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DVDfever.co.uk – Press release: Raging Bull on Blu-ray
MGM & Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Posted: January 30th, 2009.
And though I’m no Olivier, if he fought Sugar Ray, he would say that the thing ain’t the ring, it’s the play. So give me a… stage, where this bull here can rage, and though I could fight, I’d much rather recite… that’s entertainment – Jake LaMotta
See Robert De Niro at his best in the powerful knock-out classic RAGING BULL in all its full High Definition glory for the first time, directed by one of the masters of film-making, Martin Scorsese (Casino, The Departed). De Niro (Goodfellas, Taxi Driver) portrays the stubborn middle-weight boxing champion Jake LaMotta, and the film follows the real-life story of the ups and downs of his boxing career, his family life and his inner demons. RAGING BULL on Blu-ray delivers some fantastic brand-new special features and is yours to own from 9 February 2009 from MGM & Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Scorsese works his magic with RAGING BULL and delivers an all-star cast including Joe Pesci (Goodfellas, Casino), who plays LaMottas best friend and brother Joey, Cathy Moriarty (Cop Land, Analyze That) as Jakes wife Vickie, and Frank Vincent (Goodfellas, Casino) as Salvy, a local small-time gangster. Nearly 30 years after its original theatrical release in 1980, RAGING BULL is still one of the most realistic, visceral, bloody and brutal boxing films ever made, and is beautifully shot in crisp black-and-white cinematography.
Jake LaMotta, aka The Bronx Bull, is an emotional and self-destructive boxer, whose anger and temper leads him to become a champion in the ring. However, outside of the ring he acts in the same way towards his friends and family, which begins to destroy his life – he is a ticking time-bomb full of rage, paranoia and jealousy. After falling out with his brother and ruining his marriage, Jake goes on a losing streak of fights and gains a lot of weight. By the end of his career he is destitute, alone, and seeking redemption for the way he has behaved throughout his life.
De Niro plays one of his most profound roles ever in this compelling film for which he won the Oscar® for Best Actor. He completely immersed himself in the role by altering his physical appearance to achieve a boxers physique in the ultimate Method-acting performance. He trained with LaMotta for the boxing sequences and then put on over fifty pounds in weight for the film’s ending as a defeated champion.
The acclaimed RAGING BULL received a host of accolades on its original release, including award nominations for eight Oscars®, four BAFTAS® and seven Golden Globes®. The Blu-ray is jam-packed with brilliant brand-new special features including behind-the-scenes footage; fascinating interviews with Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Jake LaMotta himself, and featurettes about the fight choreography and making of the film. Dont miss the opportunity to revisit this classic film in high definition as it comes to Blu-ray on 9 February 2009.
Special Features:
- Commentary by Director Martin Scorsese and Editor Thelma Schoonmaker
- Cast and Crew Commentary Irwin Winkler, Robbie Robertson, Robert Chartoff, Theresa Saldana, John Turturro, Frank Warner, Michael Chapman and Cis Corman
- Storytellers Commentary with Mardik Martin, Paul Schrader, Jason Lustin and Jake Lamotta
- Raging Bull: Before the Fight (The Writing, the Casting and Preproduction) (26:08)
- Raging Bull: Inside the Ring (The Choreography of the Fight Scenes) (14:49)
- Raging Bull: Outside the Ring (Behind-the-Scenes Stories on the Making of the Film) (27:19)
- Raging Bull: After the Fight (The Sound Design, the Music, the Impact of the Film) (16:01)
- The Bronx Bull (Making of Documentary) (27:52)
- De Niro Vs LaMotta (Shot by Shot Comparison in the Ring) (3:48)
- La Motta Defends Title (Newsreel Footage) (0:57)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (3:55)
The Blu-ray disc is out on February 9th, it runs for 129 mins and retails for £22.99 on DVD,but is currently on Amazon at the link above for £14.98.
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.