New On Blu-Ray And Digital: ‘Columbia Classics Collection’, ‘Gladiator’ 4K, ‘Braveheart’ 4K

By Chris Evangelista/June 30, 2020 12:00 pm EST

In the words of the Mama Mia! sequel: here we go again. It’s time for another Blu-ray round-up, and this week’s titles are what I’d call “specialty titles.” None of these are new movies – but they’re all new releases. These are the new Blu-ray releases (and digital releases, too) you should check out this week.

Gladiator 4K

In honor of the anniversaries of two of their epics, Gladiator and Braveheart (more on that below), Paramount has released new 4K steelbooks of both films. It’s wild to look back now, 20 years later, and remember that Gladiator was a major Oscar winner, taking home Best Picture and Best Actor, among other awards. I’m not saying Gladiator is bad – it just doesn’t really seem like an “Oscar movie.” The book The Men Who Would Be King, about the creation of DreamWorks, goes into great detail about how the DreamWorks publicity people worked overtime to get Gladiator noticed by the Academy – and it worked, obviously.

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator has Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is betrayed by the sniveling Commodus (a great, nasty Joaquin Phoenix, clearly relishing playing an unredeemable jerk). Maximus’ wife and child are killed, and Maximus himself is left for dead. But he recovers – only to end up a slave forced to become a gladiator. When he’s not dodging swords and wild animals in the Colosseum, he’s plotting his revenge. Again: this doesn’t read as Oscar-bait. Instead, it’s an entertaining, gory, action-packed sword-and-sandal epic, and it holds up surprisingly well.

Own or Rent?  Gonna go with OWN for this one. I’m not an avid steelbook collector, but I will confess that they’re nifty. And if you don’t already own Gladiator, this is the version to scoop up. The film was actually already released on 4K back in 2018, so it’s not exactly new. But if you’re in the market for this film, I’m happy to recommend this newest release.

Special Features Include:  4K Blu-ray Special Features Introduction by Ridley Scott (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott, editor Pietro Scalia and cinematographer John Mathieson (Theatrical Edition) Blu-ray Special Features Introduction by Ridley Scott (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott, editor Pietro Scalia and cinematographer John Mathieson (Theatrical Edition) The Scrolls of Knowledge Deleted Scenes Index with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott Visions from Elysium: Topic Portal Strength and Honor: Creating the World of Gladiator Image & Design: Storyboard Demonstration, Storyboard Archive, Costume Design Gallery, Photo Galleries Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes The Aurelian Archives – My Gladiator Journal by Spencer Treat Clark

Braveheart 4K

Okay, before we get into this, I have to add a disclaimer: Mel Gibson is clearly a person with a lot of issues, and many of those issues involve him being a racist, offensive creep. I am by no means condoning Mr. Gibson’s actions – I’m just talking about a movie he made 25 years ago. Back before Gibson’s terrible deeds derailed his career (at least for a while), he was a box office star, and he directed and starred in the epic Braveheart.

Based on the true story of Scottish warrior William Wallace, Gibson’s film takes a lot of liberties with history. For instance: the real Battle of Sterling took place on a bridge, but here, it’s set entirely in a big open field. That’s just one instance, there are many more. But movies like this aren’t meant to be factual records, they’re meant to be entertainment. And say what you will about Gibson (and you can say a lot), he knows how to direct an epic. Full of big, bloody battles and swooning romance, Braveheart was a huge deal when it arrived in ‘95, and the big battle scenes still have the power to thrill.

Own or Rent?  A tough one. You might not want to plop down money for this if you have a problem with Mel Gibson, and that’s perfectly understandable. However, if you’re a fan of this film, this is a good version of it to own. The 4K transfer looks sharp and the steelbook is a nice touch.

Special Features Include:  4K Blu-ray Special Features Commentary by Mel Gibson Blu-ray Special Features Commentary by Mel Gibson Braveheart Timelines Battlefields of the Scottish Rebellion Braveheart: A Look Back Smithfield: Medieval Killing Fields Tales of William Wallace A Writer’s Journey

New On Blu-Ray And Digital: ‘Columbia Classics Collection’, ‘Gladiator’ 4K, ‘Braveheart’ 4K

By Chris Evangelista/June 30, 2020 12:00 pm EST

In the words of the Mama Mia! sequel: here we go again. It’s time for another Blu-ray round-up, and this week’s titles are what I’d call “specialty titles.” None of these are new movies – but they’re all new releases. These are the new Blu-ray releases (and digital releases, too) you should check out this week.

Columbia Classics Collection

Without exception, all of these films are good – some are even great. The “worst” film here would probably be Jerry Maguire, and even that has its charms. And while these titles may not all go together, the prospect of having them all together – on 4K, no less – is too good to pass up. I particularly enjoyed revisiting A League of Their Own, which is even better than I remember. It’s a funny, charming, even melancholy film that I might dare say is perfect. Most of the rest of the titles here speak for themselves: Lawrence of Arabia is often held up as one of the best films of all time, and while Criterion recently released their own version of Dr. Strangelove, it’s still great to have Kubrick’s classic in 4K.

Own or Rent? 

Special Features Include:MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON Disc Breakdown

4K Ultra HD Includes:

Blu-ray Includes:

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Disc Breakdown

Feature Blu-ray Includes:

DR. STRANGELOVE Disc Breakdown

GANDHI Disc Breakdown

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Disc Breakdown

JERRY MAGUIRE Disc Breakdown

EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC INCLUDES:

Gladiator 4K

In honor of the anniversaries of two of their epics, Gladiator and Braveheart (more on that below), Paramount has released new 4K steelbooks of both films. It’s wild to look back now, 20 years later, and remember that Gladiator was a major Oscar winner, taking home Best Picture and Best Actor, among other awards. I’m not saying Gladiator is bad – it just doesn’t really seem like an “Oscar movie.” The book The Men Who Would Be King, about the creation of DreamWorks, goes into great detail about how the DreamWorks publicity people worked overtime to get Gladiator noticed by the Academy – and it worked, obviously.

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator has Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is betrayed by the sniveling Commodus (a great, nasty Joaquin Phoenix, clearly relishing playing an unredeemable jerk). Maximus’ wife and child are killed, and Maximus himself is left for dead. But he recovers – only to end up a slave forced to become a gladiator. When he’s not dodging swords and wild animals in the Colosseum, he’s plotting his revenge. Again: this doesn’t read as Oscar-bait. Instead, it’s an entertaining, gory, action-packed sword-and-sandal epic, and it holds up surprisingly well.

Own or Rent?  Gonna go with OWN for this one. I’m not an avid steelbook collector, but I will confess that they’re nifty. And if you don’t already own Gladiator, this is the version to scoop up. The film was actually already released on 4K back in 2018, so it’s not exactly new. But if you’re in the market for this film, I’m happy to recommend this newest release.

Special Features Include:  4K Blu-ray Special Features Introduction by Ridley Scott (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott, editor Pietro Scalia and cinematographer John Mathieson (Theatrical Edition) Blu-ray Special Features Introduction by Ridley Scott (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe (Extended Edition) Audio Commentary by director Ridley Scott, editor Pietro Scalia and cinematographer John Mathieson (Theatrical Edition) The Scrolls of Knowledge Deleted Scenes Index with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott Visions from Elysium: Topic Portal Strength and Honor: Creating the World of Gladiator Image & Design: Storyboard Demonstration, Storyboard Archive, Costume Design Gallery, Photo Galleries Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes The Aurelian Archives – My Gladiator Journal by Spencer Treat Clark

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator has Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman general who is betrayed by the sniveling Commodus (a great, nasty Joaquin Phoenix, clearly relishing playing an unredeemable jerk). Maximus’ wife and child are killed, and Maximus himself is left for dead. But he recovers – only to end up a slave forced to become a gladiator. When he’s not dodging swords and wild animals in the Colosseum, he’s plotting his revenge. Again: this doesn’t read as Oscar-bait. Instead, it’s an entertaining, gory, action-packed sword-and-sandal epic, and it holds up surprisingly well.

Gonna go with OWN for this one. I’m not an avid steelbook collector, but I will confess that they’re nifty. And if you don’t already own Gladiator, this is the version to scoop up. The film was actually already released on 4K back in 2018, so it’s not exactly new. But if you’re in the market for this film, I’m happy to recommend this newest release.

Special Features Include: 

4K Blu-ray Special Features

Blu-ray Special Features

Braveheart 4K

Okay, before we get into this, I have to add a disclaimer: Mel Gibson is clearly a person with a lot of issues, and many of those issues involve him being a racist, offensive creep. I am by no means condoning Mr. Gibson’s actions – I’m just talking about a movie he made 25 years ago. Back before Gibson’s terrible deeds derailed his career (at least for a while), he was a box office star, and he directed and starred in the epic Braveheart.

Based on the true story of Scottish warrior William Wallace, Gibson’s film takes a lot of liberties with history. For instance: the real Battle of Sterling took place on a bridge, but here, it’s set entirely in a big open field. That’s just one instance, there are many more. But movies like this aren’t meant to be factual records, they’re meant to be entertainment. And say what you will about Gibson (and you can say a lot), he knows how to direct an epic. Full of big, bloody battles and swooning romance, Braveheart was a huge deal when it arrived in ‘95, and the big battle scenes still have the power to thrill.

Own or Rent?  A tough one. You might not want to plop down money for this if you have a problem with Mel Gibson, and that’s perfectly understandable. However, if you’re a fan of this film, this is a good version of it to own. The 4K transfer looks sharp and the steelbook is a nice touch.

Special Features Include:  4K Blu-ray Special Features Commentary by Mel Gibson Blu-ray Special Features Commentary by Mel Gibson Braveheart Timelines Battlefields of the Scottish Rebellion Braveheart: A Look Back Smithfield: Medieval Killing Fields Tales of William Wallace A Writer’s Journey

Based on the true story of Scottish warrior William Wallace, Gibson’s film takes a lot of liberties with history. For instance: the real Battle of Sterling took place on a bridge, but here, it’s set entirely in a big open field. That’s just one instance, there are many more. But movies like this aren’t meant to be factual records, they’re meant to be entertainment. And say what you will about Gibson (and you can say a lot), he knows how to direct an epic. Full of big, bloody battles and swooning romance, Braveheart was a huge deal when it arrived in ‘95, and the big battle scenes still have the power to thrill.

A tough one. You might not want to plop down money for this if you have a problem with Mel Gibson, and that’s perfectly understandable. However, if you’re a fan of this film, this is a good version of it to own. The 4K transfer looks sharp and the steelbook is a nice touch.