When you think movies about the Titanic, it's probably James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster that comes to mind.
For some of us, though, it's Jerry Jameson's Raise the Titanic that touches our brain first with its adventure, political intrigue, and breathtaking (to a kid, at least) image of the lost ship breaking the surface and seeing the sun once again.
Look, I've always been a sucker for miniatures in movies, and the slow-motion ocean rebirth of the Titanic here remains a vivid triumph.
But does it hold up decades later to an adult who's grown accustomed to more detailed and "realistic" visual effects? Imprint's slick new hard box Blu-ray release is giving me the opportunity to find out.
American agents discover a past effort to mine byzanium -- a mineral used in the production of nuclear weapons -- resulted in a haul that seemingly disappeared. Further investigation reveals it was actually secretly stored on a ship back in 1912 for transport from Europe to New York City, but the ship sank during the voyage, never to be seen again. That ship's name? The Titanic. And now Dirk Pitt (Richard Jordan) is leading a team to find, raise, and secure the most famous ship in the world before the Russians get there first.
Raise the Titanic brought one of Clive Cussler's many bestsellers to the big screen, but for one reason or another, it absolutely bombed in theaters. Watching it now, it's easy to see why, as this is an adventure built on minutiae. There are some fun beats of visual spectacle here, namely once the ship bursts forth from the water, but the bulk of the movie is built on chatter, detailed planning, and expertly executed action leaving little room for adventure and fun.
Jordan does good work, but he seems more comfortable being charismatic and engaging in his numerous supporting roles. He's joined by a strong list of actors, including Jason Robards, Anne Archer, Alec Guinness, and more. The film looks good, too, as several international locations come into play. The miniature work holds up, in my humble opinion, and while it's never less than obvious, there's still an appeal to the tangible that I'll always respect and enjoy. For fans of denser, more detail-oriented adventures only!
The only extras on the first disc are a trailer and an alternate scene involving the ship being lit on the ocean floor, but the second Blu-ray is packed with extras new and old. The new include film historian Jonathan Smith talking about the film in a new, detail-filled featurette [32:20], assistant editor Geoffrey Mackrill sharing his memories on the production [28:19], and production manager Frederick Muller recalling working on the movie [6:45].
Archival extras include a short making-of documentary, behind the scenes footage from the giant water tank and miniatures in Malta, unused test footage for an abandoned opening sequence recounting the disaster, pictures of the Titanic miniature that remained in Malta for decades after the production, a photo gallery, and some radio ads.
Imprint has also given a Blu-ray release to a 1975 thriller starring the late, great Joe Don Baker. Framed is a lesser, somewhat redundant entry in his filmography, but there's fun to be had with his performance and some wildly irresponsible stunts.
Ron Lewis (Baker) runs a saucy Texas nightclub where his main squeeze (Conny Van Dyke) is also the main singing attraction, but his heart belongs to the thrill of gambling. He risks losing both, though, when he witnesses a crime, gets wounded, and finds himself caught up in a web of corruption. Convicted unfairly, he serves four years in prison, where he plans every day for his chance at revenge.
Framed has a familiar enough setup -- man wronged, man seeks vengeance -- but the film's script takes an atypical route by being overly talky and not all that exciting. The action hits well when it finally arrives, and we even get an epic stunt and near mishap involving a man jumping from a car mere moments before a speeding train demolishes it. (The clip resurfaced recently when Patton Oswalt shared it with Conan O'Brien.) Those bits aside, though, the thrills are kept to a disappointing minimum.
Imprint's new Blu-ray uses a studio-provided high-definition transfer that looks perfectly fine. There's been no work done on it, but there are also no real issues making it a solid visual experience. Two new extras are included on the disc. First up is a new commentary with film journalist Will Sloan, who offers up some engaging details on the film's production, and we also get a new interview with critic Nick Pinkerton focused on the working relationship between Baker and director Phil Karlson (who also directed Baker's big hit, Walking Tall.