Streaming services are the primary way a lot of people consume their media of choice, whether that be music or TV shows or movies. Not everybody is on board, though, and some of those who are have started to tire of it. Regular price increases and limited streaming libraries have some consumers returning to physical media — vinyl, CDs, 4Ks — preferring objects they can hold and own over streaming options that can vanish at any time.
Companies are more than happy to support this wave: Whatever you might be into, each month brings a slew of new releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite physical media releases of July below.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair 4K Collector’s Edition
Last summer, Quentin Tarantino’s own theater, The Vista, did limited screenings of both Kill Bill films together, known as Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. They projected Tarantino’s personal print, still including French subtitles from its original run out of competition at Cannes — an all-timer movie experience, complete with fans cheering at all the right moments and custom merch for sale. Following this, the rest of the country was able to experience the complete Kill Bill with a theatrical release and now a pretty staggering home edition from Lionsgate Limited. Now if you’ve been following this column, Lionsgate has consistently been setting the bar high in terms of their editions being just gorgeous objects, with creative packaging, tons of little goodies, and sturdy containers to keep the discs safe. And this might be their best one yet.
In terms of this set, one of my favorite features is that they used real veil fabric on the case — after all, every bride needs her veil. There’s also posters, a lovely 40-page booklet with behind-the-scenes photos, a very cool film strip, character cards, and, of course, a double disc of the film in both 4K and Blu-ray editions. As for the film, what can I say that hasn’t been said? It completely rocks, and is so repeatedly watchable that it feels essential to have in your collection. It follows really incredible releases of Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown, and the hope is that more are on the way, as Lionsgate holds the rights to a number of other Tarantino properties.
Get it here.
John Carpenter’s Cathedral
John Carpenter spent much of his career making some of the best horror (and horror-adjacent) films of all time, like Halloween, Big Trouble In Little China, They Live, and The Thing. In more recent years, he’s been focusing a lot on music, performing concerts of his signature scores and releasing new material at a steady clip. I understand that he also enjoys playing video games, but that is beside the point. But now we have a new title for John Carpenter: graphic novel author.
Cathedral is his debut full length graphic novel, and he doesn’t go at it alone, tapping a group of trusted collaborators, like co-writers Sandy King and Sean Sobczak, illustrators Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna, colorist Sian Mandrake, and letterer Marshall Dillon. The result is a book that feels fully formed in Carpenter’s vision, using an abandoned church as a starting point for a dreamlike journey in the world of murder and ancient evil. Fans should be thrilled that he’s storytelling again in any medium (he’s made only two feature films since 2001), but this is a particularly potent return to the genre work fans love him for.
Get it here.
Harlan County USA
While Criterion announces splashy new releases joining the Criterion Collection for the first time on a monthly clip, one of the other exciting projects they’re working through is a steady stream of upgrades for movies already offered on DVD and Blu-ray. This endeavor underscores the brand’s core mission of film preservation and curation, ensuring some of the most important films ever made get treated to look as good (or, often, better) as they ever have.
A great example of this is the August 4K upgrade of Harlan County USA, simply put one of the best and most essential documentaries ever made. Barbara Kopple went to Harlan County, Kentucky, to make a different documentary than the one that got captured. Ultimately, she discovered a coal miner strike for a better union contract that became a crucial portrait of underdiscussed local communities and the importance of labor unions in this country. She worked for four years on the film, earning the trust of her subjects and delivering a movie that looks and sounds like nothing else — and now better than ever in 4K. The viewer gets right in the middle of the action and experiences all the rage that comes with seeing how workers can be exploited.
The release is loaded with features, like a making-of doc, commentary from Kopple, and interviews with filmmaker John Sayles and musician Hazel Dickens (the music in the film is so good, and takes the final product into orbit). This is the kind of movie that should be taught in schools, and having it in your own library feels essential.
Get it here.
yasiin bey – The Ecstatic Deluxe Photo Book + Vinyl
Back when he was known as Mos Def, yasiin bey took a break from a surging acting career to release one of his finest solo albums, The Ecstatic. First released by Downtown Records and featuring production from fellow legends Madlib, J Dilla, Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes), Georgia Anne Muldrow, and many more, the album went on to be nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys and still stands as one of the standout works of the era.
Now, Rhymesayers is teaming with bey for an extended partnership, with the first release being a fresh reissue of The Ecstatic, available as a physical version for the first time since its initial era. And while there are standard vinyl, CD, and cassette formats, I really want to point you to the massive Deluxe Edition. It features a stunning hardcover book that can live as easily on a coffee table as it does in the vinyl box, along with a double LP edition of the record, a 7″ single, and an overall presentation that is as premium as it comes. When we talk about definitive editions, this is what we’re talking about.
Get it here.
Mars Attacks! Limited Edition Steelbook
Tim Burton’s ’90s saw some of his most beloved works including Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Batman Returns. It also included the release of Mars Attacks!, a movie that initially got some of the most tepid reactions of Burton’s career, but has amassed quite the cult following over the years. And it isn’t hard to see what confused people at first, as it featured a mega-cast of legendary actors, including Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Natalie Portman, Michael J. Fox, and Annette Bening (to name just a few) while delivering a bombastic tribute to the B movies that Burton loved growing up. It was out of step for the time, coming just months after Independence Day, which took aliens much more seriously rather than winking and hoping the audience was in on the joke.
But these days, Mars Attacks! is much more appreciated with people meeting the film on its own terms. Frankly, it is very funny, especially all the things that stem from the alien character design and sound effects choices. The new steelbook from Warner Bros. leans into this, complete with a slipcase that reveals Lisa Marie’s extraterrestrial nature when you slide it off. The release includes two new behind-the-scenes featurettes, but the star here is the film getting the proper 4K restoration that it deserves. Here’s to this cult classic finding a whole new generation of fans.
Get it here.
Barbarian Steelbook
When Barbarian was released in 2022, it announced a great new voice in horror in the form of comedy vet Zach Cregger. Of course, no one knew then what was to come, with his follow-up Weapons quickly becoming one of the breakout film sensations of the decade, even earning an Academy Award for Amy Madigan. But it all started here, with a smart, surprising, often funny, and always captivating Barbarian, which had long been promised for physical media and finally arrives. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect, with Cregger’s third feature, Resident Evil, coming out next month and already looking like another smash.
A lot of Barbarian‘s charm comes from not really knowing where the story is going, and then being along for the ride as it takes many unexpected turns. But just know that Justin Long continues his run as the king of screams, and that the new steelbook from 20th Century Studios is a pristine offering worthy of the movie. And you get some nice special features, including commentary from Cregger, a 12-minute making-of feature, and four deleted scenes. Get in on the ground floor of one of horror’s most exciting current directors.
Get it here.
Sing Street 10th Anniversary Edition
When this very special new edition of Sing Street arrived a few weeks back for its 10th Anniversary, I didn’t expect blurbing it to feel so bittersweet. But with the recent death of Glen Hansard [VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISH], it’s hard not to think about John Carney’s breakthrough Once — which saw Hansard become a well-known musical figure after starring — when considering Sing Street. Carney loves tying his projects to the greater world of music and his home country of Ireland, and when it works, the results can be transcendent.
For its part, Sing Street really opened up to me 10 years after first watching it, and I hold the movie in even higher esteem now. There’s something especially pure in the coming-of-age story that’s told through the lens of starting a band, and using the band to win over a girl. It’s a tale as old as time, and the new Lionsgate Limited 4K gives the movie a physical edition that enhances its pleasures. I love a sturdy box to house the collection, which this provides, but maybe the coolest aspect is the lyric book included that highlights the songs within the story. There’s also a conversation between Carney and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, a making-of documentary, and lots of little goodies to give fans a ton of value. It’s a special film that feels a little underappreciated, and hopefully this release lets it find an even wider audience.
Get it here.
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (Rhino High Fidelity)
Joining the Rhino High Fidelity family this month is a stone-cold classic: Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. It’s a fascinating listen that bypasses everything you might think you know about Van. It’s not sultry anthems and pop standards. Instead, it’s a fluid, slippery, emotionally charged piece that works best as a complete work. And it helps that the music is sung by one of the most distinctive voices ever to exist.
This new edition is limited to 5,000 numbered copies and features all the hallmarks of the Rhino High Fidelity series, including Kevin Gray-cut lacquers, 180-gram vinyl pressed by Optimal, glossy covers, and “tip-on” jackets. While you may be able to find versions of the album used from pressings over the years, this series is really arguing that the best time to grab it is right now with these beautifully made editions.
Get it here.
AIAIAI’s Tracks Oklou Edition Headphones
A little outside our typical vinyl and 4K wheelhouse, we’re also going to be including more collabs from artists, be it products or merch. And that’s where these great new headphones live, as AIAIAI has partnered with Uproxx fave Oklou for a couple of editions of their distinct headphones. It’s a collab that makes a ton of sense if you listen to Oklou’s music, as it feels ripe for fine headphones to experience the exquisite compositions and attention to detail that the French artist provides.
There are two options. There’s the TMA-2, which are chunky, wireless headphones that can maintain a charge for up to 40 hours. But we prefer the more modest Tracks, which feel a little more retro in their wired design, and they harken back to the headphones you might have first listened to music through, but with upgraded specs that can compete with the best on the market. They look lovely in greens and blues that evoke the ocean, with Tracks coming in at a relatively affordable price point. Maybe Oklou says it best: “This is a partnership of mutual respect and a collective desire to explore new ways of being creative.”
Get it here.
Counting Crows – August And Everything After (Vinylphile)
If I’m being honest, Counting Crows’ debut album August And Everything After might be the most important record of my own musical history. They were the first concert I ever attended and this album in particular provided an emotional jolt to my teen heart while also giving me a way to connect to my older brother, who ran in similar circles as frontman Adam Duritz back when he was still bartending at The Viper Room. But, enough about me, because if this record isn’t in your collection, you are truly missing out.
I was so excited to hear that this received the Vinylphile treatment. That means sturdy, double 180-gram black vinyl, a matte-finished gatefold package, archival imagery, new liner notes, and audiophile-quality sonics. It’s a classic that is getting treated as such, which is very nice to witness considering how the band was sometimes overlooked by serious music fans during the ’90s. Now, maybe they can do the same with Recovering The Satellites as well? Not sure if UMG is taking requests, but I’d be first in line.
Get it here.
Scream Original Motion Picture Score
2026 has been a landmark year for the Scream movie franchise. The latest edition, Scream 7, was a box office smash, proving that the storied series still has a huge fanbase wanting to see what’s next from Ghostface. And the original installment of the movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which those of us who saw that movie in high school are surely feeling our age now.
To celebrate, Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings have teamed up to honor Marco Beltrami’s original score with impressive new vinyl pressings. The cover leans into the pressing’s premium feel, with a “blood-soaked” sleeve that provides embossed texture to the packaging. And there are many versions to choose from, including — big breath — a “Knife’s Edge” silver vinyl with poster (Target), “Surprise, Sidney” metallic blend vinyl (Barnes & Noble), “Don’t Hang Up” clear vinyl (Books-A-Million), “I’ll Be Right Back” blue vinyl (Urban Outfitters), “Final Girl” splatter vinyl (Hot Topic), “Wrong Answer” Blood Red Splatter vinyl (Varèse Sarabande/Craft Recordings), and “Final Phone Call” blue vinyl at select indie retailers. We got the Hot Topic one, and it looks and sounds fantastic.
Get it here.
