Halloween descends upon moviegoers and cinephiles this week – which, quite frankly, probably means that they’ll be venturing out into the night to celebrate the holiday rather than staying home with even the best Blu-rays.
But just in case you’ve outgrown wearing costumes that offer sexy versions of Sesame Street characters, and actually do want to delve into some home entertainment that holds your attention longer than the buzz of a mouthful of butterscotch candies, check out Celebuzz’ picks for the best Blu-ray titles being released this week.
Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
The One-Liner: Universal upgrades its Masterpiece Collection to high definition and adds North By Northwest to the expansive 14-film collection, creating a definitive portrait of Alfred Hitchcock’s work while at the studio.
Picture Perfect? Looking just at the North By Northwest disc that came out, these films have been treated wonderfully by Universal, restoring and protecting the luster and clarity of all of the films to make sure their transition to HD is smooth and satisfying.
What Else Is There? Every film is accompanied by a documentary about its making and/or the time period in Hitch’s career in which it was made, and many of his venerated “classics” – Psycho, Vertigo, etc. – feature additional supplemental featurettes and footage giving them a lager cinematic context.
How Badly Do It Want It? If you’re a Hitchcock fan at all, this is an essential purchase.
Americano (MPI Home Video)
The One-Liner: A roundup of international filmmaking luminaries, including Mathieu Demy, Geraldine Chaplin, Salma Hayek and Chiara Mastroianni, assembles for this oddball tale of a young man who goes in search of the woman he thinks his late mother befriended before her death.
Picture Perfect? MPI always offers terrific transfers of its films, and Americano is no different – as director Demy photographs his world with a bit of gloss and a bit of grit, the picture quality preserves both extraordinarily well.
What Else Is There? An interview with Demy reveals how the progeny of Umbrellas of Cherbourg filmmaker Jacques Demy undertook his first feature effort.
How Badly Do I Want It? The film is worth watching for the pedigree of its participants, but an unlikely choice for a permanent spot in your collection.
The Campaign (Warner Home Video)
The One-Liner: Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis are pitted against one another in this raucous satire about a contentious North Carolina congressional race – on home video, in an extended edition.
Picture Perfect? Warner Home Video dutifully offers viewers an image quality whose perfection is equal only to the pristine majesty of Will Ferrell’s glorious head of hair.
What Else Is There? In addition to an extended cut of the film, there are outtakes, alternate line readings and deleted scenes, giving fans an opportunity to see even more of Ferrell and Galifianakis in action.
How Badly Do I Want It? As a pre-election salve from the seriousness of the real world, this is terrific entertainment, but its appeal may ultimately have a term limit of its own.
Rosemary’s Baby (Criterion)
The One-Liner: Roman Polanski’s classic horror film finally receives the treatment it deserves in a deluxe Blu-ray featuring a new transfer and a ton of amazing extras.
Picture Perfect? A new 4K transfer approved by Polanski himself makes the film look as good as if not better than it ever has, with lustrous, sharp images and deep, rich color.
What Else Is There? A feature-length documentary explores the making of the film, another featurette examines the work of composer Krzysztof Komeda, and several other extras examine the film’s lasting impact on the horror genre and cinema as a whole.
How Badly Do I Want It? It’s a classic horror film, and it’s perfect for Halloween, or any time of year. Buy it.
Safety Not Guaranteed (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The One-Liner: Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass star in this too-cute romantic comedy about a fledgling reporter who joins her editor for an oddball excursion to find the man who posted a personal ad looking for a time-travel companion.
Picture Perfect? Sony, as always, does a terrific job transferring the film to the small screen, although its visual landscape is rendered with a simple sort of elegance.
What Else Is There? A featurette about the movie is the lesser of two extras, since the other chronicles the real-life personals ad that inspired the movie.
How Badly Do I Want It? An adorable little film well worth a rental, but not necessarily a must-own movie.
All of these titles are available now. In the meantime, watch the trailer below for the upcoming movie Hitchcock.
