19. Thanksgiving 4K Steelbook (2023), from Sony Pictures
Black Friday is just as important a part of the Holiday season as Thanksgiving. With greed running through the hearts of shoppers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a tragedy unfolds, resulting in the death of shoppers.
Fast forward a year later, and terror has gone from the stores and out into the community. A person in John Carver mask is on a killing spree. His first victim, Lizzie (Amanda Barker), leads Sheriff Eric Newlon (Patrick Dempsey) to believe that Carver is killing people involved in the Black Friday tragedy the year before. That means Jessica (Nell Verlaque) and her friends better look out.
Thanksgiving was first conceived as a trailer for the Quentin Taratino and Robert Rodriguez film Grindhouse. The positive reception to that trailer led filmmaker Eli Roth to develop his trailer into a full-length movie. Thanksgiving is a bloody good time. Roth fully embraced the gore and the fun he captured in his trailer with his trademark wit.
The mystery isn’t hard to figure out if you’ve seen enough slasher films, but the journey to get there is so much fun that you will be thankful for the ride.
Grade: B
Thanksgiving 4K Video Quality
Thanksgiving carves up a stunning 4k transfer supervised by Roth himself. In fact, the steelbook comes with a “note” from Roth which states, “This is the highest quality and most spectacular viewing experience short of crawling into the actors’ skin and re-enacting the film.”
This isn’t just hyperbole; Thanksgiving looks incredible. Reds, blacks, and detail are top notch. Sony continues to be the standard bearer on 4k releases.
Grade: A+
Thanksgiving 4K Audio Quality
A stunning Dolby Atmos track that bursts through your speakers brings each stab and jump scare to life. Every part of the sound mix hums. Nothing is missed, every drop of blood, every clank, gunshot is properly balanced and powerful.
Grade: A+
Thanksgiving 4K Bonus Features
Behead the Scenes: Carve Diem- A fun look at the film through the actors who are given mini DVD cameras to film the making of Thanksgiving.
Behead the Scenes: Giving Shanks- In this exclusive “standard definition” behind-the-scenes look, is another look into the making of Thanksgiving.
Commentary with Director Eli Roth and Writer Jeff Rendell: Eli Roth is such a fun filmmaker. Joined by his writing partner, Jeff Rendell, they deliver a fantastic commentary that covers the film and their love of movies.
Behind the Screams: A quick EPK style featurette.
Gore Galore: Another quick EPK style featurette, combined with Behind the Screams, combined they clock in at less than 10 minutes.
Deleted, Alternate, and Extended Scenes: Nothing Earth-shaking, but over 30 minutes long.
Outtakes
Massachusetts Movies: Eli and Jeff’s Early Films: A look back at some very early work with the filmmakers, it also has optional commentary. A fun treat.
The steelbook for Thanksgiving is on point. It looks sharp and captures the vibe of the film well. A worthy addition to your steelbook lineup.
Grade: A
Thanksgiving delivers exactly what you want. A satisfying holiday romp with blood, guts and laughs. Eli Roth might have taken his time to bring Thanksgiving to the table, but it is a film that you will come back to for seconds. Sony yet again delivers a 4K release that solidifies itself as one of the best studios for physical media.