Three of this year’s major Oscar nominees have just been given sparkling 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo releases. Universal is responsible for two of them, Wicked which it released theatrically, and Conclave, which was released theatrically by its subsidiary, Focus Features.

Wicked was a box-office phenomenon that quickly became the highest grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical upon its release on November 24, 2024. It later had a highly successful pay-per-view release through various streaming platforms prior to its home video release.

Stephen Schwartz’s musical version of Gregory Maguire’s novel, the author’s take on the legend of The Wizard of Oz, opened on Broadway in October 2003 and is still running. Its original cast included Idina Menzel as Elphaba who became the Wicked Witch of the West, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda who becomes the Good Witch, Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero, Christopher Fitzgerald as Boq, Michelle Federer as Nessarose, Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible, William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond, and Joel Grey as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Those roles are played in the film, respectively, by Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and Jeff Goldblum.

Nominated for 10 Oscars, the 2-hour, 40-minute-long film is just the first act of the play. The second act has already been filmed as Wicked: For Good and will be released as a separate film next November.

Like many, I was not a fan of the idea of splitting a 2-hour, 45-minute stage musical into two films, the first of which is just five minutes short of the total original. When I first saw it, I was not enthralled by the film which is largely just a buildup leading up to the show’s powerhouse signature song, “Defying Gravity,” and then ends just as the story really gets going. Seeing it for a second time in its 4K UHD glory, I found myself falling in love with it like most of the rest of the moviegoing world. With the subtitles turned on, I could clearly make out song lyrics and dialogue that I missed without them.

Universal’s release comes in two versions, the theatrical release and a sing-along version which I have yet to watch. In addition, there are over 60 minutes of bonus content including deleted and extended scenes. There are two commentaries, one featuring director Jon M. Chu and one featuring stars Erivo and Grande. This one is must-have as is Conclave.

Conclave has been nominated for 8 Oscars which shockingly don’t include a nomination for director Edward Berger whose impassioned commentary is almost as good as the film itself which is about the machinations behind the election of the next Pope.

Based on Robert Harris’ novel, Peter Straughan’s literate screenplay is a masterclass in the art screen writing.

The cast is headed by Ralph Fiennes who has finally gotten a third Oscar nomination in nearly thirty years after early nods for 1993’s Schindler’s List and 1996’s The English Patient. Passed over for the likes of 1999’s The End of the Affair, 2005’s The Constant Gardener, 2008’s The Reader, 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, and 2015’s A Bigger Splash, he’s been recognized for his portrayal of the cardinal in charge of the gathering of the cardinals who will elect the Pope.

A reluctant candidate himself, he is nevertheless a possible winner over liberal Stanley Tucci, conservative John Lithgow, and others. The film’s only other acting nominee is Isabella Rossellini, superb as a nun who stays in the background for most of the film but speaks up when necessary.

Extras include an informative documentary on the making of the film called Sequestered Inside Conclave

The third 4K UHD release of one the year’s Best Picture nominees is The Substance, the instant body-horror classic that is nominated for 5 Oscars.

A huge hit at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival as were fellow Best Picture nominees Anora and Emilia Pérez, the film directed by Oscar nominee Coralie Fargeat centers on Best Actress nominee Demi Moore as an aging and no longer popular Hollywood star who takes a substance that temporarily turns her into a younger version of herself played by Margaret Qualley with disastrous results. In this version of the age-old quest for the fountain of youth story, the two women share the same body a week at a time until the younger version wants more and the older version just wants her old life back.

The only extra on the MUBI release is a brief interview with Fargeat.

Also new to home video on standard Blu-ray is A Real Pain which is nominated for 2 Oscars, Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin and Best Original Screenplay by actor-writer-director Jesse Eisenberg who plays Culkin’s cousin.

Culkin’s role isn’t really supporting as both actors are on screen together for most of the film. Somewhat mismatched, they have gotten together for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who has recently died. Culkin’s character is outspoken and free-spirited, standing in stark contrast to Eisenberg’s reserved one. As they explore Poland with their tour group, they are forced to confront their relationship, revealing deep-seated pain and insecurity on both sides.

It may not sound like much of a comedy, but it is. Among those in the small tour group is Dirty Dancing legend Jennifer Grey unrecognizable as a suddenly older lady.

Extras include a documentary on the making of the film.

While 4K UHD upgrades of previously released material can be exhilarating, some upgrades are unnecessary. Take the Shout! Studio upgrade of Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers from 2023. It’s still a great film with instantly classic performances by Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph but it didn’t need to be spread out over two discs, with the film looking and sounding about the same in 4K UHD on one disc and the extras including its alternate ending on regular Blu-ray. The standard Universal Blu-ray of a year ago is just fine as it is with everything contained on one disc.

Happy Viewing.