Resist all you want, you will buy every disc featured in this guide. You cannot escape fate.
With the holiday meal in your rearview, this week offers up Wandavision, Barbarella, Tremors 2, The Sandman Season 1, The Monster Squad and so much more, what's on your dessert plate this Cyber Monday week?
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 26 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of November 26th - December 2nd, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
New releases this week actually consist of two television shows that originated on streaming services. Both of these are available on streaming with Dolby Vision, but the disc is in HDR10. A bit frustrating, but the discs should still look better.
First, Disney+ series WandaVision: The Compete Series.
And Second, Netflix series The Sandman: The Complete First Season and brought to us via Warner Bros..
On to catalog titles, somewhat alphabetically, somewhat by label.
From Arrow Video, a trio of releases, with several choices. First, Barbarella, the adventure/sci-film starring Jane Fonda. If you prefer an original poster cover version instead, you can get that from Arrow Video's Storefront.
Also from Arrow Video, Tremors 2. Again, a less teal colored cover art is available from the Arrow Video Store directly.
And lastly, somewhat of an oddity from Arrow Video, Michael Mann's Blackhat. What made it odd is that it appeard to have gotten a release, but then was held back so that they could add the Director's Cut to the blu-ray pack-in. Follow our link, read the review and decide for yourself. It has Michael Mann going for it, a blind buy by me.
Boutique label Severin Films has general releases of Count Dracula (1970) with Christopher Lee and 'cult/eurotrash' films Zombie Holocaust / Doctor Butcher M.D..
Shout Factory has Death Wish (2018) and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie coming to 4K disc this week.
Another well known boutique label, Vinegar Syndrome has 4 general release titles this week, Blood Sucking Freaks, East End Hustle, Mark of the Devil and Mother's Day.
Team Kino Lorber keeps pumping them out, this week look for The Monster Squad.
Paramount has a little comedy for ya with The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! starring Leslie Nielsen. Bring on the rest, and Airplane! while we are it it.
And the final 4K of the week, Discotek has Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994).
Next week might have fewer titles, but it doesn't mean a break for your wallet any time soon. The latest Indiana Jones, another season of Strange New Worlds, James Cameron's Titanic, and more!
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases includes WandaVision: The Compete Series, The Sandman: The Complete First Season, Barbarella, Tremors 2, Blackhat and The Monster Squad. That's quite a few actually.
There are a lot of blu-ray titles to get through this week, but almost every one of them is special interest. Here are some of the highlights.
From 20th Century Studios, A Haunting in Venice. The other two films of this series got 4K discs, just another frustration to air.
TV on disc includes Ancient Aliens Season 18, Monk: Season One and World on Fire: Season Two.
Anime highlights include Crying Freeman The Animated OVA Series, Fist of the North Star the Legends of the True Savior: Legend of Yuria/Legend of Toki and Management of a Novice Alchemist.
The Kino label has a few special edition releases this week, mostly upgrades in the bitrates (BD50 disc instead of BD25) and inclusion of a slipcover. Titles include The Carpetbaggers, The Conformist, The Emerald Forest, The Last Tycoon and Valmont.
As far as a Friday release, Amazon US will have Frank Herbert's Dune: Complete Collection available from Umbrella Entertainment.
As expected, last week was a slow week for announcement news.
Universal has a pair of announcements, The Exorcist: Believer will be released on December 19th, while Five Nights at Freddy's will release on December 12th. These are nearly zero-day announcements, as usual.
Our Amazon links for James Cameron's December batch of Avatar releases are live. Do check out the article for a refresher.
Arrow Video has revealed their February slate. For North America, blu-ray releases of Fear is the Key and The Shaolin Plot. For the UK, 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers in both 4K and blu-ray formats. Body Snatchers was done by Kino Lorber in 2021, the Arrow release of course offers the familiar fat-pack format. Other than that, it is unknown if the AV presentation will be any different.
We have also filled in the blanks on a couple of upcoming Kino 4K releases as details have become available.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Film Masters' next title in The Filmgroup series features Roger Corman's 1961 horror cult classic The Devil's Partner newly restored in 4K and will be available on Blu-ray on January 16.
The release will also include Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) plus a new interview with the legendary Roger Corman.
Release synopsis:
Corman and his brother, Gene, founded The Filmgroup to distribute their own films. While the company did produce the majority of its films, including the cult classic Creature From the Haunted Sea, it also occasionally acquired projects by other filmmakers, as is the case with The Devil's Partner (1961). From director Charles R. Rondeau, the film is a macabre tale of an elderly man who regains his youth after making a deal with the devil. During the summer and fall of 1961, the two films were often paired as a double feature.
Half Man, Half Beast, He Sold his Soul for Passion — Director/actor Edgar Buchanan (best known as Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction) appears in this supernatural thriller about an old codger trying to reclaim his youth, employing black magic to lure a woman away from his rival. The film also stars Jean Allison, Richard Crane and Ed Nelson. This well-crafted, independent feature has been hailed for its atmosphere and as a pioneering film in the devil worshiping subgenre made popular in the ‘70s.
Made in 1958, The Devil’s Partner languished with no release date until it was picked up and distributed by The Filmgroup, becoming a steady presence on the drive-in circuit, often appearing in tandem with Creature from Haunted Sea, another Corman classic from the golden age of drive-in schlock.
This spoof of spy/gangsters/monster movies stars Anthony Carbone as a gangster and smuggler who decides to kill members of the ship’s bungling crew and blame their deaths on a legendary sea creature. What he doesn’t know is that the creature is actually out there! Also starring Betsy Jones-Moreland and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown) under the pseudonym Edward Wain.
The film was conceived when Corman finished shooting The Last Woman on Earth in Puerto Rico and discovered he had enough film left over to make another film. He enlisted long-time associate Charles B. Griffith, who—legend goes—had six days to write the script. Ever the pragmatist when it came to budget, Corman recruited locals to appear in this film as extras.
The Devil's Partner + Creature From The Haunted Sea Double Feature
The Blu-ray presents both films in their theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 plus 1.37:1 television format and supplements include:
Pre-orders for The Devil's Partner (1961) + Creature From The Haunted Sea (1961) Double Feature are up
Leave no schlocky film untouched. Leave no riff behind. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Season 14 is coming and you can help make it happen while enjoying the classic MST3K Turkey Day Marathon!
As we mentioned in our review of the Kickstarter Backer-exclusive of MST3K Season 13, this beloved cult classic show has survived and endured for decades. Moving from one network to another, moving from one streaming service to its own dedicated online theater, this show has gone on for thirty-five years and thirteen hilarious seasons. Like recent past seasons, a new crowdfunding effort is underway to fund Season 14. How many episodes will we get? Well, that’s all up to you and the rest of the Misties out there.
Just like past efforts, depending on if the campaign reaches $4.8 million, $6.1 million, or $7.4 million, fans will be able to enjoy either 6, 9, or 12 new episodes! On top of that we get new shorts, and more “surgically enhanced” classic episodes. If you’ve spent any time around the Gizmoplex, you may have noticed some of the classic episodes are curiously looking a little better these days - and that’s why. Not only could we get more new episodes but our past favorites can undergo a bit of a restoration effort so they’re in better shape than those tape masters of old.
Series creator and steward for this new generation of MST3K Joel Hodgson has already announced three of the intended targets for the new season - and they’re not resting on their laurels. As confirmed over at Movieweb, this next season will take on Roger Corman’s 1978 dystopian sci-fi B-movie gem Deathsport starring David Carradine and Playboy’s Claudia Jennings. Next up is another Corman classic and cult favorite Battle Beyond the Stars! But for the third announced film, they’re taking on the mother of all incredibly entertaining bad movies - Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space!
But those fan contributions are needed to get these (and hopefully many more new episodes) made. Moving away from Kickstarter to Showmaker, Joel and the crew behind the new MST3K have a new home for their crowdfunding effort. Click the SOL to see for yourself.
Now you can simply give a few bucks to help the cause, or you can sign up for a slew of perks and swag items to score you some sweet, sweet MST3K goodies or get exclusive access to production meetings or even set visits! There are digital-only options, Gizmoplex memberships, Sticker sets, Magnet sets, pins, hats, and of course, you can pre-order the Season 14 DVD or Blu-ray box set with proceeds going directly to the production. No fussy “backer level” unlocks to get certain items, you can pick and choose what you want (or nothing and just give them monies) and that’s how you help fund the next season!
And keeping with tradition - the MST3k Turkey Day Marathon will be underway this Thursday for a special 48-hour 24-episode run. So when you’re taking a break from stuffing your face and/or watching the Lions wipe the turf with the Packers (sorry Greenbay fans), you can click into your favorite streaming outlet and watch classic and recent episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It should be streaming on their various channels, but you add the ShoutTV app to your smart television or set box. You can go right to the MST3K website or you can check this handy chart for app availability:
That’s all the news that’s fit to print fellow misties. Remember to turn your lights down where necessary and share the tapes. Maybe this time next week we'll be celebrating the news that we've got more episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the way!
With Black Friday towards the end of the week, and the US celebrates the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, it is very uncharacteristic for so many 4K titles to be released on such a week. From the latest Expendables, the second half of Barbenheimer, the latest Saw film, catalog title with Richard Kimble, Stalag 17, and so much more! Did you save any money for your holiday meal, or Black Friday, or Cyber Monday? This week is another whopper!
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 25 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of November 19th - November 25th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
With new releases first, let's post them by order of Rotten Tomatoes scores.
It seems only fitting that the other half of Barbenheimer (Oppenheimer) takes first place under our Rotten Tomatoes (RT) criteria. This film ranked very high among audiences and critics (currently 91/93). Available in Standard Edition, Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and WalMart Exclusive Icon Edition packages. For an amusing image (and article) about Barbenheimer, head on over to Wired Magazine.
With two more new releases this week, you would be wrrriight if you guessed Saw X to have the higher RT score (89 audience/80 critics). Surprisingly, LionsGate did not opt for a SteelBook option here.
And lastly, Expend4bles (Expendables 4), with a bunch of well known talent, a terrible score of 14% among reviewers, but a 71% audience score. You can get this as a Standard Edition, an Amazon Exclusive and/or a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. Walmart also has a 4-film SteelBook collection of their own available as well. This franchise to me is like Lethal Weapon, Con Air or Armageddon, I watch them every so often, but leave any critical thinking at the door, and bring in the popcorn (or chicken wings or whatever is your fancy).
Before moving on to deep catalog titles, let's go back to 2022 and distributor CrunchyRoll for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. This one also has an Amazon Exclusive SteelBook.
Next from Universal, Love Actually, which is donning a 20th Anniversary Edition.
From Warner Bros and celebrating a 30th anniversary, The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Altrertantely, you can get this one as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
Mean Streets is available from Criterion Collection this week, and you guessed it, it had its 50th Anniversary. If swag is your thing, Second Sight UK has a fat-pack currently slated for January 15th which has the same source transfer, but with their usual swag packed edition.
From Kino Lorber, Stalag 17 with William Holden and Billy Wilder. And keeping with the theme, this one had a 70th Anniversary.
On to double-dips of sort. If you bought the Resident Evil Movie Collection a couple of years ago, now you can buy it all over again, but in a SteelBook Package and a Dolby Vision upgrade.
You can also get Train to Busan / Peninsula in a 2-film collection package.
Next week, despite conflicting with Cyber Week, there are actually *more* titles available than this week, Wandavision, Barbarella, Tremors 2, The Sandman Season 1, The Monster Squad and so much more!
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include Oppenheimer from Universal Pictures, Saw X and Expend4bles from LionsGate, Mean Streets from Criterion and Stalag 17 from Kino Lorber.
As far as blu-ray releases, someone did get the memo that this is a holiday week that includes Black Friday, so there are fewer titles to choose from.
From Janus Contemporaries via Criterion, The Eight Mountains, Tori and Lokita and Godland are available this week. Under Criterion's own label, La cérémonie.
Anime highlights this week include two super long titles, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?! Season 4 Part 1 and Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time Super Extra: Collector's Edition (SteelBook).
Under the Indicator Series label, look for The Criminal Acts of Tod Slaughter: Eight Blood-and-Thunder Entertainments this week.
Another box set delayed a little bit but available this week (I think), Doctor Who: Limited Edition Complete New Who Collector's Blu-ray Giftset.
The Police Academy Collection is available on the Shout Select label this week. Previously the only way to own these movies on blu-ray was to import them, I look forward to seeing how this set compares.
Also from Shout Factory, another box set, Farscape: The Complete Series. Again, same question arises, how does this one compare to the set released over a decade ago?
Honorable Mention: Not exactly AAA material, but Kino Lorber this week has Babes in Toyland. We've seen it on TV enough times, now we can get it on disc!
A very exciting story (for MANY of us) came out on Monday, I am referring to news about those James Cameron titles we have waited decades for! Yup, The Abyss, True Lies, Aliens. And, in a relatively short time, special editions of both Avatar movies. One thing Cameron movies have done to my wallet, they've made it a bit lighter. I have lost count how many time I have bought T2 over the years. Paramount already has Titanic slated for next month in two editions as well. According to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits, he said Dolby Vision is finally coming to the physical releases. Which, from Disney, no doubt a demand from Mr. Cameron! Even though the official press release says the 4K edition has Dolby Vision, so many times in the past that meant streaming 4K only, so thank you Bill for confirming it with 100% certainty.
Monday was also the chosen day for Criterion to announce their February slate. After Christmas was supposed to be a time to lick our financial woulds and it looks like Criterion has lined up January and February with some solid releases.
Vinegar Syndrome has reminded us that recovering from Christmas expenses might be pretty difficult, Subscriber Week runs January 1 - 7. Take a look at an aricle from Matthew Hartman a couple of years ago. It made me take the leap and subscribe, and I renewed the very next year, with plans on doing it again.
Paramount has announced that a 4K release of Varsity Blues will be available on January 9th.
Sony Pictures has announced a 4K SteelBook for The Raid: Redemption, with a street date of January 16th.
If you were wondering if Sony was going to release another Columbia Classics box set, wonder no more as Columbia Classics Volume 4 is arriving on February 13. Visit the link for the full press release.
Next week I expect this paragraph to be pretty empty, most studios are running on a skeleton crew, smaller labels are getting ready for Black Friday.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Yep, it's ramping up to be an expensive month for us collectors and enthusiasts. This week in 4K we see a bunch of SteelBooks that we were led to believe were Walmart exclusives, but aren't, an early Steven Spielberg movie titled Duel, Rudy, Equalizer 3 and more.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 24 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of November 12th - November 18th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
We have no import Monday releases to mention this week. Kicking off New Release Tuesday, The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington comes as a Standard Edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and as a 3-film Collection. This makes two weeks in a row that Sony breaks the mold and makes their SteelBook release a Best Buy Exclusive instead of a general release. WHY? Did they miss the memo that Best Buy is ending support for movie discs?
Next, from Warner Bros, The Nun II gets a standard edition release. Considered a relatively weak film in the franchise, we would still love to be able to get all of them in 4K. Plus you would get the completionists buyers too. Hint Hint.
Where to go from here with the hefty list if catalog titles? Why not Terms of Endearment, a "Highly Recommended" Paramount Presents release?
Last week had an early George Lucas film, this week we get an early Steven Spielberg release titled Duel. This one comes as a Standard Edition and as a Gruv Exclusive SteelBook and released by Universal Pictures.
Doubling back with Sony, NOT a retailer exclusive and returning to a normal Sony release pattern, Rudy dons a 4K SteelBook release this week. And sort of a double-dip, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse gets a Collector's Edition release this week.
Criterion Collection this week has The Last Picture Show.
First time to 4K disc, The Twilight Saga 15th Anniversary Edition gets a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook collection.
Now for that list of SteelBooks from RLJ & Image Entertainment that were originally listed to be Walmart Exclusive SteelBooks, Arizona, Color Out of Space, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (first time to 4K disc in the U.S.) and Sympathy for the Devil, which also debuts to 4K disc.
Next week there are three new releases (Expend4bles, Oppenheimer and Saw X), Harrison Ford stars as Richard Kimble, Stalag 17, Mean Streets and more!
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include The Equalizer 3 and The Equalizer 3-Movie Collection from Sony, The Nun II from Warner Bros. and The Last Picture Show from Criterion. Doubling back, The Equalizer 3 also has a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook option. Again, Walmart is opting for a blu-ray exclusive and not a 4K.
The rest of this category has got a decent quantity of releases this week.
From Sony Pictures Classics, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara to a catalog Tri-Star Pictures of Guarding Tess. Lookie, a third release from Sony's catalog, Johnny Five in Short Circuit 2.
Under the LionsGate label, a week almost never passes without an action/thriller release. This week look for Desperation Road in a DVD case that also includes the blu-ray and digital. Still unsure of the strategy of their recent blu-ray in a DVD case releases.
The next Vestron Collectors Series release via LionsGate comes out this week, Blue Steel with Jamie Lee Curtis.
Anime highlights include Bluelock Part 1, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Set 16, and a live-action title Spirited Away: Live on Stage.
Under the Warner Archive Label this week, look for In Love and War and Rapa Nui.
For All Mankind: Season One debuts to disc as well this week. This is the more recent highly rated TV series from Apple TV.
More TV on disc includes Justified: City Primeval Season One from Sony and Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series from Universal.
Shout Factory has martial arts action with The Sonny Chiba Collection: Volume 2.
Just like the last entry in the 4K releases section above, RLJ and Image Entertainment has blu-ray SteelBooks (not Walmart exclusives) for Bone Tomahawk, Clean, I Kill Giants, PG: Psycho Goreman, Vesper and Werewolves Within .
Extra Special Interest: This week the Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection (Walmart Exclusive) streets. If I had a spare $1.5K laying around, I would seriously consider grabbing it.
Next week in the blu-ray category we get sort of a break. Some of us will need it because there is a little think called Black Friday!
Paramount has revealed 4K and blu-ray discs for Pet Sematary: Bloodlines with a December 19th street date. I find it a pleasant surprise to see a 4K of this.
Sony has revealed that Spike Lee's School Daze 35th Anniversary Edition will be getting a 4K release on December 12th.
This section might be a little weak this week but believe me, it's not doom and gloom. There were a lot of smaller announcements and reveals during the week. Check out our release calendar for updates.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Turbine returns to the action-packed world of David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight with a new
swag-free Knight Rider: Special Edition Blu-ray collection!
Around this time last year German label Turbine Medien unleashed a massive (in size and scope) Knight Rider: 40th Anniversary Edition featuring every episode fully restored spread over 20 discs with two discs reserved for the follow-up films, the short-lived Team Knight Rider series, with an extra disc with over three hours of bonus features on top of posters, books, and a bunch of swag items. It was a lot and commanded a pretty hefty price tag. Now fans of the series anxious to get their hands on the excellent Blu-ray discs can now pre-order the stripped-down special edition. Reduced to the same 20 discs fo the main series and an additional Blu-ray for all of the same excellent extra features content, the set ditches the swag items, Team Knight Rider as well as the rather uneven follow-up TV films. Best of all for collectors, the price point is half the cost of the still available and very awesome 40th Anniversary Collection. Here's a look at what this set has to offer:
He's coming. A car, a computer, a man. Knight Rider!
Michael Knight and his talking wonder car K.I.T.T. hunt down criminals of all kinds on behalf of the Law and Constitution Foundation. The team includes Foundation director Devon Miles, computer experts Dr. Bonnie Barstow and April Curtis, and brave driver RC III. Together, they fight against Goliath, K.A.R.R. and numerous other villains to ensure that justice prevails.
20 Blu-ray Discs offer the classic series - uncut and with complete dubbing.
Bonus Blu-ray with three hours of world-exclusive interviews with the creators and much more.Special Edition with world-exclusive retro artwork by Paul Shipper.
Specifications:
Bonus material:
+ Bonus Blu-ray with brand new world-exclusive interviews (HD, approx. 3 hours):
- Stu Phillips (composer - approx. 11 min.)
- Steven E. de Souza (Producer & Writer - approx. 32 min.)
- Rebecca Holden (Actress - approx. 25 mins)
- Jack Gill (Stunt Coordinator & KITT Driver - approx. 34 mins)
- Tom Greene (Producer & Writer - approx. 50 min.)
- Deborah Davis (author - ca. 17 min.- Knightcon 2011 - with Tom Greene (ca.
28 min.)
- myKITT.de - The fulfillment of a childhood dream (approx. 13 min.).
- Universal Archive (approx. 30 min.):
- Knight Rider - Under the Hood (approx. 16 min.)
- Knight Stunts (approx. 6 min.)
- Knight Sounds (approx. 7 min.)
- Sketch gallery (approx. 3 min.)
- Photo gallery (approx. 3 min.)
+ Audio commentary on the pilot by David Hasselhoff and Glen A. Larson.
All features with optional German & English subtitles.
Number of discs: 21 Genre: Action
The set is set to start shipping on November 23rd - so get those pre-orders in now before you over-commit to holiday shopping for friends and family!
Unlike last week, this week is a walk in the park for 4K titles. As we hinted last week though, there are still a few worthy titles to ponder. From George Lucas' beginnings, a video game adaptation of a different color with David Harbour, David Harbour in a Santa suit, and more! If you have not done so already, read Matthew's article about how ooooooows AND aaaaaaahs this month is going to have!
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 23 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of November 5th - November 11th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Import Monday begins with an anime 4K, Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water: Part 1 - Limited Edition. I wish I had more info to share, part 2 (coming next month) appears to NOT be a Limited Edition. To make it even more confusing, there's an Ultimate Edition release on Thursday that is Part 1 and Part 2 together. I've already taken one for the team, so one would guess GKIDS will announce something soon.
Domestic Tuesday's new release is for Gran Turismo starring David Harbour. This one is available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook, which is actually out of the norm for Sony (SteelBook, normal, Best Buy, not).
Next on the semi-new release list, Violent Night, with more David Harbour action. This one appears to be a true 4K release and not an MOD release, and is available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
Under the Shout Select label, Fargo finally sees light of day. This one was hinted (but not announced) quite early in the year.
One of George Lucas' early success stories was with American Graffiti. And this one is available as a standard edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook.
How about some Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd fun with Trading Places from Paramount?
And a little more comedy with Scrooged, also from Paramount.
Sony's next batch of 4K with Dolby Vision Upgrades in a SteelBook package are available this week, Black Hawk Down and The Guns of Navarone.
And NOT a Dolby Vision upgrade from Universal, Scarface is available as a double-dip in a Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook option.
Next week, a bunch of SteelBooks that we thought were Walmart Exclusives, but are not. Also, Stephenie Meyer series in 4K, Equalizer 3, Terms of Endearment, Nun 2, Duel, and a return of wallet-busting action!
Blu-ray counterpart of the above titles includes just Sony's Gran Turismo, available as a Standard Edition and as a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook (this makes two weeks in a row now that the Walmart Exclusive has not been 4K).
Like the 4K category, this week there is a slight dip in the number of blu-ray titles released this week.
New comedy/drama from Sony titled The Miracle Club. Does releasing a 2023 film under the "Sony Pictures Classics" label allow them to opt out of a digital code?
Paramount is tugging at your purse strings in several ways. First, the collectible mega-set Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection. It is a handsome looking set, but what would sell it to me is if they sold it is a hybrid 4K and blu-ray set like LionsGate did with Evil Dead.
And next, a pair of South Park releases, South Park: The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season and South Park: The Streaming Wars.
Anime highlights include Beast Tamer: The Complete Season, Classroom of the Elite Season 2, More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers. and My Dress-Up Darling: The Complete Season, which is available as a Standard Edition and as a Limited Edition.
Fortunately for us, a week doesn't go by without a Criterion Collection release. This week look for Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar.
LionsGate this week is offering Clerks I-III Premium Box Set. Just my opinion, but to me this set would be "premium" if it were 4K. It certainly is an interesting looking set though.
Honorable Mention: The Universal MOD label (think Warner Archive Collection, but Universal) has a handful of Marx Brothers releases this week. They include Animal Crackers (1930), The Cocoanuts, Duck Soup, Horse Feathers and Monkey Business.
Special Interest title this week, The American Buffalo - A Film by Ken Burns is certainly worth checking out, if that is your area of interest.
Shout Factory has revealed their January line-up. Although there are no 4K titles in the batch, there are a few that are definitely worth checking out. A couple of the titles feature Charles Bronson or Chuck Norris, and no doubt the budgets were a bit low for these productions that a 4K doesn't make sense. Titles include Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, Forced Vengeance, Funeral Home, Jennifer 8, St. Ives, Street Girls, Telefon and (Stephen King's) Thinner.
Which titles are you buying this week? Which ones are on your wishlist, be it to buy as an impulse buy or to wait for the right price?
Before the MCU, after The Incredible Hulk, Marvel made three of the weirdest wildest made-for-television comic films ever! Witness the first appearance of Doctor Strange on Blu-ray and Reb Brown's plastic-clad Captain America and Captain America II on DVD!
Not to simply bring these deep-cut fan favorites to disc, Turbine offers three stylish Mediabooks. All three films appear in each set, so you have to decide which cover is best for your collection... or get all three! Honestly, it's impossible to pick just one so buying all three is rather sensible if you think about it not from a financial perspective but from saving yourself mental anguish. That said, I'd be happy with any one of these, but I'm partial to the Captain America II if for no other reason it replicates the international posters with Reb Brown right out there in the flesh. But then you've got that Frank Bruner-inspired Doctor Strange art and that first Captain America that looks like a stylish mashup of old-school John Romita and Steve Ditko. Too many choices... so yeah just get all three while you can! Each cover has a limited run of 500 units so move fast! Each set comes with a 56-page booklet by Tobias Hohmann on the origin story of the Marvel heroes and the film adaptations.
Marvel Origins Vintage Collection - All Three Mediabooks
Marvel Origins Vintage Collection - Doctor Strange Mediabook
Limited 500 Units
Marvel Origins Vintage Collection - Captain America Mediabook
Limited 500 Units
Marvel Origins Vintage Collection -Captain America II Mediabook
Limited 500 Units
Technical specifications:
Bonus material:
All sets are up for pre-order right now!
The family-friendly film will make the perfect stocking stuffer for the kids this holiday season when it arrives on Blu-ray on December 12. Digital is now available.
When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! But they face their mightiest challenge yet when the pups' archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a mad scientist, to steal the superpowers for themselves. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it's too late.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie - Blu-ray
Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include:
Pre-orders should be available any day now and here is the full press release:
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Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia - the sequel to the Academy Award nominated Ernest & Célestine is headed for Blu-ray on January 16th. The film will be available on digital platforms on December 9.
Ernest and Celestine return in this delightful and joyous follow-up to their first Academy Award®-nominated adventure, where the bear and mouse became the unlikeliest of friends. When Celestine accidentally breaks the beloved violin of her grouchy companion, they embark on a journey to Gibberitia, home to the only artist who can repair it as well as Ernest's family. But when the duo arrives, they are shocked to discover that all forms of music have been banned for many years and the land once known for its incredible musicians has fallen silent. It is up to Ernest and Celestine and their new friends, including a mysterious masked outlaw, to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.
From the producers of The Triplets of Belleville, Ernest & Celestine, and The Secret of Kells, the cheerful Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia was co-directed by Julien Chheng (Star Wars: Visions), and Jean-Christophe Roger (New Adventures of Lassie). It has become a fan favorite thanks to its uplifting tale and two characters that everyone can enjoy.
Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia - Blu-ray
Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia Special Features
Pre-orders for Ernest & Célestine: A Trip to Gibberitia will be available in the coming days and the release will be in stores on January 16.
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GKIDS Presents ERNEST & CELESTINE: A TRIP TO GIBBERITIA, THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE ACADEMY AWARD®-NOMINATED ADVENTURE ERNEST & CELESTINE, COMING TO BLU-RAY™ ON JANUARY 16 On January 16 the beloved cinematic characters Ernest & Celestine are back with Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia arriving on Blu-ray™, from GKIDS with distribution from Shout! Studios. Special features include a Making Of, interviews with cast and directors, and more. Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia is available for pre-order now from GKIDS.com/store, ShoutFactory.com, Amazon.com, and other retailers. The film will also be available on all major digital platforms beginning December 19. Ernest and Celestine return in this delightful and joyous follow-up to their first Academy Award®-nominated adventure, where the bear and mouse became the unlikeliest of friends. When Celestine accidentally breaks the beloved violin of her grouchy companion, they embark on a journey to Gibberitia, home to the only artist who can repair it as well as Ernest's family. But when the duo arrives, they are shocked to discover that all forms of music have been banned for many years and the land once known for its incredible musicians has fallen silent. It is up to Ernest and Celestine and their new friends, including a mysterious masked outlaw, to bring music and happiness back to the land of bears.
From the producers of The Triplets of Belleville, Ernest & Celestine, and The Secret of Kells, the cheerful Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia was co-directed by Julien Chheng (Star Wars: Visions), and Jean-Christophe Roger (New Adventures of Lassie). It has become a fan favorite thanks to its uplifting tale and two characters that everyone can enjoy. Ernest & Celestine: A Trip To Gibberitia Special Features
About GKIDS Celebrating its 15th anniversary, GKIDS is the producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. Since 2010, the company has scored an astounding 12 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations with The Secret of Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in 2014, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea in 2015, Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There in 2016, My Life as a Zucchini in 2017, The Breadwinner in 2018, Mirai in 2019, and Wolfwalkers in 2021. GKIDS also handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others; as well as the critically acclaimed television series, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION.GKIDS also hosts ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF), an annual LA-based film festival which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions www.gkids.com |
