It’s a new year and 2019 has come to a close. I always like to reflect on my favorite physical releases of year. Consumers seem to be moving more and more to streaming services with the launch this holiday season of Disney Plus being the latest. However, 2019 was also a banner year for physical media as well. Several companies really stepped up their game with incredible packaging, extras and in some cases sparkling new transfers of classic films. I will always make the case of physically owning a copy of a movie because it is permanently in your collection, it won’t be dropped or eventually removed from your shelf.
Being that it is 2019, I decided to list my favorite 19 releases of the year. So sit back relax and let’s watch some movies!
7. Crimson Peak (Arrow Limited Edition)
After her mother dies, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) marries the dashing Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). They move into Thomas’ home with his sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Soon Edith is terrorized in the home by ghosts from the past.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak is a throwback to gothic horror films of the 70’s. It is beautiful and haunting, relying more on atmosphere and tension then gore. Although it does get mileage out of its “R” rating from the terror on the screen.
Crimson Peak is beautifully scary, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Throughout its nearly two-hour runtime you are kept on the edge of your seat as the mystery unfolds only to be slightly let down by the convoluted, somewhat silly ending. The performances are all on point, the music is awesome and the set design is second to none.
Crimson Peak was originally released on a pretty standard Blu-ray in 2016. Arrow has re-released it in a beautiful hard cardboard slipcase limited edition. The design of the case looks like a book that was written in blood. It’s designed disgustingly beautiful. It is a little over-sized but it fits the aesthetic of the film. Included in the package is a mini poster, double sided post cards, and a really great hardcover book with essays and photos. The coolest part of the book is the illustrations, it’s a nice look into the design of the house and ghosts.
(as of this writing the limited edition is sold out. You can get it on Amazon on a secondary market for $90. There is a standard edition that includes the movie and extras, just not the fancy stuff it is packaged in.)
Being a Del Toro movie, Crimson Peak looks amazing. The transfer on Arrow’s release is spectacular. Del Toro and his crew used colors and textures to great effect in the film and the blu-ray shines in that department. The blacks are never crushed and the blues are soft. This is a great looking movie.
Crimson Peak scares up a thunderous sound mix on blu-ray. In horror films, sound mix might be the most important aspect of the film and Crimson Peak delivers. The bass is not overbearing but used just right. Dialogue isn’t mixed so low that you have to fiddle with your remote back and forth between scary scenes being too loud and talky scenes not being loud enough. It is simply amazing.
Arrow continues to deliver some of the best designed physical releases with the best bonus features, and Crimson Peak absolutely comes packed. Besides the beautifully designed case, Crimson Peak haunts your collection with nearly 175 minutes of bonus features. All the previous bonus features from Universal’s blu-ray have been ported over. Arrow has added several new features. My favorite is the visual essay called “Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films.” It just captures everything that makes Crimson Peak a cool film. For a more traditional look at the film, “The House is Alive” is a solid nearly hour making-of.
Crimson Peak is given an all-star treatment by Arrow. Del Toro is a great filmmaker and his films are perfect for physical releases. Arrow has done an outstanding job capturing the film with their limited-edition release.
Film: B
Video: A+
Audio: A+
Extras: A+
Overall: A