Age of Innocence, Passion of Joan of Arc & More Coming to The Criterion Collection in March 2018
In March, Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence – the great New York filmmaker’s lavish Edith Wharton adaptation, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Michelle Pfeiffer – will join the Criterion Collection in an edition featuring a new, restored 4K digital transfer, approved by the director and now available on Blu-ray. No less impressive a match between filmmaker and novelist, Ken Russell’s Women in Love draws on D. H. Lawrence for a taboo-breaking vision of desire unleashed, starring Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, and an Oscar-winning Glenda Jackson. Volker Schlöndorff’s long-unavailable Baal – a schnapps-soaked rampage that channels the rebellious spirit of the young Bertolt Brecht through a feral performance by Rainer Werner Fassbinder – will appear on home video for the first time. The King of Jazz is another major rediscovery: the astonishing early Technicolor of this song-and-dance spectacular dazzles in a new 4K restoration. And that’s not all: The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent masterpiece, one of the most transcendent films in the history of cinema, will come to Blu-ray for the first time, in a stunning new restoration.
And my #1 picks of past Top Ten lists just keep on coming with this little ditty from my 2013 selections that dares to mix kids and combat – welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! This week we’re heading behind enemy lines to seek out a cinematic tasty little treat that lovingly mixes genres and succeeds. With stellar comedy, action, drama and a pinch of pint-sized revenge, the flick in question is a bold and brilliant blend of Goonies and Platoon for the kid in us all. Raise the flag as…I Declare War!
This past year saw some big events in the comic book world. The Suicide Squad went toe to toe with the Justice League. Image saw the last words written for one of its strongest series in Invincible. The Joker and the Riddler went fisticuffs on a catastrophic level in the pages of Batman (that read comes highly recommended from me by the way). Let us not forget the brilliance of small indie publisher Sabotage Industries and their title Shed. That came awfully close to making this list as its Alien Nation-vibe story brought civil rights to the forefront in a new light. It pitted the skin vs. skinless amidst an apocalyptic overtone with some magnificent writing and great artwork to boot. As with any ‘best of the year’ list, however, there can only be one champ in each category. So, while the aforementioned titles didn’t make this list, rest assured they are all enjoyable reads. Now onto the list…
Brought to you by Olive Films, Tchaikovsky’s classic musical fantasy Nutcracker, The Motion Picture features members of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. This is the classic holiday story of Clara, a young girl who dreams of a prince and a magical kingdom of sweets. Led by the odd toymaker Drosselmeier she is guided into a land of enchanted toys, giant mice, and sugary sweets. The film is directed by Carroll Ballard, conceived by Kent Stowell and Maurice Sendak, photographed by Stephen H. Burum, with the music of Tchaikovsky conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. A great film to bring you that great holiday feeling.
For those who truly believe the performer in film is key, this is the year-end list for you. Giving credit where it’s amply earned, I scoured many a good and bad flick to single out and construct a diverse and challenging list of outstanding actors whose work blew me away in 2017 – and it wasn’t easy. With an abundance of great performances this year I had to omit folks based on everything from volume (EVERYONE is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is amazing!) to fairness (the amazing Sally Hawkins can only get one nod here!) to be able to accurately weed down and choose what I find to be work that goes above and beyond. So big and small, lead or supporting below is a list of five exceptional men and women who exemplify what it is to create a character that kicks ass. Passionate mutes, undercover cops, unknowing powerful losers, sassy elders, spirited strong strippers, sweet simpletons, aging criminals, unflinching tough guys, manic wackos and two sides of the same character all make up the men and women of my illustrious…TOP FIVE MALE & FEMALE PERFORMANCES OF 2017. (And keep reading below for a cool bonus Q&A with my arresting #2 female choice Eliza Taylor for her layered lead work in Thumper – you’re welcome!)
Men In Black is 20 years old? Damn! Within a period of years it managed to put out a trilogy of films. It has proved to be a well that Will Smith has gone back to time and time again to grab himself a little piece of blockbuster. Recently it had made waves when there as talk that the Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum-led 21 Jump Street relaunch series would spend its third film crossing over with the Men In Black franchise. Now THAT is something that would have been so insane that I would have KILLED to see it. Unfortunately that’s not coming to fruition probably ever. But, what is coming fruition for the 20th anniversary is a nice 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray box set. The set features all the same features as before, but with a new 4K transfer and Dolby Atmos tracks. And its available now. So order yourself a copy from the Amazon linkage you find below at the very bottom. 
The Jigsaw Killer is back and taking his signature brand of twisted scenarios to the next level when Jigsaw arrives on Digital January 9 and on 4K Ultra HD (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, and On Demand January 23 from Lionsgate. Renown genre directors Michael and Peter Spierig (Daybreakers, Undead) and writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger reinvigorate one of the most successful horror franchises of all time with their latest installment starring Tobin Bell (Manson Family Vacation, The Firm, The SAWfranchise), Laura Vandervoot (TV’s “Smallville” and “V”), Callum Keith Rennie (TV’s “The Man in the High Castle,” “Californication,” Memento), Brittany Allen (It Stains the Sands Red), Matt Passmore (TV’s “The Glades”), and Hannah Emily Anderson (TV’s “Lizzy Borden Took an Ax”). 
A loving homage to the kitchy creature-features of the atomic age, the delightful comedy Matinee is a smart and sharp period comedy that captures of joy of growing up on cheesy b-movies. Making its Blu-ray debut January 16th, 2018 from Shout Select,Matinee comes loaded with bonus features, including a new interviews with director Joe Dante, actress Cathy Moriarty, actress Lisa Jakub, production designer Steven Legler, editor Marshall Harvey and director of photography John Hora, as well as the new featurette MANTastic! The Making of a Mant. Fans can pre-order their copies now at 
Christopher Nolan stands as one of maybe our last great filmmakers that have bridged the gap of their visions to big budget mainstream productions. While he gained esteem and clout through making some Batman films, he’s used it to distance himself and become a household name among directors not unlike Quentin Tarantino or Steven Spielberg. His films are original and his name attached to it make the film an event. They are both impressive and success stories at the box office. His latest, a passionate endeavor on the more little known battle of Dunkirk, amazed audiences and critics alike with its bold choice to be primarily shot in IMAX. While nobody’s home is going to accurately replicate that experience, you’ll still be able to enjoy this landmark war film when it comes to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray on December 19th as a standalone or part of the 4K Ultra-HD Christopher Nolan box set. 
Well, it’s that time of year once again movie maniacs. The time when we look back at the wares of the wondrous past year and highlight that which has given the most joy. Since my Blu-ray collecting for 2017 has been somewhat minimal, I proudly produce a yearly list of equally arty fare that helps decorate movie geek lairs – all designed for the more frugal film fan. What follows are my five favorite regular movie posters that the average Joe (or Joy!) can find easily on the web (check those movie poster shops or eBay!), don’t cost an arm and a leg (looking good doesn’t mean having to spend a fortune – twenty bucks or less man!) and don’t have to jump through hoops to get to. (I’m talking to you Mondo – change your damn system!) These are wall musts that do so much with so little and kick major ass as a decorative device (I speak from experience and put my money where my mouth is – see bonus pic at the bottom of the article!) – I am proud to present…
Director S. Craig Zahler caught the attention of many with his 2015 film Bone Tomahawk. I know here at Why So Blu, many of us were quite fond of that little Western-horror hybrid gem. Now he returns with his follow up, Brawl In Cell Block 99, a sorta prison thriller starring the likes of Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Marc Blucas and the loveable Udo Kier. Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, this one had a smaller theatrical run, paired with a VOD release shortly after. The film has received many positive marks from all around the globe, most of them praising Vince Vaughn as giving one of his career best performances. RLJE Films is surprising us with not just a Blu-ray and DVD release, but a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray home video edition of the film on December 26th. 
Since I’m gonna be dealing with family X-mas events over the next few weeks, wanted to get my final film reviews of the year up for those looking to do cinema over the holiday. And the end of the year indie film fare has all angles covered with cowards forced to turn strong in the old west, smart and sassy women with a knack for business, revenge from a female perspective, killers who use kids games and a love of all things Bill Murray cover the subjects of the flicks in this final 2017 edition of Encapsulated Movie Reviews. Check out the critical skinny on The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Molly’s Game, In The Fade, The Bill Murray Experience and Hangman all below!
Uncover the world’s biggest conspiracy when “Geostorm” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. Dean Devlin (writer/producer, “Independence Day”) makes his feature film directorial debut with suspense thriller “Geostorm,” The film stars Gerard Butler (“Olympus Has Fallen,” “300”), Jim Sturgess (“Cloud Atlas”), Abbie Cornish (“Limitless”), Alexandra Maria Lara (“Rush”), Daniel Wu (“The Man with the Iron Fists,” “Warcraft: The Beginning”), Eugenio Derbez (“How to Be a Latin Lover”), with Oscar nominees Ed Harris (“The Hours,” “Apollo 13”) and Andy Garcia (“The Godfather: Part III”). 
Twin Peaks was a true cult sensation. The short lived show is probably the biggest such television program since the original Star Trek. It only had life for 2 seasons and almost 30 episodes. Fandom never died on the show, it delivered a film prequel by Lynch himself and was one of the few televisions shows to have a complete series release on VHS. When Netflix rolled out the show, it found a new life with many newcomers entering the world of Twin Peaks. Now, finally, the series received a popular return and Showtime gave the show an completely unfiltered 18 episode run with every single hour directed and written by David Lynch himself. Now, we get the full collection, with a proper and full on “go for broke” Blu-ray set, coming December 5th. 
