QuickTrip: SIGNS, Hitchcock, and Jackie Chan on 4K

Some recent discs that should be part of your collection

One of the things I am happiest about in 2024 is the way I’ve finally made inroads as a contributor to 4K physical releases from some of my favorite companies.

I’ve recorded a whole fistful of commentaries, many of which won’t be in stores until 2025, and I wrote my first liner notes for an upcoming-but-not-yet-announced title, and I couldn’t be happier about all of it. So far, you can purchase both The Wolfman and Matinee, both of which were a pleasure to record. I love Rick Baker and I am in awe of Joe Johnston’s overall contributions to film, and talking about that difficult production in a way that paid due respect to both of those guys was important to me. Joe Dante is one of my favorite people in the industry, and I’ve been a fan of his work since I was a kid. Sitting down with my old friend Eric Vespe and talking about Matinee, one of Joe’s best but most underseen films, was both easy and delightful. If you’re in LA, you can actually see the 4K version of Matinee screening this coming Sunday at one of the best theaters in the city, the Academy Museum’s main screen. Joe’s going to be there afterwards, too, for a Q&A, and there are few people more comfortable in that kind of setting.

One of my goals in 2025 is to write more pieces here about physical media and the terrific work that’s being done right now in the 4K space. I am a firm believer that if you’re a fan of movies, there is no better way to see them at home now. It’s not even close. And if you’re watching 4K streaming, that’s not really the same thing. There are too many variables in the way that signal is sent to you. Maybe you’ve got a lightning-fast connection. Even then, there are compression issues that impact the picture you’re going to be able to stream. When you’re playing physical media, you’re getting exactly the picture you’re supposed to be getting, and it all comes down to the transfer and the choices made in the manufacture of that disc. I want to spotlight the companies that I think are doing it right and highlight their best work. I want to encourage other film fans to keep investing in physical media, both because I want people to have the best possible experience but also on a selfish level. I want physical media to succeed because I want more physical media.

One of the reasons I’m introducing this QuickTrip (a quick triple-feature) format is so I can drop these on you more often. There is a landslide of titles coming out in the next six to eight months, and there are already so many good titles that came out this year. So let’s skip the preamble and jump right in with our first film…

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Signs

Time is a funny thing when it comes to movies. When this came out, I thought it was fine, but I dismissed it as minor key Shyamalan and let a few nitpicks become the only conversation I had about the movie. Shame on me. I look at this now and I am so impressed by how much command Shyamalan has over every element of his storytelling. I think it is an especially impressive rebound after Unbreakable, which I know has many supporters. By any metric, though, it was a disappointment for Disney after the massive success of The Sixth Sense. Disney has just issued that breakthrough blockbuster and Signs as new 4K editions, and I threw on Signs, ostensibly just to check out the transfer. Next thing I knew, the movie was over and I was completely satisfied, both with the transfer and with the film itself. My girlfriend, who had never seen it, walked through the room at one point during the film and said she wanted to watch it, so a few nights later, I threw it on for a second time, and watching her watch it only underscored just how effective I think it is.