Demolition Man

[yoloswegmaster]

THE FUTURE ISN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF THEM!

Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes go head-to-head in this classic sci-fi/action blockbuster from Joel Silver, the producer of Die Hard and The Matrix.

In 2032, arch criminal Simon Phoenix (Snipes) awakens from a 35-year deep freeze in CryoPrison to find a world where crime is almost non-existent – a serene utopia ripe for the taking. With the police no longer equipped to deal with his 90s-style brutality, they revive ‘Demolition Man’ Sgt. John Spartan (Stallone), the no-holds-barred police officer unjustly sentenced to CryoPrison who originally took Phoenix down. Old-school cop against old-school criminal, settling their scores on the streets of San Angeles? The future won’t know what’s hit it.

With a script co-written by Daniel Waters (Heathers, Batman Returns) and a supporting cast that includes Denis Leary, Benjamin Bratt, and Sandra Bullock in her breakout role, Demolition Man is an awesome mix of action and humor!

4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by director Marco Brambilla
- Includes both the domestic “Taco Bell” and international “Pizza Hut” versions of the film presented via seamless branching
- 4K Ultra HD (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos audio options
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by director Marco Brambilla and screenwriter Daniel Waters
- Brand new audio commentary by film historian Mike White of the Projection Booth podcast
- Archive audio commentary by Marco Brambilla and producer Joel Silver
- Demolition Design, a new interview with production designer David L. Snyder
- Cryo Action, a new interview with stunt coordinator Charles Percini
- Biggs' Body Shoppe, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Chris Biggs
- Tacos and Hockey Pucks, a new interview with body effects set coordinator Jeff Farley
- Somewhere Over the Rambo, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- 60-page perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by film critics Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani, Priscilla Page and Martyn Pedler
- Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley
- 6 postcard sized artcards
- ’Three Seashells’ and ‘Edgar Friendly graffiti’ stickers
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley

[domino harvey]

- Includes both the domestic “Taco Bell” and international “Pizza Hut” versions of the film presented via seamless branching

This and the three shells are the only things I even remember about this movie, interesting to learn it wasn’t Taco Bell everywhere. I always thought that was an odd sponsor (I recall special promo cups, etc outside of the movie too), but I guess no one else was willing to say yes to an R rated action movie

Though not a W for me, unlike the slate so far this at least seems like a movie people would potentially want from the WB deal

[flyonthewall2983]

Surprisingly little promotional material, like the EPK that also aired on HBO. They would run them for movies they would later run, so most of it was rather standard promotional stuff but the ones with Joel Silver producing had the feeling of his presence, in ways that might seem quaint or annoying now but I appreciated his gift in the way his movies were presented apart from other action producers, as separate from Bruckheimer while also retaining some common ground too.

Unexpected joy at this news, always loved this movie.

[beamish14]

Unexpected joy at this news, always loved this movie.

Same. Endlessly quotable and just hysterically funny. Maybe the only film I’ve really loved Sandra Bullock in (whose character is a big fan of Lethal Weapon 3!). This movie is character actor heaven-even Andre Gregory has a meaty role. “Set yo’ ass on FIRE!”

I love every element of it except for Dennis Leary and his monologue near the end

Daniel Waters is a joy to listen to, and I cannot wait to hear this commentary

[cdnchris]

Yeah, this one is more of the kind of shit I would want to see from Arrow.

[colinr0380]

Weirdly this turned out to be the more successful dystopian future Sylvester Stallone film compared to the unfortunate Judge Dredd movie a couple of years later, which strangely enough also featured Rob Schneider as a wacky comic relief character! I wonder how much Demolition Man was working as a freer from weight of expectations dry run for Judge Dredd on Stallone's part? Although I would not be against Arrow tackling Judge Dredd as well, given that I have only ever seen the pan-and-scanned theatrical edited version of that film!

Since I am very much enjoying his seminal role in Yes Minister/Yes, Prime Minister at the moment, it is particularly amusing to see Nigel Hawthorne appearing as the smooth talking manipulative politician who unfreezes Wesley Snipes in a plan to use him as his violent right hand man, but has not realised that you cannot manipulate a psychopath and not only gets summarily executed by the villain, but then has the extra indignity of having his body dumped into a lit fireplace! (He also gets to take part in the best running gag, voicing the penalty notice machine that hands out on the spot fines for swearing!)

(And its a key film in Sandra Bullock becoming a star, since she gets most of the best humourous moments in her incredulous (but also kind of excited) reactions to finding out about the barbaric and brutal culture of the 1990s. Of course her role in Speed cemented that status the following year)

I really would like to learn more about Brambilla's career following this and Excess Baggage, because he appears to have moved more into visual art installation pieces. One thing I have seen was his contribution to the 2006 Destricted anthology film which was a collection of short films about sex - Brambilla's entry was Sync, which flowed and morphed pornographic film images together into one fluid (and weirdly AI anticipating by years) parade of twisting imagery. Looking on YouTube, it looks as if he made a SFW version using Hollywood movie clips (potential epilepsy warning though) which hits most of the same beats. And then there are the more recent art gallery visual pieces such as Cathedral, Civilization, RPM, Apollo XVIII, Nude Descending A Staircase No. 3 and Heaven's Gate. So who would have thought the director of a goofy early 90s action film would be doing weird avant-garde things like that?

[thirtyframesasecond]

Brambilla also directed the short music video for 'Power' by Kanye West.

[flyonthewall2983]

Speaking of music videos kind of disappointed nothing on the disc either of Sting's reworking of the Police song for the movie. The Demolition Man EP has that track and 5 live tracks with a pretty awesome band behind him doing better justice to “King of Pain”, and have grown to prefer it to the studio version.