Hell or High Water (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Hell or High Water is one of those films which reminds me of a moment in life that I kick myself for missing out on. The Alamo Drafthouse here in Austin, TX had invited me to cover an advance screening of the film, which included cast members Foster, Pine and Bridges in attendance. To sweeten the pot this is also the screening where Pine got drunk as a skunk at. Why did I miss it? Well boo hoo I did not want to drive downtown and quite honestly knew nothing about the feature. Rest assured this one was one of the last times in life where I let ignorance get the best of me. I did end up catching this one weeks later in the theater and guess what. It landed on my Top 10 list in 2016 over here. Needless to say I love Hell or High Water and it’s with great pleasure I cover its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut down below. Giddy up!
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Daddy’s Home 2 huh? I’m a bit lukewarm when it comes to the first Daddy’s Home in 2015. It was mildly funny and heartwarming, but I dunno. I just haven’t always been the biggest fan of every Will Ferrell movie, but really for no reason in particular. There’s also no denying his wealth of catalog titles that I do like too. Am I confusing you yet? Ha! Let’s just say the Daddy’s Home franchise of films is nothing I would ever pay theatrically to see. However, in the home front it’s a whole different story. If it doesn’t cost you anything extra, then why not? So here we are a few years later and low and behold we have a sequel. Why not when you can make easy money on a bankable property, right? Absolutely! Money is what makes this world go around. The first was popular, featured a likable cast so here we are again with a bonafide sequel primed to double its money back in Daddy’s Home 2. Let’s take a closer look below at this feature and everything you’ll find here in this February 20th 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray package from Paramount.
If you saw a movie this past summer or fall, there’s a really REALLY good chance you caught the trailer for the film, Wonder. In my personal experience, it played with pretty much everything, ESPECIALLY the films I took my kids to go and see. And said marketing campaign paid off, showing it had no fear of the Justice League and powered itself to being a box office champion. In the face of super heroes with capes, this particular one wore an astronaut helmet and had the bedding set to match. Critics and audiences warmed to the film and now you can reheat those feelings or check them out for the first time when Lionsgate brings the film to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. You can pre-order now for the near Valentine’s Day release of February 13th. 
While the live action world of the DC superheros has been in a constant state of change, continually criticized for the quality and direction with which they have taken these legendary characters, the DCAU has been thriving quite mightily with its share of mostly good stories. This medium also allows more leniency in terms of interpretations and spin-offs. Now they are heading into the elseworld territory and I couldn’t be more excited where they are starting off at. Of course they are going to crutch on Batman, but why not? Batman is one we are all too familiar with in his regular form, he’ll be the one we most appreciate when done different. Gotham By Gaslight is a creation of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Hopefully with the success of this, maybe we could see something like Darren Aronofsky’s take on what became Batman Begins in an animated “elseworld” form. Gotham By Gaslight hits 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on February 6th, so pre-order now to get yourself a copy of this exciting DCAU venture. 
While these 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray releases of Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane as well as another film in this mysterious franchise should be a good ten year celebration of the original, its main talking point has been this odd turn to this possible Netflix release of the next on from Paramount. Ten years ago, mysterious built during the summer of 2007 with the strange and unheard of trailer attached to Michael Bay’s Transformers were finally answered and possibly the biggest and most apt and (quality-wise) success story of the JJ Abrams mystery box was opened. Cloverfield was a bigger January release than normal and became a film-internet hybrid and phenomenon following in the footsteps of The Blair Witch Project as well as another JJ Abrams project, LOST. You’ll be able to relive the original on the glorious 4K Ultra-HD format now, as it its available for order at the bottom of this review. 
Once again I find myself not sure where to start about 10 Cloverfield Lane in this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review. Do I talk about how much I love this film or do I explore the veil of secrecy it was literally made under? I mean we all knew J.J. Abrams around this time was busy far, far away in another galaxy making The Force Awakens, but how many people besides his trusted confidants knew anything about this secret project until its initial trailer dropped in January 2016 with 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi? However, the real question should probably address the conundrum that how does one or lets say the uninitiated with 10 Cloverfield Lane go into this? Do you treat it as a direct sequel to 2008’s Cloverfield expecting more or less the same or is it really just a blood relative or as Abrams calls it a spiritual successor? These questions and more I hope to tackle and answer below in the main body of my 4K UHD Blu-ray review. So what are you waiting for? Get your reading on! 
Apologies on the tardiness of this review as its been out for a month now (December 12th was the street date for this release), but its brand new to me as I’ve just received it. The second LEGO movie of 2017, following on the heels of the very successful LEGO Batman Movie which itself followed the hugely successful The LEGO Movie. The LEGO Ninjago Movie was the first test of brand loyalty with the LEGO “franchise” and well, it didn’t have Batman and people clearly knew this wasn’t the further adventures of Emmett and Wyldstyle. Yeah, the movie massively underperformed in comparison to those two films. Ninjago is a more strict to LEGO brand, so they may give a go with a more known entity the next time around. As I mentioned, the film is already available, so if you don’t have it and you want or need it, check out the Amazon link below and help yourself and help the site at the same time when ordering. 
After seven years away, the Saw franchise returned to scare up some more traps for the Halloween season. The eighth installment wouldn’t admit as much with the title, opting for the John Rambo/Rocky Balboa route of naming it after its title character’s moniker. John Kramer would have been an interesting one to call it. The film opened to some solid box office returns due to the budget being so low, but wound up being the second lowest grossing of the series both in terms of domestic and worldwide box office. Hopefully this isn’t the of Billy the Puppet’s run. As with Freddy, Jason, Michael, etc…no matter how bad an installment or how long a break, I enjoy seeing these franchise horror icons keep going. You’ll be able to pick up the first 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray of the series with Jigsaw when it springs the trap on January 23rd. 
I wish I could be cool and say I love Stephen King’s 1986 novel IT. The truth is I’d be lying. Not only did I never read it but nor have I ever seen the 1990 network television miniseries either. I know. I suck. It goes unsaid that I lived a very sheltered childhood up in Cleveland, Ohio. Thank goodness I left there five years ago and grew into the responsible young adult you all know and love now. Ha! So let’s fast forward some 30 years here since the book first came out and now IT receives a modernized (so to speak as still set in the nostalgia of the 80’s) adaption on the big screen. It’s actually part of something bigger too as this American Rated-R horror film is just the first installment of a planned two parts. Truth be told you had me at Rated-R. Let’s take a closer look down below at what IT (also known as IT: Part 1 – The Loser’s Club) is all about. Join me down below and you’ll float too.
Blade Runner 2049 opened in the fall of 2017 to critical raves. However, the whole way along, many were concerned with the almost three hour runtime coupled with an R rating. The film also was the sequel to one of the biggest cult favorites of all time, but a notable box office bomb as well. And, like father like daughter (hehe), the film had a very low opening weekend leading to a box office disappointment. Had the film not cost 150 million, maybe it doesn’t hurt so much. This was a split juncture, with Warner Bros only being able to rake in the domestic take and Sony handling the overseas. As such, we are in the US and I’ll be here reviewing the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray of the film from Warner Bros. They wow’d me last year with their presentation of the original, so I’m hoping for more of that here in this picture. You’ll be able to compliment the 5 cuts of the original film on Blu-ray with just this one theatrical version on January 23rd. 
Just missing its tenth anniversary, Julie Taymor’s visionary Beatles-infused musical, Across the Universe will land itself on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format in the second week of January. The film, nominated for an Academy Award in the category of costume design, was met with mixed reviews upon its delayed release by critics. It wasn’t a box office smash by any means either, but seemingly found some life and fandom in the home video afterlife as well as landing it on more than a few critics end of the year top 10 lists. Whatever your thoughts, there’s no doubt this movie is a terrific candidate for the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format. You can check it out for yourself by putting in a pre-order in the Amazon link at the bottom to have it on its street date, January 9th. 
Comparable to what should seem like the enjoyment of seeing a slew of gifts under the tree on Christmas morning why is the 4K enthusiast community in such an uproar over the Christopher Nolan 4K Collection? We’ll tackle that question down below, but right now let’s take a moment to pause in thought about this monumental release. Not only did it take a lot of work to get the three different studios to agree releasing them all in one boxset, but ladies and gentlemen this 7 films in 4K from one of the greatest directors of our time, Christopher Nolan. Sure we’re missing several titles within it, but beggars can’t be choosers. Even if they just released The Dark Knight only on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, I would have been like a pig rolling around in mud. However, they didn’t stop just there. This historic 4K boxset released by Warner Bros. includes The Prestige, 
Judgement Day has come for 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray fans. One of the most celebrated sequels and blockbuster films of all time, Terminator 2: Judgement Day is making the leap to the newest format. Likely coming in lieu of its 3D re-release in theaters this past August, James Cameron’s time travel/post apocalyptic/cyborg action opus boasted a brand new 4K restoration. This release was originally slated for an early October release, then delayed til the end of that month, followed by another delay that was pretty much “at some point we’ll get to it”. Well, now they have and its available. Release date was December 26th, and you can order the film using the Amazon link below. Could the original Terminator please be coming very soon? 
Christopher Nolan released his tenth directed feature film in 2017, the escape/evacuation World War II thriller chronicling the events of Dunkirk. Being well regarded as one of the best directors of the the twenty first century; one of the rare breed who manages to consistently please the general audience and critical one alike. Breaking out with Memento and finding major success in reinventing Batman on the big screen, Nolan has been an influential voice in cinema and made many modern classics. Commemorating ten films, Warner Bros has put together a box set containing the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray debut of the segment of his work from Batman Begins to Dunkirk. Releasing on December 19th, you have the option for a full box set, individual releases or a trilogy set with just the Dark Knight films. We have already reviewed the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays of Dunkirk and Interstellar and will continue with the Batman trilogy and Inception. In this last review from me, I’ll be taking on The Dark Knight Rises, that concludes Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy. 
Christopher Nolan released his tenth directed feature film in 2017, the escape/evacuation World War II thriller chronicling the events of Dunkirk. Being well regarded as one of the best directors of the the twenty first century; one of the rare breed who manages to consistently please the general audience and critical one alike. Breaking out with Memento and finding major success in reinventing Batman on the big screen, Nolan has been an influential voice in cinema and made many modern classics. Commemorating ten films, Warner Bros has put together a box set containing the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray debut of the segment of his work from Batman Begins to Dunkirk. Releasing on December 19th, you have the option for a full box set, individual releases or a trilogy set with just the Dark Knight films. We have already reviewed the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays of Dunkirk and Interstellar and will continue with the Batman trilogy and Inception (We were not sent The Prestige for review). In this one, we’ll be covering Nolan’s mindtrip masterpiece, Inception. 
Up until the critically unaccepted 
Christopher Nolan released his tenth directed feature film in 2017, the escape/evacuation World War II thriller chronicling the events of Dunkirk. Being well regarded as one of the best directors of the the twenty first century; one of the rare breed who manages to consistently please the general audience and critical one alike. Breaking out with Memento and finding major success in reinventing Batman on the big screen, Nolan has been an influential voice in cinema and made many modern classics. Commemorating ten films, Warner Bros has put together a box set containing the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray debut of the segment of his work from Batman Begins to Dunkirk. Releasing on December 19th, you have the option for a full box set, individual releases or a trilogy set with just the Dark Knight films. We have already reviewed the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays of Dunkirk and Interstellar and will continue with the Batman trilogy and Inception (We were not sent The Prestige for review). In this review, we’ll be covering Nolan’s masterpiece comic book superhero opus, The Dark Knight. 
