The cinema of the 1970s remains some of the boldest, brilliant, and impactful in the history of film. It’s also one of the bleakest. And Looking for Mr. Goodbar, legendary director Richard Brooks’ shocking 1977 adaptation of Judith Rossner’s 1975 best seller, is definitely one of them. A grim portrait of a repressed woman’s sexuality and recklessness remains hotly debated (and also acclaimed) to this day.
Buy Looking for Mr. Goodbar paperbackLoosely inspired by the real-life 1973 murder of schoolteacher Roseann Quinn (which Rossner’s novel also took from), the great Diane Keaton (in one of her most signature roles outside of Annie Hall and cast marvelously against type) plays Theresa Dunn, a repressed young woman from a strict Catholic family, who is a schoolteacher for the deaf by day and a lonely singles-bar cruiser by night. She favors rough sex and drugs with a variety of random men- played by William Atheron, Richard Gere (in his film debut), and a very unhinged Tom Berenger. As her sexual encounters get more dangerous and riskier, so does her disregard for her own life comes into play.
Since seeing an obviously edited version of the film on A&E, it has never left my mind. It continues to leave me both hypnotized and disturbed. The fearless frankness, the cinematography, the gutsy characters (led by an astonishing Keaton), the film’s soundtrack (the central reason for its unavailability for years), and the extremely disturbing conclusion, have always made a mark on my life as a film lover.
Finally making its very long-awaited debut on physical media, the film has been rescued by the good folks at Vinegar Syndrome and given a much-needed release on 4K UHD/Blu-ray. This new 2-disc set includes a new 4K scan from its 35mm original camera negative. It also contains commentary track with filmmaker/film scholar Gillian Wallace Horvat; First Comes the Word: Richard Brooks and the making of Looking for Mr. Goodbar – an interview with Douglass K. Daniel, author of Tough as Nails: The Life and Films of Richard Brooks; Studs Terkel interview from 1976 with Looking for Mr. Goodbar author Judith Rossner; Defining Autonomy: The Trial of Looking for Mr. Goodbar – a visual essay by Brent Cowley on the obscenity trial following the film’s theatrical release in Utah; original trailer, and radio spots. This limited edition comes in a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo, with a 40-page perfect bound book with essays by Marya E. Gates, Marc Edward Heuck, Elizabeth Purchell, and Jourdain Searles. A standard edition is also available.
So, if you were desperately wanting a proper release of this flawed but unforgettable, nightmarish classic, then you might want to hurry and get your copy before time runs out. It’s only being sold on the VS site and select indie retailers.
Other major releases:
Paris, Texas 4K UHD (Criterion): Wim Wenders’ 1984 Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece starring the late, great Harry Dean Stanton as Travis, a mysterious, nearly mute drifter, who tries to reconnect with his young son (Hunter Carson), living with his brother (Dean Stockwell) in Los Angeles, while in search for his missing wife (Nastassja Kinski).
The Gift 4K UHD (Scream Factory): Sam Raimi’s acclaimed 2000 thriller starring the always incredible Cate Blanchett as a woman with extrasensory perception, who is asked to help find a young woman (Katie Holmes) who has disappeared.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God 4K UHD (Shout Factory): The late Klaus Kinski gives a maddening performance as Lope de Aguirre, the ruthless 15th century conquistador who leads 40 men on a treacherous search for the golden city of El Dorado. Read Mat Brewster’s review.
Scala!!! Blu-ray (Or, The Incredibly Strange Rise and Fall of The World’s Wildest Cinema and How It Influenced a Mixed-up Generation of Weirdos and Misfits) (Severin Films): A feature-length documentary telling the wild inside story of the infamous sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll repertory cinema which inspired a generation during Britain’s chaotic Thatcher years.
