It's once again time for my annual top five Blu-rays of the year list.
This list might have been much different if a couple of releases had not gotten delayed until 2023...but that's a story for another post. This year, the top two spots were very easy to pick, but the rest of the list was a bit of a tossup--it could have gone a number of different ways.
I also need to point out the entries on this list are discs that I have actually purchased and watched. Nobody sends me any screeners (and I certainly don't expect any).
1. GOTHIC FANTASTICO from Arrow
Another fantastic set from Arrow, containing four somewhat obscure Italian chillers that had not been given an official Region A release. Stacked to the gills with extras. I wrote a full review of the set in November.
2. THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 2 from Severin
Severin honors the great cinema legend again with this follow-up to their first Lee-Eurocrypt set from last year. The movies in this set are not as notable as what was in the first one, but the extras and the overall presentation more than make up for it. My blog post on this was written in June.
3. DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE from Warner Archive
Warner Archive continues to delve into 1930s Hollywood Gothic with this magnificent presentation of Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 version of the classic tale. The picture and sound quality has been brilliantly restored. My review of it was posted in October.
4. THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS from The Film Detective
A goofy movie, but, in my opinion, a fun one....and that's exactly how The Film Detective presents it on this disc, with all sorts of great extras. My post on this one was in July.
5. BORIS KARLOFF: THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER from Voltage Films
I reviewed this documentary in August--but this Blu-ray release of it is notable for having two hours of alternate footage--you basically get two excellent full-length documentaries about Boris here.
The only one of these releases that I own is the second Christopher Lee box set, which is wonderful. I've seen the Italian Gothic set at Barnes & Noble, and I admit to being curious about it. Maybe I should pick it up next time I visit the store. The Brain From Planet Arous is such a cool move. The extras may be worth upgrading to the Blu-ray. The Karloff documentary definitely looks worth getting. Happy New Year, Dan!!
ReplyDeleteGothic Fantastico isn't cheap, but it's something that would be right up your alley.
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