For the First Time Ever, Blood In Blood Out (1993) is on Streaming

As of today, May 1 2024, Blood In Blood Out (1993) is available for streaming on Hulu. For many movies this would not be big news, but in the case of Blood In Blood Out it marks the first time it is available for streaming. In many ways, it is remarkable that the movie is available for streaming at all given it history. Indeed, many of the film's fans have accused Disney of burying it (Disney owned Hollywood Pictures, under which it was released).

Quite simply, Blood In Blood Out was not released under the best circumstances. The riots in Los Angeles that erupted on late April and early May of 1992 following the acquittal of the police officers who had beaten Rodney King made Disney CEO Michael Eisner concerned that the film could generate bad press for the studio. Its release was then delayed. On February 5 1993, test screenings were held in Rochester, New York, Tucson, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. A fist fight broke out at the screening in Las Vegas, convinced Michael Eisner that the film could lead to violence, even though no one had been injured in the fight.

Ultimately Blood in Blood Out would be released, but under the less provocative title Bound by Honor. It was released to thirty cities on April 30 1993. Unfortunately, it would prove to be a box office disappointment. Prior to the test screenings in February 1993, Disney had projected Blood In Blood Out to make  $40 million. Instead as Bound by Honor, only made a meagre $4.5 million. It should come as no surprise that it disappeared quickly from theatres.

While Blood In Blood Out  (under the title Bound by Honor), it would find its audience through home video and premium cable channels. The movie was released under the title Blood In Blood Out: Bound by Honor on VHS on January 5 1994. It began airing on such premium channels as Showtime and The Movie Channel in 1995 under that same title. It was on January 13 2000 that Blood In Blood Out was released on DVD. It is because of home video and its airings on various premium cable channels that it developed a cult following particularly among Chicanos. Despite this, it would remain unavailable on streaming services other than unauthorized, poor quality copies popping up on YouTube.

For myself, Blood In Blood Out is significant as it features an early performance by my dearest Vanessa Marquez, who plays the daughter of Montana, the leader of the gang La Onda in the movie.

At any rate, the fact that Blood In Blood Out is now available on streaming is a testament to its fans' tenacity in campaigning on the film's behalf. Although it has long been available on DVD and Blu-ray, it has not been shown on premium channels for years. Being available on Hulu then gives many greatest access to the film than they have had in years.