Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
November 19th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
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!
Continue reading ‘North By Northwest (65th Anniversary) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
November 15th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
Once upon a time, there used to be these amazing films that made us laugh. I think they were called comedies. These films were created with the sole purpose of making us laugh and for a fleeting passage of time forget the stresses of real life. Some of them were sweet, some of them were ridiculous. But as we know, not all comedies are created equal. With Mel Brooks, comedy was basically a bodily function. Watching films like The Producers, Young Frankenstein and this inarguable masterpiece Blazing Saddles will certainly show you why. Read more on the 50th Anniversary edition of Blazing Saddles below and find out “what in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here!”
Continue reading ‘Blazing Saddles (50th Anniversary) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
November 15th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
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!
Continue reading ‘The Terminator (40th Anniversary) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
November 12th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
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 Seinfeld, the phenomenon that David created with Jerry Seinfeld, which lasted 9 years. Yes, the loophole is that David and his crew of castmates and writers could take their time. This was no yearly ordeal and that makes each season feel timely and even timeless now. Read more about the incredible Curb Your Enthusiasm and see if this complete series set is the way to go! It is pretty….pretty…pretttay….pretty good….
Continue reading ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series (DVD Review)’
November 12th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
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!
Continue reading ‘Veep: The Complete Series (Blu-ray Review)’
November 7th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
It Ends with Us, based on the global phenomenon by Colleen Hoover, tells the empowering story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively). Grappling with a painful past, Lily embarks on a new life in Boston, embraces her artistry, and passionately pursues her dream of opening her own flower shop. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her dangerous father. With the support of her friends and allies. Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar) and Alyssa Kincaid (Jenny Slate), Lily must find her own strength to break the pattern or the pattern will break her. It Ends with Us is now available on Blu-ray!
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November 6th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family’s behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way. AfrAId is available on Blu-ray now!
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November 1st, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
In 1994, The Crow was officially released following the shocking and tragic on-set shooting and death of Brandon Lee. Filming continued with doubles and the film was dedicated to Lee’s memory. The film became an iconic independent film that spawned some direct-to-video sequels and a soundtrack of Industrial Rock that pleased fans of the genre. This reboot of The Crow began its creative stages way back in 2008. I say that because we will revisit that tidbit later in our review. So read on for more about this new telling of The Crow and be on the lookout for more on the film and it’s 1994 counterpart too!
Continue reading ‘The Crow (2024) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 31st, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
M. Night Shyamalan has attempted since his earlier films to create stories that we haven’t seen before.Even if the premise is like something we’ve seen, the film is almost always unique. This includes films that aren’t necessarily that great, and some really incredible films. Where does Trap lie in his filmography? How unique is the setup of a serial killer seeking escape in the middle of a huge concert? Find out now, and don’t forget to check out recent reviews for The Sixth Sense and Signs too!
Continue reading ‘Trap (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 31st, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
I was immediately intrigued about the premise of Blink Twice when the publicity for the film began. The movie offered a psychological thriller, something that has been missing from cinemas a lot of the time recently. Zoë Kravitz in her first film as director took an ambitious story and ran with it. Read more about the Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum led film and see if the film is worth a watch on Blu-ray!
Continue reading ‘Blink Twice (Blu-ray Review)’
October 23rd, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
After The Sixth Sense, I believe that Signs may be M. Night Shyamalan’s biggest success to date. The creepy aliens-on-earth story struck similar emotional chords at The Sixth Sense did and gave Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix some excellent moments of acting. Now the film is 22 years old, so I wonder – Does the film have the same impact that it did in 2002? Read more about Signs in the review and in case you missed it, check out our review of The Sixth Sense HERE.
Continue reading ‘Signs (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 23rd, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
The first film released in VistaVision and a HUGE spectacle in 1954, White Christmas is undoubtedly a staple in many film fans’ holiday viewing queue. For me, White Christmas started as the movie my mother would show us to make us nod off on Christmas Eve and now is the one I can’t wait to watch as soon as Thanksgiving ends. Now celebrating 70 years, the film has made its way to 4K UHD thanks to Paramount Home Entertainment. Read more on my love of the film below as well as the excellent 4K presentation too!
Continue reading ‘White Christmas (70th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 23rd, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
All of the movie anniversaries that have happened this year have been a bit shocking to me on a surface level. 25 years here. 40 years there. Really? Time truly does fly! Now here we are 25 years from the release of The Sixth Sense. Surprisingly successful in 1999, the movie became a true cinematic phenomenon. How does the film hold up after all this time? Take a look back at the film with me and find out more! Cole and Malcolm together again, this time in 4K! As always, we here at Whysoblu thank you for reading!
Continue reading ‘The Sixth Sense (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 22nd, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
By no means am I a video game afficionado. I can honestly say the last game I played was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on a PSII that I HAD to have. I had other games, but I only ever played this one. I wasn’t very good at the game and my attention span for gaming had never been the best. Despite my distaste for gaming, I still am easily aware of video games and Borderlands is a series of games that I know of. Don’t ask me anything about it though, but the title, I know for sure! All kidding aside, I was intrigued when Eli Roth’s film adaptation was announced. With a huge cast of recognizable talent and what seemed like a nice sized budget to make something big and fun for the spring, I was immediately ensconced when I saw the negative press and the abysmal box office returns. Read more about the film below and what happens to be a reference grade 4K Blu-ray!
Continue reading ‘Borderlands (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 22nd, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
I don’t know about you, but I really missed Wolverine. I missed that gruff, hard, yet lovable X-man! I was in tears when he met his fate at the end of Logan and thought that was that. When the worlds of Deadpool and Wolverine were to collide in the appropriately titled Deadpool & Wolverine, I was ready to run to the nearest theater to see the film. And then I didn’t. Now, arriving home with a lovely DOLBY VISION 4K UHD Blu-ray from Disney/Sony, I have been able to witness the chaotic wonder of the film. Read about that and more below and be sure to click whichever cover art you want at the end to get your copy today!
Continue reading ‘Deadpool & Wolverine (Cinematic Universe Edition) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 21st, 2024 by Aaron Neuwirth
The prospect of a slasher film told primarily from the killer’s perspective was intriguing. Hearing about In A Violent Nature, the reactions some have had, particularly to some of the kill scenes, let alone the assumed divisiveness given the pacing, had me geared up to take this high concept in and enjoy it. Fortunately, there’s a lot to like about what writer/director Chris Nash is going for. On top of that, this is a pretty stellar release from IFC Films and Shudder, complete with a solid transfer and tons of extras.
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– Continue reading ‘In A Violent Nature: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
October 20th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
Nostalgia abounds when I watch movies from my childhood. The Addams Family and its sequel Addams Family Values are a lot of fun. Macabre and dark but still somehow light and comforting, the films work so well even 30+ years after their release. The 2021 4K release of the first Addams film was wonderful and then collectors waited to see when the second film would receive its inevitable release. Now just in time for Halloween we get it! Read more about the creepy, kooky, ooky family’s second adventure below and as always, the cover art is clickable and takes you to Amazon to get your own copy!
Continue reading ‘Addams Family Values (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
October 20th, 2024 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
I can’t even begin to tell you about my love for Twister. Well, scratch that – I have! When the original film was released on 4K in July, I got to share my childhood memories and marvel on the excellent A/V presentation too! You can catch up if you haven’t already with that review HERE. At the same time, Twisters was making a respectable amount of money and praise in theaters. How do Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones compare to Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton? How similar are the stories and what freshness has come to this now franchise of disaster films? Read on below and order yourself a copy by clicking on the cover art at the end!
Continue reading ‘Twisters (Collector’s Edition) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’