Birdy - Limited Edition Blu-ray: ‘In a dream, I’m trying to decide what I am’ / October 2019
Powerhouse’s Indicator label commissioned a new essay about director Alan Parker’s 1984 film adaptation of the celebrated William Wharton novel, Birdy. This is included in the booklet accompanying the first pressing of their October 2019 release of the film.
The essay focused on author Wharton’s interpretation of his own life captured in the novel and how its poetic, dream-like narrative was re-shaped into the script for the film. I was fortunate to gain access to the Alan Parker archive at the BFI where correspondence and draft scripts supplemented my own reading of Wharton’s books, a number of newspaper interviews and several academic papers on the themes and construction of Wharton’s narrative for Birdy.
The papers at the BFI also provided a fascinating insight into how Parker shaped Sandy Kroopf and Jack Behr’s script and attempted to retain as much of the ‘the “one person” schizophrenia of the book’ and remain true to the author's identity or identities.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
2K restoration supervised and approved by director Alan Parker
Original stereo audio
New and exclusive audio commentary with Parker and the BFI’s Justin Johnson
The Abstraction of War (2019, 25 mins): actor Matthew Modine fondly remembers the experience of working with the cast and crew of Birdy
Learning to Fly (2019, 14 mins): screenwriters Jack Behr and Sandy Kroopf reflect on the challenges of adapting an ‘unfilmable’ novel
Peter Gabriel on Making the Music for ‘Birdy’ (2000, 7 mins): archival interview with the acclaimed composer
Bird Watching (2019, 17 mins): a personal appreciation of the work of author William Wharton by filmmaker Keith Gordon
No Hard Feelings (1976, 55 mins): Parker’s early film, which follows a troubled young man in wartime London
Original theatrical trailer
Image galleries: promotional and publicity material, and a selection of rare items from Matthew Modine’s personal collection
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive 48-page booklet with a new essay by Frank Collins, an extensive account of the making of the film by Alan Parker, an overview of critical responses, Jeff Billington on No Hard Feelings, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 5,000 copies
www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/products/birdy-le













