Borgnine Vs. Marvin

Tuesdays have become the official release date of new titles on DVD. I can remember when Fridays once held that distinction back in the early days of BETA and VHS. Then by the time LASERDISCS came along, it shifted for some reason to Wednesdays. But now Tuesday is the day of the week we all look forward to, and I have been looking forward to this Tuesday, 6/6/06 for over 18 years. Not for the theatrical release of the shot-for-shot remake of the 1976 Richard Donner horror classic, The Omen, but for the DVD debut of the 1973 Cult Classic, Emperor of the North. I first saw this film on late-night television in the mid 1970's. I instantly took to it, a violent high-action adventure directed by Robert Aldrich. It's main characters are strong archetypes pitted against each other in a battle of wills. Set in the Pacific Northwest during the height of the Depression, Ernest Borgnine plays "Shack", a sadistic train conductor who battles Lee Marvin, a train-hopping hobo named, "A-No.1." Back in '73 the film was mostly dismissed by critics as a visceral bloodbath and audiences didn't flock to see it as well. But over the years it has become a cult favorite of film buffs and train enthusiasts. It had been released on VHS through CBS/FOX Home Video, but for some reason was not made available to video retailers, it could only be purchased at specialty train shops. Customers would often ask for it to rent but it was hard-to-find on video store shelves. Now finally on DVD in a restored WIDESCREEN print, the film can be seen by a new generation. A generation raised on films like Pulp Fiction and Saw, will no doubt take to its violent action and at times slapstick style of comedy. Also starring Keith Carradine as "Cigaret", a young drifter trying to compete with the elder Marvin for the title of "A-No.1", the film covers many basic primal themes based in the classic struggle of Good vs. Evil. The stars of the film all do their own stunts and for the then middle-aged Marvin and Borgnine, it's quite impressive. The DVD release includes original theatrical trailers and an insightful commentary by Film Historian Dana Polan. The 1930s depression era is captured expertly by cinematographer Joseph F. Biroc, and Art Director Jack Martin Smith. It's one of those films that truly places the viewer into the time it's story is set, but also reflects the attitudes of the troubled times in which it was made.

Emperor Of The North [DVD](1974) DVD
Set in the Depression-era Northwest, director Robert Aldrich's gritty, intense railroad drama stars Lee Marvin as legendary tramp A No. 1, who sets out to prove his "King of the Hoboes" title to protege Keith Carradine by hopping an "unrideable" freight train patrolled by sadistic, chain-wielding conductor Ernest Borgnine. With Simon Oakland, Elisha Cook. AKA: "Emperor of the North Pole." 120 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; TV spots; theatrical trailer.