The Florida Project (Blu-ray Review)
Director Sean Baker had himself a nice little breakout with the acclaimed film Tangerine a few years ago. Here he returns with his follow up, The Florida Project. I thin this one expected a little more love at the Academy Awards this year, but has wound up touting a Willem DaFoe Best Supporting Actor nomination as its big mark. Regardless, another thing that struck me about this film’s Blu-ray release was how quickly it went from being announced to release. It was literally “Here it is and its coming in 2 weeks”. I know some of the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray catalog titles have been quick to the snap, but a brand new movie on standard Blu-ray is pretty rare when it has that fast of a turnaround, especially on a quality project. Alas, you’ll be able to grab it for yourself on February 20th. Continue reading ‘The Florida Project (Blu-ray Review)’
Hell or High Water is one of those films which reminds me of a moment in life that I kick myself for missing out on. The Alamo Drafthouse here in Austin, TX had invited me to cover an advance screening of the film, which included cast members Foster, Pine and Bridges in attendance. To sweeten the pot this is also the screening where Pine got drunk as a skunk at. Why did I miss it? Well boo hoo I did not want to drive downtown and quite honestly knew nothing about the feature. Rest assured this one was one of the last times in life where I let ignorance get the best of me. I did end up catching this one weeks later in the theater and guess what. It landed on my Top 10 list in 2016 over 
The Disney Signature Collection has set its sites on the perfect release for the month that houses Valentine’s Day; Lady and the Tramp. Including new bonus materials as well as the classic features, this new release also allows you to watch the film in three different ways. One thing notable here (And maybe its just the first time I’ve noticed), but Disney has changed from calling this a “combo pack” to naming it “multi-screen edition”. A little, but very interesting change in terms of verbiage for the packaging. We’ll see if any other studios begin to follow suit. This second release of the film on Blu-ray will be seeing your store shelves, physical and virtual, on February 27th. Pre-order links through Amazon have been off and on, so check back if one doesn’t appear here when you’re reading. 
When last we saw old Pinhead and the Hellraiser gang, it was in Revelations. It was the first non-Doug Bradley in the series and heaping pile of flaming turds. The film was made with the sole purpose of hanging onto the rights and it absolutely felt like it. Now, we are here again with Hellraiser: Judgement, a film likely made to hold onto the rights to the cenobites. However, this one appears to have been given more time to get a decent straight to video production done (The last one got whipped together after their plans to remake the original fell apart last minute). As a horror junkie and fan of the series, I can help but not give into my mortal sins of curiosity and check this out. Lowest of the low in expectations, just give me some of the essentials and we can dance. You’ll be able to see for yourself on February 13th, making for a nice bloody Valentine’s Day. 
Like Drag Me To Hell before it, here comes another more “modern” Collector’s Edition version from Scream Factory. Its The Strangers which, doesn’t seem like it, is now ten years old this coming summer. And its taken that long for the film to get a sequel which is arriving very soon. They are updating it with a new HD master of both cuts of the film as well as some new interviews with a few folks (Not Liv Tyler, Scott Speeman or …man it would be awesome…Glenn Howerton). This is one of the spookiest films of the previous decade and I’m glad to see it getting some genuine double dip love here. If you want to pre-order yourself to have it when it arrives next month, click the Amazon link below. It arrives on March 6th, which is just 3 days before the new one comes out! 
Daddy’s Home 2 huh? I’m a bit lukewarm when it comes to the first Daddy’s Home in 2015. It was mildly funny and heartwarming, but I dunno. I just haven’t always been the biggest fan of every Will Ferrell movie, but really for no reason in particular. There’s also no denying his wealth of catalog titles that I do like too. Am I confusing you yet? Ha! Let’s just say the Daddy’s Home franchise of films is nothing I would ever pay theatrically to see. However, in the home front it’s a whole different story. If it doesn’t cost you anything extra, then why not? So here we are a few years later and low and behold we have a sequel. Why not when you can make easy money on a bankable property, right? Absolutely! Money is what makes this world go around. The first was popular, featured a likable cast so here we are again with a bonafide sequel primed to double its money back in Daddy’s Home 2. Let’s take a closer look below at this feature and everything you’ll find here in this February 20th 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray package from Paramount.
The Gate was a nice little cult classic in the way of those like an Amblin film, The Goonies or Monster Squad was. Kids against some supernatural evils. Its fun and still holds up pretty decently. The original was release from the Vestron Video Collector’s Series line last year. Now, complimenting that, from Scream Factory we get the supercharged sequel to that horror classic that comes alive with unearthly creatures, heart-stopping action and incredible special effects. While not a part of the Collector’s Edition line, its coming complete with a 2K transfer that also has new interviews and such, giving the essentials of one of those. You’ll be able to pick this one up (You can already pre-order it, do so below) when it released on February 20th. 
As we are in the wake and “awe” of the surprise Super Bowl-Netflix-The Cloverfield Paradox-Watch It After The Game event, there are probably a lot of people that don’t realize something even sneakier and more surprising occurred last year. Adam Green was hosting a would be 10th anniversary screening of his popular gory slasher love letter Hatchet, only to start it and shock everyone with the fourth film in the series, Victor Crowley. Nobody even knew this movie was being made. It was a completely shock and surprise. See, we all knew this third Cloverfield movie was coming, we just had the rug pulled out from under us in terms of how and when it was being released. Victor Crowley pulled a Phantasm: RaVager and managed to be one hell of a good kept secret. The film had itself a roadshow tour to screen it, but now you’ll be able to own it and check it out on various mediums February 6th. 
Set during the early 1970s in New York City’s Times Square, The Deuce, starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, gives viewers an up-close look at the gritty world of sex and crime, as the porn industry begins its climb to legitimacy, cultural permanence, and billion-dollar profitability. HBO has announced that it will release The Deuce: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray, available for purchase on February 13. Get your Valentine’s Day kicks by relieving or role-playing all the whore-sational hi-jinx this show has. The release contains a digital copy of the whole season plus various extras that feature interviews with the cast and crew regarding the show and the period of history they are recreating. If you liked the show and are interesting in grabbing it or are curious but are certain to blind buy, please use the Amazon link below. 
If you saw a movie this past summer or fall, there’s a really REALLY good chance you caught the trailer for the film, Wonder. In my personal experience, it played with pretty much everything, ESPECIALLY the films I took my kids to go and see. And said marketing campaign paid off, showing it had no fear of the Justice League and powered itself to being a box office champion. In the face of super heroes with capes, this particular one wore an astronaut helmet and had the bedding set to match. Critics and audiences warmed to the film and now you can reheat those feelings or check them out for the first time when Lionsgate brings the film to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. You can pre-order now for the near Valentine’s Day release of February 13th. 
Redo’ing a Romero Zombie classic is not unexplored territory. Hell, it doesn’t even seem to be dangerous territory with there being major success in Zack Snyder and Jame Gunn’s retelling of Dawn of the Dead as well as Tom Savini’s remake of the original Night of the Living Dead having a fandom that has aged well and grown over the years since its release. However, that’s about where the line is drawn. Day of the Dead: Bloodline is a new take on the third chapter in the Romero zombie series and its also not the first time this has been done. However, if we are going to compare or hold it up to another remake, the bar set is extremely low. This proclaimed “bold” new take on the film will be coming straight Blu-ray on February 6th 2018 from Lionsgate. If you are curious or “bold” in your watching, you can pre-order it from the Amazon link following the review. 
While the live action world of the DC superheros has been in a constant state of change, continually criticized for the quality and direction with which they have taken these legendary characters, the DCAU has been thriving quite mightily with its share of mostly good stories. This medium also allows more leniency in terms of interpretations and spin-offs. Now they are heading into the elseworld territory and I couldn’t be more excited where they are starting off at. Of course they are going to crutch on Batman, but why not? Batman is one we are all too familiar with in his regular form, he’ll be the one we most appreciate when done different. Gotham By Gaslight is a creation of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Hopefully with the success of this, maybe we could see something like Darren Aronofsky’s take on what became Batman Begins in an animated “elseworld” form. Gotham By Gaslight hits 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on February 6th, so pre-order now to get yourself a copy of this exciting DCAU venture. 
It’s hard to believe its almost been ten years since director Sam Raimi returned to his horror roots following an incredibly successful run directing three Spider-Man films. He did so in the form of the 2009 film, Drag Me To Hell. It was more than a return to form though, it truly brought back many of the things we loved about his Evil Dead trilogy that laid dormant almost twenty years prior. While it didn’t catch the world on fire in the summer of 2009, the film opened to rave reviews and took in a solid box office haul. And now its getting a suped up edition from Scream Factory, which feels kinda crazy but it is almost ten years old already. But, hell, I’m down for it. Hopefully, you will be too when it arrives on February 13th, just in time for that Valentine’s Day watch! 
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a movie made for me on paper. Why? Because I love Wonder Woman and everything about her in the DCEU cinematic movie universe. I won’t bore you with a hundred links, but if you don’t believe me check out my 4K review of her solo film 
While these 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray releases of Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane as well as another film in this mysterious franchise should be a good ten year celebration of the original, its main talking point has been this odd turn to this possible Netflix release of the next on from Paramount. Ten years ago, mysterious built during the summer of 2007 with the strange and unheard of trailer attached to Michael Bay’s Transformers were finally answered and possibly the biggest and most apt and (quality-wise) success story of the JJ Abrams mystery box was opened. Cloverfield was a bigger January release than normal and became a film-internet hybrid and phenomenon following in the footsteps of The Blair Witch Project as well as another JJ Abrams project, LOST. You’ll be able to relive the original on the glorious 4K Ultra-HD format now, as it its available for order at the bottom of this review. 
Once again I find myself not sure where to start about 10 Cloverfield Lane in this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review. Do I talk about how much I love this film or do I explore the veil of secrecy it was literally made under? I mean we all knew J.J. Abrams around this time was busy far, far away in another galaxy making The Force Awakens, but how many people besides his trusted confidants knew anything about this secret project until its initial trailer dropped in January 2016 with 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi? However, the real question should probably address the conundrum that how does one or lets say the uninitiated with 10 Cloverfield Lane go into this? Do you treat it as a direct sequel to 2008’s Cloverfield expecting more or less the same or is it really just a blood relative or as Abrams calls it a spiritual successor? These questions and more I hope to tackle and answer below in the main body of my 4K UHD Blu-ray review. So what are you waiting for? Get your reading on! 
