There’s nothing like a good underdog story with a terrific director and phenomenal cast to get one excited about a new 4K restoration, especially for a movie without calls for a restoration. This release of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), a movie about the sleazy underdog who took the world by storm, includes a handful of new features along with a ton of archival features and a beautiful restoration. The only downside to this release is the movie itself, so, get ready to see Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) like never before in Arrow’s 4K restoration of The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Directed by Miloš Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Amadeus), the film focuses on Larry Flynt (Harrelson), the founder of Hustler magazine. It is about an underdog who grew up in Kentucky always skirting the law and eventually became a boss of a strip club. Nothing about his life was glamourous, but he was somehow destined to create a smuttier version of Playboy which skirted the law even more. While managing the strip club, he met his muse and love of his life, Althea (Courtney Love). Hustler forced its way into public discourse around the world because of nude photos of Jackie O which then resulted in a plethora of lawsuits about free speech and threats against Flynt’s life. Along for the journey is lawyer Alan Isaacman (Edward Norton) and Ruth Carter Stapleton (Donna Hanover) as Flynt brings his chaos to the judicial system in his fight for freedom of speech.

THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT 4K UHD edition packshot. Photo courtesy of Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group.

The restoration done by the team at Arrow is based on the 35 mm negative, giving The People vs. Larry Flynt the best presentation it’s ever had, and for it’s 30^th anniversary. There is HDR and Dolby vision to enhance the quality of the video presentation. The original lossless stereo audio and the DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound accompany the visuals, which works as this is a movie lacking any real features or musical notes (the score isn’t memorable and there is a lack of big audio pieces). The wonderful work by cinematographer Philippe Rousselot that juxtaposes the “American values” being argued against Flynt against his more rampant personality gets boosted by the clarity in the color scheme of the restoration. Everything, down to Flynt’s hair and the pop of blonde it gives off to the more muted background of the court settings, is presented brighter and warmer than in previous version. Even in the specific moment where he’s making a mockery of the United States wearing the flag as a diaper, the flag is not bright white, blue, and red, but rather muted to contrast against the outrageousness of Flynt’s persona. Truly, the 4K restoration breathes new life into a 30-year-old movie.

Now onto the special features. Aside from the physical goodies Arrow provides, reversible artwork and the collector’s booklet, the 4K disk comes with two archival commentaries with Harrelson, Love (Sid & Nancy), and Norton (Death to Smoochy) as well as a commentary from screenwriters Scott Alexander (Ed Wood) and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood). Only the 4K UHD disc houses the film with the accompanying Blu-ray holding just the special features. Joining the five archival features on the special feature disc are three new interviews — one with Harrelson (the most interesting and engaging of the three features); one with the ex-production president at Columbia Pictures, Lisa Henson, and producer Janet Yang (an interesting interview, but not as fun or engaging as the one with Harrelson); and a new interview with Alexander and Karaszewski.

Overall, between three new interviews and a plethora of archival features, this new restoration, which looks immaculate, makes adding this new Arrow release to your shelf a worthy purchase, however, the necessity of owning it before an inevitable sale seems to be a choice one should weigh, especially if this is a first-time watch.

The People vs. Larry Flynt Special Features:

4K UHD Disc

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio option
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archival audio commentary with cast members Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, and Edward Norton
• Archival audio commentary with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski

Blu-ray disc

• *NEW* Hail Larry, a brand new interview with lead actor Woody Harrelson
• *NEW* Satire in Satin, a brand new interview with Columbia Pictures’ ex-production president Lisa Henson and producer Janet Yang
• *NEW* Only in America, a brand new interview with screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
• À la lumière de l’évidence, an archival interview with cinematographer Philippe Rousselot
• Miloš Forman on The Charlie Rose Show, a 1997 interview with the director
• Free Speech or Porn?, an archival featurette about the making of the film
• Larry Flynt Exposed, an archival featurette narrated by Dennis Hopper
• Deleted Scenes with optional audio commentary by Woody Harrelson and Larry Karaszewski
• Theatrical trailer
• TV spots
• Image galleries, including the original script

Available on 4K UHD August 4^th, 2026.

For more information, head to the official Arrow Video The People vs. Larry Flynt webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment The People vs. Larry Flynt webpage.

Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews

Tags: 4K UHD, adaptation, Arrow Video, Based on a true story, Brett Harrelson, Columbia Pictures, Courtney Love, Crispin Glover, drama, Edward Norton, home release, home video, Hustler, Ixtlan Productions, James Carville, James Cromwell, Larry Flynt, Larry Karaszewski, Miloš Forman, MVD Entertainment Group, Phoenix Pictures, Richard Paul, Scott Alexander, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Vincent Schiavelli, Woody Harrelson