Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Film Reviews in Review

Since a Hell of a lot more people are reading the blog now than in 2006, and the "Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" series is into its third year, I thought I might hip you to the series' first 15 installments.

Amazingly, we're still batting .000 getting these out in the U.S., although several have reached DVD overseas. Here's what you newbies might have missed the first time around. Who knows, you might be inspired to join me in asking for a remastering or two. Short descriptions follow, with links to the original reviews provided in purple below:

# 1: BARQUERO (1970) Vietnam commentary disguised as an American version of a spaghetti western, with the dead bodies reaching triple digits.

# 2: SO FINE (1981) Andrew Bergman paying homage to WHAT'S UP DOC? and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, with Jack Warden swearing up a storm.

# 3: BLOOD AND LACE (1971) You'll see where HALLOWEEN and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET picked up an idea or two. Perhaps most frightening of all, your ass kicking hero is played by Vic "Stow it, Flo!" Tayback!

# 4: WHO'S MINDING THE MINT? (1967) A crowd pleasing old-school caper film, complete with ladies' man Bob Denver.

# 5: MY SWEET CHARLIE (1970) One of the most acclaimed made for television films of all time, now curiously all but forgotten.

# 6: THUNDER RUN (1986) Forrest Tucker keeps America safe from bloodthirsty terrorists. Going up against the man who firebombed The Crawling Eye, killed the Yeti and kept the peace with the Hekawis...I mean, how stupid can they be?

# 7: PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW (1971) They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Actually, I'm not sure anyone except Roger Vadim ever did.....assisted by Gene Roddenberry (no kidding).

# 8: DON'T MAKE WAVES (1967) They don't make 'em like this anymore either, but Tony Curtis made about a dozen in the mid-1960's similar to it. Here's the best one.

# 9: DIPLOMANIACS (1933) Meet Wheeler and Woolsey....

# 10: FAST BREAK (1979) Gabe Kaplan, above the title film star. Yep, it really happened!

# 11: LISTEN TO ME (1989) Perhaps the most ridiculous teen film of the 1980's, with the possible exception of FROM THE HIP. On second thought, nah, not even close. Kirk Cameron tries an Oklahoma accent? Yep...about half the time anyway.

# 12: NEVER SAY GOODBYE (1946) Errol Flynn's attempt at a Christmas perennial. It's no IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE but it shouldn't have disappeared either.

# 13: MURDER BY NATURAL CAUSES (1979) Almost flawless made-for-TV entertainment by COLUMBO geniuses Levinson and Link.

# 14: NEIGHBORS (1981) John Belushi's final film....isn't that reason enough?

# 15: DARKTOWN STRUTTERS (1975) I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA while the 1970's were still happening, only a lot crazier. Really!

Happy reading if you're a newcomer! Number 36 is on the way.......

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