TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

B-Movies, Leslie Nielsen and Bears, oh my! (aka an exploration into insanity) You've been warned... There are plenty of weird movie clips that we all see shared across the web. You know the ones. Those clips so out of context, so bizarre and head scratching they couldn't possibly be legit? So on this lovely summer day, I wanted to share with you something so timely, so lined up with hipster pop culture that I have dug out from TheArchive none other than Leslie Nielsen and wait for it...animals on attack! I mean who needs funny man Sandler and his latest Netflix yawner or the lunatic in Tiger King when I'm delivering you the real uncut gems! IMHO (yes throwback Thursday acronyms may abound), there is one clip that defies so much logic that it actually becomes more baffling, as more context is gleaned. One where a shirtless Leslie Nielsen, you know, that perpetually white haired real funny guy, best known for his roles in Airplane! and Naked Gun, figh...

With July 4 th falling on a Saturday, parties would normally be off the charts around the country. But this weekend, for so many reasons, celebrations may be more subdued. Celebrating our nation's independence will be a right and privilege each person here in the states can exercise and t his particular writer will be home with his family revisiting a popular TheArchive movie, BEYOND THE MASK . I thought it ironic given this Covid-19 time, that a film celebrating American independence would have such an apt title.    Beyond the Mask , in beautiful 4K, is an action-packed adventure romance set in 1776 during the turmoil of the Revolutionary war, bringing history to life in a story filled with liberty, freedom, and faith. Based on true events, the film features action, battles, and suspense, leading up to the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence. Andrew Cheney stars as William Reynolds, Kara Kilmer as Charlotte Holloway, ...

Summer Summer Summertime  (for B-Movies...because you’ve seen everything else) Ahhh…summer! The Sand! The Surf! The Sun! The July 4th fireworks spectacle!  Or in reality, none of that while we  stew inside suffering through the same stupid shit on Netflix. As we continue into the Covid-19 apocalypse I’ve run out of stuff to watch. Until now. While I’m safely hidden in  TheArchive ’s Top (Pop) Secret (thank you to our popcorn sponsor) bunker (totally not a broom closet), I’m going to share some B-Movie Summer fun from the dark corners of…not the broom closet! Or Roomba closet! (Thank you Roomba) How great is this image?!? So grab your sunscreen (can you get a sunburn from your iPhone?), stay six feet away from the TV, (can I give the virus to the actors in the movies? Some of them deserve it!), and enjoy a vision of days gone by…. I haven’t felt the sun on my skin in three months... Our first mo...

Has the story changed?   “Officers of the New York City Police Department, your hands are dripping with blood.” An all too familiar line shot across the courthouse steps during Kevin Hooks' seminal 1992 film featuring Cuba Gooding Jr., Carla Gugino, and the late Broadway star Curtis McClain.   George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Eric Garner. Edmund Perry.   The story hasn’t changed.    While  Murder Without Motive  is nearly 20 years old and was released in 1992, the year of the, L.A. Riots, it seems this story is all too familiar.   In the summer of 1985, Edmund Perry, a 17-year-old Harlem resident and honor student, bound for Stanford University in the Fall, was gunned down by a plainclothes police officer.   The death of George Floyd, like the death of so many at the hands of police officers, has again sparked nationwide protests and demonstrations, devolving into a storm of vitriol, hate, confus...

It’s morning and Darrin Holender is davening in his Beverly Hills office high above Wilshire Boulevard. There seems to be more to pray for than usual. Split between prayers and sneaking a peek at the latest emails flooding his inbox, the Hollywood sign looms beyond his gaze far in the distance. And very few cars pass below on Wilshire. The shades over the window slightly obscure its view and Darrin seems nonplussed by its usually daily reminder. The fact that Darrin has grown up with Hollywood in view and has never looked back, should say it all. And the fact that he is alone in the office should be no surprise either. He has his team safely distanced at home and has popped in to check the office, make sure the servers are still serving, and honestly, to give his wife and four kids a moment to appreciate what it’s like to have him return home from work at the end of the day. As a kid, Holender would accompany his father, Irv Holender to meetings arou...