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Geek Vibes Nation
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'The Proud Rebel' Blu-Ray Review - Alan Ladd Reveals Vulnerable Side In Endearing Western
Wandering the North in search of medical advice for his mute son David, ex-Confederate soldier John Chandler (Alan Ladd) finds himself in Aberdeen, Illinois—the next stop in a long trail of towns where he desperately hopes to find a cure for his youngster who lost the power of speech when a traumatic fire took the life of his mother. While many townsfolk in Aberdeen still hold a grudge against Southerners, the same can't be said for kindly doctor Enos Davis (Cecil Kellaway) who recommends John head to Minnesota where a specialist may be able to treat David's condition. Before he can leave town, however, Chandler runs afoul of Jeb and Tom Burleigh—one-armed sheep rancher Harry Burleigh's roughneck sons—who pick a fight with John after attempting to steal David's beloved dog. Dragged before an indifferent judge, John is railroaded with an assault and battery charge and given the choice of 30 days or $30…neither of which he can afford. On hand for the trial is spinster Linnett Moore (de Havilland) who intervenes on John's behalf by offering to pay his fine while he works off the debt on her farm. Starring Alan Ladd in one of his most sober and moving performances, and a feistily endearing Olivia de Havilland, The Proud Rebel also boasts being helmed by one of the Golden Age's most prolific directors in Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), along with beautiful cinematography by Ted McCord (Sound of Music) and a rousing score by Jerome Moross (The Big Country). For thoughts on The Proud Rebel, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality ClassicFlix presents The Proud Rebel on Blu-Ray after being released previously just last year by Reel Vault, a release we do not own but can say with a fair amount of certainty was released with much less care than this new Blu-Ray. This time, the title gets the treatment it deserves as ClassicFlix collaborates with the Library of Congress to deliver a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of an IB Tech print in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. As noted in the opening restoration text, there are some shortcomings with this release such as missing frames and damage that could not be completely mitigated due to the condition of the elements. ClassicFlix almost never lets us down, and they have done everything possible to deliver for classic film fans. One of the first things you will notice is the thick sheen of lovely natural film grain throughout that delivers a great amount of detail in the image. There are elements of the costumes and environmental backgrounds that are likely being seen for the first time with such clarity. If you watch the featurette on the restoration comparison included on this disc, you will be blown away by the improvements that have been made. The missing frames result in some jumpy moments, but this restoration has made this one as stable as the source material will allow. The Technicolor footage is boldly saturated and more vibrant than ever. The hues radiate off the screen compared to the faded appearance when you look at the restoration demonstration. The presentation has a surprising amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no major evidence of black crush. Print damage has been kept to a very minute level outside of the smallest bits. There are a few fleeting moments where clarity falters somewhat, but this is likely tied to the condition of the original elements. ClassicFlix has done an admirable job of bringing this film to Blu-Ray. Audio Quality This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that largely sounds very strong. The dialogue typically comes through clearly with none of the sound effects or the score ever overshadowing exchanges on this release. The presentation maintains the utmost fidelity outside of some minor hollowness and brittleness during the most climactic moments. The more thrilling sequences including stampedes and roaring fires are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any exceptional damage or age-related wear to the track. Overall, this is a favorable audio presentation that gives the material the life it needs. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided here. Special Features Audio Commentary: Alan K. Rode, author of Michael Curtiz – A Life in Film , provides a deeply informative commentary track that delves into the background of this production, the history of the creatives involved with the film, filming locations and setup, background details that could easily be overlooked, and more. Alan K. Rode Interviews David Ladd: A new nearly 25-minute interview with the now grown-up star of The Proud Rebel who discusses his early life as the son of Alan Ladd, working with his father, memories of the production, his relationship with the dog, and more. Isolated Music Track: An option to watch the film with only the score audio in Dolby Digital 2.0 audio. Restoration Comparison (4:15) Original Theatrical Trailer (2:57) Final Thoughts The Proud Rebel is a great western outing from Alan Ladd, who plays a father who is trying to walk a noble path for his son while outside forces attempt to make that journey as difficult as possible. There are some heavy-handed moments at times, yet the performers bring a warmth and relatability to their characters that makes the material work. Olivia de Havilland especially charms us with a personal journey of her own that is rewarding. Michael Curtiz was always very dependable as a filmmaker, and this is another great example of his rewarding output. ClassicFlix has delivered a Blu-Ray release with a fine A/V presentation and a few special features that make the package even sweeter. If you are a fan of the talent, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. Recommended The Proud Rebel is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Rust 'Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Released from Prison
Rust film armorer was released from prison on Friday, May 23 She served the maximum 18-month prison sentence for committing involuntary manslaughter She additionally faced another firearm charge after she brought a gun to a bar in New Mexico in 2021Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting on the set of Rust, was released from prison on Friday, May 23. Gutierrez-Reed, 27, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in March 2024. She was acquitted of an additional charge of tampering with evidence. She was responsible for weapons and firearms used on the Western film set, when a loaded prop revolver was supplied to Alec Baldwin, resulting in the shooting death of Hutchins in 2021. Baldwin's case was dismissed in July 2024. A spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Corrections confirmed she was released in Arizona to a region near the Nevada and California borders, per NBC News. PEOPLE reached out to the NMDC for further comment but did not immediately hear back. In 2023, a grand jury indicted Gutierrez-Reed on a felony charge of bringing a firearm into a New Mexico bar on Oct. 1, 2021. This conviction resulted in 18 months of probation. She served 18 months in prison for the involuntary manslaughter conviction in the Rust shooting following her 2024 sentencing. Gutierrez-Reed was held at Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants, N.M. Gutierrez-Reed was released under the condition of dual supervision under probation and parole authorities to take place concurrently, spokesperson Brittany Roembach told the outlet. She will be on parole in the manslaughter case for a year, through May 23, 2026. She is required to follow the conditions set forth by the board, some of which include electric monitoring, following a curfew, and either getting a job or enrolling in school, per her certificate obtained by CBS News. Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence for her role in Hutchins' death, during which Baldwin fired five rounds from a loaded prop gun that would kill her and injure director Joel Souza. In January 2023 ahead of her trial, her defense attorneys Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion said in a statement, "Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "These charges are the result of a very flawed investigation, and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts," they added. "We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury." Reed has yet to comment on her release. Read the original article on People
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Where Is Kevin Costner's ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2'?
Kevin Costner in "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2." Kevin Costner's Western epic Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 held its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival one year ago on Monday. Whatever happened to the second of four planned films in the series? On May 19, 2024, Costner's Horizon Chapter 1 debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it received a rapturous 11-minute standing ovation that brought Costner — who starred in, directed, co-wrote and co-financed the film — to tears (see the Cannes video below). As it turns out, that was the highest peak that Costner would experience from his work on the Horizon film saga, as the film skidded into a steep decline a short time later when reviews out of Cannes hit. Among the most damning reviews after the Cannes premiere came from critic Esther Zuckerman of the Daily Beast, which had a headline that read, 'Kevin Costner's 'Horizon' Is a Misogynistic, Racist, Retrograde Mess.' Things didn't get any better by the time Horizon Chapter 1 was released in theaters, as the film opened on June 28, 2024, with a 40% 'rotten' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 68 reviews. Lucky for Costner, the rating improved, but to date still sits at a 51% 'rotten' based on 160 reviews of the movie. At least audiences have had a positive opinion of Horizon Chapter 1 on RT, as the film currently has a 70% 'fresh' Popcornmeter rating based on 2,500-plus verified user ratings. Positive user ratings notwithstanding, there simply weren't enough moviegoers attending Horizon Chapter 1 in theaters. The 3-hour and 1-minute film's opening weekend generated a paltry $11 million in domestic ticket sales from June 28-30, 2024, which then plunged to $5.3 million in its second weekend frame. By July 9, plans were revealed that Horizon Chapter 1 was making a quick pivot to digital streaming, and a day later, the film's distributor New Line Cinema and Costner's production company, Territory Pictures, postponed Horizon Chapter 2's planned Aug. 16 release date. By the time Horizon completed its theatrical run on Aug. 8, the film earned $29 million domestically and $9.7 million internationally for a worldwide domestic tally of $38.7 million. The failure of Horizon Chapter 1 no doubt came as a huge blow to Costner and company. Per Variety, Costner spent $38 million of his own money to finance Horizon while two unnamed private investors footed the bill for the rest of the project. Variety reported that the first film had a $100 million production budget before prints and advertising costs. Kevin Costner in "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1." Since Kevin Costner was originally planning to release Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 in August of 2024, he proceeded to finish the film despite it being pulled from the summer movie calendar. The actor-director went on to stage the film's worldwide premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 7, but like the first film, negative reviews came flying out of Venice. Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that that Horizon Chapter 2 was 'more fun to watch' than Horizon Chapter 1, but noted, 'This second three-hour tranche of Wild West-themed soap-operatic drama, premiering at Venice, has basically the same problems as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; jagged editing that only highlights the lack of harmony between its disparate narrative strands; and cliché-tinged production values that often make it feel corny and old-fashioned, and not in a good way.' Variety's review of Horizon Chapter 2 wasn't much better, as critic Jessica Kiang wrote that 'the 3-hour-plus installment of Costner's passion project is just as unwieldy and bewilderingly scattershot as the first.' Despite the critical response, Costner continued his quest to not only release Horizon Part 2 in theaters but to secure enough money to complete Parts 3 and 4. 'I'm hoping, I'm dreaming, I'm meeting all the billionaires that we all hear about — they're all hiding in the shadows,' Costner said during a Deadline Contenders panel for Horizon Chapter 1 on Nov. 16, 2024. Also at the Deadline Contender's event, Costner noted he was at work on Horizon Chapter 3. 'I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to make it and then I'm going to make the fourth one,' Costner said at the Deadline Contenders event. 'And if you want to say 'the end' at that point, then that's the end.' Following the film's world premiere in Venice, Italy, Horizon Chapter 2 made its U.S. premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 7. Like Venice, the first two chapters of Horizon were screened back-to-back. The most recent word about the status of Horizon Chapter 2 came from one of the saga's stars, Isabelle Fuhrmann, who told ScreenRant on May 3 that she 'had no clue what Kevin's planning, but he's probably planning something.' 'I'm a really big fan of the second film. I think it really captures so much more of the women of that time period, and what was kind of going on for them, more so than the first one, which I feel like sets up this whole world,' Fuhrmann told ScreenRant. 'I really hope that people will see the second one when it comes out, and it gives us the opportunity to make the third one. But, right now, I'm starting another project, and I'm just hoping that I get that call from Kevin sometime soon." Right now, Costner has other pressing matters to tend to. On May 12, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Costner's loan-out firm Horizon Series, New Line Cinema and City National Bank are entrenched in a legal battle. While moviegoers await news of the release of Horizon Chapter 2, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 on streaming. The film is available for subscribers of Max and Netflix, and is available for purchase or rent on digital streaming via video on demand.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kevin Costner facing major legal blow after Yellowstone exit that could cost him MILLIONS
Drama is now unfolding behind-the-scenes over the making of Kevin Costner's Western passion project Horizon: An American Saga. The Hollywood Reporter claims New Line Cinema has filed an arbitration claim against Horizon Series, the company which produced the films, for alleged breaches to their cofinancing agreement. The claim was filed after City National Bank moved forward with arbitration proceedings against both New Line and Horizon Series. New Line then filed a cross complaint against Horizon Series as part of their defense efforts against the bank. The deal at dispute is said to have seen both New Line and Horizon agree to repay a share of the film's financing. New Line essentially covered what Horizon Series did not pay, however City National Bank believes it is owed more, according to THR. It's unclear exactly what each party is accused of owing, however Costner, 70, has previously admitted to putting $38 million of his own funds into the two-part epic, which cost more than $100 million to pull together. has contacted New Line Cinema, City National Bank, Warner Brothers Discovery (of which New Line is a brand of) and Costner for comment. New Line declined comment for THR and City National Bank and Territory Pictures did not respond to comment requests from the outlet as well. A passion project of Costner's, the two-part Western film series (that is intended to be told over the course of four chapters) starred and was directed by Costner. Horizon: Chapter 1 was released last June and was slammed by critics and flopped at the box office. A part two, Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2, was set to be released in theaters on July 2024 however it was pulled from cinemas and its release is now indefinitely delayed. In September, Deadline reported parts three and four have scripts and are in a film-ready state. Costner financed the Horizon films himself, admitting to putting $38 million of his own funds into the project after spending decades trying to find a studio to make the film. He even took out a loan against his Santa Barbara home after trying unsuccessfully to make it for more than 30 years. Costner previously told Empire he has taken a gamble by releasing the saga in cinemas. He said: 'I had somebody who said, 'Look, please don't do this, Kevin, let's do this.' 'But I'm glad about what I'm doing. I believe in the big screen. I believe in that experience. I also believe in what will come to your television. You know, I'm not one of those guys that has a director's cut. The f****** movie I make is the director's cut.' The Dances with Wolves star - who is worth an estimated $250million - said: 'I'm not a fool, but I'm not afraid. 'I will own this movie the rest of my life. So will my family. And movies are a lot more than their opening weekend. They have value throughout their life, and I will own this movie throughout my life. 'And people will find it. And when they do, whether it's opening weekend or not, they're going to find a quality. They're going to find a story that they're going to want to revisit or share with someone. And that's the power of a movie to me.' 'My hope is that I get this money back, but you know what, I'm not going to fall apart if it (doesn't happen). 'I'll lose some things that I had valued, but they're just things I've kept. I should add, I don't want to have to ever do this again. But I don't live my life in fear.' The film was released after Costner officially exited his acclaimed Yellowstone series amid a rift with showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
