Amadeus (Theatrical Cut) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
40 years ago, the past was having a bit of a resurgence. Linda Ronstadt was topping the pop charts with an album of old-time standards with a full orchestra. In theaters we were taken back in time with films like The Color Purple and Amadeus. With Amadeus, Milos Forman and playwright Peter Schaffer crafted a gloriously accessible period drama that could excite, stun, and incite laughter in anyone. Now in 2025, for the first time since 2002 the Theatrical Cut has been made available on home media for the first time. Amadeus won the Oscar for Best Picture along with seven other awards and deservedly so. Let’s go back with Wolfie and the orchestra and see what it was like living with a made-up rivalry with Antonio Salieri…
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I did not have it on my bingo card to see a sequel to Den of Thieves. Regardless of how that first film ended, it just felt like a one-off film for me. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my favorite either admittedly. When Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was first announced and my research told me it was finished in 2023, I wondered if it had been held back for any specific reasons and felt relief when it turned out to be a distributer issue. Now, all I had to do was turn my brain off and watch… So, what’s going on with “Big” Nick and Donnie these days? Find out where they’re at and what the next score is below! You may want to get in on it yourself!
Nearly 25 years passed between the releases of Gladiator and Gladiator II. Between releases I know I wasn’t the only one hearing rumors of a sequel and wondering: “What the hell could they possibly need to dig up to make another movie about??” But here we are at the home release of Gladiator II. A few months after the theatrical release, after the reveal of a massively talented and famous cast and mixed to positive reviews not unlike the original film, we have a new release on 4K and Blu-ray. I will come out right away and say it – Gladiator II more than delivers, and you can read more about that now! As Maximus Meridius once asked, “Are you not entertained?” I was with this new installment, and the presentation is: Chef’s Kiss…
Kraven The Hunter is the latest of Sony’s Marvel output. A standalone story, the film came out just before Christmas and landed with a thud at the box office. Now not even three months after its slip in theaters, the film is debuting on Blu-ray and 4K. So how does it really fare? Does Aaron Taylor-Johnson have the heart of a lion to defeat the nasty poachers of the world? Find out inside the review. You’ll no doubt read about some Russell Crowe scene chewing too!
Even early into 2025, it feels like the year of David Fincher. With the late 2024 release of Zodiac in 4K, as well as the new years release of Se7en for its 30th Anniversary we’ve already seen some of his greatest hits on display in the best physical media format. Now, we’ve got Panic Room making its UHD and Blu-ray debuts from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment! How did this tense thriller take over 20 years to make it to these formats? How many of us are still holding onto our slim Superbit DVDs of Panic Room? And where does the film live on your list of Fincher flicks? Read on and find out what’s hidden behind the mirrored door!
Constantine directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Keanu Reeves, is a visually stunning film that delves into the supernatural world of demons and angels. The movie is based on the DC Comics’ Hellblazer series and follows John Constantine, a cynical occult detective with the ability to see and communicate with half-angels and half-demons. Now after 20 years, the film has elevated from box office sleeper hit with bad reviews to huge selling physical media fan favorite with tons of fans! Now, will those fans be pleased with this 
Do you ever wonder when The Olympics became something more than a show of sportsmanship between the many countries of our world? Do you ever stop to think of the time when there was less political meaning behind the games and more of a coming together for friendly competition? I often do. As a kid, I remember The Olympic Games as a great source of excitement in 1988, 1992 and 1996. Looking back in history though, it seems as if there has always been a political stance within The Olympics, and one of intolerance. In the case of the 1972 games, this intolerance came to an unbelievably explosive head in Munich between Israel and Palestine. Much like today, the bad blood remains. Perhaps all too timely, September 5 was released to film festivals and in select cinemas in 2024, and then wide earlier this year. The film now makes its debut on Blu-ray, available 
Throughout the many years of cinema, vampires and specifically Dracula have been a great source of horror for films. As we delve further into 2025, Nosferatu is making its way to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, this time a new iteration of the 1922 original. Taking in nearly $200 Million worldwide and garnering tons of praise, Robert Eggers’ vision no doubt had viewers on the edge of their seats in theaters. So how do things go at home on our smaller screens? Find out inside the review and look for helpful paid links at the end to get in on the creepy proceedings of Nosferatu yourself! But beware, obsession can take you over.
Since 1939, The Wizard Of Oz has been a great source of entertainment for filmgoers. Before that the L. Frank Baum novels captured the imaginations of people of all ages too. As a novel, then stage musical, Wicked has been on the minds of pop culture fans for decades now. After a long, and as Ariana Grande has said, “unbearable” promotional campaign and a hugely successful theatrical run, the film version of the first part of Wicked has arrived at home! The film was an instant success with audiences and critics, and now we can hold it in our hands! I for one am holding space for this release, and you can read more about it here!
I have a confession to make. When I hear about actors making directorial debuts, sometimes I think to myself: “Again??” I often wonder if it’s the natural progression of actors to want to do something they’ve observed their directors doing for so long. Maybe they’ve got gestating thoughts on what they’d do if they had the chance to run a show of their own. Sometimes, my beleaguered response is worthwhile. Other times, there are films coming from talented artists that do more than just act. Now that my confession has been made, we can get to the meat and potatoes of this feast – A Real Pain! By the time Jesse Eisenberg’s film came to Hulu and physical media, it had already become a sensation in festivals and racked up tons of award nods for Kieran Culkin, winning a Golden Globe for him and the film respectively. So how is it coming from an everyman movie fan perspective you ask? Find out and see if the film truly is A Real Pain.
Robert Zemeckis is no stranger to technical advances in cinema. In his glory days, we reveled in films like Back To The Future and Forrest Gump. Lately, Zemeckis has used technology to drive stories, like Welcome To Marwen (My first writing assignment here at whysoblu.com), and Here. So, how, you ask, does Here fare as it makes its way from graphic novel to fully fledge film? I can say in my intro alone, it just might depend on a few things. We will get into it inside the review along with the usual technical loveliness you all come here for! So what do I think of Here? Let’s take the writing somewhere there and see, shall we?
Parker Finn’s Smile was an unexpected hit back in 2022. Two years later, Finn returns with Smile 2, hoping to once again terrify us with a delicious blend of scares and gore. Does it hit the mark or does it shoot for the sky? Skye Riley that is… Read on and find out for yourself. But don’t stare into the eyes of the creep you might find smiling at you in the corner, ok? It could be a horrible idea…
One can never fault David Fincher for not having a style. His films are full of images that are dense with detail. The stories are always different. Fincher never tells the same kind of story, and I love his work for that very reason. When Se7en was released in 1995, the grisly thriller was a huge success universally and spawned a style that people still try to replicate 30 years later. Now, we get the long awaited 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Se7en, and of course, we want to know, “what’s in the box?”
At the time of its first episode, Saturday Night Live was being set up to fail. The whole story leading up to the live premiere was lore, retold times over. Chaos, musical performances, improv… it was an insane proposition in 1975. Now here we are on the eve of the 50th Anniversary of SNL, and the film Saturday Night presents the whole evening leading up to that iconic phrase “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night!”Read more about Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, and see if those crazy 90 minutes pre-premiere are movie worthy.
