Top 3 Physical Media – 2024 Releases
Forget the naysayers decrying that physical media is dead, 2024 has delivered a constant stream of films, both recent and back catalogue, to the 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray formats, both locally and globally, in what could easily be described as outstanding editions.
Here are our Top 3 Physical Releases for 2024…
1. THE NEVERENDING STORY
4K UHD/Blu-ray Limited Edition
Imprint Films
Via Vision Entertainment through their Imprint Films line, have released not only the definitive physical release of director Wolfgang Peterson’s timeless 1984 classic but also hands down the best home entertainment release of 2024, with THE NEVERENDING STORY – 40TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION.
Featuring both the 94 Minute US Theatrical Cut and 104 Minute German Extended Cut on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray, with the Theatrical Cut having been recently, exclusively and stunningly restored by Imprint.
In addition to both presentations of the film, the release is loaded with newly commissioned and extensive legacy Special Features including the 2024 feature-length documentary, LIFE AFTER THE NEVERENDING STORY.
Atop of the aforementioned content, the release comes housed in a replica of the storybook from the film, accompanied by a vast array of promotional materials including full-size reproductions of the Original US Theatrical Poster, Original 1984 Press Kit, Lobby Cards and Production Stills.
Limited to 2500 units, our advice is snag one now before it’s out-of-print and going for obscene amounts of money on the after-market or suffer the reality of ‘The Nothing’ and suffer fomo forever more.
2. TRICK OR TREAT
4K UHD/Blu-ray/CD Limited Edition
Red Shirt Home Video
Quite possibly the most anticipated physical media release for horror and metal fans alike, finally made its way to 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray this year, director Charles Martin Smith’s 1986 opus, TRICK OR TREAT, and it was well worth the wait.
The inaugural release from Red Shirt Home Video in collaboration with Synapse Films, TRICK OR TREAT, not only debuts in its Original Aspect Ratio (1.85:1) on physical media but comes lovingly restored from the Original Camera Negative in 4K with Dolby Vision and it looks nothing sort of magnificent.
Red Shirt, who have been in the business of producing Special Feature content for all number of labels for decades now under the banner of Red Shirt Pictures, have gone into overdrive with the added content of this release. With multiple Audio Commentary tracks and Featurettes among the mix, the crown jewel in TRICK OR TREAT’s studded belt of a release is the newly-produced and welcomingly exhaustive feature-length documentary, ROCK & SHOCK: THE MAKING OF TRICK OR TREAT.
Unfortunately the Limited Edition release of TRICK OR TREAT is already out-of-print, limited to just 6666 units across three artwork variants, the Limited Edition contained the film on both 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray, CD Soundtrack, double-sided fold-out Poster, mini-replica Lobby Cards and 60 Page Booklet with essays by Michael Gingold, Samm Deighan and Michael Felsher.
The good news is that Red Shirt Home Video and Synapse Films have already announced a Standard Version of the release for both 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray, due to drop in March 2025 and while it won’t come with all the swag of the Limited Edition, it will contain all of the same on-disc content and for a limited time will come with a Slipcover with the film’s original US theatrical key artwork.
3. CALIGULA
4K UHD/Blu-ray Limited Edition
Umbrella Entertainment
Umbrella Entertainment delivered what could easily be described as the definitive release of Gore Vidal… ahem… Tinto Brass…ahem… Bob Guccione…ahem… Thomson Negovan’s CALIGULA with ABSOLUTE POWER – CALIGUILA: THE ULTIMATE CUT COLLECTOR’S EDITION.
With no less than five cuts of the film including the all-new The Ultimate Cut in 4K along with the (once and several times in fact, refused classification original) Uncensored Cut (in 1080p), Umbrella’s release not only compiles every imaginable way to view the film in its various cuts but does an incredible job of assembling newly commissioned and legacy Special Features.
Among the hours of archival extras including Deleted Scenes and Documentaries, there is a new feature-length Audio Commentary track with film historian Heather Drain and an extensive video essay on the production history through various cuts of the film titled The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Caligula by Monster’s own Jarret Gahan, along with recent interview featurettes and festival Q&As with key talent from the premieres of CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT across the globe.
Now while all of the aforementioned cuts and content are available in the Standard Edition, where Umbrella’s Collector’s Edition truly excels, in a similar way to the very film itself, is in its sheer and unabashed excess.
Housed in a Rigid Case, there’s a 200 Page Hardback Book (with essays, interviews and artwork), a 200 Page Book with two Gore Vidal screenplays and the novelisation, a partial mini-reprint of a Special Penthouse issue on CALIGULA, Poster Cards and two reversible posters with key art.
This is about as definitive a release of a film, particularly one of CALIGULA’s nature and history, as you could ever expect and the good news is that Umbrella have recently popped all remaining stock of this Collector’s Edition in their web-store. If you’ve been on the fence about this one, the time to buy is now or suffer a fate worse than being on the clean-up crew of the Imperial Bordello, post-orgy.
Honourable mentions go out to THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW – THE HORROR FILMS OF PETE WALKER (88 Films), OPERA – LIMITED EDITION (Severin Films), THE HITCHER (Second Sight Films) and MUTE WITNESS (Arrow Video).
We’ve been a privy to some of the releases that our Aussie-based boutique powerhouses have lined up for 2025 and it’s already looking to be an incomparable year for titles and editions.
Death to Videodrome. Long live Physical Media.
