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THE EPITAPH VOL. 78
WARNER ARCHIVE MARCH RELEASES EDITION!
3 GODFATHERS (1948) - LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL (1984) - THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1940) - STAND AND DELIVER (1984) - THE BOOB (1926) & WHY BE GOOD? (1929) - MONEY TALKS (1997)
Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 106 Minutes 16 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: John Ford
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey, Jr., Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Jane Darwell, Ben Johnson
In the John Wayne/John Ford team-up 3 Godfathers based on Peter B. Kyne's 1913 novel, which had already been screen adapted several time before, including one by Ford himself. Here we have three desperados Bob Hightower (John Wayne, The Shootist), Pete (Pedro Armendáriz, Fort Apache) and The Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr., Rio Grande) ride into Welcome, Arizona to rob the bank. They make their escape on horseback but Pete is shot and wounded in the process, and Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond, Rio Bravo) manages to shoot a hole in their water bag leaving them without water to quench their thirst. Now wandering the desert looking for water and the keen sheriff always one step ahead of them, keeping them from nearby water supplies. They become lost during a sandstorm and losing their horses the trio end-up at a dried-up watering hole where they they come upon a covered wagon, inside is the Sheriff's niece in labor with a child. They aid her in giving birth, but she dies from complications of birthing, but not before she name the baby "Robert William Pedro Hightower" after the names of the men, making them promise to save her baby, and naming the godfathers of the child, which they out to do, but when the Sheriff discovers his daughter's death he blames in on the three desperados. This is a wonderful Technicolor shot western with a terrific cast, the Death Valley backdrop is stunning, especially during the windstorm scenes that look fantastic in restored HD. The restoration looks fantastic, extras include a beautifully restored version of MGM's earlier black and white version Three Godfathers (1936), directed by Richard Boleslavski and starring Chester Morris and Lewis Stone, plus Trailers for both film. I love having the earlier version on here as well, it makes for an interesting contrast and compare as the earlier version is much grimmer, with the Bob character played by Morris being a cutthroat killer, and heavier on the religious analogy, and it's also beautifully shot, making this a fantastic double-feature.
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey, Jr., Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Jane Darwell, Ben Johnson
In the John Wayne/John Ford team-up 3 Godfathers based on Peter B. Kyne's 1913 novel, which had already been screen adapted several time before, including one by Ford himself. Here we have three desperados Bob Hightower (John Wayne, The Shootist), Pete (Pedro Armendáriz, Fort Apache) and The Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr., Rio Grande) ride into Welcome, Arizona to rob the bank. They make their escape on horseback but Pete is shot and wounded in the process, and Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond, Rio Bravo) manages to shoot a hole in their water bag leaving them without water to quench their thirst. Now wandering the desert looking for water and the keen sheriff always one step ahead of them, keeping them from nearby water supplies. They become lost during a sandstorm and losing their horses the trio end-up at a dried-up watering hole where they they come upon a covered wagon, inside is the Sheriff's niece in labor with a child. They aid her in giving birth, but she dies from complications of birthing, but not before she name the baby "Robert William Pedro Hightower" after the names of the men, making them promise to save her baby, and naming the godfathers of the child, which they out to do, but when the Sheriff discovers his daughter's death he blames in on the three desperados. This is a wonderful Technicolor shot western with a terrific cast, the Death Valley backdrop is stunning, especially during the windstorm scenes that look fantastic in restored HD. The restoration looks fantastic, extras include a beautifully restored version of MGM's earlier black and white version Three Godfathers (1936), directed by Richard Boleslavski and starring Chester Morris and Lewis Stone, plus Trailers for both film. I love having the earlier version on here as well, it makes for an interesting contrast and compare as the earlier version is much grimmer, with the Bob character played by Morris being a cutthroat killer, and heavier on the religious analogy, and it's also beautifully shot, making this a fantastic double-feature.
Special Features:
- Three Godfathers (1936) (80:59) (1080p HD 1.33:1, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual Mono with Optional English Subtitles)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1948) (3:20)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1936) (1:59)
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Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 130 Minutes 34 Seconds
Audio: English 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: George Roy Hill
Cast: Diane Keaton, Yorgo Voyagis, Klaus Kinski, Sami Frey
In this overstuffed thriller Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) stars as Charlie, an American stage actress working in Europe is recruited by Israeli Intelligence agency Mossad to go undercover to track down a Palestinian terrorist Khalil (Sami Frey, Black Widow) who is targeting high-profile Jews. Directed by George Roy Hill (Funny Farm) and adapted from the 1983 novel of the same name by John le Carré this cloak and dagger thriller also features Klaus Kinski (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) as Israeli spymaster Martin Kurtz, Yorgo Voyagis as spy Joseph who seduces and recruits Charlie, pulling her into a web of lies that ends up with her acting a double-agent being taken to Beirut to train at a terrorist camp before being send on assignment by Khalil to assassinate a Jewish professor. The film takes us to London, Munich, Athens, Jerusalem and Beirut , there's a menagerie of characters that float in and out that make it a bit difficult to stay focused on the main plot. Also not helping is that the film is so overstuffed that character motivations are merely sketches, I never did quite figure out how a pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist left-wing actress was successfully recruited by Israeli intelligence to their cause, let alone to seduce and kill for them. Needless to say, in these current times this is an interesting premise that might get some attention now that its making it;s HD debut, but I doubt it will generate much conversation in that it feels so muddled and muted. This is one that I had never seen nor heard of until it was announced, coming from the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Funny Farm and The World According to Garp, I was curious about it, but did not end up loving it, even Kinski seems subdued unmotivated this time around, and you could usually count on madman Kinski to deliver the goods, but like everyone else he seems to be struggling with the material. The Blu-ray from Warner Archive is handsomely restored and filmic with uncompressed audio, the only extras is a Trailer.
Special Features:
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1:49)
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Labe: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 95 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD (1.33:1)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscoe Carns
Amidst the Great Depression independent truckers Joe and Paul Fabrini are barely making ends meet, and at the start of the film are three payments behind on their rig. Paul (Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon) dreams of spending more time with his wife, and holding down a corporate gig with steady hours and pay, while and Joe (George Raft, Scarface) has his eye on becoming a trucking bigwig someday. At a diner Joe encounters red-haired Cassie Hartley (Ann Sheridan, Angels with Dirty Faces), who is easy on the eyes and quick-witted, they start a relationship and shortly after Paul loses an arm in an accident after he falls asleep at the wheel. Joe ends up accepting a managerial job working for a trucking outfit run by Ed Carlson (Alan Hale Sr.) but finds himself ducking come-on by the guy's wife Lana Carlson (Ida Lupino, The Big Knife), who is straight-up troub le from her first second on screen. Tired of her drunken husband she murders him and offers Joe a 50% stake in the company, with strings attached, 'natch. However, when Joe announces he's getting married she confesses to the crime, but she's gonna take Joe with her! Joe of her husband's murder in this hard-edged, classic drama directed by Raoul Walsh (High Sierra) starts off as an engrossing wildcat trucker melodrama and evolves into a damn fine noir-tinged thriller with Ida Lupino stealing the show as the increasingly unhinged Mrs. Carlson. Bogart is also terrific, but he plates third fiddle after Lupino's femme fatale and stand-up guy Raft, maybe even fourth after the wisecracking Sheridan who is fantastic as well, but he has presence to spare, and it's not surprise that he went onto Hollywood icon status not long after. The Blu-ray from Warner Archive looks impressive in HD, not a blemish to squint at anywhere, solid grayscale and largely filmlike. Extras include a Lux Radio Theater Broadcast starring George Raft and Lana Turner; a 11-min featurette with historians Leonard Maltin, Eric Lax, and Robert Osborne waxing nostalgic; a vintage 19-min musical-comedy short, plus the trailer.
Special Features:
- Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with George Raft and Lana Turner (6/2/41) (44:22)
- Featurette: Divided Highway - The Story of They Drive By Night (10:35)
- Vintage WB Short SWINGTIME IN THE MOVIES (1938) (19:09)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1:51)
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Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG
Duration: 103 Minutes 33 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Ramon Menendez
Cast: Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rosana De Soto, Andy Garcia, Ingrid Oliu, Vanessa Marquez, Estelle Harris
The based-on-a-true-story drama Stand and Deliver (1988) is directed by Ramón Menéndez (Money For Nothing), and stars Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner) as Jaime 'Kemo' Escalante, a quirky teacher at a East Los Angeles inner-city high school where the students routinely under perform academically. When he learns that the school accreditation is on the line he sets the goal of having his kids not only learn calculus but to have them ace the Advanced Placement Calculus by their senior year. The unruly kids are initially reluctant and difficult to reign in, but he wins them over through his oddball and unconventional ways of teaching. This is one of those feel good inspirational movies that while largely embellished and dramatized for cinematic effect is was quite an enjoyable watch when I saw it on cable numerous times as a teen, if a bit trite when pitted against reality these days. That's not to say their are not teachers out there who go above and beyond for their kids, there absolutely are and I was lucky to had a few myself, but this is just a bit too saccharine and overly dramatized to ever hot on an emotional level for me, especially now as a jaded adult, this feels like a Hollywood fairytale more than anything resembling reality. The film also stars Lou Diamond Phillips (Supernova) as a gang member who initially gives Kemo hassles, other actors playing students include Ingrid Oliu (Hellhole), and the late Vanessa Marquez (Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence), plus keep an eye out for Estelle Harris (George's mom from Seinfeld!) as a the principal's secretary and Andy Garcia (Geostorm) who plays an agent from the Educational Testing Service who show up to investigate how a group of poor inner-city kids could do so well, suspecting cheating has transpired. That said, this was/is a popular movie, hard to believe it's only now debuting on Blu-ray thanks to the Warner Archive, who do a terrific job restoring it for it's Blu-ray debut.
Special Features:
- Original Theatrical Trailer
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Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 60 Minutes 15 Seconds (The Boob) / 81 Minutes 22 Seconds (Why Be Good?)
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono
Video: B&W 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: William A. Wellman & William A. Seiter
Cast: Gertrude Olmstead, George K. Arthur, Joan Crawford, Charles Murray, Colleen Moore
In The Boob (1926) simple country boy Peter Good (George K. Arthur), the titular boob. is crestfallen when his former gal Amy (Gertrude Olmsted) becomes infatuated by city dandy Harry Benson (Antonio D’Algy). His friend Cactus Jim comes up with a plan to win her back by dressing up Peter in a poor-fitting cowboy outfit and arming him with a six-shooter, so he can round-up some alleged bootleggers, ti impress her. Also around are Peter's pal Ham Bunn and his faithful dog Benzine, the latter of whom actually provides most the this flick's entertainment. The plot involves Peter storming a local club The Booklovers, an alleged book-themed speakeasy. It turns out that Benson is a bootlegger, and we also get an early appearance from Joan Crawford (Strait-Jacket) as an undercover prohibition agent. The silent-era sight gags and comedy are a tad uninspired, but the slapstick shenanigans are not without charm. An early film from director William A. Wellman (Westward the Women) didn;t exactly set my eyeballs on fire but still an interesting comedy surio of the silent era.
The second half of this silent era double-feature is WHy be Good? (1929) wherein wide-eyed star Colleen Moore (The Scarlett Letter) plays vivacious jazz-era flapper Pert Kelly, who is a good girl who works at a department store, but loves to dance in the trendy flapper fashions, have a good time, and enter dance competitions, much to the chagrin of her father who feel the lifestyle is immoral. After a night on the town she meets Winthrop Peabody Jr (Neil Hamilton, Commissioner Gordon from the 60's Batman TV show!) and hit it off bigtime, but it turns out he's the son of her employer which creates complications at the workplace when it is revealed that he is the new personnel manager at the store, but that his father had forbade him to date the staff. This one has more substance that The Boob, a good mix of melodrama and comedy, some fantastic dancing sequences, but it's Olmstead who singularly steals the show here, such a cutey, as her virtue is put to the test by Winthrop. Both flicks looks stellar with handsome restorations that are quite stunning for these nearly century old films, the latter shows some scratches and both of brief moments of wonky contrast but otherwise these look marvelous. The Boob is a silent film, but we do get a fun piano score by Arthur Barrow that was added to the film in 2003, and Why Be Good? which is a sound-comedy features the original Vitaphone soundtrack with musical score, sound effects and synchronized singing, though no other audible dialogue. The Vitaphone soundtrack is nicely restored but does have a light layer of hiss, but never rising to the level of distraction. No extras for this silent-era double-feature but seeing these nearly 100 year-old comedies get loving restorations is treat enough for me.
Special Features:
- None
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MONEY TALKS (1997)
Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 96 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Brett Ratner
Cast: Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Gerard Ismael, Paul Sorvino
I am used to Warner Archive unearthing flicks from the 30's through the 6o's that are new to me, but it's pretty rare that I see them bring a 90's flick to Blu-ray that I have never heard of previously, as is the case with this Bret Ratner (Rush Hour) directed action-comedy starring Chris Tucker (The Fifth Element) as Franklin Hatchett, a fast-talking small time car wash hustler in L.A. who gets busted after the meddling of tabloid TV reporter James Russell (Charlie Sheen, The Boys Next Door). On a prison bound bus Franklin is seated next to French criminal Raymond Villard (Gerard Ismael, The Last Romantic Lover) when his crew attack the transport, in the bloody aftermath Franklin is wrongfully accused of killing cops, he manages to escape with his life but seeks out the help of news reporter Russell, and both end up wrongfully accused and on the run from the law and Villard and his henchmen. If you're a fan of Rush Hour this certainly falls into that sweet spot of urban action-comedy, we have a straight man, the annoying antics of Tucker, and plenty of L.A. scenery. There's also a stellar cast here, we have both Paul Gleason (Sixteen Candles) and Daniel Roebuck (Dudes) as detectives, Heather Locklear (The Return of Swamp Thing) as James fiancé, Elise Neal (Mission To Mars) as Paula Franklin's pregger girlfriends, plus Paul Sorvino (The Stuff) and Veronica Cartwright (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) as James's soon to be in-laws. Super breezy, action-packed and slickly made, this was a fun 90's action-comedy that delivered everything I expected, car chases, shoot outs, explosions galore, and snappy banter between the leads. The new scan looks terrific with excellent depth and clarity, color reproduction pleases with lots of punchy highlights, and the uncompressed audio is solid. The only extras is a Trailer, which is a bummer, but otherwise a top-notch A/V presentation for an underserved flick.
Special Features:
- Original Theatrical Trailer
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