When I was at film school, one of my editing instructors was Sonya Polonsky. She was a New York based filmmaker who was part of the crew on Annie Hall and Raging Bull. She moved up to editor for Baby It’s You and Matewan. During class, she showed us a scene from The Linguini Incident. I knew about the film, but it hadn’t played any of the art houses in town. I couldn’t even find the VHS tape at the rental shops. We were swamp with school projects, so I didn’t want to ask about borrowing her tape. I felt bad that I didn’t get to see the whole movie since it starred David Bowie and more importantly Eszter Balint. She had stolen my heart as the Hungarian visitor in Stranger Than Paradise. I really wanted to see her in a color movie. Now the Linguini Incident is coming out on Blu-ray in a Director’s Cut as part of the MVD Marquee Collection. I’m not sure if Sonya is part of it, but her original cut is also part of the release. There are quite a few bonus features to help you enjoy this comedy heist film. Here’s the press release from MVD Entertainment:
MVD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP ANNOUNCES
THE BLU-RAY/DVD RELEASE OF
“THE LINGUINI INCIDENT”
ON JULY 23, 2024
FEATURING THE FIRST-TIME-EVER DIRECTOR’S CUT OF THE 1992
DAVID BOWIE & ROSANNA ARQUETTE COMEDY
On July 23rd, MVD Marquee Collection releases Emmy-winning director Richard Shepard’s (The Matador, Dom Hemingway, The Handmaid’s Tale) debut film, The Linguini Incident on Blu-ray for the first time, as well as DVD.
Rock music legend David Bowie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction) star in the film along with Academy Award® winner Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God), Buck Henry (Heaven Can Wait), Eszter Balint (Stranger Than Paradise), Andre Gregory (Demolition Man), Viveca Lindfors (The Sure Thing), James Avery (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Maura Tierney (Liar Liar).
The Linguini Incident is a romantic caper about a perennially underpaid waitress named Lucy (Arquette) and Monte (Bowie), a mysterious, charming (and very in debt) bartender. Lucy is seriously in need of cash and Monte needs to marry someone, anyone, by the end of the week… or else. Together they join forces — along with Lucy’s lingerie designing best friend, Viv (Balint) — to rob their terminally hip New York City restaurant and solve their financial woes. However these three are far from master criminals and they soon learn that in robberies, as in love, things never go as planned.
Originally released in spring 1992, co-writer and director Richard Shepard and producer Sarah Jackson re-claimed the rights to Shepard’s debut feature film, scanned and restored the movie in 4K and assembled a never-before-seen director’s cut. The Blu-ray comes packed with bonus content, including commentaries, a documentary about the making of the film, a photo gallery, new and archival trailers, artwork, a booklet, and a limited edition slipcover for the first pressing only.
The Linguini Incident (Director’s Cut)
A waitress (Rosanna Arquette) and a bartender (David Bowie) decide to rob their employers in this romantic caper from director Richard Shepard.
ROSANNA ARQUETTE AND DAVID BOWIE STAR IN THIS DELIGHTFUL ROMANTIC CAPER FROM DIRECTOR RICHARD SHEPARD!
Lucy (Rosanna Arquette, Pulp Fiction) is an underpaid waitress at “Dali”, a terminally hip New York City restaurant, who’s seriously in need of cash. Dali’s new, mysterious, charming (and very in debt) bartender, Monte (David Bowie, The Hunger) needs to marry someone, anyone, by the end of the week… or else. Together they join forces– along with Lucy’s lingerie designing best friend, Viv (Eszter Balint, Stranger Than Paradise) — to rob the popular eatery and solve their financial woes. However these three are far from master criminals and they soon learn that in robberies, as in love, things never go as planned.
This “lively and amusing” (Los Angeles Times) romantic caper co-stars Andre Gregory (Demolition Man), Buck Henry (Heaven Can Wait) and Academy Award® winner Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) and features “David Bowie’s zaniest most underrated film role” (Collider) in this engaging romantic comedy from acclaimed director Richard Shepard (The Matador) in this never before seen director’s cut.
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) presentation of the director’s cut of the main feature in 1.78:1 (struck from a brand new 4K transfer from film interpositive)
- Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono
- Optional English Subtitles
- Introduction by Director Richard Shepard
- Commentary with Director Richard Shepard, actors Rosanna Arquette and Eszter Balint, co-producer Sarah Jackson and co-screenwriter Tamar Brott, moderated by “Cereal at Midnight’s” Heath Holland
- Commentary by Director Richard Shepard
- “The Making of The Linguini Incident” – Full length documentary feat. interviews with Richard Shepard, Tamar Brott, Rosanna Arquette, Eszter Balint Marlee Matlin, Sarah Jackson, Marcia Hinds & Richard von Ernst (1:44:26, HD, w/ optional English subtitles)
- Photo Gallery with commentary by Richard Shepard
- The Linguini Incident – Original Theatrical Version (SD, 98:00)
- 2024 Theatrical Trailer (HD)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
- Reversible Artwork
- Booklet with essays from film historian Graham Rinaldi and director Richard Shepard [First Pressing Only]
- Limited Edition Slipcover [First Pressing Only]
