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Johnny Handsome Is Still Ugly
April 15, 2009

Lionsgate seems to do right by a number of great directors from decades past—witness their handsome Hitchcock, Renoir, Godard and Rossellini collections from the past couple of years—and the studio is always supportive of young filmmakers, too, as can be seen in the three “Eight Films to Die For” DVD premiere series. So what's the story, then, with the work of a respected, contemporary director, one of whose films continues to get no respect from Lionsgate?

 

Seven years ago, Artisan issued a lousy version of Walter Hill’s 1989 crime drama Johnny Handsome on DVD. When I say “lousy,” I’m referring to the murky pan-and-scan transfer that doesn’t even come close to

savoring the dark beauty of the New Orleans-set film, shot by Matthew Leonetti. Come to think of it, Ry Cooder’s rich, Southern-fried score doesn’t fare too well on the so-so audio mix, either.

 

Lionsgate merged with Artisan not too long after that and now the studio is re-promoting Johnny Handsome, no doubt to capitalize on star Mickey Rourke’s recent high-profile success in The Wrestler. So does Lionsgate re-master or even supplement the film, which also stars the not-unimpressive line-up of Acadmey Award winners Morgan Freeman and Forest Whittaker, Ellen Barkin, Lance Henriksen, Elizabeth McGovern and Scott Wilson? Nope! They take the same, ugly pan-and-scan version, slap on a new cardboard sleeve adorned with a bigger picture of recent Oscar nominee Rourke and throw out into the market at the same price as the first one. Okay, I under that a re-promotion is not the same as a re-issue, but was there nothing that Lionsgate could do with a good film from one of Hollywood’s top visual stylists of the past 25 years?

 

I spoke with Walter Hill a few years back regarding Paramount’s re-issue of The Warriors (now that one was done right!) and when I asked him about what he felt were his most under-appreciated films, Johnny Handsome was at the top of the list. (He also mentioned Trespass and Wild Bill.) I’m definitely in agreement with him regarding the down-and-dirty, B-movie-esque Johnny Handsome and I urge you to check it out if you haven't already seen it, but only if you can find it in a revival house, ‘cause Lionsgate’s “new” version of it sucks—just like it did back in 2002.

Here's the theatrical trailer:

Posted by Laurence Lerman on April 15, 2009 | Comments (1)