Plot: What’s it about?
In The Atomic Brain, an insane old woman seeks to regain her youth, no matter the cost or consequence. She wishes to have her brain transplanted into the body of a beautiful young model, which is no small feat, of course. The doctor involved tries all he can, but his attempts at such an operation have all failed. His experiments have produced results however, just not the kind he wanted to achieve. A female zombie roams the streets, a wild beast that is half man, and a woman with the brain of a feline have all been created. But will the old woman ever get her wish and if so, will her operation be more of a success? In Love After Death, a gentle man named Mr. Montel has been scammed by his new bride. She was just after his money and with some help from Dr. Anderson, Montel is buried alive and left for dead. He manages to escape however, with his mind locked on vengeance and sexual conquests. As he screws every woman he meets, will he have time to track down his bride and exact his revenge? In The Incredible Petrified World, a new diving bell takes a team down into a once hidden, exotic realm. This new world is beautiful and unlike anything the divers have seen, but it also holds new dangers. Can the divers return to the surface world, or will fall victim to the wrath of an active volcano?
The folks over at Something Weird must be generous, as this release has not one, not two, but three bad movies. I’ve seen The Atomic Brain and The Incredible Petrified World out from low rent labels, but as always, no studio puts as much love into terrible movies as Something Weird, plus you get three flicks instead of one, plus a host of supplements. I can tell without hesitation, this is the single worst collection of movies on shelves, even Something Weird has never tried to push off this kind of cinematic trash in such volume. So in a way, this is a landmark release for bottom of the barrel cinema, which is both good news and bad news. If you love schlock, then its good news, but in truth, these films aren’t often even good in a bad way, especially the dull and slow The Incredible Petrified World. That is just one movie that fails on all counts, as the visuals are lame and nothing ever seems to happen. Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 should know The Atomic Brain, a hilariously bad movie that makes for a fun night of popcorn & booze. Love After Death closes us out, with a lot of female flesh on showcase, not to mention some of the worst editing of all time. You’ll also love the fact that dialogue can be heard even when no one is moving their mouth, the true sign of cinematic nirvana. This triple bill of low rent slop might be too much for some, but for seasoned schlock hunters, it is worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
The Incredible Petrified World is presented in 1.66:1 non anamorphic widescreen, while the other two films are shown in full frame editions. As usual, Something Weird has anted up some nice visual treatments, which is all the more impressive in the case of these three pictures. I have seen some of the cheapie releases of Petrified World and Atomic Brain, which have worn prints and soft visuals. The films look much sharper here, with prints that have some flaws, but look pristine when compared to some of the other versions out there. All three films are in black & white, so contrast is important and it looks good in all cases. The black levels look stark and consistent, so detail is high throughout all three movies. The credits don’t look as good, but once the films begin, the visuals are quite clean and crisp.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses the original mono tracks and while this isn’t a room shaking mix, it handles the films’ audio needs very well. This type of material doesn’t call for much in terms of dynamic sound, so the mono format is more than adequate in all respects. The dialogue is crisp, with no harshness or separation issues in the least. The sound effects have no problems either, as they come across in distinct and clear fashion. I found very little distortion present and the usual mono hiss is thankfully absent. You can tell these were low budget productions of course, but the soundtracks are still more than acceptable.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an alternate title sequence for The Atomic Brain, as well as theatrical trailers for The Atomic Brain and The Incredible Petrified World. You can also browse some comic book artwork and bonus trailers.
