Say His Name! CANDYMAN is Available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray on 11/16
Dare to say his name. Oscar-winner Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) and director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Disney’s upcoming film The Marvels) expand on the infamous Candyman legacy with “a new horror classic” (FOX TV) that is “smart, stylish, and scary as hell” (Danielle Ryan, /FILM). Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 84%, Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s (MGM) CANDYMAN is back and yours to own on Digital November 2, 2021, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD November 16, 2021, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All versions come packed with over an hour of bonus features including a never-before-seen alternate ending, deleted and extended scenes as well as special featurettes taking viewers behind-the-scenes of the film and deeper into this complex and deeply resonant contemporary take on the bone-chilling urban legend.
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It has been rather nice to see M. Night Shyamalan come back into the fold and shake the stigma of him being a has-been filmmaker. Having some well reviewed hits will tend to do that. Moving on from his Unbreakable series, he now sets sights for where his career can now go. First stop is Old, about a magic beach that rapidly ages people. The film was a rather solid hit at the box office this past summer. This high concept horror tale arrived on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray back on October 19th. It comes with an Atmos track and a nice collection of featurettes and deleted scenes. You can order yourself a copy of the film by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review. It also helps out the site.
Finally, the OGs of cinematic horror, the Universal Classic Monsters, are seeing their time in the…moonlight…for the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format. The original outings of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monsters, the Invisible Man and the Wolf Man arrived in the Icons Of Horror Collection on October 5th. Typically they’ve unleashed a bigger set for their debut, holding out on The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Phantom of the Opera and The Creature From the Black Lagoon this time out. Hopefully they are still to come. But, the good news is Spanish Dracula snuck its way on here AND its in 4K Ultra-HD. So this set may boast 4 movies, but in reality it is 5. All previous bonus features are carried over and found on the 4K discs. If you find this review skimpy, its because I’ve covered the monsters plenty before in my writings. If you’re wanting some more detailed stuff you can find it on Why So Blu or my old blog Naptown Nerd. You can order yourself a copy of this set using the paid Amazon Associates link below.
So the curtain may be closed for this year’s Los Angeles based 
Dune, the much-anticipated epic, based on Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel, opens this weekend on the biggest (and smallest) screens in North America. As director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) has stated in interviews, anyone eager to drink in the vast desert vistas of the planet Arrakis, IMAX is the intended viewing experience. For those less inclined to venture out to theaters just yet, one hopes they at least have a big 4K TV to stream such a ginormous film on HBO Max. The all-star cast includes Timothy Chalamet, Oscar Issac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and even Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, just to name a few. If you’re thinking, “HBO? Why isn’t this a series in the vein of Game of Thrones instead of a movie?” Well, for starters, I’d wager signing on the aforementioned cast of A-listers for several seasons of a series would not have been possible. But the real reason? This is big screen entertainment the likes of which Hollywood hasn’t attempted since arguably, Warner Bros’ own The Lord of the Rings trilogy two decades ago. Yes, I love the MCU like everyone else on planet Caladan… I mean Earth, but those movies aren’t even close to the scale of this project. Breathtaking set pieces, political intrigue, and the biggest space worms ever await on Arrakis, Dune, the desert planet… 
Experience an uplifting and poignant story of redemption when “Cry Macho” arrives for Premium Digital Ownership at home on November 5. The film is directed by Oscar winner Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Gran Torino”) from a screenplay by Nick Schenk and N. Richard Nash, based on the novel by Nash, and stars Eastwood, newcomer Eduardo Minett, Natalia Traven (“Collateral Damage,” TV’s “Soulmates”) and Dwight Yoakam (“Logan Lucky,” “Sling Blade”). The film will also be available on 4K, Blu ray and DVD beginning on December 7. 2021 marks the 50th year of Eastwood’s partnership with Warner Bros. (“Dirty Harry”). The film was produced by Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy, Tim Moore and Jessica Meier, with David M. Bernstein executive producing. The film also stars Fernanda Urrejola (“Blue Miracle,” TV’s “Narcos: Mexico”) and Horacio Garcia-Rojas (TV’s “Narcos: Mexico,” TV’s “La querida del Centauro”). 
This January, the Criterion Collection is ringing in the New Year with major works by three fiercely imaginative women filmmakers: The Piano, Jane Campion’s sensual tale of a woman’s inner awakening, now in 4K UHD; Dick Johnson is Dead, Kirsten Johnson’s inventive, deeply moving love letter to her father; and Time, Garrett Bradley’s poetic look at one family and the devastating toll of mass incarceration. Plus: Thomas Vinterberg’s lacerating chamber drama The Celebration, which launched the Dogme 95 movement, and the 4K UHD release of A Hard Day’s Night, Richard Lester’s wildly entertaining Beatles showcase.
For those unaware, another episode of the 
Halloween Kills, the 12th entry in a series that began in 1978, is finally opening in theaters and on Peacock after a now de-facto COVID-19 delay. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode for this second entry of a new trilogy from Blumhouse and Universal Pictures. The final installment, Halloween Ends, is set for release in October 2022. Following 2018’s aptly titled Halloween, David Gordon Green returns for his second at-bat as director. The iconic slasher series had been dormant for nearly a decade before Green and co-writer Danny McBride took a stab with a fresh take that raked in an impressive $255 million worldwide. A sequel was inevitable. However, the question of whether a planned trilogy could fare better than the “let’s just make another” motto that many slasher movies often fall victim to was up for grabs. The premise for the middle installment is a big swing. With that said, it’s time once again to return to Haddonfield…
Discover terrifying realities when “Malignant” arrives for Premium Digital Ownership at home on October 22. Director James Wan (“The Conjuring,” “Aquaman,” “Furious 7”) returns to his roots with this original horror thriller. The film is also from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (“M3GAN,” TV’s “Luke Cage”), story by Wan, Ingrid Bisu and Cooper, and stars Annabelle Wallis (“Annabelle,” “The Mummy”), Maddie Hasson (TV’s “Impulse,” TV’s “Mr. Mercedes”) and George Young (TV’s “Containment”). The film will also be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning on November 30. The film was produced by Wan and Michael Clear, with Eric McLeod, Judson Scott, Bisu, Peter Luo, Cheng Yang, Mandy Yu and Lei Han executive producing. The film also stars Michole Briana White (TV’s “Black Mafia Family,” “Dead to Me”), Jacqueline McKenzie (“Palm Beach,” TV’s “Reckoning”), Jake Abel (TV’s “Supernatural,” the “Percy Jackson” films) and Ingrid Bisu (“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “The Nun”). 
Tis the season! October brings about more than just a slew of purple and orange decorations or the numerous Spirit Halloweens that temporarily occupy vacated buildings. It’s also that time of year when horror films hit the big screen and mini-series fill our televisions. Such has been the case on Netflix, especially since 2018 when The Haunting of Hill House made its debut. For this unfamiliar, the ten-episode series was the first of now three ‘season’ production. Similar to American Horror Story, each season is disconnected from the previous in story, though you’ll find a lot of the same actors recast in new roles. Two of those thespians that have appeared in all three shows include Henry Thomas (E.T.) and Kate Siegel (Hush).
I’m probably not at all alone in this, but I was quite surprised by Escape Room a few years back. A film based on a real life recreation that feels like the film series Saw had inspired was an odd sort of “coming full circle” bit of parody. However, the movie itself provided a lot of B-movie type fun and was an enjoyable fare. So when Escape Room: Tournament of Champions was announced, I said “Bring it on”. Especially with that ridiculous title AND that the trailer featured an equally silly title drop line in it. This next chapter in the series will be coming to Blu-ray on October 5th and features two cuts of the film. There will be a nice little array of bonus features to plop on to the disc as well. If you see yourself a champion of tournaments, and escaping rooms enthusiast, perhaps you’ll pre-order a copy of the film from the paid Amazon Associates link at the bottom of this review. Its not too hard to escape once you click.
One of the year’s finest films, The Green Knight is making its way on to the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format, to hopefully continue build audience on this nifty little Arthurian tale. Regardless of whether you liked it or didn’t, its certainly one of the most interesting films of 2021 to check out that got a wider, more mainstream release in the the theater. The Dev Patel film comes with an Atmos track and a nice handful of featurettes to round out the release. Lionsgate is putting out the A24 film as per usual, and you’ll be able to have it to own on October 12th. Preorder links are already live, and you are very welcome to use the paid Amazon Associates link that follows this review at the bottom of the page.
