September 3, 2009
THE ULTIMATE CULT FILM IS FINALLY BEING RELEASED ON HOME VIDEO!
THUNDERCRACK! – 35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SYNAPSE FILMS TO RELEASE CURT MCDOWELL’S CONTROVERSIAL UNDERGROUND CLASSIC!
“…it was so offensive we could barely find anything in the trailer to put on TV. We cannot air the audio, which is not anywhere close to PG-13…” – Fox News
“offensive art… outrageous…”
- Cliff Stearns, Republican Florida Congressman
THUNDERCRACK! – 35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
SYNAPSE FILMS TO RELEASE CURT MCDOWELL’S CONTROVERSIAL UNDERGROUND CLASSIC!
“…it was so offensive we could barely find anything in the trailer to put on TV. We cannot air the audio, which is not anywhere close to PG-13…” – Fox News
“offensive art… outrageous…”
- Cliff Stearns, Republican Florida Congressman
Romulus, Michigan – Synapse Films announces today the start of a high-definition transfer and extensive digital restoration on the classic 1975 16mm cult-horror film THUNDERCRACK!, directed by the late Curt McDowell. The film will be unleashed to coincide with the film’s 35th Anniversary in 2010.
“THUNDERCRACK! is a great film, and we are working with the director’s sister, and THUNDERCRACK! Actress, Melinda McDowell to make sure the film is presented correctly, in exactly the way Curt would’ve wanted it released,” says Donald May, Jr., President of Synapse Films. “Synapse will be releasing the film in it’s restored, longer form, using the one and only original 16mm film print of the longer version that still exists on the planet. And, we’re loading it with extras, of course!”
This black and white underground cult horror film about a group of people who meet a mysterious woman at her foreboding home on one dark and stormy night, is a highly controversial mix of horror, explicit sex and amazing stylized photography. To some, it defies description. To many, it’s the greatest midnight movie ever made. What’s it about, exactly? Fox News could only describe it as “a horror porn film.” That’s not quite right, of course, but to give too much away would spoil the many surprises that await the viewer. “If you’ve never seen it, you’ve missed out on one of the strangest, most entertaining films ever made,” says Synapse Films CEO, Jerry Chandler. “THUNDERCRACK! is a film we’ve pursued for years and we’re excited to be given the opportunity to release it in it’s proper form.”
Actress Melinda McDowell couldn’t be happier with her choice of Synapse Films to bring this film to home video. “When I went looking for a home video distributor for THUNDERCRACK!, everyone told me Synapse Films should do the project. I’d sampled some of their previous work and was stunned at the video quality of their releases. Based on their transfers, and willingness to work closely with the filmmakers, I knew they were the best choice,” she explains. “Don came out to San Francisco for a visit and spent a week with me going through Curt’s archives. We found some amazing material! We found some real treasures that only Curt and the crew had seen 35 years ago. Our longer version of the film will require extensive restoration, but Synapse Films is up to the task. We’ll be honoring Curt with the ultimate, most beautiful presentation possible.”
Synapse Films was founded in 1996 and is widely considered one of the best and longest running independent DVD labels in the United States. Previous DVD releases include their critically acclaimed STREET TRASH, the Quentin Tarantino favorite THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE, STRANGE BEHAVIOR (written by Oscar® winner Bill Condon) and Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial Nazi propaganda film,TRIUMPH OF THE WILL.
“THUNDERCRACK! is a great film, and we are working with the director’s sister, and THUNDERCRACK! Actress, Melinda McDowell to make sure the film is presented correctly, in exactly the way Curt would’ve wanted it released,” says Donald May, Jr., President of Synapse Films. “Synapse will be releasing the film in it’s restored, longer form, using the one and only original 16mm film print of the longer version that still exists on the planet. And, we’re loading it with extras, of course!”
This black and white underground cult horror film about a group of people who meet a mysterious woman at her foreboding home on one dark and stormy night, is a highly controversial mix of horror, explicit sex and amazing stylized photography. To some, it defies description. To many, it’s the greatest midnight movie ever made. What’s it about, exactly? Fox News could only describe it as “a horror porn film.” That’s not quite right, of course, but to give too much away would spoil the many surprises that await the viewer. “If you’ve never seen it, you’ve missed out on one of the strangest, most entertaining films ever made,” says Synapse Films CEO, Jerry Chandler. “THUNDERCRACK! is a film we’ve pursued for years and we’re excited to be given the opportunity to release it in it’s proper form.”
Actress Melinda McDowell couldn’t be happier with her choice of Synapse Films to bring this film to home video. “When I went looking for a home video distributor for THUNDERCRACK!, everyone told me Synapse Films should do the project. I’d sampled some of their previous work and was stunned at the video quality of their releases. Based on their transfers, and willingness to work closely with the filmmakers, I knew they were the best choice,” she explains. “Don came out to San Francisco for a visit and spent a week with me going through Curt’s archives. We found some amazing material! We found some real treasures that only Curt and the crew had seen 35 years ago. Our longer version of the film will require extensive restoration, but Synapse Films is up to the task. We’ll be honoring Curt with the ultimate, most beautiful presentation possible.”
Synapse Films was founded in 1996 and is widely considered one of the best and longest running independent DVD labels in the United States. Previous DVD releases include their critically acclaimed STREET TRASH, the Quentin Tarantino favorite THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE, STRANGE BEHAVIOR (written by Oscar® winner Bill Condon) and Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial Nazi propaganda film,TRIUMPH OF THE WILL.
