Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “Nope”
Jordan Peele’s filmmaking career has been pretty impressive thus far, but his latest entry is a noticeable step down from the incredible highs of “Get Out” and “Us.” Though “Nope” keeps things relatively straightforward compared to Peele’s previous movies, it’s almost simple to a fault, as there isn’t much in the way of story or character development. Daniel Kaluuya fares the best of the small cast, as he always brings an intensity to the screen that draws you in, but even that only goes so far. Where the film excels the most is with Hoyte Van Hoytema’s striking cinematography, Michael Abels’ haunting score and Johnnie Burn’s immersive sound design, which combine to create an eerie atmosphere. Though Peele deserves credit for attempting such a unique take on the alien invasion movie, it doesn’t work quite as well as his past films. There are plenty of individual elements to appreciate, but “Nope” feels too disjointed as a whole.
Extras include a making-of featurette, some deleted scenes, a gag reel and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“This Is GWAR” — It’s somewhat surprising that this music documentary about Virginia-based metal band GWAR hasn’t received more attention because it’s an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the various ups and downs of the music industry. Tracking their rise from oddball outsiders to a legitimate rock band whose longevity has surpassed all expectations, “This Is GWAR” documents the band’s musical and performative evolution, as well as its revolving door of members and inter-band drama. Though you might not like their music or the gimmicky, X-rated nature of their live shows, “This Is GWAR” will definitely give you a newfound respect for them, which is really the highest compliment that you could pay any music doc. Extras include an audio commentary by GWAR members Michael Derks and Bob Gorman, as well as a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, the final interview with GWAR frontman Dave Brockie and more. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
