[go: up one dir, main page]
Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Warren Oates’ Category

Blu-Ray/4K News #394: The Magnificent Seven Collection (1960-72).

Posted in Burt Kennedy, Charles Bronson, Claud Akins, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Imprint, James Coburn, James Whitmore, John Sturges, Lee Van Cleef, United Artists, Warren Oates, Yul Brynner on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Imprint has announced The Magnificent Seven Collection, a new five-disc set of The Magnificent Seven (1960) and its three sequels, limited to just 1,500 copies.

The original is included on both 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, with the three sequels on Blu-ray. Return Of The Seven (1966) will feature a (magnificent?) commentary by yours truly.

The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Directed by John Sturges
Starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach

Return Of The Seven (1966)
Directed by Burt Kennedy (below, with Yul Brynner)
Starring Yul Brynner, Robert Fuller, Warren Oates, Claude Akins, Emilio Fernández, Fernando Rey

Guns Of The Magnificent Seven (1969)
Directed by Paul Wendkos
Starring George Kennedy, Monte Markham, Bernie Casey, James Whitmore, Reni Santoni, Joe Don Baker, Fernando Rey, Michael Ansara

The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
Directed by George McCowan
Starring Lee Van Cleef, Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Luke Askew

Imprint’s boxed sets are a jewel in anybody’s collection, and this one will be no different. There are a ton of extras — trailers, commentaries, interviews, etc. — and each film is presented in stereo surround and the original mono. Coming in March. Recommended!

Read Full Post »

Blu-Ray News #326: There Was A Crooked Man… (1970).

Posted in Alan Hale, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Warner Archive, Warner Bros., Warren Oates on May 20, 2021| 17 Comments »

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith, John Randolph, Lee Grant, Arthur O’Connell, Barbara Rhoades, Alan Hale, Jr., Gene Evans

After their screenplay for Bonnie And Clyde (1967), David Newman and Robert Benton cooked up this comic, oddball Western, There Was A Crooked Man… (1970). Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz was more at home with heavy dramas, but he gives this one his all.

It’s getting a welcome Blu-Ray release from Warner Archive in June.

Kirk Douglas is his usual swaggering self, and Henry Fonda is the new warden at an Arizona prison, hoping to reform Douglas and the other assorted crooks. This came at a time when Fonda was playing around with his Western persona, appearing in pictures like Burt Kennedy’s Welcome To Hard Times (1967), Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In The West (1968), Firecreek (1968) and The Cheyenne Social Club (1970). So while this one might not be a total success, it’s certainly interesting — and that cast is terrific, a great gathering of 50s and 60s character actors. Recommended.

Read Full Post »

Blu-Ray News #310: Major Dundee (1965).

Posted in Ben Johnson, Charlton Heston, Columbia, Dub Taylor, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Imprint, James Coburn, Michael Pate, Slim Pickens, Warren Oates on August 3, 2020| 16 Comments »

Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn, Michael Anderson Jr., Mario Adorf, Brock Peters, Senta Berger, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Slim Pickens, Dub Taylor, Michael Pate

Western fans and Peckinpah nuts have spent decades debating the merits of Major Dundee (1965). Nowadays, we also debate the merits of one DVD or Blu-Ray release of the picture over the other. It’s coming in a nice new set from Imprint out of Australia in October.

For me, the participation of Mr. Glenn Erickson puts an immediate Seal Of Approval on anything to do with Major Dundee. It’s his favorite movie, he’s certainly an authority on it (along with lots of other movies), and he’s a really nice guy. Nick Redman and Paul Seydor are also represented. 

Special Features and Technical Specs:
• Limited 2-Disc hard box edition with unique artwork on the first 1,500 copies
• Includes the 2005 4K extended cut scan and original theatrical cut
• NEW 2020 Audio Commentary by film historians Glenn Erickson and Alan Rode (Extended Cut)
• Passion & The Poetry: The Dundee Odyssey – Mike Siegel ‘s 2019 feature length documentary on the making of Major Dundee with L.Q. Jones, James Coburn, Lupita Peckinpah, Chalo Gonzalez and more
• Mike Siegel: About the Passion & Poetry Project – New English language version. Filmmaker Mike Siegel talks about his beginnings and his ongoing film historical project about Sam Peckinpah
• Passion & Poetry: Peckinpah Anecdotes: Nine actors telling stories about working with Sam Peckinpah
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (new score by Christopher Caliendo) (Extended Cut)
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (original score by Daniele Amfitheatrof) (Extended Cut)
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 (original score by Daniele Amfitheatrof) (Theatrical Cut)
• Audio Commentary with Film Historians Nick Redman, Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and David Weddle
• Isolated score by Christopher Caliendo in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (Extended Cut)
• Isolated score by Daniele Amfitheatrof in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (Theatrical Cut)
• Extended deleted scenes/outtakes with commentary by Glenn Erickson
• Original Trailers
• Trailer Artwork Outtakes
• Exhibitor Promo Reel Excerpt
• Vintage featurette: “Riding For A Fall” 

That’s a lot of stuff. I’m getting really excited about this one. Not sure what the Region info is on it.

UPDATE (8/4/2020): The word is, Imprint Blu-Rays are Region Free.

Read Full Post »

DVD Review: The Westerner – The Complete Series (1960).

Posted in Andre de Toth, Arthur Hunnicutt, Brian Keith, DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews, Frank Ferguson, John Dehner, Katy Jurado, Lucien Ballard, Neville Brand, Robert J. Wilke, Sam Peckinpah, Slim Pickens, Ted de Corsia, Television, Timeless Media Group, Warren Oates on February 24, 2017| 5 Comments »

brian_keith_the_westerner_1960

The Westerner — the short-lived 1960 Western series created by Sam Peckinpah and starring Brian Keith — is a really amazing thing. First, it’s just a good show, period. Next, for a Peckinpah fan, it’s a chance to see the whole Peckinpah Thing take shape before our eyes. From the dialogue that rings so true to his unique blend of the hard-ass and the sentimental to particular scenes or dialogue that’d crop up in his later work, The Westerner feels like a prototype for Sam’s career (or at least the early part of it). His visual style still had a way to go.

independent_press_telegram_sun__sep_25__1960_I’ve been dragging around bootleg copies of The Westerner for years. I’d never seen the pilot from Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre — but Shout Factory has taken care of that with their marvelous new two-DVD set. You get the 13 regular episodes and the pilot (featuring Neville Brand at his despicable best), along with commentaries from Peckinpah scholars like Paul Seydor, who’s written some excellent books on Sam and his work. His The Authentic Death And Contentious Afterlife Of Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid: The Untold Story Of Peckinpah’s Last Western Film has become one of my favorite movie books.

Haven’t made it through both discs yet, but all the shows I’ve seen look great. This is one a lot of folks have been waiting for, and this is certainly worth the wait. Right now, it’s a Walmart exclusive — at just $14.96 — and I encourage you to put aside whatever hangups you might have about the megastore and go get one of these. It’s a must.

Read Full Post »

TV Westerns DVD News #240: The Westerner – The Complete Series (1960).

Posted in Andre de Toth, Brian Keith, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Frank Ferguson, John Dehner, Katy Jurado, Lucien Ballard, Post-1959, Sam Peckinpah, Slim Pickens, Television, Timeless Media Group, Warren Oates on February 16, 2017| 13 Comments »

southern_illinoisan_fri__oct_28__1960_

Fans have been hollering for this one for quite a while. Right now, it’s a Walmart exclusive: The Westerner, the 1960 series created by Sam Peckinpah and starring Brian Keith, is out on DVD from Shout Factory. Only 13 episodes were produced (it was up against The Flintstones) — they’re all terrific, and they’re all here. Also included is the Zane Grey Theatre episode that served as the show’s pilot.

Episodes were directed by the likes of Peckinpah, Andre de Toth and Ted Post. Appearing in those 13 episodes were folks like Warren Oates, Katy Jurado, John Dehner, Slim Pickens, Robert Culp, Frank Ferguson, Virginia Gregg, R.G. Armstrong and Dub Taylor — many of them people Peckinpah would turn to time and time again. Lucien Ballard shot three of them. And Brian Keith’s dog, Brown, is played by Spike, who was also Old Yeller. Highly, highly recommended.

Read Full Post »

TCM Alert: Warren Oates.

Posted in 1959, Budd Boetticher, Burt Kennedy, Clint Walker, Gordon Douglas, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Sam Peckinpah, Television, Warren Oates on August 14, 2015| 14 Comments »

$(KGrHqV,!hME5ophonI2BOcuP-HPvw--60_57

Turner Classic Movies is dedicating Monday, August 24 to the great Warren Oates. Beginning with Yellowstone Kelly (1959), they’re running 13 of his films, including Ride The High Country (1962) and The Wild Bunch (1969). The still above is from Welcome To Hard Times (1967). Times shown here are Eastern Standard Time.

For my money, Oates is one of the greatest screen actors to ever get in front of a camera — ever see Two Lane Blacktop (1971) or The Brinks Job (1978)? — and this attention is well deserved.

Warren Oates 8-24 TCM

Thanks to Dick Vincent for the tip.

Read Full Post »