Blu-ray

A huge step up from the lacklustre Blu-ray this hilarious 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy was saddled with, Paramount’s Coming to America boasts one of the best 2160p encodes we’ve seen in some time, with superbly judged HDR10/Dolby Vision grading bringing a vibrancy to the film’s palette that was sorely missing from the lifeless 1080p incarnation. Add to that a full suite of legacy featurettes and a solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack (all the 2013 Blu-ray could muster was a vanilla DD5.1 mix) and you have a 4K release fit for a king.
HCC verdict: 4.5/5

Jackie Chan may loom large on the box art for this trio of 1980s Hong Kong action-comedies (Winners & Sinners, My Lucky Stars and Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars), but he’s more of a supporting player dropped in to add a splash of action to these bawdy ensemble films where the appeal mostly depends on how much you enjoy watching grown men trying to get a glimpse of scantily clad ladies. Not essential for Chan fans, but Eureka has still pulled out all the stops with this release, delivering beautiful restorations of all three movies complemented by myriad bonus bits.
HCC verdict: 3/5

Joan Collins stars in 1978 smash hit The Stud and its 1979 follow-up The Bitch. Both are adapted from novels by her sister Jackie and both are not-so-erotic thrillers, but Collins' deliciously bitchy performance elevates the first, at least, to trash classic status. Packing the two films comfortably on to a single disc, the HD encodes are perfectly watchable — if limited by a love of soft focus shooting. Extras include trailers, interviews and the hour-long The Making of Joan Collins, where she dispenses fitness and makeup tips to Michael Parkinson.
HCC verdict: 3/5

Despite a less than optimal, but still fairly good-looking 1080i50 encode, new boutique label Fractured Visions has assembled an impressive Limited Edition Blu-ray package for Sergio Martino’s gripping, politically minded 1975 police thriller. Generous extras include a commentary by film expert Mike Malloy that serves as a helpful intro to the 'Spaghetti Crime' genre, a fascinating 56-minute documentary about Italy’s socio-political history that informed these films, and a CD of Luciano Michelini’s sensational score.
HCC verdict: 3.5/5

Jenny Agutter landed one of her first major roles in this superb 1969 movie that mixes coming-of-age drama and crime thriller. The actress plays a 14-year-old girl who is madly in love with her 32-year-old step-brother, despite believing he may be a serial killer. This underrated British gem arrives on Blu-ray with an attractive 2K restoration and a wealth of extras, including an interview with Agutter, archival shorts from the BFI vault (such as the warning against teen promiscuity, Don’t Be Like Brenda), and the Children Film's Foundation feature Danger on Dartmoor by the same writer.
HCC verdict: 4.5/5

This 1980 mash-up of Jaws and Alien, produced by Roger Corman, is the sort of film that leaps from discussions about the civil rights of Native Americans to fish-men chasing naked ladies across beaches. In other words, Humanoids… has a cheeky charm that fans of schlock cinema will find hard to resist. Equally alluring is 88 Films' superb BD release, which backs up a surprisingly strong 1.85:1 Full HD encode with two chat tracks, a Making of… doc, an interview and deleted scenes.
HCC verdict: 4/5

Written by and starring Peter Capaldi, this quirky British comedy charts the mishaps that befall a struggling artist as he attempts to drive from London to Glasgow in order to attend his father’s funeral and secure his inheritance. Released in 1992, the film soon fell into relative obscurity, which makes this rather handsome debut Blu-ray from Plumeria Pictures all the more welcome. There’s only one extra, but it’s a good one: an informative commentary by director Stefan Schwartz and producer Richard Holmes.
HCC verdict: 3.5/5

Previously afforded a barebones HMV-exclusive BD in 2017, Julia Ducournau’s disconcerting horror about a vegetarian veterinary student who starts craving a very particular kind of meat returns to disc and gives fans more to chew on. There’s no real upgrade in the 2.40:1-framed Full HD visuals or French-language DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, both of which were already superb, but the array of extras is fantastic: two audio commentaries; interviews; a video essay; deleted scenes; and an hour-long panel discussion.
HCC verdict: 4.5/5