BluTuesday - June 9, 2015
What’s going on, ProFans? I’m taking a break from prepping for a much needed vacation to bring you the latest releases to home media for June 9, 2015. In this week’s episode, we discuss badass spies, Hollywood ugly, a fascinating study of the 1920s’ timber industry, yet another found footage flick, a howling time on the tube, a biting look at N’Awlins, and a very literal show title. We have a lot to get to, so let’s not waste any time.
Kingsman: Secret Service [Blu-ray]
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 74%
Based on the acclaimed comic book by Mark Millar and directed by Matthew Vaughn, this film centers around Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), a troubled, but brilliant teenager in London who catches the eye of secret agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth). Hart takes Eggsy under his wing, and they prepare to defend the world from the dastardly scheme of Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). This film, which also stars Mark Hamill, Jack Davenport, and Michael Caine, is available in both a single disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. I’m ambivalent about Mark Millar, but I love Matthew Vaughn’s directing style - I would’ve rather him direct Days of Future Past instead of Bryan Singer, and Colin Firth makes a compelling action hero. This film is brutal, it’s bloody, and it’s a great time. This film gets my pick of the week.
The DUFF (PG-13)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 72%
High school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) is enjoying her final year in school until she finds out that she’s been dubbed the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier friends Jess and Casey (Skyler Samuels and Bianca A. Santos). She seeks out Wesley (Robbie Amell), a charming jock to help reinvent her image and remind everyone that everyone has a bit of a DUFF inside of them. This film, which also stars Ken Jeong, Nick Eversman, and Bella Thorne, is available in both a single disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. I don’t have a problem with this movie as a whole, but I don’t like how Hollywood decides that putting on a pair of overalls or glasses would immediately make someone ugly. Stop doing that.
Serena (R)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 18%
In 1920s North Carolina, George and Serena Pemberton (Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) are beginning to start their timber empire. Serena shows that she is as good as any man when it comes to managing loggers, taking out rattlesnakes, and saving the life of one of her workers. But, when George’s secrets begin coming to light, Serena has a choice to make. This film, which also stars Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones, and David Dencik, is available in both a single disc Blu-ray version and a single disc DVD version. The best thing I can say about this is it sounds like the perfect sleep aid.
Project Almanac (PG-13)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 35%
A bunch of highschoolers discover a time machine; what could possibly go wrong? When high school senior David Raskin (Jonny Weston) and his friends discover a time machine his late father had started working on, and use it to try to better their own lives. But, doing that has consequences, and those consequences threaten to tear reality apart. This film, which also stars Sofia Black-D’Elia, Allen Evangelista, and Sam Lerner, is available in both a two disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD version. I like time travel shows and movies, but I hate found footage movies. It’s still worth giving it a look.
Teen Wolf: Season Four
Season Four finds Scott, Skiles, Lydia, and Kira returning to school and dealing with issues that are more human than supernatural. But, while helping their friend Malia integrate back into society, the return of Kate Argent and the appearance of someone known only as the Benefactor makes things incredibly difficult, and begins to tear at the fabric of the town of Beacon Hills. This series, which stars Holland Roden, David O’Brien, and Tyler Hoechlin, is available in a three disc DVD version. I’m pretty ambivalent about shows of this caliber, so I will freely admit that my viewpoint is a bit jaded. But, it could be interesting to give it a watch. Of course, if you’re already invested in the lore, you’re going to watch this anyway.
The Originals: The Complete Second Season
When vampire-werewolf hybrid Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) returns to New Orleans, he’s shocked to find out that Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) - a werewolf - is pregnant with his child. Not only that, but his vampire protégé Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) - who everyone thought was dead - is now running the French Quarter. On top of that, there’s a war brewing between the witches and vampires of the populace, threatening to tear the city apart. This series, which also stars Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, and Daniella Pineda, is available in a five disc DVD version, with a four disc Blu-ray version coming out on September 1st. So, you have werewolves, you have vampires, you have witches, and you have one of the sexiest cities in the country. What can go wrong with that?
The Last Ship: The Complete First Season
Navy Commander Tom Chandler (Eric Dane), the Commanding Officer of the USS Nathan James (DDG-151), must lead his crew to find the cure to a pandemic that has wiped billions off of the face of the earth. Alongside scientist Rachel Scott (Rhona Mitra), they travel to the far corners of the earth to find what caused the disease to spread so rapidly, realizing that they are humanity’s last hope for survival. This series, which also stars Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell, and Sam Spruell, is available both a two disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a three disc DVD version. I’m admittedly biased, because I’m a Navy vet, but this is a gripping show that I highly recommend everyone check out.
Well, that’s all I 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…
