All the Way (Blu-ray Review)
September 19th, 2016 by Bron Anderson
All the Way exists in a strange space for films where it is packed on with talent and amazing performances, but was made for HBO to be shown on the premium channel instead of in theaters, where its message, cast, writing, and brilliance would have a greater chance to be celebrated by a larger audience. Lucky for viewers, it was recently released on Blu-ray by HBO Films for people without a subscription to find and enjoy. And, well, if possible, viewers should find and enjoy this wonderful look at some key points in the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, as portrayed by the outstanding Bryan Cranston (Trumbo, “Breaking Bad”). Continue reading ‘All the Way (Blu-ray Review)’
The myth and poetry of the old west come alive in Fred Zinnemann’s (Julia) classic western, High Noon (1952). One of the great treasures of the American cinema, the film stars the legendary Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in one of her first screen roles. For his career-defining role, Cooper would go on to win the Oscar® for Best Actor. High Noon’s stellar cast also includes Lloyd Bridges (Try and Get Me), Thomas Mitchell (It’s a Wonderful Life), Katy Jurado (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid), Otto Kruger (Saboteur), Lon Chaney (The Wolf Man), Henry Morgan (Strategic Air Command), Jack Elam (Hannie Caulder) and Lee Van Clef (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). High Noon won a total four Academy Awards including Best Editing, Best Score (Dimitri Tiomkin, The Old Man and the Sea) and Best Song, “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’,” written by Tiomkin and Ned Washington and sung by Tex Ritter. High Noon also received Oscar® nominations for Best Picture (Stanley Kramer, producer), Best Director (Fred Zinnemann) and Best Screenplay (Carl Foreman). 
In terms of sheer amount of quality character work in unforgettable films directed by some of the most notable names in the business, actor James Le Gros more than fits the bill. A skilled thespian who began his career early on with the likes of Kathryn Bigelow (go Near Dark!), Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy is a classic!) and Oliver Stone (a little Born on the Fourth of July anyone?!), Le Gros went on to have one of the most intense (The Rapture is a hidden gem!), diverse (big movies – how about Zodiac and Enemy of the State!) and character eclectic careers that’s still going strong to this day.
Warcraft is a fantasy adventure film that I can honestly say I know next to nothing about going into this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review. Many years ago, in another life, I remember my co-worker talking about the Blizzard video game of the same name. He passionately spoke about it pretty much every day. I honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but I humored him nonetheless in pretending that I cared and was paying attention. I’m nice like that. Now let’s fast forward to 2016 and all I knew from watching the Universal trailers of Warcraft was that it should look really cool on the big screen or in 4K being the case here. However, I could also see it sucking really hard too. What a great way to start a review here, huh? Not really! Ha ha. 
This is the week where we finally see the release of the five-star doc 
The Criterion Collection will be releasing a number of films this December and below you can see the list of what great, important, beloved, or underappreciated films they have coming to Blu-ray. December’s releases are pretty much a film-lover’s treat, with directors Federico Fellini, Luis Buñuel, Laurie Anderson and John Huston all getting releases. See all the details about special features and release dates here. 
Plenty of indie fare to examine this week – even some denied to yours truly! (Both Blair Witch and Eddie Murphy’s dramatic turn Mr. Church gave a resounding NO when asked to be seen by little old me!) But rest assured there’s more than enough to go around including some deep documentaries about everything from injustice to the Internet, plus flicks about fake moon landings, artificial humanoids and white trash gals out of control. Check out the Encapsulated Movie Reviews of Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, Operation Avalanche, Killswitch: The Battle to Control the Internet, Morgan and White Girl below!
Stay home. Lock up. Don’t breathe. A local family copes with the collapse of civilization when a mysterious virus threatens their affluent suburb in the tense thriller What We Become. Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut October 18th, 2016 from Scream Factory, in conjunction with IFC Midnight, fans of this shockingly dark film can pre-order their copies now at Shoutfactory.com.
Twenty-five years ago, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast broke ground as the first animated feature film to receive an Academy Award® nomination for best picture, and now this tale as old as time joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection. The Blu-ray release will include the original theatrical film; an extended version with the “Human Again” song sequence and a never-before-released on home entertainment sing-along version. The original work-in-progress version will be available digitally and on Disney Movies Anywhere. Relive the magic on Sept. 6 on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere, and on Sept. 20 on Blu-ray™ and DVD.
Directed by Christophe Gans (Silent Hill, The Brotherhood of the Wolf), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE) starsVincent Cassel (Jason Bourne, Black Swan) and Léa Seydoux (Spectre, Blue Is the Warmest Color) with André Dussollier (A Very Long Engagement, Amélie). Produced by Eskwad and Pathé, this visually opulent major motion picture is a modern take on classic French fairytale. Filmed with state-of-the-art technology and under the imaginative vision of Christophe Gans, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE) delivers a lush and vibrant cinematic adventure.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting with baited breathe to see the new gadgets and gizmos Ben Affleck’s Batman will have in Justice League. Fortunately, the wait is over! Mr. Zack Snyder himself gave us our very first glimpse of “The Dark Knight” rocking his new threads via Twitter!
Mad Max fans will have something to put atop their holiday gift lists with the Mad Max High Octane Collection, debuting December 6 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). All four films from visionary director George Miller’s blockbuster sci-fi franchise — Mad Max (1979); Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981); Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), now with Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky — are together in one collection. 
Today is the day film fans! The illustrious five-star career dissection doc 
Blue Underground has deemed its next Blu-ray release to be George McCowan’s film The Shape of Things to Come (1979), starring Jack Palance, Carol Lynley, Barry Morse, John Ireland, and Nicholas Campbell. This debut Blu-ray release for the film will feature an all new interview with the film’s star Nicholas Campbell. It will also have another new interview with the composer of the movie, Paul Hoffert. Those have been commissioned for this release to go with the other usual things like trailers and photo galleries featuring posters and press images. The release will be available for purchase on September 27. This obscurity is likely to be a collector’s item for some and a curiosity purchase for others.
