Long Good Friday (Criterion) 09/24 Blu-ray (Rental)

A combustible performance from Bob Hoskins is the fuse that lights this underworld saga, a landmark of British crime cinema. Hoskins plays Harold Shand, an ambitious London mobster who, just as he attempts to close a major real-estate deal with the American Mafia, finds his crime empire rocked by a string of attacks, sending him on a ruthless quest to find out who’s responsible. Abetted by an ice-cool performance from Helen Mirren as Shand’s in-command moll, The Long Good Friday is not only a gripping gangster thriller but also a vivid portrait of late-1970s Britain—a powder keg of cultural and political tensions on the verge of explosion. TWO-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Phil Méheux, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary with director John Mackenzie An Accidental Studio (2019), a documentary about the early years of HandMade Films Introduction by Criterion Collection curatorial director Ashley Clark Documentary about the making of the film featuring interviews with Mackenzie and actors Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren Interviews with Méheux and screenwriter Barrie Keeffe Program comparing the soundtracks for the UK and U.S. releases Trailers English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by film critic Ryan Gilbey