Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
March 15th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
The Scream Factory dip into the Paramount catalog vault has not been messing around. From the outset they are getting right to the titles they KNOW people are wanting. April Fool’s Day is one of those titles, being one of the most popular slasher films from the 1980s still left with no Blu-ray release (He Knows You’re Alone still looms large. Will 2020 finally be the year?). Longtime readers will know I’ve been waiting for this one for a good while as I wrote THIS wishlist piece <<Eyes open wide when they see the date>> six years ago. The wait is worth it in the end as a company is putting it out that will put some effort in to the extras, giving us a slew of new interviews that I’m not sure Paramount themselves would have. This super exciting release will be landing on shelves virtual and physical on March 24th, just in time for you to watch it ON April 1st this year. How considerate of Scream Factory (They’re no dummies.). Continue reading ‘April Fool’s Day – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
March 15th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
Kids movies were of a whole different world back in the 1980s and 1990s. There is nothing quite like them. And when they are bad, they are baaaad or quite fun for the shortcomings. When they are on, the tears be flowing or a lifelong fandom be growing. The Wizard is a bit of a crazy concoction when you hear about it, that someone how finished itself a pretty solid story narratively. The whole purpose of this thing was to sell Nintendo and Nintendo products be “Kids like it, its cool.” We’ll get into it a little more in the review, but it has had a legacy of dedicated fandom and nostalgic memories for it, mainly because we really didn’t get much in the way of stuff like this that seemed to know exactly what we were into. Incredibly, Shout! Factory is giving the film the handsome 4K restorative treatment along with some great new bonus features to celebrate the film. Personally, I think the new cover art is right on the money and one of their most brilliant ones of all time. You’ll be able to marvel at said art in person when it arrives on Blu-ray March 24th.
Continue reading ‘The Wizard – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
March 10th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
Scream Factory is continuing its new line of vault “horror” titles collecting dust in the Universal Studios library with Universal Horror Collection: Volume 4. These have all been released a sets of four, typically starring the icons of the time (Lots of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill). For the fourth incarnation of the series, the films included are; 1937’s Night Key, Night Monster (1942), The Climax (1944) and House of Horrors (1946). Now, I had to be “that” guy, but some of these have been steering in the direction of “Is this really a horror movie?”. To make up for that, I can accept “No, but it has one of horror’s biggest stars of the time in it” as a worthy reason to include a film in these sets. And I’m also not aware if something that feels not at all like a horror movie now, may have been or may have been sold as one (Some of the posters suggest as much) when it was released. This new set will release on March 17th and you can pre-order a copy now using the paid Amazon Associates link following the review. Continue reading ‘Universal Horror Collection: Volume 4 (Blu-ray Review)’
March 7th, 2020 by Brian White
Bombshell is a film where I initially only showed up for because of the 3 leading women, most notably Harley Quinn…err I mean Margot Robbie. I pretty much will see anything with her nowadays, but I digress. Other than that I had originally thought there was really no reason for me to watch Bombshell. I mean our site reviewer Aaron Neuwirth hates it, so why should I care then? While I am totally for the women exposing the audacious acts against them here there were a few moments in the trailer I didn’t particularly care for. On the surface I thought it was going to be a lot of political propaganda. I‘ll usually leave it at that because politics is something I never talk about or at least I do my best to try not to, but I do need to still address it here. Truth be told though there was also something very trippy and mesmerizing in that first Bombshell trailer that hook, line and sinker caught ahold of me and never let me go (that song and the leading ladies in the elevator). So that’s why I’m here…plus I really liked it too!
Continue reading ‘Bombshell (Blu-ray Review)’
March 5th, 2020 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
As a kid, Charlie’s Angels was always a staple in my after-school viewing. Between soaps and the courtroom drama of Judge Judy, the angels always made an appearance. In my teen years, I was given the modern retread of the show in the movie from 2000 with Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore. The first movie was fun, funny and well made. While not critically well received, audiences loved it and it spawned a terrible sequel that still managed to win over audiences. Now, here we are 20 years later and here is the home release of Charlie’s Angels. All joking aside, this film didn’t do well with critics or audiences. I can’t say I disagree with the gripes, but I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying the film. More on that below! Be sure to click on the paid Amazon link below to order your copy of Charlie’s Angels that will be released March 10th!
Continue reading ‘Charlie’s Angels (4K Blu-ray Review)’
March 4th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
On March 24th, Scream Factory will be releasing the 2-part television mini-series, Frankenstein: The True Story from director Jack Smight. I’ll admit that this is a complete blind spot in my horror knowledge as I’m not even sure I remember this thing existing. I’ve obviously not seen it before. And I’m surprised as much as I’m fond of Jane Seymour and it also stars my favorite Doctor, Tom Baker. But, “new to me” is always a very exciting thing nowadays having experience and studied so much in the way of film and television. While I may scratch my head at how I missed this, I also have glee that I get to experience it. And I get to experience it with a brand new 2K restoration in presentation to go with a new Jane Seymour (Among others) interview. She has to be the queen on the vampires, by the way. As mentioned, this one comes out in just a couple weeks in what is a pretty busy month for big titles for Scream Factory. You can pre-order using the paid Amazon Associates link below.
Continue reading ‘Frankenstein: The True Story (Blu-ray Review)’
March 2nd, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
John Carpenter brings Stephen King’s best-selling novel to life in this chilling thriller. She was born in Detroit … on an automobile assembly line. But she is no ordinary automobile. Deep within her chassis lives an unholy presence. She is CHRISTINE – a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury whose unique standard equipment includes an evil, indestructible vengeance that will destroy anyone in her way. She seduces 17-year-old Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon), who becomes consumed with passion for her sleek, rounded, chrome-laden body. She demands his complete and unquestioned devotion and when outsiders seek to interfere, they become the victims of Christine’s horrifying wrath. Continue reading ‘John Carpenter’s Christine (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
March 2nd, 2020 by Brian White
I have been living in Austin, TX now for over seven years and I have yet to attend the infamous SXSW film/music festival. Is that wrong of me? I just don’t want to contend with all the mad traffic that event brings to the area, which in my opinion can’t appropriately accommodate an event of this size anyway. However, I mention this event only because that’s where A Quiet Place first premiered two years ago. A month later it opened theatrically wide to rave reviews from critics, moviegoers and even Hollywood actors themselves praising the film for its smart moves and breathtaking scares. I remember one famous actor even said he saw it three times and was on the radio encouraging all moviegoers to go see it. Needless to say I was pumped to see this one theatrically. I mean how could all these people be wrong about it, right? So without further ado let’s talk some A Quiet Place down below. What say you? It’s getting a Mondo X Steelbook release on the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray format on March 10th and surprise…surprise…a sequel on the 19th!
Continue reading ‘A Quiet Place – Mondo X Steelbook (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
February 27th, 2020 by Aaron Neuwirth
In considering how to adequately express my admiration for director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the nature of epics. From a general sense of the term, classifying this Polish romantic drama as an epic would disregard some of the typical elements of this categorization. Cold War is half the length of a standard epic, with a budget that would hardly cover the catering for Middle Earth. However, the span of time covered in this film and the sweeping nature of the romantic bond shared between the two lead characters feel like more than enough reason to place this film in that realm. There’s also the backdrop of the Cold War in Europe, which is never removed from the narrative. Regardless, even if one wants to justify calling Cold War a piece of science fiction, it doesn’t take away from just how stunning a feature this is. Now The Criterion Collection has put out a terrific release for one of my favorite films from 2018.
Continue reading ‘Cold War – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
February 27th, 2020 by Aaron Neuwirth
I consider myself a fan of Kevin Smith. He made a couple of films in the 90s that I consider some of my favorites and has since spent time delivering his unique voice in a variety of ways, including more features, podcasts, and in public forums. With Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, the prospect of watching Smith once again utilize two of his most popular characters in a story that’s both nostalgic and a commentary on today’s culture (Hollywood and otherwise) seemed like a fun way for the writer/director to stretch a bit with ideas relevant today blended with the fun of the old. Alas, for all the good faith found in the cast Smith has assembled, I can’t say I found much to latch onto.
– Continue reading ‘Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (Blu-ray Review)’
February 25th, 2020 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
Cecil B. DaMille was a visionary. Without him, we wouldn’t know anything about grand scale filmmaking. The movies he made were iconic for not just the look, but also the great lengths taken to make the films he made. The Ten Commandments was obviously a film property that DeMille was ever passionate about. First in 1923, DeMille made an ambitious silent version of The Ten Commandments that now acts like a blueprint for the longer, grander 1956 version. The material was familiar, but using the newer technology, widescreen lenses and a much larger scale, what became was a religious epic masterpiece still unrivaled 64 years later.
Continue reading ‘The Ten Commandments (2020 Digibook Blu-ray Review)’
February 25th, 2020 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
For the people of Parkersville, West Virginia have long suffered in their small town. A big company, DuPont, is a huge part of their small town. DuPont helps keep the town up, funds parks and recreation for the town, and lets the residents know of the safe levels of chemicals in their drinking water. What they don’t let people know is that they’re of course living the corporate greed dream and only saying the bare minimum. Dark Waters chronicles Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) on his extremely long journey to bring justice to the people of Parkersville. Read more on Todd Haynes’ newest drama below, and click the (paid) Amazon link below to get your copy via preorder!
Continue reading ‘Dark Waters (Blu-ray Review)’
February 25th, 2020 by Aaron Neuwirth
I was elated when The Criterion Collection announced When We Were Kings as an upcoming entry, complete with a brand-new restoration and extras to go with it. It is one of my favorite documentaries, as it does a great job tracking a meaningful event in sports history. The film puts some of what made Muhammad Ali the man that he was on display and adds in plenty of interviews from those who knew him and had thoughts on his legacy. There’s a lot to take in, and even with so many documentaries that have since covered the legendary heavyweight champion, this 87-minute documentary is both incredibly entertaining and full of insight.
– Continue reading ‘When We Were Kings – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
February 24th, 2020 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
Chadwick Boseman makes an attempt to break from the chains of T’Challah in 21 Bridges. This action-thriller sets up a very interesting plot point with semi-mixed results. Read more about this cinematic page-turner also starring Sienna Miller, JK Simmons and Taylor Kitsch below, and click the Amazon (paid) link below to get yourself a copy!
Continue reading ’21 Bridges (Blu-ray Review)’
February 24th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Struggling through a seemingly endless creative rut, hard-partying and Los-Angeles-based artist Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison, Friday Night Lights) can’t stop the resulting bad streak of problems, including unpaid rent and professional stagnation. In an effort to combat her tough luck, Dezzy throws caution to the wind, indulges in heavy drugs and rages her nights away. Her kinda/sorta boyfriend, Clive, is concerned while her debauchery-minded friend Courtney and her enigmatic hubby Ronnie keep feeding Dezzy s darkest urges. Gradually, though, the party starts to end, and in its place, Dezzy finds herself thirsting for blood and suffering from terrifying visions. Having never been one for moderation or self-control, she’s unable to resist her newfound dangerous impulses. And that’s very bad news for everyone in her life, all of whom are filled with the red liquid she now so desperately craves. Continue reading ‘Bliss [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] (Blu-ray Review)’
February 24th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Set in a remote Buddhist monastery in 16th Century China, Raining in the Mountain deals with a power struggle that ensues when the Abbot of the Three Treasures Temple announces his imminent retirement. The ageing Abbot invites three outsiders to advise him on the critical choice of appointing his successor: Esquire Wen, a wealthy patron of the monastery, General Wang, commander-in-chief of the local military, and Wu Wai, a respected lay Buddhist master. Within the monastery, several disciples aspiring to the position begin to collude individually with Esquire Wen and General Wang. But these two invited advisers have come with seditious intent, scheming to obtain the priceless scroll housed in the monastery: the scriptural text of “The Mahayana Sutra, ” hand-copied by Tripitaka. Meanwhile, convicted criminal Chiu Ming has arrived at the monastery to atone as a monk. He is assigned to safeguard the scroll at the house of scriptures, and encounters thieving rivals White Fox who poses as Esquire Wen s concubine and General Wang s fearsome Lieutenant Chang, who originally framed Chiu Ming for the crime he did not commit. Selected as one of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures by the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present King Hu’s Raining in the Mountain on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in the UK, from a new 2K restoration completed in 2018 by the Taiwan Film Institute. Continue reading ‘Raining In The Mountain [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] (Blu-ray Review)’
February 23rd, 2020 by Aaron Neuwirth
I suppose I have a bit of a Scottish blindspot (at least with older Scottish films). I was not aware of Local Hero until The Criterion Collection announced it. By all accounts, it’s a well-regarded film that many celebrate writer/director Bill Forsyth for, but it went unknown to me until recently. Fortunately, I found a lot to like about what this quaint film had to offer, beyond the idea of seeing Burt Lancaster, Wedge Antilles, and a young Peter Capaldi in a movie together. It’s a story about culture clashes, small-town life, and 80s greed all coming together in a lovely way.
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Continue reading ‘Local Hero – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
February 23rd, 2020 by Aaron Neuwirth
The Cold War period allowed many filmmakers to experiment with storytelling, filmmaking styles, and social commentary in their movies. Fail Safe is the sort of Cold War thriller that banked on cultural paranoia as much as it did skilled filmmaking and intense performances. The Criterion Collection has finally brought more justice to Sidney Lumet’s tense picture, providing a spectacular new release, restoring its cinematic quality. This will ideally give many a chance to revisit a film that seems to be regarded more for its similarity to another feature than the quality it contains.
– Continue reading ‘Fail Safe – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
