Touch of Evil (1958) - Blu-ray Limited Edition Hardbox + Hardcover and Softcover Booklets - Imprint Collection #686

Orson Welles wrote, directed, and starred in the film noir masterpiece Touch of Evil, his last major Hollywood production and one of the most celebrated films in the history of cinema.

On the US-Mexico border, a car bomb kills a prominent American businessman. Mexican narcotics officer Miguel Vargas finds himself drawn into the investigation alongside Hank Quinlan, a corrupt American detective whose methods are as crooked as the criminals he pursues. What begins as a murder inquiry becomes a labyrinthine clash of wills, secrets, and moral compromise.

With an enormous ensemble cast including Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, and a memorable cameo from Zsa Zsa Gabor, Touch of Evil also features a score by four-time Oscar winner Henry Mancini and cinematography by Russell Metty (Spartacus).

On release in 1958, the film was re-edited without Welles’ knowledge into a 95-minute cut that left him deeply unhappy, and prompted a 58-page passionate memo to the studio. That memo was then used for the 1998 reconstruction, running 111 minutes, to bring the film as close as possible to Welles’ original vision. This special collection includes both the Theatrical Version, the 1998 Reconstructed Version, and a Preview Version all in HD, plus four audio commentaries and archival Special Features.

Alongside all three versions of the film, this release also includes two booklets: an 80-page Hardcover Booklet with the 1998 press release, a copy of Orson Welles’ famous 58-page memo, and original production photography; and a 136-page Softcover Booklet featuring the original script.

1500 copies only.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

Disc One: Blu-ray

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the 111-minute Reconstruction Version


• Audio commentary by Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Reconstruction Producer Rick Schmidlin 


• Audio commentary by Reconstruction Producer Rick Schmidlin 


• 
  Evil Lost and Found - featurette 
  


• 
  Bringing Evil to Life - featurette 
  


• Theatrical Trailer


• Aspect Ratio 1.85:1


• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono


• Optional English HOH Subtitles

Disc Two: Blu-ray

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the 95-minute Theatrical Version


• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the 109-minute Preview Version


• Audio commentary by writer / filmmaker F. X. Feeney on the Theatrical Version


• Audio commentary with Orson Welles historians Jonathan Rosenbaum and James Naremore on the Preview Version


• Aspect Ratio 1.85:1


• Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono


• Optional English Subtitles (Theatrical Version)

Hardcover Booklet

An 80-page Hardcover Booklet featuring the 1998 press release, a copy of Orson Welles’ famous 58-page memo, and original production photography.

Softcover Booklet

A 136-page Softcover Booklet featuring the original script.