A long-forgotten action film with a powerful social message has found new life, thanks in part to work done in Norristown, writes Stephen Silver for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Riverbend is a 1989 film about Black Vietnam veterans leading an uprising against a racist sheriff. It was largely lost after a limited release and VHS run. Decades later, filmmaker and archivist Michael Dennis tracked down a 35mm print and began the painstaking process of bringing it back.
The final restoration work took place in Montco at Norristown-based Reel Revival. Proprietor Austin Squitieri scanned and digitally repaired the film’s original negative. The effort included cleaning up scratches, repairing damage and reconstructing missing scenes. The detailed process slowly transformed a deteriorating print into a polished new version.
The restored film has already premiered in Los Angeles and is now headed to Philadelphia for its first local screening. Director Sam Firstenberg is expected to attend.
For Dennis, who founded Reelblack and teaches film at Temple University, the project is about more than one movie. It’s part of a broader mission to preserve overlooked Black independent films that risk disappearing from history.
With Norristown playing a key role in the restoration, Montgomery County helped ensure that a once “orphaned” film can now reach new audiences.
To learn more Reel Revival, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
