Home Entertainment Guide: January 2024

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

"Aquaman"
"The Babadook"
"Brawl in Cell Block 99"
"Dumb Money"
"The Florida Project"
"How to Train Your Dragon"
"John Wick"
"Jurassic Park"
"The Novice"
"Train to Busan"

14 NEW TO BLU-RAY

"The Apu Trilogy" (Criterion)

There are a lot of titles that I love because Roger Ebert loved them first. One of his greatest gifts was being able to spread his passion for filmmaking to peers and future generations, something that his writing still does every day on this site. He has written about Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy" several times, recognizing in these films a deep well of humanity, and perfect examples of what Ebert called the empathy machine. These are lives so different from our own, and yet so easy to emotionally understand because of Ray's deeply humanistic storytelling. He was quite simply one of the best to ever do it, and I love that Criterion has chosen this box set to upgrade to their stellar 4K collection, not just giving the films a typical home entertainment polish but working on 4K restorations with the Academy Film Archive and L'Immagine Ritrovata. This excellent collection also includes a great array of archival and more recent bonus features. It's a must-own.

Buy it here 

Special Features
4K digital restorations of all three films, undertaken in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and L’Immagine Ritrovata, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions
In the 4K UHD edition: Three 4K UHD discs of the films and three Blu-rays with the films and special features
Audio recordings from 1958 of director Satyajit Ray reading his essay “A Long Time on the Little Road” and in conversation with film historian Gideon Bachmann
Interviews with actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Shampa Srivastava, and Sharmila Tagore; camera assistant Soumendu Roy; and film writer Ujjal Chakraborty
Making “The Apu Trilogy”: Satyajit Ray’s Epic Debut, a video essay by Ray biographer Andrew Robinson
“The Apu Trilogy”: A Closer Look, a program featuring filmmaker, producer, and teacher Mamoun Hassan
Excerpts from the 2003 documentary The Song of the Little Road, featuring composer Ravi Shankar
The Creative Person: “Satyajit Ray,” a 1967 documentary short by James Beveridge, featuring interviews with Ray, several of his actors, members of his creative team, and film critic Chidananda Das Gupta
Footage of Ray receiving an honorary Oscar in 1992
Programs on the restorations by filmmaker Kogonada
PLUS: Essays by critics Terrence Rafferty and Girish Shambu, as well as a selection of Ray’s storyboards for Pather Panchali

"Blood Simple" (Criterion)

A child of the '80s, the early run of films by Joel and Ethan Coen was a formative chapter of my early film-loving. In fact, I even wrote a college film class paper on the thematic connections in their first four films: "Blood Simple," "Raising Arizona," "Miller's Crossing," and "Barton Fink." (I wish I could find it somewhere. It's probably in storage.) By the time I was a full-fledged film watcher, the Coens' stunning debut had already garnered attention around the world, but it still felt a bit underrated through most of their career, only really rising to the top tier of their career in the last decade or so. A great Criterion release helped, and it's nice to see that edition given a 4K transfer that's been approved by the creators, including the Coens and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld. The future director of "Get Shorty" also joins his collaborators on a great conversation about the film, accompanied by an even-better one between the Coens and the great Dave Eggers. All Criterion releases of Coen films are worth picking up. This one is no different.

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Special Features
Restored 4K digital transfer, approved by cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Conversation between Sonnenfeld and the Coens about the film’s look, featuring Telestrator video illustrations
Conversation between author Dave Eggers and the Coens about the film’s production, from inception to release
Interviews with composer Carter Burwell, sound editor Skip Lievsay, and actors Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh
Trailers
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by novelist and critic Nathaniel Rich

"Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968-1978" (Criterion)

It's hard to believe it's been over a year since the Sight & Sound poll revealed that Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" had been chosen by critics as the best film of all time. To kick off 2024, Criterion has included that masterpiece with seven other Akerman films from the era, including the beloved "Saute ma ville" and "Je tu il elle." Not enough? How about an unfinished film from Akerman herself that hasn't been available on disc before titled "Hanging Out Yonkers"? Want more? A new program by B. Ruby Rich, a new visual essay, and a documentary made during the filming of "Dielman." This box is a bar-setter for the year, a great collection of films with supplemental material that enhances the appreciation of not just these works but an entire career and an artist's place in film history.

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Special Features
New 4K digital restoration of Les rendez-vous d’Anna and 2K digital restorations of Saute ma ville; L’enfant aimé ou Je joue à être une femme mariée; La chambre; Hotel Monterey; Le 15/8; Je tu il elle; Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles; and News from Home, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
Hanging Out Yonkers, an unfinished film from 1973 by Chantal Akerman
Film-school tests by Akerman
New program on Akerman featuring critic B. Ruby Rich
New visual essay on Akerman featuring archival interviews
Autour de “Jeanne Dielman,” a documentary made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnès Ravez and Akerman
Interviews with Akerman, cinematographer Babette Mangolte, actors Aurore Clément and Delphine Seyrig, and Akerman’s mother, Natalia
Appreciation by filmmaker Ira Sachs
PLUS: An essay and notes on the films by critic Beatrice Loayza

"Coming Home"

Hal Ashby's films are often portrayed as light-hearted or whimsical due to the continued adoration for films like "Being There" and "Harold & Maude." However, one of his best films, and one of Roger's favorite films of Ashby's, was this 1978 war drama. Less of a commentary on the recently-ended Vietnam War than a detailed character study starring three of the best actors of the '70s, "Coming Home" was a massive critical and commercial darling, landing in the top 20 grossing films of 1978, and winning Jon Voight the Best Actor Prize at that year's Cannes Film Festival, starting his track to winning the Oscar in the same category. It also won Jane Fonda an Academy Award, and won for the excellent screenplay by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones. Forty-five years later, Kino Lorber has re-released the film on Blu-ray with an audio commentary that features Voight, Bruce Dern, and the legendary Haskell Wexler.

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Special Features
Audio Commentary by Actors Jon Voight and Bruce Dern with Cinematographer Haskell Wexler
Coming Back Home: Featurette
Hal Ashby - A Man out of Time: Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

"Cutting Class"

From a '70s Oscar winner to an '80s B-movie, the Home Entertainment Guide has something for everyone. Every once in a while, I'm blown away by the lavish treatment given a film that history has generally forgotten because it displays a great deal of respect for the fans of a cult classic like "Cutting Class," the 1989 slasher flick that was known mostly for giving Brad Pitt his first major role. Would it be getting a two-disc 4K special edition release if the casting director hadn't picked the instantly charming future star of "Ocean's Eleven"? Probably not, but that's what happened and so this direct-to-video slasher comedy gets an insanely detailed treatment that features a new 4K restoration from Vinegar Syndrome, new artwork, interviews with stars Jill Schoelen & Donovan Leitch, & much more.

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Special Features
DISC ONE - 4K BLU-RAY
TWO-DISC SET (4K BLU-RAY DISC/BLU-RAY DISC)
4K RESTORATION BY VINEGAR SYNDROME (2018)
Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Optional English Subtitles
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:33, HD)
Collectible LaserVision Mini-Poster
Reversible artwork (reverse side features MVD Rewind Collection Artwork and Rewind number sequence)
Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)(with Rewind number sequence on right spine)
DISC TWO - BLU-RAY
TWO-DISC SET (4K BLU-RAY DISC/BLU-RAY DISC)
Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Optional English and Spanish Subtitles
Interview with star Jill Schoelen (20:26, HD)
Interview with star Donovan Leitch (16:25, HD)
"Kill Comparisons" featurette (3:53, HD)
"Find The Killer and Win" VHS Video Store Retailer Promo (4:04, SD)
R-Rated / Edited Version of "Cutting Class" (91 mins, SD)
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:33, HD)

"The Devil's Brigade"

The excellent month for Kino Lorber continues with a 1968 war film starring legends of the time William Holden, Cliff Robertson, and Vince Edwards. Based on the book by Robert H. Adelman and Col. George Walton, "The Devil's Brigade" was the name given the 1st Special Service Force, a Canadian-American unit in World War II. Andrew V. McLaglen's film fictionalizes the unit's first mission in Italy, when they were assigned to take a German stronghold named Monte la Difensa. Fans of Holden, Robertson, or this era of WWII films might want to add this relatively unheraled genre flick to their collection, a Blu-ray that's accompanied by a commentary track from a historian and expert on combat films.  

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Special Features
Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin
Theatrical Trailer

"Inside the Mind of Coffin Joe" (Arrow)

José Mojica Marins is a Brazilian writer, director, and actor who became internationally influential under the stage name of Coffin Joe. Recognizing and hopefully elevating his legacy, Arrow Films has released an incredible box set of his most important work, loaded with special features, and even a collector's book with new writing on the iconic character and creator. Coffin Joe originally existed only as the bad guy in 1964's "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul," one of 10 films included in this incredible box set. All of the films have been restored in 4K (as best they can be with the elements available) and simply LOADED with special features. This is one of the best horror box sets in years, a must-own not just for fans of Coffin Joe, but for those who have never heard of him before too.

Buy it here 

Special Features
Brand new 4K restorations from the best available elements
Original lossless mono audio for all films (except Embodiment of Evil)
Optional English subtitles on all films
Coffin Joe: Against the World!, an illustrated collector's book featuring new writing by Tim Lucas, Carlos Primati, Jerome Reuter, Amy Voorhees Searles, Kyle Anderson, and Paula Sacramento
Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Butcher Billy
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by Butcher Billy
12 postcard-sized double-sided art cards
Disc 1: At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul
Brand new 4K restoration from a 35mm interpositive and a 35mm print
Archive audio commentary with writer, director and star José Mojica Marins, filmmaker Paulo Duarte and film scholar Carlos Primati (Portuguese with English subtitles)
Coffin Joe's Sadean Underworld, a new video essay by film scholar Lindsay Hallam
Damned: The Strange World of José Mojica Marins, the definitive documentary on the life and work of José Mojica Marins by André Barcinski and Ivan Finotti
Bloody Kingdom, José Mojica Marins' first short film with director's commentary
The Adventurer's Fate and My Destiny in Your Hands, excerpts from early works by José Mojica Marins
Theatrical trailer
Disc 2: This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse / The Strange World Of Coffin Joe
Brand new 4K restoration of This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse from the original 35mm camera negative and 35mm interpositive
Brand new 4K restoration of The Strange World of Coffin Joe from a 35mm interpositive and a 35mm print
Archive audio commentaries for both films with José Mojica Marins, Paulo Duarte and Carlos Primati (Portuguese with English subtitles)
Eccentric of Cinema, a new interview with author Stephen Thrower examining the early life and influences of José Mojica Marins
On Tonight's Horror Show!, a new video essay by film scholar Miranda Corcoran looking at the mythic figure of Coffin Joe within the canon of horror hosts
Alternative ending for The Strange World of Coffin Joe with commentary by José Mojica Marins
Theatrical trailers
Disc 3: The Awakening Of The Beast / The End Of Man
Brand new 4K restoration of The Awakening of the Beast from a 35mm interpositive and a 35mm print
Brand new 4K restoration of The End of Man from the original 35mm camera negative
Archive audio commentaries for both films with José Mojica Marins, Paulo Duarte and Carlos Primati (Portuguese with English subtitles)
The Strange Mind of Coffin Joe, a new interview with author Guy Adams exploring the esoteric aspects of José Mojica Marins
A Woman for Joe, a new video essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas exploring the complex gender politics of Marins' filmography
Alternate opening titles for The Awakening of the Beast
Theatrical trailers
Disc 4: When The Gods Fall Asleep / The Strange Hostel Of Naked Pleasures
Brand new 4K restoration of When the Gods Fall Asleep from a 35mm film print, the only known existing element
Brand new 4K restoration of The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures from the original 35mm camera negative
The Demonic Surrealism of Coffin Joe, a new interview with scholar and filmmaker Virginie Sélavy exploring the parallels between the work of José Mojica Marins and the European and South American surrealist movements
Delirium, Surrealism, and Vision, a new interview with author Jack Sargeant
Apostle of Evil, a new interview with Dennison Ramalho (co-writer of Embodiment of Evil) about his early connection to Coffin Joe
Mojica in the Snow: Tonight I Incarnate at Sundance!, footage of Marins attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2001
A Blind Date for Coffin Joe, a short film by Raymond "Coffin Ray" Castile
Theatrical trailer for The Strange Hostel of Naked Pleasures
Disc 5: Hellish Flesh / Hallucinations Of A Deranged Mind
Brand new 4K restorations of both films from the original 35mm camera negatives
Archive audio commentary for Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind with José Mojica Marins, editor Nilcemar Leyart, Paulo Duarte and Carlos Primati (Portuguese with English subtitles)
Aesthetics of Garbage: José Mojica Marins, a Complicated Icon, a new interview with filmmaker Andrew Leavold (The Search for Weng Weng) examining Marins' place in the Marginal Cinema movements of the 60s and 70s
Beyond Good and Evil, a new video essay by film critic Kat Ellinger
Theatrical trailers
Disc 6: Embodiment Of Evil
Original lossless DTS-HD Ma 2.0 and 5.1 audio options
Archive audio commentary with producer Paulo Sacramento and co-screenwriter Dennison Ramalho (Portuguese with English subtitles)
Learning from the Master, a new interview with screenwriter Dennison Ramalho
Fantasia Film Festival Premiere Footage, archival footage of José Mojica Marins at the film's premiere
Apprenticeship of Evil, an archival interview in which Ramalho pays tribute to José Mojica Marins and looks back on their friendship
Official Making Of and Experimental Making Of, two archival featurettes about the production
Deleted scenes with commentary by director José Mojica Marins
Visual Effects: Purgatory, an archival featurette with commentary by director José Mojica Marins
Storyboards, an archival featurette with commentary by director José Mojica Marins
Theatrical trailer

"Mean Streets" (Second Sight)

How do you feel about owning two copies of the same movie? What if it's a movie as phenomenal as Martin Scorsese's timeless "Mean Streets"? Because the truth is that last year's Criterion 4K release of the 1973 classic is a must-own, but so is the newly-issued 4K release by the U.K. company Second Sight, who put the same kind of love and care into their supplemental material as the industry leader. One has to imagine that the 4K transfer is identical, so what potential buyers probably want to know about most of all is the bonus features, which are pretty impressive. The 1973 promo video "Back on the Block" that was included on the Criterion release, along with the scene commentary from Scorsese & Amy Robinson and footage from a 2011 DGA event, do double duty on both editions, but Second Sight also includes a new commentary by two Scorsese experts, a new interview with the producer, and another archival featurette. Most interestingly, they include an entire feature-length documentary titled "Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood," about the writer Mardik Martin, who wrote not only "Mean Streets" but "Italianamerican" and "New York, New York."

Buy it here 

Special Features
Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
New 4K restoration supervised and approved by Director Martin Scorsese and Collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker
Restored original mono audio
UHD presented in Dolby Vision HDR
New audio commentary by Demetrios Matheou (author of BFI Films Classics Mean Street) and David Thompson (Co-Editor of Scorsese on Scorsese)
Scene specific audio commentary with Martin Scorsese and Actor Amy Robinson
Keep Moving Forward: a new interview with Producer Jonathan T Taplin
Saints and Sinners: Dr Catherine Wheatley on Mean Streets
2011 Film at Lincoln Center screening introduction, interview and Q&A with Martin Scorsese
Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood feature-length documentary
Archive featurette: Back on the Block
Archive featurette: Home Movies
Trailer

"Mudbound" (Criterion)

I can still remember the premiere of Dee Rees' Oscar nominee at the Sundance Film Festival. It was a stunning blend of old-fashioned storytelling and the powerful thrust of a current filmmaker with something urgent to say. I know the cultural wheel spins faster every passing year, but it feels like we've moved on too quickly from this excellent drama, so I'm happy that Criterion has partnered with Netflix to give it such an excellent home release. It includes a new commentary by Rees, two new documentaries, and a new interview with the production designer. The Netflix to Criterion pipeline has been controversial, but the truth is that their best films are getting buried by their own content machine. I'm happy to see Criterion try to unearth this one.

Buy it here 

Special Features
New 2K digital master, supervised by director Dee Rees and director of photography Rachel Morrison, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
New audio commentary featuring Rees
New documentary featuring Rees, composer Tamar-kali, editor Mako Kamitsuna, and makeup artist Angie Wells
New documentary made on set, featuring members of the cast and crew
Interview with Morrison
New interview with production designer David J. Bomba
Trailer and teaser
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
PLUS: An essay by critic Danielle Amir Jackson

"Odds Against Tomorrow" & "Run Silent, Run Deep"

The Kino Lorber love this week continues (we're going to start highlighting more older films for collectors rather than the stuff that most people are watching on VOD anyway) with a pair of films by the legendary Robert Wise. One of the most important filmmakers of all time could literaly handle any genre. He won Oscars for directing "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music," and also happened to edit a little film called "Citizen Kane." "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Haunting," "The Sand Pebbles." The guy is a king. And KL has re-released two of his films from the late '50s this month, both with new audio commentaries from film historians. "Odds Against Tomorrow" is a noir starring the incredible Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, and Ed Begley. It was technically released the year after a banger of a war film called "Run Silent, Run Deep" with two of the biggest stars of all time: Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. 

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"Odds Against Tomorrow" Special Features
NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Alan K. Rode
Theatrical Trailer

"Run Silent, Run Deep" Special Features
NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin
Theatrical Trailer

"The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming"

Another Hal Ashby movie! Sorta. This one was edited by the man behind "Coming Home" but directed by the incredible Norman Jewison, who just recently passed away. Released at a time when the Cold War was really heating, this satirical tale of a Soviet submarine that crashes of the coast of New England has a place in film history as the first major role for the great Alan Arkin, who is just fantastic here. Arkin made an impact from a young age, earning an Oscar nomination for his work in this comedy, alongside nods for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Arkin even won the Golden Globe. This is another pretty standard KL release with a historian commentary, but it's a good collectible for fans of this mid-'60s classic.

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Special Features
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Michael Schlesinger and Mark Evanier
The Russians Are Coming to Hollywood: Featurette with Director/Producer Norman Jewison
Theatrical Trailer

"Trainspotting" (Criterion)

It's hard to believe it's almost been three decades since Danny Boyle's sophomore smash, a movie that feels like it hasn't gotten the attention it deserves for its cultural impact. As a person who was in college when it was released, I can confirm that this movie felt major, a merging of form and music and culture in a way that felt like it had a vibrant pulse. People have written a great deal about the shift in independent filmmaking in the early '90s and the impact of Quentin Tarantino, but don't overlook "Trainspotting," a movie that felt like nothing else at the time. Criterion hasn't forgotten, giving the film an incredible 4K release with TONS of special features, including deleted scenes, new interviews, a 2008 documentary, a great music feature, and a commentary that includes both Boyle and Ewan McGregor.