| DVDBeaver are proud to announce voting results for the 2024 4K UHD and Blu-ray of the Year. I would like to give a very appreciative thank you to those 186 individuals who participated. A new record! Everyone's votes were counted in the totals and, like every year, we are adding occasional quote comments! This Year's Poll is dedicated to genre film historian, commentator, and author Lee Gambin (1979 - 2024). Lee wrote for film websites and publications such as Scream, Fangoria, Delirium, Diabolique, and Shock Till You Drop plus he ran the film society Cinemaniacs out of Melbourne, Australia and lectured on cinema studies. He authored many genre film books like Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film, "Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo," and "Hell Hath No Fury Like Her: The Making of Christine." In this very changing world we lost a valued member of our community. We will miss his infectious enthusiasm for film. RIP, friend. To help gauge 2024, we are privileged to have notable participants including some of my personal favorite Blu-ray/4K UHD commentarists; Tim Lucas! (author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark, The Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula, etc.,) Noir author and commentarist extraordinaire Alan K. Rode (Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film,) commentator, and DVD/Blu-ray extras producer Daniel Kremer, as well as author Peter A. Yacavone (Negative, Nonsensical, and Non-Conformist: The Films of Suzuki Seijun,) film historian, film critic, essayist, and audio commentator Stuart Galbraith IV (Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films: A Critical Analysis of 103 Features Released in the United States, 1950-1992,) physical media and film reviewer Eric Cotenas (Cineventures Blog,) Associate Professor, reviewer (https://www.koreanfilm.org) and author Kyu Hyun Kim (The Age of Visions and Arguments: Parliamentarianism and the National Public Sphere in Early Meiji Japan,) critic James-Masaki Ryan, Blu-ray Producer Chris Barwick, genre expert Gregory Meshman, Cinephile Gary Slatus, award-winning journalist Jeff Heinrich, globetrotting cinephile Geoff Dubois, author and Professor Richard Burt... among many others. Selections this year spread to a huge diversity of genres. No one can see every release in the year and how we have 'good' opinions is to have lots of them. _______ Please help out a fellow physical media advocate out with some pocket change each month. I'll keep you informed of new releases, occasional sales, a weekly newsletter, reviews of Blu-ray and 4K UHD titles, and more:
_______ Some of the most notable comments this year are in regard to:
_______ NOTE: Again, this year we didn't publish the vote # totals - it just complicated our already bloated formatting and complex tabulation. Let's get to it! (CLICK to access)
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COMING SOON! Before we get to the winners - let's look at upcoming 2025 4K UHD (and Blu-ray) Releases: NOTEs: Vinegar Syndrome's The Keep and Looking for Mr. Goodbar 4K UHD editions actually came out in 2024 (and have votes below) but quickly sold out and the standard 4K UHD versions are available on Amazon in January 2025, hence their inclusion. Punch Drunk Love in 4K UHD was a part of Columbia Classics Collection Volume 4 but is coming out individually by Criterion in February 2025.
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COMING 2025 (CLICK COVERS FOR MORE INFORMATION!)
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THE WINNERS - BOXSETS (boxsets contain
multiple films) (CLICK covers for more information) |
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First Place is
Severin Films' "All
The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror - Volume Two".
Unquiet spirits have gathered once again! This set brings together
24 films representing 18 countries for more of the best-loved,
rarely seen, thought-lost and brand-new classics of folk
horror. Special Features including trailers, interviews, audio
commentaries, short films, video essays, historical analyses and
bonus feature-length films; a 252-page hardcover of newly
commissioned folk horror fiction... Films include: To Fire You Come at Last Psychomania, The Enchanted Who Fears the Devil, The White Reindeer Edge of the Knife, Born of Fire, Lo Island Scales, Bakeneko: a Vengeful Spirit Nang Nak, Sundelbolong Suzzanna, Tthe Queen of Black Magic, Beauty and the Beast the Ninth Heart, Demon November, Litan Blood Tea and Red String, Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf Akelarre, From the Old Earth, The City of the Dead the Rites of May |
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| "The first set was probably the greatest disc curation experiment of all time, and it sold well enough that we should be getting a number of these going forward. Within this remit, many film archives are going to have a chance to bring a number of their unknown gems into the light of day. Extremely exciting times we have ahead!" - Chris Browne | |
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| "All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Vol 2 (Severin)– More excellent curation from Kier-La Janisse, whose work with Severin has been a perfect marriage of programming and critical analysis. Very excited to dig around this." - Jason Overbeck | |
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| 2nd Place) | |
| Second Place is Sony's Frank Capra At Columbia Collection. A 27 Discs set. Celebrate 100 years of Columbia Pictures with the filmmaker who elevated the studio to an award-winning powerhouse: Frank Capra! Featuring 20 films from Capra’s tenure at the studio, from silent pre-code rarities, comedic romps, action spectaculars, Best Picture winners and everything in between, this collection is a must-own for fans of classic cinema. The films are So This is Love, The Way of the Strong, That Certain Thing, Submarine, The Younger Generation, Flight, Ladies of Leisure, Rain or Shine, Dirigible, the Miracle Woman, Platinum Blonde, American Madness, the Bitter Tea of General Yen, Forbidden, Lady for a Day, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Lost Horizon, You Can’t Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. All 20 films presented in high definition on Blu-ray, with 9 films also presented in full 4K resolution on 4K UHD disc (with a mix of Dolby Vision and Standard Dynamic Range.) |
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| "Frank Capra at Columbia Twenty movies on 18 BluRay and 4K discs including numerous beautifully restored silent and pre-code examples. The silents are perfectly cleaned up, rock steady and, for much of the time, have great grain and contrast and always, period-correct scores. The piano playing by Daniel Sossin and Michael Mortilla is completely sensitive to mood and setting. The picture quality on the late silents and pre-codes suggests that the restorer had access to camera negative…especially for the 4K examples. I would say that this is the best set since Criterion’s Ingmar Bergman box, and all-the-more interesting because a major studio has made a significant bet on its history. Congratulations and thanks to Grover Crisp." - Lee Eiseman | |
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| "Apparently Indicator wanted to do something like this, but Sony already had their own Capra plans. Amazing that I get to see so many of the films here for the first time, and in such quality presentations!" - Chris Browne | |
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| "It is perhaps churlish to ask why Lady for a Day and American Madness are not upgraded in 4K, when this wholly unexpected and probably costly effort from Sony brings us so many other new 4K restorations, including Platinum Blonde. I hope and expect that this will be a “top three” contender and we fervently hope that “John Ford at Columbia” in 4K will follow." - Peter Andrew Yacavone | |
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| "Frank Capra at Columbia (Sony) – 20 films from Capra 1928-1939 with a mixture of UHD and blu that suggests they are just trying to put out the best available transfers and are not cutting corners that they very easily could have cut with the consumer being unawares. I don't really like the way the box is shaped but other than that, this is exactly the kind of legacy releases that we need studios to put out to celebrate their history." - Jason Overbeck | |
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| "A wonderful surprise. What a treat that all these films are collected in their best possible visual presentations in one place. Would love more like this from the Golden Age." - James Kemp | |
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| 3rd Place) | |
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This Place is Criterion's Produced by Val Lewton; I Walked with a Zombie (1943) / The Seventh Victim (1943.) Jacques Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie and Mark Robson's The Seventh Victim loom large in Val Lewton's impressive legacy that also includes, already released on Blu-ray, Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People, The Body Snatcher, Isle of the Dead, Bedlam, The Leopard Man and The Ghost Ship. As Imogen Sara Smith points out in the extras; both films in this set, at their core, are mysteries - each with a female protagonist as a make-shift detective attempting to assist another women suspected of being in danger. One is a catatonic patient who is a walking Zombie and the other is a missing sister. The coincidences don't end there as both gals come dangerously slow to a 'secret society' and, eventually, both fall in love with the husbands of the women they are attempting to help. I Walked with a Zombie is part of the primordial soup of 'walking dead films' and the second was controversial for its depiction of a devil-worshipping cult and subtle themes involving nihilism, existentialism and homoeroticism. The late Robin Wood told me that he saw something different every time he watched I Walked with a Zombie. I'm so pleased that both films are out on Criterion 4K UHD. |
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| "I Walked with a Zombie (RKO, Jacques Tourneur, 1943) / The Seventh Victim (RKO, Mark Robson, 1943) Criterion - This top-class double bill release allows aficionados to compare and contrast the legacy of Val Lewton at the top of his modest game." - David Redfern |
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| "I was able to see I Walked with Zombie at the Pacific Film Archive in 2003. I only have the DVD in the excellent Val Lewton Collection DVD set. It's nice to see it on blu-ray. The even more interesting and bizarre Seventh Victim makes for a fantastic double bill. Essential viewing for Tourneur / Lewton fans." - Richard Burt |
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| "I adore the Val Lewton produced horror movies and these two were the last remaining to make it to BR. Have been on my wish list for years." - bgmoir |
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| "Two films produced by the legendary Val Lewton given the Criterion treatment in 4K UHD. Both are strong on atmosphere with sophisticated stories and incredible black and white images that pop in 4K. The nihilistic Seventh Victim features Jean Brooks’ iconic hairstyle and a shower scene that foreshadows Psycho, while I Walked With a Zombie is based on Jane Eyre and established lanky Darby Jones as the image of what a zombie is supposed to look like, up until the advent of George Romero." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "I Walked with a Zombie / The 7th Victim (Jacques Tourneur, Mark Robson) Criterion - movies to be appreciated in a state of detachment. Artful & economic, Tourneur's is the most enduring of all zombie movies. Robson's 7th Victim is perhaps the most subtle movie ever made about witchcraft & evil." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "Both ‘I Walked with a Zombie’ and ‘The Seventh Victim’ are so dreamy. The shadows in the frame holding secrets that draw the viewer into the narrative and oak them in atmosphere. Fabulous release." - Neil Williams |
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| "I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim - Criterion - a double-film treat for classic horror and Hollywood fans, and fitting tribute to legendary producer Lewton." - Lewis |
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| "I Walked With a Zombie/The Seventh Victim (Criterion) - The Seventh Victim has been on my wishlist every year since doing this poll, so to get such a handsome looking 4K UHD was very pleasing." - James Laycock |
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| 4th Place) | |
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Fourth Place is Radiance Film's Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories. These Daiei Studio horror efforts naturally spark memories of Masaki Kobayashi's Japanese anthology horror Kwaidan from 1964. And why not? Tokuzō Tanaka's The Snow Woman was also based on a Yuki-on a short story as it appeared in the 1904 collection Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn. Daiei produced many artistic cinema including Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, Kenji Mizoguchi's Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu and Sansho the Bailiff, and Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell as well as several film series including Gamera, Zatoichi and Yokai Monsters. Daiei had its own professional baseball team in the 1950s, the Daiei Stars. Nobuo Nakagawa's The Ghost of Yotsuya was based on the kabuki play Yotsuya Kaidan and involves a female spirit unable to rest until extracting revenge. The Bride from Hades (aka "A Ghost Story of Peonies and Stone Lanterns", "Ghost Beauty", "My Bride Is a Ghost", "The Bride from Hell" etc.) deals with a widowed samurai and his consequences of having sex, and falling in love, with a ghost. You may recognize Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimura (Ikiru) briefly in The Bride from Hades. I really enjoyed all three but was the most spooked by The Snow Woman where, in the midst of a snow storm, an evil witch infests herself into the lives of a master sculptor and his apprentice. There are erotic hints in each of this trifecta of 'ghost' films with lust, obsession, sex with the dead, and haunting dreams. The Radiance Films Blu-ray package will get votes in our year-end poll. It's such a 'keeper' with perfect timing being released right before Halloween. Strongly recommended. |
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| "Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories (Radiance Films, UK) - This was my most recommended release of the year, and hope that further volumes of Daiei Gothic will maintain the standard and expand my horizons. Each film is magical, but a particular favourite was ‘The Snow Woman’ which explored traditional Japanese tropes with exhilarating editing techniques, that, again brought my pause and reverse buttons into action. Entrancing, original filmmaking that has haunted me since. In the words of DVD Beaver: “Absolutely Recommended." - Neil Williams | |
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| "Another set I absolutely devoured. All three films in two days. Watched every special feature. Read every essay. Just phenomenal stuff here." - Ryan | |
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| 5th Place) | |
| Fifth Place is Studiocanal's Hitchcock - The Beginning. For the first time on Blu-ray, featuring new restorations and scores, experience 10 of Alfred Hitchcock’s early works. From the silent film era to the first talkies, this 11-disc set also contains a newly commissioned, full-length documentary, Becoming Hitchcock, exploring the director’s first sound picture, Blackmail. In 1929, Hitchcock directed Blackmail, the first British sound feature, hailed as a film which “used sound and dialogue with more flair and imagination than any Hollywood or European film of the time.” Hitchcock’s inventive and expressionist use of sound demonstrated that the new technology opened a new realm of possibilities. The films are The Ring (1927), The Farmer's Wife (1928), Champagne (1928), The Manxman (1929), Blackmail (1929), Juno & the Paycock (1930), Murder! (1930), The Skin Game (1931), Rich and Strange (1931) and Number Seventeen (1932) |
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| "Included are 10 rare Alfred Hitchcock 'sound and silent versions' from important restorations from BFI and Studiocanal. These blow away the old DVDs - making 2024 another banner year for The Master with "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" to Blu-ray, "North by Northwest" and "To Catch a Thief" to 4K UHD. All essential." - Tony G. | |
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| 6th Place) |
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Sixth Place goes
to Masters of Cinema's "Louis
Feuillade: The Complete Crime Serials (1913-1918)" An
early cinematic pioneer with an undeniably pervasive influence,
Louis Feuillade made hundreds of films in a short career spanning
only a few decades. Today, he is best remembered for his landmark
serials Fantômas, Les Vampires, Judex and
Tih Minh, four crime epics that have had an immeasurable impact
on popular culture around the globe. Adapted from a series of popular novels by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, Fantômas stars René Navarre as the eponymous criminal mastermind. Across the serial’s five episodes, Fantômas is pursued by Inspector Juve (Edmund Breon) and newspaper reporter Jérôme Fandor (Georges Melchior) as he carries out his nefarious schemes. In Les Vampires, journalist Philippe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) attempts to investigate an enigmatic criminal gang operating in the Parisian underworld – a group known only as the Vampires. In Judex, a mysterious vigilante (René Cresté) sets out to bring down a corrupt banker named Favraux (Louis Leubas). Finally, in Tih Minh, a young man (Cresté) returning from an expedition in Indochina becomes embroiled in a game of espionage and thievery with a gang of mysterious jewel thieves. |
| Feuillade’s crime serials had an enormous impact on some of the greatest filmmakers of the twentieth century, chiefly Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock. They also played an important role in the development of the criminal mastermind and masked vigilante characters that would proliferate in pulp magazines, film, television, radio and comic books over the next few decades, including Dr Mabuse, The Shadow and Diabolik. Feuillade’s celebrated serials are collected here in their entirety alongside a wealth of special features. | |
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| "An incredible set that's already sold out, showing there's still a lot of demand for ambitious niche collections of classics from the early days of cinema. A mammoth release and true delight from Eureka." - Lewis |
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| "There's something really satisfying about owning a well curated, beautifully presented blu ray boxset and there were some terrific examples from Radiance, Imprint & Indicator this year. But the Louis Feuillade set was such a surprise and looked like Eureka had drawn inspiration from the competition with their gorgeously designed Indicator-style set." - Steve Rutt |
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| "I could not resist ordering this incredible nine disc set of all four Feuillade serials from Masters of Cinema. Now I already own both the Kino blu-rays of Fantamas and Vampires. I also own them on DVD and I own Judex on DVD too. And I own a blu-ray of Tih-Minh. But this set is magnificent. The superb packaging looks just like the Masters of Cinema Jacques Rivette Collection. There are numerous brand new supplements. (It lists as $259.96 on Amazon now.) Louis Fouillade: The Complete Series is a must have upgrade for any Foueillade fan and for anyone interested in silent film." - Richard Burt |
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| "Louis Feuillade Complete Crime Serials - overall my vote for most impressive release of 2024. Very comprehensive. Great packaging.Fills the gap of films made in the 1910s. Outstanding films - outstanding releases" - Rossa Crowe |
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| 7th Place) | |
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| Seventh place goes to Sony's "Columbia Classics Collection Volume 4" (His Girl Friday / Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner / Kramer vs. Kramer / Starman / Sleepless in Seattle / Punch-Drunk Love). This Limited edition gift set includes fully remastered 4K UHD disc debuts for His Girl Friday / Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner / Kramer vs. Kramer / Starman / Sleepless in Seattle / Punch-Drunk Love – the only way to get these movies on 4K UHD Gift set includes exclusive 80-page full color collectible book with rare photos and insightful history of the included films All six films presented with Dolby Vision HDR for the most premium presentation possible All films except His Girl Friday also include immersive Dolby Atmos audio; all films also include theatrical audio Over 30 hours of special features: a mix of rare archival materials and exciting new content." |
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| 8th Place) | |
| In Eighth Place is Indicator's four-disc collection Columbia Noir #6 - The Whistler. The sixth journey into Columbia Pictures’ film noir output walks a different path, taking a detour into the mysterious world of the Whistler, as we present all eight films in the popular series. Adapted from a hit radio series, each episode has the Whistler emerge from the shadows to introduce a nightmarish, twisting tale in his own sardonic manner, with the first seven films starring Richard Dix. In The Whistler, a guilt-stricken man hires a contract killer to end his life… but finds he cannot pull out of the deal. The Mark of the Whistler sees a homeless man claim the money in an abandoned bank account, only to find the rightful owners on his tail. |
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| In The Power of the Whistler, an amnesiac must reconstruct his dark past using only the items in his pockets. Voice of the Whistler finds a poor nurse marry her wealthy, terminally ill patient, only for him to defy the odds and recover. In Mysterious Intruder, a private eye becomes embroiled in a murderous race to track down a missing girl and a lost fortune. The Secret of the Whistler sees a young bride suspect that her new husband may have murdered his first wife. In Dix’s final film, The Thirteenth Hour, the owner of a trucking company is framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Finally, in The Return of the Whistler, Michael Duane takes the lead as a man whose fiancée is abducted on the eve of their wedding. Extras include newly recorded commentaries, critical appreciations, rare archival short films, and a 120-page book. Strictly limited to 6,000 individually numbered units. | |
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| "Columbia Noir #6: The Whistler series – Indicator, UK, limited edition. Not the best of Columbia Pictures, but a very interesting, eight film series of "B"s presented in good digital copies for the first time, with terrific extras as we always expect from Indicator." - Peter Rist | |
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| "I was unfamiliar with all of the films in this series, yet I devoured this set in three days. At the start I was not so sure about this Richard Dix fella. By the time Mysterious Intruder rolled around, and I realized Dix would be playing a private detective, I literally applauded. All alone in my apartment clapping my hands with joy. That's what this set did to me." - Ryan | |
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| "An astounding box set for this wonderful series. Great extras as usual by Indicator plus the set includes The Mark of the Whistler not previously released on disc before I don’t think." - bgmoir | |
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| 9th Place)
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| In Ninth place was Kino's collective 7 Film Noir Dark Side Boxsets (#16-22) which received multiple votes. The 21 films spread across the sets include; Mystery of Marie Roget / Chicago Deadline / Iron Man, Vice Squad / Black Tuesday / Nightmare, City of Shadows / Crashout / Finger Man, Dark City / No Man of Her Own / Beware, My Lovely, Captain Carey USA / Appointment with Danger / Make Haste to Live, Cloak and Dagger / Shack Out on 101 / Short Cut to Hell, The Enforcer / The Scarlet Hour / Plunder Road. |
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| "Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema, Vol. XVII – Kino Lorber. One of the better recent sets from Kino with three, rare Edward G. Robinson-starring vehicles; especially valuable for Nightmare based on a Cornel Woolrich novel." - Peter Rist | |
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| "Not all Noir... although many are signatures of the genre. Vintage crime dramas with plenty of golden age stars. I can throw on at any time and enjoy." - Tony G. | |
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| 10th Place) | |
| Tenth Place is Criterion's Blu-ray package os Barry Jenkins' The Underground Railroad. A monumental reimagining of American history, Barry Jenkins’s adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize–winning 2016 novel is a harrowing and rhapsodic journey through a still-echoing past. Weaving together historical fiction with moments of magical realism, The Underground Railroad is a full sensory immersion into the world of Cora (Thuso Mbedu), who, fleeing slavery, embarks on a treacherous quest for freedom—and is menaced by violence, supported by a clandestine community fighting for liberation, and haunted by the people she loses along the way. With images of searing power and stirring poetry, Jenkins delivers an epic saga of survival and resilience that pushes the limited-series format to new heights of cinematic transcendence. |
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| Barry Jenkins' The Underground Railroad is both riveting and... fascinating. I 'binged' through it without pause and was blown away by the story and visuals. The more I watch the director's Medicine for Melancholy the more I appreciate it. I fully intend on indulging in his Moonlight in 4K UHD. The alt-history fantasy element (labeled as "magic realism") uses an actual subterranean train, with engineers, conductors, tracks etc. as a physical transport to freedom where the historical 'Underground Railroad', as we learned in school, was only a metaphor - it was actually a network of hidden routes, and safe houses with abolitionist's support to assist African-Americans escape North from slavery. The Underground Railroad series was based on Colson Whitehead's 2016 novel which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The series chapters shift to different character perspectives. It is brilliantly realized. The four disc Criterion Blu-ray package with commentary and extensive director participations gets our highest recommendation. | |
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(click covers for more information) The NEXT TOP-VOTED BOXSETS (#11 - #20 in order)
'The Rest' (in no order)
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Boxsets comments:
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| "Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembene – Criterion. Arguably the three most significant films directed by the greatest African director: Emitai (1971), Xala (1975), and Ceddo (1977), on BluRay for the first time." - Peter Rist |
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| "Tales of Adventure 3 (Imprint)- A good selection of movies with some new features on two of them." - bgmoir |
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| "The Apu Trilogy (6 disc set; Pather Panchali/Aparajito/Apu Sansar in both 4K and Blu-ray) (1955-1959) Criterion. One of the cornerstones of world cinema now in glorious 4k UHD, featuring the soundtracks that introduced Ravi Shankar to Western ears. We have here nearly pristine editions of films that were neglected and literally salvaged from the ashes of a fire in their storage facility not that long ago. It’s a miracle that these films exist in this shape today. It boggles the mind to think of how much work and dedication went into the original making of, and more recently, the restoration of this humanistic trilogy. This is my pick for Best Boxset as well as Best Physical Media Release of 2024." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Laurel and Hardy Year Two "Flicker Alley will never be voted the best label but, with the possible exception of the Kino Classics line, it is by far the most important label, as this restoration of another (12+) Laurel and Hardy shorts—including From Soup to Nuts and Your Darn Tootin’--well demonstrates." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Nothing is Sacred (Radiance) – Great label, I wish I was able to pick up everything they put out. This one was a pre-order, it's great to see Radiance take a big swing into Criterion's territory and grab these art house marquee titles and package them together so handsomely." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Laurel and Hardy: Year Two (The Newly restored 1928 silents) – Flicker Alley. It is great to be able to see some of these films for the first time, restored by Serge Bromberg and Jeff Masino. It was also great to read an amazing article in the souvenir booklet, written by Imogen Sara Smith, which cleverly attributes different aspects of style to different people, with Laurel seemingly the key auteur. See rants, below*" - Peter Rist |
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| "After Dark: Neo-Noir Cinema Collection Three (1991 – 2002) - not as strong as the first but includes the worldwide blu ray debut of Homicide (why didn't Criterion follow-up on their DVD release?) Enough films and content that I don't really mind the space it takes up on my shelf." - Geoff Dubois |
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| "I bought Columbia Classics Volume 5 because the otherwise modern and not terribly interesting set included five silent movies on a bonus disc. The films were well-cleaned up and steady with good contrast and good scores. Occasional parts appeared sourced from 16mm." - Lee Eiseman |
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| "Martin Scorsese: Films of Faith - I'm probably in the minority saying Silence is my favourite film in this box. Kudos to Imprint for bringing these films together in this box." - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Laurel and Hardy Year Two (2 discs, 1928) Flicker Alley. Volume two in this series of long overdo L&H restorations. These neglected Laurel and Hardy classics from Flicker Alley now look better than I’ve ever seen them. And there is a plethora of extras in this package, including commentary tracks, several fragments of lost films, image galleries of promotional materials and a beautifully designed informative booklet. Hopefully, there’s a Laurel and Hardy Year Three in the works for 2025." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Nothing is Sacred: Three Heresies by Luis Buñuel Radiance - A trio of provocative and enduring masterpieces: Viridiana; The Exterminating Angel and Simon of the Desert. All new 4k restorations accompanied by umpteen contextual extras including a 1983 BBC Arena documentary: The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel." - David Redfern |
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| "Tales of Adventure, Collection 4 (8 disc set; King of the Rocket Men (1949), Flying Disc Man From Mars (1950), The Invisible Monster (1950), Radar Men from the Moon (1952), Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952), The Mysterious Dr. Satan (1940), Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953) Imprint. Tales of Adventure is a series of themed boxsets from the Australian company Imprint. Previous volumes have featured pulpy jungle movies, Arabian Nights sword and sand epics and men in combat action. Their new collection is of special interest to serial fans. It focuses on a group of (mostly) later Republic Serials, some of the best of the latter output of that studio whose name is practically synonymous with the term “cliffhanger.” Although 3 of the 7 productions contained in this set were previously released by Olive Films, this package contains extras like commentaries, documentaries and re-edited feature length versions of the titles. The rest of the films included here have never been released on Blu-ray, including the Rocket Man trilogy and the first appearance of a superhero in a Republic serial- the Copperhead in The Mysterious Dr. Satan (1940). The Adventures of Captain Marvel was released the following year. Generally, the A/V quality of these serials is excellent, even in the couple of instances where material was bumped up from 720p to 1080. All but The Mysterious Dr. Satan (originally imagined as a Superman chapter play during Republic’s heyday) are from the later output of the studio, a time usually regarded as a decline, when television was beginning to offer some serious competition, especially to the smaller studios that turned out the shorter low budget programmers encroaching on the core audience for these pictures, kids at the local Saturday morning matinee. However, the way the Republic Pictures Serial Department deals with diminishing budgets and disappearing resources, shortening the chapter lengths, ramping up the use of stock footage and recycling storylines as well as cutting out all unnecessary exposition and plot development- anything that doesn’t directly advance the action, is an art in itself." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Michael Powell: Early Works (UK, BFI) - This is an incredible release, giving audiences a new glimpse into the early low budget sound years of British filmmaking through the eyes of one of cinema's greatest directors in his directorial infancy. The films are all given excellent restorations for their home video first alongside excellent extras." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "Nothing is Sacred: Three Heresies by Luis Buñuel [Blu-ray] - Viridiana (1961), The Exterminating Angel (1962) and Simon of the Desert (1965)(Radiance): Criterion may or may not retain the rights, but I won’t be waiting to see the first blu-ray restoration of Simon of the Desert and Viridiana." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembene - the Father of African cnema. Criterion add to the releases of Black Girl and Mandabi and now we have all of Sembene films up to 1977. I hope this sells well and that we get his later films on Criterion which have been recently restored. This release is a great service to world cinema" - Rossa Crowe |
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| "ShawScope Volume 3 (US/UK Arrow) - Continuing the tradition of their first two boxes, Arrow's third boxset of Shaw Brothers classics is just as fantastic, with great presentations and an endless supply of extras." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "A Story Of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films By Yasujiro Ozu (1934, 1958) It may be squeezed onto one disc and have no new remaster of the eternally light and fresh 1934 version; but both films look pretty good and there could hardly be a more important double bill to be released in this year, or any year." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Michael Powell: Early Works (1931-1936) BFI Box set - Five long unseen works appear in this fine box set which demonstrates Powell’s expertise and versatility in the celluloid medium even under the constraints of low budgets and state censorship." - David Redfern |
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| "Nothing is Sacred: Three Heresies by Luis Buñuel (Radiance). A perfect grouping of films capturing the point where a great filmmaker became one of the greatest filmmakers." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "The Three Stooges (Sony): With about half the Columbia shorts, plus a biopic, some solo “Shemps”, and most if not all of the (admittedly inferior) feature films, criticisms of incompleteness are ungrateful: a follow-up collection might bring the Stooges’ filmography to near-completion. The video had already been remastered in HD a decade ago, but the HD audio is a prize. Sony deserves much praise" - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Martin Scorsese: Films of Faith (Imprint). Such a great (and obvious) collection for a box set. I'm assuming it's only copyright that has prevented someone from releasing this earlier, but Imprint made the most of it, with a great presentation of the three films and an absolutely fantastic selection of supplements." - Tim Leggoe |
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THE WINNERS - BLU-RAY (individual films
on Blu-ray - not on 4K UHD) (CLICK covers for more information) |
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| 1st Place) | |
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First Place is Radiance Films' Blu-ray of Jacques Rivette's L'amour fou. L'amour fou is a seminal part of the French New Wave - made two years before his 12+ hour opus Out 1 - also with Bulle Ogier (Celine and Julie Go Boating.) The art-reality relationship in Rivette's L'amour fou comes across organically with the hand-held theater sequences appearing informal, improvised and vérité. This mirrors the marital disintegration - and, no doubt, the shots with mirrors are intentional - sometimes imbuing self reflection, other times spying / distrust. DVDBeaver hosted Order of the Exile - a website about Jacques Rivette and you can read Peter Lloyd's article "Jacques Rivette and L'amour fou", HERE. I am thrilled to have such a pure example of auteur cinema on Radiance Blu-ray - looking gorgeous - recovered from the original celluloid elements damaged by fire. The package includes a feature length documentary, visual essay, interviews, booklet, etc. A cinephile must-own. |
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| "L'armor fou - Radiance - A release many of us have been waiting for, and a miracle for those familiar with the story of its destroyed 35mm negative and poor quality versions in circulation up until now. A treat and highlight of the year, and a rare chance to enjoy of one Rivette's finest works." - Lewis |
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| "An important release of a film that was long thought lost after the negative was destroyed in a fire. Jacques Rivette’s film is a challenging watch, but the radical elements of this mature, intelligent piece capture the creative process and the demands this commitment to artistic expression has on personal relationships. Commit to this four hour work, and your view of the possibilities of cinema and performance will be enhanced. Relieved to experience this film on disc." - Neil Williams |
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| 2nd Place) | |
| Second Place is Radiance Films' Blu-ray of Benjamin Christensen's Häxan. Häxan is unique - part informative documentary on demonology + superstitions surrounding witchcraft, notably in medieval culture, and part fictional dramatized storytelling sequences including treatment of suspected witches. It has impressive effects, shocking visuals and a marvelous, unforgettable, conclusion. Not only an embraceable 'Silent-Era' masterwork but the primordial-soup of cinema horror. It was hailed in Scandinavia but other countries objected to the graphic depictions including torture, nudity, sexual perversions, and an overall critical view of church-based leadership. The 2-disc Radiance Blu-ray package advances upon the 2019 Criterion with a new commentary, multiple versions and different scores, visual essay, Guillermo del Toro, booklet, art cards and more. |
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| "Häxan (Svensk Filmindustri, Benjamin Christensen, 1922) Radiance - This cause célèbre docu-essay sought to depict the history of witchcraft. No expense was spared on the budget. Director Christensen had complete control, but subsequently was never again allowed to indulge. You can see its influence in Disney’s Fantasia, Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General and Ken Russell’s The Devils. Today it has become the grand-daddy of counter-culture and this excellent digital package from Radiance does it proud." - David Redfern |
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| "This set--with four versions of the film and three soundtrack options! is particularly welcome as the Criterion blu-ray--with two versions-- adds no new supplements to the DVD." - Richard Burt |
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| "Häxan by Radiance - overall package, the extras, the restoration, all the amazing soundtracks to listen, the book, a fascinating watch." - Jan Püschel |
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3rd Place) |
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Third Place is Criterion's Blu-ray of William Dieterle's 1941 All That Money Can Buy. William Dieterle's All That Money Can Buy has a proto-noir layer to it with a person in a desperate moment of weakness giving up their soul (and by extension; their morality) for money - plus it coming back to haunt them in a dire way. And, I suppose, Simone Simon's sexy 'Belle' as an enticing femme fatale. The film's title was originally changed to All That Money Can Buy to avoid confusion with Sam Wood's romantic comedy The Devil and Miss Jones with Jean Arthur and Robert Cummings - also released in 1941. Later, The Devil and Daniel Webster title was restored on some prints. Dieterle founded his own production company after the success of his 1939's The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Charles Laughton and wanted All That Money Can Buy to be the first film he made for RKO Pictures under his new contract. Possibly because Dieterle had appeared, as Valentin, in F. W. Murnau's silent film, 1926's Faust which The Devil and Daniel Webster story is based. It's an exceptional film filled with New England Americana and a sly, but wholesome, supernatural story of defeating fate. We all have a chance. |
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| "All That Money Can Buy (RKO, William Dieterle, 1941) Criterion - Meticulous restoration of an expressionist independent project produced at RKO studios. It subsequently had a checkered release and endured major cuts during several reissues. Thankfully, due diligence from dedicated archivist and assistance via digital technology now ensures the original theatrical cut is intact again. Lazarus rises from the cinematic dead on this one!" - David Redfern |
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| "Number 1 most wanted blu ray upgrade for years!" - Mark Fry |
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| "All That Money Can Buy - beautiful restoration by Scott MacQueen" - Alan Rode |
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| "I watched this on Gary's recommendation and loved it." - Geoff Dubois |
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| "An entertaining movie with a wonderful turn by Walter Huston and great cinematography." - bgmoir |
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| "William Dieterle’s sublime American fantasia, as accompanied by Bernard Herrmann’s very best score, has been given a 4K restoration by Criterion after more than 20 years. A beautiful and dark film in the Murnau vein and a beautiful release." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| 4th Place) |
| Fourth Place is Flicker Alley's Blu-ray of Carlos Hugo Christensen's "Never Open That Door". Carlos Hugo Christensen's Never Open That Door ("No abras nunca esa puerta") is magnificent. It exceeded my high expectations. It is made up of two parts; Anguish aka "Somebody on the Phone" ('Alguien al teléfono') and Pain aka "The Hummingbird Comes Home" ('El pájaro cantor vuelve al hogar'.) Both episodes are gripping - evoking Hitchcock, full of noir tropes (blackmail, suicide, mistaken identity, robbery / murder etc.) Utilizing whistling and unanswered phone calls as identifiers, and blindness as a perceived weakness - creativity is all over the pulpy Fritz Lang-esque narrative, Gori Muñoz's gorgeous sets and Pablo Tabernero's shadow-soaked cinematography. Flicker Alley are a treasure. With the Film Noir Foundation they have brought Argentine Noirs The Beast Must Die (La bestia debe morir), El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire), and The Bitter Stems (Los tallos amargos) to magnificent keepsake Blu-rays - and we recommend each enthusiastically. Carlos Hugo Christensen's Never Open That Door is my favorite so far and the package includes the brilliant mystery thriller feature by same director; If I Should Die Before I Wake - the third part of the film trilogy. Plus there is an excellent commentary and extensive video pieces on Woolrich and the Golden Age of the Argentine film industry - plus a 20-page souvenir booklet with photos (no essays.) Flicker Alley's new Blu-ray gets our absolute highest recommendation. Own this. |
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| "Never Open That Door, Carlos Hugo Christensen (Argentina, 1952) – Flicker Alley. The first part of the two-part film is one of the best adaptations of Cornell Woolrich's (William Irish) writing on film, and a key example of Argentine noir. Another great restoration by Eddie Muller's Film Noir Foundation." - Peter Rist |
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| "Never Open That Door Beautiful rescue restoration of an Argentinean made Cornell Woolrich anthology movie by Film Noir Foundation UCLA.FA" - Alan Rode |
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| "The title speaks for itself. Flicker Alley adds yet a great film to its Mexican and Latin American noirs." - Richard Burt |
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| 5th Place) | |
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Fifth Place is Radiance Film's Blu-ray of Vittorio De Seta's Bandits of Orgosolo. A Sardinian peasant is suspected of murder following an encounter with bandits. In order to survive, he has no option but to turn to banditry himself. Winning multiple awards at the Venice Film Festival, Bandits of Orgosolo continues the traditions of Visconti and De Sica yet with his own style and rhythms Vittorio De Seta musters just as much power as the earlier masters. This release includes De Seta’s remarkable short film programme ‘The Lost World’ comprising his Cannes Film Festival award-winning short film Islands of Fire and others which survey Italy’s poorest communities. Despite awards and plaudits on release these incredible films only now make their English language debut on home video. Upon release, Bandits moved Martin Scorsese to observe: “It was as if De Seta were an anthropologist who spoke with the voice of a poet.” |
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| "Great 2 disc package including ten short films from Radiance." - Moshe Black |
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| "Bandits of Orgosolo, Vittorio de Seta (Italy, 1961) + 10 short films (Italy, 1954–59) - Radiance, UK, limited edition. Credit goes to Radiance for presenting such rare, impressive neo-realist filmmaking." - Peter Rist |
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| "Bandits of Orgosolo - Radiance - this wonderful package includes not only the Venice first feature winning debut from De Seta, but also a wonderful collection of his short documentary features. Another stellar Radiance release." - Lewis |
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| 6th Place) | |
| Sixth place goes to Criterion's Blu-ray of Georg Wilhelm Pabst's "Pandora's Box". Georg Wilhelm Pabst's Pandora's Box is a Weimar German cinema masterwork - although in the director's 'New Objectivity' period - a counter to expressionism. In 1921 there was an earlier screen adaptation of Pandora's Box by Arzén von Cserépy with Danish star Asta Nielsen in the role of Lulu. With her bangs like a shiny black helmet Louise Brooks projects a pure, almost innocently exotic, sexuality, devoid of pretense. Her playful dancing helped convey her character's naturalistic sensibilities. There was no one like her onscreen. Timeless. It made her the stuff of cinema legend. The interest in Pandora's Box runs from a seamless spectrum from prostitution and lesbianism to the terror of Jack the Ripper. It is easily one of the classics of Weimar Germany's cinema, along with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, The Last Laugh, and The Blue Angel. The Criterion Blu-ray with improved transfer, expert commentary, documentary, interviews and booklet is a must-own - worthy of a double-dip even without new supplements. |
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| "I already own the MOC release, but this release improves in several areas, including having the choice of 4 scores. Will worth the double dip as both sets have value." - bgmoir |
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| 7th Place) | |
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Seventh place goes to Masters of Cinema's Blu-ray of Paul Leni's The Cat and the Canary. It's hard to talk about Paul Leni's The Cat and the Canary without mentioning the hilarious 1939 version with Bob Hope and Paulette Godard (reviewed on Blu-ray by Kino HERE and by Eureka HERE), also based on the classic John Willard ( The Mask of Fu Manchu) play. It was also remade as Rupert Julian's The Cat Creeps from 1930 (although not the 1950 same-titled film.) Leni made The Man Who Laughs and The Last Warning for Universal. The latter also starring Laura La Plante, who, during the 1920s, appeared in more than 60 films. Leni's The Cat and the Canary initiated the trend of the "old dark house" genre and was cited as being an early example of 20th-century German Expressionism using similar camera effects found in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The 1927 The Cat and the Canary is both fun and sets an effectively creepy atmosphere. I am very happy the, stacked, Masters of Cinema Blu-ray with two commentaries, video essay, interviews booklet and more. A wonderful silent era film that is strongly recommended! |
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| "A key film along with The Bat (1926) in establishing the old dark house genre, bringing John Willard’s hit mystery comedy to the screen and paving the way, along with Phantom of the Opera (1925) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), for the Universal horror cycle of the ‘30s." - Ken Schwarz |
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| 8th Place) | |
| Eighth place goes to Second Run's Blu-ray of Frantisek Vlácil's The Valley of the Bees. Frantisek Vlácil's The Valley of the Bees deals with the Teutonic Order - a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society. The film has themes of religious fanaticism, the invasiveness of the order's doctrine of belief, and one character courage in seeking escape from it. In a nutshell, it's about the struggle to lead a secular life from one of total religious devotion. Vláčil was voted the greatest Czech director of all time by a poll of Czech film critics in 1998. He was inspired by historical movies of Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring) and Robert Bresson (Lancelot of the Lake.) While The Valley of the Bees was rejected on initial release it is now regarded as one of the director's greatest works. The Second Run Blu-ray has advanced on their SD with the vastly improved a/v transfer, a new commentary, two shorts from the director and it has liner notes. This is strongly recommended. |
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| 9th Place) | |
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Ninth place goes to Radiance Film's Blu-ray of Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires. Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires was co-financed by AIP (wanting to co-produce rather then simply obtain distribution rights) and Italy's Fulvio Lucisano for Italian International Film. The English-language script was written by Danish-American Ib Melchior (The Angry Red Planet, Reptilicus, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Journey to the Seventh Planet). The Planet of the Vampires story involves two space vessels, the Galliott and the Argos, trying to land on a mist-shrouded planet. The crew eventually become hypnotically possessed driving them into a murderous state by an undetermined alien force. There are many influential comparisons to Ridley Scott's Alien. Bava's remarkable use of color, lighting and effects (utilizing miniatures, mirrors etc.) are miraculous for the budget constraints. It seems as if he could make an effective genre film with a broken lava-lamp. Planet of the Vampires has a desirable pulpy feel that may be hard to intentionally duplicate. It's quite a thrill to own the Radiance Blu-ray with its upgraded 1080P image, both versions, essential Lucas commentary, new documentary, booklet and exceptional packaging. For many a must-own treasure of physical media. |
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| "Planet of the Vampires (Radiance Films, UK) - Not my favourite Bava film, which suffers from pedestrian pacing and too much reverence for the production design which drags the plot into zero gravity. And not a vampire in sight. However, this was a galactic giallo of a release by Radiance. Beautifully packaged, beautifully presented, and was an enjoyable watch. ‘Danger: Diabolik’ please, Francesco…." - Neil Williams |
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| 10th Place) | |
| Tenth place goes to BFI's Blu-ray of Mikio Naruse's Floating Clouds. Floating Clouds is an aesthetic masterpiece opening a painful voyeuristic window on a stagnated relationship in the cruelly post-war realities of life in Japan. There is strongly effecting minimalist economy of Floating Clouds that bonds us to the ongoing tragedy; one woman's struggle in the country's new modernity - living, loving, surviving. It's an incredible and memorable cinema portrait that should be cherished. Naruse made almost ninety films and is one of the most under-appreciated directors in cinema history. Having Floating Clouds come to Blu-ray is encouraging for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs and Late Chrysanthemums to deservedly come to 1080P or, dare say, 4K UHD. The BFI Blu-ray has the poignant and neglected masterwork of women's cinema - a satisfying HD presentation, a new commentary by one of our favorites, and more... including a booklet. Easily our very highest recommendation. |
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(CLICK
Covers for more Information) |
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The next 50+ Blu-rays receiving the most votes (in NO order) (CLICK Covers for more Information)
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| Blu-ray Release comments: |
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| "When Tomorrow Dies, Larry Kent (Vancouver, B.C., 1965 – Canadian International Pictures (C.I.P.) have gone overboard in digitally restoring Kent's best film (in my opinion), and supplying many extras. (Warning please don't listen to my "archival audio commentary," which was recorded off-the-cuff, many years ago.)" - Peter Rist |
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| "I Remember Mama (finally! a restoration of one of George Stevens best films after suffering terrible prints & transfers for decades)" - Alan Rode |
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| "The Blair Witch Project (Second Sight) – Audio problem notwithstanding, this is an excellent release. This package feels very complete and definitive, which is Second Sight's biggest strength, it's nearly impossible to imagine someone improving upon their releases." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Victims of Sin - A glittering example of Golden-Age Mexican cinema, this mambo-musical noir showcases fiery Ninón Sevilla as a rumbera – a nightclub dancer – who has a secret devotion to her quasi-adopted son." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "Happy End (Second Run). A tale told backwards, from end to beginning, like Memento or Irréversible but from the Czech New Wave. Restored in 4K, it's new to Blu-ray." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "Big Banana Feet - BFI - another lost film restored and rereleased to its former glory, thanks to the passion of its filmmakers who stitched it together from multiple versions, including a copy that a film preservationist and legend found from the Falklands on eBay." - Lewis |
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| "The Walking Dead (1936) One of Karloff's best films + directed by Michael Curtiz, beautifully transferred from original nitrate negative" - Alan Rode |
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| "Tin Star" by Arrow - beautiful transfer of a film I never knew existed. Thoroughly enjoyable presentation and extras" - John Brune |
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| "Victims of Sin, Emilio Fernandez/Gabriel Figueroa/Ninón Sevilla (Mexico, 1951) – Criterion. This has long been my favourite Mexican film, and one of my favourite films noirs, period. Finally, we get to see the full beauty of Figueroa's spectacular black and white cinematography on disc, and this digitally restored version also contains sub-titles for all the dialogue, and all of the song lyrics (which wasn't the case for the previously available DVD). It is also great to see and hear so many Cuban musicians, including the "mambo king" Perez Prado and Rita Montaner." - Peter Rist |
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| "Deep in the Heart (Fun City Editions) – Deep in the Heart tops the list because this movie knocked my socks off, and my socks are notoriously snug due to my high-sodium diet and sedentary lifestyle. What could easily be a simple rape-revenge exploitation story becomes something much more; a well-observed, grounded, detailed exploration of America's culture of guns and casual misogyny." - Ryan |
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| "Happy End – Blu Ray - Second Run presents a 4k restoration of this bizarre, backwards Czech new wave film." - Moshe Black |
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| "The Small Back Room (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1949) RB UK Studiocanal - A worthy Studiocanal release of the restoration of this overshadowed wartime story - in which, in an earlier period, one might hope Criterion would have been interested. A dark and sombre film, enlivened by several fine supporting actors - Robert Morley true to form as the Government Minister; a young Sid James; Jack Hawkings outstanding, playing completely against type as a smooth and egregious Civil Servant. Best of all are the remarkable performances Michael Powell secured from Kathleen Byron and David Farrar" - David Sullivan |
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| "The Mask of Fu Manchu - Pre-code Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy as evil father and daughter? What more could you ask?" - Richard Burt |
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| "The Queen of Spades (Imprint). Finally, an all-region (from Australia) 4K rendition of a supernatural classic. Anton Walbrook stars as a 19th-century Russian army officer who gambles away his soul - and kills - to win at cards." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "Act of Violence One of Zinneman's best, beautifully restored" - Alan Rode |
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| "The Hop-Pickers (Second Run). Kudos to the archivists for reviving a favourite of communist Czech moviegoers: a teen musical set in a '60s collective farm that produces hops for beer. A frothy time capsule that's oddly entertaining." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "The Craving (Universal,
Francis Ford, 1918) Undercrank Productions Ford Snr. was once a fully-fledged director and producer during the silent era, but as with Ford Jnr alcohol eventually got the better of him. This rare independent feature released through Universal survives in an abridged Dutch export print discovered in the Netherlands Eye Museum." - David Redfern |
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| "By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him (Radiance) – This selection could be swapped out with any of the other exceptional Tai Kato releases from Radiance this year. (Eighteen Years in Prison, I, the Executioner, and Tokijiro: Lone Yakuza). This flick is the pick because it stays the most in my mind, and it features the best use of the singular talents of Noboru Andro. Another top-notch release with the usual Radiance touches: excellent curation, extras with provide all the necessary social and artistic contest, gorgeous cover art." - Ryan |
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| "Anatomy of a Fall (Criterion). A French movie that's mostly in English, this Oscar-winning Alpine whodunnit (did the victim jump, or was he pushed?) stars the remarkable Sandra Hüller and packs a big emotional punch." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "Abigail (Matt Betttinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, 2024) Studio Distribution Services/Universal - I only wish the ad campaign for this movie had not given away the plot twist that comes about 1/3 of the way through the story. The shift in the narrative is much more effective when the realization of what’s really going on slowly dawns on the audience at the same time that it does the characters in the film. Regardless of that, this is a tight, well structured, and well realized horror film that finds its unique approach by re-imagining classic tropes and bringing elements of old school horror into a modern setting. The script is witty, the humor dark and the ensemble cast, featuring among others, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Giancarlo Esposito are excellent. This is a very character driven story- a genuinely fun and even at times poignant horror film." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Mountains Of The Moon (1990) – Imprint - I know this is an odd #1 but I have my reasons: finally released on blu ray with new extras" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "The Bat Whispers (United Artists, Roland West, 1930) VCI - A technical tour de force from unsung stylist Roland West. Great fun." - David Redfern |
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| "Hollywood 90028 (Grindhouse) – The grindhouse version of MODEL SHOP, I never knew I needed. Hell, I never even knew it existed. Pretty crazy that stuff this exciting is still getting exhumed." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Tin Star - Never expected
this Henry Fonda western to be released in such a worthy package. A
very enjoyable western directed by Anthony Mann and possibly not as
well-known as the Mann-Stewart westerns." - bgmoir "Pandora’s Box (Criterion)- I already own the MOC release, but this release improves in several areas, including having the choice of 4 scores. Will worth the double dip as both sets have value." - bgmoir |
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| "Pandora’s Box (Criterion)- I already own the MOC release, but this release improves in several areas, including having the choice of 4 scores. Will worth the double dip as both sets have value." - bgmoir |
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| "Mudbound [Blu-ray] (Dee Rees, 2017) Criterion - great film I'm happy received a Criterion release" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Hollywood 90028 (Grindhouse Releasing) Like Deep in the Heart, this previously unknown film could have been simple exploitation fare, but the talents of director Christina Hornisher and her cast and crew raise meditative dream-like film into something truly special. A sad, lonely look at life on the fringes of Hollywood, and an expose on the way the industry churns up young women at the whims of self-loathing men. I had heard the ending was memorable. I was not prepared for how memorable and shocking it would be." - Ryan |
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| "The Bat (Roland West, 1926) Undercrank Productions / The Bat Whispers (Roland West, 1930) VCI. I am counting these two adaptions of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s popular mystery play as a single entry. One is silent and the other is the sound remake. Both are landmark films in their own right. Both are directed by Roland West but are released on blu-ray by two different companies. The 1926 version of The Bat is notable for helping to establish the old dark house genre in motion pictures by bringing another popular Broadway mystery play, laced with plenty of dark humor, to the screen where (as in The Cat and the Canary) the influence of German expressionism is evident. Furthermore, one or the other or perhaps both versions of the story are allegedly responsible for influencing the design of the Batman character. The sound remake has the distinction of being one of the few films shot simultaneously in both regular 35mm and a 65mm widescreen format called Magnafilm. The VCI disc has both versions along with the British 35mm release and the 1969 Vincent Price remake of The Bat." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Red Rock West (Cinematographe) – After waiting years for a high quality, high-definition release of Red Rock West, Cinematographe delivered. Not only is the transfer worth the wait, but the extras provide a detailed look at the writing, directing, and editing of the film. Plus, the packaging is superlative. What's the point of having a home video collection if it doesn't include a gem like this?" - Ryan |
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| "Act of Violence - A great cast (especially Mary Astor) and striking visuals makes this one of my favourite noirs released this year." - bgmoir |
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| "Phantom of the Monastery (Fernando de Fuentes, 1934) Indicator/Powerhouse. This film is an overlooked gem, with striking visuals and an atmosphere of mystery wrapped around a very human drama. There are echoes of Dryer’s Vampyr and scenes reminiscent of The Seventh Seal as well as French fantasy ala René Clair, Jean Cocteau or Marcel L'Herbier’s The Fantastic Night (1943)." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Capricorn One [Blu-ray] (Peter Hyams, 1978) Imprint - I love this film and was happy with this upgraded blu ray set. Does it need to be on two discs in a box that takes up too much space? Of course not. Well maybe a little." - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Red Rock West [Blu-ray] (John Dahl, 1993) Cinématographe - a great film and snazzy set from Cinématographe" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Pharoah (Faraon) – Great 1966 Polish epic, depicting Ancient Egyptian struggles between Pharoah and his priests. The Breathtaking Cinematography is enhanced by the 2k restoration." - Moshe Black |
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| "Twilight (Arbelos Blu) - György Fehér existential noir is a haunting film, rendered all the more so by its bleak black and white long takes and ambient and foreboding soundscapes. It's a great film, bolstered by an extraordinary HD presentation by Arbelos that was encoded by Fidelity in Motion. It's one of the finest Blu-Ray transfers I've ever seen - I almost thought it was a 4K disc given the level of detail." - Drew Morton |
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| "The Shootist" by Arrow - beautiful 2K transfer that completely re-invigorates this classic film with great extras and information. Booklet is full of nice writing!" - John Brune |
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| "The Blair Witch Project (Second Sight) – this "found footage" phenomenon never even looked this good in the cinema, let alone on previous home video releases. Fantastic extras." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Green Border (Kino Lorber). One of the year's best new theatrical releases, great blu-ray." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "The Small Back Room (Vintage Classics). Beautifully restored Powell & Pressburger little-seen classic." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "City of Hope (Sony). Because we need as much of John Sayles on physical media as possible. Gorgeous transfer." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Deep in the Heart (Fun City Editions) – A strong indie sleeper from the 80s that will hopefully be given new life by Fun City, one of the most consistently strong boutique labels in the game. That this year saw them put out stuff like DEEP IN THE HEART as well as HEAVENLY BODIES and PARADISE, is all the more impressive. I only wish they put out titles more frequently but I won't tread on their model, as its clearly working for them." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Red Rock West – Limited Edition (Vinegar Syndrome). First time this cult favourite has looked good, with the usual loving presentation from Vinegar Syndrome." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Zero Woman, Red Handcuffs (Cauldron Films, USA) - Discovered a whole new genre this year thanks to film historian, Samm Deighan, who provides the insightful and immaculate commentary to this film on this disc. Her passion for this corner of Exploitation Cinema has driven my film viewing in 2024 and this was an excellent entry point. The quality of film techniques and confident, ballsy storylines belies the reputation this raw release has. Uncompromising." - Neil Williams |
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| "A Story Written With Water (Radiance, UK) - Second year running that Radiance tops my End of Year Poll. This sits at number one because no other release blew me away quite as much as this drama by Yoshida Kiju. The breathtaking storytelling and inventive cinematography was stunning on this BR disc and I was constantly pausing the film to drink in shot composition and edit transitions. As all good physical media should, this led me to delve further into Yoshida’s oeuvre, which has been so rewarding. Stunning." - Neil Williams |
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| "Black Tight Killers (Radiance Films, UK) - I am a sucker for Sixties’ Japanese pop culture. And girl gangs. So, this majestic release from Radiance was an absolute delight. Loved this Bond-inspired gem with eye-popping visuals, served by cool jazz score. Another great discovery by this remarkable boutique label. Rocked like a Stray Cat." - Neil Williams |
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| "The Sorcerers - UK sixties’ set film swings along in lurid purples and pinks, that capture the milieu and decadence of London at this time. I knew the DoP Stanley Long through work and used to love hearing his tales of this guerilla piece of filmmaking. He would have been proud of the way his vision has been transferred here. Michael Reeves’ career was tragically cut short and this middle film of his trio, threatens to challenge Witchfinder General as his best work, thanks to this bewitching release. Karloff swan song is so elegant." - Neil Williams |
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| "Trenque Lauquen, Laura Citarella (Argentina, 2022 – Radiance, UK, limited edition. Yet another amazing production of the El Pampero Cine Group. Radiance, typically provide amazing extras: three new interviews, an overview by David Jenkins (of Little White Lies), and other extras, including a 40-page booklet." - Peter Rist |
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| "Challengers. Tremendously fun film with a pumping soundtrack, which sounds even better at home." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) (WAC): Much funnier than it has ever been given credit for, Hitchcock’s 1941 comedy is also more profound, as the philosopher Deleuze recognized: what is it for a settled married couple to find themselves in the nebulous zone of being technically unmarried? A masterpiece of marriage comedy, WAC’s restoration is perhaps the most long-awaited Hitchcock upgrade of them all, following on from the 20-year old DVD transfer." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Hundreds of Beavers (Cartuna). Hysterically funny and loads of extras, included drunken commentary track." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "He Walked By Night (Eagle-Lion, 1948) – Kino Lorber. Not the first release of this film on BluRay, but this latest version has a commentary by the great Imogen Sara Smith, and while listening to her, one can still admire the luminous black and white cinematography of John Alton." - Peter Rist |
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| "The Battle of Chile (Icarus) – Something I saw in film school and figured I'd never have a chance to see it again. I was wrong thanks to Icarus Films, one of Vinegar Syndrome's invaluable partner labels, reaching far beyond exploitation and releasing important art films" - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Sex and Fury (Discotek) – Discotek seems to mostly release animated films, but I would like to encourage them (and others) to please release more pinku films on blu-ray. This is one of the godheads of that genre." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Inside (Second Sight) – Very creepy French horror from the New French Extremity boom of the 2000s. I'm happy to have it on blu ray in such a beautiful set from the always wonderful Second Sight, I wish they'd opted to present it as a 4K UHD, but I can't second guess their decision, I'm sure they had their reasons." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Meet John Doe (1941) (Classicflix) More relevant today than ever, Capra’s last great film has been at last rescued for High Definition by Classicflix after decades of public domain hell (see Gary’s Review of the lackluster VCI DVD, which was the actually the best on the market). The film now looks as good as it could possibly be. How spoiled we are when this blu-ray represents just one of the great restorations made available to the public this year?" - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Message from Space (Eureka) – What's the point of owning an all-region Blu-ray player if you're not using it to watch this off-the-wall Star Wars riff featuring magical seeds, space samurais, little people dressed as robots, and Vic Morrow at his surly best? Bonus points for featuring an extra with a presenter who is super passionate about the film." - Ryan |
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| "Door (Terror Vision) – Very cool Japanese Horror film from Terror Vision, should be better known." - Jason Overbeck |
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| 1st Place) | |
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First Place is Criterion's 4K UHD of Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid". Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid on Criterion, 4-disc, 4K UHD and, 2-disc, Blu-ray is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The cast is part of 70's western cinema lore with James Coburn (Peckinpah's Cross of Iron) as Pat Garrett, Kris Kristofferson (Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, Anne Feinsilber's Requiem For Billy the Kid, John Sayles' Lone Star and Peckinpah's Convoy,) as Bill the Kid, plus Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado (High Noon,) Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason Robards (Peckinpah's The Ballad of Cable Hogue), famous recording artist Rita Coolidge (Kristofferson's new bride at the time,) Luke Askew (Easy Rider), Matt Clark, Jack Elam (Once Upon a Time in the West,) L. Q. Jones (Junior Bonner,) Slim Pickens (Rancho Deluxe,) Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) and, of course, iconic Bob Dylan as "Alias." If you looks closely you can see uncredited Sam Peckinpah as 'Will' and Bruce Dern (The Cowboys) as a Deputy Sheriff. Rudy Wurlitzer wrote the screenplay (as well as playing 'Tom O'Folliard' in the film,) later with Peckinpah's reworking of the narrative. Wurlitzer also wrote the screenplays for 1987's Walker directed by Alex Cox, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop, and Little Buddha directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is filled with back stories including Dylan calling Willie Nelson to the set. He played many hours of Django Reinhardt tunes on his old Martin guitar. The film's controversial legacy and alternate versions make it one of the most fascinating revisionist Westerns of all time. There is immense value here for Criterion's 4-disc, 4K UHD. |
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| "Criterion provide a new 50th anniversary version, the final preview version, and for the first time on disc, the original release version of Peckinpah's greatest film, which although disparaged on its release, does contain Bob Dylan singing "Knocking on Heaven's Door," to accompany Mrs Baker's (Katy Jurado) sorrow following her lover's death. (I own a very rare 35mm print of this version.)" - Peter Rist |
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| "A very special comprehensive package of Peckinpah's troubled classic, with three versions plus lots of extras for fans to feast on. A highlight of the year's releases and Criterion at its finest." - Lewis |
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| "Going into 2024, if asked for a fantasy film release, this would pretty much be it. It's also in some ways, emblematic of the physical media successes of 2024, giving us a film finally released in a 4K/Blu package that was previously available on a nearly 20 year old DVD release. It's also a definitive release, which is what I'm most looking for when I purchase now: Will I need to buy another version in five years? I can't imagine this release will be improved upon." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "So long overdue in high definition, but worth the wait for this essential set, loaded with alternate versions and great supplements." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "Words cannot convey the humanity & personal integrity forming the content of Peckinpah's films telling stories of people fulfilling their destinies." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "I’ve seen this film countless times on DVD, twice on 35mm, and Criterion’s 4K disc is visually a revelation, a rebirth. While there are serious questions as to whether film critics should be allowed to recut films (as happened at Warners in 2005), Criterion has treated this epic and its complicated history with more respect and care than anyone could have reasonably expected. The original editors have collaborated on two alternate cuts! The inclusion of the awful theatrical release in 4K, however, was hardly necessary. It would be criminal if this release did not make the top ten at the Beaver. This is what physical media is for." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| 2nd Place) | |
| Second Place is Second Sight Films 4K UHD of Robert Harmon's cult classic "The Hitcher". A would-be Samaritan picks up a hitchhiker and soon discovers the man is a relentless serial killer. Framed by the cold-blooded murderer for a string of slayings, his only help comes from a caring waitress as they attempt to flee from both the law and the hitcher. The Hitcher explores themes of violence, unhealthy bonds, and the idea that the villain is ultimately responsible for his own demise. Starring Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Also available as a 4K UHD Limited Edition HERE. |
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| "The Hitcher" from Second Sight - Perfect transfer, fantastic packaging design, phenomenal amount of extras, first time movie has been properly presented on bluray and 4K. Included book is too big and I could have done without the homosexual observations printed therein. Price of package was ridiculous. So much love given to smaller films this year! Warner released an American version in the same week with original poster art. How cool is that?" - John Brune |
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| "A very very very long time coming. The social media posts from Second Sight for The Hitcher seem to have been a fairly constant fixture for years now. Anyway, it was most definitely worth the wait." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "There have been several editions of The Hitcher released this year on Blu-ray and 4K, but Second Sight's eclipses them all with a fantastic presentation and including some exclusive extras." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "Previous released as a dodgy German blu-ray (are all German blu-rays dodgy?), it's great to see Second Sight really dig their teeth into this film, their special editions are the best in the market as far as I'm concerned. The 4K transfer really shows off John Seale's excellent cinematography. These discs are also packed with extras that I'm still going through, I enjoyed Alexandra Heller-Nicholas' commentary track (it made me curious to read her book about the film) and I was especially delighted to see short film calling cards made by Harmon and Red immediately preceding THE HITCHER, Harmon's CHINA LAKE especially, which is very much a dry run for THE HITCHER in terms of atmosphere and location." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "The Hitcher (Second Sight 4K) - I've been awaiting this set for three years or so now. I first saw Robert Harmon's The Hitcher on a pan and scan version that looked like it was cribbed from a VHS tape about six years ago and I watched it twice in one day, dazed and confused by the surrealist logic and absolutely mean film I had just watched. SecondSight has given the film a top-notch presentation with a beautiful 4K restoration. After watching that VHS-ish version, seeing John Seale's cinematography with proper contrast and color was a revelation. Moreover, the set is packed to the gills with commentaries, interviews, and – my favorite pieces – the two short films that screenwriter Eric Red and director Harmon made before The Hitcher. If I have one critique, it's almost that there's so much bonus content that it starts to tread on the same terrain and reaches a point of diminishing returns. Needless to say, obsessives won't find anything lacking here." - Drew Morton |
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| "The Hitcher (Second Sight)- because it highlights how utterly bankrupt the US major companies are. The UK set is a monument. The US version is a street sign." - Gabriel Neeb |
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| 3rd Place) | |
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Third Place is Warner's 4K UHD of Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest". North by Northwest is in the very top tier of the director's work along with Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, Shadow of a Doubt, and The Birds. It has been described as a paranoid thriller, although we know that just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you. The greater theme involves 'consequences of mistaken identity' dealt with in Hichcock's earlier The Wrong Man. "North by Northwest" is quintessential Hitchcock from Bernard Herrmann to Saul Bass bringing back super-dapper Cary Grant after Suspicion and Notorious. It has been called "Alfred Hitchcock's most stylish thriller, if not his best." Agreed. Adventures in UN buildings, cornfields, femme fatale train dalliances, and culminating at Mount Rushmore all lead this to be a fully rewatchable masterpiece. Warner's 4K UHD of North by Northwest looks and sounds magnificent. |
| "The new 4K version (Atmos) of this movie is superb, with a level of clarity that is just astounding. One is able to read the names of books in Van Dam's library (not actually his of course) and occasionally the scenes at Mount Rushmore show a lack of depth that reveals them to have been filmed in the studio. The sound is crisp and well defined even though it dates from 70 years ago. The extras are mostly retreads, but very well done." - Thomas Friedman |
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| "The colours pop, the picture is bigger, clearer and more dynamic than ever. A sumptuous 4k upgrade." - Moshe Black |
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| "Hitchcock’s penchant for dark sadism interwoven with light comedy is on full display in this robust 4k iteration." - David Redfern |
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| "Stunning release with even the inclusion of Dolby Atmos for those that have the right system. Why did it take so long?" - bgmoir |
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| "North by Northwest (Warner Bros) - Had Sony not dropped the definite release of On The Waterfront, this would've been studio release of the year for me." - James Laycock |
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| 4th Place) | |
| Fourth Place is Studiocanal's 4K UHD of the 75th Anniversary of Carol Reed’s celebrated British noir "The Third Man" which is widely regarded as ‘The greatest British film of all time’. Brilliantly scripted by Graham Greene and set to Anton Karas’ evocative zither score, this justly celebrated classic is further enhanced by Robert Krasker’s Academy Award winning cinematography and Orson Welles in one of his most iconic screen roles. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton, Citizen Kane), a naïve writer of pulp westerns, arrives in Vienna to meet his old friend Harry Lime (the incomparable Orson Welles) but finds that Lime has apparently been killed in a suspicious accident. Martins, too curious for his own good, hears contradictory stories about the circumstances of Lime’s death and as witnesses disappear he finds himself chased by unknown assailants. Complicating matters are the sardonic Major Calloway (Trevor Howard, Brief Encounter), head of the British forces, and Lime’s stage actress mistress, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). Will Martin’s curiosity lead him to discover things about his old friend that he’d rather not know? |
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| "A very expensive item, but an essential edition for any lover of the film" - Richard Burt |
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| "Surely, I'll someday grow tired of hearing the score every time I open the box. But that day is not today." - Ryan |
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| "One of my very favorite films in 4K to really enjoy the chiaroscuro. The pop-up case that plays "The Third Man Theme" is just gravy." - Jason Overbeck |
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| 5th Place) | |
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Fifth Place is Vinegar Syndrome's 4K UHD of Michael Mann's "The Keep". Nazi-occupied Romania, 1941: In a small and gloomy village hidden deep in the mountains, German troops have arrived to lay siege. Although warned by the townspeople to stay out of a mysterious and ornately carved structure known only as “The Keep,” two arrogant soldiers ignore their orders and break into the obelisk, hoping to find stowed treasure, but instead unleash an ancient evil force which, with each new victim, grows stronger and more powerful. After suffering large casualties at its hands, Captain Klaus Woermann is informed that the only person who might be capable of defeating this monstrous and demonic entity is an elderly Jewish historian named Dr. Theodore Cuza, who is being held captive with his daughter in a concentration camp… The legendary horror spectacle from director Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice), adapted from genre writer F. Paul Wilson’s New York Times best-selling novel, "The Keep" is a mesmerizing visual feast of supernatural terror enhanced by a remarkable original score by Tangerine Dream (Sorcerer) along with jaw-dropping special effects by Nick Maley (Superman, Lifeforce). Starring Scott Glenn (The Hunt for Red October), Jürgen Prochnow (David Lynch’s Dune, Das Boot,) Alberta Watson (Hackers), and two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings film franchise,) Vinegar Syndrome is thrilled to at last offer the 4K UHD and Blu-ray debut of this highly sought-after and long unavailable cult film classic, newly restored for this release from its original camera negative and featuring exclusive new interviews with cast and crew revealing the fascinating production history of this one-of-a-kind cinematic experience. |
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| "The Keep - VinSyn - Film merits aside, credit to VinSyn for pulling off the licensing coup of the year (twice?) and then selling out 12,000 copies of the Limited Edition in just 39 hours. FOMO perhaps, but Paramount might just have found a reason to get Michael Mann to consider a director's cut restoration." - Chris Browne |
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| "The Keep (Vinegar Syndrome) - Honestly, who saw this coming? And on stunning 4K UHD? Anything is possible..." - James Laycock |
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| "Mann's The Keep has always been a curious title - held up in limbo with a 3.5 hour original cut that hasn't seen the light of day on digital. I always thought the issue was with a sexual assault scene in the film. It such a hard film to describe - a Golem-like entity in this maintained religious fortress can be released to reek havoc on the Nazis... but there is a question of its own evil intent. I watched this when I was young and loved it - plenty of light-induced effects, the cool score, a muscular supernatural giant of a ambiguously-moral monster, performances from Scott Glenn as a blind guardian, Jürgen Prochnow as a questioning Nazi, Ian McKellen as the vengeful scientist and, William Morgan Sheppard as a spooky, mysterious gatekeeper." - GT |
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| 6th Place) | |
| Sixth Place is Studiocanal's 4K UHD of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation". Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" is immensely desirable. The film is masterpiece wedged between the director's Godfather and Godfather Part 2. Coppola has stated that Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966) was a key influence with similar themes - auditory voyeurism without participation, based in the world of audio surveillance. Brian De Palma's Blow Out recalls both films. Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) was based on middle-aged Harry Haller in the 1927 novel, Steppenwolf, by German-Swiss author Hermann Hesse. Both Harrys do not embrace societal norms. Caul's obsession is with invasion of privacy... his own and others as a vocation through surveillance. His advantage is stealth and subterfuge with direct camouflage via employed colleagues or, pivotal, technical expertise. He is proud that he "makes all his own equipment." In the end, believing his apartment is bugged, he rips the protective skin off every thing that has a covering or laminated surface: walls, hardwood floors, ceilings, furniture, ornaments, drapes, etc. His most painful moment comes when he forces himself to bash open a small figure of the Virgin Mary. It is the last thing his burgeoning paranoia exposes. Inside is nothing at all, she is hollow - a crushing commentary on his religion. The confessional - his only trusted avenue. He has been betrayed by colleagues, by would-be lovers, and there is nothing to give him solace for the morality of his business. Studiocanal's stacked 4K UHD release "The Conversation" is a 'must own' for cinephiles. Our highest recommendation!. |
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| "Arguably Coppola's best film and one of the finest thrillers of all time, the physical packaging of Studio Canal's limited edition with the soundtrack on cassette is a beautiful one." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "I highly doubt I will ever play the cassette tape. But I'm glad I have it." - Ryan |
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| 7th Place) | |
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Seventh Place is BFI's 4K UHD of Henri-Georges Clouzot's "The Wages of Fear". Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1953 thriller "The Wages of Fear" is based on the 1950 French novel by Georges Arnaud. It won both the Golden Bear at the 1953 Berlin Film Festival and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The story involves an American oil company who hire a handful of hard-luck European men (French, Italian and German) to drive two trucks of nitroglycerine over mountainous dirt roads, to help extinguish an oil well fire. Christopher Nolan was strongly influenced by The Wages of Fear for his 2017 film Dunkirk. Clouzot's daughter approved the colorization of The Wages of Fear in 1996. It was only broadcast on French television / French VHS. Notable adaptations include William Friedkin's 1977 Sorcerer with Roy Scheider. BFI's 4K UHD release is kind of a must-own - the film has never looked better for home theater release, it's stacked with extras - previous interviews and commentary, new video essay, booklet etc. Brilliant film looking and sounding flawless. Strongly recommended! |
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| "BFI gives this a 4k upgrade and does the job done right in this nerve shattering thriller." - Moshe Black |
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| "The BFI's 4K UHD release is excellent with the stellar presentation of the restored version of the film which includes all the extras from the 2017 release and adds a few new exclusives for a comprehensive release." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "I went back and forth about putting Wages of Fear or Little Darlings at the top of the list before ultimately choosing Wages for one simple reason: the impeccable transfer. The film is an absolute masterpiece of character and suspense, and it is made all the more gripping with a transfer that brings out every bead of sweat, every chunk of blasted rock, and makes the famous oil puddle look like it bubbles up from the blackest parts of hell. The movie looks spectacular, and I expect to return to this transfer many times in the year to come." - Ryan |
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| 8th Place) | |
| Eighth Place is Kino's 4K UHD of Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is firmly-seated in the pantheon of American 50's sci-fi's golden era which includes The War of the Worlds, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Thing From Another World, Forbidden Planet, This Island Earth, It Came from Outer Space... each dealing, primarily, with how we are going to get along with extraterrestrial alien life forms who, may, have hostile intentions. I'd probably include The Brain Eaters, and I Married a Monster from Outer Space. Duplicating our bodies and turning us into emotionless "pod people" is certainly deserved of more than a finger-wagging response. Of course, who is going to believe the suspicious "truth-seekers"? Silly conspiracy theorists should be dismissed... until they, too, are replaced in their sleep. Lousy Commies. "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." Studios of the day were apprehensive about the film's pessimistic conclusion, and a prologue and epilogue were added with the crux of the story told as a flashback to Doctors played by Whit Bissell and Richard Deacon. Finney's novel actually ends with the maximum '5-year life-span extraterrestrials' exiting Earth after our stubborn resistance. Never comply! Some cinemas displayed several gimmicky papier-mâché pods in front of the theatre ala a William Castle ploy or, by extension, Joe Dante's delightful Matinee. Shot in only 23 days, Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" has been oft repeated but never duplicated, although kudos to Phil Kaufman's 1978 remake with a cameo by Kevin McCarthy. Sci-fi movie gold - and now on Kino 4K UHD. The dual-ratios are an aware touch and four commentaries cover a plethora of analysis. Our very highest recommendation! |
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| "It seems due to the source material the transfer will never be top notch, but this is still a fantastic package with two aspect ratios of the film. One of my all-time favourites." - bgmoir |
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| 9th Place) | |
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Ninth Place are the 4K UHDS of Criterion and BFI's packages of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour-plus ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope. When 16th-century farmers whose village is repeatedly attacked by merciless bandits ask an elderly, masterless samurai (Takashi Shimura) for help, offering nothing but food in return, he hesitantly agrees and assembles a band of warriors to defend and train the villagers. Boasting terrific performances (with Shimura and Toshiro Mifune – as a peasant masquerading as a samurai – particularly memorable), superb camerawork, and expertly mounted battle sequences, Seven Samurai is undoubtedly one of the greatest action movies ever made. |
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| "Seven Samurai – BFI – do a great job restoring the picture in 4k with HDR. The blacks shine, there is more detail than before, and the new subtitles are welcome." - Moshe Black |
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| "...another one film fans had been waiting for and this release did not disappoint. I look forward to more of Kurosawa's work getting the visual upgrades they deserve." - Lewis |
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| "Seven Samurai (Criterion) – additional clean-up makes it superior to the BFI release. The Greatest Film Ever Made and a cornerstone of the Criterion Collection since LaserDisc days. Now even better! Astounding!" - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "The BFI's exclusive Dolby Vision graded transfer is stellar and highlighted with a great selection of new and vintage extras. I was absolutely honored that the BFI let me contribute to the supplements for my all time favorite film on this release, making it the top release of the year personally." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| 10th Place) | |
| Tenth Place is Vinegar Syndrome's 4K UHD of Roman Polanski's The Tenant. The Tenant is the last installment in the director's "Apartment Trilogy", following Repulsion (1965) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968.) All have themes involving paranoia. This may echo back to his youth as a Polish Jew in WW2. Polanski's father was transferred to the Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen, and his mother was taken to Auschwitz. There is also the 1969 Manson family's Tate–LaBianca murders which included his wife Sharon Tate. There are other Kafkaesque themes in The Tenant including meekness, displacement, confusion, sexual frustration etc. Part of the reason that the film is universally lauded is the acting of Polanski himself as Trelkovsky. He is also an exceptional visual director and can craft elements of a brilliant psychological horror where the Venn diagram of reality and the supernatural overlap. There is a highly effective international supporting cast in The Tenant with Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Bernard Fresson and Shelley Winters. The Philippe Sarde score is haunting throughout. What The Tenant is essentially building toward is "loss of Identity". It's many fans favorite Polanski films and it remains totally rewatchable decades later. The Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD package gets our highest recommendation. A 'must own'. |
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| "Vin-Syn have had another amazing year unearthing fan favorites like The Keep and Phase IV, but The Tenant in a desirability niche all of its own. Brilliant and unforgettable" - T. Hreneck |
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| (CLICK Covers for more Information)
The NEXT TEN highest total-vote 4K UHD Editions (#11 - #20 in order):
'The Rest' (in no order)
(CLICK Covers for more Information) To complicate things further, Béla Tarr's Werckmeister Harmonies came out in two 4K UHD editions in 2024; by Curzons (UK) and Criterion (US):
The same for Wim Wenders Paris, Texas which came out in two 4K UHD editions in December 2024; by Curzons (UK) and Criterion (US):
Ditto for David Lynch's The Straight Story in Germany and France by Arthaus / Studiocanal (different packages - same transfer):
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| "Southern Comfort" from Vinegar Syndrome - Amazing transfer with all grain intact, natural colors, fantastic collection of extras, design and printing of packaging materials is excellent. 4K and bluray copies. Typical with VS the price was way too high. So much love given to smaller films this year!" - John Brune |
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| "Typhoon Club - Third Window - Third Window's directors company series has received well deserved praise from collectors and this is perhaps the highlight. I look forward to seeing what gems they bring us next." - Lewis |
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| "Paths of Glory - Eureka - one of Kubrick's lesser loved film until recently, its popularity has deservedly steadily risen in recent years and I can't help but think great home releases such as this have helped it get the recognition it deserves." - Lewis |
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| "VIXEN/SUPERVIXENS/BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS (Severin Films) – Severin finally cracked into the Russ Meyer library and here's hoping this is just the beginning of a relationship that will eventually have Severin releasing most of Meyer's films with such care and precision taken to preserve the films, present them in the best possibly way and also respect the wishes of Meyer and his estate. Congratulations to Severin for these releases and for landing one of the white whales." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Lone Star (Criterion) - Criterion's 4k does a wonderful job highlighting the changes in color and visual texture that punctuate the melancholic releases of passion in this overall grim film about America's racial violence and the lies we tell about it. The sex scene between Chris Cooper and Elizabeth Peña feels so stark, in part, because of how our characters are beautifully lit. The 4k does a great job keeping up with Sayles's subtle but alternating visual ideas." - Andrew Eaton |
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| "I Am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatozov) Criterion - A movie authored by its cinematographer Sergey Urusevsky so innovatively in 1964 that had it not been rejected by nearly everyone — countries, critics & audiences — it might have altered the development of cinema." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "The Long Good Friday [4K UHD Blu-ray] (John Mackenzie, 1980) Criterion - sometimes you forget how good a film is ... and this release has brilliant extras" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Chinatown (Paramount Presents) - While maybe never as showy or overt in its aesthetic as its New Hollywood contemporaries, Chinatown has always struck me as one of the most gorgeous films ever made and Paramount's new 4k looks on par with a 35mm print. Those rare but dark purple hues of the LA night have never looked better. Also the packaging is fantastic." - Andrew Eaton |
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| "True Lies" by Disney - had no problem with the 'processed' image. Nice extras and fantastic presentation" - John Brune |
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| "The Abyss (Disney) Ok, James Cameron is a moron for his commitment to AI film grain removal whenever he restores one of his films. The True Lies 4k is probably one of the most disappointing 4k blu ray releases in a while. That being said, The Abyss 4k blu ray is much better than its given credit for despite some of Cameron's digital brained choices being present in the restoration. Unlike True Lies, the digital grain removal makes the film look sleek instead of waxy. Faces look fleshy instead of plastic, which I suppose is the bare minimum, but I think the 4k presentation is great despite a lack of accuracy to the original negative. As with the Titanic 4k, I have no problem with this as the film suits modern visual aesthetics as well as it does those of 1989. The scenes with expressive blue and pink lighting have their general look intact and appear quite stunning. Would it have been nice to see an Abyss 4k that looks more like the original presentation? Maybe, but this 4k still does justice to what I think is James Cameron's best film and I'm glad it allows the film to have greater accessibility which it never previously had due to streaming service blunders." - Andrew Eaton |
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| "Le Samourai - Criterion - the transfer improvements are subtle but in key scenes it brings out a host of rich dark scene contrast and shadow detail, making it a feast for the eyes. A wonderful example how a 4k upgrade can do it right without being gimmicky." - Lewis |
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| "The Searchers (1956) (US, Warner) - For most Warner upgrades to 4K, they have had the habit of losing previously released extras. For The Searchers they have actually added new extras in addition to keeping the vintage one. The upgrade to 4K is a substantial one, with a new restoration and finally having the film with lossless audio." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "Fear and Desire (Kino Lorber 4K) - No one is going to make the argument that Stanley Kubrick's debut film Fear and Desire is his best film, nor would they argue that it's a particularly good film. There's a reason he tried to stifle its release during his lifetime – it's a semi-interesting film that showcases his career long interest in masculinity, this time through a heavy dose of Russian montage. What makes Kino Lorber's 4K set my second place pick for 2024 isn't the film or even its recently rediscovered premiere cut that's about ten minutes longer (at 60-70 minutes, the film feels like it's almost two hours), nor is it the top notch restoration and 4K transfer. What makes this such a special set for Kubrick completests is that Kino also restored his short documentaries (Flying Padre, Day of the Fight, and The Seafarers), all in 4K. As a resource for everything early Kubrick, this is a one stop shop and I applaud Kino for not cutting corners on the bonus features here." - Drew Morton |
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| "Soy Cuba - Criterion - a wonderful presentation of Kalatozov's beautiful film that should be mandatory viewing for film fans and students alike. I suspect it would have arrived with more fanfare had so many viewers and reviewers not been distracted by simplistic politics, missing the point of what makes this film so special." - Lewis |
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| "Conan the Barbarian (Arrow) - Simply put, this film kicks ass and Arrow's 4k is able to bring out the painterly quality of this film's cinematography incredibly well. An epic of this scale that's also completely unafraid of taking the ridiculous seriously is a rarity nowadays so I'm glad Arrow's 4k allows us to look back at a better kind of blockbuster with the richest look possible." - Andrew Eaton |
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| "Chinatown (1974) (Paramount) - Paramount has had an uneven record with their 4K transfers, but Chinatown gets everything right. While the sequel film included in the US release could have used a bump to 4K and having extras, it is Chinatown that is the highlight." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "Scarlet Street - I am not a fan of the dark color grading typical of 4KUHD discs, but both the 4K and the blu-ray bring a welcome new audio-commentary by the always informative and engaging Imogen Smith. (She makes me think of a friend sitting next to you in a theater who won't stop whispering about the film as you watch it but who you never ask her to stop because what she says is so interesting.)" - Richard Burt |
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| "Dead End Drive In (1986) (Australia, Umbrella) - With colorful characters, impressive visuals, and a rocking soundtrack, director Brian Trenchard-Smith's cult favorite finally has the longer Australian version of the film restored with a fantastic package of lengthy extras and great physical collectibles in Umbrella Entertainment's Karboy Big Collector's Edition." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "Conan the Barbarian [4K UHD Blu-ray] (John Milius, 1982) - Arrow US - I'd forgotten how much fun this was. And it's in an amazing package with sooooo many extras. Destroyer is an OK sequel - the original rules" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023); Eagle Pictures; Italy; All - The most import release of the year for a very single reason: Italy is the only place in the world the latest Scorsese movie is not an Apple Original Movie. Therefore the local distributor, Leone Film Group, succeeded (via their home video partner, Eagle Pictures) in realeasing the first and only (at the moment) 4K home video release in the world of this underrated masterpiece." - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "Bound (Criterion) - It was hard not to think of Lana Wachowski citing Carravagio as a visual reference for Matrix Resurrections when watching Bound. The steep contrasts of lighting make it an ideal noir but its fascinating how these visual traditions are deployed for expressions of queer romance rather than explicit danger. Criterion's 4k does these hues justice and gives us the best presentation of the Wachowskis' first (of many) great films." - Andrew Eaton |
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| "Happiness - Criterion - Massive, massive upgrade going from that late twentieth century 4:3 letterboxed DVD to this." - Chris Browne |
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| "The Searchers - Warner Archive - Reaching out to FiM for their disc encode is fascinating... does this mean the in-house Warner Brothers MPI is too expensive? Reference quality work on all previous WA titles, so what gives? (Hey, maybe this means they will be open to reaching out to Indicator for help with writing some "typically well appointed insert booklets" next?!)" - Chris Browne |
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| "Once Upon a Time in the West
(Sergio Leone, 1968); Eagle Pictures; Italy; All Given that the only restoration available in 4K is the one on the US cut, the Eagle Pictures edition has to be mentioned because tries to avoid all the technical fails of the Paramount counterpart (and it has the right exit musiv on the Italian audio track). It's a mixed bag, but this is the best we can get." - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "Werckmeister Harmonies - A great year for Criterion, I usually try to spread the love here but I don't know how I pass over the chance to talk about (what I consider to be) Tarr's greatest masterpiece. A film of visual splendor that is absolutely deserving of the 4K UHD treatment that Criterion has generously bestowed it." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "I Am Cuba - Criterion - I had been waiting to see this influential film ever since Boogie Nights / Goodfellas, didn't think it would take this long, but this 4K restoration proved to be worth the wait." - Chris Browne |
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| "Dead End Drive In (Umbrella Entertainment) - Umbrella's preservation and presentation of Australian films has thrown up a lot of interesting titles over the past couple of years, but their Dead-End Drive In set is brilliant." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "Delirium: Photo of Gioia (Lamberto Bava, 1987); Vinegar Syndrome; US; All - A real guilty pleasure, a late attempt to use Serena Grandi stardom mixing it with the Bava/Argento thriller. The result is crazy, funny, outrageous and over the top. I never thought, in my life as a movie collector, it could be released in such a special edition. Many thanks to Vinegar Syndrome for the special treatment and the 4K restoration from the original elements!" - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "Watership Down - BFI - A significant improvement over the Criterion BD, and great supplements + packaging." - Chris Browne |
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| "The Block Island Sound (Kevin and Matthew McManus, 2020) Synapse Films. This is an intense psychological thriller that punches way above its budget, with its sci-fi horror elements acting as a commentary, subtly reflecting the interpersonal turmoil of its character’s lives as they face issues of loss, grieving, depression, impotence in dealing with parental dementia, possible mental health issues, and neighbors who confidently espouse detailed conspiracy theories to account for unexplained, but very real, local environmental destruction. A vivid sense of place and a foreboding, atmospheric tone manage to make these elements resonate with larger existential issues in the world outside the enclosed, semi-isolated community of the drama. Deceptively simple, The Block Island Sound builds slowly with a calculated precision. Everyday incidents, both dramatic and mundane, and effectively realistic dialogue combined with a strangely unsettling soundtrack, provide ominous foreshadowing. This sound design is punctuated by a mixture of low growling coming from the surrounding ocean, popping and glitching coming from radios, TVs, microwaves or any electronic equipment our protagonist comes into contact with, and raspy, distorted speech, as characters receive hallucinatory messages and commands. The story, a creative variant of the familiar UFO lingering around a relatively isolated community meme, concentrates on the personal conflicts among the characters. Thus, the filmmakers create an increasingly intense drama focused on the individual, so that when the relatively low tech special effects happen they are all the more impressive because they are framed within a realistic, otherwise modest looking, almost documentary setting. Shades of The Endless. Think of Cloverfield and moment we spot the head of the Statue of Liberty sliding down the middle of a New York City street in what was literally a home movie up to that point. Thought provoking, fun and scary in a disturbing way, The Block Island Sound is reminiscent of The Vast of Night (2020), another engaging independent sci-fi thriller that not only made the most of its modest resources, but used them to its advantage to create a small scale personal, character centered drama that suggested a much larger yet unnoticed phenomena at work in the world." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "The Abyss (James Cameron, 1989); Disney; All - Despite James Cameron attitude; despite the heavy use of digital de-noise tools; despite AI and digital look... finally "The Abyss" and "True Lies" jump from letterbox dvds to 4K discs; finally "Aliens" joins "Alien" (released in 4K in 2019). And, somewhere else, "Terminator" close the circle with a better than expected release." - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "Werckmeister Harmonies - Criterion - I was nervous about the encode on the BD (and they predictably dropped the ball on the supplemental feature film) but the 4K disc did justice to the cinematography, so at least Criterion is still managing to keep up that part of the bargain." - Chris Browne |
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| "The Blood on Satan's Claw (88 Films). The 88 Films Tigon Collection has been one of the most enjoyable series of films to follow this year. The Blood On Satan's Claw is the best film in the series and a great release all round." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "Mother (Albert Brooks) Criterion - A comedy that's funny from the premise & successful because it goes somewhere with Debbie Reynolds as fresh as she was 45 years earlier." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "Paper Moon (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973) Criterion. One of Bogdanovich’s best (he excels at period pieces) and one of my favorite road pictures. Laszlo Kovacs’ photography is breathtaking. Another fine package from Criterion." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Aguirre, The Wrath of God - This disc absolutely shines for this hypnotic movie. No new extras but worth the upgrade over the BR." - bgmoir |
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| "I Am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1964) Criterion. The crane shots are flying once again as Kalatozov’s fluid camera glides over, around and through four intertwining stories about people whose lives where caught up in the Cuban revolution. With its formal compositions, its kinetic editing, its poetic narrative and passionate political commitment I Am Cuba calls to mind the classic Soviet Cinema of the 1920s." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Supermarkt - Subkultur Entertainment - Post Turkish Delight I can imagine a desperate Paul Verhoeven catching a screening of this one and deciding on the spot on Jost Vacano as his de Bont replacement. (Speaking of desperate, Rob Houwer, when are you going to license out the films?!)" - Chris Browne |
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| "Witchfinder General - A stunning transfer from 88 Films for this disturbing movie." - bgmoir |
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| "Goodbye Uncle Tom (aka Addio Zio Tom) (Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi, 1971) Blue Underground. - “Every scene looks you straight in the eye… and SPITS!” screams the red banner streaming across the back of the disc sleeve. “SHOCKING… banned in several countries for obvious reasons,” adds the blurb from DVD Talk. Even the late Roger Ebert weighs in with an excerpt from his Chicago Sun-Times review, proudly displayed over the provocative cover art- “They have finally done it: made the most disgusting, contemptuous insult to decency ever to masquerade as a documentary.” From the folks who gave us Mondo Cane we get an epic vision of the American Slave Trade that makes Django Unchained look like Song of the South. Utilizing virtually unlimited resources provided by Haitian dictator and Mondodocudrama fan, Papa Doc Duvalier, the filmmakers stage vast panoramas involving packed below the decks slave ships, filthy standing room only crowded slave trains, and bustling slave markets all on the scale of a Sergio Leone extravaganza. There are also “stud” farms and southern brothels right out of Fellini, as well as many acts of violence and cruelty against the enslaved Africans. It’s a real mixed bag, with actual footage of Martin Luther King’s funeral and scenes of helicopters churning around above an 1860’s cotton field. Actors portraying important antebellum figures justifying slavery are juxtaposed against a 70’s African American man fantasizing acting out scenes from The Confessions of Nat Turner on a Florida beach. This last sequence looks like something right out of Godard’s British Sounds Dziga Vertov era. So, is this film massively offensive? Pretty much, yeah. Is it exploitive? You bet. Does it actually depict real events? It claims to, although it doesn’t shy away from presenting them in the most sensational way. Is this just artistic liberty? Not sure, but…. there is something more here than deliberate bad taste or simple made-to-shock you sequences. Much of what originally got this film banned, the fear that it would provoke violence and race riots, seems to me to be the product of the times in which it was made. It’s the same reaction many people had to the more fiery rhetoric of the Black Power movement. The same reaction some still have to Black Lives Matter. The movie does depict the victims of slavery as powerless and as objects of humiliation, but it never sides with the masters or the slavers. Though it may “objectively” present their side of the story, it seems to go to great lengths to make the slave owners look foolish with their self-serving arguments and petty concerns while others suffer right under their turned up noses. Yes, okay, but is this movie garbage or is it art? This is a unique production full of beautiful images and vile situations, empathetic motives and over-the-top agitl-prop execution. Perhaps it’s the kind of art that achieves its effect by painting with feces." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Looking For Mr. Goodbar - VinSyn - Another of the White Whales they are slaying over there these days!" - Chris Browne |
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| "The Lady from Shanghai - I have multiple copies of this movie on disc and never expected to be buying it again on 4K. There is certainly an improvement in visuals over the BR for this ‘unusual’ movie." - bgmoir |
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| "Stop Making Sense (A24). The greatest documentary and the greatest concert film ever made, restored and remastered with superior video and audio better quality than for the original theatrical release. A great collector's set. A pinnacle of all the amazing physical media releases in 2024." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Little Darlings (Cinematographe) – Little Darlings was a close second on my 4K list due to packaging, presentation, curation, and a beautiful, film-like transfer. The movie is one of many films long absent from home video, but in my opinion it's the best of the bunch. A most own and must-see." - Ryan |
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| "Happiness - A long-awaited release for Todd Solondz’s mind-blowing film, that is not afraid to tear down all towers of decency. I remember exploding with laughter in the cinema back in the 90s, at the “jerk off” line. Despite being lost for so many years, this film retains its’ power. One of my favourite extras this year with Solandz in conversation with pupil and remarkable film director Charlotte Wells (A good parallel to the Herzog/Korine interview on the Gummo disc). Dark and delicious." - Neil Williams |
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| "Gummo (Criterion, UK) - This has been on my wish list for a couple of years. And Criterion’s release did not disappoint. Prior to this I had an old DVD I picked up in the States about 25 years ago, which is one of my most lent out discs. This year’s BR release adds depth to the mixed media visuals of DoP Jean-Yves Escoffier and demonstrates the raw talent of the enfant terrible that was Harmony Korine (supported by great extras). Still as wild and wicked a watch as it was when I first viewed it on a rental VHS." - Neil Williams |
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| "Watership Down by Bfi - the overall package, the beautiful restoration, the extras" - Jan Püschel |
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| "Matinee(1993) (Shout! Factory 4K UHD) Only Shout Factory would likely put out on 4K this strangely lackadaisical, loveable fantasia on William Castle, from the terminally underappreciated Joe Dante." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Memories of Murder by Curzon - one of the best encodings, the movie, the package, just stunning to look at" - Jan Püschel |
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| "A Simple Plan (Arrow) - Yet another film that never made it to Blu-ray gets an impressive 4K release. The special features, which pretty much exclude any primary sources, leave a little to be desired, but just having this film in UHD is enough to justify its place on this list. The cover art is some of the best of the year." - Ryan |
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| "Count Dracula (1970) (4K UHD (Severin Collector’s Edition 4K UHD/ 88 Films UK Standard Edition): well-known to be marginally the most faithful cinematic adaptation and featuring Lee’s greatest performance as the Count, Franco’s best film suffers from a poor effects sequence or two but is stately, atmospheric and erotic: it also inspired Pere Portabello’s sublime Vampir Cuadecec (available on BD from Second Run)" - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "SOUTHERN COMFORT (Vinegar Syndrome) – Already had a nice blu-ray but I'm grateful that Vinegar Syndrome gave it an upgrade. It's one of Hill's very best and I'm very fond of Andrew Laszlo's cinematography." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "One from the Heart (StudioCanal 4K – UK Version) - While it may be a bit messy, One from the Heart does not deserve its historical reputation as the film that ended both Francis Ford Coppola's career the first time around and (partially) the Hollywood Renaissance. Sure, there's no reason why it should have cost that much and some of the technological decisions Coppola made had more to do with widget creation than art, but One from the Heart is an exquisite looking melancholy musical with tunes by Tom Waits, so it has a lot going for it. The restoration, a new cut of the film, and a 4K HDR color grading all dust the film off after a controversial blu-ray release. The set comes rounded out with an archival commentary by Coppola and a range of featurettes – both old and new – that chronicle the scope of the vision behind the film and the unique contributions of his collaborators. The features go a long way in contextualizing the maligned film and while it may not quite rise to the level of unfairly derided masterpiece, this beautiful restoration finally gives a very good film its due. (Be sure to get the UK version here instead of the US version because the UK version is 4 discs and has both the original cut and reprise cuts on 4K while the US only has the reprise cut on 4K and the theatrical on Blu.)" - Drew Morton |
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| "Super Mario Bros (1993) (Umbrella 4K UHD 30th Anniversary Limited Box Set): Not a great film, of course, but an important one with an endlessly fascinating history, most of which remains unknown to all the but the keenest investigators. (I recommend an article from Collider from 12/2/2023 that at least scratches the surface). Umbrella’s extraordinary rescue of this historic curiosity—which will never see a proper release by an American rights holder—extends not only to the beautiful transfer but to a bonus “workprint” getting us a bit closer to what the film was actually like at an earlier stage before the studios panicked." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Perfect Days (MUBI, UK) - My favourite film of the year was released in the UK by MUBI, who had an excellent year mixing their usual arthouse releases with some big commercial hits. This transfer captures the life-changing qualities of this thoughtful film. I could watch Koji Yakusho cleaning loos and staring at trees all day and have returned to this disc several times already. Simple extras, but the interview with Wim Wenders was spellbinding. The serenity of this master filmmaker, sat very still, discussing his work with a cup of green tea afore him was as spellbinding as this really excellent film. Wonderful." - Neil Williams |
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| "The Long Good Friday (Criterion 4K) - One of the greatest British films ever made featuring an electric, early career performance by Bob Hoskins as a volatile gangster trying to solidify his empire in the face of a violent plot that threatens to derail his international ambitions, The Long Good Friday finally gets a US HD upgrade. While the film has been available in Blu and even 4K in the UK via Arrow, I would choose the Criterion edition due to the inclusion of one major extra feature: a feature length documentary on George Harrison's Handmade Films, which played a pivotal role in British film production and distribution by giving us productions ranging from Monty Python's Life of Brian to Time Bandits, Withnail and I, and Mona Lisa." - Drew Morton |
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| "Lone Star (Criterion) – I somehow missed Lone Star in theaters, despite being a burgeoning cinephile and film student at the time. Maybe as a 20-year-old it just seemed like too much of an old-man movie to me. Now, as a 47-year-old old man, I feel like I came to at the exact right time. The film's themes of unearthing the past and grappling with our personal narratives really resonated with me. Criterion has seemed to phone it in with more frequency lately as they cut back on staff, cut back on the quality of their booklets, and continue to focus on rereleasing fairly recent releases, but this disc is an example of Criterion at their best." - Ryan |
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| "THE NUDE VAMPIRE (Indicator) – Standing in for the entire Rollin slate of 4K releases this year, which builds upon their work from last year. These films are a revelation to me and I love how carefully Indicator is handling them, as objects of art." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "On The Waterfront (Sony) - This release, as part of the Columbia Classics Volume 5 set, is an exhaustive, boutique level release for one of all-time greats featuring multiple versions of the film and decent retrospective features. Well worth getting the box set for (the other 5 movies are great, luckily)." - James Laycock |
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| "Little Darlings (Vinegar Syndrome) - I don't know what VS did to get some of these titles, but I hope they keep it up." - Gabriel Neeb |
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| "Caligula (1980) (Imprint 4K UHD): Predictable claims that this wonderful package from Imprint is overstacked beyond what the film deserves are way off the mark. Anybody who knows anything about Rome or Brass could tell there was a confrontational masterpiece lurking inside this film if only the clumsy Guccione inserts (and a few other things) could be removed: the 2011 Image BD attempted this manfully, but without great a/v. Something like the Image cut is just one of the five HD presentations in this incredible set, along with the intriguing new Masachusetts Cut in 4K. Yes, it would be nice if My Darling Clementine got this kind of treatment: but we should be awfully grateful for this." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "I Am Cuba (Criterion) - They just needed to get this right, to do justice to Urusevsky's virtuoso cinematography. Thankfully this was a stunner." - James Laycock |
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| "Demon Pond (1979) Criterion 4K UHD: Adapting the work of the great 19th century writer Izumi Kyōka, this is one of Shinoda’s near-forgotten mid-career masterworks of literary adaptations, amongst which is also the sublime bunraku adaptation Gonza the Spearmen, which I hope will see the light of day on physical media. For Criterion to take this opportunity (even as they keep a tight fist on so many other works by the great Japanese auteurs) solidifies their status as the best." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Deathdream (Blue Underground) - Very surprised to see this omitted from many lists. Night and day compared with the previous UK blu ray. A very dark, gritty looking film, but the top drawer use of Dolby Vision brought much improved clarity to some of the films most tense sequences." - James Laycock |
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| "Super Mario Bros. (1993) (Australia, Umbrella) - Umbrella Entertainment's upgrade for the film to the 4K UltraHD format is everything a film fan would want with the extensive new and vintage extras that are brutally honest with its production troubles as well as its praises to be found, offers a solid upgrade in image and sound as well as an incredible looking physical package for the limited "Trust the Fungus Collector's Edition"." - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "A Bridge Too Far (1977) - Imprint. Gorgeous restoration of a film that hasn't been remastered in 20 years." - Steve Grimes |
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| "The Abyss (1989) - Buena Vista. An incredibly long time in coming, this was largely worth the wait, some AI-schenagians aside." - Steve Grimes |
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| Gary's 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' list | |
| Some titles come out late in the year and aren't seen, or get swept under our collective radar but deserved more 'love' than the poll offered... or I just really enjoyed. This is my 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' list of under-represented Blu-rays and 4K UHD titles that, I think, some genre-fans, cinephiles etc. may wish to take a second look. For myself, they have appeal for various reasons (in alphabetical order): | |
Afire [Blu-ray]
(Christian Petzold, 2023) Janus Contemporaries
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
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Anatomy of a Fall [Blu-ray]
(Justine Triet, 2023) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
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The Apartment [Blu-ray]
(Gilles Mimouni, 1996) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
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Arthur Dong's Asian American Stories [Blu-ray]
Hollywood Chinese / Sewing Woman / Forbidden
City U.S.A. / The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S.
Ngor - Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
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Attack of the 50 Foot Woman [Blu-ray]
(Nathan Juran, 1958) Warner UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
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Back from the Dead [Blu-ray]
(Charles Marquis Warren, 1957) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
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The Batwoman [Blu-ray]
(René Cardona, 1968) Indicator US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
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Black Tight Killers [Blu-ray]
(Yasuharu Hasebe, 1966) Radiance Films US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
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Blood Simple [4K
UHD
Blu-ray (Joel Coen,
Ethan Coen, 1984) Criterion |
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Bound [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Wachowskis,
1996) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Burn, Witch, Burn [Blu-ray]
(Sidney Hayers, 1962) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him
[Blu-ray]
(Tai Katô, 1966) Radiance Films UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Capricorn One [Blu-ray]
(Peter Hyams, 1978) Imprint
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Castle Of Blood / Danza Macabra [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Antonio
Margheriti, 1964) Severin Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Catacombs
[Blu-ray]
(Gordon Hessler, 1965) Imprint
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Cheeky [4K UHD
Blu-ray] (Tinto Brass,
2000) Cult Epics
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Circus of Horrors [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Sidney
Hayers, 1960) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Classic Ghosts [Blu-ray]
(The Haunting of Rosalind, The Screaming Skull,
The Deadly Visitor, The House and the Brain, and
And the Bones Came Together) Kino Cult
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Conflict
[Blu-ray]
(Curtis Bernhardt, 1945) Warner Archive
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Dark Water [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Hideo
Nakata, 2002) Arrow US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Days / Afternoon: Two Films by Tsai Ming-Liang
[Blu-ray]
- Second Run UK |
|
|
Devil Girl from Mars [Blu-ray]
(David MacDonald, 1954) RB UK Studiocanal
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Devil's Partner / Creature From The Haunted
Sea Double Feature [Blu-ray]
(1960-61) Film Masters
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Die, Monster, Die! [Blu-ray]
(Daniel Haller, 1965) RB UK BFI
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Dogfight [Blu-ray]
(Nancy Savoca, 1991) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf [Blu-ray]
(León Klimovsky, 1972) Mondo Macabro
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Freddie
Francis, 1965) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Enough Rope [Blu-ray]
(Le meurtrier) (Claude Autant-Lar, 1963) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
eXistenZ [4K UHD
Blu-ray] (David
Cronenberg, 1999) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Fata Morgana [Blu-ray]
(Vicente Aranda, 1965) Mondo Macabro
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Fatal Vision miniseries [Blu-ray]
(David Greene, 1984) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
|
|
|
The Frightened Woman [Blu-ray]
(Piero Schivazappa, 1969) RB UK Shameless Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Girl on the Bridge [Blu-ray]
(Patrice Leconte, 1999) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Girlfight [Blu-ray]
(Karyn Kusama, 2000) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Glengarry Glen Ross [Blu-ray]
(David Mamet, 1992) RB UK 101 Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Häxan [Blu-ray]
(Benjamin Christensen, 1922) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Hairdresser's Husband [Blu-ray]
(Patrice Leconte, 1990) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Happiness [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Todd
Solondz, 1998) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Riccardo
Freda, 1962) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Horrors of the Black Museum [Blu-ray]
(Arthur Crabtree, 1959) RB UK Studiocanal
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
I, the Executioner [Blu-ray]
(Tai Katô, 1968) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
I Vampiri [Blu-ray]
(Riccardo Freda / Mario Bava, 1967) Radiance US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Island Of Terror [Blu-ray]
(Terence Fisher, 1966) 88 Films UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Last Year at Marienbad [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Alain
Resnais, 1961) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Lone Star [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (John Sayles,
1996) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Messiah of Evil [Blu-ray]
(Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, 1973) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Mudbound [Blu-ray]
(Dee Rees, 2017) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Never Open That Door [Blu-ray]
(Carlos Hugo Christensen, 1952) Flicker Alley
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Night of the Big Heat [Blu-ray]
(Terence Fisher, 1967) RB UK 88 Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Nostalghia [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Andrei
Tarkovsky, 1983) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Nothing But a Man [Blu-ray]
(Michael Roemer, 1964) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Obsession [Blu-ray]
(Edward Dmytryk, 1949) Indicator US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Pandora's Box [Blu-ray]
(Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1929) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Phase IV [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Saul Bass,
1974) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Planet of the Vampires [Blu-ray]
(Mario Bava, 1965) Radiance Films UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Play Misty for Me [4K
UHD
Blu-ray]
(Clint Eastwood, 1971) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Psychic [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Lucio Fulci,
1977) Severin
(BEAVER
Blu-ray REVIEW) |
|
|
The Playgirls and the Vampire [Blu-ray]
(Piero Regnoli, 1960) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Queen of Earth [Blu-ray]
(Alex Ross Perry, 2015) IFC Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Red Peony Gambler I-III [Blu-ray]
(Red Peony Gambler, Red Peony Gambler 2:
Gambler’s Obligation, Red Peony Gambler 3: The
Flower Cards Game) - RB UK Eureka
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Red Rock West [Blu-ray]
(John Dahl, 1993) Cinématographe
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Shanghai Triad [Blu-ray]
(Zhang Yimou, 1995) Film Movement Classics
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Shape of Night [Blu-ray]
(Noboru Nakamura, 1964) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW |
|
|
Signs [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (M. Night
Shyamalan, 2002) Sony
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Sorcerers [Blu-ray]
(Michael Reeves, 1967) RB UK 88 Films
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Southern Comfort [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Walter Hill,
1981) Vinegar Syndrome Ultra
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
A Story Of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two
Films By Yasujiro Ozu [Blu-ray]
- Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
A Story Written with Water [Blu-ray]
(Yoshishige Yoshida, 1965) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Suzhou River [Blu-ray]
(Ye Lou, 2000) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Swordsman of All Swordsman [Blu-ray]
(Joseph Kuo, 1968) RB UK Eureka
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Tales Of Adventure – Collection 4 (1949 – 1953)
[Blu-ray]
(King of The Rocket Men, Flying Disc Man from
Mars, The Invisible Monster, Radar Men From The
Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere, Mysterious
Doctor Satan and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of
the Universe) Imprint
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Tchao Pantin [Blu-ray]
(Claude Berri, 1983) Radiance US
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Tenant [4K UHD
Blu-ray]
(Roman Polanski, 1976) Vinegar Syndrome
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Tormented [Blu-ray]
(Bert I. Gordon, 1960) Film Masters
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Trenque Lauquen [Blu-ray]
(Laura Citarella, 2022) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Uninvited / The Unseen
[Blu-ray]
(Lewis Allen, 1944, 1945) Imprint
(BEAVER
REVIEW) (BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Valiant Ones [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (King Hu,
1975) Eureka UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Vertical Ray of the Sun [Blu-ray]
(Trần Anh Hùng, 2000) Sony
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Werckmeister Harmonies [4K
UHD
Blu-ray] (Bela Tarr,
2000) Criterion
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
When Tomorrow Comes [Blu-ray]
(John M. Stahl, 1939) Indicator
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
When Tomorrow Dies [Blu-ray]
(Larry Kent, 1965) Canadian International
Pictures
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
The Whip and the Body [Blu-ray]
(Mario Bava, 1963) Kino
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
Woman Who Came Back
[Blu-ray]
(Walter Colmes, 1945) Imprint
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
|
World Noir Vol 2 [Blu-ray]
(Black Gravel, Symphony for a Massacre and Cruel
Gun Story) Radiance UK
(BEAVER
REVIEW) |
|
| Favorite Commentaries of 2024: |
|
|
| There were so many
commentaries in 2024 by companies like Kino, Indicator, Imprint,
Arrow, Second Sight etc. for their consistent inclusions. Criterion,
the pioneer of the feature, still appears to be distancing
themselves from new commentary track supplements. Whenever we start naming names we run the risk of forgetting someone - so I will apologize for that immediately. I also didn't hear every commentary made in 2024, but I did listen to about a hundred. I appreciate and respect commentarists very much. We trust you never feel it is a thankless job. We will always support your efforts. |
| New Winner for 2024 is
Mr. Alan K. Rode:
Also cited: Lee Gambin (Voice of the Whistler, Kingdom of the Spiders, Saigon, etc.) Jasper Sharp (Wolves, Pigs and Men, etc.) Tom Weaver, Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, Nathaniel Thompson, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (The Hitcher, etc.) Adrian Martin (The Road to Shame, etc.), Michael Brooke (Allonsanfan), Frank Djeng, and, of course, Imogen Sara Smith.
Plus we love the following and their
commentary work:
|
|
____________________
|
| "Adam Roche Val Lewton Criterion" Richard Edwards |
|
____________________
|
| "Rode and others noir expertise on The Enforcer (1951) Film Noir XXII, The Walking Dead (1936), High Noon 4K, Body and Soul (1947), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Scarlet Hour (1956), Dead Reckoning (1946) UK, Chicago Deadline (1949), Crashout (1955) and Dark City (1950)" - Steve Samper |
|
____________________
|
| "Anything by Adrian Martin." - Peter Nagels |
|
____________________
|
| "(Michael) Brooke - Alonsanfan" - Moshe Black |
|
____________________
|
| "David Del Val on Bluebeard and The Catman of Paris. Alan K. Rode for The Walking Dead and Crashout." - Maggie Breitmeier |
|
____________________
|
| "I listen to a lot of them. I really liked Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby on THE NUDE VAMPIRE. Tim Lucas' commentary on THE DEMONIACS was very helpful and made me appreciate the film more than I had before hearing it. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas' commentary on THE HITCHER was great, it made me want to check out her book on the same film (she's always a great commentator). The audio commentary by critic Michael Sragow and editors Paul Seydor and Roger Spottiswoode on PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID – 50TH ANNIVERSARY RELEASE was informative and helpful for figuring out exactly why the edit was so troubled and how some of the decisions were so hastily made, but also the long process of trying to put the film together in a way that honors it and Peckinpah. Not a commentary but I really enjoyed the interview with critic Michael Koresky on the Criterion release for QUERELLE, a fascinating film that I enjoyed in some ways very well articulated by Koresky, who does a lot of unpacking." - Jason Overbeck |
|
____________________
|
| "Millie De Chirico- Little Darlings." - Gabriel Neeb |
|
____________________
|
| "Jasper Sharp on «The Bride From Hades» in Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories (Radiance)" - Christian Frassa |
|
____________________
|
| "The Crippled Masters (Film Masters): Justin Decloux and Will Sloan. Give these fellas more work, please." - Walker Roberts |
|
____________________
|
| "Michael Brooke - Allonsofan and Walkover (Second Run)" - Chris Barwick |
|
____________________
|
| "The combination of the original cast and crew commentary and the new Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson track shed light on just how much The Blair Witch Project was not a fluke and its continued cultural impact." - Eric Cotenas |
|
____________________
|
| "Prime Cut (Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson), Bound (ported over from the LD, but still a classic), Ronin (John Frankenheimer)" - Warren Ketter |
|
____________________
|
| "Alan K. Rode The Uninvited (Imprint)" - bris826 |
|
____________________
|
| "Bruce Eder and Steven C. Smith for their in-depth exploration of the travails of William Dieterle’s magnus opus, All That Money Can Buy." - David Redfern |
|
____________________
|
| "Peter Tonguette (Daisy Miller) - Informative, detailed and yet never dry. Randy Skretvedt (Laurel & Hardy:Season 2) - you can tell how much he loves those movies." - Douglas C Head |
|
____________________
|
| "All that Money Can Buy" - Bruce Eder and Steven C. Smith (full disclosure...Steven is a personal friend. No one knows more about Bernard Herrmann. Plus, his insights on classic films are terrific in general!)" - Mark Fry |
|
____________________
|
| "Daniel Kremer: big ups to
Mr. Kremer for not just one but two 3+ hour commentary tracks all on
his own. Not everyone could keep it going, let alone keep it
interesting. And he recorded far more than just these two! David Del Valle (often with Dan Marino): Marino proves an able and amiable addition to Del Valle's usual blend of experience and humor. Marino's unfortunate omission on the Kino Lorber packaging (an error?) is completely countered by Marino's ample preparation and delivery. Alan K. Rode Samm Deighan Bill Ackerman, his usual virtuoso job on Racing With the Moon" - Tony Jaffe |
|
____________________
|
| "Kim Newman and Sean Hogan's Tigon commentaries for 88 Films." - Steve Rutt |
|
____________________
|
| "Adrian Martin - Floating Clouds." - Rossa Crowe |
|
____________________
|
| "Kim Newman & Stephen Jones on I Walked With a Zombie. (I know it's from the old DVD, but I only heard it this year when I bought the bluray.)" - Nick Garlick |
|
____________________
|
| "Michael Brooke relates backstories and analysis of Buñuel’s Viridiana in a concise and enjoyable fashion." - David Redfern |
|
____________________
|
| "In my view, Imogen Sara Smith
and Tim Lucas still do the best commentaries. I continue to
make blind buys if discs I might be unfamiliar with have one of
these two doing the commentaries. Honorable mentions in no particular order: Joseph McBride, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Jason Ney, Kat Ellinger, Samm Deighan, Julie Kirgo and Alan K. Rode."- Gary Slatus |
|
____________________
|
| "It was devastating to lose Lee Gambin this year. He was such a knowledgeable and engaging presence in the film community (particularly here in Australia). I listened to a lot of his commentaries following his passing and of his 2024 commentaries the ones I enjoyed the most were his Halloween III commentary for ViaVision and his Can't Stop The Music commentary with DJ Maynard for KL Studio Classics." - Tim Leggoe |
|
____________________
|
| "Tim Lucas on "I vampiri" – Radiance Films" - Vaso Đogović |
|
____________________
|
| "Zero Woman, Red Handcuffs – Samm Deighan - This commentary track transformed my film watching, leading me into darker back alleys. This audio track led me to Samm Deighan’s podcasts, including her most recent venture EROS + MASSACRE, and her books, including the brilliant latest text on Revolutionary Cinema (co-edited with Andrew Nette). Intelligent, infectious analysis and opinion on this commentary is an excellent first step into Deighan’s impressive work ethic." - Neil Williams |
|
____________________
|
| "Kim Newman and Stephen Jones on I Walked with a Zombie. – Didn't listen to many commentary tracks this year, but this one was the standout. Kim Newman has become such a trusted resource that I will buy discs solely for his interviews." - Ryan |
|
____________________
|
| "Murder on the Orient Express - 1974 - Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson" - Steve Grimes |
|
____________________
|
|
|
| BOUTIQUE Labels |
 |
|
Our niche heavily gravitates to 'Boutique Labels' as their strongest preference. For 2024 we had the most "Favorite Label" votes in our poll ever, and we also utilize that in determination of the ranking - that is in a 'total votes' system. Here are the TOP 10 mentioned Blu-ray / 4K UHD Production labels:
Radiance dominated like no label in memory, balancing between the appeal of 'under-exposed to excellent' world cinema. Magnificence. 2) Criterion Much discussion of their expanding 4K UHD catalogue and Janus Contemporary sub-label. Still adored. 3) Kino Lorber Their relentless output of both 4K UHD and Blu-ray titles was very much appreciated by balloters. Where would we be without them? Vinegar Syndrome's production is incredibly extensive - their commitment shines through on almost every release they put out. Passion. Love. We're not worthy. 5) Severin Severin have been going the extra-mile for years with the most eclectic and extensive packages of any distributor. Loyalty. 6) Second Run Second Run, continue to impress physical media fans... over and over again. What a great boutique label. Again, sizable Imprint flourish and their actor/director themed boxset efforts remain a treasure-trove for film fans. Amazing output. 8) 88 Films 88 Films continue to gain ground in 2024 with brilliant packages with the most revered cover art. Obscure genre gold. 9) Arrow Arrow do, complete, flawless packages. If you are a fan of the specific film - you can always purchase their editions with confidence. 10th tie) Indicator (Powerhouse) Indicator remain a huge fan favorite in the DVDBeaver sphere for their extensive extras and complete packages. Best supplements out there. and Eureka are exploring an avenue of martial arts cinema while maintaining their adherence to revered directors in the genre space via their Masters of Cinema sub-label. _________ Mondo Macabro are a personal favorite and they always skirt just outside of our top ten. I think they have the coolest signature opening and it's companies like them that keep us excited about continuing this website - always interesting and lesser-seen cult titles spanning the globe. BFI have really expanded their catalogue with new 4K UHD titles and more content than previous years. We wait with baited breath. Undercrank Productions! BIG NOD! Ben Model is a God. I would gladly review more Studio Canal UK if they would send me content to cover. Synapse also deserves similar respect to Mondo Macabro. We love much of their eclectic catalogue. So frigg'in cool. Classicflix / Film Masters titles fit squarely in our niche. As do most of Warner Archive. Vintage cinema forever! Comments (most responses were just the name of the company but here are a sampling of some of the more efleshed-out comments balloters made): |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance, UK, for continuing to produce wonderful special editions of new and lesser-known great films, with exemplary extras." - Peter Rist |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance. So many discoveries, so much variety, mostly off the beaten track. An exceptional catalogue of titles growing each year." - James Kemp |
|
____________________
|
| "Kino Lorber... making both classics and obscurities available." - Alan Rode |
|
____________________
|
| "This year I have found that Kino has reissued numerous movies of interest to me in 4K. Frankly, they seem to issue movies of interest to me that it seems the majors wouldn't issue, perhaps due to the decreasing market for discs (4k & blu ray) as people become used to streaming which I have found is lower quality (pauses for bandwidth, etc.)" - Thomas Friedman |
|
____________________
|
| "Tough choice as usual, but for this year I will go with Radiance. I literally discovered so many movies that I was not aware existed or knew that they existed but had never entertained the possibility of watching them with English subtitles in such exemplary conditions." - Kyu Hyun Kim |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance – Radiance continues to release interesting, lesser known, or completely unknown movies with special features that provide excellent context. Their cover art is always eye catching. At this point they are the lone label where I feel the need to buy every release." - Ryan |
|
____________________
|
| "VINEGAR SYNDROME (great Releases, and additionally brought in great partner labels this year)" - Jonathan King |
|
____________________
|
| "I generally scoff when I hear the word "curation" and for this reason haven't subscribed to any one label on a monthly or annual basis. I like to do my own digging even if it sometimes leads to deadends and forgettable movies. Radiance might change my ways. Each month their slate is chock full of new-to-disc or unheard motion pictures from across the globe and spanning genres and decades." - Walker Roberts |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance - for releasing so many great titles I've never heard of." - Matt Lianza |
|
____________________
|
| "As usual, Criterion takes the top spot for me, but Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome killed it this year too." - David Hollingsworth |
|
____________________
|
| "88 Films. They’ve been putting out a ton of obscure British science fiction which previously has only been available in a very poor quality." - Peter Nagels |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance – put out the most unseen films from World Cinema" - Moshe Black |
|
____________________
|
| "Kino Lorber, Film Masters, for the rare titles. German Labels: Anolis and Wicked Vision, because of their beautiful Mediabooks." - Maggie Breitmeier |
|
____________________
|
| "Out of all the labels represented here by multiple titles, Radiance Films continues to have the most diverse and surprising output." - Eric Cotenas |
|
____________________
|
| "Criterion - for finally going all out on 4K. Thank you." - Paul Bennett |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance's track record, along with the announced 4K restorations, make it a safe bet to be a winning combination. That, along with the fact that those three particular films are widely considered masterpieces, compared to a set like Indicator's Columbia Noir #6 Whistler set, which cannot hold a candle on an individual title level in quality to any of the Bunuel films, but the set will nonetheless figure prominently in the year-end poll due to its rarity and substantial amount of supplemental materials." - Anthony Dugandzic |
|
____________________
|
| "No question Vinegar Syndrome had the best 2024! While Arrow, Criterion, and Kino seem to be plagued by overlapping popular catalog titles with each other, Vinegar Syndrome is carving out a new path, featuring releases that have flown under the radar of mass marketers. " - Warren Ketter |
|
____________________
|
| "Kino. They are non-stop releasing so many titles and lately most of them have been incredibly nice surprises. Their transfers (especially 4K) are fantastic. They are constantly releasing new titles" - John Brune |
|
____________________
|
| "Warner Archive Collection. Under the helm of George Feltenstein a slew of first-rate digital encodings from the back catalogues of M-G-M, Warner Bros., RKO and Monogram/Allied Artists continues unabated. A shout-out for extras on their discs has also not gone unheeded. Additionally, the Warner Archive Collection label now moves into 4k UHD with the release of The Searchers in January 2025. Onward and upward!" - David Redfern |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance - a meticulously selected collection of excellent movies. The emphasis on that description is "excellent." Labels releasing what could be considered, in the US, obscurities is common to many labels. Where Radiance excels at is the remarkable quality of the movies. A movie such as The Sting of Death is not just superb but a masterpiece that makes a person reappraise their own top 100 list. The releases may not be loaded with extra's but again the quality is high caliber from beautiful booklets to a documentary on the making of Tchao Pantin to the 3 informative extras on the recent release of Yokohama BJ Blues." - Douglas C Head |
|
____________________
|
| "Undoubtedly pound for pound winner Radiance, who have been consistently fantastic this year, releasing more previously hard to find world cinema auteur works and debuts than any other UK label. From packed feature releases, interesting partnerships and comprehensive boxsets, they've continued to treat film fans - especially those like me who were let down by Arrow Academy's closure and the alarmingly small number of arthouse releases Arrow has bothered with since." - Lewis |
|
____________________
|
| "Radiance Films is producing best Blu-rays, imo, all stacked with supplements" - Richard Burt |
|
____________________
|
| "Kino Lorber for relentlessly adding new titles" - Tony Sullivan |
|
____________________
|
| "Arrow. Those covers. Overall quality of extras." - Michael Huie |
|
____________________
|
| "Criterion – Always the gold standard for consistently high quality disc releases, in recent years Criterion have been challenged by the likes of Masters of Cinema (similar in approach to packaging with primo bitrates and lots of quality extras), Kino (an abundance of product with more emphasis on solid basic editions than premium packaging) and various other boutique labels each with their own specialized niche. However, this year I vote for Criterion as the number one label because of their high standards and the fact that they have made large strides toward embracing 4K UHD, both in exciting new releases (All of Us Strangers, the Val Lewton disc,) and reissued upgrades of former editions (The Apu Trilogy, 81/2, Picnic At Hanging Rock, Days of Heaven)." - Ken Schwarz |
|
____________________
|
| "Sony, Flicker Alley, Undercrank Productions" - David T. Steere Jr. |
|
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| "This year I think the price goes to Criterion, their slate has been very impressive (and so have their announcements for upcoming 2025 titles like CHOOSE ME, NIGHT MOVES, CROSSING DELANCEY and DRUGSTORE COWBOY – just to name a few). Criterion dominated my best of lists this year and I didn't even get to mention their new 4K releases for PAPER MOON, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE/THE SEVENTH VICTIM, PEEPING TOM, I AM CUBA, etc ad infinitum. I'm also a big fan of their Janus Contemporaries sub-label, which put out two of my favorite films this year LAST SUMMER and EVIL DOES NOT EXIST. " - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Radiance, I think they have taken over from Criterion as best curated art-house label by releasing at a pace commensurate with generating and sustaining excitement for their choices in announcements. Labels like Second Run and Deaf Crocodile have been around longer and do challenge Radiance on a title-by-title basis (they might skew closer to my own film interests) but have been overtaken in total releases by Radiance in just two years time! The only thing Radiance has yet to perfect in consistency are their booklets which at times feel (cheap and) compulsory with a single "essay" to scarcely qualify it as a LE - though some of their releases are quite generous (but as always the BFI and Indicator are leaders in their plastic-case-insert-booklet niche by some margin)." - Chris Browne |
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| "Warner Archive - You will notice that only one of the nine blu rays I chose was not released by Warner Archive. It is wonderful that they have the ability to release such deep catalog titles directly from their studio when all other studios have pretty much given up. Their restoration efforts have always been top notch. Happy that they have started down the 4K route, finally." - Mark Fry |
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| "Criterion have had one of
their beat years in a very long time with so many exceptional
releases spanning so many genres, decades and cultures. With this
year's quality and variety it seems like they have finally returned
to their original mission. Radiance were a very close second with their incredible ability to uncover hidden gems and give them so much love and care, plus for releasing the Buñuel box set, my favourite release of the year." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "ClassicFlix – ClassicFlix is another specialty label that has released a comprehensive box set of the Our Gang sound shorts and is now working on restoring the rarely seen silent entries in that series." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Radiance. I love their packaging and extras. Good quality encodes as well." - Steve Grimes |
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| "It would probably have to be Kino due to the shear number of releases, of which I buy many, but WA & Criterion have had some very good releases this year. Kino is also doing a fantastic job with 4K releases." - bgmoir |
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| "Radiance (for really digging into the unknown/forgotten)." - Nick Garlick |
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| "Kino – The strength of
this label is its volume and variety. Lots of releases in many
different genres. From silents to art house to mainstream,
contemporary and classics from all around the world, Kino presents
generally well produced, albeit fairly Spartan editions at
reasonable prices, especially when you consider that there always
seems to be some sort of sale going on at their website." - Ken
Schwarz "Undercrank Productions, renowned silent film accompanist and historian Ben Model’s company is dedicated to restoring and bringing to the public silent and early sound movies that would otherwise languish in the vaults of the Library of Congress or private collections. This year Ben and company have brought us The Bat (1926) as well as the feature film The Craving (1918) and several early shorts starring matinee idol Francis Ford." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Second Run – For their impeccable taste in classic world cinema. I gave up supposing their releases in their DVD era and am constantly delighted at the quality of the films they choose to put out." - Steve Rutt |
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"Flicker Alley – I didn’t see a lot of new product released this year, but the Laurel and Hardy Year Two box set is a gem and Flicker Alley’s catalogue of restored world cinema is outstanding." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "Radiance—throughout 2024, every Radiance release has been essential viewing. Filling in the gaps left by other labels, Radiance's world cinema curation is simply the finest in the business—it's eclectic, original, and incisive. The authoritative supplemental features, especially the commentaries, are best in class; the confluence of these selections, their presentations, and supplemental materials make it all but certain: just as a certain label near-single-handedly elected the canon of capital-c Cinema a few generations ago, the torch has been passed to Radiance as it now reexamines, reconsiders, re-contextualizes, and redefines Cinema." - Jacob Smith |
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| "Warner Archive has continued to mine what has to be both the broadest and deepest catalog among the major studios in beautifully restoring and releasing classic gem after classic gem. Breathtaking releases including Journey Into Fear, 3 Godfathers, Devil's Doorway, Act of Violence, Cabin in the Sky....the list goes on and on. It's a shame that in 2024 they appeared to be pivoting away from classic Hollywood movies and toward poorly made, modern kiddie cartoons and mediocre TV shows. This dreck might make their Warner-Discovery masters a few extra bucks, but this latest trend should be distressing to all classic cinema cinephiles."- Gary Slatus |
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| "Arrow Video. Always the best mastering, very rarely a poor release (Chroma issues on Desperado a rare exception). Great Limited Edition Box sets, discs pressed at Sony Austria, so no scratches. Obligatory upgrade, every time Arrow Video release their version of a film, even if previously released by another label." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Radiance Films - Wasn’t sure whether Radiance had gone too niche and obscure this year, and was initially a bit underwhelmed by the release roster in early 2024. But, when I jotted down my favourite purchases of the year, I realized 9 of my top 20 were Radiance products. Already have some pre-orders lined up for next year. Francesco Simeone and team’s strategy and passion is so strong, and therefore must be heralded as the label of the year once more." - Neil Williams |
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| "Sony: Although both Criterion and Warner Archive have had their best year in recent memory, SONY has quietly, perhaps too quietly, put out Hollywood classics on 4K (Talk of the Town, Capra at Columbia), Minor Classics on BD (Man’s Castle, Once to Every Women), 90s Classics (Little Women, Thunderheart, Steel Magnolia), TV Classics (Seinfeld, Fraggle Rock, Richard Pryor Live), Box Sets (the Three Stooges), 4k Steelbooks (Parika, Nikita), Sony Pictures Classics, etc. etc. An astonishing catalogue in a single year." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Radiance - In a market where the big boutique labels are on the train of 4K big release of blockbuster studio titles (Arrow, Criterion... I'm mainly looking at you!), Francesco Simeoni and Radiance go back to the roots of this market, offering the best for auteur-driven features and hidden gems from around the world (but focusing on France, Italy, Asia and a bit of Germany). Plus, I really can't get enough of the elegance and the look and feel of each release." - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "Radiance - for their extraordinary breadth of Japanese releases, with the first title of the 1950s—Underworld Beauty—coming in 2025." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Criterion editions provided the most of the year's best." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "Film Masters: What a great start for Phil Hopkins’ new label Film Masters! Two screwball comedies, multiple Corman sets, some 70’s thrillers, and even DOOR-To-DOOR MANIAC! We fervently hope they will rescue more “lost” and/or public domain films as they have done for “THE TERROR”, whether it be Corman’s THE INTRUDER or DOA." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "Radiance Films - this label introduced me to a slate of outstanding previously unavailable films and many new discoveries. The catalogue is now diverse and dynamic with several masterpieces. Very excited by what they will bring in 2025." - Rossa Crowe |
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| "Doctor Who: The Collection Season 25 Blu-Ray (Limited Edition Packaging)): No television series in history has been afforded the kind of scrupulous care, dedicated effort, and deluxe physical media treatment as has Doctor Who courtesy of the BBC’s restoration team (Paul Vanezis and Mark Ayres). Everyone should support their work on this charming and offbeat penultimate season of the show, and the UK edition features the usual stunning packaging with several artworks by Lee Binding." - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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Best Cover Designs: Another year for impressive artistic covers whether from new inventive artists or replicas of vintage posters! Arrow, 88 Films (Sean Longmore), Criterion, Kino, Radiance (Raphael Geroni), Mondo Macabro, Flicker Alley, Masters of Cinema, Indicator and a few other labels getting a fair share of votes. So many inventive covers, often chosen from extensive, artistic, old poster designs. Some Steelbooks (often exclusive) were chosen, if most not enough votes to make the listing. Many are collectable in their own right. (Mostly in alphabetical order! - each received 4 or more votes!) |
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TOP TEN 'BEST COVER'
VOTES:
Also Receiving Multiple Votes (in no order)
Incidentally, two people voted this as the worst cover (without prompting it as a category):
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| "Capricorn One - not the box but the disc where the studio is reflected in the face mask - should be on the DVD Beaver banner!" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "Tales of Adventure [Blu-ray box set] Imprint. – The two-fisted action packed retro cover design is reminiscent of the kind of displays seen in the lobby of a 1950’s Saturday morning matinee where serials like those in this box set were originally screened." - Ken Schwarz |
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| "The Blair Witch Project package from Second Sight is stunning, artwork by Timothy Pittides. I also love the Possessor artwork by Marko Manev, its very evocative of the film and I prefer it to the original one sheet. The artwork for Radiance Films release of Planet of the Vampires by Time Tomorrow is very strong. I like the illustration Criterion used for Gummo, by Joao Rosa. I'm not sure if I like the Astra Zero artwork for Querelle, I certainly don't like it as much as the Andy Warhol poster art, but I appreciate the reference points for it and I think it's a big swing." - Jason Overbeck |
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Film noir, proto-noir, and near-noir (1936-1965) released on
Blu-ray or 4K UHD
in 2024 BIG thanks to
Gregory! (in alphabetical order)
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Giallo on Blu-ray in
2024 (and on 4K UHD) The term "giallo" (translated literally as "yellow") refers to a particular cinematic form of, mostly, Italian-produced murder mystery films that can blur the line between art and exploitation. There are new Giallo Blu-ray releases in 2024 (in chronological order) BIG thanks to Gregory!
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| OUR BANNER CONTEST: |
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(CLICK to ENLARGE) |
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This year we have three prizes - Seven Samurai (4K UHD), Arabesque (4K UHD) or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (4K UHD) - and a 'time-consuming' contest. Of the 225 films, David Hollingsworth. remarkably got 219 correct, Geoff Dubois less, and Tony G. got less again. Thanks to all who participated! |
| First Row: | Second Row: | Third Row: |
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1) Naughty Girl |
46)
American Gigolo 47) Vampire Circus 48) To Die For 49) The Queen of Spades 50) The Long Farewell 51) Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein 52) The Music Lovers 53) Querelle 54) Madame DuBarry 55) The Vertical Ray of the Sun 56) Passage to Marseille 57) Floating Weeds 58) Saigon 59) Night of the Skull 60) Forbidden City, U.S.A. 61) Memories of Murder 62) Gummo 63) Impossible Object 64) Night Creatures 65) Le Samouraï 66) La Haine 67) Ikiru 68) Barbarella 69) Secret Beyond the Door 70) Blood on the Sun 71) Dark City 72) Circle of Danger 73) All That Money Can Buy 74) Chicago Deadline 75) Rose Tattoo 76) Chicago Syndicate 77) An American Tragedy 78) Tormented 79) Southern Comfort 80) Dr. Jekyll and The Werewolf 81) The Lavender Hill Mob 82) Gator 83) Queen of Earth 84) Conflict 85) Cause for Alarm 86) Conan the Barbarian 87) The Ladykillers 88) Black Tuesday 89) Dracula Has Risen from the Grave 90) Together |
91) Hot Spur 92) Castle of Blood 93) Picnic at Hanging Rock 94) Happiness 95) Obsession 96) Frivolous Lola 97) Dark City 98) The Nurse 99) Witchfinder General 100) He Walked By Night 101) Bride of Frankenstein 102) Bob Le Flambeur 103) Samurai Wolf 1 and 2 104) Curse of the Crimson Altar 105) Queen of Earth 106) The Tin Star 107) Slaughter in San Francisco 108) Honor Among Lovers 109) Blood Simple 110) Jigsaw 111) Devil Girl from Mars 112) A Story Written with Water 113) Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs 114) The Power of the Whistler 115) Messiah of Evil 116) Finger Man 117) Conan the Barbarian 118) Cruel Gun Story 119) Black Tuesday 120) When Eight Bells Toll 121) Cloak and Dagger 122) The Looters 123) The Devil's Partner 124) Cathy's Curse 125) Strange Invaders 126) The Panther Women 127) Telefon 128) The Beauty of Beauties 129) Creature From The Haunted Sea 130) Voices 131) The Ladykillers 132) Peeping Tom 133) Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace 134) The Country Girl 135) Chicago Syndicate |
| FOURTH ROW: | FIFTH ROW: |
| 136) The
Weak And The Wicked 137) Phase IV 138) High Noon 139) Shack Out on 101 140) Werckmeister Harmonies 141) Lynch/Oz 142) Eyewitness 143) Attack of the Giant Leeches 144) Witness for the Prosecution 145) Dark Water 146) The Wages of Fear 147) All the Ladies Do It 148) The Woman Who Came Back 149) Night of the Big Heat 150) The Sorcerers 151) Island of Terror 152) North by Northwest 153) Please, Not Now! 154) Horrors of the Black Museum 155) The Road to Hong Kong 156) The Swiss Conspiracy 157) Bob le Flambeur 158) Scarlet Street 159) Sex and Fury 160) The Big Switch 161) Passport to China 162) The Man Who Haunted Himself 163) Kingdom of the Spiders 164) I Vampiri 165) Cheeky 166) Catacombs 167) King Of the Rocket Men 168) Rosemary's Baby 169) Crossfire 170) The Chase 171) The Pace that Kills 172) Dr Terror's House of Horrors 173) The Head 174) Bride of Frankenstein 175) Existenz 176) The Witch's Mirror 177) The Swimmer 178) Humoresque 179) Sirocco 180) Paths of Glory |
181)
Reptilicus 182) The Runner 183) Cherry 2000 184) Alaska Seas 185) The Road to Ruin 186) Glengarry Glenn Ross 187) Stigmata 188) The Cat and the Canary 189) Victims of Sin 190) The Head 191) Samurai Wolf 1 & 2 192) Black Tight Killers 193) Witness for the Prosecution 194) Dreams 195) Killer's Mission 196) Eye of the Cat 197) The Whole Truth 198) Risky Business 199) Blood On Satan's Claw 200) Bound 201) Red Planet Mars 202) The Roaring Twenties 203) Carrie 204) Attack of the 50 Foot Woman 205) Botany Bay 206) Yvonne's Perfume 207) Seven Samurai 208) Botany Bay 209) The Playgirls and the Vampire 210) Demon Pond 211) The Fort of Death 212) Tokyo Decadence 213) No Country for Old Men 214) Carrie 215) The Lady from Shanghai 216) Matinee 217) Black Moon 218) The Playgirls and the Vampire 219) Ikiru 220) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 221) Taxi Driver 222) Nightmare 223) The Warriors 224) The Underground Railroad 225) Nostalghia |
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"Reports of the death of DVD are greatly exaggerated" |
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Again, we had a few DVDs selected this year
- documentaries, kickstarter, and other,
silents, public domain content, older and modern TV series,
soft-core?, westerns, playhouse etc, -
the format is far from dead. I still have many DVDs in my 'rewatchable' shelf including
The Fountainhead,
The Secret
Life of Walter Mitty,
Strange Illusion,
Day of the Triffids,
Clean and Sober, and many
more, that may never be on
Blu-ray.
(CLICK COVERS FOR MORE INFORMATION!) |
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| Most comments are along the lines of
"I didn't buy any DVDs in 2024" but I thought this was the
most entertaining: "The only DVD I still have was a gift, titled "Timmy's First Steps" a friend's home-made documentary on his infant son. It should be noted that Timmy is now Tim, a balding 31-year-old insurance agent with four children, none of whom have any idea how this ancient format still exists." - Warren Ketter |
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| and a couple of others: "I did not purchase any DVDs that were released in 2024. I did break down and purchase a few older releases, as I am tired of waiting for HD versions. It kills me that 20th Century Fox Studio Classics only has pan and scan versions of so many films from the 50s and 60s. It's barely better than nothing." - Mark Fry |
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| "Honestly, I cant remember the last time that I watched a DVD"- Gary Slatus |
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| Notable Rants and Praise | |
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| "*As much as I enjoy listening to a lot of audio commentaries, I could not bear to listen to Richard R, Roberts for the otherwise terrific 2-disc set, "Charley Chase: At Hal Roach: The Late Silents 1927" (Kit Parker Films), and although I respect what Randy Skretved has done in terms of his comprehensive research, I prefer to watch the Laurel & Hardy films while listening to the fine music tracks. Also, I am concerned that Laurel and Hardy scholars from the past receive no recognition, especially the late-William K. Everson, who wrote a wonderful little book on Hal Roach for MoMA in 1974, and a large format tome for The Citadel Press in 1980, as well as teaching surely the very first course on the team at New York University in June 1982." - Peter Rist |
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| "Praise for Mike White and his Projection Booth podcast and commentaries. A great passion project that just keeps giving!" - Chris Barwick |
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| "RANT - Warner U.S. releasing 4K discs without the supplements or extras found on a lot of the previously released Blu-rays while Warner U.K. Releases sensational 4K packages that overflow in bells and whistles. It's annoying." - Sara Michelle Fetters |
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| "Of course all new releases on
BluRay aren’t BluRay quality. That’s why we need DVD Beaver. I was
particularly disappointed with “Street Scene,” a VCI Blu-ray of an
early King Vidor which Gary did not review. Very fuzzy. I also rely
on Nitrateville to stay informed about releases. Of course I do more
streaming than I used to, and quality for classic films is improving
both on YouTube and Amazon Prime. Criterion Channel occasionally has
some duds, though it can usually be relied on. Can Gary squeeze any
revenue out of streaming reviews? And how about some research into the future of spinning media? Will we be able to play our collections in five years." - Lee Eiseman |
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| "While this is a golden age for obsessive and curious collectors like myself, I could really do without this trend of labels releasing 4K upgrades of movies they released only a few years ago on Blu-ray, all without adding any new special features or even changing the cover art. Looking at you here, Criterion and Shout Factory. It seems like ¼ of Criterion's monthly announcements are upgrades, and sometimes without new transfers. I am also baffled by their insistence on releasing 4k films without HDR." - Ryan |
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| "I'd like to be able to purchase more silents (and early talkies) reissues as it seems to me that we all have a stake in film preservation. Recently, I watch the preservation extra in Hitchcock's remake of the "Man Who Knew too Much" and was appalled at the deterioration that was occurring on this relatively recent film." - Thomas Friedman |
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| "No Rant, just praise. The new label Film Masters for their work on really rare movies. Always a lot of extras, booklets, commentaries and of course a fantastic restoration. I hope there will be more from this Label." - Maggie Breitmeier |
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| "Another year without «Nukie» or «The Bad Seed» on 4K... Saddening. Plus Criterion really put out the terrible 4K restoration of Picnic at Hanging Rock! Hell nah! Otherwise: Too many great things came out to mention here." - Christian Frassa |
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| Praise: "Adam Roche! Secret History of Hollywood!" - Richard Edwards |
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| "2024 has been, perhaps, the best
year for physical home video in decades. This year saw a more than
50% increase in the sheer number of titles I normally buy, and an
even greater increase over the expenditure, as pricing has
undeniably increased. All-time classics and several genuine rarities were given high quality editions from those that realize there's still money to be made on physical media. Paramount is by a wide margin the leader of the major studios, both in releasing, and licensing of their catalog. Columbia and now even Warner are at least making a dent in the marketplace, but somebody please tell me what happened to Universal. Two wretched Jaws sequels and Sugarland Express is the sum total of their (new) back-catalog output in 2024. Five years-ago, Universal was one the stronger studios, and now they are actually behind asleep-at-the-switch Disney/Fox!" - Warren Ketter |
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| "Withnail and I - Arrow - Reference encode but no new supplements, really (even the booklet is pared-down compared to its release on the original BD set!!!)? At least Cruising is set to fix this disappointing trend in early 2025." - Chris Browne |
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| "It's been a very good year for physical media and the packaging is getting more and more interesting. Second Sight have been leading the way for a few years, but I have been particularly impressed by the limited edition deluxe packaging Umbrella is now making available for most of their releases." - Tim Leggoe |
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| "As physical media becomes less
prevalent (and more expensive) there are some companies out there
doing good work. I appreciate that Kino puts out all that they, and
the fact that Imprint is now taking part in restorations (A Bridge
Too Far) can only lead to better things. Still, gotta wonder where all this is heading. I've been collecting home video since my first Beta player and remember the days when you could go to multiple stores to shop for laserdiscs. The lack of places to buy physical media is extremely troubling. Shout out to OrbitDvd for great service, however." - Steve Grimes |
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| "First things first, I hope all
is well (and I also apologize for my extreme tardiness in getting
this to you -- I picked at it for a while and then kept forgetting
to finish it). Unfortunately, much like last year, I don't have
anything meaningful to offer in terms of the poll -- my purchasing
remains far ahead of my viewing, and even after looking at the list
of this year's releases, even the few that I do own have yet to be
viewed, but since you did request some general thoughts, here are my
thoughts on a couple of releases in particular: Revenge of the Dead (a.k.a. Night of the Ghouls) -- I don't recall seeing this on your list, which hardly surprises me since it was both released through a boutique company (Gold Ninja Video) and since the film itself has a thoroughly ignominious reputation (which is saying a *lot* when discussing the canon of Edward D. Wood Jr.). Still, even if it isn't a particularly good film, I've always felt that it has a great deal of atmosphere to it, especially in its outdoor shots, and so when I found out that Gold Ninja Video had performed a 2K scan on one of the few prints in existence with the film's original title, I decided to pre-order it. Outside of the fact that it was released on BD-R discs instead of pressed BDs, the set is a veritable treasure trove for those who have interest in the film. Each of its two discs presents not only the film itself (one disc matted for widescreen, the other unmatted), but also a pile of (mostly) related extras ranging from the unsold Torn Curtain TV pilot to Wood's slightly-later film The Sinister Urge (which uses some of the same cast, as well as the same "juvenile delinquent" footage used for Revenge of the Dead). As for the film itself, I still can't say it is good (even by Wood's 'standards'), but seeing it from an actual film print versus the sanitized presentation of the earlier Image DVD does somehow enhance its atmosphere, rather than diminishing it. Godzilla Minus One (Minus Color) -- I received my copy of this box set courtesy of Godzilla.com, and it is (as I understand it) a replica of Toho's Japanese box set with the addition of English subtitles for the films (and English-language menus; all other contents remain in Japanese). While I haven't yet delved into the set's discs, I mention this both because it presents (as far as I know) the only current English-subtitled version of Minus Color and because I think it underscores the overall better quality I typically see from Japanese releases versus US ones, with this set not only boasting a thick cardboard (textured) outer sleeve, but also two booklets (one containing what seems to be a series of technical drawings for props used in the film) along with both 'cuts' of the film and additional bonus features. Given how much it seems the US market is increasingly shifting away from physical media, I feel like these two releases highlight why I hope it continues to stick around in some meaningful form." - Kevin Loy |
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| "AI is evil. I know this because
there are many releases this year that SHOULD have been on this list
but I'm leaving off because there's always some detail which is Off.
I fear for the long-awaited titles (Peter Jackson's early films)
that are always "coming soon..." I will highlight one release for its insidious nature: I LOVE LUCY complete blu-ray. This should have been a gimme. Now? With some parts creepily AI'ed enhanced? Fergitit. Not only are the discs ruined, these versions might be the ones used going forward for airing on cable and streaming. The parent company is polluting the cultural impact of this landmark series for the next couple of decades. I'm very glad to have Warner Archive and many of their titles have been terrific. Warners Main is troubled. Their top tier releases are overpriced and because they drop the blus, the extras that they own are usually left off. Thanks, I hate it. Vinegar Syndrome securing the rights for LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR and THE KEEP has to be the Coup of 2024. Great job! Now because collectors are never satisfied... any chance at AMERICAN HOT WAX or CITIZENS BAND? I won't dwell on big box stores dropping physical media because other commenters will do that, same with manufacturers stopping the production of disc players. I Will ask that people start asking themselves if a "homebrew" movement to build players for a smaller market is feasible... and wonder if they can make all the improvements to players the big manufacturers never would have considered. I love that Imprint is putting out a number of barely remembered films, and giving them Tier 1 packaging, but do they really need to be around 80 USD (or more) a copy? I both want them and am questioning myself at the same time. Political. All discs are manufactured outside of the US in places threatened by tariffs. If COVID didn't kill the physical media market, tariffs might. US readers, call your Congressmen. Much love to Disney for getting select Disney+ titles on disc. Glad to have them. Now can they let the Fox titles get licensed out to Kino? Lots of smaller, not-well-known titles from Frank Borzage, Frank Tashlin and Russ Meyer that need some after-market love. Many thanks to Barnes and Noble for maintaining physical media sections. Not only are the sales great, but it's great when I find titles on the shelves I didn't know had gotten released. Keep it up! Also, Wal-Mart. All the posts showing A24 exclusive titles in Wal-Mart shelves warm my heart." - Gabriel Neeb |
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| "1. So many other great blurays
to buy, I couldn't afford Seven Samurai in 4K. 2. BFI's Flipside series continues to offer REALLY interesting curios. And taking such care with them. Who knew Vincent Price's cookery programmes could look so good and be treated so well? 3. Kim Newman (and whoever he's partnering with for a commentary) are ALWAYS a reason to buy. 4. Not enough Julie Kirgo commentaries." - Nick Garlick |
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| "We are in the La Belle Époque and the end is nigh, but we're going out with a bang and that suits me. Fantastic work by Umbrella, Imprint, Arrow, Kino, etcetera. However, I do loathe the boutique label sales - which seems like an odd thing to say - but I lounge around like a transplant patient awaiting an automobile accident for bargains and if I do pay full price I feel cheated somehow." - Tony Sullivan |
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| "Praise: Mubi and Picturehouse
for introducing me to some interesting contemporary filmmakers. Most
of my purchases are films out of the past, so it's good to have
publishers steer you in the present. Radiance for rapidly making every release an essential buy & providing an excellent job hosting Raro titles in the UK. Eureka for fortifying the Masters of Cinema line. I was worried that the publisher was losing its appetite & narrowing its genre interests. But this years Laurel & Hardy silents & the Sirk & sixties Mabuse titles in 2025 suggest otherwise. Imprint for making a real fist of it here in Australia with their regular, box set & Asia lines. Every monthly announcement is an interesting surprise and I'm pleased to see them release titles from sold out limited edition box sets as breakout standard editions this year. They're also the tide raising all boats here, with Umbrella, Madman & Chameleon striving towards a similar standard. DVDDialolik for selling Deaf Crocodile releases to international buyers with reasonable postage costs. Flicker Alley continue to deliver marvelous work with silent cinema and World Noir. I like their idea appreciating their value & selling new slipcovers separately too. Rants The 4k purists that plague the usual news forums. The trademark calls of "No 4k no sale" is as tedious as it is oblivious to market economics. Short runs on limited editions. I'm not able to purchase every title within the first weeks of its release and get anxious when I start to see the low stock red flags online. I understand that no company for thousands of unsold stocks, but perhaps an option to purchase the booklets separately from the publisher could be made available when the standard editions hit the streets. Arrow Video's choices. I was disappointed when Arrow Archive closed with the proviso that AV would pick up the baton. We see little of those type of titles and recently a lot more mainstream fare such as The Usual Suspects, Deep Water, Demolition Man, Silence of the Lambs & the Great Escape. There's been a few US exceptions, but it feels like a once foremost & distinguishable label has become a little anodyne." - Steve Rutt |
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| "*Why does the BFI give us Ikiru
and Tengoku to Jigoku (High and Low) in blu-ray only? We may be
spoiled, but it is a bit of a slap in the face when the BFI is
perhaps the only institution other than Toho with the resources to
do a 4K transfer! Their 4K politics are very strange: we have had
OUT OF THE BLUE and WATERSHIP DOWN in the past, but not IKIRU in
2024? *With two classics restored from the Public Domain this year (MEET JOHN DOE and OBSESSION (1949), we can only hope that more independent productions from the classical era will see the light of days. The rights for DOA, CAPTAIN KIDD, NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL, BAD BLONDE, MAN BAIT, GANGSTER STORY (the sole directing effort of Walter Matthau) and possibly CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR are available either from the public domain or from the Harry Popkin and Kit Parker collections, both of which have been making their films available for distributors for years now. How can we not have DOA in HD? Film Masters? * Certain Japanese masters—Yoshimura, Shimizu, Ichikawa, for example—have barely seen a single film in HD-- I despair of ever seeing I AM A CAT (Ichikawa) on disc. Yoshimura’s films played at the BFI only a decade ago: why is there no impetus to make them available. Why is Criterion holding on to masterpieces like Mizoguchi’s 47 RONIN/GENROKU CHUSHINGURA without putting them on disc?" - Peter Andrew Yacavone |
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| "It was another gold rush year
for the 4K UHD format, to the point that no Top 10 list could be
considered even close to representative. That being said, my Top 10
was a mix of wish list faves (Deathdream, The Seventh Victim & Paris
Texas) and new-to-me discoveries, largely thanks to a Vinegar
Syndrome subscription (could've taken up 70-80% of my list with
their releases). Devil Times Five, Phase IV, Invasion USA, Lifeline
& The Tenant were all jaw-on-the-floor presentations. Copies of The
Searchers (Warner Archive) and Planet of the Vampires (4K Kult)
surely would've made they Top 10 but didn't arrive in time. Most wanted for 2025: Mikes Murder - now Criterion are releasing more Warner titles, is a 4K too much to ask for? The Red Tent - another for Criterion to compliment their other top notch Kalatozov releases. Claire Denis' The Intruder and Vendredi Soir on blu. Alucarda- please Mondo Macabro give us that glorious carnage in 4K." - James Laycock |
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| "I'm very glad to see smaller companies issue blu rays ie. The Laurel & Hardy Silents and Sherlock Holmes TV episodes that otherwise would likely never be seen by many of us." - Thomas Friedman |
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| "Tough to make picks this year.
The two major UHD/Blu ray sets from Sony (Columbia Classics Vol. 5
and Frank Capra at Columbia) complicate the possible choices. I
bought the Capra set. Many copies of the Columbia Classics Vol. 5
set were split up and sold as separates on EBAY—I purchased two of
them. I will likely have to increase the number of nominations in
two of your categories. Free free to ignore those I list which go
beyond the number you specify. The issue of subtitles for the hard
of hearing on English language supplements came up again and again.
Flicker Alley, Ben Model's Undercrank Productions, and Sony (on the
two big sets) provide SDH subtitles for every bonus item and
commentary. Those bonuses are on the Blu ray discs and not on the
UHD discs. What really is striking is that some of these supplements
subtitled by Sony appeared on previous Criterion releases with no
SDH subtitles. Criterion, BFI, Milestone/Kino, Radiance and others
continue to ignore the needs of the hard of hearing when programming
bonus material. This makes it very hard, at times, to understand the
narrated bonus items concerning the making, preservation and
restoration of the films. I did not invest in Criterion's new Blu
ray of PANDORA'S BOX, although word of mouth on Nitrateville and
elsewhere is that the new restoration is beautiful and fixes many of
the problems of last year's MOC Blu ray release which I had bought
and eventually tossed. I did then buy a used copy of Criterion's
earlier DVD release on EBAY for a pretty penny which is enough for
me. Two films from BFI are described elsewhere as being "Region B
locked:" TWO FILMS BY YASUJIRO OZU and MICHAEL POWELL EARLY WORKS.
They are not. Both played just fine on my Panasonic DP-UB420 Blu
ray/UHD player. I only had to press the "Top Menu" button on the
remote and these played just fine. I'll let you figure out why. See this note from Rodney Sauer (leader of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra) on his involvement with the Sony Frank Capra set: . Thanks, as always, for all your hard work." - David T. Steere Jr. |
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| "...titles that stand out for me... Cross of the Devil (1974) (which taught me a lot about Spanish fantastic literature), The Road to Shame (Robert Hossein and Philippe Clay were my great discoveries of the year), North By Northwest and To Catch a Thief, The Music Lovers, Les Yeux Sans Visage (Umbrella - includes a magnificent 40+m documentary that is the single most valuable education on Franju I’ve had to date), Through the Looking Glass (something I never expected to see in such quality or packaged with such class), and obviously Louis Feuillade..." - Tim Lucas |
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| "A lot of bloat in the world of physical media this past year, heavy on 4K upgrades, dueling region-code-locked releases jockeying for an earlier release date, and most concerning of all prices inching up so much as to prevent blind buys. My pile of unwatched discs continues to grow. And yet, it was also a year of exceptional highs. There are too many movies and not enough time. Thanks to DVD Beaver for helping me figure out which ones are worthy of my attention." - Walker Roberts |
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| "Rant: Criterion - for making us wait for UK releases" - Alistair Pendleton |
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| "Truly inferior cult items (70's
and 80's horror, comedy and sci-fi fare) are given the royal 4K
treatment, whereas one of the few truly great American films of the
1960's, Lester's "Petulia," hasn't even made it onto blu-ray yet,
nearly two decades into the format's existence. Vinegar Syndrome's newly-minted 4K of The Keep, arguably the most dubious film in Mann's entire oeuvre, sells out 12,000 copies in less than 48 hours, yet we're still waiting on 4Ks of The Insider and Manhunter? Furthermore, why did 2024 go by without 4K anniversary editions of The Wild Bunch and Eyes Wide Shut by Warner, considering how profligate Kubrick's name is these days, both among film scholars and the general public? And Peckinpah fans witnessed truly spectacular editions of a few of his films in late 2023/2024: Cross of Iron, Pat Garrett and Convoy, so clearly there is a great demand for these two mavericks on physical media. It just baffles the mind, and very frustrating, in spite of the many riches bestowed upon physical media collectors in general these days." - Anthony Dugandzic |
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| "I went into Best Buy a few
months back, just to make sure they had been true to their word and
gotten rid of all the movies on their sales floor and sure enough,
they were all gone. Where the blu rays and 4Ks and steelbooks once
sat, now there was kind of an awkward empty space, it looked like
they had spread out the big appliances a bit, but they didn't really
replace the movies with anything of note. I don't really care that
much about Best Buy, I doubt I will have much of a reason to ever go
in one again, but the closing off of that space for physical media,
in a place still interested in selling TVs, seems so self-defeating
that it hurts my brain. On a positive note, this was the first year
in several, that the floor space for blu rays at my local Barnes and
Noble stores didn't decrease in size, if anything I think it
expanded a bit, so maybe there's still some hope for physical media
in brick and mortar stores afterall. My appetite for buying movies has certainly not decreased but space continues to be a concern, in that I'm running out of space to store my movies and I have to nitpick a little and say that I think we need to agree upon a common height for blu-ray and UHD releases, because some new labels are putting out incredibly handsome packages for movies but they simply too tall to fit on the shelves I have designated for my blu-rays. So I have my Abel Ferrara films all looking terrific and the wonderful new DANGEROUS GAME release that is too tall to sit next to them on my shelf, so I have to turn it sideways. Please keep making these packages look beautiful, but don't make me have to readjust the shelf space to accommodate a new height." - Jason Overbeck |
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| "Worst news of 2024 for physical-media buyers: LG stopped making Blu-ray players and Best Buy stopped selling discs. Best news of 2024 for physical-media buyers: streaming services hiked their prices, pulled content, pestered us with more and more ads, and altered or deleted on-demand purchases. Which suggests LG and Best Buy got it wrong: for savvy consumers, buying and owning physical media is far preferable to streaming. Why? Because it allows us personal control over the content. We watch it when we want (and not just the movie or TV series, but all the extras too), it doesn't disappear, it doesn't change, and most importantly, we only pay for it once. Little wonder that worldwide, the industry still sells more than $2 billion a year worth of Blu-rays and DVDs, with steelbooks and 4K-UHD editions racking up double-digit growth in 2024. Simply put, besides going to the theatre and seeing everything on the big screen (after suffering through the ads, the latecomers, the talkers and smartphone-swipers, the candy-crunchers and soda-slurpers and popcorn-rattlers), nothing beats popping in a disc at home and spending a couple of hours with a favourite film or binge-watching a favourite series. It's leisurely, it's enriching, it's ... physical." - Jeff Heinrich |
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| "My only praise is that again Vinegar Syndrome should be given a Nobel Prize for bringing 1977's Looking for Mr. Goodbar back to life, especially with their limited edition 4K UHD, which is again OOP. But the standard edition should be released in January of next year." - David Hollingsworth |
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| "Worst Box Set - The Third Man Collector’s Edition 4k UHD + BD Vintage Classics - Having the Harry Lime theme play when you open the multi-set box is not only a cheesy gimmick, but it doesn’t do collectors any favours when it fails to play when it should. An otherwise lavish box set ruined by shoddy marketing." - David Redfern |
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| "It's time to bring back on-disc
text supplements (that or BD-ROM pdf content) since the economics of
disc production has dictated that nearly every label is now limiting
written content in printed materials to limited first-pressing runs.
All right, we all get it, preorder/buy at full retail for the luxury
of that booklet, but that is absolutely no excuse to black-hole
modern film scholarship when those same essays could be included as
digital data on the disc itself. People are still going to want a
printed version, this is not going to cut into the bottom line. I appreciate all the titles Arrow and Criterion are offering up on 4K, but the supplements package is 1:1 with the previous releases which makes it hard to justify NOT jumping ship to the other's competing release (so is this more praise than rant?). Oh, and UK labels need to start including a standard BD with their 4K releases, ie: I am not about to get both Indicator versions of their 80-page booklet LEs so I resent being forced to use my sole 4K setup just to go through copious disc supplements (a portable BD player, computer with VLC, or a side-unit in a bedroom do the job just fine thank you). The 2K disc has already been mastered and including a pressed BD would cost less than a dollar in the quantities they are already producing so what gives?! Unfortunately the pricing on a lot of the (US/AUS) releases is approaching what we experienced in the LD days, and when combined with endless labels releasing so much product into a shrinking market, I don't know how a sustainable balance will be reached in the long run. When Criterion becomes the economy label on sale for half (or less!) the price of smaller boutiques, something has gone wrong." - Chris Browne |
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| "RANT > J-cards that are just a
few millimeters to small to fit in the slipcase (where I put them). PRAISE > Fidelity in Motion. Really appreciate their effort to create the best possible discs." - Fabio Petrillo |
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| "Studios starting to implement AI
technology for film restoration has resulted in some laughably awful
results as seen in the 2024 4K restorations of Universal's Jaws
sequels and Paramount's I Love Lucy boxset. It may be fun for memes
but a travesty for preservation and product. So many releases from so many labels with so little time. Overall sales of physical media may be falling, but the number of releases has been growing, with numerous physical media companies doing fantastic work on restorations, physical packaging, and creating new supplements. The issue is, do we all have the time to sit and enjoy all these releases?" - James-Masaki Ryan |
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| "If there are any distributors listening - Less steelbooks please. Less toys and lobby cards and special edition crap so you can jack up the price. Just a good, solid standard edition. Thank you." - Paul Bennett |
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| "Nuri Bilge Ceylan's About Dry Grasses should have been part of the regular Criterion Coll. catalog, the decision to release their first Ceylan title via Janus Contemporaries was really disappointing." - Ilan Lubaton |
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| "Journey Into Fear [Blu-ray] -
Great to see this wonderful film on blu-ray, but the color grading
is too dark for my tastes. I prefer my French Gaumont DVD. There was
a missed opportunity for supplements. Stefan Drossier should have
been interviewed about the longer, alternate cut he has compiled.
Perhaps some clips could have been included. I was happy to see the
film again. I watched it twice. Dolores del Rio is so great. Trenque Lauquen (Blu-ray) - I bought the blu-ray after reading reviews and before it was available streaming. I found the movie boring. The plot is derivative, even cliched. A friend and a boyfriend track a missing friend through letters and an archive. I didn't finish the first disc. I would have waited for streaming had I known. Well, I would have stopped streaming after ten minutes." - Richard Burt |
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| "Deluxe blu ray sets followed a
year later by a 4K upgrade (looking at you The Warriors.) I am
trying not to get suckered into these boxsets any more" "Newer film releases with no extras - not even a trailer eg. Hit Man, Confess, Fletch" "Films not getting a physical release - so so many" "4K releases with fewer extras than were available on the blu ray version - are we going to lose these extras one day?" - Geoff Dubois |
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| "My biggest rant right now is
Kino announcing a possible release of "Bad Boys" (1983) but
admitting later that they didn't even have film elements. It will be
worth waiting for—especially a 4K version — but they shouldn't have
announced anything until the elements were in their hands and the
work was underway. My other rant is all the bitching people do when a release is announced and something isn't to their liking - for instance the recent announcement of "Amadeus" on 4K - a theatrical cut only. Those who are mad about this have had a director's cut DVD since 2002 and then again on bluray as a digibook. The theatrical cut hasn't been available since the 1997 flipper DVD from Warner...it was the first DVD I ever purchased and I still own it. If you don't see something being released to your liking just wait. It will probably happen later down the road. Stop bitching about it. I never bitched once about waiting for "The Hitcher" to be released even though Second Sight had it under wraps for nearly 3 years. Look at what they gave us! Worth every penny, but a lot of folks bitched about it. If something finally comes out on 4K people bitch that Atmos isn't offered, or HDR-10, or some other stupid reason. (the extras on "Godzilla Minus One" not having English audio, OR when VS announced "The Keep" many bitched it was theatrical cut only. Is VS supposed to wave a magic wand and make the longer cut materialize? Be realistic everyone!)" - John Brune |
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| "2024 was a better year than 2023
for allowing me to replace more titles that I held in DVD with
visually superior BD editions. Mainly because OLED tech still doesn't offer 3-D disc playability (to my knowledge & of which we have a dozen 1953-54 classics) i've yet to make the relatively small leap in image quality to 4K UHD. "Relatively small" because the BD image on my 51-inch Samsung Plasma looks pretty great from about 4 feet away, while the remaining DVDs in my collection (less than 5%) i suspect will look even worse in comparison." - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "(Praise) While none made my top 10 in a tough year, I appreciate Indicator's work on Jean Rollin's movies. While none were my # 1 this year, I appreciate any commentary by Imogene Sara Smith and Tim Lucas. The sitdown with Megan Abbott and Bill Hader on Scarface: Shame of a Nation. The podcast where Tracy Letts and Sean Fennessey mentioned several of my favorites. DVDBeaver's hard work." - Douglas C Head |
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| "We've had some outstanding
releases this year, but sadly the output of previously fantastic
boutiques have continued to decline in quality as they continue to
cash in on safe mainstream 4k releases and unambitious upgrades. This includes the continuing trend of reissuing copy and paste 4k versions of in-print films, which perhaps shows how lucky we were previously when many 4k sets are now are far less feature-packed than their Blu-ray counterparts. Even those UHDs that aren't direct upgrades of existing boutique releases are less adventurous or risky than the past, with plenty of safe bets from bigger name studios and directors. Yes more format choice can often be nice, and I would not be complaining about these releases if labels were still using them to fund smaller, more obscure releases and restorations. Still, so many wonderful releases stand out from the year - and I cannot praise the likes of Radiance, Third Window, Second Run, but also BFI and Criterion enough for their continued unique and important releases. This to me is where the value of physical media lies, in bringing lost, forgotten and obscure works from history back to life, showing them in a new light, giving them a new audience, and kicking off a much deserved critical reappraisals in so many instances." - Lewis |
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| "Praise: Yet another brilliant
year for physical media, with things really ramping up in all
corners of the globe and across various territories, but UK labels
are more than keeping up with the demand! Many niches catered for
and favourites rescued from obscurity in equal measure. Again, my
attention mostly falls to Radiance Films, who consistently reveal
the most exciting lineups from any label, often delivering
hard-to-find titles in the best possible editions. Big love as
always to Eureka and Second Run, who both continue to mine their
areas of expertise, but still manage to surprise us occasionally!
Criterion and Arrow continue push out more and more 4K discs, some
more essential than others but nevertheless looking spiffier than
ever; BFI and Second Sight are doing wonders in this department too,
but don't forget to do what they do best and keep a steady flow of
HD titles coming our way (some gems amongst them). Indicator and 88
Films ticking titles off many people's lists by churning out large
swathes of titles in various genres, with reliable results as
always. Exciting things starting to happen in 2025 already, particularly on the Radiance and Arrow fronts (the latter announcing yet more Warner Bros acquisitions, and teasing Leone's Dollars Trilogy), but I'm sure every label will be bringing their A-game! Minor rant: Would like to see more UK labels lean towards 'future-proofing', by offering Dual Format releases with both 4K UHD and Blu-ray HD discs in the same package (currently only Criterion, StudioCanal and 88 Films tend to do this). Of course that doesn't make sense if the title is an 'upgrade' from a previous Blu-ray release from the same label, but if it's a brand new title, I'd rather pick up a Dual Format set to save me having to buy a 4K disc at a later date. Also, I've started to import the occasional 4K title that has no hope of a UK release (e.g. Killers of the Flower Moon, The Abyss), but have found it very costly to do that for some titles and have so far held off (e.g. Bringing Out the Dead, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, The Tenant, The Keep). Let's hope the prices don't keep going up, or at least reasonably priced standard editions are made available after the initial limited edition pressing sells out! And if studios could not insist on region locking either, that would make things a whole lot easier too..." - Ben Keeler |
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| "Rants - Labels or studios that
only release films as part of a boxset, deluxe edition, or
steelbook, and do not offer any other option for those that are just
happy with a standard individual release. I don’t mind steelbooks
for certain releases but would prefer an option. Disney! Need I say more. Praise - Love the film noir box sets that Kino are releasing and that they sometimes include films which are not so well known. Will happily continue to purchase these sets. I also love the fact that all Kino releases have original poster art on all their covers with no other markings or logos. Sometimes the cover art alone is enough to tempt me to buy the disc. Pleasing to see WA issue more noir titles this year and hopefully there will be more to come, especially from their earlier DVD noir boxsets. WA have put out a good range of releases this year and interesting that they have started to release some vintage TV shows. This has been a great year for the release of classic movies on 4k. I am sure 2025 will be another great year. What a start with Winchester 73 kicking the year off." - bgmoir |
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| "Criterion: *So many historically and artistically significant films remain mired in SD limbo. With that in mind, it's so discouraging that so many fans within this hobby get so excited about forthcoming UHD releases of films that already that have already been put out on perfectly serviceable HD disks (some of which came out only a few years ago). Are people really so easily distracted by new, shiny things?! Criterion is among the most guilty here. They only put out about five releases per month and it seems like every month a couple of these are 4K UHD upgrades that were just issued in HD in very recent years. *In 2024, so many films that could have been selected for release by Criterion have languished for yet another year: Adam's Rib, The Alamo, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Bad Sleep Well, Ball of Fire, La Bete Humaine, Big Deal On Madonna Street, The Big Sky, Bondu Saved From Drowning, Le Deuxieme Souffle, D.O.A, Drunken Angel, Les Enfants Terribles, Fallen Idol, 49th Parallel, Green For Danger, Gunga Din, Hobson's Choice, I Know Where I'm Going, Knife In The Water, The Lovers, Miracle at Morgan Creek, Mr. Arkadin, Murmur of the Heart, Pepe le Moko, Red Beard, Ruggles of Red Gap, Salvatore Giuliano, Samurai Rebellion, The Search, Shoot the Piano Player, The Spirit of the Beehive, Stray Dog, The Thief of Baghdad, Thieves Highway, Trouble In Paradise, Unfaithfully Yours, Z, dozens of classic Japanese films, etc. etc. etc. *Criterion suppresses the release of so many movies that have been restored and are available in HD for the first time. After it was restored, how many years did we have to wait for them to put out Freaks? How long did we have to wait for The Trial? Winchester '73 was reputedly restored three years ago. Why is it just now coming out on HD in early 2025? I just can't fathom Criterion's business model. We'll all be dead by the time some of their titles are released on Blu-ray."- Gary Slatus |
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| "Best year for physical media ever. So many great releases. Two most disappointing releases stand out: Paramount's 4K Once Upon A Time In The West (DNR'd to hell master). Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection 4K – upscaled blu-ray master. No visible grain." - Kevin Sunde Oppegaard |
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| "Paramount's UK To Catch a Thief
UltraHD 4K Collector's Edition BD disc is an inferior transfer to
Paramount's previous. It appears that Disney will 'sit' on all their newly acquired Fox titles & use as lures to hook more viewers to their streaming service. As evidence i note that KL releases of mediocre Fox titles are now going for premium prices. Is Netflix also promoting its streaming service by withholding the two Welles movies from BD release? I was able to obtain a BD of the Knives Out: Glass Onion sequel only by ordering from India (excellent transfer, btw)" - Sahlan Simón Cherpitel |
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| "Rant: • Not enough time to watch all the wonderful physical media releases. • Release Wish List: BLACK LIZARD (1962 & 1968) – with Arrow’s Rampo Noir set out in Feb 2025, this would be a timely and welcome release) LEOLO (1992) DREAM LIFE OF ANGELS (1998) Praise: • To Gen Z (yes, really – which is an unusual gesture for me, as both a parent and lecturer) for saving Cinephilia. This very recent article in The Guardian was a lovely positive end to a global disaster of a year. Fingers crossed that Letterboxd continues to inspire young viewers to move away from that which floats before them in the stream: •Kim’s Video – trip to New York in December included a visit to the reconstruction of this iconic store at the Alamo Drafthouse. Watching young folk gathering up VHS boxes to rent really moved me. My loft of tapes will soon be relevant again.. • Thanks to podcasts Eros + Massacre, Projection Booth, Pure Cinema, Evolution of Horror, MUBI Podcast and The Cinematologists. I think I listen to your ‘casts more than I do to music, and you have directed me to dig deep into cinematic history and highlight more recent releases to explore. I admire your enthusiasm for film and thank you for your guidance. • Equally, thanks to DVD BEAVER – I visit you at least twice a week. Have a great Xmas Gary and all that work with you. Best of luck in ’25." - Neil Williams |
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| "Praise Arrow for better disc quality, Kino for releasing amazing classics in 4K" - Jan Püschel |
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| "Physical media is alive with exceptional releases from Radiance, Second Run, BFi , Criterion , Eureka etc. New discoveries and classic films all got added to my collection - I feel very fortunate to live in this Golden Age of Home Cinema." - Rossa Crowe |
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| "Rants: - To all major studios and major filmmakers: please, stop now ruining the gems of your catalogue or of your filmography with AI without any picture quality control. It's awful, it's embarrassing, it's a real shame and a monstrosity. - To Warner Bros. Discovery: I'm so glad Warner Archive released John Ford's "The Searchers" in 4K in the US, but aren't you underestimating one of the great American masterpieces not giving it the Ultimate Collector's Edition status of a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release? - To Arrow and Criterion: I say this with love and respect, but we need to be surprised a little again! ;-) Praises: To Eagle Pictures: pride and excitement each time customers from around the world need to import one of your Italian edition because it's superior to an English-friendly counterpart. Please, don't stop! To Radiance: love your annual list of failed releases on Letterboxd. Such a brilliant idea, and a little spotlight on the hard work catching film rights around the world." - Alfredo Santoro |
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| "The Good: The top releases of the year represent a veritable who’s who of the all-time greats of world cinema. And while a good chunk of the market share is made of up genre films, ranging from Giallo curiosities to Asian martial arts fare to every conceivable decade of horror in film history, this year witnessed some major Hollywood and international films with great critical reputations finally getting much needed 4K upgrades, or Blu-Rays in sterling editions. It was a big year for fans of the highly controversial Roman Polanski (Imprint boxset, The Tenant 4K, Rosemary’s Baby 4K, and Chinatown 4K). Wim Wenders fans also were feted to competing releases of Perfect Days, Paris, Texas and Anselm. Fans of Jean-Pierre Melville also enjoyed a big year: Kino Lorber’s duo of Le Doulos and Bob le Flambeur, along with Criterion’s Le Samourai and StudioCanal’s re-issue of Army of Shadows; the first three of which made their debut on 4K. Then you have the great Michael Powell, and a slew of important releases, including a collection of his early works by the BFI, along with the final film of that near-unparalleled 1940’s period of collaborations with Emeric Pressburger, The Small Back Room, in a sparkling 4K Restoration by StudioCanal; and finally, two competing versions of his solo 1960 masterpiece, Peeping Tom (StudioCanal/Criterion). Did I mention Hitchcock? Mr. and Mrs. Smith arrived on Blu-Ray courtesy of Warner Archive; then a proper 4K presentation of To Catch a Thief; followed up by a 6K VistaVision restoration of one of his all-time greats, North by Northwest; finally capped off by a voluminous table top presentation of his silent and early sound works, Hitchcock: The Beginning, provided by StudioCanal Radiance continued its stellar work with the release of Rivette’s L’amour fou, Bunuel’s trio of religious-themed masterworks, along with a steady diet of underseen Italian, Japanese and Scandinavian cinema, among others. Cinematographe was perhaps the most impressive debutante that arrived on the scene this year with several beautifully packaged genre films, all on 4K. A duo of British filmmakers receiving the StudioCanal treatment, each with a pair of films: J. Lee Thompson’s pre-Hollywood offerings of No Trees in the Street and The Weak and the Wicked; and Basil Dearden with The Bells Go Down and Cage of Gold……..all four of them from recent 4K restorations on Blu-Ray. Had a hankering for some All-time classics on 4K? How about The Searchers (Warner Archive), Seven Samurai (BFI/Criterion), Fellini’s 8 ½ (Criterion) and what is widely regarded as the greatest British film ever produced, Carol Reed’s The Third Man (in an ornate boxset produced by StudioCanal)? Special mention should also be made of Criterion’s exceptional work in putting together their multi-cut release of Peckinpah’s masterpiece, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. It was also an especially strong year in auteur boxsets, devoted to works by Eric Rohmer, Ousmane Sembene, Chantal Akerman, Satyajit Ray, Lee Chang-Dong, Lars von Trier and even journeyman Hollywood director of the golden era, John Farrow. Abel Ferrara also saw two of his best 90’s films receive the 4K treatment: Kino Lorber’s Bad Lieutenant and Arrow’s The Addiction. Plenty of great horror releases by the boutique labels, including The Hitcher, You’re Next, It Follows and The Blair Witch Project (all by Second Sight); Severin released Opera, the last of the important Argento films to arrive in a premium edition on 4K; Indicator’s continued devotion to releasing the films of Jean Rollin onto 4K, along with a George Romero curiosity in 4K, Bruiser. Some of the greatest western films ever made finally saw the light of day on the 4K format, dating back to last year’s release of Rio Bravo, then with the 2024 slate of McCabe & Mrs. Miller, High Noon, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, The Searchers, and the long-awaited arrival of Anthony Mann’s great Winchester ’73, due out in late January by Criterion. Other western releases of note would also include Kino Lorber’s upgraded “Pursued” and Arrow’s “The Shootist,” as well as neo-noir/westerns: Sayles’ Lone Star and the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, both courtesy of Criterion. As exciting as all of those aforementioned releases are, perhaps the three most transformative offerings of the year all came in the form of limited edition boxsets: Louis Feuillade’s The Complete Crime Serials (1913-1918), courtesy of Eureka; Bela Tarr: A Curzon Collection, presenting the singular director’s complete body of work in a handsomely produced edition, courtesy of Curzon; and finally, the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection, released by Sony Pictures. Each release embodies the very best that physical media collecting has to offer movie buffs of all stripes. The Bad: Is there such a thing as having too many choices? Well, this is probably the first time in my 40 years of collecting physical media (beginning with the early days of laserdisc) that I may actually have to resoundingly say…….Yes! Between the steadily increasing number of pricey Blu-Ray- to-4K upgrades, the quality of emerging labels adding to the overall market output, and the competition among rival editions (Australia/U.K./U.S.), the number of titles contained in my queue of “unpurchased” desired titles has ballooned from a manageable 150 in early 2022, to a mammoth 1,100 titles by late 2024. It has become impossible to keep up with the sheer volume that is being offered to collectors these days. If a serious-minded collector of world cinema wishes to remain committed to acquiring most, if not all, of the key new releases in every critical genre, and maintain loyalty to distributors that have emerged over the last several years, then one must be willing to plop down no less than $2K on a monthly basis. That is not hyperbole……it’s simple math. Here’s a formal exercise: name the Top 20 physical media labels at the moment? Let’s go with Indicator, Radiance, Arrow, Criterion, Kino Lorber, Second Sight, Umbrella, Imprint, Warner Archive, Shout Factory, Paramount, BFI, Eureka, StudioCanal, Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Cinematographe, Sony Pictures, 88 Films and Severin. How much did it set you back in any given month to purchase most of the releases from those 20 companies? Could you spend a cool “thou” on keeping up with the monthly offerings by just Criterion, Kino Lorber, Vinegar Syndrome & Partner Labels, Arrow and Imprint? How about $1500, when boxsets and limited editions are on the slate? And what to do about the dozens of other labels, each of whom routinely offer at least a few titles a month? To further exacerbate the challenge, the pricing structure has increased steadily over the past couple of years with the demise/downturn of brick and mortar options. We no longer have the breadth of offerings that physical stores like Borders, Barnes & Noble (back in the day) and Best Buy carried in stock, to compete with the pricing structure of online distributorship nowadays. And if the recent decision by the enterprising Deaf Crocodile to restrict limited editions of upcoming titles on a subscriber-only basis is any indication (though, to be fair, Deaf Crocodile is a tiny label, relative to others encompassing the boutique space), physical media collecting will likely become an even more niche endeavor, as studio labels more than likely follow suit in implementing a limited run “made on demand”-style of disc production. This, in essence, follows the model of crowd-funding that has become profligate across many platforms since the emergence of social media. It’s been the running model of boutique labels for several years now, but as witnessed by Paramount Presents’ “Bringing Out the Dead 4K” already going out of print, just several weeks after its release date, it points to an emerging pattern. Are you eventually willing to spend $70 on all limited-run 4K titles, and not just the fancier collector’s editions? How about $40 for a standard edition, assuming you missed out on the limited edition? Vinegar Syndrome selling out its Black Friday run of 6,000 limited editions and 6,000 standard editions, each in 4K, of Michael Mann’s highly sought-after cult item, The Keep - in less than 48 hours - was a phenomenon that will likely become more commonplace in the coming years. After all, some customers are still spending $25 on eBay to acquire replica slipcover designs for Kino Lorber’s 4K edition of Leone’s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, just to match the other Leone titles in Kino’s line that didn’t immediately sell out slipcovers. The obsessiveness over slipcovers in recent years has reached manic OCD levels. There are tens of thousands of hardcore physical media collectors worldwide, and it will become a mad dash to secure the “best” existing version of a particular film that only has a limited run of anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 units, depending on the film and the distributor in question; though, of course, there will always be exceptions to the norm. The Ugly: Great films that have been eagerly anticipated by fans for years were given less than optimal transfers this past year, headlined by Paramount’s inept decision to put Sergio Leone’s near 3-hour opus on a BD-66 4K Disc. Seriously, like what the f**k were they thinking? To make matters worse, it’s not even the most complete “available” version of the film, which is the longer 171 minute Italian Cut that has been screened multiple times worldwide. Currently, the best option to own the existing 166-minute version is to import the Italian edition from Eagle Pictures, which presents the film on a BD-100 disc, resulting in a bit rate that is roughly 50% higher than the U.S. and U.K. counterparts presented by Paramount. It doesn’t altogether remedy the grain management issues that were spawned during the mastering process, but at least it’s a clear upgrade in overall picture quality. Shame on Paramount! Speaking of Paramount, David Fincher’s Zodiac is another example of a less-than-optimal presentation of a major film, with its liberal use of revisionist color grading and excessive color noise and macro-blocking in darker interior scenes, with HDR engaged. It’s certainly not worthy of one of the director’s finest works, although there’s not a ton of room to improve upon the existing 2K DI. Unfortunately, Sony Pictures did a similar thing to the director’s other masterwork a few years back, The Social Network, which was mastered on a BD-66 disc, giving it a paltry average bit rate of 32 mbps, less than many blu-ray releases these days. And its upcoming 4K Steelbook Edition (Feb, 2025) will be a direct port of the 2021 disc. Yet another missed opportunity. Kino Lorber’s 4K presentation of Don Siegel’s The Invasion of the Body Snatchers was a bit of a letdown, considering their recent stellar track record in remastering older black & white catalog films. Though a bit sharper than its blu-ray counterpart, and considering that the original 35mm negative is no longer available, I would still conclude that the older Olive Signature Edition on Blu-Ray, produced several years ago, has superior contrast and offers a more faithful rendering of this classic film than this newly-minted edition. A bit of a disappointment! And now we arrive at James Cameron, and the somewhat baffling treatment of a quartet of his biggest releases, save for Titanic, which looks marvelous throughout its runtime. The Aliens and Terminator 4K discs have been covered ad nauseum on social media all year long, so I won’t rehash it here, other than to say it’s emblematic of the indifference some studio-backed physical media releases have demonstrated, in stark contrast to the level of care that boutique labels accord important works of cinema. It comes down to caring about art at least as much as commerce. I’ve contended repeatedly in these year-end polls that we’re living in the “Salad Days” of physical media collecting, as far as the sheer volume of quality releases finding their way into the marketplace. And while that is empirically evident, make no mistake about it, what lies in wait in the future for many movie buffs will be a rationing, a forced acceptance of obtaining just the standard of the most coveted titles, meanwhile the select few, with deeper pockets and an unwavering commitment in maintaining their ever-expanding libraries, will be gorging on the exclusive limited editions. The current trend definitely has the feel of an end-run FOMO before the looming terminus. My Top 25 Wish-List Titles for 2025 & Beyond: Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick) 4K Barry Lyndon (Kubrick) 4K A.I. (Spielberg) 4K Petulia (Lester) Blu-Ray/4K Playtime (Tati) 4K City of Sadness (Hsiao-hsien) Blu-Ray The Crowd (Vidor) Blu-Ray The Fountainhead (Vidor) Blu-Ray/4K Greed (von Stroheim) Blu-Ray The Horse Thief (Zhuangzhuang) Blu-Ray The Spirit of the Beehive (Erice) Blu-Ray The Wild Bunch (Peckinpah) 4K L’Avventura (Antonioni) 4K L’Eclisse (Antonioni) 4K Blow Up (Antonioni) 4K The Thin Red Line (Malick) 4K The Tree of Life (Malick) 4K Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Paradjanov) Blu-Ray Los Olvidados (Bunuel) Blu-Ray Nazarin (Bunuel) Blu-Ray Seven Men From Now (Boetticher) Blu-Ray Une Femme Douce (Bresson) Blu-Ray Four Nights of a Dreamer (Bresson) Blu-Ray The Spider’s Stratagem (Bertolucci) Blu-Ray Earth (Dovzhenko) Blu-Ray NOTE: I erroneously stated that Deaf Crocodile was ONLY going to offer its future limited editions on a subscription basis. Apparently, I misconstrued what was said in their email pertaining to their upcoming edition of The Cathedral of New Emotions; it will indeed be available to purchase on an individual basis directly from their website (not sure about other outlets like DiabolikDVD, etc.). Though, to be frank, Deaf Crocodile was definitely guilty of a little fear-mongering by imploring customers to become subscribers exclusively through the DiabolikDVD website, in order to not "miss out" on future limited editions, which they claim they will be reducing in production from 1500 copies down to 1000." - Anthony Dugandzic |
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| "Thought for 2024 - Despite rising costs, the boutique market remains buoyant. Long may it remain so." - David Redfern |
and help a fellow physical media advocate out with some pocket change each month:
Best to us all in 2025!
