Thursday, March 28, 2024

Blue Underground Announces the release of Goodbye Uncle Tom (1971) on 4K/Blu-ray!

Blue Underground Presents the Cult Classic
GOODBYE UNCLE TOM (1971) 
on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray
4/23/24

Label: Blue Underground 
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated 
Duration: English Version (123 Mins), Italian Version (136 Mins) 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 1.0; Italian DTS-HD MA 1.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (2.40:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1) 
Directors: Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi

On April 23rd, Blue Underground releases Goodbye Uncle Tom, one of the most graphic and notorious films ever made, on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.

Originally released in 1971, Goodbye Uncle Tom is an Italian mondo-docudrama based on true events about the rise and revolt of slavery in America.

Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi (Mondo Cane) used period documentation and historical accounts to recreate the antebellum south and the horrors of the slave trade. The film was so shocking in its detailed look at the atrocities of slavery that distributors in the US forced Jacopetti and Prosperi to cut it and radically re-edit the film before release.

Even in its truncated form, Goodbye Uncle Tom created a stir amongst critics. Roger Ebert called it, “… the most disgusting, contemptuous insult to decency ever to masquerade as a documentary.” while Pauline Kael said, “the most specific and rabid incitement to race war," and The Detroit Chronicle hailed it as "a graphic, moving, nerve-paralyzing film."

Goodbye Uncle Tom can now be seen more than five decades after its initial release in both its original uncut Italian version, alongside its drastically different English version, both fully restored in 4K from their original camera negatives. Includes a bonus Blu-ray disc with a wealth of supplemental features that give context to the staggering and violent look back at this horrific chapter of American history.

The 4K UHD and Blu-ray Extras special features include feature-length documentaries; never-before-seen interviews with writers/directors Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi, composer Riz Ortolani and others; rare behind-the-scene footage; English and Italian trailers; still galleries, including Giampaolo Lomi’s behind-the-scenes photos; a bonus CD of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Riz Ortolani; and a collectible booklet.

Special Features: 
Disc 1 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
- English Version (123 Mins.)
- English Trailer
Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
- Italian Version (136 Mins.)
- Italian Trailer
Disc 3 (Blu-ray) Extras:
- THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOCKING: GUALTIERO JACOPETTI – A feature-length documentary by Director
Andrea Bettinetti (94 Mins.)
- THE GODFATHERS OF MONDO – A feature-length documentary by Director David Gregory (89 Mins.)
- Goodbye Cruel Mondo - Interviews with Writers/Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti & Franco Prosperi, and
Composer Riz Ortolani (20 Mins.)
- Behind-the-Scenes 8mm Footage with Audio Commentary by Production Manager Giampaolo Lomi (50 Mins.)
- Mondo Mercenaries - Interview with Author & Academic Mark Goodall (27 Mins.)
- Abjection Under Authoritarianism - Interview with Professor Matthew J. Smith (20 Mins.)
- Extensive Still Galleries, including Giampaolo Lomi’s Behind-the-Scenes Photos
Disc 4 (CD):
- GOODBYE UNCLE TOM Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Riz Ortolani
- BONUS! Collectible Booklet with new essay by Dan Madigan

Sell Points:
- STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION – ONE PRESSING ONLY!
- One of the most shocking and controversial films of all time, now on Blu-ray and UHD for the first time ever!
- WORLD PREMIERE! New 4K 16-Bit Restorations of both the English and Italian Versions from their original
negatives
- Blu-rays feature 1080p HD Resolution and newly restored DTS-HD Master Audio
- Bonus Blu-ray Disc with over 5 hours of Extras, including 2 feature-length documentaries and NEVER-
BEFORE-SEEN interviews with Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi, and Riz Ortolani!
- Deluxe packaging includes embossed slipcover, reversible sleeve with alternate artwork, and collectible booklet
- National Print Advertising and extensive Online Exposure
- From acclaimed documentary filmmakers Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi (MONDO CANE, AFRICA
ADDIO)
- Features a sweeping score by Academy Award nominee Riz Ortolani (MONDO CANE, CANNIBAL
HOLOCAUST)
- Controversial and shocking documentary in the tradition of MONDO CANE, AFRICA ADDIO, and FACES OF
DEATH
- #2 on Gene Siskel’s list of “10 Sickest Films of 1972” - Chicago Tribune

Film Reviews:
- “INCREDIBLE… You Will Not Believe What You’re Watching! It Makes ROOTS Look Like An Episode Of
THE JEFFERSONS!” – Shock Cinema
- “An All-Time Great Gut-Busting Flick!” – The Amsterdam News
- “The Most Shocking Of The Series… Banned In Several Countries For Obvious Reasons!” – DVD Talk
- “They Have Finally Done It: Made The Most Disgusting, Contemptuous Insult To Decency Ever To
Masquerade As A Documentary!” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times