The Best New Blu-Ray Releases: Reservoir Dogs 4K, Planes, Trains And Automobiles, And More
Another Blu-ray column is upon us, here in the wake of our Thanksgiving feasts. If you're somehow still feeling the turkey day hangover, maybe just sit back and take in this list of new Blu-ray releases. It requires very little effort! Just move your eyeballs. This latest Blu-ray round-up is pretty stacked, featuring a 4K release of "Reservoir Dogs," a new release of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" featuring long-lost footage, the massive Sony Pictures Classics 30th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Collection, and more.
Reservoir Dogs 4K
Quentin Tarantino burst on the scene with "Reservoir Dogs," and he's either been thrilling or annoying people ever since (there's no middle-ground with Tarantino, it seems). The story of a group of well-dressed thieves who turn on each other makes great use of dialogue and a few locations, and it's stood the test of time. Is it Tarantino's best? Absolutely not — he only got better. But the impact of "Reservoir Dogs" cannot be denied. This was a big deal that lead to an even bigger deal: "Pulp Fiction."
Now, "Reservoir Dogs" is on 4K and it looks amazing. Years of watching the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases can't adequately prepare you for how good the film looks here. It's like you're watching it for the very first time, which is refreshing, because I remember watching this movie multiple times as a youngster, so much so that the film kind of got played out. Now, in this new 4K form, it's fresh again.
Special features:
- Deleted Scenes
- "Playing it Fast and Loose" Featurette
- "Profiling Res Dogs" Featurette
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
A Thanksgiving comedy classic, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (there's no Oxford comma in the title, and it bothers me) is hilarious due to the lead performances of Steve Martin and John Candy. Martin is a stuck-up businessman trying to get home for Thanksgiving, while Candy is a loudmouth who keeps popping up. These two end up stuck together and have to form a strange friendship, or else they'll die trying. It's funny as hell, and now, the new 4K release comes with over an hour of never-before-scene footage. The footage was thought to be lost, but it was recently discovered in the archives of the film's late director, John Hughes. Since this really is "lost footage" we're talking about here, it's not exactly high-def. It's raw stuff, often missing audio, but if you've seen "Planes, Trains" a million times and are in dire need to see something new, the bonus footage will scratch the itch. Now, can I interest you in some shower curtain rings?
Special features:
- Getting There is Half the Fun: The Story of Planes, Trains and Automobiles
- John Hughes: Life Moves Pretty Fast (2-Part Documentary):
- John Hughes: The Voice of a Generation
- Heartbreak and Triumph: The Legacy of John Hughes
- John Hughes for Adults
- A Tribute to John Candy
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Man, I wanted to like this. "Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul." boasts two great lead performers — Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown. Brown is the pastor of a megachurch while Hall is his wife. And while they used to be on top of the world — with the money to show it — a scandal has rocked their congregation. This is a great set-up, and yet, the film just fizzles. For one thing, the movie can't make up its mind — sometimes it's a faux documentary like "The Office," sometimes it's not. Why? Why not pick one format and stick with it? Worse, none of the jokes land very well, despite the commendable efforts of Hall and Brown. Ideally, someone will cast these two in a much better movie, because they deserve it.
Special features:
- Alternate Opening – Watch the never-before-seen alternate opening for a different take on the beginning of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
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Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes – Watch unreleased scenes from the laugh-out-loud comedy.
- Showtime
- Skate Rink
- Childs in the Attic
- Trinitie in the Bath
- Highway Pedestrian Guy
- Trinitie Bringing Food
- Trinitie Praying Over Lee-Curtis in Bed
- Trinitie Sees Sidewalk Woman Again
- Anita Speaks
- Gag Reel – A highlight reel of bloopers and outtakes featuring main cast.
Rollerball 4K
In the future, wars are over — but everyone still plays sports! Specifically, Rollerball, a bloody mash-up of football, skating, hockey, and punching people. James Caan is the world's best Rollerballer who suddenly finds himself being forced into retirement. I confess I'd never seen "Rollerball" until this new 4K Blu-ray release, and while I was expecting a futuristic sports film, the film has much more on its mind. It's surprisingly melancholy, as Caan's character grapples with forces outside his control. None of this would work as well as it does if the Rollerball scenes weren't so effective — it looks and feels like a real sport, and that makes all the difference.
Special features:
- NEW 2022 Restoration And Color Grade Using An Existing 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative Done By MGM
- In Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible)
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0
- Audio Commentary With Director Norman Jewison
- Audio Commentary With Writer William Harrison
- From Rome To Rollerball: The Full Circle – Vintage Featurette
- Blood Sports – An Interview With Actor James Caan
- The Bike Work – Craig R. Baxley On The Motorcycle Stunts
- The Fourth City – Shooting Rollerball In Munich
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
The Company of Wolves
Like "Labyrinth," "The Company of Wolves" follows a young woman sucked into some kind of dream world. In Neil Jordan's film, Rosaline (Sarah Patterson) finds herself back in time, thrust into a world full of stories and storytelling. A twisted play on Little Red Riding Hood and more, Jordan's film is a mish-mash of dreamy strangeness and sudden bursts of monstrous horror. It's a tad too uneven — the framing device, starting off in the present day, really isn't needed at all and drags the story down — but it's also so inventive and strange that it's easy to fall for the film.
Special features:
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
- NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
- In Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible)
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- NEW Audio Commentary With Producer Chris Brown And Actors Micha Bergese And Kathryn Pogson
- Audio Commentary With Director Neil Jordan
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
- NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- NEW Audio Commentary With Producer Chris Brown And Actors Micha Bergese And Kathryn Pogson
- Audio Commentary With Director Neil Jordan
- NEW Where The Fairy Tales End: Scoring The Company Of Wolves – An Interview With Composer George Fenton
- NEW Alice In Dreamland – An interview With Actress Georgia Slowe
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV spot
- Still Gallery
Bodies Bodies Bodies
What if a group of horrible people got trapped in a house during a hurricane and started killing each other? That's the setup of "Bodies Bodies Bodies," Halina Reijn's so-so horror-comedy about very online people who are soon at each other's throats, literally. Bee (Maria Bakalova, who is quite good here, helped by the fact that she's playing the only likable character) heads to a hurricane party with her new girlfriend Sophia (Amandla Stenberg). At the party, she meets Sophie's friends, played by Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, and Pete Davidson, and a newcomer to the group, a much older guy played by Lee Pace. Soon, one of the characters ends up dead — and everyone is a suspect. "Bodies Bodies Bodies" remains engrossing for the most part, but it eventually runs out of energy. Plus, a big twist is obvious from the jump, making the entire film extra frustrating. Still, put Maria Bakalova in all the movies I say.
Special features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Halina Reijn
- Who Wants to Play? Making Bodies Bodies Bodies
- Deleted Scenes
Sony Pictures Classics 30th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Collection
Sony has released a massive box set, the Sony Pictures Classics 30th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Collection, featuring a host of films in 4K. You'll get "Orlando" with Tilda Swinton, the 1995 documentary "The Celluloid Closet," Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro's dreamy "The City of Lost Children," the stylish "Run Lola Run," cult classic "SLC Punk," Ang Lee's masterful "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone," the Pedro Almodóvar film "Volver," Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York," Julianne Moore's Oscar-winning role in "Still Alice," and the most recent title, "Call Me By Your Name."
That is a whopping amount of movies, and even if you don't care for all of them — I personally think "Still Alice" is rather bland, despite Moore's strong performance — there's plenty here to pick over, and having them all together on 4K is surely a must for collectors.
Special features:
In celebration of Sony Pictures Classics' 30-year anniversary, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to bring eleven of their acclaimed library favorites to 4K Ultra HD disc, exclusively within the SONY PICTURES CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION, available November 22. This must-own set includes iconic award-winning masterpieces from world-renowned filmmakers, unforgettable performances from global luminaries, and fan-favorite stories that have resonated across the years: ORLANDO, THE CELLULOID CLOSET, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, RUN LOLA RUN, SLC PUNK, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, VOLVER, SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK, STILL ALICE and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. Each film is presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range.