Product Details

• Actors: Various
• Directors: Various
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 9, 2010
• Run Time: 720 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00310PSUI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,434 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Savage Cinema: 12 Movie Collection" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

SAVAGE CINEMA:12 MOVIE COLLECTION - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When only a bad film will satisfy, October 4, 2010

By 

Bryan Byrd (Earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Savage Cinema: 12 Movie Collection (DVD)

'Savage Cinema' is a collection of low budget, B grade films - mostly from the now defunct Crown International Pictures company - several of which are no longer available to purchase new, or even in DVD, except in this or in one of several other packages offered by Mill Creek Entertainment. Technically, the films vary in quality - I'm sure the least amount of preservation went in to the production of the packaging as possible. I'm not familiar with the procedure of transferring film stock onto DVD, but the image that shows up on my screen looks exactly like a projected film, often accompanied by the scratches, skips and cigarette burns you might notice at the drive-in.

And that's exactly what these films are - cheap films to make a quick buck off of the kids more interested in the 'getting to know you social arena' of the family sedan's back seat. Though I have no need for that sort of pretense anymore, these films still have a certain charm - though like anything else, the charm is in the eye of the beholder. I've tried to put a little thought into it, to explain to myself as well as anyone else who might wonder what the attraction could possibly be. Without trying to psychoanalyze to harshly, I'll just say that to anyone who is tired of the same cookie-cutter product being churned out in mainstream cinema today (like this, or this, or even wornout, offensive silliness like this) might be interested in something completely different. If you are, here it is. Stretch the comparison far enough, you may even say that art films and exploitation are two sides of the same coin - for people who grow physically ill at the thought of watching the next Shia LaBeouf/Megan Fox/Mel Gibson vehicle but who still love movies.

That's enough out of me. Either a person has an affinity for these flicks or not. Some reviews of Mill Creek Entertainment packages complain that the films have a MCE logo burned into the film - these did not, and I've read that Mill Creek stopped that practice after 2008. I reviewed as many of these films as I could on their individual product pages, but a few do not have any page associated with them, so I'll list the films in what I consider the best to worst, with a few comments where necessary.

Death Riders [VHS] - **** - Documentary about motorcycle stuntmen traveling the county fair circuit in 1975. Oblique look at the times and the people. See individual review.

The Pink Angels - *** - Gay bikers go to a cotillion. See individual review

Best Friends - ** 1/2 - Unremarkable cross-country drama about best friends that grow apart when one chooses to get married. Nothing special enough to rescue it from oblivion. Richard Hatch (Apollo from the original Battlestar Galactica) stars.

DANGEROUS CHARTER - ** 1/2 - Three commmercial fisherman find an abandoned yacht with an unexpected cargo. This film has the worst film quality of the collection, but still watchable. See individual review.

Hell on Wheels - ** 1/2 - Marty Robbins stars as himself - as a singer and a race car driver. Younger brother Dell fights to get out of his shadow. See individual review.

The Sidehackers - ** 1/2 - (AKA Five the Hard Way) Character actor Ross Hagen goes out for revenge after his fiancee is violently murdered. Pretty conventional up until the end - the finale adds the half star. Used by the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew.

Death Machines - ** - Ron Marchini stars in this martial arts could-have-been-a-contender. A couple of unintentional funny scenes keeps this one from the bottom of the dog pyle. See individual review.

Little Laura and Big John [VHS] - ** - Based on the true story of the John Ashley gang down in Florida during the teens and twenties. Starring Karen Black and Fabian. Boooring. See individual review.

Wild Rebels - ** - I can't bear to write anything more about this one. See individual review. (MST3K fodder)

Burnout - * 1/2 - Should have been called 'This Is Your NHRA' 75% scenes of drag racing, 25% story of spoiled rich kid getting life lessons on the track. Great if you love drag racing - the vehicles have great personality.

Hellcats - * 1/2 - Awful transfer, awful sound, awful story, awful acting...this film isn't too bad. Psych! it's awful. (Another proud pick by MST3K)

Wild Riders [VHS] - * (if I have to give it one) - Technically better than most of the others, this film is mostly a home invasion type film, and particularly misogynistic. I'm sure there are worse exploitation films out there, but this film, either accidentally or on purpose, seems to lend a thin veneer of approval to the violence. See individual review.

With the exception of Wild Riders, these films are more silly than savage, which is about what I expected. Terms like grindhouse and exploitation get thrown around a lot after Tarentino and Rodriguez's efforts from a few years back (I'm sure we have them to thank for these films even being in print today), but strictly speaking, I don't think these movies belong in those catagories. There only a few scenes of really gratuitous violence, and little nudity (except Wild Riders). Perhaps they were shocking at one time, but there effect has dulled considerably over the years. To me, true grindhouse and exploitation hold their qualities despite the aging process. Still, semantics aside, these films seem pretty innocuous today. (On second thought, 'The Sidehackers' has a pretty intense scene where Ross Hagen's fiancee is murdered. That film may actually be grindhouse, but it's so cliche-ridden it's like a parody of the genre. Up until the rape/murder scene, of course.)

Nothing extra is included on the discs other than the films - no commentary, no subtitles, no trailers even. There are two films on each side of the disc, and each disc comes in a paper sleeve. No doubt that high definition televisions and disc players will highlight the problems on these transfers, though poor film stock is generally the least of these films' problems. Altogether, even if I can't imagine watching any of them ever again, I enjoyed them for what they are, which is the only way to watch. Anyone who picks this up because they suspect there are some hidden gems here are going to be sorely disappointed. It isn't often a person decides they are in the mood for a really bad film, but if that mood ever does strike, 'Savage Cinema' is here to help. As a bonus, I got my copy from a big box store for five simoleons, which makes each film just over forty pennies - now that's change I can believe in.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the CROWN INTERNATIONAL library is back in print, July 20, 2010

By 

Laume "Laume Conroy" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Savage Cinema: 12 Movie Collection (DVD)

I happened across this when Amazon recommended it for me and i was thrilled. after BCI/Eclipse closed its doors i was afraid it was going to be impossible to track down some of the titles i still wanted and didn't get. then came the SAVAGE CINEMA 12 pack via Mill Creek. consisting of off the wall biker movies, car racing movies and some other movies like Death Machines. This collection has some of the harder to find titles and the transfers are new and widescreen with the exception of "Sidehackers" which is the original 1.33:1 pan and scan transfer. (this appears to be the same version used on MST3K) for how many movies are in this set, the quality of the movies presentation and the overall price you can't go wrong... especially if you enjoy 60's and 70's flicks that at times are unintentionally funny.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Death Riders, March 15, 2011

By 

Jeffery L. Voyles (tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Savage Cinema: 12 Movie Collection (DVD)

I liked most, but not all of the movies in this set. I really liked the Death Riders documentary a lot. It alone was worth the price I paid for the set. I've gotten other sets with large collections of movies like this but many of those other sets were disappointing. This one has some good stuff on it.