In The Heat Of The Night and sequels coming to DVD

More classic movie goodness from the folks at MGM: the explosive drama, In The Heat Of The Night (Special Edition) comes to DVD in January.

The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture, ‘In the Heat of the Night’ is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger – who won an Oscar for Best Actor for this performance – plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed African-American and Philadelphia police detective, comes to town, the two must betray culturally dictated conclusions of the other to grudgingly work together to solve the murder case. The movie was directed by Norman Jewison and also stars Warren Oates, and Lee Grant.

This disc will include an enhanced widescreen print of the movie, with a Dolby 2-channel surround audio track. Extras include an audio commentary and a trailer.

In conjunction with this terrific film, MGM is also releasing the two sequels that followed a few years later:

They Call Me Mister Tibbs (1970)

Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) returns to investigate the murder of a prostitute. The primary suspect is San Francisco political activist Reverend Logan Sharpe (Martin Landau), the last person seen with the victim. On the home front, after dealing with the criminal element all day, Virgil returns to his wife Valeri (Barbara McNair) and his two children, only to face the challenges of a family feeling the neglect of his spending too much time on the job.

The disc will include an enhanced widescreen print, a Dolby 2-channel surround audio track, and a trailer.

The Organization (1971)

Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is in compromising position with the police for his connection with a neighborhood anti-drug group. The group is known to have been involved with some illegal activities, such as stealing and destroying a large shipment of drugs. Though they pulled off their robbery without a loss of life, a dead body is found at the scene of the heist. Tibbs, now suspended, uses the anti-drug group’s help to find clues that will break up the large drug ring.

The disc includes a widescreen transfer, a Dolby 2-channel surround audio track, and a trailer.

All of these discs are scheduled for release on January 9th, with the very reasonable price of $19.98.

Keep ‘em coming, MGM…

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