Not that terrific..
Michael C. Glancy | Clinton,OK United States | 08/19/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I was glad I could rent this one from Netflix first because it definately saved me money. The first film, CARNIVAL OF CRIME, is a perfect match. By that I mean it's an awful movie with an equally awful transfer. The movie is supposed to be about an architect searching for his missing wife, only he ends up finding out about her many infidelities. The story was really dull and the audio and video was extremely low grade. In fact about 10 minutes into the film, it seems to switch to a completely different film (soundtrack and all) and then switches back again. The second movie, THE HOSTAGE, was not too bad. The audio and video was excellent and it's in widescreen. The story about a boy getting trapped inside a moving van driven by a psycho-killer moving man was OK. The little boy actually does a good acting job. It wouldn't be a big loss if you missed seeing either one of these films. If you are really curious about this DVD, do yourself and your wallet a favor and RENT IT FIRST!!"
The Hostage
R. Christenson | Pine, CO USA | 02/10/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Hostage was designed for suspense, and executed effectively. A boy is accidentally locked in the back of a moving van driven by two killers. A nosy neighbor saw him with a derelict in the park (John Carradine), leading everyone in the wrong direction while the boy witnesses the drivers burying their victim. The situation, similar to The Window (1949), or Home Alone without the comedy, is very suspenseful due to good acting (especially by Harry Dean Stanton & the boy, played by Danny Martins), noir -ish cinematography, and effective direction, and despite a low production cost, the only effect of which is slightly faded color."