Posted Sun Nov 5, 2023 at 09:00 AM PST by D. LaFontaine
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?
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.
