Dracula (1979) – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)
1979 was the year of Count Dracula in cinemas. And now, 40 years later, all 3 films featuring the dark prince can be found on Scream Factory Blu-rays. Joining the previously released Love at First Bite and Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu comes John Badham’s follow up to his cultural phenomenon that was Saturday Night Fever. The film debuted on Blu-ray a few years back but has remained controversial on home video ever since the days of VHS. But, no longer, as Scream Factory will be including the theatrical version of the film featuring the original color timing (We’ll get to that in the review). It also features an impressive lineup of all new interviews (Unfortunately none of them Frank Langella). This release is under the Collector’s Edition banner and encompasses its content over 2-discs (Each color timing is presented on its own disc). You’ll be able to own this one just before your Thanksgiving feast (If you’re an American) when it arrives on Scream Factory Blu-ray November 26th. Continue reading ‘Dracula (1979) – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
A few summers ago, I thought the first Angry Birds Movie would fare a lot better at the box office than it did. Maybe the big craze had really passed by before the film could strike that proverbial iron that had been plugged in and heated up. The film didn’t do horrible worldwide at all really, but nothing to set the world on fire and command a sequel quickly turning around. But hey, the once insanely popular mobile game that became plushies, collectibles, licensing themed and animated shorts was up for another round. And here we are with its sequel just a couple years later and it did not do too hot, but I’m also sure it wasn’t that expensive of a venture. If we see a Angry Birds 3, perhaps a streaming service can utilize it as an exclusive. For those who didn’t get to take your kids to 2, it arrives November 12, 2019 on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray.
Can you stand the heat in The Kitchen? I’m pretty sure you can. Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss take the screen for all (well, at least some) of what it’s got in this crime drama from Andrea Berloff (writer of Straight Outta Compton). I was excited to see this one despite the box office demise and the negative reviews. Something had to come out of this mostly serious drama for its two comedy superstars, right? Read my weigh in below and click the link at the end if you want to grab yourself a copy of The Kitchen. As Amazon Associates, we at Whysoblu take a small amount of your purchase price on Amazon to keep this fantastic site humming along for you fans of physical media!
Friendship can come in times when you don’t realize you need it most. Friendships that come in tough times, are some of the most unlikely and the most necessary of all. The Peanut Butter Falcon tells a Huck Finn-esque coming of age tale that is sure to delight fans of what I like to call “nice movies.” “Nice movies” are the types that make you laugh, challenge your feelings about fictional characters, and make you hopeful for those people you’ve followed for the length of the film. To be short, The Peanut Butter Falcon is pure delight. Read more in-depth below and click the link at the end of the post to purchase a copy too! Just a reminder, as Amazon Associates, we take a small percentage of those link sales to keep this amazing site going for you all!
In the cult horror or cult horror Blu-ray collector circles to be more specific, many have hope that the 1981 Lauren Bacall led slasher(?) The Fan would be called out by some distributor some day. Acquiring it overall was Scream Factory and the most exciting thing about that meant that the doors to the Paramount vault appear to be quite open. As a matter of fact, an even more demanded slasher film, April Fool’s Day will be finally making it to Blu-ray in time for April Fool’s Day next year. The Fan also starred James Garner and is notable as one of the big (Breakout?) films for a young Michael Biehn. Its also pretty damn crazy. Scream Factory has landed Biehn for an interview for this new release, as well as the director and editor of the film. Scream Factory’s own Jeff Nelson sits down for a commentary on it too, making this a pretty special release overall. It arrives on the format November 19th, in time for some Turkey and you can pre-order at any time.
Studio Canal seems to be helping nudge and build up Lionsgate’s 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray catalog titles in the United States. Coming off the heels of the Rambo trilogy and Red Heat is the Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren team up in the the Roland Emmerich film Universal Soldier. These are getting first announced and released by Studio Canal in the UK and most have US rights with Lionsgate, so its a simple port over for them. People can complain about what they are picking to upgrade (Guilty), like when the Lincoln Lawyer or Snitch is chosen to make the jump over any of the Saw, Scream or wealth of catalog horror they aren’t paying attention to. But, with a title like Universal Soldier, its not really on them and honestly…I think this one and the Rambos have been pretty popular home video sellers in the past. So, it makes sense. You’ll be able to grab this one on November 5th, and if you utilize the Amazon link below, I probably make about 15 pennies.
Good Boys for me is just one of those moments in life when you watch a trailer, it reminds you of a blast from the past (in this case Superbad) and you say why not.
Shout Factory has been putting out some exclusive steelbook releases of films the last couple years to sort of add to their collection. A surprising one to many once it was announced/unveiled last year, was that they would be putting out 2016’s Lonely Island film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. One, it was a a super recent movie for Shout! Factory to be getting their hands on and two, the original release from Universal was already stacked to the max with bonus features and had a terrific transfer. What more could be done? Well, Shout! Factory agrees with you as the exclusivity of this is squarely on the steelbook packaging. Aside from a Shout! Factory logo seen at the disc’s startup, everything is the exact same. But, you gotta admit that steelbook artwork IS pretty killer. You can pre-order it from the Shout! Factory website or by using the Amazon link below (Which goes to benefit Why So Blu’s Associate’s account).
We’ve been covering the Fast & Furious films on the site ever since part six with my reviews of the eighth 
Synapse Films went back in the Italian fold last month (October) by releasing one the more cult of cult items when it comes to the Giallo sub-genre of horror, Watch Me When I Kill. The 1977 Antonio Bido thriller starring Franco Citti, Fernando Cerulli, Giuseppe Addobbati, Gianfranco Bullo, and Jill Pratt finds itself getting a luscious 4K make-over with a brand new transfer from the original negatives of the film. In addition to the many bonus features stamped on the disc (I’m not sure if they are new or if some are ported over from a previous DVD release as I am a newbie when it comes to Watch Me When I Kill), the soundtrack from the film featuring the prog-rock band Trans-Europa Express is included. You can find the film available from Synapse Films, Diabolik DVD or any online retailer really, including Amazon where a link is readily available for your click (Which I am now obligated to tell you nets me a very small percentage of the purchase).
Warner Archive Collection is a brand to follow when it comes to physical media releases. Rivaling that of reveals from Arrow Video, Criterion Collection and Vinegar Syndrome, we know when in the month that their upcoming titles will be announced but what they will be is an intriguing mystery. And given how large the catalog of Warner Bros (And New Line) is, it could be any number of things. Being that its October, horror is the overwhelming theme with the Blu-ray titles. Rounding out my series of reviews for their October titles is the 1973 made for television movie Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark starring Kim Darby (The mom from Better Off Dead AND from Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers). This one became available on October 22nd. You can order from the link below (Which, I’m obligated to tell you, nets me a very small percentage).
To be honest with you, I’m not too sure I’ve seen very many Japanese zombie films. As a matter of fact, in terms of a pure, traditional walking dead classic that number is likely zero. While sure, we’ve been oversaturated like hell with the horror sub genre over the last 15 years or so to the tune where we have multiple television shows no where we can watching the brain cravers go at humans in a myriad of different ways and tones, something like Undertaker did peak my interest just a little when it came across my desk here at the home offices of Why So Blu following our annual Halloween party festivities (I can’t believe Gerard went as Mike Banning AGAIN!). The film dropped on Blu-ray from Synapse Films on October 29th, and you’re able to snag a copy if you go to the Amazon link (Yes I do make fat extremely small percentage off your clicks and purchases) and order one out.
Warner Archive Collection is a brand to follow when it comes to physical media releases. Rivaling that of reveals from Arrow Video, Criterion Collection and Vinegar Syndrome, we know when in the month that their upcoming titles will be announced but what they will be is an intriguing mystery. And given how large the catalog of Warner Bros (And New Line) is, it could be any number of things. Being that its October, horror is the overwhelming theme with the Blu-ray titles. One of those titles this month is the Roman Polanski comedy, The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck. Which…its just typically called The Fearless Vampire Killers which is a weird little horror comedy he did right after Cul-de-Sac and just before Rosemary’s Baby. You’ll be able to sink your teeth into this fresh new Blu-ray by ordering from the link at the bottom of the review as it is now available having been released on October 29th.
I have something shameful to admit. I’ve been living with this secret for the longest time and I need to get this off my chest once and for all. Why So Blu writer Brandon Peters is going to be so disappointed in me, but here goes nothing. Up until the point when Daniel Craig took the reins of the James Bond role I had little interest in the legendary franchise. Blasphemy! I know. I always respected them and all the pop culture references and nostalgia that popped up in Austin Powers and whatnot, but I never truly got into them whole-heartedly. It’s ironic too as I once was known as a Ford Mustang guy and low and behold that car made its initial debut in a 007 film. However, then the unthinkable happened. Sony’s Blu-ray format emerged on the scene and I blind bought Casino Royale (it came with a toy Astro Martin). That’s all it took. I became an instant fan of not only this Bond series, but I’m also a proud papa of the former 22-film collection on Blu-ray too. And now I’m so honored to go back full circle and pay homage to the film where it all started for me. Casino flipping’ Royale is now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and I’m like a pig rolling around in mud! 
One of the most anticipated films in any format or technology advancement will forever 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. And finally, it has come to the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format. Celebrating its 80th year, it certainly was time to introduce it in the best of ways possible. The poster child for the most fabled year in cinema history, the film luckily is a part of the Warner Bros library, who takes care of their catalog titles. Though, I’d imagine anyone with rights to this masterpiece would take good care, but you never know. In fact, this one was restored and transferred with an 8K 16-bit scan for this release from the original Technicolor negative. The 4K disc of the set also carries along the 1990 CBS special about making the film, which is a nifty bonus. You’ll be able to own the film in its best presentation yet, when it hits store shelves, both physically and virtually (Well, warehouses, am I right?) on October 29th (Witches=Halloween). You can pre-order from the Amazon link below which, of course helps me out.
Warner Archive Collection is a brand to follow when it comes to physical media releases. Rivaling that of reveals from Arrow Video, Criterion Collection and Vinegar Syndrome, we know when in the month that their upcoming titles will be announced but what they will be is an intriguing mystery. And given how large the catalog of Warner Bros (And New Line) is, it could be any number of things. Being that its October, horror is the overwhelming theme with the Blu-ray titles. From Beyond The Grave comes to us from Amicus Productions. Like Hammer Horror (And to some degree American International Pictures), the United States rights to the films spread across all sorts of holders and studios. Amicus’ bread and butter over the others back in the day was their ability and consistency in putting out horror anthology movies. From Beyond the Grave is one of those, and has been featured in the Twisted Terror Collection (Alongside John Carpenter’s Someone’s Watching Me, Wes Craven’s Deadly Friend and Dr. Giggles). Its available to order now from the Amazon link below.
If it wasn’t for Studio Canal restoring and releasing catalog titles on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray overseas in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, I don’t know if Lionsgate would have much interest in doing it at all. They are getting some solid free ports over here with the likes of Rambo, the upcoming Universal Soldier and this one in the review here, Red Heat. One of the film’s on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s climb to massive superstardom, its notable paired him with director Walter Hill and tried to buddy cop him with James Belushi. The release comes with all the special features that were on the Studio Canal release overseas and the Lionsgate standard Blu-ray that was originally out here in the United States. For those interested in the film (Or us Schwarzenegger collectors), the film will be available for purchase on October 29th. But, you can pre-order now, and using the the Amazon link below will lock it up for you and have it there by release day (And also helps me out, as I earn from being an Associate as I’m now supposed to tell you every time I post that link. FUN!).
