The boutique DVD – Bluray releasing company, Olive Films, has announced it is ceasing operations after over a decade. Olive was unique in that it dug deep in the Paramount catalog (and by extension, Republic, which is now a subsidiary of that studio), to offer film fans a wealth of obscure titles – in many cases appearing on home video for the first time.
Their discs were often bare-bones releases – no extras like commentaries, interviews or even trailers. (Extras were sometimes added later in their run, for such deluxe Bluray releases as Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Johnny Guitar.) One would question the twenty dollar price tag for such no frills releases, but you know what? From a collector’s point of view, I’m simply glad that they got these titles out there, usually in clean, bright transfers, and in their original aspect ratios. I developed a real soft spot for this company when I had reviewed a bunch of their titles in what turned out to be the last print issue a decade ago. I grew to love their releases: the opening endearing logo of the bee, coupled with buzzing on the soundtrack, became an old friend.
In the early 2010s, Olive was incredibly prolific – putting out several titles a week! Their catalog ran the gamut of lesser-known titles from Paramount and Republic, particularly a generous sampling of second features from the latter. (What other DVD company had a Franklin Adreon or R.G. Springsteen section on their website?) This film guy was especially grateful that they released some of the United-Commonwealth B pictures from the 1960s (once under the umbrella of NTA, itself also now owned by Paramount), like Bamboo Saucer (1968) and The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969). Had ESR continued back then, a boat load more of their titles would surely have been featured.
Here is just a sampling of Olive titles, some I’ve watched or reviewed here!
Amerikana (2001), Appointment with Danger (1951), Badge 373 (1973), The Bamboo Saucer (1968), The Big Combo (1955), The Boogens (1981), The Brain (1969), Book of Life (1998), Breaking Glass (1980), The Bullfighter and the Lady (1951), China Gate (1957), Cloak and Dagger (1946), Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953), Cry Vengeance (1954), Dark City (1950), Fire Maidens of Outer Space (1956), Flat Top (1952), Friendly Fire (1979), Frozen Land (2005), The Great Spy Chase (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), Hangar 18 (1980), Hit! (1973), How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), The Horrible Dr. Hichkok (1962), It’s Only Money (1962), The Jayhawkers (1959), Keep Your Right Up! (1987), The Lawless (1950), Letter from An Unknown Woman (1947), Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970), Man-Trap (1961), Man on a Swing (1974), Monsieur Gangster (1963), Monster of Piedras Blancas (1958), Once Is Not Enough (1974), The One and Only (1978), Plain Clothes (1988), Plunder Road (1958), Private Hell 36 (1954), Project X (1968), The Quiet Gun (1959), Riot (1968), Run for Cover (1955), Sands of the Kalahari (1965), Satan’s Blade (1984), Secret Beyond the Door (1947), Shark! (1970), She Devil (1957), The Space Children (1958), The Spirit Is Willing (1967), Stranger at My Door (1956), Stranger on the Prowl (1952), The Sun Shines Bright (1953), Taxi for Tobruk (1960), That Cold Day in the Park (1969), Too Late Blues (1962), Track the Man Down (1956), Try and Get Me! (1950), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977), Unlikely Heroes (2014), Up the Junction (1968), Uptight (1968), The Woman They Almost Lynched (1953), WUSA (1970)
Greg Woods
Greg Woods has been a film enthusiast since his teens, and began his writing "career" at the same time- prolific in capsule reviews of everything he had watched, first on index cards, then those hardcover dollar store black journals, then an old Mac IIsi. He founded The Eclectic Screening Room in 2001, as a portal to share his film love with the world, and find some like-minded enthusiasts along the way. In addition to having worked in the film industry for over two decades, he has been a co-programmer of films at Trash Palace, and a programmer/co-founder of the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate. He has also written for Broken Pencil, CU-Confidential, Micro-Film, and is currently working on his first novel. His secret desire is for someone to interview him for a podcast or a DVD extra.