Gizmos, Gadgets, Noir and Steampunk
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A movie that proved a fine swansong for Humphrey Bogart, The Harder They Fall is a gripping drama set against a background of fixed boxing matches. Not so much about the fights as the exploitation of the sport, the film is based on a novel by Budd Schulberg, whose Oscar-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront (1954) helped turn Rod Steiger into a star. Here Steiger delivers an equally bravura performance as the chillingly corrupt manager, Nick Benko, a man who will do anything to turn a buck. Bogart meanwhile is outstanding as unemployed sports writer Eddie Willis, hired against his better judgement to promote a no-hope Argentinean boxer, Toro Moreno (Mike Lane).
Powerfully written, if built around the unlikely premise of building a 10th-rate fighter into a world-class contender, the drama is essentially a battle for Willis’s soul as he is torn between money and conscience. Though the scenes with Bogart and Steiger facing off are the strongest and a veritable masterclass of hardboiled characterisation, Mark Robson, who also helmed the Kirk Douglas boxing classic Champion (1949), directs with a convincingly dirty realism, the final punishing and bloody match a clear influence on Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980).
On the DVD: The Harder They Fall‘s anamorphic 1.77:1 transfer is excellent with only one brief scene showing any significant print damage. Burnett Guffey’s noir-ish black-and-white cinematography looks sharp and fresh as the day it was shot, with only minimal grain. The mono sound is strong and clear, without a hint of distortion or compression. The only extra is a scored gallery of posters and lobby cards from other Bogart films available on Columbia. There are dubbed versions in French, German, Spanish and Italian, and a plethora of subtitle options. –Gary S Dalkin
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When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-2005 season the reaction of many fans was ‘Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?’. The Liverpool fans had grown used to French manager Gerard Houllier but he had been a fan of the club himself since his days as a teacher on Merseyside. A Spaniard with admittedly a wonderful record at Valencia was going to take over management of Liverpool’s famous Boot Room and try and win over a disillusioned Kop. But in one season Benitez’s importation of Spanish players coaching methods and diet has led to a revolution even usurping Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea whereby the team has ended the season winning the ultimate trophy for any European club – the European Champions League. No fan will ever forget the comeback from a 3-0 deficit to a 3-3 scoreline then dramatic success in the penalty shoot-out. With the co-operation of Benitez himself highly regarded Spanish soccer pundit Guillem Balague explains how he did it.
Price : £ 16.99
Visit the home of the 2004/05 and 2005/06 Barclays Premiership Champions! Retrace the steps of John Terry Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba by walking up the players’ tunnel and into one of the most famous football arenas in the world! Sit in the manager’s dugout feel the pressure of the post match Press Conference and take an exclusive look inside the magnificent Home Dressing Room! You will also visit the Centenary Museum documenting over 101 years of football at Stamford Bridge. This is the ultimate experience for a Chelsea Fan.
Price : £ 26.99
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