MVD Entertainment Group announced this past week that the latest entry in the company’s popular “MVD Rewind” label will be both DVD and Blu-ray editions of director Tamra Davis’ 1992/1993 film, Guncrazy, starring Drew Barrymore and James LeGros. The street date will be Dec. 15.
The “accidental” cult classic. That’s the only way to look at. Guncrazy was shot on a limited budget over a three-week period in Los Angeles in November of 1991, went into post production and was ready for a look-see screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 1992.
Hmmm? Cannes Film Festival, isn’t that for arthouse and prestigious film rollouts? Sure, but it is also a place to shop films, looking for both foreign and domestic distribution … maybe even an out-right sale of the film.
The snooty buyers that year at Cannes said no. No sale, not interested.
Here’s where Guncrazy gets lost and then found. A small VHS company, long since gone, offered cash for VHS rights and Showtime said they put up some money for a cable premiere … but the producers, while saying yes to these deals, continued to screen the film in festival settings (Toronto International Film Festival, San Sebastián Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, etc.). People started to take notice.
October of 1992 comes and the film is broadcast on Showtime. That makes it a 1992 direct to video film (for statistical purposes). Wait, wait, wait. This Drew Barrymore kid, who was making the move from child actress (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Firestarter, Cat's Eye) to more adult roles, really registered as Anita Minteer, high school slut, rape victim, murderer and all-around corruptor of poor Howard (James LeGros — as Mark in the Ally McBeal television series, plus such films as Drugstore Cowboy, Certain Woman, The Last Winter, etc.).
Even though it has a distribution date for the VHS release in February of 1993, they suddenly decide to take the film out theatrically with the few 35mm prints that were struck (Cleveland, Dallas … few other places) and it’s a hit, but too late for a big rollout.
Oh, it gets better. Are you sitting down? Drew Barrymore, because this was a cable movie, is nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television!!
So, you can easily see why MVD Entertainment Group has made this Drew Barrymore gem a “MVD Rewind” entry. Teenage tramp … enjoy!!
As to bonus goodies, these are limited to the Blu-ray SKU (DVD is movie-only) … they include commentary featuring Drew Barrymore and director Tamra Davis (Billy Madison, Crossroads), five behind-the-scenes clips, a newly-prepared, feature-length making-of documentary and a featurette titled “Portrait of a Director: Tamra Davis.”
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