The Keep is a cinematic curio. The early Michael Mann project was the subject of studio interference. A 210-minute cut was slashed by Paramount to 120 minutes against Mann’s wishes. Then a terrible test screening score of that version slashed it still further to 96 minutes.
The stellar cast and strong story could not overcome the tinkering, and so the finished movie (as released) is a deeply uneven affair that manages to be a slog despite the short run time. Mann disowned the movie.
The movie avoided a DVD release for decades. There were rumors of specialty studio efforts to make one happen, but it came to nothing.
Now, totally out of the blue, Vinegar Syndrome made a 4K UHD disc available immediately via their website – VinegarSyndrome.com. There are only 12,000 copies, so be quick.
If you somehow missed it, The Keep tells of a group of Nazis in 1941 who are assigned to guard a key pass in Romania’s Carpathian mountains where a deserted castle keeps watch. They unknowingly release an ancient demonic creature trapped within the walls, a creature that starts killing them off. They are forced to turn to a Jewish historian for salvation.
Scott Glenn, Jurgen Prochnow, Gabriel Byrne, Ian McKellen, Robert Prosky, and W. Morgan Sheppard star. The notable soundtrack is by Tangerine Dream.
This release includes a 40-page perfect bound book, the film in 4K Dolby Vision newly scanned & restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative, and various commentary tracks, along with bonus material.
Also in the world of 4K releases comes news from Arrow Video. In February next year they will release a 4K UHD Blu-ray of William Friedkin’s notorious Cruising.
Inspired by the true story of real murders in the 1960s and 1970s, the Al Pacino thriller follows an NYPD officer who goes undercover in the late 1970’s Manhattan gay club scene via the seedy “Meat Packing” district to find and catch a serial killer in the 1980s.
Friedkin’s film was notable as it needed more than 40 edits, around thirty minutes worth, just to get an R rating. There were protests at the time from both family groups who disapproved of the content, and gay activists who complained about the way their community was portrayed.
All the edited footage was burned by the studio who were worried about the backlash so no director’s cut can ever be made.
The two-disc release will include a new 4K restoration of the film in its original theatrical cut from the original 35mm camera negative. It will also include commentary tracks, including one from the late Friedkin himself, and another with noted critic Mark Kermode.