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Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category

The Punisher (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Netflix recently scored itself another hit Marvel television series with a brand new adaptation of the popular vigilante hero The Punisher. It marked the first “pure Marvel” take on the character. Prior to that, he’d been in the cinematic landscape with efforts from Roger Corman’s New World Pictures to Lionsgate, played by someone new each time; Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson. Lionsgate is looking back upon its output and upgrading them both to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, boasting new and improved picture to go with a fresh new Dolby Atmos track to blast up and down your viewing area. Both are getting released on September 25th and have a DYNAMITE price to lock in for a pre-order currently ($14 & $16 bucks, are you kidding me?). This review will take a look back at the rather solid 2004 film, with the most intricately laid out and overdone plan for “punishment” of all time. Continue reading ‘The Punisher (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Blu-ray Review)

For over thirty years, Fred Rogers, an unassuming minister, puppeteer, writer and producer was beamed daily into homes across America. In his beloved television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred and his cast of puppets and friends spoke directly to young children about some of life’s weightiest issues, in a simple, direct fashion. There hadn’t been anything like Mr. Rogers on television before and there hasn’t been since. And now, you’ll be able to own the acclaimed Focus Features film, a box office success story this summer, on Blu-ray September 4th (So, now, that means). You can order yourself a copy of the movie using the Amazon link following the review. You know, its the kind of friendly, neighborly thing that Mr. Rogers would want you to do. 🙂 Continue reading ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Blu-ray Review)’

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Ocean’s 8 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

As the summer box office comes to a close, the Sandra Bullock-led heist film Ocean’s 8 will finish as one of the top ten highest grossing. If you’re not counting Avengers: Infinity War because it opened in April, then it will very cutely land as the #8 film in the top 10. And, crazy enough, without bumping up dollars for inflation, its the second highest grossing of all the Ocean’s movies right after the first one. Warner Bros is bringing it home in style by launching it on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format. It’ll come with the standard Blu-ray edition as well as some bonus features and a nice Dolby Atmos surround track. Ocean’s 8 is available now. Be sure grab yourself a copy (Legally, unlike how the team in this film gets things) by ordering using the Amazon link following the review. Continue reading ‘Ocean’s 8 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’

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Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection (Blu-ray Review)

Timeless is probably underselling the legacy and importance of the classic Universal Monsters. Many of them with literary origins, but its their cinematic iterations that have and continue to live forever. Their original forms as played by Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Claude Raines and Lon Chaney, Jr. still shower the aisles of our favorite pop up Halloween store and special section of our department stores every fall. Whether you’re a senior or a curious child, these films has something for everyone. At one time the latest groundbreaking films at the cinema, they’ve since been analyzed and psycho-analyzed up and down and stand tall as the golden standard and cinematic works of art. True masterpieces not only making careers and setting standards, but bringing joy, tradition and inspiration to many generations and lifetimes of fans and creators. When it comes to home video, they are deserving of every high order of treatment. And now, with great excitement, every film in the 30-film run of the “canon” has now come to Blu-ray. From Tod Browning’s monumental Dracula, to the schlocky trilogy capper of The Creature Walks Among Us, its all accounted for. Order yourself a copy to have 1-film per day this October and join me as we run back through each monster’s legacy. Continue reading ‘Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection (Blu-ray Review)’

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The Tree of Life – The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray Review)

While acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick is no stranger to The Criterion Collection, one could see The Tree of Life as one of the best examples of a film made with the eventual intention of being released in this manner. While the movie received plenty of plaudits and accolades in 2011, its regard as one of the defining films of this decade by many is not at all surprising. At the same time, the ethereal mystery that is this film makes it the perfect example of cinema bound to be explored by many, let alone given new perspective by those who appear on this new released to speak on its behalf. There’s also the matter of the entirely new cut of the film, which is just one of the many things to go over for this impressive release.

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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom 4K ReviewJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom…just what the world needed, eh…another Jurassic Park film?  One could say that yes Jurassic World came with little new to offer longtime fans of the franchise and left us in a very familiar fashion as well.  One could also say the only thing it really did right was left us with two bankable stars, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, and one hell of a likable Velociraptor, Blue.  Regardless of how you felt about it I was still a fan of the fourth entry and I can honestly say after four viewings I still have fun with it.  And for what it’s worth you can see how I personally rank the previous four films in this franchise here in my 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of the collection.  So getting back to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, hell yes I was excited to see where they were going to take this one.  I purposely read no reviews prior to my first watch of this and all I knew before going in was the trailers pretty much only showed Acts 1 and 2 meaning they saved the good stuff for inside the theater…the way it should be.  Count me in.  I am all about that!
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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Blu-ray Review)

Something I’ve kept in mind with the Jurassic Park sequels is how to gauge my expectations. When Steven Spielberg is only able to make a barely-average follow-up to his 90s blockbuster classic, I don’t have much issue lowering the bar for more dinosaur adventures. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom continues the tradition of being a merely decent entry in the ongoing franchise. It has enough elements to work as passable entertainment but misses out on delving even further into some of the rich ideas the film seems to have on its mind. Director J.A. Bayona is at least able to lend an artful touch from a visual standpoint but only so much can be accomplished when a film settles for easy thrills in an admittedly unique location. However, that didn’t stop the film from becoming another huge hit for Universal Studios, and it now comes to Blu-ray with an excellent presentation and plenty of extras.

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Supergirl: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)

The DC Universe is alive, well and rocking on the CW network. Supergirl, while a part of the universe (Moreso multiverse), didn’t originate there, but has no just finished her second season on the CW. Its a show that really tackles modern day issues regarding inclusion and takes no prisoners in doing so. You’ll be able to pick up the third season of the show for physical ownership when it arrives from Warner Bros on September 18th. This will give you ample time to prepare for its return and fourth season in October on a brand new night. It’ll be the CW’s first show in the brand new Sunday night block of original programming. You can pre-order this nifty new set to go along with your others, by using the Amazon link following the review. Continue reading ‘Supergirl: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)’

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The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season (Blu-ray Review)

Yahoo!  It’s time for my annual September ritual!  The Big Bang Theory returns once again to the Blu-ray format.  Truth be told I’m excited to be covering the release for now the fifth year in a row.  You can find Gregg Senko’s Blu-ray review coverage of Season 3 here and I took over in season seven here, eight here, ninth here and the tenth over here.  I also provided exclusive coverage from last year’s Hall H San Diego Comic-Con panel here, but sadly missed out on the festivities this year.  However, that 2017 panel is an extra here now so bonus!  Now it’s time for the complete eleventh season on Blu-ray right here baby.  Warner Bros. always does a bang up job on these seasonal Blu-ray releases in terms of a great looking presentation.  That’s why I’m overjoyed to be tackling this again and hopefully for years to come (please don’t end it despite the show’s contract only currently providing a twelfth season and Jim Parsons killing it all).  They can never end the Big Bang Theory and that’s that.  Ha!  I just want to be appreciative for what I have here and I need these guys in my life.  They make me smile.  Therefore, let’s celebrate this upcoming Blu-ray release and talk all about The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season. Continue reading ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season (Blu-ray Review)’

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Phantasm IV: OblIVion (Blu-ray Review)

In 2017 (Kinda the end of 2016, but hear me out), one of my BIGGEST bucket list items for Blu-ray finally was checked off; the entire Phantasm series arrived on Blu-ray. The iconic Tall Man’s entire chronicles of antagonizing the ice cream man Reggie and his friend Mike arrived in glorious restored 1080p glory. The first film features an outstanding restoration from JJ Abrams and company during the post production of The Force Awakens. Last year, everything was only available via limited edition boxed sets from Arrow and Well Go USA. Now, Well Go USA is finally giving Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion standalone releases. So, for those of you who missed out on the now out of print set, you can snag yourself the only two entries not available by themselves on September 18th. This review will cover the penultimate chapter, and what many of us thought for years may very well be the final Phantasm, Oblivion. Continue reading ‘Phantasm IV: OblIVion (Blu-ray Review)’

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Phantasm III: Lord Of The Dead (Blu-ray Review)

In 2017 (Kinda the end of 2016, but hear me out), one of my BIGGEST bucket list items for Blu-ray finally was checked off; the entire Phantasm series arrived on Blu-ray. The iconic Tall Man’s entire chronicles of antagonizing the ice cream man Reggie and his friend Mike arrived in glorious restored 1080p glory. The first film features an outstanding restoration from JJ Abrams and company during the post production of The Force Awakens. Last year, everything was only available via limited edition boxed sets from Arrow and Well Go USA. Now, Well Go USA is finally giving Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion standalone releases. So, for those of you who missed out on the now out of print set, you can snag yourself the only two entries not available by themselves on September 18th. This review will cover the third film, Lord of the Dead, that featured the return of A. Michael Baldwin to the series to reclaim his role of “Mike”(He was replaced by James LeGros in the previous installment). Continue reading ‘Phantasm III: Lord Of The Dead (Blu-ray Review)’

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The Seventh Sign (Blu-ray Review)

Home video geek here. This Scream Factory release on Blu-ray for the first time completes the 4 quadrant upgrade for a 4-movie DVD collection I’ve had on my shelf for years. You might own it too, the 4-Movie Horror Unleashed Collection. Accompanying The Seventh Sign on it were the original Fright Night, John Carpenter’s Christine and the Chuck Russell remake of The Blob. Awesome set, right? Now all of them have made the jump to Blu-ray with the Demi Moore thriller finally completing it. Scream Factory has done a number on this one, with a load of interviews sitting on the disc for you to peel through. You can pre-order the film to have by its release date of September 11th by using the Amazon link that follows the review (And also, thank you!). Continue reading ‘The Seventh Sign (Blu-ray Review)’

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Jack Ryan: 5-Film Collection (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Paravmount is really on the ball and getting some of their most well known franchises out and onto the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format in full. Transformers, Tomb Raider, Mission: Impossible and now the Jack Ryan films (Can I get the rest of Star Trek next?). With the highly anticipated Amazon series slated to begin at the end of the month, now’s as good a time as any to revisit the political thriller series based around Tom Clancy’s most well known character. From 1990’s The Hunt for Red October to the most recent reboot attempt with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the films are all accounted for and getting the boost into 4K Ultra-HD video (Sorry folks, no audio or bonus upgrades here). Head on down to the bottom of this review to pre-order and add to your collection. Continue reading ‘Jack Ryan: 5-Film Collection (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’

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Ash Vs Evil Dead: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)

Things finally came to a close for Ash Williams and his forever quest again those pesky, gross deadites. Starz canceled Ash Vs Evil Dead after three seasons and star Bruce Campbell officially retired from playing the role. For me, this was the only thing I would subscribe to Starz for or even had my interest. Starz will once again be bringing the entire season for the show onto Blu-ray with a kickin’ picture and boomstick worthy sound. Commentary tracks compliment every episode, as graced by Evil Dead founding father and executive producer Robert Tapert. Make sure you complete your collection by ordering a copy (Complete with a digital copy of every episode accompanying the release) of the release to go with the previous two seasons and your Evil Dead trilogy. Continue reading ‘Ash Vs Evil Dead: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray Review)’

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Deadpool 2: Super Duper $@%!#& Cut (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Deadpool 2 4K ReviewDeadpool 2 should be a happy review for me considering the very first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray I bought back in 2016 way before I even had a set up was the first Deadpool movie.  So with that train of thought I’m very honored to be covering the second.  The sole reason, however, I’m not flipping doing cartwheels over it all is because I just think of the film as average.  It was not as memorable as the first film was to me, which I put on a pedestal.  Deadpool 2 felt stale to me.  Were my expectations too high?  That’s what I was hoping to prove given this 4K UHD review of Deadpool 2 marks my second viewing of it.  Everybody else loved it so why didn’t I?  Low and behold Fox’s marketing had a disclaimer for me, which I’ll sum up here.  “If your second time wasn’t enough, your second, second time will blow you away. The Deadpool 2 Super Duper $@%!#& Cut gives you even more of everyone’s favorite red-spandexed superhero now with 15 minutes of brand-new action and jokes lovingly inserted throughout. That’s a whole lotta D in a surprisingly small package!”  Let’s get started! Continue reading ‘Deadpool 2: Super Duper $@%!#& Cut (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’

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Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray Review)

As everyone gears up for the final season of Gotham, it’s time to go over the fourth and surprisingly best season of the series. I’ve been clear in my thoughts about the Batman show not featuring Batman in the past. The first season was a disappointment, the second season improved upon things, and the third season found the series embracing its craziness. The fourth season continues that trend, working more as a supervillain ensemble series, that happens to be in favor of the good guys somewhat succeeding, in the long run, to keep things going. Regardless of how compelling the storytelling is, this show works best as a wild and colorful series, happy to throw viewers through a loop by way of costume and production design, and the over-the-top acting that comes with it. Now fans can take in this fourth season, boasting some extras, and more.

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Deadpool 2 (Blu-ray Review)

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe currently paving the way for mainstream superhero cinema, it stands to reason that audiences could use Deadpool 2 as a reminder that stakes, budget, and even heroic sensibilities don’t need to be all that high. However, the sort of subversive desire that I could get from a 4th-wall breaking anti-hero continues to be held at somewhat of a distance. While this sequel improves upon 2016’s Deadpool in terms of style, scale, and direction, it’s the writing of the character and the universe in which he occupies that still feels like we’re scraping the surface of real satire. That didn’t stop the film from hitting big, again, at the box office, though, and now the packed Blu-ray is here to continue to entertain.

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The Flash: The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray Review)

This fall, everyone’s favorite DC speedster will return for his fifth lap of his television marathon on the CW. While its been dubbed the “Arrow-verse”, The Flash has been the most popular series of all the DC shows (And the whole network) since its debut season in 2014. He and his team at Star Labs have brought forth and introduced some of the more complex concepts in the whole of the show universe, like meta-humans, time travel and multiverses that have allowed to open up the network to exploring crazier beings and concepts giving us Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl and at the same time, allowing Arrow to find new villains and supernatural challenges. You can relive or catch up on the fourth season with this Blu-ray set when it arrives August 28th! Continue reading ‘The Flash: The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray Review)’

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