I was never a big fan of westerns. I would like to say that this has something to do with the treatment women and indigenous peoples get in these movies,but the truth is, I have been averse to the genreever since I was too young to even think about these things. Despite having grown up with a father who absolutely adores a good western—or perhaps precisely because of that, because of the overbearing presence of what my mother would call “dirty and dusty men” in my childhood home—I have grown up completely uninterested in stories about cowboys and whatnot. And, yet, every now and then, I watch a western that I absolutely love. It’s usually a more revisionist take on the genre, fromJohn Ford’s classicThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceto the BBC and Prime Video’s miniseriesThe English. Most recently, I have become enamored with two movies:Kelly Reichardt’s quiet 2019 tale about friendship,First Cow, and, of course,Martin Scorsese’s 2023 drama about the systematic murder and disenfranchisement of the Osage,Killers of the Flower Moon.All of these are great stories that I would love to have in my personal DVD and Blu-ray collection—that is, if I don’t already own them.
Having read this last line, the more physical media-oriented reader might have already picked up on the fact that one of the titles mentioned is not like the other. WhileThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,The English, andFirst Coware all pretty easy to come by on retail websites like Amazon,Killers of the Flower Moonstill hasn’t gotten a Blu-ray release despite having come out in theaters about a year and a half ago. To make matters worse, there isn’t even a release date on the horizon. And, as a matter of fact, it has recently been reported thatCriterion has reached out to Apple, the movie’s distributor, to oversee its Blu-ray release, but was shut down by the tech giant. So far, if you want to watch Scorsese’s contemporary classic, you either have to buy it on digital or stream it on Apple TV+.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Isn’t the Only Movie That Didn’t Get a Physical Release
This isn’t a first, mind you. While Scorsese’s other big streaming partnership, Netflix’sThe Irishman,did eventually get a physical release through the very same Criterion Collection,other platform-original projects haven’t had the same luck. Hailed as a horror gem, Disney’sBarbarianis yet to be seen by anyone on DVD or Blu-ray. The same can be said about Netflix’sI’m Thinking of Ending Things, an exploration of the void of existence by acclaimed indie directorCharlie Kaufman. These two, in fact, have been faring even worse thanKillers of the Flower Moon:while Scorsese’s picture at least has a European release that you can watch on certain devices,depending on where you are in the world,BarbarianandI’m Thinking of Ending Thingsdon’t even know what a DVD or Blu-ray disc looks like.
But so what? You might be wondering. You have all of these movies available to watch on streaming, and you may even buy digital copies to watch whenever you want. Sure,films bought on digital aren’t exactly yoursto do with as you please—you can’t sell them or even burn them to a disc to watch on an offline device—but it’s as good as it gets. They’re there at your disposal; what more could you want? Well, eventually, they might not be there anymore. As anyone with a Spotify account can testify,sometimes platforms lose the rights to a specific piece of media, and said media disappears from your library with no prior warning and no compensation.So, yeah, owning a movie on digital is definitely not the same thing as having it as part of your physical library.
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro’s First Collaboration Remains One of the Best Gangster Movies
Absolute cinema.
Sometimes, streaming platforms also decide to do away with titles for completely selfish reasons. We have all been followingDavid Zaslav’s purge of Max’s catalog for tax purposes, a purge that has recently victimizedthe originalLooney Tunesseries, the very property that Warner Bros. became known for. In 2023,Disney removed over 76 titles from Disney+ and Hulu. Most were far from being hits or classics, but some,like theWillowTV seriesand theY: The Last Manadaptation, had considerable cult followings. The fact remains thatstreaming platforms might do away with your beloved favorite film or show whenever it strikes their fancy.
Thus,Killers of the Flower Moonbeing available on Apple TV+ is far from being enough. Sure, right now, the film is still drawing in audiences and, while sitting at the bottom of the list, remains on the streamer’s top 10 movies. However, what happens when it stops being all that attractive? Will it stay there, hidden in the depths of an ever-growing catalog? Or will it disappear as part of a cost-cutting measure? And with other copies of the film unavailable, what will happen if it eventually gets deleted? Will there be a kind soul to save the film,or will it be gone for good?
The Absence of Physical Copies Is a Preservation Issue
Such questions have led some creators, likeThe Haunting of Hill HouseandMidnight Mass’showrunnerMike Flanagan, to change their minds on a once-maligned kind of internet dweller: the pirates. In the face of Netflix’s decision not to release his showsMidnight MassandMidnight Clubon a physical format,the horror writer and director has changed his stance regarding piracy.Of course, he still very much supports viewers paying to watch their favorite movies and TV shows, but,on Tumblr, he also stated that, “if some studios offer no avenue for that kind of support and can (and will) remove content from their platform forever… frankly, I think that changes the rules.”
The 10 Most Surprising Movies in the Criterion Collection, Ranked
“Another fine addition to my Criterion Collection.”
The way Flanagan puts it, piracy becomes a sort of amateurish preservation of media. It is the only thing standing in the way of certain shows and movies disappearing for good.Or, at least, disappearing in the form that they now exist:as Flanagan reminds us, there have been cases of series getting their soundtrack changed because of licensing issues. And, to be fair,when it comes to television, things are even direr than when we’re talking about movies. The aforementionedMidnight Mass,Midnight Club, andWillownever got DVD or Blu-ray releases, and neither have other titles, such asStranger ThingsSeasons 3 and 4,Reservation Dogs, andThe Bear.
And, so far, we have only been talking about fan favorites and critically acclaimed stuff. But what’s stopping someone from enjoying a good season of Prime Video’sCruel Intentionsor a good two hours of Apple TV+‘sThe Gorgeon their own DVD or Blu-ray player? Should these series and movies be subjected to the whims of the platforms that now house them? Orshould theyalso be able to be rediscovered by future audiences in case the worst happens?
Depending on Where in the World You Are, Physical Releases May Be Hard To Come ByOver the Garden Wall | Official Trailer | Cartoon Network
This whole situation becomes even more complicated depending on where in the world you are. Right now, like previously mentioned, Americans can’t buy a physical copy ofKillers of the Flower Moon, but Europeans can. But, honestly,even if Criterion manages to release the movie on Blu-ray, I don’t know if I would be able to own it,for instance. Sure, I wouldn’t have a region problem,as South America is in the same region as the US, but I would probably have to import the movie. And that, well… That might prove to be a little less than ideal. For comparison’s sake, backwhen Max removedOver the Garden Wallfrom its catalog, I went looking for physical copies of the show. What I found would be worth about two weeks of groceries.
You may say that this is simply a matter of economics, that some things cost more in poorer countries, butsuch issues weren’t as common back when I got my copy ofThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.In fact, older, locally released DVDs can still be found by the same price as about a pack of beer. It is the fact that such physical releases have become rarer and restricted to certain parts of the world that makes everything so expensive. Thus, apart from a matter of preservation, having physical releases of shows and moviesis also a matter of keeping media accessible.So, by all means, let’s keep this discussion goinguntil I can get my hands on a copy ofKillers of the Flower Moon!Or until you can get your hands on a copy ofThe Gorge. Whatever floats your boat.
Killers of the Flower Moon
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
