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: “North by Northwest”
Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most prolific and influential filmmakers of the 20th century, and in a career littered with brilliant films, 1959’s “North by Northwest” easily ranks among his most iconic. A masterclass in suspense and visual storytelling, the movie has been referenced so many times over the years — especially the infamous crop-duster scene and the big climax set atop Mount Rushmore — that to say it had a major influence on other filmmakers would be an understatement. If there’s one complaint to be made about Warner’s new 4K release, it’s that while the transfer itself looks amazing, the rear projection effects are more noticeable than ever. However, that’s a small price to pay for what is arguably one of the best films in Hitchcock’s library, and certainly the one that benefits the most from the 4K treatment.
Extras include an audio commentary by writer Ernest Lehman, a brand-new featurette highlighting the film’s technical merits, a 2009 documentary about Hitchcock’s signature style, a 2000 retrospective hosted by Eva Marie Saint and more. FINAL VERDICT: BUY
Also Out This Week:
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” — Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic, “Beetlejuice,” is not a movie that needed a sequel, but that didn’t stop Warner Bros. from cashing in on the beloved property with this overstuffed and undercooked follow-up that lacks the wit and charm of the original. The film is a complete mess on just about every level; it’s tonally inconsistent, narratively disjointed and just not any fun. You could remove entire subplots and characters without losing anything of value, while most of the gags fall flat. The practical effects also feel cheap and ugly, and although it’s great to see the returning actors reprise their roles, they fail to recapture what made their characters so memorable in the first place. Making a “Beetlejuice” sequel was never a good idea, but waiting more than three decades to do so only proves why it was never going to work — something “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” demonstrates early and often. Extras include an audio commentary by Burton, a behind-the-scenes look at making the film and more. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Speak No Evil” — This English-language remake of the 2022 Danish thriller of the same name may sound intriguing on paper, but it’s quickly diminished by some dumb writing and even dumber characters. The victims are complete idiots, continually ignoring obvious warning signs of their impending doom, while their decision-making in the final act is so frustrating that it threatens to pull you out of the film. Thankfully, the cast contains several great actors to lessen the damage, including James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis. McAvoy is the standout here, building upon his work in “Split” to show once again just how good he is at playing a psychopath. Though it’s not enough to rescue the movie from its own self-sabotage, McAvoy’s performance at least makes “Speak No Evil” a more interesting experience. Extras include an audio commentary by writer/director James Watkins and a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
“The Killer’s Game” — It’s a shame that Dave Bautista is looking to move away from the action genre to focus on more serious roles because he’s one of the best action stars in the business; he’s charming and funny, and he actually looks the part. This is never more evident than in his latest film, “The Killer’s Game,” which pits Bautista against an army of quirky assassins hell-bent on collecting the $2 million bounty on his head. Unfortunately, though Bautista delivers a winning performance, the rest of the film is a disaster. The script is filled with lazy writing and cheesy dialogue, while none of the other actors are given much to do, especially Ben Kingsley and Pom Klementieff, who are wasted in throwaway roles. The action itself is pretty decent, but it doesn’t make “The Killer’s Game” any less of a cheap “John Wick” wannabe. Extras include a collection of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” — There haven’t been many quality films to come out of Hong Kong in recent years, so it’s nice to see Soi Cheang’s “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” help fill that void with an enjoyable (if flawed) action drama featuring some of the industry’s biggest stars. Though there are only a handful of action sequences across the film’s two-hour runtime, each one is dynamic and well-choreographed, including a fight between Louis Koo and Sammo Hung (wearing the largest fanny pack I’ve ever seen) that proves the aging veteran has still got it. Unfortunately, it’s the quieter moments between these action beats where the movie really drags, as the story and the characters just aren’t interesting enough. “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” is still a solid flick, but it’s hard not to shake the feeling that it could have been so much better. Extras include a making-of featurette and cast interviews. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
