FRAILTY 4K UHD Review: Horror Comes Home, Again, Looking Better Than Ever

Any conversation about actors turning to directing will eventually touch on the late, great Bill Paxton's work.

He only directed two features -- we'll be ignoring the second -- with his first being 2001's terrifically creepy and effective horror thriller, Frailty. The film returns to home video courtesy of Lionsgate Limited's new 4K UHD release.

Adam and Fenton are two young boys being raised by a single dad, and while it can be tough, it's also terrifying. Their dad believes in angels and demons, and he thinks he's been called on by God to destroy the latter -- all of whom are taking on the appearance of normal, everyday people. A childhood that sees them bearing witness to murders alternates with scenes set decades later as a now-adult Fenton tells an investigator about his father and his fear that Adam has now begun killing "demons" too.

Frailty is a horror film, through and through, but it's one built on more than just serial killing thrills. There's a frightening dynamic at play here between a mad man and his two children -- one of whom worships the ground the man walks on, and the other who questions the veracity of his claims. Are the demons real? Is their dad merely an unbalanced maniac? The film teases the truth between those two extremes, and it does it very well.

Paxton's performance is an equally harrowing balancing act, as he embodies a man who's both extremely frightening and truly concerned for his boys' well-being -- well, outside of involving them in murder, obviously. It's not tragic, but there's a pathos to him as these beliefs and actions feel almost beyond his control. Powers Boothe is also engaging as the investigator who's been chasing the so-called "God's Hand Killer" for decades.

Lionsgate's new 4K release includes both a UHD and a Blu-ray using the new 4K scan/remaster. Both look fantastic, with the new Blu marking a noticeable improvement over the previously available HD release. The film isn't overly colorful, but they're vibrant when they're there, and both the shadows and details feel equally strong.

The new Lionsgate Limited release stands out immediately, thanks to a slick, attractive design. New artwork adorns the front cover of the wide slipcase, and inside are a digipack holding both the UHD and Blu-ray discs, as well as a perfect-bound copy of the screenplay, complete with notes in the margins. The extras include both previously available supplements including trailers, storyboard/photo galleries and three new featurettes exclusive to this release.

- *NEW* Father Figure [34:02] - A new piece collecting new interviews and older snippets to explore Paxton's desire to direct, the film's focus on the love and sins of the father, Paxton's prep work including his own storyboards, and more.
- *NEW* Establishing Shot [7:10] - A new featurette exploring the film's restoration for 4K.
- *NEW* More Stories from the Frailty Set [18:36] - A new collection of anecdotes with producers David Kirschner and David Blocker, actors Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter, and Bill's son, James Paxton, on the film's production.
- Commentary with director Bill Paxton
- Commentary with producers Arnold Glassman and David Kirschner, and composer Brian Tyler
- Commentary with writer Brent Hanley
- Anatomy of a Scene from Sundance Channel [25:58]
- The Making of Frailty [19:29]
- Deleted Scenes [8:28]

Barry Lyndon isn't often mentioned as one of Stanley Kubrick's best films -- to be clear, all 12 of Kubrick's feature films have their ardent defenders, but his five most beloved are seemingly pretty set in stone -- but I'd argue it's actually among his very best. Like, top three very best.

Barry (an out of his depths yet still perfect Ryan O'Neal) is a young man being routinely spit on by life until, one day, he decides to spit back. He decides he'll no longer be open to being hurt, he'll pursue anything and everything he desires, and he won't give a damn about who else gets hurt along the way.

Barry Lyndon is the story of a man who learns to prioritize himself over all else, and it's incredibly damning in its honesty about the people who make up society. It's also, and this seems sometimes to go unsaid, extremely funny. Rather than be a heavy, slow-burn period piece, the film shows Kubrick crafting something that's both formally precise and very light on its feet. There's a dark whimsy about it all, and while I know that sounds nonsensical, I also know it fits this film to a tee.

Criterion's new 4K UHD upgrade features the film itself on UHD and Blu-ray, and an already gorgeous movie now looks even better. It's not a huge improvement, in part because Kubrick and his cinematographer, John Alcott, shot an incredibly sumptuous film, but it's still the ideal presentation for the film as of now. A second Blu-ray holds all the previously available extras including trailers and the following.

- Making Barry Lyndon [37:52]
- Achieving Perfection: The Cinematography of Barry Lyndon [15:32]
- Timing and Tension: Tony Lawson on Barry Lyndon [13:50]
- Drama in Detail: Sir Christopher Frayling on Ken Adam [13:34]
- Balancing Every Sound: Remastering the Audio of Barry Lyndon [10:13]
- On the Costumes [5:00]
- Passion and Reason: Michael Ciment on Barry Lyndon [17:35]
- A Cinematic Canvas: Historical Art and Barry Lyndon [15:04]

A future dystopia seems like a sure thing, especially these days, but the question always comes down to what kind of dystopia it will be. Terry Gilliam's Brazil suggests a particularly nightmarish one that looks, at least on its surface, to actually be a well-functioning society.

Sam (Jonathan Pryce) is a corporate drone, one more sheep in the flock that is society, who clocks in, does work, and goes home only to repeat the brain-numbing cycle the next day. Corporations rule the world, along with every aspect of Sam's life, but they can't stop him from dreaming about things like love, freedom, and fun. Or can they?

Like all of Gilliam's films, Brazil feels a step or two removed from reality while crafting its own full world. Scenes feel stagey at times, but it remains compelling through atmosphere, narrative commitment, and an atmosphere that's best described as Gilliamesque. The soul-sucking world, one where no one is allowed to be an individual, especially an individual with private thoughts, is a prison where free-roaming may as well set you on a track. It's as darkly funny a world as it is a creatively-built one, offering up an exaggerated, acerbic warning about things to come.

Criterion's new release includes the film and commentary on both 4K UHD and a Blu-ray, and a second Blu-ray holds the extra features. Gilliam's 143-minute director's cut gets the new 4K restoration, while the studio's much shorter theatrical version (aka the "Love Conquers All" cut) is presented as previously seen. The UHD affords the film a very distinct visual advantage over previous releases, and big fans of the film will see that as reason enough to upgrade -- especially as the included extras are all archival.

- Commentary with director Terry Gilliam
- What Is Brazil? [29:07]
- We're All In It Together: The Brazil Screenwriters [10:42]
- Dreams Unfulfilled: Unfilmed Brazil Storyboards
- Designing Brazil [20:45]
- Flights of Fantasy: Brazil's Special Effects [9:50]
- Fashion and Fascism: James Acheson on Brazil's Costume Design [7:01]
- Brazil's Score [9:41]

You wouldn't necessarily know it over here in the States, but Alexandre Dumas' novels are a hot commodity on the film adaptation circuit again. Numerous films have been made from his work, including multiple takes on The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo -- the latter of which recently received a terrific, epic adaptation in France -- and the same goes for The Three Musketeers. The story of three savvy swordsmen also saw new adaptations recently in France, both of which are worth a watch, but my heart will always belong to Richard Lester's big screen features from the 1970s.

Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, and Frank Finlay play the musketeers caught up in an adventure alongside a bright-eyed newcomer (Michael York) -- the four return in The Four Musketeers, which was shot simultaneously, released the following year, and is also included in the fantastic double feature set from Criterion.

Unlike most versions of the story, Lester and company play up the laughs alongside the action, making for two big, boisterous pieces of entertainment. Add in Raquel Welch, Geraldine Chaplin, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, and a fun villainous turn by Christopher Lee, and you have the kind of studio effort we just don't see these days. It's playful, thrilling, and not above prat falls in its desire to entertain.

Criterion's new, four-disc release includes The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers -- each available on a UHD and a Blu-ray. Both films look good, clean, and colorful, making this a great pickup for fans of Dumas' stories and characters. The extras are a mix of the new and the old including the following.

- The Saga of the Musketeers, Part One [23:03]
- *NEW* Two for One: Part One - Pre-Production [29:54] - The first of a four-part documentary by David Cairns looking at the production of both films. This whole thing is pretty great as details are presented with personality.
- *NEW* Two for One: Part Two - Principal Photography, Part One [43:03] - Seriously, a terrific watch as Cairns explores the films' epic shoot through stories from the set.
- The Making of The Three Musketeers [6:50]
- The Saga of the Musketeers, Part Two [24:53]
- *NEW* Two for One: Part Three - Principal Photography, Part Two [42:07] - The stories continue as Cairns talks about the production, the locations, and the various personalities.
- *NEW* Two for One: Part Four - Post-Production [26:06] - Cairns concludes his fun exploration of the films.