I'm assuming that a new digital master has recently been struck from John Huston's glorious adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's story of wayward religion in the American South, as after years of invisibility, two DVD releases come along within two months of each other. The UK disc from Second Sight is released in just over a week, now an American disc has been announced for May by none other than Criterion, who I'll let summarise the film.

In this acclaimed adaptation of the first novel by legendary Southern writer Flannery O'Connor, John Huston brings to life a world of vivid, poetic American eccentricity. Brad Dourif, in an impassioned performance, is Hazel Motes, who, fresh out of the army, attempts to open the first Church Without Christ in the small town of Taulkinham. Populated with inspired performances that seem to spring right from O'Connor's pages, Huston's Wise Blood is an incisive portrait of spirituality and evangelicalism, as well as a faithful, loving evocation of one writer's vision.

Criterion's disc will have a new, restored high-definition digital anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer and the following extras:

• New interviews with actor Brad Dourif, writer Benedict Fitzgerald, and writer-producer Michael Fitzgerald;
• Rare archival audio recording of author Flannery O'Connor reading her short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find";
• Creativity with Bill Moyers: "John Huston," a 28-minute television program from 1982 in which the director discusses his life and work;
• Theatrical trailer;
• A booklet featuring an essay by author Francine Prose.

Wise Blood will be released on DVD by Criterion on the 12th May 2009 at the SRP of $39.95.