Displaying items by tag: Bud Elder

Most film columnists start writing their Christmas pieces around August, churning out their memories of It’s a Wonderful Life (which is a story in itself – this generation has no idea that the film was considered an oddity and a flop until Jimmy Stewart mentioned it on The Tonight Show and, as it was in the public domain and available for cheap airings, it has since been considered a “classic”) and other routine movies that just happen to tell a Christmas like story.  Movies like Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas in Connecticut still hold up and there are others I’m sure that do as well, but few movies that are singularly about Christmas float my boat.  I’ve seen them a million times and most are creaky.  Here are my favorite Christmas movies, a list my successful and thoughtful brother calls Christmas Movies for People Who Aren’t Enamored with Christmas Movies.  [Read on here…]

Evening, folks!  This is just a quick update for you with a few items of interest for you...

First, our own Mario Boucher has turned in a review of Universal’s new Fast & Furious 6: Extended Edition on Blu-ray Disc, so be sure to check it out.

Also, we’ve added four more retro Blu-ray reviews to the new site from the old Bits database: Barrie Maxwell’s review of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, my thoughts on THX 1138: The George Lucas Director’s Cut and Dr. Jahnke’s take on Stake Land and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre.  [Read on here…]

Okay... today’s Bits post is a very quick one, as we’re gearing up for tomorrow’s big Halloween finale for The Hell Plaza Oktoberfest Se7en.   BUT...

The mad Dr. Jahnke’s Oktoberfest review for today is a gem – a preview of an upcoming DVD release from our very dear friend Bob Burns.  It’s Bob Burns’ Hollywood Halloween!  The 2-disc set looks back at all the great Halloween haunted houses that Bob and Kathy have held over the years at their home in Burbank!  It includes a documentary by Lindsey Keith Jackson, footage of the actual haunted house experiences, interviews with the likes of John Landis, menus produced by our friend Van Ling, cover art by Vincent Di Fate and much more!  The DVD is not quite ready for wide release yet, and distribution is still TBA.  BUT...  [Read on here...]

This was all we needed to hear: The DUKE was coming to Oklahoma City.

It was the year of our Lord, 1972 and The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City (now called the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Center) hosted every year a grand event called the Western Heritage Awards, where they gave a trophy called “The Wrangler” to outstanding theatrical and television Westerns and the winner this particular year was a film called “The Cowboys,” starring, well, you know who.  [Read on here...]

As promised, we’ve got some good stuff here at The Bits for you today…

First up, our own Bud Elder has checked in with a new View from the Cheap Seats column in which he muses on alternate film casting and also runs down some of the more interesting home video releases on Blu-ray, DVD and DVD-R.  Don’t miss it!

I’ve turned in a combo review of 20th Century Fox’s Homeland: Seasons One and Two on Blu-ray.  It’s one of my favorite series currently on TV – a brilliantly cast, acted and written spy drama that won last year’s Emmy for Best Drama Series – and its third season debuts this coming Sunday night on Showtime.  If you’re not watching it already, I strongly encourage you to give it a look.  [Read on here…]

Let’s start the day today with another new View from the Cheap Seats column from our very own Bud Elder, the cinematic Oracle of Oklahoma City!  As usual, Bud covers a range of film-related subjects – that I don’t wish to spoil here – and his thoughts are all worth reading.  Don’t miss it!

Meanwhile, back in Gotham City... Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders on the eventual Blu-ray release Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium.  Expect that to hit stores sometime right before Christmas we’d guess from Sony.  […]