Deliverance

It’s funny how someone’s highly disturbing rape battle cry can become a creepy pop culture institution. Deliverance, of course, gave the world not one but two such pearls of horrifying quote-ability: "You got a purdy mouth” and, more infamously, "Squeal like a pig.” This deluxe edition of the 1972 survival classic contains a remastered version of the film, which, given its age, still looks remarkable, along with a four-part "making of” featurette, director commentary, vintage featurette and theatrical trailer. Deliverance’s status as one of the classic films of ’70s American cinema is well warranted and cemented by its unwavering relevance even 30 years after its initial release. A tale of four friends from the city and their desire to reconnect with nature by canoeing down the Cahulawassee River, only to be confronted by two of the most terrifyingly memorable hillbilly characters in cinematic history, Deliverance is equal parts horror film, survival tale and psychological thriller. The "35th Anniversary Retrospective” featurettes are the real value in this particular release, drawing from interviews with Boorman, all four of the film’s stars, the son of author James Dickey and DOP Vilmos Zsigmond. Dealing with every aspect of the film’s production, from Dickey’s novel right up to its surprising mainstream acceptance and Best Picture Oscar nomination, each featurette sheds interesting light on some aspect of the production, from the nature of filming on the Chattooga River to the infamous "duelling banjos” scene to the intensity of the film’s brutal rape sequence. Also included is a commentary with Boorman, which functions nicely alongside the aforementioned featurettes, adding additional information and colour to the anecdotes provided by the other extras. The vintage featurette is more funny than anything, a cheesy slice of ’70s culture, as is the theatrical trailer, which would never, ever, make anyone want to see this movie.