Oppenheimer (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
November 26th, 2023 by Brandon Peters
There were two movies people REALLY wanted to see this past summer, and they came out on the same day. Barbie did the bigger overall business, but it may be Oppenheimer that was much more surprising and impressive considering the kinds of movies we think aren’t worth putting in theaters anymore. Almost clearing a billion dollars and being the hottest IMAX ticket in town, Oppenheimer is finally yours to own. The Christopher Nolan masterstroke released on November 21st and features a good handful of bonus features. You can order a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review below.
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Its franchise season over at Lionsgate. With new entries in the Saw, Expendables and Hunger Games series all delivering new entries this fall. For The Expendables, we have landed at number 4. The film quickly went to digital purchase/rental after underwhelming at the box office. And now, its here on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray not too long after that. Complete with an Atmos track, a commentary and a pair of featurettes, this one was released on November 21st. You can order a copy to own by using the paid Amazon Associates link following the review.
It feels a movie of Titanic’s fame, fortune and history would be a title that releases quicker to each new home video format. However, they come from a filmmaker who cares about his home video releases and its gotta go by him when he’s ready and free. That filmmaker is James Cameron who has been busy in Avatar sequel land for a good while. Now, luckily, Titanic is kicking off a series of his films on the format over the next 4 months. You can own it on December 5th, with a new Atmos track and some special features to go along with that. You can pre-order a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review at the bottom of the page.
It’s pretty exciting this fall, seeing Disney+ programming coming to collectible disc editions. Is this a Bob Iger thing, or was an exclusive window in the plans all along? Nonetheless, if you are a fan and you are a physical media enthusiast, you probably want to pick these up, no questions asked. Until we get a standard edition, the steelbooks are all we are assured of. Next up, on November 28th is WandaVision: The Complete Series. This is the Marvel show that kicked off their Disney streaming TV brand (Yes, I know Agents of SHIELD, The Inhumans and all the Netflix Defenders shows were a thing, that’s why I said streaming). You can order yourself a copy of this by using the paid Amazon Associates link and know the money was going to Why So Blu all along! 
If a major studio isn’t going to put out notable films of one of our best mainstream blockbuster female directors on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, then have at it boutique labels. Shout Studios, under their Shout Select banner with be putting out Kathryn Bigelow’s iconic actioner Point Break on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on December 5th (I guess with Silver Bullet, its kind of a Gary Busey day). Aside from the new transfer, there are no real new extras. Though, getting this one on a pristine format is swell enough. You can order yourself a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link from the bottom of the page after the review.
Scream Factory continues to clean up its back catalog of special editions it had on standard Blu-ray and making them 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays rather quickly. Up for December is the adaptation of Stephen King’s Silver Bullet which they just put out in 2019 (Which I guess was 4 years ago, but that’s before they were doing 4Ks). Aside from the brand new transfer, not much has been done here other than a commentary. However, this was a very top notch release to begin with. You can order yourself a copy to own for the first time or to upgrade, by using the paid Amazon Associate link below.
When July of this past year went by and we had no 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray to celebrate one of the finest blockbusters ever made, I lost hope on getting a pristine copy of The Fugitive. To my relief, we had to wait for it to be a holiday season item. Coming on November 21st, the Harrison Ford/Tommy Lee Jones update of the classic television show that made big bucks and garnered much Oscar attention can be yours on the best format in the land. Carrying over all the extras and adding an Atmos track, this one is under good care. You can order a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link at the bottom of the review.
A highlight of last year’s big fall box set lineup was that of Shout! Studios The Sonny Chiba Collection. Not having a “Volume” number attached to it made you wonder if that would be it as no promises of it being a series were in the naming convention. Luckily, another November rolls around a year later and here we are with Volume 2. This next set contains 7 more films from that master of action that definitely has a seat at the discussion table for greatest of all time. This films in this second volume encompass a smaller window, being from 1975-1978. There are minimal extras in the way of featurettes and commentaries, but just landing some of these films on the format with good transfers is the best bonus of all. Here’s hoping there’s a third volume in the works as these have been such a treat over the past year. You can order your copy, which releases on November 14th, by using the paid Amazon Associate link following the review.
These last few years have had several incarnations of “What If?” stories. We are treated to some alternate timeline, without any sci-fi type of significance, and show creators and writers running wild with some very interesting ideas. Ryan Murphy has done this with fact and fiction recently (His series Ratched and Hollywood spring to mind), and For All Mankind takes on the Space Race that ended long ago. The catch? What if that Space Race never ended, and even more cleverly, what if NASA was as inclusive and un-bigoted as it is now? Pair that with several separate stories with the same interests at hand and you’ve got the jist of the show I’m about to review! Click the paid Amazon link below to order your copy of this inaugural AppleTV+ show on Blu-ray and read on and see if your thoughts align like stars with mine!
One of the more overlooked films in both the resume of Jamie Lee Curtis and Kathryn Bigelow is that of 1990’s police thriller Blue Steel. When it comes to Blu-ray in the United States it is overlooked no more as Lionsgate brings it to its Vestron Video Collector’s Series line. They are giving it the works with a load of new bonus features and some cool vault material. Sadly, no new Jamie Lee Curtis or Kathryn Bigelow interviews or commentaries are part of that, though. Blue Steel – Collector’s Series arrives on November 14th. You can order yourself a copy (at a wonderful low price) by using the paid Amazon Associates link at the bottom of the review.
Hercule Poirot went on a third mystery adventure this past fall, which also doubled as kicking off a rocking horror season at the multiplex. This third film didn’t quite land on financial expectations but managed to spawn the best reviews of the Kenneth Branagh adaptations. Unfortunately, unlike the first two, A Haunting in Venice will only be available on standard Blu-ray. It comes with a 7.1 track, a making-of featurette and deleted scenes. It releases on November 28th. You can pre-order a copy now using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review at the bottom of the page.
The Saw franchise came back into our theaters and into our hearts this past September hitting double digits with Saw X. Sporting rock solid reviews and good box office numbers, the series seems to be back on track after a pair of entries that weren’t necessarily bad, but were not too memorable either. This film between films has been available digitally, but will be arriving for 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray purchase on November 21st. There are a slew of extras with this release, including a commentary track from the director. You can order yourself a copy to complete your set of Saw films by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review at the bottom of this very page.
The Conjuring Universe is one that takes its time and doesn’t overload us with features and television, despite continued success time in and time out. The Nun II is the latest entry. A sequel to the smash success on the spinoff character from the second Conjuring movie, this one saw itself some rock solid financials as well as improved response from both critics and moviegoers alike. Now, it arrives on 4K Ultra-HD with a Dolby Atmos track and a pair of featurettes. The Nun II will release on November 14th. You can order yourself a copy by utilizing the paid Amazon Associates link below.
Feels weird to be so far into the life cycle of 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray and we are just now getting to the Coen Bros’ Fargo. And that its being put out by Shout! Studios to boot. But, that’s also a good thing, as they are gonna take a little more care than it being an also ran. Its an update of their previous release on the format, carrying over extras and audio to go with the new 4K transfer from the original negative that was overseen by Roger A. Deakins (the GOAT!). Its for release on November 7th. You can order yourself a copy (why the heck wouldn’t, ya?) by using the paid Amazon Associate link at the bottom of this review.
Who’d have wagered that Lionsgate would release the first 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray of the late master of cinema Jean-Luc Goddard? Not I. Criterion seems to have been sleeping on him. Lucky for us though, when Studio Canal does something in the UK, Lionsgate will mirror it in the US as they have with Le Mépris (Contempt). After a delay, it was released on October 24th. Featuring a previously done introduction, the film pretty much is bare bones in this. But, in terms of thing, us collectors have to be just grateful that those with the rights put something out at all. You can order yourself a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link at the bottom of this review.
Paramount Presents has become something for collector’s and film lovers to look forward to, as they strive to put very wanted titles onto Blu-ray and 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray or to upgrade previous releases to (ideally) better editions. November sees the release of highly decorated Academy Award winner, including Best Picture, Terms of Endearment onto 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. This edition will include a new Filmmaker Focus interview with director James L. Brooks as well as a commentary. You can order the film by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of this page and clicking on the paid Amazon Associate link.
On October 24th, Paramount unleashed upon us a new vision of horror – Paramount Scares: Volume 1 on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray! This mega set intended to highlight horror of all different subgenres and eras in their history as a studio. In addition to including five films (one of them a MYSTERY TITLE…which is Sweeny Todd), the set also came in a nice box that featured some physical goodies related to the films. Armed with a collectible, customized to the films in this set issue of Fangoria, as well as a set of stickers and a enamel pin bearing the Paramount Scares logo, this set is one for those of us still attracted to collecting ridiculous boxed sets like this. Like this box houses all those goodies, this review is going to house all the separate written reviews and videos myself and others at Why So Blu have published, in order to make this a one-stop shop for this fabulous set.
