KILLER OF SHEEP (1978) - Criterion's Blu-ray & 4K Release of Charles Burnett's Drama

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Product Description: A quiet revelation of American independent filmmaking, Charles Burnett’s lyrical debut feature unfolds as a mosaic of Black life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders), a father worn down by his job in a slaughterhouse, and his wife (Kaycee Moore) seek moments of tenderness in the face of myriad disappointments. Equally attuned to the world of children and that of adults, Burnett—acting as director, writer, producer, cinematographer, and editor—finds poetry amid everyday struggles in indelible images that glow with compassionate beauty. Largely unseen for decades following its completion in 1977, Killer of Sheep is now recognized as a touchstone of the groundbreaking LA Rebellion movement, and a masterpiece that brought Black American lives to the screen with an aching intimacy like no film before.

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Find out more about this DVD/Blu-ray release after the jump.

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Movie Details

Available Formats (Purchasing Links)

Video

Audio

Subtitles

Special Features & Extras

Trailer and Clips

Pictures

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MOVIE DETAILS

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Director: Charles Burnett

Starring: Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 80 min

Rating: Not Rated

Language: English

Studio: Criterion

Home Video Release Date: May 27, 2025

AVAILABLE FORMATS (Amazon):

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• Blu-ray - Criterion Collection

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• 4K Ultra HD - Criterion Collection

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VIDEO

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Blu-ray

• Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Region: Region A/1

4K Ultra HD

• Codec: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Region: Region A/1

AUDIO

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Dubbed:

• Blu-ray: None
• 4K Ultra HD: None

Audio Formats:

• Blu-ray: LPCM Mono
• 4K Ultra HD: LPCM Mono

SUBTITLES

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Blu-ray: English SDH

4K Ultra HD: English SDH

SPECIAL FEATURES & EXTRAS

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• New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Charles Burnett, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring Burnett and film scholar Richard Peña
• New interviews with Burnett and actor Henry Gayle Sanders
• New appreciation by filmmaker Barry Jenkins
• Two short films by Burnett: Several Friends (1969) and The Horse (1973), with a new introduction to the latter by Burnett
• Excerpt from the 2010 UCLA LA Rebellion Oral History Project, featuring an interview with Burnett by film scholar Jacqueline Stewart
• A Walk with Charles Burnett (2019), a documentary by Robert Townsend
• Cast reunion from 2007
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Danielle Amir Jackson

TRAILER AND CLIPS

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PICTURES

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