Black Friday 2023 Online Sale Guide for Physical Media Collectors

Need some help deciding where to spend your money during the Black Friday sales in November 2023? Do you also collect movies on physical media? Then read on.

At long last, a definitive version of Cemetery Man (1994) will be available on Black Friday thanks to Severin Films.

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Black Friday is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. And if you collect movies on Blu-ray, DVD, or even VHS, Black Friday can be the time of year when you add to your collection the most. Black Friday in the United States is the day after Thanksgiving, and that day falls on November 24th in 2023. But not all of the physical media sales begin on the 24th. Many begin much earlier.

This guide will help you keep track of the various movie sales going on throughout November 2023, and it will give you important details about what each sale has to offer. Updates in this article will continue throughout the end of all the Black Friday 2023 sales.

Vinegar Syndrome

Sale dates: November 24th at 12:01 am EST to November 27th at 11:59 pm EST
Christopher Walken looking out of a grave in the Prophecy film series.
A few Black Friday titles became available for pre-sale early. The Prophecy 1-3 4K (pictured here with Christopher Walken), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985) 4K, and Vinegar Syndrome’s Lost Picture Show 10-movie set are all available to pre-order right now.

Vinegar Syndrome has probably the best Black Friday sale for horror and genre-film fans. Nearly their entire online catalog will be marked at 50% off the suggested retail price. This discount includes all titles (with very limited exceptions) that were released on the site prior to May 2023. Vinegar Syndrome will also have four new secret titles released during the sale, brand-new merch, and the slasher Fatal Games (1984) will be available. The Black Friday sale is the perfect time to stock up on anything and everything you’ve been thinking about getting from Vinegar Syndrome.

For more information, check the VS Black Friday FAQ. To start making your list of what you’ll be picking up during the sale, visit vinegarsyndrome.com.

Severin Films

Sale dates: November 24th at 12:00 am EST to November 28 at 3:00 am EST.
An image of Rupert Everett and Anna Falchi in Cemetery Man (1994).
Cemetery Man has needed a new release for years, and its 4K release is the biggest highlight of Severin Films’ Black Friday sale!

Severin will have most of their movies on sale for 50% off with exceptions for titles released within the past six months, box sets, bundles, and limited edition items. Despite not putting all bundles on sale, they will have eight limited sale bundles which will be unveiled during the sale. They also have nine brand-new titles available for purchase during the sale, all of which are listed below.

  • The Church (1989) – 3-Disc Set: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, CD
  • Cemetery Man (1994) – 4-Disc Set: 4K UHD, 2x Blu-ray, CD
  • Closed Circuit (1978) – Blu-ray
  • The Dead One (1961) – Blu-ray
  • Stir (1980) – Blu-ray
  • Raiders of the Living Dead (1986) – Blu-ray
  • The Sect (1991) – 3-Disc Set: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, CD
  • The Unscarred (2000) – Blu-ray
  • Spider Labyrinth (1988) – 3-Disc Set: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, CD

Visit severinfilms.com on November 24th to get started. And before that, take a look at Severin’s Black Friday Sale Guidelines/Policies for more details on the sale including a list of box sets that will be 50% off on a special one-day sale on Saturday, November 25th.

Lunchmeat

Sale dates: Beginning November 24th, 2023 at 12:00 am EST
A boy sits in the dark in Skinamarink (2022).
Lunchmeat’s previous release of Skinamarink on VHS sold out extremely quickly, so if you want to snag a copy this time you’ll need to act fast once their sale begins.

Lunchmeat is dedicated to the love and preservation of VHS and video store culture. So, their Black Friday offerings include items specifically for VHS collectors. In addition to sales sitewide of up to 40% off VHS tapes and 25% off publications, the following items will be available when the sale begins:

  • Skinamarink (2022) – VHS. Limited to 200 copies.
  • Heck (2020) – VHS. The short film that preceded Skinamarink from filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball.
  • Looking Good (198?) – VHS. A workout tape hosted by Laura Gemser, the star of the Black Emanuelle series.
  • Cecelia Condit: Early Video Works – VHS. A collection of four short films from video artist Cecelia Condit.
  • Home Video Horrors 2024 Calendar – A wall calendar made for VHS aficionados.

Visit lunchmeatvhs.com to browse through the VHS and other items they offer, and check out their Instagram for more info about their Black Friday offerings.

Criterion

Sale Dates: Currently running, ends December 4th, 2023.
Freaks (1932)
The recently-released Blu-ray set that includes Freaks (1932, pictured), The Unknown (1927), and The Mystic (1925) is a must-buy as part of Criterion’s 50% sale.

Criterion isn’t having a sale specific to Black Friday, but they are having a sale throughout the month of November. Partnering with Barnes & Noble, Criterion is putting a massive amount of their physical media on sale for 50% off. Hundreds of movies on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD, across all genres, are included in the sale. If you’ve been waiting for a sale to grab something from the Criterion Collection, right now is the best deal you’re likely going to see. As a note, these sale prices all appear to carry over to their respective listings on Amazon if you prefer shopping there rather than through Barnes & Noble.

Head over to Barnes & Noble for the Criterion 50% off sale.

Makeflix

Sale dates: November 24 at 12:00 am EST to November 28 at 12:00 am EST
A zombie's severed head bites a man's fingers in The Dead Next Door (1989).
You’ll be able to pick up the soundtrack for J.R. Bookwalter’s The Dead Next Door (1989) on CD for $6.99 during the Makeflix Black Friday sale.

Makeflix has a superb selection of ultra-low-budget horror and exploitation movies dating mostly from the 1980s until today. They already have their sale sections set up on their site, including Blu-rays and DVDs from $4.99 to $9.99, 25% off select box sets, and a few movie soundtracks on CD for $6.99. Take a look at the Makeflix web site now to start making your list for when the sale goes live on Black Friday.

Other Physical Media Sales in November

  • MVD (sale runs November 22 – November 28 at 12:00 pm EST) – Absolutely massive discounts (more than 50% off in many cases) on lots of movies.
  • Arrow Video (sale begins November 24) – Technically this is a “Yuletide Frights” sale, but it begins on Black Friday. Specific details on the sale are coming soon.
  • SRS Cinema (sale runs November 20 – November 27) – Lots of discounted low to no-budget indie b-movies available, including five newly released titles, a few Black Friday exclusives, and Indigogo movies that haven’t been available since the crowdfunding campaigns closed. More information on the SRS Sale can be found on their site.
  • Cauldron Films (sale runs November 17 – December 8) – This cult film distributor is running a 3-week sale with discounts on most in-stock movies.
  • Grindhouse Video (sale currently running, ends November 28) – Grindhouse is running a Black November Sale through the end of the month. Lots of great titles from companies like Arrow, Synapse, Unearthed, Visual Vengeance, and more are included. Sale percentages vary by title, but there are some good bargains to be had.
  • Gruv (sale currently running) – Gruv has a fairly eclectic (and mostly mainstream) selection of titles available in their Black Friday sales. Their deals include 3-for-$30 4K UHD, 4K UHD collections, 3-for-$15.99 Blu-ray, and Blu-ray Steelbook clearances.
  • Best Buy (sale currently running) – Some great deals on physical media, including Evil Dead Rise on 4K for $9.99. Lots to choose from, but it might take some digging to find what you want.
  • Walmart (sale currently running) – Like Best Buy’s sale, it will take some digging to find what you want in Walmart’s Black Friday movie sale. Some comparison shopping might also be worth it since many of Walmart’s prices look to be close to Best Buy and Amazon.
  • Amazon (sales currently running) – As mentioned above, Amazon appears to be price-matching some of the other sales on this list, so they’re worth a look as well as you make your Black Friday decisions.
  • Kino Lorber (sale currently running) – Rather than Black Friday, Kino Lorber is doing a Noirvember sale now through November 27th. Stock up on some classic film noir at up to 50% off.

Further Reading

Meet The Author

Chris has a degree in film studies at Temple University’s campus in Tokyo, Japan. He is a renowned expert on horror cinema.