Displaying items by tag: View from the Cheap Seats

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We’ve got a new View from the Cheap Seats column for you guys today from our own Bud Elder, who checks in with some good stories about movie awards season, The Oscars, and his thoughts on some of the movies both nominated and newly available on disc from the indie BD labels. Do check it out.  [Read on here…]

Now where was I?

Sorry, I’ve not been here. I missed a bit – I’ll admit it and it for sure wasn’t to do with health or disinterest or a lack in passion. I just had to do stuff. But now I’m back.

But I come with good stories. Specifically regarding how movie awards season works.  [Read on here...]

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We’re pleased today to present the final review of Adam’s month-long Hell Plaza Oktoberfest 8 here at The Bits: It’s none other than the 1977 zombie/Nazi classic Shock Waves, directed by Ken Wiederhorn and presented on Blu-ray by Blue Underground! Congrats to Adam on another great Oktoberfest. We trust you all enjoyed it. If you did, be sure to send a little thanks and appreciation to Adam over on his Jahnke’s Electric Theater Facebook page.

Also here at The Bits today, we’ve got Bud Elder’s new View from the Cheap Seats column. This month, Bud asks the question: “What Movies Changed the Way You Look at Life?” He posts his own answer to this question, and challenges each of you to share your own lists too.  [Read on here…]

Darn that Facebook.

I’ve gotten a hoot out of it – have loved reconnecting with high school friends and long lost family and have discovered as well that there are people in the world with pages dedicated to interests close to my heart, such as those kept by my favorite authors, pictures of the New York I loved in the 70s and 80s and tributes to great character actors such as Timothy Carey.  [Read on here...]

We’ve got a new review for you today and a great new column as well.

First, Tim Salmons has turned in his thoughts on Scream Factory’s Eve of Destruction on Blu-ray. Nothing like a little B-grade rampaging cyborg action. Do check it out.

Also today, our own Bud Elder has a new View from the Cheap Seats column for you as well, in which he tells more tales of his time leading Hollywood types around the state of Oklahoma on location scouting trips. Don’t miss it.  [Read on here…]

Here are a couple of other stories from the salt mines of Oklahoma location scouting. There’s many, many more. But I can only bore so much..

Both tales involve the terrific writer, film critic and Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter. In his 1993 novel Point of Impact, Hunter created the character Bob Lee “The Nailer” Swagger, which has now been featured, along with his father, Earl, in some 12 novels, the most recent of which is Sniper’s Honor.  [Read on here...]

As promised, we’re kicking things off today with Bud Elder’s new View from the Cheap Seats column, in which he details the history of John Wayne’s The Alamo and the sad state of affairs regarding MGM’s apparent lack of interest in preserving the film properly. It’s well worth reading and includes some new technical details on the condition of the film from Robert Harris. Don’t miss it.

Also today, Todd Doogan checks in with this week’s Doogan’s Queue, running down the latest Blu-ray and DVD titles in stores today. [Read on here…]

Anybody know a good screenwriter? Here’s true scenario that would offer a perfect studio pitch.

And it’s a thriller, in a way, with a determined adventurer racing against time to seek justice for a hero from a past generation – one who sacrificed finances, reputation and goodwill to slay a dragon that was, in the long run, perhaps beyond even his reach.

This story is about John Wayne. This story is about Robert Harris. This story is about America and the importance of its cultural maintenance. And, ok, it’s also about personal obsession. Duke Wayne did what he said. No backing out. No cutting corners. No half assed. [Read on here...]

[Editor’s Note: The section of text below regarding The Alamo has been updated on 5/31 to reflect important corrected information. Please give it another read to ensure that you have the most accurate/updated info.]

We’re closing out the week here at The Bits today with some big announcement news for you Marvel Universe fans, as well as an update on the situation with The Alamo.

But first, our own Bud Elder has turned in a new View from the Cheap Seats column in which he talks about location scouting in his native Oklahoma and takes a look at a great new book on John Wayne. He also spotlights some of the better recent classic film releases on disc from Olive, Twilight and more. By the way, you can listen to quick movie reviews from Bud on 104.5 KRXO radio in Oklahoma City. So don’t miss the column and be sure to give Bud’s Movie Minute a listen on the radio and online. [Read on here…]

For a long time, I had the honor of serving the people of Oklahoma as their state film commissioner. I took the job only because we hadn’t created yet the position of “Lord High Minister of Culture.” To know the movie business was but a small component of the being the liaison with Hollywood – the job was for the most part about locations, locations, locations and I knew every bright golden haze on every Sooner state meadow and every field of corn as high as an elephant’s eye. [Read on here...]