Phoenix DVD Blog

Every December I end up looking back at the year in movies and asking myself the same question: why do I still bother collecting discs in a world that wants everything streamed? And every December, the answer gets clearer.

Every December, when the nights get darker and the house gets quieter, I always end up gravitating toward a few familiar dramas. Not Christmas movies, not really — just films with enough heart, weight, or emotional punch to feel right for this time of year. And even outside the holidays, these are the kinds of films that remind me why physical media still matters. Streaming is grand for convenience, but if you want the picture quality, the proper sound, and the full experience the filmmakers intended, you won’t get it from a compressed stream. These are films worth owning, revisiting, and keeping on your shelf.

Every year I try to squeeze in a few Christmas movies but I’m not always in the mood for the cosy, sugary stuff. Sometimes you just want explosions, sarcasm, and a hero who spends more time bleeding in a dirty vest top than wrapping presents. Christmas action movies scratch that itch perfectly. And while these films are easy to find online, I’ve learned (the hard way) that most streaming platforms don’t exactly give action movies the treatment they deserve. Fast cuts, dark scenes, snow, night-time shootouts, all of it turns into a blurry mess when the bitrate drops. Watching the Blu-ray, UHD, or even a good DVD gives you a cleaner picture and proper sound, especially for older action films.

The older I get, the more Christmas turns into a return to the same familiar movies. The ones I watched as a kid or ones I watched with my son when he was small. These are the movies that somehow feel like Christmas before anything in the house is decorated. This year I ended up rewatching The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 . I still haven’t seen the third one, but judging by the reviews, I’m preparing myself for… let’s just call it an experience. (Author note: I have since watched it, see below) Either way, nostalgia gets the better of me every December, and this felt like the perfect time to revisit where the whole thing began. Check out my other Christmas movie post  5 Essential Family Films for Christmas and see if you remember those titles too. Affiliate links Below– I may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. The Santa Clause (1994) Scott Calvin accidentally becoming Santa, the North Pole unfolding in that magical 90s way, and Tim Allen right ...

Did you ever see that game of kiss, marry, kill mentioned on US TV or Movies? The premise is simple, who would you like to do those things to. I had a bright idea one day recently that I could do the same to movies but obviously change the options. I have to say in advance that I do like the films I have marked as Forget but I randomly picked titles to give myself a bit of a challenge. Even as I typed them out, I was humming and hawing about it. Would you have come to the same conclusion?

🎄 There’s something special about curling up on the sofa at Christmas, lights twinkling, a tin of chocolates within reach, and a film that everyone in the house can enjoy. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen it a dozen times, the best Christmas movies have that magic that never fades. They’re part of the ritual: comfort, laughter, and a reminder that family (no matter how chaotic) is what the season’s really about. Below are five timeless Christmas films that every family should revisit this year. If Christmas isn’t quite the same without a bit of nostalgia, you might also enjoy my post My Top 5 All-Time Comedy Movie Picks , where I share some of my favourite feel-good classics for a cosy evening in. 🏠 1. Home Alone (1990) Synopsis: When eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind while his family jets off to Paris, he finds himself defending his home from two bumbling burglars, the Wet Bandits. Armed with a fierce imagination and plenty of ho...

There was a time when Hollywood actors were judged purely by their talent on screen — the roles they played, the performances they delivered, and the stories they helped tell. Sure, a few were known for their late-night antics too, but their work was always what defined them and the antics were part of their burgeoning legend. These days, it feels like the movie takes second place to whatever cause or campaign an actor is supporting.

Some nights, you just want a good laugh, no deep plots, no heavy themes, just pure, ridiculous fun. The best comedies are the ones you can rewatch again and again, the kind that lift your mood and make even the dullest Tuesday night feel better. Whether it’s physical humour, clever dialogue, or over-the-top characters, these films all have one thing in common — they deliver when you need a dose of feel-good escapism. I’ll admit, this one was tough to narrow down. there were at least another four or five films I could’ve included. I might just have to make a Part Two! Related Posts If you enjoy classic comedies with a bit more edge, check out my post 5 Essential Old-School Comedies That Couldn’t Be Made Today — it’s packed with nostalgia and films that pushed the limits of what comedy could get away with. If you are wondering whether streaming is going to take over completely and wipe out the old disc media, have a read of my post Is Disc Media Dying – or Just Waiting for Its Comeba...

There was a time when walking into a video rental shop on a Friday night felt like a weekly ritual.You’d browse the shelves, study the covers, and maybe even argue with friends over which VHS to take home. Those were the days when film collecting meant something tangible, a wall of big, colourful tape covers that showed your taste and told your story. Then came the DVD. Overnight, VHS became yesterday’s news. The picture was sharper, the sound was cleaner, and you didn’t have to spend five minutes rewinding before dropping it back to the shop. No fines for returning an unwound DVD, that’s for sure. After working hard all week, you were ready to line up the weekends entertainment and pick up those lovely slimline jewel cases.

There was a time when comedies didn’t tiptoe around feelings or try to tick every politically correct box. They were loud, ridiculous, completely unapologetic and frequently pushed gross-out boundaries which was mostly hilarious but sometimes poorly pulled off.  That’s exactly why we still fondly remember them, for the most part. These five movies aren’t just funny; they’re proof that humour used to have a backbone and I so wish that we could return to those days without somebody taking offense. ⭐ Related Posts You Might Enjoy If you'd like to watch something grittier, check out my other post  5 Modern War Films You Must See for Intense, Gritty Viewing  and prepare to feel the action. If you enjoy reading about how the film industry has changed, you might also like Hollywood Doesn’t Make Them Like This Anymore — my take on why today’s studios won’t take the risks they once did. 1. Wedding Crashers (2005) Back when Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn were at their peak, Weddi...

I’ve written before about why I’m not a fan of method acting, you can read my opinion in this post — Method Acting Gone Too Far . Some actors swear by it, but for me, it often crosses into disruption, ego, or even danger. But here’s the thing: plenty of actors deliver world-class performances without needing to live as their character off set. They can switch it on when the director calls “action” and switch it off when the cameras stop rolling, and in my view, that’s the real mark of talent.

I’ve been a movie collector since the day I picked up my very first movie, Phenomenon . There was something special about holding that case, peeling off the plastic, and sliding the disc into the player. Back then, I loved receiving movies in the post from Play.com or finding one at the local store (when they still sold them regularly). Very few shops sell discs these days, it seems to be going the way of the Dodo and I for one am sad to see it happen.

There was a time when Hollywood meant spectacle, risk, and unforgettable storytelling. These days? It feels like the film industry has lost the run of themselves. Every other release is a safe reboot, a lazy reimagining, or a paint-by-numbers blockbuster starring once-great actors who now look tired, phoning it in while delivering lines from scripts that wouldn’t pass as decent TV episodes twenty years ago. Instead of bold, sweeping epics, we’re stuck with recycled franchises and CGI noise. Where’s the ambition? Where’s the bravery to tell a story that leaves a mark? Where's the risk taking?

When it comes to World War II television, few names carry more weight than Band of Brothers , The Pacific , and now  Masters of the Air . All three came from the powerhouse partnership of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, each tackling a different front of the war in Europe, the Pacific islands, and the skies above them. They share the same DNA: ensemble casts, grounded realism, and an unflinching look at the toll of war. Yet they’re very different experiences. After rewatching Masters of the Air again this weekend, I found myself thinking about what makes each series unique and why Band of Brothers still stands as the benchmark for many viewers.

For years, Blu-ray has been the gold standard for home cinema. Crisp picture, rich sound, and a much more reliable experience than streaming. But now we’re faced with its successor: the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray . Is it really worth the hype, or is Blu-ray still good enough for most people? The Strength of Standard Blu-ray Blu-ray discs already offer incredible picture and sound quality. Even on a large modern TV, a good Blu-ray can deliver stunning detail, deep blacks, and a powerful audio mix. For the average movie lover, Blu-ray is still a fantastic value. Discs are widely available and much cheaper than their 4K counterparts. While you’re here, I’ve also written Streaming vs Collecting: Why I’ll Always Keep My DVDs & Blu-ray s , where I talk about why streaming will never replace the feel of a real collection. The Promise of 4K Ultra HD On paper, 4K Blu-ray should be a major step up: Higher resolution – 3840 × 2160 compared to Blu-ray’s 1920 × 1080. HDR (High Dynamic Ran...

Method acting has always carried a certain mystique and has been celebrated from within and without of the movie industry for years. When an actor fully disappears into a role, audiences are left in awe, wondering how much of what they saw on screen was performance and how much was a genuine slip into another life.  But there’s a darker side to that devotion. Sometimes it produces unforgettable art, other times it borders on reckless obsession.  Personally, that’s where I lose patience. I’m not impressed by actors making life harder for everyone else on set just to stay in character. The real craft is in switching it on and off at will. I know from experience — as a former carpenter (now woodturner), I don’t want to come home and hang shelves after my day is done. Why should acting be any different?

 Some directors don’t just make films, they redefine cinema itself. When I think about the movies that have left the biggest mark on me — and on the world — seven names always stand out: Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Luc Besson, Tony Scott, George Lucas, Mel Gibson, and James Cameron. They span genres from sci-fi to war dramas, from gritty thrillers to epic adventures, but what unites them is vision. They all dared to make something bigger than themselves — films that pushed technology, rewrote the rules, and left audiences walking out of cinemas a little different than when they walked in. If you enjoy looking back at how filmmaking trends have changed over the years, you might like my post Are 3D Movies a Fad or Will They Shape the Future? It’s a fun throwback to the era when Hollywood thought 3D would take over the world — and how that shift affected directors and filmmaking styles at the time. If you’re curious how I decide which films actually deserve a place on my shelf...

Over the years, I’ve built up a decent collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. Well, Blu Rays mostly these days as I prefer the higher quality sound and picture. Some of them I bought because they were cheap, others because I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. But when I stop and think about it, there are certain boxes a Blu-ray needs to tick before I consider it a must-own . For me, it often comes down to two things: whether it’s an epic or a blockbuster .

War films have a unique power, they don’t just entertain, they immerse us in the chaos, bravery, and human cost of combat. The best of them stay with you long after the credits roll, raising questions about leadership, sacrifice, and survival under extreme pressure. Would you be capable of putting yourself voluntarily in that action and accepting the results as real soldiers do? I often wonder. If you enjoy gritty, realistic depictions of modern warfare, these five films deliver unforgettable intensity. These are some of my go-to favourites when I want a gut-punch movie night. 

I’ve been collecting VHS, DVDs and Blu-rays for years, and at this stage I’ve bought and sold more discs than I can count. Shelves fill up quickly, and eventually you have to make space for new arrivals. That’s where selling comes in. Over time, I’ve tried eBay, Amazon Marketplace, Facebook groups and even a few specialist forums, but one site I keep coming back to is eBid . It’s not the biggest marketplace out there, but for me as a private seller (and regular buyer), it has a certain appeal that keeps me listing and browsing there. As someone who still buys, sells and collects physical discs, I’ve written quite a bit about why owning your movies still matters. If you’re curious where eBid fits into the bigger picture of collecting, I covered that whole debate in my post Streaming vs Collecting: Why I Always Keep My DVDs & Blu-rays . And if you’re wondering whether physical media is actually dying or quietly making a comeback, you might like my post Is Disc Media Dying — or Ju...