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The 1970s were an excellent time to be a fan of the spy thriller genre. Franchises like the James Bond films were becoming increasingly popular, with five Bond films being released during this decade alone. 007 wasn't the only force to be reckoned with in the genre, though. Other major features, like 3 Days of the Condor and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, also roared onto the scene, making spy thrillers a beloved genre throughout the country.

Of course, not every spy film received the same level of acclaim as these hits. Because so many of this type of film were being released at the same time, many great ones managed to fly under the radar. Sadly, these films never seemed to get the attention they rightfully deserved. Now, when looking back at this era in the film industry, it is essential to take a look at the more...

Michael Cimino could have done worse for his first directing gig — a big Clint Eastwood-Jeff Bridges buddy picture with guaranteed major attention. It’s a simple crime caper for simple audiences, and he pulls it off in style. The Sunday movie supplements celebrated Cimino as a great new talent. His picture still looks handsome and it runs like a Swiss watch — the writer-director even has his vulgar comedy down pat, giving bad guy George Kennedy a few memorable choice bits to play.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1974 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis, Catherine Bach, Gary Busey, Burton Gilliam, Roy Jenson, Bill McKinney, Vic Tayback, Dub Taylor, Gregory Walcott.

Cinematography: Frank Stanley

Art Direction by Tambi Larsen

Film Editor: Ferris Webster

Original Music: Dee Barton

Produced by Robert Daley

Written and Directed...

As the first wave of ‘adult’ westerns began to fade, 1959 gave us a burst of genuinely adult stories about the famed lawless towns of the frontier. Henry Fonda is at his moody best in a replay of his earlier Wyatt Earp, de-mythologized as just one more self-oriented opportunist in a land where even lawmen have an angle to play. But Fonda’s gun skills are impressive, and his deadly Clay Blaisedell is halfway to becoming the soulless ‘Frank’ from Once Upon a Time in The West. Edward Dmytryk almost rights his capsized directing career, and Robert Alan Aurthur’s screenplay delivers both an intense drama, & great gunslinging action.

Warlock

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1959 / Colo / 2:35 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date May 21, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95

Starring: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, Dolores Michaels, Wallace Ford, Tom Drake, Richard Arlen, DeForest Kelley, Frank Gorshin, Vaughn Taylor, Don Beddoe, Whit Bissell,...

In the last decade of his career, John Ford produced and directed this ode to crony politics, with Spencer Tracy as an old-fashioned mayor who uses underhanded ploys to do right by his constituents. Tracy is backed by a veritable army of supporting actors, neatly orchestrated in Frank Nugent’s screenplay. We’re talking scores of John Ford stock company players; it’s like old home week, with Ford in firm control.

The Last Hurrah

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date September 18, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Dianne Foster, Basil Rathbone, Pat O’Brien, Donald Crisp, James Gleason, Edward Brophy, John Carradine, Willis Bouchey, Basil Ruysdael, Ricardo Cortez, Wallace Ford, Frank McHugh, Carleton Young, Frank Albertson, Anna Lee, Ken Curtis, Jane Darwell, O.Z. Whitehead, Charles B. Fitzsimons, Arthur Walsh, Bob Sweeney, William Leslie, Danny Borzage, Richard Deacon, James Flavin,...

Academy Award-nominated art director and production illustrator George Jenson died of melanoma cancer in Henderson, Nev., on May 25. He was 87.

He was the production illustrator on 1983’s “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.” Jenson received his Oscar nomination for visual effects on “2010” in 1984.

Jenson began his career in the film industry in 1964 as a production illustrator/storyboard artist at 20th Century Fox Studios, working for producer Irwin Allen’s series “Lost in Space,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Time Tunnel,” and “Land of the Giants.” He moved to Filmation Associates as a layout artist and illustrator on the animated TV series “Star Trek,” “Mission: Magic,” “Lassie’s Rescue Rangers,” and “My Favorite Martian” during 1972-75.

Jenson worked as a production illustrator on live-action feature films including Disney’s “Escape to Witch Mountain” and MGM’s “Logan’s Run.” He joined Steven Spielberg’s Amblin for “Close Encounters of the Third Kind...

Ross Macdonald’s Cool Cat detective — originally Lew Archer — comes alive in Jack Smight’s smart SoCal kidnapping mystery, thanks to a charismatic Paul Newman and a hot cast of bright, smart actors. It’s the first screenplay sale for the celebrated William Goldman, and the crisp cinematography by ace cameraman Conrad Hall doesn’t hurt either.

Harper

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date February 27, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Janet Leigh, Pamela Tiffin, Robert Wagner, Robert Webber, Shelley Winters, Harold Gould, Roy Jenson, Strother Martin, Martin West, Jacqueline deWit.

Cinematography Conrad Hall

Art Direction Alfred Sweeney

Film Editor Stefan Arnsten

Original Music Johnny Mandel

Written by William Goldman from The Moving Target by Ross Macdonald

Produced by Jerry Gershwin, Elliott Kastner

Directed by Jack Smight

Gumshoe detective movies (as opposed to police movies about detectives) suffered a dip in the 1960s,...

In the 1970s crime films morphed into sadistic vigilante fantasies about tough-guy heroes avenging terrible crimes against their families. Veteran noir director Phil Karlson directed the bruiser’s bruiser Joe Don Baker in a standard tale of violent vengeance, with the violence factor given an extra bloody boost.

Framed

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1975 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 106 min. / Street Date February 28, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Joe Don Baker, Conny Van Dyke, John Marley, Gabriel Dell,, Brock Peters, John Larch, Warren J. Kemmerling, Walter Brooke, Paul Mantee, H.B. Haggerty, Roy Jenson.

Cinematography: Jack A. Marta

Film Editor: Harry W. Gerstad

Stunts: Carey Loftin, Gil Perkins, Buddy Joe Hooker

Original Music: Pat Williams

Written by Mort Briskin from a book by Art Powers & Mike Misenheimer

Produced by Joel Briskin, Mort Briskin

Directed by Phil Karlson

Time for another curiosity review, of a grindhouse gut-basher from the 1970s — a subgenre I avoided when new.

Charlie Bronson cashed in big with this lightweight action thriller co-starring Jill Ireland and Robert Duvall. Did Duvall get involved because the original concept was a serious look at political scandals between big business, the CIA and Chile? The clues from the real source story are still there.

Breakout

Region B + A Blu-ray

Koch Media / Explosive Media (De)

1975 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date January 17, 2017 / Der Mann ohne Nerven / Available from Amazon.de Eur 15,99

Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, John Huston, Jorge Moreno, Paul Mantee, Emilio Fernandez, Alan Vint, Roy Jenson, John Huston.

Cinematography: Lucien Ballard

Editor: Bud Isaacs

Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Written by: Howard B. Kreitsek, Marc Norman, Elliott Baker suggested by the book Ten Second Jailbreak by Warren Hinckle, William Turner, Eliot Asinof.

Produced by: Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler

Directed by: Tom Gries

Charles Bronson seems to have been an unhappy...

Guns! Guns! Guns! John Milius' rootin' tootin' bio of the most famous of the '30s bandits has plenty of good things to its credit, especially its terrific, funny cast, topped by the unlikely star Warren Oates. The battles between Dillinger's team of all-star bank robbers and Ben Johnson's G-Man aren't neglected, as Milius savors every gun recoil and Tommy gun blast. Dillinger Blu-ray + DVD Arrow Video U.S. 1973 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 107 min. / Street Date April 26, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Michelle Phillips, Cloris Leachman, Harry Dean Stanton, Geoffrey Lewis, John Ryan, Richard Dreyfuss, Steve Kanaly, John Martino, Roy Jenson, Frank McRae. Cinematography Jules Brenner Special Effects A.D. Flowers, Cliff Wenger Edited by Fred R. Feitshans, Jr. Original Music Barry De Vorzon Produced by Buzz Feitshans Written and Directed by John Milius

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

There it was in the dentist's office, an article in either...

Stars: Samantha Eggar, Stuart Whitman, Roy Jenson, Lew Saunders, Narciso Busquets, José Chávez, Haji, Erika Carlsson, Whitey Hughes, Al Jones, George Soviak, Ted White | Written by Alfredo Zacarías, David Lee Fein, F. Amos Powell | Directed by Alfredo Zacarías

Samantha Eggar (The Brood) stars as Jennifer Baines a woman who is visiting her wealthy industrialist husband Mark (Roy Jenson, Soylent Green) in the small city of Guanajuato, Mexico. Mark is currently planning to reopen a mine which is is rich in silver. Unfortunately for him, his workforce is comprised of superstitious locals who refuse to go deep in to the mine. To prove everything is fine, Jennifer suggests that the pair go deep down in to the mine, but they get more than what they bargained for; a severed hand. “The Devil’s Hand” to be precise. With their workforce even more terrified, things surely can’t get any worse can they?...

A Lincoln Continental Lhe with quite a temper is getting a high-definition upgrade on Tuesday from Scream Factory, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies of The Car to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Car.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Car Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on December 18th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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From the previous press release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the...

Following the unveiling of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Christine Blu-ray earlier this year, Scream Factory's giving another malevolent vehicle a high-definition upgrade with their Blu-ray release of The Car next Tuesday, and we have clips and a trailer teasing the highway horrors to come.

From the previous press release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the first time on Blu-ray™. Directed by Elliot Silverstein, the action-packed thriller stars James Brolin (The Amityville Horror), Kathleen Lloyd (It Lives Again), John Marley (Deathdream), Elizabeth Thompson (A Shadow in the Street) and Ronny Cox (RoboCop). R.G. Armstrong (Race with the Devil, Evilspeak), Roy Jenson (Soylent Green), Melody Thomas Scott (Piranha, The Fury), Kim Richards (Assault on Precinct 13) and Kyle Richards (Halloween) also star in this high-octane thriller.

A must-have for loyal fans,...

Years before viewers witnessed a ’58 Plymouth Fury scorned, they were introduced to a Lincoln Continental Lhe with quite a temper. Scream Factory's giving the latter an HD upgrade with their December 15th Blu-ray release of 1977's The Car, and we have the official release details and cover art.

Press Release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the first time onBlu-ray™. Directed by Elliot Silverstein, the action-packed thriller stars James Brolin (The Amityville Horror), Kathleen Lloyd (It Lives Again), John Marley (Deathdream), Elizabeth Thompson (A Shadow in the Street) and Ronny Cox (RoboCop). R.G. Armstrong (Race with the Devil, Evilspeak), Roy Jenson (Soylent Green), Melody Thomas Scott (Piranha, The Fury), Kim Richards (Assault on Precinct 13) and Kyle Richards (Halloween) also star in this high-octane thriller.

A must-have for loyal fans,...

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By Harvey F. Chartrand

Peter Gunn: The Complete Series is now available for the first time ever as a 12-dvd box set from Timeless Media Group… all 114 episodes, with a running time of over 58 hours.

Peter Gunn – created and produced by Blake Edwards – ran for three seasons – from 1958 to 1961. This classic detective show was a delightful blend of film noir and fifties cool, featuring a modern jazz score by Henry Mancini (a bonus CD of the soundtrack is included in the set), outbreaks of the old ultra-violence, a gallery of eccentric and sleazy characters (usually informants, gangsters and Beat Generation bohemians), and great acting by series leads Craig Stevens (as Gunn), Lola Albright (as his squeeze, sultry nightclub singer Edie Hart) and Herschel Bernardi (as Gunn’s friend and competitor Lieutenant Jacoby, who seems to work all by himself 24 hours a day...

Screenwriter and filmmaker Robert Towne.

Forget It Bob, It’S Chinatown

Robert Towne looks back on Chinatown’s 35th anniversary

By

Alex Simon

The haunting trumpet wailing plaintively over the closing credits. The bandage covering star Jack Nicholson’s nose. The best last line of a movie, ever: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown"; all elements of a film now regarded by scholars, critics and cinefiles alike as one of the greatest pieces of American celluloid ever made. Chinatown was a collaboration between a who’s-who of ‘70s film icons. Directed by Roman Polanski, produced by Robert Evans, written by Robert Towne, starring Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, shot by John Alonso, and scored by Jerry Goldsmith, Chinatown was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1974, but brought home only one: for its writer. Robert Towne was barely 40, and Chinatown his first produced original screenplay, his previous efforts having been literary adaptations, such as 1973’s The Last Detail.