John Carpenter · 1980s

dir. John Carpenter

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

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. John Carpenter

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

dir. John Carpenter

S-Tier StudioCanal 4K with a 4.5 score. Carpenter's second Apocalypse Trilogy entry. Scream Factory did a steelbook at $45 USD which people thought was too much, and the price eventually dropped to $34.99 USD. The StudioCanal 4-pack has better color accuracy but zero special features, while Scream Factory's has Atmos but messed up the colors.

StudioCanal · Collector's Edition

dir. John Carpenter

Sony S-Tier 4K. One of the more under-appreciated John Carpenter films, with Jeff Bridges playing an alien on a road trip across America. The Columbia Classics box set originally included this, and Sony releasing a standalone steelbook is good news for people who didn't want to buy the whole set. Target's buy 2 get 1 free deal has brought the price down to around $30 USD.

Sony Pictures · Steelbook (4K + Blu-ray)

dir. John Carpenter

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

dir. John Carpenter

Carpenter's practical effects hold up better than most modern CGI and the Universal 4K is A-Tier, though the missing Dolby Vision is the one complaint collectors have. Signed copies from convention appearances are circulating and the Titans of Cult edition has been restocking through Books-a-Million.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. John Carpenter

A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.

Shout! Studios · Collector's Edition