The Quest to Own Our Favorite Movies

Linda Linda Linda (2005)
Frankly, it’s a miracle we own this one. Shortly after watching this movie, I was talking with some folks online, and one of them mentioned that Half Price Books has a nationwide catalogue of everything they have in every one of their stores. One of them knew I had just watched the movie and suggested I check to see if they had the DVD copy in stock, which is the only physical release this movie has ever gotten in the US. They had two copies, and I was able to order one for around $20. It currently goes used for $124.95!! (Sometimes; it’s usually much more reasonable, but sheesh). This movie won awards and made best-of-the-year lists! It’s one of our favorites! And the highest quality you can get it in is either a 720p rip on The Internet Archive or a DVD released during a time when Shoujo Beat was still a thing! No Blu-Ray, no 4K, no streaming. How has Discotek not even tried to pick this one up?!
Difficulty: Hard

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Here we have an interesting case (and one that is not unique as a later entry in this list will show) where I greatly prefer the Director’s Cut over the Theatrical Cut. The Director’s Cut of this movie features the original ending of this movie which Mandy and I both love a lot, but luckily the Blu-Ray release of this movie contains both cuts, so everyone’s happy! Warner has just announced a 4K UHD release as well, seemingly also containing both cuts. The Blu-Ray is still easy to get your hands on, and I’m sure the 4K won’t be going out-of-print any time soon either.
Difficulty: Easy

Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Unlike the earlier Castle in the Sky GKIDS release, Discotek gave The Castle of Cagliostro the release it deserved – twice! Mandy actually owns one of their original Blu-Ray pressings, but Discotek has since released a 4K UHD as well. This movie had multiple dubs over the years, and Discotek included all of them – the nostalgic original dub (that I call the “Wolf” dub due to them not being able to directly call the protagonist Lupin due to copyright), the redone dub from the 2000s, and even a “family-friendly” edit of the redone dub that removes excess swearing that was added to the script to match the tone of the Adult Swim dub of Lupin Part 2. It of course also includes the Japanese audio and subtitles. Exceptional release of an exceptional movie!

2025 Update: Discotek has announced another Blu-Ray release of this movie, this time with a brand new dub done by as many of the actors who were involved with Lupin Part 2 and are the “main” voice actors of the series that were possible to get, with the intent of this new dub to be accurate to the Japanese script with a bit of the localized flair we’ve come to expect. Odd that this new release isn’t 4K, but this is one of those holy grail releases that all physical releases of movies should aspire to be. Amazing!
Difficulty: Easy

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
I still own my original Blu-Ray of this movie because I knew I needed it the moment it released. There have been several versions of this movie released, and here’s where things get a little weird. One of the versions of the movie is called the Black & Chrome Edition, where it is re-graded to be black-and-white. It’s an extremely cool way to experience a great movie. There is a 4K version of this movie (some people knock this release because it makes the digital compositing more obvious than it would have been on Blu-Ray or in theaters, but the audio is excellent and that’s just a byproduct of the well-done transfer) but it only contains the regular version of this movie. However, the Mad Max 5-Film Collection has both the 4K disc and the Black & Chrome Blu-Ray. In this way, the fact that so many versions are available makes it a little worse than it would be otherwise. I’m conflicted as a fan, because the Blu-Ray as-is is perfectly good, and I want the 5-Film Collection some day, but it is kind of confusing figuring out what was released where.
Difficulty: Medium

Mandy (2018)
A very good Blu-Ray release exists and is still available for purchase. We even own a nice steelbook, though that is no longer being produced. I do find it odd that it hasn’t been upscaled to 4K yet, but maybe it just wasn’t shot in 4K. With that said, I am personally offended by the Blu-Ray.com review that opens not talking about the disc’s quality, but saying it’s “a capably produced Blu-ray, but it’s a ridiculous tale steeped in directorial self-indulgence that doesn’t deserve your time.“. Michael Reuben, you are a hack and I will catch you outside. I’m not checking your stupid website to know if a movie is good, I’m checking to see if the disc is good! That’s my wife’s favorite movie you’re insulting! I hope you see this and you meet me in the wrestling ring.
Difficulty: Easy

Maniac (1980)
Every day I’m thankful for Bill Lustig’s decision to make Blue Underground. This guy is putting in the work to remaster and release amazing versions of cult and exploitation movies – including his own! Yeah, you can get an absolutely phenomenal 4K UHD of this movie directly from a company owned by the director. Tons of features, incredible audio and video, both UHD and Blu-Rays included…Mandy won big with this one.
Difficulty: Easy

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021)
A24 is a weird one. They’ve really built their brand on being the “prestige” distribution studio, which means it’s usually possible to buy great versions of their movies with a few odd exceptions. However, their premium reputation comes at a premium price, one I’m not entirely sure is earned. Marcel is available in either 4K or Blu-Ray – only one or the other – and it does come with a good transfer of the film and a booklet of production notes and photos. Of course, who knows how long this will be in print? I’m keeping this at Easy, but I do think the price is a really rough point.
Difficulty: Easy

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2019)
On the surface, this movie is easy to own physically with a Blu-Ray/DVD combo release you can pick up for around $20. However, this movie is a spinoff of Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen’s Ip Man series, all four other entries of which are available in 4K UHD. Why not this one? The same company, Well Go Entertainment, released this movie and the Ip Man movies! It’s 4K through streaming! A really baffling decision. I’m still counting this as Easy, but it’s just another one of those weird gaps.
Difficulty: Easy

Mean Girls (2004)
Thankfully, this classic is easy to watch. It has a good Blu-Ray release and even a cute newer 4K release that was released in a pink case. We own the Blu-Ray in a steelbook that looks like the Burn Book. Super funny. However, it’s also an interesting case of “how necessary is the 4K upgrade?”. The audio is the same from the Blu-Ray, and there’s an appreciable upgrade in video quality between the two forms, but it’s not really spectacular. That said, if there’s one thing I like about the existence of UHD releases, it’s that they show a studio’s dedication to keeping movies in print. That’s the goal here, in the end – movies should be accessible and you should own them!
Difficulty: Easy

Miami Connection (1987)
I have such a complex relationship with Vinegar Syndrome. On one hand, they do absolutely amazing restoration work on movies you would never expect to get it. On the other hand, their releases are always limited in production and they don’t do reprints. I was lucky enough that Miami Connection was one of the movies that kickstarted this whole endeavor for me, because I got the Limited Edition Slipcase before it sold out, but looking at Vinegar Syndrome’s website only 374 copies are left in stock between the other edition they have on sale.
Difficulty: Medium, Hard in the future

Millennium Actress (2001)
We own a great Blu-Ray/DVD combo of this movie with a gorgeous steelbook, and you can get one too for just $18.99 thanks to Gruv! There’s also a non-steelbook version for a dollar less. It’s an awesome release with features, good subtitles, and great video and audio quality befitting of such a great movie.
Difficulty: Easy

Mulholland Drive (2001)
Another excellent Criterion 4k & Blu-Ray combo release. There are some significant David Lynch movies missing from the Collection, which I’ll break down in the Extras section, but this one at least is widely available.
Difficulty: Easy

Multiple Maniacs (1970)
A surprising Criterion restoration that I’m very thankful for. This could have easily been a Hard, but within the last few years Criterion found the original footage, worked with John Waters to restore it, and released his first movie in gorgeous Blu-Ray format.
Difficulty: Easy

My Bloody Valentine (1981)
We own an excellent Blu-Ray with extremely cool slipcover that contains the theatrical and uncut versions of the movie. The uncut version is also the best version. And better yet, the 4K release by Shout Factory also contains higher-quality versions of both cuts!
Difficulty: Easy

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
So here’s something wild – it’s actually seemingly difficult to get your hands on Napoleon Dynamite’s Blu-Ray these days, at least that’s the case as of late 2025! I purchased the Blu-Ray for a relatively cheap price, and it seems to contain pretty much the same special features as the DVD release. A 4K release has been announced, but no dice yet. I don’t know if this is just a blip in distribution and pressing or what, but I don’t think Napoleon Dynamite should run you $50 new, according to Amazon. C’mon, Criterion, get it in the collection!
Difficulty: Medium

Network (1976)
Originally, I was going to rant about how the existing Blu-Ray release for Sidney Lumet’s incredible movie has some of the worst cover art I’ve ever seen on a Blu-Ray release, but that was before my dreams were answered and Criterion announced a 4K release! Hallelujah, we’re spared, and this classic is preserved for another generation.
Difficulty: Easy

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017)
I’m surprised that this was so easy to find! Shout Factory has a good track record with anime movies, often licensing ones I’m not expecting (as this list will later show), and Masaaki Yuasa’s beautiful film is still in print and still easy to find on Blu-Ray. It looks and sounds great.
Difficulty: Easy

Night of the Living Dead (1968)
This is one of the funniest releases we own. Being a public domain movie, it’s extremely easy to own Night of the Living Dead physically, and your best option is likely Criterion’s release. However, the version we ended up is one from a thrift store that I got because it’s in this unique jewel case around the size of a CD case but as tall as a Sega CD case. It has ugly CGI zombies on it for some reason. It really is like Night of the Living Dead for the Sega Saturn. Maybe I’ll replace the disc proper with a decent release some day, but I can’t get over how amusing the packaging is to me.
Difficulty: Easy

Nightbreed (1990)
I mentioned earlier with Little Shop of Horrors that there was another release where I preferred the Director’s Cut. This was it, and the incredible 4-disc UHD/Blu-Ray combo set is one of the biggest dominoes that got us collecting. This set is fantastic, containing both the theatrical cut and the far, far, far superior director’s cut (which is a top ten film for us both). Now, it’s a little puzzling that only the theatrical cut is available on the 4K UHD, but it’s likely to do with how the Director’s Cut is put together using supplemental and found elements which would prove to be difficult to make cohesive on any higher resolution. This is good enough for me.
Difficulty: Easy

Nope (2022)
Being a newer movie by an acclaimed director that was released before streaming started swallowing everything up, Nope has an easily-accessible 4K release, and was included in the same movie collection we got Get Out and Us in.
Difficulty: Easy