Movie theaters may be opening again, but not everyone’s ready to go back. And if the kids are stuck at home, 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 selections and 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 22.
Batman 80th Anniversary Collection (BD)
$49.96
Eighteen animated Batman movies in one affordable set. Includes the theatrical Mask of the Phantasm, the Adam West-starring Return of the Caped Crusaders, and adaptations of The Killing Joke, Gotham by Gaslight, and The Dark Knight Returns. Whichever Batman is “yours,” tonally speaking, he’s probably represented here at least once.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trilogy 4k + Blu-ray
$69.99
The Snyderverse never got to five, but just because it ends with a hint of future darkness doesn’t mean the story is incomplete. An arc of the rise, fall, and redemption of Superman and Batman, it’s still an epic undo itself. Six lenticular cards, three art cards, and one print of the Anti-Life equation accompany the trilogy in 4K, which includes the remastered Batman v Superman ultimate edition with corrected colors and shifting Imax aspect ratio.
The Suicide Squad 4K UHD
$29.99
If the Snyderverse doesn’t appeal, the antidote will arrive shortly. Preorder James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to get his director’s commentary and multiple extras, including a gag reel and many making-of featurettes.
Clockwork Orange, A (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
$24.99
Pour out a glass of milk, fire up the ’95 Durango, and…literally do not imitate anything else whatsoever in this movie. Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian masterpiece cemented Malcolm McDowell as a star and asks tough questions about crime and punishment without ever giving the answers. It also inspired Halloween costumes every year thereafter.
STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL 4-MOVIE COLLECTION
4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy
$76.99
Paramount may have made things more difficult for themselves by announcing that the 4K of Robert Wise’s director’s edition of The Motion Picture will come out later, and separately. But they also know Star Trek fans will spend big. And even if it’s just for the three subsequent movies, $76.99 isn’t a bad deal. The mini-trilogy of Spock’s death, rebirth, and final return form the heart of original Trek onscreen. So much so that the series floundered hard in the next film, only to regain its balance for part VI. You’ll have a whale of a time.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (UHD/BD/DIG)
$25.99
The movie that defined an entire generation of post-nuke desert action flicks. Gas shortages, sports gear worn into battle, and Mel Gibson eating dog food define the futuristic outback dominated by modified vehicular homicide machines. Viewers and critics adored Fury Road; now the original trilogy will get the premium 4K packaging treatment as well, with new covers designed to match the fourth film. But for a lot of fans, this will be the only one they need.
Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection (4K UHD + Digital Copy)
$164.99
Once folks get over the ending and whether or not it matched expectations, they might just remember what an epic fantasy drama Game of Thrones was. Beautifully drawn and pointedly hideous, it constantly kept us guessing and shifting our loyalties. And the dragons were cool.
Besides…spin-offs are coming.
Underworld 2003 Underworld Awakening / Underworld Evolution / Underworld: Blood Wars / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – Set
4K + Blu-ray + Digital
$86.50
“I am a death dealer. Sworn to destroy those known as the Lycans.” Along with Resident Evil, Underworld was one of two early aughts action-horror-sci-fi franchises with a butt-kicking super-woman, married to the first director, engaging monsters and an increasingly convoluted mythology. Watch them all at once and maybe the story will become clearer. The action always rocked.
The Thing [4K Blu-ray]
$22.99
At a research station in Antarctica, Kurt Russell must take on a shape-shifting alien that sometimes looks exactly like his colleagues, and others like a horrific mass of tentacles, claws, fangs, and flayed skin. Under-appreciated in 1982, it’s now rightly considered a horror classic, and one of the best remakes (or re-adaptations) of all time. It’s also gotten nine bucks cheaper since last we listed it in a guide.
Labyrinth 4K ULTRA HD DIGITAL
$27.99
Dance, magic, dance! This 35th anniversary edition of the Henson classic includes a 28 page book with rare archival photos and more. Jennifer Connelly and a whole host of puppet creations must brave the booby-trapped maze of Goblin King David Bowie, whose stuffed underwear may be even more distracting than his magic. He has no power over you? That seems like a questionable proposition.