On December 15th, VCI Entertainment proudly presents the global Blu-ray debut of the wild motorcycle gang classic Northville Cemetery Massacre: Special 50th Anniversary Special Edition, featuring a brand-new 4K restoration from the best available film elements.
For the first time on home video, the movie features the never-before-seen Director’s Cut with 7+ minutes of restored footage, presented in widescreen. The film is also available on DVD.
The Spirits Motorcycle Club, including members of Detroit’s Scorpions MC, takes a cross country ride to celebrate the wedding of two members. Chris (David Hyry) joins up with the gang with a promise of providing “refreshments” for the afterparty. The ride comes to an abrupt stop when the Northville cops arrest the Spirits for ignoring helmet laws. A judge gives the members an unorthodox sentence, but the punishment doesn’t dampen the matrimonial biker fun.
During the rowdy wedding at a farm, Chris is having a fling in the barn with local gal Lynn (Jan Sisk), when the cops show up to raid the wild nuptials. Deputy Puttnam (Craig Collicott) assaults Lynn during the bust and blames the attack on the motorcycle gang. The rogue deputy claims his hands are tied when it comes to arresting the bikers but proposes an off duty solution to Lynn’s furious father. The two team up with other concerned citizens to rid the town of the feared bikers.
Northville Cemetery Massacre doesn’t skimp on ammo, blood and gruesome special effects. Co-directors Tom Van Dyke and William Dear rev up the cinematic mayhem with a sniper aiming at the Spirits’ clubhouse, a drive-in theater shootout and a massacre in Northville’s cemetery involving a helicopter.
Nick Nolte (48 Hrs.) performed an uncredited voiceover for Chris, while The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith composed the rocking soundtrack. Nesmith and co-director William Dear would later collaborate on the influential Elephant Parts.
Special features include a new 2026 commentary by film historian Rob Kelly, including a conversation with filmmaker Tom Van Dyke, archival audio commentaries with director and producer Thomas Van Dyke and director/producer William Dear, Scorpions MC Commentary, Detroit Audio Commentary of Behind the Scenes, an archival photo gallery of the making of the picture, newly updated international poster, lobby cards and VHS covers, the original theatrical trailer restored in 4K, a 12-page collectible booklet containing an essay and artwork by filmmaker Thomas Van Dyke, Spanish subtitles, and the video featurette The 5K Restoration: 16mm Negative vs. 35mm IP.
