Blu-ray On My Mind: Kubrick, Barbarian, A New Label, & Reviews
· BCPosted in: 4K/Blu-Ray, Movies | Tagged: 4k, arrow video, blu-ray, Criterion Collection, The Amazing World of Gumball, the devil wears prada 2
Blu-ray On My Mind: Kubrick, Barbarian, A New Label, & Reviews
This week's Blu-ray news includes Criterion's Kubrick set, a new label's first releases, and reviews, including The Amazing World of Gumball.
Published Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:17:11 -0500
by Jeremy Konrad
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Blu-ray and physical media are important to many collectors and me, and while it can be a chore these days to get your hands on the discs, nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than cracking open a new Blu-ray. Every week, we will review the week's announcements and news in physical media, highlight the labels still unearthing films that have somehow never been released, and review new discs we have added to our collections. Let's dive into the week, shall we?
Blu-ray News Of The Week
–Barbarian is FINALLY coming to physical media. The Zach Cregger film will be on 4K on August 11, and it will come in a Steelbook.
-Criterion sent us all into a tizzy this week, announcing The Complete Kubrick for release on October 20. The 4K set will include the iconic director's entire catalog of 13 films and 3 shorts. It took them two years to make this, and it will be the biggest physical-media release of the fall, for sure. It is up for preorder now. The full list of films:
Day of the Fight (1951, in both its original and RKO versions)
Flying Padre (1952)
Fear and Desire (1952)
The Seafarers (1953)
Killer's Kiss (1955)
The Killing (1956)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Spartacus (1960)
Lolita (1962)
Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
The Shining (1980, in both its theatrical and international versions)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
–The Devil Wears Prada 2 will release on 4K Blu-ray on July 28.
– You can celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Fast and the Furious (2001) with a brand new edition of the original film on August 25 on 4K.
–Last time, we told you about a new label getting into the game, Toy Robot Video, a subsidiary of Arrow. Well, their first releases have been revealed: Masters of the Universe (1987), Guyver: Dark Hero (1994), Marshmallow (2025), Roaring Fire (1981), and Ninja Wars (1982). I already have MOTU on preorder. I will also be grabbing Marshmallow.
-The criminally underrated Jim Carrey film The Cable Guy (1996) will get a new 4K Blu-ray release on October 6.
-Also celebrating its 30th anniversary is Mars Attacks! (1996), which will also get a 4K release on August 11.
-Finally, in addition to the Kubrick set, Criterion has revealed its September releases, which include Three Films by Leos Carax (1984-1991), Nouvelle Vague (2025), The Secret Agent (2025), 12 Angry Men (1957), Days and Nights in the Forest (1970), Two Prosecutors (2025), and Shoah (1985).
Blu-ray Reviews Of The Week
Three reviews this week! We will start with one of the best horror releases of 2026 so far, as Vestron Video, a label to keep an eye on going forward, released Ginger Snaps (2000) on 4K Blu-ray for the first time. This is one of the best werewolf films ever made, and boy, does it hold up. It helps that the transfer on this is gold, with a smoothness and fine details that make this look even better than it has in the past. 1.85:1 HEVC 4K image and Dolby Vision? Yes please. New Dolby TrueHD soundtrack? Thank you. So while this cult classic may not have been made for this format, it sure shows off your setup pretty well. The special features are a bit of a letdown, as there is nothing new, but I am also betting that many may not have seen them, so that's okay. This is a buy if you love the film and an upgrade for sure.
Next up, we have The Legend of Hei II on Blu-ray from GKIDS, and their releases always leave me smiling. This release's standout is the audio. A DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio lossless track is presented here in its original Mandarin, along with an English-language dub and a plethora of subtitle options. The audio shook my speakers in the best kind of way and added subtle hints of excitement throughout my watch, leaving me in my feels. I am new to watching anime, but the atmospheres presented in the various things I have been watching are making me fall in love with the genre. GKIDS is one of the best out there in anime releases, so, as an audio snob, they will have my interest with every release.
Finally, a DVD??? Yes, I spent the last few weeks going through the exhaustive release from Warner Bros Home Entertainment of The Amazing World of Gumball: The Complete Series. What a treat this was. Now, I know that fans have been a bit merciless on this release. But I was coming to it as someone with zero knowledge of the series, and I loved every second of it. My copy did not have the audio issues some have outlined online, so I cannot speak to that. I will say that the packaging is a bit of a letdown. Like others, my case was not great at holding the discs in place, and I ended up with some scratching that did not affect playback. For a DVD release, this had some great transfers, and like I said, no audio issues. I feel for fans who experienced that. Why no Blu-ray release? This is a popular show; surely the interest is there. I would say if you are a fan of this, get it if you can find it on sale. If not, hold out for something better.
*Many thanks to GKIDS, Lionsgate, and Warner Bros for sending over these three releases for review*
Back next week with more news. One last thing, though…
Head to your local Barnes & Noble store or online tomorrow, June 26, as their summer 50% off Criterion Collection sale begins! I will have my own pick-ups to show off next week!
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