Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.
The big news in the world of home video this week is the splashy entry of the Criterion Collection into the world of 4K UltraHD Blu-ray, and we’ve got all four of those films in this week’s column. But there’s much more to check out as well: horror and sci-fi faves on 4K, some lesser-known genre pictures on Blu, two by Warren Beatty, and more. Take a look below.
PICK OF THE WEEK:
“Citizen Kane”: Not trying to blow your mind with my hot-take contrarianism, but “Citizen Kane” is a pretty great movie. And that’s one of the oddest things about recommending it to new viewers at this point in film history – it’s acquired this reputation as The Greatest Movie Ever Made, and with that, a sense that it’s some sort of obligation to watch, a case of eating one’s cinematic vegetables. It’s anything but; Orson Welles’ sense of freedom and playfulness, the sense of a new kid in school getting away with something naughty, is present in every frame, and it remains to this day visually dazzling, narratively inventive, and witty as hell. Returning to Criterion (where it was the inaugural film of their original, laserdisc collection), the Blu-ray disc has proven problematic, but the 4K version is to die for. (Includes audio commentaries, feature-length BBC documentary, new and archival interviews, video essays, featurettes, television appearances, newsreel footage, trailer, student film, and an essay by Bilge Ebiri.)
ON NETFLIX:
“Procession”: Six survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic church join director Robert Greene (“Kate Plays Christine”) to create a film that’s part documentary, part drama, and part therapy, as they use the medium of film (and the process of its making) to reconnect with painful memories and former versions of themselves, and to grapple with what these monsters did to them. It is, to put it mildly, deeply upsetting – both in the details of these acts and the lifelong emotional damage it did to them. But it’s no dirge, either. As so many survivors do, these men traffic in straight talk and gallows humor, and there’s something deeply inspiring about the support they give each other – which, in many ways, no one else can.
ON 4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY:
“Mulholland Dr.”: Criterion truly went all out on its first batch of 4Ks, and this new edition (upgraded from their 2015 Blu-ray) of David Lynch’s 2001 head-scratcher is magnificent. Naomi Watts – in her stunning breakthrough role – is marvelous as a wide-eyed ingénue who arrives in Hollywood and is quickly embroiled in the peculiar mystery of a beautiful brunette (Laura Harring) with amnesia. As is his wont, Lynch takes this standby of genre cinema and turns it inside out and upside down, creating an inimitable mind-melt of Hollywood artifice, psychological unsteadiness, and self-deception. (Includes interviews, on-set footage, deleted scene, and trailer.)
“Menace II Society”: The so-called “hood movie” trend of the early 1990s quickly descended into rip-off and self-parody (and even actual parody) – but that fast flame-out does nothing to negate the considerable power of this 1993 debut from Allen and Albert Hughes, new to 4K and new to the Criterion Collection. The characters and their conflicts may have become tropes, but the Hughes brothers orchestrate these events with an overwhelming urgency and sense of inevitability, the dread of the gangsta lifestyle penetrating even the film’s more thrilling moments. Tyrin Turner is a sympathetic lead, holding on for dear life as things fall apart around him, but the takeaway performance is Larenz Tate’s electrifying turn as O-Dog, the very definition of a charismatic sociopath. (Includes audio commentaries, featurettes, interviews, music video, deleted scenes, storyboards, trailer, and essay by Craig D. Lindsay.)
“Uncut Gems”: And rounding out Criterion’s initial 4K quartet is the most recent contribution, Josh and Benny Safdie’s biggest commercial and critical success to date – and deservedly so. It’s an adrenaline-fueled embed into New York City’s diamond district, as seen through the eyes of a perennial hustler and inveterate gambler (Adam Sandler) who spends his life perpetually in pursuit of the next big score. Sandler has never been better, harnessing his considerable nervous energy and offhand charisma, and the entire supporting cast wows (though Julia Fox’s put-upon girlfriend and Lakeith Stanfield’s seemingly laid-back accomplice are the stand-outs). Darius Khondji’s cinematography really shines in the new format, which captures the richness and textures of his location photography. (Includes audio commentary, deleted and extended scenes, interviews, featurettes, audition tapes, screen test, short films, trailers, and essay by J. Hoberman.)
“The Hills Have Eyes”: Wes Craven’s second feature film (not counting the pornos!) is one of the most influential in all of horror cinema, cut from the “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” cloth, in which an extended family wrecks their car in the middle of the deserted and is terrorized by horrifying hill people. Craven’s direction is astonishingly confident – there’s a sense of craft here that’s not really present in his previous picture, “Last House on the Left” – and he turns what could have been silly, sub-Corman “Teenage Caveman” trash into something genuinely haunting. It’s all so sweaty and grimy that the deluxe 4K treatment from Arrow Video is somewhat surprising, but it looks incredible, as grainy and unnerving as it must’ve been in that initial 1977 release. (Includes audio commentaries, making-of documentary, interviews, outtakes, alternate ending, trailers and TV spots, and essay by Brad Stevens.)
“The Addams Family”: Film adaptations of ‘60s TV shows were all the rage in the 1990s, and most of them were terrible (See “McHale’s Navy,” “Car 54, Where Are You?”… ya know what, better yet, don’t). But they didn’t have a director with the energy and flair of Barry Sonnenfeld, who moved easily from Coen Brothers cinematographer to the creator of distinctively gonzo studio comedies. Aside from his distinctive visual aesthetic, his genius was in casting; it’s hard to imagine a better Gomez and Morticia than Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston, to say nothing of the then-unknown Christina Ricci as Wednesday. Here’s hoping this one sells well so Paramount gives us the 4K we really want: the even-better sequel “Addams Family Values.” (Includes introduction and new and archival featurettes.)
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”: Philip Kaufman’s 1978 version of the classic sci-fi story was the second of its four tellings to date, and arguably the best. Rather than camp up the tale, or keep it in it original 1950s era, W.D. Richter’s witty screenplay updates the story to the touchy-feely New Age environment of San Francisco in the late 1970s, and mines considerable humor from the “pod people” tendencies of those who got a little too deep into mysticism and personal healing. Donald Sutherland is top-notch in the lead, while Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum help create the necessary creepy vibes. KL Studio Classics‘ 4K restoration, as usual, is tip-top. (Includes audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, TV and radio spots, and trailer.)
“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”: I’ve never really understood the re-purchase appeal of Steelbooks, but if there’s a movie to have one for, it’s probably James Cameron’s souped-up 1991 sequel to his 1984 breakthrough film (and Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle). This Best Buy exclusive is being pushed as a big gift get, and that makes sense – and the movie inside holds up quite nicely as well, a reminder of a time when big blockbuster sequels could accommodate style and personality, while also delivering plenty of white-knuckle, roller-coaster thrills. (Includes audio commentaries, deleted scenes, making-of documentary, featurettes, alternate versions, and trailers.)
ON BLU-RAY:
“Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films”: Criterion caps off a banner year for box sets with this absolute banger, collecting the first five films in the “Once Upon a Time in China” franchise, directed by Tsui Hark and Yuen Bun, starring first Jet Li and then Vincent Zhao. They’re gorgeous period epics, rife with themes of honor, valor, heroism, and colonialism; the performers are charismatic, and the direction is like a live wire. But we’re mostly there for the fights, and they’re glorious: busy, energetic, frequently funny, and often majestic. A must-have for any serious connoisseur of Hong Kong cinema. (Includes new and archival interviews, documentaries, featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage, trailers, and essays by Maggie Lee and Grady Hendrix.)
“Reds”: Warren Beatty may have been just about the only personality in Hollywood who could talk a studio into parting with a big chunk of change to make a vast, wide-screen valentine to Communism. It was a passion project for Beatty, who directed (his solo debut), produced, co-wrote, and stars as John Reed, author of the Russian Revolution chronicle “Ten Days That Shook the World.” But it’s no polemic; in the grand style of Lean-era epics, Beatty weaves together adventure, humor, and romance, much of the latter courtesy of Diane Keaton as his love Louise Bryant, and Jack Nicholson as Eugene O’Neill, Reed’s rival for her affections. Grand and glorious, funny and humane, it’s truly (at risk of invoking a cliché) the kind of thing they just don’t make anymore. (Includes documentary and trailer.)
“Heaven Can Wait”: As a bit of a warm-up for “Reds,” Beatty did the multi-hyphenate thing on a considerably lighter picture – this 1978 remake of “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” which he co-directed (with co-star Buck Henry), co-wrote (with Elaine May), produced, and starred in as an affable quarterback who’s pulled out of his body moments before his certain death – by accident, so he’s put into another body as a make-good. It’s easy to dismiss “Heaven Can Wait” as fluff, but this kind of high-concept romantic screwball comedy isn’t easy to do either, and this is about as pleasurable a studio comedy as we saw in the ‘70s.
“Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”: Paramount hasn’t exactly kept John Hughes’ mini-masterpiece off the Blu-ray shelves, but their new Steelbook is sharp and sturdy, and the film itself is as wonderful as ever – a near-perfect holiday comedy, with odd couple Steve Martin and John Candy as, respectively, a stuffy yuppie and a scruffy traveling salesman who find themselves shackled together on an everything-goes-wrong trip home for Thanksgiving. The hilarity is expected; the warmth less so, and this remains the most heartbreaking indication of how much we lost when Candy died less than a decade later. (Includes featurettes and deleted scenes.)
“Giallo Essentials”: Arrow Video kicks off a new series of Italian thriller box sets – all of them previously released, sure, but bundled together as nicely-priced starter sets for those new to the genre (and its bright color palates, stunning music, and black-gloved killers). This one features three bangers: the early, moody, black-and-white gem “The Possessed,” the Franco Nero-fronted “innocent man, wrongly accused” tale “The Fifth Cord,” and the Australia-set, based-on-a-true-story mystery “The Pyjama Girl Case.” (Includes audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, trailers, and deleted scene for “The Fifth Cord.”)
“Slow Dancing in the Big City”: John G. Avildsen followed up the triumph of “Rocky” (and reteamed with composer Bill Conti) for this 1978 drama, which failed commercially and critically and has all but disappeared in the years since. Paul Sorvino stars as a New York newspaper columnist clearly inspired by Jimmy Breslin, who writes romantic stories about the city and its citizens but has never allowed one for himself. He finds it in a gorgeous neighbor and ballet dancer (Anne Ditchburn), and it’s kind of wonderful to see the charming Sorvino in this kind of role; he’s so good at playing tough guys and sad sacks that you might not guess he’s such a warm romantic lead. It gets a little schmaltzy by the end, but that’s how these things go; that minor complaint aside, this is a forgotten gem that’s well worth tracking down. (Includes audio commentaries and trailer.)
“Radio On”: The latest release from Fun City Editions is this underappreciated 1979 British film from director Christopher Petit, a black-and-white road movie in the style (and, in many ways, the feeling) of “Alice in the Cities.” It concerns a DJ traveling from London to Bristol following the suicide of his brother – and, per the title, listening to a lot of music along the way. But the plot is barely there; “Radio On” is a vibe, a stew of documentary, memory, and music, as evocative as it is striking and stylish. (Includes audio commentary, new and archival interviews, 1998 follow-up digital essay, trailer, and essays by Glenn Kenny, Jason Wood, Ian Penman, Chris Petit, and Rudy Wurlizer.)
“Blood-A-Rama Triple Frightmare”: The latest from the fine folks at AGFA gives us three cheapie exploitation pictures of varying quality; “Help Me… I’m Possessed!” is pretty dire, a loony bin thriller overstuffed with demented laughing and fevered overacting, but “The Night of the Strangler” is a delightfully scuzzy race-baiting murder mystery with a delicious twist (and Monkee Mikey Dolenz in a starring role), and “Carnival of Blood” offsets is incompetent gore and laughable dialogue with a palpable sense of carny sleaze and priceless views of early-‘60s Coney Island. But best of all, the disc comes equipped with drive-in bumpers and coming attractions, so you can activate the “Full Drive-In Experience” mode for four-plus hours of exploitation heaven. (Includes partial commentary on “Carnival of Blood.”)
“Keep an Eye Out”: Few contemporary filmmakers are working in the same unapologetically, sometimes off-puttingly, oddball key as Quentin Dupieux, whose previous efforts – including “Rubber,” “Wrong,” and “Deerskin” – display a cockeyed, deadpan sense of absurdist humor. That sense is more than present in this 2018 film (new on domestic Blu-ray from Dekanalog), which is kind of like a buddy cop movie by way of Samuel Beckett, sent entirely in a police precinct except for its inexplicable opening and ingenious ending. If you haven’t cottoned to Dupieux’s work by now, this one’s not going to change your mind. But if you like what he does, you’ll love this one too. (Audio commentary, rehearsal footage, make-up FX test, and theatrical trailer.)
“The Thin Man Goes Home”: Of the many things I’m thankful for this year, I must add Warner Archives’ dedication to “The Thin Man” series; we keep hearing rumblings of the label’s shuttering, but they’ve made it to the penultimate film in the franchise, so they may well get the whole thing out on Blu-ray, and hallelujah for that. As the title indicates, this 1945 entry (the first for director Richard Thorpe, taking over for the recently deceased W.S. Van Dyke) finds Nick and Nora visiting the latter’s hometown of Sycamore Springs, where they of course find themselves knee-deep in a murder investigation. It’s a good mystery, not that such things really matter; what’s important is that William Powell and Myrna Loy’s considerable chemistry, comic timing, and charming semi-drunkenness is present and accounted for. (Includes cartoon, comedy short, and trailer.)
“Party Girl”: “You get a hundred bucks for showin’ up,” she’s told. “After that, you’re on your own.” The “party girls” of the title are showgirls and maybe more, mainstays of private gangster get-togethers in early ‘30s Chicago, and Nicholas Ray’s 1958 drama focuses on one (Cyd Charisse) and the Mob lawyer (Robert Taylor) with whom she enters into a relationship of some affection, and some convenience. Ray brings his customary emotional intensity to the story, and the stickier their interactions get, the more interesting the movie becomes. Solid supporting cast, with Lee J. Cobb the standout as a drunken mob moss mourning the marriage of his celebrity crush Jean Harlow.
“Lullaby of Broadway”: A bright, silly musical extravaganza from director David Butler, as light as a feather and about as nourishing. Adapting Earl Baldwin’s stage musical, it’s a story of entertainers in transition and romantic possibilities, but the real draws here are the songs and dances, and they’re dazzlers. Gene Nelson is spectacular in the male lead (he’s a helluva dancer and a pretty decent actor), while Doris Day shines in the starring role – and whoever said she was some sort of sexless, squeaky-clean square never got a look at how she’s eyeballing Nelson in the “You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me” number.
