The Keep (1983) Might Be Coming To DVD

I have it and thought the picture is a little soft. Even for dvd. Mind you, I have been watching a lot of 4k recently. Still nice there is an official release.

 

Soft like upconverted VHS?

 

Nah, it's the old SD master licensed from Paramount, but it was from the original film negative.

There is an older "bootleg" DVD that has Australian ratings logos on it, but that is just a 4:3 crap scan that probably does look like a VHS.

For The Keep to ever appear in actual HD, Paramount would have to give it a brand new 2K or 4K scan.

 

If paramount are now licensing this out, they surely Arrow or Scream could do a 2/4K scan and a packed special edition release

 

I hope so. I'm going to wait a little while longer and see if someone puts this out, In the meantime it's not like I don't have anything else to buy/watch

 

Maybe, maybe not. Given how much Michael Mann has disowned the movie and tried to prevent any release of the film, I wouldn't exactly count on it.

 

I read an article for this new release that said the negatives were lost currently, or something to that effect. It definitely made it sound like there wasn't going to be a Blu-ray release unless a miracle happened.

 

That wouldn't really surprise me either... the film seems to be literally cursed to not receive a solid release.

 

What is the story with The Keep????? I mean like the legal issues and all that stuff? Why is the movie so allergic to receiving a release? I do believe Rad is also a cursed movie yes?

 

The studio forced Mann to cut the film down heavily (his rough cut was apparently something like 3½ hours) — so he basically disowned it and has nothing but disdain for the film. It was also a very troubled production, with countless delays and re-shoots. Michael Mann just doesn't want the film re-released, and has been vocal about that over the years. The film is based on the original book, and the writer of that also hates the final film. If you've read the book before, the film version is quite different and a lot more happens.

You can catch glimpses of what was "cut" appearing in the film's original theatrical trailer and also in some "TV versions" that have appeared over the years.

I've also heard previously that the music score by Tangerine Dream was holding up the film's re-release due to the music rights. But apparently that has been worked out if it was ever true, since the new DVD has the score restored.

Rad is supposedly getting a 4K remaster, so hopefully soon it will finally get an official release if the rights are finally worked out.

 

His movies almost never made any money at the box office yes?

 

Some have, some haven't. He's directed some blockbusters before though.

 

Didn't Manhunter almost kill his career? I never understood the appeal of silence of the lambs that completely ripped his film off. Manhunter is hands down one of the best film's I have ever seen!

 

Manhunter has always been one of my favorite films. It was just the first film to use the Hannibal Lecter character, but it was from a series of novels... so Manhunter didn't really invent him per se.

 

Mann's "cut" was never completely finished and/or filmed, either.

http://www.kitrae.net/music/The Keep Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream_1B.html

 

Since we're talking Michael Mann films. I'm just gonna say Thief (1981).

 

MM should have tried to get Blackhat from being released instead

 

Well, it isn’t a very good movie. I understand there may some romanticizing about it because it’s so hard to come by, but if it ever is released there’s inevitably going to be a lot of disappointment. A lost classic, it definitely ain’t.

 

Most of his efforts just didn't click with me. But I'll cut him a lot of slack for The Insider, he could have just dropped the mic after that film.

 

Yeah I couldn't agree more. I remember re-visiting it a few years ago and being pretty disappointed and bored. There's a few good things in there but nothing that would make me want to watch it again unless I want to be put to sleep.