Here we are again, ladies and gentlemen. ANOTHER glorious post of Recent Blu-Ray Hauls. Now, in case you haven’t noticed, not everything that I’ve been picking up lately has been strictly Blu-Ray. There’s definitely some standard DVDs in there. As much as I love watching movies in high-def, sometimes paying upwards of 30 bucks for a single movie, especially if it has no special features, doesn’t make a lot of fiscal sense. DVD has been around for nearly a quarter of a century. Yet, when it comes to physical media, DVD are still the largest chunk of that market, whilst UHD 4K discs are the smallest. There are collectors out there who prefer to collect movies on the best-looking format possible, but those folks are not the majority. They are a specific kind of collector. Nothing wrong with that, but these guys tend to have the best possible home theater setup to show off their movies. Me? I’m more concerned about preservation regardless of picture/sound quality. But enough waffling. Y’all are here to see what I got this time around. It’s not as big of a haul as the last two, but there’s some decent stuff here.
Hardcore – Kino Lorber
This one’s my most recent buy. Hardcore is about a religious midwestern businessman who goes in search of his missing daughter, who disappeared on a church trip in Los Angeles. Played by the legendary George C. Scott, Jake VanDorn enters the seedy underworld of pornography and prostitution thinking that his daughter was kidnapped and forced into the industry. What he discovers will shake him to his core. I’m usually one for going in for the sleazy movies, but this one is surprisingly tame compared to the other 70s thrillers that I’ve seen. Still, it’s a gritty film. Scott puts in one of his best performances of his career, but the real highlight is his relationship to a part-time sex worker named Niki. It’s a pretty heavy-hitting movie about a man who gets in WAY over his head in a world that he really knows nothing about. They actually shot in real sex shops and porn theaters, and you can definitely tell that Scott himself was very uncomfortable in these places, so that made it all the more real. Only two commentaries and trailers on this disc. I was kind of expecting a little bit more.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 – Paramount Pictures
If I’m being perfectly honest, and there’s no reason to suspect that I’m not, the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard were completely forgettable. The idea of bringing back Patrick Steward as Jean-Luc Picard was a good one. The final adventure of the Next Generation crew was…less than stellar, shall we say, even though I enjoyed Nemesis. The problem was that the first two seasons of this new show was that it was far too violent and mean-spirited towards the main character, and they just didn’t work for me. Enter Terry Matalas for Season 3. This final season of Picard is one of the best seasons of Star Trek that I’ve ever seen. The entire crew of The Next Generation returns for this one final epic adventure and it knocks it out of the park. The acting is the best I’ve seen from some of these actors, specifically Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher and Jonathan Frakes as Captain Riker. Legacy characters like Seven of Nine(Jeri Ryan) are given their moments to shine. Todd Stashwick nearly steals the show as Captain Shaw of the USS Titan. Amanda Plummer is amazing as Vadic, this season’s villain. She’s scary. But the overall story of this season is amazing and emotional. It’s also incredibly satisfying. I think if you’re a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, this is a perfect send-off for that crew. There’s some really outstanding special features on these discs. Really good stuff.
The Last House on the Left(2009) – Universal Pictures
The Last House on the Left is one of those movies that’s definitely not for the faint of heart. This version is superior to the 1972 movie in nearly every way, but that doesn’t make it easier to sit through. I recently reviewed this film, so if you want more of my thoughts on the film, you can check it out here. This disc from Arrow Video comes with all new interviews with Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Wes Craven’s son Jonathan, and other cast and crew members. It’s also got a commentary and brand new introduction by the film’s director, Dennis Iliadis. The set also comes with the unrated version of the film. I prefer the theatrical cut, though. Still, it’s nice having options. It’s a fantastic horror thriller, but again, it’s not for the average fan.
The Flash – Warner Bros.
I realize that my opinion on The Flash was not overly favorable. There was a lot of stuff that I liked about it, but the way it was put together didn’t quite work. Well, having seen the film for a second time, and knowing where to set my expectations, it’s actually a really fun movie. I still wouldn’t put it in the pantheon of great comic book movies, but I’ll still watch this over Morbius any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Ignoring all the legal issues with Ezra Miller, they do a fantastic job in this movie, even as annoying alternate-Barry. But really, what most people are going to remember from this movie is Michael Keaton’s return as Batman and he’s fantastic. Also, Sasha Calle as Supergirl is AMAZING. I really hope she gets her own movie at some point. She deserves it. It’s been said that you only get one chance to make a good impression. The Flash didn’t make a good first impression, but I believe in second chances, and the second viewing of the film, I enjoyed it a lot more.
Holy smokes! I actually kept my haul to about four movies this time! It’s been a while since I’ve done that. Don’t worry, I won’t let it go to my head. Or maybe it already has. You’ll never know. Anyway, I hope y’all found it interesting and found something worth taking a look at. Until next time!