Severin Films Reades A 4K Ultra HD Presentation Of Dennis Hopper's Out Of The Blue For Release On July 26

Dennis Hopper’s “accidental” movie, Out of the Blue, will be getting a new 4K film restoration from Severin Films — sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group — and will be heading home on July 26.

Restored from the original camera negative, Out of the Blue will be available as a three-SKU array of home entertainment packaged media product offerings … a 4K Ultra HD/2 Blu-ray Combo Pack, a double-disc Blu-ray buying option and a movie-only DVD edition.

The history of the film is fascinating.   Hopper was cast for the lead in this Canadian indie production, with Leonard Yakir producing, writing and directing the film.   Dennis Hopper, being Dennis Hopper, saw the potential in the film and took over the directing chores two weeks into the shoot and starting rewriting Yakir’s script.

The film wrapped and then surfaced at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 1980.   There were problems with the film, which we will steer clear of here, but for those who have their Anchor Bay DVD from 1999 (when Anchor Bay was doing cutting-edge stuff), you know what some of those issues are — drugs, child abuse, violence, its nihilistic ending — which limited its theatrical exposure (which was checkered at best).

Severin Films is really giving Out of the Blue the focus that it deserves with this stunning 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack release at the end of July.   You could also call it a tribute to the film’s central focus, Linda Manz, who plays Hopper’s daughter.  She has romanticized her father in his absence (a six-year prison jolt for the horrific accident that plays out during film), while trying to cope (survive) with her mother’s drug-addled behavior (Sharon Farrell — Night of the Comet, It’s Alive).   Her coping “choices” are the film’s central focus … interesting to be sure, but ultimately very destructive.

Let’s get to the bonus features, which are extensive.   First off, Severin Films is delivering no less than three commentary options.   The first is the archived Dennis Hopper, executive producer Paul Lewis and film distributor John Alan Simon’s commentary, the second is with film scholar Kate Rennenbohm and the third features Diabolique Magazine’s Kat Ellinger.

There is a vintage video session with Hopper (circa 1984), a half-dozen featurettes — “Gone but Not Forgotten,” “Subverting Normality: Linda Manz Comes from Out of the Blue,” “Terminal City Blues,” “Remembering Out of the Blue,” “Straight to Hell” and “Dealing with Demons” — the short film, Mainstreet Soldier and two Q&A sessions — 40^th Anniversary 4K Restoration Premiere featuring John Alan Simon, Elizabeth Karr, Julian Schnabel and Natasha Lyonne and the AFI Q&A with 4K Restoration Producers John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr.