With Father’s Day all but upon us, here are a few gift suggestions for the dad who loves watching classic cinema in his 4K-ready home theater man cave.
Steven Spielberg: The Spotlight Collection (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG, PG-13, R, 1.78:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1 aspect ratios, 1,021 minutes, $199.99) — Arguably one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema gets celebrated in a collectable metal boxed set featuring eight of his most beloved films and sure to please dads in need of an enveloping dose of wonder, drama and thrilling entertainment.
This collection, highlighting living legend Steven Spielberg’s most impactful movies over the course of his 50-year plus career as a director includes “Jaws” (1975), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), “Jurassic Park” (1993), “Schindler’s List” (1993), “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) and “War of the Worlds” (2005).
In this impressive list, the director covers everything from a monstrous sea creature to hostile and benevolent extraterrestrials, a legendary archeologist, living dinosaurs, and the horrors and heroes of World War II and the Holocaust.
All of these rereleases in the 4K format have been previously meticulously restored and truly showcase the visual acuity of the director and his cinematographers and are clearly the best-looking versions of the blockbusters available.
Notable extras: The 20-disc set offers all of the key extras previously found on the various 4K and Blu-ray releases of the movies.
Just some of the highlights of the 25 hours of content include the documentaries “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” “The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of ’Jaws,” “Shooting War” (narrated by Tom Hanks), ” The E.T. Journals” and the three-part “Return to Jurassic Park. That’s around 6½ hours of memories tied to some iconic films right there.
Move on featurettes highlighted by “Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters” (22 minutes), “40 Years of E.T. The Extraterrestrial” (20 minutes), “Three Kinds of Close Encounters” (22 minutes) and a four-part production diary for “War of the Worlds” (roughly 90 minutes).
Finally worth noting, a couple of recorded events presents “TCM Classic Film Festival: An Evening with Steven Spielberg” (27 minutes) from 2022 at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood and hosted by journalist Ben Mankiewicz; and “Schindler’s List: 25 Years Later” (40 minutes), an on-stage discussion with Mr. Spielberg and select cast moderated by film critic Janet Maslin following a 2018 Tribeca Film Festival screening at The Beacon Theater.
Also, three versions of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” are included (the theatrical cut, special edition and director’s cut) with Mr. Spielberg’s cut, clocking in at 137 minutes, obviously the most accurate to the artist’s vision.
The brilliant and very collectible steel packaging (only 5,700 units manufactured), which also contains a certificate of authenticity, was designed as an eight-slot open library case.
It features embossed lettering on three sides with film strips on two sides showcasing color frames from the films, and the back offers a pensive profile of Mr. Spielberg next to a quote on his thoughts on storytelling above his signature.
Each of the movie’s discs is individually housed in a shiny black SteelBook case (held in place by foam slots), highlighting key poster art for each movie on the front, an embossed quote and relevant film strip on the back and an interior spread revealing the director on the set during the production (a very nice touch).
Jackie Chan’s Breakout Hits!: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R and not rated, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 642 minutes, $190) — One of the most recognized action stars and martial artists gets a new collection of the movies that made him an international star in a 10-disc set, all presented in the ultrahigh definition format.
Viewers get “Drunken Master II” from 1994, “Rumble in the Bronx” from 1995 (Hong Kong and international cuts), “Thunderbolt” from 1995, “Police Story 4: First Strike” from 1996 (Hong Kong and international cuts), “Mr. Nice Guy” from 1997 (Japanese, Hong Kong and international cuts) and “Who Am I?” from 1998 (Hong Kong and international cuts).
Of course, despite each film being restored to the UHD format using original camera negative elements, viewers will still battle occasional bouts of heavy grain, but that should not stop the enjoyment of this close-quarters combat and acrobatic magician in action.
And, my tip, before getting any Chan binge-watching burnout, I suggest starting with the longer Hong Kong cut of “Rumble in the Bronx” to not only enjoy some incredible high-speed Chinese kung fu but the film that broke the acrobatic actor in the United States.
Notable extras: Arrow Video goes overboard with a collection of digital and physical goodies to appreciate Mr. Chan’s career.
Start with the disc extras that include brand new optional commentary tracks from martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (“Drunken Master II,” “Rumble in the Bronx,” “Thunderbolt,” and “Police Story 4: First Strike“) and film critic James Mudge (“Mr. Nice Guy” and “Who Am I?”).
And a six-part retrospective is spread out across the discs that cover the films (roughly 90 minutes) discussed by stuntman Wang Yao, stuntwoman Kathy Hubble, martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker, actor Glory Simon and second unit cinematographer Ray Wong, scholar Dr. Wayne Wong and critics David West and Mr. Mudge.
Now for packaging, remove the wraparound cover around the sturdy cardboard container that displays a profile of Mr. Chan punching through its side to find a double-sided, full-color theatrical poster (16 inches wide by 20 inches tall) for “Rumble in the Bronx” (the one noting the various injuries to his body parts) and “Drunken Master II“; and a whopping 24, double-sided, mini theatrical lobby cards (6.5 inches wide by 5 inches tall).
And, take some time to read the massive 160-page full color book offering an archival interview with Mr. Chan plus new essays by Thorsten Boose, Peter S. Bruce, Matt McAllister, Elaine Chung and Jialu Zhu.
Ben-Hur (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, rated G, 2.76:1 aspect ratio, 222 minutes, $29.98) — Director William Wyler’s epic historical and religious drama finally gets a 4K Ultra HD release, delivering an award-winning, extravagant visual experience to give dad and the family a memorable, very long night of entertainment in their home theater.
Set during the life of Jesus Christ under the Roman Empire, the story focuses on Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a Jewish prince in Jerusalem whose life collapses after he, his mother and his sister are betrayed by his former childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd), now a Roman tribune.
Judah survives his brutal sentence as a galley slave by saving the life of Roman consul Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) after a sea battle destroys their ship. He eventually becomes a chariot racer, seeking revenge against Messala while trying to find out what happened to his family.
Boasting thousands of extras, 2,500 horses and some of the largest sets built for a film in its era, the 1959 classic won 11 Academy Awards, including best picture, best director for Wyler and best actor for Heston. It also delivered one of the most memorable action scenes in cinema history with the vicious, formidable chariot race between Ben-Hur and his former friend.
An impeccable presentation, created from an 8K restoration of the original 65 mm camera negative spread out over two, 4K discs, takes full advantage of the clarity and color afforded by the ultra-wide MGM Camera 65 process, later known as Ultra Panavision 70. The results look jaw-droppingly stunning on Dolby Vision-compatible home theaters.
Examine the bright red Roman uniforms contrasted against finely detailed desert landscapes, just for starters. But really embrace the colossal execution of the pageantry and action of the chariot race, with four-horse teams seemingly charging off the screen, to appreciate this unforgettable visual experience.
Notable extras: Let’s begin with film historian T. Gene Hatcher completely nailing an optional commentary track, joined by separately recorded memories from Heston, as both deliver loads of facts, insight and production history nonstop about the epic.
Next, a pair of documentaries fill in any details missed in the commentary, starting with an hourlong 1994 television documentary on the production, followed by a 78-minute intimate look at the career and life of Heston, naturally focused on “Ben-Hur,” from 2011. It includes personal memories captured through home movies and interviews with his wife and family, colleagues, friends and Heston himself.
And, brand new, a pair of short retrospectives, totaling roughly 15 minutes, feature modern insight from “Sinners” Academy Award-winning cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, film critic Pete Hammond, Academy Museum director of film programs K.J. Relth-Miller and film historian Tony Maietta.
They discuss the scope of the production and the mesmerizing cinematography using MGM Camera 65 units and the Ultra Panavision 70 process to help produce the masterpiece. Durald Arkapaw’s Oscar win for “Sinners” checks out.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (Criterion, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 94 minutes, $30.99) — A biblical satire of epic proportions from 1979 found Earth’s favorite group of highbrow humorists skewering the dogmatic tenets of religion and pointing out the absurdity of fringe political organizations.
The story, set in A.D. 33 Judea, explores the challenging existence of Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), born in the stable next door to Jesus, saddled with a domineering Jewish mother, Mandy (Terry Jones), and an absent Roman father.
Mr. Cohen complex existence requires surviving under Roman occupation during a time when poverty, stoning, Latin grammar lessons, false prophets and rogue messiahs were part of daily life.
As expected, the Monty Python legends hilariously contribute to numerous roles with the best finding John Cleese a Roman centurion, Reg from the People’s Front of Judea and a high priest, Michael Palin as a pesky cured leper and Pontius Pilate, Eric Idle as Harry the haggler and Terry Gilliam as Blood and Thunder prophet.
Despite a new 4K restoration created from the 35mm original camera negative and, for some sections, a 35mm interpositive, supervised by Mr. Gilliam, the visuals still show their age with occasional scenes of heavy grain, though clarity and hues rule indoors.
Where the visuals shine are Mr. Gilliam’s bizarre opening animated sequence, very colorful and clear, as well as Brian’s encounter with aliens on a passing spaceship.
Notable extras: A pair of vintage optional commentary tracks from 1997 lead the way, first starring Jones, Mr. Gilliam, and Mr. Idle and then Mr. Cleese and Mr. Palin. Despite all of the members recording the tracks separately (though it does sound pretty seamless), both offer a high level of information but lack the verbal jousting and shenanigans as the team was obviously not in the same room.
Next viewers get two vintage documentaries (roughly an hour long each): first, one from 2007 offers a retrospective from the surviving Python members and, better yet, a real documentary from 1979 captures the team on the set in Tunisia while making the film.
Finally, and a real treat, is a 111-minute audio recording of an early read-through of the script from July 15, 1977, with all of the Pythons present, with visuals showing pages of the script and doodles of storyboards.
The package includes a six-page, double-sided fold-out booklet highlighting an appreciation of the movie from film critic Bilge Ebiri.
Alice in Wonderland: 75th Anniversary Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated G, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, 75 minutes, $45.99) — As should be expected from a studio known for cornering the market on family entertainment, the mighty Walt Disney tackled author Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s tales back in 1951 and turned them into a colorful animated musical fantasy ready for dad and his younger offspring to appreciate.
Now debuting on 4K Ultra HD, the story follows the feisty Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) falling down a rabbit hole and entering a fantastical world filled with nonsensical characters as she constantly shifts sizes and attempts to return home.
A true highlight and joyous moment for fans of legendary comedic actors finds Alice in confusing conversations with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, hilariously voiced by Ed Wynn and Jerry Colonna.
The meticulous restoration, a nine-month process using a digital scan of the original nitrate Successive Exposure negatives, followed by extensive cleanup to address dust, warping and age-related wear, brilliantly highlights the hand-drawn animation techniques and more accurately represents the original color palettes.
Disney’s restoration team also referenced original production artwork and worked with Walt Disney Animation Studios veteran Michael Giaimo to refine color and luminance.
The results reveal the artisans’ crafting of the backgrounds to give an illusion of three-dimensionality in support of the lively, two-dimensional characters, offering a depth to the presentation spotlighted in such moments as Alice bantering in a living flower garden or her smoky meeting with the hue-shifting, hookah-smoking Caterpillar.
Notable extras: All digital goodies are contained on the Blu-ray version of the film, culled from the 60th anniversary high-definition release, and viewers will be most satisfied with the picture-in-picture experience introduced by a much older Beaumont.
With the film on one side of the screen and the other offering archival material and talking heads — with both changing sides to keep the visuals interesting — Disney assembles Lewis Carroll experts such as author Brian Sibley, Disney historians such as Paul Sigman and animators such as Will Finn (“Beauty and the Beast”) to explore the life of the author, his inspiration for Alice and then Walt Disney’s production of the film, in a must-watch, incredibly fascinating journey for fans and students of animated cinema.
The best nostalgic extra is the 58-minute 1950 television show “One Hour in Wonderland,” hilariously over-sponsored by Coca-Cola and starring ventriloquist Edgar Bergen with his dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, with appearances by Walt Disney, his two daughters and child actor Bobby Driscoll. The special was Disney’s first television production and aired on Christmas Day.
More archived minutiae worth a look include the deleted Cheshire Cat song, live-action reference footage of Beaumont dressed as Alice for the animators and a 1950s visit to the animation studio to learn about the development of the film.
Westworld: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated PG, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 89 minutes, $35.99) — Best-selling author turned filmmaker Michael Crichton delivered a sci-fi Western classic back in 1973 that foretold a future type of entertainment that humanity is now on the precipice of creating.
Debuting in the 4K format for the first time, the film introduces the Delos Corporation, a high-tech company that provides a trio of realistic theme parks recreating the Old West (Westworld), Rome’s Pompei (Roman World) and a medieval Europe (Medieval World) propagated by androids to provide the most authentic experience for guests.
The machismo-loaded story focuses on a couple of businessmen, Peter Martin and John Blane (James Brolin and Richard Benjamin), taking their vacation at Westworld and spending a week as classic cowboys with a penchant for fighting, drinking and shooting.
They run into one of the programmed androids, the black hat bad guy Gunslinger, (a perfectly cast Yul Brenner as the first Terminator) and get their money’s worth until some computer glitches cause events around the parks to get a bit too realistic.
As expected, a well-constructed screenplay from Mr. Crichton, who also directed the film, relies heavily on a horrific twist that once again reminds mankind to tread cautiously when embracing the world of advanced robotics.
Arrow’s restoration using the original 35mm camera negative scanned at 4K (16 bit) resolution delivers a renaissance in clarity but does not burst with color due to the muted palette by cinematographer Gene Polito.
The best-looking moments have the two cowboys resting in the sunny outdoors and next to a massive southwestern rock formation or a close-up of the Gunslinger’s face with his glowing, steel pupils.
Notable extras: Arrow Video mixes up digital and physical goodies to definitely satiate any hardcore fan of the film.
Start with the 4K disc offering a pair of new interviews with the key actors; a solo 17 minutes with Mr. Brolin and 12 minutes with Mr. Benjamin (interviewed by screenwriter Larry Karaszewski).
Next, an optional commentary track with film historian Daniel Kremer who offers a near professorial tone and just enough information, including assessing the original script changes, the cast origins, the story choices, MGM history and some critical analysis to make the track worth a listen.
The surprising extra delivers the entire inaugural television episode of the short-lived “Beyond Westworld,” that was a 1980 follow-up to the film.
Rounding out the digital is a 13-minute appreciation for the movie from film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and a girthy 38-minute, new interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III.
The package offers a removable wrap-around cover and sturdy cardboard slip box containing a double-sided, full color theatrical poster (16 inches wide by 20 inches tall) for the original theatrical release and new art highlighting the Gunslinger from Arik Roper; six postcard-sized black and white photos featuring headshots Og Brynner, Mr. Brolin and Mr. Benjamin and a 40-page full color booklet offering new essays from writers David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender.
Hamilton: Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 160 minutes, $77.99) — Composer extraordinaire Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical spectacular returns to the UHD format in a gift set celebrating the hip-hop reimagining of the life of a Founding Father.
The story explores the impact of orphan and family man Alexander Hamilton (Mr. Miranda) on the formation of the United States of America including his work with general George Washington (Christopher Jackson) in the American Revolution, his appointment by President Washington as the first treasury secretary, his writing of the Federalist Papers and the political disagreements with Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs) and James Madison (Okieriete Onaodowan).
The story also covers his life with wife Elizabeth Schuyler (Phillipa Soo), son Philip and even his scandalous affair with Maria Reynolds (Jasmine Cephas Jones) and his eventual death in a duel with Aaron Burr.
Viewers enjoy a screen-filling 4K presentation and Dolby Atmos sound mix that delivers a front-row seat to “Hamilton” at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theater, compiled from two stage performances with audiences in 2016, and featuring the original principal cast performing 46 music numbers over two acts.
Notable extras: Two featurettes cover the origins and execution of “Hamilton,” six years in the making, as mainly explained by Mr. Miranda (16 minutes) and then the main cast reflect on being part of the musical and working with Mr. Miranda (10 minutes).
Disney also throws in a Blu-ray disc with a sing-along version of the musical, good luck following the bouncing star to some of these complex compositions.
As far as the black-and-gold packaging, remove the thin cardboard wraparound cover to reveal a quad-fold magnetic case that opens into four sections with color photo-covered panels containing the wedged-in disks and more goodies.
Those goodies include four full-color art cards of select members of the cast in action; a booklet containing the lyrics, vocal and piano arrangement for the song “Alexander Hamilton”; and a gold-tinged cloth banner (11 inches by 17 inches) displaying the show’s starred logo in black with white lettering.
All the President’s Men (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, rated PG, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 138 minutes, $64.95) — Director Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 adaptation of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s nonfiction book won four Academy Awards for relaying the real-life story of corruption reaching into the U.S. presidency.
The tale now finally arrives in the 4K Ultra HD format to focus on the downfall of President Richard Nixon and his administration, triggered after a group of sloppy operatives tied to the president’s reelection campaign was arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in 1972.
The Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation led to revelations of a slush-fund cover-up reaching the highest levels of government, successfully exposed after an off-the-record source nicknamed Deep Throat helped Woodward confirm Nixon and his cohorts’ abuse of power and obstruction of justice shenanigans.
Hollywood icons embraced the roles of the reporters — Robert Redford as Woodward and Dustin Hoffman as Bernstein — and their efforts were supplemented by an excellent ensemble cast that included Jason Robards’ Oscar-winning performance as Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee, Martin Balsam and Jack Warden as editors Howard Simons and Harry M. Rosenfeld, Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat and Stephen Collins as former Committee to Reelect the President treasurer Hugh W. Sloan Jr.
The 4K scan of the original camera negative delivers a clean, crisp and color-accurate, screen-filling presentation, serving as a travelogue for a visit to Washington, with shots of such locales as the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, Lafayette Park and, of course, the Watergate complex, all providing the most accurate digital version yet of the slightly grainy original theatrical presentation.
Notable extras: Viewers get a new pair of retrospective segments, roughly 15 minutes in total, starring CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper as they reflect on the film, its cast, meeting the actual reporters and its importance in the news media.
Honestly, Warner Bros. could have done a much better job revisiting and celebrating the importance of Mr. Woodward and Mr. Bernstein’s tenacious original investigative reporting by interviewing more authoritative sources covering the history of news journalism.
I would stick with the trio of legacy featurettes from the 2006 DVD special edition that offers more than an hour of information on the reporters, the making of the film and the man who was Deep Throat, Mark Felt.
Painfully missing is the optional commentary track by Redford from that earlier release.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.