Streaming might be the future, but physical media is still the present. It’s also awesome, depending on the title, the label, and the release, so each week we take a look at the new Blu-rays and DVDs making their way into the world. Welcome to this week in Home Video for September 6th, 2022! This week’s home video selection includes Blow Out in 4K, and more. Check out our picks below.
Pick of the Week
Blow Out [4K UHD, Criterion Collection]
What is it? A 70s conspiracy thriller from 1981.
Why see it? I’ll be honest and admit that unlike Body Double, The Untouchables, Casualties of War, Obsession, and more, Brian De Palma’s early 80s nod to conspiracy and the movies didn’t really land with me on first viewing. Rewatching it years later, though, I realized how wrong I’d been. John Travolta and Nancy Allen star in a beautifully crafted thriller about the things we hear, the things we wish we didn’t, and the lengths we find between them. It’s a fantastic picture and ends with a powerful gut punch. Criterion’s new 4K UHD highlights the film’s visual smarts and comes loaded with informative extras.
[Extras: New 4K restoration, interviews, Murder a la Mod]
The Best
Star Trek: The Motion Picture [4K UHD]
What is it? An alien presence causes trouble, Captain Kirk responds.
Why see it? Robert Wise’s big screen adventure for a canceled television show might lack the dramatic appeal of later entries, but it has its charms and impressive beats. A director’s cut was released decades later, and now it’s come to 4K UHD with a pretty damn attractive picture. It’s less about the excitement, although there’s some of that here, and more about the awe and big screen presence of the crew and the adventure. Even with it being a lesser time, it’s still an engaging one .
[Extras: New 4K restoration, commentaries, documentary, deleted scenes, featurettes]
The Rest
The Cop [KL Studio Classics]
What is it? A cop goes rogue when his partner is killed.
Why see it? The setup here is familiar enough, but there’s something to be said for the choice it makes regarding the two policemen. One is a brash, tough guy, and the other is a straightlaced, older guy — it’s the former who’s gunned down and the latter who breaks the law to seek revenge. That said, the bulk of what follows falls back into the expected mold. That’s not a bad thing as the result is a solid thriller about a man pushed towards crossing a line.
[Extras: Commentary]
Minions: The Rise of Gru
What is it? Even Gru was a little boy once.
Why see it? People love the minions and their despicable leader, but did you ever wonder where they got their start? Well wonder no more! Fans of the earlier films will find more to enjoy here as Gru’s adventures and attempts to join a villain’s group lead to all manner of hijinks. As with many of Illumination’s features the comedy comes in large part from big, fast, loud set-pieces, so its primary audience is obviously the little ones, but you do you.
[Extras: Shorts, deleted scene, outtakes, featurettes]
Paravision Dreams: The Golden Age 3-D Films of Pine and Thomas [KL Studio Classics]
What is it? Three 3-D films from the 50s!
Why see it? Sangaree stars Fernando Lamas in a historical romance touching on minor thrills and plague concerns. Those Redheads from Seattle sends four sisters up to Alaska in search of their father’s killer. Jivaro sees Lamas return on an adventure into the jungle in search of gold. All three films are about what you expect quality-wise, both filmmaking and 3-D, but there’s some fun to be found all the same. The middle film is the best of the three with its unusual combination of characters and place. It’s an interesting collection.
[Extras: 3-D restoration, commentaries, radio theater, interview, restoration demos]
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier [4K UHD]
What is it? An angry Vulcan leads the Enterprise on a mission from god.
Why see it? After seeing the entertaining fun that Leonard Nimoy delivered as director of The Voyage Home, William Shatner decided to take a stab at filmmaking too. The result is a lesser experience across the board, but it’s still an entertaining one due in part to some laughs along the way. Kirk asking what god needs with a starship is a good beat, and there’s enough fun to be had to warrant a pickup for fans who don’t own the film yet.
[Extras: New 4K remaster, commentaries, featurettes]
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country [4K UHD]
What is it? Peace with the Klingons? In this economy?
Why see it? The final pure adventure for the original crew of the Enterprise is showing their wear and tear, but it’s an enjoyable time filled with some exciting action beats and goofy humor. The disc includes the director’s and theatrical cuts, although you’d be hard-pressed to claim one is better than the other, but both find a vibrancy in 4K.
[Extras: New 4K remaster, commentaries, featurettes, theatrical and director’s cuts]
Twice Told Tales [KL Studio Classics]
What is it? A trilogy of terror!
Why see it? Vincent Price stars in all three segments, and while it can’t match the fun and thrills of earlier horror anthologies, there’s a good enough time to be found here. While Edgar Allan Poe was all the rage leading up to it, the stories here are based on fantastical tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne. They lean less horror and more strange or supernatural, but with Price on board they’re rarely less than a good time for genre fans. Here’s hoping Kino keeps these slipcased Price films coming.
[Extras: Commentary]
Also out this week:
3:10 to Yuma [4K UHD], The Essential Jacques Demy [Criterion Collection], The Funhouse [4K UHD, Scream Factory], He Who Must Die [KL Studio Classics], Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, The Oblong Box [KL Studio Classics], Paradise Highway, Rachel Rachel, Spitfire Over Berlin, Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection [4K UHD], Young Sheldon – The Complete Fifth Season
Related Topics: Home Video
