Originally shown on the big screen in glorious 70 mm, Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven is an aesthetically flawless eye-catching period piece that won its cinematographer, Néstor Almendros, an Oscar. Texture and colour are the unbilled characters in this tragic tale, and are just as important as the players. Richard Gere works in a Chicago steel mill at the turn of the 19th century, but must flee the city after accidentally killing a man. Heading for the wheat fields of Texas, he packs up his girlfriend (Brooke Adams) and his younger sister (Linda Manz). Instead of a better life, they head straight into tragedy when a wealthy farmer (Sam Shepard) falls for Adams. Believing him to be dying and expecting to inherit a fortune, she agrees to marry him. Their plans change when Shepard fails to die and Gere takes matters into his own hands. The story, sadly, fades somewhat when compared to the glory of the visuals. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Responsible for a deadly accident whilst driving intoxicated, Don Barnes (Dennis Hopper) struggles to reconnect with his family after returning from a stretch in prison. With his wife (Sharon Farrell) a promiscuous drug addict and his disturbed daughter (Linda Manz) finding solace in punk rock and the music of Elvis Presley, the trauma of the past looms large as dark secrets slowly begin to emerge. Featuring an astonishing performance by Manz, as an angry and disillusioned victim of her circumstances, this punk-fueled drama chronicles the collapse of sixties idealism into the nihilistic haze of the 1980s. Despite only taking over directing duties 8 days into the shoot Out of the Blue arguably represents Hopper's strongest film as director and is a cult-classic ripe for rediscovery, it's presented here in a new 4K restoration and is on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Special Features Newly restored in 4K Limited edition2-disc set) Audio commentary with writer and director Dennis Hopper and producer Paul Lewis (2000) Montclair Film Festival Q&A with Elizabeth Karr and John Alan Simon (2020, 30 mins) Jack Nicholson radio spot (1982) Reconstructed original US trailer 40th Anniversary re-release trailer More extras TBC *All extras are subject to change
New York 1963: f you're young you belong to a gang and if you're Italian you belong to 'The Wanderers'. A collection of kids caught up in love friendship and pubescent fumbles. Interspersed in their lives are bitter clashes with rival gangs - none more feared than the Baldies and their heavyweight leader Terror...
Part of the gritty, punk-inspired wave of US independent cinema of the early 1980s, Out of the Blue is a bleak, harrowing drama. Essentially the vision of actor and director Dennis Hopper, the film finds the man behind the sepia-tinged soul searching of Easy Rider at a far lower ebb, in terms of the tone of the film and his own character, Donny. The undoubted star of the movie, however, is Linda Manz, who plays the troubled 15-year-old CB, a troubled teenage girl on the brink of adulthood. Waiting for Donny to return from a jail sentence for manslaughter, CB is living with her drug-addicted mother and seeking solace in the Sex Pistols and Elvis Presley. The events that unfold on Donny's return are often unbearably grim (the final scenes are practically unwatchable) but produce a movie that is worthy of its hallowed status. Hopper in particular is an uncomfortable sight, made all the more unsettling by the knowledge that it is hard to tell where his character ends and he begins. It's hard work, but more than worth the effort. On the DVD: for its first release on DVD much effort has been made to give Out of the Blue the treatment it deserves. The enhanced visuals are excellent, focusing on Hopper's inspired direction. The audio soundtrack is available in Dolby Digital sound, particularly effective on the recurring use of Neil Young's fragile "Hey, Hey, My, My (Out of the Blue)", the song which gave the movie its title. Hopper's audio commentary is fascinating and reflects his dedication to the project, a film that he practically rewrote on set after stepping in to replace the original director. The movie's place in both Hopper's career and alongside works such as Repo Man and Driller Killer is also examined in an excellent 12-page booklet. --Phil Udell
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