chevy van????????
its a DODGE
shareThat's the genius of this film.
shareIt's a Dodge in the film but "Chevy van" worked better in the theme song. The theme song's plot is better than the movie's but they're both guilty pleasures. I grew up during this era but by the time I got my license (fall, 1976), I had gone from wanting a van to wanting a muscle car. I ended up with neither.
shareI, too, got my license in the fall of '76 (November 3, to be exact), and remember viewing this fine film at the Unadilla Drive-in. As I was driving home from work a few days ago, I hit the "scan" button on the radio, and it stopped on an oldies station that was playing "Chevy Van". I immediately thought of this movie!
shareA van with shag carpet for shagging, chicks with Farrah feathered hair, tight jeans, doobies, 70s Stoner heaven! They don't make cheese like this anymore.
shareno they don't. and the title of this movie was 'the van', not chevy van. this movie was so typical of the type of flicks that were pumped out in the seventies: I MISS THEM!!! the eighties then came and up to about '86, the movie about school, kids, and banging went by the wayside along with gratuitous nudity. now, even an 'r' rated movie barely even shows a nipple or the love triangle. i am not a perv, but when there is supposed to be love between two people, you used to get an occasional glimpse. now, you don't get to see anything.
kenichiku got this right, cheese and high in quantity. must say was not a good movie, but it had it's moments. just like most '70s movies.
DID DOOGIE HOWSER JUST STEAL MY ****ING CAR?
Dear kmg: I agree. What passes for "teen movies" these days really sucks. Give me the light n' breezy '70s for drive-in flicks and kids who'd load up on beer and drive while chuggin' a brew. Also, THE VAN was later re-titled CHEVY VAN for some reason or other for later video releases. My old VCI video of THE VAN is also un-cut; I've heard there were edited later video releases of THE VAN. I hate Rhino Video. They're awful; they edit movies. Avoid them.
Yeah, around 1986 the softcore teen genre sorta got too tame. Thank God for my old videotapes of 1970's and early '80s nostalgia.
I've got a bunch of stuff like this in my collection:
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) MCA Home Video
HOLLYWOOD HOT TUBS (1984) Vestron Video
BEACH GIRLS, The (1982) Paramount
GOIN' ALL THE WAY (1982) Monterey Home Video
LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN, The (1982) MGM Home Entertainment
MAKING THE GRADE (1984) MGM Home Entertainment
BETTER OFF DEAD (1985) Fox Video
MALIBU BIKINI SHOP, The (1985) Key Video
HOT MOVES (1984) Vestron Video. LOTS of hot women naked in this one. Wow. Just ignore the really lousy songs on the soundtrack.
I recall PRIVATE SCHOOL . . . FOR GIRLS (1983) on MCA as another title of this genre (which I don't have). Perhaps MY TUTOR (1983) would qualify as well. SCHOOL SPIRIT (1985) on Columbia. SCREWBALLS (1983) is fun. I used to own this but it got lost when I moved dammit!
(The '70s)
CHEERING SECTION (1977) VCI Home Video
POM POM GIRLS, The (1976) VCI Home Video
MALIBU BEACH (1978) VCI Home Video
MALIBU HIGH (1979) VCI Home Video
VAN, The (1977) VCI Home Video
VAN NUYS BLVD. (1979) VCI Home Video
SWINGING CHEERLEADERS, The (1974) Monterey Home Video
H.O.T.S. (1979) Vestron Video
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976) Electric Video, Inc.
SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS (1977) United Home Video
SWAP MEET (1979) VCI Home Video
SUPERVAN (1977) Cinema Video Theatre
DRIVE-IN (1976) Columbia
NOCTURNA (1978) (maybe this isn't really a "teen flick", but it's not far
from it! The vampires change into groovy cartoon bats! Out of Print on video for a very long time. I've got 2 copies of it, though).
Astral Video / Meda Home Entertainment
INCOMING FRESHMEN (1978) MCA Home Video
CHERRY HILL HIGH (1978) MCA Home Video
HOT T-SHIRTS (1979) MCA Home Video
SWINGING SORORITY (1977?) Meda Home Entertainment
HOT DOG . . . THE MOVIE (1984) Key Video
ONE NIGHT ONLY (1984-Canadian) Key Video
MIDNIGHT MADNESS (1980) It may be [PG]-rated, but it's fun anyway.
I recall several more titles which I don't have like HOT TIMES (1974) and REVENGE OF THE CHEERLEADERS (1976) with David Hasselhoff and Rainbeaux Smith, GAS PUMP GIRLS (1979) on Vestron (this is awful; I have to say I used to own this title but it was the worst teen flick I've run across yet so I traded it for something better).
If you are on the lookout for other fun '70s and 80s flicks maybe this short list has a title you've not heard of.
FUN TRUCKIN'. -CG
Hi, astralv:
Wow, that's quite a collection! A few of these titles -- "Massacre at Central High (quite good) and "Gas Pump Girls" (quite bad) -- I remember seeing at the drive-in as a teenager.
I had no idea that Rhino Video made trims to its films. I used to have a lot of faith in that company until it sold out to WEA. Thanks for the heads-up!
Because you have the "complete" version of "The Van," can you say what was the nature of the footage that was trimmed? Gratuitous T&A, or symbolic existentialism?
Dear Warped: Re: THE VAN. I believe most of the nudity was trimmed out + any footage of the main characters smoking joints and enjoying it.
*** Rhino Video released DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE a few years ago. You may recall the original video release was on Media Home Entertainment in 1982. That homevideo release was the original theatrical version and ran about 94 minutes. The Rhino version only runs 86 mins. Those creeps cut out approx. 8 minutes of footage. I can only guess where they made the cuts -- but it would be an educated guess 'cause I've watched my Media tape several times. The swine.
Avoid RHINO VIDEO and also SHRIEK SHOW/MEDIA BLASTERS. Their El Cheapo DVD's are pure, unadulterated garbage. Ugh! Better to keep your old videotapes if they're still playing than to "upgrade" (and I use that term with as much cynicism as I can) to those vile video companies. Double Ugh!
I've got 2,800 VHS pre-recorded videocassettes in my collection. It's been quite awhile since I've had even 1 break -- and no tape has ever dropped out in my VCR in the 16 years I've used it. (It's a 1990 Sharp with Manual Tracking. It has taken video punishment over the years to such a degree I can't believe how well it's still working).
-CG
Hi, Astralv:
Thanks for the Advice on Rhino Video and Shriek Show/Media Blasters. I wish media companies were required to carry a warning when titles are edited.
I totally agree on the permanance of VHS, just as I never fell for the music industry's insistence that we convert all our vinyl to CDs. Generally I buy whatever's cheapest in the used bins, and this is a great time to find bargains on hard-to-find VHS titles. I've found many out-of-print titles priced as low as 50 cents at thrift stores and used record outlets. I never have a problem playing old VHS, but even recent DVDs that I rent have tracking problems. I guess I'll wait until the industry convinces consumers they need to dispense with their DVDs before investing in that format.
Long live "obsolete" technology!
Dear WarPed: I forgot to mention another loser DVD label: Brentwood. Gag me with a disk. Yuck. Just hideous. Most Goodtimes DVD's suck, too. There's just so many foul DVD labels floating around it's nauseating. El Cheapo.
Makes my old tapes look real classy, though.
I never got into CD's heavily. I've still got plenty of old 45's to go along with all my movies. Nothing like playin' a record.
I gave a girl . . . a ride in my wagon -- she crawled in -- and took control. She was tired -- her mind was a'draggin and she said "Get some sleep and dream of rock and roll". And like a picture she was layin' there . . . moonlight dancin' off here hair . . .
-CG
Hi, Astralv:
As I recall, Goodtimes used to issue cut-rate VHS tapes before it released crappy DVDs. Most of the tapes were in the EP mode, so the picture quality was poor.
Another cut-rate label is Digiview, which issues titles that have fallen into the public domain, such as film noir like "DOA" or TV movies like "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." Many of these are transferred to DVD from VHS tapes. Of course, they usually sell for a buck, so if you really want a title, you'll accept the sacrifice.
... and that's all right with me!
Dear WarPed in SF: Remember the old Scott McKenzie song? SAN FRANCISCO (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) on Ode Records? Too bad we can't go back to '67 for a while. Probably would have been fun.
I know what you mean about those DVD's that are transferred from an old pre-recorded VHS instead of from a real film print. That's really pathetic. What's really funny, though, is the number of dopey people who've disposed of their VCR's for no good reason and then end up watching ultra-cheap DVD's that look worse than the tape. I find that amusing. Fools and their money are soon parted.
Sounds like Digi-View is another of those budget-line garbage labels. Phooey.
You are right about Goodtimes and their cut-rate VHS junk. There were a few movies that Goodtimes released in the SP mode. But not many! And the other EP videos are foul. A sledgehammer is the only cure for what ails those kind of tapes.
Until next time. -CG
Hi, Astralv/CG:
Unfortunately, I was just learning to walk during the Summer of Love, or I would have dropped everything to move to San Francisco to become a hippie. I probably would have tried to crash at 2400 Fulton St., where the Jefferson Airplane lived. As it turns out, I didn't get here until 1988, and it was a much different city by then. The most recent single about San Francisco then was "We Built This City" by Starship, which sounds even more dated than the Scott McKenzie song.
While perusing the used bins at Amoeba Records in the Haight today, I came across the "Psycho II" DVD for $2.99. When I got it home, I saw the dreaded Goodtimes imprint. Hope it's not hacked to bits like Janet Leigh in the shower scene from the original. I also bought "The Baby" (too bad you lost yours without seeing this gem!) plus "It's Alive," a great (as I recall) horror film I saw at the drive-in about 30 years ago. Hope it holds up.
In the words of the Tubes, talk to you later!
Warren
Dear WarPed in San Francisco: I agree that Starship's WE BUILT THIS CITY sounds more dated than Scott McKenzie's 1967 paean to SF. I played my 45" of SAN FRANCISCO a few days ago. I can proudly state I do have an original Ode Records sleeve to house my 45". I found it after I had the record and was glad to stuff my vinyl in its orig. sleeve. I still think vinyl sounds better than anything else. Including CD's. Not that all CD's are bad, but there's somethin' about a record . . .
Sad to say, but I used to have IT'S ALIVE (1974) in a Warner Bros. clamshell and it was lost at the same time as the THE BABY. There were 2 banana boxes of videos that went missing when I moved. One of the boxes had miscellaneous videos in it -- but all were in either Clamshell cases or really big cardboard boxes. The second box had all of my Warner Brothers clamshells in the Horror and Comedy genre. I lost PIRANHA, RAZORBACK, IT'S ALIVE, THE PACK, THE NESTING, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and a few more horror flicks. On the comedy side I lost my Warner Clams of BEST FRIENDS, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, THE RITZ, ARTHUR, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY, BLUME IN LOVE and others. You can fit 27 Warner Clamshells in the kind of banana boxes I use. Three rows of 9 clams each. So I lost about 54 movies in those 2 boxes that went AWOL. Still can't figure out what could have happened to them. Probably never will.
I have re-purchased some of those Warner clams, however, like PIRANHA and THE PACK and HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. At least I watched IT'S ALIVE before it vanished into the mists of time.
I've also picked up some PAL - VHS videos from overseas. I've got one of those Panasonic Industrial Worldwide VCR's to play these PALs on. I've got about 85. Nearly all of them are movies that were never released on video here in the U.S. and most of them are American-made films. Must have made some odd distribution deals back then.
Re: PSYCHO II. Maybe it's not too bad quality-wise. For $2.99 I reckon it's hard to complain.
-CG
Thanks for the recommendations, I'm gonna check several of these out.
- Jesse
"How am I not myself?" (I <3 Hucakbees)
Dear Jesse: Some of the titles on that list of videos are easier to find than others. The hardest to find are CHEERING SECTION on VCI and SUPERVAN on Cinema Video Theatre. Some of those others are much easier to round up, BUT watch out for edited versions! Find the oldest video releases you can -- they are the least likely to have been trimmed of elements that have been excised now for Politically Correct reasons upon re-release.
-CG
hello warped & invasionpals. so...this is a late addition to this thread. great list invasionPals, it has a lot of my old faves on it. i could have been the reviewer on this page, but a bit older (and female, so the boob thing was no big deal). my version of the van is from payless entertainment ltd - have you heard of them? the best bit is it's all regions (even though i have a multi-region player, it's always touch & go whether it will play any disc). it's got a big R16 (NZ) rating on the front, so i'm watching it now to see how it goes. i am currently trying to get all my old faves on dvd (now that more & more are being put onto dvd) thanks for bringing back lots of great 70's memories.
ps massacre at central high was great. andrew stevens :O) another great van movie: race with the devil.
Lots of fun '70s stuff can still be found -- but the caveat is finding a video or a DVD with a decent print of the movie. That's the hard part when dealing with some of those Public Domain films that were never copyrighted.
The video I have for THE VAN isn't bad. SUPERVAN has a nice clear picture.
I do have RACE WITH THE DEVIL. Here in the U.S. it's on Key Video (a CBS/Fox Video offshoot with a little white key on the box front; this is the release I have for RACE) and was released on DVD maybe a year ago . . . ? I admit I don't keep up much with DVD's.
I've got enough old videos to stock a grain silo. Another fun teen-comedy of sorts is WACKO (1981). I have an both an NTSC video and a PAL tape of it. I got the PAL tape on the cheap. Works great, though.
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH was definitely a neat movie. Once the bullies were dead I didn't see the plot twists coming where the former "picked-on" kids turned out to be just as bad as their tormentors were before them. Crazy. Also, did you notice you never see any teachers in the movie? I think that was on purpose by the filmmakers.
-CG
Hello, InvasionofPALS/KiwiSpouse, and everyone else! I love how the "Van" board has become the meeting place for discussion of '70s/'80s drive-in-type flicks, but that seems appropriate.
Say CG, I've been buying more VHS titles than ever lately because they are even cheaper now! Hollywood Video rental stores have liquidated their VHS stock, and I bring them home by the box load. Included in these was "The Nesting," a titles you said you had lost. It's a so-so haunted house flick. Also got a few out-of-print titles with major stars like "Harry & Son" (generational drama with Paul Newman and Robby Benson) and "Silhouette" (decent cable thriller with Faye Dunaway).
I was wondering if you've seen any of these oddities, which are among my recent finds:
"The Killing King" -- John Savage as a troubled lady-killer and Ann Southern as his mother/enabler. Also stars Ruth Roman and Cindy Williams as his victims. Truly chilling.
"The Haunting of Julia" (also known as "Full Circle") -- Mia Farrow in supernatural thriller as a woman who's never quite the same after she loses her daughter, and then she rents an apartment where another child was killed. Terrifically eerie soundtrack.
"Psychomania" -- Oddball British tale about a cult of motorcycle riders who commit suicide and come back as the eternal living, with Beryl Reid (of "The Killing of Sister George") as a spiritualist.
"Broken Vessels" -- Not a '70s film or even a drive-in flick, but a truly disturbing overlooked film from the '90s about drug-addicted paramedics, starring Todd Field (who directs these days). I had been looking for it for years, and finally found a copy for 99 cents!
And "Race With the Devil" and "Massacre at Central High" are both great entertainment. I think a lot of '80s films like "Class of 1984" and "Tough Turf" were inspired by "Massacre."
Dear WarPed Record: After re-reading this post I realized I forgot to mention I've seen THE KILLING KIND on video before. I saw it on a Paragon tape -- but I think it was releasd on another label as well.
I've never seen THE HAUNTING OF JULIA/FULL CIRCLE before.
I've never seen BROKEN VESSELS. I've not even heard of that movie.
PSYCHOMANIA I have on an old MEDIA videocassette from the early 1980s. Has been re-released by various companies over the years since.
TUFF TURF I have on New World Video, tho I think it's on DVD now.
CLASS OF 1984 I have on Vestron Video. I don't know if it's on DVD . . .
Until next time. -CARTER GORMAN
Great list, InvasionofPALs, a few I haven't seen, but the ones I have takes me back to renting movies in the 80's. Love Massacre at Central High(Needs a DVD release). Satan's Cheerleaders is a fun horror comedy. Also a big fan of Midnight Madness.
Also really enjoyed two other teen comedies from the 70's-
The Chicken Chronicles (1977)
Corvette Summer (1978)
And, not teens, but a great look at being kids in the 70's-
Kenny & Company (1976)
It'd been two presidential elections since I'd had a boner like that.share
I recently bought MALIBU BEACH on vhs from a discount store.
When I opened the package I could tell it was a crappy EP transfer because of the size of the reel. Sure enough, it was. This one was released by a company called Starmarker. And it lists the time as 91 minutes instead of 96 on IMDB. I couldn't tell if anything was missing, I only saw it once in the theater when I was a kid. They were smoking joints, and there was the typical 70s camp T & A.
I was going to order the dvd versions of both MALIBU BEACH and THE VAN from the web, but since I'm hearing THE VAN has parts cut out I was thinking of avoiding it.
Is IMDB correct on 92 minutes for THE VAN and 96 for MALIBU BEACH? Sometimes IMDB isn't entirely accurate with the movie times. Rhino lists it as 90 for THE VAN and 93 for MALIBU BEACH.
Is SUPER VAN a better version to get?
Dear rams and lakers: The only decent video edition of MALIBU BEACH (1978) to get (if you can find it) is the old VCI Home Video edition with the "Command Performance" logo on the box. Looks like a theater marquee with the words "MALIBU BEACH" in cursive writing inside the black border. That's the way I have it. STARMAKER was indeed a garbage label. Avoid anything on Starmaker if you can help it. I think they released everything in the EP mode. I've never seen an SP mode tape from Starmaker.
It is very possible Starmaker just copied the old VCI video. The original VCI is somewhat grainy -- but it's watchable. I can't imagine how bad the Starmaker tape might look. Ye Gods.
RE: The DVD versions of MALIBU BEACH and THE VAN >>> The DVD transfer of MALIBU BEACH was VERY likely taken from the VCI video just like the Starmaker tape. Beware. Grain city.
THE VAN (1977) was also released by VCI many moons ago in that same "Command Performance" box. It said "Fun Truckin'" on the top of the box. I think THE VAN was later released on Bingo Video and Neon Video. Both of those labels are pretty bad -- but at least there is a possibility the videocassettes are in the SP mode. Again -- no matter what video and/or DVD edition of THE VAN you may eventually purchase it's going to be grainy. The best edition is still the old VCI "Command Performance" video; since it's the oldest video version it's not real easy to find anymore, unfortunately.
If you decide to hunt for the old VCI Command Performance videos you would recognize the boxes very quickly. They look very distinctive.
RE: Running Times. I've seen MALIBU BEACH at least 5 times and THE VAN 4 times and I've never paid attention to the running time. I wish I could help you with that. The old VCI videos I have for each movie are as "un-cut" as each movie will ever be. They used a film print and when the credits end after each movie is over the MPAA "blue screen" appears and the [R]-rating is there.
SUPERVAN is an entirely different movie than THE VAN. And can be much harder to find. SUPERVAN has some groovy music if you can find it. I have it on the very obscure "Cinema Video Theatre" label. I think it's a Canadian company. The box doesn't say.
I know a seller who has another of these CVT's. But it won't be cheap. He sells on Ebay as moviemark
He may not have the movie listed but if you're desperate to find it just send him an e-mail.
If you like Drive-In movies I recommend going to moviesunlimited.com and typing in the title "Double Nickels". They used to have it for sale via a Public Domain company. I bought 2 new videos of DOUBLE NICKELS. Fits in real well with all the other '70s Drive-In flicks I've rounded up.
Happy Hunting. -CG
It warms my heart SOOOOOOOO much to know that I'm not the only "Van-fan" out there. I'm not alone in the world...YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shareDear bombsniffingdog: I dig '70s drive-in flicks. They're groovy. Groovier than the garbage put out in 2007.
I'll take DOUBLE NICKELS over SPIDERMAN 3 any day.
TIME TO BURN RUBBER. -CG
Thanks for the info. I'll keep an eye out. Have they shown any of these movies on any cable channels recently? I could always record to dvd like I did with a few others that were never released on dvd.
I did see moviemark's vhs on ebay and he has it for about 14 dollars which isn't as bad as some of those Amazon gougers. The used vhs-dvd store in my town is pretty good, I will also keep checking them since their vhs prices are $3.99 tops.
I saw both Malibu Beach and The Van in an old theater in downtown Hawaii when I was a young teen. They bring back tons of memories. Another beach movie I saw was in 1980 on HBO called California Dreaming and I'm desperate to find that one too. I don't know if the Nickels one would do it for me the same since I never saw it.
Oh yeah, the crappy Malibu Beach on VHS says "Before there was Baywatch." I can't stand it when they try to update the captions... at least I got to watch it for free before returning it.
Dear rams & lakers: I don't think any of those old '70s drive-in fun-fests are shown on cable anymore. At least I've not seen any of them aired in the recent past.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING was released years ago on Vestron Video -- but some of the music sung in the movie was altered for homevideo. Since I never saw C.D. in the theaters I don't know what song or songs they were that were later changed.
Good movie, though.
The problem with a lot of the '70s drive-in movies on DVD is that frequently the "print" used is really just a copy of the old VHS release and is thus no better than the tape it was taken from.
If you like car chases and scenic views of '70s California you'll like DOUBLE NICKELS. -CG
Hells bells!! Been over a year since I lurked this one yet this thread's still alive & kicking! Perhaps you fellas can help since I see you're all so knowledgeable & resourceful; I mean VHS, Vestron? We're talkin' 8-Track territory, I love it! BTW, met up with a bunch of guys not unlike yourselves chatting outside an American Cinematique screening of '2 Lane Blacktop' & 'Cockfighter' 6-8 months ago down in Hollywood. We were all lucky enough to have dtr. Monte Hellman on-hand generously joining in the chat (& telling us he was in the middle of doing his Criterion commentary for that new release).
Anyway, that event got me in the mood again with 'The Van' so I was actually hunting down another rare film that I originally saw that double-billed with it, the Bodacious Florida set B-thriller 'Pick-Up' (75' I think) & have since found it due to QT's 'Grindhouse' revival but there's another Everglades set Drive-in classic that I have been coveting more back in the day: 'Gator Bait' w/the late Claudia Jennings. Never mind DVD, you guys know if these are still in circulation in VHS? If so, where? Thanks in advance.
Just wayched it for the first time but not the last.
shareCan anyone tell me if there's an uncut version of the van in which we see more of the heavy girl he shagged who he picked up at the Mexican food stand? That was the one who said, "No peeking ... ready." And then the waterbed popped when they shagged. There's one scene where we somewhat see her bush, but it appears to be clouded out - I don't know if that's inherent graininess or censoring. Let me know if I got the best copy or it there's a copy out there that actually shows a decent clip of her bush.
shareI bought this sealed from a Big Lots, in a Supervan sleeve. It's probably been on my shelf for a year,and I finally decided to watch it. After a while, I started to wonder when the plot was going to sound anything like what was written on the box, namely, where was the professor and the solar-powered laser van? But it was kind of engaging, and the music was great (all two songs). I figured the crazy box copy was like a drive-in trick to get people to buy the movie. I didn't know the real title was The Van until I looked it up on IMDB. I was actually kind of surprised Supervan was real after that.
My copy was very very poor. But on the other hand, I think this might be an uncut version, because there are some rough edits where the picture is distorted, and then some nude scenes of a slightly better quality. I don't know how much is in the DVD version, but the scene with the chubby chick is about 30 seconds, and I saw bush when she flung him down and straddled him. I actually had to find that part in the movie and rewind it like three times to confirm that, but when I'm on a mission, no task is too stupid. She grinds on top of him a few times, her huge butt is reflected in the mirror ceiling of the van, and the waterbed pops.
Later in the movie, the main character and the blonde get naked and make out in the van- you see boobs and butt, nothing more explicit than that. I'm pretty sure the guy is a body double, too, because that kid was scrawny.
Vans aren't dead, there are still truckins going on, I've been to a few, there are many survivors from back in the day, and new ones too, you should see some of the vans at the events, even the van's that were customized in the 70's have survived.
Wasn't me
Another of the el-cheapo distributors is Mill Creek Video (AKA Treeline), practitioners of the 20, 50, & now 100 DVD movie packs. The reason for the mention here is that I just picked up the 20-pack "Burnt Rubber" at Big Lots for $6.00, which contains Double Nickels, along with 19 other semi-related titles (Double Nickels looked decent enough). Image quality ranks from barely passable to not-bad-at-all, as expected. Compression is more noticeable on some titles than others, but hey, 20 titles on 4 double-sided DVDs ain't too shabby. You can see all their releases to date at millcreekent.com
PS: I also picked up the 20-pack "Cult Movies" for $6.00, but that's for another thread... ;-)
Dear radioking1: DOUBLE NICKELS is one of those Public Domain titles. It is likely that it was never copyrighted or it wouldn't be on Mill Creek or Nostalgia Family Video (which the VHS I have of D.N. is on).
I've got to hand it to Mill Creek, though, for being able to make some money on all these PD movies. Jeepers.
>>> What are the other 19 titles in the "Burnt Rubber" pack?
-CG
Oh yeah, all their stuff is PD, just like Digiview, Alpha Video, etc. But you are absolutely right, they (Mill Creek) have figured out a winning formula: Bundle up any PD titles that (even REMOTELY) share a similar theme & sell 'em at a price too good to resist. I can hear 'em now: "Find me some high-school kids who need extra cash - buy 'em some pizzas & tell 'em to pop these tapes in that VCR over there & dub 'em from now 'til 6AM! Slap together some minimal cover art...REPEAT!"
I only brought it up because I was somewhat surprised at moviesunlimited's VHS price tag of $15. Mill Creek's (albeit: mediocre) copy works out to roughly $0.30, plus you get chapters (at ridiculously random time intervals, of course, LOL)!
>>> Synopsis: Return to the days of classic racing cars and speedways or thrill to road races with the law in hot pursuit in this thrilling compilation. Watch as Jack Nicholson, David Hasselhoff, Jurgen Prochnow, John Ireland and Richard Petty race to the finish line in this action-packed compilation!
Included:
1. Bail Out
2. Big Wheel, The
3. Blonde Comet
4. Born to be Wild
5. Burn 'Em Up Barnes (Parts 1 & 2)
6. Choppers, The
7. Danger on Wheels
8. Devil on Wheels, The
9. Double Nickels
10. Fast and the Furious, The
11. High Gear
12. Hot Rod Girl
13. In Hot Pursuit
14. Killing Cars
15. Petty Story, The
16. Speed to Spare
17. T-Bird Gang
18. Ten Laps to Go
19. Wild Ride, The
Dear radioking1: Movies Unlimited's $14.99 price tag is, believe it or not, the same as it would be if you bought it directly from Nostalgia Family Video (you can go to nostalgiafamilyvideo.com and prowl for all the PD titles they have for sale). Here's the funny thing, though: Even though N.F.V. has a film print of the movie THEY DON'T HAVE IT LISTED WHEN YOU CHECK OUT THEIR SITE.
*Weird*.
So I bought 2 brand new Nost. Family Video tapes from M.U. They play great and look good on my industrial VCR.
I'd bet Mill Creek just copied this SP mode tape (I figure since DOUBLE NICKELS is PD it's not illegal for them to do this).
Thanks for listing the other 19 Hot Rod Classics. Seems like they have some 1950s-era juvenile delinquency flicks in the 20-PAK.
I dig those Drive-In 70s movies.
They're groovy.
TIME TO BURN RUBBER. -CG
Yes it is and I agree with you there about the van being one of the main focal point of the film.
Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans of the show! www.deefilmroll.com/usa-uan/