It occurred to me only a few days ago that I have been collecting physical media for forty years now. It all started sometime in 1984 when I taped Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" off HBO on a videotape my dad gave me. I filled that tape up with tons of music videos, episodes of "Not Necessarily The News" and one movie. Because of my dad's profession as a corporate video producer, he often brought home used VHS tapes for me and from there, a collection was born. I've never stopped. Tons of VHS tapes eventually became a modest collection of laserdiscs and then hundreds of DVDs. Now, I have a blu-ray collection approaching 2,000 titles, thanks largely to indie record stores and review copies I get in the mail.
It never gets old. I still love being a collector, especially now that so many movies are in danger of being lost in the ether, thanks to neglect from the studios, the dominance of streaming and the myth that all physical media is dead. Not to me. Not ever. It's still the best way to watch a movie at home and these fifteen titles are essentials for my collection. I know there are many, many other superior titles released in 2024 that I have yet to acquire, but for now, these are the "punchingest, kickingest, badass dudes on earth!" for 2024's physical media.
(In alphabetical order)
Black Belt Jones (Warner Archive) - Because it exists. There are no special features, no innovative technical specifications (though as per usual with Warner Archive, it looks damn good). It just needs to exist. The film remains a pinnacle of excellence from this era of grindhouse kung-fu movies, thanks to its never-ending showcase of stunning (and funny) action scenes, quotable dialogue and a pair of action superstars who should’ve been, well, superstars well into the future. Sure, Warner Archive could’ve found a scholar to record an insightful, engaging and invaluable commentary track, but Sergio Mims is no longer with us and they neglected to reach out to him when they made the original DVD, so here we are. Nevertheless, it’s a must-own. Enjoy some McDonalds while you watch it. Right on!
Cry-Baby (Kino Lorber) - I admit I have really square taste when it comes to John Waters films. “Hairspray’ is my favorite. This is my second favorite. See? You can keep the early pre-"Polyester" stuff. Just not my thing. Universal gave this movie a so-so treatment with a featurette and a Waters commentary track (always entertaining, no matter the film), but something told me to wait before buying it, that something even better would come out someday. The wait was worth it. Kino gave this movie a stunning facelift with its 4K version and gifted fans with a theatrical and director’s cut, as well as a pile of new extras that give the mics to Amy Locane, Traci Lords and Patti Hearst (among many others) to give their insight on the experience of working on this often unfairly maligned film. It’s still so much damn fun and Kino seemed like they couldn’t wait to dive in headfirst and give this movie the treatment it deserved.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros) - My expectations are so low when it comes to Warner Brothers’ physical releases, I guess we should just be grateful they exist at all. It helps that this happens to be my favorite film of the year, but the documentarians Warner hired also made a heck of a good hour-long documentary about the making of it (as well as a couple featurettes) that defied their usual slap-dash puff pieces. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it innovative, but any view into George Miller’s process for any of his films is welcome and fascinating to watch, particularly when the doc focuses on Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Miller working through the final scene, line for line, changing it as they go. It’s an unexpected, worthwhile companion to a film that–because of its otherwise neglectful studio–needs all the love it can get.
(I do not yet own the 5-disc collection, but I will soon since it's the only way to get the Black-and-Chrome version of "Furiosa")
I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Paramount / CBS) - I’m nowhere near getting through all of the discs on here, but I’m having a blast sifting through it, episode by episode, and it'll probably be at least a year or so before getting around to the mountain of extras. I'm especially enjoying the “watch original broadcast version” features, which showcases the ghastly Philip Morris commercials they so brazenly sold to the public back then. I’m sure a lot of this stuff was probably available on the original DVDs, but Paramount’s compact casing greatly reduces the amount of shelf space needed. Consider this another strong case for owning physical media vs. relying on streaming services forcing ads down your throat. in the case of watching the original broadcast versions, these are time capsule commercials you actually want to sit through, ones you can’t get anywhere else, during a TV show that remains among the funniest ever made.
The Lady From Shanghai (Sony) - I'm not sure how long Sony has been quietly doing the Warner Archive playbook of releasing their older classics, some obscure ("Cocktail Hour" sure was an odd one), some monumental. This Orson Wells treat falls into the latter category, but none of Sony’s efforts should be dismissed, really. This one benefits greatly from the 4K treatment, every frame looking exquisite, enough to make you forget about Wells’ cheezy Irish accent. Add to that a couple great features, even if they are carry-overs from previous versions (perhaps predictably, Bogdanovich is all over this thing). It should give us all hope that Sony remains in the game of maintaining their own library while simultaneously taking care of Disney’s library. Hopefully, they stick to this kind of commitment and go deeper than the usual catalog hits (in other words, I’m still waiting on blu-rays of Disney's “One Magic Christmas” and “Night Crossing,” so let's get on that).
The Long Good Friday (Criterion) - I hate to admit it, but this film had been a blind spot for me until this release. What a great way to finally discover what everyone had been praising about pretty much my whole life (I started watching Siskel & Ebert around the time this came out). John Mackenzie’s crime epic did not disappoint and Bob Hoskins’ star-making performance just by itself makes this a must-own. Criterion’s transfer is gorgeous for a movie I’m guessing was always a victim of awful rendering from the early VHS days. The best bonus feature of the year, perhaps, is the inclusion of the feature-length documentary “An Accidental Studio,” which traces the rise and fall of the great Handmade Films, from the late ‘70s to the late ‘80s. It’s a generous package Criterion put together here for a film that deserves a spot on your shelf alongside other gangster classics as “GoodFellas” "Miller's Crossing," "The Sopranos" and “The Godfather.”
Pandora’s Box (Criterion) - Ever since I learned that the character of Lulu in Jonathan Demme’s “Something Wild” had been based on Louise Brooks’ character in this film, I’ve been meaning to seek it out and finally consider all my homework for Demme’s film–one of my all-time favorites–finished. Well, that time has finally come, thanks to Criterion’s lovingly produced blu-ray of one of the great silent films of all time. The epic-yet-intimate story of a socialite’s whirlwind of doomed romances has been given the best treatment it will likely ever see, pulling from multiple sources to make the most complete version possible of G.W. Pabst’s film. Furthermore, they give the viewer four different film scores to choose from, each with their own distinct style, based on the composer’s interpretation of the events on screen. You will definitely have a favorite and least favorite (I really want to hear the one that was improvised), but it’s a welcome relief that Criterion is putting more care into the soundtracks of these films than most labels would think to do, as evidenced also by last year’s Tod Browning collection. Oh, and the documentaries on here that give vast insight into Brooks’ life and influence are essential. One of my favorite learning experiences of the year.
Real Life (Criterion) - Every year, I feel like Criterion gifts me with a title that I could only dream of them acquiring and releasing (past titles included “True Stories” and “After Hours,” both of which went above and beyond the call of duty). I’ve had Albert Brooks’ ahead-of-its-time comedy on my blu-ray wishlist for ages, so when Criterion announced they would be taking the reins on it–as well as Brooks’ “Mother”--my heart leapt. Finally, my favorite Brooks film of all time would get the attention it has so richly deserved and I could marvel at its invention and quote it all over again with its pristine 4K transfer. The interviews with Brooks and Francis Lee McCain are fun, too. The release of this film has come just in time, as the narcissistic need for self-validation has gone far beyond the reality TV phenomenon or YouTube channel obsessions of a couple decades ago and into the hypnotic realm of Tik-Tok videos taking up the world’s time. Brooks was doing a satire of an actual reality show in the ‘70s, but he nailed so many things he couldn’t have predicted.
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (Vinegar Syndrome) - I already own this movie via the Mystery Science Theater episode (my favorite of all time), the RiffTrax live show and Cinematic Titanic, but Vinegar Syndrome miraculously validated my purchase of having a bare-bones, commentary-free version. I didn't need it, but I’m so glad I own this particular disc. This film has always been in the public domain and I’m pretty sure it still is, but Vinegar Syndrome gave it a helluva release anyway, despite it being widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. They couldn’t do much to dress it up and make it look flawless. On the contrary, the film is still as badly rendered as it is cheaply produced, but they did their best with what they had. The real treat here, though, is the holiday-themed extras, as well as the extended “Roadshow version,” which gives viewers breaks in the film's tedium for some drive-in movie ads, one of which features Gene Hackman. You also get some of the best weird Christmas short films that I’ve had for a few years now, thanks largely to RiffTrax and Something Weird’s vault of oddities. It’s their show here (as well as the American Genre Film Archive) and I hope they come back for more next year.
Scala!!! (Severin) - I was in film-nerd heaven watching this release. I missed out on the rep-house/grindhouse era of filmgoing in the '70s through the '80s, but oh, how I dream of owning a time machine! I had to observe the Chicago version of this film scene from afar via newspaper ads while coming of age in the suburbs. This terrific doc about the Scala Theater, the most notorious rep-house in England, is filled with great stories of what was like to work there, to attend the overnight screenings, to make the posters, to program it and to be immersed in the decadence that lurked around every corner. In addition to the film, you also get a fun grab-bag of avant-garde short films that often played between features at the Scala (sorry, no "Thundercrack"), as well as two longform docs that go a little deeper into the art of creating a poster schedule and "Splatterfest Exhumed," a feature-length doc on the most memorable film festival at the Scala because of everything that went right and disastrously wrong with it. And so much more! It's one of the best overall packages of the year, with the added bonus of a replicated Scala membership card and a fold-out Scala schedule that acts as a guide to all the disc's bountiful features. A must-own for anyone who has ever helped run a movie theater, film festival or fanzine. A+ all around.
The Searchers (Warner Archive) - Congratulations to Warner Archive for finally taking their first dive into 4K, and what a launch! John Ford's greatest epic looked phenomenal on the big screen when I saw the 70mm restoration this past summer and the 4K release here is even more cause for celebration. The vistas of Monument Valley never looked so, well, monumental. Breathtaking, really. Not only that, but the newly added features--the film's premiere in Chicago and a collection of outtakes that, even without sound, are fascinating--round out what was already a generous package with just the carry-overs. It almost sounds greedy to say, but hopefully we can expect more of the same from Warner Archive in future 4K releases.
A Simple Plan (Arrow) - Another long-overdue film finally getting its hi-def treatment after lingering for too long exclusively on DVD. Even if they couldn't get Sam Raimi, Bridget Fonda or Billy Bob Thornton to participate, Arrow did a commendable job on recruiting top critics and production designers to offer valuable insight into this criminally overlooked film. It also has my favorite newly-commissioned artwork for the cover (by Matt Griffin).
Stop Making Sense (A24) - It really doesn't get any better than this. Finally, after decades of neglect, we got the home video version of Jonathan Demme's masterpiece on a proper format, just the way I grew up with it (with "Cities" and "Big Business/I Zimbra" intact). Although I still need to hang onto previous additions so as to have all the extras created for this film (not all of the Palm Pictures extras carried over), A24's release represents the best the film has ever looked or sounded. And sure, I have to figure out a new way to shelve this particular, enlarged casing, but at least it's for a film that deserves a special library placement. "Stop Making Sense" remains the greatest of its kind and A24's treatment of it--along with their extraordinary IMAX release in theaters the previous year--is a real gift for fans who know every cut, music cue and frame of this film.
The Val Lewton Double Feature (Criterion) - Like last year's "Tod Browning's Sideshow Shockers" triple bill, Criterion celebrated Halloween by not going to an old standard, but to examine a horror icon's output that often goes unnoticed. I, for one, needed the refresher and the schooling. I had seen Jacques Tourneur's "I Walked With A Zombie" a long, long time ago, but seeing it here in 4K was like discovering it for the very first time. A master producer of horror films that relied on atmosphere more than in-your-face scares, Lewton has been given a star treatment here that feels overdue. When it comes to 4K, for some reason the black-and-white horror movies leave me the most amazed, this being a primary reason. Both "Zombie" and "The Seventh Victim" compliment each other very well and a double feature of this magnitude for the price is one of the bargains of the year.
Waitress: The Musical (Bleeker Street) - Sometimes, you have to hand it to a publicist for being insistent that “you guys really need to take a look at this… please.” "Okay, fine, send it over." So glad I took a chance on it. First, it made for a good reason to go back and revisit Adrienne Shelly’s wonderful 2007 film again, since I hadn’t seen it since it first came out. Watching this lovingly written musical stage version only added to the joy that comes with Shelly’s work and especially as a heartfelt tribute to her and her career, which was tragically cut short just before the film’s release. This is a thrilling production, flawlessly directed and a must-own for anyone involved in musical theater. The songs linger, the performances shine and it makes your heart glad. These kinds of releases often get ignored by reviewers, since they’re not “cinematic,” but from now on I’ll think twice before rejecting a plea to review a filmed stage musical. If they’re as good as this, they deserve the same shelf space as anything else I own.