The physical media box set market has slowed in recent years as studios have kinda run out of collections to release. So we wanted to highlight two of the coolest such releases in a very long time, box sets aimed at fans of two icons of film history: Steven Spielberg and Jackie Chan. The former gets a lavish limited-edition steelbook set that collects some of his most beloved films for the first time to celebrate the release of “Disclosure Day”; the latter gets a special-features-loaded 10-disc set that spotlights a formative period in his legacy. They’re both going to be on any shortlist of the best Blu-ray box sets of the year. Pick ’em up at an online outlet or store near you while you can.
“Steven Spielberg: The Spotlight Collection”
There are very few filmmakers who could assemble an 8-film box set as impressive as this one. Collected for the first time, this impressive set not only includes Spielberg’s three other alien movies—“Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” and “War of the Worlds”—but accompanies them with five other straight-up masterpieces: “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” and “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s a box set that features more disc-by-disc quality than arguably any other 8-movie collection you could buy.
Each film slides into a 4K steelbook edition, and the entire collection features over 25 hours of bonus features, all of which are listed below:
- Jaws
- JAWS @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
- The Making of JAWS
- The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of JAWS
- JAWS: The Restoration
- Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
- From The Set
- Theatrical Trailer
- Galleries
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Includes all 3 versions of the film (Theatrical Version, Special Edition, Director’s Cut)
- Three Kinds of Close Encounters
- Steven’s Home Videos & Outtakes
- Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Making of Documentary
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Watch the Skies
- Deleted Scenes
- Storyboard Comparisons
- Extensive Photo Gallery
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Original Theatrical Trailer
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Special Edition Trailer
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- Re-Issue Trailer
- T. The Extra-Terrestrial
- 40 Years of T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
- TCM Classic Film Festival: An Evening with Steven Spielberg
- The E.T. Journals
- Deleted Scenes
- Steven Spielberg & E.T.
- A Look Back
- The Evolution and Creation of E.T.
- The E.T. Reunion
- The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams
- The 20th Anniversary Premiere
- Designs, Photographs, and Marketing
- Theatrical Trailer
- Special Olympics TV Spot
- Jurassic Park
- Return to Jurassic Park: Dawn of a New Era
- Return to Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory
- Return to Jurassic Park: The Next Step in Evolution
- Archival Featurettes
- The Making of Jurassic Park
- Original Featurette on the Making of the Film
- Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
- Hurricane in Kauai Featurette
- Behind the Scenes
- Early Pre-Production Meetings
- Location Scouting
- Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in the Kitchen
- Animatics: T-Rex Attack
- ILM and Jurassic Park: Before and After the Visual Effects
- Foley Artists
- Storyboards
- Production Archives
- Theatrical Trailer
- Schindler’s List
- Schindler’s List: 25 Years Later
- Voices from the List
- USC Shoah Foundation Story with Steven Spielberg (2018)
- Let Their Testimonies Speak – Stronger Than Hate
- About iWitness (2018)
- Saving Private Ryan
- An Introduction
- Looking Into the Past
- Miller and His Platoon
- Boot Camp
- Making Saving Private Ryan
- Re-Creating Omaha Beach
- Music and Sound
- Parting Thoughts
- Into the Breach: Saving Private Ryan
- Theatrical Trailer
- Re-Release Trailer
- Shooting War
- War of the Worlds
- Revisiting the Invasion
- The H.G. Wells Legacy
- Steven Spielberg and the Original War of the Worlds
- Characters: The Family Unit
- Previsualization
- Production Diaries
- Designing the Enemy: Tripods and Aliens
- Scoring War of the Worlds
- We Are Not Alone
- Galleries
- Theatrical Teaser Trailer
“Jackie Chan’s Breakout Hits”
There was a run of international releases in the mid-‘90s when Jackie Chan went from a beloved action star for those who knew the genre’s world market to a household name in the United States. By the end of it, Chan would star in 1997’s “Rush Hour,” beginning a wave of blockbuster releases in which his name was above the title, with some of them standing the test of time better than others. (I’ll still defend the goofy fun of “Shanghai Noon”; less so “The Tuxedo.”)
Of course, Jackie Chan’s career didn’t start in the ‘90s. By then, he had already amassed dozens of credits, dating all the way back to 1962. And as someone old enough to remember this period, I knew about films like “Police Story” and “Supercop.” But it was Stanley Tong’s “Rumble in the Bronx” that was really the star’s breakthrough North American hit, despite how legendarily it falters in its attempts to make Vancouver look like New York. “Rumble” made over $75 million, the highest-grossing film in Hong Kong to that date. Chan truly was the biggest action star in the world.
To commemorate that period, Arrow Home Video has released a collection of six Chan films, all presented in 4K for the first time: The box set features “Drunken Master II” (1994), “Rumble in the Bronx” (1995), “Thunderbolt” (1995), “Police Story IV” (1996), “Mr. Nice Guy” (1997), and “Who Am I?” (1997). The box includes a 160-page book with new writing on the films, 24 lobby cards, and even a reversible poster, but it’s the films themselves that are LOADED with material that Chan fans will want to see. It’s overwhelming, and listed below:
DISC 1 – DRUNKEN MASTER II
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of three versions: the uncut 102-minute Hong Kong Cut , the 100-minute International Cut and the American Cut re-titled The Legend of Drunken Master (102 mins)
- Original lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English mono audio for the Hong Kong Cut
- Original lossless English mono audio for the International Cut
- Original English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio for The Legend of Drunken Master
- Optional English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Before the Breakout, a new featurette in which stuntman Wang Yao, academic Dr. Wayne Wong and critics David West and James Mudge look back at Jackie Chan’s earlier career
- Breakout! Part 1, a new featurette in which Wong, West, Mudge and stuntman Mars look back at the film
- Deadly When Drunken, a new interview with co-writer Yuen Kai-chi
- Tipsy Tribulations, an expanded interview with stuntman Mars
- Period Postures, a new interview with academic Dr. Lars Laamann on the historical context behind the film
- Drunken Defiance, a new appreciation of the film by martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker
- Archive interview with Jackie Chan filmed for the American release in 2000
- Alternate Mandarin drinking scene (contains standard-definition inserts)
- Textless outtakes
- Chinese New Year messages recorded by Jackie for the Taiwanese and Malaysian openings
- Trailer gallery
- Image gallery
DISC 2 – RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (HONG KONG CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio and English (export dub) mono audio
- Optional English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Breakout! Part 2, a new featurette in which stuntman Mars, stuntwoman Kathy Hubble, martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker and critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film
- Rumble Recollections, an expanded interview with Hubble
- Alternate footage
- Textless outtakes
- Image gallery
DISC 3 – RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original English-dubbed lossless stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Electronic press kit interview with Jackie Chan
- Two scenes added for the network TV version with dubbing unique to this version
- US trailer and TV spots
DISC 4 – THUNDERBOLT
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the uncut 110-minute International Cut
- Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio, English (export dub) stereo audio and English (US dub) DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
- Optional English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- 97-minute Japanese Cut with lossless Cantonese/English sync-sound stereo audio (high-definition only)
- Brand new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Breakout! Part 3, a new featurette in which stuntman Mars, critics David West and James Mudge, and dubbing supervisor Paul Clay look back at the film
- A Thunderous Presence, an expanded interview with Clay on his collaborations with Jackie Chan
- Alternate English export credits
- Textless outtakes
- International trailer
- Japanese trailers
- Image gallery
DISC 5 – POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE (HONG KONG CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo and Mandarin (dubbed) stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Breakout! Part 4, a new featurette in which critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film
- Textless outtakes
- Image gallery
DISC 6 – POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original English-dubbed lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Striking Back, a new interview with martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng
- Scenes added for the US network TV version with dubbing unique to this version
- US trailer
DISC 7 – MR. NICE GUY (JAPANESE & HONG KONG CUTS)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio for both cuts
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new commentary by critic James Mudge
- Breakout! Part 5, a new featurette in which stuntman Mars and critics David West and James Mudge look back at the film
- Nice Thoughts, a new appreciation by martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng
- Alternate English credits
- Textless outtakes
- Original trailer
- Image gallery
DISC 8 – MR. NICE GUY (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- US trailer
DISC 9 – WHO AM I? (HONG KONG CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new commentary by critic James Mudge
- Breakout! Part 6, a new featurette in which critic James Mudge, actor Glory Simon and second unit cinematographer Ray Wong look back at the film
- From Drunk to Slam Dunk: Jackie Chan in the New Millennium, a new featurette in which Mudge, Simon, Wong, stuntwoman Kathy Hubble, stuntmen Wang Yao and Mars, critic David West and others look at Jackie’s career in the years since
- The Making of Who Am I?, a three-part archive behind-the-scenes featurette
- Alternate English credits
- Textless outtakes
- Original trailer
- Image gallery
DISC 10 – WHO AM I? (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Who, When & Where, an expanded interview with Wong
- Jostling with Jackie, an expanded interview with Simon
- US trailer
