‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ & ‘Purple Rain’ are Just Some of June’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, Max, and Shudder, 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 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. We remember what it was like when Saturday night was also a “Blockbuster night” in the ‘90s. 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. June’s top picks include a stunning new steelbook edition of The Magnificent Seven (1960), Purple Rain making its 4K debut just in time for its 40th anniversary, and a gargantuan 4K box set including the five latest Godzilla and King Kong movies.
‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960) Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Ultra HD)
There have been several iterations of The Magnificent Seven throughout the years, including the 2016 film starring Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington, but nothing beats the 1960 original starring Steve McQueen. Directed by John Sturgess (The Great Escape, Gunfight at the. O.K. Corral) and packed with old Hollywood stars such as Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn to name a few, this seminal Western film is actually a remake too. It’s an American adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. If you didn’t have a chance to grab Shout Factory’s crisp 4K ultra high-definition restoration that was released back in 2022, now’s your chance to grab this stunning new limited edition steelbook, available now.
Godzilla/Kong Monsterverse: 5-Film Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD)
Everyone loves Godzilla and King Kong. The Big G has been terrorizing theaters since 1956, and Kong has been monkeying around since 1933. The two cinematic gargantuans are still alive and well these days, currently leading Universal’s Monsterverse which kicked off with Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla. Other films in this chronology include Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, and the latest, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Now you can own all five films in this eye-popping 4K set. Are you an avid collector who already owns the first four? No worries—Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire makes its Blu-ray debut on June 25 if you’d rather grab a standalone copy of that title.
‘The Karate Kid’ (1984) 40th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD)
It’s hard to believe that The Karate Kid crane-kicked its way into our hearts exactly 40 years ago. That’s right, just in time for its big 40th anniversary, Sony is putting out a new 4K edition of the beloved 1984 film with a VHS-style slipcase featuring the art from the original movie poster. Like the previous release, this is a 4K restoration of the original camera negative. But brand-new features include over 30 minutes of raw deleted scene dailies, and a commentary with the Creators of Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
‘RoboCop 2’ Collector’s Edition (4K Ultra HD)
The original RoboCop debuted in 4K back in 2022. Now RoboCop 2 is getting the ultra high-definition treatment courtesy of Shout Factory. Directed by Irwin Kirschner (The Empire Strikes Back), cyborg Detroit police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) finds himself taking on a ruthless drug lord named Cain (Tom Noonan). After rallying his precinct, who were previously on strike, he ultimately succeeds in taking down the crime boss, but the defeated Cain is taken in by the evil Omni Consumer Products (the same mega corporation that created RoboCop) and turned into something far worse.
‘Taxi Driver’ Collector’s Edition Steelbook (4K Ultra HD)
Presented in Dolby Vision, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver swerves its way into ultra hi-def with this new 4K transfer from the original camera negatives. This classic film stars Robert De Niro as a mentally unstable ex-Marine and New York cabbie who is driven to violence by loneliness and desperation. The 1976 film earned four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Oscar for De Niro, and Best Supporting Actress for Jodie Foster. Other co-stars include Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle and Cybill Shepherd.
‘Blue Velvet’ (The Criterion Collection/4K Ultra HD)
David Lynch’s spellbinding Blue Velvet is getting the 4K treatment in the new transfer supervised by the man himself. This new edition brought to you by Criterion is loaded with bonus features that make this a must-have for Lynch fans. Some of those features include The Lost Footage, 53 minutes of deleted scenes and alternate takes assembled by Lynch; Blue Velvet Revisited, a feature-length film about the making of the movie by Peter Braatz that was actually filmed on set during the production; and several other documentaries and interviews.
‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray)
Say what you will about the latest Ghostbusters sequel. It may not have been as strong as the 1984 original, but it always feels good to see Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, and Ernie Hudson back in their Ghostbuster jumpsuits with proton packs in hand. In Frozen Empire, the new generation of Ghostbusters team up with the originals to save New York from a second ice age after an ancient artifact unleashes an icy ancient god of destruction. Completists will want to add this to their Ghostbusters collection when it hits Blu-ray on June 25—just a mere three weeks after the original film’s 40th anniversary.
‘Purple Rain’ 40th Anniversary Edition (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
No one can deny the electrifying star power of Prince, and Purple Rain is arguably both the film and album that catapulted him to global superstardom. Even that album cover alone is synonymous with, not just with ‘80s-era Prince, but the entire decade itself. All the songs that spawned from Purple Rain are equally iconic: “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “I Would Die 4 U,” “Let’s Go Crazy.” It’s no wonder that Purple Rain took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score (Prince), and the Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special (Prince and the Revolution). The quasi-autobiographical film is about a struggling artist named “The Kid” and it’s loosely about Prince’s life. For its 40th anniversary, the film has been digitally restored from an 8K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. If you love Prince’s music, you’ll love the bonus features. One of the highlights include actual music videos of songs including “Take Me With U,” “When Does Cry,” “Sex Shooter,” and many more.
‘South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut’ 25th Anniversary (4K Ultra HD)
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut makes its way to 4K just in time for its 25th Anniversary. And that’s just the anniversary of the feature film (the show premiered in August 1997). So that means that Eric, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny have been entertaining us with their unique brand of foul-mouthed tomfoolery for 27 years—and they’re still going strong. Now you can own one of the most successful R-rated comedies of all time in ultra high definition. Bonus features include an audio commentary from creator Matt Parker and Trey Stone and a sing-along version of the film in case you feel the urge to sing “Uncle Fucka” or “Kyle’s Mom’s a Bitch” out loud.