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Very fun challenge, @bossjon! I love silent films, so I'll highlight three of my favorite directors associated with that era. 1. Buster Keaton; The General, Sherlock Jr., Our Hospitality. His movies all hold up today, and what amazes me is his imaginative vision at a time when there wasn't an existing film aesthetic to build on—he was creating the film aesthetic that everyone else would build on. Hard to pick just one favorite, but I would say Sherlock Jr. The effects Keaton designed for that film are amazing, and the comedy is perfect. 2. Charles Chaplin; The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times. While I think Keaton was the more technical genius, and the better comic actor, Chaplin's films are sentimental and emotional in a way that makes each film more than just light entertainment. I can't pick a favorite, but I can share a memory of going to see The Gold Rush when I was a teenager. No, it wasn't the original release. There was a restored classic theater in town, and it had a full organ, so occasionally they would show silent films with live organ accompaniment. The Gold Rush was the first silent film I'd ever seen live, and it completely captivated me. I had no idea what hit me. 3. Fritz Lang, Metropolis, Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Lang was another early visionary. Metropolis is such an enormous spectacle—the thousands of extras, the elaborate sets, the heights of melodrama, and sci-fi imagery that continues to inspire new vistas of storytelling. And I even like the Moroder version from 1984.

If an edition that says "Nova" on the spine doesn't count for the Nova Award, then it's kind of become un-fun for me. I can live without the award.

For me, Nova and Plain are by far the most interesting retailers right now. While everyone else swims in a sea of Marvel, these retailers steadily build a catalog of beautiful films in gorgeous editions. Here are ten Novas from my shelves:

For anyone who was at university in the mid-1990s, I think Before Sunrise perfectly captures that era and generation. Before Sunset is a wonderful addition to the ongoing conversation. Before Midnight is, for me, a disappointing mess. It's also fun to understand that all three movies were kind of an equal collaboration of the director and two leads. They all worked together on the dialogue, so each film kind of represents each of those three creators at those points in their lives.

That's my favorite, too! It was available from Amazon Germany: Dune German Steelbook Looks like it's sold out now.

Five from me: My MP swag is so awesome that I'm sharing it as its own photo, lest its glory be diminshed as but a small part of all the other photos:

CHALLENGE 11 A movie that deserved a sequel: Dark City (1998). This is one of my favorite movies, and it came to mind as sequel-worthy in part because I really thought Proyas's later film Knowing was going to sneak in as a Dark City prequel. It didn't, and that made Knowing less interesting to me. But the idea of a prequel that shows something about the Strangers establishing the city and building its population...I think there's potential for a story there. And now, five sequels: 1. Paddington 2. To see Hugh Grant as a washed-up TV actor, on top of a moving circus train, saying to Paddington, "Exit bear, pursued by an actor"—priceless. 2. The Cat Returns. Cary Elwes's Baron first appeared in the real-world-based Whisper of the Heart. Then he returns in this film, which is a whimsical fantasy story—and, in my opinion, one of Ghibli's funniest and most charming. I love the unexpected narrative freedom and comedy of this sequel. 3. Split. This is a great movie all on its own, but when the final scene happens and you realize it's happening after Unbreakable... Love it! It feels more real-world (in horrifying ways) than the first film. It led to a lackluster third film that seemed more like a very rough first draft, but I can take the first two movies as a set and forget the third one. 4. Toy Story 4. Every Toy Story movie after the first one made me think, "Really? Why another one?" And they all more than justified their existence. The third and fourth are my favorites in the series. If you can watch the final scene between Buzz and Woody and not be sobbing, then you, my friend, have a heart of stone. Nothing in the first film, emotional as it was, prepared me for how deeply I would come to love these characters by the end of the fourth. 5. Before Sunset. Linklater's Before Sunrise is a movie I'd call absolutely perfect. So I was very, very skeptical of a sequel, because I liked the idea of not knowing what happened next for these characters. But then Before Sunset became its own perfect, but different, movie, and I love it, too. I love how the characters grew, and how real their conversation feels. The third film I didn't care for at all, so this is another series where I'll take the first two and leave the rest.

CHALLENGE 11: IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN A recent study from MediaPsy Co. projects that by 2025, 98.4% of all new film releases will be sequels to existing films. In anticipation of that coming reality, I present this week's challenge. This week, we are asking you to share five (5) movies in your collection that are sequels. Further clarifications: Each film must represent a different franchise/series. Any film that was released after an existing movie counts as a sequel (i.e., prequels are allowed). No reboots or remakes. Only sequels. If a film you present does not have a numeral in its title, or if you endeavor to be especially clever or devious in your selection, be prepared to justify its status as a sequel, if questioned. We also request the following additional information: For each film you present, point out something about it that is superior to the earlier film(s) in the series. (Note: This doesn't mean you have to believe the sequel is better than an earlier film; we just want to know something you really like about the sequel.) Also answer this question: What is a forgotten, neglected, or underappreciated film that you love and believe deserves a sequel? (For full credit, you need only name the original film. However, we also welcome more robust pitches for plot development, characters, and so forth, should your creativity enable such elaboration.)

Good challenge, @extantsrevenge! My favorite hero weapon is Luke's green lightsaber in Return of the Jedi. I was exactly the right age for that movie when it came out, and I saw it every day for the first week of release. And when Luke first ignites that beautiful green lightsaber... I mean, remember, at that time we had no idea lightsabers could be any color but blue or red. It was just awesome. Favorite villain weapon: the flying daggers in House of Flying Daggers. That scene in the bamboo, when the daggers are flying everywhere... I get shivery just thinking about it. Here are five different handheld weapons for the challenge: 1. Ninjago: shurikens of ice 2. The Fellowship of the Ring: dwarf axe 3. The Maltese Falcon: "blazing automatics" 4. Tron: identity discs 5. Rogue One: flame-hardened uneti-wood staff

I was thinking we should design a Twin Peaks award—for anyone who posts more than 25 times about, or using a gif from, Twin Peaks.

It's an ugly release on the outside; @ksoskis turning in his future grave. But once you get into the interior contents, it improves wonderfully. But it will wait for your bank account to recharge after LOTR and 2001—I'm in the same situation!

Those four records were from Mondo. It looks like all but the original soundtrack are still available there, and I can't imagine the original one costs much more secondhand. Mondo records are notoriously, disappointingly, low-quality, but I think these are all right. There was also the season two soundtrack vinyl, which was a Record Store Day selection a few years ago.

Since so many aren't going to be able to post this week, and since @BreakBeatDJasked... here are some more favorites and fun stuff. (I don't want to annoy anyone with too many posts, so hopefully you'll either enjoy this or quickly scroll past.) Twin Peaks, Angelo Badalamenti. Just for you, @Reagh. (Expecting a TP reaction gif, please.) Lawrence of Arabia, Maurice Jarre. Lean/Jarre—another great film partnership. The look and sound of the midcentury epic adventure. Until the End of the World, various. Something different. This album was, at the time, much more well-known and popular than the film, though the film, especially in the Criterion release, is really worth checking out. What made the album particularly poignant as a memento of New Wave rock is how many of the groups were either disbanded by that time or soon would be. 2001: A Space Odyssey, various. I had the cassette soundtrack when I was a little kid, and I would listen to it a lot, presumably having no clue what was going on, but fascinated nevertheless. My appreciation for every aspect of this film (except Kubrick's ego, and his poor treatment of his crew) continues to grow. The Iron Giant, Michael Kamen. Not so much my all-time favorite soundtrack as a couple of the most beautiful media releases, for a very worthy film. The Dark Crystal, Trevor Jones. I knew this movie really well as a kid, but it wasn't until adulthood that I then put together Trevor Jones and three very different, very favorite movies of mine: The Dark Crystal, Last of the Mohicans, and Dark City. Tron, Wendy Carlos; Tron Legacy, Daft Punk. The original Tron score is one of the dominant soundscapes of my childhood, in part because of playing that amazing arcade game so much. And of course the Daft Punk score needs no introduction. Perfection. The Bride of Frankenstein, Franz Waxman. And last, one of the original classics. This was the first case of a sequel that is much, much better than the original. I love the movie, and Waxman's score is wondrous.

A challenge after my own heart, @Gentleman! How can I choose just five? I can't, so I'll share six, and there are so many more I'd love to geek out about. There was a time when I dreamed of being a film composer. In college, taking music theory and composition classes, I wrote a letter to Danny Elfman, asking if I could possibly work with him in any way. He never wrote back. Who knows what other pathway in life I missed out on because of that? But I still love listening to and studying film music. Here are some that I value very highly. On any given day, any of these might be in my five favorites. 1. Vertigo, Bernard Herrmann. Why not start with the greatest? The Hitchcock/Herrmann partnership was so, so good. For me, Vertigo is the pinnacle. Herrmann's music perfectly matches the dream-like tone of the film, and it's just really great music all on its own. 2. Three Colors, Zbigniew Preisner. The Kieslowski/Preisner partnership is another one of the all-time greats. They did a lot of excellent work together, and the Three Colors trilogy is a masterpiece. 3. Blade Runner 2049, Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch. I love everything Blade Runner, though it took me a couple of viewings and listenings to really get into the sequel. Nothing quite tops the original film and score, but I love what Zimmer and Wallfisch have done here. There are moments of overwhelming power and grandeur in their music. 4. Rogue One, Michael Giacchino. Star Wars music has been a part of my life for almost all my years. John Williams was probably my biggest musical inspiration through my teenage years. With very limited time to work, Giacchino created some beautiful themes for Rogue One, which was, in my opinion, the best that Star Wars had ever been...until Andor (which also has an amazing soundtrack). 5. Kubo and the Two Strings, Dario Marianelli. I don't know much of Marianelli's other work, but what he created for Kubo is beautiful, epic, heartbreaking. And Regina Spektor's cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" totally rocks. 6. Tenet, Ludwig Göransson. Yes, I'm the only person who firmly believes Tenet is one of the great films of the century so far. I can handle that. Göransson's score is fantastic, especially when you learn some of the details he put into it, to match the plot of the film. I have listened to this soundtrack more than any other in the past few years.

Thanks, @Trianna! It looks like @extantsrevengeand I think alike. Here's my Ghibli rainbow: I mostly keep my steelbooks arranged alphabetically by title, but I have separate sections for Star Wars, Spider-man, anime, and Universal monsters.

I don't want to ruin anything for you, but there is one square millimeter of that tuck box that doesn't have any decoration on it. I won't give away where it is; you'll have to search for it yourself.

Not a horror fan at all, so this challenge isn't great for me. Glad I read through the thread first, lest I try to include Alien (which I think is a horror film). Most of my movies that include the right kinds of characters are not age 12 and up—but since you all seem to have extremely sensitive children, I'll include a Universal Monsters movie in my photo. Here are seven, and I hope that's adequate: 1. The Others (spoiler: ghosts) 2. Dracula (vampire) 3. The Green Knight (ghost, monster) 4. Halloween (horror) 5. The Sixth Sense (spoiler: ghosts) 6. Throne of Blood (witches) 7. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (horror) First movie that scared me? One of the first movies I ever saw in the theater was the original Muppet Movie. I remember having nightmares about the villain, Doc Hopper. For me as a very young child, he was terrifying. 🤣

Great challenge, @InfiniteDoors! I know we're all looking forward to seeing @Masterblastertry to get his whole name in one photo. Here's mine: The Emperor's New Groove (all-time favorite Disney movie; one of the first three steels I bought) Touch of Evil (after I praised Masters of Cinema steelbooks so much last week, I'd better include one) House of Flying Daggers (it's a testament to how much I love this movie, that I'd even give this lousy steelbook space on my shelf) North by Northwest (classic Hitchcock; too bad it didn't get an updated steel with the other original poster steels a little while ago) The Others (either the second or third steelbook I bought; love the movie and the steel) Signs (Zavvi was really on a roll with great steels for Shyamalan movies; then both Zavvi and Shyamalan lost the momentum) Akira (I doubt any edition will ever top this one) The X-files (I'm probably the only person here who doesn't own any X-men movies; but I've bought The X-files as many times as one person needs to) Origin of the name: I have a PhD in ethnomusicology, so that's where the ethno comes from. And I have a master's in saxophone performance, so that's the sax part.

Good challenge, @Gary K! Honestly, some of the first premiums I owned have probably found their way to other homes long ago. (I don't scalp; I'm just a restless collector, always trading up and mixing and matching.) But here are five that are some of the earliest. 1) Romeo + Juliet (Blufans) — I've used this one before. I came into steelbook collecting just after BF had released the R+J and Moulin Rouge! steels with quarter slips, but with promises that lenticular slips would be coming soon. So I missed the first steelbook but then was excited to have a chance at the better release. I still love the way they combined forced-perspective depth with the transitional photos. 2) L.A. Confidential (HDZeta) — I think this was my first HDZ, though I'm not completely certain. What is certain is that although the steelbook is beautiful, this is one of HDZ's worst slips (in my opinion). It will probably move on to another home someday. 🤣 3) Arrival (Kimchi) — I remember how disappointing it was that there were so few premiums for what I thought was one of the best movies of the year. I still love the movie, and I still feel disappointed that it didn't get more attention—to date, several steelbooks, all lackluster for one reason or another. Anyway, of what was available, I liked this lenti slip the best, though it's the sole O-ring in my collection. Blech. 4) The Passion of Joan of Arc (Eureka/Masters of Cinema) — I can't tell you how much I'd like Eureka to continue Masters of Cinema steelbooks. They covered classic films that no other retailer was paying attention to, and the steelbooks had a design aesthetic like no other retailer. Anyway, this is one of my favorite movies (I'm a big silent film fan), and the edition is grand. They don't make 'em like this anymore. 5) Blade Runner 2049 (HDZeta) — And, last but not least...the one that brought me to MP. I had only been able to secure one of the HDZ BR2049 slips through another site's GB, and then I saw MP's Twitter post saying that they had a GB for the empty slips. I was there a minute later. The empty slip was perfect, because I already knew I wanted this steelbook in the slip. Perfect match—and still one of HDZ's best lenticulars (though the other side of the slip is really bad).

The scary thing about these competitions is that after a while, people here will know the entire contents of my movie shelves. As Bilbo said of Gandalf: "Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself!"

Too many entries to keep track of already, so I have no idea if mine are just duplicates, but here are five: 1) Magic carpet 2) Broom 3) Bus 4) Truck 5) 2-fer: light cycle and solar sailer

Thanks for the challenge, @GuyIncognit0! I'm not a huge fan of extra stuff—just a steelbook and a lenticular slip, please. But sometimes there are special items that make me happy because they fit the theme of the movie so well. Here are a few: Titans of Cult Blade Runner, with coasters. When I think of Blade Runner, I'm mindful of how careful I want to be with the wood furniture in my home. I shudder to imagine wet glasses being set directly onto a nicely finished table. So TOC's coasters were absolutely the perfect extra to include with an edition of Blade Runner. Just kidding. Those are the dumbest extra item I've ever received with a steelbook. Here are my actual three items for the challenge: 1) Titans of Cult 2001: A Space Odyssey, with Clavius Base patch. Sometimes (once, anyway?) TOC gets it right. This was a good release, and the Clavius Base patch is genuinely cool. I hope someday to use it on a cap or jacket. 2) Cinemuseum Isle of Dogs, with Spots dog tag. Another favorite movie, and another extra item that's the perfect concept. And a memory of when CM released more than just announcements for future "releases." 3) Batman: The Animated Series, with lenticular cards. Seeing this series finally remastered on blu-ray was a real revelation—what a beautiful show! The box for the set is elegant, and it included an envelope of lenticular cards. It instantly made me wish every "collector's card" that comes with a premium edition was lenticular. For me, that would be much more special than just postcards. (I have an idea for a challenge, if needed.)

I don't think I could handle that typo... 🤦‍♂️

And one bonus, because I noticed that two of the steelbooks I chose came from Zavvi. Here's a recent and beloved steelbook set of the greatest TV series of all time:

Hopefully it's okay to define "premium edition" as "anything that costs more than a basic amaray." Here are five from me: Sleeping Beauty—The first steelbook I ever bought. My favorite Disney animation, beautiful cover art, good embossing, and shimmery metallic. Perfection. Many steelbooks have come along since then, but this is still one I would choose to keep if I had to get rid of the others. Romeo + Juliet (Blufans)—This was the first full premium steelbook edition I got, at a time when I thought I only really wanted a shelf of steelbooks, not all the extra stuff. That didn't last, obviously. I love this edition for being my first lenticular slipcover edition, and because I remember going to the theater to see this movie repeatedly when it came out. At the time, it blew my mind (and I still love it). Lost in Translation—One of my all-time favorite movies, and not a movie I expected would ever get a steelbook release, let alone such a nice one as this. Back in the days when Scarlett did stuff besides Marvel... sigh... Blade Runner 2049 (Filmarena)—I don't usually get every steelbook edition of any movie, even one I like a lot. But there was such a treasure trove of BR2049 editions in the couple of years after the film's release, and I had fun collecting them all (in fact, the HDz BR2049 slips were what originally brought me to MP). I've since sold all but a favorite few, and this is one that I might pick as my overall favorite. It's the double-lenticular slip from the FAC edition, which I love because it uses concept art. And I've switched the FAC steelbook with one from Japan that was not very widely available. I like how it fits with the theme of this edition; I also like it because it's just a little odd, not quite like any other steelbook I've seen. Until the End of the World (Criterion)—I love Wim Wenders, and I chose this Criterion edition because it felt like waiting forever to finally get to see the full cut of this movie! I used to watch the (abridged) VHS over and over in college, and I always wanted to see the mythical full version. It turns out, the full version is amazing. Worth the wait—and I even like the cover art Criterion chose for it.