DECENT-LOOKING STEELBOOK with fine artwork on a "parchment" background (see"Tombstone", and "Unforgiven" to a lesser extent) with a nice period feel to it and bullet holes as an added bonus and hoping for a MATTE varnish finish on this one with any shine to be seen on the badges ONLY.
A bit surprised by the lack of a de-bossed title on the front as there appears to be enough space for one above or below the characters.
Decent touch with the *debossed bullet holes ("Grindhouse", "Spectre", "Ant-Man"and "Lawless") - Oh, wait, so these are *embossed !?
Indecent, though typical, Lionsgate pricing - and I really hate to say it but with the old disc inside this is begging to remain gathering dust on warehouse shelves until the power-that-be price these catalogue releases sensibly.
Regarding the disc inside: as noted this is reported to be the same disc as inside the 2008 Amaray release here in the U.K. so what I'll be doing is buying this steel at the "right" price and putting the "right" disc inside when/if they can be bothered to bring it out.
However, good to see another genre favourite to sit alongside the very few others released here in steelbooks since 2008 - these few including:- TRUE GRIT (2010), COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011), DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012), THE LONE RANGER (2013), BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966), 3:10 TO YUMA (2007), SERAPHIM FALLS (2006), UNFORGIVEN (1992), BACK TO THE FUTURE: PART 3 (1990) and TOMBSTONE (1993)).
(Continuing with the Westerns theme my choices for films in steelbooks would include three from John "The Duke" Wayne, three from Clint and a few others:-
JW - THE SEARCHERS (1956), HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962) and THE SHOOTIST (1976) - all from his middle period except for "The Shootist" his last and one of his very best.
C.E.- FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) - the middle and the best one (IMO) of the Dollars Trilogy, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973) and THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976).
The other Westerns for SB packaging would include a few predictable classics of the genre such as:-
HIGH NOON (1952) No BD release yet in the U.K., SHANE (1953), BROKEN LANCE (1954) No BD yet in the U.K., GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL and 3:10 TO YUMA (1957) Neither with a BD release here yet, THE BIG COUNTRY (1958), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), THE WAR WAGON (1967), ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968), BLAZING SADDLES (1974), DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990), CITY SLICKERS (1991) No BD U.K. release yet.etc. . . . with no steels for the classic b/w Westerns of the 1930s and 1940s . . . and accept that chances for steels of all or even one of the above is slim).
* EDIT 13/3/16 (9.53PM): To clear up any confusion that I and others may have about the embossing / de-bossing of the bullet holes this short quote from Zavvi's own site is pertinent:-
"THIS LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK FEATURES A SPECIAL DEBOSSED FINISH FOR WHERE THE BULLET HOLES ARE PRESENT."
Are Zavvi trying to make me not preorder anything again!? Tag me when it's less than a tenner
That's the sequel. The sequel was better IMHO. The artwork on this..... I'll pass and wait to see if it ends up on one of their flash sales later.
