Night Of The Animated Dead (Blu-ray Review)
When Night of the Animated Dead was announced about a month ago, it rather took me by surprise. I had no idea this project existed, let alone was being worked on. George Romero’s legendary film has been remade a few times over the years to vary degrees of intrigue and success (I do like the Tom Savini directed HBO movie quite a bit). An animated take is an interesting spin if done right. The film boasts a casts of notables including horror queen Katharine Isabelle in a role as well as the likes of Josh Duhamel, Dule Hill and Jimmi Simpson. There’s a featurette on making it included in this release as well as a digital copy. Night of the Animated Dead will arrive on Blu-ray on October 5th, giving you plenty of time this Halloween season to add it to your roster of spooky movies to marathon through.
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Paramount Presents continues to do good on bringing out films that haven’t been on Blu-ray before in such exciting and classy fashion. And they bounce around all different eras, genres and decades in their historic catalog. While not the first time on Blu-ray, the United States is getting treated to its first release of Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown starring Kurt Russell. This rather loved cult film (though it was #1 opening weekend) arrives with a brand new 4K restoration of the film. There is also a nice list of new bonus features that include interviews (Jonathan Mostow, Kathleen Quinlan, Martha De Laurentis), an alternate opening and Kurt Russell on a commentary track. Its a very exciting package for this film to have, making the wait on it well worth it. The film arrived on Blu-ray on September 21st, and you may order it using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
One of the most demanded for Blu-ray horror films from the 1980s for many years has been 1982’s Alone in the Dark. Heck, it even made my Wishlist one year, and that was rather late as I’d been forgetting it since the first one I did 8 years ago. This early New Line Cinemas movie has been a cult favorite for many years, even receiving a special edition back in the DVD days. Luckily it has wound up in the caring hands at Scream Factory for its debut on the Blu-ray format. It features some new bonus material and the old stuff as well as new 2K transfer. Alone in the Dark was released back on September 14th, but there was a delay in the distribution facilities getting them out. This title wasn’t alone in that, as many have seen delays or late shipping in production. To grab yourself this wonderful horror collector’s item, use the paid Amazon Associates link below to secure yourself a copy!
For the past 4 years, Warner Bros has been gifting us one pristine restoration of a Stanley Kubrick film in the September/October frame. Staring with 2001: A Space Odyssey and movie through The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, we now arrive on 1971’s A Clockwork Orange. A film notable for making quite a statement, finding itself to be a controversial piece of cinema in response to its release, later becoming a staple of college dorm room posters and angsty teen imagery. With the pattern set of the 3 previous releases on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, it was a foregone conclusion that A Clockwork Orange would be this year’s. That makes it look very much like Eyes Wide Shut will be for 2022. A Clockwork Orange is out now, having released on September 21st. You can order yourself a copy from the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
Universal’s big-screen adaption of the Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen opened at this year’s Toronto International Film Fest earlier this month. The reception was mixed, to say the least. Then again, the studio’s last foray into song and dance was 2019’s disappointing Cats, so “mixed” is definitely a step up, right? The story concerns a teen who struggles with depression and anxiety (Ya know, THAT kind of musical). However, Ben Platt, who originated the role when it debuted off-Broadway in 2016, is now twenty-seven. Social media has tossed a fair amount of shade at the actor for being too old for the role in 2021. Sometimes advance buzz is exciting, other times less so. As someone who still watches CW teen shows starring actors in their twenties (and thirties!) Platt’s age is hardly a reason to toss out such an affecting albeit flawed production. As the performers take their places, let’s dive in…
Steve Martin’s warm, witty love letter to Los Angeles comes to Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S. Featuring new art and bonus features, L.A. Story arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) November 9 from Lionsgate. Golden Globe® nominee Steve Martin (1996, Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Father of the Bride Part II) stars as TV weatherman Harris Telemacher, who decides to follow his heart — and digital messages on freeway signs — on a quest for true love in the City of Angels. With an all-star cast that includes Golden Globe® nominee Victoria Tennant (1984, Best Supporting Actress — Television, The Winds of War), Academy Award® nominee Richard E. Grant (2019, Best Supporting Actor, Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Golden Globe® nominee Marliu Henner (1983, Best Supporting Actress — Television, “Taxi”), and Golden Globe® winner Sarah Jessica Parker (2004, Best Television Actress — Musical/Comedy, “Sex and the City”), L.A. Story will be available on Blu-ray™ + Digital November 9th! 
One of M. Night Shyamalan’s most beloved films, Unbreakable, turns twenty whole years old this year. A film that was quite a bit ahead of its time in bringing the comic book superhero into a more grounded nature, its interesting to see it in light of what came in the twenty years since release. To honor its age and legacy, Disney is giving the film a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray release. No new extras or audio, but the film’s picture is getting the boost. You’ll also be able to complete the trilogy to have it join the 4K releases of Split and Glass. You’ll eventually be able to order the film on Amazon at some point, and I may update this review with a paid Amazon Associates link, but right now there is no active or visible listing. Unbreakable arrives on the format September 21st.
In what seems like an incredibly perfect match, Shout! Factory will be releasing new digitally remastered versions of the first four films from the wonderful stop-motion animation studio, LAIKA. Those films include Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings. In addition to the new restorations, every release will feature new bonus features while carrying over the old ones. Also, a booklet is included inside the packaging. For today’s review, we’ll be taking a look at their fourth feature Kubo and the Two Strings, which found LAIKA taking aim at crafting something out of the samurai lore. ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings are the second wave of these LAIKA Blu-rays arriving from Shout! Factory on September 14th. The other two films were released back in August. You can land yourself a copy of Kubo and the Two Strings by clicking the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review. 
The Fast and Furious “saga” has been the best and biggest film franchise that isn’t Marvel. Working in its own world and continuity, eliciting spinoffs now even. F9: The Fast Saga was delayed last year only to become the surefire big movie of the summer this year when it finally dropped. It brought back fan favorite Sung Kang from the auto garage afterlife and swapped Dwayne Johnson for John Cena in terms of former wrestler turned actor star quality. You’ll be able to add the film to your collection when it jumps onto the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format, which includes a Director’s Cut of the film and some terrific extras. You can pre-order using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review below to ensure yourself a fine copy of this disc when it arrives September 21st.
Perhaps because I’m a little older and not hip to everything, I had no idea about @zola until I returned to theaters after being fully vaccinated. Spiral: From The Book Of Saw was my first film back and it had a trailer attached to it that caught my attention and stuck in my brain plenty after. I’m pretty sure @zola didn’t play near me, but I really wanted to see it. So when a review copy was offered my way, I quickly snatched it up. The Twitter/Reddit thread turned motion picture was released on Blu-ray on September 14th. It includes a commentary as well as deleted scenes and a making-of featurette. The film can be yours to own by using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.
This weekend, Searchlight Pictures’ dramatic adaptation of the similarly titled documentary from 2000, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, opens exclusively in theaters. The doc was narrated by RuPaul, while this film, at the very least, features a single lip sync for your life moment. It also sports a strong cast that includes Jessica Chastain as Tammy, Andrew Garfield as her husband Jim Bakker, and Vincent D’Onofrio in a smaller role as the larger-than-life Jerry Falwell. In their heyday, these three individuals were massively successful televangelists. Will that be enough to satisfy Tammy’s fans, especially in the LGBTQ community? Like 2017’s I, Tonya, director Michael Showalter is aiming for an empathetic look at Tammy Faye Bakker, a woman who might very well have been the lone advocate for the gay community during the AIDS crisis among the ultra right-winged Christians.
Film collectors rejoice! The long thought “dead format” of home physical media continues to grow and expand into the 4K era. 1995’s The Shawshank Redemption has been on many a fan’s wish list for the format since coming out in 2016. Was Andy Dufresne’s story worth the wait for glorious 4K? Did Warner continue its streak of great looking 4K discs? Releasing today (9/14/2021) in standard and steelbook forms, find out more about the film and it’s new disc below, and click the paid link at the end if you haven’t gotten your copy already!
A deadly assassin is out for vengeance in the “bold, brilliant and relentlessly bad-ass” (Mark S. Allen, ABC-TV) action thriller The Protégé, taking aim on Digital September 21, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand October 19 from Lionsgate. Headlined by OscarⓇ nominee Michael Keaton (2014, Actor in a Leading Role, Birdman; Spiderman: Homecoming,), Maggie Q (“Nikita,” Divergent) and OscarⓇ nominee Samuel L. Jackson (1994, Actor in a Supporting Role, Pulp Fiction; Avengers: Endgame), alongside Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), the “sharp and surprisingly intelligent” (Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post) film was written by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer franchise and The Expendables) and directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale and GoldenEye). 
Despite everyone’s huffing and gruffing and sharing disappointment over lifeless Disney retreads of their animated classics in live action form, they keep making money. So, until that stops, they’ll keep turning them out in a rather seasonal and scheduled fashion. I have to wonder if they’ll ever make it to Home On The Range or The Emperor’s New Groove. Cruella became the latest, taking the Maleficent route in focusing on the villain. Strange to say, but every once in a while, these things are gonna click and strike well (The Jungle Book). Lucky enough, the Emma Stone led film was just that. Now it arrives on physical media form after a run in theaters and Disney+ (Both premiere and regular access) on September 21st. At the time of this review, now Amazon pre-order links are available, but check back if you’d like to order from and support Why So Blu.
In the thrilling sequel to the breakout hit, DON’T BREATHE 2 reprises Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang), who has been hiding out for several years in an isolated cabin. He lives with a young girl and has recreated the family stolen from him by a drunk driver. Their quiet life together is shattered when a group of unseemly criminals kidnaps her and forces Norman to tap into even darker and more creative instincts in an effort to save her.
