21. The Wailing [Lenticular Fullslip] (Injoingan)
South Korea may have been the country to give us Na Hong-jin's “The Wailing”, but it was the last place to release the film on blu-ray and the wait was more than worth it! Injoingan gave us a lovely steelbook release in 4 different variants and the lenticular version, in which the dried flowers transition to hanging min-skulls, is expertly done. The 2-disc set itself was loaded too and, as a rarity for Korean physical media releases, several of the special features came with English subtitles, including the audio commentary with director Na Hong-jin, DOP Hong Kyung-pyo and the art director as well as a 42 minutes featurette that explains the mythology, iconography and symbolism within “The Wailing”. (Rhythm Zaveri)
Note: This release is now sold out!
22. Sputnik [Mediabook] (Capelight)
While some may say it is just another “Alien”-clone Egar Abramenko's “Sputnik” is still an entertaining creature feature set in the time of the Cold War along with its war of ideas, ideologies and progress. Apart from an interview about the themes and inspirations of the film, the mediabook by German company Capelight also contains the movie on DVD and Blu-ray along with some lovely artwork on the cover. As with every release by the company the image and sound quality are quite good and worth the price. However, be sure to have a region-free player if you want to enjoy this release. Perhaps the only downside to this release is the missing English subs. (Rouven Linnarz)
23. Why don't you play in hell? [Mediabook] (Midori Impuls)
It has been a long time since there has been a decent release of this film in Germany and many other countries. While the release make a region-free player necessary, it is worth it for the bonus features alone, including an essay about Sion Sono's cinema in the context of postmodern filmmaking, an interview with the director and an introduction to the film itself. The movie is presented in great audio and image quality, and as with many releases by Midori Impuls comes with several cover designs which are limited. (Rouven Linnarz)
Note: The cover used in this list is Cover C which is currently sold out (the link on the image leads to the edition which is still available).
24. My Prince Edward (Cheng Cheng Films)
In many ways, “My Prince Edward” reminds me of the 2012 independent film – Frances Ha, since it has a similar identity if not the same level of exuberance as the American one. It is driven by a similar personality as the prior. With a refusal to grow-up, the lead characters in both the cases live in a state of denial – without completely acknowledging their immaturity. Still, both of them struggle to get out of the mundane routines of their lives. It is a skill to keep one interested in their flawed personalities that get shadowed by an undeniable gloominess. Norris achieves it just as well as Noah, despite a different approach. (Akash Deshpande)
25. Parasite [Mediabook] (Koch Media)
There have been numerous releases of Bong Joon-ho's much-deserved Oscar winner and along with the internationally released steelbook there was also a 4K mediabook release by a German company called Koch Media featuring the film in stunning 4K along with a plethora of extras including interviews, a masterclass with the director and a booklet containing an essay written by German film critic Marco Heiter. Additionally, the release also comes with a great cover design showing the family members on the stone monument. (Rouven Linnarz)
Note: While this partcular release is now sold out, there is a similar release by the same company with a different artwork.
