TV on DVD What are you watching now?

[Memphremagog]

Doctor Who: The Two Doctors(1985)
Voyage To the Bottom Of the Sea: Time Bomb(1966)
Lost In Space: Blast Off Into Space(1966)
The Time Tunnel: Town Of Terror(1967)
Land Of the Giants: Deadly Pawn(1969)
Gotham: All Happy Families Are Alike(2015)
Night Gallery: Cool Air/Camera Obscura/Quoth the Raven(1971)

[Wicked Lester]

Took a while but I got my DVR box set of 


My family used to watch this all the time back then. I think my kid was in 4th or5th grade when it started. 12 episodes down 79 to go. 

Good scary family fun.

[Monsters For Sale]

Andromeda Strain, 2008 - Made for TV, basically the same story as the movie.

Padded with extra time and unnecessary elements that complicated the simpler (better) original movie. Not entirely awful, just didn't improve on the theatrical version - so why bother?

[Monsters For Sale]

Philadelphia Experiment, 2012 - Made for TV basically the same story as the movie.

Padded with extra time and unnecessary elements that complicated the simpler (better) original movie. Not entirely awful, just didn't improve on the theatrical version - so why bother?

No, you didn't just experience an attack of Alzheimer's.  I did that on purpose.

It was kinda Fun to see Michael Paré do a cameo in the TV version.  He was very hale and hearty - and looking a lot like the older Bruce Campbell.
   

[ChristineBCW]

(Monsters, highest agreement on your synopsis of the two TV REMAKES you mentioned.)

Do those guys think celluloid grows on trees?  STOP WASTING THE STUFF!  I feel sorry for actors who have nothing better to do and agree to these remakes out of some belief "We'll do it better."

Like, uh, WHO CARES?  How much better can ANDROMEDA STRAIN get?  The only FUN EXCITING part is the opening shot and the mystery of the town's death except for the drunk and colic'y baby.  After that, they've taken the alien virus down the hole and only mystery they seem to offer is "Can it ever escape eventually?"  The remake never answers that.  So, like your comment, "Why bother?"  If those writers would spend half that time coming up with something original, or some fun sequel, then fine...

PHILAD EXPERIMENT had some benefits of newer-gee-whiz CGI (like 2005's KONG, like 2009's DAY OF TRIFFIDS) but they eviscerate the guts of the interesting aspect - gut the tale, replace it with bigger explosions and a better light show, and pretend that's an improvement.  Gag.  (In fact, Michael Paré's insertion is the only recommendation I have for this film.)

And don't even bring up JASON & THE ARGONAUTS' recent regurgitation.  It can't be considered a remake, can it? 

Well, I'll be watching BATTLEBOTS if I can ever figure out when it's on, although it's a lot simpler to wait a week and watch the 3-min fights on YouTube than 60 minutes of commercials and crap.

[Wicked Lester]

Dusk to Dawn season 3. Several episodes in. Highly recommened.

WL

[Memphremagog]

Doctor Who: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances(2005)
Voyage To the Bottom Of the Sea: The X-Factor(1966)
Lost In Space: West Of Mars(1966)
The Time Tunnel: Secret Weapon(1966)
Land Of the Giants: Home Sweet Home(1969)
Night Gallery: The Caterpillar/Little Girl Lost(1972)
Thriller: La Strega(1961)

[Wicked Lester]

Picked up the Tremors (short lived)TV series. Campier than the movies but still a fun ride.

[horrorhunter]

Thriller: La Strega(1961)

Ursula Andress was at her most beautiful during that time.

[marsattacks666]

The Walking Dead-2010/2011/2012

[LugosiFan25]

Recently watched the failed pilot for a show called Here Comes Tobor from 1957. The episode title is Tobor and the Atomic Submarine. SIGN ME UP! I'm a sucker for anything "retro-futuristic" robots, so I got a big kick out of this one. I've never seen Tobor the Great, that this was based on, but I went ahead and picked up the DVD so I could check it out as well.

Is it the greatest TV pilot ever made? Of course not. But it had a few interesting ideas in it, such as the young boy controlling Tobor via telepathic waves. Check it out if you enjoy stepping back in time and not taking everything too seriously.

[Monsters For Sale]

Ghostwatch, October 31, 1992

This U.K.show was broadcast by the BBC as a Halloween special in the faux reality style of Orson Wells' 1938 War of the Worlds.  It presents itself as the real time reporting of the investigation of a haunted house.  The residents have invited researchers and journalists to participate in a séance and experience poltergeist happenings first hand.

This was an 90-minute episode in BBC Drama's Screen One series, but the participation of respected reporter/interviewer Michael Parkinson caused some viewers to think the were not watching fiction. Like War of the Worlds, complaints were lodged and "Ghostwatch" was banned from rebroadcast for more than ten years.

The show starts out deceptively slow and crude, with the reporters trying to scare each other and laughing over their assignment.  But things happen and tensions slowly build to a loud, frenetic conclusion that is pretty satisfying.

You can't fairly judge this one by the first 20-30 minutes.  It really must be watch all the way through.

[zombiehorror]

Ghostwatch, October 31, 1992

I enjoyed it as well; there is also WNFU Halloween Special (2013) which is the same premise.  The cool thing about WNFU is they made it look and feel like it was an old broadcast from 1987 complete with faux commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iCF2Ltjlk

http://foundfootagecritic.com/wnuf-halloween-special-2013/wnuf-halloween-special-2013-review/

[Monsters For Sale]

I enjoyed it as well; there is also WNFU Halloween Special (2013) which is the same premise.  The cool thing about WNFU is they made it look and feel like it was an old broadcast from 1987 complete with faux commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iCF2Ltjlk

http://foundfootagecritic.com/wnuf-halloween-special-2013/wnuf-halloween-special-2013-review/

I also watched the WNFU Halloween Special.  The commercials were too numerous for me to enjoy it as much as the BBC show.  Funny thing is, in the commentary, they discuss enjoying making the commercials the most - and lamenting that they couldn't insert another 20 minutes of them.

[Monsters For Sale]

Shadow Men, The, 1997 - Family of 3 is buzzed by a bright light on a country road and crash off to the side.  Later, they wake up and find themselves motionless back on the road.  Back at home, they experience nightmares and are irritable to each other.  The husband calls the air force to make a report and Coca-Cola drinking men in black knock on their door.  Strangely, the usually friendly dog doesn't like them.

Stars Eric Roberts, Sherilyn Finn, Dean Stockwell.

Very straightforward little close encounter movie.  I'd never heard of it before.