Cult Horror Classic THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE Starring Bela Lugosi Comes To Blu-ray February 19th!
In 1918, Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi), a 200-year-old Hungarian Vampire, prowls the English countryside, feeding from the jugulars of the villagers. But Tesla’s reign of terror is interrupted when a pair of scientists, Lady Jane and Sir John Ainsley, drive a railroad spike through his heart. The “un-dead” Tesla remains safely entombed for two decades until the impact from a stray Nazi bomb accidentally releases him. Along with his werewolf servant Andreas Obry, the resurrected vampire now plots vengeance on the family that put a halt to his nocturnal feasting. On February 19, 2019, SCREAM FACTORY™ is proud to present Bela Lugosi’s cult classic THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE on Blu-ray. Directed by Lew Landers (The Raven), this blood-curdling horror classic stars Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Frieda Inescort (A Place in the Sun), Nina Foch (Spartacus), and Miles Manders (The Man in the Iron Mask). A must-have for movie collectors and loyal fans of Bela Lugosi, this definitive Blu-ray release contains new audio commentaries by film historians, special features and more! Pre-order is available now at ShoutFactory.com. Continue reading ‘Cult Horror Classic THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE Starring Bela Lugosi Comes To Blu-ray February 19th!’
Can’t wait for this one! Produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by Julius Avery (Son of a Gun), the “wild and fantastically fun thrill fest” (Molly Freeman, Screenrant) OVERLORD lands on Digital February 5, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD February 19 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Embraced by critics, OVERLORD is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and was hailed as “wonderfully tense and truly exhilarating” (Jonathan Barkan, Dread Central). The wildly entertaining genre mash-up boasts a stellar ensemble cast, non-stop action and plenty of wild twists you have to see to believe. 
The Halloween franchise saw one of their most popular and prosperous entries ever when Blumhouse brought back Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter to team up with Blumhouse, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride to make a fresh sequel to the original film. Now, Michael Myers is coming to your home when it comes to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on Januaray 15th. We at Why So Blu want to give you to take a stab at landing a copy for free with our giveaway! Keep on reading to find out how YOU can win our Halloween (2008) on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray contest and watch Michael Myers with be finest of sound and picture quality!
Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale and the beloved ballet, Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms arrives on Digital, Movies Anywhere, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD Jan. 29, 2019. Relieve the magic of this classic tale instantly through bonus features and never-before-seen extras such as a behind-the-scenes look at how the four realms were created to such dazzling effect. Experience the Disney magic and adventure in what is destined to become an annual viewing tradition for adventurers of all ages. 
Follow the gripping and captivating true story of the first manned mission to the moon in FIRST MAN, arriving on Digital and via the digital movie app MOVIES ANYWHERE on January 8, 2019 and on Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “the best movie of the year” (Collider) and “exhilarating” (Entertainment Weekly), FIRST MAN comes from acclaimed Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) and stars Ryan Gosling (La La Land, The Big Short) as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy (“The Crown,” Breathe) as Janet Armstrong in the heroic and emotionally driven journey through a pivotal moment in the history of mankind. Receiving two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Foy) and Best Original Score (Justin Hurwitz), the critically acclaimed film is packed with bonus features including deleted scenes and special featurettes showing behind-the-scenes looks at creating the film. Read on below to find out how to win this title on Blu-ray! 
This is it folks – all good things must eventually come to an end. As such it’s with this final column that I Jason Coleman bid a fond farewell to both 
An all-star cast explodes onto the screen when Lord of War arrives on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) March 19 from Lionsgate. Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Andrew Niccol (1998, Best Screenplay, The Truman Show), the action-packed crime thriller, based on a true story, stars Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage (1995, Best Actor, Leaving Las Vegas), Academy Award® winner Jared Leto (2013, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas Buyers Club), and four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke (2014/2001, Best Supporting Actor, Boyhood/Training Day; 2004/2013, Best Adapted Screenplay, Before Midnight/Before Sunset). Experience four times the resolution of full HD with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, which includes Dolby Vision®, bringing entertainment to life through ultra-vivid picture quality. When compared to a standard picture, Dolby Vision can deliver spectacular colors never before seen on-screen, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker. The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack also features Dolby Atmos® audio mixed specifically for the home, to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. Available for the very first time in this absolutely stunning format, the Lord of War 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack is loaded with special features and will be available March 19th. 
Revenge is sweet, just like Valentine’s Day chocolates. At least, that is what a vengeful, Cupid-masked killer thinks in the teen slasher Valentine. Making its Blu-ray debut February 12th, 2019 from Scream Factory, this Collector’s Edition of Valentine also includes a plethora of new bonus features, including an audio commentary with director Jamie Blanks and filmmaker Don Coscarelli moderated by author Peter Bracke, new interviews with actresses Denise Richards, Marley Shelton, Jessica Cauffiel, an interview with co-writers Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts, over two hours of never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from director Jamie Blanks’ personal archive, additional cast and crew interviews, and much more! Fans can order their copies now on ShoutFactory.com 
One title that I’d also forgotten for many years when making my Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist articles was Screamers starring Peter Weller and Jennifer Rubin, based off of one of Philip K. Dick stories. I’d actually finally kept it noted to put on the next one and the Scream Factory went ahead and beat me to it. You never got to see the list Screamers, but know that you were always on my mind, just to be remember shortly after posting each year’s list. Well, the time has come and while its not getting a Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory, it IS getting some love. Plenty of it with some brand new interviews and a reversible cover. This forgotten 1990s thrillers was released just a year before Scream and I had always wondered why they wanted to call Scream “Scream” when this film with a similar title in the horror genre had just come out the year before. But, alas, we all know that not many saw this and it didn’t really matter. You’ll be able to pre-order this one now for when it arrives on Blu-ray January 29th. 
Bad Times At The El Royale was one of those movies that evaded me during its theatrical run in 2018. Try as I might there was never a good time to check it out. I regret not doing so having seen the film on many Top 10 lists as of late, but like always in life I digress. When it was initially announced for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release I took solace in the fact knowing I was going to experience Bad Times At The El Royale for the first time in its finest presentation possible. I mean what more can you ask for, right? So here we are. It’s the beginning of 2019 and with it we have on our first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases, Bad Times At The El Royale on the format of choice here. Let’s take a closer look below at not only how everything looks and sounds on this 4K disc, but also how it was the first time around for me. Here’s to me for popping my Bad Times At The El Royale cherry!
Charles Bronson has previously appeared in a Scream Factory release via one of the films included in a Vincent Price set as well as Shout! Factory having released a special edition of Death Wish II. So, he’s no stranger, as are Cannon Films, which can be the bread and butter of independent labels. One of the most popular releases from the distributor Twilight Time was that of the slasher-meets-Charles Bronson film from Cannon called 10 To Midnight. Its in the vault of sold out titles there. Obviously rights are only for a limited amount of time for a boutique label and those have run out. Scream Factory is now taking 10 To Midnight, giving it Collector’s Edition status AND providing a new 4K transfer of the film from the original camera negative. So, if you’ve owned it before, they are doing their best to make you not even hesitate to retire that old edition. You can pre-order your replacement now to have for its release on January 22nd. 
Decades later, it feels the films of Amercian director Brian De Palma are rightfully be reanalyzed and more are finding the appreciation in his work. Long thought to be just a guy who kept knocking off Hitchcock, we’ve come around to see him for his own enhancements and volition, an extension of Hitchcock and fantastic filmmaker in his own right. Why not borrow or utilize the work of the best. Heck, the stuff De Palma was doing then is something we discover or appreciate filmmakers for doing in our modern climate. In terms of caring Blu-ray releases, his catalog in the US seems to be split between Shout! Factory and Criterion. Scream Factory has done Phantom of the Paradise and Carrie previously, and now will be adding the almost forgotten film in his oeuvre, Obsession, on January 15th. It will feature a couple new interviews and is available for pre-order to have when it releases. 
Scream Factory is continuing on its promise to dive into the Hammer catalog and release us some swell editions of these classics that seem to be lacking in representation in the US. Last month, they opened up the gates with a release of Dracula: Prince of Darkness that seemed to have a mixed reaction in terms of what version of the film people thought looked “better” but also revealing that some of these probably aren’t in the best condition with their elements. Here in January, The Plague of the Zombies is finally seeing a release here in the United States. This zombie film predates Romero’s genre game-changing Night of the Living Dead and is considered by many to be one of the most essential and seminal films in the Hammer Horror catalog. Boasting a restored audio track, a still gallery and World of Hammer episode, the rest of the release looks to be similar to the previous UK Studio Canal Blu-ray. You can get your hands on this one by pre-ordering a copy, which is being released on January 15th. 
Gillian Flynn’s written work came to light and broke out when David Fincher adapted her novel Gone Girl, which opened to major success back in 2014. The Rosamund Pike/Ben Affleck/Carrie Coon thriller was THE adults get a babysitter flavor of the season. Now, HBO has taken another of her works, the novel Sharp Objects, and turned it into a mini-series starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. The series ran to great acclaim back in the summer of 2018. You can bring home Sharp Objects today as the eight-episode limited series is now available for Digital Download, and Blu-ray™ and DVD (It released November 27th of 2018, but we are a bit behind on it). The “haunting and riveting” (The Hollywood Reporter) series is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and created by Marti Noxon (“Dietland”). The Digital Download, Blu-ray™ and DVD will include an exclusive*, never-before-seen feature showcasing the creation of the fictional town of Wind Gap. 
Back in 1999, I was pretty psyched for 8MM as it was the follow up film from the writer of Seven. Its well known the film Andrew Kevin Walker and David Finher delivered back in 1995 and there weren’t many like it. 8MM promised to deliver some kind of spiritual sequel to it. When it arrived, I found myself pretty satisfied with the film. In fact, the Joel Schumacher film that followed Batman & Robin was one of the first DVDs I ever purchased for my collection. Since, it’s never seen a Blu-ray upgrade. Thirteen long years later, the film is finally arriving, not because Warner Bros finally got there, but thanks to Scream Factory’s interest in putting it out. It carries over the previous bonus material and adds a nice new Joel Schumacher interview to tack on. You’ll be able to watch (If you can) when the film finally hits the shelves of your favorite virtual retailer on January 8th. 
Families everywhere can ring in
