Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
February 9th, 2019 by Brian White
While I never was a huge Queen fan growing up I was never ignorant to their musical place and historical significance and in the world of rock. That much was never lost on me. I was a fan of most of their songs and like many from my generation completely smitten by “Bohemian Rhapsody” when it was resurrected in the 1992 Wayne’s World film. However, when the first trailers of Bohemian Rhapsody, the musical feature we’re all gathered here to talk about today, first came out I had little to no interest in it. I had no doubts that I wouldn’t love it, but instead focused my thoughts on other urgent priorities. Then all those positive reviews came pouring in and like usual try as I might I could never get myself to the theater to see this one during its run. Today’s viewing is my first. Continue reading ‘Bohemian Rhapsody (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review)’
February 5th, 2019 by Brian White
Now this is a “Brian” film! I started off last year believing Overlord was a fourth installment in the J.J. Abrams Cloverfield universe. By mid year we were all aware that was not true. Boo! Overlord is so much better than that direct to Netflix Paradox feature. If you don’t take my word for it, look no further than the highly reputable Rotten Tomatoes site the lay people of this nation perceive as gospel. It’s Certified Fresh at 81%, yo! The website’s critical aggregated consensus reads, “Part revisionist war drama, part zombie thriller, and part all-out genre gorefest, Overlord offers A-level fun for B-movie fans of multiple persuasions.” I couldn’t agree more, but I know some of the peeps close to me in life surprisingly didn’t feel feverishly the same. I hope I can convince you. I giddily love this film! Continue reading ‘Overlord (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
February 4th, 2019 by Aaron Neuwirth
Here’s one of the latest post-modern, offbeat westerns that have come about in recent years. While the revisionist western serves as an interesting way to deconstruct the black and white ethics defined in classic westerns, The Sisters Brothers joins films like Damsel, Slow West or the Coen Brothers’ True Grit in terms of westerns that are aware of their perplexing nature. While still acknowledging the darker qualities of living in a time where outlaws could roam free, it is not above films like these to feature so much humor that reflects both the nature of that present era and where things will go. The Sisters Brothers goes one step further by taking on a level of self-reflection, which serves well for the terrific characters featured.
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February 4th, 2019 by Aaron Neuwirth
You want them to get away with it. That’s the same thought that always comes to mind when watching a heist thriller. Widows stacks so much against the central characters that all you can do is hope they make it. This is the sort of tricky area that director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) is in, as Widows finds a need to balance the rhythms of a typical genre film with the serious-mindedness of his filmmaking style. It worked out as far as delivering a terrific drama for adults, but audiences, sadly, didn’t turn up to see it in theaters. Fortunately, the film can now be seen on Blu-ray.
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February 4th, 2019 by Aaron Neuwirth
Robert Redford has never been a chameleon-like performer, but there’s something to be said for the way he brings an unflappable cool to almost all of his features, let alone a naturalness to any persona he is tasked to put on. The Old Man & the Gun may or may not be the end of Redford’s career in front of the camera, but it would be a fine swan song. This laidback crime caper could have gone down some different avenues to tell the story of a real-life career criminal, but when the camera accomplishes so much with slow push-ins on old man Redford’s very friendly face, why make things more complicated?
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February 3rd, 2019 by Aaron Neuwirth
Starting the year with a bang, The Criterion Collection has released In the Heat of the Night, one of the bigger box office hits of the 60s, along with a major award winner. The mystery drama starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is memorable for many reasons. In addition to the characters and quotable lines, the film tells a topical story involving murder, police officers, and the role a black man plays in a small town in Mississippi during the 1960s. As a result, you have a cinematic classic still relevant today, and Criterion has that film on a packed, new Blu-ray release.
a Continue reading ‘In The Heat Of The Night – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
February 1st, 2019 by Brandon Peters
I’m sure there are people out there that were hoping to one day land Katt Shea’s 1992 thriller Poison Ivy on Blu-ray. I’m not so sure there were those out there clamoring for an entire set of the Poison Ivy quadrilogy on Blu-ray in order to get that film. But, hey, if you’re doing one of them, lets nab all four while we are at it. Shout! Factory’s new relationship with Warner Bros has led them to snagging this series from the library and putting three of them out on the format for the first time ever. Previously, just the fourth one had received a Blu-ray release (Back in 2009). They come in a nice little set together, in Unrated and Theatrical editions and will be able to be had by Valentine’s day as they release on February 12th. Continue reading ‘The Poison Ivy Collection (Blu-ray Review)’
January 29th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
When the Scream Factory Collector’s Edition Blu-ray for the 2001 slasher film Valentine releases on February 12th, it will have been almost 5 years exactly since I wrote my Blu-ray Wishlist piece pleading for the film to come to the format. At the time, Warner Bros sub-licensing seemed an impossible task and the hope was for maybe the Warner Archive Collection to put out a bare bones release. I would have been A-Okay with just that. Patience and time has proven kind as we are getting a super loaded Scream Factory version now. This has proven very exciting and considering the bar set so high with Jamie Blanks’ other slasher offering, Urban Legend, getting a phenomenal release just a few months ago, this one has to deliver in the same fashion. Continue reading ‘Valentine – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
January 28th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
The Cloverfield series has a nice track record of being sneaky and coming up out of nowhere and as a surprise to us cinema-going audiences. Movies will be filmed under completely different titles with the connection never linking. The Cloverfield Paradox took that to another level when it decided to become one of the most talked about moments of the Super Bowl. During the game, rumors started flying from it getting a new release date, to Netflix acquiring it to eventually announcing the movie would drop on the streaming service after the game. In all honesty, after seeing the film, it was a good move because that may have been the most exposure and buzz the movie was going to get. A year later now, we have it coming to Blu-ray to own finally and sit on the shelf next to your first two Cloverfield films. You can grab a copy after the Super Bowl again on February 5th. Continue reading ‘The Cloverfield Paradox (Blu-ray Review)’
January 25th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
One of the fall’s more massive hits this past season was yet another Illumination animation out, this time Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch. The film approached 300 million domestically and made over half a billion worldwide. Yet, it feels like no one was talking about what a big success it was. Following in the footsteps of The Lorax, Illumination took one of the bigger Seuss properties and did it a solid in making a solid fully animated modern rendition of the classic book and cartoon short. I’m sure they were hoping this would put the Jim Carrey disaster in the distant corner of the human conscience with this release. It’ll be available in all formats, including the lovely 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray one, when it arrives on February 5th! Continue reading ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
January 25th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
After being more than pleasantly surprised with last year’s The Death of Superman movie from the DC Animated Universe, Reign of the Supermen has become hotly anticipated for me. This is the second half of the story and after seeing the care crafted in the first half, you must be eager to see these four Supermen brought to life via the trusted hands of the DCAU. Once again, they are going all in here with the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format for a DCAU movie, which we know how that goes. But if you want the best you can grab, then you’ll be able to pick it up when it releases on the format on January 29th in stores and online.
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January 24th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
The first Goosebumps film with Jack Black took everyone quite by surprise a few years ago. It was a family horror film that wound up actually being really well done and had us all welcoming a sequel. Said sequel arrived in 2018, which had much less involvement from Jack Black this time around, trying to make a go of it without his presence almost. Marketing didn’t reveal his actual being part of the cast until much late in the game (Probably to not confuse with House With A Clock In Its Walls). Unfortunately it didn’t do as well as its predecessor but hopefully they’ll give a third film a go as I’d like see a kid’s horror franchise prosper. So many young people will have this as their gateway inspiration to check out more of the genre. Its available now on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray for you to purchase from the Amazon link below! Continue reading ‘Goosebumps 2 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
January 24th, 2019 by Aaron Neuwirth
2018 featured many films worth praising concerning both entertainment value, as well as social issues. The Hate U Give is one of those films. Nominated for zero Academy Awards, one of the timeliest films of 2018 has arrived on Blu-ray with many hoping it will finally find the audience it deserves. Adapted from a bestselling young adult novel, while some of these adaptations tend to have some important thematic issues buried within, here’s a film that builds no allusions around what it wants to accomplish.
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Continue reading ‘The Hate U Give (Blu-ray Review)’
January 23rd, 2019 by Brandon Peters
I kid you not, I absolutely love Sylvester Stallone’s Cobra. Its the most ridiculously over the top, dark and grimey 80s cop action/thriller you’ll ever find. The film both rocks and is one of the craziest things you’ll ever see in your life. Scream Factory giving the film a Collector’s Edition is both one something I never saw coming and something that excited me at the very same time. It’d actual make for a perfect double feature with another Collector’s Edition Scream Factory did this month in the Charles Bronson film 10 To Midnight. Unsurprisingly, both carry the Cannon Films motif on them. Cobra will feature some new interviews and scan for this release, which you can pick up at any time as it was release on the 22nd of January. Ordering is made super easy when you scrolling on through (After reading, please) and click the Amazon link at the bottom. So kick back with an original Coors, order a pizza cut by way of the scissor and watch one of the most entertaining Sylvester Stallone films ever made. Continue reading ‘Cobra – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
January 23rd, 2019 by Brandon Peters
While boasting a notable male cast and being in the heat of the pure action movie golden age, Stephen Hopkin’s Judgment Night didn’t really take off in theaters and wound up a $12 million dollar kinda also-ran, if even considered a small hit. Where I think this film did its business and became memorable was in being a hot rental title. Everyone seemed to have this one and Emilio Estevez was a pretty big name at this time to make one curious to check it out. Warner Archive Collection is giving the film its due by putting it out onto Blu-ray this month. Its a title that seemed to be on many’s wishlists over the last couple years and they can finally own this upgrade. Judgment Night is available for order now, and you can use the Amazon link below to own it. Continue reading ‘Judgment Night (Blu-ray Review)’
January 23rd, 2019 by Brandon Peters
The Millennium series is a property that studio heads just really want to see take off in the United States for some reason. Deriving from acclaimed books and the Swedish film/TV-miniseries starring Noomi Rapace, the US debuted the high profile David Fincher helmed The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to an underwhelming box office and put a cap on what appeared to be a surefire signed off and done trilogy. With years away, they’ve decided to make what hasn’t been done before, the fourth book that keeps key player Lisbeth Salander in focus and see what could go from there. Unfortunately, more lukewarm reviews and a box office bomb. Perhaps this could make for a good Netflix or Prime original movie series instead? Anyway, you can check it out for yourself on Blu-ray when it hits February 5th! Continue reading ‘The Girl In The Spider’s Web (Blu-ray Review)’
January 22nd, 2019 by Brandon Peters
A pretty big sign of the times changing in home media is perfectly exemplified by this 30th Anniversary Edition release of When Harry Met Sally from Shout! Factory. What was once a sure fire, A-catalog title, easy seller (Even in an upgraded form) has now been sub-licensed and outsourced to an independent “boutique” label. Not a bad thing at all, I love Shout! Factory and am happy to see them land a title like this, but When Harry Met Sally at one time probably would have received a “Hell no” reply from a major studio had it even been inquired upon. But, now, it can be given more care and improvement than even the big studios might have even considered. Already receiving high marks, our review is finally here and you can pick it up by ordering a copy below! Continue reading ‘When Harry Met Sally – 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
January 19th, 2019 by Brandon Peters
In the early days, the Shout Factory horror line, Scream Factory, tested the waters of made for TV movies of yesteryear with a “TV Terrors” double feature DVD. That didn’t sell too hot, so that line quickly had an end put to it. But recently, we’ve seen them bump back into it, be it more likely the right film comes along. Last year saw the John Carpenter film starring Lauren Hutton, Someone’s Watching Me make its debut on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory. Of course that made sense because of the Carpenter following, popularity and tradition with the distributor’s catalog. Another familiar face is that of Linda Blair. One of her more notable and praised efforts in the 1970s aside from The Exorcist was the TV movie Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic which attempted to portray the very real issue of teen alcoholism. With a pretty star studded cast including Mark Hamill and Larry Hagman, Shout Factory seems to have made a good move here. They’ve really polished it up with a 2K scan and brought Blair and Donner in for new interviews. You can pick this up at the end of the month or pre-order using the link below. Continue reading ‘Sarah T. – Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic (Blu-ray Review)’