Gibson, McQueen, Quinn, Moore, Peck, Russo, Glover, Hopper a
Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 07/20/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"VIDTAPE's ACTION MOVIE LEGENDS is comprised of ten films on five dual-side recorded DVDs. The stars appearing in these PD titles are best known for action films, but not all of this set qualifies for that genre.
NOTABLES:
In TIM, Mel Gibson is a mentally-challenged man who falls in love with a woman who'd hired him to do yardwork. It's a well-done adaptation of the Colleen McCullough novel, one of Mel's first starring roles.
THE GREAT ST. LOUIS BANK ROBBERY is based on a true story and shot on location using people who were actual witnesses to the crime. Steve McQueen's character is recruited by a gang to assist in a bank heist that ultimately goes very wrong.
Gregory Peck portrays a dying man reliving events of his life in THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO. Based on the Hemingway short story.
NIGHT TIDE features Dennis Hopper in an early starring role. He's a sailor on shore leave romantically involved with a mysterious woman who portrays a mermaid at a local carnival. Unusually atmospheric, this was filmed on location in Malibu, CA.
MAD DOG MORGAN is Hopper again, in the true story of a 19th Century Australian outlaw. Co-stars Aussie aborigine actor, David Gulpilil.
THE LEGENDS OF THE SILVER SCREEN (also from VIDTAPE) features Red Skelton, W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy, Shirley Temple and more!
Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.
(4.7) Condition Red (Fin/USA/Ger-1995) - James Russo/Cynda Williams/Paul Calderon
(3.1) Deadly Drifter ("Out") (1982) - Peter Coyote/Danny Glover/O-Lan Jones
(5.3) Dog Day (France-1984) - Lee Marvin/Tina Louise/Miou-Miou/Jean Carnet
(4.9) Fatal Assassin ("Target of an Assassin") (So. Africa-1976) - Anthony Quinn/John Phillip Law
(5.5) Gold (UK-1974) - Roger Moore/Susannah York/Ray Milland/Bradford Dillman/John Gielgud
(5.9) The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) - Steve McQueen/Crahan Denton/David Clarke
(5.8) Mad Dog Morgan (Australia-1976) - Dennis Hopper/Jack Thompson/David Gulpilil
(6.1) Night Tide (1961) - Dennis Hopper/Linda Lawson/Gavin Muir/Luana Anders
(6.3) The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) - Gregory Peck/Susan Hayward/Ava Gardner/Leo G. Carroll
(6.3) Tim (Australia-1979) - Piper Laurie/Mel Gibson/Alwyn Kurts/Pat Evison/Peter Gwynne"