DVD Steelbooks: A Wonderful Collectible for Film Enthusiasts
The DVD Steelbook has recently exploded in popularity among US and worldwide DVD collectors. The wonderful, metallic design of thepackaging stands out head-and-shoulders above standard plastic packaging.
In the US, retailers such as Best Buy, have discovered the value of the Steelbook format, and have begun offering exclusive limited editions of select DVD releases in this collectible format. Recent Steelbook releases, such as Grindhouse: Death Proof, Grindhouse: Planet Terror, and the 4 Die Hard DVDs have been feverishly snatched up by DVD collectors. Some of these DVD Steelbooks have even enjoyed high priced sales on the secondary market.
While at the time of this writing the number of Steelbook DVDs released in the US are relatively few (compared to other parts of the world, particularly Europe), it is pretty inevitable that the upword trend for this wonderful, metal packaging will continue to grow in the near future (and will probably grow to include the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats as well).
This page will serve to focus on all things Steelbook related. While the emphasis will be on those titles available in the US and/or Region 1 markets, I may add other Region Steelbooks in the future. Thank you for stopping by, and please sign the guestbook below.
In November 2004, the first item ever (Killzone) published in the format was issued was for the Playstation 2 (PS2) in Europe
The first ever SteelBook(tm) DVD was Hero by Eagle Pictures which was issued in Italy in both a retail and a rental version.
The first ever North American (Region 1) SteelBook(tm) DVD title was Appleseed issued by Geneon Entertainment. This DVD came packaged with a collectible figure and retailed for $50. This collectors set was limited to 8,000 copies and is incredibly rare (though the DVD was also issued separately without the figure). Adding to this set's rarity is the fact that Geneon is now out of business.
The first Blu-Ray SteelBook(tm) title was Pans Labyrinth
The unique SteelBook(tm) packaging was developed by Mazyar Abolfazlian and Niels Toft Jørgensen for Scanova
Boondock Saints
Great Movie starring Willem Dafoe in a Steel Case tin
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The Bourne Ultimatum Steelbook
Matt Damon stars in this 3rd Bourne flick. Best Buy had the exclusive that came out on 12/11/07. It retailed for $23.99 during the first week of release. While the cover is a bit bland, it is actually one of the nicer steelbooks released this year (nice interiors, and art included on the back of the case -- unlike the Grindhouse exclusives that had unattached sheets of paper on the back of the packaging).
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Grindhouse Steelbooks
Death Proof and Planet Terror Best Buy Exclusive Steelbooks
Death Proof was released first, and tends to go for more on eBay. Both retailed at Best Buy for about $24.99. They seem to go for up to $10 - $20 more than that on eBay.
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Pirates of the Caribbean Steelbooks
The Pirates of Carribean 2 set is the one that commands the biggest $ here. It was given out (in very limited quantities) at Future Shop (in Canada) to those purchasing the regular set. These PotC 2 cases pop up infrequently, and can easily go for $100+. The PotC3 case is fairly common, and can be had for much, much cheaper.
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Robocop 20th Anniversary Edition -- A sharp looking set!!!
Great 80's film in nice collectible "20th Anniversary" packaging.
This classic Sci-Fi/Action movie stars PeterWeller and Nancy Allen. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Check the description of these auctions, as later releases of the 20th Anniversary Robocop set did not contain the coveted steelbook packaging.
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Spawn: The Animated Series Steelbook
This set came with a comic book via the Best Buy exclusive. It was also released through other US merchants, but without the comic! The Best Buy set is the more collectible, but it still seems to be quite affordable.
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X-men Steelbooks
X-men 1.5 and X-men 2 Steelbooks
X-men 1.5 was a Best Buy exclusive and usually auctions off in the neighborhood of $20 US. If you can find X-men Last Stand aka: X3 (a Canadian Future Shop exclusive), you should do so, as it goes for big $!!!
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Region 2 Steelbooks
Make sure you doublecheck the item description(s) before bidding. These region 2 dvds likely will NOT play on your Region 1 (North America) DVD player and/or TV. They still make for some cool collectibles though, if a bit more pricey than their North American counterparts.
Starring: David Wenham, Dominic West, Gerard Butle more...0 points
Starring: David Wenham, Dominic West, Gerard Butler, Andrew Tiernan, Vincent Regan, Lena Headey, Michael Fassbender, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew PleavinDirected by: Zack SnyderDVD Features:Number of Discs: 2-DiscsAspect Ratio: WidescreenAudio:5.1 Dolby Digital - English5.1 Dolby Digital - French5.1 Dolby Digital - SpanishSubtitles: English, French, SpanishAdditional Release Material:Audio Commentary: Director Zack Snyder, Writer Kurt Johnstad and Director of Photography Lar...0 points
he lush and lively jungle comes alive in this exci more...0 points
he lush and lively jungle comes alive in this exciting 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition of THE JUNGLE BOOK, brilliantly restored with enhanced picture and sound. Experience the song-filled celebration of friendship, fun and adventure that was the last film to receive Walt Disney's personal touch. This Future Shop Exclusive comes in a special Steelbook packaging.More InformationEmbark on a thrilling, adventure-filled journey with the boy Mowgli as he makes his way to the man-village with...0 points
Two-Disc Special Edition in Collectible Steelbook more...0 points
Two-Disc Special Edition in Collectible Steelbook Packaging. Don't just relive the spectacular action... take it to the extreme with this 2-Disc release of X-Men, packed with hours of special features! Go beyond the movie with the Enhanced Viewing Mode, incorporating more than 60 extra minutes of deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage as you watch the film. Listen to in-depth audio commentary from Director Bryan Singer. Learn all the most revealing production secrets, from Casting and Cost...0 points
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