Over the weekend, Warner Archive confirmed at WaonderCon in Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, that it is preparing Blu-ray releases of Jack Cardiff's film
Dark of the Sun (1968) and Sergio Leone's
The Colossus of Rhodes (1961). The two releases are expected to arrive on the market later this Spring.
Dark of the Sun
Synopsis: Take elite commandos, send them on a do-or-die assignment - and sit back and watch the action explode. The men-on-a-mission formula that worked in 1967's
The Dirty Dozen and
Where Eagles Dare (released in the U.S. in 1969) provides another salvo of volatile screen adventure with this strike-force saga released in 1968. Rod Taylor and Jim Brown are among a mercenary unit rolling on a steam train across the Congo, headed for the dual tasks of rescuing civilians imperiled by rebels and recovering a cache of diamonds. The film's violence is fierce, unforgiving, ahead of its time.
Quentin Tarantino would offer a tribute of sorts to this red-blooded wallop of a cult fave by using part of its compelling score in
Inglourious Basterds.
The Colossus of Rhodes
Synopsis: When soldier Darios (Rory Calhoun) arrives in Rhodes, King Serse (Roberto Camardiel) has commissioned a larger-than-life statue of Apollo meant to protect the harbor. Darios immediately falls for a young maiden, Diala (Léa Massari), who is the daughter of the statue's maker. In aligning himself with Diala, Darios also becomes involved with Peliocles (Georges Marchal) and his rebels, who seek to overthrow the tyrannical king. As the revolt gets underway, so does an earthquake.