Author: Jason Zingale

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: “Blinded by the Light” Loosely based on British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor’s 2007 memoir about growing up in the dead-end town of Luton, England in the 1980s, “Blinded by the Light” isn’t just another immigrant tale — it’s a universal story about finding your place in the world and how inspiration comes from the most unlikely places. In the case of this film’s…

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 Farewell” Lulu Wang’s sophomore feature is clearly a very personal project for the Chinese-born writer/director, and that emotion bleeds onto the screen in this sweet, profound and occasionally funny tale about family, tradition and the different ways we grieve. Based on Wang’s own experiences, “The Farewell” doesn’t seem all that special at first, but it quietly sneaks up on you with…

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: “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” The “Fast and Furious” movies are among my favorite guilty pleasures, so imagine by disappointment to discover that this spinoff film featuring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham’s franchise characters isn’t as enjoyable as the series proper. Though it contains some decent set pieces and good performances from Johnson, Statham, Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba, all…

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 Wizard of Oz” When it comes to movie classics, there is perhaps none more beloved than Victor Fleming’s 1939 musical fantasy, “The Wizard of Oz.” Based on the popular children’s book by L. Frank Baum, the film continues to captivate audiences of all ages thanks to its memorable musical numbers and charming cast of characters. For a movie that’s 80 years…

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 Lion King” Of all the Disney live-action remakes, Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King” is probably the one that I was most excited about and therefore feels like the biggest disappointment. Slavishly faithful to the 1994 animated film apart from a few minor changes, Favreau’s version is basically a shot-for-shot remake that seems to just be going through the motions. The visual…

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 Haunting of Hill House” Mike Flanagan has fast become one of Hollywood’s go-to horror directors, but it’s his work on the small screen with this critically acclaimed Netflix series that really shows off his talent behind the camera. Loosely based on the 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson, “The Haunting of Hill House” is a chilling modern ghost story that expertly balances…

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 Shining” There’s not much you could say about Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” that hasn’t already been said. While it’s not my favorite Kubrick movie, it’s easy to see why it has attained cult status despite author Stephen King’s very vocal dislike of the film. Not only does it feature an iconic performance by Jack Nicholson, who dials up the crazy to…

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: “Yesterday” Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis are two of Britain’s most revered filmmakers, so the idea of them collaborating on a movie about the Beatles sounds almost too good to be true. One part romantic comedy, one part musical fantasy, “Yesterday” starts off with a wonderful premise (what if you were the only person in the world who remembered the Beatles ever…

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: “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” The final installment in the Fox-produced X-Men series is this week’s featured title more out of necessity than merit — it’s the least bad movie of the bunch, and that’s not really saying much. Though it’s not as disappointing as 2016’s “X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Dark Phoenix” is still a mostly dull and forgettable entry in the franchise that doesn’t really spring…

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: “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” It’s not very often that a movie franchise actually gets better with each new installment, but obnoxious title aside, “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum” is without a doubt the best one yet. A rock-em, sock-em shoot-‘em-up that feels like it’s been injected with rocket fuel, the latest John Wick adventure is an endlessly entertaining film…