THE DEVIL AT YOUR HEELS (1981) - Blu-ray Release of Classic Documentary Directed by Robert Fortier

The Devil At Your Heels 1981 New On Bluray

Product Description: The story of a daredevil… Ken Carter wants to jump a car a mile

Seasoned stunt driver Ken Carter has spent the past 20 years risking his life jumping cars three times a week. Feeling the pain from decades of injuries, he recognizes the end of his career is near. But before he calls it a day, he’s determined to achieve legend status – by jumping a car a mile over the St. Lawrence Seaway. After spending his life savings building a rocket car, he joins forces with ABC’s Wide World of Sports to build a massive ramp and put all the pieces in place to make his dream a reality. When the network sends Evel Knievel to inspect, he’s shocked by the danger involved and concludes this is the “daredevil stunt that might end all daredevil stunts.”

An epic journey to the heart of one man’s dangerous obsession, THE DEVIL AT YOUR HEELS is one of the most beloved films ever to emerge from The National Film Board of Canada. Playfully narrated by celebrated Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, this immersion in the mind of an inspired – if overly ambitious – dreamer is often described as a forerunner to American Movie. CIP is proud to present this timeless cult classic alongside four shorts by director Robert Fortier, including his earlier Ken Carter film, The Mad Canadian.

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Movie Details

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Special Features & Extras

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MOVIE DETAILS

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Director: Robert Fortier

Starring: Gordon Pinsent, Ken Carter, Jim Deist

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 102 min

Rating: Not Rated

Language: English

Studio: Canadian International Pictures

Home Video Release Date: July 29, 2025

AVAILABLE FORMATS (Amazon):

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Blu-ray

VIDEO

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Blu-ray

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

AUDIO

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Dubbed:

Blu-ray: None

Audio Formats:

Blu-ray: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

SUBTITLES

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Blu-ray: English SDH

SPECIAL FEATURES & EXTRAS

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Scanned and restored in 2K from the 16mm interpositive by the National Film Board of Canada
Selected-scene commentary featuring director Robert Fortier
Daredevil Director (2025, 18 min.) – New interview with Fortier
New audio interview with Gloria DeMario (2025, 8 min.)
Keller on Carter (2025, 10 min.) – Rocket car designer Richard Keller on his collaboration with Carter
Long John Baldry interview (1989, 4 min.) – Archival interview with the musician who created “Ken’s Theme”
Someone Else’s Movie episode on the film featuring Becky Shrimpton and host Norm Wilner
Pure Cinema Podcast excerpt (2018, 9 min.) – Elric Kane and Brian Saur discuss the film
Pure Cinema Podcast introduction (2024, 8 min.) – Kane and Saur introduce the film at The American Cinematheque
The Movies That Made Me excerpt (2020, 7 min.) – Kier-La Janisse and Caelum Vatnsdal discuss the film
Ken Carter: World Record (1982, 25 min.) – Archival footage of Carter’s ramp-to-ramp rocket car jump on August 19, 1982
Aim for the Roses clip (2016, 6 min.) – Excerpt from John Bolton’s documentary chronicling a musical tribute to Ken Carter
Four short films directed by Fortier: The Myth and the Reality (1973, 5 min.), Metal Workers (1975, 10 min.), The Mad Canadian (1976, 10 min.), and Harmonium in California (1979, 29 min.)
New introductions to all four shorts by Fortier
Image gallery
Theatrical trailer
Double-sided poster
Reversible cover artwork