New Blu-ray Reviews

King Kong 4K Blu-ray Movie  

Ultimate Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2005 | 1 Movie, 2 Cuts | 200 min | Not rated | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

Flamboyant, foolhardy documentary filmmaker, Carl Denham, sails off to remote Skull Island to film his latest epic with leading lady, Ann Darrow. Native warriors kidnap Ann to use as a sacrifice as they summon "Kong" with the local witch doctor. But instead of devouring Ann, Kong saves her. Kong is eventually taken back to New York where he searches high and low for Ann, eventually winding up at the top of the Empire State Building, facing off against a fleet of World War I fighter planes.

Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Thriller / Epic / Period

Pitch Black Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2000 | 112 min | Rated R | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

In the not-too-distant future, a docking pilot makes a forced crash-landing of her spacecraft on a distant planet. As the survivors explore the uncomfortably hot planet, they must band together. The planet is eerie, arid, and lifeless. But as the sun sets and the planet plunges into total darkness, other inhabitants emerge -- including a fiendish murderer with a nose for blood.

Action / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller

The Iceman Cometh Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1973 | 1 Movie, 2 Cuts | 239 min | Rated PG | Mar 26, 2019 | Jeffrey Kauffman

In the faded light of Harry Hope's 1912 New York skid row bar, a rag tag group of fallen men, each like a ghost haunting the wreckage of his own life, await the annual arrival of Hickey (Lee Marvin). This year, however, the charismatic Hickey brings not the usual rounds of drinks and pats on the back, but the unwelcome news that he's off the sauce for good and has come to persuade Hope's drunks to do the same. One by one, the regulars' booz-basted pipe dreams come under Hickey's leering microscope until finally the most shocking self-deception turns out to be Hickey's own.

Drama

Backdraft 2 Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2019 | 102 min | Rated R | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

Fire investigator Sean McCaffrey, son of the late Steven "Bull" McCaffrey, is now working at the same Chicago firehouse along with his uncle Brian. When Sean is assigned to investigate a deadly fire, he and partner Maggie soon realize that they are dealing with something much more than a routine fire. The clues they discover lead them down a treacherous path of arson, murder, and international terrorism. Sean must use his intuition, along with the help of infamous jailed arsonist Ronald Bartel, in a race to find out who is behind the fire and stop them from accomplishing their devious plans.

Action / Crime / Drama

Shaft Triple Feature Blu-ray Movie  

Shaft / Shaft's Big Score / Shaft in Africa | Warner Archive Collection

Warner Bros. | 1971-1973 | 3 Movies | 318 min | Rated R | May 21, 2019 | Randy Miller III

When Harlem P.I. John Shaft first appeared on the movie scene, he was a "shut your mouth" detective to reckon with, a fact underscored by Isaac Hayes' Oscar®-winning* Best Original Song (1971). Richard Roundtree plays the hard-hitting, street-smart title role in these signature "blaxploitation" films, hunting for a kidnap victim in Shaft (1971) and seeking a friend's murderer in Shaft's Big Score! - mixing it up with mob thugs each time. Finally, there's Shaft in Africa ("He's the Brother Man in the Motherland," proclaimed ads), with our hero bringing down a slavery cartel. Shaft's the name. Excitement's the game!

Action / Adventure / Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Mystery / Thriller

Shaft in Africa Blu-ray Movie  

Warner Archive Collection

Warner Bros. | 1973 | 112 min | Rated R | May 21, 2019 | Randy Miller III

Go ahead. Slug, drug, kidnap and leave John Shaft buck-naked in a sweltering hellhole. It's still no deal. If you want to recruit this tough-minded Manhattan detective for an overseas assignment, you'd better use a language he understands. One that offers a fat up-front fee. And a drop-dead gorgeous accomplice. Shaft poses as a slave, unmasks the leaders of an Africa-to-Europe slavery cartel and, for good measure, mixes his business with amorous pleasure involving a beautiful princess.

Action / Adventure / Crime / Mystery

Shaft's Big Score! Blu-ray Movie  

Warner Archive Collection

Warner Bros. | 1972 | 105 min | Rated R | May 21, 2019 | Randy Miller III

Richard Roundtree is back as streetwise detective Shaft. Before Shaft can respond to an SOS from a friend, the friend is murdered. Now he has to find the killer and a large sum of money hidden by his friend before his death.

Action / Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Thriller

Road to Zanzibar Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1941 | 91 min | Not rated | Mar 26, 2019 | Jeffrey Kauffman

Chuck and his pal Fearless flee a South African carnival when their sideshow causes a fire. After several similar escapades, they've finally saved enough to return to the USA, when Chuck spends it all on a "lost" diamond mine. But that's only the beginning; before long, a pair of attractive con-women have tricked our heroes into financing a comic safari, featuring numerous burlesque jungle adventures..

Adventure / Comedy / Musical / Romance

Happy Death Day 2U Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2019 | 100 min | Rated PG-13 | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

Tree Gelbman discovers that dying over and over was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead.

Horror / Mystery / Thriller / Teen / Dark humor / Supernatural

The Strange Door Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1951 | 81 min | Not rated | Apr 23, 2019 | Dr. Stephen Larson

The Sire de Maletroit is an evil French nobleman so obsessed with hatred for his own brother that he imprisons him in the castle dungeon. The Sire tries to destroy the life of Cavanagh's daughter by forcing her to marry rogue, but plans are upset when they fall in love. Aided by Voltan, an abused servant, the lovers attempt to escape but the Sire imprisons them in a cell, whose closing walls may mean violent death for these innocent victims.

Horror / Thriller

Smokey and the Bandit II Blu-ray Movie  

Universal Studios | 1980 | 101 min | Rated PG | Apr 16, 2019 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

The Bandit goes on another cross-country run transporting an elephant from Florida to Texas, with Sheriff Buford T. Justice hot on his tail once again.

Action / Comedy / Crime

Boom! Blu-ray Movie  

Shout Factory | 1968 | 113 min | Not rated | May 28, 2019 | Brian Orndorf

The wealthy, self-absorbed eccentric Sissy Goforth has taken up residence on a secluded Mediterranean island where she dictates her memoirs, flies into rages and screams insults at her servants. Her health now failing, she drinks, takes pills and has a doctor give her injections to ease the pain. Into her reclusive life comes a stranger who manages to climb to her villa and survive a guard dog attack before introducing himself as a poet. Though attracted by the visitor she soon discovers he has a reputation for appearing when wealthy women are about to meet their demise and is known locally as the Angel of Death.

Drama / Fantasy / Surreal

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie  

Scorpion Releasing | 1979 | 86 min | Rated R | Apr 29, 2019 | Brian Orndorf

The film's plot follows the adventures of June (Kristen Baker who also starred in Friday the 13th part II) and her friends who after their senior year of high school, agree to help June's uncle's failing gas and service station, which faces stiff competition from the new, bigger, more modern station that has recently opened across the street.

Comedy

Godzilla 4K Blu-ray Movie  

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Sony Pictures | 1998 | 139 min | Rated PG-13 | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

A giant, reptilian monster descends upon New York, and it's up to the Army and an odd team of investigators to save their city.

Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller

Field of Dreams 4K Blu-ray Movie  

30th Anniversary Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 1989 | 106 min | Rated PG | May 14, 2019 | Martin Liebman

An Iowa farmer hears a voice in his cornfield accompanied by a vision of a baseball field. He takes it as a sign to build a baseball diamond which would ennable Shoeless Joe Jackson of the infamous Chicago "Black" Sox to play ball again.

Drama / Family / Sport / Imaginary

Backdraft 4K Blu-ray Movie  

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 1991 | 137 min | Rated R | May 07, 2019 | Martin Liebman

Two Chicago firefighter brothers who don't get along have to work together while a dangerous arsonist is on the loose.

Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller

Road to Utopia Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1946 | 90 min | Not rated | Mar 26, 2019 | Jeffrey Kauffman

In this movie in the Road series, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope are married and thinking about how they came about their wealth and how they lost their best friend Crosby. However, Crosby pops up and the story is told (in flashback) of Hope and Crosby's adventures; from their failed attempts at being vaudevillians through to their purloining the deed of a gold mine from gangsters and pretending to be them. As usual the duo get into all kinds of scrapes and are after the same girl, Lamour, with all the usual gags thrown in.

Comedy

River's Edge Blu-ray Movie    

Das Messer am Ufer / Blu-ray + DVD

Camera Obscura | 1986 | 100 min | Rated FSK-16 | Mar 08, 2019 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

A high school slacker kills his girlfriend and shows off her dead body to their friends. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.

Crime / Drama / Coming of age

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2019 | 104 min | Rated PG | May 21, 2019 | Martin Liebman

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

Action / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Family / Fantasy

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 4K Blu-ray Movie  

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Universal Studios | 2019 | 104 min | Rated PG | May 21, 2019 | Martin Liebman

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

Action / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Family / Fantasy