Before Adam Sandler created the hard-nosed hockey player turned golfer for 1996’s Happy Gilmore, or the lovable Robbie Hart for 1998’s The Wedding Singer, he was the goofy Billy Madison in the 1995 film of the same title. Sandler’s first major starring role in a feature film (minus 1989’s Going Overboard), and following a successful run on Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison was also his gateway into becoming a massive film star. As a matter of fact, with Billy Madison as the anchor, over the next twenty years, Sandler’s films were some of the most successful worldwide.
Proving that everyone enjoys a good laugh, Sandler’s Billy Madison certainly offered that in every way possible. A privileged son of a wealthy hotel company owner, Billy Madison is a lazy, immature, somewhat dimwitted individual. In his late twenties, he sits around all day getting drunk, hanging out with his friends, and without a care in the world. Then, when it is learned that his dad will hand over control of Madison Hotels to weaselly Vice President Eric Gordon (played by the award-nominated Bradley Whitford), Billy is determined to prove he can be responsible. How does he do this? He volunteers to re-enter grade school, pledging to pass all grades in less than a year. From here, Billy Madison is on a mission to graduate, but is he just too goofy to get to the finish line?
A hilarious exhibition of a grown man acting as childish as kids who are a decade or two younger than him, there is still something endearing about Billy Madison in the whole process. Also starring Bridgette Wilson (known for other films like 1997’s I Know What You Did Last Summer and 1999’s Love Stinks) as Billy’s third-grade teacher, Veronica Vaughn, you also have the late, great Comedian Norm Macdonald, among others, filling out the cast.
Originally released in theaters on February 10, 1995, while some critics panned the film, it achieved significant box office success and remains a fan favorite Comedy to this day. Widely available on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray through the years, now celebrating a 30th anniversary in 2025, Billy Madison makes it to 4K Ultra HD for the first time.
Released to the format on July 29, 2025, through Kino Lorber, it is a two-disc set, with one disc containing the 4K Ultra HD copy and the other the Blu-ray copy. Great for those who want 4K UHD quality, but might only have a Blu-ray player, each disc presents the film in pristine fashion with HDR/Dolby Vision Mastering from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. A significant upgrade, it is evident in the color, contrast, and lighting throughout the film.
Beyond this 4K Ultra HD treatment, there are also deleted scenes and outtakes, commentary from Director Tamra Davis, and a new audio commentary from Author/ Filmmaker Bryan Connolly and the Billy Gilmore Podcast Host Wilson Smith. Put together with a nice slipcase with the original film art, the inner sleeve mirrors this, while the case itself is solidly constructed, unlike some more cheaply made ones on the market. So, if you believe that Comedy in 4K Ultra HD is not worth the time, think again, because Billy Madison looks better than ever. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Kino Lorber’s 4k Ultra HD release of Billy Madison 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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