This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by Robert Hunt) is limited to 5,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome's Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.
Bruce Pearson (Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver) and Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty, The Last Detail) are friends and teammates, playing on The New York Mammoths as catcher and pitcher, respectively. Henry is pulling double duty as an insurance salesman on the side, selling policies to other baseball players, while engaged in a contract dispute with the baseball team’s ownership. When Bruce is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, realizing he is terminally ill, Henry wavers from his ongoing negotiations to make sure Bruce can be his catcher for one last season.
Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Harris, who adapted it into a screenplay for this film, BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY is often cited as one of the great sports films of all time. Featuring a talented ensemble cast, including an Oscar nominated turn from veteran character actor Vincent Gardenia (Moonstruck), and deft direction from stage and screen director John Hancock (Let’s Scare Jessica to Death), Cinématographe is proud to bring this iconic baseball film to UHD and blu-ray, both world debuts, in a new 4K restoration of its original 35mm camera negative, supervised by director John Hancock.
directed by: John D. Hancock starring: Robert De Niro, Michael Moriarty, Vincent Gardenia, Phil Foster, Ann Wedgeworth 1973 / 96 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Additional info:
2-Disc Set: 4K Ultra HD + Region A Blu-ray
4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
New audio commentary with director John Hancock moderated by Cinématographe's Justin LaLiberty
New audio commentary with film historian Jim Hemphill
Death at the Box Office - a new video interview with director John Hancock
New video essay by film historian Chris O'Neill
New text essays by film critic Noah Gittell, author of Baseball: The Movie; film critic Glenn Kenny, author of Anatomy of an Actor: Robert De Niro; and writer and filmmaker Dan Mecca, editor of The Film Stage
English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.6174865 / 5 from 183 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Bang the Drum Slowly is a highly acclaimed sports film, praised for its understated emotional drama and impressive 4K transfer. Customers appreciate the beautifully designed packaging, informative essays, and stellar audio-visual quality. The film's performances, especially by Robert De Niro, are lauded, and the story is celebrated for its heartwarming portrayal of friendship and mortality.
Summary topics
Performances (14%): Customers raved about the film, describing it as a wonderfully understated, emotional drama with fabulous early performances from Robert.
Informative Essays (5%): Customers expressed appreciation for the informative and well-written essays in the box alongside the film.
Release Quality (20%): Many customers brought up that the release was great, with some describing it as stellar, terrific, and beautiful.
4K Transfer Quality (9%): Customers keep praising the beautiful and impressive transfer of this film to native 4K with Dolby vision.
Packaging Design (14%): Customers loved the packaging, with many describing it as beautiful, gorgeous, and amazing.
"Beautiful transfer, incredible packaging and special features." — Kyle W.
"Very moving bros story, excellent release" — Donald M.
"Great remastering, great packaging and booklet." — Peter T.
Reviews
A dramatic baseball classic
"This is not the Golden Age of Television version but rather a cinematic remake with DeNiro and Moriarty that surpasses the original. Hate the Yanks but love the story/film. A true baseball film classic."
— Brent B. (5/5)
Touching Classic in 4K
"One of the most tender, unpretentious sports movies ever made gets a gorgeous world-debut 4K release. Moriarty and De Niro have fantastic chemistry, steering clear of cheap tearjerker tropes in favor of raw, quiet dignity. Cinématographe’s transfer looks crisp and beautifully filmic, preserving the documentary-like atmosphere that makes the story hit so hard."
— Christian B. (5/5)
Great transfer giving new life to this film
"If you haven’t bought a cinematographe release yet, the packaging is awesome. This was my first title of the line and the packaging alone has me wanting others. As usual with VS releases theres a good essay booklet included. The movie itself looks great, they did a good job with the transfer. I’m excited to have this in the line up of films I watch during spring training."
— Curtis S. (5/5)
Classic DeNiro
"A DeNiro classic, very happy with this cool 4K mediabook. Restoration is superb!"
— Jakob P. (5/5)
How can you not be romantic about
"Dudes rock - great for me the year I get into baseball and the first sport of my life."
— Michael G. (5/5)
Wonderful
"It's surreal to see Michael Moriarty and Robert De Niro in the same picture."
— Nicolas V. (5/5)
Bang the Drum Slowly
"Michael Moriarty baseball drama is a good slow burner. Looking forward to a rewatch with directors commentary. Great packaging from this line."
— Simon R. (4/5)
Before there was extreme sports there was Bang the Drum Slowly
"Before there were extreme sports, there was Bang the Drum Slowly. A terrific release from Cinematographe, with a beautiful presentation of one of the best baseball movies ever made. The film is funny, heartbreaking, and anchored by a wonderful performance from Robert De Niro. Exactly the kind of overlooked gem boutique labels should be rescuing."
— Lucas S. (5/5)
You See, Sports Are A Metaphor…
"Incredibly solid drama from Mark Harris, and great performances across the board, with De Niro proving his range to folks who hadn’t seen his De Palma pictures. Cinématographe continues to impress with their film choices and healthy amount of special features."
— Maxim P. (4/5)
Robert Deniro early
"Awesome cast lead by Robert Deniro. The box set itself looks gorgeous. The extras are top notch"
— Michael P. (5/5)
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