Unavailable Films

January 24, 2022 / Roger Edwards

I recently found an old blog post from an earlier incarnation of Contains Moderate Peril, circa 2010, in which I praised the availability of so many obscure and niche market films. Over the past 10 years since the DVD format became established, a tremendous back catalogue of material has become available. You only have to visit a branch of a store such as HMV, to find current or classic titles, complete box sets of old television series and obscure genre material. It is quite surprising what a search for more obscure titles online will turn up. I recently found the 1969 allegorical curiosity, Figures in a Landscape directed by Joseph Losey and starring Robert Shaw. A further perusal of international DVD vendors turned up a copy of the superb Italian cash-in movie, Killer Fish from 1979, with Lee Majors and Karen Black. I also lamented the conspicuous absence of several other films.

The Challenge (1982)
The Passage (1979)
Shout at the Devil (1976)
Darker Than Amber (1970)

12 years later this state of affairs has continued. It never ceases to amaze me how many minor and relatively unknown films are easily available for purchase, often remastered and available on Blu-ray format. All of the above, bar one, have now been released. All in the correct aspect ratio, featuring the longest versions available and fully uncut. For a serious scholar of cinema and a dedicated film aficionado these are bountiful times and suitable compensation for the years spent watching poor quality, second generation VHS copies. I never envisaged a time when I could watch such cult classics as Hawk the Slayer, Krull, Hannibal Brooks and Raise the Titanic in the comfort of my own home in such unparalleled picture quality. I don’t quite understand how so many small distribution companies can afford to restore and sell such niche market titles but it obviously is financially viable as they continue to do so.

However, not all titles from my 2010 list are currently available. Darker Than Amber, Robert Clouse's 1970 adaptation of the novel by John D. MacDonald, remains missing. Starring Rod Taylor as Travis McGee, it is a gritty and tough thriller that encapsulates the "hard boiled private eye" genre. It features a superb Jazz based soundtrack by John Parker and catches the spirit of the novel well. It is also very hard hitting and brutal, containing a climactic fight that has become legendary within the genre due to the lead actors allegedly fighting for real. However, most prints that circulated in the nineties for satellite and cable stations, are severely truncated. These remove most of the violence perpetrated by William Smith and dilute the final fist fight. The last uncut copy in circulation was a Danish VHS release with hard coded subtitles. This is now much sought after.

At the time of writing a lot of films are now being released in 4K UHD format. I wonder if this medium will be as equitable as DVD, in the years to come? I suppose if the production costs come down then I see no reason why not. Time will tell. In the meantime, despite there being a wealth of material available on physical media and streaming services, there are still a few titles that continue to “fall between the cracks” and are not to be found anywhere. I’m not talking about controversial films that are banned or are “questionable” in other ways. I refer to titles that may be mired in complex rights issues or have been sidelined or overlooked by their current owners. Disney apparently cancelled the Extended Edition of The Abyss (1989) which was being restored and remastered for a Blu-ray release. Once the studio completed its purchase of 20th Century Fox, they allegedly shutdown a lot of projects of this kind. Here are a few more examples of films currently unavailable on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.