Gold Ninja Video has announced The Devil Bear Blu-ray, a limited release that brings a long-lost piece of Canadian cinema to the public for the first time. The 1929 silent film has been restored in a new 2K scan from The Library and Archives of Canada and includes a substantial lineup of special features.
Description
The Devil Bear begins with a mutiny at sea over a chest of gold. The ship crashes along the shores of Lake Superior, where a hulking creature escapes the wreckage and disappears into the wilderness. As terrified locals encounter the beast, it earns the name that follows it through legend: the Devil Bear.
Barely seen since its brief theatrical run in the 1930s and known only through a handful of surviving stills, the film has remained unavailable for nearly a century.
Special features
Gold Ninja Video includes a generous collection of newly produced material documenting the film’s history and its place in early gorilla suit cinema.
- Two new Improvised Scores For THE DEVIL BEAR by Emily Milling and Andrew Shenkman
- Commentary on THE DEVIL BEAR by Justin Decloux (The Important Cinema Club)
- Everything’s Better With a Gorilla: A Discussion Between Stephen R. Bissette (Cryptid Cinema) and Justin Decloux about Early Gorilla Suit Cinema
- Lakehead Gothic: A Video Essay about The Devil Bear by Stephen Broomer (Black Zero)
- New Liner Notes by Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu, author of “The Best Picture Ever Made in Canada? Thunder Bay Films Limited and The Devil Bear.
- BONUS FEATURE: Canadian Film, The Viking(1931), with introduction by Justin Decloux.
Availability and release date
The Devil Bear Blu-ray is limited to just 800 copies and will begin shipping in January 2026. It is currently available to order from goldninjavideo.com.
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