BluTuesday - September 6, 2016
What’s going on, ProFans? I’m taking a break from recovering from Labor Day weekend to bring you the latest releases to home media for September 6, 2016. In this week’s episode, we discuss a meeting of the minds, finding love against all odds, a controversial biopic, magicians, the trial of the century, the show that doesn’t end, and the fastest show alive. We’ve got quite a bit to get to, so let’s jump right in.
All the Way (NR)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 87%
Based on the Broadway run of the same name, this tells the story of President Lyndon B. Johnson (Bryan Cranston) and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie) as they work together to sculpt the Civil Rights Act and placate the southern members of the Democratic Party. The decisions made in this act changed the course of history and of politics, and the reverberations are still being felt to this day. This film, which also stars Bradley Whitford, Melissa Leo, and Aisha Hinds, is available in a a single disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD + Digital Copy version. This was an important time in history, and both Bryan Cranston and Anthony Mackie absorb themselves into their respective roles. This is a must watch.
Equals (PG-13)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 31%
In the Utopian society known as “The Collective,” there is no more crime and violence due to emotions being genetically removed. Despite that, Nia (Kristen Stewart) and Silas (Nicholas Hoult) start falling for each other, and their explosive romance threatens their very existence. Faced with mounting suspicion from their superiors, they have to decide whether they want their emotions removed again or do they try to escape and fully embrace their newfound emotions. This film, which also stars Guy Pearce, Bel Powley, and Scott Lawrence, is available in a single disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD + Digital Copy version. This is Kristen Stewart’s quintessential movie: a movie where she doesn’t have to emote. All jokes aside, this film has a pretty interesting premise, and it’s worth checking out on Redbox.
Nina (NR)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 3%
Nina Simone is one of the greatest musicians of all time: a 15-time Grammy nominee, a Grammy Hall of Fame recipient, and a beloved singer the world over. This film shows Nina (Zoe Saldana) from her meteoric rise to fame, her cataclysmic fall from the same, and her attempts to rediscover and redefine herself. This film, which also stars David Oyelowo, Mike Epps, and Ella Thomas, is available in a single disc Blu-ray version and a single disc DVD version. This was a contentious film from the beginning, with Ms. Simone’s family actively being against its production. I mentioned it here because it’s a new release; that’s it. There are other films based on Ms. Simone’s life; I recommend finding those instead.
Now You See Me 2 (PG-13)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 34%
The Four Horsemen have returned! J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), and newcomer Lula (Lizzy Caplan) - under the tutelage of Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), are setting the world afire with their mystifying feats of magic. But, when they find themselves under the spell of Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a dangerous tech magnate, they have to do one last heist in order to clear their names and get down to the bottom of an international mystery. This film, which also stars Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Sanaa Lathan, is available in a two disc 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray + Digital copy version, a two disc Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy version and a single disc DVD + Digital Copy version. While not as received as the first film, this is a delightful film that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. Check it out.
American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson
In this gripping miniseries, the Trial of the Century gets its due diligence. This show takes a look at the legal teams at the center of the O.J. Simpson (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) murder investigation, from Johnny Cochran (Courtney B. Vance) and his defense team and Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson) and her team of prosecutors. Faced with corruption from within and without, everyone involved looked to answer the quintessential question: what is reasonable doubt? This series, which also stars Sterling K. Brown, David Schwimmer, and John Travolta, is available in a three disc Blu-ray version and a four disc DVD version. The O.J. Simpson trial captivated America and is something that will be studied and remembered for decades to come. This dramatization is a very good one, and I highly recommend it.
Supernatural: The Complete Eleventh Season
Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) face their toughest challenge yet; The Darkness, which is a new peril that has chosen Earth as its new home for terror. The brothers have to pull out their usual bag of tricks in order to beat back the enemy, including relying on the King of Hell, Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard). This series, which also stars Misha Collins, Rob Benedict, and Ruth Connell, is available in a four disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a six disc DVD + Digital Copy version. This show has shown no signs of slowing down, and it just keeps getting better and better as the years progress. And, to think they wanted to end it at five seasons…
The Flash: The Complete Second Season
Picking up after the events of the first season, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) has to face his biggest challenge yet: an enemy only known as Zoom; a terrifying monster that wants Barry’s speed. Along the way, Team Flash has to face down metahumans from not only their Earth, but another Earth as well, as Earth-2’s Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanaugh) comes along and brings his own snarky spin to the team. Barry also has to contend with his feelings for Iris West (Candice Patton), new love Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten), and a whole new set of trials and tribulations for the Fastest Man Alive. This series, which also stars Jesse L. Martin, Carlos Valdes, and Danielle Panabaker, is available in a four disc Blu-ray + Digital Copy version and a six disc DVD + Digital Copy version. Much like its big brother Arrow, season two of The Flash suffered from putting the season on hold to help build up DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. However, this is still a very good season, and I highly recommend it.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Got any questions or comments? Did I miss something you wanted to discuss? Feel free to hit me up in the comments section below.
Until next time…
