Viva Physical Media: Darkman Looks Better Than Ever While Poor Things Forgoes 4K (For Now?)
Plus thoughts on the 4K releases of The Marvels, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Footloose and Quigley Down Under.
I’m a born collector and, to be honest, it would be difficult for me to ever completely stop buying physical media. But these days, I’m happier than ever to still have films I appreciate on disc, both because the quality is so often better than on streaming and because, as is increasingly evident, streaming is so ethereal. A service you subscribe to could have a movie you love one week, then drop it the next, while licensed to another service you don’t have. And sometimes, you simply can’t find a movie anywhere online. But if it’s on your shelf? Well then you can enjoy it whenever you want.
With that in mind, I’ll be doing a recurring Viva Physical Media column here, highlighting some new or recent releases of note. And as an audio commentary enthusiast, rest assured I’ll be bringing up which films include those or not. Those suckers can be informative as hell!
Let’s jump in with some recent new entries on physical media, including a couple of recent entries from long-running franchises, an 80s classic, and a couple of cult films getting lovely new 4K releases via Shout! Studios.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 4K UHD
Available now
A satisfying prequel to the earlier Hunger Games films, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes once more reinforced that this is a well crafted sci-fi world, while doing a nice job of resetting things to several decades prior to what we’d seen previously in terms of the visuals and technology. It also benefits from two strong leads, Tom Blyth (as the younger version of Coriolanus Snow) and Rachel Zegler (as District 12 Hunger Games entrant Lucy Gray Baird), with the latter getting to show off her amazing singing talents several times throughout the film.
Having read the book, I knew the structure of the film and its prolonged post-Games final section would take some by surprise (and lead to some complaints about the film’s length) but ultimately think it was the right call to include it all in one film rather than stretch things to two entries. The film’s success means Lionsgate will no doubt be hoping to do more instllaments, but for now, making this a one-off standalone film, not setting up a new trilogy or such, feels appropriate. The film boasts a terrific looking transfer on the 4K UHD disc, highlighting the visual approach and its post-war environments.
I received a copy of the Steelbook version of the film, available at Walmart, and quite like how the artwork was designed to mirror the art on the recent Steelbook re-release of the original films - with young Snow and Lucy Gray in place of the older Snow and Katniss on that previous release.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Exclusive to the physical release of the film is an audio commentary from director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson. Inevitably, some stories – such as the complicated path Rachel Zegler took to agreeing to do the film or the freedom Jason Schwartzman was given to improvise – are repeated on the documentary on the disc (more on that below). But there is plenty of information unique to the commentary about the approach to the design of the sets and specific scenes in the film, as Lawrence and Jacobsen, both longtime veterans of this series, discuss returning to it from a different perspective.
EXTRAS EXTRAS
The Digital version of Songbirds & Snakes contains only a handful of featurettes that are all brief and surface level, save a 13-minute one focused on the music in the film. But lo and behold, the really strong extras were in fact saved as exclusives for the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs of the film. Viva physical media! (hey, that’s the name of this column!) Those cursory Digital featurettes are discarded, replaced by an eight-part, two and a half hour long (!) documentary called Predator or Prey: Making the Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is incredibly detailed and goes in depth about pretty much every major aspect of the film. Most of the cast and key filmmakers participate, with lots of fun and interesting stories from the production, including just how in awe the young cast playing the Capitol students were watching Viola Davis perform on set in front of them for the first time.
Poor Things Blu-ray
Available 3/12/24
One of 2023’s best films, Poor Things features a fantastic and fearless central performance from Emma Stone, reteaming with her The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos for an audacious, notably bawdy take on a Frankenstein story. The film boasts memorable visuals start to finish, as Lanthimos isn’t afraid to approach the story in a stylistically mannered way that befits the setting and characters, including early sequences in black and white.
All of which is to say, it’s a shame Poor Things has no 4K disc. Disney has, unfortunately, been releasing their Searchlight releases only on Blu-ray (including, alas, my beloved Ready or Not) and such is the case with Poor Things as well. The Blu-ray transfer looks very good, to be fair, but it feels especially odd to not have this film the best possible presentation, both because of its distinct visual approach and given how well it has been received. Hopefully we get a 4K of it down the line, as we wait to see if Sony’s impending takeover of distribution for Disney’s physical media leads to more titles released in general and better formats for previous releases.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Nope.
EXTRAS EXTRAS
There is one notable deleted scene – showing much more of the specifics of Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter leaving the brothel she works at – and two other very brief deleted moments. The one substantial extra is a 21-minute featurette that gives a broad overview of the making of the film, including its cinematography, the specific film stock used, and how the film’s black and white portion expanded from the original conception. Other standout aspects like the makeup and costumes are discussed as well, offering a commendable amount of key participants a chance to talk about their work, even as it’s hard not to wish all of these elements could be expanded upon.
The Marvels 4K UHD
Available now
Though it has the unwanted distinction of being Marvel Studios’ lowest grossing film, The Marvels was actually far better than the MCU’s two actual low points, quality-wise, of 2023 (and, I’d argue, in the MCU’s history), Secret Invasion and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, even as it still has some problems of its owns. However, the disjointed story and lackluster villain are often made up for by the charm and genuine laughs the film delivers and the great rapport of its three leads. Iman Vellani is the true MVP, once more bringing so much effortless charm to Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel.
Unfortunately, this lighthearted, weak on story, high on enthusiasm movie was not what the MCU needed at this moment, as it seeks to find its center again, yet on its own, there’s an enjoyable movie to be found here. The 4K disc sports a bright and vibrant transfer, befitting the film and its colorful look.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Director Nia DaCosta is joined by VFX Supervisor Tara DeMarco for an engaging commentary. Befitting DeMarco’s role, there is a lot of focus on the special effects and it’s interesting to hear DeMarco’s perspective, as she praises the various companies that contributed to the film while she and DaCosta reveal some surprising details about how certain shots were pulled off. Editing tricks are explained as well, including how a seemingly simple shot of Kamala’s family actually blended them all together from different takes, because the editor wanted to get them all making a specific reaction and felt the best ones were not shot simultaneously.
EXTRAS EXTRAS
It’s been awhile since an MCU movie has gotten substantial extras and that continues to be the case with The Marvels, though at least it has that commentary track. Otherwise, there are two featurettes – running five and ten minutes – on the film’s production, which contain some cute on-set moments between the cast, plus a gag reel. There are also four deleted scenes, one of which gives Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) one more scene than the single one she has in the final film.
Quigley Down Under 4K UHD
Available 3/12/24
Here we have the one movie on this list I’d never seen prior to checking out its brand new release from Shout! Studios. I’d long heard good things about this 1990 Western, starring Tom Selleck as an American cowboy who travels to Australia in the 1860s, and was very happy to agree with that positive reaction. Selleck makes for a very charming, believably tough cowboy – Matthew Quigley is one hell of a sharpshooter – and the late, great Alan Rickman is perfect, per usual, in the first film after Die Hard to capitalize on his talent for playing bad guys. Another standout is Laura San Giacamo as Crazy Cora, who first seems like a sort of wacky Manic Pixie Cowgirl before we learn her notably dark backstory. Giacamo is very likable, believably quirky, and ultimately highly sympathetic as Cora, whose story takes a lot of turns along the way.
Under today’s lens, Quigley Down Under is a blatant white savior story, as Quigley takes a stand against Rickman’s Elliott Marston’s odious treatment of Australian Aboriginals, but also a well meaning, well crafted movie from an era where centering the story on a white guy, no matter the topic, was a given. Journeyman director Simon Wincer (who amusingly would later direct a bit of a reverse Quigley with the far less entertaining Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles) does strong work here and the film features a rousing, highly hummable score from Basil Poledouris (RoboCop, The Hunt for Red October).
The 4K transfer is excellent, highlighting just how lovely many of the shots are in Quigley Down Under. Out of curiosity, I checked out how the movie looked streaming on Prime and the difference from that far muddier and dark version to this new transfer was profound.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Alas, there is not, which is a shame, since it would be great to get some insight from Wincer (who shot the movie in his native Australia) or Selleck about the experience of making the film.
EXTRAS EXTRAS
The handful of extras, all only on the second Blu-ray disc, contain the same content as the previous Blu-ray-only version of the film released in 2018. There is a 23-minute overview of the film’s pivotal weapons – Matthew Quigley’s “experimental” rifle is a big part of the film – and a good interview with Giacamo in which she discusses her memories of working on the film and what it was like shooting in Australia alongside Selleck and Rickman. There is also a behind-the-scenes featurette from when the film was first released and a trailer and TV ads.
Footloose 40th Anniversary Edition 4K UHD
Available now
Footloose is a quintessential 1980s movie, so much so that it felt notably misguided when they attempted a contemporary-set remake a few years back - even as the fact that the existence of that remake feels increasingly forgotten reinforces my belief that no remake can ever “ruin” an older movie or supplant it. Let’s face it, when you hear the title Footloose, you think of Kevin Bacon, now and forever.
This tale of a small town that has outlawed dancing and the new kid in town who decides to rage against the machine with the power of dance is wonderfully earnest and cheesy, with the always-great Bacon (in the role that made him a star) and a terrific supporting cast doing a ton to make it all work, backed by all of those memorable songs. This 40th anniversary 4K release looks good, if not exceptional, though certainly the film’s best-ever home presentation, and the Steelbook version (which comes with a mini version of the original poster) has some fun new walkman-inspired art.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
There are two previously recorded commentaries, one by Kevin Bacon and the other by producer Craig Zadan and writer Dean Pitchford. Bacon’s enduring enthusiasm for the film, as he looks back on it, continues to be a delight.
EXTRA EXTRA!
A decent amount of extras are included, though none of them are new, having all been included on the film’s Blu-ray back in 2011. Between the interviews (including with Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker), featurettes, and vintage material, like Kevin Bacon’s screen test, there’s a decent overview of the film provided. However, given this is the 40th anniversary of the film, it’s a shame there wasn’t any new material produced.
Darkman 4K UHD
Available now
Sam Raimi’s contributions to superhero movie history are well known thanks to his blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy, but there are still many today who have never witnessed the first time the director dipped his toes in that world. Not based on a comic book or any other specific source material, 1990’s Darkman essentially feels like the answer to the question: What if the Phantom of the Opera was a superhero? And it turns out, when Sam Raimi’s directing, the answer is something pretty awesome.
Though I liked it as a kid, I actually appreciate Darkman more today, as the purposely goofy and arch Raimi-isms it’s filled with feel more fun and clever than ever. When Liam Neeson’s Dr. Peyton Westlake gets attacked and left for dead by gangsters – only to return soon after as the disfigured Darkman – it’s amazing to see Neeson get the full Bruce Campbell treatment, as his head is smashed through one pane of glass after another. And that transition shot from Frances McDormand’s Julie looking up at Peyton’s lab in flames to her standing in a graveyard? Hysterical and amazing.
Several key collaborators on this film, including composer Danny Elfman and cinematographer Bill Pope, would also work with Raimi on Spider-Man, making Darkman feel like a big testing ground for that much bigger movie, as Raimi first experiments with combining his wonderfully stylized approach with a comic book aesthetic. And as a Universal Monster-turns-superhero story (albeit for a Universal monster that never existed before), it proves this combo can work much better, and on a much smaller budget, than Tom Cruise’s version of The Mummy.
Shout’s new 4K release of Darkman is, excuse the term, a marvel. After several previous DVD and Blu-ray releases that were lacking, Darkman finally gets a huge image upgrade, with a far better transfer than the film ever had. Sure, those occasional not-so-great composite shots look even more composite-y, but it’s a small price to pay for such an improved transfer, which does a far better job at bringing Raimi and Pope’s specific approach to color, grain and shadow to a home release for Darkman than previously seemed possible.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
There are two. One ported from previous releases, with cinematographer Bill Pope discussing what it’s like working with Raimi and then a brand new one with Josh Ruben, the director of the excellent horror-comedy Werewolves Within. Ruben is a Darkman superfan who explains how influential the film has been on his own work and approach to filmmaking. He also discusses meetings he had with Universal and Raimi about potentially doing a new Darkman film, something he’s long dreamed of, even though he’s skeptical anything will come of it.
EXTRA EXTRA!
The rest of the extras are also ported over from previous releases, including several interviews that include Neeson, McDormand, the late Larry Drake and more key contributors. It’s too bad Raimi himself has never spoken on any Darkman home release, but I do appreciate the new Ruben commentary to represent just how much of an impact Raimi’s work has had.
You can find more of my ramblings at the We Enjoy Podcast on Apple or Patreon or on YouTube.