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2020 Holiday Gift Guide - Pandemic EditionIt's time to hunker in your bunker this holiday season and do your best to spread some holiday cheer - while you try not to spread anything else. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic obviously has put a damper on the traditional holiday get-together where everyone travels from miles around to gorge themselves on an impressive spread. While delivering a full turkey dinner complete with trimmings isn't feasible for everyone; if you're looking to send someone something special - or treat-yo-self for getting through an incredibly tough year, there are options. With most movie theaters across the country closed or only showing a scant few films, the big studios dug deep into their catalogs and pull out a lot of hits for new 4K UHD Blu-rays or give fan favorites their first outing on Blu-ray. And with that, let's dig into our list High-Def Digest's 2020 Holiday Gift Guide Pandemic Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray Box Sets While 2020 may have been a bit of a challenge for movie theaters to get hot new titles, 4K UHD Blu-ray fans were treated to a number of in-demand fan-favorite franchises all conveniently packaged in deluxe box sets. If you have someone on your list needing the latest and greatest release of their favorite movies, here's a list of the essential 4K UHD box sets that came out in 2020: The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBookPre-Order The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy 4KUHD Blu-ray Gift Set The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order The Hobbit Motion Picture Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Back to the Future: Ultimate Trilogy - 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Back to the Future: Ultimate Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Back to the Future: Ultimate Trilogy 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection - 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Game Of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Game Of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Columbia Classics 4K UHD Blu-ray Collection: Volume 1 Buy the Columbia Classics 4K UHD Blu-ray Collection: Volume 1 Resident Evil Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Resident Evil Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Rambo The Complete SteelBook Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Rambo The Complete SteelBook Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Stanley Kubrick 3-Film 4K Collection Buy the Stanley Kubrick 3-Film 4K Collection Ip Man 4-Film Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order the Ip Man 4-Film Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 9-Movie Collection 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Star Wars The Skywalker Saga 4K UHD Blu-ray 4K UHD Blu-ray With a lot of extra time spent in the home theater, 4K UHD Blu-ray fans have had a great year for catalog releases. While the franchise box sets were terrific, there were some amazing individual releases that 4K UHD adopters gobbled up and would make great gifts. Jaws 45th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Jaws 45th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Jaws 45th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook 1917 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy 1917 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the 1917 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Parasite 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Parasite 4K UHD Blu-ray Knives Out 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Knives Out 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Knives Out 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Spartacus 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Spartacus 4K UHD Blu-ray Ford V. Ferrari 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Ford V. Ferrari 4K UHD Blu-ray Beetlejuice 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Beetlejuice 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Beetlejuice 4K UHD Blu-ray Gift Set Buy the Beetlejuice 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Top Gun 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Top Gun 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-Order Top Gun 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook The Deer Hunter 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy The Deer Hunter 4K UHD Blu-ray Mad Max (1979) 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Mad Max 4K UHD Blu-ray It's A Wonderful Life 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Buy It's A Wonder Life 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Ghost in the Shell 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Ghost in the Shell 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Ghost in the Shell 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Sonic The Hedgehog 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Sonic The Hedgehog 4K UHD Blu-ray Joker 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Joker 4K UHD Blu-ray Flash Gordon Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Flash Gordon Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray Home Alone 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy Home Alone 4K UHD Blu-rayBuy the Home Alone 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Upcoming December 4K UHD Blu-ray Releases Now Available for Pre-order: Tenet - 4K UHD Blu-ray Blade - 4K UHD Blu-rayComing to America - 4K UHD Blu-rayAkira - 4K UHD Blu-rayTremors - 4K UHD Blu-rayCinema Paradiso - 4K UHD Blu-rayPossessor - 4K UHD Blu-rayVigilante - 4K UHD Blu-rayTotal Recall - 4K UHD Blu-rayCollateral - 4K UHD Blu-rayBeverly Hills Cop - 4K UHD Blu-rayChernobyl - 4K UHD Blu-rayLéon The Professional - 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBookCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Bingeable Television and Movie Collections Mission: Impossible The Original TV Series Buy Mission: Impossible The Original TV Series Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection Deluxe Edition Buy the Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection Deluxe Edition Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series Buy Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series The Barbara Stanwyck Collection Buy The Barbara Stanwyck Collection Sergio Leone Westerns - Five Film Collection Buy the Sergio Leone Westerns - Five Film Collection Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Complete Collection Buy the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Complete Collection One Missed Call Trilogy Buy the One Missed Call Trilogy The Good Place: The Complete Series Buy The Good Place: The Complete Series The Outsider: The HBO Series Buy The Outsider: The HBO Series Warner Archive Film Noir 4-Film Collection Buy the Warner Archive Film Noir 4-Film Collection Warner Archive Horror Thrillers 4-Film Collection Buy the Warner Archive Horror Thrillers 4-Film Collection Warner Archive Alfred Hitchcock 4-Film Collection Buy the Warner Archive Alfred Hitchcock 4-Film Collection For The Criterion Collection Collector Fail Safe - Criterion Collection Buy Fail Safe - Criterion Collection The War of the Worlds (1953) - Criterion Collection Buy The War of the Worlds (1953) - Criterion Collection Moonstruck - Criterion Collection Buy Moonstruck - Criterion Collection Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits - Criterion Collection Buy Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits - Criterion Collection The Great Escape - Criterion Collection Buy The Great Escape - Criterion Collection The Elephant Man - Criterion Collection Buy The Elephant Man - Criterion Collection The Grand Budapest Hotel - Criterion Collection Buy The Grand Budapest Hotel - Criterion Collection Leave Her to Heaven - Criterion Collection Buy Leave Her to Heaven - Criterion Collection Come and See - Criterion Collection Buy Come and See - Criterion Collection Show Boat (1936) - Criterion Collection Buy Show Boat (1936) - Criterion Collection For the Horror / Sci-Fi Fan Zombie 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the Zombie 4K UHD Blu-ray DeepStar Six Buy DeepStar Six The Curse of the Werewolf Buy The Curse of the Werewolf The Lighthouse Buy The Lighthouse Creepshow: Season One Buy Creepshow: Season One The Invisible Man 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy The Invisible Man 4K UHD Blu-ray V for Vendetta 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy the V for Vendetta 4K UHD Blu-ray The New York Ripper 4K UHD Blu-ray Buy The New York Ripper 4K UHD Blu-ray The Hunt Buy The Hunt The Day the Earth Caught Fire Buy The Day the Earth Caught Fire Horror/Sci-fi Movies Also Worth Shopping For Maniac 4K UHD Blu-ray Pitch Black 4K UHD Blu-ray Doctor Sleep 4K UHD Blu-rayHouse by the Cemetary 4K UHD Blu-rayThe Nightingale Graveyard Shift Mystery of the Wax MuseumShiversSplit SecondHorrors of Spider Island Tales From The Darkside: The Movie A Little Something For Everyone Play Misty For Me - Kino Lorber Studio Classics Buy Play Misty For Me - Kino Lorber Studio Classics The Wizard Collector's Edition Buy The Wizard Collector's Edition Taza Son of Cochise 3-D Buy Taza Son of Cochise 3-D Pretty In Pink - Paramount Presents Buy Pretty In Pink - Paramount Presents Just Mercy Buy Just Mercy Airplane! 40th Anniversary SteelBook Buy Airplane! 40th Anniversary SteelBook Uncut Gems Buy Uncut Gems The Eagle and the Hawk Buy The Eagle and the Hawk Kill Them All, And Come Back Alone Buy Kill Them All, And Come Back Alone Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Buy Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Ghost - Paramount PresentsReflections in a Golden Eye Sixteen Candles The Hellbenders Fatal Attraction - Paramount PresentsThe Ten Commandments Superman: Red Son King Creole - Paramount Presents Odds & Ends & Stocking Stuffers SteelBook G2 Protective Cases SteelBooks make collecting Blu-rays and 4K UHD Blu-rays a lot of fun as they usually offer much more interesting custom artwork - but you have to take care of them! You don't want other titles rubbing alongside them or dinging into them. G2-size protective cases should fit just about every SteelBook - even ones with an extra plastic slipcover. Tell that collector you care about them and their collection. Blu-ray / 4K UHD Slipcover Protective Cases Slipcovers not only look great, keep your movie's safe, but they can also increase in value if it's a rare title. Protective cases are essential for any collector. Creature from the Black Lagoon 1/6 Figure from Mondo If you have a movie fan in your home, chances are pretty good they know all about Mondo. On top of amazing limited edition custom posters, Mondo has been churning out high-end collectibles and action figures. The Creature is a recent addition to their shop. Also available in a full-color version. Other figures include Iron Giant, Kratos from God of War, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, and Rick and Morty to name a few. Schitt's Creek Complete Series DVD So this isn't on Blu-ray, sadly, but it's such a great show and with Netflix's overall video quality being so hit and miss lately - this Complete Series is a great set and a great gift for anyone with a spotty internet connection. Amazon Gift Card While an Amazon gift card isn't the world's greatest gift, but if you're stuck and you don't know what that movie collector on your list has or needs - this at least lets them get something they know they need on the collection shelf - or help them pre-order a new upcoming release scheduled for after the holidays. Take care and be safe out there Holidays are normally a great time to get together with family to celebrate, have a great time, and exchange some gifts while eating massive amounts of food and tasty treats. 2020 hasn't been a normal year - not by a long shot. Hopefully, everyone out there is able to have a safe and fun Holiday season - even if you have to celebrate with family virtually or within your closely-knit little pod. The team here at High-Def Digest wants to wish you all the best and hope you're still able to enjoy yourselves. Thanks for reading and being an awesome group of folks to interact with and enjoy the love of movies and collecting. We hope this list helps make your holiday shopping a little easier - whether you're buying for someone on your list or snagging something fun for yourself. Happy Holidays Everyone!- High-Def Digest TeamPosted Fri Nov 13, 2020 at 02:37 AM PST by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of November 10, 2020Looks like we survived last week in more ways than one, did you get your copy of Game of Thrones 4K? Let's now look at this week's highlights in home video releases and how to part some more of your hard earned cash. Welcome to what I dub Episode 25. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- Very slow week for 4K disc releases. There are no domestic titles on the list, and the import that is currently on it could change dates in a flash like Dawn of the Dead did. The import, The Ladykillers (1955) has a Monday release date. Hopefully by the time this article is live, Amazon will offer it to ship to the U.S. I enjoyed the trailer that StudioCanal put together for this, I could certainly consider buying it someday. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- Pretty average volume week for Blu-rays though. Kino Lorber's got its weekly assortment of titles. The one I want on Day One is Amazon Women on the Moon. It's a non-stop load of laughs and has a huge all star cast. This week's fill of Clint Eastwood from Kino offers The Eiger Sanction and Play Misty For Me. Warner Bros is releasing Bill & Ted Face the Music on Blu-ray, but not on 4K disc. There is a 4K pre-announcement in the UK, but I doubt there will be in the U.S.. Hopefully after you heard that The Office: The Complete Series was coming out on Blu-ray you binge watched it a little bit for nostalgia purposes, and to remember it is a pretty good show. Universal releases the mega-set this week. LionsGate's presence this week brings us Guest House, it stars Pauly Shore and Steve-O, might be fun. Also this week, Mortal, a film that somewhat skipped the cinema due to the pandemic that I am still trying to grasp the plot, in a way, sounds like a Shyamalan plot. Arrow Video is offering a new edition of American Horror Project Vol. 1, no more paying $130+ for a copy. In the exact same situation, The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast. The previous offering is nearly $400, that's some crazy money. Criterion Collector? This week, look for Girlfriends. Criterion appears to be more selective these days in their titles so there are fewer releases each month. I still say if they hit the 4K disc market that their options would open immensely. Shout Factory's Scream Factory label is releasing The Brides of Dracula. Read the review, buy the disc. Our weekly dose of Anime includes a few highlights. FUNimation brings us a longly named title, but the short one as I call it is Cautious Hero, available as a standard edition and as a limited edition. Also look for My Hero Academia: Season 3 Complete Collection as well. InuYasha Set 3 comes out this week from Viz Video. One-Punch Man: Season 2 comes to you as a standard edition and as a Limited Edition. For other than Tuesday releases, don't forget the box set for I Spit on Your Grave is coming from Ronin Flix's store web site. This one looks like it could be quite the collectable item. Notable announcements from last week: As mentioned, the UK import for Dawn of the Dead 4K was delayed to November 16th, but at least Amazon UK now shows it available to ship to the U.S.. Likely Covid related, but any guess is good I suppose. Event Horizon has been pushed out again, this time to March 23rd, Shout Factory must be having some major issues with this title, no doubt the final product will be great. Warner Archive has announced 9 titles (so far) for December. Ones with some familiarity are Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 2, The Curse of Frankenstein, Mister Roberts and Lovecraft Country: The Complete First Season. Order links and (likely) corrected dates will come shortly. My mom will be excited to see The Other Side of the Mountain (Double Feature) coming to Blu-ray finally, from Kino. Also from Kino, Jetsons: The Movie. Discotek has announced their January titles, and honestly, I don't think I really know any of them except maybe the Symphogear title, and even then it's Japanese language only. Check January 26th for the list. 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar 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 have a pretty short list this week. Amazon Women on the Moon was preordered way back when. Anime wants, the InuYasha release as well as the Cautious Hero title. I want to get The Office but last week's GOT purchase might make me wait a week or three. It never gets easy to save money for a rainy day with all the great releases coming out.Posted Sun Nov 8, 2020 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Mulan 2020/1998 Coming to 4K UHD Blu-rayWithout much word or fanfare - or even much of a proper press release for that matter - Disney is releasing both the animated original and the live-action remake of Mulan to 4K UHD Blu-ray with the new Mulan also getting a standard Blu-ray release with an estimated release date of 11/10/2020... or 11/22/2020 there seems to be some confusion on that point. Best Buy briefly had 11/22/2020 listed for their releases before setting the date to "Not Announced" while Target is holding to 11/10/202 for their releases, so until we see different we're going with the very sudden 11/10 date. As of this writing, Amazon doesn't appear to have either disc releases listed. If/when that changes we'll amend our listings accordingly. But for now, you can pre-order these at Best Buy. Both 4K UHD Blu-ray releases will be getting the standard HDR10 treatment with Dolby Atmos audio mixes, while the standard 1080p Blu-ray of the 2020 Mulan will only be getting a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. If you didn't spend the extra $30 to get early access on Disney+ for the remake or if you didn't already own the original, you have a few different purchase options: Mulan (1998) 4K UHD Blu-ray - Standard Edition Mulan (1998) 4K UHD Blu-ray - Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook Mulan (2020) - 4K UHD Blu-ray - Standard Edition Mulan (2020) - 4K UHD Blu-ray - Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook and if you're not on the 4K train yet...Mulan 2020 - Blu-ray As soon as we acquire copies of these titles we'll cook up some reviews and roll out our thoughts. Hopefully, the Atmos tracks hold up and don't follow down Disney's usual track for being overly soft sounding. We'll just have to wait and see. What do you think folks? Are these on your shopping list or are you just going to stick with your Disney+ subscription for now?Posted Sun Nov 8, 2020 at 02:44 AM PST by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of November 3, 2020Many 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. 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar 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.Posted Sun Nov 1, 2020 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Rest In Peace Sean Connery – The James Bond Actor Was 90Unfortunately this time around, reports of Connery’s demise don’t appear to be greatly exaggerated. The BBC is reporting this morning that the iconic James Bond actor passed away today at 90 years of age leaving behind a legacy of incredible performances beyond his time donning tailored suits, a Walther PPK, and the keys to an Aston Martin with flamethrower, machine gun, and ejector seat.I grew up in a James Bond house. My dad was a huge fan and bought all the tapes through Columbia House as they came available. I remember pulling You Only Live Twice out of a box of new VHS tapes and my dad putting that one on. It blew me away – the helicopter fight sequence remains my all-time favorite James Bond moment. While he remains most identifiable as 007, Connery had a long-ranging career. One of my favorite theater-going moments of my childhood was seeing him play Dr. Jones Sr. in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Watching Connery and Ford on screen was a terrific pairing as two action superstars got to team up and stop the Nazis. The shot of a Nazi fighter plane on fire passing Indy and Dr. Jones in a car as they race through a tunnel still makes me laugh every time I see it. While he finally earned his Oscar with a Best Supporting Actor win for The Untouchables, my absolute favorite Connery performance is his Daniel Dravot from Jon Huston’s 1975 classic The Man Who Would Be King. I loved the understated transition from being a con-man out to scam the natives of their wealth with his friend Michael Caine to becoming someone understanding the unfortunate weight of consequence. His final moment where he looks back at his friend one last time is a heartbreaker. But trying to figure out what movie constitutes a favorite is a laborious process because you inevitably fall into the rabbit hole of constantly asking “What about that one? Oh yeah, that movie too!” To that end, here’s a quick list of my favorite Connery films ranging his entire career:The Man Who Would Be KingHighlanderWoman of StrawThe Name of the RoseGoldfingerHunt for Red OctoberIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeYou Only Live TwiceOutlandThe UntouchablesThe RockZardozFrom Russia With LoveThe Longest DayThe Wind and the LionFinding Forrester While normally I would be filling today with scary movies, I was actually watching House of Wax when heard this sad news, I’m compelled to find a great Connery show. What is your favorite Connery film – or films since it’s so difficult to pick just one?Posted Sat Oct 31, 2020 at 06:15 AM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of October 27, 2020The last week of October 2020 is upon us, Halloween is this Saturday. As far as home video releases are concerned, I call it an 'in between' week. There are a handful of titles that might interest you, but there are no major releases this week. Welcome to episode 23 of our weekly look at what's coming out this week in the home video market. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- The 4K disc front originally was going to start out with a UK import for Dawn of the Dead (1978). Unfortunately, that got pushed back into November because of production delays - but this gives you more time to pre-order! Remember that 4K discs are region-free and this is currently the only way to own all three versions of the film on 4K disc, and Second Sight has loaded this edition with extras! Next, from Blue Underground, screen icon Delphine Seyrig's Daughters of Darkness debuts to 4K disc this week. And finally, in case you didn't buy the individual releases already, Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection. Am not a fan of the art style of the latest Rambo SteelBooks. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- In a last minute annoucement, the digital release of Toys of Terror comes out this week from Warner Bros. Abbott and Costello fans should be looking at Africa Screams this week. Read the review, buy the disc. The gap in your Amityville collection will be filled this week, Vinegar Syndrome is releasing Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes, Amityville 5: It's About Time, Amityville 6: A New Generation and Amityville 7: Dollhouse. Under the various Warner labels this week, Warner Archive is offering DC's Black Lightning, Season Two and Season Three. Also, The Flintstones: The Complete Series is coming this week. Warner's anime release this week is K: Seven Stories. Criterion Collection's release of Parasite (2019) streets this week, but note that it is NOT a 4K release. It's still an extensive set so if you're a fan of the movie, check it out. Kino Lorber has an assortment of titles this week. Highlights include Babylon Berlin, Seasons 1 & 2. Season 3 comes out in Novemeber. The trailers for this one are interesting. Clint Eastwood fan? This week is for you. High Plains Drifter has received the Kino treatment and it is deemed 'Highly Recommended' in our review, check it out. Also reviewed, Two Mules for Sister Sara. A lesser-appreciated Eastwood film, Joe Kidd also comes out this week. Lionsgate's title of the week -- a comedy/drama titled Friendsgiving. Previously delayed but now coming out this week, Arrow Video's release of The Last Starfighter. Am surprised they didn't make a 4K of this, but I would guess the available elements are not in good enough condition or it was determined there wouldn't be enough interest. This week is a slightly above average for quantity of anime release, here's the highlights. Sentai brings us Akame ga Kill! Complete Series in a SteelBook package. Also, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon II in a Premium Ediiton. Get this one NOW if you intend to, volume I is listed upwards of $1,000 online from 3rd party sellers. FUNimation is offering Black Clover: Season 3 Part 1, Ensemble Stars! Part Two, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth. Discotek is also releasing their October titles this week, including Isuca TV series, Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure, Osamu Tezuka's Cleapoarta and Symphogear Season One, Notable announcements from last week: A week doesn't pass without at least a couple of announcements, which is a good thing. This past week has been pretty busy, but as far as major announcements, not so much. Sony has revealed plans to release Roland Emmerich's disaster flick 2012 on 4K disc in January. Expect a purchase link very soon. On the Blu-ray front, a bunch of announcements, FUNimation's next wave, Discotek's next wave, Mill Creek's next wave, and Criterion has announced its January releases. For Criterion releases, and no, this is not the month they start releasing 4K titles, the titles are The Ascent, Three Films by Luis Buñuel, Minding the Gap and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. The FUNimation title I am probably waiting for is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Part Two. Warner's got the second season of Doom Patrol up, Snowpiercer apparently got a spinoff TV show and Season One is up for order, and Toys of Terror on disc is coming January 19. 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar 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? Nothing screams out to me this week but the wishlist is still extensive. Daughters of Darkness 4K, but not at the $53 price. Flintstones is a strong candidate too. The Amityville movies, Zombie 5, Babylon Berlin as well. The Clint Eastwood movies if I get an impulse or shop a Kino sale. Handful of the anime releases too, I like the look of the Is It Wrong To Try... set, the Akame ga Kill SteelBook, K Seven Stories, Stand My Heroes and Lupin 3 are on the radar. The Tom & Jerry special is a maybe as well, haven't seen any modern T & J releases.Posted Mon Oct 26, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
November 2020's 4K UHD Blu-ray ReleasesWith movie theaters struggling to reopen around the country and offer film fans a reason to venture out - the studios are giving people more reasons to stay in with an aggressive slate of 4K UHD Blu-ray releases. As we saw with October, there's plenty of room for a saturated releases slate and November is proving to be no different. From Mad Max to Cinema Paradiso to Dawn of the Dead - there's literally something for everyone this month! November 3rd, 2020 Game of Thrones Complete Collection We knew that HBO would be eventually releasing the entire series onto 4K UHD at some point, but we figured they'd stagger the releases season by season. It's honestly refreshing to see them go for broke and put the whole show out in one big box set. The problem is a number of people who already bought the first season on 4K would ultimately be buying a second copy. So far there's no word that individual seasons will be available anytime soon. That said, you can choose from the standard option or Best Buy's exclusive SteelBook collection. It all depends on how much shelf space you have to offer. Pre-order the standard 4K UHD Blu-ray setPre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook set Antebellum The latest entry in the growing genre of social commentary horror, Antebellum lost out on an expansive theatrical release and went for the theater at home market with middling notices from critics and split audiences. Some folks loved this one, some folks were left nonplussed by it. If you're a fan Lionsgate is giving the film a proper 4K UHD Blu-ray release.Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray V For Vendetta A particularly loose and action-focused adaptation of Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel, the film is a visual feast and has developed a legion of fans ready to wear a white mask and hat at every screening. Fans of this one will have a variety of options, the standard 4K, an Amazon exclusive gift set, as well as a Best Buy exclusive SteelBook. Pre-order the standard 4K UHD Blu-rayPre-order the Amazon Exclusive 4K UH Blu-ray Gift Set Pre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Kick-Ass SteelBook Not new to 4KUHD Blu-ray, Lionsgate is now issuing a new Best Buy exclusive SteelBook set for Kick-Ass. There's nothing new in this set, it's the same set of discs with digital slip - the artwork is just, well, kick-ass! Read our reviewPre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Grease SteelBook Again - not a new release necessarily - just new SteelBook packaging that actually mirrors the original release's packaging. Same discs, you get a digital slip, so if you've been waiting to spring for this Travolta classic musical, now might be a good time to jump.Pre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Forrest Gump SteelBook Okay, this is getting silly… Best Buy is also rereleasing this out of print SteelBook from paramount. This isn't like the recent Saving Private Ryan SteelBook rerelease where they actually included the 1080p Blu-ray disc, this is once again the same set and packaging available again. Pre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook November 17th, 2020 Westworld Season Three After season two's shocking finale, HBO's science fiction series takes a dramatic left turn with familiar characters changing in radical ways - which some fans loved, and others not so much. Even as the series has had its ups and downs, Westworld has remained an impressive visual and auditory feast for the senses. Fans of the series get two options to continue their collection - the standard release or a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook that will arrive later on December 8th, 2020. Pre-order the standard 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook The New Mutants The end of the 20th Century Fox era of X-Men movies whimpers to a close with this one. Having sat on the shelf for years, the film was dropped into theaters mid-pandemic and met with tepid audiences and a lackluster critical reception. Still, for fans or franchise completionists, there are options. There's the standard release with atrocious cover artwork - or you can opt for the classy SteelBook from Best Buy. Pre-order the standard 4K UHD Blu-ray Pre-order the Best Buy Exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook Resident Evil: The Complete Collection Love one or two of the films - or none at all - the Resident Evil film franchise is a strange collection of films that deviate wildly from the games while pulling in a host of familiar characters with varying results. The first film is still solid stuff and holds up well, there have already been a couple of individual releases, so it's a tad frustrating that we're not getting single film releases right out of the gate. Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray set The Croods Honestly, when this first came out it felt ling a longshot prospect that this film would enjoy any longevity but it's grown into a family favorite over the years and is now making its way to 4K UHD Blu-ray from Universal Studios with HDR10 and DTS:X audio. Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray It's A Wonderful Life SteelBook You know you're getting close to the holidays when this film gets another release. This film already got a terrific 4K UHD release, but SteelBook collectors have something to upgrade for - or if you haven't picked this set up yet, it's absolutely a must-own release. Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook November 24th, 2020 Peninsula The sequel to the runaway zombie movie success Train To Busan gets a wild and crazy sequel released stateside from Well Go USA on 4K UHD Blu-ray. The film wasn't the critical darling of the first entry, but it still made its mark overseas and should be a terrific entry on 4K. Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray Mad Max After a long absence from the format after Hannibal - Kino Lorber Studio Classics is roaring back to 4K UHD Blu-ray with the first of the iconic Mad Max franchise. This apocalyptic road movie introduced the world to Mel Gibson's star power offering action fans a barrage of high-octane crazy-blood fueled vehicular mayhem - and it should look amazing on 4K with Dolby Vision HDR Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray Cinema Paradiso A tribute to the power and love of the movies, Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful cinematic drama comes to 4K UHD Blu-ray from Arrow offering both cuts of the film with Dolby Vision HDR. A Genuine classic, this is a splendid piece of moviemaking that fits right at home on the format and should be a stunner. Pre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Claus Originally released October 27th exclusive to Vinegar Syndrome with SlipcoverIndependent boutique studio Vinegar Syndrome continues to offer fans of the wild and weird of world cinema with this 1989 French holiday action flick. Think of it as a horror movie version of Home Alone where a small child has to defend his home and feeble grandfather from a psycho dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve! It's a perfect title for Vinegar Syndrome and should be a hell of a 4K UHD releasePre-order the 4K UHD Blu-ray Notable Imports We do our best to cover imports as best as we can, but obtaining them can be a bit tricky. More tricky now thanks to COVID as Amazon and other overseas retailers aren't shipping across the pond to the U.S. - but we have every intention of reviewing some of these as soon as we get our grubby little fingers on the copies we ordered. Dawn of the Dead - UK Long in development from Second Sight, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead is getting the full restoration it's dearly deserved with a massive 4K UHD Blu-ray release. All three versions of the film will be available with the U.S. Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut getting new 4K restorations with HDR10+ with the Argento Cut recycling the same master previously available without HDR. This massive set is coming packed with booklet and tons of new and archival bonus features. While not directly available in the U.S., DiabolikDVD, Amazon, and Zavvi are making it easy for fans to import. Import the 4K UHD Blu-ray King of New York - UK Arrow Video is delivering Abel Ferara's iconic 1990 thriller starring Christopher Walken, David Caruso, and Laurence Fishburne to 4K UHD offering up Dolby Vision HDR to sweeten the deal. Sadly not directly available in the U.S., outfits like Zavvi and DiabolikDVD make it easy for fans to import if Amazon UK won't ship. Import the 4K UHD Blu-ray Crash Limited Edition - UK Already available on 4K in German - with less than subtle cover artwork - David Cronenberg's bizarre thriller that marries sex and car crashes is one that needs to be seen to be believed as it speeds past any ability to cleanly describe what the heck this movie is about. Import the 4K UHD Blu-ray That's what we have in store for us this November. As more titles get announced or if there's a street date change we'll update everything. There are also a few more EU imports for films like Serpico, and Three Days of the Condor among a few others that are arriving in November, but because of COVID restrictions we can't guarantee we'll be able to import them. Rest assured as soon as we can we'll give full coverage to these titles. Anything on your shopping list this month? Let us know in the Disqus Comments below!Posted Sat Oct 24, 2020 at 09:06 AM PDT by: -
2009's Epic Disaster Film 2012 Coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray January 19th 2021Disaster movie fans rejoice! Roland Emmerich's 2012 is going to pummel 4K UHD Blu-ray in 2021! The Mayans foretold this film would be upgraded to 4K UHD Blu-ray - Woody Harrelson said so during that monologue, not sure if you caught that part... This one isn't up for pre-order yet, January 19th is still a ways off, but it should be hitting online retailers soon. We also don't know if there will be any kind of retailer exclusives yet, but with Sony's recent output I'd put good money down on a Best Buy SteelBook as a possibility. We do know for sure that this film is getting a new Atmos audio mix - so while the movie itself is a bit iffy while proving to be wildly entertaining, it'll probably sound amazing! Plan your 4K budget accordingly. Here's the full press release from Sony: SYNOPSIS From Roland Emmerich, director of The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day, comes the ultimate action-adventure movie, exploding with groundbreaking special effects. As the world faces a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions, cities collapse and continents crumble. 2012 brings and end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson. BONUS MATERIAL ON 4K ULTRA HD DISC Discovery Channel’s 2012 Apocalypse Featurette ON BLU-RAY DISC™ Interactive Mayan Calendar 5 Featurettes on Bringing the Epic to Life Deleted Scenes Alternate Ending Picture-in-Picture: Roland’s Vision Feature Commentary Adam Lambert Music Video CAST AND CREW Directed By: Roland EmmerichWritten By: Harald Kloser & Roland EmmerichProducers: Harald Kloser, Mark Gordon, Larry FrancoExecutive Producers: Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich, Michael WimerCast: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton with Danny Glover and Woody HarrelsonSPECS Run Time: Approx. 158 minutesRating: PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some languageFeature: 2160p Ultra High Definition/2.40:1Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD MAPosted Wed Oct 21, 2020 at 10:07 AM PDT by: -
Home Video Releases For The Week of October 20, 2020Hope you didn't overspend on Prime Day, which we have seen evolve over the years. Originally an Amazon event, but this year we see Best Buy, Target and Walmart also hopping on for online deals, as well as a handful of random deals on other e-tailers. Welcome to Episode 22 of our weekly look at the highlights of what's coming out this week on home video. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital Releases- There are no 4K digital releases slated for this week. The next six weeks are going to be costly for us movie buffs. This week it's all about Back to the Future. I have bought this movie since it debuted on VHS and every media iteration since. This week the trilogy debuts in glorious 4K, options are a Standard Edition, Amazon Exclusive Giftset and a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook. HD Blu-ray/Digital releases- There are no digital HD titles slated for this week. On the Blu-ray front, not a huge week, but there is a good mix. Shout Factory has a handful of releases under their various labels. The Shout Factory label brings another Star Trek related title, The Captains Collection, four Star Trek Documentaries directed by William Shatner. Under their Shout Select Line, comes 2002's Nic Cage/Meryl Streep Comedy/Drama Adaptation.. The GKIDS label, they've got some reissues this week, more Studio Ghibli titltes in a SteelBook package. My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke. Lastly under the Scream Factory label, Pumpkinhead gets a SteelBook this week. LionsGate continues to regularly produce movies in 2020 despite theater closings, and the movie Alone comes out this week. For Criterion Collection Offerings this week, Gregory Peck's The Gunfighter. Also this week, The Hit. The Paramount Presents Label is releasing The Haunting this week. Just what we've been waiting for, another direct to video Tremors movie right? Tremors: Shrieker Island debuts this week. The weekly anime (excluding GKIDS) includes Negima! + Negima? - Complete Collection and a SteelBook of Your Name.. Notable announcements from last week: Inner Sanctum Mysteries got delayed yet again, now the new date is November 17th. Pretty active week for new titles being added, here's a couple of the highlights. Shout Factory is releasing the next John Carpenter 4K flick previously released in Europe by StudioCanal, this time look for Prince of Darkness on January 19th. Just like Shout's release of They Live, this one is also getting a Dolby Atmos track, which by the way has been pushed back to January 19th as well. Paramount has announced pre-orders (with street date pending) for Love and Monsters, available as a Blu-ray and as a 4K set. With as expensive as the next couple of months are going to be, maybe a January release date would be wise. Debuting on Blu-ray on November 10th also from Paramount are The Stooge and The Odd Couple II. Friday releases this week are dominated by the arts. 4K Release Calendar 2K/BD Release Calendar 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? If you couldn't tell from the opening, I will be getting Back to the Future 4K, I prefer the look of the SteelBook. On the wishlist, Adaptation., Alone, Captains Collection, the Negima set and the Tremors release.Posted Sun Oct 18, 2020 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Friday The 13th Collection Disc Replacement Details From Shout! FactoryHappy Friday the 16th! As we work to pull together full coverage for this full set - we're breaking out coverage into three distinct eras of the franchise for convenience - Shout! Factory has issued a statement regarding some of the disc errors fans have noticed - and they will be replacing them ASAP. From their statement, they hope to have replacements out by November 2020 - so pretty fast turn around. Discs affected are: Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D: (When viewing in 3D) First instance of 3D opening credits does not come out of the screen correctly. Jason Goes to Hell: (Unrated Cut) Missing “snapped wrist” gore in an uncut scene. Jason X: Missing audio during a scene in the film in which Jason kills camp counselors in a sleeping bag. CLICK HERE for details and how to request your replacement.We hope to have our first round of coverage for this set very shorty, but with 12 films and 16 discs on top of HOURS of bonus features - this has been a big effort. As we get our replacement discs we'll keep you posted on those changes as well. Have a great weekend!Posted Fri Oct 16, 2020 at 06:46 AM PDT by:
