Mill Creek Entertainment Taps June 17 As The Street Date For The Blu-ray "Collector's Edition" Release Of Director Hal Needham's RAD

Mill Creek Entertainment has tabbed June 17 as street date for the release of a Blu-ray Collector’s Edition of stuntman-turned-director Hal Needham’s spring of 1986 BMX film, RAD.

Needham hit it big with his first directing effort in 1977, Smokey and the Bandit, which was followed by a sequel, Hooper, the two Cannonball Run films and Stroker Ace.  All starring his friend Burt Reynolds, for whom he had doubled as a stuntman. 
 

RAD was his first film in nearly a decade where he didn’t have Reynolds cast in the lead, instead he scouted out sites in North Carolina for his BMX/motocross tale, but due to budget considerations he eventually settled on the Calgary, Canada area for the production.

He built his own track at Bowness Park — “Helltrack” — and was able to recruit 5,000 extras for the big race finale.

Cru (Christopher) Jones (Bill Allen — Streamers, Born on the Fourth of July, Sioux City) is a local with skills … BMX skills that the race promoter soon discovers and sets about to make sure that he won’t be in the big race ($100,000 and a new Corvette).   You see, the fix is in as Bart Taylor (Bart Connor) and Mongoose Racing are “destined” to win the big event, so says Duke (played by Jack Weston) of the Federation of American Bicyclists.

But with the help of fellow BMX enthusiast, Christian Hollings (Lori Loughlin — Amityville 3D, Back to the Beach … plus numerous television series, including Full House and 90210), Cru is able to overcome every sneaky thing that Duke springs on him.   

Bonus goodies include documentary filmmaker Michael Kirsch’s newly prepared A RAD Documentary, three new featurettes — “Against the Odds,” “Ace in the Hole” and “Breakin’ the Ice” — the archived “making of” featurette, vintage video sessions with the cast and crew and a RAD Q&A session featuring Bill Allen, Bart Conner, writer Sam Bernard and Talia Shire.

 Also included as a special feature is the John Farnham  “Break the Ice” music video.

 

 

Film Masters Restores Writer/Director Spencer Williams' Thought-To-Be-Lost 1941 Film Release Of The Blood Of Jesus For Blu-ray And DVD Release On June 24

Film Masters has something very special lined up for the physical media marketplace on June 24.   This would be the HD restoration of both Blu-ray and DVD editions of writer, director and actor Spencer Williams’ 1941 film release of The Blood of Jesus … Williams was also the co-producer in association with Alfred N. Sack of Sack Amusements.

The film, for years, was thought to be lost.   However, prints were found in a warehouse in Texas, where Sacks likely stored them after the war when he opened several theatres in the Dallas area.   He died in 1969 and they were simply forgotten.

This all-black production was heralded as “The most reverent colored picture ever produced” when it made its first recorded public showing on Mar. 26, 1941 at the Bocanita Theatre in Scottsboro, Alabama.   For just 20 cents (ten cents for kids), you got the film, a short titled “Femenine Fitness,” a newsreel and Popeye the Sailor in the cartoon titled Eugene the Jeep.

The Blood of Jesus played primarily on the “Negro” circuit … it was not uncommon for the white audiences to go to the movies, exit and then the theatre would reopen for a colored movie at midnight.   Churches were also a popular place for colored movies ... if the local cinema was not accommodating.   Major cities had their own venues.

In the case of The Blood of Jesus, we begin with the recently married Martha Ann Jackson (played by Cathryn Caviness) being baptized on Sunday down by the river, but her husband, Ras (Spencer Williams), is a no-show.   He’s been out pouching and when the two meet back up at home he accidentally shoots her with his rifle.

It is touch and go as to whether she will survive.   The congregation prays and holds a bedside vigil, but she remains in a coma.   Enter an angel who takes Martha on a journey to the “Crossroads” where something of a morality story plays out … the sins of nightclubs, jazz and roadhouse temptations are offered up by Satan.  

Mixed in with Martha’s visions are 11 gospel songs performed by “The Heavenly Choir.” 

The question then becomes, will she have the strength to choose the right path?   Back at the “Crossroads” the choice is heaven, or off to hell?   June 24, The Blood of Jesus from Film Masters on both Blu-ray and DVD to find out which path Martha takes.

MVD Entertainment Group's Next "Marquee Collection" Release Will Be Director Bruno Barreto's One Tough Cop On June 24

Word has arrived that MVD Entertainment Group has a new addition to it “Marquee Collection” — too new to be cult, but not old enough to be shuffled off to the catalog category — lined up for delivery on June 24.

This would be none other than director Bruno Barreto’s 1998 film adaptation of Bo Dieti and Ken Gross’ 1988 tell-all autobiography, “One Tough Cop: The Bo Dietl Story,” which was shorten to One Tough Cop for its theatrical release.

Stephen Baldwin stars as detective “Bo” Dietl (Richard A. Dietl), a no-nonsense member of the New York City Police Department who was credited with over 1,400 felony arrests during his 15 years on the force.

Barreto’s One Tough Cop focuses on his 1981 investigation of the beating and rape of a young nun — known as the “Harlem Convent Rape Case.”   Not only is it a nasty bit of business, but Dietl is in the middle of dealing with a partner, Duke Finnerly (played by Chris Penn), who has a drinking and gambling problem, which makes him more of a liability than a crime-solver.

“This problem” also ties Dietl to his childhood friend, Richie La Cassa (played by Michael McGlone — The Bone Collector, The Brothers McMullen, Dirty Work, etc.), a known member of one of the city’s notorious “organized crime” families (aka: mobsters).   

How do walk the line between saving your partner’s ass, keeping peace with a friend on the wrong side of the law and solving a crime that even the bad guys want solved?  

This connection between Dielt and La Cassa draws heat from not only Dielt’s fellow detectives (and superiors), but the FBI as well (yes, that’s Amy Irving as an FBI investigator … she was married to Barreto at the time)!   

To complicate things even further, Gina Gershon stars as Joey, who “shares” more than just a friendship with both Dielt and La Cassa … how many lines can be crossed before there is no turning back?

The Blu-ray debut of One Tough Cop — MVD Entertainment Group’s newest “Marquee Collection” entry — on June 24 will give you all the answers!!