Company: Twilight Time
Starring: Warren
Oates, Paul Winfield, Gary Merrill, Arthur O'Connell, Jodie Foster, Henry
Jones, Celeste Holm, Jeff East, Natalie Trundy, David Wayne, Johnny Whitaker,
Lucille Benson, Dub Taylor, Harvey Korman
My Review and Thoughts:
My Rating:
Sawyer: 4 out of 5
Finn: 4 out of 5
Two fun filled classic films. Both equally entertaining. I
am a huge fan of the books, and any film adaption of those books. Here are
two classic adaptions of these classic stories. I don’t know what my childhood
would have been like without the books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I do know that I
would have lost a spark of adventure and naughtiness without the wonderful
works of Mark Twain. I think what I like about both adaptions is the music
appeal. The approach to two classic stories and making and showcasing music
around them, just stand out to me. Both stray from the original books, but each
still maintains that classic storybook appeal that has garnered a cult
following over the years.
First up Tom Sawyer.
Starring the one and only childhood actor Johnny Whitaker as
Tom Sawyer. Whitaker was a priceless example of countless movies growing up.
Films that sparked my childhood wonderment of acting. Remembered most from his
character Jody Davis on the long running tv series Family Affair, but to me it
would be Tom Sawyer that I always tend to remember him from the most. I also
loved him in one of my favorite cult childhood TV shows Sigmund and the Sea
Monsters. Tom Sawyer is a priceless film that I always tend to go back to and
watch. over and over, and now I have a priceless Special Edition Blu-ray by the
one and only company Twilight Time to experience a High Definition 1080p perfection.
Starring in Tom Sawyer is the one and only Warren Oates, who
to me was a true actor that owned and created persona's in his films like no
other. Oates to me was an actor who never got the stardom, or house hold name
reality that he deserved. He was a true bad ass character that left lingering
examples of a no holds bar style of performance, and that is what makes him more
dynamic to remember. Sadly, he died way to soon, 53 years old was a true shame.
I highly recommend anyone who has not adventured into seeking out films that
Warren Oates starred in, should do so. He was also honored with another
Twilight Time Blu-ray for one of his best performances, Bring Me the Head of
Alfredo Garcia, which is a prime example of the wonderment of this actor. I
also highly recommend one of my personal favorites 1973’s Dillinger. No matter
the film it’s always a treat to watch Oates perform.
That is what is great about this movie, a vast cast of
performers. So many wonderful examples of actors and actresses of the old days.
Also starring the amazing Henry Jones. Over 200 performances in his long
career. He was an amazing character actor that started in 1946 and worked all
the way till 1995. TV to movies he aced many styles of characters. Starring in
such greats like 1956’s The Bad Seed, 1957’s 3:10 to Yuma, 1958’s Vertigo,
1969’s Support your Local Sheriff, 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,
1971’s Support Your Local Gunfighter, 1990’s Dick Tracy, 1990’s Arachnophobia,
and so many others. Also, a wonderful character actor, an actor on the
sidelines, or hidden without any dialogue at times, and yet he was always able to
stand out and perform perfectly no matter how small or great the part was. He
has been honored several times with Twilight Time Special Edition Blu-ray’s
Including a personal favorite of mine 9 to 5.
Directed by the wonderful Don Taylor. Taylor was a master
talent in many fields from actor, producer, writer and director. He acted in
well over 50 performances and directed well over 90 TV shows and movies.
Started directing in 1956 and directed all the way to 1988. Something I love
about Don Taylor is that he directed some of my favorite Drive-In B-movie
classics. Great Science Fiction and horror films. He directed one of my
personal all-time favorites 1971’s Escape from the Planet of the Apes. He also
mastered such other greats as the wonderful 1977 The Island of Dr. Moreau, 1978’s
Damien: Omen 2. The very underrated 1980’s The Final Countdown. He also
directed countless TV films. I always felt Don Taylor was a truly underrated
director and film visionary. He had a unique style and it stands out in many of
his films.
Next up 1974’s Huckleberry Finn.
Starring as Huckleberry in both films, which is a unique
reality, the wonderful actor Jeff East. Still acting today after coming out of
what look life retirement in 2009. He had dropped out of acting in 1993. He
acted in many of my favorite cult films, the one and only 1978’s Superman. The
underrated horror classic 1981's Deadly Blessing. The disturbing and brutally
honest classic 1983’s The Day After. The horror classic and personal favorite
of mine 1988’s Pumpkinhead. He was a regular in many Walt Disney TV
productions, which I loved growing up watching. I think Jeff was amazing as
Huckleberry Finn and created the character in a priceless way.
Starring the wonderful Paul Winfield. He started acting in
the 1960's. He has done television and movies. He was always a wonderful
character actor, always one of those characters in the background or the
secondary character, but also created very memorable performances throughout his
career. I will always remember him as Terrell in Star Trek the Wrath of Khan.
He was a master talent at acting in such greats like 1978's King, where he
played Rev. Martin Luther King in the wonderful miniseries. He captures
perfectly his parts in, 72's Sounder, The Blue and the Grey Miniseries. Always
a gifted character in many TV shows such as Wiseguy, 227, L.A. Law, Touched by
an Angel and so many others. Sadly, he passed away in 2004. He crafted the
character of Mad Billy in the wonderful film Conrack, which is a wonderful
detailed performance and was also honored with a Twilight Time Special Edition
Blu-ray.
Also in Huckleberry Finn, the master talent Arthur
O’Connell. A massive character actor, starring in some of the greats, such as
the masterpiece, 1959’s Anatomy of a Murder. The wild and fun action comedy
adventure, 1965’s The Great Race. The wonderful science fiction, 1966’s
Fantastic Voyage. The great family comedy, 1967’s The Reluctant Astronaut. The
horror cult classic, 1972’s Ben. The wonderful special effect action adventure,
1972’s The Poseidon Adventure, you get my point. He starred in many wonderful
films from television and feature film. He is one of those performers that
always stood out, no matter how small the part is. He was the very definition
of acting. He also was honored with another Twilight Time film special edition
release April Love.
Huckleberry Finn was directed by J. Lee Thompson who in my
viewpoint was an important director that created so many wonderful tough guy
films. He worked with Charles Bronson countless times. They were more than just
that basic tough guy style of film, because they had a unique substance to
them, that gave a tight structured plot. Thompson used Bronson in the films,
1976’s St. Ives, 1977’s White Buffalo, and 1980’s Caboblanco, and 10 to
Midnight. Thompson was a truly gifted director that had an eye for spell
binding pieces of cinema. He was an Academy Award nominated director. He
mastered the action great that he was nominated for: 1961’s The Guns of
Navarone. Thompson in his lifetime of directing was nominated for Bafta Awards,
Golden Globes, Palme d’Or Cannes Film Festival, and many others. His talent
shined. He mastered such greats like the one and only 1962’s Cape Fear. One of
my personal favorite guilty pleasures, 1972’s Conquest of the planet of the
Apes. He also directed many lower budget; or films that have gone on to become
cult following style cinema. 1981’s horror, Happy Birthday to Me, 1985’s King
Solomon’s Mine, 1986’s Firewalker. He could direct Oscar worthy films, and he
could direct Cheesy Drive-in style of films. 10 to Midnight was not his last
film with Bronson. They would go on to make later adventures, The Evil That Men
Do, Murphy’s Law, Death Wish 4, Messenger of Death, and lastly Kinjite Forbidden
Secrets. He could direct many different styles of cinema and that is why I feel
he is a truly one of a kind director. I think Huckleberry Finn is one of those
films that have a cult like style following. Twilight Time has honored many of
Thompson’s films as special edition Blu-ray’s.
Audio/Video:
My Rating 5 out of 5
Another fantastic job and equally fantastic product. Both
have never looked or sounded any better. Both are amazing in High Definition.
Perfection in imagery and sound. Crystal clear beauty. Perfection that only
Twilight Time can do.
LANGUAGE: English
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1
AUDIO: Tom Sawyer – English 5.1 DTS-HD MA / English 4.0
DTS-HD MA / English 2.0 DTS-HD MA, Huckleberry Finn – English 2.0 DTS-HD MA?
SUBTITLES: English
Extras:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
You get a wonderful collection of special features. An
amazing array of quality. You get the amazing isolated music scores. Plus, many
features, awesome commentaries to highly praise. Amazing quality in the extras
department.
Isolated Music Tracks: There are many wonderful composers to
the music throughout the films the amazing Richard M. Sherman. The wonderful
Robert B. Sherman. The fantastic Fred Werner and the one and only master John
Williams. John Williams created his ultimate magic for countless films. His
excellent style of thought provoking and intense music creates so many
soundtracks, and in this soundtrack the musical score is no different. His
style is one of a kind and really needs no write up. He is one of the best
music composers and visionaries of sound that has ever graced the world of
music and cinema. Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, Jaws, Star Wars A New Hope,
Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Return of the Jedi, Close Encounters
of the Third Kind, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, E.T., and I could go on and
on, why bother, everything John Williams has ever done is a master talent. Pure
brilliance. Pure mastery. John Williams is a true icon of cinema and music.
Tom Sawyer Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Songwriter
Richard M. Sherman and Music Producer, Historian Bruce Kimmel
Tom Sawyer Audio Commentary with Director Don Taylor and
Screenwriters/Songwriters Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Tom Sawyer River Song Featurette
Tom Sawyer Rehearsal with John Williams and the Sherman
Brothers
Original Theatrical Trailers
Overall:
Two priceless cinema gems on a wonderful 1080p high
definition Blu-ray. Twilight Time did another amazing job in picking and
resurrecting two older films in a new high-quality product. Priceless childhood
memories. Priceless Blu-ray.
INFO:
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the wonderful Twilight Time Blu-rays. The main page that gives you these
beautiful releases on top quality Special Editions
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