Our favorite Irishman may not be treading the boards on Broadway much longer, but he is definitely lighting up our screens, so there is plenty of Gabriel Byrne to fill our hearts!

Five recent releases for Blu-Ray prove my point. From his current works to classics from the past, from Westerns to psychological studies to the twistiest heist film ever, Gabriel always shines.

Enjoy these gems, and the amazing extras that some of them offer, and remember: Christmas brings us the animated feature The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, so we have that gift coming to us very soon, too!

Lamborghini

Get the details at Blu-ray.com for Gabriel’s latest film, in which he plays Enzo Ferrari, the cosmopolitan and accomplished nemesis to Frank Grillo’s Ferruccio Lamborghini, the young upstart with big dreams. This is being heralded as one of the great car-maker rivalry films and I know I can’t wait to see it! The Blu-Ray hits the streets December 27, 2022. Zoom zoom!

Murder at Yellowstone City

It is funny that there are TWO Westerns on the list! This Blu-Ray was released in August. Gabriel’s recent foray into the Wild West of vast landscapes, two-bit saloons, and the battle between good and evil, which seems to be the centerpiece of so many films that make up this genre, was shot on location in Montana at a lovely new backlot. The story could surprise us, however. All signs point to a drama with shadier characters and softer moral ground than we might be used to. However it all plays out, Gabriel looks fine in that hat and I hope he enjoyed portraying the law in Montana during the spring of 2021. Check out the details at Blu-ray.com.

The Usual Suspects

Released October 25, this new offering gives you two treats in one: the 4K Ultra HD version of the film AND the Blu-Ray. So that’s very cool, and so is this film. We’ve been watching these crooks make their way through Christopher McQuarrie’s maze of a script for over 25 years now and it never gets old, does it? Nope. I find myself still watching closely for clues and hints and signs, and trying to figure out just where it all went so wrong, all this time later. THAT is a classic. This is one of Gabriel’s most popular films and it is fantastic to see it getting this special treatment. Go to Geek Vibes Nation to get all the deets and do it now, because you’re making me tired all over . . . wink

Spider

At the time it was made, Gabriel Byrne reported that his part in Spider was the most difficult role of his career. David Cronenberg left his special effects and his love for over-the-top psychological horror at home in Canada when he traveled to London to make this film with Gabriel, Ralph Fiennes, and Miranda Richardson. Working with Patrick McGrath, who crafted the script from his own heart-breaking novel, the director got superb performances from everyone–but none as nuanced and layered as Gabriel’s because, as Spider’s father, he is playing the past and the present, and some hallucination of his son’s as well! It’s lovely to see the film getting attention, 20 years later, because it deserves it. To be released December 13, 2022, you will find all of the details at Broke Horror Fan.

Dead Man

Jim Jarmusch’s instant classic–“a profound and unique revision of the western genre.”–is given a gorgeous restoration by Criterion in this 4K Blu-Ray set, says Entertainment Focus. The special edition features are incredible, including a new Q&A in which Jarmusch responds to questions sent in by fans, as well as rarely seen footage of Neil Young composing and performing the film’s score.

Get all the details at Criterion. Gabriel’s role in this film is essentially a cameo of the “blink and you will miss him” variety, but we know he had a blast making the movie, meeting Robert Mitchum, and working with this fine director. Plus: the hat! So adding Dead Man to your Byrne-ing collection is strongly advised!

What a list! And just in time for the holidays, too. Enjoy! heart