Physical Media Releases (Coma) Coma

Coma earned roughly $25 million at the domestic box office in 1978, making it a solid hit for MGM. Its home video history follows the standard trajectory for a well-performing late-seventies studio thriller: early VHS through MGM/UA, a long DVD drought, a bare-bones Warner Blu-ray, and finally a proper special edition from a boutique label. The film has never been out of print for long, but it took 45 years to get a disc with any real supplementary material.

MGM/UA handled the VHS era across multiple decades

MGM/UA Home Video distributed Coma on VHS throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The earliest documented U.S. release appeared in 1983 in a book box case (catalog number MV600013), followed by two slipcase reissues in 1997 (catalog numbers M206526 and M206176), both listing a 113-minute NTSC runtime. A Swedish edition from Esselte Video appeared as early as 1980 in clamshell packaging. (vhscollector)

A laserdisc edition was also released through MGM/CBS Video, predating Warner's later involvement with the title.

Warner's 2012 Blu-ray was serviceable but bare

Warner Home Video released Coma on Blu-ray on July 10, 2012, as part of a batch of catalog sci-fi and thriller titles that also included Brainstorm, Outland, and Altered States. The disc presented the film in 1080p AVC at 1.85:1 with a DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono track. Subtitle options included English, French, Spanish, and German. The only extra was a theatrical trailer in soft condition, possibly upscaled from standard definition. (dvdtalk)

The DVD Talk review found the transfer better than expected for a catalog title:

"The image is more than reasonably sharp and the colors spot-on . . . free from damage, color fading, and other age-related issues." — DVD Talk, DVD Talk (2012)

The disc earned a "Highly Recommended" rating, though the total absence of supplementary material beyond a single trailer left room for improvement. No DVD-only edition of this Warner master appears to have been widely released in the U.S.

Scream Factory's 2023 special edition is the definitive disc

Shout! Factory's Scream Factory imprint released Coma as a Special Edition Blu-ray on August 22, 2023, with a new 2K scan of the interpositive. The disc is a BD-50, encoded in MPEG-4 AVC at 1080p with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 dual mono track, an upgrade in encoding from the Warner disc's 1.0 mono. English SDH subtitles are included. (blu-ray.com, shoutfactory)

The Geek Vibes Nation review praised the visual presentation:

"Vibrant, well-saturated colors with strong highlights and deep blacks . . . natural film grain preserved without manipulation." — Geek Vibes Nation, Geek Vibes Nation (2023)

The same review singled out Jerry Goldsmith's score on the new audio track:

"Jerry Goldsmith's score sounds excellent and establishes paranoid atmosphere . . . environmental effects — medical machines, engines — clearly delineated." — Geek Vibes Nation, Geek Vibes Nation (2023)

Blu-ray.com's review scored the disc 4.5/5 for video, 5.0/5 for audio, and 2.0/5 for extras, noting the transfer demonstrated "greater definition" compared to the 2012 Warner release. (blu-ray.com)

The commentary is an audio essay rather than a scene-specific track

The special features package is modest but includes the disc's one real draw: a newly recorded audio commentary with film critic and author Lee Gambin and novelist Aaron Dries. Reviewers noted the track functions more as a thematic audio essay on the film than a traditional scene-by-scene commentary. The remaining extras are an image gallery (6:13, 113 images), the original theatrical trailer (2:29), and five TV spots (3:04 total). (mediaplaynews, blu-ray.com)

Media Play News noted the connection between the trailer material and a censored scene:

"Remnants of the sanitized hanging room can be found in the film's trailer and TV spots, all of which are housed in the supplementary features along with a newly-recorded commentary track." — Scott Marks, Media Play News (2023)

A slipcover edition was also issued with the original pressing, now out of print and commanding a premium on the secondary market.

The film is widely available on digital platforms

As of 2026, Coma is available for digital rental and purchase through Amazon Prime Video and other major platforms. It has streamed on Plex (free with ads) and has appeared on Hulu's library. Availability on subscription services rotates, but the digital purchase option through Amazon has remained consistent. (moviefone, primevideo)