Mother (Criterion #1232) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
November 20th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
For lack of a better word, families are a trip. Children feel like their siblings are favored over them. Mothers feel envious of a son’s bonding with their father. Daughters resent mothers for their inherent similarities. Fathers want their sons to follow in their footsteps in exacting ways. A trip, right? In Albert Brooks’ Mother, we use an experiment to find out just how deep those “mommy issues” can get. The Criterion Collection released Mother along with Real Life, and with my own recent pickup of the film, I felt compelled to write about it! Read more below and see if you can relate to Albert Brooks’ John Henderson.
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Home invasion/stalker films will always put me on edge. The horror ones, such as Halloween that involve serial killers will always have me shouting at the screen. Thrillers like Panic Room are tense wonderful exercises in testing my blood pressure. I love these types of films. Mike Flanagan’s Hush sits somewhere in between horror and thriller and did nothing to calm my nerves while I watched it. So where does the film sit in my critical view? Find out more about the film and Shout Studios/Scream Factory’s 4-Disc collector’s edition 4K UHD Blu-ray below!
Do you remember the 1992 LA Riots? I know I do. The whole debacle was covered by news outlets much like they did in The Hunger Games, filling homes with the disparate violence and angry response to the unjust not guilty verdict given to the police officers who beat an unarmed Rodney King one awful night. The uprising was monumental and devastating. No doubt a response that law enforcement and racist people wanted the black community to make at the time, we are still haunted by this tragic moment in the 90’s. 1992 is the first film to my knowledge that is based on that fateful April day, even with a dramatized heist thriller embedded in the story, the history remains on the screen. Read more about 1992 and see where the film lies in its historical accuracy.
When I see or hear about action films about assassins, I feel like they’re either going to go the way of the dark such as something like John Wick or we will get a film in the style of the silliest of Guy Ritchie films. A kindred spirit film to Kill Bill perhaps? I like the subgenre, but there’s always that one or the other feeling. The Killer’s Game is the latest assassin action flick to hit cinemas and now, very quickly, 4K UHD Blu-ray. Another of Lionsgate’s not so successful films of 2024, The Killer’s Game came with no fanfare when it was released to theaters barely 2 months ago. Did the film deserve more than it got? Find out below, and don’t forget to watch out for stalking assassins!
Over my 5 years at whysoblu.com, you may have read about my love for legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo is in my Letterboxd top 4 and has a special place in my heart as one of the first films I ever watched to the point of analyzing it. Among others include the usual suspects for the incredible auteur: Rear Window, The Birds, Notorious, Rebecca, Strangers on a Train and so many others. And then there’s North By Northwest. A genre-hopping masterpiece, the film takes the viewer on an unexpectedly funny adventure that truly has kept people on their toes for 65 years. Celebrating that milestone this year and finally arriving on 4K UHD Blu-ray, read on to find out how the classic film fares on the best physical format!
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the psychological thriller Se7en from New Line Cinema and acclaimed director David Fincher, the 1995 film will be available for purchase Digitally in 4K Ultra HD and on 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc on January 7, 2025.
The malevolent curse from the #1 original horror movie of 2022, SMILE, is taken to shocking new levels in “the scariest movie of the year by a mile” (Dave Morales, FOX-TV), SMILE 2. The box office hit arrives for purchase on Digital November 19, 2024 from Paramount Home Entertainment.
It’s hard for me to imagine a cinematic world without The Terminator. The iconic cyborg tale turns 40 years old this year, and astonishingly, we are only 5 years away from the 2029 that he travelled from. I also hold The Terminator in high regard that the first film was one of the things that terrified me as a child, but also its incredible sequel, T2, is the first R-rated movie I was allowed to see, at age 5. Read more on the timeless and timely classic below. I’ll also include some related links to the Terminator universe that we’ve shared here over the years!
A lot of people recognize Larry David these days. Back when Curb Your Enthusiasm debuted 25 years ago with a little special, nobody realized that the show would not only last as long as it did, but even outliving 
Veep began as a charming comedy series about the ins and outs of being the Vice President of the US. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer turned out to be a lot more than just a foil for the President and her journey lasted 7 years, and all the way to the best seat in the Oval Office. Now, just in time for an election year, we get Veep: The Complete Series, collected on Blu-ray together for the first time! Read our archival reviews inside and find out my insights as well!
Real life kick boxing champion Dennis Alexio, and Jean-Claude Van Damme join forces to battle their enemies on the big screen when Kickboxer arrives December 3rd on Steelbook® at WalMart from Lionsgate. Follow Kurt Sloane as he avenges his brother by learning the ancient kick boxing art of Muay Thai and challenges Thai champion Tong Po. Kickboxer will be available for the first time in 4K for its 35th anniversary and will only be available at WalMart on Steelbook® for the suggested retail price of $34.99. The release will include exclusive art and new special features, including an international version of the film.
Fans will enjoy the iconic fantasy epic, Willow, from legendary filmmakers, George Lucas and Ron Howard, when it arrives on December 10th in a breathtaking collectible 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook®. The film will also be available to buy on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…
