BETTER OFF DEAD 40th Anniversary Edition (4K UHD) - 1985 was a pretty damn good year for John Cusack, with a couple of films that put him directly in the spotlight. One of them, Better Off Dead, didn’t make much of an impression when it was first released, but has since become something of a cult film. 40 years later, it at least deserves a few kudos for its quirkiness and black comedy elements, which helped distinguish the film from countless other ‘80s era teen comedies. But as an obvious product of its time, how much one enjoys it today depends largely on nostalgic reverence for that decade, and so small amount of tolerance for director “Savage” Steve Holland’s sense of humor. Considering this release touts the film’s 40th Anniversary, the 4K video/audio quality is merely average and there are no additional bonus features. Fans who already own the film in other formats have little reason for an upgrade. (1985/96 min/Paramount).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
WATSON Season One (DVD) - Just when you think they’ve run out of ways to serve up iconic characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, along comes the first season of Watson. As the title indicates, the focus is on Sherlock Holmes’ longtime loyal sidekick. However, it’s set in the present day, with the title character (Morris Chestnut) as the head of a Pittsburgh clinic. Not the worst idea as these things go, but it doesn’t necessarily need to feature characters we’re already familiar with (including Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarity). With a few name changes here and there, this could be any typical TV detective series. Still, Chestnut is good in the lead role, and if not quite bingeworthy, the show has its moments. This 4-disc DVD includes a few featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. (2025/560 min/Paramount).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺
SPAWN Limited Edition (4K and Blu-ray) - Spawn was a garbage truck movie back in 1997 and time hasn’t been any kinder to it. Too bad, really, because the basic premise has the makings of a compellingly dark and brutally bloody comic book movie. But instead of appealing to the same older audience that made Blade a sleeper hit a year later, Spawn aims for the mallrat crowd. But even that doesn’t excuse the shipshod direction, bad writing (with eye-rolling dialogue) and tremendous overacting. Speaking of which…if they gave out awards for the most irritating performance of all time, John Leguizamo (who apparently improvised a lot of his dialogue) would be a strong contender. Instead of rebooting Batman over and over, how about somebody try to give this character a decent movie? However, fans of the film will certainly appreciate Arrow Video’s excellent restoration and big batch of all new bonus features, including two commentaries and interviews with several primary cast members. It also features both the theatrical and director’s cut (a marginal improvement). (199798 min/Arrow Video).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
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