Wednesday, April 8, 2009 The Collection Is Not Enough

While writing my post on movies I would buy if I had the cash, I was reminded of some films I couldn't buy even if I was making Republican money. Of no interest to anyone but myself, here's a list of the top five movies I wish were available on DVD.

5) Shanghai Blues - To be honest, I don't really remember a lot about this film other than I really enjoyed it. It was my exposure to Tsui Hark (outside of a segment of The Incredibly Strange Film Show), and I was lucky enough to catch it on a big screen at the Art Institute of Chicago some twenty years ago. There's an expensive (and rather shoddy) Japanese disc and a better-looking French release, but neither have English subtitles. While poking around YouTube in a fruitless search for a trailer, I think I've learned that a stage musical version of the film has been produced. Hopefully, that's a sign that a proper HK release with English subs might surface someday soon.


4) Hickey & Boggs - As per my previous post, this film is long overdue for a DVD release.

3) Black Belt Jones - Scatman Crothers as a martial arts master! Beach bunnies on trampolines! Isaac from The Love Boat as a Black Panther! I picked up a VCD of the film in Bangalore, but it's absolutely staggering that this crowd-pleaser hasn't been treated to full digital glory. "Hey everyone, we're going to McDonalds!"

2) The Falcon and The Saint - I love old detective movies and I love professional cad George Sanders, so it's no surprise that the Saint and Falcon films have a special place in my heart. The two series are practically indistinguishable - when production of the Saint films shifted to England, RKO simply changed a few details and carried on Stateside with the Falcon. The resilient serial even survived Sanders moving on to "A" pictures; his real-life brother, Tom Conway, was brought in as a replacement starting with The Falcon's Brother. While they're never going to give The Maltese Falcon a run for it's money, the films are breezy, lightweight fun. Chan, Moto, and Holmes have all made the jump to Digital Versatile Disc, so it's high time Templar and the Lawrence Boys have their chance.1) Dark of the Sun - I first caught this on a UHF station one Sunday afternoon long ago, and it's been a favorite ever since. It has a solid cult following and is supposed to be one of Quentin Tarentino's favorite films, so why hasn't it been released already?

Runners-up for the most wanted list include:

• Judas Kiss - Southern-Fried noir starring the delightful Emma Thompson and the mouth-watering Carla Gugino. Disqualified because DVD's were released in Australia and France, the only two countries where the film generated any interest. Sadly, both are out-of-print.
• Return of the Musketeers - The less-than-satisfying follow-up to the Richard Lester Musketeer movies, appropriately based on Dumas' Twenty Years After. Disqualified because it is currently available on DVD, albeit only as part of a French box set with its two predecessors
• The Fighting O'Flynn - A slight but enjoyable swashbuckler starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. As much as I like this film, I just couldn't find a place for it in the top 5.
• Sabotage - An above-average DTV actioner starring Mark Dacascos, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Tony Todd. I believe this got a (full screen) DVD release in Australia, but it's also now OOP.

Attention, studios! I refuse to convert to Blu-Ray until my demands are met!