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THE EPITAPH VOL. 76 - SEVEN OBITS EDITION!
THE 355 (2020) - GOOD BURGER 2 (2024) - WITNESS (1985) - HEROES: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (2006-2015) - COCKTAIL HOUR (1933) - AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023) - THE COLOR PURPLE (2023)
THE 355 (2020)4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
Label: UPHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 122 Minutes 35 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: HDR10 2160p UHD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Simon Kinberg
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o, Edgar Ramirez, Sebastian Stan
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Bingbing Fan, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o, Edgar Ramirez, Sebastian Stan
In this female-led actioner a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason "Mace" Brown (Jessica Chastain, It: Chapter Two) is sent to Paris with her longtime partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) to retrieve it but he is killed. Afterward Mace joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong'o, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penelope Cruz, Vanilla Sky) on a mission to retrieve it and get revenge on Nick's killer. A globe-trotting spy-thriller that is very much along the lines of Mission: Impossible or Bond, star-studded and chock full of gorgeous spy-women, attractive locations and cool set-pieces with some solidly executed action. I've seen this get savaged by the critics, but I had a great time with it. I wouldn't say it was an action classic but it's a heck of a popcorn muncher, but coming from someone who considers Action U.S.A. an action classic you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt. The UHD presentation is quite splendid, we get an explosively robust Atmos track and a crisp, razor-sharp HDR10 enhanced transfer that is simply stunning. It also carries over all the extras from the previous Blu-ray release and includes a Blu-ray counterpart and digital copy.
Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes (6:20)
- Chasing Through Paris (4:58)
- Action That Hurts (5:27)
- Reconstructing Marrakesh (5:34)
- Chaos at the City of Dreams (3:51)
- VFX Breakdowns (4:57)
Purchase:
Physical Media Land:
https://www.physicalmedialand.com/355-the-4k-disc-1-bd50-dvd-jessica-chastain/840418301012 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
MovieZyng: https://www.moviezyng.com/harriet-4k-disc-1-bd50-dvd-cynthia-erivo/810134949713 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/48Sxoj1
GOOD BURGER 2 (2024) Blu-ray
Label: Paramount Pictures
Region Code:
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes 26 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.00:1)
Director: Phill Trail
Cast: Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Liza Koshy, Yung Gravy, Marsai Martin, Kai Cenat, Rob Gronkowski, Carmen Electra, Mark Cuban, Pete Davidson
In the late-90's I was too old to be watching Nickelodeon and did not yet have kids old enough to watch it either, so I was not aware of the TV show All That or of the 1997 spin-off film Good Burger based on a comedy sketch from that series. To this date I still have not watched the original film, but here I am diving into this 25 years-later sequel featuring the return of the burger flippers Dexter Reed (SNL's Kenan Thompson) and the OG cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell) as they reunite at the present-day Good Burger. It's 25 years later and Ed is still working at Good Burger, while Dex is a struggling entrepreneur who has lost everything in a disastrous “Burn No More” flame-retardant material start-up that goes up in flames. Penniless he seeks help from his former best-pal Ed, surprised that he not only still works at Good Burger but has somehow come to own the place. Ed takes Dexter to his home where he introduces him to his wife Edie (SNL's Ego Nwodim) and their three kids, including Ed 2 (Alex R. Hibbert, Black Panther), and gives him a job back at Good Burger, where he meets Ed's staff including twins twins Cindy and Mindy (Emily and Elizabeth Hinkler ); the elderly delivery driver Ruth (Anabel Graetz) Ed 2, and Dexter's niece Mia (Kamaia Fairburn) who loathes him for losing her mother's investment in Ed's failed business. There's also an evil fast food conglomerate MegaCorp run by CEO Katt Bozwell (Jillian Bell, Eastbound & Down) and her unscrupulous lawyer (Lil Rel Howery, Bad Trip) who wants to buy and franchise Good Burger. Fans of goofy comedy along the lines of Clerks 2 and the Cheech & Chong, and the first filmI would assume will probably quite like the absurd antics on display here, It all quite breezy and low-stakes, but super-silly and fun. There are a ton of cameos here, we get a appearances from Rob Gronkowski, Zoe Saldaña, DMC of Run-DMC, George Clinton, Mark Cuban, and Carmen Electra, as well as SNL alum like Peter Davidson, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Bowen Yang and Mikey Day. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great with a handful of solid extras including an extended blooper real.
Special Features:
- Home of the Good Bloopers (Extended Version) (8:15)
- The Comfort Food Classic (4:38)
- Behind the Scenes with Kenan and Kel
- MEAT the Employees
- Q&A with the New Crew
- Employee Training Video
- Good Burger 1 Movie Recap
Purchase:
MovieZyng: https://www.moviezyng.com/good-burger-2-bd50-blu-ray-kenan-thompson/810134949706 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
Physical Media Land:
https://www.physicalmedialand.com/good-burger-2-bd50-blu-ray-kenan-thompson/810134949706 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HH8DuK
MOD Blu-ray
Label: Paramount Pictures
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 112 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen
Director: Peter Weir
Cast: Harrison Ford, Patti LuPone, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Danny Glover, Viggo Mortensen
Witness (1985) has always been one of my favorite Harrison Ford flicks, it was a staple on cable TV in my youth, I found myself entranced by the culture-clash of a hardboiled Philly cop (Harrison Ford, Blade Runner) who is called into investigate the murder of an undercover cop at train station. The only witness to the crime is an 8-year old Amish by named Samuel Lapp (Lukas Haas, Lady in White), who is travelling by train to his aunt's home with his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis, Top Gun). He sequestors the boy and his mother as material witness, but soon relaizes the killing was an inside job by fellow cops. While looking into it he is shot and wounded after a shootout with another cop, he then secretly returns the boy and his mother to their Amish farm in rural Pennsylvania, where they treat his wounds and he stays to protect the kid, and his mother who he starts falling for, and she for him. The middle part of the film is putting forth the culture-clash of the "English" cop in Amish country, his presence causing quite a disturbance among the elders, as is the forbidden love between he and Rachel raising eyebrows. Eventually the crooked cops track down he and the kid and arrive for a full-tilt siege on the farm. Gorgeously shot and well-acted this thriller is top-notch from start to finish, the gorgeous lensing from John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road) has a dreamy haziness to it that adds a veneer of dreaminess to it, as does the score from Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia). It's also cool to see Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) playing a murderous crooked cop, and be on the lookout for Vigo Mortensen (The Reflecting Skin) in his first acting role as one of the Amish, as well as Alexander Godunov (The Money Pit) playing a decent person for a change as an alternate love interest for Rachel.
The MOD Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific but is bereft of extras, if you want to see this film with the best A/V and extras I say skip this and go for the fantastic 4K UHD + Blu-ray from Arrow Video, but if you just want the film looking solid in HD this MOD Blu-ray will do the trick.
Special Features:
- None
Purchase:
MovieZyng: https://www.moviezyng.com/witness-bd50-blu-ray-harrison-ford/840418302132 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/49JJrQI
Label: Universal Studios
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 3935 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Cast: Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Zachary Quinto, Jack Coleman, Zachary Levi, Judith Shekoni, Ryan Guzman
It's almost hard to recall a time that TV and film was not inundated with superhero programming, but back in 2006 when Heroes first debuted on NBC there was no MCU yet. Sure, we had the 90's run of Batman that had already shit-the-bed and we had Smallville on TV exploring the young life of Clark Kent, plus Spider-Man and X-Men trilogies, but we were still almost three years away from Iron man and the beginning of the MCU. So this TV series was pretty big stuff for comic book lovers, and original concept from series creator Tim Kring about originary everyday folks who suddenly found themselves imbued with super-powers. The series felt like a comic book, we get into how their powers affect their lives, we have villains and heroes, and a fight to stave off an apocalyptic future, it was solid stuff with intricate character driven plot lines with intense drama and some fun super-powered special effects - which admittedly do not hold up well nearly 20 years later. A lot of this reminded me a bit of the X-Men with the conflict between humans and evolved humans dubbed "Evos" which threaten all-out civil warfare. As the show progressed it started to show signs of fatigue by the third season, the fourth season found it cancelled, until the follow-up mini-series Heroes Reborn in 2015, which I was pretty excited for, but I was only lukewarm on it, the big baddie being a geomagnetic reversal that would have left the planet vulnerable to lethal solar radiation, eh. Looking back on it I think that the show needed a arch-villain, it never had a Magneto, Dr. Doom or an Apokalips that would have maybe upped the ante a bit. This 21-disc set from UPHE is a repackage of previously released sets, there are three keepcases housed inside a sideloading slipcase. SEasons 1&2 and 3&4 are housed in an oversized keepse with flip trays, while the Heroes Reborn gets a standard keepcase with a flip tray housing the discs. The wraps are 2-sided and feature a episode and bonus feature information on the inside. The transfers are dated and fresh scans, they are HD and look better than the streaming counterparts I've sampled, and the uncompressed audio holds up quite well. This set has a wealth of archival extras to pour through as well, these include deleted scenes, unaired pilot episode, alternate ending, commentaries, interviews, featurettes on the special FX, score, and quite a bit more, but if you own the previous Blu-ray releases there is nothing new here.
Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Audio Commentaries with Cast & Crew
- The Super Power of Heroes
- Untold Stories; and more!
Purchase:
MovieZyng: https://www.moviezyng.com/heroes--the-complete-collection-bd50-blu-ray-masi-oka/840418301524 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
Physical Media Land:
https://www.physicalmedialand.com/heroes--the-complete-collection-bd50-blu-ray-masi-oka/840418301524 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/4a8iEgu
COCKTAIL HOUR (1933)
Blu-ray
Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 73 Minutes 59 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: B&W 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Director: Victor Schertzinger
Cast: Bebe Daniels, Randoph Scott, Sidney Blackmer, Barry Norton
This pre-code romantic drama gets a wonderful new restoration from Sony, who for my money do not dive intot heir back catalog nearly enough, so this is quite a pleasant gem. In it Cynthia Warren (Bebe Daniels, 42nd Street) is a successful, young commercial artist working in NYC who is constantly putting the kibosh on the romantic pursuits of her boss Randolph Morgan (Randolph Scott, Ride the High Country). When she leaves New York City for a Paris vacation she falls for Englishman William Lawton (Sidney Blackmer, The Lady and the Monster) who turns out to already me married, and then later in Paris with the handsome Prince Philippe de Longville (Barry Norton, The She-Creature) - also married! She's a free spunky, fast-talking, spirited jazz-age woman of the world and she doesn;t want to tamed, at least not until she finds the right stallion to do it. For a pre-code era flick I thought this was sort of tame, but still quite a wonderful. The restoration from Sony is top-notch and the film is mostly complete, it having been variously censored in different parts of the country through the years, but there is still one scene absent here, though the audio exists, and there are still that present during that brief segment. A few things that surprised me here are the fact that the character Bebe Daniels works as a freelance illustrator and make aristocrat-worthy bucks, and how dang creepy and forward her suitor Randolph is, locking her up in his bathroom at one point! All in all it's a fun pre-code tale about a career-girl who doesn't want or need to be married, this is quite a gem for pre-code collector's out there.
Special Features:
-None
Purchase:
MovieZyng: https://www.moviezyng.com/cocktail-hour-bd50-blu-ray-bebe-daniels/043396636392 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
Physical Media Land:
https://www.physicalmedialand.com/cocktail-hour-bd50-blu-ray-bebe-daniels/043396636392 - Use Discount Code: MOVIEDEAL at checkout to get 5% Off entire purchase
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/43f7Gns\
Blu-ray + Digital
Label: WBHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 124 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos TrueHD 7.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: James Wan
Cast: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the last of the DCEU films before James Gunn's relaunch of the DC film universe, and it feels like quite a while since the first film, that's because it was, this arrives six years after the first, but we do get the original returning cast here, we have Jason Momoa (Dune) as dude-bri King of the Ocean Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) as his now wife mera, and their infant son Arthur Jr. Since the last film Arthur's nemesis Black Mantis (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman) is still pretty sore about Aquaman letting his father die and is still hungry for revenge. Since the last film he's enlisted the help of Atlantis-obsessed marine biologist Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park, Sex Tape), and together they discover the mysterious Black Trident which imbues Black Mantis with phenomenal superhuman powers, but also puts him in the thrall of Kordax, the brother of King Atlan and ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus, who was imprisoned a millenia ago. Kordax fuels his hatred and helps him not only uncover ancient Atlantean technology, but get revenge on Aquaman by attacking Aquaman's loved ones, including Mera, Arthur Jr., and Aquaman's mom Atlanna (Nicole Kidman, To Die For). Now facing a stronger foe Aquaman must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen), the former Ocean Master, breaking him free from the arid prison he sent him to to battle the demon-e Black Mantis. I feel much the way about the sequel that I did the original, a bloated superhero epic that runs too long, relies to heavily on digital effects, but is still a decent popcorn muncher, but not a superhero classic by any stretch of the imagination. The best stuff here is the half-brother rivalry between dude bro Arthur and his stick-in-the-ass half brother Orm, which eventually blossoms into mutual respect. Otherwise, we gets lots of big-budget gloss and action set pieces that feel on par with the first film. The Lovecraftian vibe is also pretty cool, we even get an army of the undead during the action-packed finale. The Blu-ray looks solid with vibrant colors and solid depth and clarity, I did notice some compression here and there, but overall a pleasing presentation, and we get Dolby Atmos audio which is full of bombast.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the last of the DCEU films before James Gunn's relaunch of the DC film universe, and it feels like quite a while since the first film, that's because it was, this arrives six years after the first, but we do get the original returning cast here, we have Jason Momoa (Dune) as dude-bri King of the Ocean Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) as his now wife mera, and their infant son Arthur Jr. Since the last film Arthur's nemesis Black Mantis (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman) is still pretty sore about Aquaman letting his father die and is still hungry for revenge. Since the last film he's enlisted the help of Atlantis-obsessed marine biologist Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park, Sex Tape), and together they discover the mysterious Black Trident which imbues Black Mantis with phenomenal superhuman powers, but also puts him in the thrall of Kordax, the brother of King Atlan and ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus, who was imprisoned a millenia ago. Kordax fuels his hatred and helps him not only uncover ancient Atlantean technology, but get revenge on Aquaman by attacking Aquaman's loved ones, including Mera, Arthur Jr., and Aquaman's mom Atlanna (Nicole Kidman, To Die For). Now facing a stronger foe Aquaman must enlist the help of his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen), the former Ocean Master, breaking him free from the arid prison he sent him to to battle the demon-e Black Mantis. I feel much the way about the sequel that I did the original, a bloated superhero epic that runs too long, relies to heavily on digital effects, but is still a decent popcorn muncher, but not a superhero classic by any stretch of the imagination. The best stuff here is the half-brother rivalry between dude bro Arthur and his stick-in-the-ass half brother Orm, which eventually blossoms into mutual respect. Otherwise, we gets lots of big-budget gloss and action set pieces that feel on par with the first film. The Lovecraftian vibe is also pretty cool, we even get an army of the undead during the action-packed finale. The Blu-ray looks solid with vibrant colors and solid depth and clarity, I did notice some compression here and there, but overall a pleasing presentation, and we get Dolby Atmos audio which is full of bombast.
Special Features:
- Finding The Lost Kingdom (21:22)
- Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below (9:37)
- It’s a Manta World (10:08)
- Necrus, The Lost Black City (5:51)
- Escape from the Deserter World (8:05)
- Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair (4:07)
- Oh TOPO! (2:12)
- Aquaman Through Fire and Water (6:51) Digital Exclusive)
- Atlantean Blood Is Thicker Than Water(4:17))
THE COLOR PURPLE (2023)
- It’s a Manta World (10:08)
- Necrus, The Lost Black City (5:51)
- Escape from the Deserter World (8:05)
- Brawling at Kingfish’s Lair (4:07)
- Oh TOPO! (2:12)
- Aquaman Through Fire and Water (6:51) Digital Exclusive)
- Atlantean Blood Is Thicker Than Water(4:17))
Purchase:
*Amazon: https://amzn.to/4a8FMvE
4K Ultra HD + Digital
Label: WBDHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 140 Minutes 52 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.85:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Fantasia Barrino, Louis Gossett, Jr., Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Jon Batiste
The Color Purple (2023) is a musical adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which was based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, which itself was previously adapted by Stephen Spielberg in 1985. This latest adaptation is directed by Blitz Bazawule (The Burial of Kojo), it tells very much the same story as the previous film, a period drama that spans four decades, about sisters Celie (Fantasia Barrino) and Nettie (Halle Barry, Monster's Ball) who are raised by their widowed father Alfonso who abuses them and begins to rape Celia, who has given birth two two children, which Alfonso sends away. Eventually Alfonso forces Celia to marry a local farmer and father of three, named Albert "Mister" Johnson (Colman Domingo, Fear the Walking Dead), an abusive and belligerent man. Nettie meanwhile has become the object of her father's incestual eye and leaves home, living briefly with Celie and Mister, before he also has sexual designs on his new wife's sister, when she refuses he runs her off the farm, promising to write her sister wherever she ends up. As the story plays out were introduced to Mister's son Harpo (Corey Hawkins, Kong: Skull Island) and his defiant wife Sofia (Danielle Brooks, Peacemaker), who ends up leaving him after he tries to bring her inline by beating her, to which she says, no actually sings "Hell no". Also figuring into the equation is sultry singer Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson, Hidden Figures), the shunned daughter of a local preacher who arrives and befriend Celie and shakes things up. I wasn't sure I needed to watch a musical version of The Color Purple but I was smitten with it, even at over two hours long. It won me over with it's vibrancy and style, the musical numbers mostly hit, and the melodrama which runs the gamut from grotesquely visceral to rapturous was potent. The core story about the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood remains intact and impactful.
Special Features:
- Creating The Color Purple: A Bold New Take on the Beloved Classic (6:21)
- Hell Yes! The Iconic Characters of The Color Purple (7:00)
- In The Flow: Creating The Color Purple’s Biggest Musical Moments (8:03)
- A Story For Me: The Legacy of The Color Purple (6:38)
Purchase it here *Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TFmV4L
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