Movies & TV / Columns
Reelblack’s Michael Dennis Talks Restoring The Action Classic Riverbend
Image Credit: Reelblack Renaissance
The 411 Interview: Michael J. Dennis
Michael J. Dennis is a director, producer, and film archivist who has been working in the film world, according to his IMDb page, since at least 1994. Dennis is a graduate of both New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the American Film Institute Conservatory, and has directed such movies as The Hardest Part (1994), Philly Boy: A Movie About M.C. Breeze (2002), The 13th Amendment (2008), Ursula Rucker: Poet (2008), and Savages, Servants and Specialty Acts (2020), among others. Dennis is also the founder of Reelblack, a film conservation and education entity focusing on Black film. Dennis’s latest effort through Reelblack is the full restoration and upcoming release of the thought lost 1989 action-drama Riverbend, directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring the legendary Steve James and Margaret Avery (the movie is set to be screened at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California on October 14th, 2025, with other dates in other cities to follow). In this interview, Dennis talks with this writer about restoring Riverbend, working with Riverbend director Firstenberg, the coolness of Steve James, and more.
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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you come to restore Riverbend?
Michael J. Dennis: I first knew about Riverbend back in the early ’90s when I worked at Video Library in Philly. I didn’t rent it—it looked like another straight-to-video action flick. Years later, my mentor Charles Woods put me on to it. He had about five copies on VHS in his collection, which told me there was something deeper there. Watching it through his eyes, I realized it wasn’t just explosions and shootouts. It was about Black Vietnam soldiers standing up against racism. That stuck with me.
In 2019, I posted the film on YouTube and, out of the blue, Sam Firstenberg, the director, emailed me—not to sue me, but to thank me. This was March 2021. Sam, Charles and I began talking and in December of that year a 35mm print in South Africa surprisingly showed up on eBay. I bid on it and won. This was during COVID so it took almost 4 months for it to arrive. Eventually, I had it scanned and discovered it was not only well- worn but about 10 minutes of the love story had been cut. With the help of Craig Rogers at Deaf Crocodile, we made a “Grindhouse 2K” restoration that premiered in January 2024 at the Denton Black Film Festival in Denton, TX.
BK: How long did it take to actually restore Riverbend? How difficult was it to make the restoration happen?
MJD: It’s been about four years start to finish, but really it’s been a lifetime of persistence, luck, and timing.
The biggest challenge was the rights. The movie had passed through so many companies it was by definition considered an orphan film. Nobody knew who owned it. It wasn’t until I connected with Dennis Doros at Milestone and got Valerie Vance on board that things opened up. MissingMovies.org was instrumental in getting the elements released by MGM/Amazon. We finally had the negatives and the original sound masters. In 2025, Austin Squitieri at Reel Revival did a full 6K restoration under Sam Firstenberg’s supervision.
BK: What was it like working with director Sam Firstenberg on the restoration of Riverbend?
MJD: Sam is an amazing collaborator. His positivity and enthusiasm at seeing his film rescued has been the driving force behind this project. If Sam was not the open and upbeat person he is, I doubt I would want to work this hard to see it through.
When I first uploaded the film, I was expecting a takedown notice. Instead, he thanked me. That’s rare.
During the grindhouse version, he was right there with me, helping figure out how to splice in VHS to fill the missing scenes. And when we got to the 6K restoration, he supervised the whole thing—from color grading and dirt removal to supervising our poster art (designed by Aaron Kai). Sam’s enthusiasm has kept the project alive. Without him, it wouldn’t feel complete.
Ultimately he knows what works and what he wants but respects the process and lets us all deliver our best.
BK: Is it appropriate to call Riverbend an action movie or is it more appropriate to call it a drama?
MJD: It’s both. On the surface, it’s pure late-’80s action—guns, explosions, shootouts. But underneath, it’s a drama about resistance and empowerment. That’s what makes it special. The action pulls you in, but the message is what stays with you.
BK: What is the mission of Reelblack?
MJD: Reelblack started as a way to share the films, interviews, and conversations about Black cinema that weren’t getting the spotlight. With Reelblack Renaissance, the mission is to take that further—actually restore and re-release the films that slipped through the cracks.
There’s no Black-owned boutique label doing this work. So we’re filling that gap. We want to bring these films back with care—commentaries, essays, documentaries—so they’re not just saved but contextualized. We’re reclaiming our history and making sure it’s there for the next generation.
BK: Are there any other movies that Reelblack hopes to restore in the future?
MJD: Right now the focus is on Riverbend. After that, I’m committed to reconstructing Clayton Prince’s The Black Ninja (2003), another fun genre flick in danger of being lost.
BK: How many theatrical release events have you planned for the restored version of Riverbend?
MJD: Right now 35mm showings are planned for the Aero in Santa Monica, CA on October 14th and The GAP Theater in Wind Gap, PA on November 15th with the digital restoration to appear on screens beginning in February 2026 and we will hit the major cities and hopefully book some international dates.
If you would like to book us, feel free to send me an email at [email protected]
BK: What sort of future release will Riverbend receive, either via home video (DVD or Blu-ray) or through streaming?
MJD: If everything works according to plan, Riverbend will hit Blu-ray on Juneteenth 2026, with streaming to eventually follow. The first pressing will be independently distributed. If people want to pre-order a copy, they can find out how at https://www.reelblack.com/riverbend-restored.
BK: What do you hope modern audiences get out of Riverbend?
MJD: I hope people see that Riverbend isn’t just a time capsule—it’s still relevant. It’s a story about Black soldiers who came back from war and decided they weren’t going to take oppression lying down. That spirit of resistance, of organizing, of fighting for dignity—that’s timeless.
And on top of that, I hope audiences just enjoy seeing Steve James, Tony Frank, Margaret Avery, Julius Tennon, and Alex Morris shine. These are incredible talents who deserve to be remembered. If people walk away entertained and also thinking about the bigger picture, then we’ve done our job.
BK: Just how cool was Steve James?
MJD: Steve was a veritable talent who was just beginning to take the spotlight when he died of pancreatic cancer in December 1993 at the age of 41. He played sidekick for most of his career. In Riverbend we get to see him shine as a leading man. He is simply fantastic.
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A very special thanks to Michael J. Dennis for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
Check out my review of Riverbend here!
Check out the official Reelblack website here!
Check out the official Riverbend Restored website here!
Check out the official Reelblack Instagram page here!
Check out the official Reelblack Renaissance Instagram page for Riverbend Restored here!
Check out the official Reelblack Facebook page here, official Twitter page here, and official YouTube page here!
Check out Michael Dennis’ IMDb page here!
Michael Dennis headshot image courtesy of Michael Dennis. All other images courtesy of Reelblack Renaissance.
