Rating: NR
Genre:
Horror
Release Date: 08/19/2003
Dubbed: English
Sound: 1
Run Time: 147 min
Distributor/Studio: Elite
There is only so much that can be done with a title such as
Drive-in Discs 2: Giant Gila Monster/Wasp Woman, but
Elite Entertainment, God bless them, has tried their best. These late '50s, grade-Z
horror films look fairly decent on DVD, but the real surprise is their new anamorphic transfers, both framed at 1.85:1. Of the two,
The Wasp Woman looks the best, with a sharper image.
The Giant Gila Monster has far more problems, though they both suffer a good deal of scratches from the original transfers. The sound, which is only a two-channel mono track for both titles, is as good as it's going to get, and reproduces the dialogue clearly for the most part. A hilarious plus for this disc is the inclusion of "distorto sound" re-creating the way the movie would be heard from the single speaker of a drive-in theater, including crickets. As for extras, they tie in with the drive-in theme. Though nothing extensive, there are two cartoons of
Popeye and
Betty Boop and a number of fun shorts that would be found before the movie, such as what's available at the candy counter and a caution for young lovers not to get too personal. While the movies leave a lot to be desired, this disc shows some real creativity.
~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide
