Seven unexpected movies released on Blu-ray in 2024
The spines of the Blu-ray cases for the movies featured in this article: The Keep, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Little Darlings, Felidae, The Hitcher, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and The Blair Witch Project.
Some movies are perpetually being rereleased, either in ever-expanding “complete collections”, myriads of special editions, continuous upgrades across formats, or licensing changes. Most collectors probably have a few movies that they have bought multiple times. One of mine is the Alien series. The Alien Quadrilogy box set, a nine-disc DVD collection from 2003 of the then-complete four-film franchise, was one of the early important box sets of my movie buying life, partially because of the still-staggering number of bonus features but also because of that absurd, only-used-once word “quadrilogy.” Since then, Blu-rays and 4K UHD releases have followed, both individuals of the better movies and more collections.
But there are also movies that haven’t reached the home media buying audience for a myriad of reasons. In this article, I focus on seven surprise releases from 2024 that defied the odds by finally being released. All these movies are from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, so they aren’t that old, but most of them have not received the attention from audiences that they should have for reasons that we will explore. There’s one movie on this list that will be a lot more familiar to fans and will exist in the libraries of most horror fans, but the movie as it was intended to be seen by the producers was only released in 2024.
The companies negotiating the rights to finally restore and bring these movies to audiences after literally decades of neglect and legal battles should be commended, celebrated, and supported. If you have even a passing interest in any of these releases, they also come with my recommendation as strong releases worth owning.
Little Darlings (1980)
Released by Vinegar Syndrome.
This movie from 1979 follows two teenage girls who make a bet to see who can lose their virginity first. This early sex comedy, with the unique and still-controversial topic of the autonomy of sexuality of teenage girls, was a hit for Paramount in 1980. Audiences at home in the 1980s saw a heavily edited version that completely changed the central story; beyond that, the only ways to watch the original movie were the original video releases on LaserDisc and a specific VHS release.
The trouble with Little Darlings is that it features a soundtrack of excellent classic rock and pop, including Blondie and John Lennon. These songs were licensed for theatrical distribution, but not for home video release (because home video didn’t exist yet at this time). This will be a recurring problem throughout the article. Subsequently, to keep costs down, some of the songs (including John Lennon’s “Oh My Love”), were replaced with soundalikes.
After the initial releases, the movie became unavailable, without any DVD or Blu-ray releases until January 2024 when Vinegar Syndrome released it as the inaugural title of their sub-label, Cinematograph. It launched directly to 4K UHD and Blu-ray with an impressive package of special features and a beautiful print.
The Keep (1983)
Released by Vinegar Syndrome.
Michael Mann’s second movie has been near-impossible to watch in any kind of satisfying form, partially because it has been largely unavailable since it’s original theatrical run, but also because the movie was chopped by the studio from three hours into a 96-minute, strangely incoherent supernatural horror film. The movie was plagued by a number of post-production issues and performed poorly, but it gained a cult following. Despite the cult following, the film remained widely unavailable, not receiving any physical media release until an Australian DVD release in 2020.
Finally, in November 2024, Vinegar Syndrome released the theatrical cut of The Keep in a UHD and Blu-ray set. The limited edition version, with 12,000 copies made, sold out in 36 hours during its initial presale. Fans were disappointed that the director’s cut was not released, but there is no evidence to suggest that the three hour cut was ever finalized.
Maybe we will see more footage one day, but for now, I’m grateful to have this odd tale of Nazis unleashing a smoke monster that tries to convince Ian McKellen to work with it until someone else shows up to take it down.
Vinegar Syndrome has achieved many amazing accomplishments in film preservation, but the movies released in 2024, including Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Little Darlings, and The Keep (pictured above) are amongst their top achievements.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
Released by Vinegar Syndrome.
In the year that Diane Keaton won her Oscar in Annie Hall, she also played a school teacher for deaf children who spends her nights pursuing sex with strangers in bars. This lurid, unflinching drama plays out, needless to say, poorly for the woman at the centre of it. The movie was talked about extensively when it came out, based on a pulpy novel that was being read in the summer of ’75 while everyone else was watching Jaws.
After its initial run, it received a LaserDisc release and a few VHS releases, but it missed out on the DVD and Blu-ray era, losing its relevance amongst the other gritty ‘70s dramas that have become de facto must-sees. Similar to Little Darlings, the movie features a soundtrack of pop songs that are perfectly built into the movie, but licensing the major disco hits of Donna Summer for home video release proved to be a problem.
Luckily, this has been fixed, and now the movie is available on HD and Blu-ray releases through Vinegar Syndrome as of November 2024. I found the movie to be troubling, engaging, and an awesome addition to the canon of gritty ‘70s movies.
Felidae (1994)
Released by Deaf Crocodile.
This cartoon is not for kids. It’s a cartoon featuring cats, but it’s also a murder mystery featuring grisly gore along with feline sex animated for the screen. It’s a lot, so of course it’s gained a cult following after failing in the box office, partially due to misleading marketing that did not advertise its truly dark nature.
The film has languished since the ‘90s, partially because of the increasingly far-right views of the original novel’s author that go against the principles in Felidae. However, the hard-working and audacious team at Deaf Crocodile pursued this movie and finally released it in a truly beautiful 4K UHD and Blu-ray set for its first North American disc release.
They’ve spoken extensively about the lucky timing of their restoration efforts. The original film print had not been preserved properly, so it was already showing signs of vinegar syndrome. Despite being only a little more than 30 years old, the original camera negative has only a few more years until it would no longer exist. If Deaf Crocodile did not do this restoration now, we would have been left with inferior second generation prints, making this one of the greater movie restoration success stories of our time.
The covers of the releases match the stunning quality of the movies contained within. Pictured from left to right are the covers the 2024 releases for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, The Hitcher, and Felidae.
The Hitcher (1986)
Released by Second Sight.
This wasn’t a movie that I was familiar with prior to its recent release, but it has quickly become an addictive rewatch favourite. The movie follows a young man who decides to pick up a hitchhiker. He discovers that the hitcher is actually a serial killer, and thus begins the hunt. It’s a simple premise, but the tight script and unforgettable performance by Rutger Hauer make this an amazing watch.
Unlike some of the other movies on this list, it did receive multiple disc releases, but never on a satisfying high-definition format, leaving fans wanting more. Second Sight stepped in and delivered a stunning 4K UHD release in 2024, creating a defining set. The satisfying limited edition also came with a full-length hard cover book and a hardcover copy of the film’s script, along with plenty of new and archival bonus features.
The Hitcher does not let you go once it has got its hooks into you, and unlike the main character in the movie, you’ll be looking forward to seeing The Hitcher over and over again.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Released by Criterion Collection.
This Sam Peckinpah western featuring Bob Dylan in a supporting role didn’t get a Blu-ray release until 2024, but it was worth the wait. This movie did receive a DVD release in 2005, when two versions of the movie were released, including a “Special Edition” version and a preview version. It went out of print, becoming expensive, and the 20 year old transfer showed its age.
Luckily, in 2024, Criterion Collection released a UHD and Blu-ray release with three versions of the movie, including a new 50th anniversary version, the theatrical cut, and the preview version. The Special Edition version from 2005 wasn’t included, justifying media nerds holding onto their original copies. Despite this quirk, this is a staggering release for an underrated movie, and anyone interested should check it out.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Released by Second Sight.
The limited edition of The Blair Witch Project included a hardcover book (pictured right) and spooky artwork featured throughout the release.
One of the biggest hits of the ’90s and a perennial find in second-hand stores might seem an unusual choice for this article. I’ve owned this movie on DVD and watched it many times over the years. The reason it’s here is because the producers and directors worked with Second Sight to restore the original film and video elements to meet their original intentions. The results are stunning, transforming the look of the movie. Dull scenes suddenly pop with the vibrancy of the nature in the area, which is especially pronounced in some of the daytime scenes in the opening sequences before they enter the woods.
The opportunity for the original filmmakers to finally release the movie as they intended, even if they aren’t able to financially profit from its re-release, is one of the amazing benefits of the strength of the boutique Blu-ray market in 2024. I’m grateful to have this release for enhanced viewings of one of my favourite scary movies.
This article doesn’t even begin to cover all of the amazing releases that were released in 2024, with Radiance Films, Deaf Crocodile, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin, and many more releasing almost-lost films on a monthly basis. This list simply highlights some of the major releases that fans have been looking for, sometimes for many decades. Hopefully 2025 will have more surprises to expand the canon and expand our viewing horizons.
Written by Matthew Long
Edited by APT Editing