4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack Edition Of Director Roger Vadim's Barbarella Is On Its Way From Arrow Video This Coming Nov. 28

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K film restoration (from the original camera negative) of director Roger Vadim’s 1968 “sci-fi/fantasy” classic, Barbarella, starring Jane Fonda in the title role, along with John Phillip Law as Pygar and Milo O’Shea as the cosmically evil, “Durand Durand.”

 

There are two buying options on Nov. 28.   The first is a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack edition, and the second is double-disc Blu-ray presentation.

 

After doing a series of romantic comedies, dramas and, of course, Cat Ballou (1965), Jane Fonda went off to Europe for Spirits of the Dead and Vadim’s film adaptation of Jean-Claude Forest’s early 60’s comic book series, Barbarella.  An interesting period to be sure!

 

Certainly, Barbarella had an impact on Jane Fonda’s film career.  A transition of sorts from screen debutant to sex symbol, but the film itself stands alone … an other-worldly psychedelic trip.  

 

Once released theatrically in October of 1968, Fonda’s film career took off over the next decade — Pollack’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (1969 — her first Oscar nomination), Klute (1971 — Best Actress Oscar winner), Julia (1978 – Oscar-nominated for Best Actress) and Best Actress for director Hal Ashby’s Coming Home in 1979.   Not a bad run.

 

If you put Barbarella with those series of films, it becomes pretty obvious that it is just “different!”   Indeed, you can’t say “Barbarella” without immediately thinking of Jane Fonda … and psychedelic … and sex symbol.  That’s not bad either!!

Bonus delights include commentary by film critic Tim Lucas, alternative opening and closing credits and a companion disc jammed with several hours-worth of material.

 

Included on the companion disc are “Love,” the two-hour deep-dive into the impact and legacy of Barbarella as presented Tim Lucas and comic book publisher Steve Bissette and a whopping seven production featurettes — “Another Girl, Another Planet,” “Barbarella Forever!” “Dress to Kill,” “Framing for Claude,” “Tognazzi on Tognazzi,” “An Angel’s Body Double” and “Dino and Barbarella.”