Hush, Terminator, I Love Lucy, Two VERY Different Christmas Movies and Much More in a Jam-Packed Viva Physical Media
It's the end of the year and there's 4Ks and Blu-rays aplenty!
As 2024 nears its end, I’ve used some downtime (and a good old fashioned Christmastime cold keeping me stuck at home) to check out a whole mess of recent 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases that were stacking up on my desk. Read on for my thoughts for everything from a Mike Flanagan horror highlight to Terminator’s 4K release, to a couple of TV show releases — one from the recent past, one a bonafide all-time classic — and more, including a couple of Christmas movies that have very little in common with one another.
HUSH 4K UHD + BLU-RAY
Available Now
Mike Flanagan has become one of the best and most acclaimed names in modern horror in recent years, but Hush has always been a bit of an underrated gem among his credits. The 2016 film is something of an outlier for Flanagan, because it’s much more straightforward than much of his work. This is a relatively small-scale home invasion / slasher movie, with talented Flanagan regular (and his wife) Kate Siegel playing a woman home alone at her isolated house when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) comes calling. The notable twist on the formula here is that Siegel’s character, Maddie, is deaf, adding a different component both to how she reacts to what’s happening and how this both hinders and helps her along the way. Flanagan and Siegel co-wrote the screenplay, which is extremely well constructed, and Flanagan proves again just what a terrific pure horror director he is, when he’s not also making us feel the big and often tear-jerking emotions he’s also so good at in his work.
Produced by Blumhouse, Hush was released on Netflix and, as a result, was one of many projects Flanagan made for the streamer that both didn’t get a theatrical release but also didn’t get a physical release of any kind. However, with Netflix’s distribution deal expired, Shout! stepped in and has given Hush a rather amazing physical media release, comprised of four (!) discs, not to mention some theatrical screenings this past fall.
The home release includes one 4K disc with the original version and a second with the so-called Shush Cut, a new black and white version of the film with minimal sound and music elements as well, along with a Blu-ray disc with both versions of the movie. I was lucky enough to see the Shush Cut at BeyondFest and it’s a really cool alternate take on a movie that works great either way. Both of the 4K transfers for the film are gorgeous.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Kudos to Shout! and to Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel, who provided two different brand new commentaries here. The Shush Cut is Flanagan and Siegel on their own, while the original version is the two of them plus nearly everyone else in the film’s minimalist cast, including Gallagher, Jr., Samantha Sloyan, and Michael Trucco. The fourth disc, containing the special features, also provides a picture-in-picture version of the original version group commentary as well. As you might expect, given the close camaraderie of the “Flanagang” — Flanagan continually works with many of the same actors, including Trucco and Sloyan — this is a very enjoyable chat about their experience making Hush.
On top of that, there are individual interviews with all five of those same participants, plus other one on ones with producer Trevor Macy, composers the Newton Brothers, and director of photography James Kniest. All together, it’s one hell of a presentation for a movie that’s often flown under the radar for the past eight years.
THE TERMINATOR 4K UHD
Available Now
The one that started it all – both in terms of a franchise but, arguably more importantly, James Cameron’s epic career – the original Terminator remains a terrific movie. It’s a testament to just how fantastic Terminator 2 is that many consider it even better, because seeing the natural skill Cameron had on display in 1984 (in what is technically his second feature, after taking over Piranha II: The Spawning last minute), with a far more constrained budget than he’d ever have afterwards, is still incredibly impressive. The casting of Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the title role, is absolutely perfect, cementing The Terminator’s iconic status even if there’d never been a sequel.
The Terminator coming to 4K UHD had been met with a lot of trepidation following the very divisive 4K versions of other Cameron films in the past year, which used AI enhancements in ways many felt not only ruined the aesthetics but made the actors look unnatural. Personally, I thought Aliens looked great and The Abyss very good, while True Lies did have brief but notably distracting moments where the actors looked bizarre and “fake.” Thankfully, The Terminator feels like both a more minimalist use of this technology and one of the more successful ones - even as, yes, it’s ironic as hell that Cameron is using AI at all considering he made the freaking Terminator.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
No, just three archival featurettes (at least one going back to the DVD era) and ten minutes of previously released deleted scenes, which do offer optional commentary from Cameron. Given the importance of this movie in cinema history and that it’s celebrating its 40th anniversary, it’s too bad no new special features were produced for it. The Terminator deserves more.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE 4K UHD
Available Now
This is a situation where a film is, on one hand, just “good,” and yet you still feel gratified it’s both not a disaster but also delivers some genuine joy along the way. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was a sequel that took decades to happen, even as the more time that passed, the riskier it felt. Though the story is a pretty messy, filled with multiple plotlines that rarely intersect — it’s very bizarre that the film’s two main antagonists have zero interaction — it’s clear that Tim Burton and Michael Keaton are truly happy and invested in being back in Beetlejuice mode. Keaton is still going all in with his wild and funny performance and Burton feels more engaged than he has in years, all of which helps a lot, as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice gets the vibe right. Yes, the story could have been better, but being back in this world, complete with the ever-great Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara returning, joined by Jenna “born to work with Tim Burton” Ortega, makes this a decades-later sequel that is enjoyable.
As one would hope and suspect, the 4K looks terrific, giving Burton’s distinct visuals a fantastic pop. The world of the dead never looked so appealing…
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
There is, with Tim Burton going solo for an informative commentary diving into many facets of the film and its development. Though it would have been nice if he were joined by some of the cast — including longtime collaborators like Keaton and Ryder — Burton manages to keep things engaging on his own.
Warner Bros. is to be commended for offering a nice array of bonus features here across the board, with the commentary supplemented by a nearly half hour making-of and then several other featurettes that get more specific on elements like the the cast, the use of stop-motion special effect, and the big “MacArthur Park” sequence that occurs near the end. All together, it’s well over an hour of material that does a nice job covering many topics for a production as busy as this one.
STIR OF ECHOES 4K UHD + BLU-RAY
Available Now
Initially a victim of terrible timing — it opened just a few weeks after The Sixth Sense and its surface level connection via a “little boy sees ghosts” inciting incident made it feel like an also-ran — Stir of Echoes has thankfully found its audience since its underwhelming box office run. David Koepp is known for writing blockbusters like Jurassic Park and Spider-Man, but has shown an interest in smaller and more eclectic material the occasional times he directs his own scripts. Stir of Echoes remains his best film as a director, with its atmospheric and gripping story about Tom (Kevin Bacon), a mild mannered Chicago local who is suddenly tapping into the same otherworldly abilities as his young son (Zachary David Cope) after his sister-in-law (Illeana Douglas) hypnotizes him at a party as a lark.
Koepp uses some very clever visuals — the imagery of a large old movie theater to draw Tom into hypnosis is terrific — and creepy moments to build up his story, as Tom works to discover the story behind the spirit of a teenage girl (Jennifer Morrison) who’s haunting his home. Based on a novel by Richard Matheson, it’s one of my favorite types of ghost stories, as the spirt’s presence leads Tom to uncover dark secrets within his own neighborhood.
Timed to the film’s 25th anniversary, this Steelbook-packaged, Amazon exclusive of Stir of Echoes marks the film’s 4K debut. It’s a nice looking transfer that retains the film’s dark cinematography and gritty feel.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Yes, director David Koepp’s commentary from a previous release is included here. There’s also a new interview with Koepp, running around 17 minutes, and a conversation with cinematographer Fred Murphy that also takes a look at his approach when overseeing this new 4K transfer. Some may bristle at Murphy notably darkening a couple of shots from how they originally looked, though for him, it’s correcting mistakes from the past, where a hastily done insert shot may not have matched the rest of the film’s visual palette.
Stir of Echoes has actually gotten some commendable treatment on the bonus features front in the past, so there is a ton of additional archival material included on this new release, some going way back to the film’s first DVD, but some from a far more recent 2022 Blu-ray release. Keep in mind that means image quality and even aspect ratio varies wildly on the extras, as the oldest material is full frame. But the numerous interviews and featurettes give an excellent overview of a ton of aspects of the film, with insight from cast and crew alike. In fact, because there’s so much of Keopp — amusingly, interviewed multiple times across 25 years, showing him at many different ages — some stories are inevitably repeated. Though co-star Kathryn Erbe (who plays Tom’s wife, Maggie) did participate in a good interview included here from the 2022 release, it’s just too bad there’s nothing newer from Kevin Bacon. The star is seen in some of the earliest material, via interviews shot on the film’s set, but obviously that lacks any perspective on Stir of Echoes legacy since. Still, this is an easy recommendation for a very cool and creepy film.
YOUNG SHELDON: THE COMPLETE SERIES BLU-RAY
Available Now
I was never a fan of The Big Bang Theory, finding its humor and attempts at depicting “geek” culture pretty lame and exhausting. But its spinoff/prequel was a much more enjoyable show, shifting gears in a big way both in terms of era but also aesthetics, as it was shot single-camera style, not like a traditional sitcom. Though nothing groundbreaking, it offered gentle laughs and a very likable cast, led by talented young actor Iain Armitage as the title character, child prodigy and future famed Big Bang-er Sheldon Cooper.
The complete series set contains the same the transfers from the individual season releases, but they are very good ones. Running for seven seasons in total, Young Sheldon was a well shot series, doing a commendable job of portraying its late 80s/early 90s setting without going into the garish extremes other shows often do when recreating that era.
Did this show need to go seven seasons? Probably not, but even through some of the lesser seasons, it retained its endearing elements.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Nope. We’re a long way from the era where a hit network TV comedy might get a nice amount of bonus features on its home release, episodes commentaries included. All that’s here are six different featurettes from the individual season releases that run just a few minutes each - two for Season 1 and one each for all the other seasons, except for poor Season 2 and Season 6, which get nothing.
At least the featurette for Season 7, running about 11 and a half minutes and focused on Easter eggs and callbacks, is the longest one, with some minor attempts to look back at the show’s run as it comes to an end, though there’s nothing truly comprehensive about the show. Still, it’s a testament to the success of Young Sheldon — and the larger franchise it’s a part of — that is quickly got a Complete Series set when that’s not always the case these days.
I LOVE LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES BLU-RAY
Available Now
Once upon a time, I’d assume pretty much anyone I spoke to had at least some familiarity with I Love Lucy and had seen at least a few episodes. But in 2024? Not as likely. The insane amount of options for entertainment and the fact that syndicated television is no longer a standard part of every kid’s upbringing means even a show as famous as Lucy is not the presumptive shared experience it was for so many decades.
But that doesn’t mean it’s still not a great, absolutely iconic and incredibly important show in TV history - and, oh yeah, a super funny one, thanks to terrific writing and perfect comedic timing by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (not to mention supporting actors Vivian Vance and William Frawley). After a decade where only Season 1 and 2 were available in the format, this new Complete Series Blu-ray set is a pretty spectacular offering, comprised of 32 (!) discs that not only has the full six-season run of I Love Lucy, but offers the ensuing The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour under the name I Love Lucy Season 7-9, a retitling that goes back to the show’s 2007 DVD release.
Considering this is a black and white sitcom from seven decades ago, the Blu-ray remasters here are remarkable. Thankfully, Lucy was shot on 35mm film and using those original negatives, along with some situations where other material had to be used to restore certain sequences — including some 16mm reels — this is one hell of a presentation for I Love Lucy, that clearly received some well deserved love an attention to give it the technical overhaul it deserved.
The only big gripe here is on the packaging front, with Paramount using their usual stackable trays, which I never like and which get especially cumbersome and prone to not holding well with this many discs.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
There are several commentaries across the first two seasons, which date back to the show’s Criterion laser disc release and are comprised of archival interviews. On top of that, while there’s nothing thing brand new has been created in terms of interviews or featurettes (which obviously would need to be from a scholarly, TV history perspective, since the cast and creators are no longer with us), what has been compiled and restored here in terms of long lost footage and alternate material is really great.
There were often different cuts of I Love Lucy for syndication, removing original sponsorship openings or other transitional sequences. These discs offer those removed scenes - Season 1 and 2 putting them back in the episodes, as alternate cuts, and the remaining seasons as bonus material. These sequences sometimes required restorations from more degraded sources, so the image quality isn’t always as a good, but their inclusion alone is incredibly appreciated. There’s also many vintage PSAs, promos, interviews and other previously produced material, all of which gives you a great idea of how culturally impactful I Love Lucy was. There’s even the colorized versions of some episodes from when CBS offered them on TV more recently. I hate colorizing old films and TV shows, but on a completist level, it’s nice that pretty much everything available was included here. All in all, this Lucy collection was worth the wait.
THE COMPLETE THIN MAN COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Available Now
Sticking with the true classics here we have the epitome of an oldie but goodie. The Thin Man films may be the better part of 100 years, but they prove that charisma and charm really do last forever. This Blu-ray collection of all six films in the series stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. He’s a retired detective, but the two of them just can’t help but be swept up in various mysteries as they go about their daily lives, accompanied by their adorable dog, Asta (played by another screen legend, Skippy the dog). Those mysteries are often incidental to the film’s stars, with Powell and Loy making for an incredibly winning pairing. Nick and Nora are a fast and funny duo, constantly mock-insulting each other while clearly head over heels in love — and as much lust as the era would allow them to insinuate — and the two leads nail this vibe. It’s a type of formula a ton of other films and series have emulated in the decades since, some more successful than others.
Warner Archive’s new Blu-ray transfers look beautiful. This is a black and white film series that ran from 1934-1947, but as with I Love Lucy, you can tell the people working on this transfer knew this was a project that needed to be done right. Though not released as a 4K disc, these transfers boast new 4K scans, and even without the original negatives to work with, the quality is excellent for a film of this era.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
No, though there are several bonus features included on each of the six discs - though the packaging doesn’t let you know that. It’s also a bit Lucy-like in its approach, but to an even greater extreme, as none of these bonus features are about The Thin Man, in terms of retrospective documentaries or interviews, but rather supplemental material from that same era. On the first couple of films, that includes an episode of the 1950s Thin Man TV show (starring different actors) and the audio from a couple of episodes of the Thin Man radio drama (which did star Powell and Loy). Aside from trailers for the films, most of the material on the remaining films is comprised of shorts — both animation and live-action — from this time period, such as those that would have run alongside The Thin Man films in theaters when they opened. Though it’s too bad there’s no genuine overview of why this film series was such a hit and has remain so beloved, it’s still a nice snapshot of what audiences would have experienced in theaters way back in the day.
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL 4K + BLU-RAY [45th Anniversary Edition]
Available Now
I finally saw Rock 'N' Roll High School for the first time last year as a Beyond Fest marathon of Roger Corman films that included a Q&A with the legendary producer himself, prior to him passing away in May. It was the perfect way to see the movie, which is a real blast. P. J. Soles is incredibly fun as Riff Randell, the Ramones super fan at the center of the story, and it was great to see the Carrie and Halloween supporting player take the lead. This is a knowingly silly, high energy movie in which one troublemaking girl’s unwavering love for a band ultimately brings them to her high school to perform - and who could argue with that? Or with all the great Ramones songs?
A cult favorite, Rock 'N' Roll High School has had plenty of home releases before, but now Shout! has updated the film to 4K. Given its low budget, Corman-produced origins, this is not ever going to be reference quality on the image side, and it’s a nice but unremarkable improvement over the accompanying Blu-ray.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Holy crap, there are five commentaries! Thanks to previous releases, Shout! already had produced a ton of extra features for the movie and it would have been understandable if they’d just stuck to those. But on top of the four previous commentaries (featuring, respectively, director Allan Arkush, producer Mike Finnell and co-writer Richard Whitley; Arkush and cast members P.J. Soles and Clint Howard; Richard Whitley and his fellow co-writer Russ Dvonch; Roger Corman and cast member Dey Young) comes the brand new fifth commentary, featuring Stephen B. Armstrong, the author of I Want You Around: The Ramones And The Making Of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. If you’r going to add someone, this is certainly the right person, as Armstrong has plenty of insight into the making of the film and the Ramones’ specific part of it. As fun as it is, does Rock 'N' Roll High School need five commentaries? Probably not, but hey, I’d rather have more than none!
Oh, and on top of that, there’s also the individual interviews with several key figures, including Corman and Arkush, vintage ads, vignettes, and a 70-minute documentary, Class of '79: 40 Years of 'Rock 'n' Roll High School, which is slightly revised and expanded from the version on the 2019 Blu-ray. All that, plus there’s an entire second movie included as an unannounced bonus feature - the 1991 Corey Feldman-led sequel, Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever (which, thanks to cable, I did see a few times growing up). It’s only in SD, but given its surprise inclusion, it’s hard to complain.
I’m sure we’ll get some sort of release for the 50th anniversary in five years, but it’s hard to see what else could be included at this point…
DIDI BLU-RAY
Available Now
Didi came and went before I could see it in theaters this summer, but I’m glad I finally checked it out on disc, because it’s a really well made and involving debut film for writer/director Sean Wang. Based on his own experiences growing up, this period piece (set in the summer of 2008, making me feel ancient and decrepit) stars Isaac Wang as Chris, who is getting ready for high school in the fall. This is a small scale yet very effective coming of age story, as Chris tries to balance shifting interests, his burgeoning interest in girls and burgeoning social media (AOL Instant Messenger and MySpace are part of his life) - and frequently makes the wrong choices, because he’s an awkward 13 year old and that’s part of growing up.
Wang immerses you in Chris’ life and perspective, making you feel for the kid and wish the best for him, even when he sometimes makes a very bad call. Wang is great, as is Joan Chen as his Taiwanese immigrant mother, amongst a strong cast of mostly unknown actors who feel natural and effortless. This is an empathetic, endearing movie, and it’s hard not to feel for Chris, as he tries so hard to act cool and appealing in the way all of us do at that age. Without making this a “message” movie (there are no big speeches to be found), we also see the casual racism Chris endures in a matter of fact way, as both friends and antagonists alike throw out mentions that he is “different” in a way that is sadly realistic.
The Blu-ray offers a nice looking transfer of a low budget, naturalistically shot film that feels like it’s meant to evoke the camcorder movies Chris himself is often shooting throughout Didi.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
No and I wish there were, since it would be great to hear Wang discuss go into detail about using his own life and upbringing as fodder for this story. There’s just one featurette, running about 13 minutes, but at least there is some creativity at work with it vs. the norm. It appears to be shot on a circa-2008 camcorder and gives you some goofy and sweet slice of life looks at the production of the film, including Wang’s real family visiting the set and commenting on how much he is or isn’t pulling from their real lives.
LAST CHRISTMAS 4K UHD + BLU-RAY
Available Now
I’d actually never seen Last Christmas until receiving a review copy of the new 4K release, though I definitely remember when it came out. Because, like many, I couldn’t help ponder if the film might have a certain big twist just based on the trailer alone - and then saw director Paul Feig get pretty upset online about people posting that guess, which turned out to be very correct. I have great respect for Feig, who created one of my all-time favorite TV series (Freaks and Geeks) and has since directed several strong comedies, including the absolutely hysterical Spy, which I adore. But I’m sorry, Paul… this movie’s twist was insanely predictable!
Watching Last Christmas in 2024, knowing what the ending was, really underlined how weird it was they wouldn’t think many people would guess what’s going on, as Emilia Clarke’s Kate falls for Henry Golding’s Tom, while opening up to him about the health issues she had in the recent past. The barest examination of which characters interact with which others puts a big bullseye on where this is going, making any attempt to hold this reveal for late in the film feel pointless. The two stars are very charismatic and likable and I would love to see Clarke in more comedies but it all doesn’t add up to much… though all of those George Michael and Wham! songs on the soundtrack sure are fun to sing along to.
It looks great too. I don’t know if Last Christmas needed a 4K release, but the one it got offers plenty to enjoy visually, with Feig’s colorful, Christmastime in London setting getting the best spotlight it could hope for.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
There are two! All of the bonus features are ported over from Last Christmas’ 2020 Blu-ray, but they were pretty plentiful for a film of this sort, beginning with both a solo commentary from Paul Feig and then another commentary with Feig joined by the legendary Emma Thompson, who both plays Clarke’s mother in the film and also co-wrote the screenplay! Suffice to say, between the two commentaries, a ton of info on the film’s conception is covered, which means it’s fine that the featurettes are incredibly short ones, mostly just running a couple of minutes each, focusing on different actors or aspects of shooting (one silly inclusion is basically Emilia Clarke noting how cold it is on location for a couple of minutes). There’s also an alternate opening and over 22 minutes (!) of deleted scenes. The blooper reel is also a notably long one, running over 14 minutes. And look, the cast seems very likable and there are some funny moments here, but that’s way longer than a blooper reel needs to be.
Still, I have to admit, while Last Christmas isn’t for me, if it is for you, they sure didn’t skimp on the extras.
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4K + BLU-RAY [40th Anniversary Edition]
Available Now
“Punish!!” For many years now, Silent Night, Deadly Night has been a December tradition, as I go to see the film in its regular double feature showing at the New Beverly Theater alongside Black Christmas. Of the two holiday horror films, it’s always been clear that Black Christmas is the higher quality one, but while Silent Night, Deadly Night could be described as an exploitation film, it’s damn good and damn fun exploitation. This story of Billy (Robert Brian Wilson), a very disturbed young man who finally snaps and begins killing people on Christmas Eve, all while dressed as Santa Claus, is one of those movies where you just sit back and smile at the audaciously ridiculous plot turns. The film devotes quite a lot of time to Billy’s childhood and an origin that had him understandably warped by the thought of Santa Claus, thanks to some very unfortunate, very dark coincidences occurring years before.
While I highly recommend seeing Silent Night, Deadly Night with an audience if you can some day, Shout!/Scream Factory have once more done right by the film with their new 4K release. The film looks as good as one imagines it ever will, given its grindhouse-style low budget source material, and is a clear step up from the previous 2017 Blu-ray. And, impressively, they’ve added more bonus features as well to what was already a great array.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
We’re not in Rock ‘N’ Roll High School rarified air here with five commentaries, but Silent Night, Deadly Night does now boast three commentaries, which is more than most films can say. The new commentary, on the 4K disc, features film historian Amanda Reyes and the guys from The Hysteria Continues Podcast. It’s an enjoyable listen, with the group talking both about their shared love of the film and the genuine controversy that met its release, as parent complaints over its ad campaign led to it being pulled form theaters. There are also three new interviews on the Blu-ray of the theatrical cut, including producer Scott Schneid, editor Michael Spence, and one other with both Schneid again and fellow producer Dennis Whitehead focused more on the surprising longevity of the film. All the participants are clearly amused to still being asked about Silent Night, Deadly Night 40 years after they made it.
The third disc, containing the unrated cut on Blu-ray*, contains all the same bonus features from Scream Factory’s 2017 release, including the two previous commentaries - one with Robert Brian Wilson and Schneid, the other with writer Michael Hickey, composer Perry Boykin, Schneid yet again, and Unit Director Michael Spence. There’s also a 45-minute making of, an interview with 80s horror staple (and Silent Night, Deadly Night victim) Linnea Quigley, an hour-long audio interview with director Charles E. Sellier and more.
All in all, this is an overflowing Christmas stocking of bonus features for this true cult classic. My one minor quibble is Shout! / Scream Factory’s recent shift away from having the great double-sided covers they used to do for many releases (usually with the original poster art on one side and newly commissioned art on the other) continues here, which stands out since the 2017 Blu-ray did boast that inclusion. But in a day and age when we’re lucky to get great boutique company releases like this at all, it’s a minor issue - and it’s worth noting the then-new art from 2017 is at least retained as the menu screen for the 4K disc.
*Because the original film footage was sadly lost, Silent Night, Deadly Night’s unrated cut uses material pulled from a low quality video copy for restored insert shots, making the decision to not do 4K transfer of that cut more understandable.