Blu-Ray Review: Excellent Release For ‘Fight Club: 10th Anniversary Edition’

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CHICAGO – What took so long? Seriously, why are studios waiting so long to release some essential titles on Blu-Ray? Every time someone asks me why I think that Blu-Ray hasn’t taken off as quickly as some insiders expected, I have the same answer. “Because your favorite movie isn’t on Blu-Ray.” At least one of those “favorite movies” can be checked off the list with the release of “Fight Club” in a glorious tenth anniversary edition from Fox.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

What more is there to write about “Fight Club”? It’s almost more interesting to think about the ten years that have passed and the influence that the film has had on the ’00s and what happened to the key players since. Helena Bonham Carter was an intriguing supporting actress then and her status hasn’t really changed. Brad Pitt hadn’t even met Angelina Jolie (as far as we knew) and he was just developing into the intriguing actor who would team up with David Fincher again less than a decade later on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. Most disappointing is how the once-great Edward Norton hasn’t really delivered on his potential with few great performances and a few bad career choices post-“Fight Club”. Oh, and Fincher would go on to make the massively acclaimed “Button” and the spectacular “Zodiac”. “Fight Club” was a starting point in so many ways.

Fight Club was released on Blu-Ray on November 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox Home Video

Of course, it is also a great film regardless of the influence it had or the work that its contributors would have in the ten year since its release. “Fight Club” is a remarkably timeless examination of consumer culture and the role of the aplha male that has lost absolutely none of its power. There have been several “10th Anniversary” editions released this year and arguably none of them look as much like they could come out in 2009 as much as “Fight Club”. If you don’t believe me, go take a look at “American Beauty” again and tell me which film looks more ahead of its time.

The Blu-Ray release of “Fight Club” presents the film in 1080p with a widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Special features include a remarkable four commentary tracks - one by Fincher, one by Fincher, Pitt, Norton, & Bonham Carter, one by writers Chuck Palahniuk & Jim Uhls, and one by production designer Alex McDowell, director of photography Jeff Cronenweth, costume designer Michael Kaplan, and Kevin Haug. Exclusive to Blu-Ray are “A Hit in the Ear: Ron Kylce and the Sound Design of Fight Club,” “Flogging Fight Club,” and “Insomniac Mode: I Am Jack’s Search Index”. Previously available and imported bonus material includes behind-the-scenes vignettes with multiple angles and commentary, deleted and alternate scenes, trailer, TV, and internet spots, PSAs, music video, promotional galleries, art galleries, and more.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com