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Our Ten Best- Episode Two: Movies That Deserve a DVD Release
Posted by Anthony Benedetto on 6/13/09 • Categorized as Movies

Why is everyone anxiously anticipating Blu-Ray releases when so many great movies have not yet received a proper DVD release? With that being said, here is a list of films that desperately need to be released on DVD. A majority of these films haven’t even surfaced o video format.
However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t fantastic works of cinema in their own right.

1- “Walk Proud” (1979): Recently on Turner Classic Movies on May 26 , some may be a bit stunned at the unintentional racism within it. It is truly an oddity of American cinema. Instead of hiring a tough Spanish actor to play the lead in this gang film, they went with an American actor, this case, the extremely miscast Robby Benson, (“Die Laughing,” “One on One”) plays a Chicano. That fatal flaw makes this film campy trash that is amazingly entertaining. The flick desperately wants to be the 70s answer to “West Side Story,” but those are very big shoes to fill. Oddly enough, the film has a strong soundtrack, which includes Elton John’s “We All Fall in Love Sometimes.” Despite its obscurity, “Walk Proud” still serves as an entertaining time capsule of a very strange period in cinema.

2- “Harry in Your Pocket” (1973): Thank you once again to Turner Classic Movies for showcasing this film and allowing the public a chance to see it. “Harry in Your Pocket” has been unavailable since its theatrical release. It is simply great and leaves you wanting more once the credits start to roll. James Coburn (“Candy”) plays a pickpocket teaching two newcomers how to properly lift wallets. Coburn was always one cool guy in every one of his films and this was a prime showcase for him. However, the real scene stealer here was the 76-year-old Walter Pidgeon (“How Green was my Valley”). He plays an over the hill cocaine addicted pick pocket. The real thrill is watching an old pro that loved acting give one of the best performances of his career. Also in the film are Michael Sarrazin, (“They Shoot Horses Don’t They?”) and Trish Van Devere, (“The Landlord”) as the young couple that are being trained. They share great screen chemistry together.

3- “Lucky Lady” (1975): Gene Hackman (“The French Connection”) and Burt Reynolds (“Deliverance”) ignite the screen in this lost gem. The casting of these two tough guys is pretty exciting in its own rights. Plus, it is directed by the multi-talented Stanly Donen, (”Charade”). This film focuses on the hazards of rum-running in the prohibition era of the 1930s.

4- “Fighting Mad” (1976): This the third film that Jonathan Demme’s (“The Silence of the Lamb”) directed, which marked his presence in Hollywood. It sadly has not been seen since its days in the theatres. Peter Fonda (“Spasms,” “High Ballin”) stars a man that has to fight to protect his home because he refuses to sell it to the greedy land developers. He is a peaceful man that gets pushed to the edge. This is one of the best vigilante movies of the 1970’s and deserves a wider audience. Also, Fonda’s use of a bow and arrow is very original. It would be a great addition to the Criterion Collection of DVDs.

5- “It Came Without Warning” (1980): This is a grim and violent tale of alien invasion that is “Friday the 13th” meets “The Predator.” The creature effects were done by Greg Canom, who recently won the Oscar for his effects work in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” With his help, the film is filled with slimy goodness to delight horror fans. If that wasn’t enough, director, Greydon Clark (”Final Justice”) acquired a few talented character actors, which include Jack Palance (“City Slickers”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”).

6- “No Blade of Grass” (1970): This is a post apocalyptic film with the tagline “The creeping terror drifted towards them stamping out all civilization in its eerie path!” It was directed by legendary actor and director Cornel Wilde, (“The Naked Prey”), who he created a cautionary and visionary outlook on the future. He filled the cast with mostly unknowns to concoct an eerie and realistic portrait.

7- “Harry and Son” (1984): This was a labor of love for director and star Paul Newman (“When Time Ran Out…”). He created a poignant and emotional tale of the bond between a father and his son, who are on two different paths in life. With Newman’s passing last year, it is about time all of his work finally come to DVD. He was a national treasure that deserves that sense of respect.

8- “WUSA” (1970): This is another lost Paul Newman film, in which he co-stars with his wife Joanne Woodward (“The End”). It was always a pleasure to see this real life couple share the screen because of their authentic chemistry together. “WUSA’s” focal point is about a radio station in the south that becomes entrenched in a right wing conspiracy.

9- “Lolly Madonna XXX” (1973): Don’t let the name fool you; this is not a porno. It is a tale of two families that are at war with each other. The film is loaded with violence and sadness, which convey the senselessness of the war they had started. The amazing cast includes Rod Steiger, (“Duck, You Sucker”) Robert Ryan (“The Wild Bunch”) and Jeff Bridges (“Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”).

10- “From Noon Till Three” (1976): Charles Bronson (“The White Buffalo” which deserves a DVD also.) drops his tough guy act to star in a Western comedy alongside his wife, Jill Ireland (“Love and Bullets”). The audience has as much fun watching it as Bronson did making the film. Much of the fun comes from seeing Bronson play with the genre that he was a major part of. The other great thing is to see his wife as the focus is on the time they spend together which is “From Noon Till Three”.

Now that we’re done here, I would love to know- what are you waiting for on DVD?

Dawn of the Dead Still Packs a Wicked Undead Punch

Guest Writer: Patrick Hickey Jr.

Over 30 years after it's original release, George Romero's “Dawn of the Dead” is still a horror classic that begs to be seen.

Featuring the amazing gore effects of horror legend Tom Savini, who later went to become a pioneer in the industry, going on to work in other notable horror films like “Friday the 13th and “Creepshow,” “Dawn of the Dead” remains strongly atop the horror genre today because of Savani's masterful work, but it's ultimately the exceptional script that gives it the most staying power.

Much like Romero's other masterpiece, “Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead” keeps the viewer on a roller coaster ride from start to finish. It's far from the type of predictable horror movie that has you screaming at the screen due to the incompetence of both the actors on screen and the development of a haphazard plot. Instead, Romero's films keep the watcher guessing and maintains a realistic timbre that wasn't seen in horror films 30 years ago and isn't seen in this day and age either.


“Dawn of the Dead,” especially prescribes to this due to stellar performances from the cast and a script that makes sense, something rarely seen in horror films.

The flow of the story is so viscous at times that it's almost as if you can imagine the events in the film occurring in real life. Three decades after its release, the film will still make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Because of this, many have championed Romero as a controversial entity in the genre and someone who will forever be imitated and hailed as an innovator. However, more than anything else, Romero knows how to tell a good story, creating relate-able characters and putting them in situations that bend our reality, rather than distort it and make it unbelievable.

That, my friends, is the essence of true horror.

However, without the acting performances of little-known actors David Emge, Scott H. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross and Ken Foree [Halloween, The Devil's Rejects], the only actor to garner consistent work after the film, “Dawn of the Dead” may have never been in a place to enter our dreams and captivate us for decades. Over the course of the 127-minute film, the quartet is in a fight for their lives, but manage to squeeze in a few laughs and some heartfelt moments while attempting to survive seeming inescapable battles from both zombies and reckless bikers in a desolate mall. It's almost as if Romero wanted to create a bloody version of a “Scooby Doo” adventure and show what would really happen if zombies walked the earth. (Editor's Note: For a True Scooby Doo experience check out : Humongous)


In spite of all of this, the film is far from perfect, as the opening 10 or 15 minutes are a bit slow to put the story together. It is here where some impatient couch potatoes will opt out of the film, failing to see what the film is trying to project, which is the anarchy and unstableness of our society and how it is not yet ready to defend itself against a greater and misunderstood evil, death. Nevertheless, things eventually come together in a way that no horror film has been able to duplicate since.


It is because of this that “Dawn of the Dead” is still a trademark in horror cinema and will forever be etched in every fanboy's heart.

(One More Editor's Note: Dawn of the Dead was retitled "Zombie" in Italy and other countries. Italian Schlock master Lucio Fulci jumped on that bandwagon and made Zombi 2. Zombi 2 spawned three more sequels, none of which compare to the original. But let that be a credit to "Dawn of the Dead" since imitation is the highest form of flattery.)

Memoirs from Kings Plaza Part One:

This is a new series I am creating on stories from my youth. I used love to hang out on Saturday afternoon at the Kings Plaza Mall. That was back when they sold books, CDs, and DVDs. Which was truly a long time ago. Not sure how often this subject matter will be updated but there are many stories to write. Today's stories will include: The Rooftop and Jamie. Feel free to let me know what you think.

The Rooftop: In the Pre-Sears days of Kings Plaza my friends and I had a secret place away from the rest of the world. It was the roof of Kings Plaza which was a desolate and cold area with no personality. No people, no cars, no intruding thoughts. The only concern was only if security would find us. Not sure how Joey and I came about finding the location. When you go to the mall each week and are not in a hurry to get home you try and find new adventures. Joey was a little dirty and always unshaven. He was the type of friend that if you met at any other stage in life besides pre-teen you would avoid. He was an agreeable guy that shared a passion for B-Movies. (So I thought. When we ended our friendship he claimed to hate watching them and only did because there was nothing else to do.)

The following week we had decided to share our discovery with the rest of the misfits that made up our group. Greg Cozzo was a self imposed hermit, with dirty skin that had green spots, and greasy hair. He was quiet. Sal Buzzetta was a bruiting ape of a man that loved to bully Greg. Sal would bully Greg everywhere we went. In school he made Greg curtsy to him. He also put a lock on Greg's schoolbag once and made him pay ten bucks to have it removed. The worst thing Sal probably did to Greg was pee on a carpet sample and slip it in Greg's PB and J sandwich in the cafeteria. Maybe some of this lead to the fact Greg has not left his house since 1998. Richard J. Lopez was also there and he was the coward of the group. After a couple of weeks when we finally got caught on the roof, Richie said, "Don't worry guys. I will handle this". Then he ran up to the guard and said, "I didn't want to do it but they made me".

But to backtrack to that first time as a group that we were on that roof was amazing. The five of us escaped to a world that we owned for once. No rules, no parents and no bullies. (Except Sal.) We were right next to the giant lettering. We all needed to look over the edge to realize where we were. We ran around like The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night and discussed everything from girls, movies and our home life. Greg considered jumping and Sal helped him weigh in the reasons he should. Then Joey and Sal threw some rocks at a boat that was below. The Captain got out of it and yelled up to them, "Stay right there, I'm gonna come up there and beat the shit out of you". It was time to leave. I wish I was up on that roof with those guys again.

Jamie: Jamie was my first lesson that what should happen in life isn't always what will happen. And that expecting the unexpected is something that you have to learn in life.

Joey and I used to go each week to Sam Goody to buy videos. (Yes, VHS!) When a new shuttering employee approached me. "Do--o you need any help". I could hear Joey down the other aisle mimicking her voice. To this day I don't know what attracted me to this girl. She wasn't overly cute, her voice was annoying and she had a lousy hair cut. I made some small talk and left to get on the bus with Joey.

"She has twelve year old boy tits!" Joey tells me when we got outside. His voice had the dread that I was about to pick an ugly girl to date.

The following Saturday she was there again. My heart literally went up my throat. I went up to the counter, and proceeded to check out. "Would you like to reserve any of our upcoming films?"

"No, they are always in stock". We both nervously laughed and I walked out. I wished I had reserved something, what an idiot I felt like. Within ten minutes I had went back to Sam Goody and told her that I would like to reserve something. She thought I was the sweetest guy ever. So I asked for her phone number. Her pen had dried out, as she started to write it. Then the old lady behind me gave us a pen from her purse. I felt great.

Three days later that all fell apart. I called her home phone, and her Mom answered angrily and upset that I had the number. She wasn't even sure where her daughter was. She thought maybe I would know.

The next Saturday Jamie explained to me that her mother kicked her out. I was heartbroken and confused. I didn't know this girl at all but I imagined her as a saving grace in my life. I learned that sometimes in life we wish so hard for the right person that we don't even know the truth. It was a lesson we all have to learn in life.

Ode to Cinema 1

Five blocks from my home, was my favorite video store. It was on Quentin Road and East 34th street. I pass by it now and look in at what was. Memories come flooding back to me as I look into an office building with a metal gate down. It is now a tan office with two leather chairs, a desk, and a cheap ninety nine cents store portrait of flowers. My best friend Joey Smith and I used to spend our summers there. We would arrive when the store opened and take a good hour to pick our B-movies for the day out. Creating our own personal Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The wall was painted with a thousand possibilities. However, our interests were strictly in the video boxes so dusty that no one had rented them since the eighties. Movies from companies that don't exist anymore such as Media Home Entertainment, Paragon, Vestron and Lightning Home Video. Movies with titles like Flesh Gordon, Slumber Party Massacre, If You Don't Stop Soon I'll Go Blind, and the adult fairy tale classic, Alice in Wonderland. (What can you say about a movie where Humpty Dumpty can't get it up anymore?) Sometimes we would even find a movie where some punks would hassle a Chinese waiter, and at the next table would be Chuck Norris. He would try to reason with the punks first, but when that failed he would deliver a kick to their skulls. Where was Chuck Norris when my video store was closing? Why couldn't this be like one of those pointless summer camp films where Joey and I keep the place from being bought by greedy land developers. (Special Appearance by Corey Feldman.)

The video store reeked of smoke from the older lady with thick red glasses behind the glass counter. When I was thirteen she always made sure Joey and I never rented dirty movies. The dirtier movies often had a sticker on the top that read "18". Man, I couldn't wait for the day I was old enough to rent Fritz the Cat, in it's beat down Warner Brothers box. Sunday and Mondays she always had off and that is when it was time to rent the fun stuff. Of course when we rented them on Tuesday, we often would get yelled at by her. The store may have never been much but it is a place that is gone. Much like childhood. The world keeps on changing before we have time to realize how long ago the past really is.