TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Rick King wrote and directed a fair number of films including The Killing Time starring Beau Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland . None of them were hits per se, though he did win a CableAce Award for his work as director on miniseries Vietnam War Story .  King was also just a writer on certain projects including Point Break which did go on to be a significant hit and spawned a remake just a few years ago.  He explored some similar territory throughout his work, most notably, the “unlikely buddy” dynamic.  In Point Break for example, Keanu Reeves (who plays Utah) gets seemingly bromanced but also blackmailed into a friendship with criminal Bodhi, played by Patrick Swayze. As they were both athletes, therein developed a certain level of camaraderie and respect, despite the two being on very different sides of the law. In another notable Rick King sports film Hotshot , the legendary Brazilian football (soccer) great and erstwhile thespian Pelé, plays a forgotten champion. He has turned h

There are so many interesting stories embedded in TheArchive ’s deep archive. With a vast library of content and a rich history, we continue to distribute surprises every day.  For example, streaming on TheArchive now are all 39 episodes of 1956’s The Buccaneers starring the inimitable Robert Shaw, possibly best known for his iconic performance as Quint the shark hunter in Jaws, but an Oscar-nominee and Hollywood stalwart nonetheless, and a damn solid Buccaneer as well.  Talk about difficult schedules. 39 episodes shot over a single season, nearly a record, and only one number shy of Tom Brady’s record last year of passing touchdowns in a single season. That’s a reach in comparable statistics, but we  are  talking about the Buccaneers.  If you watch the series, one can see how amazingly, nearly 65 years later, art and life do continue to imitate one another. The plot centers around Captain Dan Tempest who as an ex-pirate, received a pardon from the King and turned privateer after his

To commemorate the beginning of Black History Month,  we are celebrating two remarkable American heroes who are forever and inextricably linked in film history. A Woman Called Moses  stars the late, legendary Cicely Tyson in a miniseries honoring the life of Harriett Tubman who summoned the strength and indomitable will to defy and overcome a tyrannous system.  In her near 70 year career on screen, the Emmy, Tony, and Academy Honorary Award winner explored a broad and deep mix of roles in film, television and theater, many that worked to lift and amplify the black experience. "Whatever good I have accomplished as an actress I believe came in direct proportion to my efforts to portray Black women who have made positive contributions to my heritage." A Woman Called Moses  was produced as a television miniseries and based on the life of Harriet Tubman, the escaped slave who organized the infamous Underground Railroad, ultimately leading scores from enslavement to freedom.  "

Imagine Putin test-driving a Tesla gifted by the American people, with Trump riding shotgun!   What does an American President do when he knows his days are numbered?   One President indeed stepped down due to overwhelming pressure, the infamous Richard Milhouse Nixon, after some ridiculous stunts and justifications. One of the best made movies on Nixon is ‘ The Final Days ’ (1989) which premiered on ABC, with over 2.5 hours of live action mixed with archival footage, it captures all the details of Woodward and Bernstein’s best-selling book on the Watergate scandal.   Featuring a riveting performance from Lane Smith as Nixon, alongside legendary actors Richard Kiley, David Ogden Stiers, and Gary Sinise, we see the how Nixon and his staff navigate the intense scrutiny of his administration and the risky moves they made to extend his Presidency.   Under Nixon’s direction to ‘preserve the integrity of the Presidency’ and to ‘ensure national security,’ they inevitably allowed him to overru

Actor, author, and activist Michael J. Fox spent the 1980s playing a teen protagonist in massive TV series and movies, but he had a string of early roles that helped shape his future, including the role of Jay-Jay in the movie High School USA (1983).   This zany NBC pilot turned back-door M-O-W, is now on TheArchive , and features a who’s-who of TV stars like Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, Tony Dow, Ken Osmond, Bob Denver, and Dawn Wells, who unfortunately just passed away from Covid, to name a few; let’s just say the creators loved Gilligan’s Island, Diff’rent Strokes and Leave it to Beaver.  Other well-known actors rounded off this cast, including an uncredited Brad Pitt as a bumbling library nerd, but the highlights of this lovable American school title are the scenes with Crispin Glover, Nancy Mckeon and Anthony Edwards, with Edwards flexing his nerd-to-cool acting range just before starring in Revenge of the Nerds, Gotcha!, Top Gun and many other huge films and series like ER.    Whic

Written by Vietnam historian Peter Alan Lloyd,  M.I.A. A Greater Evil   is a thrilling horror film that touches on the conspiracy theories and notions surrounding the Vietnam War—those that suggest nearly 2,000 POWs were lost and kept captive in the jungles of Vietnam.  M.I.A.  deals with one of the great conspiracy theories of the 20th century, detailing the unknowns and the uncomfortable truths. In M.I.A. A Greater Evil, a group of American college students embark on an expedition in search of gold throughout the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. The college students (Valerie Bentson, Sarah Ball, and Mark Matula) are joined by their Geology professor in search of gold along a river in Vietnam.  With past stories of French gold miners finding riches within the waters, their intrigue is not deterred by rapids, detoured routes, or talk of the War and its ominous presence over the area. But their dreams of riches quickly unravel when an unintended detour leaves the group

Fall asleep??? Not possible with Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, and Betty herself Ms. Bacall coming at you. And that would be some serious horror if Lauren Bacall could get to you. In her current state and all. So yeah you heard us - we have some A List stars up in TheArchive . Keitel, Law, and Bacall are in Presence of Mind . And so is Nilo Zimmermann. You know, Lydia Zimmermann's son. Their name has two Ns. So much name dropping here. They should have dropped the extra N though. And if you haven't unfollowed us after watching that gem we buried the leads: Mutant - which is a legit good little freaky creature feature. One Dark Night - Adam West. That's enough. Uninvited - this one features the OG "Flerken" that Captain Marvel clearly ripped off! And th ere's all kinds of Amityville horror t o watch. Not the original classic good one. You can get that on Amazon Prime.  While you're there download our app . Not that Ryan Reynolds one either. But we DO have th