Directed by Dennis Hopper
Written by Leonard Yakir, Brenda Nielson, and Dennis Hopper (Uncredited)
Starring: Linda Manz, Dennis Hopper, Sharon Farrell, Don Gordon, and Raymond Burr
Runtime: 94 minutes
Now Available on 4K and Standard Blu-Ray from Severin Films

by Kirk Stevens, Contributor, Disc Devotee 

Synopsis from Letterboxd:

Cebe is a rebelious, Elvis Presley obsessed, teenage punk rocker living with her drug addicted mother, Kathy. When her father Don is released from prison following a tragic accident, she navigates predators, junkies, and unstable family dynamics until she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Years ago, while perusing a list of underrated films of the 1980’s, I became aware of Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue - Hopper’s third directorial credit after the cultural smash, Easy Rider, and The Last Movie (which landed him in director jail). I tracked down a used, poor quality DVD from Amazon for the cost of one dollar. Despite the shoddy transfer, I knew I was seeing something special. It’s a raw, punk, Cassavetes-esque masterpiece. I couldn’t believe this wasn’t in conversation for one of the greatest works of art to come out of The New Hollywood or considered part of “The Canon.” 

It turns out, Out of the Blue wasn’t considered a Hollywood film at all - it was a low budget indie shot in Canada under a tax shelter wherein investors could deduct 100% of the production cost from their taxable income. After original director/screenwriter Leonard Yakir was removed, Hopper, who was brought on only as an actor, took over directing duties and re-wrote the script. Initially conceived as something closer in tone to an after school special, Hopper created an electric, empathetic portrait of a family dealing with addiction and sexual abuse follwing a father’s return home from prison.

Since Hopper was not a Canadian citizen, the film lost its tax shelter eligibility; and his double duty as actor turned director led to a tumultuous production. Despite an invitation to screen at the Cannes Film Festival and strong critical praise, the film remained in distribution limbo. After two years of sitting on the shelf, independent distributor John Alan Simon took on the film and traveled with Hopper from city to city to give it a DIY theatrical run. Simon’s forte was handling lost films that studios didn’t know what to do with - he previously found success taking on Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (a personal favorite of mine) in the United States. After four decades of obscurity, Simon and his producing partner Elizabeth Karr launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to save and restore Out of the Blue. In the past two years, the stunning new 4K restoration has been screening all over the world and has finally received the lovingly curated home video release it deserves from Severin Films. 

What Features Make It Special:

• HD Feature Film

• Audio Commentary With Director Dennis Hopper, Executive Producer Paul Lewis And Distributor John Alan Simon

• Audio Commentary With Film Scholar Kate Rennebohm

• Audio Commentary With Film Writer Kat Ellinger

• 1984 Dennis Hopper Interview By Tony Watts

• Gone But Not Forgotten - Remembering Linda Manz: Critics, Colleagues And Fans Pay Tribute To Linda Manz, Including Leif Garrett, Lydia Lunch, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Patty Schemel (Hole), Larry Schemel (Death Valley Girls), Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers), Jacob Reynolds (Actor, Gummo), Fashion Designer Wendy Mullin (Built By Wendy), Filmmaker And Activist Juliet Belmas And Film Critic Dorothy Woodend

• Subverting Normality: Linda Manz Comes From Out Of The Blue — Video Essay By Amanda Reyes And Chris O’Neill

• Terminal City Blues — Vancouver Onscreen In OUT OF THE BLUE: A new Video Essay By Kier-La Janisse And Stephen Broomer

• MAINSTREET SOLDIER — A Short Film By Leonard Yakir

• Partial Commentary With Director Leonard Yakir On MAINSTREET SOLDIER

• Restoration Trailer

• Theatrical Trailer

• Jack Nicholson Radio Spot

• Remembering OUT OF THE BLUE — Eleven New Cast And Crew Interviews

• Me & Dennis — Six New Interviews With Hopper's Friends And Colleagues, Including Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, Philippe Mora, And Julian Schnabel

• Straight To Hell — Alex Cox Recalls OUT OF THE BLUE

• Dealing With Demons — Brian Cox On Acting And Dennis Hopper

• AFI Q&A With 4K Restoration Producers John Alan Simon And Elizabeth Karr

Why you need to add it to your video library: 

Viewers be warned - this is a bleak watch. It centers on three characters in a tremendous amount of pain. Parents battling addiction and exposing their daughter to predatory figures make up the fabric of this family unit’s everyday lives. You feel a sense of love for this family, and can see they clearly love each other, yet every scene feels dangerous. We are always following the point of view of a character either in harm’s way or about to inflict harm on someone else. The film features three incredible performances from Linda Manz, Sharon Farrell, and Dennis Hopper. Behind-the-scenes interviews on the disc describe the lengthy preparation Hopper took with his co-stars in his trailer each day before shooting, to create a believable headspace for them to work in - all while the crew grew frustrated waiting on them. This tracks on screen, as many scenes blur the line between an improvised acting exercise and scripted dialogue, though it never feels repetitive or indulgent. Neil Young’s “Hey, Hey, My, My (Out of the Blue)” weaves in and out of the soundtrack, haunting Cebe as Young refrains: “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” That line has long since become a cliche, but for Out of the Blue, it’s a thesis.

This release contains 2 discs that are loaded with special features. Producers John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr have truly stuck by this project and gathered or commissioned just about every bit of Out of the Blue related material imaginable - 3 commentaries, interviews with cast and crew members, interviews with friends of Dennis Hopper,  a tribute to Linda Manz, a short film, video essays, and a radio spot from Jack Nicholson voicing his support for the film upon its original release. It's the most comprehensive collection of information about the film that one can imagine.

If you’re a maniac like me who scrounges through articles, podcasts, and Letterboxd reviews to find all the overlooked, underseen, and long lost masterpieces you can get your hands on: this is the hidden gem you have been looking for. It’s one of our great movies, rescued from out of the blue, and waiting to be rediscovered.