Paragraph 175 (DVD)
PARAGRAPH 175 is a documentary about the 10 to 15,000 German men who were arrested because of their homosexuality between the years of 1933 and 1945 during World War II. Some of the men were sent to concentration camps to be killed. Others, an estimated 4,000 survived. PARAGRAPH 175, from directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (THE CELLULOID CLOSET), tells the tragic story and includes interviews with 7 of the only 9 living survivors.
It was Klaus M|ller, curator of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, who convinced directors Epstein and Friedman of the urgent need to make the film PARAGRAPH 175. Despite their small number of survivors who remain to tell the tale, their accounts unearth a rich trove of anecdotal history. The stories of their treatment are both lyrical and horrific. These 20th Century gay Germans lived freely through the Weimar years. In the `30s, they were initially ignored by an indifferent Hitler. Then, with the implementation of an obscure legal statute (Paragraph 175) which aimed to exterminate homosexuals entirely, they became the victims of a brutal persecution.
Rupert Everett`s solemn narration puts the stories in context, as do photographs, footage, and music that remind us of the eerie wistfulness of pre-Nazi Germany. The film makers also put the text of anti-homosexual laws and political statements right on the screen, along with a chillingly complete chart of symbols to be worn by camp prisoners (gay men wore a pink triangle). Ultimately, the film is a chance for a forgotten group of victims (they have never received reparations) to tell their story. They very nearly did not get the chance.NR"
Director: Jeffrey Friedman|Rob Epstein
The Revenge of Frankenstein (DVD)
When Dr. Frankenstein escapes the guillotine he returns to his sepulchral experiments, starting over with fresh body parts and assisted by a hunchbacked dwarf. Running a clinic for the wealthy, he secretly creates another creature from various body parts and places the brain of his hunchbacked assistant in the skull. After an accident, the creature`s brain is damaged, setting off a series of violent and unfortunate events. A better than average sequel to THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN from England`s revered Hammer Studios. The next in the series was THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN.NR"
Director: Terence Fisher
ACTORS: Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Eunice Gayson, Lionel Jeffries, Michael Gwynn
Sleepaway Camp 2 - Unhappy Campers (DVD)
Angela`s back in this sequel to the 1983 cult favorite. It`s five years later and the grisly murders that terrorized Camp Arawak have become the favorite ghost story around Camp Rolling Hills. Unfortunately for these campers, Angela (Pamela Springsteen, sister of Bruce), the woman behind those murders, is now a counselor at Camp Rolling Hills who is eager to reprimand any of the naughty young campers who breaks her rules. Full of gratuitous nudity, bad haircuts, and worse dialog, SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2 is an entertaining sequel, though it is much different than the creepy original.R"
Director: Michael A. Simpson
ACTORS: Pamela Springsteen, Renee Estevez, Brian Patrick Clarke
Journey - Greatest Hits: 1978-1997 (DVD)
JOURNEY - GREATEST HITS: 1978-1997 features eighteen newly released performances by the legendary arena rock band. Reaching the height of their fame in the 1980s, Journey has consistently produced hit after hit on albums like, ESCAPE and FRONTIERS. This collection satisfies fans with songs like, Wheel in the Sky, Who`s Crying Now, and Open Arms. NR"
The Fear (DVD)
A graduate psychology student organizes a weekend retreat at his childhood mountain home for a group to face its deepest fears. There they find a mannequin he used to have as a playmate, and when they do, their worst fears start to come true.R"
Director: Vincent Robert
ACTORS: Eddie Bowz, Darin Heames, Antonio Todd, Vince Edwards, Wes Craven
