NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Cinématographe Blu-ray (May 2024): Cinématographe have transferred Paul Schrader's Touch to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 2K restoration from the 35mm Interpositive". The 1080P image is competently transferred; consistent grain, balanced colors although interiors can have a green-ish hue, depth, a shade dark (intentional?) and no damage with only infrequent speckles. I had no issues with my video viewing. 

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Cinématographe use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. Touch has few aggressive scenes (smashing dishes, gunshot etc.) that come through with modest depth and a surprising score by Foo Fighters front-man (and drummer for Nirvana,) Dave Grohl, with This Loving Thing (Lynn's Song), How Do You Do and Touch written and performed by Grohl and Louise Post. Most of the tracks are instrumental. Cinématographe offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Cinématographe Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. They describe Touch as 'ignored' and 'forgotten' especially considering it was based on a 1987 novel by Elmore Leonard, who thought it was his best book. Steve states the film was perfectly cast (Christopher Walken, Richard Schiff, Bridget Fonda, Skeet Ulrich, Tom Arnold, Gina Gershon, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo,) Howard talks about the tonal shift for a Schrader film, the wonderful dialogue and they give observant analysis and discussion of the production, director and much more. Cinématographe include a new dozen-minute video interview with writer/director Paul Schrader and he is always a pleasure to hear. There is a slight error in describing him, see HERE. Forgiven - we make more mistakes than anyone. I also loved the 12-minute, new, video essay by Daniel Kremer entitled Something Approaching Confrontation: Religion in the Films of Paul Schrader. There are clips from Kremer's own Ezer Kenegdo and Overwhelm the Sky, and stills from Touch. Lastly is a trailer and the package has the 40-page media book with color photos and essays by film critics Chris Cabin and Bilge Ebiri (New Guy) and filmmaker/writer Cosmo Bjorkenheim. 

Paul Schrader's Touch has comedic irony. I did not grasp much of that tone in my first viewing - preferring to see it as a serious story of faith-healing, stigmata phenomenon, spiritual exploitation and tabloid TV. I began to appreciate it much more while listening to the commentary in my second viewing. The character's features are all broadly exaggerated; anger, innocence, love, infatuation etc.. Certainly not a standard Elmore Leonard crime-fiction / suspense thriller. There are elements of a black comedy making light of the subject matter while expanding human flaws that provoke serious thought. It has a strong cast - notably Fonda, Ulrich and Janeane Garofalo (who I always enjoy) without any succumbing to Schrader's oft-utilized 'existential crisis'. Touch is certainly a strange film experience but I am looking forward to revisiting at least a third time if not more. Cinématographe's Blu-ray is very welcome; great packaging, new commentary, director interview, astute video essay, booklet essays and more. This is a film that is certainly deserved of reappraisal. Worthy of multiple spins. 

Gary Tooze