This has been one of the most difficult to see movies I have ever come across. For years I have searched for a copy of this movie in any format available, be it VHS, beta, whatever. It appears to have been an independent production, although it was filmed at Paramount Studios. It had a brief VHS release in 1985, also from an independent company that no longer seems to exist. From there, it seems to have vanished into obscurity. I was finally able to locate a VHS copy on EBay, and considering how old the tape is(30+) it played beautifully from beginning to end. As for the actual film, it didn't disappoint. Richard Thomas and Mary Layne were both excellent and very appealing together as two people who come together so that the Thomas character can lose his virginity before going off to war. They end up spending the weekend together, and I felt as though they were an appealing couple to spend time with. The soundtrack was also good, contributing to the overall wistful tone of the picture. The few surprises didn't really surprise me, but that was okay because I cared about the lead characters. There were really only a few things I objected to, and they may just be personal peeves. The first was an attempted gay seduction scene very early on, which seemed completely gratuitous and unnecessary. Another problem for me was the startling inclusion of the infamous on the street execution of a Vietnamese man with a shot to the head, shown without cutting away. I was astonished to see this in a film rated PG. Finally, a later scene shows a woman cutting the head off of a live fish, which again was completely gratuitous. Overall, I think this is a genuinely good film, and I hope that someday it will be rescued from the unfair limbo it has fallen into. Maybe someone who reads this can determine who owns the rights to this film and help facilitate at least a television or festival screening.
Review of Cactus in the Snow
