Overall rating: 4.53125 / 5 from 32 reviews.
This limited edition slipcover features a classic Canadian film, The Heatwave Lasted Four Days, available in three distinct versions. Customers praise the film's strong cast and solid pacing, making it a popular choice. The release includes additional films from director Douglas Jackson and special features like an audio commentary and featurettes.
Review topics: ["looks","picture","buy","work","film","movie","release","characters","flick","treasure","opportunists","cip","slipcover"].
"Entertaining crime drama originally intended as an English learning tool. Centers around a group of opportunists, a reporter and a crime family couple. The picture looks great and the sound is on point. Nifty artwork and poster."
"fast-paced 70s TV thriller that effortlessly blends classic crime tropes with regional Canadian charm."
"I dug this movie a lot. Enough drama and action to keep me entertained the entire time."
"Not sure how watching this film would have been more effective at teaching English than watching any other film, but that's apparently the stated purpose of this movie. It's a fun little crime caper without anything graphic in it. The lead character is pretty unlikable towards the end, so unlike commentator Amanda Reyes, I didn't have much sympathy for him. Great movie though. Gets a lot for a little."
"A slightly melodramatic but engrossing crime picture, created by the Canadian Film Board to serve dual purposes: as a serialized film series to teach English as a second language and as a straightforward television film. Outside of classrooms, it premiered on American TV, as part of the Wide World of Mystery, to great ratings and acclaim. And it's easy to see why. It has a gritty 1970s aesthetic that lends it a sense of realism, even if some of the acting is a bit theatrical, and the characters and layered plot are immediately and consistently involving. While covering a story on a heatwave, TV newsman Cliff Reynolds (Gordon Pinsent) accidentally films escaped convict Jerry Cuozzo (Lawrence Dane) and his female accomplice, Barbara (Alexandra Stewart), at the beach. In their attempts to secure the film, they raise Cliff's suspicions, and when he realizes that this is the same man being hunted, by both the police and the mob, for absconding with a large heroin shipment, he tries to extort him. Instead, he becomes involuntarily involved in Cuozzo's multifaceted plot to smuggle the drugs into the US. . . and escape in the process. Like many TV films of the time, it plays more like a theatrical film, so it contains many of the elements that are so admired in 1970s cinema: intense writing with multi-character arcs, a morally ambiguous hero, and the contrast of urban crime and decay against the myth of suburban domestic bliss. Blind opportunism, criminal complicity, infidelity, double crosses, and almost gentlemanly, but insidious, threats to our protagonist's domestic life dot this smart and intriguing, and infuriatingly obscure, Canadian gem. Massive kudos to Canadian International Pictures for unearthing such a terrific and practically lost piece of TV history and slapping it onto disc, with 3 different cuts(!!!), for new generations to enjoy."
"Fun police procedural. Worth a watch alone for the mid-70s hairdos and fashions. Exploring the 3 different versions of the film is interesting, each has its own result of restoration, not all 3 look the same - which is to be expected, since the source materials vary. The short films in the bonus features are engaging, very interesting supplements."
"Simple and low-key crime tale that works well for exactly what it was made for; a diversionary flick to have on in the afternoon when nothing's really going on. It's carried by a strong cast and solid pacing, which is important for a made-for-tv film considering the limitations, and the film is enjoyably smooth even if there's not much that'll jump out at you when recalling it later."
"i loved this made for tv movie. im glad it was put back out into the world in separate cuts. a true hidden cinematic treasure."
"Awesome Canadian TV movie with the always amazing Lawrence Dane and Mr. Canada himself Gordon Pinset. Thank you Canadian International Pictures for releasing gems like this. Great extras too!"
"The Heatwave Lasted Four Days is an interesting release. It is a narrative film designed to teach people English in Canada. It was eventually aired in the US as a tv movie. I really enjoyed it. The disc presents the film in 3 versions, the original cut, the tv cut and the Canadian training version. The restoration looks great. The disc comes with another tv film, some shorts and interviews. The slipcover looks great too. Check this one out."
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