Warner Archive Sale

[Movie Memories]

If any are interested, WBShop.com is having a Buy Two Get Three Sale with Free Shipping for the Memorial Day Holiday in the Archive Section.

Sale ends May 31st. Took advantage of this and picked up Nora Prentiss, While the City Sleeps, and the non-noir Confessions of a Nazi Spy.

[Adam Lounsbery]

I picked up The Unsuspected, Deep Valley, and The Bodyguard.

I've never seen Deep Valley, but the recent review of High Sierra on here got me thinking about Ida Lupino and how much I like her.

[BobtheGambler]

Deep Valley has shown on TCM in the past, I recorded it onto VHS years ago. It's good, Lupino plays a country girl living a secluded, sheltered life with her parents until she meets escaped convict Dane Clark. Both are portrayed sympathetically, her parents less so (Henry Hull portrays her father). Lupino's garb is reminiscent of Elly May on the Beverly Hillbillies (tight jeans with a rope for a belt), and she may even have pigtails, but I wouldn't let that deter any prospective viewer. Warner Archives recently released Kongo, a remake of West of Zanzibar, a notorious pre-code that I'm dying to see. Alas, it's not included in the sale.

[Adam Lounsbery]

Thanks for the rundown, Bob.

Honestly, though, when an attractive, talented actress is involved, I've never found pigtails and tight jeans to be a deterrence.

[BobtheGambler]

Gave in to temptation, ordered these three: The Underworld Story (haven't seen it in many years, but I do recall liking it), Highway 301 (got this for Steve Cochran, and I like the way they describe the cinematography in this one), and Suspense (Barry Sullivan and Belita, who were also paired up in The Gangster). Anyone out there seen Cochran's last film, Il Grido?

[ofh3]

Anyone out there seen Cochran's last film, Il Grido?

I like Il Grido a lot, Steve Cochran notwithstanding, though he is very fine in the film. This is not the Steve Cochran of White Heat, Private Hell 36 or other such roles. He does a nice job playing a vulnerable working-class man from a small Italian town whose life completely falls apart.

I'm a big fan of Michelangelo Antonioni's films. Il Grido is in the Italian Neo-Realist tradition and is not as ascetically intellectual as his later films. The cinematography is superb.

Give it a look. I would be interested in what you think of it.

[Adam Lounsbery]

Warner Archive is having another sale, this time for Father's Day. $5 off selected action titles, included the newly released Dark of the Sun (1968).

I saw Dark of the Sun last summer at Anthology Film Archives, and it's awesome. Everyone knows how maligned the films of Sam Peckinpah were in the late '60s for their graphic violence, but few remember that Rod Taylor's filmography also came under fire. Many of his hairy-chested, thick-wristed, macho action films still pack a wallop. If you've never seen him as Travis McGee in Darker Than Amber, it's worth seeking out. His fight with William Smith is the stuff of legend. You can watch it here:

[Movie Memories]

I received this notice as well and was interested in the same title. I can't remember Dark of the Sun being on anything but VHS before this release and have always been surprised that it didn't turn up a lot sooner. The preview clip on WBShop looks great.

As Adam has mentioned, this film is an awesome choice for fans of action/adventure escapism. Rod Taylor is perfect in this type of role, Yvette Mimieux looks great, and the chainsaw fight ain't too bad either.

Beware the "Simbas."

[Steve-O]

If you've never seen him as Travis McGee in Darker Than Amber, it's worth seeking out. His fight with William Smith is the stuff of legend. You can watch it here:

I didn't know about this movie! I like the Travis McGee novels. Thanks for the tip...

[Adam Lounsbery]

You're welcome, Steve-O! A lot of my friends love the Travis McGee series. I've only read the first four, and I felt lukewarm about them, but will almost certainly continue reading the series. I thought Rod Taylor was a great choice to play Travis. He really was a lot like how I picture the character in my head.

I don't know if there's a good print of Darker Than Amber out there. I saw it at Anthology Film Archives. Roy Frumkes showed his personal 16mm print, which looked like most old 16mm prints do on the big screen. Not bad, but not all that you'd want. There are bootleg DVDs of the movie on iOffer, but I don't know what source they're taken from.

[Steve-O]

I'm searching for it through the usual suspects but I think this might be a lost one for now. VHS with foreign subs doesn't count...

You're welcome, Steve-O! A lot of my friends love the Travis McGee series. I've only read the first four, and I felt lukewarm about them, but will almost certainly continue reading the series. I thought Rod Taylor was a great choice to play Travis. He really was a lot like how I picture the character in my head.

I don't know if there's a good print of Darker Than Amber out there. I saw it at Anthology Film Archives. Roy Frumkes showed his personal 16mm print, which looked like most old 16mm prints do on the big screen. Not bad, but not all that you'd want. There are bootleg DVDs of the movie on iOffer, but I don't know what source they're taken from.

[Adam Lounsbery]

This one looks promising, but as always with iOffer, there's no way to tell what it'll look like: http://www.ioffer.com/i/darker-than-...tles-210587754