Blogs
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Brewster McCloud’ and ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’
Brewster McCloud Available via Warner Archive Warner, Comedy, $21.99 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Shelley Duvall, Michael Murphy, William Windom. 1970. Sandwiched between two of its era’s landmark screen achievements — MASH and McCabe and Mrs. Miller — Robert Altman’s Astrodome fantasy Brewster McCloud is an oddball even by his standards, which indeed … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Brewster McCloud’ and ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’”
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Capturing the Spirit of ’80s Cinema
Given how many kids of the 1970s and 1980s are creating the movies and TV shows of today, it’s no surprise that retro is in. And that includes making new products look like they were released a long time ago. For example, shopping at Barnes & Noble I came across a behind-the-scenes book for the … Continue reading “Capturing the Spirit of ’80s Cinema”
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Racing with ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ Stunt Coordinator Wade Eastwood — and Living to Tell About It
It’s an indescribable feeling, speeding toward a 90-degree curve at 140 miles an hour and knowing that you’re not going to die. That’s because I wasn’t behind the wheel. The driver was Wade Eastwood, the famed stunt man and race-car driver behind the action scenes in both Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which … Continue reading “Racing with ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ Stunt Coordinator Wade Eastwood — and Living to Tell About It”
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Wither HBO Now?
With WarnerMedia launching a branded subscription streaming video platform next year that will incorporate original and catalog content from HBO, Warner Bros. and Turner, in addition to third-party providers, the question arises: What will become of standalone SVOD service HBO Now? Launched in 2014, HBO Now topped 5 million subscribers earlier this year. WarnerMedia is … Continue reading “Wither HBO Now?”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure’ and ‘The Ice Harvest’
Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure Available via Warner Archive Warner, Drama, $21.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Gordon Scott, Sara Shane, Anthony Quayle, Sean Connery. 1959. Tarzan joins the hunt for some nefarious jewel thieves in this robustly spun yarn. Read the Full Review The Ice Harvest Kino Lorber, Drama, $29.95 Blu-ray, ‘R’ for violence, language and sexuality/nudity. Stars … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure’ and ‘The Ice Harvest’”
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Marcy Magiera: It’s Looking a Lot Like a 4K UHD Christmas
Long before the Thanksgiving turkeys are hauled home, its seems Americans’ minds turn to holiday shopping. For weeks, winter holiday decorations have been popping up in malls and headlines have been written about retailers’ plans surrounding Black Friday – which stores will be open on Thanksgiving day, what will be used as “doorbusters” and just how … Continue reading “Marcy Magiera: It’s Looking a Lot Like a 4K UHD Christmas”
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Extending Black Friday in an OTT World
When you rent and sell packaged media in a streaming world, Black Friday (Nov. 22) becomes a mandatory weeklong sales event. Especially for the country’s last-standing brick-and-mortar video rental store. Family Video, the privately-owned Glenview, Ill.-based chain of more than 700 stores operating in 29 states, launched special deals on DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles … Continue reading “Extending Black Friday in an OTT World”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘A Man Alone’ and ‘The Last Hurrah’
A Man Alone Kino Lorber, Western, $19.99 DVD, $29.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Ray Milland, Mary Murphy, Ward Bond, Raymond Burr. 1955. A Man Alone is the movie that finally satisfied lead Ray Milland’s long-gestating desire to direct, with him playing a weary ex-gunfighter who unknowingly rides into a dusty town to be immediately accused of … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘A Man Alone’ and ‘The Last Hurrah’”
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Talk of Replication Backlog Recalls Good Ol’ Days
I’m hearing rumblings from various quarters about a replication backlog on discs. Whether it’s because of the enormous demands of the game business or just an unrecognized and continued demand for physical media during the holidays, it reminds me of the glory days of disc, when replicators could not keep up with orders. More than … Continue reading “Talk of Replication Backlog Recalls Good Ol’ Days”