Goodfellas (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
4K UHD has been impressing me along the way this year. One thing I really want to see more of on the format are classic films. I know new films are going to look shiny, new and vibrant. But, what I really want to see is how the vintage stuff is going to look and improve when done right. Just a few months ago, I was downright disappointed when Sony released yet another version of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (One of the greatest Blu-ray transfers of all time) on regular Blu-ray when they actually do have a 4K remaster just sitting there waiting. Thankfully, Warner Bros didn’t let me down. Like usual, when a new format drops, here comes Goodfellas. Last year, you’ll remember they release a Blu-ray sourced from a 4K remaster…well…here’s what said master actually looks like now. I couldn’t be more excited to be revisiting this film and transfer just a year later.
Continue reading ‘Goodfellas (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
There were a lot of disappointments and film that tended to underwhelm many this summer at the movie theater. A couple biggies happened to show up here and there that both hit big with the money and the critical success, but not a whole lot of them did much of both. But then, there was the post-Suicide Squad August. All of a sudden, summer was finishing out quite strong with the likes of films akin to Kubo and the Two Strings and Hell Or High Water. Many a surprise here or there. One of them happened to be this film, Pete’s Dragon, the remake of the 1977 animated classic. Unfortunately though, while it was met with some very high critical praise, like Disney’s other family live-action meets CGI character hybrid The BFG, it didn’t pick up the dinero over at the box office. Its okay, though, you’ll get a second chance now on home video. 
Suicide Squad is one of those movies where you just have to get that first screening under your belt. It’s like being on a Southwest Airlines airplane. You know how you hear that ding and the captain says you’re now free to move around the cabin? It’s sort of the same principle with David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. After you get that initial first viewing of the film out of the way you’re now able to freely have fun with all subsequent watches. That was at least the case for me as I went on to see this one a total of three times theatrically despite my initial disdain. There are just too many good morsels to eat up in here to harbor any hate for the film. It’s not like the second through fourth Transformers films. Suicide Squad gets better with repeat visits. If you don’t believe me, check out how much money this bad boy made at the box office. Surely Margot Robbie doesn’t draw that much in attendance. Or does she now?! 
I Am Legend is best known to me as that Will Smith “zombie” apocalypse movie that featured the real star of the show…a red 2007 Shelby GT500. He does drive other Ford vehicles in the film, but none compare to that beastly, now classic muscle car. Now I know how that can be construed by someone just reading this. You’re probably thinking Brian hates this film and the only thing good about it is some stupid race car. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I don’t hate I Am Legend at all. It’s no World War Z, but it’s definitely not the worst “zombie” film ever made either. I consider it middle of the road and for me it’s a very odd selection for Warner Bros. to include in their next wave of catalog 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases alongside Goodfellas, Argo and The Town. You get where I’m going here? However, for the moment I wish to digress and for the next five minutes or so (depending upon how fast of a reader you are) I’d like to discuss all things I Am Legend. After all, that is my job!
I didn’t use to be the biggest Ben Affleck fan around, but The Town was definitely one of the movies I could not wait to see after viewing its initial theatrical trailer. Maybe it was those devilish looking bank robbing masks (click 
Here’s a true fact for you. Never in a million, zillion years would I ever have believed that I could experience unhappiness while watching my favorite film of 
The blood runs in rivers and the drilling keeps tearing through flesh and bone…now all on Blu-ray! In career that has encompassed such controversial classics as Ms. 45, Bad Lieutenant and King of New York, none of Abel Ferrara’s films have quite managed to match the shock, extremity and downright notorious nature of 
Jason Bourne needs no trailer to sell it. Let’s be honest of that fact. When Bourne Identity dropped in 2002 it rejuvenated the stale international spy franchises out there. Just look at the style of what came next in the Bond series, Casino Royale, as living proof. Suddenly Bourne-like movies infected our screens everywhere from the mainstream Mission Impossible franchise to even television series like 24. Yes, technically 24 came out first, but surely you can see the influence of the Bourne films. Ha ha. Whatevs! What I want to know is what’s up with these “character name” movie titles? Stallone resurrected two dead franchises like that. Now I guess it’s Greengrass’ turn, eh? 
They’re not staying down there, anymore! Finally making its long-awaited debut on Blu-ray, director Douglas Cheek’s cult ’80s favorite 
This December, baseball fans can bring home this year’s Fall Classic with a Blu-ray release commemorating the Chicago Cubs champion run: 2016 World Series Champions: Chicago Cubs (available December 6th). All droughts end with rain. And when the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought with an improbable three game run – including a dramatic Game 7 rain delay – to capture the championship, generations of Cubs fans washed away decades of disappointment, curses and superstitions. Fly the W! The Cubs are 2016 World Series champions! This December, fly the W and celebrate the Cubs history-making run to the championship with these two ultimate mementos from one of the most exciting postseasons in a generation. 
IFC Midnight and Scream Factory continue their hellish bond in bringing some of the best and unwatched in the indie horror scene to Blu-ray with The Devil’s Dolls. This is the second feature film from director Padraig Reynolds, following his other horror/thriller The Rites of Spring (Which, I’ve not seen, but has a really cool throwback retro poster). The disc isn’t just a bare bones one like some of these can be, it does come with a nice little grouping of bonus features (Including a commentary). It can be yours to own, or maybe to rent or borrow from that friend who snatches these up, on December 6th.
Dreamscape is now seeing its first double dip on Blu-ray after a rather lackluster and a bit reviled release the first time around. This time, though, we’re all lucky that the folks over at Scream Factory are the ones handling it. They seem to have heard all of the complaints from the other version and have set out to correct them. First off, they’ve got a brand new 2K transfer for the film as well as their normal slew of extras which are par for the course on their highly coveted “Collector’s Edition” series. This hopefully will please the fans as well as maybe make some new ones and possibly give some people a better second look at the film as it looks better than it has before. You can get your pre-order in for the release now, as it comes out December 13th.
The BFG, a big time collaborative effort to bring Roald Dahl’s classic story to the big screen in live action form seems like it would be a big deal, but maybe it was just past the time for excitement. Maybe its not something for this current generation. Its got a lot going for it with Steven Spielberg helming and reteaming himself with the writer from ET. A couple of great trailers as well as very good reviews couldn’t help get people to plop down the money for it or make it their choice over Finding Dory. Every summer we get more and more tentpoles and tentpoles against tentpoles in an almost weekly showdown, things get lost among the fold. The BFG was one of those, one of the biggest let downs and bombs. Critically, Spielberg is still on his run, but box office-wise its now come to a screeching halt. 
They pledge themselves to be young, stay young and die young – and all now on Blu-ray! Marking TV star Daphne Zuniga’s debut in a leading role, 
Black Christmas is a film that I’ve spent many years referring to as underrated, underseen, underappreciated, forgotten, unknown…you know the drill. But, as I review this Blu-ray and I look back at it, I wonder if it really is any more. If you’ll look at the bonus material, you’ll see there are a TON of interviews and retrospective documentaries on the film. You don’t get that if people aren’t interested in seeing that sort of thing. There was also a remake of the film. You also will see many articles on it throughout the given year as a part of lists for horror things and seasonal tidings. The film has also been remade, which is saying something too. In 42 years since it’s release, I think its finally crossed the boundary and IS the great horror classic it has always been. And for me, I’ve always called it one of my favorite slasher films, one of my favorite horror films, one of my favorite Christmas movies. But, its time I cross a boundary and just say its one of my all time favorite films. And its always exciting when one of my favorite films gets such a definitive release like this one. 
Hot on the heels of the original came the obvious sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire. Since there’s, you know, multiple books in the series, anybody and everybody was expecting regardless of “how big” the first film would do. With the sequel came a changing of the guard as Gary Ross stepped away from the director role and Francis Lawrence would fill his shoes and finish out the series. Along with Lawrence came some hard hitters filling in the supporting character roles with the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Plummer. It was another huge success for the franchise, which is making a full on 4K UHD Blu-ray appearance, just a year after finishing its run. This thrilling second chapter, er book…or sequel will be making its Blu-ray debut on November 8th. 
I wasn’t able to get to War Dogs this past summer when it released to theaters. And I was interested in checking it out theatrically. There were a lot of factors that appealed to me. Miles Teller and Jonah Hill seemed like a natural and exciting team up. Todd Phillips is also a pretty good and overlooked director and seemed to be using his talents for something new. It also looked like a piece of cinema akin to the Pain and Gain and The Wolf Of Wall Street type of movies. Oh, and it had a true story aspect with a topic that I kind of was interested in learning more about how this all actually happened. Well, I was able to check it out on this new 4K UHD Blu-ray that just released this week from Warner Bros. 
Don’t Breathe is one of those titles that lives up to its name. Let me tell you why. I can kid about this now because its in the past. We had the luxury of seeing a private screening of Don’t Breathe at the Alamo Drafthouse over the summer. So now answer me this. What do you do when you’re at an Alamo Drafthouse? Well, you watch a movie, but you also eat and drink a lot. Therein lies the problem with Don’t Breathe. It’s suspenseful, it’s edge of your seat, but mainly it’s super quiet for tension and shock. Who wants some num nuts chowing down next to them and ruining the movie with each and every crunch? Not I! You see my conundrum I’m speaking of here as I sat there during my theatrical experience with Don’t Breathe munching down dinner? Not only did I watch Don’t Breathe, but I felt like I couldn’t “breathe” either. Ha! 
