Archive Page 300
December 28th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Academy Award® winning Director Robert Zemeckis, (Best Director, Forrest Gump, 1994) uses cutting edge technology to bring to life the true story of THE WALK, debuting on Digital HD Dec. 22 and on Two-Disc 3D Blu-ray™Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD Jan. 5 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) stars as Philippe Petit, a young dreamer who brings together a band of unlikely recruits to achieve the impossible: a wire walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. With little more than nerve and blind ambition, Petit and his ragtag crew overcome daunting physical obstacles, betrayals, countless close calls and overwhelming odds to beat the system and execute their mad plan. THE WALK also stars Academy Award® winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Best Actor, Gandhi, 1982), Charlotte Le Bon (Yves Saint Laurent), James Badge Dale (World War Z) and Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”). Continue reading ‘The Walk (Blu-ray Review)’
December 28th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
Bone Tomahawk is a little horror-western that arrived in limited release this past year and serves as a nice display of technique from debut writer/director S. Craig Zahler. He managed to rope in Kurt Russell, among others, and tell a story of brutal cannibal savages and the unlikely team on a mission to stop them. The film received high critical praise and has now arrived on Blu-ray. Continue on to learn more about this release and whether or not it actually is worth your time.
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December 28th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
The Gallaghers are feeling the heat in Season Five! In the swelter of another Chicago summer, Fiona juggles a crush on her boss with a steamy affair and the return of her ex! Frank balances his brand-new liver against his old unhealthy appetite for liquor, drugs and trouble. Lip heads home from college and struggles to hang with his old South Side friends. Debbie has her first real boyfriend, Ian’s dealing with serious health issues, and Carl’s just dealing. Change is rampant as trendy coffee shops and yoga studios pop up in the hood, and the Gallaghers stumble toward finding out who they are and how to truly love. William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum and a stellar cast kick butt in all 12 seriously hilarious and heart-wrenching episodes. Continue reading ‘Shameless: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray Review)’
December 28th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Scream Factory presents a double dose of samurai action with The House Where Evil Dwells & Ghost Warrior on Blu-ray on January 5, 2016. These two martial arts- themed thrillers from the 80s are now finally available for the first time on Blu-ray, in a release including a new high-definition transfer for The House Where Evil Dwells. Both films are a really weird mish mash of noble samurai films, 80s Cannon ninja movies and then Japanese ghost horror stories. While neither is a film related to the other in terms of story or continuity, they both are a perfect match to be put onto a release together. Through some cool old effects, throwback fun and sheer hilarity at some of the ridiculousness of both, those willing to take this adventure with Scream Factory should find themselves with some enjoyment. Continue reading ‘The House Where Evil Dwells / Ghost Warrior – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
December 28th, 2015 by Brian White
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but I beg to differ…at least in the world of entertainment. When we’re talking about Hollywood I can think of many second films in a franchise that are just as good as their predecessors with obvious examples being classics such as The Godfather Part II, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, Rocky II and many more. However, when you’re talking about serial television the list gets narrower for me like 24‘s second season, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena or Game of Thrones, etc. Television is a tricky arena to succeed because you don’t have two to three hours to wow your audience you have a whole ten plus hours to feed or bore your audience with programming. An odd commercial break or an uncomfortable cliffhanger can deter some ADD fans. Have a bad episode or two sandwiched between perfection and who knows how many viewers may have tuned out mid season not giving the latter half any candidacy. It gets even harder when you’re talking HBO’s True Detective. That first season was a masterpiece, a work of art. Did lightning strike twice for HBO in the second season of this anthology series? Find out down below in my Blu-ray review of True Detective: The Complete Second Season. Continue reading ‘True Detective: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray Review)’
December 28th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
The Why So Blu top Blu-rays of 2015 wheel has spun and landed on me. Once again, I’m honored to close this out and go last. 2015 was a game-changer year for me with Blu-ray personally. For years, my colleague Gerard has been nagging at me to get a region-free player. I would complain about awesome UK releases and such that would be locked and I couldn’t get them. He would have such sage words of advice like “If you’re complaining and not going region-free, then you’re part of the problem.” Or “You know a solution to this, its nobody’s fault but your own.” So, for my birthday (and to start the year, its in January) my amazing wife got me a region-free mod’ed player. Life has not been the same since. It unlocked a whole new crazy world of awesome editions and more independent distributors. My wallet has also shrunk in size too, haha. If you’re a film fan or collector, I highly recommend doing this. With this new aspect and more releases coming my way, I’m expanding my list of 20 to 25 this year. Most of all, thanks to Gerard for getting me to go region-free. Continue reading ‘Brandon’s Best Blu-rays Of 2015 Across The Globe!’
December 24th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Wow, so it’s already that time of year again when some of the Why So Blu? writing crew get together and compile their Top Blu-ray lists of the year. Generally, it’s a “Top-10” list but as you can see I have omitted the “10” part, because there were tons of new releases, that while not necessarily being good films, their Blu-ray counterpart was exceptional. That, and I may go over ten, so being non-specific helps. If you want to know what my Top films of 2015 are in general then you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for that list to drop. This is strictly a top Blu-ray list – whether the film sucked or not – how was the Blu-ray? Keep reading and find out!
Continue reading ‘Gerard’s Top Blu-rays of 2015!’
December 23rd, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
I have gone and done it again with this Blu-ray list. Much like last year, I have decided to tackle every aspect of what I enjoyed about this year in Blu-ray. This best-of list consists of what I consider to be the best 2015 had to offer for the Blu-ray format, with a few rules to go with it. Much like the previous years, I have to have actually watched the movie on Blu-Ray, recognize the quality of the video and audio transfers, delved into the special features, and attempt to keep off any film that may also be on my “Top 10 Films of the Year” list in the final top ten for Blu-rays. I followed these rules for the sake of keeping my list interesting, along with creating some extra sections to provide even more highlights of the year, so here we go:
Continue reading ‘Super-Sized Top Ten: Aaron’s Killer Blu-ray Picks For 2015’
December 22nd, 2015 by Brian White
Like last year, I really didn’t acquire as many Blu-ray titles in 2015 as I typically do in a 12-month calendar. Also like last year, there are Blu-ray titles that I reviewed personally and held onto, but the others made their way into my collection when they were either priced exceptionally well (most recently this Ultimate James Bond Collection here) or “Day 1” titles that I just couldn’t live without (Marvel titles Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man for instance come to mind). So once again, for this year’s TOP 10 list, I’m gonna make things super simple with the following three criteria. The below mentioned Blu-ray titles, whether they be films or television series, were all released on Blu-ray in the calendar year of 2015 and are all in my personal collection, but for one reason or another whether it be replay value, presentation, packaging or whatnot, they are my favorite Blu-rays of 2015. Ready to get started? I am! Continue reading ‘Brian White’s Top 10 Most Treasured Blu-rays Released In 2015′
December 21st, 2015 by Brian White
I can’t tell you how much I used to look forward to Friday nights growing up in my late teens and early twenties. It wasn’t for the partying, drinking and dates, but instead it was the night that the newest episode of The X-Files would premiere on primetime television (at least for the first four seasons). I use to record them live on VHS and try my best to also edit out all the commercial breaks (utilizing the pause button) so I could watch them over and over. So that’s my sad life, but seriously…the truth is really out there…and now it can be found in its entirety as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment exposes the complete world of The X-Files on Blu-ray for the very first time – just ahead of the series reemerging on Sunday, January 24, 2016. Just an FYI…The X-Files – The Collector’s Set also features a slot for this upcoming six-episode event series. It was released on December 8th, and basically gave us fans the chance to own a piece of television history and one of the year’s must-have giftset collections. However, you can also purchase each season individually on Blu-ray too. So now that you know the pertinent 411 and my sad young adulthood, let’s check out this HUGE Blu-ray set in more detail down below. We have a lot of ground to cover. Continue reading ‘The X-Files – The Collector’s Set (Blu-ray Review)’
December 21st, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
Experience an incredible true story that rocked the world of television journalism when TRUTH premieres on Digital Jan. 26 and Blu-ray™ and DVD Feb. 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Directed and written by James Vanderbilt (writer Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), TRUTH is based on award-winning TV producer Mary Mapes’ memoir, Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power, which chronicles the story of Dan Rather (Robert Redford) and Mary Mapes’ (Cate Blanchett) investigation into a sitting President’s military service. But when doubts arise, sources change their stories and accusations fly, their story becomes one of network news’ biggest scandals. The TRUTH bonus features further illuminate the events and issues that sent shockwaves through the journalistic community. Exclusive to the Blu-ray are deleted scenes and a featurette, “The Reason for Being,” with Dan Rather, Mary Mapes, Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett discussing the real events upon which the story was based and the important questions the film raises about journalism, political influence and the meaning of truth. Included on both the Blu-ray and DVD is a special featurette, “The Team,” where the A-list cast and filmmakers discuss the journey of bringing the film to the screen; a Q&A with Cate Blanchett, Elisabeth Moss and James Vanderbilt; and a Commentary with James Vanderbilt and producers Brad Fischer and William Sherak.
Continue reading ‘Can You Handle The ‘Truth’ on Blu-ray & DVD February 2nd?’
December 18th, 2015 by Brian White
I promised myself I wasn’t going to do this. Since Austin did not screen Star Wars: The Force Awakens for us prior to its release like glorious Los Angeles did for all my friends out there I told myself no way was I going to write a movie review for free about a film entry in one of my favorite all-time movie franchises. However, how else are you supposed to kill another three hours in line waiting to see this film for a second time within 12 hours in IMAX yet again? I know that’s a rhetorical question and I could be spending my time doing many other things, but why the hell not, right? Again, that is strictly rhetorical. Haha. Let me get my groove back like Stella once did and get busy down below. We have a space opera, thirty years in the making, to discuss. Continue reading ‘A New & Familiar Adventure In A Galaxy Far Far Away…’
December 18th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Hang on to your barf bags, buckle up, and get ready for the genre ride of the year when Scream Factory, in conjunction with IFC Midnight, releases the horror thriller Contracted: Phase 2 on January 12th, 2016. Picking up immediately after the events of the first film, Contracted: Phase 2 follows Riley (Matt Mercer – Contracted), now infected and running out of time, as he attempts to find out more about the virus and its mysterious host. Starring Matt Mercer, Peter Cilella, Marianna Palka, Morgan Peter Brown, Laurel Vail, Alice Macdonald, Anna Lore and Suzanne Voss, Contracted: Phase 2 is a must-see for fans of the body horror genre.
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December 18th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
From the tropical beaches of Thailand to the towering peaks of the Swiss Alps, the fourth and final season of the high-octane Cinemax hit Strike Back is back with a vengeance! Available to own on Blu-ray and DVD March 1, 2016, Strike Back: Cinemax Season 4 brings the story of Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), Damien Scott (Sullivan Stapleton) and their anti-terrorist comrades to a close as they face their most dangerous assignment yet: a network of international terrorists threatening global violence.
Continue reading ‘‘Strike Back: Cinemax Season 4’ on Blu-ray & DVD March 1′
December 16th, 2015 by Blu-ray Brian
Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company are proud to announce the home entertainment release of the delectable “four star feast” (Pete Hammond, Deadline) Burnt starring the “strong ensemble cast” (Philippa Hawker, The Sydney Morning Herald) Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper, Upcoming: Joy) Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Omar Sy (Jurassic World, The Intouchables), Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds, Rush), Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina), Matthew Rhys ( TV’s “Brothers & Sisters”, TV’s “The Americans”), Lily James (Cinderella, TV’s “Downton Abbey”) with Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Playing for Keeps), and Emma Thompson (Men, Women and Children, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually). Continue reading ‘Burnt Heats Up On The Blu-ray Format This January’
December 16th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse. A sexy new thriller from director Eli Roth, Knock Knock stars Keanu Reeves as the family man who falls into temptation and Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas as the seductresses who wreak havoc upon his life, turning a married man’s dark fantasy into his worst nightmare. Continue reading ‘Knock Knock (Blu-ray Review)’
December 15th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
In 1992, Marvel Comics was the #1 publisher of comic books in the world, largely due to its dynamic artwork. At the height of this popularity, in response to what they believed to be years of mistreatment toward creative talent, a small – but influential – group of artists left Marvel Comics to form their own company, Image Comics. Led by the outspoken Todd McFarlane (Spawn), this group kicked off a revolution that not only changed the comic industry forever, but has had an indelible influence on mainstream pop culture that continues to this day. But with great power came great turmoil, as Rob Liefeld (Deadpool), Jim Lee (X-Men), Marc Silvestri (Wolverine), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Whilce Portacio (X-Factor) and Jim Valentino (Guardians Of The Galaxy) almost immediately began to unravel the very bond that united them. Continue reading ‘The Image Revolution (DVD Review)’
December 15th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
This epic adventure follows a young Marco Polo, who finds himself in the court of the great Kublai Khan and must navigate a world of greed, betrayal and sexual intrigue as the Mongol leader wages a bloody campaign to become Emperor of the World. Re-creating the legendary explorer’s 13th century exploits in the Far East, this historical drama chronicles the intrigues, duplicity and greed running rampant in the court of the Mongolian ruler Khan. Continue reading ‘Marco Polo: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)’
