Harry Dean Stanton was truly a one of one. No matter the film he was in, he managed to elevate the material. If it was okay, he made it better. If it was good, he made it great. If it was great, he made it a masterpiece. In the case of UFORIA, the quirky rom-com about UFOs, conmen, and evangelism deep in the southwest Stanton brings a much-needed grounded realism to everything.
Short-time conman and wannabe country singer Sheldon (Fred Ward) is aimlessly wandering New Mexico from grift to grift. Sheldon’s next stop is to see and help his big-time conman posing as a faith healer, Brother Bud Sanders (Stanton). As he begins to help Sanders with all manner of cons, Sheldon finds himself involved with Store Clerk and UFO enthusiast Arlene (Cindy Williams). As Arlene’s proclivities become bigger and bigger and the group of quirky eccentrics grows around her, Bud sees opportunity, and Sheldon is caught in the middle. Can Sheldon trust Arlene and her belief that UFOs are about to land, or is he going to just fall back on his conman ways?
The film, written and directed by John Binder, is the rarest of Studio released films of the 1980s… one with a truly independent heart and mind at its core. UFORIA is a romantic comedy about people that you don’t normally see in romantic comedies. Those on the fringes. Rather than making them the butt of jokes as they would normally be in your standard-issue rom-com, here they are the main characters. Binder creates a film that matches the characters that inhabit the world. One of the tent revivals, stolen cars, late-night even news interviews with strange folk, and the expansive New Mexican desert.
In the calm eye of this strange storm is Stanton; his Brother Bud Sanders wants nothing more than to exploit the citizens of the southwest with his snake oil shenanigans. He isn’t a conventional antagonist, but is definitely one that pushes against Arlene and Sheldon’s domestication and is also his own undoing with his constant scheming and manipulating of his friend. When Stanton’s Bud takes center stage, the film becomes electric with both Williams and Ward (and their respective characters) having to move out of the way.
Though UFORIA does allow Brother Bud center stage, it’s not for long as the stranger and more esoteric nature of the story takes over (this is, in fact, about UFOs). That isn’t a bad thing, as the film has earned its weird big heart and soul with its lead characters and the bumpy road they take to get to the wonderfully kooky ending. An ending and a film that you won’t soon forget.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent upgrade, taking UFORIA from the DVD era, where it’s been relegated to for the last quarter century. The film looks fantastic, showcasing the photography by David Myers of the California desert landscape. The image is clean of any scratches or dirt. The transfer is sharp, retaining the grain structure, keeping the look of a 35mm print. The Dolby Vision encoding has allowed for a more subtle contrast, detail, and color reproduction. Kino continues to show how wonderfully astute they are with the time and care they put into their work to bring even the most esoteric films to home video in the best format/version they possibly can.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
Audio Commentary by Writer/Director John Binder, Associate Producer Jeanne Field, Moderated by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
Audio Commentary by Writer/Director John Binder, Associate Producer Jeanne Field, Moderated by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer
Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K)
The Audio Commentary by Writer/Director John Binder, Associate Producer Jeanne Field, Moderated by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer begins with introductions and opens with how it was literally dumped by various studios, and it slowly became a critical hit and eventually a cult item. Some of the details include a discussion of how Binder developed this unique idea – pulling ideas from real life and a documentary that he was involved with; how he came to cast Harry Dean Stanton and his working relationship during the production; Cindy Williams wanting to work with Harrison Ford, and his reaction after seeing Star Wars, and how they eventually landed on Fred Ward; other casting what if’s; working with cinematographer David Myers; the various alternate titles Binder that were a possibilities; a side conversation about his relationships with director Allan Rudolph and Robert Altman; a discussion of his collaboration with composer and musical performer Richard Baskin – which leads to a larger discussion of his love of country music; a larger discussion of some anecdotes from the set and how it was to work with the Stanton, Williams, and Ward; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for UFORIA [Remaster in 2K] (0:57); The Experts (1:32); The Monster Squad (1:57); Spaceballs (2:36); Airplane II: The Sequel (2:16); The Nude Bomb (2:48); The Man Who Wasn’t There (2:07); Amazon Women on the Moon (1:32); Coneheads (2:06); Remo Williams (2:18);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has provided collectors with another unique cult film, giving it an excellent 4K UHD release. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
The 1980s cult romantic comedy UFORIA stars Fred Ward, Cindy Williams, and Harry Dean Stanton. The rarely seen film comes to 4K UHD loaded with special features from Kino Lorber.
The Film
Harry Dean Stanton was truly a one of one. No matter the film he was in, he managed to elevate the material. If it was okay, he made it better. If it was good, he made it great. If it was great, he made it a masterpiece. In the case of UFORIA, the quirky rom-com about UFOs, conmen, and evangelism deep in the southwest Stanton brings a much-needed grounded realism to everything.
Short-time conman and wannabe country singer Sheldon (Fred Ward) is aimlessly wandering New Mexico from grift to grift. Sheldon’s next stop is to see and help his big-time conman posing as a faith healer, Brother Bud Sanders (Stanton). As he begins to help Sanders with all manner of cons, Sheldon finds himself involved with Store Clerk and UFO enthusiast Arlene (Cindy Williams). As Arlene’s proclivities become bigger and bigger and the group of quirky eccentrics grows around her, Bud sees opportunity, and Sheldon is caught in the middle. Can Sheldon trust Arlene and her belief that UFOs are about to land, or is he going to just fall back on his conman ways?
The film, written and directed by John Binder, is the rarest of Studio released films of the 1980s… one with a truly independent heart and mind at its core. UFORIA is a romantic comedy about people that you don’t normally see in romantic comedies. Those on the fringes. Rather than making them the butt of jokes as they would normally be in your standard-issue rom-com, here they are the main characters. Binder creates a film that matches the characters that inhabit the world. One of the tent revivals, stolen cars, late-night even news interviews with strange folk, and the expansive New Mexican desert.
In the calm eye of this strange storm is Stanton; his Brother Bud Sanders wants nothing more than to exploit the citizens of the southwest with his snake oil shenanigans. He isn’t a conventional antagonist, but is definitely one that pushes against Arlene and Sheldon’s domestication and is also his own undoing with his constant scheming and manipulating of his friend. When Stanton’s Bud takes center stage, the film becomes electric with both Williams and Ward (and their respective characters) having to move out of the way.
Though UFORIA does allow Brother Bud center stage, it’s not for long as the stranger and more esoteric nature of the story takes over (this is, in fact, about UFOs). That isn’t a bad thing, as the film has earned its weird big heart and soul with its lead characters and the bumpy road they take to get to the wonderfully kooky ending. An ending and a film that you won’t soon forget.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is an excellent upgrade, taking UFORIA from the DVD era, where it’s been relegated to for the last quarter century. The film looks fantastic, showcasing the photography by David Myers of the California desert landscape. The image is clean of any scratches or dirt. The transfer is sharp, retaining the grain structure, keeping the look of a 35mm print. The Dolby Vision encoding has allowed for a more subtle contrast, detail, and color reproduction. Kino continues to show how wonderfully astute they are with the time and care they put into their work to bring even the most esoteric films to home video in the best format/version they possibly can.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
The Audio Commentary by Writer/Director John Binder, Associate Producer Jeanne Field, Moderated by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer begins with introductions and opens with how it was literally dumped by various studios, and it slowly became a critical hit and eventually a cult item. Some of the details include a discussion of how Binder developed this unique idea – pulling ideas from real life and a documentary that he was involved with; how he came to cast Harry Dean Stanton and his working relationship during the production; Cindy Williams wanting to work with Harrison Ford, and his reaction after seeing Star Wars, and how they eventually landed on Fred Ward; other casting what if’s; working with cinematographer David Myers; the various alternate titles Binder that were a possibilities; a side conversation about his relationships with director Allan Rudolph and Robert Altman; a discussion of his collaboration with composer and musical performer Richard Baskin – which leads to a larger discussion of his love of country music; a larger discussion of some anecdotes from the set and how it was to work with the Stanton, Williams, and Ward; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for UFORIA [Remaster in 2K] (0:57); The Experts (1:32); The Monster Squad (1:57); Spaceballs (2:36); Airplane II: The Sequel (2:16); The Nude Bomb (2:48); The Man Who Wasn’t There (2:07); Amazon Women on the Moon (1:32); Coneheads (2:06); Remo Williams (2:18);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has provided collectors with another unique cult film, giving it an excellent 4K UHD release. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of UFORIA is out now.
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