June 1, 2016

FIVE THINGS THAT HAVE US PURRING THIS SUMMER

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
The initial teaser didn't impress us, making it look more like a reboot of Battleship. But subsequent trailers included all the stuff that made the original so much damn fun...more returning characters, silly humor, jaw-dropping visuals and patriotic banner-waving. Sure, we don’t necessarily need an Independence Day sequel, but count us in anyway.



THREE LOST CLASSICS ON BLU-RAY
Anyone who's ever spent time browsing Free Kittens Movie Guide knows we have a soft spot for films of the 1970s. Not just the classics, but those of sentimental or nostalgic personal importance. This summer we're getting three of them, all of which have been covered extensively on our site. Shout Factory is releasing Rollercoaster and Two-Minute Warning, both originally released to capitalize on the disaster movie trend at the time (though neither are true disaster films), while Kino Lorber is putting out what looks to be the definitive Blu-Ray of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, one of the great thrillers of the 70s. Guess who's doing an all-nighter in July revisting his childhood?




THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
While we aren't big fans of remakes, we aren't opposed to them either (unless the original is absolutely perfect). Since 1960's The Magnificent Seven was itself a remake of The Seven Samurai, why not have another go-around? The cast this time includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio, to name a few. Throw in director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) and the final music score by the late, great James Horner, how can this one possibly miss?



HORROR: THE PURGE - ELECTION YEAR and THE CONJURING 2
We’re the first to admit the first two films in the polarizing Purge franchise aren’t perfect, but the concept is killer and this was one of those rare cases where the second film vastly improved on the first in every way. Will the third chapter be even better? With Frank Grillo returning, this time protecting a president who wants to eliminate The Purge, this sounds like the most ambitious one yet. 2013’s The Conjuring was a wonderful surprise to many horror fans (including us). Based on the supposedly true exploits of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the film was suspenseful, smart and scary-as-hell, while never relying on blood or a body-count. This sequel brings back the same director, writers and stars for yet-another go-around. The trailer looks suitably ominous, so unless somebody behind the scenes totally screws the pooch, The Conjuring 2 might be the horror event of the year.



THE WALKING DEAD, SEASON 6 ON BLU-RAY
The Walking Dead is our favorite show, but we never watch it when it airs weekly on AMC. The constant commercial breaks and week-long waits between episodes are maddening. We’d rather wait and binge during a single glorious weekend in August, when the most recent season is typically released on video, though it does make going online a tricky endeavor throughout the rest of the year (you know...spoilers). Still, there’s no better way to watch this show.

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