DVD Shopping Bag: Deliverance Blu-ray

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DVD Shopping Bag: Deliverance Blu-ray

My first time on the river

By Robert T. Trate June 26, 2012
Source: Mania.com

Burt Reynolds and jon Voight are back on Blu-ray for the 40th Anniversary
© Warner Home Video 2012

I am not lying when I tell you I have worked in a lot of video stores. Trust me on this. To this day I always come across a movie that I have probably picked up a hundred times, can you tell you everything about it, and have never seen it. A small benefit of being a video store clerk, I guess. So when I tell you I have never seen Deliverance, believe it. Yet, this is what I know about John Boorman’s Deliverance (1972):

I know that Ned Beatty will be asked to squeal like a pig.

There will be sodomy.

It’s a movie you should or shouldn’t watch before you go white water rafting.

I can hum the banjo theme and still haven’t seen the movie. Why? Because anytime I went white water rafting someone was humming it.

To me, a child of the eighties, Burt Reynolds will forever be the guy from Cannonball Run (1981) and Stroker Ace (1983). Reynolds as an extreme sportsmen? That’s about as believable as Reynolds as a badass in Stick (1985). As for Jon Voight, well he’ll forever be Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and really nothing else. As you can see I can’t see these guys as the heroes/ victims of this story. It is practically laughable.

With the 40th Anniversary of Deliverance on Blu-ray arriving today from Warner Brothers I thought I would finally check out the film. After all, wasn’t it time to see who had the prettiest mouth?

The dueling banjo scene does not take long. It happens 6 minutes into the film. A very young Ronnie Cox squares off against this odd looking kid with a guitar. It’s a sweet scene displaying that the power of music can bridge the gap between people. If it weren’t for the incessant mockery of the mountain folk by Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty, I would have been totally disarmed for the movie. Instead, all I kept thinking was that they are going to get what they deserve. I felt as if I was watching the slow build up to a train accident. I knew what was coming but the particulars were never fully divulged to me. After all, who starts any conversation with “Remember when Ned Beatty met up with those hillbillies?”

The film itself does have some interesting moments. The fate of one the party is what raises questions. How did he die, exactly? It creates an interesting plot device and outside of Beatty’s infamous scene creates an interesting dilemma. Questions of trust and association plague the remainder of Deliverance. This was unexpected and made the film interesting past the squealing and revenge.

In watching this film today it was actually refreshing to see Reynolds not play a clown. It makes you wonder, did he pick his own movies or just get offered things like Hooper (1978) and Gator (1976) all the time? Then again The Longest Yard (1974) wasn’t all that bad. Ronnie Cox was the enigma for me. I kept trying to place him. It wasn’t until long into the movie that I realized he was the bad guy from both Total Recall and Robocop. It’s funny how a little thing like age can change how you see an actor.

If you are fan of Deliverance, enough to buy it again on Blu-ray, I highly recommend picking up this edition. Warner Brothers has made it part of their hardcover book edition Blu-rays and the transfer is incredible. Yet, it fails to make the film look like it was made today. This obviously has to do with the film stock and nothing to do with the transfer. The Blu-ray is full of photos, commentaries, and even a new featurette. Sadly, it does reveal the truth behind the dueling banjo scene.

After years of picking it up and putting back on the shelf, I have now finally seen Deliverance. For the most part I felt it was worth the watch. If anything, I am more than prepared to go white water rafting again.

Top 5 Picks of the Week:

1. The Artist (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]
2. Wrath of the Titans (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD +UltraViolet Combo Pack)
3. The Night of the Grizzly [Blu-ray]
4. The Samurai Trilogy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
5. The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS

Ator The Fighting Eagle Starring Miles O'Keefe, Edmund Purdom, Laura Gemser

Bending the Rules Starring Jamie Kennedy and Adam Copeland

Bending the Rules [Blu-ray] Starring Jamie Kennedy and Adam Copeland

Bullhead [Blu-ray] Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy

Bullhead Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy

The Hangman Starring Robert Taylor, Fess Parker, Tina Louise and Jack Lord

The Hangman [Blu-ray] Starring Robert Taylor, Fess Parker, Tina Louise and Jack Lord

Hiding [Blu-ray] Starring Jeremy Sumpter, Dean Armstrong and Tyler Blackburn

Hiding Starring Ana Villafañe, Jeremy Sumpter, Tyler Blackburn

Zebraman Starring Akira Emoto

ANIME

Maria Holic Alive Complete Collection

Strawberry Panic: The Complete Series

Tales of Vesperia - Movie (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Starring Christopher R. Sabat, Troy Baker and Sam Regal

Towanoquon Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

CARTOONS

Best of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - 20 Eps Starring He-Man, Battlecat and Man-At-Arms

Dr Seuss's Green Eggs & Ham & Other Stories

Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories (Deluxe Edition) [Blu-ray]

Iron Man: Armored Adventures Season 2 Vol 1

Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu - Season 1 Starring Vincent Tong, Kirby Morrow, Michael Adamthwaite

CLASSICS

Little Lord Fauntleroy: Kino Classics Remastered Edition [Blu-ray] Starring Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew

Roy Rogers - Springtime in the Sierras (Restored in Original Color) Starring Roy Rogers, Trigger, Jane Frazee and Stephanie Bachelor

COMEDY AND LOVE Mania Style

21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson and Dave Franco

21 Jump Street (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) Starring Jonah Hill

Criterion Collection

The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Starring Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll

The 39 Steps (Criterion Collection) Starring Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll

The Samurai Trilogy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Starring Toshiro Mifune

The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion Collection) Starring Toshiro Mifune

HORROR

Black Cobra Woman (1976) Starring Laura Gemser and Jack Palance

Daddy's Home Starring C.H. Morris, Sebastian Trevino and Peter Madrigal

Don't Fall Asleep Starring Daniel Kent, Ashley Hinson and Ana Belibasis

Father's Day 4 Disc Limited Edition Numbered Blu-ray/ 2x DVD/CD Starring Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney and Amy Groenig

Infected: The Making of Zombiefied Starring Todd Jason Falcon Cook, Scott H. Frank, Joe Grisaffi

The Night of the Grizzly Starring Clint Walker, Martha Hyer, Keenan Wynn and Jack Elam

The Night of the Grizzly [Blu-ray] Starring Clint Walker, Martha Hyer, Keenan Wynn and Jack Elam

Nina: Crazy Suicide Girl

Parasitic Starring Camille Balsamo, Bjorn Jiskoot Jr., Julie Anne

Sleeper Starring Scott Raven Levy and Bruce Hopkins

Tied in Blood: A Bone Chilling Ghost Story Starring Paul McEwan, Laura Donoughue and Amie Morris

The Spirit is Willing Starring Sid Caesar, Vera Miles, John Astin and John McGiver

The Spirit Is Willing [Blu-ray] Starring Sid Caesar, Vera Miles, John Astin and John McGiver

Tales That Witness Madness Starring Kim Novak, Joan Collins, Donald Pleasence and Jack Hawkins

Tales That Witness Madness [Blu-ray] Starring Kim Novak, Joan Collins, Donald Pleasence and Jack Hawkins

Toxic Lullaby Starring Noah Hunter, Andreas Pape and Nima Conradt

Zombiefied Starring Rebecca Torrellas, Joe Grisaffi, Mike Gebbie

MODERN CLASSICS on BLU-RAY

The Artist (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman

Deliverance [Blu-ray] Starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox

SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY

Mirror Mirror [Blu-ray/ DVD + Digital Copy] Starring Lily Collins, Sean Bean, Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer

Sector 7 (3-D) [BluRay] [Blu-ray] Starring Ji-won Ha and Sung-kee Ahn

Sector 7 Starring Ha Ji-Won and Ahn Sung-Ki

Wrath of the Titans (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD +UltraViolet Combo Pack)

Wrath of the Titans Starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson

Wrath of the Titans [Blu-ray] Starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson

TV LAND

Casablanca: The Complete Series Starring David Soul, Hector Elizondo, Ray Liotta

Damages: The Complete Fourth Season Starring Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Chris Messina and John Goodman

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Year Seven Starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Noth, Kathryn Erbe

Lupin the 3rd: Complete First TV Series Starring Yasuo Yamada, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Gorô Naya

Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 5 Starring David Suchet, Philip Jackson and Hugh Frasier

Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 5 [Blu-ray] Starring David Suchet, Philip Jackson and Hugh Frasier

BOX SETS

Christopher Nolan Director's Collection (Blu-ray)

TCM Greatest Classic Legends Film Collection: Humphrey Bogart (They Drive by Night / Across the Pacific / Passage to Marseille / Action in the North Atlantic) Starring Humphrey Bogart

Robert Trate writes three weekly columns for Mania: the DVD Shopping Bag, the Toy Maniac, and The Geek Life. Follow Robert on Twitter for his for Geek ramblings, Cosplay photos and film criticisms.

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

doublec 6/26/2012 1:44:41 AM

The Samurai Trilogy is out on Bluray? SWEET!

karas1 6/26/2012 7:43:09 AM

Check out Reynolds in Boogie Nights. Nothing comic about that role either.

monkeyfoot 6/26/2012 7:57:31 AM

I remember the first time I saw Deliverance. I was in college and a bunch of us guys were sitting around the TV room and were trying to figure out what to watch. I saw that this movie was on HBO. I hadn't seen it but I'd heard it was a classic so I recommended it. Nobody else had seen it but the 8 or 9 guys usually liked my taste in flicks. Plus it had Burt "The Bandit" Reynolds so we knew it had to be a he-man adventure deal.

We were all having a good time laughing and drinking with the film until it got to THE scene. You never saw a group of guys drop to dead silence like that. We were quiet for the rest of the film. We all thought it was great but I've never seen a group get so intense and thoughtful after a film.

DarthoftheDead 6/26/2012 8:44:56 AM

And its ALSO an AWESOME Book!!!

joelr 6/26/2012 10:26:58 AM

Bob, don't forget Reynolds played Football for Florida State and was about to go pro. The Bandit can be a sportsman, believe it.

InnerSanctum 6/26/2012 1:56:09 PM

Deliverance is still brilliant. Burt was the man.

hanso 6/26/2012 4:02:50 PM

I wish I had a Burt stache.

DarthoftheDead 6/27/2012 9:26:41 AM

Burt is sooooo the Man.........loved him on "My name is Earl"!!!!!!

jppintar326 6/27/2012 2:56:28 PM

Burt Reyonalds was paid a lot of money for the Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, Stroker Ace, and all those other movies. He turned down movies like Terms of Endearment. He is to blame for his downturn just like Eddie Murphy was responsible for his.

Watching Deliverance once was enough for me. Yes the performances are very good but those hillbillies were just annoying.