T2: Trainspotting (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
21 years ago, Trainspotting arrived. One of the biggest trends in film of the 1990s was the rise of the independent film and Trainspotting was one of the largest. It was the second film from Danny Boyle (Go seek out Shallow Grave, his first, its awesome), but its the one that really launched him. It also launch the careers of Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald and Ewan Bremner as well. The film was one of those “MTV Generation” kind of movies, but damn was it ever so energetic and effective. Rewatching it for this review, I had just forgotten how damned good and powerful it was. Now, we’re here 21 years later (2o for the characters in the film) for a reunion movie and follow up that had been discussed by Danny Boyle for many years. And, is it also ever so exciting to see a Danny Boyle film getting a 4K Ultra-HD release! The film will be available for purchse on June 27th and can be pre-ordered below. Continue reading ‘T2: Trainspotting (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
21 years ago, Trainspotting arrived. One of the biggest trends in film of the 1990s was the rise of the independent film and Trainspotting was one of the largest. It was the second film from Danny Boyle (Go seek out Shallow Grave, his first, its awesome), but its the one that really launched him. It also launch the careers of Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Johnny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald and Ewan Bremner as well. The film was one of those “MTV Generation” kind of movies, but damn was it ever so energetic and effective. Rewatching it for this review, I had just forgotten how damned good and powerful it was. Now, we’re here 21 years later (2o for the characters in the film) for a reunion movie and follow up that had been discussed by Danny Boyle for many years. The film will be available for purchse on June 27th and can be pre-ordered below. 
If the year 2011 taught us nothing but the fact that good things can come from rebooting a beloved franchise, then I’d be alright to call it a day right here and now. Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever conjured up such a crazy notion that the quirky Planet of the Apes franchise could ever be resurrected after that feeble attempt by Tim Burton (I really wish they could have went through with the Adam Rifkin script) way back in the summer of 2001 before our economy took a crap and I have been broke ever since because of low interest rates. However, I digress. We are not here to discuss our nation’s economy because if the fictional ape character of Caesar was real, I have no doubts that it would thrive once again under his direction. All hail Caesar, right? Exactly! That’s exactly the sentimentality I want you all to have over the course of the next five minutes or so as I impregnate your mind with a world dominated by apes, or at least on the cusp of that becoming a reality in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Just what the world needed…another reboot of a legendary franchise. That was exactly my sentiments when I first learned about the production of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I remember watching and enjoying the original films as a kid, but not enough to warrant my full attention to what was going on behind the scenes of this new production. I still cant get the bad taste of the Mark Walhberg adventure out of my mouth. Then one day I had not one, but several friends asking me if I caught the new trailer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Astonishingly, all of their recounts and tales had one thing in common. They all included the word bada$$. How could they all be wrong? So I reluctantly caved in and gave it a watch. And much to my surprise I thought…not bad! But that didn’t mean I became an instant fanboy overnight. Quite the opposite happened. 
Blue Underground is bring the 1970s cult horror exploitation film Death Line (Which was also known as and sold under the title Raw Meat) to Blu-ray in a suped up edition. The film stars Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee, legends of the genre, and deals with the darkest depths of the subway tunnels. A 2K transfer and restoration by Blue Undergound has been done for the release and the disc is chock full of brand spanking new extras, including interviews and a commentary track to go along with a nice little booklet. You can pre-order using the Amazon link following the review to make sure you have yourself a copy of this new Blue Underground masterwork (Seriously, their stuff can turn into a rare collector’s item real fast) on your doorstep or in your mailbox when it releases on June 27th. 
It feels like Vestron Video had been dormant for a little bit, with no releases in the oeuvre since that sweet little Wishmaster Collection set many months ago. But, if you think about it, there were four Wishmaster movies and if you did one per month, we’d be just fine (Look at the blowhard defense lol). Well, its summer and they are finally back, venturing int 1980s religious horror with The Unholy. This Ben Cross-led film was formerly of those horror multipacks and one of the more frequently requested titles for them to put out. Now its here and it looks to be stocked and loaded. You can make sure you have yourself a copy of this sexy bit of sanctity fright when it drops on Blu-ray for the first time June 27th by clicking on the Amazon link and securing one via pre-order. 
Cinema is no stranger to taking the older, dated classic television program that there may or may not be a nostalgia for and turning it into a comedy film. Heck, CHIPS here isn’t even the only one this year; there’s also Baywatch from this summer. However, Baywatch plays the self aware game akin to 21 Jump Street. However, both Baywatch and CHIPS didn’t really find the success they intended to at the box office. With poor reviews and no one showing up, we’ll not see a 2nd CHIPS effort. But, if you’re like most of America and missed it in theaters, you get a chance to see what all the no buzz was about on June 27th. Telling, too, is the fact that they forewent putting this on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format opting for standard only. 
Sometimes I wonder if those reading ever wonder why I choose to take on some of the films I do for Blu-ray reviews? Like, who would watch that…oh that guy. When it comes to pure action resembling the late 80s and 90s, I’m a sucker as I was a big fan of that film fad. They still make them nowadays, most are straight to video and yeah, a lot are no good. But, when I take on something like this, I’m either looking to see what one of my favorite action legends is up to lately, maybe it could be some hidden gem or on the other end maybe its trashy and silly enough to be a good passage of time. Anyway, maybe now you can see why, when Brian offers me an action film starring Dolphen Lundgren AND Denise Richards that takes place on a plane high up in the sky, I accept the challenge and go for it on the review. Anyway, Altitude will be available June 30th on Blu-ray. 
You know, I’m the guy who writes that annual Blu-ray Wishlist column (Which, I did regularly for a year). I’m a proponent on getting everything in film history bumped up to the next great format. For it to be available in the highest quality presentation possible. However, some things…maybe…maybe they don’t need that sort of effort. Maybe they were fine just ending their run on DVD. Those play in 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray players and pretty much anywhere still to this day. What’s with this intro? Because two of the Fu Manchu movies from the 1960s are coming to Blu-ray from Blue Underground and I still don’t have True Lies yet. Sure, I know Jess Franco is a popular cult director. And…yeah, they have Christopher Lee, but they are also a whitewashing embarrassment of history. That’s not even their biggest crime. They’re pretty much unwatchable. But, here, I’ve done my best for this new set, apologies on the lack of enthusiasm. 
Despite loving all things sci-fi and horror Life is a movie I had been against ever since I saw the very first trailer on television last year. I felt like it was such a ripoff of Alien that it did not even warrant my attention. However, the one thing I could not deny was what an absolutely fantastic cast it has. I have to admit that having Rebecca Ferguson (not related to 
Two years ago, one of the dumber, bad ideas came to fruition: The LEGO Movie. Sure, really young kids would go and enjoy, yeah. But, they can deserve better. Low and behold, it was BETTER and one of the best films of the year and animated films of the last ten years. Everything was awesome! One of the scene stealers in the film was Batman, and so, logically, they gave him a spin off. While slapping a big LEGO logo on it, it did prove you can have multiple Batmen and Batman movies in pop culture at the same time. And yeah, there may be darkness and no parents, but the film was loaded and became a big box office hit. LEGO is now building a quality animated brand with a unique touch to their humor. I had no desire to see a LEGO Ninjago movie (I don’t even know exactly anything about it other than…Ninjas?), but I’m on board and that trailer was pretty hilarious. Here now, lets look back at The LEGO Batman Movie, coming June 13th to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. 
Scream Factory and IFC Midnight are back at it again with another supernatural horror pairing. This time its in the form of British horror film Don’t Knock Twice, A wild supernatural shocker that delivers a barrage of nonstop jolts and searing nightmare images. The film stars Katee Sackhoff (Whom I’ve long been a fan of) and Lucy Boynton (Whom I’ve recently become a fan of via the terrific Sing Street) as a mother-daughter duo. Please note that this one has the Walmart exclusive tag on it, and you’ll only be able to get it there starting June 6th. If you’re that anti-Walmart, or don’t need it right away, you’ll be able to buy it pretty much everywhere else that carries Scream Factory titles on August 1st. So, if you pre-order it from me from the Amazon link below (Coming soon) like a good reader, your copy won’t get to you until August 1st. 
In the fall of 2015, everyone was taken by surprise by the popularity of the Keanu Reeves pure action film, John Wick. The Keanu Reeves-led film featured what seemed like a silly premise, but played into becoming an all timer thanks to some fresh, innovative and game changing action choreography that felt a bit of a return to form for the low budget affair. While the first one was a pretty modest hit, Lionsgate rolled the dice with this sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 and were rewarded when this one built of the previous film at the box office, while continuing on with the critical praise. Wick’s second outing will be available on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format (Just like the first, which looked LOVELY) on June 13th. Get your pre-order in now by clicking on the Amazon link at the bottom of the page following the review. 
Robevrt Zemeckis and Bob Gale are most known for their collaborative effort on the Back To The Future trilogy (Also Used Cars). Before that, they had a script lying around called The Looters. That film wound up getting picked up many years later by Walter Hill when he was looking for a thriller to pick up. The name later changed to Trespass because of the LA Riots and it not wanting any association with it. A positively review film, it didn’t make much at the box office. However, its a piece of the legendary Walter Hill’s filmography and Shout! Factory continues their love the director by giving Trespass a Collector’s Edition release under the Shout Select line. You can pre-order from the Amazon link below to have yourself a copy of the film when Trespass arrives on Blu-ray for the very first time on June 27. 
