VCI Entertainment Targets Aug. 10 As The Street Date For DVD And Blu-ray Editions Of The Newly Restored Chariots Of The Gods

It was an accidental box office hit.   It is extremely rare for a non-studio theatrical release to generate in excess of $25 million at the box office, but Sun International proved that it was possible back in the 1970s (and those are 1970 dollars) with the domestic release of “documentary filmmaker” Harald Reinl’s Chariots of the Gods … the studios ignored it and Sun International laughed all the way to bank!!

VCI Entertainment announced this past week that a new 2K restoration — from the original 35mm negative — will be available on Aug. 10.

Reinl’s film was based on Erich von Däniken’s mid-1960s book, “Erinnerungen an die Zukunft,” which he had a difficult time publishing ... in didn’t finally surface until 1968/69.   Without getting into the details of all of the ups and downs in von Däniken’s troubled life, let’s just leave it at this … the book was a huge success.

Enter filmmaker Harald Reinl, who was not a documentary filmmaker, but rather a prolific post-war German filmmaker who delivered such films as Face of the Frog, The Return of Dr. Mabuse, The Invisible Dr. Mabuse, The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, etc. etc. … you get the idea.   His vision for Chariots of the Gods was strictly storytelling; exploitation.   And, he succeeded spectacularly.

What makes Chariots of the Gods such a landmark film is that it preceded Ridley Scott’s 1979 release of Alien (by the time you get to Scott’s Prometheus in 2012 you have circled all the way back to Chariots of the Gods) and director Roland Emmerich’s 1994 film, Stargate.   Both the Alien and Stargate series focus on ultimate origins of man.

Included as a bonus is the 1976 follow-up film, Mysteries of the Gods, with Star Trek’s Captain Kirk (aka: William Shatner) as the narrator.

Also heading home on Aug. 10 from VCI Entertainment is a new 4K film restoration (from Universal Pictures original 35mm fine grain film masters) of director Ray Taylor’s 1934, 12-chapter serial, Pirate Treasure.

Although titled “Pirate Treasure,” the film was designed around the daredevil stunts of the film’s star, Richard Talmadge, who did all his own stunts — some the stuff he was doing in this serial are next to insane.   You can only imagine Universal Pictures and director Ray Taylor holding their collective breath as Talmadge’s death-defying stunts were being filmed (often as cliffhangers) … one slip; one mistake and there goes your star!!

The entire serial revolves around a treasure map that flying ace Dick Moreland (Talmadge) has inherited.   At his “flying club,” he announces that he is going to the Caribbean to search for it, but soon the dastardly Stanley Brasset (Walter Miller — Wild West Days, The Roaring West, The Vanishing Shadow) steals it.   Moreland ask the lovely Dorothy Craig (Lucille Lund — The Black Cat, Fighting Through) to help him get it back from Brasset, but Brasset goes him one better and takes Dorothy prisoner.  

Get the map!  Rescue the damsel in distress!!  Defeat the villain and his henchmen!!   Find the treasure!!!   12 cliffhanging chapters of thrills and death-defying chills … Pirate Treasure, Aug. 10 on both DVD and Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.   Who could ask for more!