Archive for the 'Editorials' Category
October 21st, 2021 by Peter Paras
Dune, the much-anticipated epic, based on Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel, opens this weekend on the biggest (and smallest) screens in North America. As director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) has stated in interviews, anyone eager to drink in the vast desert vistas of the planet Arrakis, IMAX is the intended viewing experience. For those less inclined to venture out to theaters just yet, one hopes they at least have a big 4K TV to stream such a ginormous film on HBO Max. The all-star cast includes Timothy Chalamet, Oscar Issac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and even Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, just to name a few. If you’re thinking, “HBO? Why isn’t this a series in the vein of Game of Thrones instead of a movie?” Well, for starters, I’d wager signing on the aforementioned cast of A-listers for several seasons of a series would not have been possible. But the real reason? This is big screen entertainment the likes of which Hollywood hasn’t attempted since arguably, Warner Bros’ own The Lord of the Rings trilogy two decades ago. Yes, I love the MCU like everyone else on planet Caladan… I mean Earth, but those movies aren’t even close to the scale of this project. Breathtaking set pieces, political intrigue, and the biggest space worms ever await on Arrakis, Dune, the desert planet… Continue reading ‘‘Dune’ Delivers An Elevated Blockbuster (Movie Review)’
October 19th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
It ain’t over till the skeletons scream! The ever-amazing Los Angeles based SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2021 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 12th – 21st at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres at the Hollywood and Highland Center is still hanging on by bloody fingernails and we are enjoying every carnal kernel from its cinematic trick or treat bag. Continuing our comprehensive coverage today, we’re checking out five frightful features by providing some critical skinny. See the encapsulated movie reviews of #Blue_Whale, NOCTURNA: SIDE A – THE GREAT OLD MAN’S NIGHT, Bring Out The Fear, Wicked Games, and Night at the Eagle Inn below – it’s “Five Feature Reviews.”
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2021 – Five Feature Reviews’
October 16th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
We’re keeping the blood flowing and the gore going as we continue to check out the wicked wares of the Los Angeles based SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2021 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 12th – 21st at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres at the Hollywood and Highland Center. We have many more flicks to see but for now, it’s time for a little critic skinny. Below are encapsulated reviews for two features and a whopping fifteen shorts so let’s get started with…”More Film Reviews.”
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2021 – More Film Reviews’
October 15th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
For those unaware, another episode of the Out Now With Aaron and Abe podcast featuring horror for the month of October is dropping again today. This particular one is of note as it’s a discussion of the Final Destination films and features Aaron Neuwirth, of course, but also Brandon Peters, James “Jimmy O” Oster, and myself. Plus – the original film creator Jeffrey Reddick joins us – a hell of a bonus! So, it felt apt to revisit said franchise with a new article highlighting cool killer wares right here on WhySoBlu.com. Thus today we’re going back into the world of trying to escape death (damn you Tony Todd!) by highlighting what Final Destination has become known for – the elaborate kills.
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Continue reading ‘Top Ten ‘Final Destination’ Film Franchise Deaths’
October 14th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
Well genre fans, the amazing and fright film rich Los Angeles based SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2021 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 12th – 21st at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres at the Hollywood and Highland Center is well underway and much cinematic blood has been spilled. We’re taking time out today to give critical skinny of some flicks both big and small that have already shown their ghostface and let you know if they are destined to be final girls or DOA. Complex revenge flicks, crockpots and gals who see dead people – check out the encapsulated reviews of features and shorts below via our…First Film Reviews!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2021 – First Film Reviews’
October 11th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
You can’t keep a killer film fest down! Proud to announce that not only is the legendary Los Angeles-based SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL back with a chainsaw roaring vengeance but will also be screening at a theater near you! That’s correct fright fans, Screamfest 2021 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 12th – 21st will once again be unspooling at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in LA at the Hollywood and Highland Center and they have got one bloody good show in store. Fistfuls of features, sizzling slews of insidious shorts and cool retro screenings to boot make Screamfest 2021 a must-attend event. Of course, WhySoBlu.com will keep the bloody carnage coverage flowing for this Halloween season complete with reviews and best-of lists to keep all fans both alive and undead fully informed. (Zombies need to know this stuff too!) But we start off our haunted journey as always with a gander at the most salacious surface stuff that catches the eye upon arrival. From cool castings to movies with messed-up descriptions, here is an initial glance at all things Screamfest 2021 – it’s…‘What To See’!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2021 – “What to See”’
October 9th, 2021 by Gregg Senko
Tis the season! October brings about more than just a slew of purple and orange decorations or the numerous Spirit Halloweens that temporarily occupy vacated buildings. It’s also that time of year when horror films hit the big screen and mini-series fill our televisions. Such has been the case on Netflix, especially since 2018 when The Haunting of Hill House made its debut. For this unfamiliar, the ten-episode series was the first of now three ‘season’ production. Similar to American Horror Story, each season is disconnected from the previous in story, though you’ll find a lot of the same actors recast in new roles. Two of those thespians that have appeared in all three shows include Henry Thomas (E.T.) and Kate Siegel (Hush).
Continue reading ‘Netflix Gets Praise with ‘Midnight Mass’’
September 14th, 2021 by Brandon Peters
F9: The Fast Saga shifts gears from the theater to Blu-ray on September 21st! We are offering you a chance to win a free copy of the film with this brand new giveaway! All you need to do is watch the video below and follow the instructions. Have your entry in by Monday, September 20th (9/20/2021). I’ll be announcing the winner on my 4K BLUsday segment on YouTube the very next day, Tuesday September 21st (9/21/2021). Make sure you either subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow me on Twitter or Instagram @brandon4KUHD. Fun film, not hard to enter, and a chance to take home a free copy of this wonderful Blu-ray. Why not give it a shot?
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. Continue reading ‘GIVEAWAY! – F9: THE FAST SAGA On Blu-ray!’
August 18th, 2021 by Gregg Senko
With episode 16 and thus season one of Disney’s The Bad Batch in the books, now seemed like an appropriate time to review where Dave Filoni’s latest creation took us over the past few months. Initially making their debut in the final season of The Clone Wars, the Bad Batch refers to five reject clone troopers and one somewhat mysterious clone that only bear slight physical resemblances to their mass-produced brethren. Each one of the specialized platoon featuring a unique attribute. Fives, originally a normal clone, is now cybernetic. Wrecker possesses abnormally great strength. Crosshairs is the sniper that cannot miss. Tech knows his way around any gadget or computer system. Hunter is the John Rambo of the group, both in leadership and appearance. And last but not least, Omega, who we are still getting to know.
Continue reading ‘The Bad Batch: Season 1 in Review’
July 28th, 2021 by Gregg Senko
After much ado the past few years about a Netflix-exclusive He-Man project, the moment finally arrived last week when the five-episode animated series debuted on the ever popular streaming service. With a cast that features the likes of Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Liam Cunningham, Justin Long, Jason Mewes, Chris Wood and Henry Rollins, viewers certainly cannot cite a weak roster for any problems with the production. So big names aside, just how strong is this show?
Continue reading ‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Review)’
July 6th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
The iconic director Richard Donner has passed on, and for any fan of movies, his distinctive body of work is a stellar reminder of what the best of Hollywood can create. From franchises to important dramatic works, Richard Donner was an old school filmmaker with a serious knack for not only putting together casts that kill but creating a cinematic story that sells. A master craftsman, well-deserving of a tribute, I have fittingly highlighted here five of my favorite films – the best of Donner. And while there are films not featured here that are still highly memorable (The Omen is one creepy decapitating outing!), fun as hell (Maverick was just a joyride!) and worth watching (Radio Flyer is a hard watch but a worthy one!), what’s selected below are flicks that showcase a filmmaker who will be sorely missed. In loving memory of the late great Richard Donner, here are his …Top Five Films.
Continue reading ‘A Richard Donner Tribute – Top Five Films’
May 21st, 2021 by Peter Paras
After two amazing remakes, developer Capcom has delivered a new installment to the biggest horror series in games. Resident Evil: Village is the 8th official entry with “VIll” continuing the tradition of franchise titles having fun with number/letter swapping (My personal fav being Step Up 2 the Streets). The longest entry in years, Village is a direct follow-up to 2017’s VII. That means we’re killing fools found footage style like it’s the late 00s. Still, what the remakes of 2 and 3 had that I adored was heavily leaning into the campy dialogue of the PS1 originals. Yes, the OG games voice-acting was probably an unintentional result of weird North American translations, but Jill Sandwich is eternal. Would Village stick with VII’s more 70s Southern gothic approach? And what about all the heavy combat shown in the trailers, making VIII look like a spiritual successor to RE4, arguably the most beloved entry of them all?
Continue reading ‘‘Resident Evil: Village’ Is Worth Visiting (Video Game Review)’
March 29th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
What a difference 24hrs. makes! The cinematic curtain has closed on a recent online fest that focused on a genre that has gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years – found footage. The Unnamed Footage Festival, which started on March 26th, 2021 and ran a full 24hrs. long, highlighted not only found footage but also faux-documentaries, screenlife film and POV cinema all in an attempt to entertain and fundraise helping local movie theaters. And for those who came, saw and witnessed UFF 2021 it was exactly as promised – a chaotic mix of everything first person including features, shorts, some Q&A material and block intros with goofball host Vernon Herman Salinger. (Think William Castle meets SCTV!)
Continue reading ‘Unnamed Footage Festival 2021 – Encapsulated Movie Reviews’
March 28th, 2021 by Aaron Neuwirth
It’s been a bumpy road for major releases, but Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse has a battle for the ages coming this Spring with Godzilla vs. Kong. After delivering my rankings for the Heisei Era and the Millennium Era, along with some fun facts and a beginner’s guide to the famed kaiju series, I took a bit of a break from huge Godzilla posts. However, it’s finally time to explore my ranking of the original period of Toho’s Godzilla films, the Showa Era, which ran from the 50s into the 70s, featuring a hefty 15 films. So, get ready for my ranking, fun trivia, and more.
– Continue reading ‘Godzilla Ranking: The Showa Era (1954-1975)’
March 24th, 2021 by Jason Coleman
Having recently witnessed the glorious opening slow-motion spectacle of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, complete with full man of steel angst and long-reaching death howl, it inspired me and reminded me just how powerful an effective opening scene can be. Sometimes as the only saving grace of a flawed flick and sometimes an appetizer of tasty things to come, a good first scene impression is always welcome in the world of movie magic. So I’m taking some time out to pay a little tribute to some of MY favorite first scenes that have long lingered with me even after the flick finished unspooling. Take heed – these may not be the best film openings of all time (hence no Jaws, The Dark Knight, or 2001: A Space Odyssey here!), but these are the ones that personally made me excited both then and now. So run hot, choose life, drive fast, feel melancholy, check the calendar, get arrested, prepare for 100% Alabama ass-kicking, get into a knockdown brawl, grab some hot jewels, and gain some serious deep reflection – here are my own…TOP TEN MEMORABLE MOVIE OPENINGS!
Continue reading ‘Jason Coleman’s Top Ten Memorable Movie Openings’
March 12th, 2021 by Brandon Peters
Hi everybody! I have a really quick giveaway going on for Promising Young Woman on Blu-ray. All you need to do is watch the video below and follow the instructions. Have your entry in by Monday, March 15 (3/15/2021). I’ll be announcing the winner on my 4K BLUsday segment on YouTube the very next day, Tuesday March 16 (3/16/2021). Make sure you either subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow me on Twitter or Instagram @brandon4KUHD. Great film, not hard to enter, and a chance to take home a free copy of this wonderful Blu-ray. Why not give it a shot?
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. Continue reading ‘Win A Copy Of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN On Blu-ray With This GIVEAWAY!’
February 21st, 2021 by Gregg Senko
A six-part mini-series from Image Comics that began in mid-January, HAHA focuses each separate issue on one clown’s story. The approach is not conducted in the vain of something like the Joker or killer clowns, rather, HAHA brings forth what are very grounded, real world tales but still fiction. As the series is currently two issues into its run, readers have become aware that while each issue can stand on its own, they are also connected, leaving some wonderment as to how this will all end once the sixth and final issue gets released.
Continue reading ‘‘HAHA’ is No Joke’
February 10th, 2021 by Gregg Senko
Image released their newest super hero title today, Black Radiant, and it’s already garnering plenty of five-star reviews, not to mention it is simply one of the most attractive comic book covers I have come across in recent memory. Appearances aside, the book itself does a great job for setting the stage of our main character while being cautious not to overflow the premier issue with too many additional characters. It also closes things out on the final page with a wide open sandbox for the writer and artist to play in. So what’s the book about, you may ask? Well don’t look at me. Comixology describes it as…
Continue reading ‘Black Radiant Glimmers in Debut’
