Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
October 16th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
The scary has already unspooled but our coverage of the carnage never ends! That’s right kiddies, the final films of the iconic SCREAMFEST HORROR DRIVE IN FILM FESTIVAL 2020 have come and gone but WhySoBlu.com is still in the haunted review house for your carnal consideration. Today we take on two features, sixteen shorts and one student short in an attempt to separate the gems form the duds. Check out below…Even More Film Reviews!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2020 – Even More Film Reviews’
October 13th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
Are you fright film fans ready for more blood and gore galore? We’re keeping our coverage going fast and furious of the amazing SCREAMFEST HORROR DRIVE IN FILM FESTIVAL 2020 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) currently taking place October 6th – 15th right from the safety and comfort of your own car at the Regency Theatres – The Plant Drive In (7876 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys CA 91402) and there is a ton of scary and fun content to be witnessed. This time out we’re giving our critical skinny on a little bit of everything including three features, fourteen shorts and even ten student shorts that have all had their day of the dead at Screamfest this year. So light the pumpkin candles and grab your cinematic treat bags as we prepare for your consideration even…More Film Reviews!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2020 – More Film Reviews’
October 11th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
It’s the last day of the weekend fright fans and you know what that means – it’s Sunday Shorts Review Day! That’s right genre fans we’re taking all the shorts that have been seen thus far via the SCREAMFEST HORROR DRIVE IN FILM FESTIVAL 2020 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) currently taking place October 6th – 15th right from the safety and comfort of your own car at the Regency Theatres – The Plant Drive In (7876 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys CA 91402) and putting them on the skinny review (matching their equally short running time!) chopping block for your carnal convenience. And there are a whopping thirty-one below – so let’s get started. Time for…Sunday Shorts – 31 Reviews!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2020 – Sunday Shorts Reviews (Thirty-One)’
October 10th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
It’s underway fright film fans and the tricks and treats are flowing link blood from an open wound! That’s right kiddies the yearly genre spectacle that is the SCREAMFEST HORROR DRIVE IN FILM FESTIVAL 2020 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) is currently taking place October 6th – 15th right from the safety and comfort of your own car at the Regency Theatres – The Plant Drive In (7876 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys CA 91402) and thus far it’s been a notable slew of flicks. We’re keeping our own comprehensive coverage via WhySoBlu.com going by taking a reviews gander at some of the films that have unspooled thus far for those looking for some critical skinny. Anthologies, slashers and get-togethers turned deadly – below are the encapsulated opinions on three new features for your consideration. Check out thoughts on features Books Of Blood, Initiation and An Ideal Host via our…First Film Reviews!
Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2020 – First Film Reviews’
September 9th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
Prior to taking in Chelsea Christer’s energetic and enduring documentary, Bleeding Audio, I had no awareness of the pop punk quartet known as The Matches. Originating in Oakland in 1997 (as then, The Locals), the group hit the road hard. While finding success in their shows, signing to a record label and releasing 3 albums, they were never able to commercially take off as many industry scouts might have hoped. Continuing the push for 12 years, The Matches finally lost their spark and went their separate ways in 2009. With time passed, they found themselves rekindling and putting together some reunion shows years later to surprising resurgence. Bleeding Audio takes us through this frantic journey with the band, the people who supported them, collaborated with them and their fans.
. Continue reading ‘The Matches Light Up Their History With BLEEDING AUDIO (Movie Review)’
August 20th, 2020 by Brian White
Unhinged will go down in the record books as the first new studio film to open with a wide release since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down everything five months ago. While I am just perfectly fine with my #10 movie of all time, Birds of Prey, taking home top honors this year at 2021’s Academy Awards it was the trailer for Unhinged that had me hook, line and sinker. Call me a sucker. Call me what you want. When you throw in an addictive cover of a Nirvana song such as “Heart-Shaped Box” in the film’s trailer, you got yourself a sucker here. They say one’s born every minute so that makes me your sucker of the minute here. However, fret not because Solstice Studios feels confident in what they bill as an “edge-of-your-seat” thriller here will remind you what you’ve missed about seeing movies on the big screen. Let’s find out if that’s true or not down below. Continue reading ‘Russell Crowe Gets ‘Unhinged’ In This Fast & Furious Vehicle (Movie Review)’
August 10th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
Walt Disney Studios isn’t the only animation department crafting fairy tale princess franchises these days. Sony Pictures has had their own animation and own princess franchise going for a while now. Granted, its much less high profile and well, its very much straight to video on demand services, but it exists nonetheless. I’m referring to The Swan Princess. Through my research, since rebooting the film with new animation in 2014 (Originally a Sony hand drawn animated film back 1994), there have been a handful of entries in this magical world of a princess that once took the form of a swan. This latest entry, The Swan Princess: A Royal Wedding, arrived for consumption on August 4th. This latest entry give focus less on our Swan Princess and introduces us to a Japanese princess Mei Li and her struggles against sorcery and transformations. Continue reading ‘The Swan Princess: A Royal Wedding (Movie Review)’
August 10th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
In this psychological thriller from Blumhouse Productions and legendary screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Panic Room), Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried star as a couple seeking a restful vacation in a remote home in the Welsh countryside. What at first seems like a perfect retreat distorts into a terrifying nightmare when reality begins to unravel, dark episodes from the past resurface, and a sinister force in the house refuses to let them leave. Continue reading ‘You Should Have Left (Movie Review)’
July 23rd, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Happily married Alice’s (Emilie Piponnier) life is turned upside down when she discovers her husband (Martin Swabey) has spent all their money on prostitutes and they are now a year behind on their mortgage. In a last-ditch bid to support herself and her child, Alice becomes a high-end escort, which challenges her perceptions of life and love. At times bitterly funny but always brutally honest, the film traces Alice’s journey to her own kind of freedom. Writer-director Josephine Mackerras’ powerful debut feature won the Grand Jury Award at last year’s SXSW, and the ‘Spirit of The Festival Award’ at the 27th Raindance Film Festival, and stars Emilie Piponnier in a breakout performance.
Continue reading ‘Alice (Movie Review)’
July 8th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
Trying to do my critical part during this time of quarantine and no open theaters, I thought it proper to take a gander at the wave of indie flicks hitting home for those in need of some good movie comfort. And despite the lack of current productions, there are still a massive amount of movies hitting various services to help those with a hankering for their film fix. I weed through a whopping nine titles, from well-woven dramas about father and daughters to horror outings set down under, I brave a batch of nine hopefuls to give you the skinny on what’s hot and not. Check out the Encapsulated Movie Reviews for Guest of Honour, YES, GOD, YES, Relic, Two Heads Creek, We Are Little Zombies, Parallax, All Hail The Popcorn King, The Beach House and Superhuman: The Invisible Made Visible below!
Continue reading ‘Encapsulated Movie Reviews – Nine New Indie Titles’
June 23rd, 2020 by Jason Coleman
We recently lost someone who in my humble movie opinion was a filmmaker who possessed a distinctive style and a definitive movie magic quality – Director Joel Schumacher sadly passed away after a yearlong battle with cancer. Having been a fan of his work since I was a kid, I can honestly say that some of his films had a long-lasting effect on me. And while there were some outings that were merely just entertaining (Phone Booth had its moments!) and fluffy (Batman Forever is a guilty pleasure for sure!), there were also more than enough notable and even five-star flicks of his that broke ground to have their rightful place in cinema history. (And I have reviews going back years that rave about the selections below!) From bitter businessmen who have had enough to the hijinks of a wacky cab company, here’s my tribute to the late great Joel Schumacher with a look at his…Top Five Films.
Continue reading ‘A Joel Schumacher Tribute – Top Five Films’
June 18th, 2020 by Gregg Senko
As movie theaters are on the advent of opening in the very near future, one could not squander an opportunity for something new until that happens. The German film 7500 starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer) was actually released in 2019 but is just now making its way to North America. Directed and co-written by Patrick Vollrath (Ketchup Kid), the 92-minute drama features a minimal cast on a short budget, though it manages to make the most out of everything.
Continue reading ‘7500 (Movie Review)’
May 20th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
We Summon The Darkness was a Fantastic Fest hit last year, a new entry to the ever growing list of quality indie horror comedies we’ve seen in the last few years. It boasts a cast of the Alexandra Daddario and Johnny Knoxville and nifty spin on common horror plots/twists/turns. The Blu-ray is coming on June 9th, so let this digital review promote that a bit as the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented review copies of this film from going out or being easily feasible. The digital release was on April 10, so you can rent or buy it now for pretty solid, affordable pricing. Hell, the Blu-ray is only currently $16.99 to pre-order, so maybe you just jump on it (Though my review, while positive, may tell you otherwise). However, you may choose, one of the ways to watch is on Amazon Prime, and it helps the site a little when you use the Amazon Associates paid link below to do so. But, it is also available via Vudu, AppleTV and FandangoNow if those are your preferred avenues. Continue reading ‘We Summon The Darkness (Digital HD Review)’
March 19th, 2020 by Brandon Peters
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is already available on digital streaming video on demand platforms and will be available on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD in a myriad of stand-alone releases and ‘The Skywalker Saga’ 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray box set (a Best Buy/Amazon UK exclusive). One of the bonus features found on the release is ‘The Skywalker Legacy’, a feature-length (Over 2 hours) documentary chronicling the production of The Rise Of Skywalker, complete with interviews and behind the scenes footage. Every Star Wars Disney film during their run has included a documentary like this, so its no different in that regard. When I sat down to watch this for my upcoming 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray review, I had too many thoughts on this documentary (And kind of the angle they have played on these as a whole) to limit it just a few sentences recap in my extras section. So, here we are, a bonus feature for a disc getting its own film review aside from the the release. But I figured it was worth the exploration and discussion. Continue reading ‘2/3 Of ‘The Skywalker Legacy’ (Movie Review)’
March 13th, 2020 by Gregg Senko
Back in 1989, a startup comic book publisher known as Valiant had arrived on the scene. The company made it a point to offer up characters a little more complex than your average super hero as these newly developed personalities had allegiances and demeanors that were not always so clear cut. Some of their more premier characters and successful titles include X-O Manowar, Ninjak, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and one in particular known as Bloodshot. The story of Bloodshot featured an expert soldier maimed by war and reclaimed by science only to build a better soldier. With a repeatedly wiped memory and the ability to take a ridiculously inhuman beating, Bloodshot has become the first Valiant character to hit the big screen.
Continue reading ‘‘Bloodshot’ Eyes Prize Above Mediocrity’
March 11th, 2020 by Peter Paras
After a nearly six-month delay, Universal/Blumhouse is releasing Craig Zobel’s lightning rod horror/political satire/action flick, The Hunt. Derided by our current POTUS – based on his shortsighted take on the initial trailer – the story concerns a small group of liberal elites who hunt and kill “deplorables” for sport. Recent shootings in both El Passo and Dayton supposedly made releasing such a potentially polarizing film a deal-breaker, so the film was shelved… until now.
As the citizens of planet Earth fear a real-life viral outbreak more than mass shooters (these truly are the end days folks), the movie is set to hit theaters all over. Was the wait worth it? Will audiences predisposed to either the left or right be offended? As far as this writer is concerned, any kind of movie that ignites a national conversation is a win. Still, one hopes for a film which is as entertaining as it is topical, right? Read on to find out if this Hunt is worth suiting up for…
Continue reading ‘The Hunt Is On For Those Darn Deplorables (Movie Review)’
March 7th, 2020 by Corey M. Crosdale
Since the get go I was saying that this film looked like Netflix’s original movie Bright (2017). Bright (2017) was directed by David Ayer and goes pretty much the same way that all of David Ayer films go, except with fairytale creatures. While the concept of Bright (2017) is brilliant the execution falls very flat. Bright (2017) was cringe-worthy, superficial, and just overall a not-so-good film. Either way we are not here to tear a part Bright (2017). We are here to discuss its lighthearted, whimsical, and much better counterpart, Onward (2020). I remember seeing the first teaser for Onward (2020) and thinking that this is essentially Bright (2017), but with people who actually know what they are doing. I promise, that was the last dig at Bright (2017). Now with Pixar at the helm can we get an epic, modern day, medieval quest movie? Saddle your steed and sheath your blades comrades because we are going on a quest! Continue reading ‘Onward: The Kid Friendly Version of ‘Bright’ (Movie Review)’
March 6th, 2020 by Jason Coleman
I thought I was completely out but…never say never again! (Especially if you’re Sean Connery!) Yup, it’s trusty critic Jason Coleman back to infuse a little lesser known indie into the lives of movie fans with a crop of four film hopefuls that all contain their fair share of controversial subject matter. (Plus I’m pitching my upcoming Friday the 13th 40th Anniversary Screening and Immersive Experience on March, Friday the 13th and 14th while I’m here – see the end of article for details!) From gals who swallow odd objects to well behaved boys looking for their deadbeat dads (and unfortunately finding them!) we are going to some off-the-wall places that some movies should not go…and beyond! Check out the Encapsulated Movie Reviews of Swallow, Guns Akimbo, The Misogynists and Come To Daddy below!
Continue reading ‘Encapsulated Movie Reviews – Four New Indie Titles (And Friday the 13th Immersive Event In LA Push!)’
