Hello friends!
I thought I’d try out a new semi-regular feature where I pick out a few newly released titles that I think are worth your hard-earned cash. We’ll start off with movies because, well honestly, it’s what I know best so lets kick off with some titles brand new to Blu-ray!
First up, Some big time studio releases, one being a freshly oscar nominated (Best Picture, Best Actor, Adapted Screenplay and more) film and the other a somewhat return to form for a modern horror franchise:
Matt Damon stars in the Ridley Scott directed action Sci-fi film, The Martian. Based on the fantastic book, The Martian is a stand-out film this year well worth your money. It’s got a stellar cast anchored by Damon’s pitch perfect performance.
One of the best movies of the year looks absolutely gorgeous on blu-ray so fear not picking this one up. It has full repeat view potential.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
The latest, and reportedly final, chapter in the Paranormal Activity series thankfully returns to form with some great scares. It’s not the best in the series, that honor belongs to the first sequel, but it is definitely not one of the worst either. It’s still trapped in the terrible story line the films locked into but, thankfully, the majority of the story focuses on the haunting and less on the terrible cult aspect (although that does still play its part). The blu-ray features three versions of the film (Theatrical, Unrated, and Unrated with an Alternate Ending) making this perfect for fans of the series.
Prefer a classic?
It’s the 25th Anniversary of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and to celebrate we get this excellent blu-ray release. The film looks better than ever and with this superb cast, this disc is a no-brainer. The brand new interview with Tom Stoppard is a great bonus as well.
Fans of Hamlet will probably love this one considering it’s Hamlet from a different angle. Really clever and fun flick finally released on Blu.
Want something scary instead?
The werewolf genre is often overlooked (or poorly done) in modern horror so it’s exciting to see a good one featuring the legendary monster. This one comes courtesy of our British friends and features Ed Speelers (Downton Abbey, Eragon) as a less than satisfied ticket collector trapped with his passengers on a train in the middle of the woods. Horror ensues when a werewolf starts to hunt them.
It’s a clever and fun little flick that horror fans should enjoy with some great practical effects and good scares.
Maybe you prefer some action? How about a sequel to a cult-classic action flick?
Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance!
Let the description speak for itself:
Enter the “completely captivating” (Jimmy Ryan, Spoiler TV) world of Mr. Robot. Cyber-security engineer by day and vigilante hacker by night, Elliot (Rami Malek, The Pacific) finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader (Christian Slater, Very Bad Things) of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the firm he is paid to protect. Compelled by his personal beliefs, Elliot struggles to resist the chance to take down the multinational CEOs he believes are running (and ruining) the world. Now, watch all 10 Season One episodes back-to-back and uninterrupted of the psychological thriller that critics rave is “damn near perfect” (Jessica Rawden, Cinemablend).
Just get it. You’ll be hooked before the first episode finishes and Rami Malek will be your new favorite. It really is a gem of a show that will appeal to almost everyone. A fantastic cast and stellar writing make it a must have.
That’s it gang. A nice variety of flicks worth your money and maybe more importantly, your time. Have any suggestions for stuff worth buying? Let us know in the comments!
Garon Cockrell is the Founder and Editor of Pop Culture Beast and host of The Pop Culture Beast Show. He founded the site over seven years ago to have a place on the internet to write about the things he loved. Since then, Garon has become a best-selling author (Demonic and Other Tales), an award winning screenwriter (Best Screenplay 2013 Motor City Nightmares Film Festival), and a cast member on the top rated podcast, Never Not Funny.