My Top Five Blu-rays of 2025

 

The end of another year, and I still don't have a region free player, or a 4K player for that matter. I guess you people need to step your game up and send me one, right??

Even with just a no-frills Blu-ray machine, I still managed to spend far too much valuable cash on physical media (as I always do). Looking back on what I bought in 2025, one thing that stood out was how many silent movies I purchased. That either shows how weird I really am, or how I think so little of 21st Century entertainment that I'd rather sit around and watch things made around 100 years ago. 

There certainly isn't anything on this list that could be considered mainstream....and I need to point out that if a couple titles I have already pre-ordered were released when they were originally announced to, this list would be very different. 

1. (A tie!) TERROR IN THE FOG--THE WALLACE KRIMI and MABUSE LIVES! from Eureka 

Two incredible box sets which combined feature over a dozen German Krimi films, all fully restored and presented in their original running times and aspect ratios. Each set is filled with relevant extras, enabling the viewer to know as much as possible about the likes of Edgar Wallace, Bryan Edgar Wallace, and Dr. Mabuse. I sincerely hope Eureka has more rare Krimi treats in store for the future. 

3. LAUREL & HARDY: YEAR THREE from Flicker Alley

Flicker Alley's first two L & H sets made my best-of-year lists in '23 and '24, and YEAR THREE definitely deserves the honors as well. Fine restorations of classic Stan & Ollie, along with plenty of expert historical detail that should meet the standards of any major film geeks. 

4. FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR from Kino 

Euro Gothic legend Paul Naschy's horror debut is presented here in all its 3-D glory, and Kino set things up so that even if you don't own a 3-D player, you can still experience the depth of a werewolf. (The standard version of the movie is included as well.) Plenty of extras with this too. 

5. GERMAN SILENT RARITIES FROM DIRECTOR HENRIK GALEEN from Deaf Crocodile 

The main importance of this set is that it presents two very needed restorations of two very important German expressionist titles: the 1926 version of THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE with Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss, and the 1928 version of ALRAUNE with Brigitte Helm and Paul Wegener.