The Kid Brother

Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Jess Rotter) was limited to 1,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

From arthouse to Canuxploitation, Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema. This label is focused on the country’s original cinematic boom years – spanning the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s – occasionally venturing past that period (and the country’s borders) to highlight the films of Canada’s most inspired actors and filmmakers. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing CIP's brand new line of home video releases!

Take a good look.

You’ll never forget this kid.

Going through life without legs, 13-year-old Kenny (Kenny Easterday, playing a version of himself) is active and enthusiastic, resisting the pressure to wear prosthetic limbs. He also finds himself the subject of a documentary made by a visiting French film crew. As the production unfolds, Kenny’s parents (Dragonslayer’s Caitlin Clarke and Fight Club’s Zach Grenier), brother (Kenny’s real sibling Jesse Easterday Jr.), and absentee sister (Girlfriend from Hell’s Liane Curtis) bring long-simmering tensions to the surface, shaking Kenny’s delicate sense of balance. Determined to better understand his place in the world, he hits the road for a daring journey of self-discovery. 

An unprecedented cinematic achievement that has earned acclaim, awards, and disbelief all over the world – while remaining largely unknown in North America – The Kid Brother (aka Kenny) is a one-of-a-kind coming-of-age triumph. In his one and only film role, Kenny Easterday lights up the screen with an infectiously appealing performance full of charm and playful abandon. With humanity and ’80s eccentricity to spare, The Kid Brother is a cult phenomenon waiting to happen. 

directed by: Claude Gagnon
starring: Kenny Easterday, Caitlin Clarke, Liane Curtis, Zach Grenier, Jesse Easterday Jr., Tom Reddy, Alain Saint-Alix
1987 / 95 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0

Additional info:

• Region A Blu-ray
• Scanned in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative and restored by Éléphant - mémoire du cinéma québécois, with sound transferred and restored from the original 35mm magnetic film 4-track final mix
• Audio commentary featuring author/film historian Kier-La Janisse and writer/film critic Ralph Elawani
• In Kenny’s Company (2022, 33 min.) – An interview with writer-director Claude Gagnon
• Yuri & Claude & Kenny (2022, 11 min.) – An interview with Gagnon’s longtime producing partner Yuri Yoshimura-Gagnon
• Kenny’s World (2022, 9 min.) – Memories from the film’s international festival tour
• Trailers for The Kid Brother and Gagnon’s three previous films (7 min.)
• Booklet featuring Rick Trembles’ Motion Picture Purgatory comic strip on the film and a new interview with co-star Jesse Easterday Jr.
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles