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Law & Order: Season 1 (1990)Starring: Sam Waterston, Jerry ... Read more

Law & Order: Season 1 (1990)Starring: Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha MerkersonDVD: Region 1, 6 discsFrom its gritty documentary look to its signature note-knocking "tching-tching" that signals scene changes, Law & Order was a groundbreaking cop show when it debuted in 1990. It has since earned Emmys for Best Dramatic Series and spun off satellite franchises, and reruns of the original series are as omnipresent in syndication as those of I Love Lucy. Devoted fans and those who came late to the series can catch it from the beginning with this six-disc set that contains all 22 episodes from the inaugural season.Law & Order is television's most resilient series. It has survived wholesale changes to its ensemble. One of the secrets of the show's durability: its compelling structure. The first half of each hour-long episode is classic police procedural in which "Law," personified in the first season by partners Greevey (George Dzundza--and be sure to catch the interview segment with series creator Dick Wolfe to learn how to pronounce his name) and Mike Logan (Christopher Noth, the future "Mr. Big" on Sex and the City) investigate a crime and make an arrest. The second half chronicles the ensuing trial, as prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks) under the supervision of Steven Hill's Adam Schiff (more feisty and animated here than in later seasons).Law & Order is also distinguished by its superb writing. Several episodes take their inspiration from the headlines, including "By Hooker, By Crook" about a socialite-run call-girl ring, and "Indifference," which recalls the tragic Lisa Steinberg child abuse case. Others deal with such hot-button issues as abortion ("Life Choice") and AIDS ("The Reaper's Helper"). Another plus is the talent pool of character actors who lend their verisimilitude. Guest stars include Samuel L. Jackson and Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Violence of Summer"), The West Wing's John Spencer ("Prescription for Death"), Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon ("Subterranean Homeboy Blues"), and The Sopranos' Dominic Chianese ("Sonata for Stolen Organ"). Minimize

Bonanza (1959 ) Complete Season 1Season 1, Vol. 1 & 2DVD: R ... Read more

Bonanza (1959 ) Complete Season 1Season 1, Vol. 1 & 2DVD: Region 1ColorStarring: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell RobertsThe show chronicled the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by the thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright (played by Lorne Greene). He had three sons, each by a different wife: the eldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright (played by Pernell Roberts) who built the ranch house; the second was the warm and lovable giant Eric, better known by his nickname "Hoss" (played by Dan Blocker); and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or "Little Joe" (played by Michael Landon). The family's cook was the Chinese immigrant Hop Sing (played by Victor Sen Yung). Bonanza was considered an atypical western for its time, as the core of the storylines dealt less about the range but more with Ben and his three dissimilar sons, how they cared for one another, their neighbors and just causes.You always saw stories about family on comedies or on an anthology, but Bonanza was the first series that was week-to-week about a family and the troubles it went through. Another thing about Bonanza that is interesting is that it is a period drama, but it attempted to confront contemporary social issues. That was very difficult to do then on television. Most shows that tried to do it failed because the sponsors didn't like it, and the networks were nervous about getting letters.The family lived on a thousand-square-mile ranch called Ponderosa on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada. The massive size of the Cartwright's land was quietly revised to "half a million acres" on Lorne Greene's 1964 song, "Saga of the Ponderosa" ("Bonanza" set liner notes, Bear Family Records, disk 1). The ranch name refers to the Ponderosa Pine, common in the West. The nearest town to the Ponderosa was Virginia City, where the Cartwrights would go to converse with Sheriff Roy Coffee (played by veteran actor Ray Teal), or his deputy Clem Foster (Bing Russell). Greene, Roberts, Blocker, and Landon were billed equally. The opening credits would alternate the order among the four stars. As the series advanced, writers began to showcase one or two Cartwrights in each episode, while the others would be seen briefly in the prologue and epilogue. Not only did this provide for more thorough character development, it also gave all four actors more free time.Originally, the Cartwrights tended to be depicted as put-off by outsiders. Lorne Greene, however, objected to this, pointing out that as the area's largest timber and livestock producer, the family should be less clannish. The producers agreed with this observation and changed the Cartwrights to be more amiable.The show's title "Bonanza" is a term used by miners in regards to a large vein or deposit of ore, and most likely refers to The Comstock Lode. Minimize

The Warriors (1955) Errol Flynn, Joanne DruDirector: Henry ... Read more

The Warriors (1955) Errol Flynn, Joanne DruDirector: Henry LevinCo-stars: Peter Finch, Yvonne Furneaux, Michael Hordern, Robert Urquhart85 minutes, TechnicolorDVD-R: Region ALLFlynn's final swashbuckler is a rousing costumer shot in Hertfordshire, England, which doubles as 14th-century France. Hordern is Edward III, whose men have defeated the French in the Hundred Years' War. Hordern comes back to England and allows his son, Flynn, to stay on the continent and keep watch over the Empire's new acquisitions in Aquitaine. The French king is a captive, but his countrymen still don't accept the defeat and have decided to begin a counterattack. Since Hordern returned to England with a great many troops, there is but a skeleton crew in France and the rebels know it. Further, French leader Finch has taken Dru, a British noblewoman, as a hostage. Finch is no great patriot, though, and he wants to take back Aquitaine for selfish reasons. He's a count with a mean disposition and cunning ways. He takes Dru to a castle, where she will be kept until the war is finally over, thinking his plot will cause Flynn to walk right into a trap with his men. Flynn, however, has other ideas. He masquerades as an itinerant knight, joins Finch's army, and gathers information as to the weaknesses of Finch's forces. In the exciting final sequence, Flynn leads his men in a defense of Hordern's castle. (This was the same castle used in IVANHOE--also shot at the Elstree studio in England.) Dru is rescued and Flynn, once again, is at the forefront of a revision of history. The picture looks totally authentic; the dialog is sparse when it should be and never becomes overblown. It's a good example of the genre, although Flynn, at age 46, was becoming a bit wrinkled and grizzled for this type of role. Yvonne Furneaux sings "Bella Marie," and while it's a pleasant air, it has nothing to do with the picture and seems to have been shoehorned in. Minimize

Cheyenne (1955) Season 1 on DVD: Region 1Starring: Clint Wa ... Read more

Cheyenne (1955) Season 1 on DVD: Region 1Starring: Clint Walker, James Garner, Clyde Howdy, Lois Collier, 5 discsNo collection of classic TV Westerns is complete without Cheyenne, the trailblazing 1955 series that premiered within weeks of Gunsmoke. The strapping Clint Walker stars as Cheyenne Bodie, the iconic role that earned him his place in the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Cheyenne is a classic Western hero in the drifter tradition, accepting jobs ranging from frontier scout to trail boss. In this first season, he is accompanied at times by sidekick Smitty (L.Q. Jones). "It takes about a minute to know a man," one character remarks during the course of Cheyenne's first season. But we size up Cheyenne in an instant. He is a man of honor, straight shooting and plainspoken. In one episode, he declines an offered position of ranch foreman. "I don't like the job," he states, "and when I don't like a job, I turn it down." When a woman refers to Indians as "savages" in the first episode, Cheyenne enlightens her, "The Indians think we're the savages." Several episodes, including "Quicksand" and "The Last Train West," echo the John Ford masterpiece, Stagecoach, as Cheyenne finds himself amongst a diverse and disparate group of people who are thrown together by circumstance.Cheyenne was part of a new breed of "adult Western." The episode "Johnny Bravo" (was this the inspiration for Greg's rock star nom de plume on The Brady Bunch?) deals with a rancher who disapproves of his daughter's affair with a Mexican. Keep a sharp lookout for actors who would later become Hollywood's most wanted. A pre-Maverick James Garner appears as different characters in three episodes. Dennis Hopper is hot-triggered gunfighter the Utah Kid, in "Quicksand." And that's the future Miss Hathaway, Nancy Kulp, as a sassy waitress in "Johnny Bravo." Cheyenne was originally broadcast as one of three rotating series under the banner, Warner Brothers Presents, but it quickly established itself as the runaway hit. Like the best Westerns, it is anything but quaint nostalgia. With its timeless setting, compelling stories, charismatic hero, and positive values, the sun will never set on Cheyenne. Minimize

Monte Walsh (1970) Lee Marvin, Jeanne MoreauDirector: Willi ... Read more

Monte Walsh (1970) Lee Marvin, Jeanne MoreauDirector: William A. FrakerCo-stars: Jack Palance, Jim Davis, Michael Conrad106 minutes, TechnicolorDVD: Region 1Cinematographer Frakers directorial debut. After years of running the camera for several others, he finally got his chance to say "action" and made the most of it. MONTE WALSH is an interesting, atypical western romp that signals the end of the era. There is a similarity between this film and LONELY ARE THE BRAVE. Although the time frames are different, both films are pessimistic in their heralding of the end. Frakers eye for imagery is evident in every shot, although he didnt let that overtake the compelling characterizations of the actors. Marvin and Palance are two down-at-the-boot-heels cowboys who ride toward the ironically named town of Harmony and take jobs at a ranch run by Davis. They encounter an old saddlemate, Mitch Ryan, and go into the town where Marvin pays a call on his one-time mistress, Moreau, at the local saloon. When the ranch is foreclosed by Eastern bankers, Palance begins to woo Allyn Ann McLerie, a new widow who now owns a thriving hardware store. Ryan also loses his job, gets involved in a fracas and winds up killing Leroy Johnson, a lawman. Meanwhile, Palance and McLerie tie the knot. He immediately becomes the soul of conservatism and family thinking, advising the grizzled Marvin to forget about cowboy life and settle down. However, Moreau has left Harmony so Marvin trails her and asks her to marry him. But she tells him she has tuberculosis and thinks it might be better if they avoided any long-term entanglements. Marvin is distraught by her news and promptly gets drunk. As he leaves town, he comes across a wild stallion and manages to "break" it. The horse is part of a wild west show and the owner offers Marvin a job as a carnival attraction. Although he is flat broke, Marvin has too much pride to accept the job of impersonating "Texas Jack Barrat," stating "I aint spittin on my whole life." Riding the wild horse through the small town, he does quite a bit of damage. Then, returning to Harmony, he learns that Ryan was robbing the hardware store and murdered Palance. He rides out after Ryan, but when he hears that Moreau is very sick, he goes to her new town, finding she has already died. Ryan is also in the town, and he knows full well that Marvin intends to exact revenge. In the final scene, the two men stalk each other through town until Marvin kills Ryan (who was making his film debut). After seeing Marvin in CAT BALLOU, the first tendency is to smile at his bust-out cowboy, but we soon realize he is a serious man this time around. Palance grins his way through the picture with more charisma than he usually demonstrates. Fraker spends much time re-creating Remington-style paintings on screen and the opening scenes are slow to develop. But once the action begins and the relationships are established, the picture succeeds on all levels. Filmed near Tucson, MONTE WALSH didnt make a lot of money, but its realistic depiction of the disintegration of the "Old" West made it a sentimental favorite for nearly everyone who saw it. In small roles, note Fred Waugh (one of the best stunt men around) and Dick Farnsworth, who eventually came to the worlds notice with his excellent role in THE GREY FOX. Roy Barcroft, the great western and serial villain, had a bit role in this film and died just before it was released in 1969 Minimize

Patton (1970) George C. Scott, Karl MaldenDirector: Frankli ... Read more

Patton (1970) George C. Scott, Karl MaldenDirector: Franklin J. SchaffnerCo-stars: Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Pat Zurica172 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1What PATHS OF GLORY attempted to show about the relationships between officers and men of the first World War, PATTON in part attempts to do for the second. Patton, of course, is best remembered as the general who slapped a soldier. But George C. Scott, under the direction of Franklin Schaffner, creates a much more colorful and ambiguous portrait. This WWII spectacle is immense but Scott's virtuoso performance looms larger than any of its battles. His characterization can appeal to both hawks and doves; it can appreciated either as a critique or a paean. He's insensitive to his men's plight on some occasions, gentle as a loving father on others. Patton's eccentricity may very well have been an important ingredient of victory. PATTON is a war movie of unusual depth and a landmark in screen biographies.Beginning with a classic six-minute speech by Patton about the fighting spirit of Americans, the film traces the legendary WWII exploits of "Old Blood and Guts" from his defeat of Rommel's Afrika Korps at El Guettar to the invasion of Sicily, during which he disobeys orders and beats rival Field Marshal Montgomery (Michael Bates) to Messina. We also see his loss of command for slapping a battle-fatigued soldier because he has been hospitalized but has no wounds. Then, after sitting out D-Day as a decoy, Patton is given command of the 3rd Army, winning one mighty battle after another with his armored troops and eventually speeding to the rescue of the encircled 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, ending Hitler's last great counteroffensive in the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, Patton is sent into involuntary retirement after his highly vocal criticism of the Soviet Union, and the film ends with his farewell to his faithful staff.Scott won a richly deserved Academy Award (which he refused) for his performance. Sturdy support is provided by Karl Malden as Gen. Omar Bradley, Edward Binns as Maj. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, John Doucette as Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott, and Bates as Montgomery. Franklin J. Schaffner's direction is majestic particularly in his masterful handling of complex battle scenes; shot in 70-millimeter, Dimension 150, these broad, impersonal spectacles have a macabre beauty that gives the viewer a serene God's-eye-view of modern warfare. Fox hoped to duplicate the success of its black-and-white blockbuster, THE LONGEST DAY, by spending a fortune on this spectacular film, which was shot on location in England, Spain, Morocco, and Greece. Minimize

8 Simple Rules (2002)Season 1 on DVD: Region 1, 3 discsStar ... Read more

8 Simple Rules (2002)Season 1 on DVD: Region 1, 3 discsStarring: John Ritter, Katey SagalAfter gaining fame as ladies man Jack Tripper on the 1970s sitcom Three's Company, John Ritter steals the show as a father of three--including two nubile teenage girls--on 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The first season, which aired on ABC during 2002 and 2003, introduces viewers to Paul (Ritter) and Cate Hennessy (Katey Sagal) and their precocious children Bridget (Kaley Cuoco), Kerry (Amy Davidson), and Rory (Martin Spanjers). When former stay-at-home mom Cate returns to the work force as a nurse, it's up to Paul to write his newspaper column at home on occasion and mind the kids. The first season deals with that uneasy transition. It's actually refreshing to see a family depicted where the parents don't always like the kids. Paul often jokes with Cate that he's mad she ever suggested they start a family. He also notes, "What's it called if you're damned if you do and damned if you don't? Oh yes, fatherhood."As for the children, we've seen similar stereotypical characters on other sitcoms. Bridget is the 16-year-old blonde bombshell. Kerry is her awkward, brunette younger sister, and Rory is their kid brother who has the creepy habit of hiding in their closets. Paul's relationship with Rory is even keeled. But it's his daughters that he is trying to win over. They love him, but they're also embarrassed and befuddled by him. Just when he thinks he's bonding with them, the girls will sarcastically point out his faults--such as his being at least 100 years old. As he succinctly points out to his wife, "They live in my house, but they don't even like me. They're not kids. They're cats!" Though the show is big on comic moments, it also is generous in sharing poignant memories. When Paul looks at his girls, he doesn't see young women that even his friends think of as hotties. Rather, he still views them as innocent toddlers who looked up to and adored him. Sagal, who was so over-the-top in both looks and mannerisms when she played the matriarch on Married with Children, is a wonderful foil for Ritter. Beautiful, smart, and funny, she's a tough act for him to follow when it comes to being a stay-at-home dad. Minimize

Wings (1927) Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' RogersDirector: Wil ... Read more

Wings (1927) Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' RogersDirector: William A. WellmanCo-stars: Richard Arlen, Jobyna Ralston, Gary Cooper, Henry B. Walthall139 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD: Region 1Wings was the first feature film to win an Academy Award. Two World War I aviators (Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen) are in love with the same woman (Jobyna Ralston). During the aerial "dogfight" sequences, the film is something else again: a grand-scale spectacular, the likes of which has never been duplicated, not even by more expensive efforts like Hell's Angels (1930) and The Blue Max (1965). Twenty-eight-year-old director William Wellman, himself a wartime aviator, was fortunate enough to have the full cooperation of the US War department at his disposal (even though his legendary temper nearly lost him that cooperation on more than one occasion!) Brilliantly handled though the aerial scenes may be, they are matched by the Earthbound combat sequences, including the now-famous shot of a long trench caving in on hundreds of unfortunate doughboys. The storyline is as follows: Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong ($owell) hate each other during basic training, grow to like each other, and fall out again while competing for the affections of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston). Mary Preston (Clara Bow) sacrifices her own nursing career to save a drunken Powell from disgrace, Powell goes on a rampage when he believes his pal Armstrong has been killed, inadvertently shoots down Armstrong while decimating the German air corps, and is finally reunited with the nurse. Wrapped up in nurse's garb throughout most of the film, the ebullient Clara Bow is permitted a sequence in which, disguised as a Parisian floozie while trying to rescue a revelling Rogers, she displays a great deal of epidermis. One of the film's chief claims to fame is its "introduction" of Gary Cooper (who'd actually been in films since the early 1920s), in a brief but crucial role as veteran flyer with a cheerily fatalistic attitude. When originally released, Wings included a sequence lensed in the wide-screen "Magnascope" process; even when seen "flat", however, the film contains some of the best flying sequences ever captured on celluloid. Minimize

Suspense (1946) Belita, Barry SullivanDirector: Frank Tuttl ... Read more

Suspense (1946) Belita, Barry SullivanDirector: Frank TuttleCo-stars: Bonita Granville, Albert Dekker101 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLCrime story with the added attraction of music, ice skating, and what must have been the highest budget that Monogram put behind a picture up to that time. Two of the King Brothers produced this melange of styles from an original script by Yordan. Sullivan is a onetime hot shot who has had a few bad rolls of the dice, so he must seek honest employment. He takes a job hustling peanuts for the ice skating show run by Dekker. Not content to hawk the food, Sullivan insinuates himself with his boss and makes some good suggestions; one of them turns out to be a spectacular trick that Dekker's wife, Belita, performs. She finds Sullivan more than passingly interesting, and it's only a short time before the two are cheating behind Dekker's back. Dekker didn't get to be an important impresario by luck, though, and he soon smells what's happening between Sullivan and Belita, so he takes her off to a vacation in the mountains, where they own a cabin. At the same time, Sullivan's old flame, Granville, comes back into his life. She's just arrived from Chicago and would like to resume their once-torrid affair, but Sullivan will have no part of her. The torch she is carrying burns even more fiercely. Sullivan drives to the mountains, ostensibly to discuss some business with Dekker, but it's really to see Belita. Dekker invites Sullivan to stay the night rather than drive back to town in the dark. It's a ruse on Dekker's part. He yawns, tells them he's tired, and says he's going to sleep. Instead, he peeks and sees that Belita and Sullivan are magnetized to each other and kiss passionately. When Sullivan and Belita go ice skating the next day, a shot rings out that misses them both. But the sound of the rifle crack is so strong that an avalance begins and inundates the small frozen pond and the surrounding area. Belita and Sullivan manage to escape the angry snow, then get back to the cabin, where they find that Dekker and a rifle are missing. They surmise that Dekker fired the shot and was then crushed by the avalanche.Back in the city, Sullivan becomes the boss of the ice show and he and Belita practically melt the ice around them with the heat of their passion. Belita is disturbed that Dekker's body was never found and the memory bothers her. She eventually discovers that Dekker didn't die in the avalanche. He was murdered by Sullivan and his corpse was placed in a large roll-top desk that Sullivan burned at a later time, thus destroying the evidence. When she finds that out, she can't bear to be with Sullivan any longer. But Sullivan has his own plans about how to deal with a recalcitrant mistress. The big number in the show is Belita's leap through a circle of razor-sharp swords. If any of the blades were loose, or even slightly out of kilter, she would be killed. Prior to a show, Sullivan arranges for one of the swords to be loose enough to get her. Belita's eagle eye spots the sword and she slips it back into place. Sullivan sees that she's too smart for him and walks out of the arena. He's hated being the show's ringmaster anyhow and it's time for him to move on. As he walks down the darkened street, Granville, the spurned woman, steps out of the shadows and guns him down in as unlikely and unmotivated an ending as anyone would want.Nick Castle does some good ice skating choreography and Belita, one of many skaters who were all the rage at the time, handles her chores well. Miguelito Valdez, who plays a singer in the ice show, does his own song, "Candido." The production number tunes were "Ice Cuba," "East Side Boogie" (Tommy Reilly), and "With You in My Arms" (by Dunham and Alexander), both done by Bobby Ramos and his orchestra. Belita's real name was Gladys L. Jepson-Turner and she was born in England. She'd been skating since infancy and was a headliner in the Ice Capades before making h Minimize

Saskatchewan (1954) Alan Ladd, Shelley WintersDirector: Rao ... Read more

Saskatchewan (1954) Alan Ladd, Shelley WintersDirector: Raoul WalshCo-stars: J. Carrol Naish, Hugh O'Brian, Jay Silverheels87 minutes, TechnicolorDVD-R: Region ALLAlan Ladd is a Mountie in Canada (it was shot around Banff in the Canadian Rockies) who has been out trapping with Silverheels. The two men were raised together in a Cree village and are blood brothers. Ladd is going back to work at Mountie headquarters in Saskatchewan and Silverheels is returning to the village. They come upon a massacre. A wagon train has been decimated and the only survivor is Winters, who says that it was a tribe of Indians who killed everyone. Ladd will take her to safety at his fort, but she seems not to want to go. At the fort, Ladd learns that the only Indians reported in the area are the Cree, the same ones who raised him, and he knows that they are nonviolent. Soon he discovers the warlike Sioux have come up from the US and have been raiding various areas. They are also responsible for a slaughter of cavalrymen from the US Seventh Cavalry. The Sioux are attempting to incite the docile Cree Indians into forming an alliance and attacking settlers. Ladd is ordered to force the Cree to give up their weapons, but he feels that's a mistake that would force the Cree to align themselves with the Sioux. This gets him in trouble with Robert Douglas, his new commander, a martinet who goes by the book. Meanwhile, O'Brian, a Montana marshal, arrives with a warrant for Winters' arrest on a murder charge. He takes custody of Winters and they head for the US, along with a detachment of Mounties including Douglas and Ladd who have word that Sioux warriors are gathering at the border. Along the way, it's learned that O'Brian has falsified charges against Winters because he wants her as his mistress. Seeing that Winters is attracted to Ladd, O'Brian tries to kill him, but is himself gunned down by Douglas. The Mounties reach a fort near the border where they are surrounded by Sioux and seemed doomed, but Ladd escapes and with Silverheels he summons a war party of Cree who arrive in the nick of time to defeat the Sioux and save the Mounties. At the fade, Ladd and Winters are making plans for a wonderful life together. Lots of action and beautiful photography. O'Brian makes a good villain and J. Carroll Naish plays an Indian scout with the same professionalism he always brought to every role. Ladd offers all the heroic stoicism the part requires, and Winters overacts mightily. Minimize

Metropolis (1927) Alfred Abel, Brigitte HelmDirector: Fritz ... Read more

Metropolis (1927) Alfred Abel, Brigitte HelmDirector: Fritz LangCo-stars: Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich148 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD: Region 1The complete Metropolis restored to 148 minutes. Moralistic science fiction at its maddest, Fritz Lang's ambitious silent classic METROPOLIS still has the power to impress us with its inspired art direction and its expressionistic vision.In a great city of the future, downtrodden industrial workers slave at vile, dehumanizing underground jobs while the upper classes enjoy life above sea level. One day, a raucous party attended by the privileged youth of Metropolis is interrupted by a scruffy group of workers' children led by Maria (Brigitte Helm), an advocate of better working conditions. This visit impels Freder Frederson (Gustav Frohlich) to go down and investigate his father's giant factory. When Freder reports the appalling conditions he has found underground to his father, Joh Frederson (Alfred Abel), the older man is unmoved. Freder returns to the factory, where he impulsively spells a worker who has collapsed while performing his brutalizing duties.Frederson visits the home of Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge), an eccentric and sinister scientist, who shows him a robot he has created to replace human workers. Then the two men go underground to spy on a mass meeting being addressed by Maria, who is preaching her philosophy of peace, patience, and mediation to the workers. In the process, she tells them the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Sensing her great influence, Frederson instructs Rotwang to convert his robot into an exact replica of Maria, an android he intends to use for subversive purposes. If Frederson's plan is to work, the real Maria must disappear, so Rotwang kidnaps and hides her in his laboratory.The robot-Maria is ready the next day. After her seductive powers are tested at a reception given for Metropolis's most prominent men, the evil robot is sent underground to preach hatred and violent revolution. "Destroy the machines," she exhorts the workers, and leads them to the city's central power station. There, a foreman (Heinrich George) warns the frenzied mob that if they destroy the powerhouse their own homes will be destroyed; but his words are in vain.The powerhouse explodes and the workers' quarters are flooded, but Freder and Maria, who has escaped from Rotwang's lab, manage to save the lives of the children. Unaware of this, the foreman tells the rioting workers that their sabotage has killed their own children. Berserk with grief and anger, they seize the robot-Maria and tie her to a stake, which they set on fire. As she is burning, they are shocked to see her revert to the form of a metallic robot.Rotwang, fearing that the bloodthirsty mob will see the real Maria and turn on him for deceiving them, abducts her again and carries her onto the roof of a tall cathedral, pursued by Freder. The two men struggle and Rotwang falls to his death.In the cathedral square, Maria attempts to reconcile the industrialist Frederson and his foreman. "There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain," she says, "unless the heart acts as a mediator." After some hesitation, the two men shake hands as Maria and Freder come together in a romantic embrace.METROPOLIS was originally more than two-and-a-half hours long. When it was released in the US, it was shortened by about 40 percent. The deleted material--some of which showed up in a restored version that appeared in the 1980s (replete with a synthesized score by Giorgio Moroder)--contained information that Rotwang had been in love with the deceased wife of Frederson and mother of Freder.Fritz Lang visited America in 1924. While waiting to disembark in New York City, he spotted a street ablaze with neon--an image that became the inspiration for METROPOLIS. Over two years in the making, the film employed 3,700 extras, 1,000 of whom were unemployed men who agreed to have their heads shaved for the Tower of Babel seq Minimize

Boy On A Dolphin (1957) Alan Ladd, Sophia LorenDirector: Je ... Read more

Boy On A Dolphin (1957) Alan Ladd, Sophia LorenDirector: Jean NegulescoCo-stars: Clifton Webb, Alex Minotis111 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLA lavish and lush adventure film, BOY ON A DOLPHIN could easily be dismissed as a variation of THE MALTESE FALCON shot under water, but for the considerable talents of its principal players, chiefly the resolute Ladd, the snide and sophisticated Webb, and the earthy and generously endowed Loren, whose animalistic sex appeal wowed male viewers around the world in this, her first American film. While swimming off the coast of the Greek island Hydra, sponge diver Loren discovers a sunken ship in the deep, an ancient Greek galley which boasts treasure, including an exquisite statue of a boy on a dolphin. So awe-inspiring is this underwater marvel, Loren almost fails to surface. When she does, she blurts her find to her boy friend, jorge Mistral, a sleazy sort who immediately begins scheming to sell the artifacts. They naively approach Ladd, an American archeologist working for the Greek museums, and he becomes excited. He will not pay for it, however, demanding that Loren and Mistral turn it over to their country as patriots who should want to see its heritage preserved. Mistral goes to greedy millionaire Webb, a collector of great treasures. The two begin planning how to raise the ship's treasure secretly and smuggle it out of the country, a job for which Webb promises to pay handsomely. He is also taken with Loren and offers to make her his mistress, but she rejects him, leaving his yacht in a huff. Moreover, Loren has fallen in love with Ladd and is having patriotic pangs of guilt. She is encouraged to side with Ladd by her kid brother Piero Giagoni, whose innocent performance of an American-idolizing boy is captivating and funny. She finally leads Ladd to the spot, and both dive, only to find the treasure gone. Mistral has taken Webb to the location first. Ladd believes Loren has betrayed him and will have nothing more to do with her. In a risky confrontation with her former boy friend and the avaricious Webb, Loren manages to recover the treasure with the help of Greek authorities; it is delivered into the harbor, the bronze statue of the boy on a dolphin jutting from the government gunboat. Webb sails away empty-handed, telling his yacht captain to steer a course for Monte Carlo. Ladd, realizing that Loren has been faithful to him, takes her into his arms as the Greek villagers cheer wildly at the restoration of their national treasure.Many of the cast and crew had been involved in the production of the 1954 smash hit THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN which was shot on location in Rome and were enlisted for BOY ON A DOLPHIN when Fox decided to re-create the same kind of exotic background. The film is filed with shots of the Parthenon, the winding streets of Athens, the crumbling Epidaurus amphitheater, and the stunning coastal towns along the azure Aegean Sea. Robert Mitchum was originally selected to play the role of the archeologist, but he was committed elsewhere, so Fox gave the nod to Ladd, who was just completing THE BIG LAND. He agreed to do the film, but his price was high, more than $275,000, according to one report, then a whopping sum. He was not too happy with Webb's presence, having run afoul of that actor's acerbic wit years earlier. (Webb would be cordial throughout the film but, on his return to Hollywood, he complained of Ladd's temperament.) Yet Ladd's best scenes are with Webb as they play cat-and-mouse games about the treasure. In these, he is animated and properly adversarial while in almost all his scenes with Loren he is withdrawn, almost indifferent. Of course, he had reason to be. Loren was using the film to boost an international reputation as Italy's new sex symbol, her expansive physique advertised to be bigger and broader and more sumptuous than the considerable attributes of Gina Lollobrigida. Ladd stood only about 5'4" and was amazed when he first met Loren, wh Minimize

Moonlight and Pretzels (1933) Leo Carrillo, Mary BrianDirec ... Read more

Moonlight and Pretzels (1933) Leo Carrillo, Mary BrianDirector: Karl FreundCo-stars: Roger Pryor, Herbert Rawlinson, Lilian Miles, William Frawley83 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLVaudeville performer George Dwight (Roger Pryor) finds himself stranded in the small town of Walkerville, and talks his way into a job at a music store owned by Sally Upton (Mary Brian). Dwight's personality and piano playing, and his way with plugging a song help make the store a success, but his real goal is a shot at the big time as a songwriter, and he gets it when he sells one of his compositions. That sends him running to New York -- much to Mary's disappointment -- and he manages to wangle a job with a pair of Broadway producers. Over the next couple of years, working closely with leading lady Elsie Warren (Lillian Miles), George Dwight becomes one of the most successful songwriters on the Great White Way, and when he and Elsie tire of the manipulations of their bosses, they decide to break away so that George can produce his work himself. This gives him the chance to write in a more serious mode than he's ever had the opportunity to do before, something that Elsie isn't thrilled with -- George wants to do a show that's not only popular, but also important, with memorable music and an important message. Sally walks back into his life in the midst of the production, and now he wants to resume the romance that she'd hoped would blossom in Walkerville. But he's soon beset by problems when his former producers try to steal the production out from under him, and he's forced to go to a professional gambler, Nick Pappacroplis (Leo Carrillo) to rescue the show. And just when it looks like he's got his chance, along comes Nick's friend Sport Powell (Herbert Rawlinson), who has eyes for Sally and his own designs on the production. Minimize

Starring Judy Canova, Allan Jones, Ann Miller, Jerry Colonn ... Read more

Starring Judy Canova, Allan Jones, Ann Miller, Jerry Colonna and Clarence KolbDirected by Albert S. RogellWhile doing her tight-rope act in a local circus, Daisy Hawkins (Judy Canova), see the owner shot by gangsters. The gangsters are after her to eliminate the only eye witness and the police chase her to testify against the gangsters. Daisy goes to the nearby army camp where her sweetheart, J. Wethersby "Pinky" Fothergill (Jerry Colonna), is the chief carrier pigeon trainer. Rehearsal for the big army show is being held by Private Stephen Chandler (Allan Jones). Daisy, looking like just another female impersonator to him, is mistaken for one of the boys in the chorus. Pinky sets him straight and they cut Daisy's hair and get her into a uniform, but have to work hard to convince Sergeant Butts (William Demarest) she is one of the boys. Some honest-to-goodness pulchritude comes to the show when Vicki Marlowe (Ann Miller), the daughter of General Marlowe (Clarence Kolb), becomes interested in Chandler. Daisy wins a medal for marksmanship and the soldiers insist on taking "him" to celebrate at the town's hot spot. There, she is spotted by the gangsters when they see him/her polishing his/her nose Minimize

Alaska: The Inside PassageStarring: Chenoa Egawa60 minutes, ... Read more

Alaska: The Inside PassageStarring: Chenoa Egawa60 minutes, DVD: Region 1Discover one of the most beautiful waterways in the world — the Blue Highway, a major North American sea route that stretches 1,000 miles from the Puget Sound in Washington state, past the rugged Canadian coast to the channels and islands in southeast Alaska. Learn how the area has changed over thousands of years, from canoes to cruise ships. This travel film's a “road” trip through time you won’t want to miss!Discover the Blue Highway One minute, you are paddling through smooth water along quiet coastal islands and inlets on your way to visit a neighboring tribe. The next, you are steering an ancient sailing ship through dangerous white caps and rocky shores in search of a new northwest route. Experience it all in high definition in Alaska: The Inside Passage!.Beautiful History Mountains and ocean, calm shoreline and soggy forests. Discover one of the most beautiful waterways in the world the Blue Highway, a major North American sea route that stretches 1,000 miles from the Puget Sound in Washington state, past the rugged Canadian coast to the channels and islands in southeast Alaska. The area is one of the most culturally compelling, as well. Learn how it has changed over thousands of years, from canoes to cruise ships. Its a road trip through time you wont want to miss!Legends of the Land & Sea The Native people of the Inside Passage know from our creation stories that weve lived here since the beginning of time. These islands, channels, bays and beaches have always been central to our existence. The Passage sustains us. -Host Chenoa Egawa, a member of the Lummi and S Klallam nations Minimize

You are watching our 1 Shot Restoring High Gloss Clear Coat ... Read more

You are watching our 1 Shot Restoring High Gloss Clear Coating. NET 32 FL. OZ. ( 1 quart) 946 ml 1 Shot (4003) Sign Restoring Clear / Gloss Topcoat is a high gloss clear that serves as an excellent topcoat protectant in situations where gilding may be exposed to wear, abrasion and contamination. Also can be tinted with 1 Shot Lettering Enamels for faux-asphaltum effects on gilded designs. Gilding Materials Tools Please click this photo for more items What are the basic steps in Gold Leafing? St Minimize

North To Alaska (1960) John Wayne, Stewart GrangerDirector: ... Read more

North To Alaska (1960) John Wayne, Stewart GrangerDirector: Henry HathawayCo-stars: Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, Capucine, Mickey Shaugnessy, John Qualen122 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1After years of hinting at a fun-loving, broad sense of humor in his movies, Wayne pulls out all the stops and plays NORTH TO ALASKA strictly for laughs. This sprawling western comedy proved so successful for Wayne that he played many of his last roles in this endearing style of gentle self-parody. The film is set in north Alaska circa 1890 and finds Wayne, Granger, and Granger's kid brother, Fabian, partners in a gold mine. Having struck it rich, Wayne travels to Seattle to buy more machinery and retrieve Granger's French-born fiancee, who was supposed to wait while the men dug out a fortune. Granger has sent Wayne on the mission because he intends to stay at the mine site and put the finishing touches on the honeymoon cabin he has built for the occasion. Unfortunately, when Wayne locates the girl in Seattle, it turns out she is married to another man. Dreading having to return to Alaska with the bad news, Wayne visits a Seattle brothel to console himself with drink and women. There he meets another young French girl, Capucine, and, figuring that one French girl is as good as another, decides to bring her back with him as a replacement. Capucine likes Wayne and thinks that he is bringing her to Alaska to make her his bride, not Granger's. Meanwhile, oily con man Kovacs (whom Wayne had run into before he left) has slyly befriended Granger and Fabian with an eye toward grabbing their gold mine. Such is the trust between Kovacs and Granger that Granger buys a "diamond" ring from the trickster as a wedding present to his bride (of course it is fake). On the ship back to Alaska, Capucine is dismayed to learn that Wayne intends to marry her off to his partner and not himself. Beside himself because the girl is upset, Wayne tries to offer her money for wasting her time, but she throws the cash overboard. Back home, Wayne gets a room for Capucine in a hotel now owned by the wily Kovacs. As it turns out, Kovacs and Capucine used to be lovers, and now the delighted con man wants to revive the relationship so that the lovely Frenchwoman can help him steal Wayne's and Granger's mine.Eventually Capucine makes her way to the mine, but while Wayne and Granger are away defending their spread against some claim jumpers, she finds herself left alone with Fabian, who develops a quick crush on her. After defending herself from the adolescent advances of Fabian, Capucine is shocked when Granger, after learning the truth about his original fiancee, rejects her and condemns Wayne. Seeking to mend the bridges between the two friends, Capucine explains the whole situation to Granger and tells him that it is Wayne she truly loves. Snapping out of his doldrums, Granger devises a plan to make Wayne jealous enough to admit his attraction to Capucine. He pretends to have changed his mind about his "bride" and together they enter the honeymoon cabin, making sure Wayne is within earshot. They then make plenty of noise popping champagne corks and clinking glasses, the sounds of which begin to drive Wayne crazy. After several minutes Capucine gets discouraged (she can't see Wayne outside doing one of the longest "slow burns" in history), so Granger makes her laugh. Her giggles finally push Wayne over the edge and the big man lets out a blood-curdling yell while heading for the door of the honeymoon cabin. Before Wayne can break it down, Granger wisely opens the door, sending the Duke crashing across the room. Failing to understand what has just happened and feeling humiliated, Wayne packs his bags. Before he can leave, however, soldiers arrive and impound the mine because a cross-claim on the land has been filed due to the insidious efforts of Kovacs. Wayne, Granger, Fabian, and Capucine are reunited in the battle to retain ownership of their land. The climax of the film sees the heroes Minimize

MacMillan and Wife  (1971)Season 1Rock Hudson, Susan Saint ... Read more

MacMillan and Wife  (1971)Season 1Rock Hudson, Susan Saint James, Nancy WalkerDVD: Region 1In the late 1960s Stuart McMillan, a Navy veteran and attorney, is named Commissioner of the San Francisco Police Department. In this capacity he becomes involved in a series of criminal investigations to a degree unusual for a police commissioner. He is frequently aided by his wife Sally, a mystery buff who is well-meaning but inexperienced. She is nonetheless able to prove herself. Also assisting Commissioner McMillan are his partner, Sgt. Charles Enright, and Sally's lifelong housekeeper Mildred. Sgt. Enright previously worked for a private detective agency and thus gained the experience needed to join the police force. He is outstanding in his loyalty but often ineffective. Mildred is known for her tart tongue and love of drink. Minimize

The Sound of Music (1965) Julia Andrews, Christopher Plumme ... Read more

The Sound of Music (1965) Julia Andrews, Christopher PlummerDirector: Robert WiseCo-stars: Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn174 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1We'd give anything to be little Von Trapp children, living our lives in the confines of this film. We'd refuse to wear clothes made from curtains. We'd sing loudly (like off-key Ethel Mermans) when we were hiding from Nazis, and never compromise our talent to sing before Papa's guests. We'd snatch Eleanor Parker's Eva Gabor wig, moon nuns, and wet Julie's bed during "My Favorite Things." What fun we'd have. Despite the political danger, we know it's leading to music swells and Andrews's million-dollar wedding gown--enough to make Grace Kelly and Princess Di and Elizabeth Taylor slap their mothers. It's so perfectly contrived and mechanical and fresh as a daisy, it's infuriating. And only the sly, insistently subversive Christopher Plummer is on our side.Maria (Julie Andrews) is a young postulant at a nunnery who quickly realizes that the cloister is not for her. Yet she still believes in the values espoused by the church, so she goes out into the world and radiantly attempts to bring what she's learned to the lay world. Soon Maria is hired by Austrian widower Capt. Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) as a governess for his seven singing children. Noting that the children seem cowed by their disciplinarian father, she strives to open their lives to joy. They live in one of the most beautiful sections of the Alps, but only learn to appreciate the surrounding vistas when Maria, with her fresh outlook, shows them what they have. All that is soon threatened by Nazi rule in Austria, forcing the Von Trapps to flee while en route to Salzburg for a musical festival in which they are to perform. A staple of 1960s Hollywood films, THE SOUND OF MUSIC delivered an unforgettable Julie Andrews performance, and presented a most postcard view of Austria. The songs are hard to forget--"The Sound of Music," "Do Re Mi," "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss", "Climb Every Mountain", and our pick of the litter, "The Lonely Goatherd"--but we're trying. So you expected a serious review?In a nutshell: lovely to look at, scripted competently, with a few chilling moments about the lurking Nazis. And who does Eleanor Parker think she is--Anne Baxter standing in for Joan Crawford? Minimize

The King of Comedy (1982) Robert De Niro, Jerry LewisDirect ... Read more

The King of Comedy (1982) Robert De Niro, Jerry LewisDirector: Martin ScorseseCo-stars: Sandra Bernhard, Diahnne Abbott, Shelley Hack109 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro must be the most celebrated director/star collaborators in recent American film history. Together they have produced some of the most powerful films of the last several decades--MEAN STREETS, TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS--but here they tried something a little different and the result is a chilling black comedy.Robert De Niro is tragic, goofy and crazy as Rupert Pupkin, a grown man working as a messenger and living in his parents' basement. (Scorsese's own mother is the off-screen voice of the unseen Mrs. Pupkin.) Pupkin is a Times Square hangabout who dogs celebrities for autographs but imagines himself the greatest comic in the world, patterning himself on his hero, funnyman talk-show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis in a part written for the erstwhile King of Late Night, Johnny Carson). His dream is that he will appear on Langford's show, perform his comedy routine, and then take his rightful place among the stars. He'll have none of that nonsense about learning his craft and working his way up the ladder of success; he wants it now.At the beginning of the film, Pupkin ingratiates himself with Langford by helping him fend off some particularly manic autograph seekers. Slipping into the car with Langford, he introduces himself as a yet-undiscovered great comedian who has written some terrific material. Initially Langford encourages him, but eventually Pupkin becomes a major nuisance. At first he hangs around the network offices for a followup meeting until he must be physically thrown out. Eventually he works up to calling on Mr. Langford at his fabulous country retreat. He resorts, at last, to even more drastic measures to get his big break on television.De Niro gives a miraculous character performance, much different from the intense brooding loners for which he is renowned. He seems to disappear into this oddball, somewhat repulsive, but ultimately rather touching character. Sandra Bernhard, in her film debut, is nearly as memorable as Rupert's outrageous partner in crime. As a thoroughly demented, poor little rich girl who yearns to physically possess her favorite celebrity, Bernhard is simultaneously frightening, unconventionally sexy and very funny. Minimize

The Law and the Outlaw (1913) Tom Mix, Lester CuneoDirector ... Read more

The Law and the Outlaw (1913) Tom Mix, Lester CuneoDirector: William DuncanCo-stars: Myrtle Stedman, Florence Dye45 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLAccording to Blackhawk Films who distributed the standard 8 format of this film, it originally(in 1914) was a 2 reeler, but at least 5 years later as Tom Mix's popularity began to soar it was combined with another 2 reeler to provide a near feature length film for his ever growing audience. It still stayed true to the overall story, although the ending was altered somewhat. The plot chiefly is fairly interesting and Mix's performance is good, but the abundance of inter-titles is a drawback as well as the camera work which in general relies on the medium shot. There are about only 2 medium close shots, and no "close-ups" at all! What is really different about this Western is that the hero is definitely not your stereotypical hero, as he flirts with disaster more times than not. Dakota Joe(Mix) is on the run for crime attributed to him but actually committed by his brother. There is a $1000 reward poster for him nearby which he promptly crumbles up. Maybe he is on the run because of his pullover striped shirt he is wearing! It's a dead giveaway. There is a 1912 photograph of him wearing a similar shirt in the book, A Pictorial History of the Silent Film, so perhaps he was experimenting in a trademark style which thankfully he must have been talked out of. Anyhow, we are introduced to the characters at the Paradise Valley Ranch he has ridden up to. There is the foreman(troublemaker) and the ranch owner. Dakota joins up with the outfit and soon is well acquainted with the local beauty, Grace. At round-up time they ride together and the foreman doesn't like it. Next, a fight between two of the cattle is showcased. Then as everyone has settled down for eats, a bull is on the loose and after Grace. Dakota Joe comes to the rescue, bringing the animal down, although he also is totally spent. At his weakest now, the law happens to ride up and take advantage of the scene in order to capture him. As they begin leading him into town, he escapes. Dakota then is able to steal a gun from a sleeping man. The law return to the ranch hands and seek their help. Next we see, a rare(in this film) medium close shot of Dakota shooting his handcuffs apart. Before you know it, the posse once again catch up to him and there is a shootout. Dakota Joe gets away, but not long after gets thrown from his horse! What Western star does this? He is not too far from the whole crowd now, and in fact Grace takes out a telescope(how many of those do you see in a Western?) and is able to ascertain Dakota's safety. Well, the law once again captures and leads him off to jail, with Grace remarking, between sobs, that she will wait for him. Maybe events now will take a turn for the best, as when we see Dakota Joe behind bars he is wearing a white dress shirt! After a short interval Grace gets concerned that Dakota will be mistreated at the jail house. What follows is a scene that no doubt was not new even then, but would be repeated countless times in future Westerns. It's the old "hiding the saw in the picnic basket trick" that Grace resorts to! This works and he soon breaks out. Once again, though, luck is not on his side. He suffers more hazards than the "Hazzards of Helen" and "Perils of Pauline" put together! What happens this time is his horse goes lame. To escape his pursuers, an inventive scene, which once again would be used in later pictures, takes place. Dakota takes apart his rifle and uses it as a breathing tube to hide under water. As the posse pass him by and are out of site, he continues for some distance on foot. It is not long before he collapses. An old prospector(is there any other kind?) with a telescope(they must be on sale!) finds him and brings Dakota to his cabin to get well. Minimize

The Rockford FilesSeason 1DVD: Region 1, 3 discsStarring: J ... Read more

The Rockford FilesSeason 1DVD: Region 1, 3 discsStarring: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr.From the premiere of its first hour-long episode on September 13, 1974, The Rockford Files was a critical and commercial success that gained a large and loyal following. Like other private-eye shows of the 1970s (such as Columbo and David Janssen's Harry O), the series offered smart mystery plots in the hardboiled-sleuth traditions of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Rex Stout, given a sunlit spin in contemporary California. But ex-convict turned private investigator Jim Rockford (who served time for a crime he didn't commit) was anything but a conventional gumshoe; for one thing, he rarely carried a gun, and resorted to violence only when he'd exhausted his options. As played to perfection by James Garner (in what would become his signature role, surpassing his previous success as Maverick), Rockford preferred wisecracks over violence, and his going rate ("$200 a day, plus expenses") was typically applied to cold cases, missing persons, and family disputes, frequently leading to entanglements with organized crime and L.A.P.D. Sergeant Dennis Becker (Joe Santos), whose friendship with Rockford lent the series one of its pivotal character relationships. As Rockford pursued the truth from his rusty trailer-home on the Pacific Coast Highway, his inherent warmth and compassionate sleuthing were further enhanced by engaging interplay with his retired ex-trucker father "Rocky" (Noah Beery, Jr.), his lawyer and on-and-off girlfriend Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett), and his weasely former cell-mate "Angel" Martin (Stuart Margolin), a trio of supporting players as memorably appealing as any in '70s television. As a loose-knit ensemble, they followed Garner's capable lead with intelligent dialogue (the best of it written by series cocreator Stephen J. Cannell and frequent contributor Juanita Bartlett) and occasionally burst of stunt-laden action, typically involving Rockford's expert driving of a versatile Pontiac Firebird. Minimize

Zane Grey Theatre (1956)Season 1 - CompleteDVD: Region 1, 4 ... Read more

Zane Grey Theatre (1956)Season 1 - CompleteDVD: Region 1, 4 discsStarring: Dick PowellWonderful tales of the Old West laden with history and adventure are presented in Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, a half-hour western anthology TV series that debuted on CBS, October 5, 1956 and ran for 5 whole seasons. Dick Powell served as the host for the entire series and also starred as various characters in 15 episodes. The series was originally based on the short stories and novels of western author Zane Grey, but as the series continued, new material was included. Aaron Spelling, who later became a legend in Hollywood, wrote twenty Zane Grey episodes. Zane Grey Theatre was also ground-breaking for producing five episodes which were spun-off into subsequent TV series: (1) Trackdown (from Season one's "Badge of Honor") starring Robert Culp as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, (2) The Rifleman (from Season 2's "The Sharpshooter") with Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain, (3) Black Saddle (from Season 2's "Threat of Violence" with Chris Alcaide instead of series star Peter Breck as Clay Culhane), (4) Johnny Ringo (from Season 3's "Man Alone") starring Don Durant, and (5) The Westerner (from Season 3's "Trouble at Tres Cruces") starring Brian Keith as Dave Blassingame. In addition, Wanted: Dead or Alive, with Steve McQueen playing the bounty hunter Josh Randall, was a CBS spinoff of Trackdown, and Law of the Plainsman, starring Michael Ansara as a Harvard-educated, Native American U.S. Marshal was an NBC spin-off of The Rifleman. Minimize

The Lost World (1960) Michael Rennie, Jill St. JohnDirector ... Read more

The Lost World (1960) Michael Rennie, Jill St. JohnDirector: Irwin AllenCo-stars: David Hedison, Claude Rains, Fernando Lamas97 minutes, ColorDVD: Region 1When not writing about Sherlock Holmes, author Doyle penned an occasional fantasy, such as this one about a zoologist who finds a lost world. Rains stars as the man of science who claims he found a lost world in South America on a prior trip. He leads another group to the Amazon area where he intends to prove that dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures still live. His cadre includes St. John, the daughter of a newspaper publisher who is putting up the money for the expedition; Rennie, a playboy-adventurer; Richard Haydn, a serious scientist who doesn't believe Rains; Ray Stricklyn, St. John's brother; and Hedison, a photographer/reporter. They are joined by guitar-playing helicopter pilot Lamas and guide Jay Novello. Into the dense jungle they go and are quickly set upon by dinosaurs, Indians who want to eat them, huge arachnids, and other unpleasantries. The beasts destroy their gear and the explorers are stranded on a plateau. Eventually, they make their way back to civilization, and Rains has a little relic with him; a small dinosaur egg that he plans to take back to England. Irwin Allen, who in the 1970s would become the "master of disaster" with films such as THE TOWERING INFERNO and BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE to his credit, here first tried his hand at directing a special-effects opus.  St. John looks gorgeous and Hedison is handsome. Allen must have liked his work, for he starred the actor in the TV series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" several years later. Doyle's story was originally filmed as a silent in 1925 with Wallace Beery. Minimize

The Heroes of Telemark (1965) Kirk Douglas, Richard HarrisD ... Read more

The Heroes of Telemark (1965) Kirk Douglas, Richard HarrisDirector: Anthony MannCo-stars: Ulla Jacobsson, Michael Redgrave131 minutes, TechnicolorDVD: Region 1It is 1942 and Norway is under the thumb of the Nazis. In a Norwegian factory, Nazis are producing "heavy water," an essential element in the production of atomic weapons. Harris, leader of the Norwegian underground, is enlisted by British intelligence to aid in destroying the factory. Harris and Douglas, a scientist, are first instructed to infiltrate the factory and await an invasion of British commandos. The raid is aborted, however, and Harris and Douglas destroy the room where the "heavy water" machinery is kept. Douglas is wounded and captured, but escapes, joining Harris and learning that the sabotage only causes a minor delay for the Nazis. A British attempt to destroy the factory from the air fails, and the Nazis decide to move the "heavy water" to Germany. Douglas and Harris discover the route and manage to sink the ferry and its cargo.After directing some of the best westerns ever made (WINCHESTER '73, 1950; THE NAKED SPUR, 1953; THE MAN FROM LARAMIE, 1955), Mann moved to Europe and started making big-budget epics such as EL CID (1961) and THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964) with spotty results. THE HEROES OF TELEMARK was Mann's last completed film before his death (he died in 1967 during the production of A DANDY IN ASPIC). Shot on location in Norway, Mann used the impressive landscape to its full advantage, just as he had done in his many rugged westerns. Aided by former members of the Norwegian underground who served as technical advisors during the production, the film has an air of authenticity that would have been difficult to create otherwise. In addition to the former freedom-fighters, Mann also had the assistance of Olympic ski coach Helge Stoylen and his pupils, who helped create some of the stunning sequences in the film (Stoylen held a camera between his legs and shot some impressive footage as he zoomed down the slopes). Even the problems worked to Mann's advantage. His stars, Douglas and Harris, detested each other during the shooting and the set was frequently tense. Luckily, the script called for their characters to be at odds through much of the film, so the real tension between the men was effectively translated on screen.  THE HEROES OF TELEMARK remains a solid, exciting war film Minimize

Summer and Smoke (1961) Laurence Harvey, Geraldine PageDire ... Read more

Summer and Smoke (1961) Laurence Harvey, Geraldine PageDirector: Peter GlenvilleCo-stars: Rita Moreno, Una Merkel, Pamela Tiffin, Earl Holliman118 minutes, TechnicolorDVD: Region 1In 1952, Geraldine Page starred in this Williams play. It took nine years for it to get to the screen, and Pages performance is luminous. Williams had dealt with this character before under another name in THE GLASS MENAGERIE. She is supposedly based on his sister, who ultimately went insane. What the title means is anybodys guess. Director Glenville staged the London version of the show and was brought in to handle the movie but didnt have much understanding of the oppressive southern upbringing depicted in the script. Page was nominated as Best Actress and Merkel was nominated as Best Supporting Actress. Bernsteins music captured the era and the surroundings, and he received an Academy nomination, as did the film for Best Art Direction. Its just before WW I, and Page lives in a tiny town in Mississippi where she must be above suspicion since her father, Malcolm Atterbury, is the towns minister. She is sexually repressed, flighty, neurotic, and seemingly on the edge of a breakdown. Her neighbor is Harvey, a doctor. His father, John McIntire, is also a doctor, although the two men have differing opinions on how to conduct their practices. Page has loved Harvey ever since they were quite small. She is coy around him and continues to be shy, despite the fact that they were in diapers together. Harvey considers Page only a friend and prefers the company of lively Moreno, who works in her fathers (Thomas Gomez) noisy dance hall. She is a happy young woman, uncomplicated, the opposite of Page, who persists in attempting to get close to him. He eventually takes her out for a night at Gomezs casino. Afterward he mistakes her affection for him and tries to seduce her. She is unable to handle the direct frontal assault, tells him off, and runs away, leaving Harvey confused by her see-saw behavior. With Page out of his life, Harvey decides to become engaged to Moreno. He times it so his father is out of town and he can throw a large party as a celebration. Page watches the goings-on from her house and sees the party get wilder, then she phones McIntire and tells him that his home is being abused. McIntire rushes home, has a confrontation with Gomez, and is accidentally killed when a gun goes off. Harvey is stunned by whats happened and decides to mend his wicked ways, settle down, and take over his fathers successful practice. Time passes and Page watches as Harvey seems to have become a solid citizen. Meanwhile, her passion becomes unbridled and she directly approaches him and offers herself for his pleasure. By this time, Harvey is a changed man and he only sees Page as a spiritual companion. Harvey has now met Tiffin, a sweet young woman to whom he becomes affianced. When Page hears that, she takes a walk in the local park where she meets Holliman, a traveling salesman just passing through. Holliman doesnt know anyone, is lonely, and so is Page. She takes the young man by the hand and they go off to spend the night at Gomezs Moon Lake casino. Maybe, just maybe, they will wind up with each other at the salesmans motel. Well never know. Like so many of the works of Williams, it deals with tension, with repression, with awakening, and, ultimately, with disintegration. Most of what happens is in Pages face, a magnificent instrument which she plays like Pablo Casals handles the cello. After many Academy nominations for Best Supporting Actress (HONDO, YOURE A BIG BOY NOW, PETE N TILLIE), as well as for Best Actress in this, SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, and INTERIORS, she finally won for her 1985 triumph, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL. Minimize

A Touch of Class (1973) George Segal, Glenda JacksonDirecto ... Read more

A Touch of Class (1973) George Segal, Glenda JacksonDirector: Melvin FrankCo-stars: Paul Sorvino, K Callan106 minutes, TechnicolorDVD: Region 1Joseph E. Levine (THE GRADUATE, THE LION IN WINTER, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE) picked a winner when he elected to present this very funny film about infidelity in London. Segal is an American insurance executive living in London with wife (Neil) and children. He's playing softball in the regular Sunday game near the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park one Sunday when he meets Jackson, a divorcee with two children of her own. Segal suggests that they have a tryst in Spain and is very surprised when she agrees. Making excuses to his wife, Segal takes Jackson to Malaga for what he hopes will be a sexual idyll. But Segal's friend Sorvino is on the same plane. Farcical complications, and romance, ensue.The company behind the film was Brut Productions, part of the Brut cosmetics firm headed by George Barrie. Barrie always fancied himself a composer and cowrote the film's Oscar-nominated song (lyrics by Sammy Cahn), "All That Love Went to Waste," as well as two other tunes. Shot on location in Spain and London, and interiors were done at Lee Studios in London. The picture did quite well at the box office. Segal is charming, but everyone knew he could play comedy. The big surprise was Jackson's impeccable comic timing, which some likened to that of Katharine Hepburn. The softball scene at the start of the film features many of the expatriate Americans who lived in London at the time and played regularly. Frank was not nominated for his direction, but he should have been. The film is in excellent taste and is a tribute to Frank and his cowriter, Jack Rose. Later, George Barrie would team up with Frank's former partner, Norman Panama, and produce I WILL, I WILL...FOR NOW with less than spectacular results. Minimize

Moon Shot (1994) Barry Corbin, Alan ShepardDirector: Kirk W ... Read more

Moon Shot (1994) Barry Corbin, Alan ShepardDirector: Kirk WolfingerCo-stars: Deke Slayton188 minutes, ColorDVD-R: Region ALLThis documentary chronicles the various milestones and key players in NASA's mission to explore the moon, the planet Mercury, and beyond. Using a plethora of archival footage and clocking in at over three hours in running time, the very much behind-the-scenes happenings in space travel are given a detailed and unprecedented analysis.  Minimize

There Goes My Heart (1938) Fredric March, Virginia BruceDir ... Read more

There Goes My Heart (1938) Fredric March, Virginia BruceDirector: Norman Z. McLeodCo-stars: Patsy Kelly, Nancy Carroll83 minutes, Black and WhiteDVD-R: Region ALLBruce is a wealthy heiress, the granddaughter of department store mogul Claude Gillingwater, who keeps a tight rein on her. When Gillingwater goes off to Europe on a business trip, Bruce tells her yacht captain to leave the South of France area and steam for New York right away. The idea of taking this relatively small ship across the Atlantic is big news, and New York newspaper editor Eugene Pallette deploys March, his top man, to be waiting at the dock when Bruce arrives. March and his photographer Arthur Lake get to the pier as the boat is waiting to clear customs and quarantine. Lake meets Bruce, and she spots him as a newsman right away, so she tells him that she is the maid and that her maid, Greta Granstedt, is the heiress. Lake falls for it and Bruce uses the device to get away. When March begins to interview Granstedt, he realizes that hes been fooled. He runs after Bruce and sees just a quick glimpse of her as she escapes. Bruce is one of those very rich people who doesnt ever know how much money she has in the bank or in her pocketbook. (There is always someone else around to fork over cash when she needs it.) Shes enjoying the feeling of being one of the people of the city. Bruce enters a cafeteria, uses her final coins to buy a cup of coffee, and meets Kelly (who was about 35 pounds thinner than she was in her last movie and looked wonderful), a wisecracking department store clerk with a heart of gold. Kelly feels sorry for Bruce (not knowing her real identity). Knowing how it is to be out of money and have no place to live, she invites Bruce to bunk with her and her roommate, Carroll, until she can land a job. Carroll meets Bruce, hates her at first sight, resents the fact that Kelly has brought home a third person to live in the cramped flat, and retaliates by gathering her small wardrobe and other gear and exiting in a huff. Kelly helps Bruce get a job at the large department store owned by Bruces grandfather. Bruce is working in cookwear, Kelly demonstrates weight-reducing equipment, and Carroll sells perfume. When Carrolls beau, Irving Bacon, indicates more than a floorwalkers interest in Bruce, Carroll gets yet more irritated. Meanwhile, March--frustrated by missing Bruce at the docks--decides to write a story about the plight of struggling salesclerks compared with the posh existence of such society damsels as Bruce. He goes to the department store and spots Bruce immediately, then uses Kellys introduction to meet her. Bruce finds March attractive; they go out and have dinner, then go ice skating. (Theres a very funny sequence here as an unbilled acrobatic skater does a drunk routine on the ice.) Carroll discovers Bruces true identity and tells Gillingwater about it. Gillingwaters men go looking for Bruce in the store, but shes at home with Kelly, who tells her that she must leave right away or risk being discovered. Bruce phones March, and he takes her to a shack he keeps as a retreat on a small island near the city. They fall in love while hiding out, causing March to decide against writing the expose on the heiress. Pallette wants the story, but March tears it into little pieces and quits the paper. Pallette and his staff patch and tape the strips of paper together and the story is printed, causing embarrassment to Bruce. Gillingwater, who has been worried sick about Bruces disappearance, contacts Pallette and demands to know where she is. Pallette has a hunch Bruce might be with March at the shack and gives the old man the location. With Lake leading Gillingwater and his aides, they arrive at the island. Bruce has seen the story and is livid. March, carrying a marriage license for them, doesnt know that his story was printed. When he gets there, Bruce tells him off and leaves with Gillingwater, not allowing March a word to explain what must hav Minimize