Welcome back to the latest episode of Slipped Discs, where I give you a head’s up on what nerdy stuff is available to come home with you, because I still believe in physical media!

Once more, all this information comes from Blu-Ray.com, but they list everything that will be in the stores, whereas I shall provide you with what I feel is the interesting genre fare.

Well, my Physical Medians, it’s another thin week (and looking ahead, that isn’t changing any time soon), which is good for the wallet, but bad for article length.

So, here’s another plug for you all, of something I like, made by a person I like. Go and check out Creative Criticality by Michael Falkner. I met him many years ago at Dragon Con, and I have always been impressed by his intellect, insight, and generosity of spirit. I am very proud to call him my friend.

He does a daily post about interesting historical bits of each day, The Thing About Today, as well as the most excellent Timestamps Project, where he has been watching every episode of Doctor Who, in order, from it’s premier in 1963. He’s now up to the “Modern” era, with the 10th Doctor’s run. Go check him out.

If you have anything you’d like me to take a look at, my Physical Medians, please let me know. I’ve got the space and this soapbox to talk about it here.

Now, let’s get on with our filthy business.

Braveheart 25th Anniversary Edition (1995) “In the late 13th century, William Wallace returns to Scotland after living away from his homeland for many years. The king of Scotland has died without an heir and the king of England, a ruthless pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, has seized the throne. Wallace becomes the leader of a ramshackle yet courageous army determined to vanquish the greater English forces. At the historic battle of Stirling, Wallace leads his army to a stunning victory against the English. Knighted by the grateful Scottish nobles, Sir William Wallace extends the conflict south of the border and storms the city of York. King Edward I is astonished by the unexpected turn of events. Unable to rely on his ineffectual son Prince Edward, Longshanks sends his daughter-in-law Princess Isabelle to discuss a truce with Wallace.” Sure, it’s full of historical inaccuracies, and Mel is kind of a racist nutter, but as South Park said, the man knows story structure. Great performances, especially Patrick McGoohan as a delightfully cruel Longshanks, beautiful cinematography, visceral battles, and a fantastic score, it really is a great movie. Just plug in some elves and dragons, and it would be a great D&D game. It’s getting the 4K treatment for the anniversary, and yes, there’s a Steelbook.

Gladiator (2000) “In the final days of Marcus Aurelius’ reign, the aging emperor angers his son Commodus by making it known that he wants Maximus, a fearsome and respected Roman general, to be his successor. Power-hungry Commodus kills his father and orders the death of Maximus. But the latter flees, only to discover that his wife and child have been murdered by Commodus. Captured, Maximus is forced into slavery, where he is sold to Proximo, a former gladiator who serves as both mentor and slavemaster. Maximus trains as a gladiator in the arena, where his fame grows. He goes to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor Commodus. Maximus has learned that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people, and he knows he can only attain his revenge by becoming the greatest hero in all the empire.” For the record, yes, I was entertained. This one still holds up as a great action/adventure movie, again thanks to great performances from a stellar cast, and director Ridley Scott at the top of his game. Just plug in some elves and dragons, and it would be a great D&D game. It’s getting the 4K treatment, and yes, there’s a Steelbook.

Anyone else just get Déjà vu?

Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary Edition (1980) “Terror and suspense abound in this 24-hour nightmare of blood. Camp Crystal Lake has been shuttered for over 20 years due to several vicious and unsolved murders. The camp’s new owner and seven young counselors are readying the property for re-opening despite warnings of a “death curse” by local residents. The curse proves true on Friday the 13th as one by one each of the counselors is stalked by a violent killer. This film is widely acclaimed for its horrifying and creative murder sequences.” A true classic, this is the movie that defined horror for a decade. It may not be the first Slasher Movie (that’s either Black Christmas or Halloween, depending on who you ask), but it is the Trope Codifier. (Those links take you to TV Tropes, the Black Hole of the internet. So, consider yourself and your free time warned.) One of the titans of horror, Jason has always been my guy (I have so many figures of the masked maniac), and this is the movie that started it all. I already own it in various mediums, including a Blu-Ray set signed by my pick for best overall Jason, Kane Hodder. But, this is an anniversary edition, supposedly with new added unrated footage, and it’s in a limited edition Steelbook, so, yeah, I’ll be getting this, and it’s my Pick of the Week.

The Hills Run Red (2009) “You heard the story. The one about the goriest, bloodiest splatter fest ever, the one made in the ’80s but mysteriously lost. Flash forward to now: Young fright fans search for the secret location where the movie was shot, hoping to find the film. what they find is that the mysterious slasher flick is more than a movie. It’s real. And they’re its newest stars. The Hills Run Red with a whole new level of horror as the terrified cinephiles confront a demented killer who wears a nightmarish babydoll mask. Wait, Babyface is just a character from the movie, right?. Wrong. He’s alive. He’s waiting. And he’s thrilled to meet fans who will die-slowly, gruesomely, shockingly- for his art. Roll camera!” Another meta horror flick, but it’s got William Sadler in it, and an interesting premise, so I’ll probably give this a look. It’s getting the patented SCREAM Factory Collector’s Edition treatment, and no, they’re still not paying me.

Primal Scream (1987) “In the future, a private detective tries to stop a large corporation from mining an element whose side effects include igniting human flesh and destroying internal body parts.” I somehow missed this sci-fi horror flick, and the premise is catchy, so it’s going on my “whenever I have time” list.

Pretty in Pink (1986) “Molly Ringwald is the smart girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Andrew McCarthy is the rich boy who genuinely loves her. And Jon Cryer is… just Duckie. And they are all back in the brand-new “Everything’s Duckie” Special Collector’s Edition of Pretty in Pink! Written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, Pretty in Pink will take you back to the prom… the laughter, the tears, and that very first kiss.” This movie is so iconic of the 80s that I forget it came out as late as it did in the decade. Sure, it’s not a genre piece, but, as I said, it’s iconic of the era, thanks to the work of John Hughes. If you want to know what it was like back then, watch this movie. And she should have totally gone with Ducky, even though he’s too good for her.

Hyde’s Secret Nightmare (2011) “Henry Chagall is a disgruntled scientist who suffers from impotence. His unfortunate situation leads him, and crippled assistant Hans, to explore unusual methods, including experimentation on fresh corpses. Henry finally succeeds in reanimating a deceased man’s reproductive organs by injecting a volatile fluid. Although it will take a decade to safely use on living subjects, Chagall decides to test the serum on himself.” An Italian erotic horror flick; the reviews state that it’s very bloody/gory in the extreme (including a penis bitten off and spit at the camera), and damn near pornography in its sex scenes, which involve necrophilia (with bonus maggots) at some points. I’m probably going to pass on this one, but I had to share that cover art.

LEGO DC: Shazam! – Magic and Monsters (2020) “10-year-old Billy Batson shouts a single word and, with lightning bolts flashing, he transforms into Shazam!, a full-fledged adult Super Hero. It doesn’t take long for Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and the rest of the Justice League to take notice and invite the earnest do-gooder to join the team. But to become a member, Billy must reveal his true identity. While fighting off the evil Mr. Mind and Black Adam, Billy learns that he must trust others – and that nothing creates trust like helping those in need. Join the good fight with this giant-sized LEGO DC adventure!” It’s a LEGO™ superhero movie, so it’s probably going to be quite good. And there’s an edition that comes with a Captain Marvel mini-fig, so I’d go for that version, personally.

Other titles of note: Universal Horror Collection: Volume 5 (1941-1945), The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), Kill Mode (2020), Ultraman X Movie/Ultraman Ginga S Movie (2016)

As I said, not a whole lot out this week, but there are a few good picks in there, especially for horror fans. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!