Blu-ray, DVD Release: Nelson Algren Live

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Available now
Price: DVD $11.95, Blu-ray $17.95
Studio: Olive Films

One of the most neglected American writers and also one of the best loved, novelist, Nelson Algren wrote about the dark underbelly of post-war America before it was ever fashionable to do so. Best known for the novel The Man with the Golden Arm, Algren was a bard of the down-and-outer, writing about Chicago—his Chicago—boldly depicting the life of the city’s drunks, pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts, corrupt politicians, and hoodlums.

Willem Dafoe in Nelson Algren Live

In 2016, on what would have been his 100th birthday, a group of actors and writers gathered at the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theater to premiere Nelson Algren Live—an onstage reading and celebration of Algren’s life and work in his own words. Screenwriter Barry Gifford and Dan Simon seamlessly step into Algren’s voice like they’re putting on old coats, while Willem Dafoe’s (Tommaso) stunning performance of a punch-drunk prizefighter ignites a newly unearthed story.

The play is directed by David New; the film is helmed by Oscar Bucher.

Bonus features on the discs include the following:

• Essays by Barry Gifford & Dan Simon
• Photo essay by Art Shay
• Trailers