The latest entertainment news and reviews in 4K UHD, Blu-ray, movies and more…
A small yet potent comic book publisher, Vault Comics made its industry debut in 2016 and prides itself on publishing “original, creator-owner science fiction and fantasy comics” as mentioned on the company’s website. Vault has an already impressive array of titles which continues to grow. One of the more recent of those is an ongoing series titled Shadow Service.
LOS ANGELES (September 2, 2020) – RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, will release THE TAX COLLECTOR on October 6, 2020 on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook. Written and directed by David Ayer (Fury, Suicide Squad), the action/thriller stars Bobby Soto (The Quarry, A Better Life), Cinthya Carmona (A Dark Foe), George Lopez (River Runs Red) and Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy, Fury). RLJE Films will release THE TAX COLLECTOR on DVD for an SRP of $29.96, on Blu-ray for an SRP of 29.97 and on UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook exclusively at Best Buy for an SRP of $35.97. In THE TAX COLLECTOR, David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family. Continue reading ‘‘The Tax Collector’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray October 6!’
One of the most iconic Japanese kaiju, Mothra has appeared in over a dozen feature films. Presented here is her debut, a gloriously vibrant piece of filmmaking that forever changed how kaiju eiga would be produced in Japan. Following reports of human life on Infant Island, the supposedly deserted site of atomic bomb tests, an international expedition to the heavily-radiated island discovers a native tribe and tiny twin female fairies called “Shobijin” who guard a sacred egg. The overzealous expedition leader kidnaps the Shobijin to exhibit in a Tokyo stage show but soon they summon their protector, hatching the egg and releasing a giant caterpillar. When Mothra arrives in Japan and transforms into her final form, the nation and its people face their destruction. Psychedelically colorful, with an intelligent, benevolent protector as its lead kaiju, Mothra was radically different to every other monster movie that had come before it, and it remains a classic of the genre to this day. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Ishirō Honda’s Mothra on Blu-ray for the first time on home video in the UK. Continue reading ‘‘Mothra’ on Blu-ray November 16, 2020!’
Scream Factory has just announced the full list of exciting and shockingly extensive bonus features that will be included in the Friday the 13th Collection (Deluxe Edition), to be released on October 13th, 2020 (see full list below). In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the original and groundbreaking 1980 film Friday the 13th, the 16-disc set is the definitive Blu-ray™ collection of one of the most influential horror franchises ever created and includes all 12 original films from Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema.
Directed by Lars Damoiseaux (“Undercover”) who also co-wrote the script with Eveline Hagenbeek (Rokjesdag), YUMMY stars Maaike Neuville (“The Twelve”), Bart Hollanders (“Callboys”), Benjamin Ramon (Être), and Clara Cleymans (“Tegen de sterren op”). RLJE Films will release YUMMY on DVD for an SRP of $27.97 and Blu-ray for an SRP of $28.97. In YUMMY, while waiting for his girlfriend to come out of surgery, Michael stumbles upon a terrified young woman, gagged and strapped to an operating table; she is the result of an experimental rejuvenation treatment. Offering to help her escape, he removes her restraints but soon realizes he’s just unleashed a virus that will turn the entire hospital into bloodthirsty zombies…. 
2020 has been a very interesting time for the movie world. Home entertainment sales have gone up a bit, thanks to digital (unfortunately) and also DVD (even more unfortunately…). The most wonderful thing though is that 4K catalog titles are on the rise. We keep seeing a steady stream of announcements and box sets, making us 4K collectors salivate with all the new editions we can get lost in as the months go slowly on. The Goonies is no exception, and is in fact one of my favorite films, and one I’ve been anticipating on the format ever since we were blessed with it! **UPDATE (9/25/2020): My colleague and fearless website leader Brian White finally got a chance to take a look at The Goonies and he was kind enough to jot down his thoughts to include in this review. I thought it would be nice to have him share his thoughts and offer a differing opinion on the video quality to give a different view for those still on the fence about purchasing this release. When I have a moment to check out the disc again, I will go over it with a close watch to see if my opinion has changed, so be on the lookout for another update soon… As Brian says below, follow the red trail for more insights!
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Yes! Before you get too excited this is a 4K re-release in SteelBook. Now that I got that out of the way here’s the rest of the press release. A groundbreaking, action-packed comic book adaptation gets the 4K Ultra HD™ treatment when Kick-Ass arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) November 3 from Lionsgate. From acclaimed director Matthew Vaughn, the film features an all-star cast including Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson (2017, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Nocturnal Animals), Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (1995, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Leaving Las Vegas). Experience four times the resolution of full HD with the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, with a brand new SteelBook® illustrated by Tracie Ching, in celebration of its 10thAnniversary. Available in this absolutely stunning format, the Kick-Ass 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will include featurettes about the making of the film and its comic book origin, as well as an audio commentary by the director. Based on the comic book written by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr., screenplay by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, and directed by Matthew Vaughn. Continue reading ‘Kick-Ass Gets The 4K SteelBook Treatment!’
For the first time in its 37-year history, the Rambo series is coming home as a complete SteelBook set – with original art by some of today’s most celebrated illustrators! Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection arrives on 4K Ultra HD October 27 from Lionsgate. This definitive collector’s edition of the legendary series features five uniquely designed SteelBooks by celebrated artists Justin Erickson, Ken Taylor, Grzegorz Domaradzki, Vance Kelly, and John Guydo, housed in a custom SteelBook case. It’s a must-have for Rambo fans! Starring Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone (1976, Best Screenplay/Best Actor, Rocky; 2015, Best Actor, Creed), the collection features all five action-packed Rambo films including First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Rambo, and Rambo: Last Blood. Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection will be available on 4K Ultra HD. Continue reading ‘Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection Strikes 4K On October 27th’
Paramount Home Entertainment has dropped a nice surprise upon Blu-ray collectors and classic television fans; The Original Series of the legendary show Mission: Impossible will be dropping on Blu-ray for the first time on November 17th! We really don’t have much information to share aside from a release date, some art (That may or may not be the final art for the packaging) and that it will be…brace yourself…46 discs! Click on through to find out a tad more and pre-order using the paid Amazon Associates link.
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2020 has been a good year so far with the studios and the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray catalog titles debuting (Besides friggin’ Disney). As we continue to hear about streaming taking over and “RIP physical media”, I’m not seeing it just yet as we keep seeing awesome announcements. Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is one of those said announcements. Its been updated with a new transfer and an Atmos track. Unfortunately, its following the same ‘ol same o’l front when it comes to having some fruitful new bonus features for the film. Quite surprising, Beetlejuice has never had even a commentary or vintage interview/EPK featurette presented as a bonus feature. The Blu-ray disc in this set is the exact one that was release in 2008 and continually repurposed in the years since. Though that sucks, my mantra right now is to just be satisfied films are making the format jump at all with the future outlook not so positive. You can pre-order Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice for release on September 8th!
Continue reading ‘Beetlejuice (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
Supergirl‘s fifth season had the task of following and delivering on the elements put in to play following the show’s obvious peak season. Would it be able to deliver? Like the other seasons, this was shortened by Covid-19, but it was also challenged with having to be told with the massive Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event placed in the middle of the season. That behemoth proved a challenge across the board for the CW’s Arrowverse as it was obviously the focal point of attention for the year. Like the other Blu-ray releases for the previous television season’s CW Arrowverse shows, the full crossover is included here as a limited edition bonus disc, complete with every episode and bonus features. Supergirl itself contains the 19 finished episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel and that San Diego Comic Con featurette that appears on all releases. You can pre-order the season now to have it for it release date of September 8th.
Continue reading ‘Supergirl: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray Review)’
As mentioned many times prior in reviewing the title, DC Animated Universe is really where its at when it comes to some quality superhero material and comic book arc adaptations. Personally, their elseworlds and one-off tales are where I wish the feature films would play with our more familiar characters. Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the latest effort, finds a retelling of the man of steel’s origin story with not only some different details (Oh, hai Lobo) and introducing a newer animation style. Releasing on the 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray format, the combo pack set will contain bonus features both new and old to go along with some classic Superman: The Animated series episodes in tow. In addition to a regular edition there is a collector’s edition that contains a collectible figurine. You can pre-order now, using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review to ensure yourself a copy for when it arrives on September 8th.
Continue reading ‘Superman: Man Of Tomorrow (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
The mighty Shriekers are back. more terrifying and deadlier than ever in Tremors: Shrieker Island, the newest chapter of the long-running, fan-favorite Tremors franchise, premiering exclusively on Digital, Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on October 20, 2020 and streaming soon on Netflix from Universal 1440 Entertainment, the original content production arm of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Everyone’s favorite Graboid hunter, Michael Gross (“Family Ties,” “Suits”) reprises his iconic role as Burt Gummer along with Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory) as Burt’s potential protégé in this all-new thrilling and hilarious movie that brings wild new adventures and terrors to the team against the backdrop of a small island in the Tropics filled with magnificent beaches, crystal blue water and lush forests.
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While I’ve not heard much in the positive light regarding the musical re-imaging of 1983′ Valley Girl, I’m still curious to check the film out. Being a fan of both the original film and Jessica Rothe, I’m giving it an open-minded chance. And now I’ll be able to with the Blu-ray release of the film, set to arrive October 6th. Its been available digitally for a few months now, but you’ll be able to own a pristine Blu-ray presentation while also having a digital code, so its double the fun. Keep on readying for more details.
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CW’s The Flash continues to be the top show of the Arrowverse as well as on the network itself in both popularity and ratings. The show returns to Blu-ray boasting a “complete” sixth season, however as anyone knows that it isn’t quite as whole as it was supposed to be. Another one taken down early by COVID-19 precautions, the show was halted in the middle of production of its 20th episode and decided to finish the season on an underwhelming closure with the 19th installment. Its a shame, but they do what they have to do. In its latest Blu-ray, it features the normal deleted scenes, gag reel and San Diego Comic Con hub bub that gets spread across all the Arrowverse Blu-rays. And its original release, like the others, it comes with a disc featuring the complete Crisis On Infinite Earths cross over event. To boot, there is a noir version of an episode done in black and white as well. The Flash: The Complete Sixth Season is available now, available by order below on the paid Amazon Associates link.
Continue reading ‘The Flash: The Complete Sixth Season (Blu-ray Review)’
By now, a new Judd Apatow movie means a film working to balance humor with pathos, while pushing the limits of its story via a lengthy runtime. For a comedy, The King of Staten Island is most certainly another Apatow flick requiring the viewer to determine whether or not 2+ hours were essential. As it stands, however, while ‘Staten Island’ does take its time, there is a lot to like about this salt-of-the-earth city and the characters from this film who reside there. The film opened on VOD this past June and has now arrived on a packed Blu-ray full of extras, in addition to a terrific transfer.
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Continue reading ‘The King of Staten Island (Blu-ray Review)’
Waxworks (Das Wachsfigurenkabinett) was the final film Paul Leni directed in Germany before striking out for Hollywood, where he made such classic genre films as The Cat and the Canary, The Man Who Laughs, and The Last Warning. Its sophisticated medley of genres was in fact what inspired Universal s Carl Laemmle to invite Leni to come to Hollywood, as Laemmle was hoping to capitalize on the emerging comedy-horror craze of the 1920s. Stylistically, Waxworks was celebrated as a late example of German Expressionism. Its stylized sets (designed by Leni), fantastical costumes, chiaroscuro lighting, and startlingly bold performances are characteristic of that cinematic movement and contribute to the film’s lasting appeal. As the original German version of Waxworks) has not survived, this newly restored English edition – a joint effort by the Deutsche Kinemathek and Cineteca di Bologna, L Immagine Ritrovata (with funding from the German Commission for Culture and the Media) – is composed of vintage exports prints and additional film materials from archives around the world. The elements, including English intertitles, were scanned in 4K resolution and then restored in 2K. Presented by Flicker Alley and Eureka Entertainment in a Blu-ray/DVD dual-format edition, there is an option of two scores to accompany the film: a new piano score by Richard Siedhoff and a new instrumental score by Bernd Schultheis, Olav Lervik, and Jan Kohl, commissioned by ZDF/ARTE and performed by Ensemble Musikfabrik. Continue reading ‘‘Waxworks’ [Flicker Alley] on Blu-ray November 17!’
Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers is a classic horror story that takes a perfect Normal Rockwell town and turns it inside out. Brian Krause, Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks), and Alice Krige (Chariots of Fire) star in this terrifying tale of modern-day vampires who move from small town to small town to prey on virtuous young women. Imperceptibly inhuman to everyone except for felines, these vicious shape-shifters have their eyes on a new victim: Tanya (Amick), who has fallen for Charles, the new boy at her school. Making its debut on Blu-ray in the UK, Eureka Classics is proud to present Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers. Continue reading ‘‘Sleepwalkers’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray October 19!’
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