Playing for Time [Blu-ray]

GUT-WRENCHINGLY GOOD
THIS IS A STUNNING MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE. IT COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT THAN SCHINDLER'S LIST, AND I FOUND IT MUCH MORE INVOLVING AND CONFRONTING. VANESSA REDGRAVE IS ABSOLUTELY RIVETING IN THE ROLE OF FANIA FENELONG, WHO BECOMES PART OF A BIZARRE ORCHESTRA AT AUSCHWITZ, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER WOMEN. THIS ORCHESTRA IS OF COURSE AT THE MERCY OF THEIR CAPTORS, AND THEY ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY LIKE VIRTUOSOS (LUCKILY, MOST OF THEM ARE), DESPITING THE FACT THAT THAY ARE OFTEN HUNGRY AND SICK. THE WHOLE CAST IS AMAZING AND THERE ARE SEVERAL MOVING AND VERY HUMAN SCENES INVOLVING A FEW OF THE GERMAN CAPTOR'S, ESPECIALLY ONE WOMAN IN PARTICULAR. AS TIME GOES ON, DIVISIONS OCCUR BETWEEN THE (MOSTLY) JEWISH WOMEN MAKING UP THE ORCHESTRA, AND FANIA BECOMES EVERYONE'S MENTOR. (EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T MEAN TO). THE WHOLE FILM IS DARKLY REALISTIC, COMPLETE WITH MOUTH-SORES, SHAVED HEADS, GRIMY FACES AND SUNKEN-LOOKING EYES. A HAUNTING, RIVETING YET (SOMEHOW) UPLIFTING FILM, IT IS STUNNINGLY SHOT, AND...
Playing for time
Very haunting.Has always stayed in my mind after seeing it over 10 yrs. ago. The horrible part is that actually happened! Who,s to say similar events could not happen again? God help us! Everyone should see this incredible,stirring and factual film.
WHY NO DVD ???
THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PIECE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE LOST. PLEASE SOMEONE DIGITALLY REMASTER AND LET'S HAVE A DVD. THE SCRIPT AND THE PERFORMANCES ARE HAUNTING AND OFFER SO MUCH DEPTH TO A WORLD GONE MAD WITH THE PARADOX'S OF PERSECUTORS AND VICTIMS BECOMING CONFUSED AND DEADLY.
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Guest Wife

Colbert and script shine in snappy comedy.
A star turn for Claudette Colbert in an very amusing and well-written comedy. Happily married woman tricked into posing as the wife of her husband's best friend - but the press get ahold of the story and her life and marriage are compromised. Amusing and adult script and marvelous Colbert make this a brisk, breezy and enjoyable film - superbly remastered. Oscar nom for Original Score.
Rare Gem with the Peerless Claudette
GUEST WIFE does not have the reputation of Claudette Colbert's greatest comedies, but it's a fine comedy with the beautiful star in fine form. Claudette plays the devoted wife of Dick Foran who finds herself forced to pose as the wife of Foran's best friend, Don Ameche. The sparkling Colbert wit and charm are in full force and the lady at 41 is every bit the beauty she was a decade earlier in her Oscar-winning triumph IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Heck, Claudette looked fabulous into her nineties!! This United Artists release, like most of their vintage films from independent producers from the period, rarely plays on television so this video might be your only chance to see this wonderful movie. The film's print is sparkling and the movie is (unusual for a video release) introduced by Roddy McDowell.
Here comes our wife now.
Guest Wife is directed by Sam Wood, written by Bruce Manning and John Klorer, and stars Claudette Colbert (Mary), Don Ameche (Joe) and Dick Foran (Chris). The story tells of a journalist, Joe, who claims to his boss that he is married because the company would like their employees to be as such, and Joe wants to take some vacation leave. But he happens to still be single. Something that's now a major problem since his boss requests the company of Joe and wife for the weekend! His pal Chris lends him his wife Mary so as to bluff his boss into agreement, however, things start to get complicated.

Obviously hampered by the strict censorship that existed at the time of its making, Guest Wife none the less is a cheeky little comedy that boasts fun acting and a safe and solid script.. Tho referred to as a screwball comedy in some quarters, I feel that doesn't quite do the film any favours. Yes the gags are breezy enough, but they are hardly of the whirlwind scattergun variety. The...
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Plunder Road

A Good entry in the 'caper' film genre
Hubert Cornfield's "Plunder Road" is the story of a carefully planned and flawlessly executed robbery of a train carrying a gold shipment on its way to the US mint. The script, written by actor Steven Ritch, who plays Eddie, a former car racer turned wheelman, is interestingly spare. There are long stretches in the film without dialogue, but the script is terse and incisive, in both its voice-over narration and dialogue. The cast includes Wayne Morris, who delivered a fine performance in Stanley Kubrick's "Paths Of Glory", and the legendary character actor Elisha Cook in the role of Skeets, a career criminal with dreams of escaping to Rio. All of the performances are generally low-key, but effective. Gene Raymond, as the mastermind of the job, makes for an interesting gang leader: a laconic, cynical, college-educated tough guy. The robbery sequence is very well done, and the rest of the film seldoms lets up in delivering suspense."Plunder Road"...
A tense 'heist NOIR' that keeps you riveted
Well worth a look, 'PLUNDER ROAD' is a tense little crime film that, like so many others did, got lost among the bigger name thrillers of the period. But despite it's relative obscurity the film is a highly entertaining yarn involving a group of thieves attempting to get away with an elaborate gold heist, while facing slim odds. No big names to speak of, an ostensibly low budget, and a cheeky title (a Mitchum reference?) do nothing to diminish the impact of this scrappy little gem. Check it out.
Economy size
A capable caper film distinguished by expert performances from a veteran cast. Gene Raymond's turn as the world-weary ringleader is especially noteworthy and a long way from his sappy, lightweight roles of the 1930's. Authentic war hero Wayne Morris is a likable co-conspirator, but unfortunately just two years away from an untimely early death. Professional loser Elisha Cook's presence guarantees a bad end to the best laid plans, and though the movie as a whole doesn't disappoint, the budget appears to be in the neighborhood of $50 tops, as the getaway truck revolves endlessly around Griffith Park. Director Hubert Cornfield looks to be aiming at a breakthrough film on the order of Stanley Kubrick's remarkably successful caper film of the year before, The Killing, but doesn't get it. Plunder Road simply lacks the imagination and panache of its predecessor. Nevertheless the movie merits a look for its spartan virtues, expert pacing, and capable cast.
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Big Combo [Blu-ray]

Mr. Brown.
Quentin Tarantino owes his career -- or what's left of it, anyway -- to Joseph L. Lewis' *The Big Combo*, from 1955. Fans of *Resevoir Dogs* will be surprised to see that the villain of the piece (a hissable Richard Conte) is named "Mr. Brown" (which was Tarantino's color-coded name in his own film). They will also be shocked to discover that Tarantino is something of a rip-off artist when they see the scene here where Conte and his goons torture a cop tied to a chair. In 1955, force-feeding someone booze, splashing it all over him, and cramming a hearing-aid into his ear with the other end attached to a radio was considered sufficient torture. In 1992, our sensibilities required the removal of the ear and splashes of gasoline. Progress. At any rate, my point is that *The Big Combo* was a very influential film noir among connoisseurs. It still packs a wallop. I take issue with the fellow from Canada below on several points. As for his sniping about the low budget...
A Forgotten Masterpiece Remembered!
First and foremost I would like to congratulate and say thank you very much to IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT for having the sense to make available a great overlooked, and underappreciated classic on VHS and DVD. "The Big Combo" is one of the best film noirs ever made, and one of the best films of the 1950s. It is one of the most brutal films both visually and in its depiction of the violence that lies beneath the surface of society. It also has many great performances by Richard Conte, Cornel Wilde, and Conte's two psychopathic aids Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman. This is definitely a must-see for either fans of dark, violent films, or for fans of great artistic films also. I congratulate, applaud, and thank very much, IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT for remembering and making "THE BIG COMBO" available on DVD and VHS as it should be. Here are some forgotten classics that aren't available on video or need a better transfer, that definitely should: NIGHT AND THE CITY...
(MR) BROWN'S REQUIEM
Wow ! That's the kind of film noir I like. Firstly , the villain is really a villain. Richard - Mr Brown - Conte is the kind of bad guy you don't want to have against you. The way he uses a radio to torture the poor Cornel Wilde is...weird, it's the least one can say.

One also will recognize Lee Van Cleef, the future spaghetti star of the italian westerns of the 60's, in the role of a vicious bodyguard. And Jean Wallace as the fragile blond girlfriend of our vicious psychopath. And Brian Donleavy, the former mob boss, whose ear infirmity gives to director Joseph Lewis the opportunity to imagine a scene that is part of Movie History.

The quality of the DVD is above-average with very good images but no extras. Just a scene access.

A DVD for your library.
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Witchboard 2: Devil's Doorway [Blu-ray]

Olive Films Gives Sequel Special Treatment
A beautiful young woman unlocks a passageway to pure evil in the spine-tingling supernatural sequel to the popular hit, Witchboard. When Paige Benedict (Ami Dolenz, Ticks, She's Out of Control) moves into her new artist's loft, the only thing on her mind is her art and her slightly loopy landlady Elaine (Laraine Newman, Saturday Night Live). But when she finds an old Ouija board buried in her closet, she discovers that this new apartment isn't hers at all. Through the board, Paige in contacted by the spirit of a former tenant who claims she was murdered there. Against the advice of her ex-boyfriend Mitch (Timothy Gibbs, The Kindred), Paige is drawn deeper into the mystery as she finds her dreams overtaken with vivid, erotic and brutal visions of unspeakable horror. And when other tenants in the building begin falling prey to violent, mysterious deaths, Paige realizes that only she can seal the door to the terrifying nightmare she has unwittingly unleashed and the price may be her...
90's horror classic
I seen this movie on youtube and actually watched it all the way through which is hard to do when you're viewing it on a 52 inch with the worst picture quality imaginable. The movie is fun & stylish also im a huge Ami Dolenz fan and would love to have pumpkin head 2 on blu! Top five favorite scream queens #5. Ami Dolenz #4. Catriona MacColl #3. Brigitte Lahaie #2. Daria Nicolodi #1. Jamie Lee Curtis
Campy Sequel - Finally on DVD and Blu-ray
This campy cult-horror film is finally available on DVD and Blu-ray. Starring the very pretty Amy Dolenz and SNL great Laraine Newman.

Newly mastered in HD and loaded with extras:

* AUDIO COMMENTARY with writer/director KEVIN S. TENNEY and actors JULIE MICHAELS and JOHN GATINS
* BEHIND-THE-SCENES FEATURETTE - Includes interviews with AMI DOLENZ,
LARAINE NEWMAN, TIMOTHY GIBBS, JULIE MICHAELS, KEVIN S. TENNEY
and others
* Two Deleted Scenes
* Two Home Video Trailers
* Three TV Spots
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