Bad Company (DVD)
Robert Benton`s directorial debut stars Jeff Bridges as young con man Jake Rumsey in this highly original Western. After Drew Dixon (Barry Brown), an upright young man, is sent west by his religious family to avoid being drafted into the Civil War, he drifts across the land with a loose confederation of young vagrants. He connects with the entertaining Jake, and they add a couple of others, including Loney (John Savage) and Arthur (Jerry Houser), to a gang that is barely surviving in the harsh climate of the West. They have to avoid confrontations not only with professional criminals--such as Big Joe (David Huddleston)--but also from hardened civilians who would kill a young boy for trying to steal a pie. Always outdoors, without as much as one horse among them, they`re even at the mercy of the elements. As the boys` tribulations mount, their naive visions of cowboy glory fade, and Drew begins to realize that a life of crime may be his only means of survival.
Though boasting a stellar cast, a strong script, and inspired direction, the film proved a disappointment at the box office, perhaps because of its bleak vision and loose, episodic narrative. The unjustly ignored masterpiece also features an arresting tonal combination of Brechtian irony and absurdist whimsy, as well as brilliant photography by the legendary Prince of Darkness, Gordon Willis (THE GODFATHER, ALL THE PRESIDENT`S MEN), who skillfully utilizes a unique, expressive palette of washed-out grays and browns.PG"
Director: Robert Benton
ACTORS: Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, Jim Davis, John Savage, Ned Wertimer
The Faceless Monster (DVD)
Barbara Steele has a dual role in this Italian production concerning a mad scientist who tortures his unfaithful wife and her lover to death only to have them return from the grave for revenge. With a score by Ennio Morricone.NR"
Director: Mario Caiano
ACTORS: Barbara Steele, Paul Miller, Helga Line, Rick Battaglia
Quincy Jones: In the Pocket (DVD)
Quincy Jones has been in the music business for over 50 years and has helped start the careers of a number of superstars, earned seven Academy Award nominations, and composed hundreds of songs during his remarkable career. This American Masters program looks at Mr. Jones`s impact on popular music and culture through footage of the master in action and in interviews with friends and luminaries such as former President Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby, and more.NR"
ACTORS: Quincy Jones
The Victim (VHS)
A martial arts student (Sammo Hung) is beaten in a fight and insists on becoming the servant and student of the other fighter, a young man on the run from his brother. The insistent pupil gets involved in the feud between the two brothers, but the main focus in this film is the non-stop martial arts action, featuring terrific stunts and a superior plot.NR"
Director: Sammo Hung
ACTORS: Ka-Yan Leung, John Li, Sammo Hung
Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar: Part VI (Episodes 22-26) (DVD)
The Space Battleship Argo in on a quest to reach the planet Iscandar and return to Earth before the planet is destroyed by the evil Gamilon Empire. This DVD includes an interactive trip to Iscandar.NR"
Director: Leiji Matsumoto
