Video on Demand!

I wood like this to become a regular feature here on my blog. It is inspired by all those customers who throughout the years would often ask me when the John Wayne film, The High and the Mighty would be released on VHS. If I had a dollar for every person who asked me that during my time behind the counter, I would be quite wealthy now. The film made in 1954, is considered by many to be the granddaddy of all airline disaster films. For some reason the Wayne estate would not make it available, and for two decades bootleg copies would sell for enormous prices. Just last year the film was finally made available on DVD. I am sure the majority of the folks who were looking for it have long since past away, many were elderly men with an affection for "the duke". So in that spirit this recurring column will be a chance to gripe about good and bad films that are not available on DVD. Made in 1972, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Paul Zindel. It was directed by Actor Paul Newman and starred his wife Joanne Woodward and daughter Nell Potts. It tells the story of young Matilda (Potts) preparing for the school science fair, an exhibit showing how radiation sometimes kills helpless marigolds, but sometimes causes them to grow into beautiful mutations. It mirrors Matilda's life, who grows even amidst the drunkenness of her mother and ignorance of her sister. Woodward won the 1973 Best Actress award at the Cannes film festival, but failed to receive an Oscar nomination for her outstanding work. This role is as different from the real Joanne Woodward as you will ever see. Big and brassy with a sometimes affectionate yet abusive handling of her two children. Young Potts is quite impressive as the young prodigy trapped in a seemingly hopeless situation at home. The film has a stark, real quality that was popular in films of the 1970s and is directed by Newman with much restraint. He understands great writing and great acting and simply lets the camera capture it all. IMDB lists this title as being on DVD. It is not at this time but it could mean that it has been announced for release in the future. It never had a VHS release but maybe it will see the light of day via DVD.

Joanne Woodward Movies