Alert Paul Rudd because 1988 gem/E.T. ripoff/McDonald’s spokes-movie Mac and Me is coming to 4K! This summer, Vinegar Syndrome will release Mac and Me in glorious HD courtesy of a newly scanned and restored version via the movie’s original 35 mm negative that will make you want to drive your wheelchair right off a cliff.
Here is Vinegar Syndrome’s official write-up of Mac and Me: “When a family of telekinetic extraterrestrials dying on a parched planet are vacuumed into a NASA rover and transplanted to Earth, they inadvertently become literal illegal aliens, on the run from the United States government! As his sister, mother, and father escape into the strangely familiar world of the surrounding desert, the youngest of the group becomes lost, eventually sneaking into the home of a wheelchair-bound middle schooler named Eric. At first unsure of what to make of the pint-sized space creature, Eric and his older brother Mike are quickly smitten and name their new alien friend, Mac (short for Mysterious Alien Creature). While Mac adjusts quickly to life on Earth, soon gaining a love for popular soft drink brands and fast food restaurants, he remains desperate to reunite with his family. But when gun-toting government agents track him down, Eric and Mike save Mac from capture and hit the road, hoping to help him find his family before it’s too late.”
As for special features, fans of Mac and Me will offer two new commentary tracks: one with co-writer/director Stewart Raffill & Jim Branscome of Cinematic Void, and another with film historian Wayne Byrne and Paul Farren. There will also be a new featurette with the cinematographer and camera operator, as well as new interviews with Raffill, designer/puppeteer Christopher Swift and star Christine Ebersole, along with an archival interview with Allee Willis, who wrote “Down to Earth”, the song featured in the movie’s McDonald’s sequence. Along with all of those comes an alternate climactic shooting sequence, an image gallery, trailers and TV spots. But if you thought all of the goodies were on disc only, you’d be mistaken because there’s also a 40-page book with numerous essays.
Mac and Me is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made for reasons beyond fathomability, but it’s also one of the reigning champs of the “so bad it’s good” category, a true party movie that’s best watched with a crowd. And what better way to do it than in 4K? Well, maybe a scratchy VHS would work better but if this is the treatment that Mac and Me will be getting, then we’re here for it!
Mac and Me hits 4K on August 26th, with the release limited to 10,000 units.
