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: “Annihilation” Alex Garland’s directorial debut, “Ex Machina,” is one of the best science fiction films of the past decade, so it’s hardly surprising that moviegoers were buzzing for his follow-up. Based on the critically acclaimed 2014 novel of the same name, “Annihilation” has an intriguing premise that combines hard sci-fi with David Cronenberg-like body horror, but it doesn’t quite come together as…

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: “Game Night” As one of the better studio comedies in recent years, “Game Night” proves that you can make an R-rated comedy without a bunch of incessant swearing, dick jokes and lazy improv. In fact, much of the film’s humor comes from the performances of its ensemble cast. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are particularly funny as the group’s ultra-competitive couple, especially…

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: “Black Panther” “Black Panther” is a superhero movie done right. Though it services the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s a mostly standalone story that feels like it was made on director Ryan Coogler’s terms. Building on the character’s introduction in “Captain America: Civil War,” the film opens up a new corner of the MCU with captivating locales and personalities. Chadwick Boseman is…

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: “Batman Ninja” Transporting the Batman mythos to feudal Japan sounds like a really cool idea if done properly, but this English-dubbed anime is not that movie. Unlike the previously released “Gotham by Gaslight,” “Batman Ninja” isn’t set in an alternate universe, which would have been more interesting. Instead, it follows the Earth-One Dark Knight as he’s sent back in time (along 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: “12 Strong” Based on the remarkable true story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan following the events of 9/11, “12 Strong” is a competently made but otherwise forgettable military drama that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The movie’s existence seems to be predicated on the idea of seeing American soldiers charging into battle on horseback, and while…

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: “Paddington 2” The first “Paddington” was a pleasant enough family film with some genuine moments of humor and emotion, but director Paul King’s 2017 follow-up is better in just about every way. Though the titular bear steals the show once again, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant (as the movie’s villain) all turn in good performances. Still, the reason these films…

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 Post” Rushed into production early last year due to the timeliness of its subject matter, Steven Spielberg’s retelling of the Washington Post’s 1971 publication of the infamous Pentagon Papers works both as a gripping legal thriller and a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power in the White House. Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, who have amazingly never shared the…

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: “Molly’s Game” Aaron Sorkin is one of the most revered screenwriters working today, so anytime a new Sorkin-penned film comes along is cause for celebration, and his directorial debut is no different. Though the movie lacks the discipline that a more experienced director would have brought to the project, “Molly’s Game” succeeds nonetheless thanks to a hugely entertaining script and superb performances…

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: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” “The Last Jedi” is the first “Star Wars” film that doesn’t entirely feel like a “Star Wars” movie. Though it has all the usual trappings, writer/director Rian Johnson raises the bar with some gorgeous cinematography and a more character-driven narrative that leads to some fantastic work from Mark Hamill and Adam Driver, whose Kylo Ren is arguably…

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: “Downsizing” Alexander Payne is responsible for some of the best dramedies of the past 20 years, but recently, his movies have been nothing short of disappointing. Much like his overrated 2013 film “Nebraska,” Payne’s latest feature is yet another big swing and a miss that fails to make good on its intriguing premise. “Downsizing” starts out promising enough, but it never seems…