Widescreen: Oscar holdouts no more; 'Braveheart' celebrates 25 years
We now have release dates for the two remaining home-video holdouts from this year's Best Picture Oscar field of nine.
One-time front-runner "1917," the one-shot World War I tale that's still marching toward a $350 million gross at the box office, arrives March 24 in all the usual disc formats, including 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. It will boast a bevy of special features, including separate commentary tracks from director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins, who won his second Oscar for the film. The all-digital release will be available from iTunes, Vudu and the like two weeks earlier on March 10.
That same day, the digital release of Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" adaptation goes live. If you want a physical copy, though, you'll wait a little longer; the DVD and Blu-ray will be available April 7, with six behind-the-scenes featurettes.
The rest of the nominees - winner "Parasite," "Ford v Ferrari," "The Irishman," "Jojo Rabbit," "Joker," "Marriage Story" and "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" - are all available at home in one or more formats.
'Every man dies. Not every man really lives.'
Years before those leaked phone calls with the mother of his child revealed a very angry man spouting racist and sexist grotesqueries, Mel Gibson was one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars. In 1995, "Braveheart" made him the town's most celebrated director, winning five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
The tale of legendary Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace (Gibson) leading an uprising against King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan) made for the fastest three hours I had ever spent in a movie theater, setting a standard for epic storytelling and large-scale battle scenes that paved the way for the brutal splendor of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" and Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
You can relive that big-screen glory on March 22 or 23 when "Braveheart" comes back to theaters for a limited engagement. (Check for theaters and showtimes and buy tickets at fathomevents.com.) A cavernous theater is the best venue for Gibson's widescreen frame, John Toll's gory, gorgeous photography and James Horner's landmark musical score; perhaps all those flutes and bagpipes inspired his omnipresent "Titanic" tunes?
The screenings include a sneak peek at "Robert the Bruce," a new historical epic about the 14th-century Scottish ruler in which Angus Macfadyen comes back to the role he played in Gibson's film.
A 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release in snazzy steelbook packaging arrives in stores on May 5.
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