Stars: Asia Argento, Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo

Director: Tobe Hooper

Summary: Includes the horror films LAND OF THE DEAD and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

Includes the horror films LAND OF THE DEAD and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. With LAND OF THE DEAD, director George A. Romero positions the bulk of his story in a giant skyscraper which houses the last humans left on the planet; although his intentions are foggy this time, THE FILM appears to be Romero's commentary on the post-9/11 political landscape. The zombies only bother crews who venture outside the makeshift city for supplies, but the people are kept sedated by their leader, the irascible Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), who exaggerates their threat. What Kaufman doesn't realise is that the zombies are learning skills they half-remember from their old selves, leading to some impressively blood-soaked scenes of tumult. In an unusual move for Romero, Hopper is joined by name actors such as John Leguizamo and Asia Argento. The film greatly benefits as a result, successfully portraying an atrophied civilisation that has regressed to a primitive state, allowing its undead tormentors to sense that a free lunch may be just around the corner. In THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, a quiet summer drive through rural Texas ends in violent tragedy when several youths encounter a chainsaw-wielding psychopathic killer and his demented family. Tobe Hooper's gruesome tale of terror is loosely based on the Ed Gein killings, which actually occurred in Plainsfield, Wisconsin. Shot in a neo-documentary style, this incredibly influential horror film spawned numerous sequels and imitations.

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Land Of The Dead

Bolstered by the success of 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, the Resident Evil movies and the hit remake of his own Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero returns to the horror subgenre he invented with Land of the Dead. The fourth installment in Romero's zombie cycle (and the first since 1985's Day of the Dead) presents a logical progression of events since 1968's horror classic Night of the Living Dead: Zombies (also known as "stenches" for their rotting odour) are the dominant population, and they've begun to show signs of undead intelligence and gathering power. The wealthiest survivors live comfortably in a luxury high-rise within a barricaded safe zone, ignoring the horrors of the outside world while armed scavengers stage raids in the zombie-zone to gather much-needed food and supplies. Simon Baker and John Leguizamo play mercenaries-for-hire; Dennis Hopper is their nefarious boss; and horror favorite Asia Argento (daughter of Suspiria director Dario Argento) plays a former hooker recruited into Baker's scavenger squad. While none of this seems particularly fresh or inspired, Land of the Dead benefits from hints of the social satire that made Romero's earlier zombie films so memorable. Not so much funny as gruesomely peculiar, Romero's plot isn't as inventive as it could've been, but as a big-scale B-movie, Land of the Dead delivers a handful of shocks and horror-celebrity cameos (including gore-masters Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero) that should keep horror buffs happy until the next zombie opus comes along. --Jeff Shannon

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

The 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre adheres to the pure-and-simple slasher-movie formula: introduce a gaggle of sexy young people, make vague gestures to distinguish them--Jessica Biel wants to get married and doesn't like pot, so she's our moral compass--then start hacking them to pieces one by one. The visual palette includes grimy crucified dolls, fly-specked pig carcasses, body parts floating in murky jars, a tobacco-chewing redneck sheriff and many slender beams of sunlight cutting through dank, dusty interiors. The camera lovingly photographs Biel's tank-topped bosom and sculpted abs as she's running in terror from a bloated, chainsaw-wielding, human-skin-wearing maniac. This remake lacks the macabre comedy of the original; it's all about the nauseating sensation of waiting for something to jump out of the dark. --Bret Fetzer

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Release Date:	August 14, 2006
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	8245148
Keywords:	Texas, Land, Massacre, Dead, Two, Chainsaw, Horror, Occult, Discs
Genre:	Horror/Occult