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Kier-La Janisse's Spectacular Optical Expands
13 Apr
Summary
- Spectacular Optical now distributes films theatrically, via streaming, and on home video.
- First release is 'A Year in a Field,' documenting a Cornish standing stone.
- Restorations of 'Melody' and 'Pure Shit' mark North American debuts.
Spectacular Optical, the independent publishing imprint founded by genre veteran Kier-La Janisse, has broadened its scope to include theatrical, streaming, and home video distribution.
The newly formed distribution arm will showcase films selected by Janisse, with a particular emphasis on landscape and design, music and counterculture, and experimental genre cinema. This expansion is set to launch this month, with US home video distribution managed by Severin Films, where Janisse also works in acquisitions.
The inaugural release is Christopher Morris's 2023 documentary, 'A Year in a Field.' This film chronicles a year in the life of an ancient standing stone in Cornwall and is slated for a special Earth Day TVOD release on April 22, 2026, followed by a collector's edition Blu-ray.
Spectacular Optical is also partnering with Severin Films for a new 4K restoration of Waris Hussein's 'Melody.' Featuring music by the Bee Gees, this restoration marks the film's first official North American release in nearly fifty years.
Further enhancing its catalog, the company has initiated restoration efforts on Bert Deling's 1975 Australian underground film 'Pure Shit' for its debut on North American home video. This film, which depicts 24 hours in the lives of Melbourne junkies, was initially banned after its premiere.
Additionally, Spectacular Optical is handling Andrew Horn's 1984 melodrama 'Doomed Love,' which will receive its first worldwide disc release following a new restoration. The company has also acquired Paul Wright's 2017 folk horror film 'Arcadia.'
