By John Corrado

It’s that time of year again for my annual Christmas and holiday gift guide. This is for the movie lovers and physical media collectors on your list, featuring a number of titles on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray that I can personally recommend, ranging from recent blockbusters to several old classics that are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. These titles should be widely available at Sunrise Records or on Amazon, for all of your last minute shopping needs.

Hollywood Hits:

• Dune: Part Two (4K Ultra HD): For the sci-fi (or Timothée Chalamet) fans on your list, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is one of the biggest and best movies of the year, and the 4K Ultra HD edition is stunning. And it comes with an array of bonus features to dive even deeper into the film’s production. Full Review (Warner Bros.)

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (4K Ultra HD): Tim Burton’s entertaining legacy sequel (and recent box office hit) finds the director having fun returning to the world of his 1988 classic, with Michael Keaton delightfully reprising his titular role as “the ghost with the most.” Plus, the set comes with an excellent array of behind-the-scenes material showcasing the film’s eye-catching production design, makeup, and practical effects. Full Review (Warner Bros.)

• Trap (4K Ultra HD): If you’re looking for a thriller that is fun to watch while keeping you on the edge of your seat, M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap fits the bill. It’s set at a pop concert that is an elaborate trap to catch a serial killer, and Josh Hartnett eats up the leading role. The 4K edition highlights the 35mm cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (who also shot Challengers this year), and it gets added points for being filmed in Toronto and Hamilton standing in for downtown Philly. Full Review (Warner Bros.)

• Twisters (Blu-ray): One of this summer’s box office hits, Twisters is an entertaining disaster flick from director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), that works due to the chemistry between stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell. The disc also includes a solid selection of bonus features for those who want to go deeper into the film’s mix of visual and practical effects. Full Review (Universal Pictures)

Old Favourites in 4K:

• North By Northwest (4K Ultra HD): Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, his 1959 romantic espionage thriller starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in a tale of mistaken identity, is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. This film will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the first Hitchcock movies I saw as a kid, and I still count it among his best. It’s suspenseful and romantic. The disc includes a new featurette (North By Northwest: Cinematography, Score, and the Art of the Edit), and ships with a matte slipcover, which is important for a lot of us physical media collectors. It’s a treat to finally have this glorious VistaVision classic in 4K. (Warner Bros.)

• A Nightmare on Elm Street (4K Ultra HD): Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Starring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, the man with knives on his fingers who haunts your dreams, this is unquestionably one of the most influential horror movies of the 1980s (it sparked a whole franchise). This new 4K edition is a worthwhile upgrade for fans, and the disc includes both the theatrical and “uncut” versions of the film. (Warner Bros.)

• The Terminator (4K Ultra HD): Also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year (1984 was a good year, eh?) with a new 4K upgrade is director James Cameron’s futuristic sci-fi thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the cyborg sent to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). It’s still a classic, including one of Schwarzenegger’s most iconic roles (aside from Jingle All the Way, of course). (Warner Bros.)

• Twister (4K Ultra HD): If you enjoyed Twisters in theatres, you can’t go wrong with the original 1996 film starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, now in 4K for the very first time. The disc includes the new featurette The Legacy of Twister: Taken by the Wind, featuring director Jan de Bont, and comes with a matte slipcover. It would make a great double gift with Twisters as well. (Warner Bros.)

Television:

• Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way (Blu-ray): The popular Apple TV+ streaming series, starring Jason Sudeikas in the highly celebrated role of an American college football coach who is transplanted to London, is available to own in this 7-disc box set featuring all 34 episodes from the three seasons of the show. You can’t beat this set for fans of the series who want to add it to their collections, and it’s a good choice for binge-viewing over the holidays. Plus, the set comes with a slipcover and the “free gift” of a foldout “Believe” poster. (Warner Bros.)

• Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice Vol. 1-4 (Blu-ray): This new set from the Warner Archive Collection combines all four volumes of the Looney Tunes: Collector’s Choice releases into one package, containing a grand total of 97 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts. It’s a nice, compact package, and you really can’t go wrong with these classic cartoons, for either kids or adult animation fans. It’s a wonderful blast from the past, and I’m personally looking forward to revisiting these shorts over the holidays. (Warner Bros.)

Please note that all of these items were provided to me for review.