Ammar El Sherei was a popular performer and composer in Egypt for decades. Photo: Mazzika
Ammar El Sherei was a popular performer and composer in Egypt for decades. Photo: Mazzika

February physical media picks: Ammar El Sherei on vinyl, Amadeus 4K Blu-ray and Marvel for Dummies



As physical media continues its comeback, The National rounds up the best releases this month across film, music, art and more.

Ammar El Sherei – Music from the East

Egyptian musician and composer Ammar El Sherei was taught by the same school that trained Stevie Wonder. Photo: Mazzika

The late Egyptian musician and composer Ammar El Sherei's beloved album Music from the East has been reissued on vinyl for the first time since its initial 1976 release, by French label Wewantsounds. Blending jazz, funk and groove with traditional Arabic melodies, the album was a homage to Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, featuring some of his most famous songs including Enta Enta, El Kamh El Leila and Balad El Mahob, popularised by singer Umm Kulthum.

El Sherei's long career began humbly. He learnt piano, oud and composition through a correspondence course with the Hadley School for the Blind in America, which was attended by singer Stevie Wonder. Initially performing in bars and clubs in Cairo, El Sherei started writing songs for established artists in Egypt and quickly became a sought-after composer for film and television, specialising in instruments such as the Farfisa electronic organ.

The album pairs well with El Sherei's Oriental Music, reissued by the same label in 2020 and first released in 1976, which features such classic songs as Ahwak.

William Mullally, arts and culture editor

Juror #2

Warner Brothers elected to release Juror #2 in a very small number of cinemas. Photo: Warner Bros

The short-lived TikTok ban in the US might not have killed the platform but it did show how fickle our digital existence can be. Access to all these libraries of content that we take for granted can be shut off at a moment’s notice. One day it is TikTok, the next it could be Netflix or wherever you stream your favourite films. The same is sometimes true of cinematic releases.

Take Clint Eastwood’s recent Juror #2. Loved by critics – as well as acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, who made a point of supporting it – Warner Brothers elected to release the film in a very small number of cinemas. What could be 94-year-old Eastwood’s last film follows a jury member on a high-profile murder trial who has a shocking realisation. The cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch, Toni Collette and JK Simmons.

The corporate machinations that lead to limited releases or films such as Wolfs going straight to streaming mean Juror #2's Blu-ray release on February 4 is all the more symbolic. It is your chance to own an excellent film by one of American entertainment's most important figures, and no one will be able to take it away from you unless they fight you for it.

Nasri Atallah, Luxury editor

Kendrick Lamar’s GNX

Kendrick Lamar's chart-topping sixth studio album, GNX. Photo: Universal Music

A surprise release in November, the acclaimed rapper’s sixth studio album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, making it his fifth chart-topping album. It also received widespread acclaim, leading many music publications’ “best of 2024" lists.

The 12-track album features Heart Pt 6, a continuation of Lamar's The Heart series of tracks that have interspersed albums and releases over the past 14 years. He had to rename the sixth song in the series Heart Pt 6 after Drake released a single titled The Heart Part 6 as part of their much-publicised feud.

Still, GNX is full of musical gems, blending the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s mastery of lyricism with top-notch production that will keep you hooked from the first track, Wacced Out Murals.

David Tusing, assistant features editor

Amadeus

Milos Forman's film Amadeus is available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. Photo: Warner Bros Discovery Home Entertainment

My first standard Blu-ray purchase in 2010 was of Milos Forman’s Amadeus, a fictionalised biography of Mozart. Having collected DVDs for years, it was time to upgrade to the newest technology, and I decided it should be for a film that I had heard was visually striking.

Nothing could have prepared me for just how beautiful it was. Filmed in Prague, a city that was spared by German bombs in the Second World War, and in buildings that very much retain the authenticity of the epoch depicted, Amadeus is adapted from a play of the same name. It ponders an intense rivalry between Mozart and another musician, Antonio Salieri. In reality, this rivalry did not exist and their relationship was amicable. The film is compelling regardless of its historical legitimacy, and its incredible beauty can now be experienced in 4K.

Faisal Al Zaabi gaming and social media writer

Marvel Comics for Dummies

Marvel Comics For Dummies offers fans a shortcut to learn about the storylines, characters and connections in the comic book universe. Photo: Wiley

Most people love the Marvel universe – but how many actually understand it? From the elaborate and complex comics and the interconnected stories of the television and film adaptations, the Marvel world, while intriguing and entertaining, is also incredibly complicated.

Marvel Comics For Dummies is every fan’s shortcut to learn about the history, background, links and origins of characters and storylines. From heroes such as Iron Man, Wolverine and Black Panther to villains like Thanos and Loki, this book delves into the legends of these characters in incredible detail. The full-colour guide, created in collaboration with Marvel Comics, incorporates artwork and interesting insights to map the Marvel universe, which has been growing for more than 85 years.

Maan Jalal, arts and culture writer

Updated: January 24, 2025, 6:00 PM