Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
June 4th, 2015 by Brenna Smith
The critically acclaimed HBO series Boardwalk Empire is finally available in a complete box set, and while the packaging itself isn’t very impressive, it’s definitely an example of substance over style. For those unfamiliar with the 40-time Emmy nominated Prohibition-era crime drama starring the incredible Steve Buscemi, this collection is the perfect tool to dive into the compelling series. Continue reading ‘Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Series (Blu-Ray Review)’
June 3rd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
It is a bit strange to go into detail about a movie such as The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, but given that I was once a big fan of the series (and still chuckle when it comes up), along with being a big fan of the first movie, I almost find myself at odds in what is so clearly the thing to judge about this film. The fact is, ‘Sponge out of Water’ is the exact cliché of modern sequels, it’s not only bigger and louder, but also darker and grittier than the first film, and even features a villain who had planned to get caught the whole time, during the second act. Additionally, as opposed to the first film, which had a mix of the humor the series is known for with some kid-friendly morals, this sequel is more about anarchy and keeping a level of good-spirited fun amidst the constant craziness on display. With that perspective in mind, I had a good time watching this movie, even if it is more of just a random adventure, than something significant. Now the Blu-ray is out for one of the bigger hits from earlier this year.
Continue reading ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water (Blu-ray Review)’
June 2nd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
A gift from Heaven…or a curse from Hell! Scream Factory presents a quartet of supernatural thrillers with brand new HD transfers. All part of the Scream Factory All Night Horror Marathon and All Night Horror Marathon 2 releases on DVD in 2013,fans called for better video transfers and here they are! The Outing & The Godsendand Cellar Dweller & Catacombs make their Blu-ray debut on July 14, 2015.
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Continue reading ‘Scream Factory Presents The Outing/The Godsend and Cellar Dweller/Catacombs On July 14, 2015’
June 1st, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Invincible…Indestructible! Two underwater creature shockers on Blu-ray for the first time! Scream Factory proudly presents the monstrous arrival of Tentacles and Reptilicus in a double feature Blu-ray. This double feature is part of a continued effort to put more dual disc midnight movie features together. We’ve seen an increase in them this year from the house of Scream Factory and there will be more on the way the rest of the summer. Some of which will include some upgrades on films that had been previously released on multiple feature marathon DVD discs. This double feature has some old school nature/monster films that definitely reflect the schlock theater popcorn spilling flicks of their respective eras of release. One of which representing the 1970s and the other the 1960s. Continue reading ‘Tentacles / Reptilicus – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
June 1st, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Ten years after the events of Monsters, the Infected Zones have now spread worldwide, and an American platoon is thrust into battle with a new breed of aliens. These soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront their fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all. Continue reading ‘Monsters: Dark Continent (Blu-ray Review)’
June 1st, 2015 by Brandon Peters
From the creators of “The Matrix” Trilogy comes “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction action adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski. Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike,” “Foxcatcher”) and Mila Kunis (“Oz the Great and Powerful”) lead a cast that includes Sean Bean (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy), Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), Douglas Booth (“Noah”), Tuppence Middleton (“The Imitation Game”), Doona Bae (“Cloud Atlas”), James D’Arcy (“Hitchcock”) and Tim Pigott-Smith (“Alice in Wonderland”). From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, produced the film, together with Lana and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers. Continue reading ‘Jupiter Ascending (Blu-ray Review)’
May 31st, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
The acclaimed HBO crime drama The Wire is now on Blu-ray in its entirety. Yes, there has been a level of controversy surrounding the widescreen remaster for the series, but the fact is – The Wire can now be seen in HD and it is glorious. David Simon’s fantastic series presents five seasons worth of story concerning the city of Baltimore in the new millennium and how that functions from varying perspectives. It is a great series for fans to revisit and those previously unaware of its greatness to finally check out on Blu. This Blu-ray set is fortunately up to the task of presenting the whole series, along with plenty of extras to round out this great package.
Continue reading ‘The Wire: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)’
May 29th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Former football-player-turned-actor Fred Williamson’s off-the-field nickname was “The Hammer.” Fred Williamson (M.A.S.H., Black Caesar) brings his athletic prowess and acting chops to the role of B.J. Hammer in the street-smart, action pic Hammer. Rounding out the Hammer cast are Bernie Hamilton (The Swimmer,TV’s Starkey and Hutch) and William Smith (Any Which Way You Can, The Frisco Kid) in the Bruce Clark (The Ski Bum, Galaxy of Terror) directed film. Williamson would go on to be one of the poster children of the blaxploitation movement starring hits like Black Caesar and Hell Up In Harlem. He also would star in the original Inglorious Bastards, which Quentin Tarantino would later remake. Tarantino also employed Williamson when he teamed with Robert Rodriguez for the incredibly awesome From Dusk Til Dawn. Continue reading ‘Hammer (Blu-ray Review)’
May 29th, 2015 by Brian White
Just in time for the start of the second season this summer, HBO is re-releasing the first season of the critically acclaimed hit series True Detective on Blu-ray this summer in brand spanking new Steelbook packaging featuring artwork created by Austin’s Mondo, the popular printing house offshoot of Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse, and originally used to promote the series in its original broadcast. There is a catch though. The limited edition True Detective Blu-ray Steelbook will be available exclusively at Target starting June 2nd, ahead of the season 2 premiere on June 21st. It’s available for pre-order now at Target.com. And for anybody that isn’t in the know, Steelbook is the highly sought out collectable and exclusive packaging for high profile music, video and games releases. Steelbook consists of a heavenly metal exterior and an inner core of plastic with the same dimensions of a standard style case. In other words, it rocks! So let’s take a closer look at the show and I’ll show you all around this Steelbook edition down below. Continue reading ‘TRUE DETECTIVE Season 1: The Long Bright Dark – Target Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray Review)’
May 27th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
“Wham! Bam! Here Comes Pam” and with that Pam Grier is back in action as Friday Foster. Based on the syndicated newspaper comic strip of the same name, Grier stars as intrepid photojournalist Friday Foster. Directed by Arthur Marks (Class of ’74, Detroit 9000), based on his story, Friday Foster features supporting performances by Godfrey Cambridge (Watermelon Man, Cotton Comes To Harlem), Eartha Kitt (Boomerang, The Emperor’s New Groove), Carl Weathers (Rocky, Predator), Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Ted Lange (TV’s The Love Boat), Jim Backus (TV’s Gilligan’s Island, Mister Magoo). It was an adaptation of the 1970-74 eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip, scripted by Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Jorge Longarón and Gray Morrow. This was Grier’s final film with American International Pictures. Continue reading ‘Friday Foster (Blu-ray Review)’
May 25th, 2015 by Brian White
Focus is one of those films I initially saw trailers for on television earlier this year and thought to myself nah I’ll skip it. It just didn’t do anything for me. Then came all the reviews like Aaron Neuwirth’s positive coverage here (God I miss all his incredible movie reviews). And so because of all the positive praise this film has garnered, sign me up! I wanted to see it! Thankfully Warner Bros. will be releasing this title in retailers everywhere on June 2nd and I just so happen to have exclusive access to one of those Blu-ray Combo Packs now. So I thought oh what the hell. Let’s do this! Let’s review Focus for the people. And here we are. Ready to see things sharper? Well, we’re talking about the Blu-ray format so chances are good that you’re ready. Here we go! Continue reading ‘Focus (Blu-ray Review)’
May 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
This summer, SCREAM FACTORY™ invites horror enthusiasts and movie collectors to further venture into the great outdoors and experience what Camp Rolling Hills and Camp New Horizons have to offer – nature walks, randy campers, puritanical camp counselor, murder and a feast of gory goodness! Fans of the popular SLEEPAWAY CAMP movies rejoice as the collector’s editions of SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS and SLEEPAWAY CAMP III: TEENAGE WASTELAND hits on home entertainment shelves everywhere on June 9, 2015 from SCREAM FACTORY™. Both movies debut for the first time on Blu-ray™. Each collector’s edition Blu-ray+DVD combo pack features anamorphic widescreen movie presentation, exciting bonus content, newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with theatrical key art and more!
. Continue reading ‘Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
May 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Pam Grier teams up once again with Coffy director Jack Hill in this blaxploitation follow-up that was filmed in an astounding 17 days. Foxy Brown co-stars Antonio Fargas (Conrack, Car Wash), Peter Brown (Teenage Tease, Merrill’s Marauder’s), Terry Carter (Brother On The Run), Sid Haig (Coffy, The Devil’s Rejects, Jackie Brown) and is directed by Jack Hill (Coffy, Switchblade Sisters). Foxy Brown (Pam Grier, Coffy, Jackie Brown) is “a whole lot of woman” and more. Just you wait and see. The film itself is intentionally a spiritual follow up to the previous Hill-Grier collaboration, Coffy. And again, the film once again tuggs along grindhouse-era fan-favorite Sid Haig for a small role in the events. Olive Films is bringing Foxy Brown to the fold for the firs time in the US, preceded by a release from Arrow Video back in 2013 (Which included a limited edition steel book case). Continue reading ‘Foxy Brown (Blu-ray Review)’
May 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Pam Grier became a staple of early 1970s blaxploitation films by playing bold, assertive women, starting with Jack Hill’s Coffy. Her character was advertised in the original trailer as the “baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever hit town!” Grier’s role was noted as being the first African-American female to headline an action film. As many of you may know, I’ve been touting more blaxploitation on Blu-ray since my first wishlist back in 2013. As a matter of fact, Coffy was at the top of that list. It appears things are finally turning around here in 2015. There are many on the slate over the globe throughout the year and on the horizon. Olive Films is taking on a trio of Pam Grier’s finest. Coffy was already available in the UK, but its now making its Blu-ray debut here in the US. Continue reading ‘Coffy (Blu-ray Review)’
May 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
This summer, SCREAM FACTORY™ invites horror enthusiasts and movie collectors to further venture into the great outdoors and experience what Camp Rolling Hills and Camp New Horizons have to offer – nature walks, randy campers, puritanical camp counselor, murder and a feast of gory goodness! Fans of the popular SLEEPAWAY CAMP movies rejoice as the collector’s editions of SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS and SLEEPAWAY CAMP III: TEENAGE WASTELAND hits on home entertainment shelves everywhere on June 9, 2015 from SCREAM FACTORY™. Both movies debut for the first time on Blu-ray™. Each collector’s edition Blu-ray+DVD combo pack features anamorphic widescreen movie presentation, exciting bonus content, newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with theatrical key art and more! Continue reading ‘Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
May 24th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Channel your inner champion and brace yourself for this inspiring adventure based on a true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles in McFarland USA on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack, Disney Movies Anywhere and Digital HD June 2nd! This moving story features Kevin Costner(“Dances with Wolves,” “The Untouchables”), Maria Bello(“A History of Violence, “Prisoners”) Morgan Saylor (TV’s “Homeland”) and Diana Maria Riva (“NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Castle”) amongst others in this touching tale displaying the power of family, commitment and work ethic that transforms a cross-county team into champions. Bonus features include McFarland Reflections, deleted scenes, extended scenes and more!
. Continue reading ‘McFarland USA (Blu-ray Review)’
May 20th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
One of the most beloved fantasy films of all-time, The Last Unicorn has enraptured generations of fans with its poetic tale of a brave unicorn’s journey through a mystic land seeking others of her kind. On June 9th, 2015, rediscover this classic tale with Shout! Factory’s release of The Last Unicorn: The Enchanted Edition on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack and standalone DVD. Fans who order their copies from ShoutFactory.com will receive a limited edition collectable 18”x 24” poster with their order, available while supplies last.
. Continue reading ‘The Last Unicorn – Enchanted Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
May 19th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Trespassers will be violated. Scream Factory proudly presents the action-packed supernatural thriller Scarecrows. Making its Blu-ray debut, this release comes packed with new bonus features, including audio commentaries with director William Wesley and producer Cami Winikoff, and interviews with special make-up effects creator Norman Cabrera and actor Ted Vernon. This is a sort of horror/slasher/horror-action film that I’d really never heard of. It comes from a fabled year in horror; 1988. So, of course I was pretty eager to tear off the plastic and dig into this, seeing what I had been missing out on all these years. Like many, it has a nice following and set of fans, but would I wind up one of them. Continue reading ‘Scarecrows (Blu-ray Review)’
