HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Walter Brennan Cracks Up Dean Martin In "RIO BRAVO" (John Wayne, 1959) (video)




Walter Brennan's "Stumpy" is the comic highpoint of the John Wayne classic "Rio Bravo."

In one of the end scenes Stumpy and Dude (Dean Martin) discuss Wayne's woman troubles.

Brennan suddenly improvises a John Wayne impression that catches Dean Martin by surprise.

Martin watches intently, with obvious delight...

...until he can stand no more and breaks into joyful laughter.

Watch his face as the scene plays out... 

Dean's genuine laughter is infectuous!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Friday, March 30, 2018

Casper van Dien, Wes Ramsey, and Shawn Christian Star in Action Thriller "LAST SEEN IN IDAHO" on DVD/VOD (4/24)



LAST SEEN IN IDAHO

Cast: Casper van Dien (Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow), Wes Ramsey ('General Hospital'), Shawn Christian ('Days of our Lives'), Hallie Shepherd

Synopsis: A young woman named Summer witnesses a crime and flees the scene, wrecking her car as she tries to escape. Days later at the hospital, Summer awakens from a coma but has no recollection of the events that put her there. 

However, she is having some very strange aftereffects…. when the doctors brought her back from the brink of death, she brought back a little something extra: she’s having visions of her future kidnapping and murder!

It’s a race against the clock as Summer tries to figure out who she can trust and who is trying to kill her. The most important question of all is: Can she solve her own murder before it happens and save herself?

Release Date: April 24, 2018 - DVD/VOD

WATCH THE TRAILER






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"BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE" Star Charms Johnny Carson (1959)(video)




In 1959, actress and model Lola Mason played "Donna Williams" in the film "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."

(It wouldn't be released until 1962.)

That same year, Lola was a contestant on the game show "Who Do You Trust?"

It was hosted by a young Johnny Carson.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Thursday, March 29, 2018

"THE ATONING" is Pure Nightmare Fuel



Director Michael Williams Talks About His Horror Thriller 'The Atoning' With Samera Entertainment

LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2018 (Newswire.com) - MANY people are born with talent but only a small few can be called the "complete package." Michael Williams is one of them.

A triple threat (writer, director, cinematographer), Williams' newest offering The Atoning is pure nightmare fuel and something that doesn't leave the mind long after the final epic conclusion.

Led by a stellar cast that includes Virginia Newcomb, Cannon Bosarge and Michael LaCour, The Atoning is the story of a family that is being haunted by ghosts. The parents are trying to protect their child from the darkest secret of their past that can destroy their family when chaos ensues.


"One of my driving forces with filmmaking is to create experiences you can't have in real life," said Williams. "This film does that and more!"

The film is distributed by Gravitas Ventures and for those looking to track it down, the movie is currently available on Amazon, iTunes, DVD/Blu-ray, Redbox, Hulu and all other VOD and cable/satellite, yet for Williams there is no sign of slowing.

To read more about "The Atoning," click on the link to read the exclusive article with Samera Entertainment's Nocturnal Newz. ​https://www.sameraentertainment.com/michaelwilliams

WATCH THE TRAILER:





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"FRANKENSTEIN" (1931): The Infamous Censored Scenes (video)




In 1931, individual state censor boards demanded various cuts to "Frankenstein."

But two passages in particular were universally condemned.

One was a quote by Henry Frankenstein at the end of the creation scene.

The second occurs when the Monster meets little Maria.

The confused Monster believes that Maria will float like the flowers.
The censored version ends with him reaching for her. 

The two censored scenes were finally rediscovered and restored in the 1980s.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

"FRANKENSTEIN" (1931): The Original Ending (video)




Director James Whale had a downbeat ending planned for his film, which included the death of Henry Frankenstein.

It would have looked something like this.

But the studio preferred a happier ending...and filmed one using stand-ins for Colin Clive (Henry) and Mae Clarke (Elizabeth).

James Whale is said to have liked the new ending, which he felt was fitting for his dark fairytale.  


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!





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Monday, March 26, 2018

Sexy Eddie Pool Scene (Fast Times/ Christmas Vacation)(video)




If you've seen FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982), chances are you remember "that" scene with Phoebe Cates and Judge Reinhold.

And if you've seen any of the VACATION movies (CHRISTMAS VACATION in particular) you're also probably familiar with Randy Quaid as Clark Griswold's cousin "Eddie."

So, we thought: why not combine the two? 

Well...it seemed like a good idea at the time.

(caution: adult content)

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS -- DVD Review by Porfle




Jacob (Sam Heughan, "Outlander", "Doctors") begins his voiceover by waxing philosophical about existence and purpose and such, and then steering it into an account of how he met Cassandra (Arabella Oz, JIGSAW), fell in love, and split with her exactly five years, seven months, and eleven days later. 

We see them breaking up, which is an interesting start for a love story, and kinda get the feeling that writer-director Adam Sigal's WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS (Cinedigm, 2016) may not be your usual boring romantic comedy-drama.

But then we come to realize that there isn't much between the meeting and the break-up. At least, hardly anything for us to get emotionally invested in.


Cassandra sacrifices and works harder so that Jacob can quit his job and write full time, and then when he makes it and they're set for life, she decides that "successful writer" Jacob isn't the Jacob she wants, and leaves. It's just as maddeningly arbitrary as it sounds.

Of course, Jacob as a character is never very interesting even though almost everything he says is some kind of half-baked philosophical tangent. After Cassandra leaves, his mind is always occupied with flights of fancy in which she plays different characters in his fantasy scenarios.

These include Jacob having sex with his neighbor Ralph's wife (Cassandra as "Carli"), Jacob meeting a famous movie star in a diner (Cassandra as "Chelsea"),  and Jacob picking up a sexy hitchhiker who turns out to be an "X-Files"-type agent (Cassandra again).


These attempts at light comedy are what we get in place of actual meaningful interaction between the principal lovers in this love story, so that what happens between them in real life ends up coming off as rather cursory.  The fact that they're acted sort of like drama class exercises doesn't help.

And Jake starts out as a space-case rather than becoming one due to circumstances, so there's never any interesting growth or evolution of him as a person.  He's one of those writer characters that writers like to write about because it makes their profession seem more interesting. 

The acting is adequate, including David Arquette (SCREAM 4, SLINGSHOT, BLACK LIMOUSINE) as Jacob's editor, sitting in a bar and pretending to be interested in Jake's ramblings.  Sean Patrick Flanery (AGENDA: PAYBACK, SINNERS AND SAINTS, DEADLY IMPACT) is one of the film's few bright spots as funny neighbor Ralph.


Jake and Cassandra don't have the usual "meet-cute", but WHEN THE STARLIGHT ENDS ends up being sort of a "life-cute" as Jake fantasizes and philosophizes his way through the chaotic world of his imagination.  The final scene manages to generate some genuine pathos at last, but it may not be enough to make viewers feel the journey was worth it.
 
Buy it at Amazon

Format: DVD (Single)/Digital HD (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and more)
SRP: DVD $19.97
Running Time: 86 mins.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Audio: Dolby 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 (1.78:1)







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Sunday, March 25, 2018

Hammiest Death Scene Of All Time: "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" (1962)(video)




When it comes to hammy death scenes, nobody can touch Leslie Daniel in "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."

Lurching histrionically from room to room...

Painting the walls red with his own blood...

Groaning in agony like a dying jungle beast...

...he's truly a wonder to behold.


(contains spoilers/violence)

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Friday, March 23, 2018

"SUPERFLY" Teaser Trailer, One Sheet and Photos -- See Them Here NOW!



Sony Pictures Presents

"SUPERFLY"

Action Thriller
June 15, 2018

Superfly – the film that helped define a genre in its characters, look, sound, and feel – is reimagined with Director X, director of legendary music videos (Drake, Rihanna), introducing it to a new generation.  The screenplay is by Alex Tse.

                                  WATCH THE TRAILER:
 
Cast:      Trevor Jackson
Jason Mitchell
Michael Kenneth Williams
Lex Scott Davis
Jennifer Morrison

Directed by:    Director X
Screenplay by:   Alex Tse
 
Produced by:    Joel Silver
Executive Producer:   Hal Sadoff
Aaron Auch
Matthew Hirsch
Steven R. Shore


This film is not yet rated by the MPAA.
For future ratings information refer to http://www.filmratings.com.
Credits not final




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John Wayne's Magic Bullet in "THE MAN FROM UTAH" (1934) (video)




That lowdown polecat is about to bushwack Gabby Hayes.

But not if John Wayne can help it.

Hold on thar!

Now that's what you call a "hip-shot"!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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SIXTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!



IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN!

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the 2018 (for the year 2017) Rondos!

Voting ends midnight, April 8, 2018.

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame.


The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey.

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff, can be found at The Classic Horror Film Board. 

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"

Official Ballot

Here's our own parallel-view 3D rendering of the Great One himself (click to enlarge):



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Thursday, March 22, 2018

VERY Risque' Joke in 1934 John Wayne Western "BLUE STEEL" (video)




It may not seem like much now, but in 1934...

...this would've been a pretty daring scene.

The punchline DEFINITELY would've raised a few eyebrows.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Beverly Garland Replaced Mid-Scene in "THE NEANDERTHAL MAN" (1953) (video)




Popular genre actress Beverly Garland goes behind some bushes to change into her bathing suit...

...and changes into a different person!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Matt Damon Gets Small in "DOWNSIZING" Now On 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ & DVD and Digital





An Ingenious Comedy” - Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Downsizing Is Wildly Imaginative” - Ann Hornaday, Washington Post   

MATT DAMON GETS SMALL TO LIVE LARGE IN ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING* DIRECTOR ALEXANDER PAYNE’S HILARIOUS AND ORIGINAL COMEDY
"DOWNSIZING"


On 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ & DVD March 20, 2018 On Digital March 6 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  – Hailed as “a tremendously entertaining heart-felt comedy” (Julian Roman, Movieweb), director Alexander Payne’s (The Descendants, Nebraska) hilarious DOWNSIZING arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD  March 20, 2018 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives on Digital March 6.

When scientists find a way to shrink humans to five inches tall, Paul Safranek (Academy Award winner** Matt Damon) and his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to ditch their stressed out lives in order to get small and live large in a luxurious downsized community.  Filled with life-changing adventures and endless possibilities, Leisureland offers more than riches, as Paul discovers a whole new world and realizes that we are meant for something bigger.  “Brilliant and daring” (Shawn Edwards,  Fox-TV) and “full of surprises” (Noah Gittell, Nerdist), DOWNSIZING also stars Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz*** and Hong Chau in a breakthrough performance that earned her Golden Globe® and SAG nominations.

The DOWNSIZING 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Packs include nearly an hour of fascinating bonus content with six behind-the-scenes featurettes. Join the incredible cast including Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, plus Academy Award-winning director Alexander Payne to see how his unique vision was brought to life. Take a journey on set and check out the production design and visual effects behind the miniaturized world of Leisureland, and much more! 
 
DOWNSIZING Blu-ray Combo Pack

The Downsizing Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTSHD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles. 
The DVD in the Combo Pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  
The Combo Pack includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as the following:   Blu-ray • Feature film in high definition • Bonus Content: o working with Alexander o the cast o a visual journey o a matter of perspective o that smile o a global concern DVD • Feature film in standard definition    

DOWNSIZING 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack 
Fans can enjoy the ultimate viewing experience with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes the Blu-ray Disc™ detailed above, as well as an Ultra HD Disc presented in 4K Ultra HD and English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Czech 5.1 Dolby Digital, French - Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, French - Parisian 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Polish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese - Brazilian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Russian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish - Castilian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish - Latin American 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description with English, English SDH, Arabic, Bahasa – Malaysian, Cantonese, Simplified Chinese, Mandarin, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French - Canadian, French - Parisian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese - Brazilian, Portuguese - European, Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Spanish - Castilian, Spanish - Latin American, Swedish, Thai and Turkish subtitles. The Combo Pack also includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film.

DOWNSIZING DVD 
The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

DownsizingMovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownsizingFilm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DownsizingFilm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DownsizingFilm/
Amazon: http://paramnt.us/DownsizingBlu-ray
iTunes: http://paramnt.us/GetDownsizingNow

PARAMOUNT PICTURES Presents An AD HOMINEM / GRAN VIA Production An ALEXANDER PAYNE Film MATT DAMON “DOWNSIZING” CHRISTOPH WALTZ HONG CHAU and KRISTEN WIIG Music Supervisor DONDI BASTONE Music Composed and Conducted by ROLFE KENT Costume Designer WENDY CHUCK Edited by KEVIN TENT, ACE Production Designer STEFANIA CELLA Director of Photography PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL, ASC, GSC Executive Producers MEGAN ELLISON JIM BURKE DIANA POKORNY Produced by MARK JOHNSON ALEXANDER PAYNE JIM TAYLOR Written by ALEXANDER PAYNE & JIM TAYLOR Directed by ALEXANDER PAYNE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM ON WATERTOWER MUSIC

About Paramount Home Media Distribution 
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories.  The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles.  PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.  

DOWNSIZING
Street Date:      March 20, 2018 (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD)    March 6, 2018 (Digital)
U.S. Rating:    R for language including sexual references, some graphic nudity and drug use
Canadian Rating: 14A, nudity, coarse language



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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Worst Special Effect Ever? "THE NEANDERTHAL MAN" (1953) (video)




Mad scientist Robert Shayne invents a reverse-evolution formula...which he first tries out on his kitty cat.

And then...

Tell me I didn't just see a giant plush toy with fangs.

It is!  It's a giant plush toy with fangs!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Monday, March 19, 2018

ART OF THE HEIST -- DVD Review by Porfle




I'm not a particular fan of the typical heist film, but some of them really do it for me--really good ones such as the original OCEAN'S ELEVEN, the remake of THE ITALIAN JOB (yes, the remake), and now the exciting, suspenseful, and funny ART OF THE HEIST, aka "Fakers" (Indican Pictures, 2004).

I wasn't that thrilled at first during the opening scene in 1911 Sicily when a young artist goes from sketching a nude girl to having sex with her just as her Mafia Don father and his thugs break the door down and turn him into a historical footnote. 

But give this one five minutes or so, because after some opening titles that look like something out of a 60s TV series like "I Spy", the story jumps ahead to present-day England and starts getting interesting.


That's when small-time hustler Nick Edwards (Matthew Rhys) is given five days to pay back $50,000 to urbane but unbalanced baddie Foster Wright (Art Malik in fine form) or have his internal organs rearranged.

Nick stumbles across the Sicilian artist's unfinished sketch (now worth tens of thousands), then hatches a scheme to sell forgeries of it to various art dealers (including Rula Lenska herself) quickly enough so that they don't have time to compare notes. 

This will involve a shy, insecure young artist named Tony (Tom Chambers) and his big sister Eve (Kate Ashfield), a brash bartender for whom Nick carries a torch. 


But when she finds out about the deal, she blackmails Nick for half the take, forcing him to persuade Tony to make more copies to sell to more art dealers, making the whole scheme more likely to explode in their faces. 

Rhys' "Nick" is a likable lowlife with such an optimistic attitude (he's even gotten used to getting beaten up) that when things get messed up enough to make him sweat, we get nervous too. 

In fact, Paul Gerstenberger's keenly-written script is such a slow-burning fuse of nailbiting suspense that the middle third of the film doesn't ease up for a second. Richard Janes' direction is top-notch as well, making the whole thing effortlessly entertaining.

I won't give away just what happens next (not as much as the trailer and DVD notes do, anyway), but suffice it to say that, as in just about all heist films, the intial success of the clockwork perfect undertaking is then quickly and disastrously unraveled. 


In short, Nick loses the money he needs to pay off Foster Wright, the police show up and start arresting people, brawny gangster types show up and threaten to break people in half, and, worst of all, Nick loses Eve.

Can't there ever be a heist flick where they get the money and get to keep it?  Every time I watch one, I'm on edge the whole time just waiting for the other shoe to drop and the good guys--that is, the good bad guys--to lose everything they've worked so hard for at the last minute.  Like that's supposed to teach us a lesson just as we're vicariously enjoying their sudden incredible financial success.

But in this case, their total success would mean a shorter and less exciting movie.  ART OF THE HEIST is at its best once things start to go wrong, making us care about the characters, keeping us in suspense until the very end, and playing the story out just right.  As heist movies go, this one pulls it off like clockwork.


Tech Specs
Runtime: 85 mins.
Format: 2:35 Scope (35mm)
Sound: Dolby Digital/5.1
Country: USA
Language: English
Rating: R
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Action/Romance/Comedy
Bonus: audio commentary, cast interviews, trailers, captions


Amazon video
Amazon DVD







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Phantom Henchman in "GOLDFINGER" (James Bond, 1964) (video)




James Bond, Goldfinger, and pilot Pussy Galore are supposed to be the only ones on the plane.

So who's that guy standing behind Goldfinger in the doorway?

There are further glimpses of him during the scene, but his presence is never acknowledged.

He is, without a doubt, one of the most useless henchmen in movie history.

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Special thanks to Mark Redfield. Thanks for watching!




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Sunday, March 18, 2018

5TH STREET -- DVD Review by Porfle




It looks like it's going to be yet another variation on the classic revenge thriller, but 5TH STREET (Indican Pictures, 2013) veers its way through enough unexpected twists and turns to keep us both guessing and thinking.

Writer Eric Arthur Martinez stars as Joe Montoya, a chiropractor whose loving relationship with wife Sarah (Anne Leighton) is about to be blessed with child.  But while hunting for a new house, they enter a way-wrong neighborhood where Sarah is shot down in the middle of a sudden gang hit.

Before you can say "Death Wish" the newly-widowed Joe, now mad with grief, gets armed and forms a plan to find out who was responsible for the killing so that we can enjoy some good old-fashioned bloody payback.  He even enlists a couple of dads who've suffered similar unavenged losses as his crew.


The story chugs along as expected for awhile.  It's a slowburn that we know is building to something while keeping us pretty occupied even during a few slightly draggy spots.  Making it all the more watchable is the solid direction by Alex Meader, who delivers a quality indy film that looks good.

While Joe and his guys work their way up the criminal food chain, we see the big fish Beto (Christian Monzon), a cold-blooded narcissist who does business in sadistic fashion that even has his own men in fear of what he'll do next. 

But even Beto is a loving father, which is just one of the ways 5TH STREET screws around with our expectations.  Joe himself meets a vivacious young lady named Jessica (Annie Fetchu) who works with troubled kids, and from her he's reminded of how even the good ones can go bad due to unfortunate circumstances rather than some inherent evil. (A flashback to Joe's own childhood is harrowing enough.)


So at just about the point where the usual revenge flick would be shifting into top gear, violence-wise, this one eases back and offers some food for thought.  Mind you, there's still some satisfying (though mainly non-graphic) violence against the bad guys here and there, without which I'd have felt really cheated.  But the causes and consequences of it all are thoughtfully explored as well. 

Making things more interesting is the presence of a cop, Detective Gonzalez (Joe Voltierra), who suspects Joe of being behind some recent bad-guy deaths and starts shadowing him and his friends. 
This subplot conjures still more legal and moral ambiguity for both us and the characters to ponder.

Performances are fine and, for the most part, pleasingly realistic.  The film is above-average in all technical aspects including good production design and an effective musical score.

I'll admit, there will always be a place in my DVD player for a bit of the old mindless ultra-violence as far as revenge tales go.  But in the case of 5TH STREET, it's nice to see how such a loaded premise can develop in ways other than the usual lather-rinse-repeat fashion.


Tech Specs
Runtime: 93 minutes
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby SR
Genre: Action/Crime
Country: USA
Language: English
Website:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/5th-Street-Feature-Film/125797384195745






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VERY Visible Cameraman in "Bad Boys" (Sean Penn, 1983) (video)




I watched "Bad Boys" a bunch of times on cable in the 80s. 

But I never noticed this until it was pointed out to me.

It's during the big fight between Sean Penn and Esai Morales.

VERY Visible Cameraman!



I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Saturday, March 17, 2018

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON -- DVD Review by Porfle



IMDb calls it "the original rapid fire sketch comedy show." Which is exactly what drew me to the first season when I was a kid--one relentlessly silly joke after another, coming at us pretty much non-stop until the very last second of the show.  No guest vocalist singing sappy love songs, no June Taylor dancers, and best of all, no discernible bounds of taste or restraint.

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON, a 7-disc DVD set from Time-Life, shows us how the free-form, surreal, unstructured, utterly and unabashedly silly conglomeration of sight gags and creaky one-liners continued with even more abandon into the show's third year without any sign of running out of steam.

If anything, by this time the show had really found its footing and established a solid basis from which to go off in any direction they chose at any time. None of the show's regular features are ever in the same order, and sometimes the intro doesn't occur until five minutes in or more.


Running gags intentionally drive already-flimsy jokes into the ground during the course of an episode.  One-liners that would've had vaudeville audiences groaning are delivered in quick succession as though they were comedy gold, scoring the occasional bullseye. 

Bloopers abound; like Red Skelton before them, these people realize that the mistakes are often funnier than the scripted material, and their performances are so loose and uninhibited it's often hard to tell the difference.

Comedy duo Dan Rowan (straight man) and Dick Martin (giggling sex-crazed wacko) are a couple of straight-looking but silly guys in suits who co-opt just enough of a seemingly modern attitude to appeal to the "kids" while also playing up to the older drink-in-hand, wife-swapper crowd as seen in the regular "Party" segment that plays like an episode of "Playboy After Dark." 


It's all a weird combination of pseudo-hip and cringe-inducingly corny humor that pretends to be "with it" but really pokes fun at the counterculture, hippies, etc.  Still, there's a distinctly liberal slant to the show's humor although today much of that humor would be considered very politically-incorrect.  Topical references to such then-trending things as "Myra Breckinridge", the Viet Nam war, air pollution, and the space program abound. 

Other familiar segments are "Mod, Mod World" (where we see the famous bikini girls with one-liners painted on their bodies), "Laugh-In Salutes", "The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award" (usually awarded to some current political or social pariah), "The Joke Wall", and "Laugh-In News of the Past, Present, and Future."  These offer an excuse to have jokes follow a particular theme for awhile until chaos takes over again.

The returning cast is comprised of solid comedy pros such as Goldie Hawn, Arte Johnson, deadpan announcer Gary Owens, Judy Carne, Ruth Buzzi, and the hilarious Jo Anne Worley (the "Laugh-In" women are way more talented than the ones on the later SNL, save perhaps for Gilda Radner). Flip Wilson is such a frequent guest as to be a semi-regular. 


Newer cast members include kewpie doll Pamela Rodgers, mildly amusing Brit comic Jeremy Lloyd, and token black castmembers Teresa Graves and Byron Gilliam, who are consigned to doing the usual 70s "jive" humor most of the time.  (Graves would later score her own classic series "Get Christie Love!")

My favorite newer castmember is the wacky, eye-rolling Alan Sues, thanks to his aggressive, flamboyantly-gay persona and regular characters consisting of perpetually hungover kids' show host Uncle Al ("The Kiddies' Pal") and bell-ringing sportscaster Big Al ("Oh, I just love my tinkle!").
 
The show scored lots of big and not-so-big guest stars eager for a chance to look hip and be silly, including Ringo Starr, Eli Wallach and wife Anne Jackson, Diana Ross, Carol Channing, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, Debbie Reynolds, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Monkees Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, and Mickey Dolenz, comic Jackie Leonard (a natural for the show with his old-style burlesque humor), Sonny and Cher, Lana Wood, Peter Sellers, Buddy Hackett, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, Phyllis Diller, Michael Caine, Romy Schneider, Mitzi Gaynor, and many more.


Especially noteworthy in this, the third season, is the debut of Lily Tomlin and her trademark characters, precocious little girl Edith Ann ("And that's the truth") and brash, snort-laughing telephone operator Ernestine ("Is this the party to whom I am speaking?")  Tomlin went on to become a post-"Laugh-In" comedy superstar, but those of us who remember her debut here will find these episodes quite nostalgic. 

One thing that appealed to me about the show as a kid is its similarity to a live-action issue of MAD Magazine with its grab-bag abundance of satires, parodies, song spoofs, running gags, and blackout comedy bits reminiscent of Sergio Aragones' cartoons that filled the margins of every page. 

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON is just such an immersive experience in sublime silliness that you'll want to watch from cover to cover. 


TECH SPECS
Format: DVD/7 Discs
Running Time: 1413 minutes
Genre: TV DVD/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo
Street Date: March 20, 2018
DVD SRP: $39.95
Bonus features: exclusive new interview with Lily Tomlin, and the featurette "Still Laugh-In -- A Tribute to George Schlatter".


Read our original coverage HERE

Read our review of the complete first season HERE



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Friday, March 16, 2018

Same Actor, Two Characters: "The Sons of Katie Elder" (John Wayne, 1965)(video)




It's common for an actor to play multiple parts in a fantasy or comedy film such as "The Wizard of Oz", "Dr. Strangelove", or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

But not so common in a relatively realistic film such as the John Wayne western "The Sons of Katie Elder."

Here, familiar character actor Karl Swenson plays two totally unrelated characters.

First, Swenson is the local bartender.

Later, Duke summons Old Doc Isdell to tend to his wounded brother.

And Old Doc Isdell is played by...you guessed it...Karl Swenson. 

Same actor, two unrelated characters.  Totally random!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Olive Films' April 2018 Releases: "JOE", "HOPE AND GLORY", "MERMAIDS" on Blu-ray and DVD



Olive Films' April 2018 Releases: "JOE", "HOPE AND GLORY", "MERMAIDS" on Blu-ray and DVD

JOE                  DVD
    
CAT:                 OF1409
UPC:       887090140911
SRP:                 $24.95

JOE                  BD      
CAT:                 OF1410
UPC:       887090141017
SRP:                 $29.95
FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:        3/27/18
STREET:           4/24/18

PETER BOYLE
(Taxi Driver, Young Frankenstein, TV’s Everybody Loves Raymond)
SUSAN SARANDON
(Dead Man Walking, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Atlantic City)
DENNIS PATRICK
(Chances Are, The Air Up There, TV’s Dark Shadows)
AUDREY CAIRE
(They Saved Hitler’s Brain, The Madmen of Mandoras)
K CALLAN
(American Gigolo, A Touch of Class, The Onion Field)

Directed by
JOHN G. AVILDSEN (Rocky, The Karate Kid, Save the Tiger)

Joe, directed by Academy Award winner John G. Avildsen (Best Director, Rocky – 1977) and written by Academy Award nominee Norman Wexler (Best Screenplay, Joe – 1971, Serpico – 1974), would capture the nation’s zeitgeist.

YEAR: 1970
GENRE: DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 107 mins
RATING: R
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; Color
AUDIO: MONO

“I’m the ‘Joe’ everbody’s talking about,” heralded movie print ads for director John G. Avildsen’s (Rocky) film Joe, proving that there’s truth in advertising. The modestly budgeted film would go on to become a multi-million-dollar box-office success, garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.

Peter Boyle (TV’s Everybody Loves Raymond) stars as Joe Curran, the titular everyman and unabashed hippie-hater. Joe, who equates hippies with everything un-American, finds a kindred spirit in Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick, Chances Are), an advertising executive who makes Joe’s acquaintance at a neighborhood bar, boasting that he killed a drug-dealing hippie (Patrick McDermott, The French Connection). Bill, pressed for facts by the intrigued Joe, recants saying that he was merely joking. But when a news report confirms the incident, vigilante justice akin to Taxi Driver is set in motion.

Joe, directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Norman Wexler (Serpico) and featuring the screen debut of Susan Sarandon (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), also stars Audrey Caire (They Saved Hitler’s Brain), K Callan (American Gigolo) and K Callan (American Gigolo).




HOPE AND GLORY        DVD    
CAT:                 OF1407
UPC:       887090140713
SRP:                 $19.95

HOPE AND GLORY        BD      
CAT:                 OF1408
UPC:       887090140812
SRP:                 $29.95
HOPE AND GLORY
US+CANADA
PREBOOK:        3/27/18
STREET:           4/24/18

SARAH MILES
(Ryan’s Daughter, White Mischief, Blow-Up)
IAN BANNEN
(Braveheart, Gandhi, The Hill)
JEAN-MARC BARR
(The Big Blue, Breaking the Waves, Dogville)
SAMMI DAVIS
(Four Rooms, Mona Lisa, A Prayer for the Dying)
SEBASTIAN RICE-EDWARDS

Directed by
JOHN BOORMAN
(Deliverance, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest)

John Boorman, the writer, director and producer of Hope and Glory, would receive Academy Award® nominations – Best Director, Best Screenplay (written directly for the screen) and Best Picture - for his work on the film.

YEAR: 1987
GENRE: COMEDY DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 113 mins
RATING: PG-13
VIDEO: 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; Color
AUDIO: STEREO

Hope and Glory, John Boorman’s (Deliverance) autobiographical film is a nostalgic and gently comic remembrance of England during the turbulent Blitz as seen through the eyes of 10-year-old Billy Rohan (Sebastian Rice-Edwards). While the beauty of the aircrafts and tanks holds endless wonders for the young boy, others know all too well the destruction they bring.

Navigating difficult times are mother Grace (Sarah Miles, Academy Award® nominee for Best Actress - Ryan’s Daughter, 1971), who finds herself head of the household when her husband is drafted; Billy’s sister, Dawn (Sammi Davis, Mona Lisa), whose romance and pregnancy with the dashing Canadian airman Corporal Carrey (Jean-Marc Barr, The Big Blue) is yet another challenge for the stoic Grace; and George (Ian Bannen, Gandhi), Billy’s curmudgeonly grandfather whose idyllic country home will open Billy’s eyes to a whole new world.

Written, directed and produced by Academy Award® nominee John Boorman (Director and Best Picture - Deliverance, 1973; Director, Screenplay and Best Picture – Hope and Glory, 1988), Hope and Glory is photographed by Academy Award® winner Philippe Rousselot (A River Runs Through It - 1993), costumed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Shirley Russell (Agatha – 1980, Reds – 1982) with production design by two-time Academy Award® nominee Anthony Pratt (Hope and Glory – 1988 shared with Joanne Woollard, Phantom of the Opera – 2005 shared with Celia Bobak).




MERMAIDS       DVD    
CAT:                 OF1411
UPC:       887090141116
SRP:                 $14.95

MERMAIDS       BD      
CAT:                 OF1412
UPC:       887090141215
SRP:                 $29.95

FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:        3/27/18
STREET:           4/24/18

CHER
(Moonstruck, Silkwood, Mask)
WINONA RYDER
(Heathers, Beetlejuice, Stranger Things)
CHRISTINA RICCI
(The Addams Family, The Ice Storm, Black Snake Moan)
BOB HOSKINS
(Mona Lisa, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Long Good Friday)
MICHAEL SCHOEFFLING
(Sixteen Candles, Vision Quest, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken)

Directed by
RICHARD BENJAMIN (Racing with the Moon, My Favorite Year, The Money Pit)

The seriocomic Mermaids features inspired performances by Academy Award® winner Cher (Best Actress – Moonstruck, 1988) and Academy Award® nominees Winona Ryder (Best Supporting Actress – The Age of Innocence, 1994; Best Actress – Little Women, 1995) and Bob Hoskins (Best Actor – Mona Lisa, 1987).

YEAR: 1990
GENRE: COMEDY DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME:  110 mins
RATING: PG-13
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; Color
AUDIO: STEREO


Mermaids, directed by Richard Benjamin (My Favorite Year) and based on the novel by Patty Dann, features Academy Award® winner Cher (Actress - Moonstruck, 1988) as Rachel Flax, the eccentric matriarch of the Flax family that includes daughters Charlotte (Academy Award® nominee Winona Ryder, Supporting Actress - The Age of Innocence, 1994; Actress – Little Women, 1995), an awkward, quirky teen torn between her personal devotion to becoming a nun (despite being Jewish) and her longing for romance, and Kate (Christina Ricci, The Addams Family), a nine-year-old whose interest in swimming may be a result of an inherited gene from Rachel’s one-night stand with an Olympic contender.

This dramatic comedy also stars Academy Award® nominee Bob Hoskins (Actor – Mona Lisa, 1987) as Lou, Rachel’s latest flame, and Michael Schoeffling (Sixteen Candles) as Joe, a convent handyman and Charlotte’s love interest.

Mermaids was scored by Academy Award® winner Jack Nitzsche (Music, Original Song – An Officer and a Gentleman, 1983), photographed by Howard Atherton (Fatal Attraction), costumed by Academy Award® nominee Marit Allen (Costume Design – La Vie en Rose, 2008) with production design by Academy Award® nominee Stuart Wurtzel (Art Direction-Set Decoration – Hannah and Her Sisters, 1987).




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Thursday, March 15, 2018

Boston Film Family Releases Official Trailer For “PARTS UNKNOWN” Wrestling Horror Movie -- Watch the Trailer Now




Boston Film Family Releases Official Trailer For “PARTS UNKNOWN” Wrestling Horror Movie

Boston, MA, United States – March 10, 2018 – Boston Film Family, LLC, has released the official trailer of its upcoming feature film, “Parts Unknown." The wrestling horror movie will have its world premiere in Arlington, Massachusetts, on June 9, 2018.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE 

Written, produced, and directed by Boston Film Family CEO Richard Chandler, “Parts Unknown” is the story about how the infamous Von Strasser family (of professional wrestling fame) seek to violently reclaim their notorious status through supernatural means despite being blackballed by forces within the industry.

The movie stars retired pro-wrestler/actor William DeCoff, pro-wrestling manager/actress Lizzie Havoc, and Boston Film Family alumni Alexandra Cipolla, Alexander Hauck, and Sarah Michelle.
Legendary independent movie actress Melantha Blackthorne, who had a leading role in Chandler’s feature film “Gilgamesh” (2014), returns in a smaller role while former pro-wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts lends his vocal talents to the movie. Cameos are also provided by the indie tag team The Devil’s Doormen as well as YouTube and podcast personality Brian Zane (of “Wrestling with Wregret” fame).


The movie was shot by Director of Photography Denez McAdoo, costumes were created by Jenny French, and composer Andre Fernandea created the movie’s score. 

Boston Film Family, LLC, is an award-winning Massachusetts-based independent film production company that specializes in the creation of visual horror and grindhouse stories. 

Its previous works include the featurette “Witch Hunt” (2016), the feature film “Gilgamesh” (2014), and the webseries “Boston Massacre” (2012-2013). 

For more information on Boston Film Family, LLC, the company’s homepage can be accessed at Facebook -  or on the company’s website.
 
The movie’s IMDb page can be found here.



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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Telephone Pole Blooper in "CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON" (Universal-International, 1954) (video)




This classic monster-hunt adventure takes place in the farthest unexplored reaches of the Amazon.

A place untouched by human beings and their scientific gadgets.

So you wouldn't expect to find even the smallest trace of modern technology...much less, a telephone pole. 

Matted widescreen versions of the movie obscure the telephone pole.

But not the original full screen version.

I guess even the Creature has to call Mom on Mother's Day!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!




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6:66 PM -- DVD Review by Porfle



If you liked the 2016 horror comedy "Massacre on Aisle 12", then you'll probably also like 6:66 PM (2017) since both are done by pretty much the same filmmakers and cast. I, myself, not having seen and enjoyed the earlier film, had to venture into this newer one without such blessed assurance. 

But I came through it okay, with no discernible or lasting ill effects, which is more than I can say for some horror comedies that I've had to endure.

This spoof of reality-TV "ghost hunter" shows benefits from an exuberant cast and a pretty wacky sense of humor.  Both are somewhat unrefined for the most part, but the energy given off by this highly kinetic spookfest is sort of infectious.


Autumn Federici plays Lorraine, a down-on-her-luck TV producer so desperate for a hit that she makes her cast (director Jim Klock as fake ghost investigator "Daniel" and Alexis Kelley as fake psychic "Sheryl") and crew (producer and co-writer Chad Ridgely as lone cameraman "Peter") keep filming their new ghost-hunter pilot even when the spirit of the psychotic serial killer who died in the house that they're in (Scott Burkhardt as "Jimmy Timmy Beck") returns to resume his murderous ways where he left off.

There's more to the story, including the brother of one of Jimmy Timmy's victims (Michael Buonomo as "Emmett") terrorizing all involved in a twisted plot to get revenge by invoking the killer's spirit for his own purposes (it's a long story) via a supernatural ritual. 


Naturally, this poorly-thought-out scheme goes haywire and allows Jimmy Timmy's evil entity to leap from one dead body to another, setting the whole cycle of running and screaming and hiding and getting killed into cartoonish motion.

But is it funny?  Well, let's just say 6:66 PM tries awful hard in its own blunt, mostly artless way, keeping us occupied by sheer frenetic action and giddy silliness between rare moments of actual wit and finesse.

Klock's direction is okay even though he stages much of the comedy simply by doing wide shots of everyone going bananas. The cast gets the job done, with Ridgely a standout as cowardly lensman Peter.  Robin F. Baker plays Stan, the house's current owner whose plans of cashing in on its notoriety go woefully awry.


While there aren't that many genuine chills to be had, if any, the film manages a sort of Halloween spookhouse aura that's fun.  There's a bit of pleasantly fake-looking gore as well, as some of the dead bodies reanimated by Jimmy Timmy's ghost require having their brains bashed in.  Things do get pretty wild near the end as we're kept constantly wondering just who'll get killed and reanimated next. 

6:66 PM isn't one of the best horror comedies you'll ever see, but it's just so doggoned unabashedly silly that I couldn't help having a fairly good time watching it.  And it's definitely a nice change from the same old "dead teenagers" thing. 


Tech Specs
Runtime: 82 minutes
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby Sr.
Country: USA
Language: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Horror
Bonus: featurette, outtakes, producer/director commentary, trailers for "Massacre on Aisle 12" and other Indican releases







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"GIANT: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film" -- New Book By Don Graham



"GIANT: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film" By Don Graham

A noted authority on all things Texas, Graham turns his attention to film with this authoritative tale of 'Big Texas Oil' and the epic movie Giant . . . A delightful work of film/cultural history for movie fans.” —Kirkus Reviews

Lively . . . deeply researched and efficiently paced.” —Publishers Weekly

Don Graham is a masterful storyteller . . . Just as Giant the movie was the talk of the town back in 1956, I know Don’s lively narrative will be the talk of the town today. He captures West Texas and the big screen stars perfectly.” —Mrs. Laura Bush

George Stevens's ​​Giant is one of the most iconic films in American history. It made the list for the American Film Institute's 100 best American movies announced in 2007 and in 2005 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural and historical significance. 


Now in Don Graham’s ​​GIANT: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film​ (St. Martin's Press / On Sale: April 10, 2018),​​​ Graham presents a larger-than-life narrative of the making of the classic film, marking the rise of America as a superpower, the ascent of Hollywood celebrity, and the flowering of Texas culture as mythology.

In this compelling and impeccably researched narrative history of the making of the film, Don Graham chronicles the stories of Stevens, whose trauma in World War II intensified his ambition to make films that would tell the story of America; Edna Ferber, a considerable literary celebrity, who meets her match in the imposing Robert Kleberg, proprietor of the vast King Ranch; and Glenn McCarthy, an American oil tycoon; and Errol Flynn lookalike with a taste for Hollywood.

Drawing on archival sources Graham’s ​​GIANT is a comprehensive depiction of the film’s production showing readers how reality became fiction and fiction became cinema.


GIANT: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film
By Don Graham
St. Martin’s Press
On Sale: April 10, 2018
Hardcover: $27.99 USD
eBook: $14.99 USD



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