Sony Pictures Choice Collection: April

 
Here’s the April titles for Sony’s manufacture-on-demand program:

Feature Films

Too Tough To Kill (1935)
John O’Hara (Victor Jory, “Papillon”) is a tough-talking, hard-fisted man brought in to make sure the construction of a tunnel is completed before his company loses a valuable contract. But a conniving rival company is trying to ruin the project, and only John and smooth journalist Ann Miller (Sally O’Neil, “The Brat”) can stop the rivals from destroying the tunnel ­ and risking lives in the process.

Devil’s Playground (1937)
Two submarine officers, Dorgan (Richard Dix, “Cimarron”) and Mason (Chester Morris, “Alibi”), find their friendship strained when they both fall for a dance girl, Carmen (Dolores del Rio, “Flying Down to Rio”). Dorgan marries Carmen, but while Dorgan is on duty, Carmen seduces Mason. Dorgan and Mason become romantic rivals but Dorgan must forget his anger when Mason’s sub goes down and only Dorgan can save him.

Lightning Guns (1950)
The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett, “Blazing Across the Pecos”) and Smiley (Smiley Burnette, TV’s “Petticoat Junction”) are back for an all-new, exciting adventure! Two ranchers find themselves in the middle of a row over the building of a dam in Piute Valley, and when murder is involved, the sheriff’s father is accused of the crime. The Durango Kid investigates the murders and realizes that there is more to the story than originally believed.

Bait (1954)
A tale of deception and seduction, this film directed by and starring Hugo Haas (“Paradise Alley”) features three people searching for a lost gold mine – the dangerous Marko (Haas), young miner Ray (John Agar, “Sands of Iwo Jima”) and the comely Peggy (Cleo Moore, “One Girl’s Confession”). As Marko and Ray search for the mine, Peggy arrives, stirring Ray’s passion and igniting Marko’s suspicion. As months pass, the three find themselves closing in on the mine, but the tension between them is rising. In the end, the three find themselves involved with a lot of gold and a game of dangerous deceit.

Thunder at the Border (1966)
Winnetou (Pierre Brice, “Apache Gold”), Chief of the Apaches, must deal with the vicious Silers (Harald Leipnitz, “Creature With the Blue Hand”) after his gang murders four of Winnetou’s men and nearly kills Winnetou’s sister, Nscho-tschi (Marie Versini, “Yellow Devil”). With the aid of Old Firehand (Rod Cameron, “Wake Island”), Winnetou agrees to defend a small town from Silers and his gang, who vow to burn the town down in order to free his jailed brother. Also featuring Todd Armstrong (“Jason and the Argonauts”).

Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974)
Timothy Lea (Robin Askwith, “Computer Killers”) finds himself in many sexy and hilarious situations working for his brother-in-law’s window cleaning operation. Timothy quickly learns that his female customers expect more than a squeegee, but he realizes that he’s really in love with Elizabeth (Linda Hayden, “The Blood on Satan’s Claw”), a police officer he meets on duty.

Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976)
Timothy Lea (Robin Askwith, “Confessions of a Window Cleaner”) is back again in a new profession, this time working as a driving instructor for his brother-in-law, Sidney (Anthony Booth, TV’s “Till Death Us Do Part”). Timothy has an array of comely clients interested in more than going for a spin, but he will have to use all of his wits to help his agency compete against a rival driving school.

The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
Faye Dunaway (“Chinatown”) plays fashion photographer Laura Mars, whose photographs bear a striking and unsettling similarity to actual crime scenes. Her work catches the attention of Detective John Neville (Tommy Lee Jones, “Men in Black”), who is suspicious of Mars’ “inspiration.” When models and acquaintances of Laura are murdered, the question of her involvement becomes more serious and disturbing. The screenplay is by horror film mastermind John Carpenter (Halloween, 1978), with a concept creepy enough to rival the plots of better-known suspense films of the era.

Alamo Bay (1985)
From acclaimed director Louis Malle comes this powerful drama based on true conflicts erupting along the Texas Gulf Coast between local fishermen and Vietnamese refugees. Ed Harris (“A Beautiful Mind”) stars as Shang, a shrimper and a veteran of the Vietnam War who, like many of his friends, feels bitter resentment towards the refugees who have settled in the Gulf’s port towns. Shang’s mistress, Glory (Amy Madigan, “Field of Dreams”), is a courageous woman who must choose between the rights of those who have fled a warring land and her love for Shang. Complex emotional issues arise when the locals, who had helped defend the Vietnamese during the war, now compete with the refugees for a livelihood. Dinh (Ho Nguyen, TV’s “Final Verdict”) is one of these refugees who refuses to leave the area, even withstanding violent harassment from the locals. Both sides are determined in their fight for a share of the American Dream in this compelling and controversial film.

TV on DVD

The Client List (2012): The Complete Second Season
The popular and controversial series returns for a second season. Riley Parks (Jennifer Love Hewitt, TV’s “Party of Five”) continues to work at The Rub, a massage parlor that offers additional, illegal services to its clientele. Raising her kids as a single mother, Season Two brings the return of her ex-husband, Kyle (Brian Hallisay, “Hostel: Part III”), who has been thrown in jail. Riley tries to help Kyle, causing friction in her relationship with Kyle’s brother Evan (Colin Egglesfield, “Something Borrowed”), who also has feelings for Riley. Also starring Loretta Devine (“Waiting to Exhale”) and Cybill Shepherd (TV’s “Moonlighting”).