TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Have you seen A Murderous Affair starring Virginia Madsen?  First of all, it features Johnny Roastbeef Williams. Enough said. Anybody want a sandwich? But then it also features William H. Macy. Now, enough said. And it used to be in glorious SD. Until TheArchive made it available in HD. And for free no less.... Old school SD trailer for an HD film! Nice. In case you're curious,  based on a true story ,  A Murderous Affair  is the case of Carolyn Warmus, a teacher from Westchester County who was convicted of the murder of her lover’s wife.    When Paul Solomon (Chris Sarandon) returns home to find his wife has been murdered, he becomes the primary suspect.   He reveals to the detectives he committed adultery during his affair with the sexy and charming Carolyn Warmus as his alibi.    Soon Detectives begin to find the seemingly sweet Carolyn was anything but, and had a jealous streak that...

As the holidays approach, we thought we'd throw a fun family comedy your way. In Alto , Francesca “Frankie” Del Vecchio (Diana DeGarmo) is adamant about many things in life. Headstrong and passionate, she loves her family, her band, and her fiancé; but disagrees with all of them about one thing: "Mob Hit" a TV show symbolizes the fetishizing of Mafia culture that to Frankie obscures all the more important aspects of the Italian American culture she longs to feed her soul.  But Frankie’s abhorrence of–and her sister Heather’s attraction to–Mob culture remain symbolic, that is until Frankie opens the trunk of a rental car and finds her world turned upside down. Also features: Natalie Knepp, Billy Wirth,  Annabella Sciorra,  Lou Martini, Jr.,  Jake Robards,  Anthony Gallo Alto was always intentionally a movie to make people laugh, and through humor, help heal the wounds that separate us, particularly from those we love. In the end,...

Sometimes love grabs you by the legs and asks you to sit down and commiserate.  Fat Legs  from  TheArchive  is free, in 4K and the perfect companion to a pint of ice cream. For our heroine Anna, it has been a year since she and John split, but things for her aren’t getting any easier. She isn’t landing auditions, and the mounting pressure from her parents to find a more stable career is starting to get to her.  Dreading the uncertainty of her future Anna travels to Paris to the home of her best friend, Jean. Jean has given up the dream of acting for a stable paycheck and idyllic life with his partner Phillipe, however, Phillipe’s dying mother has caused for some turmoil recently.  Eager to find a distraction from his own problems, Jean shifts his time and attention to helping Anna who herself is devoted to another task entirely. You'll have to watch Fat Legs to find out more. If you have not fallen m...

TheArchive has pulled out another gem, The Remarkable Life of John Weld . It's quite a beautiful true story narrated by the incomparable   Peter Coyote who plays John Weld in voiceover. Peter has done amazing voiceover work prior to this for many Ken Burns films and if you have not listened to it, don Miguel Ruiz' The Four Agreements. Brilliant stuff. With gorgeous recreations, original footage, and docu-style interviews with friends, family, and colleagues  The Remarkable Life of John Weld  takes you through the journey of a man never deterred by challenge. Fueled by his unwavering positive spirit, John was propelled into adventures with some of the most influential figures of the early 20th Century. Love of his life Gigi Parrish who after marrying John, changed her name to Katy Weld During the Golden Age of Hollywood, John worked his way up through the ranks from extra to respected stuntman, doubling some of the most prominent stars of t...