Rating: 
Summary: A lot of fun for virtually all-ages....
Review: ...especially those who love horror films or Halloween. Sure the material is cheesy;it's supposed to be. This DVD is the most fun I've had where searching for contents is concerned as virtually all items are in the form of horror easter eggs. The only quibble I have is that some of the actual hidden easter eggs should have been unseen material, as opposed to quick clips of material already on the disc. The kind of DVD I would probably view and have fun with a few times a year. Worth it alone for all the classic horror artwork featured in most of the material...
Rating: 
Summary: Vast and Mostly Misused Potential
Review: DVDs with a lot of extras are great. But when one is almost entirely extras, it falls flat. So I feel the need to warn mal-informed b-movie fans as to what they are truly getting on this disc. Now make no mistake, I like obscure sci-fi/horror as much as the next geek (I rate The Brain From Planet Arous 4 stars, for Pete's Sake), but that's not really what this dvd is about. While it may be fun once in a while for parties, avoid it if you are considering it on its own merits. To enjoy this disc, one must really really be on the lookout for regional rarities. If you like looking at other people's home movies, that is a head start; and don't think I am exaggerating because some home movies are in fact included on this disc. (Manos is an A-Picture epic compared to some of this stuff.) First, the navigation of the dvd was admittedly great: sort of like a spectral treasure hunt. Some items are highlighted but not explained in text, while others are not shown at all, so you really have to search. Some people may find it annoying. I found it rather charming. With patience, you'll locate them all. BTW, this dvd is not really for kids, although there is not anything too objectionable. But most would probably not have the patience to sit through this. Much of the disc achieves a certain amount of nostalgic spookiness (as opposed to being frightening) by being the most hypnotically stupid things these eyes have ever seen. A collection of trailers from midnight spook shows is fun for 15 minutes, but continues on for another 30, becoming very repetitive and dull and repetitive and dull and repetitive. Buffs will enjoy playing Spot the Art, as these stage shows often ripped off poster images from movies of the time, such as Beverly Garland screaming in Not Of This Earth. Some are amusing or cool, but they just go on forever. I didn't even watch the still gallery of poster art; there were 300 items! The 3-D Asylum of the Insane is a genuinely odd, headache-inducing affair even with the free glasses. At first it consists of happy suburban families throwing footballs at the camera. Then a yo-yo expert comes on. Finally, three costumed weirdos make stabbing motions at the lens for approximately 13 hours (actually it only seemed that long). This was disturbing in a Flying Monkey sort of way. The title feature is terribly dumb but watchable hokum about portly and rather old sorority sisters spending the night in a creepy house. Then there is a short where a guy turns into a werewolf as he returns with snacks to his car at the Drive-In Theater: pretty lame, uncomfortably idiotic. Another is a ride through a carnival spook house: why, I must ask? Another is an educational short about a boy who is frightened, why that is fine and how he can combat his fears: it will likely have you wishing for Joel and the 'Bots. Another follows a guy as he is menaced by grotesque women in gowns: like a low-rent Carnival of Souls and nowhere near as good. There are other extras, too, which you can read about for yourself. I only mean to give my take on things without the bombastic ad-speak, and I thought most of the extras were blah. I am not criticizing the effort put out by the makers of this disc, only the flawed thinking behind it. To give you an idea, one of the "hidden gems" in the navigation is footage of a skull that turns to the camera and says "Stay cool," and that's it. Ho-hum. I will say that some of the silent short movies included are not bad; one about a mummy and one in an operating room are of particular artistic merit. I wish I knew exactly what they were. But they are the exceptions and definitely not the rule. The Bert I. Gordon film Tormented is the most enjoyable thing on the disc, but it seems like sort of a last-minute add-on, rather than one of the main attractions. A matter of perspective and (poor) taste, perhaps. If you grew up with these spook shows, maybe you'll feel differently. But I feel that they easily could have chopped out some of the "junk" and added another full-length feature. The disc just needed less salad and more meat. In summation: you get a lot, but what you get is not too good. Like a cheap all-you can-eat buffet where the food has been out under the heat lamps too long. P.S. IMHO this all just goes to show how good William Castle really was at his showman shtick.
Rating:
Summary: Dig deep for buried treasures.
Review: First of all, the featurette for which this DVD is named--"Monsters Crash the Pajama Party"--is so poorly made, so unfunny, as to be nearly unwatchable. It doesn't even cut it in the thats-so-bad-its-funny category. Its just plain bad. Fortunately, that is merely a small part of the total package, the rest of which is full of pleasant surprises. The best treat is the collection of Spook Show trailers (mostly animated) and a slide show of Spook Show fliers. These alone warrant buying the disc. Additionally, the text from a Spook Show manual is included and is a fun read. The 2nd feature on this double-bill, "Tormented", holds its own as a B-grade horror movie (be warned this version of the film has several splices where the original print broke ... but it kind of adds to the feeling that you're watching it in a second-rate movie house). There are some random shorts thrown in that you must discover for yourself by navigating the textless menu. BE ADVISED THAT THE 3-D FEATURETTE, FOR WHICH 2 SETS OF GLASSES ARE INCLUDED, IS ANOTHER DISSAPOINTMENT. THE 3-D EFFECT SIMPLY DOESN'T TRANSLATE WELL ACROSS TELEVISION. One last complaint is Something Weird Video's strange practice of putting their company initials in the corner of the screen (it appears on all segments of the disc)... sometimes it is nearly invisible, other times it stands out like a missing tooth. Ouch.
Rating:
Summary: Dig deep for buried treasures.
Review: First of all, the featurette for which this DVD is named--"Monsters Crash the Pajama Party"--is so poorly made, so unfunny, as to be nearly unwatchable. It doesn't even cut it in the thats-so-bad-its-funny category. Its just plain bad. Fortunately, that is merely a small part of the total package, the rest of which is full of pleasant surprises. The best treat is the collection of Spook Show trailers (mostly animated) and a slide show of Spook Show fliers. These alone warrant buying the disc. Additionally, the text from a Spook Show manual is included and is a fun read. The 2nd feature on this double-bill, "Tormented", holds its own as a B-grade horror movie (be warned this version of the film has several splices where the original print broke ... but it kind of adds to the feeling that you're watching it in a second-rate movie house). There are some random shorts thrown in that you must discover for yourself by navigating the textless menu. BE ADVISED THAT THE 3-D FEATURETTE, FOR WHICH 2 SETS OF GLASSES ARE INCLUDED, IS ANOTHER DISSAPOINTMENT. THE 3-D EFFECT SIMPLY DOESN'T TRANSLATE WELL ACROSS TELEVISION. One last complaint is Something Weird Video's strange practice of putting their company initials in the corner of the screen (it appears on all segments of the disc)... sometimes it is nearly invisible, other times it stands out like a missing tooth. Ouch.
Rating: 
Summary: Great DVD for a very select audience ONLY.
Review: First off, 99% of the people out there should skip this DVD. The movies are awful, and the 3-D does not work very well on TV. But if you are interested in the traveling spook shows (also called ghost shows) of the forties and fifties, then this DVD is a goldmine. A couple great interviews with ex-spook show performers, lots of poster art, trailers, and old instructions on how to make some of the effects. Getting to all of these features requires some bind clicking, but that is part of the fun. It's like finding secret doorways in an old house. If you have no interest in the bygone ghost shows of the middle part of the last century, then, by all means, steer clear of this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Spooktacular!
Review: For creepy, nostalgic Halloween fun this disk is hard to beat! Not only do you get a copy of "TORMENTED" (in itself worth the price of the disk) but HOURS AND HOURS of spook-show fun from the 20's through the 70's. "TORMENTED", starring Richard Carlson, was released by Allied Artists and is an underrated classic. You may be tempted to draw some similarities between "Tormented" and "House on Haunted Hill" which was released by the same studio several years before. The look/feel of the two movies is similar in several respects. The many classic ghost-show trailers look and sound great, and are classically atmospheric. The short gimmick film "MONSTERS CRASH THE PAJAMA PARTY" is great, silly fun. When we showed the disk for the kid's Halloween Party, we "recreated" the gimmick by having a guy in a mask emerge from a door near the TV, look around the room menacingly, and then "kidnap" one of the youngsters and take her back into the room -- all timed to the screen action the way it might have originally played. Then, once order was restored, we settled down, put on our 3-D glasses and watched "Asylum of the Insane". "Insane" appears to be a home-made movie (fun with the movie camera) except that it is in 3-D (anaglyphic process). Anaglyphic 3-D is not a great process, but the 3-D of "Insane" was surprisingly good in places. I loved the "soundies" too. "Soundies" are the forerunner of the music video. Soundies were short musical films which featured popular songs and performers. They date from the era when going to the movies was a complete entertainment package. The soundies on this disk are all "spooky" in theme. My favorite one features a skeleton in high heels. One small note of concern, the soundies on the dvd, like other popular entertainment of the era, may not be considered politically correct by todays standards. The DVD has too many treasures to write about all of them, but I especially want to mention the four short "amateur" take-off's of classic Hollywood fright films. The shorts appear to actually have been made in the 1920's and 30's using home movie equipment. They are all quite good, surprisingly so. It's almost like coming across 8mm. home movies that an unknown major director might have made at age 15. The only criticism I have of this disk is that the material presented on it is relatively without context. Part of the problem has to do with the menu options. Although exploring the menu is fun the first time out (like prowling through a haunted house) subsequent viewings render it annoying rather than cute. Also, I found that I craved information about what I was seeing. For example, who was responsible for the four black and white shorts, and how did they come to be made. Who are some of these forgotten performers in the soundies, what's their background. What's the origin of the film "Asylum of the Insane"? The lack of context makes the odd juxtopositions odder still as we jump hither and yon between a major Hollywood production and someone's home movies. With a little imagination, this is the perfect Halloween Party disk. It should be a family favorite for many Octobers to come. Recommended co-features: 13 Ghosts (original film in it's new "Illusion-O" DVD), House on Haunted Hill (original vers.), Matinee', Terror in the Haunted House (Rhino) and Popcorn (Buy a bag - go home in a box).
Rating:
Summary: "Take The Mad Doctor And His Talking Toilet Home!"
Review: I chose the title of the review based on one thing only: it was the most entertaining line from the entire DVD. I am a big Something Weird fan, and almost always love their work, but this time I have to make an exception. This DVD is really pretty boring, except for the drama of 'Tormented' and the lowbrow comedy of 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party'. Since 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party' was selected as the title for the DVD, let's begin there. The story is basically this: five sorority pledges stay in a haunted house and fall victim to the resident mad doctor (we know this because "Mad Doctor" is emblazoned on his lab coat.) There is much wackiness foisted on the audience over the next 30 minutes, including men in gorilla suits, women in chains, a werewolf in polka dotted boxer shorts, a laser cannon that seemingly has no point, and police detectives summoned to investigate it all because of a noise complaint. The film ends in absolute mid-action when a monkey bangs a gong, and it's suddenly over; no climax, no denouement, nothing. The best part of the film are some fairly entertaining credits done with guys in gorilla suits at the opening. It is campy fun that is timed just right at 30 minutes; any more would be pushing the limits. Besides 'Tormented' this is easily the best thing on the DVD. Seemingly out of place to me on the disc is 'Tormented' a feature length psychological drama of love torn asunder in a lighthouse by Bert I. Gordon, who for once uses characters of normal size. 'Tormented' is well made and fairly creepy, and therefore not really in keeping with the rest of the DVD, which is thematically tied to spook shows of the 1920s to 1960s. I like 'Tormented,' and that (plus some funny camp value points from 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party') is what brought this DVD up to three stars for me. Now that I have discussed the good, let's turn to the bad. In any discussion of the bad features of this DVD, the logical place to start is the index. This DVD has the worst designed, most irritating and utterly pointless index system I have ever seen. Some people seem to like the 'hidden Easter egg' charm of this index, but most people will hate it. Let me explain. The index has no words, merely symbols like a bat or a headstone to select the features. This means that there is absolutely no way to find what you are looking for other than by random chance. To further aggravate the viewer, there are multiple sub-menus of index functions, meaning that the search is even more aggravating than it even sounds. I will never watch this DVD again for that reason alone. There is a short feature, wholly inappropriately titled 'The Asylum of the Insane'. It is in 3-D, and (very cheap) glasses are provided, but it doesn't really matter, as the 3-D does not work on a television, but gave me a big time headache (or perhaps it's the content that did it...) This movie is not terribly horrifying inasmuch as it consists of ten minutes of some kids throwing a football around, an old guy doing yo-yo tricks, and a some teenagers in Halloween masks poking baseball bats and hatchets at the camera. To exacerbate the 'horror', there is the bonus of no sound, so it's really a silent movie of a Saturday afternoon with some adolescent boys. It is the most utterly pointless piece of celluloid ever exposed to the light of day. There are scads of other, unrelated things, like some bad horror shorts from the 1920s to 1960s set to the tune of "Little Jack-o-lantern" sung by 'The Dead Elvi'. There are some amazingly boring audio tracks superimposed over random other things like stills and spook show art (this gets tedious...there are 300 stills in this section), there is a ride through a fun house, something called 'Chased By Monsters', that I never grasped it's reason for existing, and it's all introduced by the amazing 'Hypnoscope,' an effect used much more effectively by Ray Dennis Steckler in 'The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed Up Zombies.' There is also a documentary named 'Don't Be Afraid', about fearing darkness, but honestly after looking over and over through that stupid menu, I could never find it, so I really can't tell you anything about it. This DVD was supposed to be fun. Instead, all I felt was 'Tormented'.
Rating:
Summary: Great Content - Lousy DVD Authoring
Review: I love most of the stuff on this DVD... the vintage halloween themed musical shorts and film clips from 1920's-1960's. Unfortunatly, 99% of it is ruined by a badly placed SWV logo, and the 3-D part is a joke, its just some kids playing catch with a football...wow! Also, the menus are hard to navigate, and some of the pictures dont highlight properly and you cant tell what is being selected (on a jvc player). If it didnt have the logo all the time, and the menus worked properly, I'd give it 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Spook Show Is Spookless
Review: I was so excited when I bought this disc. I felt different when I first watched the first hour of it.
First of all, it's hard to get to the different parts of the disc because of the invisible icons on the menus.
Second, the "SWV" logo is so very annoying when watching most of the features.
Third, it looks like someone just threw some home movies together and put them on this DVD.
The 3-D short is very misleading. It shows some kids throwing a football around and wearing masks stabbing at the camera with knives.
I had to fast forward through "The Monsters Crash the Pajama Party." It's a lousy film that shouldn't have been released. It makes the Monkees TV series look good.
I thought that this would be a good DVD, since this is the same Video Company that released the psychedelic double feature DVD "Mondo Mod" and "The Hippie Revolt." Boy, was I disappointed with this turkey.
I urge all of you to avoid this disc. The only thing spooky about this DVD is the money that will be missing from your wallet from buying this false advertised bomb. I guess I could use this DVD as a mini-Frisbee.
Rating:
Summary: Spook Show Is Spookless
Review: I was so excited when I bought this disc. I felt different when I first watched the first hour of it.
First of all, it's hard to get to the different parts of the disc because of the invisible icons on the menus.
Second, the "SWV" logo is so very annoying when watching most of the features.
Third, it looks like someone just threw some home movies together and put them on this DVD.
The 3-D short is very misleading. It shows some kids throwing a football around and wearing masks stabbing at the camera with knives.
I had to fast forward through "The Monsters Crash the Pajama Party." It's a lousy film that shouldn't have been released. It makes the Monkees TV series look good.
I thought that this would be a good DVD, since this is the same Video Company that released the psychedelic double feature DVD "Mondo Mod" and "The Hippie Revolt." Boy, was I disappointed with this turkey.
I urge all of you to avoid this disc. The only thing spooky about this DVD is the money that will be missing from your wallet from buying this false advertised bomb. I guess I could use this DVD as a mini-Frisbee.
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