Weeds: Special Edition – MVD Marquee Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1987
Director: John D. Hancock
Writers: Dorothy Tristan, John D. Hancock
Cast: Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson, Rita Taggart, Mark Rolston, Lane Smith, John Toles-Bey, Joe Mantegna, William Forsythe, Anne Ramsey

Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 118 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Lee Umstetter (Academy Award® nominee* Nick Nolte, 48 Hrs., Warrior) is serving "life without possibility" at San Quentin - a life sentence, with no possibility of parole. While other men might give up hope, Lee puts pen to paper and writes a play about living behind bars. Performed with his fellow inmates it causes a sensation, winning him the heart of a local drama critic (Rita Taggart, Mulholland Drive) - and a pardon. Now a free man, Lee reunites his prison buddies to perform the story of their lives across America. With the harsh and brutal reality of a criminal's life behind them, Umstetter and his troupe get a new chance to experience a world they never dreamed possible." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2025 Director Approved 2K HD scan and restoration from 35mm film elements."

Weeds comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.6 GB

Feature: 28 GB

The source is from a new 2025 brand, but it has not been cleaned up and has other issues. There are times when flesh tones and colors look off, black levels are not convincing, and there are some compression-related issues.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. The subtitles have some grammatical errors. The audio is clear and balanced, and range-wise things sound satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a photo gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director John Hancock and Stuart Shapiro (25 minutes 16 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with John Hancock (15 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by John Hancock titled Sticky My Fingers... Fleet My Feet (23 minutes 28 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Sticky My Fingers... Fleet My Feet: A man who plays touch football with his friends tries to come to terms with aging.

Summary:

John D. Hancock directed Weeds. He’s known for Let's Scare Jessica to Death, Bang the Drum Slowly and Baby Blue Marine.

After several failed suicide attempts, a man serving a life sentence at San Quentin, resigned to his fate, changes his ways and discovers a new passion: reading. From there, he writes a play and convinces the warden to let him perform it with inmates as a way of rehabilitation. His play gains the attention of a critic, and the publicity she brings to it leads to him getting clemency from the governor. Now a free man, he’s determined to continue the work he started in prison, and he reunites with the convicts who had worked with him there. They then travel from San Francisco to New York, performing and refining the play for a wide range of audiences.

Weeds explores a side of prison life that is not as explored: rehabilitation. Where most films set in prison show the poor conditions and dangers inmates face from each other, Weeds is more concerned with how these things change someone. Instead of just letting inmates aimlessly live day to day, what if they had a purpose that changed some of them for the better? The narrative does a phenomenal job exploring this exact question.

Weeds is an ensemble cast in which all of the performances are outstanding. Anchoring Weeds is Nick Nolte’s (48 Hours) portrayal of Lee Umstetter, a convict with a life sentence who one day decides to write a play. He delivers a remarkable performance of a man whose new endeavor has truly transformed him through the experiences he has gained. Another performance of note is Rita Taggart (Straight Time) in the role of Lillian Bingington, a critic who brings attention to Lee’s play. Her character also begins a romantic relationship with Lee, and it is through her encouragement that he gains confidence. The rest of the cast is filled with recognizable faces that have gone on to have notable careers.

Weeds is filled with social commentary, and its exploration of how ex-convicts feel like they never left, despite gaining their freedom, is what drives its narrative. Another topic Weeds explores is how collectively we can achieve things that fail individually because of our clouded judgment. The most notable example is how Lee accepts others' opinions about reshaping the play, which is obviously not working in its current form. Weeds’ greatest asset is Angelo Badalamenti’s (Twin Peaks) exemplary score, which does a remarkable job reinforcing the characters’ highs and lows. Ultimately, Weeds is an extraordinary film about a man's search for humanity, which culminates with a perfect coda.

Although Weeds comes with a solid selection of extras, it is difficult to look past its lackluster audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer