ReelBars

Tom Atkins · 1980s

5 Tom Atkins movies from the 1980s on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 3 S-Tier picks including Night of the Creeps, Escape from New York.

Escape from New York

Escape from New York(1981)

7.0/10

dir. John Carpenter

S-Tier

S-Tier from Shout Factory. There are multiple packaging options but the discs are identical across the standard edition, steelbook, and collector's edition. If you're new to this one and the black levels look crushed, that's normal. It was shot almost entirely at night on a low budget, and Carpenter himself has said that's just how it looks. The Eagle Pictures Italian release is a better-looking transfer for anyone willing to import. The steelbook art is a love-it-or-hate-it situation, some people think it looks more Mad Max than Snake Plissken.

Shout! Studios · Collector's Edition
The Fog

The Fog(1980)

6.8/10

dir. John Carpenter

S-Tier

Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.

Scream Factory · 4K + Blu-ray
Night of the Creeps

Night of the Creeps(1986)

6.7/10

dir. Fred Dekker

S-Tier

S-Tier Scream Factory 4K. Fred Dekker's 1986 alien slug horror comedy. It only includes the director's cut, which upset some people who wanted the theatrical. People who held off on the Blu-ray were glad they waited. There was a subtitle error reported on the Shout Factory disc.

Scream Factory · 4K + Blu-ray
Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon(1987)

7.3/10

dir. Richard Donner

A-Tier

A-Tier Warner Bros. 4K. WB is doing the first Lethal Weapon solo in 4K, and everyone is waiting for the inevitable quadrilogy box set before buying in. The original Blu-ray was rough, so this remaster with Atmos is a real upgrade. The steelbook is $29.99 USD on GRUV, and the standard edition art actually looks better than the steel.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray
Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Halloween III: Season of the Witch(1982)

5.2/10

dir. Tommy Lee Wallace

C-Tier

S-Tier Sony Pictures 4K. John Carpenter's Plymouth Fury. The steelbook is a love-it-or-hate-it design.

Shout! Studios · Collector's Edition