Posted Sun Jun 18, 2023 at 09:00 AM PDT by D. LaFontaine
Choose Your Avatar! At least that is what people in targeted campaigns on Facebook have been seeing. When I see it, I yell the 4K BD100 with Dolby Vision, but it's probably the answer they are looking for. If you are a 4K buyer, this week Avatar is gonna cost you around $70, if you are a little more hardcore collector of physical media, more like $200. Yes, there are a few other good catalog titles to ponder as well. Until the discs are in my hand though, Avatar is still just a mirage to me. I have seen pictures of The Way of Water in store backrooms already and my 3D copy has shipped, but not quite yet on the 4K SteelBook though.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 3 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of June 18th - June 24th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
Which 4K discs are you getting this week and which SKUS of the Avatar films are they?
The original Avatar (2009) is up as a first time to 4K disc. Hard to believe it goes way back to 2009.
Avatar: The Way of Water is probably the reason we get the original film to 4K. The Way of Water is available as a standard edition, a Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook edition, a Target Exclusive, and last but not least, a Walmart Exclusive. See the Blu-ray category for a pleasant surprise, a 3D edition as well.
On to other films now, Paramount brings us Tom Cruise day with both a great classic The Firm, and well-known fantasy film, Vanilla Sky. Hard to resist not buying both.
Keeping with releasing films in pairs, Kino Lorber brings us The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and Ronin. Makes me wonder if The Manchurian Candidate (2004) will follow as Paramount has done the remakes on two other films so far where Kino Lorber did the original ones.
Next week, a National Lampoon classic, Creepshow gets the 4K upgrade, Mallrats, Waterworld by Arrow Video and more.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above titles, Avatar: The Way of Water from 20th Century Studios, with what I consider a better cover art than the 4K version, and Ronin gets a Kino Lorber edition as well.
Avatar: The Way of Water also gets a 3D blu-ray edition.
Super slow week for anime, look for Aoashi - Season 1 Part 2 and Haikyu!! To The Top (Season 4) Premium Box Set.
New Guy Ritchie action/thriller The Covenant comes to us via Warner Bros. No 4K in the states on this one.
Catalog releases from MGM, Best Seller, City of Ghosts (2002), Diary of a Hitman, Golden Gate and Stormy Monday.
Another short-notice release from Universal, the 2023 action/comedy Polite Society. (Most likely a not available at Walmart release, again. Not sure what determines if a new Uni release will be available there).
Pair of Criterion Collection releases Medicine for Melancholy, a "lo-fi" drama/romance, and The Servant, a film of the drama category.
TV on disc this week includes just Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 16. I would certainly buy seasons 1-15 if they offered it!
Arrow Video has Japanese action/thriller The Game Trilogy.
Honorable Mention (?) - Dinosaurs are always hot, this week Well Go USA has I Am T-Rex. It looks worth a gander in my book.
Warner Archive's next batch, Cowboys & Aliens 4K as well as Kill Bill 4K and Kill Bill 2 4K, check out the news story here.
Roman Holiday is getting a 4K release on August 15th. Hustle & Flow is getting a 'Paramount Presents' 4K release on August 29th. How about a 'Paramount Presents' 4K of Roman Holiday? Feel like Days of Thunder again!
Criterion Collection's September slate includes FOUR 4K titles, including The Princess Bride! That leaves the 4K restoration of La Bamba available as a blu-ray only, but hey even so, I might have to buy every title in September. Goodbye wallet, it's been nice knowing you.
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.
