As a professional movie reviewer, I get to watch hundreds of movies each year. While it definitely has its pros and cons, one particular perk is that it comes in handy when the holiday season approaches. Why? There are usually tons of deals, sales, and discounts around this time, especially on Blu-rays and DVDs, and it helps to know what’s worth buying and what should be left on the shelf.
This year, Best Buy has some terrific Black Friday deals on some of 2023’s best and most popular movies like Barbie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as well as timeless classics like The Godfather. The below movies have such low prices that it will be hard for anyone, from hardcore moviegoers to casual fans, to ignore for too long.
Marvel had a terrible year in 2023; any studio would if they had to release both Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. And that’s not even acknowledging the Disney+ output, which ranged from disappointing (Loki season 2) to outright awful (Secret Invasion).
One of the lone bright spots was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn’s concluding chapter in the space adventure trilogy he started nearly a decade ago. The movie is a solemn blast, giving everyone’s favorite space renegades a proper sendoff. For just $18, you can own one of the best sci-fi movies Marvel has ever put out.
I don’t have kids, but I know plenty of people who do, and if you’re looking for a gift that’s easy, cheap (only $10!), and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, you can’t go wrong with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. As one of 2023’s most popular movies, the animated film is visually dazzling, bringing the world of Nintendo’s cherished mascot to vibrant life.
Adults will enjoy it for its nostalgic value and for Jack Black’s bananas performance; it’s easily his best work in years. His song, Peaches, has already gone viral, making it it’s one of the year’s catchiest ballads.
Cue the obvious “we’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse” joke. But seriously, Best Buy’s offer this season for Francis Ford Coppola’s mob saga, just $8 for three hours of cinematic perfection, is so good that no cinephile can refuse. One of most popular and critically acclaimed movies of all time, The Godfather tells an epic story io America as seen through the eyes of Michael Corleone, who just happens to be the son of the titular mafia Godfather, Vito Corleone.
Featuring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Rocky‘s Talia Shire in their prime, The Godfather is a must-own item for anyone who enjoys a truly great story told perfectly. There will never be another movie like it. (Not even The Godfather Part II, which came out two years later and is also an absolute classic.)
Usually, franchises wear a little thin once they reach the fourth installment; anyone remember the disappointing Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers? Not so with John Wick. After reaping growing critical acclaim and box office receipts with the previous three films, Lionsgate’s premier action franchise hits its zenith with John Wick: Chapter 4, an audacious mixture of reality-defying stunts, uncanny set pieces, and Greek tragedy.
Keanu Reeves is known for his action movies nowadays, and John Wick: Chapter 4 may very well be his best work in the genre. It’s not just a movie worth seeing — it’s worth owning as well. And at $15, it would be a crime to pass a deal this criminally good up.
What more can be said about Barbie? The year’s most popular movie is also the one that’s most written about, and I can only add to the chorus of well-wishers in praising the movie’s breezy, Technicolored light comedy, the committed lead performance by Margot Robbie, and the comedic zeal that Ryan Gosling’s Ken exudes every chance he appears on screen.
It’s movie that unexpectedly captured the hearts and minds of just about everyone, so owning it feels like a duty at this point. Don’t worry though, Barbie is more than “Ken-ough” at just $10. And yes, I apologize for that last pun.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.