Blu-ray/DVD/Streaming Reviews & News
Entries from November 2012
By Lee Pfeiffer
Most retro movie lovers have probably heard of the 1982 cult comedy Eating Raoul, even though they probably haven't seen it. Released on the art house circuit by a major studio (Fox), the independently made production was considered quite shocking in its day due to its unapologetic emphasis on distasteful humor. The film was the brainchild of actor/director Paul Bartel, who by 1982 had been laboring in B movie hell for many years, often working with Roger Corman. Bartel was frustrated by Corman's refusal to finance any of his proposed projects so he went off and developed the script for Eating Raoul with his friend, screenwriter Richard Blackburn (who also appears in the film). The endeavor proved to be the epitome of gutsy, independent movie-making. Faced with a seemingly insurmountable budget of $500,000, Bartel scraped together funding from any sources he could find and took a loan out from his parents. To save money, he often shot scenes on remnants of celluloid, leaving him precious little film stock to do retakes. He cast any number of friends for parts both large and small including such diverse talents as Buck Henry, Ed Begley Jr., Billy Curtis and Hamilton Camp. Even John Landis has a cameo. Bartel plays the lead role himself, possibly more out of financial necessity than vanity. He portrays Paul Bland, a pudgy, somewhat fey resident of Hollywood who is happily married to a sexy nurse, Mary (played by Bland's real-life friend and frequent collaborator and co-star Mary Waronov.) Their marriage seems to be a sexless relationship of convenience, with both treating the other more like a sibling than a spouse. Both Paul and Mary share many similarities, however. They are both quite eccentric and very judgmental of middle class values even though they are facing financial ruin and seem unlikely to fulfill their mutual dream of opening a quaint country restaurant. Paul is an elitist, albeit a poor one. He loses his job in a local liquor store because he can't bring himself to recommend a cheap but profitable wine to customers. The Blands also fancy themselves as morally superior to those around them. When they discover that a neighboring apartment is being used by a group of swingers, they can barely hide their disgust (even though Paul is somewhat entranced by a dominatrix at the party.) Through a bizarre accident, the Blands end up accidentally killing a sexually aggressive swinger who wants to get it on with Mary. They casually dispose of the body and keep his cash to help raise the down payment needed for their restaurant. Suddenly, an outrageous scheme begins to take form: the Blands will lure other swingers into their apartment, murder them and keep their money. The plan works well, with Mary using her considerable charms to entice a seemingly endless number of gullible men to their doom. (This being long before the internet, the Blands are forced to advertise their perversions the old fashioned way: through ads in porn newspapers.) Before long, Paul and Mary are raising substantial sums of money and are closing in on their financial goal. Then they meet Raoul, a hunky Chicano petty criminal, who joins them as a partner with the promise of increased profits. It isn't long before he is attracted to Mary and this leads to some funny and complicated situations. To say more would be to reveal too much.
Over the years, Eating Raoul (yes, the film does take on a Soylent Green-like spin, albeit in a comedic mode) has developed a sizable and loyal cult following. The movie doesn't quite live up to the hype. It's never embarrassing but often doesn't rise to its potential. Bartel makes an amusing screen presence, but his delivery at times comes across somewhat amateurish. The scene-stealer is the magnetic Waronov, who commands the screen with her magnetism. Robert Beltran is also excellent as the titular Raoul, an overly-confident, smug lady's man whose obsession with Mary proves to have some very negative consequences. The funniest aspect of the film is the pure hypocrisy of the Blands. While looking down their nose at virtually everyone in their social circle, they lack any type of self-awareness. Thus, to them, people who swing are completely lacking in morality, but they fail to see that their own moral failings are far greater, as they have become serial killers without a hint of conscience. The film has many delightful comic interludes, such as Paul's shocking revenge against a hot tub full of swingers who dare to mock him. However, Bartel often encourages his actors to go over-the-top in their performances when a more subdued and realistic approach might have been more effective. Nevertheless, Bartel (who died in 2000 at the age of 61), deserves great praise for bringing off the most tasteless comedy audiences had seen since The Producers. It's fun throughout, even with a few sequences that don't live up to their potential.
Criterion's Blu-ray release of Eating Raoul is first rate throughout. The set contains a great looking transfer of the original film, a new documentary in which Beltran and Waronov discuss the production and their affection for Paul Bartel; audio commentary by Richard Blackburn, production designer Robert Schulenberg and editor Alan Toomayan; an awkwardly filmed 1982 archival interview with Bartel and Waronov; The Secret Cinema, a bizarre 1966 black and white film with a Twilight Zone-like spin (Bartel remade it as an episode of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories in 1986); Naughty Nurse, a strikingly photographed 1969 short film that once again touches on Bartel's fascination with off beat sexual obsessions; a gag reel of takes that went awry and the original trailer (which unfairly doesn't credit Bartel by name for anything). There is also an insightful essay about the film by David Ehrenstein which is presented in a booklet designed to resemble a menu.
Eating Raoul is not a classic, but holds enough delights to merit adding this to your Blu-ray library.
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By Lee Pfeiffer
The Rains of Ranchipur is yet another major film I probably would not have sampled had it not been released by Twilight Time. This Blu-ray edition is limited to 3,000 units. The film is primarily a soap opera based on the book The Rains Came by Louis Bromfield. The story had been brought to the screen previously in 1939 under the book's title and starring Myrna Loy and Tyrone Power. It features a glamorous cast of acting heavyweights who compensate for some of the weaker elements of the production. Turner, still gorgeous as ever, is Lady Edwina Esketh, a rich American socialite who married her cuckolded British husband Albert (Michael Rennie) simply to get the title she always craved. Theirs is a sexless union based on their mutual selfishness. Although Albert is genuinely in love with Edwina, he admits that her personal fortune was a prime motivation for marrying her. For her part, Edwina barely tolerates her dashing husband and banishes him to separate bedrooms on their travels while she shamelessly cavorts with boy toys around the globe. The couple arrive in Ranchipur, the Indian state, where they are greeted warmly as local celebrities, the story taking place when British colonialism had only recently been dispensed with. Edwina becomes infatuated with a young Indian doctor, Rama Safti (Richard Burton) and she quickly seduces him. The uncomfortable situation finds Rama romancing Edwina even though Albert knows full well what is going on. The racially mixed romance causes a scandal and Rama's influential mother, the Maharani (Eugenie Levontovich) forbids her son from seeing his lover. The romantic problems are eclipsed by a devastating earthquake and flood that causes all of the major characters to redefine their relationships. This includes Edwina's childhood friend, American businessman Tom Ransome (Fred MacMurray), a one-time idealist who now resides in India where he indulges in non-stop drinking. Tom has his own romantic problem: he is being wooed by a recent college graduate, Fern (Joan Caulfield), who is determined to settle down with her much older would-be lover.
The sumptuous Fox production, competently directed by Jean Negulesco, benefits from having been shot on location in India- and there is also that sumptuous Hugo Friedhofer score. The story is somewhat predictable but never bores the viewer because of the considerable star power on display.Turner gives a fine performance, as does the young turban-clad Burton. However, as we have written about many times, films such as this were compromised by having Caucasian actors portray characters of color. It isn't Burton's fault that, despite an abundance of tan makeup, you never quite forget you are observing a Welshman playing an Indian. MacMurray gives another of his always-compelling performances. The special effects during the exciting climax were nominated for an Oscar and some hold up well today. However, a few shots creak with age such an awful scene of a chasm opening in the earth as well as a sequence in which the film is sped up, making the running refugees look like they are in a Keystone Cops short. The movie is the epitome of 1950s Hollywood glamor, with beautiful people sipping cocktails in dinner jackets and gowns, all designed to show off the considerable attractiveness of the major stars. The Rains of Ranchipur is all glitz and little substance, but the opportunity to see all these screens together makes it an irresistible attraction.
The Twilight Time release is gorgeous, making the most of the Cinemascope process. There are two original trailers and an amusing, cheesy original TV spot promoting the film.
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If you haven't checked out Cinema Retro contributor Howard Hughes' blog The Filmgoer's Guide, here's a good reason to do so. Howard routinely puts the spotlight on worthy cult films that are largely unknown to retro movie lovers. In this case, he examines the provocatively-titled Super Bitch, a 1973 Italian crime movie shot extensively in and around London. Click here for Howard's review.
By Lee Pfeiffer
By 1969 the Spaghetti-Western craze had replaced the spy movie craze of a few years before. Just as seemingly every other movie had been a 007 clone, the Sergio Leone-inspired Westerns swamped theater screens worldwide. One major difference is that the Bond boom resulted in some very worthy imitators such as the Our Man Flint, Matt Helm and Harry Palmer movies (not to mention numerous classic TV series). The Euro Western trend, however, bore little fruit in terms of films of enduring quality beyond the Leone originals. One notable exception is The Five-Man Army, directed by an American (Don Taylor) and co-scripted by future cult film director Dario Argento (who was rumored to have directed certain scenes in this film.) The movie borrows liberally from the time-worn premise of a small group of intrepid (if disreputable) rogues who find themselves on a seemingly suicidal caper mission, taking on overwhelming odds to achieve their goal. In this case, a mysterious man known by all as The Dutchman (Peter Graves) assembles four disparate confederates to assist him in pulling off the robbery of train transporting a fortune in gold. The action takes place in Mexico in 1914, an era that has long attracted filmmakers because of the on-going revolution and the involvement of American mercenaries. The Dutchman's team consists of Dominguez (Nino Castelnuovo), a murderous but fearless bandit wanted by the law, Augustus (James Daly), an American demolitions expert, Mesito (Bud Spencer), a bear of a man who is eager to find a way to escape the humiliation of his impoverished lifestyle and the Samurai (Tetsuro Tamba), a mostly silent ex-circus performer who is an expert swordsman and knife-thrower. The Dutchman tells this motley crew that their mission is to rob the train, which is guarded by heavily armed government troops, in order to turn the money over to revolutionaries. Each man will get a reward of $1,000 each. Needless to say, there will be deceit, double-crosses and mutual hatreds established in the course of the mission.
What sets The Five-Man Army apart from other Leone wanna-bes is the fact that it is so stylishly directed and photographed. The top-notch screenplay successfully mixes thrills and witticisms and the characters are well-drawn and intriguing. The film plows familiar turf from such legendary Hollywood films as The Dirty Dozen, The Wild Bunch, The Magnificent Seven, The Guns of Navarone and The Professionals, but if the production values aren't as grand, the film doesn't suffer from the low-budget stigma of other Euro Westerns. Director Taylor does a lot with his limited budget and the train robbery sequence is brilliantly realized, especially in those scenes in which aspects of the plan go wrong with potentially devastating results. The cast members are all in top form with Bud Spencer and Tetsuro Tamba particularly impressive (the latter has to rely largely on his physical presence, as he is playing a mostly wordless role.) There is also the benefit of a lively score by Ennio Morricone and an impressive titles sequence that was clearly inspired by The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. If there is one weak point it is the casting of Peter Graves as The Dutchman. Graves' performance is fine, but he doesn't fit in with his gritty on-screen co-conspirators. With his clean cut appearance and designer haircut, he looks like he just stepped out of a luncheon at the Brown Derby. Nevertheless, this is a minor gripe. The Five-Man Army is a top-notch Western that fully deserves its status as a cult film favorite.
The MGM production has been released as a burn-to-order title available through the Warner Archive. (Amusingly, the original U.S. advertising poster reproduced on the sleeve changes the title to read "The 5-Man Army!"). Presumably, a marketing study seemed that numerals and exclamation points add to the boxoffice grosses. An original theatrical trailer is included.
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By Lee Pfeiffer
Sony has released director Tony Richardson's 1969 film version of Hamlet as a burn-to-order DVD title. The film was quite controversial in its day because Richardson made a theatrical feature by shooting his stage production at London's Roundhouse Theatre. Consequently, sets are kept to a bare minimum and Richardson relies on intense close-ups of the actors to mask the fact that this is actually a stage production. Richardson, who adapted Shakespeare's great work as a screenplay, also came under fire for truncating certain elements of the story to fit a running time of two hours. (Laurence Olivier's Oscar-winning 1948 film version ran 155 minutes). Richardson also moved the sequences of a couple of scenes, an act that outraged purists. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not conversant enough with the original play to have noticed such manipulations and I consequently judged the experience purely on the basis of its entertainment level. For those who are not professional actors (or aspiring to be), the language of Shakespeare's time can pose obstacles for modern viewers in terms of following key plot points. Nevertheless, the basics of the story remain clear from the outset. Hamlet (Nicol Williamson), the young Danish prince, is visited by the ghost of his father, the recently-deceased king. The apparition (represented for budgetary reasons as simply a bright light that reduces the impact of the scene to that of standing in front of an open refrigerator) informs Hamlet that he was, in fact, murdered by his own brother Claudius (Anthony Hopkins), who then assumed the crown and appropriated his widow Gertrude (Judy Parifft) as his new bride. Outraged, Hamlet sets out to expose the deceit and fulfill his obsession for revenge. It is most illuminating, in watching Hamlet, how many countless phrases and witticisms from this play have remained part of popular culture throughout the centuries- perhaps the ultimate evidence of the Bard's works. People speak his words every day without even knowing they derive from this timeless work.
The joy of watching any Shakespearean production is the ability to relish top-flight actors at their best. In Hamlet, Nicol Williamson, who never reached leading man status in British cinema, offers a fine portrayal of one of literature's most enduring figures. He is filled with passion and compassion and his slow-building hatred for the King adds suspense right up until the final cat-and-mouse end game built around a fencing match held in the royal court. The final scene is filled with tragic ironies, all in the Shakespearean tradition. Williamson benefits from fine supporting performances by Anthony Hopkins (in one of his first film roles), Judy Parifitt as the Queen (although she is far too young for the role) and Gordon Jackson as Hamlet's ever-loyal friend Horatio. Marianne Faithfull is also excellent as Hamlet's would-be lover Ophelia. Richardson directs the claustrophobic production with admirable skill making this first color film version of the work a compelling experience. Most amusing, however, is the reproduction of the film poster that adorns the DVD sleeve. The movie was obviously inspired by the recent success of director Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Romeo and Juliet. Consequently, the shameless advertisement deceitfully presents a photo of Willliamson gazing lustfully at Faithfull's ample bosom. A tag line absurdly reads "From the author of Romeo and Juliet" as though it was the latest Sidney Sheldon bodice-ripper.
The DVD presentation looks great but this edition is sadly lacking any extras. It would have been interesting to have Shakespearean scholars discuss how the film was viewed in its day as well as in contemporary times.
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By Lee Pfeiffer
Warner Home Video continues to earn the gratitude of movie fans by releasing special editions of films that had limited commercial appeal. The latest example is director Hal Ashby's Lookin' to Get Out, a 1982 comedy that was a notorious box-office disaster - and one that virtually ruined Ashby's career. Like fellow gadfly director Sam Peckinpah, Ashby could be a temperamental personality who prided himself on clashing with studios over issues of artistic integrity. His acclaimed hits include Coming Home, Being There and Shampoo, but -like Peckinpah- he wore out his welcome with his employers and was relegated to filming "by the numbers" movies in return for a paycheck.There has been a renaissance of interest in Ashby's career of late, so hopefully this director's cut of Lookin' to Get Out will find an appreciative audience.
The film stars Jon Voight (who co-wrote the script) as Alex Kovac, a perpetually upbeat but obnoxious compulsive gambler whose insurmountable debts to a local loan shark motivate him to flee to Las Vegas. He is accompanied by his personal Sancho Panza, the dim-witted but loyal Jerry Feldman (Burt Young). In Vegas, Alex reconnects with an old flame, Patti Warner (Ann-Margaret), who finds herself once again smitten by the charismatic loser - even though she is the girlfriend of the multi-millionaire owner of the MGM Grand Casino. Alex concocts an audacious plan to enlist the services of Smitty (Bert Remsen), a once-legendary high stakes gambler now reduced to working as a waiter in the MGM Grand.Alex gets Jerry to impersonate another high roller in order to get an advance on his credit. Using the borrowed $10,000, he plans to have Smitty take the casino to the cleaners through a nerve-wracking game of blackjack. However, the loan shark and his enforcer turn up in hot pursuit - and the plan turns to chaos as Alex and Jerry try to stay alive long enough to win their fortune.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. It moves at a brisk pace and makes excellent use of the Vegas locales. It was the first movie allowed to be shot inside the MGM Grand, which boggles the mind since the screenplay calls for the casino to be the setting for con men, cheating, wild chases and gun play. The permission was granted as a personal favor to Burt Young, who called in some chips, so to speak, in order to get the rights to film on location.
Continue reading "DVD REVIEW: HAL ASHBY'S "LOOKIN' TO GET OUT: THE EXTENDED VERSION""
By Lee Pfeiffer
The independent label Scorpion has released the 1972 low-budget thriller Girls on the Road as a special edition DVD. The film isn't as sexually charged as many might fear, or as many others might hope. The movie is primarily known as an early starring vehicle for Michael Ontkean, who went on to better things in the years to come. The plot centers on two nubile young high school grads (Dianne Hull and Kathleen Cody) who decide to sow their wild oats with a road trip to California's beach areas. En route, they promise each other that they'll pick up guys and engage in a lot of sexual experimentation. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what happens: the two pick up the wrong type of man (Ontkean). He's a Vietnam vet who is carrying a lot of emotional baggage and is being treated for violent mood swings. One minute he's charming and seductive, and the next he's brandishing a pistol at anyone who stares cross-eyed at him. Yet, he brings out the maternal natures of the two teens, who are determined to help him overcome his psychological problems. They all end up in one of those dreadful EST-like self-help communes (this was the 70s, after all) run by none other than middle-aged hippie Ralph Waite. Before long, the girls are subjected to being stalked by a murderer- and all signs point to Ontkean.The film promises a lot of sex, but punts when it comes to delivering it. With the exception of a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of Hull flashing her breasts to elderly driver, most of the other exploitation scenes involve the two girls wearing skimpy clothing in an attempt to seduce Ontkean.
The movie was directed by Tom Schmidt, who died a few years later at age 35. Schmidt worked as assistant director on such A list films as Ice Station Zebra, The Day of the Dolphin and Hour of the Gun before trying to establish a name for himself as a director. If Schmidt had any discernible talents in this area, they are not evident here, though the film does classify as an entertaining "guilty pleasure". Ontkean is fine, as is Waite, arguably the only two cast members with any gravitas. The two female leads often overplay the drama and fear elements, resulting in plenty of unintentional laughs. The film was also released as Hot Summer Week and the Scorpion DVD includes the original opening shot with this title. As usual, the company affords "special edition" treatment to even a modest title like this, which makes viewing it highly enjoyable. In addition to a trailer, there is also an interview with screenwriter David M. Kaufman, who candidly dismisses the effort as terrible movie, though he does speak respectfully of Schmidt.He also elaborates on his own disinterest in the script and speaks about the modest film's troubled production.
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(This film is not regionally coded, which means it will play on any DVD player)
By Lee Pfeiffer
Warner Brothers continues to mine its seemingly exhaustive catalog of Humphrey Bogart titles with the release of The Wagons Roll at Night through the Warner Archive. The 1941 melodrama is compelling throughout and has an unusual setting for the story: a traveling circus. Bogart is cast as Nick Coster, the owner of the circus. He's a tough man of dubious morals who will do just about anything to increase audiences, as the show's box-office receipts dwindle. Through a bizarre happenstance, an escaped lion from the circus enters a small town store where grocery clerk Matt Varney (Eddie Albert) manages to keep it at bay. He becomes a local hero and the ever-opportunistic Nick hires him to take over as lion tamer from the show's drunken and unreliable current star. Matt proves to be a quick learner and soon becomes the star attraction of the circus. However, troubles arises when Matt falls for Nick's younger sister Mary (Joan Leslie), a girl Nick has been almost obsessive in keeping in a perpetual state of virginity. He opposes the relationship and this sets the climax of the story that finds him knowingly sending Matt into a cage with a particularly dangerous lion in the hope he will be killed. Adding to the complications is the presence of the circus fortune teller Flo (Sylvia Sidney), who has an unrequited crush on both Nick and Matt.
Continue reading "DVD REVIEW: "THE WAGONS ROLL AT NIGHT" STARRING HUMPHREY BOGART"
By Lee Pfeiffer
The Night Digger, a well-regarded cult film that died at the box-office upon its initial release in 1971, has been brought to DVD by Warner Archive. The moody and atmospheric film stars Patricia Neal as Maura Prince, a middle-aged woman who resents having allowed life to pass her by while she caters to her nagging, ungrateful mother (Pamela Brown). The two women live a boring life in a run-down, rural mansion on the outskirts of London. When Billy (Nicholas Clay), a transient young man on a motorcycle appears and requests employment as a handyman, Maura balks but her mother consents. The charismatic lad proves to be well worth his room and board, fixing everything in sight and making no demands on either woman. Before long, the sexually-deprived Maura becomes romantically obsessed with him. Neither Maura or her mother realize that Billy is actually a serial killer of young women who is being sought far and wide by the police. He takes moonlight sojourns on his cycle and breaks into women's houses. After molesting them, he kills them and buries their bodies.
Although the film has a good deal of suspense, it's primarily a character study and a look at the self-imposed prisons many people lock themselves into. Neal, working from a screenplay by (then) husband Roald Dahl, is simply superb. Her willingness to portray everyday women, minus any glitz or glamor, made her one of the most watchable actresses of her day. She receives equally good support from Pamela Brown as the Mother Bates figure, an obnoxious self-centered woman who feels no guilt about destroying her daughter's life so that she can have a constant servant and companion. Nicholas Clay is excellent as Billy, underplaying the demonic side of his character and making him somewhat sympathetic. Had the film been the hit it deserved to be, he would have emerged as a much bigger star. The movie also boasts an impressive score by the legendary Bernard Hermann and intelligent direction by Alastair Reid. The film builds to a suspenseful, if unsatisfying and rather confusing climax that might make more sense on repeated viewings. However, The Night Digger an acting tour-de-force for Neal and emerges as an underrated gem. (The movie was also known as The Road Builder)
The DVD contains the original trailer.
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By Lee Pfeiffer
The Warner Archive has released the little-seen, little-remembered 1975 crime thriller Mr. Ricco as a burn to order title. The film is notable primarily for being Dean Martin's last starring role. (He would only be on the big screen twice more in extended cameos for the Cannonball Run films). The MGM production is set in 1975 and finds Martin as a high-powered defense lawyer who helps his client- a black militant (Thalmus Rasulala) - beat a murder rap. Shortly thereafter, Ricco inexplicably finds that an assassin is stalking him and there are several attempts made on his life. Circumstantial evidence points to his militant ex-client, but Ricco can't imagine why this man has marked him for murder. The plot takes a few clever twists in what is otherwise a relatively undistinguished, low-key crime drama. However, there is great pleasure in seeing Martin playing a role of depth and complexity. Ricco is unlike most other parts Martin had been gliding through on automatic pilot for many years. He occasionally seemed to awaken from his predictable patterns and give an impressive performance. This is one such occasion. This time around there are no home bars with endless drinks, no circular water beds and no comely women who think he's a chick magnet. In fact, Ricco has only woman in his life and she's appropriately middle-aged. (Matt Helm would never approve). Furthermore, although Ricco can duke it out with the bad guys, the film's one fight sequence finds him on the short end of the conflict, a welcome and believable development. The film is ably directed by Paul Bogart and moves at a brisk clip, utilizing the San Francisco locations in an effective way. A climactic shootout in a posh art museum is especially well-staged, as is the relatively downbeat ending. There are some popular TV actors in supporting roles: Denise Nicholas (Room 222), pre-Laverne and Shirley Cindy Williams and Philip Michael Thomas (billed here as Philip Thomas, still years away from stardom on Miami Vice.)
Frank Sinatra once said of his adopted "brother", "Dean Martin does not like to work." Martin, like Sinatra,tired of the drudgery of making films and retired from the business to concentrate on crooning. One can only wonder how many good performances he still had in him. Many of his films were disposable and forgettable, but they were always entertaining. I liked Mr. Ricco more than I anticipated. Martin fans will want to sample this entertaining footnote in his remarkable career.
The DVD includes the original trailer.
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RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM THE CINEMA RETRO ARCHIVES
By Lee Pfeiffer
If you're stumped about what to get dad for the holidays and were thinking of picking up some Charles Bronson DVDs, stop reading right now! However, if you're in market to reward someone who appreciates movies that epitomize the cliche "they don't make 'em like that anymore" then you'll be happy to know that Warner Brothers and Turner Classic Movies have teamed for a boxed set titled TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams. The set contains five films starring the legendary actress/swimming champ. I confess to not having seen any Esther Williams films until receiving this set - with the exception of the 1961 circus movie The Big Show - ironically one of the few in which our legendary leading lady didn't get any closer to water than passing the pool of trained seals. In watching these films today you are reminded that the grand old musical is a genre that has been virtually abandoned by Hollywood even though it was once one of the most popular staples of the motion picture business. Nothing illustrates this bygone era better than this collection. For the uninitiated, these films would appear to be artifacts from some ancient civilization - but that is precisely what gives them a sense of charm and innocence.
Continue reading "TAKE THE PLUNGE WITH THE ESTHER WILLIAMS DVD COLLECTION"
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