BluTuesday - February 16, 2016
What’s going on, ProFans? I’m taking a break from battling this cold and my chocolate hangover from Valentine’s Day to bring you the latest releases to home media for February 16, 2016. In this week’s episode, we discuss Johnny Depp in makeup again, yet another movie on an erstwhile tech giant, the melanin challenged part of New York, and a bloody gang. All ready? Let’s go.
Black Mass (R)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 75%
Picture it: South Boston - the 1970s. FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) convinces Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) to work with the agency to take down the Italian mob. However, Connolly underestimates Bulger’s power and influence, as well as his own fanboyism when it comes to the mobster. This sets things on a downward spiral that threatens everything he’s worked for. This film, which also stars The Gloriously British Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, and Dakota Johnson, is available in a two disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. Johnny Depp puts on a masterful performance as the mobster, but something felt a bit off with this. It’s still worth watching, because it’s some of the best in Hollywood putting on an acting clinic. And, it’s my pick of the week.
Steve Jobs (R)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85%
Aaron Sorkin and Michael Fassbender bring the tech giant to life in a movie that is unabashedly Sorkinian. Fassbender plays Steve Jobs in three stages of his life: the introduction of the Macintosh home computer, the NeXT computer, and the introduction of the iMac. Meanwhile, it weaves in Jobs struggling to get to know his daughter. This film, which also stars Seth Rogen, Katherine Waterston, and Kate Winslet, is available in a two disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin have brought a very good version of Steve Jobs’ life story to film, but…enough’s enough, okay? It’s good, it’s lit, it’s enough.
Girls: The Complete Fourth Season
The Girls are back in town! The fourth season of this acclaimed series features the titular characters weaving in and out of life in NYC as they try to make a name for themselves. Hannah (Lena Dunham) actually leaves New York to attend a writer’s workshop in Iowa, Marnie (Allison Williams) is working on her burgeoning music career, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) starts job hunting after graduation, and Jessa (Jemima Kirke) is going to AA to figure out this sobriety thing. As they go through their ups and downs, one thing is for certain: time and maturity wait for no one, not even them. This series, which also stars Adam Driver, Ebon Moss-Bacharach, and Alex Karpovsky, is available in a two disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version. Okay, so here’s the thing: as long as I’ve been doing this, I’ve always admitted when something wasn’t for me, but still recommended it. Girls is one of those things with me; I have no interest in it, it doesn’t speak to me, and it just seems like a metric ton of fluff and circumstances. But, if you like it, I love it.
Peaky Blinders: The Complete Second Season
In season two of this series, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is looking to help the eponymous gang go legit in order to safeguard his family’s future. However, he gets ahold of some stolen arms, and comes into almost immediate conflict with Belfast Chief Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill); CI Campbell’s job is to get the guns back at any cost, and the stage for a titanic conflict is set. This series, which also stars Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory, and Annabelle Wallis, is available in a two disc Blu-ray version and a two disc DVD version. This series is brutally honest and it’s definitely worth your time.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Got any questions or comments? Did I miss something you wanted to discuss? Please feel free to hit me up in the comments section below.
Until next time…
