Despicable Me 3 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
When last we left, it was the wonderful Minions-centric prequel to Despicable Me that was torturing my soul. As someone who is indifferent but doesn’t mind this series, that movie was flat out awful. No defending there. But, they’re back, but in more proper form with the third film in the Despicable Me franchise. A funny fact, this was the only film to cross 1 billion dollars globally at the box office this past summer. Crazy, right? It did well in the United States but REALLY blew up overseas. Now its coming home for you, let me try that again, for your kids to own. You could grab it for them now or make it a stocking stuffer. Only the finest in video and audio quality for your child, right? Anywho, you can get ahead and pre-order it now by using the Amazon link below. Continue reading ‘Despicable Me 3 (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
Its pretty exciting that my Holiday slasher/horror selection seems to be growing with some more modern movies being added or made in the last few years. Krampus is a recent favorite of mine that has become tradition to go along with Silent Night, Deadly Night, Christmas Evil and To All A Goodnight. Now, in 2017, we have the home invasion thriller/dark comedy Better Watch Out to make viewing space for. I’ve already seen this once this year, when it came to digital rental and I’m very excited to see it again already here for this Blu-ray review. Well Go USA will be putting this out in a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack. The likes of which will give you ample time to watch during the holiday season as it comes out on December 5th! 
We continue on, going just a swift two years later, with the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Like the other four films not called The Last Knight in this series, it will be available on December 5th. This second film in the franchise was one that many fans and moviegoers thought was quite subpar during the summer of 2009. But, its not without its dedicated fans. Why So Blu writer and contributor Gregg Senko took a lot of flack for putting this as his top film of the year while most writers had it in their ten worst. While I didn’t agree with Gregg then (or now), its nice to see hist honesty and ability to stand tall with something he loved so much. Maybe with expectations lifted and a polarizing viewing out of the way, I might begin to see more worth in it. Anywho, we continue this journey through Transformers with Revenge of the Fallen. 
Paravmount is completing their 4K Ultra-HD releases of Michael Bay’s Transformers series by releasing the first four to compliment last month’s release of The Last Knight. The four films are going to be available on December 5th (Though there is word that these might be shipping early). While I wasn’t the biggest fan of these films, I’ve not seen them much and am actually pretty excited to go back and revisit them for this set of reviews. It feels like some sort of fun challenge. If anything, hopefully these look stellar and rock my surround system. Plus, my son has only seen the animated film (That I reviewed last year) and has been wanting to see these since he saw a trailer for The Last Knight. Just shy of The Last Knight, my Naptown Nerd faithful will pretty much have a full retrospective from me by the end of this. Let’s begin now, with 2008’s first live action Transformer movie, a film that our own Brian White has called “iconic” and a “religious experience” and the film that got him to upgrade to HD-DVD. 
For the longest time, director Steven Soderbergh has claimed to us that he’s retiring and walking away from filmmaking, only to come back and give us just one more. Or that after this one he’s got this, this and this and then he’ll be done. Well, as someone who’s very much enjoyed the catalog he’s built over the years after breaking out with Sex, Lies and Videotape, I hope he never makes good on his retirement promise. Case in point, his latest film from this past summer, Logan Lucky; a sort of return to his caper films that got explored thoroughly with his wildly popular and iconic Ocean’s Eleven trilogy from the previous decade. You’ll be able to check this one out when it comes to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on November 28th. 
Over the next five weeks leading up to both various Top Ten Films of 2017 lists on this site, as well as celebrating the year’s end, I’m going to be reposting now MIA reviews of my #1 films from the last five years to provide all film fans in the dark of such captivating cinema a pinch of glorious five-star movie light – welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! This week we’re heading all the way back to 2011 for a damn fine feature that captured not only controversy with it’s spicy story, but also my top film for that year. A creepy and moody cautionary tale of love and revenge (and not necessarily in that order!), this one lingers long for all who dare to witness it. So let’s head back, strap in and heed to movie director tour guide Pedro Almodóvar as he takes us on a unique journey known as…The Skin I Live In.
From the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, the horror classic Gothic will arrive for the first time on limited edition Blu-ray™ on January 30 from Lionsgate. Starring Golden Globe® winner Gabriel Byrne (2009, Best Actor, “In Treatment”), Julian Sands, and Natasha Richardson, and from legendary director Ken Russell (Lair of the White Worm), Gothic is the fictional retelling of the night Mary Shelley developed the story of Frankenstein. While under the influence of experimental substances, she and a group of friends experience terrifying visions that bend reality into her horrific tale. The Gothic limited edition Blu-ray is packed with all-new special features, including audio commentaries, isolated score selections, interviews with the cast and crew, and more, and will be available January 30th. 
Bloody revenge is at the heart of the stylish kinetic South Korean action-thriller The Villainess hitting Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD November 21 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Certified “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, this welcome shot of adrenaline to the classic femme fatale story follows a ruthless female assassin who leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she seeks her blood-spattered revenge. Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited as a sleeper agent with the promise of freedom after ten years of service – and she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But soon enough, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for, and now nobody can stand in her way as she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge. Directed by Jung Byung-gil (Confession of Murder), The Villainess stars Kim Ok-bin (Thirst, The Front Line), Shin Ha-kyun (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and Bang Sung-jun (Horror Stories 2, Pluto). The Villainess Blu-ray also contains bonus materials that include a Making-of featurette that highlights the action choreography and the characters as well as Teaser and Theatrical Trailers. 
Get ready to put the other hand up as the zany classic comedy A Fish Called Wanda hits Blu-ray from Arrow Films. In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy – A Fish Called Wanda. Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves – two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin’s animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson – when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches. Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline’s outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto, A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time, earning its rightful place among its creators’ remarkable comedy pedigree. Features on this Arrow release include a full-length Commentary by Cleese, a slew of Making of docs and more! 
Once again, the time of year has come upon us; the end of the Blu-ray release year. I’m a little later than prior years on this and its because the announcement to release window is becoming incredible short. Just last week I posted about four Transformers movies coming to 4K Ultra-HD within the next couple weeks. And I’m still afraid we may get some December announcements still, but I’m confident those would merely be 4K. Which, you’re probably wondering why, after two years of coverage on Why So Blu, that there isn’t a 4K wishlish. Well, that’s because the format is still in complete infancy and isn’t under the full embrace or changeover of the studios (Or at least as we’d hope it would be). The amount of stuff still not on the format is just massive and that’s just too easy and fun. I could do a wishlist of hundreds for that format. I stick to Blu-ray as the movies still not on the format, it could be their last stop in terms of physical home media. It could be the best presentation they ever see. And there are still PLENTY of things that would benefit in jumping over. We are seeing some fantastic double dips as well, and I hope those continue (When they are worthwhile, like the recent Scream Factroy Silent Night, Deadly Night, Arrow’s The Thing or Criterion’s upcoming Silence of the Lambs upgrade). Whatever the case, every month, studio press releases, especially those from the sublicensees, always excite me. 
It is finally here! It feels only like yesterday when I was at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando back in April of this year. Sitting in on the Battlefront II discussion panel with thousands of others, I was in awe of the stills and trailer we were given. The original Battlefront (original Xbox, PC, PS2) from 2004 is in my top three video games of all time. Its major flaw was controlling airborne vehicles, which was such a poor experience, but one that could be easily overlooked since the ground-based combat was such a thrill. Then there was Battlefront II. No, not the one just released last week, but the one from some years back which first introduced the opportunity to play as heroes and villains. Like the second Avengers film, it very much lacked the personality and feel of its predecessor. After a changing of the guard at Lucasarts via the Disney purchase, the long-awaited Battlefront follow-up arrived in 2015 for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. It was arguably the best one in the series (speaking of all titles in the series, let’s not forget the Playstation Portable version called Battlefront Renegade which never got much coverage). While individual classes were gone in Battlefront (sniper, heavy gunner, etc.), the fully customizable concept of building your character was a big hit and allowed for a wide array of soldiers on the battlefield. All of that recap brings us to the much anticipated Battlefront II of 2017. How is it, you ask? Let’s take a look
Coming in as a surprise hit at the end of a pretty disappointing August this past summer was Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson buddy comedy, The Hitman’s Bodyguard. It was kind of a surprise, with many thinking Logan Lucky (Review for that 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray release coming soon) would probably do better. But, this fun little throwback wound up taking in over 75 million box office dollars on a mere 30 million dollar budget. And in this day and age, it had the rarity of holding on to the top spot at the box office for 3 straight weeks until the IT phenomenon launch and made more in one weekend than this movie did in its entire run. Anywho, you’ll be able to check this one out on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray when it hits stores/online/the grocery November 21st. Just in time for some turkey. 
The year may be coming to an end soon, but the barrage of smaller screen fare is still alive and kicking. (And that’s not including indie Oscar fare that studios only put out in the final two months!) An urban drama where two different but similar universes exist, a terror tale about a creepy dude who collects clipped fingernails, a campy outing about some dangerous danishes, a doc on the iconic racial happenings during 1992, a story of love and friendship tested, a gothic flick about odd sexual behaviors and one woman’s tale of freedom mixed with cat death make up the seven lesser known films covered in this weeks edition of Encapsulated Movie Reviews. Check out the small cinematic opinions on Destined, Nails, Attack of the Killer Doughnuts, LA 92, Almost Friends, Angelica and Mr. Roosevelt below!
