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Every year on top of the usual discounts that a consumer can find on big ticket items like televisions and other home appliances, retailers offer huge Black Friday price cuts on home media like DVDs and Blu-rays. While people who watch home media are a dying breed, there are still many benefits to buying a physical movie over renting digitally or relying on a streaming service.
Besides the ownership factor where a person physically owns the DVD they buy, the quality is usually better than streaming because it is not reliant on a consistent, high quality Wi-Fi or cellular service signal. For reference, Netflix recommends a 25 megabit per second download speed for 4K Ultra HD streaming. That may not sound like a lot, but when multiple devices are streaming internet in the house at one time (a phone, an Echo or Dot like device, a game console, a cable box, a computer, etc.) it drains the speed.
It is worth noting that in past years, companies like Walmart would list out more than just a few movies in the selected price range. Walmart only beats out other retailers in two examples, the rest are all Best Buy because Best Buy has the whole catalog that’s on sale available on their website. It is weighted in that way because of information available before walking into the store physically on the day of to see what’s available. Walmart is always worth looking into because they will carry dozens of movies not listed on the ad at selected price points, a lot of times hidden gems can be found. Keep in mind, these deals are all while supplies last and rain checks are not offered.
That said, here are the top ten deals in home media available this Black Friday from major retailers in the area (in no particular order):
1. Zack Snyder’s Justice League 4K Ultra HD Edition: $9.96 (Walmart)
Regular Price: $49.98
Any time someone can get a 4K edition of a movie for under $10, it is worth the value. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a beautiful movie, regardless of how one feels about the treatment of certain iconic characters. While this edition does not come with plenty of special features, it does include a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that works with surround sound systems to produce theater-quality sound. This set also comes with a Blu-ray edition for those without a 4K player and is a savings of around $20 off regular sticker price.
2. Avengers: Infinity War Blu-ray/Digital Combo Pack: $7.96 (Walmart)
Regular Price: $12.48
As a corporation, it appears as if Disney is moving away from home media in an effort to get people to pay a monthly fee to just watch what they want on demand. What little offerings they do have in the home media department tend to not get the steep markdowns that other studios offer. That said, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War at this price is a great deal. This is hands down the strongest of the Avengers movies and is an excellent case study in how to carry so many storylines without leaving any character in a massive ensemble shortchanged.
3. Godzilla Vs. Kong 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack: $9.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $32.99
Godzilla Vs. Kong is a divisive movie. The most common complaint among many is that there is too much plot and not enough monsters punching each other. This complaint is not entirely unfounded but when the marquee match-up does happen, it truly is a sight to behold. There is a lot to be said about Legendary’s handling of the Monster-verse movies but when the fights come, they are beautifully done. The only thing that would make this deal better is a cut of the movie that is just Godzilla and King Kong fighting with none of the human story.
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack: $9.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $19.99
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie to be released. It is better than Raimi’s trilogy from the early 2000s, it is better than Webb’s duology from the early 2010s, and it is better than the Marvel Cinematic Universe treatment by Jon Watts. The movie is beautifully animated and tells the Spider-Man story through a new lens that audiences may not be familiar with. This movie is infinitely rewatchable and looks gorgeous on an Ultra HD screen.
5. Parasite 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack: $9.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $22.99
Parasite became the first foreign film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2020, a win it completely deserved. It is a gripping story of the disparity between those with money and those without. This movie also has beautiful set design and cinematography to help punctuate this theme. At the $9.99 price, it is worth buying to own.
6. Logan 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital Combo Pack: $9.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $22.99
Not just the best of Fox’s run on X-Men, Logan is a top five comic book movie of all time. It is the perfect send-off to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine but also to Patrick Stewart’s Professor X. It is an introspective movie that deconstructs the characters that the audience got to know over 15 years in such a way that is heartbreaking as they come to terms with the people that they truly are. Not only does this edition come with the standard movie but it also comes with Logan Noir, a black-and-white version of the same movie.
7. Batman: The Long Halloween Parts 1 and 2 Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack: $5.99 Per Part ($11.98 Total) (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $22.99 Each, $45.98 Total
The DC Animated movies are surprisingly consistent, probably because they adhere relatively close to the source material that they are based on. Batman: The Long Halloween is no exception. This movie serves as an origin for both Batman as the World’s Greatest Detective and Harvey Dent as Two-Face. It is a walk through the worst of Gotham’s criminal underworld and brings Batman face to face with iconic villains like The Joker, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and even Calendar Man. It is worth a watch for anyone who has an interest in Batman.
8. It’s a Wonderful Life Platinum Anniversary Edition: $5.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $16.99
It’s a holiday classic at a price that cannot be beat. More does not need to be said.
9. In the Heights Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack: $9.99 (Best Buy)
Regular Price: $19.99
In the Heights is a beautiful theatrical adaptation of a musical, something that is not seen a lot today. This movie flew under the radar when it was released as part of Warner Brothers’ HBOMax/Theatrical hybrid model because the cast does not feature many big names and it did not have the draw of a major franchise behind it. It should not be missed or slept on however and is worth every minute of watching. It is beautifully shot and cast with talent that prioritized the ability to perform the material over star-power (see La La Land).
10. Target’s Blanket Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale
Rather than what Walmart and Best Buy are doing, Target is having a blanket Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale on all their movies, books, and music. The ad advertises box sets for things like The Office and Harry Potter while also showing off new releases like Cruella, Black Widow, F9: The Fast Saga and In the Heights. They also advertise They Both Die at the End and One of Us is Lying on the book side which are both also worth a read and make excellent gifts for the teenager in your life.
