ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (September 2023): Imprint have also transferred Sean Penn's The Crossing Guard to Blu-ray. This is part of their After Dark: Neo-Noir Cinema Collection Three with Homicide (1991) White Sands (1992) The Crossing Guard (1995) Heaven's Prisoners (1996) Under Suspicion (2000) and Dirty Pretty Things (2002) It is on a dual-layered disc with a very high bitrate and in the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio showing the Echo Bridge 1.78:1 to be 'opened-up' on all 4 edges. This Imprint 1080P HD presentation marginally improves in flesh tones (warmer - losing the orange-ness of the Lionsgate) and better balanced contrast. It's minor but if forced to choose the Imprint looks the best.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump or a linear PCM stereo track. The film has violence and the surround shows instances of separation but the stereo suffices adequately for the bass in the strip joint, police chase etc.. This was the last film score by Jack Nitzsche (Village of the Giants, The Hot Spot, Blue Collar, The Indian Runner, Hardcore, Cutters Way, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Personal Best, 9 1/2 Weeks) and it is subtle and supportive adding to the viewing experience. There is other music in the film; Bruce Springsteen's Missing, Adam Ant's Room At The Top, Hadda Brooks's Any Time, Any Place, Any Where, David Baerwald's Born A Cowboy and Unspoken, a striptease act done to Shirley Temple's Good Ship Lollipop and sexy Kari Wuhrer performing Freddy and Mia on a keyboard. Audio is clean with consistent volume levels. Imprint offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The disc is massively packed with extras starting with two commentary tracks. The first is the 20-year old one with director/writer/co-producer Sean Penn, actors Anjelica Huston and David Morse, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, production designer Michael Haller, and playwright David Ray. The second is new with film writer Travis Woods. He considers The Crossing Guard one of the great crime-dramas of the 1990s and one of the great American crime-dramas period. He discusses why the film was strangely overlooked, the cast, Sean Penn and much more. It's quite good. They are many new video pieces including the 20-minute Purging Vulnerability - an interview with writer/director Sean Penn as he describes the time of having his first child and its effect on writing ‘The Crossing Guard’, his foray into directing, his admiration for Terence Malick, Ashby, Altman and more. It's an excellent interview. Tough Character in a Tough World is a new 20-minute interview with actor David Morse on his character John Booth in ‘The Crossing Guard’. Emotionally Exposed spends 1/4 hour with Priscilla Barnes on her portrayal of stripper / love interest Verna. Changing Ways spends 9-minutes with editor Jay Cassidy on ‘The Crossing Guard’. We also get Rebels Without Causes – Images of Masculinity in Sean Penn’s ‘The Crossing Guard’ – a 15-minute video essay by Kat Ellinger who dissects the male characters / anti-heroes in this film and beyond. Included is a 5-minute behind-the-scenes vintage featurette and a theatrical trailer.

Like many, I can't seem to comprehend why Sean Penn's The Crossing Guard was unjustly overlooked or why so many strongly disliked it. Audiences were quite divided. I think it was brilliantly realized filled with themes of guilt, grief, vengeance, remorse and forgiveness. The lead characters are damaged - portrayed with powerful performances from Jack Nicholson and David Morse (Inside Moves, The Green Mile). Exceptional Anjelica Huston, Robin Wright Penn and Piper Laurie, plus Robbie Robertson and brief John Savage buoy this touching and compelling film. The film has a cameo from Sean's father, actor/director Leo Penn as Hank, the crossing guard (see screen capture below.) He was also an ATC Corporal in William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives. I'm so pleased that The Crossing Guard finally gets a stacked digital release with new supplements and Penn's participation plus new and older commentary tracks. I strongly recommend the film.

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ADDITION - Lions Gate (UK) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray July 2014: Okay - so I picked up the UK Blu-ray edition - which appears to be the same as the French Blu-ray edition. It starts with a menu screen allowing a choice of "United Kingdom" (which starts with a 'Miramax' logo) or "France" (which shows a 'Studio Canal' logo).  It shows the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio (showing the US 1.78:1 to be 'opened up') and it is a brighter than the Echo Bridge, but it still shows some background artifacts although skin tones cool and look more natural. I only compared a 1/2 dozen captures as, aside from the higher bitrate, the biggest improvement is that it is transferred progressively - and shows up as being much smoother in-motion although even the static captures show some 'combing' for the interlaced US transfer. The European Blu-ray is not a perfect image - but its is certainly better than the US one. Audio is lossless - in both a surround 5.1 DTS-HD Master or a linear PCM stereo. It separation of the surround sounds okay with a few notable definitions that added depth. There are only optional French subtitles offered on the Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray disc. There are no supplements.

NOTE: Strangely - my software detected a 1.7 Gig file on the European Blu-ray disc with a 10-minute running time - but there are no extras. I accessed it and it shows colors bars for a few minutes and about 6-minutes of the start of the film, with no audio. I guess it was a test file by the Blu-ray authors.

This Region 'B' Blu-ray is not ideal but a significant improvement (most notable in-motion) for the presentation. Still a film that I strongly endorse!

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ADDITION - Echo Bridge - Region 'A' - Blu-ray June 2014: Some exec somewhere doesn't like this film... or Sean Penn... or something. Both times of these releases have unforgivable weaknesses. The initial SD was not even anamorphic and this Blu-ray (sharing the dual-layered disc with The Human Stain, which is actually in 1080P) is interlaced!?!? Why? The 1080i transfer isn't very stable and wavers in-motion. It looks better than the DVD but far from its HD potential. Geez.

Lossless stereo - DTS-HD Master at 1858 kbps. The score by Jack Nitzsche (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Personal Best, 9 1/2 Weeks) benefits. There are no subtitles and only a vintage featurette as an extras (we lose the commentary.)