John Ryder may have wanted Jim to stop him, but you’re going to have a hard time stopping any fan from picking up the upcoming 4K Blu-ray of The Hitcher. Surprisingly, the movie has never been available on a Region 1 Blu-ray, but thankfully Warner Bros. is gassing up for exactly that.
As per The Digital Bits, Warner Bros. will release The Hitcher – which stars Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh – on October 22nd.
Here is the official write-up: “In this 1986 cult classic, director Robert Harmon thrills the viewer with the story of young Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell), who stops on the highway to pick up a hitchhiker, not knowing that by doing so, he opens the door to terrible evil. The mysterious hitcher, unforgettably portrayed by Rutger Hauer, is a relentless slaughterer, preying on those who invite him into their lives. Somewhat dismissed at the time of its original release, The Hitcher developed a rabid fan following in the ensuing years, now properly recognized as one of the most memorable and terrifying thrillers of the 1980s.”
As far as special features go, fans of The Hitcher might be disappointed that they’ll only be getting an audio commentary with director Robert Harmon and writer Eric Red, a video interview with Harmon and the theatrical trailer. If you want more content – and we mean a lot more content – you might be better off with Second Sight’s set, which comes out on September 30th and features not only new extras but a 200-page book, a copy of the screenplay and more. OK, all of that is pretty incredible, but at least Warner Bros.’ version has the original artwork! For fans who go way back with the movie, that’s a major get.
Regardless of the lack of special features, this release of The Hitcher will offer the same 4K scan of the original camera negative as the one found on Second Sight’s. On the restoration itself, director Harmon said, “Stunned by how great it looks… beautiful work!! Really, this movie has no business looking this good considering how ancient the elements are.”
The Hitcher is beloved by a wealth of genre fans, myself included, so this is no doubt a pre-order. I would also pick Rutger Hauer’s performance as one of the best in any horror movie.
Will you be picking up this 4K release of The Hitcher? What are your memories of first seeing it?