made in Vancouver, from October 15, 1979 to December 3, 1979. Various icons of Vancouver in that era are featured in the film, including the Pointed Sticks, one of the leading bands of Vancouver's punk era. Actress Sharon Farrell recalled that Hopper essentially "rewrote the script" for the film every morning, and that he mandated the cast meet each day at 5:00 a.m. to discuss the day's shoot. Release Out of the Blue was shown in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1980, a screening during which critic Rex Reed wrote was met by "boos, catcalls, and general nausea by shocked audiences who still cannot believe what they have seen." It was later released in Paris on April 15, 1981, Los Angeles on December 3, 1982, New York on April 8, 1983, and in Vancouver, Canada on December 3, 1983. Critical response The film has received praise for Manz's performance in the decades following its release. Roger Ebert wrote in his 3½-star review that "the movie escalates so relentlessly toward its violent, nihilistic conclusion that when it comes, we believe it." A review in the British publication The Guardian deemed the film an "accomplished dissection of fractured redneck family life," and declared Manz's performance as "stunning." The Boston Globes Bruce McCabe praised the film's direction and performances, and also discussed its controversial subject matter, which, though difficult to make the film marketable, "shouldn't be held against it." On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 95% from 38 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Led by Linda Manz's outstanding performance, Out of the Blue confronts the darker side of human nature with a baleful, clear-eyed stare." Home media Out of the Blue was first released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment in 1984, and again in 1988. Anchor Bay Entertainment released Out of the Blue on DVD on July 27, 1999. In 2022, Severin Films released a UHD and Blu-ray combination set of the film, featuring a brand new restoration, along with numerous new bonus materials and interviews. Severin also issued a standalone Blu-ray disc as well as a DVD edition, the latter of which features a portion of the extras included on the Blu-ray editions. Legacy Out of the Blue developed a cult following in the years following its release, and has been cited by film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum as one of the