THE AV MOVIE GEEK

 

Earth From Above: Inspired by the best-selling book and exhibition that drew over 60 million people, Earth From Above is a magical tour of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes shot in dazzling High Definition.

Hosted by world-famous photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, this program features some of the most stunning aerial photography ever attempted. From the Earth’s deepest oceans to its staggering mountain heights…from the wild African savannah to the frozen wonderland of Antarctica…take an unforgettable and breathtaking journey as you discover the beauty of the planet’s astonishing landscapes and extraordinary people.

Earth From Above – Earth Parts I & 2:   Take a remarkable trip across the globe to discover beautiful lands, from steep mountains to lush jungles. Your itinerary includes flights above Yellowstone, the Amazon, the Rocky Mountains and China.

Earth From Above – Biodiversity: Take an awe-inspiring journey to discover some of the Earth’s most precious living treasures. From the smallest living beings to the magnificent giants of the animal world, life is ever-present in all its rollicking and diverse forms.

Earth From Above – Water:  Fresh water is the origin of life on Earth. It supports more species of fish than are in our oceans and has the almighty power to carve the most spectacular landscapes.

Earth From Above – Seas and Oceans Part I: Seas and oceans cover 72% of the Earth’s surface, but remarkably man has only discovered 15% of underwater life. Travel high above the blue planet and plunge deep under the ocean’s depths to discover this mesmerizing world.

Earth From Above- Seas and Oceans Part II: Your journey over and under the oceans continues with amazing trips to France, the South Pacific, and Italy.

Green Paradise:  Explore the Earth and the most beautiful natural paradises in the world. These stunning locales are preserved thanks to the dedication of local populations. In each program, meet the inhabitants of these lands who have developed small businesses to welcome visitors in their environment, and helped create a new form of travel: sustainable tourism. These travelers respect local cultures and are eager to experience these natural wonders.

Shot in stunning high definition, Green Paradise tells the stories of these magical places, the inhabitants who cherish the land, and those visitors who come to experience its splendors. Discover the world through these destinations, and all its natural beauty and wildlife diversity. 

Green Paradise- Oceania 
French Polynesia: In the middle of he Pacific Ocean, the Tuamotus is one of the largest archipelagos in French Polynesia.  Displaying stunning beauty, the islands must now rise to the challenge of preserving the ecosystem of this coral garden. See: French Polynesia, Palau, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Seychelles

Green Paradise- South America 

Green Paradise- The Americas See: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas.

Green Paradise- Africa  See: Madagascar, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Namibia, and Mozambique

Green Paradise- Australia: Surrounded on three sides by the ocean, Margaret River is a small peninsula nestling in a corner of paradise: thousands of miles of coastline, with a wealth of beaches, bays, magical, deserted, primeval places. Famous for its surfing, caves and wine, the ecological reputation of this small town has crossed the seas and attracts many adventure seekers. See: Australia and Tasmania

Green Paradise- Asia  See: Sri Lanka, Laos, Oman, Indonesia, and the Philippines

Scenic Routes Around the World: “Scenic Routes Around the World is a stunning collection of the world’s most exotic and beautiful roads, rivers, and trails, shot in breathtaking high definition.  Behold the splendors of ancient journeys that have connected both famous and forgotten places for centuries, and now connect you to those who traversed them throughout history.”

Scenic Routes Around the World – The Far East   The gorgeous Path of Flowers in Japan takes you past over 250 varieties of cherry trees, and provides a rich tapestry that shows why Japan is often considered the ultimate meeting of tradition and modernity. Also includes: The Road of Perfume (Vietnam) and Route of the Sherpas (Nepal)

Scenic Routes Around the World – Africa: Hitch a ride across the Sahara on a camel caravan traveling the Salt Road. Amongst the few villages along this route you will discover ancent cultures, nearly untouched by time. Also includes: Route of the Bushman (Kalahari) and The Route of Kings (Egypt and the Middle East).

Scenic Routes Around the World – The Pacific  Travel the Alaska Highway from Vancouver to Alaska, taking in the dramatic and rugged coastline, and relishing the freedom of the great North. Also includes: The Route of Two Oceans (Central America) and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Scenic Routes Around the World – South America:  The Inca Trail is filled with clues connecting you to an ancient civilizations. Begin in Lima and travel through amazing villages before finally arriving at the unparralleled mountain kingdom of Machu Picchu. Also includes: The Amazon and Patagonia.

Scenic Routes Around the World – Europe  From its origins in the Black Forest to its passage through Vienna to its delta in the Black Sea, the Danube River flows for over 1,000 miles and crosses through six countries, each bearing witness to twenty-five centuries of European history, culture, and civilization. Also includes: The Iron Curtain (Eastern Europe) and Trans Lapland (Scandinavia).

Scenic Routes Around the World – Asia:  Trek through India’s Route of the Gods, a journey that crosses over the Himalaya Mountains at over 16,000 feet. Meet the epic characters along the way that define this remarkable country. Also includes: From Moscow to Irkoutsk and The Road of Sinbad (Middle East).

WWII Tank Overhaul:  “As seen on The Military Channel.Tank Overhaul invites you into a world where military enthusiasts, collectors, and restorers combine their know-how with 21st Century technology to restore the greatest battle tanks of all time to their former glory. Each episodes follows one tank’s story, from the original salvage, to the rebuilding process, to the history behind the innovations that made each machine great.

WWII Tank Overhaul – The M-24 Chaffee:         The M-24 Chaffee – Fast and dependable, and boasting a devastating 75mm gun, many believe this was the best light tank of World War II. Watch as restorers struggle to prepare this tank in time for an Independence Day parade.

WWII Tank Overhaul – The M4 Sherman:  The M4 Sherman – Learn about the idiosyncrasies of the Sherman design, one of the most heavily produced tanks of World War II, and see it get rebuilt.

WWII Tank Overhaul – The A34 Comet: The A34 Comet – The team races against time to complete the rebuilding of this 1944 British tank in only four months.

WWII Tank Overhaul – The M18 Hellcat  The M18 Hellcat – Restorers race to complete the rebuilding of this American tank destroyer in time for VE day, in order to surprise a special guest- A US veteran who was the tank’s commander over sixty years before!
 

WWII Tank Overhaul – The Panther & The Elephant:  The PzKpfw V Panther & The Elephant – The German PzKpfw V Panther is one of the rarer tanks of the Second World War. Rescued from a riverbed in Poland the mangled tank is restored to its former glory.  One of the largest tanks ever built, only 90 Elephants were produced by the Nazis.

WWII Tank Overhaul- The Centurion & The BMP:  The Centurion and The BMP – The Centurion is a British-designed tank that originally fought in Korea, was later adopted by NATO countries, and is still in use in Israel and South Africa.  The Soviet BMP was the world’s first infantry fighting vehicle, and a tremendous influence on the American M2 Bradley.

Former CBS News correspondent and commentator Eric Sevareid, one of the world’s most respected figures in journalism, presents this extraordinary series featuring stunning original newsreels, soundtracks, and rare archival footage. Sevareid was, for many, the voice of World War II. He was the first correspondent to report the French surrender to Germany, and was in the thick of combat throughout the Second World War. Uniquely qualified and knowledgeable, Eric Sevareid delivers the intensity and authenticity of someone who was present at every turn.

The Road to World War II-Part  1: 

The Road to World War II – Part II: 1. Radio, Racism and Foreign Policy  2. The Great Depression and Foreign Affairs”

The Road to World War II – Part VI:           1. F.D.R. and Churchill   2. Japan Invades China   3. War Comes to Pearl Harbor”

 

 
DVD REVIEW: “THE GAMBLERS” (1969) STARRING SUZY KENDALL, DON GORDON AND STUART MARGOLIN by Lee Pfeiffer 

Last year, when I interviewed actor Stuart Margolin for Cinema Retro’s Kelly’s Heroes issue, we spoke about shooting the film on location in Yugoslavia. Stuart mentioned that he had shot another movie immediately prior to Kelly’s there, an obscurity called The Gamblers. It sounded intriguing but it appeared as though the movie was relegated to those curiosities that had become lost over the decades. I don’t even remember it having an American release, though IMDB does say it opened in the States in January 1970.

The movie was shot entirely on location in Dubrovnik, which is now part of Croatia in the post-Yugoslavian era. At the time, dictator Marshall Tito had been luring filmmakers to his country, using subsidies and tax incentives. The Gamblers is a modestly-budgeted enterprise but it makes full use of the gorgeous coastal locations and eschews any use of studio settings to capitalize on them.

The film follows two con-men, Rooney (Don Gordon) and his friend Goldy (Stuart Margolin) as they embark on an Adriatic cruise in search of victims to bilk out of gambling money. Rooney, who masquerades as a sophisticated psychiatrist, is actually a card shark who uses a seemingly foolproof system to ensure he wins big money from gullible people during poker games.

The pair meet another pair of con men working aboard the ship: an Englishman named Broadfoot (Kenneth Griffith) and his partner, the Frenchman Cozzier (Pierre Olaf). In a high stakes poker game, the Europeans are impressed with Rooney’s system. They know they have been conned but are not offended. Instead, they propose joining forces.

They reveal they are en route to tempt a local aristocrat with a weakness for gambling to join them in a major poker game. If Rooney and Goldy will enlist with them and use their secret methods to ensure a win, they will split the ill-gained winnings with them.

Along for the ride is Candace (Suzy Kendall), a free-spirited English girl who is intoxicated by these con men and their exotic methods of duping their “marks”.  

At first glance, The Gamblers is a bit crude. The beginning sequences are more confusing than engrossing and it takes a while to for the characters to develop. However, the viewer should stick with it because there are many unpredictable twists, turns and cons to entertain.

What is most enjoyable about the movie is the fact that it offers rare leading roles to actors who are ordinarily known for being reliable second bananas. Gordon is familiar to many retro movie goers, having appeared in several movies with his old friend Steve McQueen. Similarly, Margolin and Griffith did yeoman work over the decades, largely in comedic roles. Here, they all get a chance to shine, along with Olaf, who is equally impressive.

The biggest star of the lot at the time, Suzy Kendall, is, ironically, included for window dressing and her primary contribution is to be seen in mini dresses and bikinis. (We’re not complaining). The film features an infectious score by John Morris and some nice camerawork- and the ending is a true “sting-in-the-tail” surprise. 

VCI’s master print for the transfer is dark and grainy, but viewers should understand that, in order to make rare movies like this available, companies have to sometimes settle for whatever prints they can find, often from private collections. In any event, a less-than-pristine print is a small price to pay in return for the delightful experience of watching The Gamblers.

When I first got cable back in the early 80s, I had no idea how much of an influence it would have on my life, especially the late night R-rated flicks. One among the many films I stumbled upon during those early years was Enter The Ninja. With it came my introduction to the incredibly skilled martial artist Sho Kosugi, who played the film’s bad guy. I liked him so much I even enjoyed watching Franco Nero kick his ass and kill him.

His next film (aptly named Revenge of the Ninja) catapulted Kosugi into cult movie stardom, racking up an impressive number of roles in American action films, a cameo in Rutger Hauer’s Blind Fury, and a five episode appearance in the short lived TV series The Master, where he returned to his bad guy roots to pose as the resident evil ninja and menace Lee Van Cleef .

With his film Pray For Death finally released on DVD via MGM’s MOD Program we now have what I call his ‘Holy Three’ on DVD: Enter, Revenge and Pray.

Pray For Death is essentially a carbon copy of  Revenge of the Ninja. In both films Kosugi plays a Japanese businessman who relocates his family to America for the sake of his job, but once there runs afoul of gangsters. In both movies his respective wives are killed, AND in both films Kosugi’s two sons play the roles of his onscreen kids, which end up surviving the bloody carnage father and gangster doll out among each other in both movies.

Pray For Death is notable for two things, it’s Kosugi’s last role in a movie where he plays a ninja, and it’s notorious for being his most violent and sadistic. Kosugi find’s himself going head to head wtih James Booth, who plays a gangster psychopath that enjoys beating old men to death, torturing Kosugi in front of his kid, and raping and killing Kosugi’s wife towards the end.

The final action scene between Kosugi and Booth is a memorable one, and surprisingly realistic. It has a lot of close quarters hitting (with weapons as well), pushing, shoving and violent man handling. Oh, sure, Kosugi gets in his trademark ninja licks, but it’s not staged like a martial arts fight would be. It’s grittier, rougher, and more barbaric. The location is another element that makes it unforgettable; in a warehouse, where their fight plays out over a couple of floors, one of which is filled with mannequins and a saw mill, where Booth meets a very grim demise.

Unfortunately, MGM’s DVD is not the uncut version of this film. For those who aren’t aware, Pray For Death‘s violence was a victim of the MPAA. Curious as to what was cut?

The good news, on the other hand, is its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio has been restored, and the transfer MGM used is pretty much pristine. There is no trailer on this DVD. Yes, it would be ideal if MGM had released it uncut, but truth be told I’m okay with it as is. I watch Sho Kosugi movies for Sho and his action scenes, none of which have been severely mangled, only tidbits trimmed and shortened where flesh and blood were exposed and/or tortured.

The film has been rescued and put out on DVD  by VCI Entertainment as part of their burn-to-order line. The movie was written and directed by Ron Winston, who had done some high profile TV series episodes and a few feature films before he died in 1973 at the young age of 40.

Richard Skillman
Allied Vaughn
theavdept@alliedvaughn.com
www.alliedvaughn.com