This “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD (and Blu-ray with bonus features) release is available from Arrow Video on April 8th, 2025.
In the 1980s, action pictures were a dominant force at cinemas. The names Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Willis, Russell, Norris, Gibson, Van Damme, and Segal (not to mention Ford and others) were all earning hefty paychecks, and their pictures were breaking box office records. But as the 90s progressed, the genre was starting to wear out its welcome. That certainly doesn’t mean there weren’t some big hits or that the pictures were all bad, but it started to become clear that the genre didn’t have as wide of an appeal as it once did. Movies like 1993’s Last Action Hero, On Deadly Ground in 1994, as well as Assassins, The Glimmer Man, Judge Dredd, Last Man Standing and The Quest (all from 1996) underperformed, and several of the other titles only made back a modest profit.
It may have been in part bad timing, but in the mid-90s actress Geena Davis, known for her memorable roles in Tootsie, The Fly, Beetlejuice, The Accidental Tourist (for which she won an Oscar), Quick Change and Thelma & Louise decided to try the genre out. She starred in two films back-to-back for her husband at the time, action director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger). This first was the costly flop Cutthroat Island in 1995, while the following year’s The Long Kiss Goodnight didn’t fare significantly better at the box office.
And that’s really too bad, because Davis proved herself to be a formidable action lead, and the two features were exceptionally entertaining. I personally had a great time watching them both in nearly empty theaters the weeks of their cinematic debuts. Alas, it took much longer for others to discover them. In fact, many have since noted that Goodnight marked star Davis’ final leading role, which is quite stunning given her talent and onscreen presence.
Arrow Video is now releasing a 4K Ultra HD “Limited Edition” of The Long Kiss Goodnight, which is one of the best action pictures of the 90s. The disc boasts a vastly improved image from the previous version, and comes with a bonus Blu-ray filled with new and archival extras that will inform curious parties about the history of the feature.
The story begins with small-town schoolteacher and amnesiac Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) getting ready for the holiday season with boyfriend Hal (Tom Amandes) and daughter Caitlin (Yvonne Zima). After eight-years of a seemingly perfect life, everything is uprooted when Sam begins having visions of her past. In the meantime, cash-strapped private investigator Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) also begins making progress on her case. After Sam appears on television during a Christmas parade, various violent figures from her past appear, including Timothy (Craig Bierko). As it turns out, Sam was once ruthless CIA assassin Charlene Baltimore, and accidentally assumed her cover identity after an injury. Now, her enemies, as well as the current heads of the CIA, want her to disappear permanently. Plenty of action follows as Sam/Charlene and Mitch uncover a dangerous plot involving a bomb detonation and try to save the day. While this is occurring, the protagonist struggles to reconcile her two different lives.
This picture was written by noted screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) and is filled to the brim with gruff but hilarious banter between, well, all of the characters. It also includes a great supporting cast featuring the likes of Brian Cox and David Morse. They all get their moments, but the highlights are the interactions between Sam/Charlene and Mitch. Between the witty verbal jabs, the role allows Mitch to react in shock and surprise at the lead’s transformation during the story, and offers more humor as he gets in way over his head (he even takes a few literal hits from his suddenly aggressive client). The two stars are hilarious together. What’s going on in the story is very deadly and serious, and so the amusing dialogue does allow viewers permission to laugh and have a good time during the proceedings.
With Davis as an impressively developed action lead, the film gets to play with genre tropes in interesting ways. She’s initially a seemingly normal mom who then turns into a killer, yet becomes angry at her alter ego, even disavowing her family at certain points. In between the laughs, the internal struggle is very interesting and well-handled as the protagonist tries to figure out who she really is. The script smartly suggests by the conclusion that, well, it is possible to be both. And of course, Jackson has a lot of fun playing a fast-talking man in over his head and in constant need of rescue.
Additionally, the snow-set action sequences are phenomenal. It is unusual to see so much of it in an action movie, and this fact, along with the interesting characters, really elevate this title. Early on, there is a wonderfully shot and edited showdown when the thugs show up at the lead’s door and the lead learns exactly what she can do. The well-handled action continues right through an elaborate shootout at a train station, a confrontation at a Niagara Falls location, which develops into a spectacular climax on the Rainbow Bridge. It is all a thrill to experience.
I owned the prior Blu-ray release of this title, and I can attest that the 4K Ultra HD edition is a big upgrade in terms of image quality. The original 35mm camera negative was restored and scanned for this transfer, and is also presented in Dolby Vision. There is a bit of natural grain here and there, but nothing distracting, and overall viewers will be wowed with the results. The detail is quite impressive, particularly during the elaborate action, with many more background details clearly visible. Director Harlin is Finnish, and there is a nod to his home country (in product seen in the hotel room) that was not as evident in earlier editions. Many of the exterior snowbound action scenes look absolutely pristine with vibrant whites. The film has never looked this good before.
The 4K Ultra HD disc includes a pair of film historian commentaries. The first by Walter Chaw is fine and provides some background details and his interpretation of the material. He notes that Davis and Jackson really did plunge into chilling water during one stunt. And, one of the major characters was originally slated to die, but was spared after test audiences rejected the idea. The speaker does seem almost apologetic at times for enjoying this film (he also sheepishly brings up Cutthroat Island). Yes, it has been nearly 30 years and some of the humor is of its era, but that is to be expected. And, there’s nothing wrong with the previously mentioned pirate movie. Like this film, Davis is great in her part, the action is spectacular, and it features a wonderfully entertaining, scenery-chewing Frank Langella as the villain. What’s not to like?
The second film historian commentary features a pair of speakers who are more openly excited with the movie and deliver their thoughts on it (one is an ardent defender of Cutthroat Island as well). It’s a bit higher energy and goes over more interesting trivia. This one is fun to listen to, as they discuss what appeals to them about the picture. They also offer opinions about why the film failed that I personally agree with. They note that Cutthroat Island had received a lot of bad press for its lavish budget, and production company Carolco was going bankrupt during production. That title’s failure certainly didn’t help this effort when the star and director returned with another action project less than a year later. They note that the ad campaign for The Long Kiss Goodnight was terrible and failed to highlight what was distinctive about the story, all of which I agree with.
It’s a lot of fun to listen to, but it would have been nice to hear comments from someone associated with the project who could share personal experiences. Heck, I lived in the area when and where this was shot and can offer readers trivia about the production and locations featured (many of which were very recognizable). For instance, the train station featured in the shootout is the CN Railway depot that was located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Now known as LIUNA Station, it was also used in the 2000 X-Men film for a station-based battle scene in that feature.
A trailer and an image gallery are also included on the 4K disc.
The “Bonus Features” Blu-ray has some great material in it. There is a recently recorded interview with co-star Yvonne Zima, who talks about how she was cast in the picture and what it was like working with Harlin and Davis. The film’s stunt coordinator goes over the incredible water-stunt and other elaborate gags in the production, which is very interesting to hear.
There is also a visual essay on how the movie tackles dueling identities, with references to other projects with similar themes (like The Bourne Identity), showing how this film dealt with them in a unique and exciting manner. Another excellent visual essay is focused on “domesticity and liberation,” specifically the Davis character and how she and the film handle the main character being torn between fulfilling a mother role and being an assassin. There is also another good visual essay about roles for “older” female actresses that details how Davis found it difficult to find parts after turning 40.
There is also a fun deleted scenes section, which actually contains two action scenes that were edited very differently. One involves the Sam/Chalene character skating and doing a triple-axel while shooting a carful of hoods. It seems that Harlin may have felt the spin was a little over-the-top and dialed it back in the final cut. The other involves part of a chase through Niagara which has some alterations.
Additionally, you will receive the original EPK with interviews including Harlin and the cast, a making-of and archival behind-the-scenes footage. As with other “Limited Edition” Arrow Video packages, it also comes with a reversible sleeve containing new and original artwork for the film, as well as a collector’s booklet with writing on the picture, a seasonal postcard from Samuel L. Jackson’s character, and a sticker.
The Long Kiss Goodnight is a fantastic action film and one that deserved to do much better during its original release. Perhaps people weren’t ready to see Davis as an action hero, or maybe the bad marketing and negative press from the previous collaboration between director and star doomed the movie. Whatever the case, there is no reason not to see and enjoy the movie now. Geena Davis has called it one of her favorite movies, as has Samual L. Jackson – both cite the great screenplay and its new twists on the action genre as reasons for their adoration.
If only audiences had embraced it back in the day, we could have seen more action pictures with Davis and the genre might have evolved into more fresh territory. Oh well. At least, If you enjoy these types of pictures, you can now pick up the wonderful-looking 4K Ultra HD “Limited Edition” of The Long Kiss Goodnight. You will most certainly be glad you did. It’s a blast.