TheArchive: Reviewing the Rare, Retro, and Restored

Ed Asner was and will always be one of the greats. To be in his orbit was to know “shit's gonna get done.” This was a stalwart of a man, dare we say a bullhorn for speaking his mind and defending the rights of others. Today TheArchive commemorates a long, well lived life. Despite 91 years, it always felt like he was just getting started. Beyond the seven-time Emmy-winning actor from Mary Tyler Moore to Roots, and even as an octogenarian who never slowed appearing most recently in Cobra Kai, Asner also was revered for the kind of activism that served so many. Criticizing the entertainment business’ labor standards and a long time advocate for unionism, then rising to President of SAG, Asner galvanized his position and impact by walking the talk. TheArchive is proud to have some excellent content starring Asner including The Trials of Rosie O’Neill , for which he garnered a supporting actor Emmy nomination. We also have some of his earliest work in Decoy , a 1950’s noir series star...

John Ritter has been gone an impossibly long time yet he is as alive and good as ever. After watching the brilliant "Superstar: The Life of John Ritter" we had to dig into TheArchive and see for ourselves. It is hard to remember that he was equal parts heartthrob and loveable goofball. But there was also depth and range far beyond the laughs. That he could be everything to everyone is one of life's great mysteries, one only Ritter could solve. Let's celebrate his legacy and share some of the films that showcase the many facets of John Ritter.  When Phil meets the woman of his dreams only to discover she's getting married in a week, he will do whatever he can to stop her walk down the aisle. The Last Fling also stars Connie Sellecca, Scott Bakula, Shannon Tweed, and Mario Lopez. Nothing like Pretty Woman to inspire the happy hooker with a heart of gold genre. Donald splits his affection between two women: his wife and a prostitute. When he's mysteriously murd...

One of the great drummers of any generation has passed. Watts leaves behind Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood after more than 50 years behind his kit. Growing up the son of a truck driver in Wembley with a penchant for jazz and a gift for design, little did he know that the children's book about Charlie Parker he published at such a young age would so beautifully foretell his own greatness despite the humble ode he inscribed in the preface: "This story was compiled by one Charlie to a late and great Charlie." Through the decades his greatness ramped up like his many unmistakable rhythms, always playing to a slightly different beat as early as the beginning of the 1960s when he turned down the Stones' first invitations to join them. But despite those first tones of rejection, Jagger persisted and Watts joined the band that took off like a rocket and never cooled down. Into the 1980s with the Charlie Watts Orchestra, Watts finally reached his penultimate ambit...

You asked for it so we are back with  Summer Dreams Part 2: Even Dreamier! Who better to hunker down with during the dog days of summer than Matt Dillon, Julian McMahon, Steve Guttenberg, and Ian Ziering. These guys are all available for free on TheArchive.com . Here’s the skinny on each of these super hot summer titles: First up is  Wet and Wild Summer  starring Elliot Gould and Julian McMahon of  Nip/Tuck  fame about  a young American who visits Australia to close a land development deal for his father. His plans change however, when he falls for the attractive club owner who's trying to hold on to her land. Welcome to Paradise stars Shelley Long and  Sharknado 's dreamy Ian Ziering and is about  longtime friends who take off for Spring Break at Paradise Beach, Florida, to prove they've still got it!   Matt Dillon leads Liar's Moon . Summer in 1940s Texas, finds two teens on opposite sides of the tracks fall hopelessly and forbiddingly in ...

Today would have been Golden Globe winner John Saxon's 85 th   birthday.   Saxon died last year but is immortalized in movies like Black Christmas  and A Nightmare on Elm Street . Interesting trivia,  he was buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, the same location as his  Enter the Dragon  costar, Bruce Lee. He even made a fun cameo in From Dusk til Dawn . TheArchive commemorates Jon and his incredible work that also found him in a number of our films as well: Joseph’s Gift Joseph is the youngest and his father's favorite. When his brothers grow so envious of the affection that Joseph receives from their father they scheme to abandon Joseph in New York. Lancelot: Guardian of Time Merlin sends Lancelot through a window in time to act as a young Arthur's bodyguard. A wicked sorcerer interferes with these plans, sending Arthur and Lancelot to present day Los Angeles.   Tunnels Beneath the streets and beyond the sewers of New York, this ...

Harvard Man stars Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Joey Lauren Adams in a film about a Harvard student and star point guard for Harvard's basketball team.  When his parents' house is destroyed by a tornado, Grenier inadvertently hooks up with the mob who agrees to give him the repair money if he throws his college basketball game.  The plot takes an even more bizarre turn when our star drops too much acid and goes on a hallucinogenic journey longer than the movie.  It's interesting to note that disgraced, allegedly serial abuser James Toback is the director who back in the early 2000s was still in demand and could command one helluva cast. In addition to Gellar and Grenier, Eric Stoltz, Rebecca Gayheart, and Al Franken, oddly playing himself, round out the star quotient.  And what brings around the relevance is Milwaukee Bucks legend himself, Mr. Ray Allen, who is featured in this early 2000s basketball drama while he was still on the Bucks.... If you...

Our team has put together the "Dreamboat Stars of Summer" starring: Don Johnson, Mel Gibson, Bruce Greenwood, and Mark Harmon available for free on TheArchive.com . Here’s the skinny on each summer title: First up is Summer Dreams: The Story of the Beach Boys starring Bruce Greenwood as Dennis Wilson.  This is a definitive tale of the legendary band told from the brotherly relationship of the late Dennis Wilson and his genius but troubled brother, Brian, almost 25 years before Love & Mercy. It features an incredible Beach Boys soundtrack. Long Hot Summer is based on a series of stories by William Faulkner and stars Don Johnson (in the Paul Newman role) and Cybill Shepherd. Two years before his breakout role in Mad Ma x, Mel Gibson stars alongside Phil Avalon in surfer flick  Summer City , his very first film.  Four years before the the series of nearly the same title starring Will Smith, and a year before they starred in the cult hit "Summer School," Mark Harm...

It is only fitting to celebrate our independence by going BEYOND THE MASK! With people out and about and ready to gather, July 4th may be the biggest spectacle we've seen in years. But we recommend you also celebrate our nation's independence and take a break from the heat and crowds by watching  TheArchive 's, BEYOND THE MASK . Beyond the Mask , in beautiful 4K, is an action-packed adventure 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, Alan Madlane as Benjamin Franklin, and John Rhys-Davies as the corrupt Charles Kemp in a performance Variety praised as, "bellicose, two dimensional villainy that makes for undeniably enjoyable viewing." Yes, he's indeed enj...