With things constantly being swapped out or deleted from your favorite streaming service, a commitment to physical media should be stronger now than ever before. And thankfully both big studios and smaller boutique labels understand how important physical releases are.
We are running down the very best releases from May and June 2024.
“The Crow” (Paramount, $25.99)
What better way to get ready for the new iteration of “The Crow” (coming later this summer) than with this 30th anniversary, 4K edition? The movie, based on the cult comic book and perhaps known for the on-set tragedy that took star Brandon Lee’s life, follows a man who comes back to life to avenge the murder of his love. The second film by Alex Proyas, who would go on to make “Dark City” and “I, Robot,” “The Crow” is exceptionally visionary, with some of the stylistic hallmarks of later breakthroughs like “The Matrix.” Inspired in part by Hong Kong action movies of the day and, of course, its comic book source material, even with the sadness that surrounded the movie, it feels like a triumph. And the movie looks and sounds absolutely incredible, with a brand-new 4K transfer and the same excellent audio from an earlier version of the disk. Plus there are new special features alongside legacy features. What are you waiting for? Grab your white face paint and get this thing.
“Peeping Tom” (Criterion, $49.95)
Michael Powell’s “Peeping Tom,” about a serial killer who uses the leg of the camera to impale his victims, filming their final moments for his own pleasure, was released the same year as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” But instead of being widely celebrated, it proved ruinous for Powell. It was critically panned and effectively ended his career. Over the years, the movie gained back its reputation and is now considered a cult classic, if not an outright classic. Criterion released a version of “Peeping Tom” years ago on DVD, but now it’s back in a beautiful 4K package that is an essential for any film fan. The new 4K upgrade is spectacular, sporting Dolby Vision and HDR (the audio track is still a mono track), with a supplemental package that includes basically everything that came before, including two commentary tracks, an introduction from Powell superfan Martin Scorsese, and an hour-long documentary entitled “A Very British Psycho,” along with a more recent documentary detailing the restoration process that brought “Peeping Tom” back to life. Essential.
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros, $39.98)
One of the best movies of the year is, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the best home video releases of the year. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi masterpiece, which adds much needed heart, humanity and humor into the franchise. The 4K release gets a Dolby Vision compatible video transfer and Dolby Atmos audio mix, meaning that aside from the movie returning to large-format theaters, this is the best way that you can watch “Dune: Part Two.” There’s also a ton of behind-the-scenes featurettes, breaking down various aspects of the sci-fi extravaganza – from creating the world of the Fremen to, of course, what it takes to ride a giant stand worm. While you might have been expecting more extras (we’d love a commentary track or two), chances are that there will be additional releases of the title, festooned with even more essential special features. But yes, you still need this version.
“Narc” (Arrow, $49.95)
If you’ve never seen “Narc,” it’s a tightly wound thriller starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta. It was writer/director Joe Carnahan’s second feature after the Tarantino-indebted “Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane” a few years earlier, and established him as one of the freshest voices in American filmmaking. (It also led to him getting offered and briefly developing the third “Mission: Impossible” movie for Tom Cruise.) And it really is clever and incredibly put together (those split-screens). If you’ve never seen it, Arrow’s deluxe edition is very much worth picking up. Not only does it have a new 4K transfer supervised by Carnahan and cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy, but it has a boat-load of special features, included in a second Blu-ray disc that includes both newly produced documentary materials and archival materials from the movie’s initial release (including a commentary track with Carnahan and editor John Gilroy). If a hardboiled mystery is what you crave, look no further than “Narc.”
“Crimson Peak” (Arrow, $59.95)
Arguably Guillermo del Toro’s most underrated feature, part of a two-picture pact with Legendary Pictures that also gave us his outrageously fun “Pacific Rim,” “Crimson Peak” was sold as a bone-chilling horror movie but what he delivered was something more delicate and nuanced. It’s a Gothic romance, more “Rebecca” than “Rosemary’s Baby,” with a killer cast (Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain) and some of the best production deisgn the genre has ever seen. (And, yes, there are some creepy, del Toro-ian ghouls stalking around the titular manor.) It’s a movie that many have missed, so if you’re curious, and want to complete your del Toro library, then the new 4K edition from Arrow just can’t be beat. This has a great 4K transfer that was supervised by del Toro, a great DTS:X audio track and an abundance of features, including a director’s commentary, a “newly edited” hour-long documentary, featurettes and deleted scenes. Just like the movie, it’s a feast.
“Anatomy of a Fall” (Criterion, $39.95)
How many Palme d’Or winners do you have on your shelf? Time to add another! Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” which won the highest prize at the Canne Film Festival on its way to securing five Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director; it won Best Original Screenplay), is a direct-to-Criterion-Collection inductee. If that’s not enough for you to know that this movie is very special, we’re not sure what does. And the movie, part courtroom drama, part whodunnit, part Cassavetes-esque marriage story, is absolutely brilliant, as exciting as it is emotional. And thankfully, this disc brings the goods – terrific picture and sound, along with a lovely suite of special features, including a half-hour doc devoted to Triet, deleted and extended scenes, plus (of course) a small featurette devoted to the movie’s true star, Messi the dog. The only bummer is that it’s not a 4K disc.
“Girlfight” (Criterion, $39.95)
Karyn Kusama’s superb feature debut, starring Michelle Rodriguez in the role that would make her a movie star, gets the special features-stuffed edition that it rightfully deserves. Rodriguez plays a young woman in Brooklyn whose life is a constant struggle, as she maneuvers the realities of her socio-economic status and the cultural hardships of her school. She finds an unlikely outlet in a local boxing gym, where she learns how to fight for real. Gritty and authentic, while still maintaining the familiar, crowd-pleasing contours of the very best sports movies, “Girlfight” is a very special film that would herald one of our most original voices in Kusama, who would go on to make equally uncompromising films like “Jennifer’s Body” and “Destroyer.” This disc features a new restoration, plus special features that include a new documentary on the film, interviews with the editor and composer, plus commentary by Kusama and promotional materials. Fight on.
“All That Breathes” (Criterion, $29.95)
Shaunak Sen’s heart-tugging documentary follows brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad as they work to insure the falcon population of Delhi survives a truly debilitating amount of pollution. It’s a beautiful, unsettling documentary, one that presents climate change in an intimate, easily identifiable scale. This isn’t about a second ice age, but it is quietly apocalyptic in its own right, especially as the brothers themselves deal with their own health issues. “All That Breathes” also comfortably fits into the sub-genre of movies about humans and nonhuman creatures forming a bond that borders on friendship, even if they can’t totally understand each other (and definitely don’t speak the same language) and as such it is equally powerful. This being a Janus Contemporaries release, which Criterion offers at a lower price point and without the bells and whistles of full-fledged Criterion releases, there’s a brief (but fascinating) doc devoted to Sen.
“Rango” (Paramount, $39.99)
“Rango,” one of the few non-Disney-or-Pixar movies to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar (and rightfully so), finally comes to 4K. The movie, about a chameleon (voiced by, um, Johnny Depp) who is facing an identity crisis, eventually ending up as the sheriff in an old west-style town full of similarly freaky creatures, has never looked better, with a gorgeous 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation that highlights all the hard work delivered by Industrial Light & Magic. (The audio track is the same that adorned the earlier Blu-ray edition.) While there aren’t any new special features, the movie’s presentation, along with previously available special features on the set’s Blu-ray disc, make this more than a worthwhile purchase. This is a must-own disc for fans of director Gore Verbinski, animation loves and western aficionados. This is a movie for everybody and fun for the whole family. The 4K disc is definitely worth the splurge.
“Love Lies Bleeding” (A24, $35)
A24 has, admirably, been putting out some of their catalog titles on Blu-ray and 4K disc, selling them exclusive through their online shop. Earlier this year they gave us “Pi” and “Stop Making Sense.” And now they’ve brought us “Love Lies Bleeding,” their hit thriller that debuted at Sundance earlier this year before becoming something of an instant cult classic. (It’s an 1980s-set lesbian romance/bodybuilding thriller starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian and is very good.) The 4K disc is the way to go, with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, along with a plethora of special features including a filmmaker commentary with Rose Glass and co-writer Weronika Tofilkska, two new featurettes, and six collectible postcards featuring special photography by Beth Garrabrant, Anna Kooris, and Grace Pickering. The cover art, by Jiayi Li, is also exceptional. (A24 offered a print that quickly sold out.) One of 2024’s very best movies gets an appropriately must-own home video release.
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($39.98)
Godzilla is certainly having a moment, with the first Oscar win for the franchise earlier this year (for the wonderful, still-unavailable-in-physical-media-domestically “Godzilla Minus One”) and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” part of the western Monsterverse, becoming the highest grossing entry in the franchise. After “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the two kaiju have formed an uneasy truce, as they attempt to bring down a villainous giant ape from the earth’s core. You know, that old chestnut. Director Adam Wingard stages some inventive, visually sophisticated set pieces and wisely cedes much of the movie to the monsters, not the humans (including Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry making return appearances and a sublimely over-the-top Dan Stevens making his debut). And if you’ve curious how those showdowns came to be, this disc has you covered, with a number of featurettes devoted to specific aspects of the monster melee. Plus the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos presentation will insure that your next door neighbor will bang on the wall for you to turn it down. Exactly what you want.
“Mute Witness” (Arrow, $49.98)
One of the most underrated thrillers of the 1990s – about a mute woman working on a Russian film set, who witness a murder and is then stalked by the killers – hasn’t been available on home video since an iffy DVD decades ago. Now Arrow is bringing the movie to Blu-ray and, crucially, 4K, and it’s never looked (or sounded) better. The 4K transfer, supervised by director Anthony Waller, is a stunner and the 2.0 mix feels more active than it probably should. Plus there’s commentary tracks, visual essays, early promotional materials and footage of – spoiler! – the movie’s big cameo from Alec Guinness. If you’ve never heard of this movie but love the feeling that 1990s thrillers provided, this will be a blind buy that you won’t regret.
“Chinatown” (Paramount, $39.98)
“The exacting restoration was completed using the original camera negative, which was repaired using the latest technology in areas that had been previously damaged. The result is a sparkling 4K Blu-ray presentation that uses more of the best possible source than previous masters and faithfully captures the film’s distinctively dreamy and simultaneously realistic look,” thus reads the press release for the 4K edition of Roman Polanski’s masterpiece “Chinatown.” So, yes, it’s got an amazing new look and a dynamic Dolby True HD 5.1 soundtrack, plus new special features, legacy special features (including a Robert Towne/David Fincher commentary track) and, as part of the set, a Blu-ray edition of “The Two Jakes,” the Jack Nicholson-directed sequel to “Chinatown” that was meant to be the middle chapter of a trilogy but has been unfairly forgotten. The only trick is tracking down the disc – it’s currently unavailable on Amazon. Happy hunting!
“Bound” (Criterion, $49.95)
What a film! If you’ve never seen “Bound,” it was the directorial debut of the Wachowskis, who, just three years later, would unleash “The Matrix.” And in much the same way that “The Matrix” upended conventional sci-fi tropes, “Bound” takes a standard film noir concept and flips it on its head – instead of the moll and the thief with a heart of gold, it’s the moll (Jennifer Tilly) and the hot lesbian that was just let out of prison (Gina Gershon), who is working in the apartment next door. That’s all you really need to know about “Bound;” half the fun is watching just how the story zigs where you think it’ll zag. It’s an absolute delight. And while the movie was most overlooked upon initial release (aside from loud praise from Roger Ebert), it has become a cult classic in the years since. And it having a new Criterion Collection 4K disc should help its reputation further. The disc sounds and looks astonishing (especially if you, like me, hadn’t seen it since the initial theatrical exhibition) and it comes fully loaded with a ton of archival materials (including a commentary track), plus promotional materials and a new video essay. One of the great releases of the year. And a perfect double-feature with “Love Lies Bleeding,” come to think of it.
“American Gigolo” (Arrow, $59.95)
What a movie. If you’ve never seen “American Gigolo,” it feels downright miraculous, especially in today’s climate. It follows a male escort, played by Richard Gere, who falls in love with a politician’s wife (Lauren Hutton) while also being fingered for a mysterious murder. Also it was written and directed by Paul Schrader, who at this point had already written “Taxi Driver” and “Obsession” and written and directed “Blue Collar” and “Hardcore,” and produced by a young Jerry Bruckheimer. (Pretty incredible right?) This terrific Arrow release features a newly remastered transfer supervised by Schrader, with mono, stereo and 5.1 audio options (all the better to hear Giorgio Moroder’s transfixing score). Additionally, there are a ton of new interviews – with Schrader, cast member Hector Elizondo, and academics who discuss Moroder’s score and Giorgio Armani’s game-changing costume design, among others. Just wrap yourself up in this movie. It’s perfect for first timers and veterans alike.
“South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut” and “Team America: World Police” (Paramount, $25.99 each)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s brilliant feature films “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut” (celebrating its 25th anniversary) and “Team America: World Police” (celebrating its 2oth) arrive in 4K from Paramount. What a time to be alive. “South Park” is an uproarious sendup of Disney musicals, featuring songs that were better than Disney movies at the time (of course, at the Oscars, they lost to a Phil Collins song from “Tarzan,” something they lampooned on the show) and “Team America” is a spoof of Bruckheimer-backed action extravaganzas, done with marionettes in the style of “Thunderbirds.” Just having them look and sound as good as they did when they were first released is enough to put a smile on your face, but the discs are excellent, with improved visuals and sound and a host of extras (yes, even if you bought the Shout Factory “Team America” from last year). America, eff yeah.
“Matinee” (Shout, $39.98)
If you’ve never seen “Matinee,” it hails from director Joe Dante, director of “The Howling,” “Gremlins” and “Innerspace,” and it’s one of his very best movies. It takes place in a small Florida town during the Cuban Missile crisis, when a William Castle-style huckster filmmaker (played winningly by John Goodman) comes to town promoting his new exploitation movie. Atomic anxieties mix with the thrill of a new monster mutation, told from the point of view of some movie-loving kids in the town. It’s absolutely wonderful. And while thought of as a bomb upon its initial release in early 1993, it has grown to be appreciated as something of a lost classic. So it’s a huge thrill that Shout has put out a 4K release of the movie, with a new 4K transfer and Dolby Atmos mix (which gets a real workout during a sequence where the movie theater’s sound system is overloaded), and an abundance of delightful special features carried over from the movie’s 2017 release, along with some new interviews and a new commentary track. Sadly, the standalone version of “Mant,” the movie-within-a-movie is gone. But everything that has been added is more than enough to make up for the omission.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (Sony, $49.98)
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is a direct follow-up to 2021’s charming “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which introduced the Spangler family, ostensibly a new generation of ghostbusters, who would fight evil alongside the original, surviving busters. The sequence entrances further into “Ghostbusters” lore, with the Spenglers moving into the team’s old firehouse headquarters. There, they once again reconnect with the elder Ghostbusters, who team up to take down an ancient evil hellbent on freezing the world (and everyone in it). The movie eked out a profit. And this home video package is absolutely flawless, with outstanding audio/video (including a particularly active Dolby Atmos track) and a ton of special features, including mini-documentaries, deleted scenes and a commentary with co-writer/director Gil Kenan. “Ghostbusters” has a history of exemplary home video releases. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is another in a long line of must-own releases. Especially if you spring for the 4K disc.
“The Underground Railroad” (Criterion, $79.95)
Perhaps the most essential release of the past few months is the Criterion release of Barry Jenkins’ breathtaking “The Underground Railroad.” The ten-episode limited series, based on the Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, was released on Prime Video, all at once, in the summer of 2021. Nobody watched it. It didn’t win any Emmys (it was only nominated for two). And there was a chance that it could have been lost to history. Thankfully, a plum Criterion release will save it such an inglorious fate. And this set is beautiful, featuring all of the episodes looking and sounding amazing, plus a host of special features that will keep you enraptured, including a graphic novel version of an episode that had to be cut due to budget. The 50% off Barnes and Noble Criterion sale is going on right now, making this even more of a steal.
“Purple Rain” (Warner Bros., $33.99)
One of the greatest music movies of all time finally gets the 4K treatment. This edition looks and sounds unbelievable, with a new restoration and a new DTS HD 5.1 mix. If you’re just going to watch the movie, this is a no-brainer. Although this release is also somewhat controversial, with several special features that were meant to be ported over from earlier releases (including an MTV special from the premiere, a staple of the ‘80s that like so many things from that era have disappeared) are nowhere to be found on this edition. If you’re a special features junkie, then it might be worth it to keep your earlier editions. But if you want to see “Purple Rain” sounding and looking as good (if not better) than it did in the theaters, look no further. What an exceptional movie. And what an exceptional soundtrack.
