The films of Stanley Kubrick have appeared on DVD before, but previous releases were unsatisfying, seemingly made from the same masters used for the VHS releases and lacking in special features. Most importantly, the old Kubrick DVDs featured the TV versions of the films, not the versions shown in cinemas. Meaning they were presented in square (4:3 aspect ratio) format, instead of widescreen. As Kubrick himself supervised both versions of his films, this wasn’t the end of the world if you had a standard TV, but if you have a fancy new widescreen set, the anamorphic 1:85 aspect ratio featured on these discs is definitely preferable—you won’t get those reverse-widescreen black bars on either side of the picture.

The set features five films—2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut—though presumably Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, Lolita and the rest are to come. Also included is Jan Harlan’s Tom Cruise-narrated doc Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures.

The special features vary from disc to disc. Fans of Eyes Wide Shut, and pervs everywhere, will be grateful to learn that the digital silhouettes superimposed over the film’s racier scenes for the American theatrical and DVD release have finally been removed. Other notables include Vivian Kubrick’s doc The Making of The Shining (previously available), an audio interview with Kubrick on the 2001 disc, commentary by the stars of Full Metal Jacket and writer Jay Cocks, and a featurette called Lost Kubrick: The Unfinished Films of Stanley Kubrick. All films are available individually on DVD or HD-DVD or Blu-ray or together in the box set, DVD only.

Criterion’s done it again: their latest is a new DVD release of Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven, surely one of the most beautiful films ever made, in an entirely new transfer supervised by Malick himself. Though the reclusive director doesn’t provide a commentary, there are interviews with and commentary by the rest of the film’s creative team.

by MARK SLUTSKY