D-Day: Normandy 1944 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Shout! Factory will make their first foray into feature films on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format later this month when Michael Cimino’s best picture winner The Deer Hunter arrives on May 26th. But, they’ve actually been putting out 4K Ultra-HD Blu-rays for a couple of years now, courtesy of these IMAX documentaries. And they’ve actually proven quite stunning in sight and sound. The latest addition is D-Day: Normandy 1944. Pascal Vuong directs a Tom Brokow narrated documentary that gives a nice fresh and unique take on the battle of Normandy during World War II. This release will feature a good host of bonus feature interviews and behind the scenes videos to accompany it after you’ve finished the film. The film dropped onto the format on May 5th. You can order the film by using the Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
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Universal Horror Collection Vol. 5 will scream to life on Blu-ray™ on June 16 from Scream Factory. The collection includes four tales of terror from the archives of Universal Pictures, the true home of classic horror. A mobster’s brain is transplanted into an ape who carries out his revenge in The Monster And The Girl. A mad scientist turns an ape into a beautiful, but deadly woman in Captive Wild Woman. Jungle Woman, the sequel to Captive Wild Woman, is an eerie thriller with all the danger of wild animals on the loose and a sexy killer on the prowl! And in The Jungle Captive, a scientist has experimented on re-animating animals … but now he has decided to go one step further and re-animate a human!
Romance films often carry the same nuances. No matter how good or bad, there seems to be some requirements for a successful romance formula. Intrigue, attraction, chemistry, doubts and insecurities, finding yourself and feeling like you’re right for the one you have feelings for are all parts to a whole that make a romantic movie great. Does Stella Meghie’s The Photograph hit on those formula ingredients? Find out below and be on the lookout for The Photograph available May 12th! If you haven’t already, check out the Amazon link below to grab yourself a copy!
Paramount is launching into a pretty exciting new endeavor and keeping us home video collecting enthusiasts relieved that some studios are putting some effort behind catalog titles. With the newly minted Paramount Presents line, the brand is promising collectible packaging, new bonus features and new transfers of classic films from all eras of their storied studio’s career. The popular 1987 Michael Douglas and Glenn Close adult thriller Fatal Attraction will brand the #1 spine labeling for the line as it finds itself the head of the launching group of titles. The Adrian Lyne film (Which he’ll be also be getting his film Flashdance distributed in this line later on) had a previous edition that seemed ripe for a new transfer, so we’ll see if it can improve upon the previous release. The line debuts on April 21st, and you can order yourself the Paramount Presents edition of Fatal Attraction by clicking on the Amazon Associates link following the review. 
Paramount is launching into a pretty exciting new endeavor and keeping us home video collecting enthusiasts relieved that some studios are putting some effort behind catalog titles. With the newly minted Paramount Presents line, the brand is promising collectible packaging, new bonus features and new transfers of classic films from all eras of their storied studio’s career. The Elvis Presley starring film King Creole will be making its debut on the Blu-ray format with this new home video brand. Directed by the famed Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Robin Hood and many MANY more), this is exactly the type of film collector’s were potentially hoping to see more from on this line – catalog titles still hanging out in the vault collecting dust and still only being offered on outdated DVDs. Well, fear no more Elvis and Michael Curtiz fans, here comes King Creole! The Paramount Presents line launched on April 21st, and you can order King Creole now using the Amazon Associates link below. 
I have recently reviewed the new Paramount Presents Blu-ray of Alfred Hitchock’s 1955 film To Catch A Thief starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. For that release, Paramount has presented the film with a new 4K transfer. Said transfer is quite different and had some work done on it and some very notable differences as I mentioned in my review. For this one, I thought I’d go a step further and show a screencap comparison of the 2 editions to potentially illustrate the differences and to help you in deciding which one you would most prefer. As I mentioned, I’m sure there are those more happy with the more polished/scrubbed look of the new release. Personally, I’m of preference to the original color timing and grain-present look of the original. Click on to see my screen shots from similar shots of the 2 editions. Let me know in the comments which you like better. 
I’ve been digging what Blake Lively has been serving up for the most part the last few years. Highlights of such efforts include The Shallows and I absolutely LOVE A Simple Favor. I can’t say I know what she’s offered on a regular basis in terms of parts, but she seems to be carving a path out for herself with interesting parts and genres, showcasing an array of range and entertainment. It almost feels a bit Jake Gyllenhaal-like in a way. A sort of “I don’t care if everyone sees them or not, I just want interesting roles and interesting movies” kinda thing. Her latest comes from EON Productions (Famous for James Bond), and it was an absolute critical failure and box office disaster this past January. Those sort of things won’t keep me from seeing it and forming my own opinion, but are certainly cause for some hesitation going in. The Rhythm Section is scheduled to release from Paramount on Blu-ray April 28th, but as with what is going on in the world right now, that could easily push back a bit. 
Guy Ritchie has returned to form. For us that means a crime caper! The Gentlemen is just that. Foul language, violence, ridiculous amounts of money and a lot of twists to keep you guessing. Just what we’ve been waiting for through some not so great experiments. Read on about Ritchie, his film and the tech specs below! The Gentlemen is available on April 21st, so feel free to click the paid link at the bottom to order a copy!
For science fiction television buffs, one of the biggest events of all time was the 1983 NBC broadcast of the mini-series simply titled V. The show was high on production values, suspense, ideals and metaphors. It has gone on to see cult acclaim and a strong fandom resulting in a follow up mini-series, a full television season, books, comic books, video games, a rebooted series in 2009 and plenty more. Back in October, the Warner Archive Collection released the original 2-part mini-series on Blu-ray for the first time. Now, on April 14, they are following up and bringing the 3-part sequel mini-series V: The Final Battle to Blu-ray to complete the original story’s output. Starring the likes of genre familiars like Marc Singer, Michael Ironside, Robert Englund and Sarah Douglas, V continues to reflect, age well and impress even by today’s higher standards. Back when TV movies and mini-series meant something and had more backing behind it, V was one of the very best. Now you can own the action-packed conclusion, V: The Final Battle on Blu-ray.
Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne have both been steady contributors to comedy films over the last decade. Routinely we can count on them to make us laugh even if the films themselves aren’t great. They both bring something to the table as far as singular joy and consistently light up the screen when they’re on! Seeing ads for Like A Boss I knew a few things: One, even if no one had seen the film it would draw comparison to Bridemaids and Girls Trip, their best films respectively; Two, despite the comparison, the film would be ripped to shreds by critics; and Three, audiences wouldn’t go see it regardless. Right down to the comparisons to their other films, I was right. Read my thoughts on Like A Boss below and be sure to click the paid Amazon link below to grab a copy of the film which is available on 4/21!
Will Smith and Tom Holland team up in Spies in Disguise. The film was the first non-Disney/Pixar animated film since the big acquisition. This particular cartoon journey is centered in a super-cool spy situation. Will Smith’s super spy has a doppelganger on his hands… How does he clear his name and still stay hidden… Duh… Disguise! But… Does the film go for the gold, or does it come in dead last? Read in depth below, and check for a paid purchase link afterwards to grab a copy for yourself!
It saddens me to say, but quite possibly my largest blind spot in the Academy Award nominated films from 2019 was Greta Gerwig’s new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Gerwig’s Lady Bird was one of my absolute favorite films of 2017 and (Like her acting output) I’ll see anything she directs. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, the holiday season wasn’t the easiest time for me to get out and see a movie this past season. I am very excited to finally be seeing it via Blu-ray for this review. I don’t know why Sony has opted to shaft it on getting a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray release, but here we are. They have supplied it with a nice chunk of featurettes (But no commentary) which is nifty. If you are really itching for the 4K Ultra-HD presentation, infuriatingly it IS available that way via streaming for purchase and on-demand rental. This standard Blu-ray edition of the film will be available on April 7th, though I don’t know delivery for it will be getting to people by then (Hopefully it does!). You can roll the dice on that using the Amazon Associates link below if you’re feeling lucky!
