Action The October Crisis of 1970

This special limited edition slipcover (designed by Dylan Haley) is limited to1,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

From arthouse to Canuxploitation, Canadian International Pictures (CIP) is devoted to resurrecting vital, distinctive, and overlooked triumphs of Canadian cinema. This label is focused on the countrys original cinematic boom years spanning the 60s, 70s, and 80s occasionally venturing past that period (and the countrys borders) to highlight the films of Canadas most inspired actors and filmmakers. Vinegar Syndromes sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing CIP’s brand new line of home video releases!

A gripping account of the crisis that shocked Canada.

In October 1970, the long-brewing tension between French and English Canada explodes onto the world stage after a group of Qubcois nationalists violently kidnap two prominent political figures, holding them ransom and issuing a now-famous manifesto. With a nation on the brink, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau responds by invoking the controversial War Measure Act, suspending civil liberties in Qubec, jailing hundreds without trial, and unleashing the Canadian Armed Forces on the streets of Montral. As tensions mount, local and federal leaders are forced to reckon in real time with shocking acts of political violence and unprecedented abuses of government power.

A masterclass in urgent historical filmmaking by National Film Board veteran Robin Spry (One Man), Action: The October Crisis of 1970 is a bracing portrait, expertly synthesizing a dizzying, watershed moment through archival material, news reports, and first-hand, on-the-ground footage. In league with the great political documentaries of the 60s and 70s and complemented here by its companion film, Reaction: A Portrait of a Society in Crisis Action remains a riveting account of the upheaval that shook Canada to its very core.

directed by: Robin Spry
starring: Robin Spry, Pierre Trudeau, Ren Lvesque, Robert Lemieux, Jean Drapeau, Robert Bourassa, John Diefenbaker
1973 / 87 min / 1.33:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0

Additional info:

• Region A Blu-ray
• Scanned and restored in 2K from the 16mm interpositive by the National Film Board of Canada
• Audio commentary featuring writer and film programmer Justine Smith
• Audio commentary assembled from archival interviews with director Robin Spry
• Tensions and Contradictions (2025, 16 min.) New interview with professor Zo Druick
• Making Action (2025, 15 min.) New interview with NFB curator Marc St-Pierre
• Alternate French language audio track
• Reaction: A Portrait of a Society in Crisis (1973, 58 min.) Spry documentary exploring a sampling of English-speaking Qubecs perspective on the October Crisis
• Booklet featuring a new essay by film critic/professor Tom McSorley and an essay by film journalist A. Ibrnyi-Kiss
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles