I’ve been a fan of Cameron Crowe since the first time I saw Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  Unlike most folks I was more interested in the writing than any other part of the film.  I followed Crowe to his next (and not nearly as good) film The Wild Life.   I honestly forgot about him during the five-year gap between The Wild Life and his directorial debut Say Anything...  After that I was hooked.  Say Anything... is still one of my favorite movies ever.  I loved Singles and Jerry Maguire as well.  As his films continued to come out you could see patterns developing.  It was clear there was such a thing as a Cameron Crowe movie, they all had elements in common.  

In 2000 we got the most Cameron Crowe movie of them all (and in my opinion the best film he’s done), Almost Famous.  Now just in time for the movie's 21st birthday we get an amazing Steel Book 4K version of the film chocked with so many extra things it made me light headed.   

For those unfamiliar the film is set in 1973 and while a work of fiction draws heavily from Crowe’s own life.  It follows 15-year-old William as he is hired by Rolling Stone to go on tour with up-and-coming band Stillwater.  He strikes up a friendship with the band and with “band Aids”, a group of women who follow the band from venue to venue.  Most of the stories in the film are based on Crowe’s experiences with Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.  The cast is stellar and includes Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Jason Lee and Patrick Fugit.   

As great as the movie is, the presentation is even better.  Starting with the box, which would make a great weapon if you had to defend yourself.  The cover image is different from the movie poster that has been used for the last 20 years.  It lets you know from the get go that something is different about this collection.  And then there’s the bonus features (and there’s a lot of them).  Deleted scenes, commentary tracks, behind the scenes features and most importantly the “Bootleg Version” which adds another 39 minutes of unseen footage to film. 

So, is it worth it?  If you’re a fan of the movie, the answer is definitely yes.  It’s fantastic.  I had a great time rewatching it and then going through all of the special features.  The only downside is now I have to find a way to talk my wife into letting me buy the vinyl boxset of the soundtrack that comes out next month. 

In addition to the new 4K release they are also releasing a new Blu-ray version as part of their Paramount Presents line. Grab your copy of the limited edition Almost Famous 4K and Blu-ray available now from Paramount Home Entertainment.