ECV - The Riverbend Restoration
Sam Firstenberg's Cult Favorite Will Be Seen in High Resolution for the First Time Since 1989
Riverbend, a 1989 action-drama film starring the inimitable Steve James, has been more or less out of circulation for decades. The film, which got an official release on VHS but has never been officially released on a higher-resolution format, came out in 1989 via Paramount’s Prism label. Now, ReelBlack Renaissance’s Michael Dennis, working with producer Valerie Vance, has rediscovered and restored the film.
Riverbend’s 6K restoration, overseen by Dennis and Vance, will finally get a Blu-ray release in 2026, and you can pre-order the first pressing of the new, feature-rich disc here.
In this episode of the Emerald City Video Podcast, Russ and Zach discuss the film and its restoration, and after that brief conversation, spoke with Dennis and Vance about the movie and its legacy.
If you’re interested in film history and restoration, please support ReelBlack. Anybody who buys a copy of the Riverbend Blu-ray, or donated $10 or more to ReelBlack, in the next 90 days can send me their receipt and I’ll happily send you a free PDF copy of Best Movie Ever: An Oral History of Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont’s Josie and the Pussycats (or, if you already have that, another ECV Analog book).
Check out all that ReelBlack does at their website: https://www.reelblack.com/riverbend-restored
If you’re in Santa Monica, California on October 14th, and would like to attend the premiere you can buy tickets here
https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/riverbend-10-14-25/
And on their YouTube
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Other recent stories to check out from Russ Burlingame:
- Josie and the Pussycats Directors Return to Feature Films With “Guys With No Friends”
- The Etymology of the Post-Crisis Superman
- Bruce Springsteen Just Announced A Box Set That Will Recontextualize His Whole Legacy
- Cleveland Guardians Announce Superman Night In the Stadium
