Dark Force Entertainment, with sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K restoration (with extensive scene-by-scene color correction) from the original 35mm negative of director Daniel Mann’s 1975 remake of the 1940 spy novel by Eric Amber, Journey Into Fear.
The Blu-ray debut, and for that matter, the home entertainment debut (excluding VHS), will be take place on Mar. 16.
Back in 1942, director Norman Foster adapted the novel with Mercury Players such as Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles starring … the film was released theatrically by RKO in 1943. A number of pirate sources have released it on DVD, but there has never been, as far as we can document, a legitimate DVD or Blu-ray release of the original film.
Dark Force Entertainment, has gone one better, unearthing the remake, which is even rarer, meaning fewer pirates have been able to find “source” material.
Daniel Mann (Willard, Come Back, Little Sheba, The Teahouse of the August Moon, The Rose Tattoo), working with producer/screenwriter Trevor Wallace (producer of The Groundstar Conspiracy and writer/producer of Christina), updated the storyline from World War II Nazi intrigue to the conflict in the Middle East over oil.
San Waterston took on the role of Howard Graham (played by Joseph Cotton in the 1943 version), while the role of Josette passed from Dolores Del Rio in the original to Yvette Mimieux in this 1974 remake.
The story remains basically the same, Graham is being stalked by interests that want his recent oil discovery blocked (control the price and output, etc.) and so he attempts to flee on a passenger ship only to find that he is still in danger. It is a whodunit thriller … who can be trusted!!
The all-star cast includes such familiar faces as Vincent Price, Shelley Winters, Ian McShane, Jackie Cooper, Stanley Holloway and Donald Pleasence.
For the most-part, the film was shot in Canada (a few establishing shots before boarding the set-bound ship) and released theatrically in the United States in August of 1975 by indie distributor Stirling Gold (Black Emanuelle, Children of Rage … and then folded up shop in 1976) and then the film pretty much disappeared … until now!!
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