Westworld Season One: The Maze (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Given the fact that when this series originally aired earlier this year I pretty much had to watch each episode twice due to many slow lulls that put me to sleep like a baby probably doesn’t make me the best suited reviewer to tackle Westworld: Season One. However, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like what I saw either because I did. It was just on so late at night, I was exhausted and this combo leaves me with the attention span of a kitten. I’m joking of course because I truly am stoked for Westworld: Season One being the very first HBO title on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. Besides Planet Earth II I guess you could also call HBO’s Westworld the very first title on the 4K UHD format period. That’s not a shabby title to own. You can tell that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is equally excited about this crowning jewel on 4K too. “We are thrilled to release the first season of HBO’s critically-acclaimed and most watched new series Westworld in 4K Ultra HD with HDR,” said Rosemary Markson, Senior Vice President, Television Marketing, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. “Fans will devour this beautifully crafted series – a perfect candidate to receive the fully immersive 4K HDR experience along with limited edition collectable packaging and all-new special features.” I couldn’t agree more with Rosemary’s statements so that’s why I’m very eager to tackle this review already down below.
Continue reading ‘Westworld Season One: The Maze (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
“Rock-a-Doodle” is another cartoon by Don Bluth, the maker of “An American Tail,” “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and many likable others. It’s about a rockabilly-yodeling roosterBased on the play “Chantecler” written by Edmond Rostand, Rock-A-Doodle is about a group of happy barnyard animals.
Republic Pictures was the king of the Western, with John Wayne being their main star. Over time, studio executives realized that horror was quite profitable, so they enlisted director Lesley Selander to deliver them a supernatural picture unlike anything else he had made previously. Selander was reliable; someone who had turned in pictures on time with a small budget. The only drawback was his lack of experience with the horror genre, which unfortunately is evident within every frame of the film. The Vampire’s Ghost never rises above a cheap knockoff of the Val Lewton produced monster films of the age.
In the world of Pixar, it used to be that they typically didn’t cash in on making a boatload of sequels beside Toy Story. Now, we have Monsters University and Finding Dory recently with an Incredibles 2 on the way. But, the odd outlier is now the Cars series, as it now has as many entries as Toy Story. Cars, the series that hasn’t been a critical favorite nor one of their powerhouse box office performers. However, when it comes to the merchandise, like toys and bed sheets, Cars is one of their most successful. So, now with a third movie, these honestly serve as a glorified commercial to sell some new stuff and be in the conscience of a new generation. The film came out this past summer and will be Disney and Pixar’s first full animated film to hit the 4K Ultra-HD format when it drops on November 7th. 
Bad ideas, bad ideas, bad ideas. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the guys who tend to take bad ideas and make them into great things. Though, with their firing from Solo: A Star Wars Story, I’m not so sure of even that any more. They had nothing to do with The Emoji Movie, but I imagine if they did, I probably would have found interest in this movie’s release. Instead, like many people, its an eye-roller for me. Although, look, I get it. I understand there can be dollars to be made here. I understand it’ll probably be strictly for people who are younger than ten years old. I’m also a parent. I also have kids who wanted to see this movie, which magically we didn’t make it to the movie theater to see. But, here it is, on the glorious 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format for us to consume for the very first time, in the confines of our own home. Will I survive? I don’t know. Its available now, as Sony made this release available on the format on October 24th. 
For so many damn years, there’s been nonstop chatter about Stephen King’s series of novels dubbed “The Dark Tower”. These dealt with a gunslinger characters and some sort of super ambitious premise that everyone demanded to be put into a movie. King fans kept telling you that this was going to be the film of all films or HBO series of all HBO series if they ever adapted it. Many names would get attached over the years. Projects would stop, they would start. It almost felt like this urban legend that it would ever happen. And then, finally, something budged off the ground. The excitement came in the casting of Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, but then the trailer and marketing came and nobody seemed to care, fans seemed to not have any defense. It was one of the summer’s biggest disappointments. I didn’t see the film, I’ve never read any of the books. So, here I am as the casual observer, going in super clean to give you the review of the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray release, made available October 31st! 
Atomic Blonde finally sees the light of day on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray after debuting all the way back this past March at SXSW (originally covered 
Wvhen The Conjuring scored big back in 2013, one of the big takeaways from that film was the creepy doll in the opening scene named “Annabelle”. Said doll was the subject of its own spin off film that also was a huge hit despite very poor reviews. The Conjuring got its own sequel later on and naturally Annabelle has now received her own follow up. Once again, she scored a success, topping over one hundred million dollars in the US and over three hundred million bucks worldwide, easily pulling past the original’s take. Those totals are right in line with the regular Conjuring movies too. This world of horror cultivating from the case files of Warren’s research is very much alive and well. Another spin-off series is in the works and on the way with The Nun next year. But first, let’s take a look on Annabelle: Creation, which was the summer’s top horror film. 
Considering that both 
Boutique labels and vintage horror have been a sense of fun in the guessing game or “take a request” fashion in the last five years or so. Whenever social media polls happen to gauge what people would like next, you see some interesting title you’d forgotten about come out of the woodwork. You’ll also see multitudes of the same people requesting the same titles over and over and over (Fright Night Part 2 being the most popular). Slaughter High has been one of those titles that has been requested ad nauseum for many years. Fear not, though, your wait is over. Lionsgate, through its Vectron Video Collector’s Series is finally bringing it out. So not only is it coming, its being done right too. You can pre-order now to have this popular slasher when it releases on Halloween 2017! 
When Dawn of the Dead (The Snyder version) became a big success, Universal final ponied up for George Romero’s fourth film in his vision for his legendary zombie “Of The Dead” series. Coming in the summer of 2005, the film didn’t really take off like Snyders, but importantly, the thing finally got made. And I think those who saw it are fond of it, but I’m sure there are detractors. Scream Factory is revisiting the film for a brand spanking new edition twelve years later, giving you both cuts of the film as well as a slew of brand new interviews as well as all of the old bonus material. This one will be available at the same time that Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead will be available, which is Hallowen. You can pre-order the Collector’s Edition from the link below. 
Director Michael Haneke (Funny Games, Amour) and his attention to storytelling are celebrated by this release of The Piano Teacher from the Criterion Collection in a way that honors the film’s unique quality and its director’s masterful use of the medium of film to tell a story. Watching the film itself is a transformative experience; one that concludes with some viewers wondering if they may have just seem the best movie ever made and some completely baffled by why a person would decide to make this into a film. Personally, I am in the former category. Let’s take a closer look at this blu-ray release to see why it is a necessity for any lover of sometimes-uncomfortable but endlessly watchable films.
When it comes to the early and mid-2000s, the trends in horror were all about remakes, leaning on J-horror (Remakes of Japanese horror films) and older classics. One of the big reasons the trend kept going for so long (Still around today) the film we have here; Zack Snyder’s redo of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Crazy enough, that film was thirteen years ago. Its been out on Blu-ray in just that one version since Blu-ray came out. Now, its time to give it an update, upgrade and make-over. And who better than Scream Factory to upgrade with some new interviews and both cuts of the film. As far as double dipping, c’mon its been thirteen years and most of you probably got it for under ten bucks when you did. My only gripe is that its this one getting an upgrade and not the original. But that’s not on Scream. Their new edition will be available to you to come home to after a good night of Trick or Treating on Halloween! 
Last year brought some excitement when the DC Animated Universe turned its sites to a sort of resurrection of the 1960s television era of Batman with their Return of the Caped Crusaders movie. Said film returned Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar to their roles of Batman, Robin and Catwoman respectively. Of course, other villains (Done in the style and vocal likeness) showed up as well. Now, we get the focus on a A-list Batman villain that never popped up on the show, with a known 1960s acting commodity that never guest starred on the program either. William Shatner will enlist his vocals to bring to life a 1960s version of Tw0-Face in the sequel to Return of the Caped Crusaders which makes its debut on Blu-ray, October 17th. 
