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: “The Roses”
It’s hard to imagine there was much demand for another adaptation of Warren Adler’s 1981 novel, “The War of the Roses,” especially when the 1989 film from Danny DeVito is already so well-regarded, but this update from director Jay Roach and writer Tony McNamara at least justifies its existence by offering a modern take on the material, namely in the way that it reverses gender roles for the two main characters. McNamara’s script crackles with cutting dialogue, but it’s the film’s stars, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, who make it all work. The veteran actors are fantastic screen partners, and it’s a lot of fun watching them trade barbs as the couple’s conflict escalates over the course of the movie. However, for as great as Cumberbatch and Colman are in their roles, the film’s cynical view of married life (and relationships in general) makes for a rather uncomfortable watch.
Extras include some behind-the-scenes featurettes and a gag reel. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“The Conjuring: Last Rites” — The third film in the “Conjuring” series, 2021’s “The Devil Made Me Do It,” was such a massive disappointment that it seemed like the franchise — and its larger shared universe — had truly been run into the ground. Director Michael Chaves, who helmed “The Curse of La Llorona” and “The Nun II” in addition to “The Conjuring 3,” is partly responsible for that oversaturation, and he’s back at it again with “Last Rites,” which promises to be the final film in the core series. It’s fitting, then, that “Last Rites” also follows Ed and Lorraine Warren on their final investigation — a case so harrowing that it supposedly forced them into retirement. Of course, the central haunting is only as terrifying as the film wants you to believe, and like most of these movies, the filmmakers have greatly exaggerated the real-life events to the point of parody. Though it’s definitely an improvement upon “The Devil Made Me Do It,” “Last Rites” still fails to live up to the standard of the series’ first two films. Extras include a trio of behind-the-scenes featurettes. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
