Arrow Video (USA) is set to release director Douglas Trumbull’s engaging classic sci-fi, Silent Running (1972) on 2K Blu-ray. Stars Bruce Dern.
In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut – Silent Running.
In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet’s former ecosystems preserved aboard a fleet of greenhouses orbiting in space. When the crews are ordered to destroy the remaining specimens, one botanist, Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern, The ‘Burbs), rebels and flees towards Saturn in a desperate bid to preserve his own little piece of Earth that was, accompanied only by the ship’s three service robots.
Featuring a captivating central performance by Dern, visual effects that rival anything in 2001, and a powerful ecological message, Silent Running is a haunting and prescient sci-fi classic that resonates even more strongly today than it did at the time of its original release.
Visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (notable for his work on 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and Close Encounters of the Third Kind), made his directorial debut with this eco-themed sci-fi classic
Andrew L. Urban — Urban Cinefile
Release date: November 17, 2020
Genre: Sci-fi
| Director | Douglas Trumbull |
| Cast | Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin |
| Country | USA |
| Production Year | 1972 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 89 minutes |
| Formats | Color / 2K / 1.85:1 |
| Audio | English |
| Subtitle | English |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
Special features
| NEW 2K RESTORATION from the original camera negative, approved by director Douglas Trumbull and produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release |
| Original lossless mono audio |
| Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing |
| Brand new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw |
| Original audio commentary by Douglas Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern |
| Isolated music and effects track |
| No Turning Back, a new interview with film music historian Jeff Bond on the film’s score |
| First Run, a new visual essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira exploring the evolution of Silent Running’s screenplay |
| The Making of Silent Running, an archival 1972 on-set documentary |
| Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now, two archival interviews with the film’s director |
| A Conversation with Bruce Dern, an archival interview with the film’s lead actor |
| Theatrical trailer |
| Extensive behind-the-scenes gallery |
| Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper |
| First pressing only: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Peter Tonguette |
Silent Running (1972) trailer
