Director: Renny Harlin
Screenplay: Shane Black
Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Cox and Yvonne Zima
Country: United States
Running Time: 120 min
Year: 1996
Director Renny Harlin has always been quite the enigma to me. My introduction to his work was through his sequel to the classic Christmas action film Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Incredible title for a pretty poor film. Over the years, I’ve dived into more of his work, checking out his recent remake of the horror film The Strangers with The Strangers: Chapter 1 (the first in a planned trilogy of films that may or may not see the light of day), his Stallone action classic Cliffhanger, as well as the ironical Die Hard riff 12 Rounds starring everybody’s favourite actor John Cena. To say that Harlin has a varied filmography would be putting it lightly, but I’ve come away from most of his work feeling underwhelmed, save for Cliffhanger, which rules.
The one film that always intrigued me was The Long Kiss Goodnight, a film penned by Shane Black (writer of Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad and eventual director of films such as Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, The Nice Guys and the underrated Iron Man 3) and by all accounts, Harlin’s most beloved work. When Arrow Video announced that they were releasing the film on UHD, I figured that it was the perfect time to check the film out.
The Long Kiss Goodnight follows Geena Davis’ Samantha, a woman suffering from amnesia who can’t remember anything prior to eight years ago, where she was discovered pregnant, unsure of who she is or her past. After hiring a series of investigators in an attempt to find out her past, she stumbles upon Mitch (Samuel L. Jackson) who ends up being the one to help her figure out her mysterious past, alongside a car crash that brings back a few memories.
As to be expected from a Shane Black script, it’s a buddy action-thriller, but twisting the formula on its head just enough to feel fresh for long-time fans. The film’s easily one of Harlin’s best looking films, shot by legendary director of photography Guillermo Navarro (Cronos, Jackie Brown, Stuart… Little? Two out of three ain’t bad!) and while I have issues with the pacing of the film, like most of Harlin’s work, it’s consistently entertaining throughout the 120 minute runtime.
My main issues arise with the back half of the film, which, yes, is more action packed and delivers on the exciting thrills that you’re hoping for, but ends up dialling down the great character work seen in the first half of the film. In many ways, it’s a film of two halves and seeing Davis piece together the past of her character resulted in some of my favourite moments in the film, such as her realisation that she has experience with knives. The Shane Black dialogue is equal shades comical and edgy, as you’d expect from him and is the film’s strongest element. The two lead performances are great, but some of the side characters, in particular, the antagonist of the film leave a lot to be desired.
Film: 
The Long Kiss Goodnight released on Limited Edition 4K UHD via Arrow Video on April 7th in the UK and US. Disc one houses the film and a few extras (commentaries, the trailer and photo gallery) while the second disc houses the rest of the extras, but doesn’t include the film. The brand new 4K restoration of the film is nothing short of stunning. Arrow seems to be on an absolute roll when it comes to upgrading classic Warner and New Line titles to UHD and the image quality on this one is stunning to witness. The Dolby Vision grade makes every colour pop, the image detail is phenomenal and on a visual level, it’s flawless. On the audio side of things, we’re greeted to three different options – the original 2.0 stereo mix, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that graced the previous Blu-ray and a brand new Dolby Atmos mix. I experimented with all three tracks but ended up loving the Atmos mix the most, as the mix’s range was fantastic to hear. The other two tracks sounded great to me too, so there’s no wrong choice here. It’s yet another stunner from Arrow Video, top marks all around. The following extras are included:
2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Clem Bastow, Richard Kadrey, Maura McHugh, and Priscilla Page
Seasonal postcard
Thin Ice sticker
DISC 1 (4K ULTRA HD) – FEATURE & EXTRAS
Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm negative approved by director Renny Harlin
4K Ultra HD (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0. and new Dolby Atmos audio options
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by film critic Walter Chaw
Brand new audio commentary by film critics Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel, co-hosts of the Bloodhaus podcast
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY) – BONUS FEATURES
Symphony of Destruction, a new interview with stunt co-ordinator Steve Davidson
Long Live the New Flesh, a new interview with make-up artist Gordon J. Smith
Girl Interrupted, a new interview with actress Yvonne Zima
Amnesia Chick, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson
The Mirror Crack’d, a new visual essay by critic and filmmaker Howard S. Berger
A Woman’s World, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Deleted scenes
Archive promotional interviews with director Renny Harlin and stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson and Craig Bierko
Making Of, an archive promotional featurette
Behind the Scenes, archive EPK footage from the filming of The Long Kiss Goodnight
Two new audio commentaries, recorded exclusively for this release, are included on disc one. First up is a track with Walter Chaw, who clearly loves the film on this excellent analytical commentary track. Diving into the production of the film, where it stands in Harlin’s filmography and action cinema as a whole, the cast and crew of the film, it’s all here in a track that will easily please fans wanting to learn more about the film. The second track, featuring Bloodhaus podcast hosts Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel, who recently did a track for Arrow’s release of Dressed to Kill, is more focused on a fan perspective, as the pair dive into their love for the film, Harlin’s work and more. There’s still some great information about the picture here, but it’s the more laid back track of the two and another that I’d highly recommend. Adeline and Conkel are slowly becoming some of my favourite newcomers to the commentary scene!
Three brand new interviews are included, exclusive to this release, beginning with Girl Interrupted, a 16 minute interview with actor Yvonne Zima. She plays Caitlyn, the daughter in the film and she recounts her experiences auditioning for the film and her time on set. It’s an in-depth and entertaining interview that’s a fun, breezy watch. Next up is Symphony of Destruction with stunt co-ordinator Steve Davidson, and it runs for 9 minutes. Davidson talks about working with Harlin, Davis and Jackson, helping co-ordinate the film’s big setpieces and the shoot as a whole. It’s another solid interview and Davidson even mentions that it’s the hardest film he’s ever worked on. Finally, Long Live the New Flesh is a 12 minute piece with make-up artist Gordon J. Smith, who also worked on films like X-Men and X2. Smith discusses working on a prosthetic version of Brian Cox for a memorable sequence in the film. It’s a good way to round out the new interviews.
Also included are three exclusive visual essays on the film, all diving into different aspects of The Long Kiss Goodnight. First up is Amnesia Chick by Josh Nelson, running for 20 minutes and diving into the dual identities of The Long Kiss Goodnight, and film in general. As to be expected from Nelson, it’s an engaging piece that’s well researched, and his analysis on identity in film is worth your time. Next up is the lengthiest extra on the disc, The Mirror Crack’d. This one’s by Kevin Marr, Howard S. Berger and Angela McEntee and runs for a whopping 38 minutes. Focusing on the themes of the film, the character of Samantha/Charly, the domestic lifestyle that Samantha has and more. Diving into the themes of the film, it’s another excellent piece that goes above and beyond. Great work from the trio! Last up is A Woman’s World by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, running for 14 minutes and touching on Geena Davis’s time in film, how Hollywood treats aging female actors. It offers a unique perspective on Davis’s space in film around the 90s, explaining how The Long Kiss Goodnight changed her trajectory in film. It’s another excellent piece from Heller-Nicholas.
Two deleted scenes are included, making their US and UK debuts and feature extended and differing versions of sequences from the film. It’s nice to see these included, even though they only run for around two and a half minutes.
Around five minutes of archival promotional interviews with director Renny Harlin and stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson and Craig Bierko are included, featuring quick-fire questions about the film, the production, the screenplay and the performances. These are brief but it’s nice to see them included.
A five minute making of featurette is included, made initially to promote the release of the film back in the 90s. It’s only 5 minutes long, but the dated narration and editing style is delightful and impossible to look away from. Absolutely worth a watch!
The behind the scenes EPK runs for 8 minutes and contains a series of, you guessed it, behind the scenes sequences of Harlin directing the cast during some of the film’s most memorable moments.
A theatrical trailer and an image gallery are included.
I wasn’t provided with any of the limited edition goodies, such as the booklet, postcard or sticker.
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