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: “Better Man” It’s hard to believe that it’s taken seven years for director Michael Gracey to release his next film, but it’s fitting that his sophomore effort is another semi-autobiographical story about a showman — in this case, British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. “Better Man” is not your typical musical biopic, however, as the movie portrays its subject not as the world knows him but…

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 in Peru” When director Paul King turned down the chance to return for a third “Paddington” movie to go off and make “Wonka” instead, there wasn’t much optimism surrounding the future of the series. In truth, “Paddington in Peru” is still better than most of the drivel being passed off as family entertainment these days — it’s just not as good…

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: “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” The “Sonic” movies have been one of the bigger surprises to come out of Hollywood in recent years, especially for a series based on a video game, which historically have not been too successful. Though the 2022 sequel was a bit of a letdown due to an overbloated runtime and a lame subplot involving its human characters, “Sonic…

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 Complete Unknown” “A Complete Unknown” may not be a great movie, but it’s a fantastic acting showcase for Timothée Chalamet, who delivers career-best work as renowned musician Bob Dylan, perfectly emulating his voice and demeanor in a way that very few biopics accomplish. But for as good as Chalamet is in the role, the film doesn’t quite know what to do…

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: “Moana 2” Much has been made about the fact that “Moana 2” started out as an animated TV series for Disney+ before the powers that be decided to reverse course and turn it into a feature-length film instead, and while the episode “breaks” are somewhat noticeable, it doesn’t really affect the overall product. Sure, the music isn’t as memorable, but the songs…

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: “Gladiator II” Ridley Scott is at the point in his career where he can do whatever he wants, so it’s no surprise that the veteran director has chosen to mount a sequel to his Oscar-winning film, “Gladiator,” despite it sounding like a horrible idea. It should also come as no surprise that the movie is every bit the disappointment that fans were…

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 Social Network” There have been plenty of films made about corporate empires built on ruined friendships, broken promises and massive egos, but never has one hit so close to home as the story of Mark Zuckerberg and the rise of Facebook. The social media platform isn’t just a product of our time but something that directly affects the everyday lives of…

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 Real Pain” Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, 2022’s “When You Finish Saving the World,” was seen by so few people that you’d be forgiven for not knowing it existed. Fortunately, the actor-turned-director quickly rebounded with this road-trip buddy comedy about a pair of cousins who embark on a tour of Poland in honor of their recently passed grandmother. In classic buddy comedy…

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: “Hundreds of Beavers” I had never heard of Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” before my local critics group awarded it Best Overlooked Film at our annual awards, but it’s a good thing they did because it’s quickly become one of my favorite films of 2024. A deranged mix of “Looney Tunes” and Charlie Chaplin that is filled to the gills with gags,…

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: “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” / “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” Quentin Tarantino has a near-flawless record as a director, but the “Kill Bill” films are among my favorites. Originally envisioned as a single feature before he was convinced to split the story into two parts, “Kill Bill” showcases Tarantino at perhaps his most self-indulgent, crafting a wildly inventive genre cocktail packed with everything…