Blu-ray Review: ‘9 TO 5’, ‘EYE OF THE NEEDLE’ and other Twilight Time releases (September Edition)

Preston Barta // Editor

Twilight Time essentially serves as a movie buyer’s guide to vintage movie collecting. It specializes in releasing movies that have been collecting dust on shelves and have yet to receive the remastered treatment.

These are movies for true film lovers. Not only can you view the film in a new, crystal-clear format, but you get the chance to learn about its history, why it was made and what film scholars have to say about its cinematic value. Think of it as a course in film school, without the lifelong debt.

Twilight Time is growing by the year and has been expanding the amount of movies it releases each month. Below are the titles that released in September and an example of the quality and variety they offer.

9 TO 5 (1980)
Rated PG, 109 min.
Director: Colin Higgins
Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman

This smile-a-minute cult comedy brought together the talents of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, with Dolly Parton in her film debut, as three employees who fantasize about roasting their sexist and hypocritical boss (Dabney Coleman) on a spit. (Who doesn’t, right?)

The film’s themes were timely in 1980, the same year the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidelines clarifying that sexual harassment is unlawful. And even though work establishments have evolved over the past 36 years, 9 TO 5 still rings true today.

EYE OF THE NEEDLE (1981)
Rated R, 112 min.
Director: Richard Marquand
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Stephen MacKenna and Philip Martin Brown

Before director Richard Marquand traveled to a galaxy far, far away with RETURN OF THE JEDI, he made a tightly-wound wartime thriller, titled EYE OF THE NEEDLE.

It stars Donald Sutherland as a menacing German spy trying to get the hell out of Dodge before the British find out he has vital information about D-Day.

The film is a fascinating study in psychology, laden with doubt and terror. The performances are rich with complexity and the story constantly thrills.

FROM NOON TILL THREE (1976)
Rated PG, 99 min.
Director: Frank D. Gilroy
Cast: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Douglas Fowley and Anne Ramsey

Set in the Old West, FROM NOON TILL THREE is a romantic western filled with twists. Starring Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland, it’s a melancholic film about what you encounter when you fall in love.

It may not wrap up with a sweet, little bow like Hollywood has molded your expectations, but you’re likely to talk about how it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

MURPHY’S LAW (1986)
Rated R, 100 min.
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, Carrie Snodgress and Robert F. Lyons

Also showcasing the talents of Bronson, this action-packed thriller centers on a cop who was framed for a crime he did not commit.

While at this point, the plot is featured in every other episode of CSI, MURPHY’S LAW’s charm and notable one-liners by Kathleen Wilhoite (as a young woman caught in the mix) are well worth the viewing.

REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS (1985)
Rated PG-13, 121 min.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley and J.A. Preston

What was supposed to jump-start Fred Ward’s career as an action hero wound up going no further than one installment. But hey, at least we have TREMORS.

REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS is about a corny and ridiculous as they come, which is why it’s so much fun to watch.

It spins the ROBOCOP-like story (minus the nuts and bolts) of a cop brought back to life to become an extraordinary super assassin.

Releasing on a Tuesday by Twilight Time is October’s bundle, which includes BOXCAR BERTHA (1972), THE CHASE (1966), HUSH… HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964), RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985) and THE TRAIN (1964).

Only 3,000 copies of each title are made, making them all the more rare and worthy of purchase. They can be purchased exclusively through twilighttimemovies.com and screenarchives.com.