The Day of the Locust Limited Edition (UK Import) [Region B Blu-ray]

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray presents John Schlesinger’s savage, unsettling adaptation of Nathanael West’s novel as a devastating portrait of Hollywood’s false promises and moral decay. Set during the 1930s studio era, the film exposes the desperation simmering beneath the glittering surface of the dream factory.

Painter Tod Hackett works in a movie studio’s art department while observing the lives around him slowly unravel. He becomes infatuated with aspiring actress Faye Greener, whose ambitions exceed both her talent and the industry’s interest in her. As Faye drifts between men — including a bitter accountant, swaggering cowboys, and predatory hangers-on — Tod watches Hollywood’s illusions curdle into cruelty, obsession, and violence.

Directed with icy precision by John Schlesinger and written by Waldo Salt, The Day of the Locust builds toward one of the most shocking finales in American cinema, culminating in a nightmarish explosion of mob fury at a Hollywood premiere. Featuring haunting cinematography by Conrad Hall and unforgettable performances by William Atherton, Karen Black, and Donald Sutherland, the film remains a brutally relevant indictment of fame, fantasy, and spiritual emptiness.

directed by: John Schlesinger
starring: William Atherton, Karen Black, Donald Sutherland, Burgess Meredith
1974 / 143 min / 1.85:1 / English

Number of discs: 1