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 post was originally published on (9/7/21) and updated on (2/10/22) . Why not both? With the Rams favored to handily overtake the Bengals, why not get into some classic football hijinks from TheArchive ? Super Bowl Sunday is a lot of fun, especially as we anticipate the sheer insanity of Los Angelenos as they celebrate the victory. So keep the fun going with the 1980s HBO throwback land O.J. Simpson starrer, 1st & Ten . However the Rams-Bengals matchup plays out, there’s 80 episodes of OJ slicing and dicing his way through jokes and jocks. So punt whatever else your binging and get down with 1st & Ten ! HBO has long been ahead of its time featuring the antics of American Football on and off the field. Before Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s star turn in HBO’s Ballers or the hard-hitting docuseries Hard Knocks , 1st & Ten had its own run with the sport and its players. Funny enough, if you're a fan of Apple’s Ted Lasso , you may also recognize

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

Without warning 2022 welcomes Omicron which has reared its head in spectacular and overwhelming fashion. So we recommend staying in this weekend to enjoy, in spectacular and overwhelming fashion... WITHOUT WARNING . This scary flick will harken us back to a time when David Caruso, Jack Palance, and Martin Landau decided to get together and do a Greydon Clark picture. If you know Roger Corman and his legacy, you may know Greydon Clark who as a point of interest, makes Roger Corman look like Spielberg. That said, over four decades, Clark brought films to the screen like the "sexy pep squad" in Satan's Cheerleaders and excelled at exploitation with diverse diddies like Joysticks , Wacko , Black Shampoo , and today's feature Without Warning , which (and don't dare us) we are exploring the idea of remaking.  Clark's movies feature Oscar winners like Martin Landau, George Kennedy, Jack Palance and stars who were at the beginning of their careers including Andrew Di

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

It's the most wonderful time of the year when we throw another yule log on the fire, curl up with a loved one, and watch some holiday flix. This holiday season  TheArchive  brings you some of the most beloved pop divas and their star turns in some of our favorite deep cuts. Dolly Parton, Bjork, and Grace Jones are among the many December divas starring in our movies. So let's get started with a Christmas gem that stars Nashville's nicest and never naughtiest. In Unlikely Angel Dolly Parton plays a country music singer who meets an untimely demise and learns she can’t enter heaven until she performs a good deed back on Earth. To earn her wings, she must find a mother for a widowed father and his two children in this endearing film of hope and love. Swing is a 1999 musical romantic comedy Lisa Stansfield. This was Stansfield's film debut and she also did the soundtrack.  An ex-con (Hugo Speer) dreams of putting together a swing band and getting back with his ex-girlfrie

As we gear up for the holidays we wanted to share two family stories worth streaming. So grab some hot cocoa, curl up on the couch with your loved ones, and start with 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, paved a path to resilience, and the duet that reignited a remarkable comeback. The legendary Robert Townsend directed the true story. In Naomi & Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge , Ashley Judd, narrates the true story of the illustrious Judd family. Starting with Naomi's struggles as a single mother in 1960s in Kentucky, we follow the trio of Judds as they fight to achieve their dreams. Along the path to musical stardom for Naomi and Wynona, they're faced with struggles and familial tensions all the while tracking Ashley's battles with isolation and loneliness, feeling like an outsider. The family drama stars Kathleen York, Viveka