TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Today would have been Golden Globe winner John Saxon's 85 th   birthday.   Saxon died last year but is immortalized in movies like Black Christmas  and A Nightmare on Elm Street . Interesting trivia,  he was buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, the same location as his  Enter the Dragon  costar, Bruce Lee. He even made a fun cameo in From Dusk til Dawn . TheArchive commemorates Jon and his incredible work that also found him in a number of our films as well: Joseph’s Gift Joseph is the youngest and his father's favorite. When his brothers grow so envious of the affection that Joseph receives from their father they scheme to abandon Joseph in New York. Lancelot: Guardian of Time Merlin sends Lancelot through a window in time to act as a young Arthur's bodyguard. A wicked sorcerer interferes with these plans, sending Arthur and Lancelot to present day Los Angeles.   Tunnels Beneath the streets and beyond the sewers of New York, this horror-thriller follows two

"Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment.” ― Bruce Lee Johnny Yune and his classic They Call Me Bruce ? are an inextricably linked one two punch. One being Yune and his comedic brilliance discovered early on by none other than the late great Johnny Carson. And two, They Call Me Bruce ?, the byproduct of Yune’s genius that was far ahead of its time. So far ahead that one may even say he helped pave the way for amazing, topical shows like Fresh off the Boat.  But it is also entirely likely that Yune also felt the underrepresentation of the times, foreshadowing even today where, according to NBC News, a recent  study on Asian American representation in Hollywood  found that only 3.4 percent of Hollywood’s top-grossing movies featured Asian American or Pacific Islander leads. For its time, grossing over $16 Million at the box office deems this a rarified hit starring an Asian American. Even in today's standards. While IMDB describes They Call Me

When streaking becomes professional, does that mean it's serious business or just for laughs? Can't it be both? TheArchive decided to undress this conceit. Sports are back - let the streaking commence! Streaking rose to popularity in the early 1970s, as disruption to sporting events to demonstrate rebellion.  As the phenomenon grew in prominence across live sporting events, security and event handlers would do their best to diffuse the situation and discourage the daring and baring.  But alas, the streaking continued. Providing a sense of comedic flare to the otherwise tension-filled dynamic of the game, spectators seem to enjoy  both and have come to expect if not demand some nude diversion during the big game. In STREAKER , our favorite streaker movie we've acquired yet, t his Swiss film spotlights the high stakes competitive world of streaking; money and pride are on the line, and bets are placed to see who can stay on the field the

We recently visited with Harry Eskin, one of our 4K restoration team members, to find out what it takes to restore a film to 4K. Harry is a member of a four-person restoration team headed by Sarah Smith, our Media Archive Manager, and supported by assistant Nicole Bajorek, and 4K film editor Meni Phillip. With over 100 hours and counting, and available to be streamed in 4K anytime, anywhere, on any device, TheArchive offers the most extensive independent library of rare films that have been restored to their original magnificence. Q: Thank you for taking some time to speak with us today about restoring films in 4K. I will jump right in. How did you get started on a career as a film archivist and restorationist?  Harry: I have always been a film buff with a particular interest in rare films; the rarer the film, the better. I was introduced to film archiving in college and decided it was something I wanted to pursue. After receiving a Master's Degre

The Whole Wide World is a true story of Novalyne Price Ellis (Renée Zellweger) one of the greatest pulp fiction writers of all time.  Based on her acclaimed autobiography, Ellis is a feisty West Texas schoolteacher who has a torrid and turbulent affair with Robert. E. Howard (Vincent D'Onofrio), the great pulp writer of the 1930s.  However, their conflicting personalities along with Howard’s emotional baggage,  including his sickly mother and absent father, puts a strain on their relationship.  The two struggle to carry on the romance  but it devolves to tumult, resulting in an unrequited love story. Howard becomes more immersed in his own struggles and deeply dis connected from the real world pushing his love further and further away.    No one said love is easy, but at least you can suffer through it in beautiful, free, 4K. You can stream it free on Roku now. Love hurts here at TheArchive .  TheArchive  channel is dedicated to

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