No Way Out: Early Kevin Costner gem getting a 4K release
by Chris Bumbray
No Way Out, one of the early movies that launched Kevin Costner to stardom, is getting a 4K release from Kino/ Lorber.
While most would say The Untouchables is the movie that made Kevin Costner a star, in many ways, Orion's No Way Out solidified his stardom. The film was shot before The Untouchables, with him scoring the leading role after being cast by Lawrence Kasdan in the Western classic Silverado (as a way to make up for cutting all his scenes from The Big Chill). *No Way Out *was the first time he headlined a big film on his own, and it was the perfect showcase. If gave him a chance to do action, drama and romance, with his backseat love scene with Sean Young noted as one of the steamiest in Hollywood history up to that point.
It was part of an essential three-movie deal that Costner signed with the now-defunct Orion Pictures, which included Bull Durham and Dances With Wolves, both of which helped cement him as one of the biggest stars of his time. However, No Way Out is often overlooked in his filmography. Here at JoBlo, we're big fans of this thriller, having done a Best Movie You Never Saw on it a while back. Alas, it looks like the good folks at Kino/Lorber also appreciate it, with the movie set for a 4K Blu-ray release this year from a new restoration of the original 35mm negative.
Here's their announcement:
Coming Soon on 4KUHD!Brand New HDR/DV Master -- From a 4K Scan of the 35mm OCN
NO WAY OUT (1987) Starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young & Will Patton -- Shot by John Alcott (Barry Lyndon) -- Music by Maurice Jarre (Witness) -- Directed by Roger Donaldson (White Sands). pic.twitter.com/2lDFraDfSk
KL Studio Classics / Kino Cult (@KLStudioClassic) January 28, 2024
While it hasn't been dated yet, this is a good one to watch out for. In it, Costner plays a fast-rising Naval officer whose mistress (Sean Young) is murdered by the Secretary of Defence (Gene Hackman), who was also seeing her. Costner's character gets set up as her killer and a potential Soviet mole, leaving him only hours to uncover the plot. It was directed by Roger Donaldson, a terrific journeyman director who keeps the pacing nice and tight.
Keep an eye out for No Way Out once it hits physical media, as it's well worth adding to your collection.