Home Entertainment Guide: September 2022

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

"American Beauty"
"A Clockwork Orange"
"Clueless"
"Collateral"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"The Notebook"
"Resident Evil"
"Scarface"
"State of Play"
"This is the End"

10 NEW TO HBO MAX

"Elvis"
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
"The Fly"
"Good Will Hunting"
"Jerry Maguire"
"Melancholia"
"Michael Clayton"
"Pee-Wee's Big Adventure"
"We're All Going to the World's Fair"
"Young Frankenstein"

8 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

"Blow Out" (Criterion)

From the minute that Criterion announced they were joining the 4K game, I was hopeful that their release of Brian De Palma's masterpiece would be granted the upgrade treatment. That month has arrived with a true must-own for any film fan, one of the best movies of the 1980s. John Travolta stars as a sound technician who records a murder in De Palma's riff on "Rear Window," with a heady dose of late '70s and early '80s social commentary. The Blu-ray upgrade includes the previous special features, including the entirety of the director's "Murder a la Mod," and the booklet now has Pauline Kael's original review of the film. It's held up perfectly over the last four decades, tapping into a vein of American paranoia and inequity that still rings true today. 

Buy it here 

Special Features
4K UHD and Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack; DVD: Restored digital transfer
In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Interview with director Brian De Palma, conducted by filmmaker Noah Baumbach
Interview with actor Nancy Allen
Murder à la Mod, a 1967 feature by De Palma
Interview with cameraman Garrett Brown on the Steadicam shots featured in the film within Blow Out
On-set photographs by Louis Goldman
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Sragow and, for the Blu-ray and 4K UHD editions, Pauline Kael’s original New Yorker review of the film

Now streaming on:

"Elvis"

The king of spectacle met the king of rock in this massive success, one of the highest grossing films of 2022 (and the highest of Baz Luhrmann's career). I'm conflicted on some of it. I wish Luhrmann had just made an actual musical, as the performance scenes are phenomenal, really capturing the Elvis stage power in ways that no one else could. When Luhrmann tries to get serious about commodification of art and racial issues, the film falters under its own cliches. But the show half of the business here is remarkable, thanks not just to Luhrmann but one of the most star-making performances I've ever seen from Austin Butler. Also, fans should know that this movie was MADE for 4K, which really allows the film's vibrant colors and robust sound design to do their job.

Buy it here

Special Features
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
Bigger Than Life: The Making of Elvis
Rock 'N Roll Royalty: The Music & Artists Behind Elvis
Fit for a King; The Style of Elvis
Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis
"Trouble" Lyric Video

Now streaming on:

"Exotica" (Criterion)

The best film by the excellent Canadian director Atom Egoyan, this 1994 drama has been given a new 4K treatment from Criterion, accompanied by a new interview between the Egoyan and another Canadian luminary, Sarah Polley. The film alone would be more than enough reason to pick this up, and you really need to read Roger's brilliant Great Movies piece on the film. But get a load of the special features on this one, which include an entire second film (1993's "Calendar") and three shorts from different chapters of Egoyan's career. It's a mini-class in Egoyan that's led by his masterpiece but also gives a wonderful overview of why he matters. I love that new cover too, which is so much better than the salacious original posters and DVD art.

Buy it here

Special Features
New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Atom Egoyan and director of photography Paul Sarossy, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary featuring Egoyan and composer Mychael Danna
New conversation between Egoyan and filmmaker and actor Sarah Polley
Calendar, a 1993 feature film by Egoyan, with a new introduction
Peep Show, a 1981 short film by Egoyan
En passant, a 1991 short film by Egoyan featuring Maury Chaykin and Arsinée Khanjian
Artaud Double Bill, a 2007 short film by Egoyan, commissioned for the sixtieth anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival
Audio from Exotica’s 1994 Cannes Film Festival press conference, featuring Egoyan, Khanjian, actor Bruce Greenwood, and producer Camelia Frieberg
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by author and filmmaker Jason Wood

Now streaming on:

"Le Corbeau" (Criterion)

This brilliant drama nearly put a halt to the career of one of the most important filmmakers of all time. Released in 1943, it made everyone angry, from the Catholic Church to the Anti-Nazi Resistance, who saw it as too critical of the French people at a dangerous time for Europe. Clouzot was tried for collaborating with the Germans and banned from filmmaking, but the ban was lifted in 1947, and he would go on to direct such masterpieces as "The Wages of Fear" and "Diabolique" in the '50s. The irony, of course, is that "Le Corbeau" is about rumors and accusations, the kind of bad faith allegations that nearly destroyed the filmmaker. It takes place in a small village wherein people start receiving letters with deeply disturbing and personal allegations. The actual details of the missives don't matter as much as their very existence, and the unknown identity of their writer. Of course, Clouzot's film is about the danger of information more than any moral condemnation of the French people. The Criterion Collection has released this excellent drama with a new 4K transfer and an interview about the film with the legendary Bertrand Tavernier.

Buy it here 

Special Features
New 4K restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Interview with filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier
Excerpts from The Story of French Cinema by Those Who Made It: Grand Illusions 1939–1942, a 1975 documentary featuring director Henri-Georges Clouzot
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by film scholar Alan Williams

Now streaming on:

"Lightyear"

I've been defending Pixar against accusations of quality decline for years but it's getting harder and hard to do. I still think they're an important voice in filmmaking and love how they've been expanding the stories that are told through films like "Turning Red" and "Soul." However, this film is about as soulless as a corporate product can be. It is a shockingly hollow affair that purports to be the movie that Andy from "Toy Story" saw before he bought his Buzz Lightyear toys, but it's hard to believe this misfire would inspire any child to want to keep its memory alive at home. What's so shocking about "Lightyear" is that it's so deeply forgettable, never offensively bad but so lacking in movie magic that it's hard to even care about what's happening from scene to scene. Even the Blu-ray release feels a little slight for Pixar. I think there will be future Pixar masterpieces, but I'm increasingly concerned that it may take a major overhaul at the company for that to happen.

Buy it here 

Special Features
HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
Audio commentary
Building the world of Lightyear - Fetaurette
Toyetic - Fetaurette
The Zap Patrol - Featurette
Six deleted scenes

Now streaming on:

"Minions: The Rise of Gru"

While "Lightyear" is soulless corporate product, at least the "Minions" franchise never really pretends to be anything more. This franchise has become a juggernaut, producing toys, video games, and even theme park rides in its relatively short 12 years of existence. The second film in the "Minions" branch of the moneymaking machine ended up being one of the biggest films of 2022. Why? There's an entertaining simplicity to the Minions, creatures who pull from old-fashioned physical humor routines to allow viewers to completely turn off their brains. This time around, they help a young Gru ascend to ... oh, who cares, they're silly and they make people laugh. That's all that matters. And this Blu-ray is pretty stacked, accompanied by new mini-movies, outtakes, featurettes, and a cool new trend in animated home releases: lessons on how to draw some of the characters.

Buy it here 

Special Features
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
POST MODERN MINIONS (MINI MOVIE) – Experience one Minion's rise and fall as an artistic genius when he sneaks into a 1970's post-modern art gallery with a fellow Minion and unintentionally creates an explosive new art form that is declared by a snooty art critic as the greatest art he's ever seen. When the critic moves onto the next new artist, our Minion tries everything to get back in the spotlight, which accidentally leads to his next unexpected career.
MINIONS AND MONSTERS (MINI MOVIE) – Follow a newbie Minion as he joins three more experienced Minions in playing a 1970's fantasy role-playing game. After struggling to gain the skills needed to master the game, the newbie unexpectedly rises to the occasion and saves the day, earning him the magical crown and the appreciation of his buddies.
EXTENDED SCENE
OUTTAKES
CHARACTER PROFILES
GRU-VY ANIMATION – Join Steve Carell and the directors as they take us through the animation process. From Concept Art, through Storyboards and on to the Final Film, with every Gru-vy step in between explained in fun and fascinating detail.
THE '70S – FASHION, FOOD & FUNK – A behind the scenes look at the 1970's through the lens of MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU. From fashion to music, cultural phenomenon and back – the cast and filmmakers are bringing the 1970's to a whole new generation.
MINION MARTIAL ARTS – In this 1970s inspired martial arts movie throwback, we hear from the film's directors about their inspiration, how they created authenticity in animation, the role the many martial artists in the cast played to bring it to life and how you teach a Minion to fight.
HOW TO DRAW (& ANIMATE) WITH BRAD ABLESON – Co-director Brad Ableson shows us how to draw all of our favorite characters.
LAIR FLAIR: MAKE YOUR OWN MINION HIDEOUT – The Minions aren't the only ones who can build a secret lair — now you can, too! (And yours doesn't have to be built under Gru's bed.)
SUPER STYLE SHOP – The Minion uniform of overalls and goggles is timeless. Simple yet functional. But sometimes Minions have a casual day out and can abandon their work attire for something more fashionable. Here's how can create fresh new fashion for YOUR Minions!

Now streaming on:

"Sound of Metal" (Criterion)

Riz Ahmed's performance in "Sound of Metal" should have won the actor an Oscar. It's one of the most haunting acting turns of the last few years, proof that a performer need not resort to melodrama to be memorable. It's the vulnerable nuance in Ahmed's work here that's so unforgettable (and Paul Raci's supporting work elevates his co-star in exactly the right way). I'm happy Criterion picked this one out of their potential choices for recent releases and gave it such a stellar treatment, including a new interview, new program about the sound design, and a brilliant new essay from our former contributor, Roxana Hadadi. This movie has haunted me more than most dramas of the last few years. I think history will be very kind to it.