December 2024 Blu-Ray Guide: “The Wild Robot,” “Conclave,” “Alien: Romulus,” More | DVD/Blu-Ray

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

“Barbie“
“The Dead Don’t Die“
“It Ends with Us“
“Kneecap“
“A Prophet”
“Run All Night“
“Shiva Baby“
“Top Five“
“Transformers”
“Zero Dark Thirty“

14 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

“8 1/2” (Criterion)

One of several Federico Fellini films that could accurately be called a masterpiece just received the 4K treatment from Criterion, working from a new digital restoration of the acknowledged classic. A meta movie before that was as common as it is today, “8 1/2” is Fellini’s bit of autobiographical commentary as Marcello Mastroianni is spellbinding as an Italian director who considers his life as he struggles with a new project. The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it’s widely considered one of the most essential films ever made. “8 1/2” took one of the biggest tumbles from the 2012 to 2022 Sight and Sound polls, falling from 10th to 31st all time. Maybe this will release can help it regain that lost ground in 2032.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam
• Audio commentary featuring film critics Gideon Bachmann and Antonio Monda
• Fellini: A Director’s Notebook, a short film by Federico Fellini
• The Last Sequence, a documentary on Fellini’s lost alternate ending for 8½
• Nino Rota: Between Cinema and Concert, a documentary about Fellini’s longtime composer
• Interviews with actor Sandra Milo, filmmaker Lina Wertmüller, and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
• Rare photographs from Bachmann’s collection
• Gallery of behind-the-scenes and production photos
• Trailer
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Stephanie Zacharek

“Alien: Romulus“

Fede Alvarez has resurrected dormant franchises twice now with his “Evil Dead” and then with this 2024 blockbuster, a movie that divided audiences but quite simply rocked the box office, making over $350 worldwide. While I prefer the ambition of Ridley Scott’s prequels, I’m in the pro camp on this flick too, particularly the excellent production design and phenomenal performance from David Jonsson (one of our picks for the greatest of 2024). Honestly, if not for the truly awful digital version of Ian Holm, I might love it. You know what else I love? The fact that Fox chose to release this on a collector’s edition VHS too. As someone who spent a lot of his teenage years managing a video store, it would have looked so great on the shelves of Videomax and Planet Video.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• Return to Horror: Crafting Alien: Romulus
• The Director’s Vision – Discover how one of today’s greatest horror directors, Fede Alvarez, collaborated with master filmmaker Ridley Scott to craft a new, heart-pounding chapter in the Alien franchise.
• Creating the Story – Learn what inspired the story of Alien: Romulus and see the many easter eggs from previous Alien installments that you may have missed.
• Casting the Faces – Meet the stars of Alien: Romulus as they take us inside the hearts and minds of their characters. Explore the parallels between Rain and the iconic franchise heroine, Ripley, and learn how filmmakers brought back a face from the past.
• Constructing the World – Explore the massive, practical sets of Alien: Romulus that hearken back to the futuristic style established in the ’80s and get up close and personal with a hoard of practically built facehuggers, chestbursters, and xenomorphs.
• Inside the Xenomorph Showdown – Experience the film’s climactic zero-gravity sequence from every angle as filmmakers break down what it took to make the moment spectacular. From sets and performances, to wirework, stunts, and VFX, see how it all came together.
• Alien: A Conversation – A special conversation with Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez for the Alien 45th Anniversary theatrical re-release.
• Alternate / Extended Scenes – Check out scenes that didn’t make the final cut.

“The Beast“

Betrand Bonello’s latest is arguably the most critically successful film of his career, even landing a few EOY critics nominations and awards – it got two from Chicago, including Best Actress for Lea Seydoux. This stunningly ambitious sci-fi/drama is loosely based on a 1903 novella by Henry James, but it’s a Bonello production through and through, an examination of gender, identity, romance, and danger. It’s also now a part of Criterion’s Janus Contemporaries lines, which is a wonderful way to bring prominent films from around the world to a bigger audience, but I do wonder if it’s keeping some films from getting “proper” Criterion releases with more extensive special features. It certainly feels like this would be a likely candidate for the full treatment if the JC label didn’t exist, and it feels like a film that could have been amply supported by a commentary, video essay, featurettes, and an essay. Maybe that can still happen, but no JC film has “graduated” to the collection yet. Maybe this will be the first?

Buy it here

Special Features:

• Meet the Filmmakers, a new interview with director Bertrand Bonello
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

“Conclave“

This almost-certain Best Picture nominee has been one of the more interesting stories of the year to this industry watcheer. The death of the mid-budget movie (all those scripts got stretched into streaming mini-series) means dramas for adults like this one don’t get made as often as they should, and the vacuum helped turn this smart, engaging flick into a pretty sizable hit, already making 2.5 times its budget. I wonder if Universal/Focus regret already making it available on VOD and Blu-ray (and Peacock!), but it’s too late for that, and they’re probably already happy at its returns and its likely awards-season future. It’s already received six Golden Globe nominations and a stunning 11 Critics Choice Award nominations, tied for the lead with “Wicked.”

Buy it here

Special Features:

• SEQUESTERED: INSIDE CONCLAVE – Enter the mysterious world of CONCLAVE with the cast and filmmakers for a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to raise the curtain on one of the most secretive and secluded processes in the world.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR EDWARD BERGER – Commentary with director Edward Berger

“Evil Does Not Exist“

The brilliant Ryusuke Hamaguchi made waves when his “Drive My Car” became an Oscar and EOY list darling, but his follow-up, “Evil Does Not Exist” hasn’t quite garnered the same attention. Now that it’s available on a Janus Contemporaries release, take the time to track it down, as it’s just further evidence of Hamaguchi’s nuance and skill. It’s the story of a man who lives in a small Japanese village with his daughter, a place that’s about to be altered by a proposed glamping site. A scene in which the locals meet with the suits trying to turn their homes into a tourist location is one of the best of 2024, as is the shocking ending that some people are still trying to unpack.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• Meet the Filmmakers, a new interview with director Ryusuke Hamaguchi
• Trailer

“Interstellar“

For some reason, Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi masterpiece was considered a disappointment a decade ago, likely because superhero culture was so prevalent that people were just hoping the Oscar winner would make another Batman movie. It’s long been one of my favorite Nolan films, and actually one of my favorite films of the 2010s. It’s a startlingly ambitious piece of work, what happens when a creative filmmaker gets the money and power from a trilogy like “The Dark Knight” and uses it to make a passion project. It’s a massive production that’s not based on another IP, and one that suggests that love is what powers the universe. Paramount has released a beautiful 10th anniversary edition, complete with a 4K version of the film and physical collectibles. Use that holiday gift card money on this one.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• NEW The Future Is Now: A Look Back at INTERSTELLAR – Explore the impact of INTERSTELLAR 10 years later through new interviews with director/co-writer Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, executive producer Kip Thorne, and co-writer Jonathan Nolan. From the development of prophetic black hole visuals to revolutionary production design for IMAX, further context is provided by colleagues and fans including director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) and director Denis Villeneuve (Dune).
• The Science of Interstellar
• Inside Interstellar:
• Plotting an Interstellar Journey
• Life on Cooper’s Farm
• The Dust
• TARS and CASE
• The Cosmic Sounds of Interstellar
• The Space Suits
• The Endurance
• Shooting in Iceland: Miller’s Planet / Mann’s Planet
• The Ranger and the Lander
• Miniatures in Space
• The Simulation of Zero-G
• Celestial Landmarks
• Across All Dimensions and Time
• Final Thoughts
• Roundtables:
• Creating Interstellar
• Experiencing Interstellar
• Trailers

“No Country for Old Men” (Criterion)

One of Criterion’s most notable releases of 2024 came at the end of the year in this stacked release for Joel & Ethan Coen’s only Best Picture winner. Where to begin? First, I love the packaging with excellent new cover art. Then there’s the conversation about the film between the Coens and the brilliant writer Megan Abbott. There’s a new chat with the legendary D.P. Roger Deakins too, along with previously available featurettes from DVD and Blu-ray releases. How about a 2007 piece about the film by the award-winning Larry McMurtry? Of course, the big draw is the 4K presentation, coming from a new digital master that was overseen by Deakins himself. In a good year for Criterion, this is one of their best releases.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital master, supervised and approved by director of photography Roger Deakins, with 5.1 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 conversation between filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and author Megan Abbott
• New conversation between Deakins and associate producer David Diliberto, also featuring Abbott
• Archival interviews with actors Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kelly Macdonald
• Behind-the-scenes documentary by Brolin
• Three documentaries about the making of the film featuring on-set footage and interviews with members of the cast and crew
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by author Francine Prose and a 2007 piece on the film by author Larry McMurtry

“Paris, Texas” (Criterion)

There are certain movies that I associate more closely with Roger than others, and this has always been one of them. He loved this film, as evidenced by his excellent Great Movies essay linked above. So what could I add to how beautifully he’s unpacked it. I’m so happy it’s on 4K now and I’ll let Roger’s close reflect why: “Then there are the miracles of the performances by Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski and Hunter Carson (the son of Karen Black and L.M. Kit Carson). Stanton has long inhabited the darker corners of American noir, with his lean face and hungry eyes, and here he creates a sad poetry. Kinski, a German, perfects the flat, half-educated accent of a Texas girl who married a “raggedy” older man for reasons no doubt involving a hard childhood. Young Carson, debating relativity and the origin of the universe, then asking even harder questions such as “why did she leave us?” has that ability some child actors have, of presenting truth without decoration. We care so much for their family, framed lonely and unsure, within a great emptiness.”

Buy it here

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Wim Wenders, with 5.1 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 Wenders
• Archival interviews with Wenders; cinematographer Robby Müller; composer Ry Cooder; actors Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Peter Falk, and Hanns Zischler; novelist Patricia Highsmith; and filmmaker Samuel Fuller
• Interviews with filmmakers Allison Anders and Claire Denis
• Deleted scenes and Super 8 home movies
• Gallery of Wenders’ location-scouting photos
• Behind-the-scenes photos by Robin Holland
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Nick Roddick; interviews with Stanton, writer Sam Shepard, and actors Nastassja Kinski and Dean Stockwell; and excerpts from Wenders’ book of photos Written in the West

“Piece by Piece“

Fans of this column know that it’s designed to highlight films and physical media releases I love, but I will also occasionally just throw in something that I think others might like more than I do and want to know is available. This is one of those cases. “Piece by Piece” doesn’t work for me. I find almost every minute of it grating and shallow, a reduction of a fascinating creative soul to animated greatest hits. However, some people I respect find it really creative, and I think it’s very much a YMMV film. The concept works for you or it doesn’t. If you’re in the former category, pick it up at the link below. If not, let’s move on to the next piece.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• BUILDING BLOCKS – Pharrell Williams and director Morgan Neville discuss how Pharrell’s life story unfolded into this unique, heartfelt film.

“Pulp Fiction“

Quentin Tarantino’s sophomore smash turning 30 makes me feel absolutely ancient, but that feeling comes with a pretty cool anniversary edition that features the film in 4K and physical collectibles for fans of one of the most influential films of all time. On that note, there are very few films that are three decades old that feel as much a part of the cultural firmament as this one. The way it weaves film history into a new voice is reflected in so many “meta” films of the current era, even the ones that aren’t explicitly about how criminals fumble their way through life. The performances are also even better than you remember, especially Samuel L. Jackson, who should have won the Oscar here (and it’s a shame he still doesn’t have one). Another cool thing: This release includes a piece from Roger & Gene’s “At the Movies” about The Tarantino Generation. We’re still feeling its influence.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
• Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes Montages
• Production Design Featurette
• Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies”- The Tarantino Generation
• Independent Spirit Awards
• Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech
• Charlie Rose Show
• Marketing Gallery
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• Pulp Fiction Posters
• Academy Award Campaign and Trade Ads
• Still Galleries
• Enhanced Trivia Track
• Soundtrack Chapters

“Shaun of the Dead”

Has it really been 20 years since of “Shaun of the Dead”? (Yes, this is the Brian Feels Old version of the Blu-ray column.) To celebrate the anniversary of Edgar Wright’s banger of a zom-com, Universal has upgraded the film to a new 4K remaster and released it in both standard and steelbook editions. Both include a new featurette about the film’s anniversary with reflections by Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. If that’s not enough, the excellent DVD and Blu-ray commentaries (four of ’em!) are all here too, along with some of my favorite steelbook art design of the year. Only three years till the same treatment for “Hot Fuzz”! (Man, time flies.)

Buy it here

Special Features:

• NEW 4K REMASTER
• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• NEW Shawn of the Dead: 20 Bloody Years! – Director Edgar Wright joins actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to reflect on the funniest zombie movie ever made
• AUDIO COMMENTARY
• Feature Commentary with Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
• Feature Commentary with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Kate Ashfield and Lucy Davis
• Feature Commentary with Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton
• Feature Commentary with the Zombies
• MISSING BITS
• OUTTAKES
• RAW MEAT
• TV BITS
• TRAILERS

“Transformers One“

Maybe films based on a toy line should have always been animated? While I kind of like the go-for-broke tone of the first Bay film, the rest range from mediocre to atrocious, and I find it fascinating that the reputation of this franchise has shifted a bit since Bay left it with positive reviews for the fun “Bumblebee” and near-raves for this animated adventure by Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”). Previewed just horrendously, it became a pretty solid hit, although nowhere near as big as its fans would argue it should have. Maybe it can find a bigger audience on physical media. A cool steelbook edition pictured here might help.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• In The Beginning — Witness the origin story of OPTIMUS PRIME (ORION PAX) and MEGATRON (D-16) and the evolution of their relationship from brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies. Filmmakers discuss the vision for the film and how it was brought to life.
• World Building On CYBERTRON — Hear from director Josh Cooley, the production design team, and the visual effects team about rendering the colorful world of CYBERTRON in a way that fans have never seen before.
• Together As One — Meet the A-list voice cast for each of the TRANSFORMERS: Chris Hemsworth (ORION PAX/OPTIMUS PRIME), Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/MEGATRON), Scarlett Johansson (ELITA-1), and more!
• The Iacon 5000 — Behold the most epic TRANSFORMERS race ever as competitors vie for the ultimate prize! Go behind the scenes with the filmmakers as they break down this breathtaking action sequence.
• The Battle For CYBERTRON — Cast and filmmakers take you through the film’s epic climax as OPTIMUS PRIME and MEGATRON battle for CYBERTRON’s future.

“Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection”

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is probably on Netflix by the time you read this (1/3) and playing in limited theatrical release now. It kinda rules. And to celebrate the return of the cheese-loving inventor and his trusty sidekick, Shout Factory released a gorgeous box set with basically everything fans of these wonderful films could ask for. For the first time, the four short film W&G projects have been remastered in 4K, including “A Grand Day Out,” “The Wrong Trousers,” “A Close Shave,” and “A Matter of Loaf and Death.” The set also includes standard BD versions of “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” and “Cracking Contraptions.” And just look how beautifully it’s packaged. This is one of the best box sets of the year.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• Audio Commentaries are on the four shorts featuring Nick Park and producer Peter Lord
• Peter Lord & Nick Park Interview
• The Amazing World of Wallace & Gromit
• Inside The Wrong Trousers
• A Close Shave – How They Did It
• The Making of A Matter of Loaf And Death – How They Donut
• When Wallace Met Harvey
• Picture Gallery
• Invention Blueprints
• 24-Page booklet that features recipes, blueprints and introduction by Nick Park
• Colorform Set of Stickers with your favorite characters.

“The Wild Robot“

It seems likely that “Flow” is going to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but my vote would actually go to this lovely, moving animated gem from the great Chris Sanders. The 4K release hit stores while the movie was still in theaters, broadening the reach of this sweet tale of a robot who learns about the difficulty of motherhood. The release includes a number of interesting special features, including a deleted sequence, but the draw is the film itself, one of the 2024 releases that I can assure you will stand the test of time. People are going to be watching this one for generations.

Buy it here

Special Features:

• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• COMMERCIAL FOR ROZZUM – An alternate opening to the film in storyboard form, with introduction by writer/director Chris Sanders.
• MOMENTS FROM THE MIC – Straight from the recording booth, watch the star-studded cast of The Wild Robot perform some of their most memorable lines!
• MEET THE CAST- How do you give empathy to the voice of a robot, vulnerability to a fox, and wisdom to an opossum? Meet the talented voice cast and learn more about your favorite characters from The Wild Robot.
• THE OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER – A deleted sequence from the film in storyboard form, with an introduction by writer/director Chris Sanders.
• ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: ANIMATING THE WILD ROBOT – Go behind the scenes to see how filmmakers pushed the boundaries of animation to achieve the uniquely immersive world of The Wild Robot.
• FEELING ALIVE – Learn how filmmakers and cast enhanced the universally relatable thematic elements of Peter Brown’s original story to deepen its emotional connection to audiences.
• WILD SOUNDS – Explore the incredible music of The Wild Robot – from Kris Bowers’ enchanting score to Maren Morris’ two new songs.
• HOW TO DRAW – Follow along with writer/director Chris Sanders as he teaches Lupita Nyong’o how to draw Roz and then learn to draw Fink, Baby Brightbill, and Pinktail with story artist/character designer Genevieve Tsai!
• FLY YOUR OWN BRIGHTBILL – One of Roz’s primary tasks is to teach Brightbill to fly so he can migrate with the other geese. Here, you’ll learn how to create your very own Brightbill Kite so you can help him fly too.