If you love movies, and you’re into blu-ray, you’d better be getting familiar with Shout! Factory.
An offshoot of the old Rhino label, Shout! Factory has been in the business for over 12 years, and is now on the vanguard of blu-ray restoration, having released jaw-dropping editons of Mad Max, Escape From New York, Nightbreed, The Car and Army of Darkness – and that was just in the last year! Under their Scream Factory brand, they’ve been a champion of John Carpenter films, producing new special editions of They Live, The Fog and Village of the Damned. These cats care about movies (and vintage TV shows), and are particularly passionate about preserving smaller, nearly forgotten thrillers and cultish releases, often giving them a brand new life with director’s cuts (Nightbreed) that had never previously seen the light of day.
With the new year, Shout! Factory is at it again, and today we’re highlighting a trio of great 1980s pulp cinema, now up for pre-order. If you haven’t seen these movies, you’re in for a treat:
Nighthawks (1981) – May 3rd release
Originally planned as The French Connection III, Nighthawks stars Sylvester Stallone and features the American debut of Rutger Hauer as a ruthless terrorist wreaking havoc in New York. Sly’s New York cop (along with partner Billy Dee Williams) plays cat-and-mouse with Hauer across Manhattan, featuring great location work and a fantastic urban crime story with lots of in-your-face suspense. It’s had a checkered home video history, but it’s 80’s action at its best. Looks like it’s getting a proper and long overdue restoration.
Manhunter (1986) – May 24th release
The one that started it all, the very first depiction of a Hannibal Lecter story on film, predating The Silence of the Lambs. Directed by Michael Mann and starring William Petersen as Will Graham and Brian Cox as Dr. Lecter – and I haven’t even mentioned Tom Noonan. Remade as Red Dragon in 2002, Manhunter is lurid and gripping every step of the way. Can’t wait to see what kind of extras they come up with here! Fans of TV’s Hannibal will want to go back and check out the Old Testament.
The Sicilian (1987) – March 29th release
A mafia saga written by Mario Puzo as a spinoff to The Godfather, The Sicilian was severely cut to pieces against the wishes of director Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate). Shout! Factory is presenting Cimino’s 146 minute Director’s Cut, and it’s said to be a 180-degrees completely different and better film. Christopher Lambert may be even more stoic than he was in Highlander, but along with 1985’s Year of the Dragon, this represents a wild period of 80’s pulp crime filmmaking for Cimino, one of the most underrated of American directors, thanks to the chaos surrounding Heaven’s Gate. Kudos indeed to Shout! Factory for giving us a shot at seeing the real deal. It’s an offer we can’t refuse.
Speaking of blu-ray, Amazon’s Deal of the Day has some spectacular bargains on titles in the Supreme Cinema Series from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
The series (so far) consists of three superb 4K restorations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Professional and The Fifth Element, each featuring 24 page booklet inserts, new blu-ray features and stunning Dolby Atmos sound. These are sensational bargains at $14.99, so grab them today while they’re this affordable.
You can order them all at this link!
The enormous Lawrence of Arabia gift set is on sale there, too.
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