You Really Didn't Need Money For Christmas Anyway - HDD's 4K UHD & Blu-ray Shopping Guide Dec. 10, 2023

 We did warn you last week, there is no other way to say it, this week's ultrahd (and blu-ray) guide may be ultra-dangerous to your wallets. We have a couple of notable imports, Cowabunga! (pizza sold separately), more Disney+ to disc, FNAF, Netflix movie to disc, and a ton more, and that's just 4K. Blu-rays are also coming out the ears with more than 60 titles.

 Welcome to Volume 4 Episode 28 of our weekly release guide. A look at the highlights of what's coming to disc the week of December 10th - December 16th, as well as a look at announcements from last week.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Releases-

 Import Monday kicks off with a new release first, The Wandering Earth II as a UK SteelBook from Cine-Asia. According to their FaceBook page, there will be an English dub on this release, just like their prior blu-ray release. It is unknown at this time if Well Go USA will follow through with a 4K release in the near future, but for now they have just a blu-ray scheduled.

 Next, not a long wait from the Part 1 release, Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water: Part 2 is available on Monday.

 After a short delay, Child's Play Collection from Arrow UK is also available on Monday. Read the disclaimer before buying. It's a nice looking set, adding a 4K disc from Shout Factory for the first movie would be a pretty simple solution.

 Delayed until January, Second Sight's release of High Tension. Maybe by then Criterion (or LionsGate) will also announce a US release.

 On to domestic releases, and starting with new releases first, and sorted by Rotten Tomatoes rankings seems the be a good way to proceed.

 If you were ready to shout cowabunga!, you were correct in the rankings. Scoring at 96%, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This one is available as a Standard Edition, a Standard SteelBook Edition and as a Walmart Exclusive SteelBook Edition. Odd that both SteelBooks have the same cover art, but that's OK.

 Next, another streaming exclusive coming to disc, Disney's The Mandalorian, which gets a RT score of 90%. This series is available as a SteelBook, season sold separately, Season One and Season Two.

 Next, scoring a 66 at RT, sci-fi/war film The Creator, available via 20th Century Studios.

 The final new release of the week is Five Nights at Freddy's. This one scored a 31 at RT, but audiences felt it was an 87. It's that critic<>average Joe disparity we are seeing here. Work of art, NO, fun film, YES.

 How about a new(ish) release section this week?

 Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio comes to us from Netflix and via the Criterion Collection.

 And another streaming to disc feature, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story comes to us from The Roku Channel and via Shout Factory. Thank me for this release, I imported the Umbrella Entertainment version way back when.

 Now for catalog titles, Clue (1985) comes to us via Shout Factory. 

 Kino Lorber has a pair of releases this week, John Woo's action/crime film Face/Off, and the horror/mystery Suspect Zero.

 Well Go USA has 4K upgrades of The Man from Nowhere and The Wailing.

 Decal Releasing is offering up Oldboy (2003/Directed by Park Chan-wook) on a Collector's 4K disc as well that looks very much like an A24 shop release. Previous blu-ray releases did contain English dubs, so there is a good chance this one will as well.

 From Sony Pictures, Spike Lee's School Daze: 35th Anniversary.

 Arrow Video's The Warriors got a pushback to December 19th.

 Turbine Media Group has The Last Emperor available on Friday in several different options.

 Next week, Believer, Bloodlines, Kino Cult, JFK, more Avatar!

Blu-ray releases-

 Blu-ray counterparts of the above 4K releases include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Mandalorian: The Complete First Season, The Complete Second Season, The Creator,  Five Nights at Freddy's, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Suspect Zero.

 Sony Pictures has the 2023 comedy/drama Dumb Money this week.

 New this week from Paramount, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Glad to see a blu-ray of this and not DVD only, unlike the two most recent live-action Monster High movies. This isn't 1995, our big screens demand blu-ray or better, thank you.

 From the Warner Archive this week, Anna Christie, Gentleman Jim, The Great Ziegfeld, Looney Tunes Collector's Choice: Volume 2, Madame Bovary, A Midwinter's Tale, Saving Grace and Tarzan, the Ape Man.

 Anime highlights include A Couple of Cuckoos Season 1 Part 2, I'm the Villainess So I'm Taming the Final Boss and One Piece - Collection 33.

 From Criterion this week, The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse.

 Debuting to blu-ray via Arrow Video, The Day of the Locust.

 Arrow Video Shaw Brothers sets this week include Shaw Brothers Presents: The Basher Box, Shaw Brothers Presents: Four Films by Chang Cheh and Shaw Brothers Presents: Four Films by Lau Kar-Leung.

 If you have been piecing it together one at a time, this week Shout Factory has Shaun The Sheep: The Complete Series.

 Worthy mention: If you seek all things 3D, this week Kino Lorber releases The Man Who Wasn't There to the format. As before, digital 3D and analyph.

 Next week in the blu-ray category, a return to normal volume.

Notable announcements from last week:

 I won't say NOTHING happened last week, but it was slow, as expected for the time of year. Lots of onesie twosie reveals, mostly from boutique labels.

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?