Collection: September 2023 Physical Media Recap

September was a stacked month for physical media collectors. The month marked Walmart entering the Steelbook game in a big way, while Target revealed their plans to cut down their Blu-Ray sections significantly, and in some locations (mine included), cutting it completely. But, as more boutique labels pop up and the Walt Disney Company gets back into the game, it’s hard to say that physical media is going anywhere.

Internationally, some exciting titles got released in September, with Second Sight shipping out their “It Follows” and “Crimes of the Future” box sets. The subsequent installments in the Film Vault series were also shipped out, with “Jaws” and “The Shawshank Redemption” receiving big box releases. “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” was released in the States on 4K Ultra HD, but a 4K Steelbook was available overseas. Last month saw the release of the 4K for “Enter the Dragon” and the Collector’s Edition 4K Box Set with a unique international Steelbook shipped out in September as a follow-up. “Cutthroat Island” and “The Wicker Man” also squeaked in.

There were a ton of 2023 releases hitting shelves in September. Lesser known titles include “God Is A Bullet,” “Master Gardener,” and “A Thousand and One,” while more highly praised releases were “Past Lives” and “Joy Ride.” The brand new horror films “Insidious: The Red Door” and “Cobweb” dropped at just the right time, with Halloween right around the corner. And family films reigned supreme, with “Elemental,” “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” all getting worthwhile releases.

Steelbooks are everywhere now, with Walmart releasing their first big round of Blu-Ray Steelbooks, including collections of Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” and “Firefly Trilogy,” “The Blair Witch Project,” and the “Saw” and “Leprechaun” franchises. Best Buy released a ton of exclusive Steelbooks, including the first three “Expendables” films, “Kick-Ass 2,” “The Exorcist,” and “Fall.” They even partnered with Shout Factory to release a Steelbook for “Natural Born Killers.” Some random Steelbook titles included “Matilda,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Smile,” “The Last Dragon,” “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” and “School of Rock.”

However, the biggest news in the physical media world was Walt Disney returning to the fold with the first release from their Disney+ Original series, with “Loki: Season 1” garnering a 4K and Blu-Ray Steelbook release. The case contains my favorite Steelbook art of the month and excites me for what the company will be coming up with next. However, the most negligible release of the month also comes from Walt Disney, with the continued line of Disney100 Steelbooks, this time a bland silver case for “Iron Man.” If I had to pick a non-Disney100 release, it would be “Natural Born Killers,” which also suffered a plain white design.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

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