Top Blu-rays

Lists of the best blu-ray releases.

Top Blu-Rays of 2021: Ryan’s Favorite 21 Blu-Rays-Number 21 Harley Quinn: The Complete First and Second Seasons

Another year has come to a close and a yearly tradition has started anew. I love physical media and at the end of every year, I like to share with my listeners and readers my personal favorite physical movie releases of 2021. And as in previous years I am too lazy to settle on a number so, I am going to go with my 21 favorite releases!

21. Harley Quinn: The Complete First and Second Seasons

Taking a cue from the not suitable for children comic book crowd, Harley Quinn is an animated series that is out of control, poignant and incredibly violent with a healthy dash of adult language and humor. Harley Quinn arrived on blu-ray in a first and second season set containing all 26 episodes from those seasons.

Harley (Kaley Cuoco) starts the series as The Joker’s (Alan Tudyk) number one gal. But she soon learns she is expendable and left to die, captured by Batman (Diedrich Baker) and spends a year in Arkham Asylum, for a year. With the help of Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) Harley busts out and moves in with Ivy and her talking plant Frank (J.B. Smoove).

At first Ivy is annoyed with Harley, fearing that she will eventually get back with The Joker and ruin their friendship. Harley has big ideas though, as she also wants to build her own team, consisting of King Shark (Ron Funches), disgraced ACTOR! Clayface (Alan Tudyk) Dr. Psycho (Tony Hale). The cartoon does an amazing job not only building Harley’s world but making it easy to access even when D-List DC Comic characters like Kite Man (Matt Oberg), becomes a fan favorite as Poison Ivy’s paramour.

While the show doesn’t skimp on violence and language, most people might be shocked to learn that it also deals with toxic relationships, (not only Harley but Commissioner Gordon and Batman as well) love where you least expect it, rejection and becoming part of not only a team but a family as well.

If you’re a fan of DC Comics, Harley Quinn also plays with what you expect from stories you know so well. One of my favorites is from season two, Thawing Hearts. That episode is a fun take on the Emmy winning episode of Batman: The Animated Series’ Heart of Ice.

The animation is vibrant and exciting with cool takes on characters from DC Comics. The highlight of the series is the incredible voice work by all the actors involved. Cuoco and Bell as the leads own the show, but there isn’t a weak link in the bunch. Everyone brings their A-Game, with most actors taking on multiple roles.

Movie: A

Harley Quinn: First and Second Seasons Video Quality

Harley Quinn bashes her way onto blu-ray with an incredibly vibrant and colorful video presentation. Warner Archive Collection has done a fantastic job bringing this show to disc. The world of Harley Quinn is bright and neon-ish that pops of the screen. But it also can be moody and dark, especially when it’s night time and Batman is on rooftops with Commissioner Gordon and one of Clayfaces hands.  The discs look incredible from start to finish.

Video: A

Harley Quinn: First and Second Seasons Audio Quality

Harley Quinn crushes and bashes with an impressive DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Everything from dialogue, to punches, to kicks sounds first class. The sound design like the character design is awesome.

Audio: A

Harley Quinn: First and Second Seasons Bonus Features

Sadly, there are no bonus features on the two discs as I would’ve loved a commentary or a making of the show, but you do get 26 episodes for an insanely low price.

Extras: N/A

Harley Quinn is one of the best shows currently going. I adore Kaley Cuoco as Quinn and maybe Lake Bell as Poison Ivy more. Everything in this show is first rate and Warner Archive has but together a first class blu-ray that would have only been better if it had special features.

Overall: A-

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 1-Friday the 13th: Collection Deluxe Edition

The ultimate release of the ultimate slasher series Scream Factory has outdone themselves with one of the best blu-ray sets ever, Friday the 13th Collection: Deluxe Edition! This whopping set has 15 discs, all the Friday movies and some unexpected bonus features that will please Friday the 13th fans. Scream Factory has ported all previous features from both blu-ray and DVD, plus they’ve added a bunch of new features and the last two discs are home to all new bonus features!

Disc 1-Friday the 13th (Theatrical Cut)

Five years after the murder of two camp counselors, Camp Crystal Lake is gearing up to reopen. The townspeople warn the young camp counselors that Camp Crystal Lake has a death curse and that they are all doomed! And one by one they meet a grisly fate by an unseen killer, who will survive the night at Camp Blood?!

One of the most influential horror films of all time, Friday the 13th set the template for many a slashers after the fact. Director Sean Cunningham makes no secret and even mentions how he jumped on the Halloween bandwagon. What sets his film apart is the killings are much more graphic, and in turn makes them the star of the film. The film does feature Kevin Bacon in one of his earliest roles (he has a small role in Animal House little over a year before Friday). Also, final girl Alice played by Adrienne King is one of the best.

Of course, the biggest gut punch is the twist ending, where ****spoilers****** Betsy Palmer’s Pamela Voorhees is revealed as the killer, you see her son Jason was not a good swimmer and when the counselors were supposed to watch him, they were fooling around, and poor Jason drowned. Mrs. Voorhees decides that any attempt to open Camp Crystal Lake would be meet with end of her steel blade.

The biggest draw however is Tom Savini’s graphic make-up effects. Paired with Harry Manfredini’s iconic score you have a low-budget hit.

Friday the 13th has lost some of its punch over the years but it is still an effective chiller with tension and fun to be had through its quick moving 95 minutes.

Friday the 13th arrives on Scream Factory’s blu-ray set with a stunning brand-new 4K scan of the original camera negative. The results are spectacular. This looks like a new film without losing its film quality due to the new scan. The blood is reddier, the colors pop and the textures are more pronounced.

Friday the 13th carves out an impressive sound design on disc. With a choice between the new DTS-HD Master Audio or you can also choose the original mono track as well. Now hissing or age can be detected.

Friday the 13th Disc 1 comes with the following features:

U.S. Theatrical Trailer

International Trailer

TV Spot

US and UK Radio Spots

Movie Stills, Posters, and Lobby Card Gallery

Disc 1 Score:

Film: A

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: B

Overall: A

Disc 2-Friday the 13th Uncut Version

The Uncut Version of Friday the 13th runs roughly only two minutes longer, but the death scenes do contain more gore. The camera doesn’t cut as quick in this version giving you the full impact of the kills, this is my preferred version of the film.

There are no differences in other scenes or dialogue.

The film is given the same new 4K scan and also now comes with the restored mono track!

Friday the 13th Uncut Version comes with the following features:

Commentary by Cast and Crew moderated by Author Peter Bracke

Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th

The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham

Friday the 13th Reunion Panel

Lost Tales from Camp Blood-Part 1

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM, to access this put the disc into your computer)

Disc 2 Score:

Film: A

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: B+

Overall: A

Disc 1 also comes with a reversable cover!

Disc 3-Friday the 13th Part 2

Five years have passed since Mrs. Voorhees dispatched camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, but at a nearby camp, the body count continues. The grisly acts are being carried out by the long thought dead Jason Voorhees!

Friday the 13th was such a hit that a sequel was quickly green-lighted. The producers asked Sean Cunningham to make Jason the killer, Cunningham thought it was stupid because Jason was dead. But the producers insisted, and Cunningham was proven wrong as Jason would become one of the greatest boogeymen of all-time.

Steve Miner takes over as director and he makes his film meaner and faster. By having Jason as the killer, gone is the easily overmatched Mrs. Voorhees and in her place is a deformed deranged man.

The final 20 minutes of this film are some of my favorite in the series, and if I am being honest I think Part 2 is a better film than Part 1. It has a better, unrelenting pace, better direction and the acting overall is better. Amy Steel as Ginny is a fan-favorite final girl as she is often mentioned as the best in the franchise.

Friday the 13th Part 2 rises from the water with a brand new 4K scan and much like Part 1 it is a game changer. Colors are brighter and more defined. The camp is green and lush. The clothes have a great amount of texture and look sharp. Jason’s look alone looks more nuanced as his clothes and cloth bag can now be seen with all their stains.

Friday the 13th Part 2 stabs its way onto your home screen with DTS-Master Audio in both 5.1 and mono. The 5.1 gives the film more depth but for purists the mono tack is nice and robust.

Friday the 13th Part 2 has some of the most exciting features on the set:

NEW! Slashed Scenes-The Holy Grail of Friday the 13th deleted scenes; Scream Factory was able to track down the mythical gory death scenes! They are great, although they do not have sound, the fact that they exist makes this one of the coolest features on the set.

NEW! Commentary with Amy Steel, Author Peter Bracke and Filmmaker Thommy Huston

NEW! Commentary with members of the Cast and Moderated by Author Peter Bracke

NEW! My Life with Ginny-Interview with Amy Steel

Inside Crystal Lake Memories-The Book

Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions

Lost Tales from Camp Blood-Part 2

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

US and Japanese Theatrical Trailers

TV and Radio Spots

Movie Stills, Poster and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 3 Overall Score:

Film: A

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A+

Disc 3 comes with a reversable cover!

Disc 4-Friday the 13th: Part 3

Picking up right after the events of Part 2, Friday the 13th Part 3 finds Jason not dead after his battle with Ginny. He makes his way from his shack to Crystal Lake. Along the way he stops (kills) by a convenience store, makes his way to a barn where he strikes (kills) a group of teenagers, and a biker gang. Along the way he picks up his iconic hockey mask, forever changing the face of horror!

Part 3 is an ok entry in the series. It does have two really cool things going for it. As I mentioned Jason gets his infamous hockey mask, and it was also shot in 3-D. Scream Factory has done us fans a solid by including a true 3-D version of the film on the disc and although some of the shots are cheesy it works really well. Some shots look better then others, especially the eyeball pop and a moment where Jason holds a fire poker into the camera is awesome.

The biggest drawback for Part 3 is the inconsistent acting, which is obnoxious at points, especially Paul Kratka’s Rick. He comes across as stiff and douchy. Kratka explains in the special features it was due to the time it took to set up the 3-D shots so they would not give the actors as much time. I do love Dana Kimball’s Chris as she is pretty, resourceful and her fight with Jason at the end is great.

Part 3 comes at you with a brand new 4K scan of both the standard 2-D version and the 3-D version. The true 3-D version of the film is new to blu-ray and it looks really cool. The print on both versions however shows their 3-D age even with a new 4K scan, which makes the two lenses that were used to shoot the movie imperfections more pronounced. I forgive it somewhat, but it is sometimes distracting seeing the scratches, dirt flecks and softness on screen. The film does look the best it ever has, I own every version of this film that’s been released, and I can say that with absolute certainty.

Part 3 comes with both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Mono tracks. Like the other two films, the 5.1 gives you more depth but the mono is no slouch and if you’re a purist it’s there for you.

Disc 4 comes with the following bonus features:

Audio Commentary with Actors Dana Kimball, Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka and Richard Booker (Jason)

Fresh Cuts: 3-D Terror

Lost Tales from Camp Blood-Part 3

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV and Radio Spots

Movie, Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 4 Overall Score:

Film: B-

Video: B-

Audio: A

Extras: B

Overall: B

Disc 4 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 5-Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

The blood that Jason spilled is still fresh as The Final Chapter starts. Jason has taken an axe to the head and appears to be dead. We know better. Jason’s body is taken to a local morgue and he soon wakes up and starts his murderous rampage towards Crystal Lake. But is this Jason’s unlucky day? Are we getting the movie we’ve been screaming for? Does Jason truly die?

All three of those questions are answered with a resounding yes, as The Final Chapter is one of Jason’s best. Joseph Zito directs the film with a looming menace and an uncredited Ted White gives the most chilling performance of Jason to that point. White’s Jason is mean and he moves with purpose.

We also meet Jason’s nemesis that will go toe-to-toe with him over the next three films, Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman). Returning to the series is Tom Savini, who brings some of his best work here. The make-up is gruesome and aweome with Jason’s demise a true highlight.

From beginning to end, I think this is the ultimate Friday the 13th movie, I do like one slightly better, but if I were to show someone who has never seen a Friday the 13th film before, The Final Chapter is the one I would show them.

The Final Chapter cuts all previous versions of this film with a brand new 4K scan from the Original Camera Negative. Once again this film has never looked better and each frame it feels like I was watching the movie for the first time.

The Final Chapter screams onto blu-ray with DTS-HD Master Audio in both 5.1 and the newly restored mono track. Each track sounds awesome.

Disc 5 comes with the following bonus features:

Audio Commentary by Joseph Zito, Screenwriter Barney Cohen and Editor Joel Goodman

Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Fans Adam Green and Joe Lynch

Slashed Scenes with Commentary by Joseph Zito

Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

The Lost Ending

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part 1

Lost Tales from Camp Blood-Part 4

Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV and Radio Spots

Movie Stills, Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Disc 5 Overall Score:

Film: A

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: A

Overall: A

Disc 5 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 6-Friday the 13th: Part V-A New Beginning

Jason is dead. But he still haunts Tommy Jarvis (John Sheppard). Tommy is now living at a half-way house for troubled teens. When murders start happening around the home, people suspect that Tommy has finally snapped and is carrying on Jason’s bloody legacy. Or is he? Is it possible that Jason has somehow comeback from the dead?

A New Beginning is a mess. Poor directing that telegraphs every kill, poor pacing that makes the film feel longer than it should, acting that borders on good (Miguel Nunez is really fun as Reggie’s older brother Demon) to over the top (anything that has John Sheppard in it as Tommy) to downright annoying (Ron Sloan as Junior is just too much) the film is all over the place. Even for a Friday the 13th film, A New Beginning is gratuitous. Nudity that makes no sense, it feels that it was put in there just because. And a Not-Jason twist at the end is just ridiculous, I mean Tom Mora seems like a nice dude in interviews, but his Jason is too slight and skinny. He isn’t menacing at all which makes it tough to buy that he is some crazed unstoppable killer. A New Beginning has its fans, I am not one of them.

A New Beginning is the first film in Scream Factory’s box set that doesn’t sport a new scan of the original camera negatives. And while that might seem like a disappointment, it frankly doesn’t deserve one. On the positive the film looks really good with great clarity and colors.

On the audio side A New Beginning comes with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and a newly restored mono track for fans that haven’t heard it since it was released.

Disc 6 comes with the following bonus features:

NEW! Audio Commentary with some cast members, moderated by Author Peter Bracke

NEW! Fan Commentary with Filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch, their enthusiasm makes A New Beginning a much more fun watch, this is a fun track to listen to

Audio Commentary with Director Danny Steinmann and Actors John Sheppard and Shavar Ross

Lost Tales of Camp Blood-Part 5

New Beginnings-The Making of Friday the 13th Part V

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Movie Stills, Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery

Overall Score for Disc 6:

Film: D-

Video: B+

Audio: B+

Extras: A

Overall: B

Disc 6 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 7-Friday the 13th: Part VI-Jason Lives

Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews) can’t shake the feeling that Jason is still alive. So along with his friend Hawes (Ron Palillo) go to Jason’s grave. They dig it up and find…a rotting corpse.

Tommy is so traumatized by the events of The Final Chapter, he grabs an iron post from the fence and stabs Jason’s corpse over and over again. When he’s done he leaves the post in Jason and steps away to get gasoline to incinerate Jason’s body. But suddenly, lightning strikes the post and reanimates Jason’s body!

Jason is now an undead, killing machine and he is heading back to Camp Crystal Lake, er Camp Forest Green. The camp has been renamed in hopes of people forgetting what has happened there, but Jason never forgets!

In my opinion the best of all the sequels, Jason Lives is fun, scary when it needs to be and also has some nice meta humor that Scream would make popular a decade later. The actors are all really good in this film, yes it’s true! The direction is a huge step up from A New Beginning, with Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin keeping an unrelenting pace throughout the picture. Fans were upset that Jason was not in Part V, so McLoughlin gives them want they want, Jason is resurrected in the first five minutes. McLoughlin also gives the film a nice gothic feel to it, with Frankenstein being an obvious influence.

I was really bummed that Jason Lives wasn’t given a fresh scan, but Scream Factory did give the film its own disc finally and the film looks great. McLoughlin brings his detailed eye to the film, giving it a nice cinematic feel to it.

Scream Factory does restore Jason Lives’ original Stereo Track to go along with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Which is really cool too because now you can listen to Alice Cooper’s “The Man Behind the Mask” at optimal volume!

Disc 7 comes with the following bonus features:

NEW! Audio Commentary by Actors Thom Matthews, Vincent Guastaferro, Kerry Noonan, Cynthia Kania, C.J. Graham (Jason) and Author Peter Bracke

NEW! Fan Commentary by Filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch. They are also joined by Tom McLoughlin

Audio Commentary with Tom McLoughlin (this is not new but a must listen)

Audio Commentary with Tom McLoughlin, Vincent Guastaferro, and Editor Bruce Green

Lost Tales from Camp Blood-Part 6

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III

Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VI

Meeting Mr. Voorhees-Alternate Ending Storyboards

Slashed Scenes (added gore!)

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Still Gallery

Overall Score for Disc 7:

Film: A+

Video: A-

Audio: A

Extras: A

Overall: A

Disc 8-Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Jason is dead at the bottom of Crystal Lake, right where Tommy Jarvis left him at the end of Jason Lives. After her alcoholic father hits her mom, a young Tina Sheppard jumps onto a boat and goes out on Crystal Lake. Her father asks her to return, Tina doesn’t come back, instead she uses her telekinetic powers to kill her father by destroying the dock and causing him to drown.

Flash forward some years later, where Tina (Lar Park Lincoln) now a teenager is returning with her mother (Susan Blu) to meet her sleezy doctor, Dr. Crews (Terry Kiser). Instead of helping Tina he is trying to exploit her powers.

After an intense session, Tina runs out of the house and down to Crystal Lake. There she “senses” her father in water and accidently frees Jason from his chains! Jason is now free to kill again, but has Jason meet his match with the powerful Tina?

The New Blood is the most frustrating Friday the 13th film. Lots of positives are found in this film. Kane Hodder appearing as Jason is the biggest contribution to the film as this is the first of four films with Hodder as Jason who gives Jason a real sense of power and menace. Jason’s design in this film is also the coolest. His rotting clothes, his exposed spine and bones make this the ultimate version of Jason. The kills although severely cut still bring it. From the sleeping bag murder, to the axe to the head of the bitchy-est character ever in Friday the 13th, the are crowd pleasing.

Where The New Blood stumbles, is the in shallow characters that you can’t wait to die. Boring direction which telegraphs all of Jason’s kills which makes them not scary or shocking, in fact the brutalness of the fan favorite sleeping bag murder, was originally Jason hitting the lady against the tree repeatedly. In the final cut of the film, it is one and done giving it a true sense of brutality, John Carl Buechler doesn’t seem to understand that sometimes less is more and over sells almost every other kill.  

The New Blood does not feature a new scan which is a bummer. But the way the film is shot it might not have helped too much. The day shots look fantastic, at night there is a softness to the film with a somewhat dream like glow to it. It is solid, not spectacular transfer.

Like Jason Lives, The New Blood has its original Stereo Mix restored to go along with its 5.1. The film sounds great, Jason’s gargled breathing comes through crystal clear, so too does the dialogue and other sound effects.

Disc 8 comes with the following bonus features:

Audio Commentary with Director John Carl Buechler and Jason Actor Kane Hodder

Audio Commentary with Buechler, Hodder and Actress Lar Park Lincoln

Jason’s Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII

Mind over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis

Makeover by Maddy: Need A Little Touchup Work My Ass

Slashed Scenes with Introduction (more gore!)

Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-ROM)

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Movie Stills Gallery

Poster and Behind the Scenes Photos

Overall Score for Disc 8:

Film: B-

Video: C+

Audio: A

Extras: A

Overall: B

Disc 9-Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

High school seniors drop anchor in Crystal Lake as they prepare for a cruise to New York City. The anchor hits an electrical cable that happens to be under a dead Jason Voorhees. Jason is revived again and makes his way to the cruise ship.

On the ship he takes out members of the graduating class and eventually makes it to New York City, which now has a new problem!

This film is dumb. How does Jason get to New York after the cruise ship he was on with students and is left on the ship while they escape on a lifeboat? Does he swim? I thought he couldn’t swim? It is probably best to ignore plot holes and just enjoy the ride.

Writer/Director Rob Hedden tries to infuse Friday the 13th with some supernatural elements, which feels like a direct response to the surging popularity of Freddy Krueger. It doesn’t really fit in the Friday the 13th universe. Having said that there are some moments in the film, like when Jason punches the head clean off of someone. And of course Jason in Times Square. It is just a bummer that the film did not go all in with its New York setting. According to Hedden his original script did and the producers balked at the price tag and forced him to make cuts.

Jason Takes Manhattan does not get a new transfer, but it fares better than The New Blood. Hedden seems to be a more sure director with a better eye for what looks good and it shows up on the blu-ray. Nice colors, nice detail this is a solid disc.

Jason stalks the sewers of New York with both a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo and 5.1 mix. Lots of weird sound effects, and voices come through clear.

Disc 9 comes with the following bonus features:

Audio Commentary with Rob Hedden

Audio Commentary with Actors Scott Reeves, Jensen Daggett and Kane Hodder

New York Has A New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII

Slashed Scenes

Gag Reel

Theatrical Trailer (which is fantastic)

TV Spots

Movie Stills, Posters and Behind the Scenes Galleries

Overall Score for Disc 9:

Film: C-

Video: B+

Audio: A

Extras: B

Disc 10-Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (Theatrical Cut)

Jason finally gets his! After the killer is ambushed by FBI agents and blown up, Jason’s body parts are taken to a morgue. His heart however is still beating! At Jason’s autopsy the coroner becomes entranced with Jason’s beating heart and starts to eat it. By doing this Jason is transferred into the coroner.

Jason makes his way to Crystal Lake to kill the last remaing members of his family, because they are the only ones that can truly kill Jason by stabbing him in the heart with some sort of knife that is magical, but only magical when a Voorhees woman holds it. If you are confused about the rules of this film you’re not alone it makes no sense whatsoever.

Where to even begin with Jason Goes To Hell? The beginning is awesome, and the “death” of Jason is totally unexpected. First time Director Adam Marcus soon reveals he is in over his head as her starts over-explaining what is happening making the film an incoherent mess. The basic structure of the film is Jason kills (although not really Jason its Jason inside other peoples bodies), exposition, Jason kills, exposition and so on for 88 minutes.

There are some cool parts. There are some truly horrific kills,(which are neutered in the theatrical version), some of the actors are great. Steven Williams as bounty hunter Creighton Duke has some memorable moments. But I have also talked to Erin Gray when I was a moderator for a panel with her at Denver Comic-Con which she explains that she was horrified on one particular shot of a demon going up her skirt, which she did not know was part of the film until she saw it in theaters.

At the end of the day, Jason Goes To Hell is not a good film, exacerbated by a director who makes excuses for its short comings and “fans” not getting his vision. I do not deny Marcus’ enthusiasm for the franchise and the film, however his film is one of the weakest in the series.

Jason Goes To Hell in given a brand new 2K scan of the Interpositive and it breathes new life in the film. The previous blu-ray had a lot of crushing blacks that caused an unstable film presentation. Jason Goes To Hell looks fanatastic.

Jason Goes To Hell sounds fantastic. I am not sure if the scan helped improve the soundtrack as well, but it sounds mushy, squishy and crystal clear.

Disc 10 comes with the following bonus features:

NEW! Introduction by Director Adam Marcus

Theatrical Trailer

NEW! TV Spots

NEW! Still Gallery

NEW! Posters and Behind the Scenes Gallery

NEW! Friday the 13th Props

Overall Score for Disc 10:

Film: D-

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: C+

Overall: C

Disc 11-Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (Director’s Cut)

A longer and more graphic sex scene is added along with some truly horrific gore. It is some pretty great work by KNB. The movie doesn’t necessarily get better, but it does make you say “Damn!” when Jason splits a woman in half with a post so it’s a more fun experience.

If you are going to watch Jason Goes To Hell, make sure it’s the Director’s Cut.

Disc 11 comes with the following bonus features:

NEW! The same intro by Marcus that calls out fans like me

NEW! Commentary with Adam Marcus and Author Peter Bracke

Audio Commentary with Adam Marcus and Writer Dean Lorey

NEW! The Gates of Hell Interview with Director Adam Marcus

NEW! Jason vs. The Terminator: Adam Marcus on Growing Up with the Cunningham’s

NEW! Uber-Jason: Kane Hodder on Playing Jason

NEW! Optional Commentary by Adam Marcus and Peter Bracke on TV Footage

Disc 11 Overall Score:

Film: D

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: B+

Disc 10 comes with a reversial cover!

Disc 12-Jason X

Jason has finally been captured. He is set to be cryogenically frozen (why not?). But not so fast! Dr. Wimmer (horror icon David Cronenberg) wants him “soft” to do experiments on Jason. Rowan (Lexa Doig) strongly disagrees and thinks keeping him around will only lead to more killing. She’s right as Jason wastes some army dudes, the Doc and chases Rowan into the cryo-tank-keeper area( no idea what it’s called). She manages to get Jason in the pod, but he stabs her through the pod releasing the liquid nitrogen in the room, trapping her and Jason in a frozen state.

Flash forward 400 years and Rowan and Jason are discovered by a student expedition to old-Earth. Jason and Rowan are brought onboard a spaceship with Rowan being revived. Rowan warns the crew and students of Jason, they don’t listen and soon he wakes up and starts killing!

Jason X is more fun than it should be. The premise is silly, but it somehow works. At times it’s a little too cute but as long as you’re watching the film you might as well enjoy the ride. Late Director Jim Isaac is a much better director than Adam Marcus and he demonstrates a sure hand throughout the film, with some pretty cool shots.

Jason X loses some points for its set design looking cheap and looking like it belongings on an old Sci-Fi Channel film. The biggest shock of the film is the lazy, boring music by Friday the 13th veteran Harry Manfredini. It is a really bad score.

Jason X launches into a new 2K Scan of the Interpositive which is a much welcome upgrade from the previous blu-ray release. Jason X needed a better scan and Scream Factory has delivered. The outdated visuals look outdated but the colors and textures have more pop.

Jason X arrives with an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The best part is the sound design of the weight of Jason’s movements and punches and stabbings.

Disc 12 comes with the following bonus features:

NEW! Introduction by Kane Hodder

NEW! Audio Commentary with Writer Todd Farmer and Author Peter Bracke

NEW! Outta Space: The Making of Jason X

NEW! In Space No One Can Hear You Scream: An Interview with Todd Farmer

NEW! Kristi is a Headbanger: An Interview with Actress Kristi Angus

NEW! Jason Rebooted: Sean Cunningham on Jason Goes To Hell and Jason X

Audio Commentary with Jim Isaac, Todd Farmer and Producer Noel Cunningham

The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees-A Documentary on the History of Jason

By Any Mean Necessary: The Making of Jason X

NEW! Club Reel

NEW! Vintage Interviews

NEW! Behind the Scenes Footage

NEW! EPK

Theatrical Trailers

NEW! TV Spots

NEW! Stills, Posters and Behind the Scenes Galleries

Disc 12 Overall Score:

Film: C+

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A

Disc 12 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 13-Freddy vs Jason

It’s the matchup everyone has been screaming for! Jason is lured out of his slumber by Freddy Krueger. It seems Freddy has been forgotten about. He employs Jason to go to Elm Street, kill people so everyone thinks its him that did the deed, which will make everyone remember the Springwood Slasher and he can start killing again.

Jason however is killing all the teenagers that Freddy wants, angering Krueger and sets forth a battle of the ages. Is there human characters in the film? Yes. But who cares? We are all here to see Freddy and Jason fight!

A truly fun event film that horror fans have been waiting for ever since the end of Jason Goes To Hell and Freddy’s glove grabbed Jason’s mask. New Line choose Director Ronny Yu to bring the Titans together on the big screen and he made sure fans of both franchises got what they wanted, a knock down, dragged out fight. It’s bloody and awesome with a sweet payoff. It does get a little silly but I forgive the film for understanding exactly what it is and what the endgame is.

Scream Factory repackages New Line’s previous blu-ray for Freddy vs Jason but the video results are impressive. The film uses cool colors for Jason, greens and blues and harsher colors for Freddy, red and oranges to great effect. The film looks incredible.

On the audio side the film utilizes Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX. I am not an expert but both versions sound great. It will stress out your audio system for sure.

Disc 13 comes with the following bonus features:

Audio Commentary with Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger and Director Ronny Yu

21 Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Including Original Opening and Ending with Optional Commentary by Ronny Yu and Executive Producer Douglas Curtis

Genesis: Development Hell

On Location: Springwood Revisited

On Location: Cabin Fever

Art Direction: Jason’s Decorating Tips

Stunts: When Push Comes To Shove

Make-Up Effects: Freddy’s Beauty Secrets

Visual Effects Exploration

My Summer Vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash

Pre-Fight Press Conference at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas

Music Video: Ill Nino’s “How Can I Live”

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Overall Score for Disc 13:

Film: A-

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A

Overall: A

Disc 13 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 14-Friday the 13th (2009)

While looking for a marijuana grow, a group of friends stumble across Jason Voorhees.

Six weeks later one of the missing girl’s brother, Clay (Jared Padalecki) comes to Crystal Lake to try and find her. He meets a group of college students heading to their friend’s home. What they soon learn is you do not enter Jason’s woods and live, as one by one they are hunted and killed.

A reboot of the first four Friday films, Friday the 13th almost feels like a greatest hits compilation. It works really well however. The first 20 minutes of the film are the best in the series and one of the best in horror. It makes Jason terrifying. Marcus Nispel, who directed the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake in 2003 brings a sense of dread to the film that hasn’t been seen since the early films. Friday 2009 looks sharp and is a fun film. The kills are brutal, and the actors are all really good.

The disc comes with 2 cuts of the film. The theatrical which runs 97 minutes. The Killer Cut changes the film completely. Scenes are reedited, more blood and gore, more character development and a substantial increase of runtime to 106 minutes. Both are fun to watch, and depending on my mood I will watch either.

Friday 2009 is the same disc that New Line released repackaged with Scream’s box set. The video looks phenomenal. Dark scenes with just a little lighting capture the eeriness of Crystal Lake and the daytime scenes reveal a peaceful lake setting.

Friday 2009 absolutely thumps with an impressive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. Both will assault your home theater experience.

Disc 14 comes with the following bonus features:

Terror Trivia Track with Picture in Picture Featuring Comments from the Cast and Crew

The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees-A Look at the Making of Friday the 13th

Hacking Back/Slashing Forward-Remebering the Groundbreaking Original Film

Slashed Scenes

The Best 7 Kills

Disc 14 Overall Score:

Film: A-

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: B

Overall: A-

Disc 14 comes with a reversible cover!

Disc 15 and 16 are all bonus features!

Disc 15:

NEW! Crystal Lake Confidential-An Interview with Sean Cunningham

NEW! Machete Memories-An Interview with Steve Miner

NEW! Chicago to Connecticut-The Early Career of Harry Manfredini-An Interview with Composer Harry Manfredini

NEW! The Magic Keyboard-Henry Manfredini on Scoring Friday the 13th

NEW! Blood Types-An Interview with Actor Harry Crosby

NEW! Once Speared, Twice Shy- An Interview with Actor Bill Randolph

NEW! Back to Camp: The Locations of Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2

NEW! It Came From the Vaults-An Interview with La-La Land Records’ Matt Verboys and Michael V. Gerhard and Harry Manfredini

NEW! Finding Friday- On Location of the Friday the 13th Films

The Friday the 13th Chronoicles-An 8-Part Featurette on the First 8 Films

Secrets Galore Behind the Gore- A 3-Part Featurette on the Make-Up Effects of Part 1, Part 4 and Part 7

Crystal Lake Victims Tell All!

Tales From The Cutting Room Floor

Friday the 13th Artifacts and Collectibles

Jason Forever- Q & A with Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham and Kane Hodder

Legacy of the Mask

Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular

NEW! Friday the 13th Playing Cards Gallery

Easter Eggs which I haven’t found…

Disc 16:

Music Video: Alice Cooper’s “The Man Behind the Mask”

NEW! Alice Lives: Alice Cooper and Friday the 13th Part VI: A Look Back at the Music Video “The Man Behind the Mask”

NEW! Legends Never Die- Tom Mcloughlin at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

NEW! Life, Death and Jason Voorhees- An Interview with Director Tom McLoughlin

NEW! The Road to Crystal Lake- An Interview with Sean Cunningham\

NEW! Faceless Evil with Sean Cunningham

NEW! Jason Was Here- Friday the 13th Part 3-6 Locations Then and Now

Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed (2014)

Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2013)

Trailer Reel- All 12 trailers

NEW! Freddy vs Jason Storyboards, 11 in total

NEW! Friday the 13th (2009) Teaser Trailer

Friday the 13th (2009) Theatrical Trailer

NEW! Friday the 13th (2009) TV Spots

NEW! Friday the 13th (2009) EPK

NEW! Friday the 13th Series Newspaper Ads

Another Easter Egg I haven’t found…

The set also comes with a 54-Page booklet with an essay by Michael Gingold

Friday the 13th Collection Deluxe Edition Overall Score:

Films: B+

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A+

This is the ultimate horror franchise box set. Friday the 13th Collection deserves a place on your shelf. The sheer number of features that Scream Factory has put together make that alone worth the price of the set.

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 2-Tremors 4K Limited Edition

The Grabiods return in stunning 4K from the fine folks at Arrow Video!

Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are a couple of handymen who get tired of the life in Perfection, Nevada and intend to leave. A bump is thrown into their plan when powerful, worm like creatures attack their small town.

Released in 1990, Tremors is the perfect blend of horror and comedy. There are genuine scares to be had throughout the film, but it succeeds just as equally as a laugh out loud comedy. The film is directed at a break-neck pace by Ron Underwood, who gets the best out of his effects crew and actors. Bacon’s charm is infectious and endearing. Ward’s gruff and grumble Earl is the perfect balance to Bacon’s earnest performance. Reba McIntyre and Michael Gross are game as married couple Burt and Heather, with some heavy hitting weapons for the monsters.

Tremors snatches ahold of your TV with a stunning new 4K UHD presentation. The dust, the dirt, the guts all look striking. Colors pop and clothing and objects have an incredible sense of detail.

Tremors shakes and quakes with a speaker busting DTS-HD Master Audio. The sound design fits the movie perfectly and it is on full display on this disc.

Tremors comes absolutely stuffed with extras.

Disc One:

Comementary with Ron Underwood, Brent Maddock and SS Wilson

Commentary with Jonathan Melville

Making Perfection: A great documentary about making the film with interviews with Bacon and company.

The Truth About Tremors: A new interview with Nancy Roberts, who is a co-producer.

Bad Vibrations: A new interview with DP Alexander Grusynski.

Aftershocks and Other Rumblings: A new interview with Ellen Collett.

Digging the Dirt: The Visual Effects of Tremors: an awesome look at the monsters and effects of the film.

Music of Grabiods: A new chat with Ernest Troost and Robert Folk.

The Making of Tremors: An older documentary about the making of the film.

Creature Featurette: Clips from the set

Pardon My French: Clips of the TV version of Tremors, meaning silly dubs of naughty words.

EPK: The original promotional material for the film.

Deleted Scenes, Trailers from Tremors and the Franchise, and a Still Gallery.

Disc 2:

Extended Interviews from Making Perfection: Another four hours of interviews from select participants.

Arclight Q&A: from 2015 a fun talk with the cast and crew.

Gag Reel

Early Short Films: Ron Underwood gives us a look at his early work.

The release comes in a sturdy cardboard case with a nicely done book, a poster featuring an x-ray look at a graboid, postcards and a “coupon“ for Walter Chang’s Market.

Once again Arrow delivers a standout package from a standout film.

Film: A

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 3-Mallrats 25th Anniversary Limited Edition

“I love the smell of commerce in the morning!”

Mallrats was released 25 years ago and Arrow Video celebrated the occasion by releasing the definitive version on blu-ray.

Brodie (Jason Lee) loves comics, Sega hockey and begrudgingly his girlfriend Rene (Shannen Doherty). TS (Jeremy London) loves his girlfriend Brandi (Claire Forlani) and plans on proposing to her. Rene dumps Brodie the same morning TS is dumped by Brandi and they head to the mall where we meet Shannon (Ben Affleck) the agro manager of “Fashionable Male”. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Writer/Director Kevin Smith) who is enlisted by Brodie to trash a dating game set after TS learns that Brandi is appearing on the show at the request of her father due to the previous contestant having died preparing for the show (my friends and I still love the line, “She’s fucking dead!”).

Mallrats is one of my favorite movies. I feel like I’ve grown up with it, quoted it countless times and I enjoy watching it every time. It’s the movie that made me fall in love with Kevin Smith as well. It felt like Smith made movies for my friends and I and no one else. In fact, I saw Mallrats in high school when it was still not that popular. I was at a cast party for a play I was in and my good friend Joe told me I needed to watch Mallrats. I laughed the whole time and I remember explaining to my other friends who Stan Lee is (that seems so unusual now, but you really had to know comics in 1997 to know who Stan Lee was), which I still believe it to be his finest hour in film. I remember leaving that party and going to Suncoast (it was a video cassette store in the Villa Italia Mall in Lakewood, Colorado. Yes I am that old) and purchasing not only Mallrats but Clerks.

Mallrats is silly, funny and also has a dash of heart that make it a winner.

Mallrats arrives for its 25th Anniversary looking near mint. Arrow has freshened up the film with a brand new 4K scan for both the theatrical and director’s cut of the film. It looks incredible and it loses the over done sheen from Universal’s previous release and gives the film a much more natural look.

Snooch to the Nooch! Mallrats sounds incredible with its new DTS-HD Audio 5.1 track. Dialogue is the most important aspect of a Smith film and it comes through crystal clear without any distortion.

Arrow had packed Mallrats with a dirt mall full of bonus material.

Right out of the package there is a booklet with photos and an essay, plus a poster with Jay and Silent Bob’s “Operation Drive-By” and “Operation Dark Knight”. Plus the cover is reversible if you wish to have the original poster or the newly commissioned one, I always keep the slip cover and reverse the cover, best of both worlds!

Disc 1:

Includes an introduction by Kevin Smith before the theatrical cut.

Cast and Crew Commentary

My Mallrat Memories: A new, fun interview with Kevin Smith who is incredibly entertaining to listen to.

My Mallrats: A Tribute to Jim Jacks-Smith waxes poetically about the late producer and how he was the films biggest fan.

Blunt Talk: Jason Mewes sits down for a new interview.

Hollywood of the North: A cartoon version style documentary about the crew members and working in Minnesota.

When We Were Punks: A new interview with DP David Klein.

Deleted Scenes

Outtakes and Behind the Scenes Footage

Cast Interviews from the Original Set

Erection of an Epic: The Making of Mallrat: The original making of the film.

Q&A with Kevin Smith: Smith answers questions at the films 10th Anniversary.

Music Video and Trailer

Disc 2

Extended Cut, it also features an older introduction with Smith and Scott Mosier.

TV Cut: It is really fun to watch how they re-edit the curse words and vulgarity with words and phrases that do not make any sense. It also has a new introduction by Smith as well.

Soundtrack EPK

Dailies-A raw look at the film, this feature is nearly 2 hours!

Still Galleries

Mallrats is finally getting the release it deserves, and for long time fans like me this is a must buy!

Film: A+

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 4-Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection

One of the greatest cartoon characters Bugs Bunny, is given a diamond of a blu-ray release. With 60 cartoons spread over three discs, this legendary character is given a high-def upgrade with 40 cartoons that have never appeared in high definition!

Bugs Bunny bounced on the scene in 1940, in the Tex Avery classic “A Wild Hare”, he goes toe-to-toe with Elmer Fudd. This collection also includes “Elmer’s Candid Camera” which was released before “A Wild Hare” but the rabbit in the short has a lot of Bugs’ characteristics.

I never stopped laughing at these cartoons. They all are classics and they are all fun. It makes the over seven hours of cartoons fly-by with side splitting results.

My hope is that everyone who loves Looney Tunes will buy this so we have more releases like this one. I am hoping for a Daffy Duck one, so buy this, you will not regret it. I personally could watch Daffy and Bugs argue over Rabbit Season and Duck Season all day.

Bugs Bunny brings out the best in blu-ray as the cartoons are lovingly restored and look beautiful. Some age does pop up but these ‘toons look phenomenal. Vibrant and colorful, I love seeing the paint brush strokes in the background and the ink lines on the characters.

Bugs smashes onto high definition with a solid 2.0 mono track that captures the music, sound effects and lunacy perfectly. No pops, scratches or other imperfections can be heard.

Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection comes packed with some ported over features and some new.

The package comes with a Funko Pop that is nice. It is a diamond Bugs, it looks like glitter so I haven’t taken it out yet because I do not want glitter every where, it looks nice however. Also included is a booklet that lists the cartoons.

Disc One:

Commentary on 15 cartoons with several people contributing.

What’s Up Doc-umentary! An hour look at Bugs Bunny over the past 80 years. It is a solid documentary with many interviews that was produced for this release.

Behind the Tunes-A short look behind the scenes, which is in standard def.

Disc Two:

8 commentaries on select cartoons, with “What’s Opera Doc?” Having two tracks.

Alternate Audio Tracks on 3 cartoons.

Bugs Bunny: Looney Tunes-All-Star 50th Anniversary: A tribute to Bugs from his 50th birthday.

Behind the Tunes-features 3 behind the scenes looks at specific toons.

Disc 3:

Commentaries on 5 cartoons.

Behind the Tunes-A behind the scenes look at 3 cartoons.

Looney Tunes Cartoons-Taken from the new Looney Tunes from HBO Max. 10 are included and are a lot of fun.

Bugs Bunny receives a grand 80th birthday release and we are the ones who get the present.

Film: A+

Video: A

Audio: A-

Extras: A

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 5-Show Boat (1936)

5. Show Boat (1936)

James Whale directs the stunning film, Show Boat that features a stirring rendition of “Ol’ Man River”, by the amazing Paul Robeson.

Following the life of the daughter of a river boat, Magnolia Hawks (the always stunning Irene Dunne), through all of her ups and downs. First Magnolia wishes to be a star on her families boat, much to the delight of her father Cap’n Andy Hawks (Charles Winninger) and her mother Parthy Ann (Helen Westley). But soon Magnolia finds love in the form of Allan Jones (Gaylord Ravenal), who sweeps her off her feet and into marriage bliss. Or so she thinks.

Also onboard the Cotton Blossom is Julie LaVerne (Helen Morgan) who is the ships leading actress who is passing as white although she is part African-American, and Joe (Paul Robeson) and his wife Queenie (the incomparable Hattie McDaniel).

A truly stirring musical brought to life by Whale who is more known for his contributions to horror with Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, in Show Boat Whale proves that he can deliver the goods on musicals as well. His keen eye keeps the film focused and moving along at a great pace.

Irene Dunne is my favorite Golden Age actress and she crushes it in Show Boat. Dunne is given the opportunity to showcase her incredible singing voice, her impeccable comedic timing and her dramatic acting chops as well. Dunne brings her A-game throughout the picture.

Of course Show Boat really belongs to Paul Robeson, who makes the song “Ol’Man River” a timeless classic. He also is funny and has a commanding presence whenever he is on screen.

Show Boat sails onto the Criterion Collection with a stunning 4K scan that is very pleasing. Although at times the film shows its age, this is still a beautiful transfer that gives the 85 year old film new life.

Show Boat hits all the right notes with a solid audio track. And like the video, it does show its age at times, overall this is an outstanding track with clarity.

Show Boat sails onto blu-ray with a treasure trove of extras:

Commentary by Miles Krueger

Remembering James Whale: A nicely done new documentary about the acclaimed director.

Recognizing Race in Show Boat: A superb look at the film with Author Shana L. Redmond.

Paul Robeson: A Tribute to an Artist: An Academy Award winning documentary narrated by Sidney Pottier

Show Boat (1929): Over 30 minutes consisting of four performances from the first attempt to film Show Boat, the silent segments have commentary by Krueger.

Radio Plays: Two radio versions are presented one with Orson Welles as the narrator.

Show Boat is an incredible musical that deserves a place on your shelf.

Film: A

Video: A-

Audio: A-

Extras: A+

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 6-Knives Out UHD Bestbuy Exclusive Steelbook

6. Knives Out-Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook

There’s been a suicide, at the home of crime author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer, in one of his last roles). And the police seem to accept that Harlan has committed suicide, but investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has received an envelope full of cash to investigate the mysterious suicide.

We meet Harlan’s eccentric family, his daughter Linda (Jaime Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), son Walt (Michael Shannon), Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) and his nurse Marta (Ana de Armas). Marta is the last person to see Harlan alive, so she becomes Blanc’s “assistant”, mostly due to the fact that she throws up when she lies.

Rounding out the stellar cast is Ransom (Chris Evans), Donna (Riki Lindhome), her son Jacob (Jaeden Martell), Meg (Katherine Langford) and two policemen looking into the death of Harlan, Elliot (Lakeith Stanfield) and Wagner (Noah Segan).

Knives Out works on so many levels. Credit to Writer/Director Rian Johnson and not only his visual flair but his snappy dialogue as well. Knives Out is an incredibly entertaining film that gives its actors room to breathe. There are standouts, Craig’s Blanc seems aloof but in fact is two steps ahead. Jaime Lee Curtis is downright brilliant in the film. Chris Evans’ smug Ransom is so much fun. Ultimately however the MVP of the film is Ana de Armas as a woman who takes care of Harlan and is given his fortune. Armas is sensitives and smarter than the family give her credit for which pays of throughout the film.

Knives Out stabs the UHD format with a stellar transfer. Patterns on clothes and colors in the home all standout with utmost clarity. Johnson frames the film spectacularly, which makes the UHD presentation a sharp one.

Knives Out carves into an excellent Atmos track that makes the dialogue even more delicious.

The Steelbook for Knives Out is a bestseller come to life. It looks like one of Thrombey’s novels with the case all standing around him. It also contains a fun easter egg. If you remove the slipcover and reverse it, it will tell you who the mastermind of the mystery is. Really cool design.

Knives Out comes with a great set of extras that can be found on both the UHD and the standard blu-ray. They include:

Audio Commentary with Rain Johnson, DP Steve Yedlin and Actor Noah Segan

In Theater Commentary with Johnson: The director will release commentaries for his films you can download and listen to in the theater, it’s really cool and awesome that Lionsgate has included it on disc.

Deleted Scenes

Making a Murder: A nearly 2 hour making of feature.

Director Cast Q&A

Marketing Gallery: trailers and a special trailer with Johnson as well.

Meet the Thrombey’s Viral Ads

Knives Out is a great film given a great UHD, which is given one of the coolest steelbooks around.

Film: A

Video: A

Audio: A

Steelbook: A+

Extras: A

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 7-The Curse of Frankenstein: Two-Disc Special Edition

7. The Curse of Frankenstein: Two-Disc Special Edition

Hammer Horror raises the dead with their gothic-horror take on the original gothic-horror story, Frankenstein.

In Switzerland, Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is imprisoned, awaiting execution for killing his maid Justine. Victor is visited by a priest who he tells his horrific tale.

After the death of his mother, Victor Frankenstein is left his families fortune, and he sets to hire a tutor named Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) to teach him about science. After years of tutoring, Frankenstein and Krempe are able to bring a dead puppy back to life.

Victor decides that he is going to make the perfect person by harvesting body parts and murdering a respected professor.

Krempe can no longer stand by while Victor conducts his evil experiments and his horrified when “The Creature” (Christopher Lee) is brought to life!

Although it is based on Mary Shelley’s famous novel, and some of the elements of the film are familiar, Hammer delivers a great Frankenstein film. The strongest aspect of the film is the incredible cast that brings the film to life. Cushing is terrifying as the Baron. Urquhart is also outstanding as his sympathetic tutor Paul. Lee does much with the non-speaking role of the Creature. Terrence Fisher is at the helm and he delivers the goods yet again. The film looks stunning, and the violence is horrific. Condemned when it was released, The Curse of Frankenstein is now recognized as one of Hammer’s best films.

The Curse of Frankenstein unleashes its horror on a stunning new 4K transfer from The Warner Archive Collection. The blood, the makeup a are gruesome. The lighting, the detail are some of the best I’ve seen from Warner Archive and that is truly saying something. The Collector’s Edition of The Curse of Frankenstein has three separate versions of the film. The 1:85:1 and the 1:66:1 are located on disc one, and a really cool bonus feature on disc two is 1:37:1 version, which if you saw the film on TV is the version you might know the best, each have the same 4K scan so no matter which version you prefer you are seeing a great transfer of the film.

The Curse of Frankenstein lurches from the laboratory with a thundering DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio and it screams excellence. The dialogue and music sound fresh and clear. No scratches or other imperfections are found on the soundtrack.

The Curse of Frankenstein rises from the grave with some of the best extras to be found on a release in 2020.

Disc 1

Audio Commentary: The recurring team of Constantine Nasr and Steve Haberman deliver yet another great commentary.

Disc 2

Open Matte Version

The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film: An outstanding documentary about the making of the film, how it saved Hammer Films and ushered in the modern horror film.

Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition: A sit down with Author and Cultural Historian Sir Christopher Frayling delves not only into the film but the book as well. This is a great piece.

Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher: Cinematographer David J. Miller (Veep, The Good Place) talks the brilliance of fellow Cinematographer Jack Asher.

Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror: Composer Christopher Drake (Injustice: Gods Among Us, Tusk) offers praise for Composer James Bernard.

Trailer

The Curse of Frankenstein is given the royal treatment by The Warner Archive Collection and the label delivers one of the best blu-rays of the year. From three different versions of the film to some of the most entertaining and informative bonus features make this a must-buy!

Film: A-

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: A+

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020: Number 8-The Lady Eve

8. The Lady Eve

Three con artists, Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), her father Colonel Harrington, and his partner Gerald aboard a cruise ship set their sights on the heir of millions. What they don’t count on is that Jean falls for the bumbling soon-to-be millionaire Charles Pike (Henry Fonda).

Jean tries to keep Charles from finding out about their schemes, but as she falls more in love with him, the more she feels guilty about lying to him.

Eventually Charles finds out about Jean and her scheming ways and dumps her. Jean doesn’t go away however, when she learns that there is a party with the wealthy in Connecticut and Charles will be there, Jean disguises herself as Lady Eve Sidwich. At the party Charles is taken aback by “Lady Eve’s” beauty and is head over heels for her. They soon marry, and Charles can’t shake the feeling that Eve might be Jean…

An absolute winning screwball comedy by master director Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels). The film is whip smart, funny and a master class in comedy by Stanwyck. She’s easy on the eyes and easy to fall in love with. Up to the challenge as well is lovable Fonda, who plays a bumbling fool all too well.

I had never seen The Lady Eve, I bought solely on the star power of Stanwyck and Sturges. I have now watched it three times in a matter of months, catching new jokes, new character nuances and overall, just appreciating one of the best comedies ever.

The Lady Eve arrives on The Criterion Collection with a sparkling new transfer. Although the text that accompanies the disc says that they had to source the film from a Universal Studios 35mm fine-grain master positive, as it was the best element to scan, it looks awesome. Some mild softness can be found, but I did check a streaming version of this film and I can say that the Criterion release knocked it out of the park.

The Lady Eve speaks its mind with a crystal-clear mono track. No hissing, cracks or pops, this movie sounds great. Which is so important as the dialogue is first rate and needs to be heard.

The Lady Eve crashes the party with a great amount of features that are worth your time to watch.

Introduction by Peter Bogdanovich

Commentary by Film Scholar Marian Keane

Tom Sturges and Friends: The son of the acclaimed director sits down on video conference with some of familiar movie fans, like Leonard Maltin, and Ron Shelton to name a few.

The Lady Deceives: Film critic David Cairns discusses the film.

Costume Designs by Edith Head: A look at the costuming in the film.

Lux Radio Theatre Presentation: Stanwyk reprises her role for the radio.

Up the Amazon: the opening number from the musical based on The Lady Eve.

Trailer and Essay

The Lady Eve is one of the best comedies ever. You would be foolish to not pick up this gem of a release by The Criterion Collection.

Film: A+

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A

Overall: A

Top 20 Blu-Rays of 2020-Number 9: Holiday (1938)

9. Holiday (1938)

Ideals clash in a comedy that pits Cary Grant’s Johnny against his girlfriend Julia’s (Doris Nolan) against her family, who view the world differently.

Johnny arrives at Julia’s home as her family is planning a big New Year’s Eve party. Johnny is planning on marrying Julia and their engagement will be announced at midnight. Johnny is surprised to learn that Julia’s family is extremely wealthy and her father Edward Seton (Henry Kolker) has a nice job at his bank all lined up for Johnny. Johnny however has plans of his own. Johnny wants to see the world and experience it before settling down. Johnny finds a kindred spirit in Julia’s older sister Linda (Katharine Hepburn). Johnny soon realizes that he might be marrying the wrong sister.

A winning comedy from Director George Cukor that deals with a popular subject in the late 1930’s and that’s you don’t need money to be happy. Holiday is a fast moving, funny and at times touching film. Grant and Hepburn are of course magical, picking up their amazing chemistry they displayed in two previous films together and will serve them even better in 1940’s screwball classic The Philadelphia Story.

Holiday is an easy movie to love. Grant is still really early in his movie career as he arrived in Hollywood just six years earlier, but starting with 1937’s Topper, Grant is starting to establish himself as the best comedian in film as he had The Awful Truth (my favorite Grant film) and Bringing Up Baby under his belt. Hepburn is no slouch either. Her timing is impeccable as too is her physical comedy chops, both are on full display in Holiday.

And while Holiday never reaches the heights of Bringing Up Baby or The Philadelphia Story, it is still a must see.

Holiday arrived on blu-ray from the Criterion Collection with a new 4K scan that was handled by Sony Pictures. It is stunning. I watched this film on DVD just a couple years ago and Sony delivers a sparkling new transfer. Blacks are deep and full, and the film has a great amount of beautiful detail that I missed watching it on DVD.

Holiday cheers onto blu-ray with a solid mono track. No hissing or scratching can be found on the soundtrack. This is a healthy sounding track for a film that is 82 years old.

The Criterion Collection delivers yet again with some truly great bonus features.

Holiday (1930)-presented here is the 1930 version of Holiday. It is ok, but how can you compare with Grant and Hepburn, you can’t. Hats off to Criterion however for including it.

A conversation with Filmmaker Michael Schlesinger and Film Critic Michael Sragow: An hour and a half discussion about the two Holiday films and the play. They discuss the differences and how they are alike.

Audio excerpt with George Cukor: Cukor talks about Holiday in 1971 and 72.

Costume Gallery: A look at the film’s costumes

Holiday is a fun, light comedy that is a must buy for fans of Grant, Hepburn or just golden age comedies in general.

Film: A

Video: A

Audio: A-

Extras: A

Overall: A

Scroll to top