Collection: May 2023 Physical Media Recap

May came with all kinds of new releases, of which I purchased 42 unique titles, most of which were 4Ks and Steelbooks. Some brand new releases from this year landed on 4K Steelbook, including “Creed III,” “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “Knock at the Cabin,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” None specialty releases included the horror films “Baby Ruby,” “Children of the Corn,” and “Consecration.” I also picked up WWE: Wrestlemania 39 – Goes Hollywood” because my family and I attended the event.

Shout Factory/Scream Factory offered up some 4Ks, including “Skyline” and “The People Under the Stairs.” I also picked up the GKIDS release of “Unicorn Wars.” Walmart saw a comeback with all their exclusives, including Steelbooks for “Miami Vice,” “V/H/S/99,” and Vestron’s “Maximum Overdrive,” plus a slew of Western Blu-Ray slipcovers for some older films. But Best Buy remained king with the exclusive Steelbooks. There were also the “Superman” and “Transformers” Box Sets, a new Paramount Presents 4K, and a Lionsgate Steelbook of “Crank.”

Some international acquisitions included “Brotherhood of the Wolf” and “Plane” on 4K Steelbook. Some television series I grabbed had the 4K Steelbook release of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season One” and the international Steelbook release of “Chucky: Season Two.” Some older titles that got upgraded included “In The Cut,” starring Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, plus “The Italian Job” and “Cliffhanger,” both getting 4K Steelbook releases.

My favorite release of the week is the “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” Steelbook. Even though I’d buy it no matter what to continue the Marvel Steelbook collection, the artwork is fantastic and makes me happy to own it. I also love the “Superman” and “Transformers” Box Sets. The biggest letdowns continue to the Disney100 4K Steelbooks from Best Buy, with “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi” being the culprits this month. Even though they’re a throwback to some of the tins Disney used to release, they look terrible next to everything else.

MAY 2, 2023

RELEASES ON MY RADAR

Moving forward, when it comes to some Blu-Rays, I’ll be waiting for a sale. That’s the case with “80 for Brady,” which I wouldn’t mind owning, but with physical media constantly going on sale weeks after release, I am willing to wait for ones like these. I already own “Wings of Desire” in a 4K Steelbook, so I’ll have to check on the differences before investing in the Criterion. I’m holding off on “Deep Impact,” hoping it gets a 4K Steelbook of its own. An international 4K release of “Shotgun Wedding” is tempting, as it was only released digitally on Prime Video here in America. And, although I’m not familiar with the film itself, the box set for “Picnic at Hanging Rock” looks fantastic; it’s a set I wouldn’t mind owning someday.

MAY 9, 2023

RELEASES ON MY RADAR

Anything from Kino Lorber with slipcovers automatically ends up on my radar. “The Experts” has John Travolta, so I expect I’ll have that one sooner rather than later, and “Kamikaze” and “Stone Cold” both look like something I’d enjoy. Also, Criterion releases are automatic attention grabbers for me, so “Branded to Kill” goes on the list. Indicator releases aren’t necessarily immediate must-haves, but “Two Orphan Vampires” looks worthwhile. “Unwelcome” is a horror film starring Hannah John-Kamen, so that immediately piques my interest.

MAY 16, 2023

RELEASES ON MY RADAR

Burt Reynolds has two films released by Kino Lorber from this week, “Hustle” on Blu-Ray and “The Longest Yard” on 4K, which is a must-have, and I’ll purchase it during the next Kino sale. I’m also collecting the MVD Rewind Collection, but titles like this make me ask, “why?” So, I may stop collecting them. “The Lake” looks like a killer release with some excellent artwork. I pre-ordered the “Miami Vice” Blu-Ray Steelbook, but it arrived damaged, so I’ll return it for another copy. I own “Shooter” on 4K, but this slipcover is marvelous. I would double-dip if I had all the money in the world, but since I don’t, I will pass for now.

MAY 23, 2023

RELEASES ON MY RADAR

“Petite Maman” is a must-have from the Criterion Collection and I will be purchasing it during the next big sale.

MAY 30, 2023

RELEASES ON MY RADAR

“A Good Person” is on my list to buy, but I’d like to see if the price will eventually decrease. Florence Pugh is one of my favorite actresses, so I must check it out. I already own “The Haunting” from the Paramount Presents line from 2020, so investing in the 4K from Shout Factory is hard. I’ll compare the releases and see if they are the same. Otherwise, I may have to double-dip. Anything with Willem Dafoe tends to be worth the purchase, so I’ll keep my eyes on it. I don’t own “The Last Starfighter” yet, so this Arrow Video 4K release is high on my list. A Shout Factory release starring Jane Fonda and Jeff Bridges titled “The Morning After” is a must-have, but I’m willing to wait for a sale, as I am for Kino Lorber’s 4K release of “The Night of the Hunter” and Criterion’s 4K release of “Thelma and Louise.” I know very little about “Redline,” but something about it intrigues me.