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Boom! (1968)

If any film deserves a remake, it is “Boom!” Not a scene-for-scene remake of the infamously ghastly 1968 Joseph Losey film, but in a production that is aligned with the source material, Tennessee Williams’ short story “Man Bring This Up Road” that was later adapted as the Broadway drama “The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore.”
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Elizabeth Taylor Forever!

For the first episode of the fourth season of “The Online Movie Show with Phil Hall,” the focus is the life and career of Elizabeth Taylor, tracking her from precocious child star to glamourous screen icon to humanitarian work that saved thousands of lives. Actor-comic-writer-raconteur Kevin Dolan is the guest on this show, which is produced at Pleasant Podcasts.

The episode can be heard here.

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The Best in Movie Miscasting

John Wayne as Genghis Khan? Lucille Ball as Mame? On this episode, we celebrate some of the most wonderfully misguided examples of movie miscasting, including some still-controversial casting decisions (Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Dolittle, Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi) and some noble endeavors that went awry (Marlon Brando’s Fletcher Christian, Jane Fonda as Ibsen’s Nora). Actor/writer Joe Mannetti returns to “The Online Movie Show” to give praise to the actors in the wrong roles.

The episode can be heard here.

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The Films of Rock Hudson

While much of today’s focus on Rock Hudson centers on his private life and untimely death, the depth and scope of his film and television career is often overlooked. Actor/writer Joe Mannetti returns to “The Online Movie Show” for a discussion of Rock Hudson’s versatility as an actor and the many memorable performances he created.

The episode can be heard here.

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The Bootleg Files: Raintree County

BOOTLEG FILES 596: “Raintree County” (1957 epic with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor).

LAST SEEN: We cannot confirm the last exhibition of this film.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO:
A VHS video and LaserDisc release only.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Out of circulation in the home entertainment channels for too many years.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: It is possible.

There are some films that seem to be doomed from the first minutes of their inception through the last seconds of their release, and the 1957 epic “Raintree County” is one of the more notable examples. The story of its creation is far more complex and tragic than anything on that appeared on the screen.

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