Now streaming on Netflix, Train Dreams is based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella, a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist of the same name which was originally published as a short story in the author’s 2002 collection, The Paris Review.

Adapted for the screen by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing) and directed by Bentley, the film mostly follows the events of the novella about a man who lived from 1896-1968. The film makes him eight years older, giving his age at death as 80.

The man, Robert Grainier, was a logger and railroad and worker who led a life of unexpected depth and beauty despite unbearable tragedy. He is played by Joel Edgerton, the Australian born actor who has been giving memorable on-screen performances for more than two decades.

Often in understated roles, he is sometimes overshadowed by more demonstrative co-stars such as Chiwetel Ejiofor in Kinky Boots, Nick Nolte in Warrior, Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom, Michael Shannn in Midnight Special, Ruth Negga in Loving, Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman in Boy Erased, Sigourney Weaver in Master Gardener, and Callum Turner in The Boys in the Boat, but not this time.

The spotlight is clearly on Edgerton in this one despite an impressive supporting cast that includes Felicity Jones as his devoted wife, William H. Macy and John Diehl as old lumberjacks facing senility, Nathaniel Arcand as his Native American friend, Alfred Hsing as the Chinese laborer who tragic death haunts him, and Kerry Condon as an accomplished independent woman he meets late in life.

The film’s beautiful cinematography by Alphonso Veloso (Jockey, haunting musical score by Bryan Dessner (Cyrano, and title song by Nick Cave (Hell or High Water) are award-worthy as are the film, its screenplay, and above all, Edgerton’s performance.

Three legendary films have been given a 4K UHD upgrade.

A major 4K restoration was given the Magnascope roadshow version of Howard Hughes’ 1930 film, Hell’s Angles.

The film itself was a landmark aviation epic that featured daredevil aerial sequences and a nervy pre-Code punch years ahead of its time.

The story centers around two British brothers recruited into the Royal Flying Corps at the outbreak of World War I. James Hall is the sensible older brother and Ben Lyon the devil-may-care younger one. Jean Harlow, in her breakthrough role, is the blonde bombshell Hall treats as a lady and Lyon as a slut he wants nothing to do with. John Darrow co-stars as a German college roommate of the brothers who is recruited by the German air force whose loyalties are with the British.

The aerial scenes were so dangerous to film that they resulted in the deaths of three pilots. They were so dangerous in fact that the filmmakers of Martin Scorsese’s Hughes biography, The Aviator of which the making of Hell’s Angels is a major plot point were unable to duplicate them seventy-four years later despite the advance in technology and screen special effects.

The film, released at the end of 1930, was the year’s biggest box-office success despite as it did after the release of three of the year’s more acclaimed anti-war films, Lewis Milestone’s All Quiet on the Western Front, James Whale’s Journey’s End, and Howard Hawks’ The Dawn Patrol. Edmund Goulding was the film’s original director but was replaced by James Whale and then Hughes who balked at the slow pace of both Goulding and Whale, who remains credited as the film’s dialogue coach.

Originally shot as a silent film, Hughes kept the action sequences but redid the dialogue scenes, replacing original leading lady Greta Nissen with Harlow with whom he was allegedly having an affair.

Although primarily in black-and-white, the film features several special effects in color and a huge party sequence in color which represents the only appearance in any film of Harlow in color.

Also newly released in 4K Ultra UHD are 1985’s Out of Africa and 1992’s Howards End.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa that I’d forgotten how strong the cinematography, editing, production design, costume design and score by John Barry were.

The film won seven out of the eleven Oscars it was nominated for, representing the only wins for Pollack who won for both Best Picture and Best Director. Meryl Streep, who played Karen Blixen aka Isak Dinesen, the acclaimed writer who once had a farm in Africa, was nominated but lost to Gerladine Page in The Trip to Bountiful. Klaus Maria Brandauer, who played her cuckhold husband, was nominated but lost to Don Ameche in Cocoon. Robert Redford, who played Streep’s big game hunter lover was not nominated.

James Ivory’s Oscar winning production of Howards End remains the best of the numerous versions of E.M. Forster’s novel available. It won its Oscars for Best Actress Emma Thompson, Best Screenplay, and Best Art Direction – Set Decoration. It lost Best Picture and Director to Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and Vanessa Redgrave lost Best Supporting Actress to Maria Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Costume Design, and Original Score.

Also in the case were Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter and Timothy West among many others.

The holiday season is upon us. It’s time to rewatch everything from Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving to The Apartment on New Year’s Eve. In-between be sure to rewatch Remember the Night, Christmas in Connecticut, The Bishop’s Wife and whatever your personal favorite holiday films may be.

Happy viewing.