Bone

"An incisive exercise in social commentary with a killer undercurrent of black comedy, director Larry Cohen's Bone may have remained a forever lost in the shuffle if not for the thankful efforts of Blue Underground. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image as presented here is a testament to Blue Underground's tireless efforts to release top-quality transfers of important forgotten films. Crisp and clean, save for some flaws inherent to the source print, the colors as presented here are bright, well-balanced, and vivid. A closed-captioned English Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is presented equally well: free of distortion and hiss, well-balanced, and nicely mastered. Of course Blue Underground could have called it a day there and still had an important release on their hands that would have no doubt pleased fans, but it's the extra effort William Lustig and crew put in that truly separates this release from the pack. An audio commentary featuring Lustig and Cohen is non-stop, always insightful and indispensable to this release. In addition to discussing the numerous, complex layers in which the film is presented, discussion of the state of independent films at the time of Bone's release in 1972 offers today's up-and-coming filmmakers a revealing look at the changes that have occurred in the film industry over the course of the past 30 years. An interview with producer Jack H. Harris discusses the film's difficult distribution history and various marketing ploys, and selected scenes from the aborted first shoot (totaling 30 minutes) offer 16 mm black-and-white versions of key scenes. Theatrical trailers and radio spots give an even more insightful look at the exploitation-slanted ""Housewife"" campaign under which the film made the drive-in rounds, with poster and still galleries offering a comparative look at both that and the original advertising for the film. An extensive biography of director Cohen rounds out the disc nicely with an unusually detailed look at the enduring independent's remarkable career."