TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Memorial Day often gets grouped in with the unofficial start of summer. It is the long weekend that brings backyard barbecues, beach trips, road trips , and the first real feeling that the season has finally shifted. But at its heart, Memorial Day is about remembrance. It is a day to honor the people of the armed forces who lost their lives in service, and to reflect on the cost of the freedom we often take for granted.  There are many ways to observe Memorial Day, from visiting memorials and cemeteries to participating in the National Moment of Remembrance. Another way we continue to engage with history is through the stories we tell and return to. Film has always had a unique way of preserving memory, not only by showing the battles themselves, but by exploring courage, grief, justice, and the lasting impact of violence long after the fighting ends on individuals and society. This Memorial Day , we’re highlighting The Great Escape II: The Untold Story and The Quick and the Dead...

Here at Multicom, we are saddened by the news of Joe Don Baker's passing on May 7th, 2025 . Baker was an important figure in American film and a familiar face in many beloved titles in our collection. His family announced last week that he passed away at the age of 89. Joe Don Baker made a mark on Hollywood with his unmistakable Texan presence and his commanding presence. Whether playing lawmen, outlaws, or something in between, he brought an intensity to his roles that audiences never forgot...including making memorable appearances in multiple James Bond films. He rose to fame in the early 1970s with back-to-back hit performances: first, in Junior Bonner (1972) , directed by Sam Peckinpah, where he starred as the ambitious younger brother of Steve McQueen’s aging rodeo rider. Then, in Don Siegel’s Charley Varrick (1973), he turned heads as Molly, a mob enforcer who chillingly stalks Walter Matthau’s character.  But Baker’s lead role in Walking Tall (1973) catapulted him to th...