Hey, I love physical media, that’s no secret, so I wanted to start a new feature where I highlight some upcoming or recent releases on which you might want to drop some coin.
Today I’m discussing a great batch of classic horror, new gems, and big budget tent-pole films. I’m sure there is something here for basically everyone.
We’ll jump in with the major studio releases from our friends at Warner Brothers and Paramount who have released some of the best films of the year, some of which are featured here.
Creed II: A sequel worthy of the historical Rocky franchise and a fitting close to the series. It might be lacking some of the spirit and spark of its predecessor but it is chock full of strong performances. Fans of the franchise will be satisfied and of course, on 4K it’s a vision.
A Star Is Born: One of the best films of the year with a monstrous soundtrack and a brilliant performance by Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born is a must-own film on 4K. It’s gorgeous, heartbreaking, and full of spectacular songs. Warner is giving it a great release here but don’t be surprised if there is a big collector’s edition in the near future.
Overlord: Paramount’s vastly underrated action horror bonanza Overlord is the one to watch here. It’s a blast. It should have been one of the biggest movies of the year. It has one of the best openings not only in a film this year but of most war-themed movies, period. It’s a fun ride and on 4K it’s even better. Get this movie.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The latest in the Wizarding World franchise arrives on 4K on March 12. It’s bigger, deeper, and pretty dense. As the second part of an ongoing series it has a lot of information to cram in, in order to set up the bigger story. There is a lot here, effects, fantasy, etc – too much for some people, but if you love this world like I do then you’ll eat this up. I enjoyed it a lot.
Scream Factory/Shout Select
I could list a dozen releases from Shout Factory right now because they are one of my favorite labels but I forced myself to highlight just three of their recent releases, representing a classic horror film, a new one, and a charming little indie.
The Return of the Vampire – I can’t say I have ever heard of a Dracula revenge story but if there was one, this is it. Well sort of; he has a different name, and this time the Vampire is out for vengeance against the family that killed him during WW2. Worth a watch with this great release from our friends at Shout.
The Clovehitch Killer: I definitely love this subgenre of horror. Secrets laying beneath the surface of a suburban family, horrifying events, unsure of the truth, really makes for a tense film. If you enjoyed Summer of ’84 then this is for you. Maybe even a bit creepier. Check it out
Backbeat: I have never heard of this movie before and didn’t know a thing about it. Fans of the Beatles will love it as it’s about their early days and the fifth BeatleStuart Sutcliffe. Great performances and great music are just a couple reasons why this is worthy of the Shout Select line. Give this one a look.
Arrow and Indie
So Dark The Night: Arrow Video releases this noir gem on their Arrow Academy label. I wanted to feature a non horror release from them to raise awareness that this label is more than just cult horror and this is a prime example of that. It’s another great release from the label that is well worth your view.
The Standoff At Sparrow Creek: This is an indie gem. Super tense and riveting. It’s an out of left field surprise. Really special little film you won’t be sorry you checked out. Lots of great tension and wonderful performances.
Garon Cockrell is the Founder and Editor of Pop Culture Beast and host of The Pop Culture Beast Show. He founded the site over seven years ago to have a place on the internet to write about the things he loved. Since then, Garon has become a best-selling author (Demonic and Other Tales), an award winning screenwriter (Best Screenplay 2013 Motor City Nightmares Film Festival), and a cast member on the top rated podcast, Never Not Funny.