Seven 4K movies to add to your collection

Streaming gives us so many opportunities to catch movies we love, but you’re still limited by which services you subscribe to and which movies are streaming at any given time.

We’re well past the DVD mania of the 2000s, but 4K has breathed new life into the market, particularly for those fans who want the absolute best viewing experience at home.

With the holidays coming up, it’s a great time to look back at the 2022 releases for films you can add to your own collection or purchase as a gift for someone on your list. You’ll see from the list below that some all-time classics are now available in 4K for your viewing pleasure.

Reservoir Dogs

There’s plenty of debate among Quentin Tarantino fans about his best films, but many of us still rate his directorial debut among his finest. This crime film features some of Tarantino’s edgiest and most memorable dialogue scenes and helped set the stage for the rest of his amazing career behind the camera. “Reservoir Dogs” was released in 1992 and features Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth in the lead roles as thieves recruited for a job and only known by their code names (Mr. Black, Mr. White, Mr. Blue, etc.). Each is at the top of their game in this 99-minute film noir masterpiece about a jewelry heist that goes bad. Who’s the rat?

The film isn’t for everyone, with one torture scene in particular that’s very hard to watch. All Tarantino films feature violence, but here it can seem very real and the impact is visceral. Once you see it you can’t get it out of your head, and you’re not looking forward to seeing that particular scene again. But it’s critical to the film from a character and narrative perspective.

With this film and “Pulp Fiction,” Tarantino became one of the leading filmmakers of his generation and helped establish the 90s and one of the best film decades in Hollywood history.

Previous home video releases of this cult classic haven’t been that great, but this remastered 4K version from Lionsgate is spectacular. You’ll notice the detail and rich colors. While we don’t get new features for this 30th anniversary edition, the 4K restoration makes it a must have for fans of the film.

Pulp Fiction

Released in 1994, “Pulp Fiction” became an instant sensation and helped make Quentin Tarantino a star. It also resurrected the career of John Travolta and created iconic characters that were brought to life by some of Hollywood’s best talent. Travolta was brilliant in the film, as were Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis and Harvey Keitel.

The non-linear style of storytelling worked beautifully in this crime film, with seemingly unrelated stories coming together in strange and unexpected ways. Everything about this movie seemed new and fresh and Tarantino’s style was quickly imitated by other filmmakers.

This new 4K restoration isn’t as impressive as the “Reservoir Dogs” 4K release listed above, but it’s still better than previous versions and a worthy addition to your collection. In the extras you find deleted scenes, a roundtable discussion with Tarantino and the cast, a behind-the-scenes look at making the film and more.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Every home video collection needs some comedies that everyone can enjoy, and few are as good as 1987’s “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” Director John Hughes had an amazing string of hits in the 80s. The man couldn’t miss. Put him together with legendary comedians Steve Martin and John Candy and you have comedy gold.

Neal Page (Martin) is a high-strung marketing executive trying to get from New York City to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving dinner with his family. He meets Del Griffith (Candy), a shower curtain ring salesman who never knows when to stop talking. Dell is a lovable loser and Neal is in no mood to deal with him. Their flight gets diverted to Wichita due to bad weather, and Neal finds himself stuck with Dell as tries to find his way home. The two of them have to deal with one hilarious fiasco after another, with many of the problems caused by Dell.

The new 4k remaster of this classic includes over an hour of never-before-seen deleted/extended scenes, some of which were discovered in the archives of the late filmmaker.

The Godfather Trilogy

The new 5-disc box set of this iconic trilogy was released for the 50th anniversary of the original film. “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II” are widely regarded as being among the greatest films in American cinema history. Any respectable home movie collection would be incomplete without them. The third film . . . not so much, but it’s important to round out the set.

Heat

Michael Mann’s “Heat” gives you something you won’t get from The Godfather Trilogy – Al Pacino and Robert De Niro playing opposite one another in the same scene. The two acting legends pull it off beautifully, but it’s just one great scene in a brilliant film. De Niro’s character lives a life of crime, running a sophisticated and lethal crew that pulls off meticulously planned jobs. Pacino plays the cop with a drama-filled home life who is married to his job and is hell-bent on catching that crew. The film’s opening heist scene is brilliant and sets the tone for this crime thriller. Mann supervised the new 4K restoration that you should be adding to your collection.

Blow Out

Brian De Palma’s “Blow Out” was not a big commercial hit, but this thriller is one of his best films and features excellent performances by John Travolta and Nancy Allen. The film follows the story of Jack Terry (Travolta), a sound technician who is working on a low-budget horror film in Philadelphia. One night while recording sound effects, Jack witnesses a car accident on a bridge and rescues a woman (Allen) from the wreckage. Yet he soon realizes from his sound recording of the incident that the accident was not an accident at all. Throughout the film, Jack grapples with his own personal and professional struggles as he becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the truth. The film is known for its suspenseful plot and its use of sound as a central theme. The new 4K restoration is definitely worth it.

Top Gun: Maverick

Today’s Hollywood landscape is much more difficult for filmmakers. Superhero movies and film franchises dominated the box office, and it’s much harder for original films to break through. Those stories find their way to premium television and streaming services these days.

With “Top Gun: Maverick” we have the combination of Tom Cruise and the chance to revisit the story from a classic 1980s blockbuster. It’s not surprising that this movie was a monster hit in 2022, though it probably exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. This is precisely the kind of film that should be watched in 4K UHD.