The cult classic and lesser-known work of Star Wars creator George Lucas, Radioland Murders, starring Brian Benben and Mary Stuart Masterson, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary with a brand new special Blu-ray release, according to Blu-ray.com. The 1994 film was directed by Mel Smith and the screenplay was penned by Lucas with Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn. The movie was also produced by Star Wars: Special Edition and Star Wars Episode I-III producer Rick McCallum.
The description reads,
“The secretary at radio station WBN, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is frantically trying to keep things in order as a broadcast goes on the air. Chaos breaks loose, however, when a series of murders occurs in the building, accompanied by an enigmatic voice over the airwaves. Penny’s writer husband, Roger (Brian Benben), tries to deduce who the killer is, but he also happens to be the prime suspect. As he evades the law, Roger gets closer to uncovering the identity of the murderer. NEW 2K RESTORATION.“
The ensemble cast also includes Ned Beatty, George Burns, Scott Michael Campbell and Brion James. There has not been much in the vein of special features that have been announced. However, the technical details read:
Video
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
TBA
Subtitles
English SDH
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD-50)
Playback
2K Blu-ray: Region A
Special releases like these have given new life for overlooked films. Recently, Kevin Costner has stated his belief that not everything will end up digital. The Horizon star said, “Death of the what? DVD is not dead, at all. That’s what they’d have you believe. Maybe it’s not making the same amount of money, but just try to go ask for that from the studio. They won’t give that up. A lot of people that like my movies, they can’t get to a theater, and they’re waiting for that moment. You can’t make your film for the opening weekend. You have to make it for its life.“
While it’s true that studios haven’t been putting the same importance on physical media as they once did, it’s been great to see boutique labels pick up the slack over the years. Lesser-known movies from around the globe have been given the prestige treatment, and I’ve certainly discovered many new favorites thanks to Criterion, Arrow Video, Kino Lorber, Vinegar Syndrome, Shout/Scream Factory, and more. Additionally, fans are growing tired of content purges on streaming services, which could be leading to a physical media comeback.