Posts Tagged ‘Western’

Warlock (1959) DVD Review: A Dynamic Western Presented in an Outdated, Eviscerating Format

Posted: 17 April, 2013 in Movies/TV, TV
Tags: , , , , , ,
0
alt=

Order Now!

Warlock (1959) DVD Review: A Dynamic Western Presented in an Outdated, Eviscerating Format

OK, so let me bring you up-to-date here, kids: recently, Fox Cinema Archives released several classic motion pictures – originally presented in theaters in CinemaScope – in the dreaded, severely outdated process of pan-and-scan (something that was used for older 4:3 TVs, but which is flat-out ridiculous in this day and age, what with widescreen television sets and all). As Douglas Adams would say: “This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.” Well, seeing as how everyone else has griped about this faux pas (or would that be a “Fox pas“?) – including Cinema Sentries writer Will McKinley -  I’m just going to bypass the introductory bitching and actually discuss the fine motion picture Fox has massacred by presenting on DVD in this outdated, eviscerating format in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

The Robert Mitchum Film Collection DVD Review: A Gallant Line-up of Shamelessly Repackaged Releases

Posted: 23 October, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , , , ,
0
alt=

Order Now!

The Robert Mitchum Film Collection DVD Review: A Gallant Line-up of Shamelessly Repackaged Releases

In keeping up with their recent line-up of Film Collection releases (box sets featuring highlights from Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Denzel Washington, Liam Neeson, et al), the folks at Twentieth Century Fox have once again assembled a set of classic, well-known titles from one of Hollywood’s most legendary bad boys: the one and only Robert Mitchum. The Robert Mitchum Film Collection repackages ten of the most famous titles from the Fox and MGM libraries (in two volumes) to star the iconic actor (any actor who shares the same name as my deodorant is A-OK in my book), and includes feature films that cover an impressive thirteen year span in his near-legendary career.

[Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Fox Joins the MOD Race with Fox Cinema Archives

Posted: 18 October, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0
alt=

Order Now!

Fox Joins the MOD Race with Fox Cinema Archives

Article first published as Fox Joins the MOD Race with Fox Cinema Archives on Blogcritics.

When the folks at Warner Brothers beget their dynamic Warner Archive Collection in early 2009, movie lovers who had long found themselves on the verge of crying over their inability to locate obscure and hard-to-find movies on DVD finally found some peace. The burn-on-demand craze soon spread to other studios, with the folks at Sony, MGM, and Universal all contributed to completing (or at least adding to) cult and classic film enthusiasts’ collections all over. Now, here we are, a little more than three years down the line since Warner said “Hey, what if…?” and our friends at Fox have decided to bring their own movies to the party. (more…)

*DVD Review* The Wrath of God (1972)

Posted: 12 October, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0
alt=

Order Now!

DVD Review: The Wrath of God (1972)

Article first published as DVD Review: The Wrath of God (1972) on Blogcritics.

Sometimes, I like to imagine I had some sort of ability to sit down with a long-deceased celebrity over a cup of coffee and discuss their work, their life, and their thoughts on their work after their life had ended. After having watched the 1972 western/comedy The Wrath of God, I have once more relished in that fantasy — though not with the film’s lead actor, the great Robert Mitchum. No, since I’m that feller who has always rooted for the underdog, my whimsical coffee date has instead been reserved for the one and only Victor Buono. (more…)

Outlaw Trail DVD Review: The Trails Blazers Save the Day (Again)

Posted: 5 July, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , ,
0

Order Now!

Outlaw Trail DVD Review: The Trails Blazers Save the Day (Again)

From the very first time the moving picture industry first started showing double features at the bijou every Saturday to an entire generation of bored children, the b-western became a hot commodity with no-budget filmmakers. The poorly-dressed suits at Monogram Studios — one of the most (in)famous Poverty Row film companies ever to grace the silver screen — were certainly no exception to cranking out run-of-the-mill cowboy movies for the masses, creating short-lived franchise heroes (often with has-been silent stars) after another in order to give the same recycled stories Monogram’s writers used time and time again some unlikely inkling of credibility.

[Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

The Last Posse DVD Review: An Overlooked B-Western Gem

Posted: 11 June, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Order Now!

The Last Posse DVD Review: An Overlooked B-Western Gem

There’s nothing I like more than sitting back and watching a good ol’ B-Western, and 1953′s The Last Posse is my cup of tea. But this isn’t your average cowboy film fare, folks — this one has a strange bit of intrigue and noir woven into its material. Filmed in the beautiful rocky terrain of Lone Pine, California, this forgotten Columbia Pictures gem stars the great Broderick Crawford and a young John Derek (their third feature together), and tells the tale of a small sheriff’s posse that rode out of Roswell, New Mexico one day to apprehend a trio who took off with a local cattleman’s money.

[Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Catching Up at the Video Store: TV Classics from CBS/Paramount

Posted: 5 April, 2012 in Movies/TV, TV
Tags: , , , ,
0
alt=

Order Now!

Catching Up at the Video Store: TV Classics from CBS/Paramount

Article first published as TV Classics from CBS/Paramount on Blogcritics.

It’s time to take a stroll down memory lane, kids — and I have a heap of CBS/Paramount DVD releases at my disposal. In this chapter of “Catching Up at the Video Store,” we shall venture into courtrooms, confessionals, saloons, and find ourselves witnessing some truly impossible feats, as well.  Included are Rawhide: The Fourth Season, Gunsmoke: The Fifth Season, Mission: Impossible – The ’89 TV Season, Perry Mason: Season 6, Volume 2, Matlock: The Seventh Season, Mannix: The Sixth Season, and Father Dowling Mysteries: The First Season. (more…)

*Blu-ray Review* Blackthorn

Posted: 24 January, 2012 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , ,
0

Order Now!

Blu-ray Review: Blackthorn

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Blackthorn on Blogcritics.

One of the reasons Euro-westerns proved to be so successful with audiences around the world in the ‘60s was that they took a drastic departure from the all-too-typical American versions of the genre. This in itself is a bit ironic, considering the western was an American thing to begin with. Sometimes, you just need to step outside of the box — or, as the case were, have someone else take a look at the box from the outside and show you what the hell you’re doing wrong. In recent years, several attempts at reviving the slumbering American western genre have been somewhat ineffective. And now, just like they did back in the ‘60s, our European cousins have banded together to show us how we could improve things.
(more…)

Stagecoach (1966) DVD Review: The Version Everyone Forgot About

Posted: 22 November, 2011 in Movies/TV, Music
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Order Now!

Stagecoach (1966) DVD Review: The Version Everyone Forgot About

There’s just something about redheaded women that make men want to fight over ‘em. Within the first few minutes of the 1966 version of Stagecoach, we witness two Calvary soldiers fight each other to the death over a young ginger named Dallas (Ann-Margret). Just then, Calvary Captain Mallory (John Gabriel, who was the Professor in the original Gilligan’s Island pilot) jaunts in and recommends the dancing girl of ill repute leave town on the next available stagecoach. [Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Quigley Down Under Blu-ray Review – Yet Another Reason Tom Selleck Kicks Ass

Posted: 21 November, 2011 in Movies/TV
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Order Now!

Quigley Down Under Blu-ray Review – Yet Another Reason Tom Selleck Kicks Ass

The history of the American western in film has experienced a fair share of instability over the years. It seems that, once we reached out into the starry void of outer space, we gave up giving a rat’s ass about cowboys, Indians, and the genocidal war that took place between the two. Several western flicks have surfaced over the last 30+ years — many of which attempted to revive the sleeping genre in full — but few of these pictures ever made all that much of a lasting impression with critics and filmgoers. It’s a bit ironic, too, since all those old cowboy movies laid a lot of groundwork for the entire film industry in general. [Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Older Entries