Posted Sun Nov 1, 2020 at 12:00 PM PST by D. LaFontaine
Many of us have been looking forward to this week, for one reason or another. I'd proud to say I voted last week and look forward to the UPS truck on Tuesday as I am getting a much awaited delivery for one of this week's big releases! Welcome to Episode 24 of our weekly look at the highlights fn the week's home video releases.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases-
Winter is Coming, and no, I'm not trying to remind the Northern Hemisphere that December is coming, I am referring to this week's biggest 4K release, Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection. I'm just glad I wasn't assigned to do a review of this set, I have a full time job and do not exactly have 3 years of free time to work through it! Being offered as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook set and as a handsome looking traditional set, which one do you like the best? I hope that Warner Bros and Best Buy have learned from previous issues with mega-SteelBook sets and how easy they become damaged. For that matter, the standard set's weight might offer some challenges to any retailer that ships them.
Warner's other title this week is V for Vendetta. Like previous catalog title recent releases, this is being offered in a standard edition, as a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and as an Amazon Exclusive Giftset.
Lionsgate releases the suspenseful-thriller Antebellum this week.
For reissues this week, but this time in SteelBook packages, the comic book obsession superhero movie, Kick-Ass, a trip back to high school for Grease, the bio-epic Forrest Gump and the Transformers spinoff, Bumblebee.
HD Blu-ray/Digital releases-
A lighter than average week for Blu-ray releases.
Mentioned above, Antebellum also gets a Blu-ray release this week. Former soap opera star, Bruce Willis still remains busy these days, this week expect to see Hard Kill debuting on Blu-ray.
From Sony, the Complete Third Season of The Crown. Also debuting to Blu-ray, the late Robin Williams' Man of the Year.
Warner Archive is releasing Josie and the Pussycats: The Complete Series this week. For live action, a James Stewart classic title The Mortal Storm.
From Arrow Video, Lake Michigan Monster. I particularly mention this as I follow most films that are any bit related to H.P. Lovecraft.
Kino Lorber continues to release some well known classics every week, but the one that catches my eye this week is not a classic at all, I am referring to 2016's The Veil.
Anime highlights of the week... If you wanted a more expensive (but classier) way to get all the seasons of Dragon Ball Z, this week FUNimation releases Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3 as SteelBook editions. It looks like these are here to stay as they've already announced through Season 7. The description of Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit gives me a Law & Order TV show sort of vibe, I doubt they use the 'doink doink' sound between scenes though. Viz is releasing Naruto: Set 1. I had never realized with so many Naturo releases that the actual series had never been released on Blu-ray in this market.
For 'other than Tuesday' releases this week, there are a few, a Chuck Berry title and three arts releases
Notable announcements from last week:
Sony has chosen wisely when they changed the release date to the Resident Evil 4K movie set from November 3rd to November 17th. That week is still a bit tight for releases, but it's more managable.
Arrow Video is making the headlines again with Gamera. I personally pre-ordered the mega-set but never got it from Amazon, did they overbook? What's announced now are three SteelBook sets. Gamera: The Heisei Era, Gamera: The Heisei Trilogy and Gamera: The Showa Era. The cover arts are decent, they sort of remind me of the styles used by Criterion for the Godzilla Collection recently released.
The below screen grab *might* be what the individual disc cases look like inside the Game of Thrones 4K Standard Edition set. The screenshot comes from Film Arena. I had both editions on pre-order, but am taking to the standard release more and more, especially if the internal covers resemble the ones below.
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? I am definitely getting Game of Thrones and I like to looks of both sets, so would I be crazy if I bought both versions? V for Vendetta is also a decent movie, if I see it at my local Walmart I might pounce on it this week, otherwise I might wait for a deal alert to pop up and order it online. I did opt for the DBZ releases, wish I had ordered the full set when it was offered by FUNimation. The wishlist contains Naruto Set 1, Special 7, They Reach and The Veil.
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.