Being Thankful For Physical Media

When I was a kid, going to the cinema was big event. Recent films were not available on television right away; sometimes we had to wait for years after their release to watch them at home. There was no internet, no streaming, no DVDs, no Blu-rays. When the popular VHS format started to catch on in the 1980s it was miracle that I could own a copy of a favourite film. Video stores had limited stock at first but just looking at the box art of these video cassettes could be as a thrilling as the movies themselves. Of course, video tapes were a cumbersome and low-resolution medium compared to the 16K digital transfers of today.

Streaming and watching films on a big 4K home screen can be a satisfactory way to approximate the movie-going experience but before you think these films can be owned it is important to know your rights. Any film purchased for home viewing from a streamer can be withdrawn from the purchaser’s account or cloud service at anytime. As well, any digital copy of a film can be altered for content without the purchaser’s permission. This is why I still collect movies on disc. Sure they take up room, but they are mine to keep, and no one can edit or change them while I’m not looking. Everyday I am grateful for the honour of holding the fruits of many people’s artistic labours in my hands. I know the effort that goes into making a movie. Therefore, it is imperative that films be preserved on physical media – in the versions their creators intended -- for future generations to collect and enjoy. Here are some of my favourite home video versions over the years:

1982 - Star Wars (1977) was a milestone release on video tape in the VHS and Betamax formats. It is hard to describe to contemporary audiences how monumental this moment was for movie buffs and specifically Star Wars fans. The transfer may have been slightly fuzzy and the film’s Panavision glory panned and scanned into a 4:3 full screen presentation but it was still thrilling to own this historically popular film. This was the last time the film was released in its original theatrical version with no extra FX or sound additions. It has recently been announced that in 2027 the original cut of Star Wars will be made available once again probably in the hi-definition 4K format. It will be a turning point for disc collectors who have finally been vindicated after years of protesting against the inferior and bastardized versions approved by filmmaker George Lucas himself.

1991 – The first four James Bond films, starting with Dr. No (1962), were released by Criterion on the Laserdisc in letterboxed versions with an audio commentary by director Terence Young. For the very first time, viewers could see these early Connery classics uncut and accompanied by interesting background stories provided by the director. Due to the uncensored nature of these comments and anecdotes, the discs were eventually withdrawn and much sought after by collectors. After decades of audio and video tampering the Connery Bonds have only recently been restored to something close to their theatrical versions. Meanwhile, Criterion continues to be the premier releasing company of classic films on all subsequent disc formats.

1997 – The Digital Video Disc or DVD format was introduced, and Warner Bros. produced one of the best early examples. Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969) was finally made available in the widescreen director’s cut, and the disc also included an important Oscar-nominated short documentary about the film. This release demonstrated the possibilities of both presentation and scholarship that the DVD format could provide to burgeoning numbers of film buffs and collectors. Unfortunately age and technology has done no service to this Western masterpiece which continues to be passed over for restoration and release on improved optimal formats. 

2007 – After a brief competition to decide which company would control the home video market’s higher resolution 1080p format, Sony emerged the winner with Blu-ray discs.

Ever since VHS there had been special edition box sets with various paper reproductions and other sundries housed in an elaborately designed case. However, all previous box sets paled in comparison with the Blade Runner 5 Disc Ultimate Collector's Briefcase Edition. This was the culmination of a long journey for Blade Runner (1982). During its original cinema release it was considered an unpopular failure. Surprisingly, the revised R-rated edition on tape was a big hit, as was the so-called director’s cut, shown in theatres in 1992 and later available on DVD. By 2006, director Ridley Scott was finally able to fix all the problems he had had with previous versions by creating Blade Runner - the Final Cut on Blu-ray. The Briefcase edition features this much improved edit along with all other available cuts of the film. In this very special edition there is also a 3.5 hour making-of documentary, numerous audio commentaries, photo galleries, featurettes as well as deluxe booklets, framed drawings and even toy replicas to display on your shelf. One of the great collectable sets for the ultimate Sci-fi cinephile!

2020 – In 2016 the next generation of Hsigh-Definition disc format was introduced – the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. This improvement meant discs could now be viewed in twice the resolution as the standard Blu-ray. No film has deserved this superior presentation more than Lawrence of Arabia (1962). If you haven’t seen this film in the cinema on an Imax or other large format screen, then the next best option is with this 4-disc UHD package, with the film transferred from an 8K scan of the original negative. If your home setup is up to the task, you should feel the sand of the desert in your eyes as you are enveloped in the spectacular images created by cinematographer Freddie Young under the direction of master filmmaker David Lean. In the style of its original road show screenings the movie is divided onto two discs with an intermission coming at the end of disc one. The third disc is a standard Blu-ray copy of this nearly 4-hour film. Disc four contains voluminous extras including: informative documentaries, featurettes, interviews, and deleted scenes. Restored by Columbia archivist Grover Crisp this is one of the most impressive showcases for the new 4K UHD disc technology and a must-have for the true movie buff.

Scares from Down Under

 

Australia didn’t become an international filmmaking destination until the mid-1990s.  Prior to then many American actors journeyed down under to act in local films that were being made by enterprising Australian directors. Road Games (1981) is a suspenseful killer-on-the-loose film made by Alfred Hitchcock disciple Richard Franklin who would later direct the underrated Psycho II (1983). The film stars Stacy Keach as a long-haul trucker crossing the desolate wilderness of Western Australia with only his pet dingo as a driving companion. Observing people along the road, Keach comes to suspect that a mysterious man in a green van might be the serial killer wanted for some gruesome murders. 80s scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis enlivens the narrative as a hitchhiker who teams up with Keach as they try to catch the dangerous and elusive murderer. A wild ride that is both startling and funny in equal measure. Available on Blu-ray and Shudder.

A different kind of vehicle provides the jolts in Dead Calm (1989), a suspense thriller from the producers of the Mad Max series that takes place mostly at sea. Starring Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman, in her breakout film role, as a couple who embark on an oceanic sailing vacation in a valiant attempt to heal the recent wound caused by the death of their son. After encountering a sinking schooner they take on board a lone survivor played with darkly photogenic charm by Billy Zane. Thus begins a cat and mouse game between the three protagonists as they struggle to survive at sea in an increasingly deadly situation. Neill as always anchors the film, but the raw performances of Kidman and Zane made audiences at the time take note of two new talented actors to watch. Available on Blu-ray

Considered by many to be one of the scariest films ever made, The Babadook (2014) is an experience that never leaves you. Writer-director Jennifer Kent creates a near perfect nightmare of dread and fear as we witness a single mother struggling to understand her emotionally disturbed young son. Things go from bad to worse when they are haunted by a ghostly creature seemingly come to life from the pages of a sinister children’s storybook. An unnerving depiction of mental breakdown and parental anxiety that will have you staring into the dark corners of your bedroom for weeks afterward. Available Blu-Ray and Shudder

If sideburns, bell-bottom pants and psychedelic 70s décor scare you then Late Night with the Devil (2024) is a truly frightening experience. In their spookily accurate recreation of a late night Hollywood talk show from 1977, Australian filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes’s videotape homage will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure. The gimmick of a “live” exorcism gone wrong provides the shocking set pieces, but it is the attention to character details as well as production design and cinematography that will amaze vintage viewers who remember this pre-internet era of broadcasting. Available on Blu-Ray and Shudder.