{"id":61902,"date":"2014-04-23T09:00:05","date_gmt":"2014-04-23T16:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/?p=61902"},"modified":"2014-04-23T09:16:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-23T16:16:00","slug":"steelbooks-fox-2014-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/steelbooks-fox-2014-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"SteelBook Alert: You Betcha!"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I mentioned last week<\/a>, Fox’s upcoming wave of war movie SteelBooks in the UK doesn’t do much for me. Even if you feel the same, the studio has a lot more metal cases coming down the pike, and many of these have unique or at least interesting artwork.
\n<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Fox has a tendency to needlessly region-lock its Blu-rays. While some of these may actually be region-free, they’re all listed as Region B and I can’t confirm their coding myself. If you’re not capable of playing Region B discs, you should probably do some research online to determine their status. <\/p>\n

Alternately, if you already own some of the North American Blu-ray editions of these movies, you could buy the SteelBooks just for the cases and store the Region A discs in them. Sadly, most of these are awfully expensive for that.<\/p>\n

‘Fargo’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: April 7, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Conveniently timed to coincide with the new TV spin-off<\/a>, Fox (distributing for MGM) has reissued the Coen brothers’ blackly comic suspense thriller on Blu-ray. I’m not 100% certain that the UK SteelBook contains the new 4k remaster that was recently released in the United States, though I’d certainly hope so. If it’s the older Blu-ray inside, that disc had a pretty crappy video transfer. <\/p>\n

In the same vein as the “crocheted” case art on the new domestic release, the SteelBook has a kind of jokey, homemade appearance. Honestly, I’m not in love with it. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Miller’s Crossing’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

In contrast to the above, this SteelBook for the Coens’ gangster drama ‘Miller’s Crossing’ uses the standard theatrical poster art for the film. It looks a lot classier. On the other hand, the image has been overused on previous video editions and is a little boring at this point. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Fly’ (1958)<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: March 3, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a313.24
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

For a before-and-after double bill, try the original 1958 B-movie classic ‘The Fly’ followed by David Cronenberg’s thematically-rich, gross-out spectacular 1986 remake. Is it just me, or should the front covers on these two be swapped (minus the crude Photoshopping of Jeff Goldblum’s face)? <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Fly’ (1986)<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: April 7, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

This is sort of an interesting idea, but the pop art design doesn’t really suit the movie. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 26, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

A simple design and pretty good-looking, but I’m not a fan of the giant text. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Chariots of Fire’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Not bad, but a little dull. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Last King of Scotland’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

I don’t have strong feelings about this one way or the other. I guess it works. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Full Monty’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Meh, boring.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Rising Sun’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Why was this chosen for the SteelBook treatment? It’s a crap movie that can’t even move copies in $5 bargain bins, and Fox expects people to pay the equivalent of $33 USD for a collectible metal case edition? Dream on!<\/p>\n

And what’s with the interior artwork? I haven’t seen the movie in ages, but I don’t remember anything like that in it. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘The Hustler’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: June 2, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a319.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

A vintage poster design. Nice. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘House of Flying Daggers’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a320.75
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

While Sony distributes this movie in North America, Fox has the European rights. Be warned that the UK release has been censored by the BBFC to remove some shots of horse stunts that were deemed animal cruelty. Also, the video transfer looks just as shitty as the American release, so don’t get your hopes up on that front either. <\/p>\n

The SteelBook case art is perhaps a little too minimalist for my taste.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Big’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Looks pretty good. It works for the movie. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Speed’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

Too generic. This same design could be modified to fit any number of movies. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Vanishing Point’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

This is Quentin Tarantino’s favorite car chase movie, referenced numerous times in ‘Death Proof’. The art emphasizes the most important character \u2013 the car itself. <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Legend’<\/h2>\n

Available at: Amazon UK<\/a>
\nRelease date: May 12, 2014
\nPrice: \u00a318.50
\nRegion code: Listed as Region B<\/p>\n

So, is it intentional that both the front and back covers have a disturbing sexual vibe? Geezus\u2026 I’m both fascinated and repulsed.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I mentioned last week, Fox’s upcoming wave of war movie SteelBooks in the UK doesn’t do much for me. Even if you feel the same, the studio has a lot more metal cases coming down the pike, and many of these have unique or at least interesting artwork.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":61952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[7046,67,5351,1135,7311,7313,7310,3044,5227,3232,7312,6541,1428,1808,3826,7314],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61902"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61902"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62061,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61902\/revisions\/62061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.highdefdigest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}