Truly lost (1 Viewer)

[Louis Letizia]

Some other movies I've thought of from the formative years of watching HBO that seem to be unattached to distributors-but of whom I'd love t o see again: THE WILD LITTLE BUNCH THE MEMORY OF US A DIRTY KNIGHTS WORK OPEN SEASON ECHOES OF A SUMMER ONE RUSSIAN SUMMER GET CHARLIE TULLY LOOKING UP THE BLACK PEARL

 

[Jeffrey:K]

I remember watching ECHOES OF A SUMMER and DIRTY KNIGHT'S WORK when they played on HBO in 1977-1978.


Some other obscurities that aired on HBO during that time that I would like to see again:


JURY OF ONE (Sophia Loren movie produced by Carlo Ponti; I think Studio Canal may own it)


TWO WOMEN (another Sophia Loren movie; I wish Criterion would release this)


THE WONDERFUL CROOK (this one hasn't even been released on DVD in the Francophone countries, despite having a major French star, Gerard Depardieu)


EAGLES ATTACK AT DAWN (low-budget Israeli commando film, directed by Menahem Golan; who owns it?)


SLEEPING CAR MURDERS (early Costa-Gavras film; Seven Arts released it theatrically, who owns it now?)

 

[Louis Letizia]

EAGLES ATTACK AT DAWN is on a number of budget labels. I have one 8 pack of obscure war titles-the quality isnt too bad. I'm surprised they didnt rerelease this with INGLORIOUS BASTARDS-another HBO staple that has gotten an amazing DVD. TWO WOMEN is also in pd. The best DVD of this is on Alpha video. Not too long ago TCM showed a pristine copy of this . I believe it had the Studio Canal logo which would make it Liongate. I'm surprised they didnt include it in Lorens multipack. Others: HE IS MY BROTHER , THE RA EXPEDITIONS , THE AMAZING MR BLUNDEN , STEEL , WHERE DOES IT HURT ? , SPEEDTRAP ,. THE WONDERFUL CROOK deserves a release. A nice little movie. HBO was great at exposing us to small foreign movies we may never had seen. DOWN THE ANCIENT STAIRS was another.

 

[kingfish]

Casablanca express also aired on HBO and the DVD release leaves much to be desired. the same can be said of eagles attack at dawn.

 

[Louis Letizia]

Definitely no better than vhs in both counts

 

[Mark Oates]

"Get Charlie Tully" is widely available this side of the puddle and at bargain prices if you can multi-region, under its original title "Ooh.. You Are Awful!" (a reference to Dick Emery's catchphrase). And although unavailable in the UK, "A Dirty Knight's Work" is better known by its original title "Trial By Combat".

 

[Louis Letizia]

A DIRTY KNIGHTS WORK was released on video here as CHOICE OF WEAPONS . It was a total flop here-but I liked it . GET CHARLIE TULLY played one week (actually 5 days) and disappeared. Thanks for title

 

[WaveCrest]

The Sleeping Car Murders (1965) sounds like a good thriller. Would like to see this released on DVD (and Blu-ray).

 

[Bob Cashill]

The National Board of Review-winning SLEEPING CAR MURDER (foreign film) was ubiquitous on Cinemax back in the day, and still shows infrequently. It's good, with a fine cast and score. As a desirable title it must be in some rights hell.

 

[MLamarre]

Pretty sure THE SLEEPING CAR MURDER is part of the Seven Arts library owned by Warner Bros.

 

[Louis Letizia]

HBO showed THE SLEEPING CAR MURDERS in the 70s. It is as very good noir-with an always excellent Simone Signoret. HBO showed alot of foreign films-some like LAVVENTURA and LA GUERE EST FINIE were very challenging. HBO had a great programmer in the 70s/80s who appealed to everyone from kids to cineastes. As some one mentioned before-THE WONDERFUL CROOK also hasnt been released on video and is another fond memory from HBO days. By far the most popular of the foreign films was probably COUSIN, COUSINE. I'm assuming Criterion has rights to this because its part of its Hulu Plus package-but has not surfaced yet on DVD. HBO had a series of Laura Antonelli films in the erly 80s that they showed-TILL MARRIAGE DO US PART , WIFEMISTRESS, MALICIOUS and THE DIVINE MYMPH-none of which reached here on DVD . They were fun and HBO took care in showing both the subtitled and dubbed versions.

 

[Jeffrey:K]

Originally Posted by Louis Letizia

HBO showed alot of foreign films-some like LAVVENTURA and LA GUERE EST FINIE were very challenging. HBO had a great programmer in the 70s/80s who appealed to everyone from kids to cineastes.

The 1975-1977 years were the peak period for foreign films on HBO. They showed a number of Truffaut, Malle, Bergman, and Wertmuller films. They also programmed the complete Korda film library over the course of a year in 1976-1977. Of course, back then they had a relatively small subscriber base and could afford to cater to the niche audience.


As cable TV started to proliferate in the late 1970s, HBO's subscriber numbers began to take off and its programming became more mainstream. You could rely on the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner to crop up on its schedules, and the odd Australian import, but it was nothing like it was before. With the arrival of its sister network Cinemax in 1980, a lot of that classic foreign film niche programming went there instead.

 

[Jeffrey:K]

Originally Posted by Louis Letizia

By far the most popular of the foreign films was probably COUSIN, COUSINE. I'm assuming Criterion has rights to this because its part of its Hulu Plus package-but has not surfaced yet on DVD.

Anchor Bay announced COUSIN COUSINE in 1999 or 2000 but the release never materialized. BEAU PERE was another Anchor Bay no-show, but that one appeared on the Fox-Lorber label instead if I remember correctly.


COUSIN COUSINE was released in the UK on a full-frame Region 2 disc a few years ago. Odd, because I don't think this film was as popular in the UK as it was here. (At one time it was the highest-grossing foreign-language film ever in the US. It held this position for a few years until it was overtaken by LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.)

 

[Louis Letizia]

COUSIN COUSINE was also nominated for 3 Oscars in a watershed year for foreign language films and nominations in general. It was the first year that 2 Best Actress nominees were from foreign language films. Marie Christine Barrault for COUSIN and Liv Ullmann for FACE TO FACE. Ullmann was the front runner that year but might have split the foreign vote with Barrault allowing Faye Dunaway to get the Oscar for NETWORK (and my personal nomination for most boring Oscar speech). COUSIN also was a nominee for its original screenplay and Foreign Language Fllm. Lina Wertmueller became the first woman to be nominated for Best Director-for SEVEN BEAUTIES-a feat that would only be repeated 3 more times with Jane Campion for THE PIANO ; Sophia Coppola for LOST IN TRANSLATION and culminating with the first woman to win Best Director- for THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow) SEVEN BEAUTIES was nominated for 4 Oscars -Foreign Film, Director, Screenplay and Giancarlo Giannini -making 3 Foreign language acting nominees in one year (if you dont count Sylvester Stallones foreign language in ROCKY) Best Screenplay saw 3 foreign language nominees - SEVEN BEAUTIES/COUSIN COUSINE and FELLINIS CASANOVA. Best Director saw 2 foreign language nominees with Wertmueller and Ingmar Bergman for FACE TO FACE 2 Foreign Language nominees went on to American remakes-COUSIN and JACOB THE LIAR. Its still baffling that one of the most popular foreign films of the 70s hasnt made it to dvd yet. Anchor Bay did a nice job with GOING PLACES and GET OUT YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS and the Herzg films. I would have liked to see COUSIN COUSINE get the same treatment

 

[Worth]

If you're blu-ray capable, Cousin Cousine is available from amazon.fr - it includes English subtitles. Apparently, it's region-free, but I haven't tested it personally.