For whatever reason, the major studios just kind of fell asleep at the wheel in regards to upgrading their catalog titles. Kind of puzzling since so many great films have yet to appear in the high-definition format. Granted, shelf space is shrinking at the nation's big-box retailers but that didn't stop the likes of Criterion and Shout Factory! from releasing a monthly stream of top-tier products via Amazon and their own consumer-friendly websites. Let's just hope the lack of product this year is because so many titles are currently being restored or enhanced for future release. We can dream can't we?
That said, the year wasn't a total loss. We got great new transfers of On The Waterfront and Shane, a handful of cult releases like John Carpenter's The Fog and Night of the Comet and even a surprise or two from Warner Archives. Yes, the pickings may have been slim but there were enough, just enough, noteworthy titles to get excited about. Below are my top five:
1. On The Waterfront - Criterion Collection: Elia Kazan's 1954 masterpiece about a morality-stricken ex-prizefighter turned longshoreman who takes on a corrupt union boss received a stunning new 4K restoration, nearly a dozen fresh extras and a long-overdue widescreen transfer that actually allows you to choose between three different aspect ratios. Easily the most engaging and satisfying disc of the year. Keep 'em coming, Criterion.
2. Shane - Paramount Home Video: Arguably the greatest Western ever made, George Stevens' 1953 tale of a transient gunslinger who befriends a family of homesteaders and helps them battle a ruthless cattle baron received its own high-def restoration this year and the result truly breathes fresh life into the 60-year-old classic. And though it would have been nice for Paramount to include its newly struck 1.66:1 widescreen version, along with an anniversary retrospective or two, this new transfer is light years ahead of the old 2003 DVD and is a no-brainer for upgrade.
3. Badlands - Criterion Collection: Terrence Malick's beloved 1973 debut about rural young lovers who cut a swath of murder and mayhem across the American Midwest has influenced many over the years (Tarantino's True Romance and Natural Born Killers are direct homages) and remains one of the definitive films of '70s New Wave cinema. For its 40th anniversary, Criterion struck a beautiful new 4K transfer and added its usual array of impressive extras, the best of which is a 42-minute documentary that features new interviews with stars Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek and art director Jack Fisk.
4. John Carpenter's The Fog - Shout Factory!: The original 1980 tale of vengeful ghosts terrorizing a small seaside town remains one of my favorite Carpenter films and usually gets an annual screening at my house (the wife likes Hal Halbrook and the quaint coastal setting). Shout Factory! released a crisp 1080p transfer and a slew of new extras, my favorite of which is an episode of the Sean Clark-hosted Horror's Hallowed Grounds that pokes around the film's Point Reyes National Seashore shooting locations.
5. Fearless - Warner Archives: Peter Weir's excellent 1993 drama about a plane-crash survivor struggling with his near-death experience features Oscar-worthy performances from Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez and a crash sequence set to Henryk Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 that's frankly one of the most haunting and emotionally draining ever put on film. The long-awaited widescreen transfer alone gets this title on my list, but alas, no extras are included. Not that you really need them, as the only thing you'll want to do after the credits cease is collapse into a corner.
Merry Christmas!
Dec. 31: Top Five Films of 2013
