A surprising number of notable classic films are not available on disc or streaming, including classics like Dawn of the Dead, The Beach, and Strange Days.
I recently wrote an article about how Ron Howard… Cocoon It was hard to find In any format. It came out on DVD many years ago, but it went out of print and has never been released on Blu-ray. It also can't be found in digital format on any platform. This is a perfect example of why you should always hold on to your physical media, as I am lucky enough to own the DVD of that film, which is now out of print, and while it is far from an ideal copy, it is something.
But that got me thinking. What other films are hard to find? I opened the forum on Twitter and was amazed at how many important films are not available digitally and have gone out of print on disc, making them even more valuable to collectors. At the same time, there are some happy endings, like Martin Campbell's. There is no escapewhich I got a beautiful Blu-ray recentlyMany of these films get stuck in legal limbo (or studio antipathy).
Here are 10:
The beach:
Danny Boyle's adaptation of Alex Garland's classic novel has always been controversial. The casting of this film caused a long-lasting rift with Ewan McGregor (who was supposed to play the lead role) that was only healed when they worked together again to make T2: Train spottingLeonardo DiCaprio ended up playing the role and the film received mixed reviews when it was released. It's actually a pretty good film, showcasing Boyle's classic frenetic energy and a killer soundtrack of 2000s-era electronic gems. It also led to Boyle and Garland collaborating on 28 days later; The rest is history. However, The beach It has never been released in North America on Blu-ray, though unlike some films on this list, it is easy to find on digital. You can buy an HD copy from most digital retailers, and it can be watched on Disney Plus in Canada and Hulu in the US. A physical release would be nice, though.
Cocoon:
The one that started it all. How can a film that earned Don Ameche an Oscar and revitalized the careers of Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, and the great Wilford Brimley stop being made? This is the film that made Ron Howard a top-notch director and was so successful that it spawned a (rather cheesy) sequel that, ironically, is very easy to find. What's going on here? Disney may be working on a major restoration, but it's long since disappeared.
Strange Days:
By Kathryn Bigelow Strange Days It was a massive flop when it was released in 1995, but has since been reappraised as a classic. As it stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Lewis and Angela Bassett and is widely regarded as one of the best films of the 1990s, a major release, possibly through a company like Criterion, would seem like a no-brainer. However, Disney has been holding onto this film for a while now, and the likely culprit is that James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment owns the film. Presumably any remake must be approved by him. The abyss, TRUE Lies and Extraterrestrials Everyone will receive 4K reissues, Strange Days It may be coming soon. This one streams on Max but in the wrong aspect ratio. The existing DVD is not anamorphic, meaning it displays in windowbox format on your TV unless you stretch it.
Show time:
This Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro comedy made a considerable amount of money when it was released, but it wasn't a box office hit. It is a decent action comedy, though, with a fun performance by William Shatner as himself. While it was released on DVD with an excellent anamorphic transfer and can be purchased digitally in HD, it has never been released on Blu-ray.
Dawn of the Dead:
This film does have one caveat: George A. Romero's zombie classic has been released on a beautiful 4K disc internationally and has no regional restrictions. However, it still needs a North American release in 4K and is not available digitally, which is a shame. Younger horror fans watch most of their films this way, and one hates to think that they might miss out on one of the best films in the genre. Dawn of the Dead It recently had a theatrical re-release. its 45th anniversary Via Redband, so a 4K Blu-ray release in North America may not be too far off.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar:
This 1977 film helped establish Diane Keaton as a star and was a huge hit. It's based on the true story of a teacher who performed at a bar in the early 1970s and was eventually murdered by a man she had a one-night stand with. It's a haunting film with a disturbing ending, but very hard to find. It's only been released on VHS and Laserdisc, with rights issues surrounding the film's music keeping it in limbo. It doesn't help that Paramount Pictures is famously slow to release catalogue titles. Again, this would be a great film for the Criterion Collection.
UPDATE: This is apparently streaming on Paramount Plus in Europe, but NOT in North America.
Something Wicked This Way Comes:
We recently covered this film in our series. Fantasizing about fantasy movieswhich was available on DVD/Blu-ray for a while. However, Disney has cancelled this Ray Bradbury adaptation and it is also not available for streaming or digital purchase.
Blood of Heroes (aka The Jugger Salute):
This post-apocalyptic action film comes from David Webb Peoples, the writer of Bounty hunter, Unforgiven and SoldierIt was a rare directorial job that reunited him with Rutger Hauer, who stars alongside a young Joan Chen and Vincent D'Onofrio. Legal rights limbo has kept this film in obscurity in North America, with various cuts circulating in poor transfers. Hopefully, it will get some kind of restoration and be a nice little sci-fi flick.
John Woo's Hong Kong films:
Recently, John Woo mentioned that he would love to restore his Hong Kong classics with a company like Criterion, but that the rights to most of the films are stuck in legal limbo. The murderer and Hard boiled They are streaming and on Blu-ray (albeit in interlaced transfers), but A better tomorrow 1 and 2 and Bullet in the head they're missing.
The heartbreak boy:
Elaine May is a revered figure on film Twitter, but her greatest success, The heartbreak boywhich was remade by the Farrelly brothers, is impossible to find. It's a shame, as it's one of star Charles Gordon's best films and features two Oscar-nominated performances by Jeannie Berlin (also May's daughter) and Eddie Albert.
What titles have we forgotten? Let us know in the comments!