Holiday Gift Guide 2023
It’s that time of year again for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping. In what has become an annual tradition here at DVDCorner, I have compiled a list of 4K, Blu-ray, Box Set, TV Show and Book recommendations. There’s something for everyone here. On with the list!
4Ks:
* Bride Of Chucky, Seed Of Chucky, Curse Of Chucky, and Cult Of Chucky- A lot of horror franchises tend to fade in quality after the fifth or sixth installment, but the Chucky franchise bucks that trend. The Chucky series has evolved in tone from straight up horror to camp to a family saga to the currently airing sprawling TV series that goes in directions you never would have imagined. Having previously released the first 3 films, Scream Factory has now put out all of the films in the horror franchise with the release of these 4 sequels. “Bride Of Chucky” just might be the best in the entire series as it completely revitalized the franchise as a whole. “Seed Of Chucky” was divisive upon its release but has aged well. “Curse Of Chucky” goes back to the roots of the series and introduces Fiona Dourif as Nica while “Cult Of Chucky” continues Nica’s story. All 4 disc sets contain brand new 4K masters along with a boat load of archival extras including commentaries, featurettes, trailers, storyboards, interviews, and more.
* American Graffiti- The classic star studded George Lucas coming-of-age comedy finally comes to 4K.
* Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Releases- In celebration of the movie studio’s 100th anniversary, the company put out a ton of classics on 4K for the first time including “Rebel Without A Cause,” “East Of Eden,” “Rio Bravo,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Exorcist,” “Enter The Dragon,” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” All are absolutely worth picking up for the amazing transfers alone.
* Smile- A chilling psychological horror film about mental health.
* Pulp Fiction- Is this Quentin Tarantino’s best film? That’s entirely open for debate, but it’s certainly one of the all-time great movies.
* Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm- One of the very best Batman movies.
* Rain Man- The award-winning film starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman remains an important classic.
* Rudy- An uplifting and moving sports biopic.
* Saw X- It’s hard to believe, but the 10th installment in the long-running horror franchise might actually be the best in the entire series.
* Bubba Ho-Tep- A cult movie featuring Bruce Campbell as Elvis. If that doesn’t sell you I don’t know what will.
* The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Steelbook- Horror films don’t get much better than this deeply unnerving 70’s classic.
* The Fabelmans- A personal gem from Steven Spielberg.
* The Last Starfighter- If you love sci-fi and arcade games, this is the movie for you.
* Blue Beetle- A fun and underrated DC movie.
* A Bronx Tale- One of the great gangster movies.
* Roman Holiday- Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star in this timeless romantic film.
* Babylon Steelbook- It may have been a box office bomb, but this Damien Chazelle directed film is a bold, risky and ultimately moving epic about cinema, Hollywood, and change.
* Dazed and Confused (Criterion)- Richard Linkater’s coming-of-age comedy is a 90’s classic.
* Creed 3- The Creed series 3 for 3 now.
* Moonage Daydream (Criterion)- A wonderful documentary about David Bowie.
* Halloween: H20 Steelbook- A top tier Halloween sequel.
* Matilda Steelbook- This 1996 fantasy-comedy is a classic Roald Dahl adaptation.
* Babylon 5: The Road Home- B5 fans will be rejoicing over this new animated feature.
* The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (Criterion)- The type of ambitious fantastical fantasy movie that only Terry Gilliam can do.
* Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Steelbook- After countless Blu-ray re-releases, this John Hughes classic gets a 4K release at long last.
* Insidious- One of the best horror films of the past 20 years.
* The Truman Show- An ahead of its time drama about reality television, privacy, and celebrities.
* Evil Dead Rise- A thrilling brand new entry in the Evil Dead franchise.
* Mallrats- One of Kevin Smith’s best and funniest movies.
* The Fisher King (Criterion)- More Terry Gilliam for your viewing pleasure.
* Plane- A Gerard Butler action movie that is much better than its generic title suggests.
* Puss In Boots: The Last Wish- A surprisingly funny and emotional sequel that surpasses the original in every way.
Box Sets:
* The Tiger Cage Collection Blu-ray- There have been a lot of excellent martial arts box sets this year, but this release from Shout! Factory is one of the best. “Tiger Cage 2” (which stars Donnie Yen) and “Tiger Cage 3” are exciting Hong Kong action flicks from the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping, but Yuen’s “Tiger Cage” is the real gem here. It’s an absolutely bonkers, violent, energetic, and stunt filled extravaganza full of shootouts, plot twists, and martial arts action. Extras in this set include commentaries by David West and interviews with the likes of Vincent Lyn, Frank Djeng, Bill Lui, Victor Fan, and James Mudge.
* Paramount Scares Vol. 1 4K- For the horror fans out there, this set that contains “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Smile,” “Pet Sematary,” “Crawl,” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street” is a must own.
* John Wick Chapters 1-3: Stash Box Collection Steelbook 4K- A beautifully designed set that contains the first 3 (and best) John Wick films.
* Superman 5-Film Collection: 1978-1987 4K- Although it’s odd that “Superman Returns” is not included, it’s nice to see a box set devoted to the Christopher Reeves Superman films.
* Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection 4K- Trekkers and Trekkies can now own “Star Trek Generations,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “Star Trek: Nemesis” on 4K.
* Jet Li 2-Movie Collection: Fist Of Legend and Tai Chi Master- 2 Jet Li martial arts classics.
* Rocky: The Knockout Collection 4K- While we wait for the other Rocky sequels to get a 4K release, you can get the first 4 films in this stellar box set.
* The Expendables 1-4 4K Steelbook- If you love action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham and old school action movies, this franchise is for you.
TV Shows:
* Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Blu-ray- The final season is essentially one big “Star Trek: The Next Generation” reunion that also ties into other Trek series. A Trek fan’s dream show.
* Rick And Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-6 Blu-ray- The perfect gift for fans of the sci-fi cult Adult Swim animated series.
* Reacher Season 1 Blu-ray- Forget about the Tom Cruise movies and check out this proper adaptation of Lee Child’s novels.
* South Park: Post COVID and The Streaming Wars Blu-rays- Two hilarious “South Park” event specials/movies.
* Peacemaker Season 1- A fun and often hilarious “Suicide Squad” spin-off series.
* The Offer DVD- Learn the wild story of the making of “The Godfather.”
* The Venture Bros. Complete Series DVD- The 7 season Adult Swim series is collected here. Note: The recent movie “The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is The Blood Of The Baboon Heart” is available separately.
* The Last Of Us Season 1 4K UHD- One of the year’s best series is this adaptation of the post-apocalyptic video game franchise.
* Primal Season 2- The sophomore season of Genndy Tartakovsky’s is just as great as the first.
* Succession: The Complete Series DVD- Have you been holding off on watching this brilliant HBO drama? If so, now is the time to binge watch the entire series. Or just watch it all over again.
* Tulsa King Season 1 Blu-ray- Sylvester Stallone’s quirky gangster series is another winner from Taylor Sheridan.
* Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Volumes 1 and 2- This animated Trek series is both rewarding and surprising. “Star Trek: Voyager” aficionados will be especially taken by this show.
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- The Ultimate Collection DVD- The 2003 animated series gets a complete collection release. “Turtles Forever” is also included!
* Babylon 5: The Complete Series Blu-ray- I never thought I’d see one of the greatest television series of all-time make it to Blu-ray, but I’m glad it did.
* The Expanse: The Complete Series Blu-ray- The cult sci-fi series based on the book series also gets a new complete series set.
* Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 1 and 2 Blu-ray- The best new Trek series. Both seasons now available.
* Titans Season 4 Blu-ray/DVD- See how the hit DC series wrapped up in its final season.
* The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet DVD Seasons- All 14 seasons of the 50’s sitcom are available individually on DVD with a box set collecting every episode due out on Dec. 19.
Blu-rays:
* The Fastest Gun Alive- If you’re a sucker for westerns like I am, this little seen gem starring Glenn Ford is a must see.
* Barbie- The biggest (and most memed) movie of 2023 is sure to be a hot seller this holiday season.
* The Inspection- A powerful and personal movie from Elegance Bratton.
* Gran Turismo- A crowd-pleasing video game movie that is actually based on a true story.
* Cats Don’t Dance- An unjustly forgotten animated film that pays tribute to old Hollywood.
* Wichita- An underrated western about Wyatt Earp.
* A Man Called Otto- The best selling book gets a heartfelt new adaptation starring Tom Hanks.
* A Fugitive From The Past- A great film from Tomo Uchida that deserves far more attention.
* Westward The Women- An ahead of its time wagon train western that tackles gender roles and dynamics.
* Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret- A superb adaptation of Judy Blume’s iconic book.
* Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant- Guy Ritchie is most well known for his quirky crime movies, but the director tries something new here with this moving story set during the War in Afghanistan.
* Shortcomings- One of 2023’s best films is this big screen adaptation of Adrian Tomine’s graphic novel.
* Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts- The Maximals make their big screen debut in this action-packed sequel.
* Air- A compelling bio drama about the creation of the Air Jordan shoe line.
* Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse- A visually stunning animated masterpiece that surpasses the award-winning first film in every single way.
* The Flash- It may have bombed, but this is one of the best DC films. It’s a fast-paced time travel story that just so happens to also feature Michael Keaton returning as Batman.
* Fast X- One of the better Fast and Furious sequels as of late for one reason- Jason Momoa as the over-the-top scenery chewing villain.
* Sisu- A no-nonsense ultra-violent action-war movie.
* Land Of The Pharaohs- An epic cinematic spectacle from Howard Hawks.
* The Three Musketeers And The Iron Mask- Silent film lovers will be over the moon with this Douglas Fairbanks double feature.
* Scream 6- The Scream franchise shows it has plenty of life left in this thrilling meta sixth installment.
* Return To Seoul- An absorbing character drama that spans a number of years.
* The Super Mario Bros. Movie- Gamers of multiple generations finally got to see beloved Nintendo characters in this mega popular theatrical animated adventure.
* Hand Of Death- A highly entertaining early John Woo martial arts action movie.
* Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves- It’s a shame this fantasy movie didn’t do better financially. Not only is it an absolute blast to watch, but it perfectly captures the spirit of D&D.
Books:
* Star Wars: The High Republic: Path Of Vengeance- Phase 2 of The High Republic goes out with a bang!
* Star Wars: The High Republic: The Eye Of Darkness- Phase 3 of The High Republic kicks off with a bang!
* Turner Classic Movies: Christmas In The Movies: 35 Classics To Celebrate The Season- If you love Christmas movies, this is the book for you.
* Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise Of The Red Blade- A riveting story of a Jedi turned Inquisitor named Iskat Akaris.
* The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water- A great companion piece to the movie that showcases concept art, design work, and so much more.
* Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar- An unusual film book in which author Eddie Muller pairs 50 alcoholic beverages with 50 film noir movies.
* Star Wars Timelines- Whether you’re an expert, a casual fan or a newcomer to the Star Wars universe, this book covering the timelines of the numerous eras of Star Wars is nothing short of handy.
* Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars- A page turning prequel to the “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” video game.
That’s a wrap for 2023!
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