With the nearest open movie theaters hard to find, many fans look to home entertainment more than ever. If the kids are quarantined at home also, purchases, rather than rentals, start to look better and better for the inevitable repeat viewings. But with so many, it’s hard to know where to begin or what to afford. In this ongoing series, Superhero Hype takes a look at some of the better deals Amazon.com has running as of publication time. Please note that all deals are subject to change or sell out at any time based on supply and demand. These are the deals for Sept 16.
Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection [Blu-ray]
Thirty bucks. Eight classic movies, with the iconic monsters everyone knows. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature From the Black Lagoon. Enjoy them in atmospheric high definition, rather than the low-grade TV transfers that may have been most modern viewers’ first exposure. Then wonder how, after so many attempts at remakes, nobody has ever quite equalled the power of these originals.
As a special bonus, the set also includes the Spanish-language version of Dracula, shot concurrently on the same sets with a different cast and crew.
Star Trek Trilogy: The Kelvin Timeline [4k UHD] [Blu-ray]
Three 4K movies for $35 isn’t a bad deal either, and for now, it looks like a trilogy is all Paramount will make of the Kelvin timeline, a.k.a. Abrams-Trek. The middle one, Into Darkness, rightly takes some flack for replaying Wrath of Khan beats, but still boasts some outstanding sci-fi action. The first, meanwhile, is an excellent example of a reboot that pleases almost everyone by managing to remain in continuity with the original series while justifying the changes. The final installment, Beyond, plays more like a typical extended TV episode. But it offers Leonard Nimoy a nice sendoff and finally lets Scotty have a love interest.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series Deluxe Limited Edition (Blu-ray+Digital)
At $60, the adventures of Terry McGinnis’ future Batman with crotchety senior citizen Bruce Wayne are almost half-off. This highly worthwhile set includes the movie Return of the Joker, special 3-D lenticular cards, and a metallic Funko Pop. Holy flash-forward!
Rick & Morty: Season 4 (Blu-ray)
Pre-BURRRP!-order this set and be among the first to get it next week. It comes loaded with special features like “Inside the Episode” featurettes, animation challenges, director spotlight, snake jazz creation, and much more. Just don’t let any time-travelling serpents talk you out of it.
Jurassic World [Blu-ray]
Six bucks for the best Jurassic Park sequel. (Yes it is.) After two failed expeditions back to the dinosaur islands, the original park finally opens, and we viewers get to experience some of the fun of it before all hell predictably breaks loose once again. Of all the franchise heroes thus far, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard turn out to be the best and most resilient protagonists to date. Though the trained raptor named Blue is no small help.
Ghost in the Shell [4k + Blu-ray + Digital]
Not the controversial Scarlett Johansson remake, but the original ground-breaking anime that opened the eyes of a lot of American critics. Meet Major Motoko Kusanagi, a human soul, or “ghost,” in an android shell body,as she tracks down the Puppet Master, a ghost that can actually infect live human hosts. The Matrix trilogy owes a lot thematically and aesthetically to Mamoru Oshii’s cyberpunk classic. Available here in a steelbook with both Japanese and English audio.
Pitch Black [4K Ultra HD / UHD] [Blu-ray]
The movie that made Vin Diesel an action star remains his best action movie. Fans now want his Fast and Furious franchise to go to space, but he already came from space as a fast Furyan in this first part of the Riddick trilogy. Playing a convicted killer who can see in the dark, he’s the last hope for survival when a spacecraft crashes onto a night-enveloped planet crawling with creatures who eat flesh and fear light. Arrow’s 4K deluxe edition includes new interviews with cast and crew, and two archival commentary tracks. Plus Peter Chung’s animated short prequel.
Beetlejuice (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
Say it once, say it twice, third time’s the charm. Michael Keaton plays the bio-exorcist “ghost with the most” in Tim Burton‘s best film, one of only a few in his oeuvre not based on pre-existing material. An avant-garde artist, her henpecked husband and goth daughter move into a country house and renovate it, not knowing the original owners still live there as ghosts, and can’t stand the obnoxious newcomers. But when they make themselves known, the new owners are even more thrilled that their house is haunted. Until the ghosts call for backup. Featuring the most unlikely Calypso soundtrack ever, and early star turns by Alec Baldwin and Winona Ryder. This is how old it is: Alec Baldwin plays half of the nice couple.
Bill and Ted Face the Music
It’s now a dollar off, dudes! Be excellent to yourself and enjoy the third adventure of San Dimas’ most famous air-headed air guitarists, now middle-aged and trying to steal their next big hit single from their future selves. It’s most non-heinous.
The Invisible Man (2020) [Blu-ray]
In the latest twist on a classic horror trope, the new Invisible Man is the ultimate gaslighting abusive ex. Hiding around every corner, he makes his ex (Elisabeth Moss) first think he’s dead, then think she’s crazy. Manipulating everything while unseen, he cuts her off from friends and family, then frames her for murder. But she can only be pushed so far.
The Blu-ray includes a commentary track by director Leigh Whannell, deleted scenes, and a director’s journal. Priced $11.99 for a limited time.
