Black Adam flies home on disc and Cloverfield gets a 4K debut: January's best Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases
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While streaming services continue to remove titles from their libraries and generally devalue legacy content (read: any movie released before 2000), physical media increasingly becomes a reliable source for people to watch what they want, when they want. As collectors ourselves, The A.V. Club is committed to providing a monthly look at the best new home video releases—from the biggest blockbusters to must-see obscurities—as companies from Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures to Vinegar Syndrome and Criterion Collection keep cinephiles’ shelves full of DVD, Blu-ray, and UHD discs.
What’s spinning in January, you ask? Highlights include special 4K editions of Event Horizon, Cloverfield, They Live, Death Wish, Crimes Of The Future, and more. There is also a Jackie Chan box set and a Missing In Action Blu-ray collection to kick off 2023.
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Black Adam (2022)
Black Adam | Official Trailer | DC
Available January 3
If you’re a superhero fan and looking for an excuse to spend those gift cards you got over the holidays, Black Adam drops on 4K UHD and Blu-ray at the beginning of January. Dwayne Johnson plays the titular DC Comics character, an ancient superhuman who is released from his magical prison by archeologists. The 4K UHD version features a Dolby Vision presentation with Dolby Atmos audio. Special features include “The History of Black Adam,” “Who Is the Justice Society?,” “Costumes Make the Hero,” plus several more making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield (2008) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
Available January 17
In celebration of the monster movie’s 15th anniversary, Paramount Pictures is putting out a limited-edition SteelBook of Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield on 4k UHD. The SteelBook includes new artwork approved by both Reeves and producer J.J. Abrams. All of the legacy bonus features from the previous Blu-ray edition are ported over, including “The Making of Cloverfield,” alternate endings, deleted scenes, and Easter eggs.
They Live (1988)
They Live (1988) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
Available January 17
John Carpenter’s cult-classic sci-fi thriller They Live has been available on 4K UHD before, but usually as part of a collection from other regions of the world. Now Shout Factory is releasing a special SteelBook 4K UHD edition featuring new cover art of the movie starring Roddy Piper and Keith David. Expect some legacy bonus features, but don’t count on special sunglasses that allow you to see aliens posing as humans to be included in the SteelBook.
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish 1974 Movie Trailer
Available January 24
If you’re wishing for Death Wish starring Charles Bronson on 4K UHD, Kino Lorber is your January genie. The classic vigilante action-thriller is getting an explosive upgrade featuring a 4K restoration from the original camera negative and Dolby Vision HDR. The combo pack also comes with a Blu-ray, which features extras such as an interview with actor John Herzfeld, audio commentary by film historian Paul Talbot, U.S. and U.K. radio spots, a TV spot, and more.
The Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 1 (1976-1982)
THE JACKIE CHAN COLLECTION VOL 1 || 7 Film Shout Factory Blu-ray Set
Available January 24
Jackie Chan and martial arts fans will want to get their hands on this seven-film Blu-ray collection from Shout Factory. Included are 2K restorations of The Killer Meteors, Shaolin Wooden Men, To Kill With Intrigue, Snake And Crane Arts Of Shaolin, Dragon Fist, and Dragon Lord. Battle Creek Brawl is also included in the set, but doesn’t seem to have gotten a 2K restoration. Instead, it includes a feature-length documentary exclusive to this release titled The Golden Boy: Harvesting A Major New Martial Arts Maverick. All of the other movies in the collection feature new audio commentaries and/or interviews exclusive to this Blu-ray set.
Freaky (2020)
FREAKY - Official Trailer (HD)
Available January 24
If you also think it’s about time for a Vince Vaughn renaissance, check him out in this slasher-film twist on the Freaky Friday premise from Blumhouse. The Freaky 4K UHD debut from Shout Factory features audio commentary from cowriter-director Christopher Landon and legacy extras such as deleted scenes, “Crafting the Kills,” “Split Personalities: Millie vs. the Butcher,” “Final Girl Reframed” and more.
Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - Official Trailer (HD)
Available January 31
Zack Snyder’s exciting 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s 1979 horror classic Dawn Of The Dead keeps the mall setting but switches out shuffling zombies with marathon sprinters. Scream Factory’s 4K UHD Collector’s Edition of the remake features a 4K transfer of the unrated cut of the film. Fans who order the new disc directly from ShoutFactory.com will receive a rolled poster of the original theatrical artwork while supplies last. All of the legacy behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentaries, and bonus material have been ported over from the previous Blu-ray release and included on the enclosed Blu-ray copy of the film in this combo pack.
Crimes Of The Future (2022)
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE Trailer | TIFF 2022
Available January 31
David Cronenberg triumphantly returns to his body-horror roots with this disturbing sci-fi horror-drama starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. Crimes Of The Future has been available on Blu-ray and streaming for a few months now, but Decal Releasing is bringing the movie to 4K UHD for the first time in January. Extras include the unrelated but same-titled 1970 movie by Cronenberg, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, plus a featurette on Cronenberg and the cast reacting to Crimes Of The Future: The Board Game.
Event Horizon (1997)
Event Horizon Trailer HD
Available January 31
If you didn’t splurge on the SteelBook 4K UHD edition of the cult-classic sci-fi/horror film Event Horizon earlier in the year, Paramount Home Media Distribution has you covered with this standard 4K UHD release. You still get a 4K restoration of the movie with Dolby Vision HDR and a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Bonus features include several making-of featurettes, an audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson, and a featurette on the unfilmed rescue scene.
The Italian Job (1969)
The Italian Job (1969) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
Available January 31
The Italian Job is a 1969 British comedy caper starring Michael Caine as Cockney criminal Charlie Croker. Kino Lorber is bringing the classic to 4K UHD for the first time, featuring a 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Paramount Pictures presented in Dolby Vision HDR. Extras include several audio commentaries, several 2002 making-of documentaries, deleted scenes, and a 2009 featurette titled “Mini Adventures.”
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Young Sherlock Holmes - Trailer
Available January 31
Barry Levinson directed this 1985 adventure about a young Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe) and John Watson (Alan Cox), who meet at boarding school and solve a mystery together. Paramount Home Media Distribution is releasing Young Sherlock Holmes for the first time on Blu-ray in a limited-edition SteelBook featuring a digital code. No word yet on extras, but we can pretty much guarantee that the picture quality will be superior to the grainy old trailer above.
The Last American Virgin (1982)
The Last American Virgin (1982) Trailer
Available January 24
The Last American Virgin is a cult-classic 1980s teen comedy that stars Lawrence Monoson, Steve Antin, Diane Franklin, and Louisa Moritz and features a tubular ’80s soundtrack. This MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray debut featuring a high-definition transfer by MGM has extras such as an interview with director Boaz Davidson, an interview with Monoson, a “Babe of the Eighties” interview with Franklin, a collectible mini poster, and more.
Missing In Action Trilogy (1984-1988)
Missing in Action Trilogy - TV Teaser HD 🇺🇸 on El Rey Network !
Available January 17
Kino Lorber is giving Chuck Norris fans a belated Christmas present with the Missing In Action Trilogy Blu-ray box set. The three-movie set starring Norris as former Vietnam POW Colonel James Braddock features new 4K restorations from the original camera negatives of Missing In Action and Missing In Action 2: The Beginning. Braddock: Missing In Action III got a 2K restoration from an interpositive. Legacy special features are ported over for this collection, including audio commentaries, interviews, and trailers. Each individual disc is packaged in a limited-edition O-card slipcase.
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