This Island Earth (Blu-ray Review)
Well, well, well. More “Universally” welcomed surprises coming from Scream Factory as the year of 2019 continues onward. Its actually incredibly surprising that its taken until 2019 for This Island Earth to find its way onto the high definition format. You’d think it would have at least found its way into some sort of Classic Science Fiction multi-film set if Universal didn’t think it’d do well enough on its own. Crazy enough, it made its way to the format via Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie before getting its own release. Fittingly, Shout! Factory (Under the Scream Factory banner) will be putting the film’s non-riffed and original theatrical version out as well. And they aren’t messing around with it either, its coming with a really rad set of bonus features that’ll have you shouting “Mu-TANT”! This year has seen Universal tackling this unique science fiction horror era between the classic monsters age and the Hammer/API era of horror. This Island Earth can be yours if the price is right, on July 9th.
Continue reading ‘This Island Earth (Blu-ray Review)’
Scream Factory not only has some fresh new studio catalog titles to tackle with Warner Bros recently, they’ve also been getting some output from Sony. As such, their new release of the 2006 film Silent Hill marks the distributor’s first foray into the video game film genre. The critically reviled box office disappointment did have its fans, making it a little bit of a cult film for which to maybe take another look at and a good candidate for a Scream Factory release. It also is a film whose director is quite popular with some of his other efforts (Brotherhood of the Wolf and his Lea Seydoux starring Beauty and the Beast). Scream Factory is giving this one a pretty solid treatment in the form of a 2-disc set with bonus features provided by Reverend Entertainment. The release will be their to cool down and spook you following your 4th of July firework excitement when it arrives on July 9th. You an pre-order the Blu-ray from Shout! Factory’s website or by using the Amazon link at the end of the review.
Dumbo marks the first of a handful of formerly classic Disney animated features to be having blustering new live action representations in 2019. This has been going on and building for a few years now, but 2019 could be the apex for just how many come out in a calendar year. Disney is probably going to be a bit more careful as to which ones they choose from here on out based on the box office for this film. Not every one of these will hit the Beauty and the Beast paydirt, but you kinda have an idea which ones are going to catch fire (Which, is funny how people doubted Aladdin, not realizing people find too hefty an opinion to have actual weight on “Film Twitter”). Anyway, Dumbo will be arriving on all formats and even the (Why the hell won’t you die?) dated DVD one. The date for this circus full of excitement is June 25th. Don’t all you go trampling over each other to land a copy first. Just go ahead and utilize the Amazon link like a civilized adult.
Jordan Peele is, in my humble opinion, a truly innovative filmmaker. He has made two films that manage to creep us out, make us laugh, challenge our way of thinking and entertain without sacrificing true film art. Us is the type of film that improves with repeat viewings. I myself watched it more than once while preparing this review. I was introduced to more nuances, influences and appreciations and was truly entertained with each viewing. Take a look with some more depth below about Us which hits stores June 18th! 
The Universal Horror Collection: Volume 1 from Scream Factory may have had a name change as well as key art facelift since its original announcement (Then the “Boris Karloff/Bela Lugosi Collection), but the film inside remain the same. In fact, we are probably benefiting from that change as this looks like a series with no limitations now. Exciting are the possibilities and directions it could take. This collection features 4 non-Classic Monster films featuring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff together, complete with some new commentaries and featurettes. For vintage horror nuts like myself, this is a very exciting and big sublicensing deal for Scream Factory. You’ll be able to add it to your shelf on June 18th.
Exactly five years ago (to the day of this film and the other’s release), during my weekly wishlist articles, I made the request that the two 1970s Shaft sequels be released on Blu-ray. And thanks to the new film opening in theaters next week (The third film in the series to be titled merely as Shaft), Warner Archive Collection has scored another win and scratched yet another title from the wishlist. Shaft’s Big Score! and the final film of the original trilogy, Shaft In Africa, made their way to the Blu-ray format on May 21st. For this review, we’ll be focusing on Shaft In Africa, which capped off the character’s run theatrically in the 1970s (There were some forgotten TV movies), with a more genre-embracing tale.
Exactly five years ago (to the day of this film and the other’s release), during my weekly wishlist articles, I made the request that the two 1970s Shaft sequels be released on Blu-ray. And thanks to the new film opening in theaters next week (The third film in the series to be titled merely as Shaft), Warner Archive Collection has scored another win and scratched yet another title from the wishlist. Shaft’s Big Score! and the final film of the original trilogy, Shaft In Africa, made their way to the Blu-ray format on May 21st. For this review, we’ll be focusing on Shaft’s Big Score!, the follow up to the original, breakout (And Academy Award winning) classic!
Marvel continues to soar to billion dollar heights with every fresh turn it takes. Boasted by them as their first female led film (Though, I mean, let’s not forget The Wasp), it was a nice box office set before Avengers: Endgame’s major spike a few months later. In fact, Captain Marvel continued to do solid business alongside Endgame, improving its business. It arrives here on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on June 11th (Already on digital), yet was still playing at my local AMC last weekend when I was at the theater. Our theatrical to home video window has become a very quick and literal 90 days now. So, either go see it again, or order yourself a copy for your home. You currently have that option for one of the biggest movies of the year. 
Shout! Studios continues to emerge and grow and their latest, I’ll Take Your Dead is arriving on Blu-ray June 4th. Directed by Chad Archibald (Bite, The Heretics), and starring Aidan Devine (A History of Violence, Suicide Squad), Ava Preston (DC’s Shazam!, The Kennedys), Jess Salgueiro(Workin’ Moms, Mary Kills People), and Ari Millen (Orphan Black, Rupture), the home entertainment release of I’ll Take Your Dead includes a behind-the-scenes featurette that takes a look at the production of the film along with cast and crew interviews, as well as a script-to-screen comparison piece, deleted scenes, and trailers. 
There was no way this 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray journey through the 1989-1997 Batman series wasn’t dive-bombing into a brick wall to finish things off. As we all know, its inevitable that we come to a close on the notoriously despised Batman & Robin. Like the rest of the films in the series, it has been given a proper, caring restoration and charged up with a brand new Dolby Atmos track to pulsate through your viewing area. Along with that, the film carries over the outstanding previous bonus material found on the 2005 Special Edition DVD release (And subsequent Blu-ray editions for that matter). For the fans (?) of this film and the Batman completists (“Well, I might as well complete the set, right?”), the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray of Batman & Robin debuts on the illustrious format June 4th (Next week).
As we close the book on the Tim Burton-helmed Batman era, we set sights on Joel Schumacher’s turn at “bat”. Batman Forever proved the biggest opening weekend and highest grossing live action film of 1995 (Only Toy Story earned more money). It was a pretty stunning bounce back for the caped crusader as it reinvented itself and continued its box office glory, proving it to be THE franchise of the decade. Batman was clearly the James Bond/Star Wars/Indiana Jones of the 1990s. The film is arriving with the rest of the “bat pack” on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray June 4th with a brand new restoration, Atmos track and the terrific extras from the 2005 DVD special editions.
Quite possibly one of the my most personally anticipated sequels of all time, Batman Returns, continues our spin here on this look at the new 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray releases of the 89-97 Batman series. Like the previous film, both the 4K Ultra-HD and standard Blu-ray discs have been given a nice new transfer and restoration to go along with a new Dolby Atmos track. The extras for the film have been ported over from the 2005 Special Edition DVD releases, making it pretty much the definitive Batman Returns package. You can upgrade it and the others when they arrive on shelves June 4th.
The Entity is a much respected and loved horror film that still is probably under the radar for many (Including fans of the genre). Anchor Bay (When owned by Starz) originally released the film in the most barest of bones releases. I’m not talking void of bonus features, this thing had no menu and played like that of a review screener. There are some that roll their eyes on double dips and whatnot, but having a menu for the movie is a massive improvement already. In addition, Scream Factory has loaded it with new interviews and such. You’ll be able to pick it up starting June 11th. 
I don’t even know if I need one hand to count the amount of films to give me as much excited being released on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray as Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman. With the 30th anniversary dropping next month, I had been hoping dearly that the film would get the chance (As well as its sequels-even you, Batman & Robin) to be remastered and shine on the format. The Blu-ray releases had left much to be desired in terms of picture/audio quality (The extras are home video perfection). Alas, we will be dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight to all 4 films in this canon when they arrive on June 4th.
