TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

"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

Norma Jean Baker may need an introduction but Marilyn need not. The life of Marilyn Monroe has left so many stones yet to be overturned. And in just the few decades she was on the planet, more content, drama, and speculation has been conjured than could fill the annals of history.  Since we still have so much to learn, and the collective world has told us they have not grown weary of that learning, we wanted to celebrate this undeniable iconoclast’s birthday with some of our favorites from TheArchive . We start with Blonde , because it’s sexy, timeless, and has an amazing cast including Poppy Montgomery as Marilyn, Patricia Richardson, Patrick Dempsey, Wallace Shawn, Griffin Dunne, Emily Browning, Jensen Ackles, Ann-Margret, and Kirstie Alley. While Netflix has the Brad Pitt produced version starring the impossibly gorgeous Ana de Armas coming soon, TheArchive has our’s ready to stream free now on Roku . This mini-series mixes a fictional interpretation of Marilyn Monroe with actual e

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

Fresh off binging last year’s Peacock reboot of “Saved by the Bell,” we decided to jump into TheArchive and see what old gems with the original cast we could find. And we did one better. We found Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell trying to revive Punky Brewster in a coma! This is not a Peacock marketing stunt gone wrong, but we’ll get back to that in a moment. If you thought the only time Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Soleil Moon Frye (honestly, typing those names is a nightmare) appeared in the same rarified air was in the revered episode of  Saved by the Bell , “Screech’s Spaghetti Sauce” circa 1992, guess again. Don’t mind if we do. Mark-Paul appeared  before  that in  Punky Brewster  as Punky’s tutor for whom she had a mad crush! Well the “chemistry,” was undeniable so they came together once more and we’ve got that only reunion on cel luloid, 1994’s  The St. Tammany Miracle . Directed by Joy Newton Houck Jr., best known for directing  Creature from the Black Lake  and being the son o

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