The Best New Blu-Ray Releases: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 And More
Welcome back to another Blu-ray round-up. Every other week I try to bring you the best new Blu-ray releases; releases you might want to pick up for yourself and add to your growing collection. This week's line-up is eclectic, to say the least. There's a new Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel; there's a "John Wick"-like action flick; there's a '90s comedy that used to play on TV all the time back in the day; and there's a horror cult classic getting the 4K treatment. So come along with me once again as we dive into the wonderful world of Blu-rays. Because remember: streaming comes and goes, but physical media is forever.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
When all is said and done, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies might end up being the crown jewels of the MCU. While many Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (especially recent ones) tend to blend together in the memory, James Gunn's "Guardians" films stand out and stand above the rest. They're heartfelt stories in corporate blockbuster packages, and Gunn has been able to inject his unique brand of weirdness into the proceedings. These are stories about loners and outcasts, losers and failures, who find each other and create their own kind of weirdo family. There's real heart in these films; genuine emotional beats that don't ring false or hollow. Throw in a ton of pop songs and you've got something special.
Which brings us to "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," the third and final film in Gunn's trilogy. If you ever wondered where Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) came from, here's your answer, and it's not pleasant. This is primarily's Rocket's movie, showing us the character's surprisingly brutal and upsetting origin story. Gunn goes dark here; perhaps too dark. We're talking about animal torture scenes that leave you feeling sick to your stomach and more than a little depressed. It borders on sadistic at times. This flashback narrative hinders the film, killing the momentum of the present-day storyline, which involves the rest of the Guardians dealing with the evil High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a geneticist who wants to remake the world into his own version of a perfect utopia, even if that means death and destruction. There's also Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, a woefully underwritten character tasked with tracking the Guardians down.
Despite bright, colorful pop art sensibilities bursting from frame to fame, "Vol. 3" is messy in ways the previous two "Guardians" films were not, and as such closes out the trilogy on a disappointing note. And yet, the trilogy as a whole still packs a punch. Gunn found a way to bring personality to the Marvel machine, a story of a ragtag group of misfits that made themselves a family. I can't imagine we'll get another trilogy like this from the MCU anytime soon.
Special features:
FEATURETTES
- The Imperfect, Perfect Family – View the evolution of the Guardians through the cast and crew's passion for each other and the entire franchise. Join this tight knit "found family" as they leave behind a legacy and recount their best memories wrapping up this epic trilogy's final film.
- Creating Rocket Raccoon – Director James Gunn talks about bringing Rocket to life and how personal the character is to him. Uncover BTS footage, the research and development of the visual effects process, and the inspiration for Rocket through conversations with cast and crew.
DELETED SCENES
- A Bit Much – Adam Warlock explains to Ayesha what he plans to do with the Guardians.
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A Lending Hand – Peter lends a hand to an injured humanimal on Counter-Earth and shows he means no harm.
- Drax's Analogies and Metaphors – Drax gives Peter some interesting life analogies and metaphors.
- The Perfect Society – The High Evolutionary reveals his mission to perfect the universe.
- The Search for 89P13 – Behemoth brings not-so-good news to The High Evolutionary.
- Annoyed Peter – Peter gets annoyed while altering the shield.
- A Burning Escape – Peter runs back to grab his music player before escaping a blazing inferno on the Arête.
- Knowhere After the Battle – The High Evolutionary is brought back to Knowhere and locked up while Kraglin recruits Adam Warlock.
GAG REEL
- Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY
- Watch the film with audio commentary by director James Gunn.
Sisu
Sometimes you just want to watch a movie about a bunch of Nazis getting killed. And Jalmari Helander's "Sisu" gives you that and then some. Here is a silly, enjoyable action pic about a one-man army on a mission to explode, shoot, stab, slice, dice, and kill as many Nazis as he can. The story, such as it is, involves a silent miner (Jorma Tommila) who finds a large chunk of gold in Lapland during World War II. The miner and his trusty dog just want to be left alone with the gold, but things don't go according to plan. The arrival of a platoon of SS soldiers complicates matters, as these Nazi scumbags, who have taken a group of women captive, want the gold for themselves. They think they can easily overpower this older man and take his riches. Of course, the miner turns out to be a killing machine, and he dispatches the Germans one by one in brutal, efficient fashion. One particularly inventive moment has the miner slitting a man's throat underwater and then using the neck wound as a breathing device. Clever! And gross!
Stylish and bloody, "Sisu" has been compared to "John Wick," and while the connection can be made, this isn't nearly as extravagant as the Keanu Reeves films. This is more like a distant cousin to "Wick"; a film with similar goals just not executed as well or as skillfully. The "Wick" movies feel slick and epic; "Sisu" is more down and dirty. But that doesn't mean "Sisu" isn't worth seeking out. Like I said: sometimes you just want to watch a movie about a bunch of Nazis getting killed, and you'll definitely get that here.
Special features:
- Indestructible: Making Sisu
- Pushing the Boundaries of Reality: The Visual Effects of Sisu
So I Married An Axe Murderer 4K
When I was growing up in the '90s, it felt like "So I Married an Axe Murderer" was on TV all the time. Somehow, the Mike Myers movie ran constantly on one TV channel or another (I want to say Comedy Central, but I could be wrong; maybe it was TBS). As such, the comedy is burned into my brain. That's not to say I think of this as some beloved classic. It's a serviceable, mostly entertaining comedy that feels very '90s. Not a cellphone in sight, just people vibing!
Mike Myers is Charlie, a guy who somehow makes a living (he's got a nice apartment and everything) as a beat poet in San Francisco. Charlie is afraid of commitment and breaks up with women just as things are starting to get serious. Then he meets Harriet (Nancy Travis), a beautiful butcher (she also owns a really nice apartment, which implies the butcher business is a lucrative one). The two hit it off almost instantly, and Charlie starts to think that Harriet could be the one. And then he starts to suspect she might also be an axe murderer. Is this just Charlie's fear of commitment rearing its ugly head? Or is Harriet genuinely dangerous, ready to make Charlie her next victim?
What makes "Axe Murderer" pop isn't so much the main plotline as it is the little side alleys the film goes down, with quirky supporting characters. Phil Hartman nearly steals the entire movie with one scene as a tour guide at Alcatraz; there's a running subplot about Charlie's friend, a cop played by Anthony LaPaglia, who badly wants his ultra-nice captain (a very funny, uncredited Alan Arkin) to be more like the hard-nosed police captains on TV; and Myers pulls double duty playing his character's father, a Scotsman who sounds a lot like Shrek. These little quirks make "Axe Murderer" better than you might think, though I don't think anyone would go so far as to consider this a comedy classic. Still, the film now has a 4K release (!), something I don't think anyone, not even Mike Myers, expected. This release also comes with a ton of deleted scenes, most of which flesh things out more and give more screen time to Harriet's sister, played by Amanda Plummer. When you see the deleted scenes in question, you'll likely understand why they got cut (I'm trying to be vague to avoid spoiling a 30-year-old movie).
Special features:
- Feature scanned from the original camera negative and presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision.
- All-new Dolby Atmos audio + 5.1 + 2-Channel Surround
- Special Features:
- NEW: 30+ Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailers
Nightbreed 4K
Clive Barker's "Nightbreed" is a cult classic; a film that flopped at the box office and with critics, but slowly and surely developed its own following. Barker was unhappy with the theatrical cut due to studio tampering and eventually would release a director's cut that better matched his vision. Now you can get both the theatrical cut and the director's cut on Blu-ray, with the theatrical cut in 4K thanks to the folks at Shout! Factory (why there's no 4K of the director's cut is a question for another day).
In "Nightbreed," Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer, a rather dull leading man) has visions of Midian, a subterranean world full of monsters. This is no fantasy — Midian is real. Meanwhile, Boone has been convinced he's a serial killer by his doctor, Dr. Philip K. Decker, played with graceful menace by filmmaker David Cronenberg. As it turns out, Decker is the real killer, and he's framed Boone for his various crimes. Boone is shot to death by the police, only to end up alive in Midian, slowly turning into one of the monsters.
From there, "Nightbreed" kind of descends into chaos, no matter what version you watch. It's a messy movie that doesn't quite work, and yet it's bursting with inventiveness. It's a weirdo monster movie boasting great make-up effects, a killer performance from Cronenberg, and a bombastic score courtesy of Danny Elfman. It's a cult classic for a reason — it's clearly not a movie for everyone, but those viewers on the same weirdo wavelength will find a lot to love.
Special features:
DISC ONE (4K UHD – THEATRICAL CUT):
- NEW 2023 4K Scan Of The Best Surviving Film Elements
- In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 5.1
- Audio Commentary With Film Critics Adrian J. Smith And David Flint
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY – THEATRICAL CUT):
- NEW 2023 4K Scan Of The Best Surviving Film Elements
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 5.1
- Audio Commentary With Film Critics Adrian J. Smith And David Flint
- Memories of Midian – An Interview With Actor Nicholas Vince
- Walking The Line Between Heaven And Hell – Interview With Critic Kat Ellinger
- Speaking Up For The Monsters – An Interview With Critic Kim Newman
- Theatrical Trailer
DISC THREE (BLU-RAY – DIRECTOR'S CUT):
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 5.1
- Audio Commentary With Writer Director Clive Barker And Restoration Producer Mark Allan Miller
- Tribes Of The Moon: The Making Of NIGHTBREED – A 72-Minute Documentary On The Production
- Making Monsters – A Look At The Special Makeup Effects
- Fire! Fights! Stunts! – A Look At The Second Unit Shoot
DISC FOUR (BLU-RAY – BONUS FEATURES):
- Deleted Scenes
- Monster Prosthetics Masterclass
- Cutting Compromise
- The Painted Landscape
- Matte Painting Tests
- Makeup Tests
- Stop Motion Lost Footage
- Rehearsal Test
- Still Galleries – Sketches, Deleted Scene Photos, Posters And Pre-Production Stills, On-The-Set Photos, And More