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: “Twister”
The disaster movie craze of the late ‘90s had its share of duds, but 1996’s “Twister” is without a doubt one of the best films of its kind — a fun and thrilling popcorn flick that still holds up to this day, and even more so thanks to Warner’s impressive new 4K disc. Some of the CGI looks a little dodgy as expected, but for the most part, this director-approved 4K remaster breathes new life into an already exciting movie. Though the groundbreaking special effects were certainly the main draw upon its initial release, the film’s lasting appeal can be attributed to the colorful characters and excellent ensemble cast, particularly Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, who have such great chemistry that it’s easy to forgive the more ridiculous aspects of the story. Granted, that doesn’t mean the movie isn’t without its faults, but “Twister” is so enjoyable that they almost become part of its charm.
Extras include an audio commentary by director Jan de Bont and visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier, as well as a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a brand-new retrospective. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“True Detective: Night Country” — The first season of “True Detective” was such a cultural phenomenon that it’s hard to begrudge HBO for wanting to crank out more installments. Unfortunately, the series has failed to recapture that success in future seasons, including “Night Country,” the first installment not to be written by creator Nic Pizzolatto. That’s probably why it doesn’t really feel like a “True Detective” story. It gets off to an encouraging start thanks to its unique setting, but writer/director Issa López doesn’t do anything interesting with it. The central mystery is not only boring but incredibly messy and poorly paced, and none of the characters are very engaging. Though Jodie Foster and Finn Bennett deliver decent performances, the rest of the cast is disappointing. Boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis feels particularly miscast as the state trooper who teams up with Foster’s police chief, while John Hawkes is utterly wasted in a throwaway role. “Night Country” deserves kudos for trying to highlight the MMIW crisis, but there are far better movies and TV shows that tackle a similar subject. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at making the series and interviews with the cast. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Abigail” — On paper, “Abigail” has all the makings of a great midnight movie. It boasts a cool premise, plenty of gore and a surprisingly good cast for a vampire flick, even if I still don’t quite understand what directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett see in Melissa Barrera. Unfortunately, the execution is somewhat lacking. The death scenes are pretty unremarkable for an R-rated horror film, save for the explosive way in which the vampires perish, and none of the characters are given enough time to develop personalities beyond basic archetypes. Dan Stevens fares the best of the bunch, but that has more to do with Stevens himself than the script. Though the last act is admittedly a lot of fun — again, thanks to Stevens — the hour or so that precedes it is underwhelming. Extras include an audio commentary by Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett and editor Michael P. Shawyer, as well as a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, some deleted scenes and a gag reel. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
