movies being sent, and that I was scheduled for a September mailing! Myra then proceeded to tell me that it also showed that there were no charges to my account since October 2000, and she would have to investigate and get back to me. Needless to say, I informed Myra that I had paid in October of 2000 for a two-year subscription, and that there would not be any charges from October 2001. Again she said she would have to get back to me. Upon hanging up, I realized that I did not get an answer as to the 40 Movies. I called back and asked for Amanda, whom Myra told me had left the company. Myra then advised me she had a copy of the movies on her desk and that she would mail it out right away.

By the 22nd of August. I had not heard back as to the status of my account, so I called back.

This time Myra had no clue who I was and did not recall the fact that we had spoken. I prompted her to look up my account hoping it would jog her memory, but to no avail. Myra wanted me to look back at my credit card statements and find when I was charged for the subscription. There was nothing in the computer about my account not being charged, and also nothing about the movies being sent to me. I ask to speak with a supervisor and was told there was no supervisor, and was transferred to Steve’s voicemail, upon which I left a message detailing my problems. I later found out that it was Steve Silva, the C.O.O. of Versatile Media One, Inc. Through subsequent callbacks, I was hung up on, blind transferred to voicemail while I was talking and basically treated like scum (all by Myra). In addition, when I was able to question Myra, she lied to me about just about everything, or evaded the question altogether.

On August 23rd I called back to seek an update and again was put through the same treatment. This time I left Steve Silva a voicemail detailing my issues, advising him that I was very unhappy and that I appreciated a call back. After being hung up on again by Myra, I called back and this time was actually put through to Mr. Silva. Mr. Silva advised me that he had heard (Myra’s) side of the story, and did not appear too interested in my side. I attempted to explain to Mr. Silva that this was a very simple issue that had obviously been blown out of proportion, and was met with the response, “what I am going to do is refund your money and cancel your subscription, as we do not want to have anything further to do with you”. Can you believe that statement came from the C.O.O. of the company? Needless to say I was floored.

I apologize for this being so long, but the history to this is important. It is quite obvious that at this point in time Versatile Media One, Inc. has the wrong person in charge, and the wrong people providing customer service (Mr. Silva advised me that they have 6 people working in customer service, I have only ever spoken to 2, Myra and Aaron). This is in addition to the fact that their customer service staffs are not empowered to do anything. Myra advised me that she couldn’t even update the computer system with notes/comments.

If you are thinking of subscribing, DON’T. At least not yet. Buy the magazine at the newsstand if you have to and wait for them to get the right people, and the right processes in place. (Thanks J.). Prior to my conversation with Mr. Silva, I truly felt that the company had the right intentions, and just got caught by surprise. Mr. Silva’s actions proved otherwise as he was not interested in the customers problems in the slightest. The magazine companies in the United States need to learn a lesson or two from their counterparts in Britain, they not only provide a quality product, but also are able to provide quality customer service.

It appears they are now harvesting email addresses:

I got a email sent to the address that I use when posting on usenet.

Title was "Total Movies DVD Reviews", it was basically a advert about them going monthly.

Oh, and it listed 1-866-896-6843 as a contact phone number for customer service.

I popped Intolerance from the 40 movies box in yesterday. I had put off buying the restored Image disc because I figured that this one would hold me over for a while. Boy, was I wrong. It has no musical score!. I then checked The General, and it had no score either. What a waste! Then again, I'm surprised that the disc works in the first place - two of my subscription discs never worked, including the most recent one.
I must say, though, One Eyed Jacks is in widescreen and looks and sounds okay.

I called 3 weeks ago letting them know I never got the August issue. They said they'd send another one out, but I never received that. When I called last week they said it was sent out and to keep waiting, but I moved on Friday! I was going to give them my change-of-address after the August issue had come, since it should have been there before I moved! I would just go to the store and buy the August issue but it doesn't come with the disc. I'm gonna be REALLY pissed if I end up not getting it since I want the 8-track documentary!

Just called them again and gave them my new address, and they said they'd send out the August issue today too, so here's hoping!

I also didn't receive the August issue, so I called Aug. 22 for a replacement copy and they said they'd send it out right away. I called yesterday to say I hadn't received that, and they said to give it one more week, and if it didn't arrive, to call and they'd send another one. They were really nice both times I called. I hope I get it; I haven't missed any of the issues before, even when they were InsideDVD.

I got my August issue today after calling on Aug. 22, so I have to give them credit yet again. Their customer service dept. hasn't failed me yet.

So did everyone hear? SPECIES is on the new Total Movie disc... but it's in PAN&SCAM.

So one month they've got a documentary on 8-tracks (which, because the disc was broken, I have not been able to watch), an upcoming month they'll have Wim Wenders' masterpiece Wings of Desire, yet this month's issue has a movie in PAN&SCAN? Okay, Einsteins. As always you make a lot of sense. (I'm imagining monkeys sitting behind a type-writer right now)

NO way I'm re-subscribing to these suckers. Anyone who has not subscribed to Total Movie yet, here is my advise: Don't fall for it!

My experience with these guys:
The 40 DVD movies are a waste. The customer service is terrible. Chances are, you'll have to wait months upon months and make phone calls upon phone calls. Two of the subscription discs I got didn't work. The magazine has terrible mistakes (see my messages from several months ago in the other TME threads). The magazine is written for little kids. The magazine reads like it was written by little kids. The photo-spreads attempt to be like those in MAXIM, but they're not nearly the quality of MAXIM's. Overall: I think this magazine, this company, sucks. No wonder that representative from TME doesn't stop by here anymore.

There. I'll let my subscription run out. In the meantime, I'm guessing those monkeys I was talking about are taking two twenty-dollar bills to the store to buy a box of cigars.

Well, TM certainly deserved the heaping pile of complaints they received. But from my experience, it seemed like they had good intentions but were in way over their heads. DVDTalk member TotalMovie, took the time to investigate my queries, always seemed to pass on the information as he got it, and even went as far as to replace the August disc that arrived damaged simply because I posted to this forum.

TM customer service ran the gammut of good, bad, and ugly, but in the end, for me, they delivered what they promised. (But I understand that not everyone was as lucky).

IMO, the 40 movies were a worthy premium to the subscription, and in actuality, were probably MORE valuable than the printed magazine. :)

Having said that, in its current MAXIM-wannabe state, I will not be renewing my subscription.

.... all good [but a bit rocky].
 

I have to say that over all my experence with "Inside DVD" and now "Total Movie" has been over all good [but a bit rocky].

I just get the feeling that the managment bit off more than they could handle and has done most everthing they could to keep their heads above water and still try to make a profit and print a magazine... I think that their customer research staff miss lead them as to who their core customers were and why they purchase the magazine...

--David

I have yet to get the latest issue as well. The experience started out good, but has gone down hill from there. Glad I got a special mailer price of $19.99 for the subscription. If I'd paid more I'd feel a lot more ripped off.

Canadian subscribers get different DVD?
 

Just got Issue #10, the one with Species (apparently P&S) inside. On the "On the DVD" page (page 72), there's a message in the bottom right-hand corner that "Canadian magazines receive the action comedy 'Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter'", with a scan of the movie one-sheet. Has anyone contacted Total Movie to inquire about getting this disc? I read some OK reviews from when it played on the festival circuit, and I'd like to check it out on DVD. I'd even be willing to pay the shipping, plus a little bit more, to get the title.

Total Movie, are you still monitoring this thread? Can we work out a way for me (and other U.S. subscribers) to get this alternate DVD?

Thanks,

- Bob P.

Bob, a Canadian subscriber at the HTF posted last week that he got Species, instead of JCVH with his issue, so even Canadian subscribers may not be getting that other movie after all.

BTW, I still haven't gotten my issue 10 yet. Could you please post a list of the music videos included on the DVD this month? Thanks.

Got my issue yesterday. I can confirm skywalker8's observations -- pan & scan all the way. In general, that's bad. But for a 2.35:1 film? Completely unacceptable.

Who, exactly, is this magazine geared towards? 15-year-old Maxim fans, or movie buffs?

I had planned to let my subscription drop anyway, but this is the nail in the coffin. A film fan's magazine releasing a pan & scan disc? Unbelievable.

I'd be willing to bet all the MGM movies on forthcoming Total Movie discs will be P&S. Since there are no features either, the TM version seems like a try-before-you-buy. If you like it, MGM still gets your money by selling you the widescreen version with all the trimmings.

It's nice to see the DVDs are now included on newsstand copies, too.

I finally got my copy of issue 10 with SPECIES and popped it in my player for a look. I didn't watch much, so maybe I'm wrong, but even though my player says the audio is 5.1, I didn't hear anything coming out of the rear speakers. Then I flipped the disc over, and the audio on this side was AWFUL! I only checked the short films in the SPOTLIGHT section, but every one was low level and hollow sounding, almost like the channels were out of phase.

Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me?

The sound on their discs has been awful, though the August issue was a definite improvement (they finally figured out how to do it in stereo!) I did see that the new issue is also now in stores (not just Blockbastard) with the disc; I'll pick it up if I don't get it in the mail by the end of the week. Since their service has been so hit-and-miss, I'll just buy it at the store from now on unless they give away something else with subscriptions later.

When the TME people try to get their advertisers: Both.

On the website they list the age-group 18-34.

In the magazine they say something to the effect of that they are for the more sophisticated movie lovers. Wrong! How dare they make such a statement. The magazine's for quantitative movie morons - the kids who just can't get enough of Van Wilder, American Pie, Men In Black II, etc. and of course all of them in P&S.

I'll again state that I think the magazine is pathetic. Anyone involved with this publication should be ashamed of themselves IMHO.

The next issue has Species 2 and the one after that Malice. I think this is ridiculous because the magazine is obviously marketed towards 15 year-old boys; yet they are including R-rated films that have a lot of nudity.

Just watched the disc from the new issue, and they messed up the sound AGAIN!! The first cartoon is fine, but the rest of it, including the movie (which I just skipped through) had that processed sound to it and all stereo separation is lost.
The quality of "Species" is especially inexcusable- this was shot in 2.35 with a 5.1 soundtrack and they put it out in pan and scan and MONO?? If the other MGM movies are going to be this bad, they should just go back to the smaller movies they were doing before, where at least it wasn't as obvious if they had technical problems.

For the lucky who receive the 40 pack. This may be of interest for you. As you are aware if you received it, the pack gives you no information on any of the movies. This may help. Also if anyone has made replacement cover art for them please post where we can get them. Thanks, and enjoy.

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Pack

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Classic Movie Masterpieces

Intolerance (1916) Movie Synopsis: Intolerance is considered the greatest film of the silent era, and may well be the greatest film ever made. It has gained this reputation due to its influence on other filmmakers, an influence that has become film grammar itself. The man behind the film, D.W. Griffith, is the acknowledged master of cinematic storytelling, the first American director to elevate the movies to the level of serious art.
More than 50 years after Griffith's death, there is little question of the brilliance of his films. Without him, cinema would not be what it is today. His work has influenced every important director who has come since, and any list of the world's great film directors must begin with the name D.W. Griffith. As Griffith himself - never one for false modesty - said: "Remember how small the world was before I came along. I brought it all to life; I moved the whole world onto a 20-foot screen."
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1916

Battleship Potemkin (1925) Movie Synopsis: When you think of the handful of films that are at the core of cinema history, you think of D.W. Griffith's The Birth Of A Nation, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane - and Sergei Eisenstein's silent film, The Battleship Potemkin. Back in 1925, the immediate worldwide success of The Battleship Potemkin focused attention on the Soviet cinema while earning its creator instant, lasting fame. Before the end of the decade, Eisenstein's contributions to the artform (along with those of two other filmmakers, Alexander Dovzhenko and V.I. Pudovkin) would push the Soviet cinema to the forefront of the international film scene.
The Battleship Potemkin evolved from a film project assigned to Eisenstein by the Soviet Central Committee in charge of planning celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the unsuccessful 1905 Russian Revolution. Eisenstein initially conceived of the film as an eight-part epic, titled The Year of 1905 (or Year 1905), to be set throughout the Soviet Union and chronicle dozens of revolutionary actions. As he was shooting in Odessa, he decided to narrow his concept and focus on a sole event - a mutiny by a battleship's crew and the subsequent massacre of civilians - that reflected the spirit of the times.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1925

The General (1927) Johnnie Gray has two loves in his life: his engine and his girl, Annabelle Lee. The War Between the States begins with an attack on Fort Sumter, and Johnnie is the first in line at the recruitment office. But the enlisting officer rejects him (not telling him the reason: he is more valuable to the South as an engineer). Annabelle believes he didn't even try to enlist, and she refuses to even speak to him until he is in uniform. Time passes and Union spies hatch a plot involving Johnnie's engine, The General. Not only do they steal The General while Johnnie and the passengers are off the train having dinner, but they kidnap Annabelle who was still on board. Johnnie pursues The General in another engine, The Texas. Through various mishaps he becomes the Unionists' sole pursuer. When the Unionists discover the train chasing them has only one man aboard, the long pursuit ends, and Johnnie barely escapes with his life. Johnnie is now behind enemy lines. He wanders the forest during a rainstorm then discovers a house, which he breaks into, grabbing what food he can. It turns out the Unionists who stole The General are using the house as a base of operations. While hiding under the dinner table, Johnnie learns the details of their next plot against the Confederates. More importantly, he discovers they have Annabelle Lee, whom he had never guessed was still on The General when it was taken. Johnnie manages to escape with Annabelle and take back The General. Now the Unionists are pursuing Johnnie, but if he and Annabelle can outrace them they can warn the Confederates of the Union's latest plan.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1927

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Classic Tales

Farewell to Arms (1932) Movie Synopsis: Ernest Hemingway's tragic wartime romance comes to vivid life in this classic 1932 film starring Oscar winners Gary Cooper (Pride Of The Yankees) and Helen Hayes (Airport) and co-starring Adolphe Menjou. The cataclysm of WWI sets the stage for an impassioned story of star-crossed love between a daring American ambulance driver (Cooper) braving death at the front lines and an English nurse (Hayes) in an army hospital. The tumult of war conspires to push the pair together and then wrench them apart in what becomes an ultimate test of love.
Based largely on Hemingway's own experiences in The Great War, A Farewell To Arms was the first of the author's novels to reach the screen and enthralled movie audiences with its heart-rending romance and the realistic visions of battle. The startling imagery was captured by renowned director Frank Borzage and photographed in luminous black and white by Charles B. Lang, who won an Academy Award for his artistry. Due in part to censorship codes of the day, this theatrical version of the film has seldom been seen and was thought lost. This DVD has been re-mastered from the finest available nitrate print acquired from the David O. Selznick vaults and restores this Hollywood masterwork to its rightful glory.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1932

Cyrano De Bergerac (1950) Movie Synopsis: France, 1640: Cyrano, the charismatic swordsman-poet with the absurd nose, hopelessly loves the beauteous Roxane; she, in turn, confesses to Cyrano her love for the handsome but tongue-tied Christian. The chivalrous Cyrano sets up with Christian an innocent deception, with tragic results. Much cut from the play, but dialogue not rewritten.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1950

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920) Movie Synopsis: The story of a man's battle with his own evil self is an ancient, archetypal one, and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, published in 1886, is a timeless Victorian interpretation that captures the imaginations of modern audiences like no other. It combines fantastical "science," the misty, gaslit streets of old London and the supernatural to create an atmosphere of horror that is both chilling and thought provoking. Of the many filmed adaptations of this book, only three stand out: The 1932 version, for which Fredric March won the Best Actor Academy Award, the 1941 version starring Spencer Tracy, and the 1920 John Barrymore version featured on this DVD. The transfer has been painstakingly colored to match the original tinting of the release print. The disc also includes an excerpt from the 1911 version of the film.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release:

Scrooge (1935) Movie Synopsis: Restored at last to its full length, this striking adaptation of Charles Dickens' holiday classic is notable not only for its beautiful story but also for superb performances, a vigorous script, excellent pacing, persuasive settings, costumes which utterly capture 1843 London, and impressive moving-camera photography with atmospheric lighting reminiscent of German expressionist cinema. Sir Seymour Hicks, an age-appropriate Scrooge, first played the role on screen in 1913 and delivers a first-class performance; he also co-authored the screenplay and inhabits Scrooge thoroughly, subtly and radiantly. The other characters are secondary but all impeccable, including Donald Calthrop (familiar from his roles in several of Alfred Hitchcock's British films), Maurice Evans, and rotund Oscar Asche as the unforgettably fruity Ghost of Christmas Present. Director Henry Edwards was honored for his work with a prize at the 1935 Venice Film Festival; also note the gifted hand of production supervisor John Brahm, a veteran of German theater and cinema and later director of other fine films including the similarly atmospheric "The Lodger." A wonderful film that would have made Charles Dickens proud!
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1935

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Comedy & Romance

At War with the Army (1950) Movie Synopsis: This is comedy at its best when Dean and Jerry, two song and dance men, join the army. Dean is a sergeant who wants to be sent to Europe to fight, and Jerry is a goof-off PFC who cannot stay out of trouble. Unforgettable scenes of Jerry in drag at the USO and, of course, the barracks Coke machine that thinks it is a one-armed bandit. This is a wonderfully entertaining film that is filled with laughter and fun.
Genre: Comedy Theatre Release: 1950

The Pajama Game (1957) Employees of the Sleeptite Pajama Factory are looking for a whopping seven-and-a-half cent an hour increase and they won't take no for an answer. Babe Williams is their feisty employee representative but she may have found her match in shop superintendent Sid Sorokin. When the two get together they wind up discussing a whole lot more than job actions!

Road to Bali (1953) Movie Synopsis: The first "Road" picture to be filmed in color finds pals Hope and Crosby teaming up with Dorothy Lamour in the sixth comedic "Road" installment. Having to leave Melbourne in a hurry to avoid various marriage proposals, two song-and-dance men sign on for work as divers. This takes them to an idyllic island on the way to Bali where they vie with each other for the fervors of Princess Lala. The hazardous dive produces a chest of priceless jewels which arouses the less romantic interest of some shady locals.

Genre: Comedy Theatre Release: 1952

Africa Screams (1949) Movie Synopsis: One of the funniest movies from the famously funny comedy team, Abbot and Costello. The zany duo are kidnapped by diamond hunters and taken on a slapstick safari through Africa. Bud and Lou dodge gorillas, crocodiles and cannibals as the beautiful ring leader, Diana Emerson (Hillary Brooke) leads them to a 'lost tribe' and their sparkling treasure. Motion Picture Guide calls the picture "...top flight and generally unheralded B&L (Bud and Lou)". When bookseller Buzz cons Diana into thinking fellow bookseller Stanley knows a great deal about Africa they are abducted and ordered to lead Diana and her henchmen to an African tribe. After encounters with lion tamers, giant apes and a wild river, Buzz returns to America. Stanley finds diamonds and buys the store they once worked for, hiring Buzz as its elevator operator.
Genre: Comedy Theatre Release: 1949

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Crime

Dick Tracy, Detective (1945) Movie Synopsis: Dick is faced with a series of brutal murders in which the victims, all from different social and economic backgrounds, are viciously slashed to pieces. Suspects abound but Tracy, getting a clue that there will be fifteen murders in all, must find the common thread among the victims before more are killed.

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) Plot Outline: Dick Tracy goes up against a villain who robs banks using a nerve gas.

Dressed to Kill (1946) Movie Synopsis: Dressed To Kill awakened memories of the Holmes of literature. Watson refers to the latest edition of The Strand Magazine and its publication of "Scandal in Bohemia." It didn't matter that original publication of this story took place in 1891, for producer/director Neill always made sure to merge the contemporary with the whimsical and decidedly more evocative past, a symbiosis that was part of the allure of the Universal films. This time, Holmes is up against Hilda Courtney, played by the sweetly beautiful Patricia Morison, a New York-born actress who specialized in exotic types in a mostly B-movie film career. It may seem curious that Holmes faced several "femme fatales" in his Universal days, but beautiful wicked women who led men to their doom were the rage in Hollywood, and pitting them against a man like Holmes seemed quite challenging, though the outcome of such a "battle of the sexes" was foreordained by Holmes' lack of sexual interest. Dressed To Kill was destined to be the last of the Holmes Universals. Four Holmes films were in the planning stages when Rathbone stunned the film community and the public by refusing to renew his contract. Likewise, he chose not to renew his contract for the Sherlock Holmes radio series, which expired around the same time. Simply put, after portraying the masterful detective more than two hundred times in seven years (primarily on radio), Rathbone was immensely tired of the role. Besides, he craved returning to his real love, the theater, and moved to New York soon after to pursue his goal.
Genre: Mystery / Suspense Theatre Release: 1946

The Kennel Murder Case (1933) Movie Synopsis: Archer Coe has been found dead in his locked bedroom. The cops consider it suicide, but Philo believes otherwise. When the Coroner shows up, he finds that Archer had been hit with a blunt object, stabbed and shot - making suicide unlikely. When the evidence points to his brother, Brisbane is found stabbed to death in the closet. Archer had a number of enemies, any one of which would have been glad to knock him off, but which one did and how did the murder occur in a room looked from the inside. Only one man, the keen, fascinating, debonair detective Philo Vance, would be able to figure out who is the killer.

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Famous Directors, Cult Classics

The Stranger (1946) Movie Synopsis: After having made three commercial disasters in a row, Orson Welles was badly in need of a hit in Hollywood. The result was The Stranger. Though restrained and conventional by Welles' standards, the film is an undeniable masterpiece. Set shortly after WWII, it casts Edward G. Robinson as Wilson, a Nazi hunter assigned the task of finding the infamous Franz Kindler, one of the architects of the genocide of the Jews. Wilson trace Kindler to the sleepy college town of Hartford, Connecticut, where he comes to suspect that Professor Charles Rankin (Welles) is actually Kindler hiding behind a new identity.
Genre: Mystery / Suspense Theatre Release: 1946

Beat The Devil (1954) Movie Synopsis: The last of five joint efforts between director John Huston and Humphrey Bogart, Beat The Devil has become a cinema classic. Truman Capote's witty script sends Bogart into a complex scheme to gain control of a stretch of East African land rich in uranium. On the way there, their boat breaks down, leaving Bogart, his wife (Gina Lollobrigida) and a quartet of international criminals stranded in Italy. They meet a seemingly proper British couple (Jennifer Jones and Edward Underdown) and the comic adventure begins.
Genre: Comedy Theatre Release: 1954

Meet John Doe (1941) Movie Synopsis: Over half a century since its initial release, Frank Capra's Meet John Doe remains an incredibly powerful motion picture, thanks to not only Capra, but to a great cast and a powerful narrative. But, despite its widespread popularity, Capra was never really satisfied with the ending, which he felt had been dictated by the fact that he and screenwriter Robert Riskin had written themselves into a corner. With its close parallel to the Christ tale, Meet John Doe practically mandated that Gary Cooper give up his life to resurrect the "John Doe" movement for the sake of all the "little guys" who had put their faith in him. But, the audiences of 1941 wouldn't tolerate a Cooper suicide, and Capra eventually shot six endings before settling on the one seen here. But, the picture was so well received, the New York Critics--who had ignored all of what Capra regarded as his true classics--gave Meet John Doe a coveted spot on their annual "Top Ten" listing. Go Figure. With Meet John Doe, Frank Capra was warning the complacent democracies of the perceived threat of Fascism to his adopted America from both without and within. His warnings initially went unheeded. But only a few months into the release of Meet John Doe, Pearl Harbor had been bombed, America was united, Capra had rushed through the shooting of Arsenic And Old Lace (which had begun December 1, 1941), and was in the Army overseeing the Why We Fight films, the most stunning series of documentaries ever produced.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1941

His Girl Friday (1940) Movie Synopsis: This remake of the classic play "The Front Page" features Cary Grant as Walter Burns, the conniving newspaper editor, Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson, his star reporter and ex-wife, and Ralph Bellamy as Bruce Baldwin, the mama's boy she is about to marry.
Genre: Comedy Theatre Release: 1940

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Famous Stars, Cult Classics

One-Eyed Jacks (1961) Movie Synopsis: Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth finds an opportunity to take the stolen gold and leave his partner Rio to be captured. Years later, Rio escapes from the prison where he has been since, and hunts down Dad for revenge. Dad is now a respectable sheriff in California, and has been living in fear of Rio's return.


The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) Movie Synopsis: Based on a true story, Tod Lubitch is born with a deficient immune system (not unlike being born with AIDS). As such, he must spend the rest of his life in a completely sterile environment. His room is completely hermetically sealed against bacteria and virii, his food is specially prepared, and his only human contact comes in the form of gloved hands. The movie follows his life into a teenager.

Suddenly (1954) Movie Synopsis: Frank Sinatra is excellent and thoroughly detestable as he plays the leader of a trio of hired assassins who plan to murder the President of the United States during his stopover in a small American town.
Suddenly is a white-knuckle thriller - a gem of a picture.
Genre: Mystery / Suspense Theatre Release: 1954

Angel & The Badman (1947) Movie Synopsis: The Duke detours on the other side of the law in this Western directed by Oscar nominated screenwriter James Edward Grant (The Sheepman), with whom he later collaborated on a dozen more films. Badly wounded gunman Quirt Evans is taken in and nursed back to health by a beautiful and innocent Quaker girl, Penelope Worth (Wayne's Wake of the Red Witch co-star, Gail Russell), and her family. While it's love at first sight for her, the Society of Friends has its work cut out for it in changing Quirt's violent ways, especially with his old enemy, Laredo Stevens (Bruce Cabot), around to make trouble. After Laredo's larcenous activities nearly cost Penny her life, Quirt's better instincts will soon be put to the ultimate test in the tense final showdown of this unusual film, the first produced by Wayne himself.
Genre: Western Theatre Release: 1947


Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Noir & Mystery

Sherlock Holmes & The Woman In Green (1945) Movie Synopsis: Holmes and Watson investigate a series of bizarre and apparently unconnected murders, and the death of a possible suspect. The trail leads to a society of hypnotists and a mysterious, glamorous woman. The fiendish Dr Moriarty, though reported hanged in Montevideo, is believed to be involved. Blackmail, hypnotism, and murdered women with missing fingers are the main elements of this installment of the Sherlock Holmes series. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Genre: Mystery / Suspense Theatre Release: 1945

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) Movie Synopsis: The second Holmes film in the legendary series from Universal, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943) solidified the updating of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's consulting detective after Twentieth-Century-Fox abandoned its Victorian Holmes series after two films. Even Holmes' old nemesis, Professor Moriarty, last seen in Fox's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), was back, this time aiding Nazis in their plan for world domination. Screen villain Lionel Atwill took over the role from George Zucco, infusing his toad-like character with an unrepentant sadism that still shocks today. Dennis Hoey (the third most recognized face in the Universal Holmes films, after Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce) made his first appearance in the series as the ineffectual but endearing Inspector Lestrade. Most significantly, The Secret Weapon was the first Holmes film helmed by Roy William Neil. Neil, born Roland de Gostrie on a boat off the Irish coast in 1887, displayed a fine directorial eye in previous assignments, notably the Boris Karloff chiller, The Black Room (1935). Neil injected the Holmes series with some striking imagery and camera work, all the while suffusing the puzzling mysteries with an atmospheric dream of curling pipe smoke, night fog, wet streets, brash pubs, and a surprising gruesomeness that spoke of a love of horror. Of the dozen Holmes films in the Universal series, Neil directed all but the first one. He also contributed to the scripts in a chiefly unaccredited capacity, and served as producer to 10 of the films. As if summoned to the resting-place of his greatest cinematic efforts, Neil died seven months after the release of the last of the Rathbone/Bruce films.
Genre: Mystery / Suspense Theatre Release: 1942

Cause for Alarm! (1951) Movie Synopsis: Invalid George Jones is both physically and mentally ill. He mistakenly believes his wife Ellen and his doctor are having an affair and also planning to kill him. He writes a letter to his lawyer detailing their alleged murder plot. After he has Ellen give the letter to their postman, he reveals its contents to her and then threatens her with a gun. The excitement proves too much and George suffers a fatal collapse. Now Ellen must find a way to retrieve the incriminating letter.


Sabotage (1936) Movie Synopsis: Mr. Verloc is part of a gang of foreign saboteurs operating out of London. He manages a small cinema with his wife and her teenage brother as a cover, but they know nothing of his secret. Scotland Yard assign an undercover detective to work at the shop next to the cinema in order to observe the gang.

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Overlooked Horror

I Bury the Living (1958) Movie Synopsis: Edgar Allan Poe would have truly appreciated this "crisp little chiller" (Leonard Maltin) howlingly haunted with "dire happenings and eerie effects bound to please the spook set" (The Film Daily). Starring rugged Hollywood leading man Richard Boone (TV's Have Gun Will Travel) and folk singer Theodore Bikel as a dynamic duo of death, this electrifying shocker may send you to an early grave - if it's not already occupied. When a cemetery director (Boone) puts pins on a map of empty graves, the grave owners mysteriously die, driving the director crazy and real estate prices sky-high. But there is something more devilishly demented behind the deaths - and digging for answers uncovers a most horrifying climax.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1957

God Told Me To (1976) Movie Synopsis: The story line of this movie involves a series of motiveless murders committed by various New York residents: a sniper shoots people from a water tower; a father murders his entire family; and a cop (Andy Kaufman) opens fire during a St. Patrick's Day parade. The only consistent pattern to the crimes involves the perpetrators calm admissions of guilt, explaining, "God told me to." While investigating the murders, catholic police detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) is increasingly troubled by evidence of a Christ-like figure named Bernard Phillips (Richard Lynch) who appeared to each of the killers and can't seem to shake the feeling that his own fate is somewhat linked to this mysterious being. As he comes closer to the truth, his worst fears are confirmed.

White Zombie (1932) Movie Synopsis: The Halperin Brothers made White Zombie in just 11 days back in 1932, with $50,000 (Bela Lugosi got less than $1,000 to play zombie master Murder Legendre), on sets left standing from Universal's Dracula and Frankenstein. Keeping dialogue to a minimum, they wisely let cameraman Arthur Martinelli cut loose on this odd fairy tale, avoiding the stagy, static feel that pervades most early Talkies, White Zombie doesn't tell us a story when it can show us one.
One of the most visually interesting horror films ever made, White Zombie has been slighted by videotapes made from scratched, faded 16mm prints. Two 35mm prints were used for this DVD, making as clean and crisp a White Zombie as you'll ever see.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1932

Carnival of Souls (1962) Movie Synopsis: Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. Herk Harvey's macabre masterpiece gained a cult following on late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival Of Souls was intended to have the look of a Bergman and feel of a Cocteau, and succeeds with its strikingly-used locations and spooky organ score.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1962

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Roger Corman 101

The Terror (1963) Plot Outline: A young officer in Napoleon's army pursues a mysterious woman to the castle of an elderly Baron where he discovers that she is the pawn of an old witch bent on driving the Baron to suicide.

Dementia 13 (1963) Movie Synopsis: When Louise's husband dies before he can collect his inheritance, she flies to his Irish ancestral home, claiming he's away on business, to ensure her cut of the family fortune. She could have had no idea that his family would be morbidly dysfunctional about another death in their family, six years earlier. Suddenly, no one is safe, as family and guests begin to die under mysterious circumstances.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1963

Little Shop of Horrors (1960) Movie Synopsis: Seymore (Jonathan Haze), who works for a florist on Skid Row, develops an unusual little flower for his girlfriend and names it Audrey Jr. Once in the shop Audrey Jr. becomes an instant hit with the customers. But the sweet little flower is a monster in disguise, needing human blood to survive. It terrorizes Seymore, bellowing "FEEEED MEEEE" when it's hungry. In a misguided attempt to keep everyone happy, Seymore murders several of the regular customers to supply blood for the increasingly hungry plant. Finally unable to take it anymore, and with knife in hand, the young man leaps into the gaping mouth of Audrey Jr., destroying himself and the plant.
Genre: Musical Theatre Release: 1960

Bucket of Blood (1959) Movie Synopsis: Walter Paisley, nerdish waiter at a Bohemian cafe, is jealous of the talent (and popularity) of its various artistic regulars. But after accidentally killing his landlady's cat and covering the body in plaster to hide the evidence, he is acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor - but his new-found friends want to see more of his work. Lacking any artistic talent whatsoever, Walter has to resort to similar methods to produce new work, and soon people start mysteriously disappearing...
A beatnik wanna-be sculptor finally catches the attention of the coffeehouse cats and becomes the coolest daddy-o around when he puts his sweat, tears - and someone else's blood - into his art!
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1959

Total Movie & Entertainment Double Double Feature Schlock Hysteria

Assassin of Youth (1937) Movie Synopsis: A high-school girl gets involved with a ring of teenage marijuana smokers and starts down the road to ruin. A reporter poses as a soda jerk to infiltrate the gang of teen dope fiends.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1937

Reefer Madness formerly “Tell Your Children” (1938) Movie Synopsis: This 1930's cult classic shows in a fun and comical way in which marijuana is "public enemy #1." With just a little toke, average teenagers become addicts turning into psycho killers and brazen hussies.
Propaganda film that relates the story, as told by high school principal Dr. Carroll to parents at a PTA meeting, of the scourge of marijuana. The tale revolves around Mae and Jack, accomplices in the distribution of marijuana, who manage to entice the local high school kids to stop by Mae's apartment to smoke reefer. The lives of all that are involved with this menace are inevitably shattered. One youngster becomes so addicted to the killer weed that a judge orders him to be committed for life to a mental hospital! Dr. Carroll advises us to not incur the same tragedy.
Genre: Drama Theatre Release: 1938

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) Movie Synopsis: Dr. Bill Cortner is a surgeon like his father. After reviving a patient using experimental techniques his father is nervous. "Don't try to play God," he warns him. But, Dr. Corner obviously isn't listening. He is obsessed with performing surgical transplants and continues to experiment with amputated limbs he steals from the local hospital. While driving to his secret mountain laboratory to tend to an emergency, Cortner's reckless driving causes an accident and his car careens off the road, killing his fiancée. Not one to pass up the opportunity, Cortner steals her decapitated head from the burning wreckage and tries to keep it alive long enough to find a suitable body to reattach it to. As the doctor stalks women and searches for a new body, Jan's decapitated head stays alive in a tray...telepathically communicating with something locked away in the laboratory closet...plotting her revenge on the doctor for not letting her die in peace. Previous home video releases of this classic film were butchered TV prints, but Synapse is proud to present The Brain That Wouldn't Die in its original form, containing almost 20 minutes of additional footage! An obvious inspiration for such films as Re-Animator and even Steve Martin's The Man With Two Brains, The Brain That Wouldn't Die is classic fifties cult entertainment and a treat for all horror film fans!
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1959

The Giant Gila Monster (1959) Movie Synopsis: A monster of unknown origin stalks Lover's Lane in search of fresh teenagers to devour in this monster-sized bash filled with rock 'n' roll, hot rods, poodle skirts, and prehistoric lizards the size of a Greyhound bus! Teens realize the cause of an escalating chain of destruction in their sleepy town, but authorities refuse to believe them until the corpses start piling up. Starring Ken Curtis (Festus from TV's "Gunsmoke") and directed by Ray Kellogg (The Green Berets), this is great and fabulous fun from the nifty Fifties, newly re-mastered like you've never seen it before!
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1959

Killer Shrews (1959) Movie Synopsis: Inventive but silly science-fiction/horror tale about people isolated on a Texas island, menaced by creepy, crawly creatures created by scientist Ken Curtis. Starring James Best and Miss Universe of 1957, Ingrid Goude.
Genre: Horror Theatre Release: 1959

All movie information optioned from: http://us.imdb.com/

I finally got the most recent issue in the mail.

Agreed that this version of Species is totally useless, being the pan and scan verion. The only good thing I can say is that it made me dig out my "real" one, and I watched the movie again, in widescreen anamorphic glory.

This change to common, easily available films as the perk on one side of the disc is really a move in the wrong direction. I'd much prefer to get some more eclectic, unusual title. I thought that last docu-comedy about the 8-track collectors was hilarious.

Also, has anyone checked the audio levels on the other side of the disc? It's absolutely terrible, ranging from very low to high depending on the feature you're watching. You better keep that volume control handy.

When ranking the combo of magazine and dvd, this most recent issue is the worst yet.

Closing thread for length.

Feel free to start a One & Only Total Movie Thread Part II, but keep in mind that TotalMovie -- the DVDTalk member -- no longer frequents these threads or works for Total Movie magazine.