January 2025 Blu-Ray Guide: “Hundreds of Beavers,” “Smile 2,” “Venom: The Last Dance,” and More | DVD/Blu-Ray

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

“The Age of Adaline”
“Apollo 13”
“Dune”
“Hereditary”
“Inception”
“Interstellar”
“Lion”
“Melancholia”
“Schindler’s List”
“Snowpiercer”

12 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

“The Cell” (Arrow)

In the wake of the massive critical success of films like “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Se7en,” (coincidentally also in this month’s column), Tarsem’s “The Cell” was greeted with a shrug. Most critics dismissed it as style over substance. Roger was never “most critics.” He loved the film, giving it 4 stars. A quarter-century later, Roger would have adored the lavish Arrow Home Video release for this twisted flick, the story of a woman (Jennifer Lopez) forced to enter the twisted psyche of a serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio) who goes into a coma after kidnapping his latest victim. Arrow has gone ALL OUT for this film, presenting both the theatrical and director’s cut versions of the film in 4K, and accompanying both with a ton of excellent special features, including two new commentaries, new interviews, new video essays, and all the previously available goodies. The release of a 4K version of “The Fall” last year helped put the visionary Tarsem back into the cultural conversation. Hopefully, this release can continue to get this underrated filmmaker the attention that Roger thought he had long deserved.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• NEW 4K RESTORATIONS of both the 107-minute Theatrical Cut and the 109-minute Director’s Cut by Arrow Films, approved by director Tarsem Singh
• Includes bonus disc containing a previously unseen version of the film with alternate aspect ratio and alternate grading created by director of photography Paul Laufer
• Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Illustrated collector’s book containing new writing on the film by critics Heather Drain, Marc Edward Heuck, Josh Hurtado, and Virat Nehru
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Savieri
• DISC ONE – FEATURE & EXTRAS 4K BLU-RAY
• 4K Blu-ray presentation of both the Theatrical and Director’s cuts of the film in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Brand new audio commentary with film scholars Josh Nelson & Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Brand new audio commentary with screenwriter Mark Protosevich & film critic Kay Lynch
• Archive audio commentary with director Tarsem Singh
• Archive audio commentary with director of photography Paul Laufer, production designer Tom Foden, makeup supervisor Michèle Burke, costume designer April Napier, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug, and composer Howard Shore
• Projection of the Mind’s Eye, a new feature-length interview with director Tarsem Singh
• Between Two Worlds, a new in-depth interview with director of photography Paul Laufer
• DISC TWO – ALTERNATE VERSION & EXTRAS BLU-RAY
• Previously unseen version of the Theatrical Cut of the film, presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with alternate grading, from a 2K master created by director of photography Paul Laufer
• Paul Laufer Illuminates, a new interview about the alternate master of The Cell presented on this disc
• Art is Where You Find It, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• The Costuming Auteur, a new visual essay by film critic Abby Bender
• Style as Substance: Reflections on Tarsem, an archive featurette
• Eight deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary by director Tarsem Singh
• Six multi-angle archive visual effects vignettes
• Theatrical trailers
• Image gallery

“The Grifters” (Criterion)

1990’s brilliant adaptation of the 1963 Jim Thompson novel of the same name has long been one of my favorite noirs. I can remember seeing it in 1990 and being blown away by its vicious energy, great performances, and sharp direction. And then it feels like its legacy ended. People mention it now and then, but it doesn’t have the wide fan base it deserves as one of the best films of 1990 until maybe now. Criterion has restored the film in 4K in a process overseen by the director of photography. It even includes a new interview with the best living actress without an Oscar (yeah, I said it), Annette Bening. A ton of archival features have been imported, including a documentary, commentary with John Cusack and Anjelica Huston, and a special about the making of the film. This movie rules. Just pick it up.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Oliver Stapleton, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring director Stephen Frears, actors John Cusack and Anjelica Huston, and screenwriter Donald E. Westlake
• New interview with actor Annette Bening
• Short making-of documentary featuring Cusack, Frears, Huston, Westlake, and production designer Dennis Gassner
• Seduction, Betrayal, Murder: The Making of “The Grifters,” featuring interviews with Frears, Stapleton, editor Mick Audsley, executive producer Barbara De Fina, and coproducer Peggy Rajski
• The Jim Thompson Story, featuring Westlake and Robert Polito, biographer of The Grifters novelist Jim Thompson
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien

“Hundreds of Beavers“

Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” became one of the best film stories of 2024. Inspired by slapstick comedies of the silent era, the film stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews in a fearless, physical performance that must be seen to be appreciated. This film quietly grew an audience from its 2022 Fantastic Fest premiere through a rollout that saw it playing arthouses for much of 2024. By the end of the year, it felt like a true comedy classic, a movie that had gone from cult hit to a widely recognized bolt of comedic originality. The Blu-ray reflects how the film went from minor to major with its loaded array of special features, including a drunk audio commentary, deleted scenes, and even an early Cheslik short film.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• Play Movie with VFX Breakdown
• Trapline Chapter Menu
• Audio Commentaries: Sober Commentary, Drunk Commentary, Trashed Commentary (Moderated)
• Trailer
• Deleted Scenes
• Jean Kayak & His Acme Applejack — Lyric Video
• “Blink” — High School Short Film by Mike Cheslik
• Bobb Barito Sound Design Breakdowns
• Commercials & Promos
• Great Lakes Road Show Recap
• One Hundred Photos for One Hundreds of Beavers
• Movies that Made Me w/ Joe Dante & Josh Olson: Interview w/ Mike & Ryland – 5/07/2024
• WMSC 90.3 Montclair State University Radio: Interview w/ Ryland Tews – 6/01/2024
• Movie Mindset: Interview w/ Mike Cheslik – 5/27/2024

“Inglourious Basterds” (Arrow)

Props to Arrow Home Video for releasing Quentin Tarantino‘s film about killing Nazis in January 2025, timing that doesn’t feel accidental, no matter how much you may politically agree with it or not. More studios should get that creative with their catalog releasing timing. And more studios should copy Arrow in terms of how much value they give buyers for their hard-earned dollar. I know it’s only January, but this will still be one of the best Blu-ray releases in 11 months, a LOADED 4K edition with tons of special features, a 60-page book, a poster, art cards, a recipe card, new art, and much more. Not only is there a ton of imported archival material, but new interviews and even a new commentary with film critic and author Tim Lucas. It also contains a great piece of writing by someone who has contributed to this site, Bill Ryan.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Limited edition ‘Operation Kino’ packaging with new art by Dare Creative
• 60-page ‘Films & Filmmakers’ collector’s book with writing by film critics Dennis Cozzalio and Bill Ryan
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Replica Nation’s Pride Premiere programme booklet
• La Louisianne beermat
• 3 postcard sized double-sided art cards
• Strudel recipe card
• Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• 4K Blu-ray presentation in High Dynamic Range
• Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by film critic and author Tim Lucas
• EXTRAS – BLU-RAY
• What Would Sally Do?, a new interview with editor Fred Raskin
• Blood Fiction, a new interview with special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero
• Doomstruck, a new interview with actor Omar Doom
• Making it Right, a new visual essay by film critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film
• Film History on Fire, a new visual essay by film scholar Pamela Hutchinson, author of BFI Film Classics Pandora’s Box
• Filmmaking in Occupied France, a new interview with film scholar Christine Leteux, author of Continental Films: French Cinema Under German Control
• Extended and alternate scenes
• Nation’s Pride
• The Making of Nation’s Pride, an archival featurette
• Roundtable Discussion, an archival interview with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell
• The Original Inglorious Bastards, archival featurette
• A Conversation with Rod Taylor, archival featurette
• Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, archival featurette
• Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel, archival featurette
• Hi Sallys, archival featurette
• Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell, archival featurette
• Trailers

“Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling” (Criterion)

Richard Pryor’s only directorial feature effort was an underrated ’80s drama that history seemed to forget before Criterion remastered it in 4K for the first time, presenting it in a relatively slim release with a phenomenal new interview with the great Robert Townsend. Pryor is widely recognized as one of the best stand-up comedians of all time, but his film career remains somehow underrated. Sure, you’ll see praise for the Wilder/Pryor flicks here and there, but it does feel like his efforts to expand his brand went largely unheralded by history. This release can help change that.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New interview on the film with filmmaker Robert Townsend
• Interview with director Richard Pryor from a 1985 episode of The Dick Cavett Show
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An appreciation by critic Hilton Als

“Saturday Night“

There was a brief window when it looked like Jason Reitman’s quasi-fictional account of the first night of “Saturday Night Live” was going to be a major awards season player, but that wasn’t meant to be. Again, readers of this monthly feature know that it’s mostly about things Brian likes, but I do occasionally include a title as a public service, and I do have some friends and colleagues who dig this ensemble comedy. Despite a few engaging performances, it just doesn’t work for me, too in love with itself and too dismissive of the female comedy pioneers who helped change comedy.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• The Making of The Movie of The Show That Almost Never Made It
• Filmmaker Commentary, and More!

“Se7en”

It’s a little hard to believe that it’s been three decades since David Fincher’s “Se7en” shocked the world. I not only saw parts of this recently on this 4K release but saw it theatrically a couple weeks ago, and it holds up. I hate to be this guy, but it does feel like our cynical/meta era wouldn’t allow a movie like this to just sit in its misery in 2025. Today’s version would have someone comment on all the rain. This version just drenches you in its tone. The 4K disc is a bit hit-and-miss, sadly, with some scenes that appear almost over-saturated, but the release includes a ton of great supplemental material from the many physical releases of years past.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• NEW 4K RESTORATION SUPERVISED BY DAVID FINCHER
• HDR10 PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• Four audio commentaries featuring David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and other collaborators on the film
• Additional and extended scenes
• Alternate endings
• AND MORE…

“Smile 2“

In a just world, Naomi Scott would have been in the conversation of the best performances of 2024 (other than ours, of course). She’s fearless and phenomenal in this sequel that’s notably better than its predecessor, taking that film’s interesting ideas about mental illness and exploding them to include pop culture, addiction, and the commodification of celebrities. It’s a daring, terrifying piece of work, one of the best horror films of the 2020s. Yeah, I said it.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• Commentary by Director Parker Finn—Take a peek behind the smile with commentary from writer/director Parker Finn as he goes through the gory details of this terrifying sequel.
• Ear To Ear—Cast and filmmakers dive deep into the SMILE universe and discuss how they brought the director’s vision to life.
• The Rise and Fall of Skye Riley—Naomi Scott brings you into the cursed life of popstar Skye Riley.
• Behind The Music—Take an inside look at the music and choreography from the film.
• A New Smile—SMILE veteran Kyle Gallner gives insight into his character’s gory return and filmmakers break down the film’s intense first moments.
• Smiler: A New Monster—Bigger, bolder, and more insane! Take a behind-the-scenes look at the grotesque monster behind the smile.
• Turn That Frown Upside Down—Meet Lewis, a friend of Skye, and get an in-depth look at the gruesome make-up and prosthetics behind his terrifying smile.
• Show Me Your Teeth—Explore how the filmmakers captured the uniquely horrifying car crash.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes

“Venom: The Last Dance“

This one’s a bummer. Not just because it ends the trilogy of Tom Hardy Venom films but because it does so with the worst of the three flicks. After a fun, tongue-in-cheek second film, the trilogy comes to a close with a movie that seems half-hearted all around. After a clunky set-up, it races to its end with a barebones plot that’s almost impossible to care about. At least Hardy seems to still be having fun. And Sony continues to be aces when it comes to their Blu-ray releases, polishing this one up nicely with Dolby HDR and ATMOS tracks, including deleted scenes and featurettes. Bye bye Venom, we’ll miss ya.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• Deleted & Extended Scenes
• Venomous Laughs: Outtakes & Bloopers
• Bonded in Chaos: Tom Hardy
• Author of Mayhem: From Writer to Director
• Venom’s Inner Circle
• Venom Unleashed: The Action & Stunts
• Select Scene PreVis
• One Last Dance – Tom Morello x Grandson Music Video
• Savor the Last Bite: The Venom Legacy
• Brock Bottom: Mrs. Chen Interview

“We Live in Time“

It feels like I was more of a fan of this romantic drama than most, attracted to it by virtue of what the undeniably talented Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh bring to the affair. Its gimmick is a bit distracting, but Garfield and Pugh find so much truth in the film’s unusual construction. It’s built more like a series of memories of a relationship, encounter and events that come back to someone out of order. The unusual chronology turned some people off, but A24 stands by the film with a new commentary track by the director and writer, postcards, and a featurette in this collectible edition. A24 has been killing it with their own releases, and this is just another feather in their cap.

Buy it here

Special Features:
Extras include commentary with director John Crowley and writer Nick Payne, a making-of featurette, and six collectible postcards featuring set photography by Peter Mountain.

“Winchester ’73”

One of my favorite Anthony Mann films, and one of my favorite James Stewart films, this 1950 Western got an excellent 4K restoration from Criterion and Universal for this release and accompanied the strong new transfer with an old commentary that actually features Stewart himself. It’s a gift to be able to hear a legend discussing his work in this kind of detail, and the Criterion edition also includes a new interview with a programmer on how Native Americans have been portrayed in the genre for generations. It places the film in an important historical context. There’s also a great feature called “Forces of Nature: Anthony Mann at Universal” that his fans should definitely see.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, undertaken by Universal Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring actor James Stewart and film historian Paul Lindenschmidt
• New interview with film programmer Adam Piron on the portrayal of Native Americans in the western genre
• Forces of Nature: Anthony Mann at Universal, a program on a key chapter in the director’s career
• Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film from 1951
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Plus: An essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith

“Yojimbo”/”Sanjuro”

Criterion might love no filmmaker more than Akira Kurosawa (Bergman comes close), releasing his films in standard and now 4K releases on a pretty regular schedule. The latest Kurosawa classics to get the upgrade are the 1961-62 pair “Yojimbo” and “Sanjuro,” starring Toshiro Mifune, collected in one two-disc mini-box set. Both films have been restored in 4K, accompanied by audio commentaries, documentaries, and more. There’s not quite enough new material to justify the upgrade if you already own these films, but these are the versions to get if you’re adding them to your collection for the first time.

Buy it here

Special Features

• 4K digital restorations, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks (4K UHD); restored high-definition digital transfers, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks (Blu-ray)
• In the 4K UHD edition: Two 4K UHD discs of the films and two Blu-rays with the films and special features
• Optional DTS-HD Master Audio Perspecta 3.0 soundtracks, preserving the original simulated stereo effects
• Audio commentaries by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
• Documentaries on the making of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
• Teasers and trailers
• Stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos
• PLUS: Essays by film writers Alexander Sesonske and Michael Sragow and comments from Kurosawa and members of his casts and crews