In a surprise announcement, Vinegar Syndrome has revealed that not only is Michael Mann’s “The Keep” coming to 4K UHD disc, it’s available right now on their site (no major retailers are stocking it) at VinegarSyndrome.com.
Limited to 12,000 copies, this is big news in home video circles as “The Keep” was one of those films that never made the jump to Blu-ray and Mann himself has mostly disowned the film due to studio interference.
Though there had been murmurs of the speciality label working on a possible Blu-ray release, before now the only real home video version available had been a so-so quality Australian DVD.
The film follows a group of Nazis in 1941 who are assigned to guard a citadel in Romania’s Carpathian mountains. When they unknowingly release an ancient demonic creature trapped within the walls, a creature that starts killing them off, they are forced to turn to an ailing Jewish historian for help to stop it.
Scott Glenn, Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne, Ian McKellen, Robert Prosky and W. Morgan Sheppard were among the film’s stars while the movie boasted an original score by Tangerine Dream (“Sorcerer,” “Thief,” “Legend”).
This new edition contains a 40-page perfect bound book and the film in 4K Dolby Vision, the print newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.
There’s also a commentary track with film historian Matthew Aspery Gear, multiple interviews with the film’s designers, producer, author F. Paul Wilson and actor Michael Carter who played Molasar. There’s also stills, trailer and a TV spot.
The speciality outlet also recently announced special limited edition 4K releases of Frank Masrshall’s “Congo” and Phil Noyce’s “Sliver”.