Imprint has released a Blu-ray upgrade of Bob Rafelson’s 1990 film Mountains of the Moon, based on the historical biographical “Burton and Speke” novel by William Harrison, as well as the original journals of the 19th century explorers John Hanning Speke and Richard Burton.

It was only the second film from prolific writer-producer-director Rafelson that he did not produce himself, having not produced a film since his 1981 version of John M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice with Jack Nicolson and Jessica Lange. 1987’s highly successful Black Widow, starring Debra Winger and Theresa Russell, was the only film he made between Postman and Mountains.

Rafelson was originally better known more as a producer than he was as a director, having come to prominence as the producer of the hit TV series The Monkees which ran from 1966-1968. His first film as writer, producer, and director was 1968’s Head, starring the Monkees. Then came 1969’s Easy Rider, which he produced for Dennis Hopper, having provided Jack Nicholson with his breakthrough role. He quickly followed that with 1970’s Five Easy Pieces, starring Nicholson and Karen Black, for which Rafelson received Oscar nominations for writing and producing but not for directing despite having won the New York Film Critics award for directing the film.

Financing for Mountains of the Moon was provided by U.K. producers Carolco, which also released the film in Europe while U.S. distribution was handled by Tri-Star.

The producers originally wanted marquee stars Mel Gibson and David Bowie for the leads, but Rafelson insisted on unknowns so that audiences would identify with the characters, not the stars playing them. He chose Irish actor Patrick Bergin to play Burton and Scottish actor Ian Glen to play Speke. Bergin was then almost immediately cast in two other major films, 1991’s Sleeping with the Enemy opposite Julia Roberts and 1992’s Patriot Games opposite Harrison Ford. While he continues to work steadily, he has not had a major starring role since. Glen, who also continues to work steadily, is best known for his TV work in the 2010 series Jack Taylor and the 2018 megahit series Game of Thrones.

Mountains of the Moon begins in 1854 as adventurer Speke asks legendary explorer Burton to allow him to accompany him on his latest expedition to find the source of the Nile. The opening and ending scenes of the film take place in London while the bulk of the film is set in Africa where the two endure unspeakable hardships and deprivations as they go about their two-year journey.

When Burton is unable to go on, Speke leads the expedition to a place which he believes to be the source but it’s winter and there is no way to prove it until the spring thaw but he and Burton need to leave Africa while they still can. Back in London, Speke, who arrives first, is approached by his publisher friend (Richard E. Grant) who publishes his findings leading to a public feud with Burton who disputes his findings.

It wasn’t until a century later in 1954 that Speke was proved to be right.

The third star of the film is Fiona Shaw, fresh from appearing in My Left Foot, as Burton’s fiancée and eventual wife. Other familiar faces in the cast include James Villiers, Peter Vaughan, Delroy Lindo, Bernard Hill, Anna Massey, Roger Rees, and, briefly, Omar Sharif.

The film was well received by the critics but failed to catch fire at the box office. Rafelson made only one more critically successful film, 1997’s Blood and Wine, starring Jack Nicholson. Rafelson, who retired in 2003, died in 2022 at the age of 89.

20th Century Studios, which has released virtually nothing from its huge back catalogue, has started to release James Cameron’s older films beginning with 1989’s The Abyss.

An Oscar winner for its excellent special effects, there’s a reason the film, which followed The Terminator and Aliens but preceded Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Titanic in the director’s oeuvre, is forgotten, It’s just not very good.

It opens strongly with the sinking of a ship, but everything after that is claustrophobic, boring, and monotonous. The dialogue given stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, and everyone else is atrocious. Despite its impressive look, it’s better left forgotten.

Oscar-winning writer John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) is both the writer and director of Netflix’s Shirley, now streaming.

Originally scheduled for release in 2023, the film was held back until now. Not really a biography of U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, the film is narrowly focused on her run for president in 1972.

Although it is eventually a film of substance, it begins shakily in January 1969 as it presents the newly elected Chisholm (Regina King) as “a schoolteacher from Brooklyn” ignoring her extensive background in New York politics including her service in the New York state legislature. It then presents her idea to run for president as little more than a whim on Christmas Day 1971 before it becomes a major movement in the 1972 primaries. Chisholm actually first announced her candidacy in July 1971.

Once it gets going, though, the film proves to be an acting showcase not just for King, but for a strong supporting cast headed by Terrence Howard in his last role before his retirement, Lance Reddick in his last role before his sudden death, Lucas Hedges, and Brian Stokes Mitchell as her principal supporters.

While several of the personalities of the day include George Wallace (W. Earl Brown), Diahann Carroll (Amirah Vann), and Huey Newton (Brad James), there are too many newsreel insertions of others such as Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and Willie Brown.
Representative Barbara Lee, a minor character in the film’s narrative is seen in the film’s coda tribute to Chisholm.

It’s worth a watch, but don’t expect it to win any awards.

Happy viewing.