TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

This post was originally published on (2/15/21) and updated on (2/21/22) . On the eve of some unpredictable tensions across the world, this President’s day TheArchive honors the Presidents who have led our country through conflict. Some have guided us past it while others caused it.   Either way, it’s challenging at the top, especially as we see President Biden navigate some very provocative leadership moments this week.  These stories of leadership have carved their way into our zeitgeist as they help to inform how our future can and may be shaped. In Ronald Reagan, The Hollywood Years, and Ronald Reagan, the Presidential Years , we track Reagan’s rise to power and his brush with the kind of conflict he could rise above. From that iconic moment on stage with Goldwater in 1964, to his governorship shortly thereafter, to his presidency, Reagan is celebrated as one of the most popular presidents of our time. But we also learn that the Iran-Contra affair certainly led to some unseen co

This Black History Month we are leaning in to the culture creators, barrier breakers, and milestone makers who have changed our world.  From Muhammad Ali to Natalie Cole, Dorothy Dandridge to Jimi Hendrix, MLK to Harriet Tubman, TheArchive  features some of the world's greatest and most inspiring luminaries and leaders of any time or place. Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty . A biography of the pioneering performer Dorothy Dandridge, featuring decades of archival footage. Jimi Hendrix: The Uncut Story . From his upbringing in Seattle to his final days in London, this series explores the complex life-story behind the legendary artist Jimi Hendrix.  Muhammad Ali: The Greatest . Spanning his early years to his triumph at the 1966 Olympics, take a rare look at one of the world's most endearing heroes. Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story .  Follow Natalie Cole and the legacy of her father the late great Nat King Cole whose absence fueled her triumph over drug addiction,

Tom Brady has signed off and his Bucs are down and out, but our Buccaneers are just hitting their stride. Today's weekly remake spotlight brings you drama off the gridiron and onto the high seas. As you recover from Sunday's two deciding match ups, tune in for  Dan Tempest and his crew of former pirates as they swashbuckle their way across the seven seas.  We're thinking Bridgerton on the water. 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.  The plot centers around Captain Dan Tempest who as an ex-pirate, received a pardon from the King and turned privateer after his stronghold was taken over by the Crown’s soldiers. Alongside his motley crew of ravage sailors, Tempest must maintain stability in the region by sticking up for what'

Bank Robber is legit.  If ever you wanted to see McDreamy in his birthday suit, no less on his birthday, then fire up Bank Robber now! McDreamy is everything and a bag of chips (and a pizza - you'll see why) and Lisa Bonet is super legit hot in every way. And the two of them...magic. Here's the premise. After robbing a bank, Billy hides out from the police in a seedy hotel where he is forced to bribe various tenants for their silence. Soon the tenants begin to up the price for their trouble. It is fun, silly, and totally watchable. And did we mention Lisa Bonet is super hot? And it has a ridiculous cast: Patrick Dempsey, Lisa Bonet, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Olivia d'Abo, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Jeter, and JB Rogers, better known as the director of American Pie 2.  Say it Isn't So?! (JB Rogers fan humor). The premise is fantastic. A guy robs a bank because his gold digging girl is simply unsatisfied. Utterly unimpressed she bails anyway, so he hides out in a h

Christmas movies have that timeless nostalgia that keeps us coming back for more. It's hard to find ones you have not seen so  this holiday season we decided to curate a list of ten old school classics you can only stream on  TheArchive . Hopefully you will keep coming back for more! Let's start with our favorite.... CHARLES DICKENS A CHRISTMAS CAROL : How do we not start with the best? Does this one really need explaining? Grab a kid, hopefully your own, and enjoy a journey through time that will take you back. THE CHRISTMAS STALLION : Horses. Snow. Sad. It's the joys of the holidays. When Gwen’s grandfather dies, he leaves her the farm and horses that they’ve raised together, but places her under the legal care of her uncle. When a greedy land developer pesters the family, a decision regarding whether to sell the farm rests solely on her uncle’s shoulders. SPEND THE HOLIDAYS WITH LIBERACE : This one's a serious throw back and oozes nostalgia thicker than the Macassar

MORE HORROR CLASSICS THAN YOU CAN STREAM Freaks, maniacs, monsters, and more. Grab that Halloween candy and stream til you scream. A whole list of recommendations below so keep reading. Our Sunday Night Pick: In part 1, we started with horror's beginnings, Dracula and Frankenstein films, early celluloid ghosts and witches.  Now we move through through the back half of the list to unearth more freaks, maniacs, and monsters. So grab the candy you were going to give to the trick or treaters next week and let's get watching: Freaks : Horror film portrayals of physical deformity, including the Hunchback of Notre Dame. These pictures often featured actors with real deformities or disabilities - the fear of someone different. Scream Queens : Jamie Lee Curtis and Fay Wray, mostly known for their iconic screams on camera, these actresses and others discuss their experience on set and the challenges that they faced when having to maintain fear and terror on set. Girl Ghouls : Female anta

From vampires and werewolves to witches and demons, here's a rundown of movie ideas to keep you watching all Halloween 100 Years of Horror  chronicles the history of movie horror from the earliest experimental chillers through to the unforgettable "golden age of movie monsters," and on to the graphic horror films of today. To get some good ideas on what to watch this month ( or just learn more about how this genre emerged ), start here with these 13 docs: Dracula and his Disciples : Cinematic portrayals of Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, including those of Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, and Christopher Lee. Blood Drinking Beginnings : Blood-drinking beings, most notably inspired by Bram Stoker's novel and how different filmmakers found new ways of reinventing the concept of the vampire. Frankenstein's Friends : Classic films based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein focuses on portrayals of the monster by Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi, and Glenn St