From Eureka Entertainment comes the Blu-ray/DVD release of John Frankenheimer’s 1962 prison biopic as part of The Masters of Cinema Series.
Often acknowledged as one of the best prison films ever made, Birdman of Alcatraz was director John Frankenheimer’s first huge success and received rave reviews for its performances, cinematography and Frankenheimer’s directing.
Burt Lancaster also gives one of his finest performances as real-life convicted murderer Robert Stroud, who, while serving over four decades in solitary confinement for killing a prison guard, took up the study of birds and their illnesses, and became a leading authority on the subject. Lancaster himself considered the role among his finest, alongside that of powerful columnist JJ Hunsecker in 1957's Sweet Smell of Success.
It’s long, but deeply moving film, with superb performances from Neville Brand, as the warder who befriends the bird man; Thelma Ritter, as Stroud's over-protective mother; and Karl Malden as the warden who becomes determined to break Stroud’s spirit.
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Birdman of Alcatraz as part of The Masters of Cinema Series for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, with the following extras…
• 1080p presentation on Blu-ray, with a progressive encode on the DVD. • LPCM mono soundtrack (Uncompressed on the Blu-ray) • Optional English subtitles • Audio commentary with film historian and editor Paul Seydor • Illusion of Freedom: Richard H. Kline on Birdman of Alcatraz (29 mins) • Exclusive new video interview with film historian Sheldon Hall • Original theatrical trailer • Collector’s booklet
https://youtu.be/Dy12XzBhfa8
