Archive Page 53
January 3rd, 2022 by Brandon Peters
For a few years now, Scream Factory has become the premiere spot for cranking out the Hammer Horror catalog onto Blu-ay. Long releasing at miniscule efforts, since they’ve stepped in, both the quantity and quality of what is coming from the history of one of horror’s most legendary studios has been a relief and a joy to collect. Its even inspired other smaller distributors and studios to up their game, seeing as (duh) its a brand and catalog collector’s are wanting. Though much prior to this, and during their first year of existence, The Vampire Lovers (correct me if I’m wrong) was the first Hammer title put out by the distributor. They are now revisiting it with not only brand new featurettes and a commentary, but a 4K scan of the original negative to boot. Having done Lust for a Vampire in a Collector’s Edition recently, this now has 2/3 of the Karnstein trilogy under the Scream Factory banner. This title released on December 21st and you can order it using the paid Amazon Associates link below. There is a replacement disc program available for this release, I have provided details and a link below.
Continue reading ‘The Vampire Lovers – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
January 3rd, 2022 by Aaron Neuwirth
Time for another look at the rest of the year from the top of it. I’ve assembled my annual list of Most Anticipated Films for 2022. I find it’s always exciting to look ahead at the films set to arrive this year. It’s also a relief to be more or less back on track and not have to deal with too many more leftovers, as far as films that were delayed because of the pandemic (although there are still a few). With that in mind, I’m also well aware some movies aren’t even on my radar yet. However, I’m still plenty happy to see all of the current potential and narrow it down to some interesting or fun-looking titles. The following is a month-by-month look at what movies I am looking forward to seeing this year (links for trailers where available). Feel free to name the films you are all looking forward to in the comments.
Continue reading ‘Aaron’s Most Anticipated Films of 2022 – A Month By Month Look’
December 31st, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
In The Dry, Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his home town after an absence of over twenty years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life — a victim of the madness that has ravaged this community after more than a decade of drought. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens up an old wound — the death of 17 year old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected. As he struggles to prove not only Luke’s innocence but also his own, Falk finds himself pitted against the prejudice towards him and pent up rage of a terrified community. The Dry is released on Blu-ray January 18, 2022! Continue reading ‘The Dry (Blu-ray Review)’
December 31st, 2021 by Peter Paras
2021, amirite? We’re now over a year into the current generation of consoles, yet being able to actually purchase a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X/S is still nigh impossible. Proving what we already knew: scalper bots are truly the worst. The shortage of chips and other factors have made the supply fall far short of demand. Fortunately, many of the year’s best were playable on the older PS4s and Xbox Ones too. Meanwhile, Nintendo released an OLED version of their Switch alongside the first Metroid in years. The year in games saw plenty of highs, although nothing hit the masterpiece level of 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2. Instead, 2021 spread the love with different kinds of experiences: an incredible shooter that heralded the return of Master Chief, a colorful Pixar-level tale featuring not one but two Lombaxes, and plenty of abominations courtesy of the Umbrella Corporation.
Continue reading ‘Peter’s Tremendous Top Ten Video Games of 2021′
December 30th, 2021 by Brandon Peters
While the tentpoles and franchises are our given multimedia events of every filmgoing year, Wes Anderson is certainly one for the indies or cinephile market. For myself, he’s a clear my schedule and get to his latest film immediately kind of director. And in 2021, it felt like I was loaded with directors fitting that bill. The French Dispatch was a film delayed from last year, though proved well worth the wait. It came out in the very fabled and totally loaded month of October and seemed to not do his typically gangbusters per theater numbers. Perhaps his is of the audience not quite comfortable returning to the big screens yet. Nonetheless, its now on home video to check out as the Blu-ray was released on December 28th. Unfortunately there is jack squat in terms of bonus features, though the movie IS strong enough to warrant purchase on its own. You can order yourself a copy by using the paid Amazon Associates link below.
Continue reading ‘The French Dispatch (Blu-ray Review)’
December 30th, 2021 by Adam Toroni-Byrne
I must start this year’s top ten list off by radiating my excitement about this particular list. I have been lucky enough to write for Whysoblu for approaching 3 years now. I have written reviews, top ten lists, and published PR too. I have loved all the work I’ve been able to do – even when the movies haven’t been great. The fun of this list for me, and what makes me so excited is that I’ve finally seen enough movies to make a year-end list, and it’s been a blast being able to take in so many varied movies… The good, the bad, and the ugly…
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Continue reading ‘Adam’s Super Smooth Top Ten Films of 2021!’
December 29th, 2021 by Brandon Peters
Last week was the favorite physical media I had to weed down to a short list, this week its the actual films of 2021 to which I must choose a mere 10. As is true in any year, its hard as hell to crack this thing down to 20-30, let alone 10. But, that’s the sort of “fun stress” we film writers/reviewers tend to enjoy putting ourselves through. This year seemed super loaded with filmmakers I admire and adore and it pained me to cut some of them from this list. At the end of the day, there were films I just found I want to watch more and others that surprised me or took me for a wild and unique journey, while some just kind of did their thing (very) well. My final cut that didn’t make the list might end up being one I revisit or think about more than some of these on here. I’m pretty certain there’s a few here I like more than most and are probably on the other end of the spectrum and despised by people. But here, on this day, this 29th day of December at the end of the year, this is how I have felt in this moment, in this capsule. Continue reading ‘Brandon’s Sensational Top 10 List of His Favorite 2021 Films’
December 28th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
This epic fantasy tale, about the history of a land that never was, begins when an ambitious young man steals forbidden knowledge from a sacred plant. He falls to its darker temptations and in so doing, unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. As his power grows over the years, it falls to people of different ilk and culture to attempt to stop him. Among those who stand against him are a daring tomb-robber, star-crossed lovers, a maniacal necromancer, winged assassins, and an undying guardian. The Spine of the Night is released on 4K UHD Blu-ray February 1, 2022! Continue reading ‘‘The Spine of the Night’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray February 1, 2022!’
December 28th, 2021 by Aaron Neuwirth
In Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit, Old), an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma, “The Queen’s Gambit”). But the glamour is not all it appears to be, and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker. From the acclaimed director of fan-favorites such as Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End comes the “mesmerizing and ultra-stylish” (US Weekly) tribute to 1960s London, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, available to own for the first time on Digital January 4, 2022, and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, and DVD January 18, 2022, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Continue reading ‘Prepare For A Time Warp, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is Available on 4K UHD on 1/18’
December 28th, 2021 by Brian White
I feel like a broken record spewing the same sob story every year, but in calendar year 2021 I saw the least amount of movies ever in recent memories. It was definitely a weird year. COVID-19 still had impacts on box office releases, but that didn’t stop new movies from rolling in on other digital platforms. Streaming juggernauts like HBO Max swung for the fences with same day Warner Bros. releases, Apple had plenty of representations and even Peacock got in on the action with the new Halloween movie. So there were plenty of ways to ingest new film releases, but I opted to focus on experiencing life for a change of pace. And what a rocket ride that was, but I digress. I actually do have a Top Ten list of favorite 2021 flicks so I want to turn my focus there, but before I do… Continue reading ‘Brian’s Sensual Top 10 List of His Favorite 2021 Films’
December 27th, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
In SUPERHOST, Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called “SUPERHOST” where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn’t right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn’t just want a great review, she wants something far worse. Superhost is released on Blu-ray February 1, 2022!
Continue reading ‘‘Superhost’ on Blu-ray February 1, 2022!’
December 27th, 2021 by Gregg Senko
2022?! But we just started 2021! Yes, time does seem to be flying by awfully quick these days, but I’ll take it considering the further we move ahead, the more we can eventually put Covid-19 in the rear view. Speaking of which, before we get to the films on the list, can we just look at how much better things are right now than they were twelve months ago? Yes, I’m aware numbers are spiking, but the things we can do in society today that we couldn’t a year ago is quite the positive upswing. In over a decade of writing for Why So Blu, last year was the first time my Top 10 list was shrunk to a mere five films. This was of course due to the tremendous lack of new releases combined with the closures of cinemas across the country. But, here we are.
We persevered and leapt over another covid hurdle. Theaters are bustling and streaming is more like a tsunami when it comes to new, big budget films. Productions like Netflix exclusives The Harder They Fall and Red Notice are just a few of the streaming-specific movies that completed a list of what to watch in 2021. While I did not get to see The Last Duel or Nightmare Alley, and this list was due before The King’s Man is to be released, I am feeling rather confident about the placement laid out here before you.
Continue reading ‘Gregg’s Best and Worst Films of 2021′
December 23rd, 2021 by Gerard Iribe
Culver City, California (December 22, 2021) – Equipped with remastered visuals and remixed audio, the iconic 1988 film AKIRA reemerges on 4K UHD Blu-ray on January 18, 2022 from Funimation. The crown jewel of anime and science fiction will be accompanied by insightful behind the scenes special features, including an interview with director Katsuhiro Otomo, a look into the sound design and music by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, image galleries, original trailers and commercials, storyboards, and more!
Continue reading ‘‘Akira’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray January 18, 2022!’
December 23rd, 2021 by Brandon Peters
The year comes to a close in a matter of days, so that means its time break out the obligatory end of year/best of/top 10 of things from 2021. This year saw a nice surge in titles coming to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, ending the year with Criterion FINALLY getting on board and getting involved in a big way to launch. Up front, time has not been something I’ve had much of in the past few weeks, so I’ll be delivering both my Top 10 standard Blu-ray list and my Top 10 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray lists via my 4K BLUsday method – on video! For those who like to read, As much as I appreciate your love of the typed word, my digits didn’t have it in them this year for that. I’ll provide you a cheat sheet below the video, but if you watch the video you’ll receive my reasoning for each choice. Thanks, as always, for indulging me!
. Continue reading ‘BRANDON’S Top 10 Blu-ray And Top 10 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray For 2021!’
December 22nd, 2021 by Aaron Neuwirth
“I think I’ve figured out how to shrink this thing down.” What a foolish thing I told myself, once again… This is the first full year I’ve had to enjoy not only new Blu-ray releases but 4K UHD discs as well. Having all the modern format options like my fellow Why So Blu writers (in addition to a region-free player) has allowed me the optimal viewing experience to go along with these excellent releases. As usual (see: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), this list has a key rule – I have to have gone through the disc as far as assessing the audio and video quality, along with the special features available. There are releases that I’m sure are terrific, but I just haven’t had the time to watch everything (I mainly focused on the ones I knew would satisfy the most). With that said, I have plenty of bonus sections as well. So, here we go!
Continue reading ‘Super-Sized Top Ten: Aaron’s Exceptional 4K & Blu-ray Picks For 2021′
December 21st, 2021 by Peter Paras
Time to dive back into the machine world, as The Matrix Resurrections opens this weekend in theaters and on HBO Max (for 31 days). Two decades after computer programmer Thomas Anderson followed the white rabbit, solo director Lana Wachowski (Lilly is not involved) and several key members of the original cast have returned. They’re older, wiser, and still quite knowledgeable of kung fu. Shot during COVID, this is the last major film of the year from Warner Bros. Keanu Reeves is sporting his John Wick look, but can he still do his Superman thing? How will newcomers like Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, and Jonathan Groff fare in the virtual world of green ones and zeros? Surely, Carrie-Anne Moss can still outrace any agent on her Ducati, right? One thing’s for sure: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II certainly looks like the best Morpheus cosplayer ever.
Continue reading ‘‘The Matrix’ Gets A Firmware Update in ‘Resurrections’ (Movie Review)’
December 21st, 2021 by Aaron Neuwirth
There was always going to be a tricky line to walk with The Many Saints of Newark. Making a prequel film to The Sopranos, one of the most acclaimed TV series of all time, means trying to show an audience something that feels familiar yet new. Fortunately, creator David Chase is smart enough to put together a story that contains some of the standard mob movie beats expected by an audience while finding ways to bring out the internal drama in these characters. As a result, The Many Saints of Newark is not without many clear references to be picked up on by fans, but it still serves as a distinct cinematic take on some of TV’s most notorious gangsters.
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Continue reading ‘The Many Saints of Newark (Blu-ray Review)’
December 21st, 2021 by Brian White
The Matrix Resurrections is obviously a movie that never had to be made, but I digress. I am happy it was. Not many trailers ever give me goosebumps, but Matrix Resurrections did. It’s odd too as I’m not even a huge Matrix fan. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t respect how integral the features are as one of the greatest science fiction trilogies. If you don’t believe me, then check out my 4K review of the trilogy HERE. The proof is all there in the pudding so to speak! Regardless of anything I just said to fill this paragraph space we have a fourth Matrix movie to behold and fall in love with. They said it couldn’t be done, but alas it has. And I’m here to walk you through (spoiler free of course) everything The Matrix Resurrections. So let’s take that red pill and get this party started. Continue reading ‘‘The Matrix Resurrections’ – Take The Blue Pill! (Movie Review)’
