Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • September 28, 2011 DVDs (continued from Restaurant page) feature “Mantrap;” footage of Bronco Billy Anderson, the first movie cowboy star; a Tom Mix short in which he falls for a female lawyer; a Fred Harvey (of “The Harvey Girls” fame) motor tour of Indian country; and newsreels featuring Native Americans. There is audio commentary from 23 experts, newly recorded music, interactive screens, and a booklet containing film notes and credits. “The Phantom Carriage” (The Criterion Collection), a 1921 Swedish film, takes place on New Year’s Eve. A legend states that the last person to die before the clock strikes 12 on the last day of the year is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. The central character is an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Victor Sjostrom) who is shown the error of his ways. However, a pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister believes in his redemption. Viewers will see the inspiration for Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” in its stark rendering, the supernatural element, and the discussions of morality, life, and personal responsibility. This is a ghost story in which atmosphere is ably constructed as supernatural and natural worlds blend. “The Phantom Carriage” is color tinted and has Swedish intertitles with English subtitles. The disc contains two musical scores, one by a Swedish composer, the other by the experimental duo KTL; audio commentary with a film historian; and an excerpt from an interview with Ingmar Bergman. Also included is a booklet with a detailed, critical essay. Herschell Gordon Lewis was making splatter movies before the term existed. “Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore” (Image Entertainment), is a documentary on DVD that chronicles the career of this nearly forgotten filmmaker. Looking for a way to compete with Hollywood’s big-budget, movie star-laden films and with television, he decided to show what you couldn’t see in mainstream movies or on TV. Lewis bombarded his audiences with grisly images and blood in low-budget, lurid horror films. His first picture, “Blood Feast” (1963), focused on an Egyptian cultist who caters a party with assorted body parts of pretty young women. Given the dubious distinction of being the world’s first “gore” film, “Blood Feast” still has plenty of shock value, though its sub-par acting elicits laughs. “The Blood Trilogy” (Image Entertainment), available on Blu-ray and DVD, contains three Herschell Gordon Lewis features: “Blood Feast,” Two Thousand Maniacs” (1964), and “Color Me Blood Red” (1965). Extras include outtakes, audio commentaries by Lewis, exploitation art galleries, and theatrical trailers.