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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (March 2020): Criterion have transferred Spike Lee's Bamboozled to Blu-ray. It is from a "New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Ellen Kuras and approved by director Spike Lee". Bamboozled was shot on Mini DV and some 16mm (the minstrel show) fulfilling the director's lo definition imagery intentions. It is a modern vérité expression and the visual appearance definitely achieves its goals - especially after viewing for a while. It was not meant to look too crisp and sharp - is on a dual-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. With the director and DoP's approval it's hard to argue with the 1080P results than give intentional fuzziness while in-motion.

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are some separations (audience cheering and dance 'tapping') plus another strong score by Terence Blanchard (Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, Miracle at St. Anna, Inside Man, Dark Blue) plus some sampling of Stevie Wonder, Prince etc. sounding effective and healthy if not dynamic. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray includes an audio commentary from 2001 (on the New Line DVD) featuring Spike Lee justifying the use of the Mini DV, how Michael Rapaport would tell him at NY Knicks games that he wanted to be in a Spike Lee Joint, how Jada Pinkett Smith went to high school with Tupac Shakur and had some stories of him in his youth. Spike addresses some of the critical response to Bamboozled, and that refers to many rap artists as modern minstrel performers - he's funny, there are gaps, but always engaging and worth the indulgence discussing themes, influences ad-libs in the film and much more. There are a 1/2 hour's worth of new interviews with choreographer and actor Savion Glover, actor Tommy Davidson and costume designer Ruth E. Carter. As well there is a new, 26-minute, conversation between Lee and film programmer and critic Ashley Clark as he discusses Bamboozled. In a 2019, 17-minute, interview, with author Racquel Gates, associate professor of media studies at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, explores director Spike Lee's radical work Bamboozled and its critique of the appropriation of black identity in popular entertainment. The Making of “Bamboozled” is a 53-minute documentary from 2001 featuring director Spike Lee, actors Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Tommy Davidson, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Rappaport, and Damon Wayans; director of photography Ellen Kuras; editor Sam Pollard; production designer Victor Kempster; archivist Judy Aley; critic Stanley Crouch; columnist Jack Newfield; historian Clyde Taylor; and screenwriter Budd Schulberg. It was produced by Pollard and Butch Robinson for New Line Home Entertainment. There are about 35-minutes worth of deleted scenes and music videos for the Mau Maus’ “Blak Iz Blak” and Gerald Levert’s “Dream with No Love,” and alternate parody commercials created for the film. Lastly, is an extensive poster gallery, trailer and the package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by Clark.

Spike Lee's biting satire on how African Americans continue to be manipulated and used by media just as they have in the past; Bamboozled is as thought-provoking as any of his films. As a change, I liked the lo-res appearance and this is one movie that has plenty to say. Criterion stack their Blu-ray and fans of the director should consider this a must-own.

Gary Tooze