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: “War for the Planet of the Apes” Over the course of three films, the “Planet of the Apes” series has demonstrated how to successfully reboot a franchise, delivering all the thrills you’d expect from an effects-driven spectacle while also exploring some pretty heavy themes. They’re blockbusters with a soul, and “War for the Planet of the Apes” is arguably the most emotionally…

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: “American Gods: Season One” Based on Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel of the same name, “American Gods” is a visually stunning TV series that sadly falls short on the narrative side. Though the first season only contains eight episodes, its slow-drip pacing and tendency to veer from the main storyline (particularly with the “Coming to America” segments) makes it difficult to stay invested.…

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: “Baby Driver” Blending stylistic elements of “Heat,” “Drive” and “La La Land” into a cinematic milkshake that goes down smooth, “Baby Driver” is Edgar Wright’s most ambitious film yet — a music-driven, adrenaline-pumping ballet of sight and sound that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. In addition to an excellent soundtrack, the movie also boasts great performances from Jon Hamm…

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: “A Fish Called Wanda” It’s fitting that director Charles Crichton’s final movie was the 1988 crime caper “A Fish Called Wanda” because it’s far and away the best film of his career. Working from a script by John Cleese and featuring a standout cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and one-third of Monty Python (Cleese and Michael Palin), “A Fish…

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: “Transformers: The Last Knight” To the surprise of absolutely no one, the latest installment in Michael Bay’s “Transformers” franchise is an overstuffed, overlong and incoherent mess that gives new meaning to the phrase “big, dumb action movie.” It takes nearly an hour for the plot to kick into gear, and even when it does, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense;…

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: “Wonder Woman” DC’s troubled cinematic universe has had its share of growing pains over the past couple years, but “Wonder Woman” is a big step in the right direction. Filled with the kind of humor and sincerity that those films were criticized for lacking, Patty Jenkins’ superhero origin story is an absolute treat. There’s an overall lightness to the movie, both visually…

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: “It Comes at Night” Trey Edward Shults’ sophomore effort may not be the scary horror film that the marketing campaign suggested, but it’s still a somewhat effective psychological thriller that benefits from a pair of strong performances from Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbott. Though the story is all-too-familiar, centering on a small family as they try to survive a post-apocalyptic world ravaged…

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: “Narcos: Season Two” There are so many new shows released on Netflix every month that it’s impossible to watch them all, but “Narcos” is among the cream of the crop. It’s not only one of the best dramas on the streaming service — it’s one of the best dramas on television, period. In addition to the top-notch writing and high production values, “Narcos”…

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: “Ronin” Director John Frankenheimer may be best known for earlier work like “The Manchurian Candidate” and “The French Connection II,” but 1998’s “Ronin” is arguably one of the best films of his career. A taut, old-school thriller that signified a return to form for Frankenheimer after a string of critical failures, “Ronin” has become somewhat of a cult classic in recent 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: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Director James Gunn was no doubt under an immense amount of pressure to deliver a worthy follow-up to 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but you wouldn’t know it from the self-assured confidence that “Vol. 2” exudes. Although the sequel isn’t as fresh as its predecessor, it’s almost as much as fun, and that’s to the credit…