Tag Archives: 1980s
The Bootleg Files: The Slim Whitman Commercials
BOOTLEG FILES 884: “The Slim Whitman Commercials” (a series of television advertisements featuring the yodeling country singer).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived re-release value.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
If you were watching American television in the 1980s, there’s a good chance that you’ll remember commercials for albums featuring Slim Whitman. These commercials resonated with audiences – mostly for the wrong reasons – but they managed to reanimate the career of a unique performer who was mostly forgotten in his own country.
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Weird Science (1985) 4k Re-Release Limited Edition from Arrow
High school is rough for a pair of nerds who have no luck with the ladies and not many friends. One evening, as they hang out, they have the genius idea to create their ideal woman using a powerful (for the time) computer and a doll. The result gives them Lisa, a stunning flesh and blood woman who helps them find themselves, love, and friendship.
The Bootleg Files: All-Star Party for Lucille Ball
BOOTLEG FILES 816: “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball” (1984 television special with an extraordinary A-list line-up).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
When I was watching the 1984 television special “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball,” the same thought kept rotating through my mind: they don’t make them like this anymore. Not only is today’s televised entertainment so completely devoid of the level of star power that was gathered for this one-shot offering, but the feel-good quality and genuine sincerity that permeated the production offers a reminder that there was a time (not so long ago) when broadcast television was a genuinely friendly place to visit.
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The Bootleg Files: The Lauren Bacall High Point Coffee Commercials
BOOTLEG FILES 814: “The Lauren Bacall High Point Coffee Commercials” (a series of television advertisements from the early 1980s).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No commercial reissue value.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
Forty years ago, American television viewers were bombarded with a series of commercials for the High Point brand of instant decaffeinated coffee starring Lauren Bacall. While it was hardly unusual to have recognizable stars pitching coffee in 30- and 60-second spots – Bacall and her then-husband Jason Robards co-starred in a Maxwell House ad during the mid-1960s – the High Point commercials represent a somewhat bizarre realm where marketing and camp overlap. These commercials generated giggles back in the day, and today they are treasured by many as small gems of unintentional humor.
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Canadian Fear Siren Lesleh Donaldson [Women In Horror Month 2022]
Lesleh Donaldson came onto the horror scene in the early 1980’s with films such as Happy Birthday to Me and Curtains. She was recently seen on The Handmaid’s Tale and Jett.
The Films of Richard Pryor: A Second Look
Richard Pryor is widely regarded as the greatest stand-up comic, yet his film output was erratic and he often showed himself to be a better dramatic actor than a movie funnyman. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” ArmchairCinema.com’s Jerry Dean Roberts discusses Pryor’s strange but often invigorating film career.



