Lifeguard (1976) Blu-ray (Rental)

At first glance, it looks as if Rick Carlson (Sam Elliott, Tombstone and The Big Lebowski) has it made. He's bright and good-looking. He's also the lifeguard on a stretch of California beach that has more than its fair share of tanned bodies and beautiful girls. But Rick is at the crossroads of his life. His friends and family are pushing him to get a real job but, at this point, Rick's not so sure what real is. It's an agonizing decision compounded on one side by an adoring beach groupie (Kathleen Quinlan, Apollo 13) and on the other side by a former high school flame (Anne Archer, Fatal Attraction) who's game for rekindling, but only if he's serious about trading in his swimsuits for three-piecers. Elliott drew waves of accolades for his sensitive and sexy portrayal of the aging title character who's compelled to reassess his life and career. Director Daniel Petrie's (Buster and Billie) picture is an introspective character piece whose protagonist struggles against societal norms in order to hold onto his sense of self and find personal fulfillment. The script by first-time writer Ron Koslow (Firstborn), is based on his experiences as a California lifeguard. The musical voice of so many '70s dramas, Paul Williams (Phantom of the Paradise) contributes the aptly-titled Time and Tide to the film's soundtrack. Filmed in picturesque, all-American Southern California locales by DP Ralph Woolsey (Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins), Lifeguard has been remastered from a 4K scan of its original camera negative for this first-ever Blu-ray release.