The Goonies (4K Blu-ray Review)
2020 has been a very interesting time for the movie world. Home entertainment sales have gone up a bit, thanks to digital (unfortunately) and also DVD (even more unfortunately…). The most wonderful thing though is that 4K catalog titles are on the rise. We keep seeing a steady stream of announcements and box sets, making us 4K collectors salivate with all the new editions we can get lost in as the months go slowly on. The Goonies is no exception, and is in fact one of my favorite films, and one I’ve been anticipating on the format ever since we were blessed with it! **UPDATE (9/25/2020): My colleague and fearless website leader Brian White finally got a chance to take a look at The Goonies and he was kind enough to jot down his thoughts to include in this review. I thought it would be nice to have him share his thoughts and offer a differing opinion on the video quality to give a different view for those still on the fence about purchasing this release. When I have a moment to check out the disc again, I will go over it with a close watch to see if my opinion has changed, so be on the lookout for another update soon… As Brian says below, follow the red trail for more insights!
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Yes! Before you get too excited this is a 4K re-release in SteelBook. Now that I got that out of the way here’s the rest of the press release. A groundbreaking, action-packed comic book adaptation gets the 4K Ultra HD™ treatment when Kick-Ass arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) November 3 from Lionsgate. From acclaimed director Matthew Vaughn, the film features an all-star cast including Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson (2017, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Nocturnal Animals), Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (1995, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Leaving Las Vegas). Experience four times the resolution of full HD with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, with a brand new SteelBook® illustrated by Tracie Ching, in celebration of its 10thAnniversary. Available in this absolutely stunning format, the Kick-Ass 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will include featurettes about the making of the film and its comic book origin, as well as an audio commentary by the director. Based on the comic book written by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr., screenplay by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, and directed by Matthew Vaughn. 
For the first time in its 37-year history, the Rambo series is coming home as a complete SteelBook set – with original art by some of today’s most celebrated illustrators! Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection arrives on 4K Ultra HD October 27 from Lionsgate. This definitive collector’s edition of the legendary series features five uniquely designed SteelBooks by celebrated artists Justin Erickson, Ken Taylor, Grzegorz Domaradzki, Vance Kelly, and John Guydo, housed in a custom SteelBook case. It’s a must-have for Rambo fans! Starring Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone (1976, Best Screenplay/Best Actor, Rocky; 2015, Best Actor, Creed), the collection features all five action-packed Rambo films including First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood. Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection will be available on 4K Ultra HD. 
Paramount Home Entertainment has dropped a nice surprise upon Blu-ray collectors and classic television fans; The Original Series of the legendary show Mission: Impossible will be dropping on Blu-ray for the first time on November 17th! We really don’t have much information to share aside from a release date, some art (That may or may not be the final art for the packaging) and that it will be…brace yourself…46 discs! Click on through to find out a tad more and pre-order using the paid Amazon Associates link.
2020 has been a good year so far with the studios and the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray catalog titles debuting (Besides friggin’ Disney). As we continue to hear about streaming taking over and “RIP physical media”, I’m not seeing it just yet as we keep seeing awesome announcements. Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is one of those said announcements. Its been updated with a new transfer and an Atmos track. Unfortunately, its following the same ‘ol same o’l front when it comes to having some fruitful new bonus features for the film. Quite surprising, Beetlejuice has never had even a commentary or vintage interview/EPK featurette presented as a bonus feature. The Blu-ray disc in this set is the exact one that was release in 2008 and continually repurposed in the years since. Though that sucks, my mantra right now is to just be satisfied films are making the format jump at all with the future outlook not so positive. You can pre-order Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice for release on September 8th!
Supergirl‘s fifth season had the task of following and delivering on the elements put in to play following the show’s obvious peak season. Would it be able to deliver? Like the other seasons, this was shortened by Covid-19, but it was also challenged with having to be told with the massive Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event placed in the middle of the season. That behemoth proved a challenge across the board for the CW’s Arrowverse as it was obviously the focal point of attention for the year. Like the other Blu-ray releases for the previous television season’s CW Arrowverse shows, the full crossover is included here as a limited edition bonus disc, complete with every episode and bonus features. Supergirl itself contains the 19 finished episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel and that San Diego Comic Con featurette that appears on all releases. You can pre-order the season now to have it for it release date of September 8th.
As mentioned many times prior in reviewing the title, DC Animated Universe is really where its at when it comes to some quality superhero material and comic book arc adaptations. Personally, their elseworlds and one-off tales are where I wish the feature films would play with our more familiar characters. Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the latest effort, finds a retelling of the man of steel’s origin story with not only some different details (Oh, hai Lobo) and introducing a newer animation style. Releasing on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format, the combo pack set will contain bonus features both new and old to go along with some classic Superman: The Animated series episodes in tow. In addition to a regular edition there is a collector’s edition that contains a collectible figurine. You can pre-order now, using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review to ensure yourself a copy for when it arrives on September 8th.
The mighty Shriekers are back. more terrifying and deadlier than ever in Tremors: Shrieker Island, the newest chapter of the long-running, fan-favorite Tremors franchise, premiering exclusively on Digital, Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on October 20, 2020 and streaming soon on Netflix from Universal 1440 Entertainment, the original content production arm of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Everyone’s favorite Graboid hunter, Michael Gross (“Family Ties,” “Suits”) reprises his iconic role as Burt Gummer along with Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory) as Burt’s potential protégé in this all-new thrilling and hilarious movie that brings wild new adventures and terrors to the team against the backdrop of a small island in the Tropics filled with magnificent beaches, crystal blue water and lush forests.
While I’ve not heard much in the positive light regarding the musical re-imaging of 1983′ Valley Girl, I’m still curious to check the film out. Being a fan of both the original film and Jessica Rothe, I’m giving it an open-minded chance. And now I’ll be able to with the Blu-ray release of the film, set to arrive October 6th. Its been available digitally for a few months now, but you’ll be able to own a pristine Blu-ray presentation while also having a digital code, so its double the fun. Keep on readying for more details.
CW’s The Flash continues to be the top show of the Arrowverse as well as on the network itself in both popularity and ratings. The show returns to Blu-ray boasting a “complete” sixth season, however as anyone knows that it isn’t quite as whole as it was supposed to be. Another one taken down early by COVID-19 precautions, the show was halted in the middle of production of its 20th episode and decided to finish the season on an underwhelming closure with the 19th installment. Its a shame, but they do what they have to do. In its latest Blu-ray, it features the normal deleted scenes, gag reel and San Diego Comic Con hub bub that gets spread across all the Arrowverse Blu-rays. And its original release, like the others, it comes with a disc featuring the complete Crisis On Infinite Earths cross over event. To boot, there is a noir version of an episode done in black and white as well. The Flash: The Complete Sixth Season is available now, available by order below on the paid Amazon Associates link.
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.
Psychomagic, A Healing Art will be available as part of ABKCO Films’ Alejandro Jodorowsky: 4K Restoration Collection, due to release on September 18, 2020. This deluxe box set also includes The Maestro’s films Fando y Lis, El Topo, and The Holy Mountain, each meticulously restored in 4K on Blu-ray, along with new bonus features and CD soundtracks of the latter two titles. At the age of 91, Jodorowsky is as relevant as he’s ever been. In addition to completing Psychomagic, A Healing Art, he supervised the color correction of the 4K restorations of his essential films using the original 35mm elements, with vibrant results. El Topo is presented in 1:33:1 aspect ratio as it was originally shown in 1970. It is also available for the first time in 1:85:1 widescreen. Jodorowsky originally envisioned the film with this aspect ratio as an homage to Sergio Leone, and a half-century later, that dream has finally been fulfilled. 
On September 29, 2020, Scream Factory proudly presents Ghost Ship (2002) in the ultimate Blu-ray release. The modern supernatural cult-classic comes home in a collector’s edition packed with bonus features, including a new audio commentary with director Steve Beck and new interviews with actor Isaiah Washington, producer Gil Adler and makeup effects supervisor Jason Baird. Fans who order from shoutfactory.com will also receive an exclusive poster, while supplies last.
