Home Entertainment Guide: January 2023

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

"Apocalypse Now Redux"
"The Aviator"
"Brokeback Mountain"
"The Burbs"
"Fletch"
"Jerry Maguire"
"Minority Report"
"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"
"Sing Street"
"Top Gun"

10 NEW TO HBO MAX

"Before Sunrise"
"Hereditary"
"John Wick" (1-3)
"Lawrence of Arabia"
"The Lobster"
"Matilda"
"The Menu"
"Strange Days"
"Tenet"
"Zero Dark Thirty"

14 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (Criterion)

Terry Gilliam may still be a Criterion fave ("Brazil," "The Fisher King," and "Time Bandits" were all previously released) but the legacy of the man has been impacted by recent revelations about his treatment of Sarah Polley on the set of this film. Criterion doesn't address that (and it's possible this edition was in production before the recent reports), focusing instead on a film that Gilliam's fans have long considered his most underrated. When it was released in 1988, this ambitious fantasy/adventure was a pretty sizable bomb, making under $10 million on a budget nearly four times that much. The Criterion release is one of their most robust in a long time with a meticulous 4K restoration overseen by Gilliam himself, a commentary that includes the problematic director, a new video essay, deleted scenes, and even a 1974 short by Gilliam titled "Miracle of Flight." 

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Special Features
New 4K digital restoration, approved by writer-director Terry Gilliam, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
Audio commentary featuring Gilliam and his coscreenwriter, Charles McKeown
Documentary on the making of the film
New video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns about the history of the Baron Munchausen character
Behind-the-scenes footage of the film’s special effects, narrated by Gilliam
Deleted scenes with commentary by Gilliam
Storyboards for unfilmed scenes, narrated by Gilliam and McKeown
Original marketing materials including a trailer and electronic-press-kit featurettes, as well as preview cards and advertising proposals read by Gilliam
Miracle of Flight (1974), an animated short film by Gilliam
Episode of The South Bank Show from 1991 on Gilliam
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic and author Michael Koresky

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"Bergman Island" (Criterion)

Mia Hansen-Løve has been earning raves for her latest drama, "One Fine Morning," but I prefer this 2021 puzzle box of a film, one that fascinatingly unpacks creative inspiration. In this movie, Chris (the consistently fantastic Vicky Krieps) and Tony Sanders (Tim Roth) travel to the infamous island of Faro, where Ingmar Bergman worked, lived, and set some of his films. Tony admires Bergman, but Chris is less infatuated with the filmmaking icon, partially because of his treatment of women. She explores the island while working on a screenplay about a woman (Mia Wasikowska, giving one of the best performances of her career) who travels to the island for a wedding and meets a man (Anders Danielsen Lie). The Criterion edition of this character-driven drama includes new interviews with both the director and star, along with a short film shot during the production by Gabe Klinger ("Porto"). 

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Special Features
2K digital master, approved by director Mia Hansen-Løve, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
New interview with Hansen-Løve
New interview with actor Vicky Krieps
Cast member Gabe Klinger’s short film Bergman’s Ghosts (2021)
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by film critic Devika Girish

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"Bones and All"

Luca Guadagnino, the director of "Call Me by Your Name" and "Suspiria," delivered one of his most divisive films in this story of young cannibals in love. Using the practice of eating human flesh as an allegorical jumping-off point for outsiders, "Bones and All" is the tale of Maren Yearly (the excellent Taylor Russell), who flees society when her father can no longer deal with the fact that she's a cannibal. On the road, she meets two men: the bizarrely unsettling Sully (Mark Rylance, going all-in) and the supportive Lee (Timothee Chalamet). What unfolds is a daring coming-of-age story that will be rewatched and reappraised far more than many of the most acclaimed films of 2022. 

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Special Features
A Look Inside
Luca Guadagnino: The Vision of Bones and All
Meet Lee
Meet Maren
Outsiders in Love

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"Cloverfield"

It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since Matt Reeves ("The Batman") and J.J. Abrams dropped this massive hit on the world. Cleverly using viral marketing that feels like it would be more difficult to pull off in today's oversaturated market, the hook for "Cloverfield" was wonderfully simple: a found footage alien invasion movie. Released almost exactly 15 years ago, it made over $170 million and led to two spin-off sequels with a reported direct sequel in development. Targeting fans who are probably also collectors, Paramount has released a well-designed steelbook with a 4K edition of the film and all of the previous supplemental material, including an informative commentary and deleted scenes.

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Special Features
Audio Commentary by director Matt Reeves
The Making of Cloverfieled
Cloverfield Visual Effects
I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!
Clover Fun
Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
Alternate Endings with Optional Commentary
Easter Eggs

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"Dawn of the Dead"

This might still be Zach Snyder's best film. And that's coming from someone who considers the George A. Romero original an all-time masterpiece. Snyder and his team, including stars Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames, knew exactly what to do to update the zombie classic for a new generation, and Shout Factory has gone back to the original camera negative to produce a brand-new 4K version of the horror/action film. The 4K is only for the unrated cut, but the 2K cut is also available in a special edition that, like most Shout Factory horror films, is LOADED with special features. Audio commentary, interviews, featurettes, deleted scenes. It's all here.

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Special Features
DISC ONE: 4K BLU-RAY - UNRATED CUT
NEW 4K MASTER STRUCK FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE (2022)
Audio Commentary With Director Zach Snyder And Producer Eric Newman
Optional English subtitles for the main feature
DISC TWO: BLU-RAY – UNRATED CUT
NEW 4K MASTER STRUCK FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE (2022)
Audio Commentary With Director Zach Snyder And Producer Eric Newman
Introduction To The Unrated Cut With Director Zach Snyder
Splitting Headaches: Anatomy Of Exploding Heads
Attack Of The Living Dead
Raising The Dead
Andy's Lost Tape
Special Report: Zombie Invasion
Undead And Loving It: A Mockumentary
Drawing The Dead Featurette
Storyboard Comparisons
Hidden Easter Egg
Optional English subtitles for the main feature
DISC THREE: BLU-RAY – THEATRICAL CUT
2K MASTER STRUCK FROM AN INTERPOSITIVE
Take A Chance On Me – An Interview With Actor Ty Burrell
Gunn For Hire – An Interview With Writer James Gunn
Punk, Rock, & Zombie – An Interview With Actor Jake Weber
Killing Time At The Mall: The Special Effects Of Dawn Of The Dead – An Interview With Special Makeup Effects Artists David Anderson And Heather Langenkamp Anderson
Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary By Director Zach Snyder And Producer Eric Newman
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
Optional English subtitles for the main feature

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"Death Wish"

Talk about a film from a different era. The trope of "you couldn't make that today" doesn't often hold water (it's usually employed by narrow-minded people who miss a time of less enlightenment), but this is truly a movie that feels fascinatingly dated. (The failure of the Bruce Willis remake strengthens that case.) Charles Bronson stars as a man whose wife is killed during a home invasion, and so he takes vigilante justice into his own hands. In the '70s, as crime was rising in major cities, people responded to the rage they were feeling toward a broken world. The film became a massive hit, leading to four awful sequels and a remake by Eli Roth. Kino Lorber continues their fantastic 4K Blu-ray work with this release which includes a new restoration from the original negative and a new commentary from a historian with expertise in Bronson. 

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Special Features
DISC ONE - 4K BLU-RAY
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE (2022)
NEW DOLBY VISION/HDR GRADE
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Paul Talbot, the Author of the Bronson's Loose! Books
Optional English Subtitles
DISC TWO - BLU-RAY
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE (2022)
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Paul Talbot, the Author of the Bronson's Loose! Books
Interview with Actor John Herzfeld
US and UK Radio Spots
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer (Remastered in 2K)
Reversible Art
Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
Optional English Subtitles

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"Imitation of Life" (Criterion)

The 1959 Douglas Sirk remake of this 1934 drama was already in the Criterion Collection (and, in my opinion, is the superior film) but this Claudette Colbert vehicle can now make an interesting companion to that release. Criterion has given the John M. Stahl drama a 4K restoration and included some bonus material that should deepen the historical appreciation of this work, including a new introduction by the brilliant Imogen Sara Smith and a new interview with an expert on African-American performers in the 1930s, who speaks on the work here by Louise Beavers and Fredi Washington. She also pens an informative essay.

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Special Features
4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
New introduction to the film by Imogen Sara Smith, contributor to The Call of the Heart: John M. Stahl and Hollywood Melodrama
New interview with Miriam J. Petty, author of Stealing the Show: African American Performers and Audiences in 1930s Hollywood, about the resonance of Louise Beavers’s and Fredi Washington’s performances
Trailer cut for segregated Black theaters at the time of the film’s release
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by Petty

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"Invaders from Mars"

Ignite Films is a new company that has released a lovingly restored 4K version of this 1950s sci-fi classic. One of the first films to show aliens in color, William Cameron Menzies' laid the groundwork for many sci-fi films. It's the story of a young boy who witnesses a flying saucer land in his backyard and questions if the adults around him have been taken over by, well, invaders from Mars. This limited edition release is a beauty, not just for the restoration but for excellent special features that include contributions from legends like Joe Dante and John Sayles. There's also a featurette on the restoration itself, revealing how important this work is to preserving film history.

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Special Features

Restored 4K original 1953 trailer and a newly commissioned trailer 2022
Interviews with star Jimmy Hunt, William Cameron Menzies’ biographer James Curtis and recollections of Menzies’ eldest granddaughter Pamela Lauesen
Featurette with acclaimed film directors John Landis, Joe Dante, editor Mark Goldblatt, special visual effects artist and two time Oscar Winner Robert Skotak (foremost expert on Invaders from Mars), and enthusiast and film preservationist Scott MacQueen
John Sayles’ introduction at Turner Classic Movies Festival in Hollywood, April 2022
Before/after clips of restoration – original negative and archival film elements - with film restoration supervisor Scott MacQueen
Restored segments in 2K of the Alternate International Version -- alternative ending and extended Planetarium scene
Gallery with original Press Book pages, behind the scenes photos from the restoration process
20 page extensive essay on the restoration process: “Invaders From Mars: A Nightmare of Restoration” by Scott MacQueen

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"The Italian Job"

One of the best action films of its era, Peter Collinson's "The Italian Job" has been selected by the experts at Kino Lorber for their increasingly impressive 4K treatments. A head of KL recently revealed at Sundance that their Blu-ray restorations have become one of the most successful portions of their business, and it's easy to see why. These releases take collectors seriously, not just in bonus features but in the 4K restorations, usually from the original camera negative. They just don't look as good on streaming. That's the case with this excellent release for one of Michael Caine's early hits. It also includes a ton of supplemental stuff, including two audio commentaries and documentaries about the making of this car-chase classic.

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Special Features
DISC ONE - 4K BLU-RAY
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE OCN BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin and Matthew Field, the Author of The Making of THE ITALIAN JOB
Audio Commentary by Producer Michael Deeley and Matthew Field, the Author of Michael Caine: You're a Big Man
5.1 Surround & Lossless Restored 2.0 Mono Audio
Optional English Subtitles
DISC TWO - BLU-RAY
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE OCN BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin and Matthew Field, the Author of The Making of THE ITALIAN JOB
Audio Commentary by Producer Michael Deeley and Matthew Field, the Author of Michael Caine: You're a Big Man
THE GREAT IDEA: 2002 Documentary
THE SELF PRESERVATION SOCIETY: 2002 Making-of Documentary
GETTA BLOOMIN' MOVE ON: 2002 Documentary
MINI ADVENTURES: 2009 Featurette
The Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Matthew Field
Original Theatrical and Re-Release Trailers
5.1 Surround & Lossless Restored 2.0 Mono Audio
Optional English Subtitles

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"Lars von Trier's Europe Trilogy" (Criterion)

Lars von Trier recently revealed that he might have to step away from filmmaking to deal with his health, dropping the riveting "The Kingdom Exodus" as a potential farewell. If that's the case, we can now look back more completely at his body of work, which started with three films often referred to as the "Europa Trilogy," now collected in one box set by the geniuses at Criterion. His first two films, "The Element of Crime" and "Epidemic" have been restored in 3K, and this third film, his breakout in "Europa," is now in 4K. But that's not all. The set also includes early short films from 1980 and 1982 that Von Trier made when he was a student. It's a wonderful set for LVT fans, the beginning of one of the most influential careers in international cinema.

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Special Features
4K digital restoration of Europa and 3K digital restorations of The Element of Crime and Epidemic, all approved by director Lars von Trier, with uncompressed stereo or monaural soundtracks
Audio commentaries featuring von Trier and others
Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier (1997), a documentary by Stig Björkman
Interview from 2005 with von Trier about the Europe Trilogy
Making-of documentaries for all three films
Programs on the films featuring interviews with many of von Trier’s collaborators
Two short student films by von Trier: Nocturne (1980) and Images of Liberation (1982)
Danish television interview with von Trier from 1991
Trailers
English subtitle translations for Epidemic and Europa and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all three films
PLUS: An essay by critic Howard Hampton

"The Menu"

Mark Mylod's dissection of haute cuisine and wealthy narcissism has become a bigger hit since it dropped on HBO Max, but it's also now available on Blu-ray and DVD for collectors and those searching for special features. Ralph Fiennes stars as a sociopathic chef who decides to put his latest customers (including Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) through their last meal. The film is funny, but I'm still not convinced it's as smart as it thinks. Just enjoy it on the surface and don't worry about the aftertaste. The special features here are a little thin but include three deleted scenes.

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Special Features
Open Kitchen: A Look Inside The Menu – Feast on the special ingredients of The Menu to see how director Mark Mylod and his formidable cast, the biting script and renowned chef consultants concocted the perfect recipe to bring authenticity and dark humor to the film's high-end culinary world.
First Course: Take a seat at the table as director Mark Mylod delves into some of the key ingredients that went into crafting The Menu. Meet the renowned chefs and food stylist who brought their culinary expertise to the set.
Second Course: Savor the world-building of Hawthorn, from kitchen "boot camp," to the meticulous details of the production design. Hear from the cast and writers about the director's naturalistic approach to capturing the nuances of the performances.
Dessert: Dig into the creation of the s'mores sequence as costume designer Amy Westcott explains the painstaking process of sewing ponchos made of actual marshmallows. The cast discusses chocolate hats and the absurd predicament of their characters.
Three Deleted Scenes

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"She Said"

A film that seeks to do for the #MeToo movement what "Spotlight" did for the Catholic Church, Maria Schrader's drama has an intelligent script and strong ensemble, even if I do wish the filmmaking was sometimes a bit more ambitious. Schrader focuses on two women, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, played by Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, respectively. Two of the best actresses of their generation, Mulligan and Kazan keep "She Said" moving, ably assisted by great supporters, including Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher. There are a few too many overwritten scenes, but the cast pushes through them to deliver a drama that never sags. I wish the Blu-ray included a bit more than just one lonely featurette, as the challenges of telling a true story in an empathetic and entertaining way could have been interestingly dissected in a commentary.

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Special Features
Breaking the Story - featurette

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"This is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection"

A Mosotho film that made this site's top ten in 2021, this fascinating, poetic drama was produced in 2019 and submitted for an Oscar in 2020. Whatever year in which you classify it, it's one of the most riveting pieces of filmmaking of the last decade, a movie that's an inspired choice for Criterion, not only because they've been accused of being a bit too White European over the years. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese's film is a poetic study of an 80-year-old widow preparing for the end of her life. Mosese provided an audio commentary on the new Criterion release and offered up three of his short films, which allow greater insight into the work that led to this one.

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Special Features
2K digital master, approved by director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
New audio commentary featuring Mosese and producer Cait Pansegrouw
Mosese’s short films Mosonngoa (2014) and Behemoth: or The Game of God (2016), along with his 2019 essay film Mother, I Am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You., with a new introduction by Mosese
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by novelist and playwright Zakes Mda

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