I like collecting things. I write my Serial Consumer column all about it, and this is the time of year when I add mountains of new stuff to my to-watch and to-read piles. As fun as it is to collect, I enjoy talking about collecting even more. So here it is: The first Midwest Film Journal Holiday Gift Guide (Part 1), a rundown of some of 2021’s best new pop-culture releases, just in time for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and everything else.
These represent genuine recommendations by myself and the rest of the Midwest Film Journal team. I’ve provided short writeups for new products I’d not covered before, but I’ve linked to our previous coverage where applicable for our previously written rundowns.
As a bonus I’ll also include some of 2020’s best stuff, just to make up for lost time.
Box Sets:
Middle Earth Ultimate Collection
Disclaimer: Warner Brothers provided a review copy for this article.
Label: Warner Brothers
This contains a 31-disc set that spans all six Middle Earth films — The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, with both Theatrical and Extended Editions for each film in each format. That is five discs per film, which are contained in six standard-sized 4K disc cases with special slipcovers. An additional disc is contained in a non-standard sleeve and contains a special feature unique to this set. Also included are several art cards.
I was one of the last holdouts when it came to purchasing the Lord of the Rings films on Blu-ray, although I somehow owned the Hobbit films in the format, and I’m glad I waited. The new 4K scans are, to my eye, superior and much closer to the appearance seen in the theaters. The Blu-ray editions have always had a strange filter on them, which is now absent. I don’t have the space in this column to compare them, but many guides can be found online. Including both the 4Ks and Blu-rays in this set obviously helps make the expensive price tag palatable to fans still updating their systems.
In terms of which looks better? To my eyes, the 4K restoration completed by director Peter Jackson & WETA are almost second-to-none. The Blu-Rays look gorgeous, but watching them compared to the 4K makes it clear there was some kind of color-correction at-hand when they were created. You can see far, far more detail in the 4K set than in the Blu-Rays. To some it may feel insignificant, but the Middle Earth films are notable for their incredible attention to detail and it’s clear which version of the films provides the most in that regard.
This franchise has always had great packaging, and this is no exception. The large set can fold into multiple display configurations depending on your space needs. I was overjoyed to find the six films collected safely in real cases rather than foldouts or paper sleeves, on which far too many sets rely. Whether you agree the films should be numbered I-VI, as if the Hobbit trilogy should be viewed first (or at all) … well, that’s up to you.
There are two marks against this set. The first is that despite the wonderful box, the actual cases and the discs themselves aren’t as visually pleasing as the older sets. They follow a simplified aesthetic. It works for this particular set but isn’t quite as pretty as the other Blu-ray sets. The second knock, and one that feels truly unforgivable in an “ultimate collection,” is that it skimps on the legendary Appendices special features contained in the previous Extended Edition releases of the trilogies. These are standard-bearers for making-of content, found on releases of these films dating back to 2003. Most fans willing to spend $300+ on a new box set of the franchise at this point aren’t looking for two additional ways to watch the Theatrical cuts, which are heretical to many devotees. (I would argue they’re superior in some ways, but now isn’t the time.) Why not feature an additional two discs with those classic features?
Then again, most fans probably own the Appendices in one form or another. If the main selling point of this set is to own all six films in 4K and Blu-ray, in both Theatrical and Extended versions, all as part of one singular package, this set fits the bill.
Universal Classic Monsters 4K Collection
Disclaimer: Universal provided a review copy for this article.
Label: Universal
This set contains 4K restorations of Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolf Man (1941).
Universal continues to find new ways to repackage its iconic classic monster films. A few years back, we saw the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete Collection, a 30-disc Blu-ray set as comprehensive as fans could possibly want, featuring each of their main franchises and every sequel. That remains the pinnacle release for fans of every nook and cranny. But it’s a 4K world now, and so Universal is following suit with this four-film set. Do the films look great? Yes. Do they look significantly better than the previous Blu-ray restorations? That depends on how picky you are. Dracula and The Wolf Man look the best of the bunch, the former featuring more of a grainy, filmic quality than the previously cleaned-up Blu release. Note that the Spanish-language version of Dracula is included in 4K, as well. All of the features from the previous collections are maintained. It’s a little disappointing that this set doesn’t include Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy or Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I guess there’s always next year, right?
Friday the 13th Ultimate Collection
Label: Scream Factory
This set contains all 12 Friday the 13th films on Blu-ray and a special bonus disc.
This was a 2020 release, but I had to include it here after spending most of the late summer and early fall rewatching through the set (and hosting our awesome film-by-film 13 Fridays column). New restorations mean this is the best-looking that the first three films have ever been. Friday the 13th Part III looks so good I wish I had a 3D TV. There’s something to be said for the pleasure of having all 12 films in a single, organized box; usually, the New Line films (installments nine through 12) aren’t given the same generous treatment as the first eight. The special features are the best the franchise has ever had, too.
Daimajin Trilogy Box Set
Label: Arrow Video
This set contains Daimajin, Return of Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin.
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
Christmas Classics Steelbook
Label: Universal
An adequate iteration of these five classic Christmas films for those who may not yet own them on Blu-ray.
Demons & Demons 2 4K UHD Limited Edition Set
Label: Synapse
Read Evan’s full 4K UHD review here.
Santa Sangre 4K UHD Deluxe Edition
Label: Severin Films
Read Evan’s full 4K UHD review here.
4K UHD Releases
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Label: Warner Brothers
Read Mitch Ringenberg’s full 4K review here and Evan’s original review here.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 4K Special Edition
Label: Kino Lorber
Read Evan’s full 4K review here.
The Suicide Squad 4K
Label: Warner Brothers
Read Evan’s full 4K review here.
Blu-ray
Hot Saturday
Label: Kino Lorber
Read the full Blu-ray review from Aly Caviness here.
The Last Sunset
Label: Kino Lorber
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
High Sierra
Label: Criterion
Read Aly’s full Blu-ray review here.
After Life
Label: Criterion
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Label: Criterion
Read Aly’s full Blu-ray review here.
Minding the Gap
Label: Criterion
Read Mitch’s full Blu-ray review here.
Defending Your Life
Label: Criterion
Read the full Blu-ray review by Nick Rogers here.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Label: Kino Lorber
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
Summertime
Label: Kino Lorber
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
Day of the Animals
Label: Severin
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
The Chinese Boxer
Label: 88 Films
Read Evan’s full Blu-ray review here.
Nothing But Trouble
Label: Shout Factory
Read Nick’s review of the film here.
Stay tuned for the next portion of the gift guide, which will be dropping in early December. We’ll have more box sets, 4K and Blu-ray releases and graphic novel recommendations as well.
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