First published in 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi is one of the best-selling books ever written. As Wikipedia explains, the story follows “a joyful and free-spirited young girl who is orphaned as a toddler” as she develops a friendship with a girl named Klara, who is unable to walk. More than 140 years later, the Swiss icon Heidi has been reimagined as Mad Heidi for an over-the-top action-adventure horror comedy. The film (read our review HERE) received a one-night theatrical release in the United States and Canada last week, but if you missed out on that, you still won’t have to wait much longer to see the movie. Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films are teaming up to bring Mad Heidi to Blu-ray, digital HD, and cable VOD (including Prime Video, Amazon, Vudu, Bell, and more) in North America on July 21st!
Directed by Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein, who also wrote the screenplay with Trent Haaga and Gregory D. Widmer, the English-language film boasts a budget of $3.5 million, $2 million of which was raised through crowd investment from 560 people across 19 counties. The film presents Heidi as she’s never been seen before – with smocked dress, puffed sleeves, apron and pigtails, yes, but as a badass, kick-ass rebel with the brute strength to slice an opponent in two, top to toe, with a battle axe, for example. In a dystopian Switzerland that has fallen under the fascist rule of a cheese magnate, Heidi lives as a simple young woman in the mountains. Her grandfather does his best to protect her from the bad influences of the world, but soon her longing for personal freedom will spark a revolution. The naive mountain girl turns into a fierce fighter who has to put an end to the cheese fascists.
Mad Heidi stars Alice Lucy (Junction 9) as Heidi and Almar G. Sato (Maniac Tales) as Klara. Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) and David Schofield (Gladiator) are also in the cast.
A press release notes that the Blu-ray release of Mad Heidi will be available in both a standard edition and a Limited Edition Extra Cheese Edition.
The standard edition has the following special features: – Audio Commentary with Co-Directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein – Stunt Reel – The Making of Mad Heidi Featurette
Those special features will also be in the Limited Edition Extra Cheese Edition, along with: – CD Soundtrack – 28 Page Booklet – Limited Edition Trading Cards – O-Card by Artist Peter Ricq
Will you be buying Mad Heidi on Blu-ray, or watching the film on digital or VOD? Let us know by leaving a comment below.