Like Love Jones,
Robert Townsend’s The Five Heartbeats
wasn’t a huge box office success when it first came out back in March 1991, but like Love Jones, its stature
has grown and has become more appreciated and loved over the past 20 years.
Directed by Townsend, who also co-wrote wrote the script
with Keenan Ivory Wayans, the film
charts the rise and fall, and rise again, of a five man singing group (played by
Townsend, Harry Lennix, Michael Wright,
Leon and Tico Wells) in a heartfelt love letter by Townsend to those great soul vocal groups of the 1960’s. It is
as sincere, emotional and compelling as any film ever made.
And, of course, the music is just fantastic.
Now Fox Home Entertainment has announced that they will be
releasing The Five Heartbeats in a new remastered blu-ray disc on Jan. 21st.
So far, Fox has not released any details about extra
features, but it’s impossible to imagine that there will not be some on the blu-ray, including a commentary track by Townsend and the actors, and a couple of other special
features.
Now if they would just release Townsend’s The Meteor Man on blu-ray….