Posted Sun Oct 1, 2023 at 09:00 AM PDT by D. LaFontaine
If you shop 4K releases, this week could be just as painful to our wallets as last week. From HuluTV's Prey, Stephen King's The Mist, a new take on Universal Monsters, Disney 100 Steels and more, there is no doubt a lot of something for everyone.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 18 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of October 1st - October 7th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Nothing actually shouts New Release this week, but there are a few recent films getting 4K upgrades. This week we get to build a sandwich, which is a rare event actually.
First up and considered our first slice of bread, Import Monday brings us the next two "Vault Series" releases from Warner Bros/Universal.
Vault 007 is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Vault 008 is Apollo 13, with all kinds of well-knowns on both sides of the lens. Both of those releases are quite nice, do check it out. Universal is now releasing other collector-type sets in the US, dubbed Essentials Collection releases, they're not nearly as extensive or as pretty but it is a start. Warner Bros has yet to step it up, instead, we get barebones releases with hideous cover art.
Now for the filling on our sandwich. Disney's Fox division (20th Century Studios) is first on our docket. The 2022 Hulu TV Original movie Prey comes to physical media as a Standard Edition and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. To those out of the loop, this is a prequel film to the Predator franchise.
The next ingredient is Universal Pictures. Recent Blu-ray release The Black Phone gets a 4K upgrade.
Next up from Universal, It Came from Outer Space, with two different buying options. A standard 4K/3D/Blu-ray option and a similar but different release, but as part of the Essentials Collection line.
These Essentials releases seem to come in pairs, we also have the opportunity to purchase The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
A Limited Edition Collection of Universal Classic Monsters also streets this week. Amazon is currently showing unavailable, other merchants are likely to see limited shipments as it is not an Amazon Exclusive. Also being broken up from the last monsters set as singles releases, The Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy (1932) and Phantom of the Opera (1943).
Done with Universal and moving to Criterion, the Criterion Collection release this week is Don't Look Now. It took awhile from the StudioCanal UK release date, but we finally get it here in the end.
New horror/thriller from Lionsgate Talk to Me, which comes as a standard edition and an Amazon Exclusive. (Bet ya thought I was gonna mention a retailer exclusive SteelBook.)
Let's also eke out a pair of catalog skus from LionsGate, Stephen King's The Mist is available as a standard release and as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. On my video wall this get's filed under M, how 'bout yours?
The next batch of Disney 100 SteelBook at Best Buy also release this week, they are Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Moana.
From Scream Factory, Night Of The Demons gets that 4K with Dolby Vision upgrade.
Paramount keeps the momentum this week with Scream 3, available as a standard edition and as a limited edition SteelBook. You can also get the Scream: The Original Trilogy if you haven't been keeping up individually. To those other studios out there, this is how you do it. For a major/semi-major franchise, you don't release the original film, or a random sequel of that film to 4K and then decide to call it quits. We want to see the rest too.
Warner Bros releases a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook of Evil Dead Rise in a similar style as was the European release. I cannot confirm it but I believe this release actually has some extras on disc this time.
Now for that other slice of bread on the opposite side. Imports towards the end of the week include FOUR different editions of The Black Phone from Turbine Medien group.
And from Imprint Films, Cross of Iron starring James Coburn.
Next week we get Pumpkinhead, another recent wave Universal double-dip 4K upgrade, more Disney 100, the latest in the Transformers franchise, and more.
Can you say drought, as in Sahara Desert type of drought? That is what the Blu-ray category looks like this week. If you were a small label, this week would be the best week to get something out there.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above titles include Prey from Disney/Fox, Don't Look Now from the Criterion Collection and Talk To Me from LionsGate.
Great time to release new editions of Night Of The Demons 2 and Night Of The Demons 3, which come from Scream Factory by the way. My mini-rant above wasn't aimed at this series, carry on folks, nothing to see here except some decently produced sequels.
Netflix Original animated movie Animal Crackers comes to disc this week.
The LionsGate thriller of the week is Mob Land with John Travolta.
The anime RWBY: Volume 9 comes to disc this week.
Friday releases include Imprint Films editions of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Film Focus: George Peppard and Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles.
Turbine medien group has announced 4K editions of Renfield and Pearl for December street dates.
Arrow Video's December slate will incklude The Day of the Locust, Savage Guns: Four Classic Westerns Vol 3 and The Warriors. The Warriors will have a blu-ray edition, a 4K edition and an Arrow Store 4K edition. The UK market is also getting Child’s Play Collection in 4K. Just note that the original film is the 2012 MGM blu-ray, not a 4K. No doubt the original studio playing hardball and leaving Arrow with little choice what they can with this set. If I were to buy this set, it's pretty easy to swap out one disc, so it is still a viable option.
Second Sight UK will be releasing High Tension to both fat-pack and standard 4K releases on November 27. These frequently come in pairs so I wonder if there is another title I have missed at this point (?)
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?
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