NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (May 2019): Criterion have transferred Hedwig and the Angry Inch to  Blu-ray. in both Region 'A' and 'B'. It is described as a "New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director John Cameron Mitchell and cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco". Yes, it has some teal-leaning but it meshes much better with the color palette than we have seen from other tealish revisions. We se this teal/orange infusion (see article HERE) and it's hard to critique when it is a director-approved transfer. Anyway, I didn't find it egregious, excepting in a few scenes, and there is a huge improvement in primary colors over the SD. The new image is brighter with more hue richness and depth. It also shows more information in the frame.

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are separations and impacting depth. We have the music written and produced by Stephen Trask mixing genres including the performances by John Cameron Mitchell, Trask, Miriam Shor, Bob Mould etc. . We get the Hedwig versions of Tear Me Down, The Origin of Love plus Sugar Daddy, Angry Inch, Wicked Little Town, The Long Grift and other pieces. Criterion offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' / 'B' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray has many supplements. Also found on the New Line DVD, Criterion duplicate the 2001 DVD featuring the Mitchell and DeMarco commentary plus the two deleted scenes (with optional commentary) and the 1.5 hour 2003 documentary, directed by Laura Nix, that covers the story of Hedwig, from its inception of the character through her first appearance New York City's SqueezeBox party, to the off-Broadway productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and, finally, the making of the film. It features actor-director John Cameron Mitchell, composer-lyricist Stephen Trask, hairstylist-makeup artist Mike Potter, costume designer Arianne Phillips, animator Emily Hubley, and many others associated with the project. Criterion add a new 56-minute program, produced by Criterion Collection in February 2019, bringing together many of key collaborators on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, including actor-director John Cameron Mitchell, director of photography Frank G. DeMarco, composer-lyricist Stephen Trask, hairstylist-makeup artist Mike Potter, animator Emily Hubley, actor Miriam Shor, and visual consultant Miguel Villalobos. In it, they explore the project's early days, the challenges of making the film, and the legacy of their creation. There is a new 1/2 hour conversation between composer and lyricist Stephen Trask and rock critic David Fricke about the soundtrack. Music critic David Fricke first wrote about Hedwig and the Angry Inch after seeing the off-Broadway production at New York's Jane Street Theatre in 1998. In this program, recorded by the Criterion Collection in February 2019, Fricke talks to composer-lyricist Stephen Trask about Trask's band Cheater, how the band influenced his work on Hedwig, his influences, and his approach to creating the soundtrack's many iconic songs. There is a 20-minute close look at the film’s Adam and Eve sequence produced by the Sundance Channel in 2001, this short documentary investigates the creation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch's 'Adam and Eve' sequence, from its work-shopping at the Sundance Institute's Directors Lab. There are three new programs exploring Hedwig's creation, look, and legacy through its memorabilia - the origins, production, and legacy of Hedwig and the Angry Inch can be told through the vast archives collectively held by members of the film's cast and crew. Here, actor-director John Cameron Mitchell, costume designer Arianne Phillips, and hairstyle and makeup artist Mike Potter guide viewers through ephemera that illuminates their processes and inspires their memories. There is also a trailer and the liner notes booklet has an essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek, and (on the Blu-ray) portraits of Hedwig by photog­rapher Mick Rock, illustrations by animator Emily Hubley, and excerpts from two texts that inspired the film: Plato’s Symposium and The Gospel of Thomas.

As far as transgender punk-rock films go - this is the penultimate. With an evolution spanning years after the off-Broadway show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is an insanely delightful and unique blend of irreverence, mockumentary, powerful musical, Cabaret, burlesque, humor... and the human condition. It's hard to call it anything less than a masterpiece and despite any prejudicial preconceptions - YOU must see it. It's another film I am very happy to own in a Criterion Blu-ray edition. Don't over-think this decision - just buy it. 

Gary Tooze and Colin Zavitz