Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Blu-ray Review)
While we have two labels putting out Thriller: A Cruel Picture this year, Synapse Films announced and has released theirs first. Later this summer, Vinegar Syndrome will debuting the film on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray with a different transfer and extras. Synapse Film’s Blu-ray was released on March 8th. They previously had put the film on DVD in two different editions. The DVD featuring the censored US cut They Call Her One Eye is included in this release and the extras from their 2-Disc edition are ported over here. Vinegar Syndrome’s release is going to come with a heftier price tag, so I imaging Synapse Films is putting theirs out for a more affordable option for folks or for that attractive, quick pickup at the convention booth. Nonetheless, if that’s you or you’d like to support them, you can order a copy from their site or the paid Amazon Associates link following the review.
Continue reading ‘Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Blu-ray Review)’
What do you get when you pack a lot of female star power into an international spy thriller and roll it all into one? You get The 355, I guess. Simon Kinberg directs 4 leading ladies and a 5th for mysterious intrigue too. But does it delve deep into a meaningful, action-packed thriller, or does it melt into the cinematic equivalent of chocolate and mustard? Read on further down and if you feel so compelled to score a copy, a paid Amazon link will be waiting for you at the end of this review… Buckle up kids, it’s gonna get rough and tumble.
One of the biggest gaps in cult movie collecting over the years, and especially in the realm of 1980s sword and sorcery schlock is the aptly titled 1982 film The Sword and the Sorcerer. That’s getting taken care of now by none other than the folks over at Shout! Factory. And care indeed. In time for its 40th anniversary, the film is not only getting a Blu-ray release, but a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray one to boot! Piling on is a load of brand new interviews from those like Albert Pyun, Kathleen Beller and many others. Its a heck of a release for those who have been hungering for this pre-Conan fantasy flick to have an updated release. You’ll be able to land it on March 15th. You can do so by going to Shout! Factory’s store on their website or by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows this very review.
Nominated for four Academy Awards this year, Guillermo del Toro’s remake of the 1947’s Nightmare Alley will be coming to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on March 22nd. Currently playing on Hulu and HBO Max, the film was released over the Christmas holiday season last year to much acclaim abut little in the dollars. However, its been great seeing the distributors still getting these films out there and seen. And even better, still giving us the physical media option as well. Nightmare Alley will come equipped with a Dolby Atmos track as well as three little featurettes to go along with a digital code. You can see for yourself why del Toro is one of the best we have when you order it for yourself. You can do so using the paid Amazon Associates link following the review below.
At some point, in our IP driven entertainment society, it was going to be The Matrix’s turn to be resurrected for the sake of being resurrection. Thankfully, it was resuscitated from the breath of the maker. Arriving day and date in theaters and HBO Max, The Matrix Resurrections was unleashed with plenty of people having plenty of opinions on it. Truly divisive, it brought some interesting conversations regarding it. At the end of the day, that’s better than boring and safe, even if some of my best colleagues/friends and I are on polar opposite ends of the spectrum on it. Warner Bros brought it to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on March 8, complete with an Atmos track and a handful of featurettes featuring interviews with the cast and crew of the film. Where’d you side with the film? Are you going to be picking this up or are you #NotMyMatrix? If you’re of the former, you can use the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review to land your copy if you’d be so kind.
While not making the box office dent one may have hoped for, Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of the stage play for West Side Story still released to critical raves and has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards. Most importantly, it won the heart of this reviewer, as I was over the moon for this movie from the first shot. This is easily my favorite of his efforts since Munich. I’ve used the word “magical” to describe it and I don’t feel that it is an exaggeration. While its currently streaming on Disney+ and HBO Max, its even more exciting that it is coming to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on March 15th. Included with the best picture quality available and a Dolby Atmos track is a feature length documentary, the ability to watch the song numbers standalone and a redeemable digital code for the film. Get your preorder in to own a copy of Steven Spielberg’s take on West Side Story using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
Well, perfectly timed and released, The Batman: The Complete Series arrives around the time of the release of the Matt Reeves film The Batman. Its been a bit overdue for this series to make its jump to Blu-ray, and on March 1 that wait was no more. The show comes complete with archival bonus features as well as a new featurette for this Blu-ray set. Coming in an amaray case that houses 6-discs, its presented in the 1.78:1 format. Nothing special in fancy packaging, but right now you can at least nab a slip and it comes with digital copies of the episodes to boot. You can revisit this depiction of the early days in Gotham for Bruce Wayne by ordering a copy from the paid Amazon Associates link below.
We are at the penultimate Blu-ray release in Scream Factory’s crusade to fully upgrade the Universal Hammer Horror 8-Film collection from year’s back. Nightmare, from 1964, is given the Collector’s Edition treatment. This mental terror of horrific dreams and sadistic dreamscapes will be seeing a brand new 2K transfer from the interpositive as well as housing a slew of new and classic extras where it was once void of them before. You’ll be able to snag this one when it releases on the format on March 15. Pre-order links are currently available, so you can get yours in to have it on release day using the paid Amazon Associates link following the review. Only Night Creatures (Known by many as Captain Clegg) will cap off this run when it also receives a Collector’s Edition next month. Details on that should be not too far around the corner. 
There are three universal things that are known to unite people; music, food and sports. The third of those three has not failed to produce a number a timeless films in the genre such as Field of Dreams, Miracle and Sandlot, just to name a few. Every once in a while, the great sport of American football gets its due on the big screen. In the vain of gridiron greats such as Rudy and Friday Night Lights comes American Underdog, the biopic of Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, and yet, this film could be best described as not being a sports film and that depth proves to be a good thing.
It feels like it too forever for Matthews Vaughn’s prequel to his successful Kingsman series, The King’s Man, to finally release. I remember seeing the trailer for it and 1917 back to back a lot in the winter of 2019. Low and behold it wouldn’t arrive until 2 years later in cause of the pandemic. And while I tired of seeing the trailer at pretty much every film I attended in 2021, there was still a desire to see the film. Unfortunately, with the load of quality material coming out in the Christmas holiday window, it was a low priority. But now, in the enjoyment of my own home, I’ve seen it on this 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray which is now available (Release date: February 22nd) and comes with Dolby Atmos sound and a feature length making of documentary. You can order the film now using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
Dystopian fantasy in a family film… Can it be done? Should it be done? Has the subgenre of dystopia been overdone? Are we ready to see what happens when we rely so heavily on technology? Didn’t we ignore that same scenario in Wall-E? What about the kids? Will they even understand the situation or just go “ooohhh… pretty colors…”. All of these questions and more are answered below in my coverage of The Mitchells Vs. The Machines. Be sure to click the paid link at the end to get a great deal on a copy for yourself! Also, yes, I know this review is ultra-late. Life has happened, but I hope this review is worth the wait.
On February 22nd, a big bucket list title for horror fans and cult cinema lovers is about to get scratched off the ‘ol wishlist for Blu-rays. And not only that, its taking care of the next format, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, while its at it. Lewis Teague’s Alligator, starring Robert Forster and Robin Riker, makes its debut as a Scream Factory Collector’s Edition after many, many years of being in demand for SOMEONE to put it out. This release features a 4K restoration from the original camera negative as well as the TV cut of the film. Its loaded with great new interviews, including production assistant Bryan Cranston. This 3-disc set is going to be a great collector’s item and one to nab up and own while you can. Its available to pre-order on the Shout! Factory website as well as the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
Warner Archive is bringing one of the many takes on a legendary tale to Blu-ray this month. Even in 1948, The Three Musketeers had already been adapted countless times, but with this George Sidney directed affair came some major star power both of the time and looking at it in the rear view. Warner Archive Collection’s Blu-ray debut features a handful of fun extras and a new 4K scan of the original nitrate technicolor negatives to showcase and bolster this disc. You’ll find it released on February 15th. Pre-ordering is already available and you can do so by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows this review.
For Jazz enthusiasts and those in the music industry, the name Bob James rings true with that of an accomplished musician and composer. For the unfamiliar, it likely sounds as the most common of names. Rest assured that his accomplishments and skill are not of the common variety though. The 4k UHD Blu-ray release, 
