It hasn’t been the brightest summer so far – so let us offer you a few rays of light in the form of these new releases.
Our monthly collector’s guide is back once again to point you towards the biggest 4K, steelbook and limited-edition Blu-rays that will arrive in August. As always, there’s no such thing as a quiet month if you’re a collector, so get to work putting a new shelf up, you’re going to need it.
Before we get started, here’s the usual disclaimer: release dates are correct at the time of writing, but please do check back on our site throughout the month for the most up to date information. Now, let’s dive into our week-by-week breakdown…
Monday, 5th August
Can you believe it’s been 20 years since we were first introduced to Ron Burgundy? We’re celebrating the anniversary of Anchorman, one of the new Millennium’s most quotable comedies, with this Collector’s Edition 4K set – it’s kind of a big deal.
A much darker cult comedy arriving on 4K this week is the deliciously nihilistic Heathers, which has been lovingly remastered by Arrow Video. And to bridge the gap between 1980s and 2000s, there’s the perennially delightful Point Break, one of the finest action movies of the nineties, which is also arriving in ultra-HD.
Other rereleases this week include Crumb – the documentary about controversial comics creator Robert Crumb – courtesy of Criterion, and two British films of the 1950s – The Weak And The Wicked and No Trees In The Street – from StudioCanal’s Vintage Classics label.
Finally, a whole host of Gerry Anderson series are coming to Blu-ray, so if you like Thunderbirds, make sure you check out other titles from his back catalogue ranging from Space: 1999 to Fireball XL5.
Monday, 12th August
The week’s big steelbook release is Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as The Doctor, controversially titled Doctor Who: Season One – no other show on TV has as many “first seasons” as the continuing adventures of the last Time Lord.
There’s a varied list of new movies arriving on 4K this week; director Denis Villeneuve’s bleak drama Incendies, courtesy of 101 Films, Arrow’s boxset of Clash Of The Titans and Wrath Of The Titans, the acclaimed anime Belle, and the modern comedy classic Mean Girls.
Finally, 88 Films have a whole host of cult classics arriving on Blu-ray, led by the deluxe limited edition of Brandon Lee action vehicle Legacy Of Rage. Other titles include home invasion thriller Crawlspace and four vintage British horrors; The Sorcerers, The Blood Beast Terror, The Curse Of The Crimson Altar and Doomwatch.
Monday, 19th August
There are two steelbook releases this week, but only one of them is a Zavvi Exclusive! Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire charges its way onto 4K, and this “fight edition” boasts striking artwork you won’t find anywhere else. Add it to your collection alongside Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, the other steelbook competing for shelf space this week.
Long before he made Godzilla X Kong, director Adam Wingard was a big name in the indie horror scene, and his best-known film – the meta-slasher You’re Next – arrives on 4K this week too, courtesy of Second Sight. Over at Arrow Video, there are two new box sets – the second volume of classic westerns collection Blood Money and the Street Fighter trilogy starring Sonny Chiba – and the 90s slasher Lovers’ Lane.
For more classics, Masters of Cinema have a collection of Laurel and Hardy’s silent efforts, and the bloody yakuza thriller Wolves, Pigs And Men. Vintage Classics have got old-fashioned laughs with British classic Three Men In A Boat, and Criterion are taking us for a nighttime drive with their rerelease of director Jim Jarmusch’s Night On Earth.
Finally, other releases include the Collector’s Edition set of anime favourite Ninja Scroll, and four very different releases from Indicator. Who else can give you the big screen spin off Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmonson’s series’ Bottom (Guest House Paradiso), a Charles Bronson mob thriller (The Valachi Papers), an all-star WWII epic (Midway) and a collection of cheesy British sex comedies (The Complete Confessions: 1974-1977)?
Monday, 26th August
As always, we’re ending the month on a high with a varied list of 4K releases. The biggest of them all is Arrow’s Limited-Edition rerelease of The Silence Of The Lambs, but it’s not the only release as delectable as some fava beans and a nice chianti, as the studio are also releasing the 4K collection of Robert Rodriguez’ Mexico Trilogy, and two stomach churning cult horrors: The Woman and Offspring.
Another big title hoping to take a big bite out of your bank account is Jaws: The Revenge, which couldn’t be more different from the Oscar winning The Power Of The Dog, arriving on 4K from Criterion. Finally, 88 Films have remastered The Bodyguard From Beijing, starring Jet Li, in glorious Ultra-HD.
That’s just one of several 88 Films releases this week though, with the vintage Brit-horror Island Of Terror and a deluxe Limited-Edition release of action-sequel Black Cat II rounding out the pack.
Next up, we’ve got three August releases from Radiance – stylish crime drama Tokijiro Lone Yakuza, controversial post-Spanish Civil War thriller Viva La Muerte, and a collection of underseen film noir from around the world – as well as Raro Video’s reissue of Tarantino favourite The Italian Connection, and Eureka’s remaster of ass-kicking classic A Man Called Tiger.
