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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Alan Parker
USA 1984

 

Based on the acclaimed, ‘unfilmable’ novel by William Wharton, about a boy who dreams of flying, Alan Parker’s elliptical, ethereal film is just as vividly poetic as its source.

Birdy is story of two unlikely boyhood friends, the confident and popular Al (Nicolas Cage – Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas) and Birdy (Matthew Modine – Full Metal Jacket, Stranger Things), awkward, withdrawn, and obsessed with birds. The advent of the war in Vietnam shatters their youth, and they both return irrevocably changed – one physically traumatised, the other emotionally fractured.

This unique and affecting film from director Alan Parker (Midnight Express, Angel Heart), features skilful, highly committed central performances from young stars Modine and Cage (who allegedly had teeth removed for his grueling role), and a wonderful score by Peter Gabriel. Birdy is a great unsung gem of 1980s cinema, and is presented here in a brand-new, director-approved 2K restoration.

***

Soar to new heights in this spellbinding movie starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. To escape an irrational world, Birdy (Modine), a Vietnam veteran, sits in an almost catatonic state in an Army hospital, where he has come to believe he is one of the feathered creatures of his boyhood dreams. In an effort to break Birdy's silence, his psychiatrist brings in Al Columbato (Cage), Birdy's loyal best friend of his youth. Al desperately tries to reach the disturbed Birdy and bring him back to reality. The answer may lie in their youth, where the eccentric Birdy first donned wings and the happy-go-lucky Al helped him to fly.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 21st, 1984

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

In the US on November 8th, 2019

Coming to Standard Blu-ray by Indicator in April 2023:

There was a Sony Blu-ray available:

  

Distribution Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 2:00:08.492        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 44,545,718,049 bytes

Feature: 30,407,593,536 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.64 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Indicator

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 44,545,718,049 bytes

Feature: 30,407,593,536 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.64 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• New and exclusive audio commentary with Parker and the BFI’s Justin Johnson
• The Abstraction of War (2019, 24:23): actor Matthew Modine fondly remembers the experience of working with the cast and crew of Birdy
• Learning to Fly (2019, 13:43): screenwriters Jack Behr and Sandy Kroopf reflect on the challenges of adapting an ‘unfilmable’ novel
Peter Gabriel on Making the Music for ‘Birdy’ (2000, 6:42): archival interview with the acclaimed composer
• Bird Watching (2019, 16:38): a personal appreciation of the work of author William Wharton by filmmaker Keith Gordon
• No Hard Feelings (1976, 54:42): Parker’s early film, which follows a troubled young man in wartime London
• Original theatrical trailer (2:44)
• Image galleries: promotional and publicity material, and a selection of rare items from Matthew Modine’s personal collection
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive 48-page booklet with a new essay by Frank Collins, an extensive account of the making of the film by Alan Parker, an overview of critical responses, Jeff Billington on No Hard Feelings, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 5,000 copies


Blu-ray Release Date:
October 28th, 2019
 Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (October 2019): Indicator have transferred Alan Parker's Birdy to Blu-ray. It looks magnificent in 1080P on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. Colors show depth and there is very pleasing grain texture. Contrast is top shelf and the overall image was very impressive in this transfer. It is advertised as "a brand-new, director-approved 2K restoration".

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. It is another advancement in the film's audio and buoyant score by Peter Gabriel (The Last Temptation of Christ, Phenomenon, Say Anything, Vanilla Sky) and the memorable usage of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" sounding flawlessly rich and deep. Indicator offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

Indicator add extensive extras. We get a new and exclusive audio commentary with director Alan Parker and the BFI’s Justin Johnson and much is covered from the story, casting (Parker was unaware that Cage was related to Francis Ford Coppola) and many of the smaller details of the production, fear of working with birds, 'fearless' Modine and so much more including the characters' relations and referencing 'schizophrenia'. It's excellent. The Abstraction of War is also new and runs shy of 25-minute. It has actor Matthew Modine fondly remembering the experience of working with the cast and crew of Birdy, his audition for the part of Al Columbato and only after he knew he would be in the film was for the part of Birdy. Learning to Fly is also new and runs about 1/4 hour with screenwriters Jack Behr and Sandy Kroopf reflecting on the challenges of adapting an ‘unfilmable’ novel. We also get a 6-minute video piece from 2000 with an archival interview with the acclaimed composer Peter Gabriel on Making the Music for ‘Birdy’. Bird Watching is a new a personal appreciation of the work of author William Wharton by filmmaker Keith Gordon. No Hard Feelings (1976, 54:42) is Alan Parker’s 1976 film, which follows a troubled young man in wartime London - running almost an hour. There is an original theatrical trailer and an image galleries of promotional and publicity material, and a selection of rare items from Matthew Modine’s personal collection. The package has a limited edition (5,000 copies) exclusive 48-page booklet with a new essay by Frank Collins, an extensive account of the making of the film by Alan Parker, an overview of critical responses, Jeff Billington on No Hard Feelings, and film credits.

Alan Parker's Birdy is a fun and still deep film probing relationships, mental illness, maturity, war etc.. It was very enjoyable to revisit. The Indicator Blu-ray is the way to go to own this memorable piece of unique 80s cinema. We give this package a very strong recommendation! 

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

In the US on November 8th, 2019

Coming to Standard Blu-ray by Indicator in April 2023:

There was a Sony Blu-ray available:

  

Distribution Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 


 

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