JP Nunez
It may only be the middle of July, but if you’re a horror fan, it’s already time to start preparing for the Halloween season. Boutique Blu-ray labels often put out some really cool new horror titles in October, even if they don’t normally focus on the genre, and the first big news on that front has just arrived. The Criterion Collection recently announced their October 2023 releases, and just like last year, there are some really exciting titles here.
First up, on October 3, we have a new 4K release of a film celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Don’t Look Now. This is one of the absolute best horror movies of the 1970s, and even though it’s already available on Blu-ray, I’m sure loads of collectors will welcome the upgrade.
A week after that, on October 10, the Criterion Collection is going to be giving us another 4K upgrade, and this one is just as exciting. It’s the mind-bending body horror Videodrome, one of David Cronenberg’s most beloved films. In fact, it might be my personal favorite Cronenberg movie, but to be fair, it’s nearly impossible to pick just one.
Then, on October 17, we’ll be getting what I consider the crown jewel of this entire announcement. The Criterion Collection is going to release a three-film collection called Tod Browning’s Sideshow Shockers. It includes Freaks, a controversial classic that’s never been released on Blu-ray in the United States, and two lesser-known movies that I’ve never even heard of, The Unknown and The Mystic.
Like many horror fans, I’ve been anxiously awaiting a Blu-ray of Freaks for years, and when I heard it was finally happening, it literally made my day. I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on that film, and even though I’m not familiar with the other two in this set, I’m sure they’ll also be worthwhile additions to any genre aficionado’s collection.
On October 24, the Criterion Collection will be releasing their final 4K upgrade of the month, and it’s going to be pretty spooky. It’s the Nicole Kidman-starring chiller The Others, which many people consider one of the greatest ghost movies ever made.
Last but not least, on Halloween itself, we’ll be getting what just might be the second most exciting part of this announcement. The 2022 hit Nanny, which up until now has only been available on Amazon Prime, will finally come out on Blu-ray, and if you’re anything like me, you’re definitely going to want to own a physical copy of this absolute gem.
Now, as great as all these releases are, they also come with one big drawback: they’re expensive. In fact, Criterion Blu-rays are more expensive than most, so let me give you a little tip to help keep your wallet from going into cardiac arrest. The Criterion Collection normally has a 24-hour half-off flash sale sometime in October, and Barnes and Noble typically have a month-long 50% sale on Criterion discs for just about the entire month of November. So if you can hold off on buying some of these films for a few weeks, you’ll be able to save a nice chunk of change.
