As we start the 2026 holiday season, the Criterion Collection also goes on sale twice before the year closes out. This includes both the month-long half off November Barnes & Noble sale, as well as the 24 hour 50% flash sale through Criterion directly that happens every October. Anything since the end of July is fair game and if you’ve had your eye on something but haven’t pulled the trigger – now is the time to partake. Usually, Criterion announces more horror-centric films in their October slate and this month is no different. Criterion is upgrading a Collection staple in a new 4K+Blu-Ray set, two new Blu-Ray releases, two new 4K+Blu-Ray releases, a Blu-Ray Eclipse upgrade, and one gargantuan, unprecedented 4K+Blu-Ray box set featuring the filmography of master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick.
Welcome II The Terrordome (1995)
I only became aware of Welcome II The Terrordome after BAM added screenings of this with Janus Films attached as the distributor back in July. A film that covers difficult topics, with a rap soundtrack, with a stylish flare, in the 1990s is 100% my jam. Additionally, Welcome II The Terrordome is the first theatrically distributed British feature by a Black woman. It would be wrong of me to discuss the topics within this film as a white man, however the commentary is done incredibly well and it’s one of the best surprises I’ve seen this year. Welcome II The Terrordome is a Blu-Ray release featuring a new 2K digital restoration supervised and approved by cinematographer Alwin H. Küchler.
The Shout (1978)
There’s something very special about the horror films of the 1970s. The studio framework hadn’t entirely taken over, and there was a lot of analog and interpretive horror at play. Even though the slasher genre took over the ‘80s, the ‘70s gave way to what the modern slasher would look like. The Shout is a part of the drive in the ‘70s and has a mysterious man move into town that can shout so loud it can kill. The Shout is a great October flick with its pulpy premise and more silly aesthetic – you could pair this with your favorite Goosebumps episode or Friday the 13th sequel (Jason Voorhees in space or Manhattan are great options). The Shout is a Blu-Ray release featuring a 2K digital restoration approved by director Jerzy Skolimowski.
Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller is one of the most brilliant filmmakers I’ve seen. Watching Shock Corridor at 16 years old was a shock (see what I did there) to the system. Someone making something so visually stylish and morally questionable in the 1960s seemed outlandish to my feeble little high schooler mind. I’ve seen more films from him since then, and the first films for any esteemed filmmaker is a great way to show the stepping stones to how someone shows their ethos in filmmaking before they’re allowed more budgetary power. This Eclipse was generously used for years when it was a DVD release, but the eventual upgrade to blu-ray will be ran back when I pick this up. Furthermore, a set with a great western, great noir, and a great war picture is a killer deal on any front. The films in this set are I Shot Jesse James, The Baron of Arizona, and The Steel Hamlet and they are all featured in a Blu-Ray box set.
The Complete Kubrick
The Complete Kubrick is the entire filmography of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick featuring 4K restorations of all 13 of his feature films. Stanley Kubrick is one of the most important filmmakers ever, in the same vein of Akira Kurosawa or Federico Fellini – but if you’re reading a monthly summary of Criterion’s physical media releases this entire sentence is incredibly silly and fluff as a film fan. This is far and away the most important piece of physical media that will be released this year (hell, probably the decade). This set will include the films Fear and Desire, Killer’s Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stopped Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. Additionally, Kubrick’s three short films, Flying Padre, Day of the Fight, and The Seafarers, will also be in the release. While not specified on Criterion’s website, it is unsure as to whether these are all new 4K restorations. But it’s entirely possible that the Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut discs will feature the new restorations Criterion has previously done.
Christiane F. (1981)
Christiane F. is a film that I’ve avoided for some time. I’m no stranger to difficult films (Salo, La Grande Bouffet, Come and See, and In the Realm of the Senses have been viewed by these unfortunate eyes), but the events within Christian’s F. hit a weird spot for me personally. The film is about a 14-year-old girl who falls into heroin addiction in Berlin. My friends who have seen this describe it as depraved but sincere. Christiane F. has been a wishlist Criterion for some time and has a mass cult following behind it. I’m curious to check it out, and this new release might be the push I need to finally digest this picture. To add, this is another film in the Criterion Collection that stars the masterful David Bowie. Christiane F. is a 4K+Blu-Ray combo pack featuring a new 4K digital restoration approved by director Uli Edel.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
It feels silly to go over in detail how incredible The Silence of the Lambs is. It wrote a whole new language of crime procedural with the monster guiding you to your destination. Jonathan Demme (rest his soul), was an excellent filmmaker and The Silence of the Lambs was his most successful feature on a critical and commercial level. Criterion has had the rights to its blu-ray for a number of years, but now we are getting a new 4K disc upgrade. I feel like anyone who collects Criterion has this release in their collection – so this should be an easy upgrade for any fan of cinema. The Silence of the Lambs is a 4K+Blu-Ray combo pack featuring a 4K digital restoration supervised by director of photography Tak Fujimoto.
Frankenstein (2025)
Guillermo del Toro is one of my all time favorite filmmakers – and I’m a massive fan of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Which is to say, I was a massive fan of this film. There were people who weren’t in love with this interpretation (and that’s fine!), but I think the production, the ethos, and the love put behind the camera really makes this film a hit for me. Following del Toro’s last Criterion release, the magnificently put together Nightmare Alley, we get another deluxe package for one of modern cinema’s greatest auteurs. It should be a no brainer that this is a day 1 purchase for me. Frankenstein is a 4K+Blu-Ray combo pack featuring a 4K digital restoration of both the theatrical release of the film as well as a new extended director’s cut.
