'Riot in Cell Block 11' Bound for Criterion Blu-ray

Don Siegel's 1954 prison drama will be sentenced to Blu-ray in April.

In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion says 'Riot in Cell Block 11' will be available on Blu-ray on April 22.

Early in his career, Don Siegel made his mark with this sensational and high-octane but economically constructed drama set in a maximum-security penitentiary. 'Riot in Cell Block 11,' the brainchild of producer extraordinaire Walter Wanger, is a ripped-from-the-headlines social-problem picture about prisoners’ rights that was inspired by a recent spate of uprisings in American prisons. In Siegel’s hands, the film is at once brash and humane, showcasing the hard-boiled visual flair and bold storytelling for which the director would become known and shot on location at Folsom State Prison, with real inmates and guards as extras.

The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature a new 1080p digital restoration, an uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements include: New audio commentary by film scholar Matthew Bernstein; Excerpts from the director's 1993 autobiography, A Siegel Film, read by his son Kristoffer Tabori; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara, a 1954 article by coproducer Walter Wanger, and a 1974 tribute to Siegel by filmmaker Sam Peckinpah; and More!

Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95.

You can find the latest specs for 'Riot in Cell Block 11' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 22.