Directed by James William Guercio
Written by Robert Boris
Starring Robert Blake, Billy “Green” Bush, Jeannine Riley
Running time 1 hour, 54 minutes
Now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber

by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring

Synopsis of Electra Glide in Blue per Letterboxd:

HE’S A GOOD COP… ON A BIG BIKE… ON A BAD ROAD.

A short Arizona motorcycle cop gets his wish and is promoted to Homicide following the mysterious murder of a hermit. He is forced to confront his illusions about himself and those around him in order to solve the case, eventually returning to solitude in the desert.

Is this a pro-cop movie? Or an anti-cop movie? Surprise! It’s both anti-cop and anti-hippie? It seems to suggest that cops can’t be trusted, but neither can anyone else.

What features make it special?

Brand New 4K Master
NEW Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Robert Boris, Moderated by Film Historian Alex Van Dyne (Manager of Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee)
Audio Commentary with Composer/Producer/Director James William Guercio
NEW Interview with Actor Mitchell Ryan
NEW Interview with Screenwriter Robert Boris
Introduction by James William Guercio
Theatrical Trailer
Optional English Subtitles

Why you need to add it to your video library:

When Electra Glide in Blue popped up on the list of upcoming Kino Lorber releases, I jumped at it. But I am not exactly sure why. It’s one of those titles I’ve had committed to memory for reasons I’ve forgotten. Might be as simple as its Monument Valley shooting location and James William Guercio’s love of John Ford.

What I loved about watching this was the look of the movie. It’s no surprise since Conrad Hall is an absolutely legendary cinematographer. But what I found fascinating were the clashing styles of the way the highway scenes are blocked versus the smaller/interior scenes. This definitely makes Electra Glide in Blue feel connected to the past–cops are the new “law”–as well as feeling extremely modern in the way it uses on-location interiors. It also made me want to revisit the first Mad Max again, as this definitely exists in a similar space. And the 4K restoration is just a joy to look at, even when the cops in the movie are being fascist pigs.

Electra Glide in Blue is now available on Blu-ray here.