By Brett Blake Despite much doom and gloom about the slow death of physical media, 2021 was actually a fantastic year for movie buffs on that front. Not only did the major studios continue to present their new films with (in many cases) pristine 4K disc releases, but many of the studios also delved deep into their back catalogs to bring quite a few oft-requested titles to the market, or to provide updated versions of previously-lackluster Blu-ray editions (either through their own home video arms or by licensing titles out to boutique labels). What follows is my take on the best releases of the year. True, this is EXTREMELY subjective, and my personal affection for many of these movies themselves likely biases me to some degree, but that can’t be helped! Some honorable mentions: - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: 4K (Paramount Home Video) - SPACEBALLS: 4K (Kino Lorber) - SPEED: 4K (Walt Disney Home Video) - SCREAM (Paramount Home Video) - ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE (Warner Home Video) - TALES OF THE UNCANNY (Severin Films) And now, the Top Ten in no particular order... DOCTOR X (Warner Archive) Filmed in a unique, early color process (circa 1932) that has been hard to truly replicate on home video up to this point, DOCTOR X has been lavishly restored with stunning picture quality that makes it a must-see for fans of early ‘30s horror. TWISTER (Turbine) The good folks at Germany’s Turbine licensed this movie for its 25th anniversary, and the result features one of the most spectacular sound mixes I’ve ever heard in the home environment. This is a disc that could truly blow the roof off the place, and in the best way. EXPLORERS (Shout! Factory) A quintessential “kids on an adventure” movie from the 1980s, EXPLORERS has long been seen as something of a compromised vision due to behind-the-scenes issues, and the special features on this release -- with full participation of director Joe Dante and several studio executives -- finally bring to light the problems during production with unusual candidness, which only makes the finished film more worthy of appreciation. “Dark Disney” Triple Feature: THE BLACK CAULDRON / SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES / THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS (Disney Movie Club) Yes, I’m technically cheating by including three releases as one, but they’re kindred spirits, being examples of the type of risks Walt Disney Pictures was willing to take in the early-mid 1980s on darker, spookier material. Though light on extras, these discs feature good picture quality, but more than anything else, Disney’s willingness to embrace these interesting films (even through their exclusive “Movie Club” service, which limits their reach a bit) is worth celebrating. THE FRESHMAN (Mill Creek) A bare-bones release from budget-friendly Mill Creek label, nobody could make the case that this edition of THE FRESHMAN features an otherworldly-great transfer, or anything like that. It certainly looks better than it has since its theatrical release, but the real win here is that we got any Blu-ray release of THE FRESHMAN at all; it’s too good a comedy (with too good a Marlon Brando performance) to have remained in DVD-only obscurity. LAKE MUNGO (Second Sight) A haunting and chilling ghost story with a growing fanbase, LAKE MUNGO has finally gotten the exhaustive home video treatment it deserves. With beautiful packaging and engaging supplements, it truly does justice to what is -- in my view -- one of the more underrated genre films of this century so far. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL (Paramount Home Video) John Hughes’ pseudo-remake of his own PRETTY IN PINK has finally joined that film on the Blu-ray format, and in handsome Steelbook packaging, to boot. This movie’s often lost in the shuffle of Hughes’ other 1980s high school films, but it’s one of his best. BREAKDOWN (Imprint Films) Australia’s Imprint Films finally brought one of the 1990s' best thrillers to Blu-ray in 2021 with a nice assortment of extras, high-quality packaging, and a great transfer on the disc. BREAKDOWN’s fallen by the wayside a bit in the “Great Thrillers” conversation, but hopefully some are prompted by this release to check it out, because it’s terrific. KING KONG (Scream Factory) Boasting an extraordinarily frank audio commentary from Rick Baker (who designed and performed in the suit for the titular monster), this release of the often-derided 1976 version of the KONG story truly represents the movie getting the love it deserves. In addition to the worth-the-price-by-itself commentary, it also features the long-requested three-hour television cut of the movie for the hardcore fans. LEGEND (Arrow Video) Very close to a definitive release, this edition of LEGEND allows the film’s visual lushness to truly sing. Copious extras (new and carried over from past home video releases) round out the package, but the star here is the transfer, which looks absolutely stunning. LEGEND is a movie with several problems, but as a visual experience, it is unimpeachable.
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