Welcome to our 2016 holiday gift guide, featuring some of the year’s best film and TV home releases – Check it out right here!
Every item on this Holiday Gift Guide was reviewed/and/or covered on FFFN in 2016. There are 10 physical releases on this list in no particular ranking order (aside from Alphabetical). I think these are all badass Blu-ray releases so check em out and maybe buy one or two for Christmas. Why the hell not right?
10 Cloverfield Lane on Blu-ray
I want to talk about John Goodman. The man is amazing. As a thought experiment, I’m imaging John Goodman on Mars instead of Matt Damon and I think they would still have gone to bring him back. He definitely was the star of this show. In this role, he was terrifying and completely believable as the conspiracy nut living out the realization of his nightmares. When John Goodman was on screen, you knew what his character was thinking, even if he didn’t say a word. – This except from Mark’s theatrical review (read that HERE) — (Full Blu-ray Review HERE – Spoiler Alert)
Buy HERE
Banshee Seasons 3 and 4 on Blu-ray
One of television’s greatest has left us after four seasons and there will never be another show quite like Banshee. Violent, dramatic, funny, vulgar, suspenseful, horrifying, gripping and twisted, Banshee has been firing on all cylinders and because of that it was time to see it end on a high note before it started to become stale. Banshee not only never became stale, it got better and better year in and year out, adding new and fascinating characters into an already brilliant and established ensemble cast. (My full review of Season 4 HERE)
Banshee was front to back one of the most explosive and original action packed TV series of our time and with the final 2 seasons hitting Blu-ray this year, it’s time for you all to check it out if you missed it the first time. Even if you watched it while it aired, still get the sets because the replay-ability on Banshee is insane – just as much as shows like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones in my humble opinion. (My Top 5 Picks for Best Brawls on the series is HERE – Spoiler Alert)
Buy HERE
Black Sails Season 3 on Blu-ray
From the storm at seas early on, to the stunning shark hunt mid-season and the all-out chaos of the finale, Black Sails season 3 was easily the best of the series so far and a spectacle that rivals most feature length films.
I highly recommend you pick up Black Sails season 3 on Blu-ray because it looks stunning in this format and the behind-the-scenes bonus goodies are definitely worth your time. Not only one of the best TV shows of 2016 – but now one of the best Blu-ray sets of the year as well. (My full review of the Blu-ray is HERE)
Buy HERE
Game of Thrones Seasons 5 & 6 on Steelbook Blu-rays
Sweet packaging, incredible sound which you will only find on these Steelbook releases and as an added bonus you get a cool magnet sigil to throw up on that fridge. The design was made from the same crew who worked on the groundbreaking opening title credits for Game of Thrones so if you don’t own the seasons already, these steelbooks are wonderful purchases. Plus, if you have a wicked surround sound system – they will crush your home theatre.
Game of Thrones went all out for season six. The Red Wedding has officially been topped – yes – they topped the Red Wedding and they did so in a MASSIVE way. I’m still reeling from the finale and The Battle of The Bastards… Hell I’m still feeling the hangover from episode five over here. Season six is the best yet and without a doubt some of the finest television ever produced. Ever. (Read my full review of Season 6 HERE)
Buy HERE
The Night of… on Blu-ray
HBO’s surprise hit of 2016 is a must-own for fans of OZ, The Wire, True Detective – hell, any fan of just damn good TV should own this eight episode mini-series. I guarantee you that you will not feel as uncomfortable and compelled to blast through 8 hours of show this fast all year. John Turturro and Riz Ahmed should be owning the mini-series Emmys come awards time…
Buy HERE
The Shannara Chronicles Season 1 on Blu-ray
The action sequences coupled with amazing special effects (this is a TV show? I still have a hard time believing that) make The Shannara Chronicles unparalleled to anything else on the smallscreen right now.The special features themselves are short but I do appreciate the attention paid to make-up and costuming considering how wonderful those elements are on the show. (My full Blu-ray review is HERE)
Buy HERE
Star Trek Beyond on 4K Blu-ray
![Blu-ray-Osleeve_Template [Converted]](https://i0.wp.com/615film.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/11/STB_4K_OSLV_2D.jpg?resize=1080%2C1340&ssl=1)
The third entry in the latest Star Trek film franchise is also the most action-packed of the bunch so owning it on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is a no-brainer as long as you have the equipment to display this beauty. Director Justin Lin did a great job bringing the fun back into the trilogy after a grim second film so do yourself a favour and grab this one for sure – hell, grab the other two as well on 4K Blu-ray. (My review on those two 4K releases HERE)
Buy HERE
TMNT: Out of The Shadows on 4K Blu-ray
If you had a problem with the first live-action reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, it was probably that you didn’t get any legit turtle action until well over a half-hour into the thing. You don’t have that problem with the sequel ‘Out of The Shadows’, which is an apt title considering that this time the brothers are front and center, beginning to end, all over this thing. In fact, the film is so ‘in-your-face’ that it’s both awesome and messy – think of the sequel as a live-action reincarnation of the late 80’s cartoon series and you’ll start to understand what director David Green was going for here. (Read my full review of the standard Blu-ray Release HERE)
Buy HERE