Joe (1970) Blows onto Blu-ray

“I’m the ‘Joe’ everbody’s talking about,” heralded movie print ads for director John G. Avildsen’s (Rocky) film Joe, proving that there’s truth in advertising. The modestly budgeted film would go on to become a multi-million-dollar box-office success, garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.

Peter Boyle (TV’s Everybody Loves Raymond) stars as Joe Curran, the titular everyman and unabashed hippie-hater. Joe, who equates hippies with everything un-American, finds a kindred spirit in Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick, Chances Are), an advertising executive who makes Joe’s acquaintance at a neighborhood bar, boasting that he killed a drug-dealing hippie (Patrick McDermott, The French Connection). Bill, pressed for facts by the intrigued Joe, recants saying that he was merely joking. But when a news report confirms the incident, vigilante justice akin to Taxi Driver is set in motion.

Joe, directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Norman Wexler (Serpico) and featuring the screen debut of Susan Sarandon (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), also stars Audrey Caire (They Saved Hitler’s Brain), and K Callan (American Gigolo).

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 107 mins
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; Color