In an official press release Drafthouse Films, the film distribution arm of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, announced its latest repertory release: Dangerous Men. The announcement comes following a secret screening of the film at this year’s Fantastic Fest.
The film’s writer, composer, producer, and director John Rad spent two decades working on the project before it finally debuted in a select few California theaters in 2005. Sadly, Dangerous Men would never find its intended audience during its brief run. Thankfully, Hadrian Belove, of the independent Los Angeles theater The Cinefamily, remembers the release fondly, seeing it multiple times before it left theaters. It was through him that the Alamo Drafthouse heard of its existence and would eventually lead to Drafthouse Films working with the American Genre Film Institute in locating an original 35mm print and restoring Dangerous Men so that it may finally reach the audience it failed to reach a decade ago.
“It took us almost three and a half years of continuous begging, pleading and debasement before John Rad’s family agreed to license us the film,” said Drafthouse COO James Emanuel Shapiro. “It was well worth it! We are immensely proud that we’ve carved out our own niche of mind-shredding repertory releases and beyond thrilled to unleash what should very much be considered the Holy Grail of Holy F*cking Sh#t on audiences worldwide!”
Having experienced the film with a packed audience, I can say that Dangerous Men is the type of revenge flick Ed Wood have made if his movie involved bikers, drug dealers, rape victims and shifting narratives and female leads without rhyme or reason.
Drafthouse Films will push the film into theaters beginning Friday, November 13th, before it hits VOD platforms in December. A home video release on Blu-ray, DVD and VHS (yes, VHS!) is planned for early 2016.
