Even before he passed away two years ago, Michael Cimino’s overlooked films, from Heaven’s Gate to Year of the Dragon to Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, were already getting deserved re-appraisals, but there’s one towering classic in his filmography that has endured since its release forty years ago: his Vietnam War epic The Deer Hunter. While it will officially turn 40 at the end of the year, StudioCanal and Park Circus have gotten the jump on a 4K restoration, which they’ll debut in U.K. theaters, fittingly, on the fourth of July, followed by a Blu-ray release in August. Starring Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale and Trump favorites low-IQ De Niro and overrated Streep, Cimino’s emotional epic depicts a patient unfolding of friendship and chaos. The trailer, as one might expect, sells it more as Rambo-style action thriller, but that can be forgiven in the name of getting a new generation in seats. There’s no word yet on a U.S. re-release, but in the meantime, see the preview below. The Deer Hunter returns to UK cinemas on July 4, followed by a Blu-ray release on August 13.
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