3:10 To Yuma (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Well, what do you know? Just like that, James Mangold’s 3:10 To Yuma is 10 years old this year. Doesn’t feel like its been that long. Mangold is seeing some of his greatest success (Critical & Box Office) this year, too with the Hugh Jackman-Wolverine sendoff Logan. 3:10 To Yuma is one of his strongest films and one of the best westerns (not the hotel chain) of the 2000s. When people whine and moan about remakes, here is a prime candidate and a more modern one to throw in their faces as to prove their whole false generality of “remakes/reboots/reimaginings suck” tiredness as false. Lionsgate is now bringing it over to the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format alongside the Expendables movies on May 2nd. Check out or revisit this terrific western with a great enhanced picture featuring HDR and an all new DTS:X audio track! Continue reading ‘3:10 To Yuma (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
The Ring was quite the phenomenon right as the century began. Naomi Watts headlined the US remake of the popular Japanese film and it changed the genre for a good half decade. It was something fresh and different for audiences (Though I’ve always argued part of this film’s ghost agenda and resolution was very much a Stir of Echoes retread), leading to remakes of other popular Japanese ghost films like The Grudge, Pulse and Shutter. Gore Verbinski’s film received a sequel that wasn’t well received and there the franchise died, not making it to the 4 films that its overseas sister-series had. But, things never truly die, as brand recognition is all the rage nowadays and the the spinner landed upon The Ring to be revisited. Rings came, went and confirmed nobody was interested anymore and apparently took Jason Voorhees along with it (You’re really dumb as hell to think these two thing correlate, Paramount execs!). You, too can have another chance to avoid it, confirm how bad it is, or be the first to be the person to find it underappreciated and write a piece to hopefully reevaluate it in a couple years. So many possibilities! Anyway, this one comes out May 2nd on Blu-ray and carries digital copies of the first film (As a thank you) and the sequel (To ask the questions “Were we at least better than this?”). Pre-order below if you choose! 
So many amazing film fests – so little time! The recent star-studded 
Disney’s Bambi, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection. The Collection release includes a variety of new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the challenges and triumphs during the production of “Bambi;” deleted scenes and characters; stories and effects that “Bambi” had on the Studio, other films and artists; and much, much more. Additionally, the Digital HD release includes an exclusive, heartfelt feature on the incredible artist, Tyrus Wong, who inspired the film’s soft watercolor backgrounds and beautiful palette. Bambi arrives home on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, and on DVD & Blu-ray™ May 23rd.
Willard was a really solid success, playing in theaters for quite some time. Forgotten, kinda, to many, is that the film produced a sequel called Ben (After the lead rat in the original film). But, its not really forgotten, due to one factor. Had the film not had a theme song that was done by the Jackson Five’s and later King of Pop, Michael Jackson, it could have very well been forgotten to the annals of film history (Except nowadays, we remember everything nowadays). That song brought an undeserving prestige with it as it was a big hit for Jackson (one of his earliest solo works) and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. It didn’t win, but Scream Factory wins in bringing this ratty sequel to the Blu-ray format to pair with its release of Willard. Ben will be available on May 16th as well. 
Like most of my generation, I believe I first came into consciousness of Willard with the 2003 remake. What looked like an odd, cooky horror film starring Crispin Glover and Laura Harring about a guy who seemingly had some sort of weird psychic thing with his pet rat looked just right up the alley for that of Glover. When it released, I came to find it wasn’t an original film, but a remake of one from 30 years prior. Digging even further down that rabbit hole, I’d find that movie even got a sequel that had an Academy Award nominated song, made historically notable because it was performed by Michael Jackson. Willard and its sequel, Ben, will be making their way to Blu-ray courtesy of the Scream Factory label. You can go ahead and pre-order them to have them in their your mailbox on release day, which is May 16. 
Feeling strangely movie academic this week leads us to a past picture selection that helps both educate and entertain…welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! Today we’re hitting the books and heading to class for a cinematic story about the ups, downs and student clowns that make up one ruckus high school. It’s a dramatic yet comically caustic look at one wild inner city institution from both the scholar and pupil perspective. Faculty fights over the copy machine (ink will fly!), student stab wounds, teachers getting bit by undergrads and hallway streaking all in the name of standing up for yourself – and the bell hasn’t even rung yet! We learn it all from those marvelous mentors known as…Teachers!
Gold was a film that went through a bit of a lengthy journey to finally getting its way to production. Pitched as a more modern Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the film once had director Michael Mann attached to film it. Mann eventually left it to film Blackhat. Finally the film was made and released this past January to mixed reviews and a low box office (Though it had limited release to qualify for awards which in Oscar terms, it did nothing). Most praised the continued excellence of Matthew McConaughey but didn’t find a lot else. Said performance was the one where he went horseshoe bald and gained 40 pounds for his role. You’ll be able to see for yourself when the movie comes to Blu-ray on May 2nd. You can pre-order using the Amazon link below if you so wish. 
Hitting local film fests and book reviews hard (that are all on the horizon!), there was only time for four little indie flick sneak peaks this week. A sexy and sensual forbidden love story with serious heat, a harrowing kidnapping terror tale outing that has equal parts strange and sci-fi, a contained catastrophe where everyone in the room is packing and a fish out of water cop caper with a muscle bound man at the helm thrill the themes of the crop below. Check out all four of the Encapsulated Movie Reviews that include Below Her Mouth, Rupture, Free Fire and Black Rose.
Welcome, curious viewers…have you the courage to go 
This spring, bring home a trio of celebrated Broadway favorites on Blu-ray with new releases from home entertainment imprint Shout Broadway. Featuring timeless American standards and some of the world’s biggest stars, titles being released include the award-winning 1999 Royal National Theatre production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical classic, Oklahoma!, starring Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables, The Prestige) and Maureen Lipman (The Pianist); the masterful 1999 London revival of the 1949 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical, Kiss Me, Kate, starring Rachel York and Brent Barrett; and the film adaptation of Tony award-winning Broadway smash Man of La Mancha, starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren. Spotlighting musicals and performances that deserve a place on your shelf, Shout Broadway features some of the greatest stage and screen productions ever captured. From recent hits to all-time favorites and Hollywood gems, Shout Broadway celebrates the best in theater and beyond. 
Still vcan’t get enough of that 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series victory? That first one in over one hundred years or so? You bought the first Blu-ray release and enjoyed the heartfelt little documentary. You were hardcore and picked yourself up the Collector’s Edition with every game on it. Now, you’re going to be the super Cubby loyalist and grab yourself this Ultimate Edition of Game 7. Why not be happy with the one you have in the Collector’s Edition? Well, this comes with a disc that has a long montage of the victory parade as well as lengthy highlights of the other series leading up to the championship as well as the World Series itself. Who this might be the best for is someone who didn’t want the collector’s edition, but wouldn’t mind dabbling in just having this one complete game (the one that mattered). Well, whoever you are, you have your chance at this one on May 9th, so get your order in and have it on day of release. 
Walter Hill’s cult classic rock n’ roll fable Streets of Fire is finally making its way to Blu-ray in the United States after previously only being available in the UK and Germany among other countries that seem to get the cool stuff way before us. But, for the patient (Or not region free), the waiting has paid off as Shout! Factory wound up being the people to introduce it to the format in the United States and slapped it with its still fresh Shout! Select label and a Collector’s Edition at that. With some serious sick new key art on its slip cover, the release comes loaded with two discs to rock out with plenty of classic bonus features as well as a brand new feature length documentary (Yes, that’s 2 feature length making of documentaries on here). You’ll be able to check it out for yourself on May 16th, with the pre-order below, but stay tuned for my review in the meantime. 
Disco is defined as a genre of dance music containing elements of funk, soul, pop, and salsa. I define it as a whole lot of fun. Although being born in 1974 doesn’t constitute you to essentially remember living during the solid gold age of disco quite well, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a fan of it and still am. Like Paul Stanley of KISS always said there’s just something about that disco bass shaking your rump to onstage or in the case of a nightclub like in Saturday Night Fever, the dance floor. Speaking of Saturday Night Fever (do you like my segue into our topic here?) there’s no bigger fan of the 1977 movie than me. It’s one of my Top 5 all-time favorites. Why? Well for starters Saturday Night Fever has something for everyone. What more can you really ask for in a motion picture? You have teenage angst, promiscuous sex, pregnancy, squabbling parents, drinking, racism, gangs, fashion, glitter, lights, hair, drama, romance, betrayal, dancing, disco balls and best of all that Bee Gees infused soundtrack. Oh yeah! I’m just getting started here too. 
Serial Mom is the John Waters film I’m most familiar with (Though admittedly he’s a director I just haven’t completely familiarized myself with that much). While not doing much at the box office, it became a video store staple in the 1990s and with that, a cult classic. At least, that for the teen/college generation of the 90s for the time. It also seemed to be a movie that was on Cinemax all the time during the 90s as well. That’s how I first came to see the movie the first few times. Now, its getting lots of that cult classic love that only a distributor like Scream Factory can give with their coveted Collector’s Edition label. And, its coming just in time for Mother’s Day. So, pre-order to have yourself a copy when it releases on May 9th! 
