Posted Sun Apr 7, 2024 at 09:00 AM PDT by D. LaFontaine
Is not a lot of witticism to open with this week, it basically being an ordinary slow week. As far as physical media and entertainment, we keep chugging along.
Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 45 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of April 7th - April 13th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.
4K catalog week, part deux, or is it part tres. No matter, here's what to look for this week. Two weeks to the next wallet-buster.
From Paramount Pictures, the SteelBook of King Kong (1976). Shout Factory very recently did a blu-ray release of this one. The lesson we learned from the Shout release was not to go in with high expectations as the source material has a few issues. Still, I expect this release to look the best of all the previous releases.
From the Criterion Collection, Picnic at Hanging Rock. When I ordered the Second Sight UK fat-pack some time back, I did so knowing full well that Criterion would probably be doing a US release. But at the same time, Criterion does not offer it in a fancy edition or a swag filled fat-pack, so I am still happy with what I got.
From Massacre Video and (maybe) this week, action/horror Postal.
Closing out the category, an MPI Mediabook of Don Lee's The Roundup: No Way Out. For now, to get the original film with a Mediabook, it's blu-ray only.
Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases? This week look for The Roundup: No Way Out, in a standard edition blu-ray.
The rest of the category has a little bit of wallet-recharge vibe to it. Here are a few things though that you may want to ponder.
Two entries from Universal Pictures, Lisa Frankenstein: Collector's Edition and Night Swim: Collector's Edition. Are studios overusing the term Collector's Edition? If you are hollaring Where's the 4K? to truly make it a Collector's Edition, I won't disagree with you here. Not every movie gets such a physical release, but then some just seem inevitable. Whether a 4K double-dip is on our future, by Universal or Turbine, that is to be determined. [Edit: A UK 4K edition for Lisa Frankenstein is already available for preorder with a sttreet date in June, and it looks like Night Swim is coming in May, so, back to posing the original question to Universal/Blumhouse. Some people don't link importing though as there is a small chance of compatibility issues. Often times the enclose blu-ray on these UK releases are region locked.]
Doom Patrol: The Complete Fourth and Final Season comes to us via Warner Bros. You can also get a Complete Series set if you waited for this point of the series.
From the MVD Rewind Collection label, action flick Mean Guns: Collector's Edition.
The only Anime Highlight this week is Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time Super Extra (Season 2). I feel like we have been stuck at the previous season for awhile, so this is quite welcome.
If you have been waiting for the non-Walmart Exclusive edition of Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, it comes as a standard release this week. Can you believe there are already two sequels to this? One is already made, the other is in the works. The film was made on a low budget, and there are a couple of territories which it is available as a 4K disc, but those releases are probably not much of an upgrade.
Worthy Mention: Fourteen years after Warner Bros releases it, Shout Factory brings us a new edition of Lost in Space: Collector's Edition.
Paramount has revealed the next Paramount Presents label title to be Chinatown, as a 4K release with a bonus blu-ray of Two Jakes. Expect to see this release June 18th.
LionsGate will be releasing a blu-ray of Blumhouse's Imaginary on May 14th. Yup, I will say it again this time .... Blumhouse, what's with the lack of 4K releases of so much of your library? Time to catch up with 2024.
Shout Factory's various labels have revealed releases for June. They are an interesting slate that include Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning, Matinee 4K, Robocop (2014) 4K, Robocop 2 4K, The First Slam Dunk and Species II 4K. Yeah, my video wall is probably going to burst with that slate.
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.