Blu-ray Release: Keoma

Blu-ray Release Date: April 16, 2019
Price: Blu-ray $26.42
Studio: Arrow/MVD

From 1976, Keoma, a strikingly original spaghetti western with a uniquely elegiac tone, is rightfully considered a classic of its genre (outside of a bunch of Sergio Leone stuff, of course…).

The great Franco Nero (Bathory; Countess of Blood)) stars in the titular role as a half-breed gunfighter who returns from the killing fields of the civil war to find his hometown riddled with the plague, its inhabitants terrorized (with the help of Keoma’s own estranged half-brothers) by tyrannical gang leader Caldwell (Donald O’Brien, Zombie Holocaust). Keoma’s father (Willian Berger, Sartana in the Valley of Death) welcomes his prodigal son’s return, but when Keoma saves a vulnerable pregnant woman (Olga Karlatos, Zombie Flesh Eaters) from Caldwell’s thugs, the stage is set for a violent confrontation. With the help of his father and his friend, the freed slave George (Woody Strode, Spartacus), Keoma prepares to take a savage revenge on Caldwell and his gang.

Directed with flair and oomph by veteran Enzo G. Castellari, Keoma boasts a healthy dose of Shakespearean and biblical allusions, compelling performances and some downright thrilling violent action. Truly epic in scope, Keoma is considered by many to be one of the greatest spaghetti westerns.

Presented here in a new restoration, the Blu-ray incarnation of the cult favorite includes the following:

• New 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Uncompressed mono 1.0 LPCM audio
• Original English and Italian soundtracks, titles and credits
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by spaghetti western experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke
• The Ballad of Keoma, a new interview with the legendary star Franco Nero
• Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, a new interview with director Enzo G. Castellari
• Writing Keoma, a new interview with actor and writer Luigi Montefiori AKA George Eastman
• Parallel Actions, a new interview with editor Gianfranco Amicucci
• The Flying Thug, a new interview with actor Massimo Vanni
• Play as an Actor, a new interview with actor Volfango Soldati
• Keoma and the Twilight of the Spaghetti Western, a newly filmed video appreciation by the academic Austin Fisher
• An Introduction to Keoma by Alex Cox, an archival featurette with the acclaimed director
• Original Italian and international theatrical trailers
• Gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel Archive
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips