10 Boutique Blu-ray Labels Every Collector Should Know (Part Two: #5–#1)

The boutique Blu-ray altar continues – and this time, we’re getting into the icons.

If Part One was the underground rack, this is the locked case behind the counter. These are the labels that redefined collector culture – from restoration gods to design savants. If you're serious about shelf aesthetics and cinematic deep-dives, these are our top five.

#5 – Indicator (Powerhouse Films) 🇬🇧

A refined British label that balances mainstream and obscure with surgical precision. Indicator box sets are beautiful – from Hammer Films to film noir collections – packed with essays and extras. A collector’s dream.

#4 – Scream Factory / Shout! Factory 🇺🇸

Scream Factory is the horror-focused imprint delivering fan-favorite slashers, creature features, and cult oddities, like the complete Halloween or Friday The 13th box sets. Shout! Factory, its broader sibling, leans into classic TV, animation, and offbeat cinema. But let’s be real: most collectors are here for Scream’s horror heat.

#3 – 88 Films 🇬🇧

UK-based and gloriously grindhouse. 88 Films built their reputation on cult classics, martial arts mayhem, and horror gems – but it’s their Italian Collection that really cemented their status. From giallo to post-apocalyptic oddities and Poliziotteschi crime thrillers, they celebrate Italy’s wildest cinema with love.

#2 – Criterion Collection 🇺🇸

The gold standard. Criterion’s appeal isn’t limited to arthouse prestige. Their strength lies in how they treat cinema as a living, breathing art form – whether it's classic Hollywood, global new waves, overlooked genre cinema, or avant-garde experiments. Every release is thoughtfully restored, meticulously packaged, and paired with essays, interviews, and extras that invite you deeper into the film’s world.

#1 – Arrow Video 🇬🇧🇺🇸

The British powerhouse that redefined home video collecting. Arrow Video doesn’t just release films – they canonize them. From Japanese cyberpunk to 80s slashers and Giallo cult, their catalog is wild, worldwide, and endlessly rewatchable – from Shaw Brothers collections, to the Segio Leone's Dollars trilogy, and Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Slipcovers? Gorgeous. Extras? Dense. Transfers? Pristine.

That’s our list. Ten labels, endless obsession.