‘Rocky,’ ‘Who’s That Girl,’ & ‘Jaws’ Lead July’s Best Blu-ray & 4K UHD Releases
It’s really frustrating when you want to watch a classic movie you thought was on Netflix, but suddenly, it disappears from the queue. With titles constantly rotating on streaming services like Prime, Hulu, and Max, there’s no telling when your favorite flick or TV show will get the chop. That’s why physical copy is always the way to go. With Blu-ray and the latest 4K ultra high-definition technology, your favorite old movies and TV shows have never looked better. And with a physical disc, you’ll never have to worry about ads, internet connection, buffering, or pesky pixelation problems ever again. Here at ReMIND, we have fond memories of walking down the aisles of mom-and-pop video stores of the ‘80s. And with retailers drastically reducing their selection of DVDs and Blu-rays at an alarming rate, scoring physical media at online shops is the best way to go. That’s why we are here to alert you about the best films and TV shows coming to home video in our monthly column. July’s top picks include the 4K debut of Tom Cruise’s 1983 hit Risky Business, Madonna’s Who’s That Girl available on Blu-ray for the very first time, and a Jaws 3-Movie Collection that features new ultra high-definition transfers of the third and fourth installments of the franchise.
‘Who’s That Girl’ (Blu-ray)
Madonna stars in this comedy about an uptight tax lawyer (Griffin Dunne) who is ordered to escort a recently jailed blonde woman from prison. His life is turned upside down when she persuades him to help prove her innocence. Who’s That Girl came out in 1987, a time when Madonna was already a super star who made the jump to the big screen with 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan, which ended up being a modest hit. Her follow-up, 1986’s Shanghai Surprise, was not so well received. Who’s That Girl was her third major feature film and it bombed at the box office and was mostly panned by critics. But it ultimately gained a cult following and spawned a No. 1 hit with the title track “Who’s That Girl,” and now her adoring fans can own it on Blu-ray for first time. The film has never been released in high definition, until now.
‘Rescue From Gilligan’s Island’ (Limited Edition 2-Disc 4K Blu-ray)
Spoiler alert: In this 1978 made-for-TV movie, the passengers of the SS Minnow finally get rescued! Rescue From Gilligan’s Island came out a good 11 years after Gilligan’s Island ended, but the entire original cast returned for this long-awaited reunion. And now you can own it in stunning 4K ultra high definition. This new remaster was scanned from a rare 16mm print and comes loaded with bonus content. But if you want to nab a copy, this two-disc Blu-ray set is only available as a limited run of 500 copies, so act fast. Otherwise — much like the Minnow — this limited edition 4K Blu-ray will be lost.
‘UHF’ 35th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
“Weird Al” Yankovic stars in this goofy comedy about a TV-station manager with a wild imagination who tops big rival stations with outrageous shows based on social satire and hyperactive humor. Just in time for it’s 35th Anniversary, Shout Factory is giving UHF the ultra high-definition treatment it deserves. Bonus features include deleted scenes, music videos, behind-the-scenes footage and audio commentary with “Weird Al” Yankovic and director Jay Levey.
‘Dark Angel’ Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
If you find yourself recognizing the poster art for this film but not the title, you’re not alone. When it was released in theaters in 1990, this sci-fi thriller starring Dolph Lundgren was actually titled I Come In Peace. Now it’s getting a 4K release under its original title Dark Angel. In this obscure but highly entertaining flick, Lundgren plays a renegade cop who teams up with an FBI agent to take down a ruthless gang of drug dealers, but they soon encounter a new otherworldly player in town who has sinister plans of his own.
‘Ghoulies II’ 2-Disc Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
Last year, Ghoulies fans got their beloved original on 4K, now this year, the last decent sequel in the cult horror franchise is getting its UHD treatment. In Ghoulies II, the pesky, pint-sized demons end up hitching a ride with a traveling carnival and end up chowing down on customers in a haunted house attraction called “Satan’s Den.” This new 4K Blu-ray includes both the 90-minute theatrical PG-13 cut and the restored 91 minute R-rated director’s cut of the film.
‘Twister’ (4K UHD Blu-ray)
Before Twisters comes out this summer, relive the original in stunning 4K. Directed by Jan De Bont (Speed), Twister stars Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as two storm chasers on the brink of divorce who join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes. The film is now making its 4K debut and comes with a whirlwind of extras including “The Legacy of Twister – Taken by the Wind;” “Chasing the Storm: Twister Revisited;” and the music video for Van Halen’s “Humans Being.”
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ (1956) (4K UHD + Blu-ray)
Without a doubt one of the most influential science fiction films of its time, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers is about a a small-town doctor who discovers that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates. The film ended up being remade three different times and inspired a lot of knockoffs since it’s 1956 release. And now the original will be presented in HDR/Dolby Vision from a new 4K scan of the best available 35mm elements. Extras include an audio commentary by actor Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, moderated by director Joe Dante; and various other audio commentaries by film historians.
Jaws 3-Movie Collection (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
Look, we know that Steven Spielberg’s original Jaws is the unrivaled best of the franchise and that the sequels got progressively worse, but there’s still some fun to be had with the third and fourth installments, right? Ok, maybe not the fourth, but if you’re a Jaws completist and want to own all the sequels in 4k, now’s your chance. This Jaws 3-Movie Collection features last year’s 4K release of Jaws 2, but also comes with the ultra high-definition debuts of Jaws 3-D and Jaws: The Revenge.
‘Risky Business’ (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]
Risky Business was the big breakout movie that made Tom Cruise a star. Who can forget that iconic scene with him lip-syncing to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” in his tighty-whities? In this hit 1983 coming-of-age comedy, Cruise plays a Joel Goodsen, an overachieving high school teenager who is looking for some fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand after he engages in sex with a call girl named Lana (Rebecca DeMornay). This new 4K edition of Risky Business includes digital restorations of the director’s cut and the original theatrical release with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks.
Rocky Ultimate Knockout 6-Film Collection (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
Want to own every single Rocky movie ever made in gut-punching ultra high definition? Well, here’s your chance. This knockout set contains all six films from the 1976 Oscar-winning Rocky to 2006’s swan song Rocky Balboa. Even better is that you get additional cuts of select films including an Ultimate Director’s Cut of Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa: The Director’s Cut (and no, the Creed films aren’t part of this set — despite the connections, that’s a separate franchise). The set also packs a punch with endless bonus features including commentaries from the Italian Stallion himself, Sylvester Stallone.
Election (4K UHD + Blu-Ray +Digitial Copy)
Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon star in this hysterical political-satire from director Alexander Payne (The Holdovers). Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, Election follows Tracy Flick (Witherspoon)—an ambitious high school go-getter determined to be president of Carver High School’s student body — but she has some dark secrets of her own. Convinced that Flick would be a bad influence for the students, social studies teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) convinces a dit-witted but popular school jock (Chris Klein) to run against her, putting in motion an outrageous series of events. On July 30, the film will be available in 4K for the first time.