Category Archives: Blu-Ray

Thursday, September 13, 2018

We Reveal 7 Secrets from Cult Favorite Hocus Pocus for its 25th Anniversary

Posted Sep 13, 2018 7:09 pm by Mister D

Surf And Sunshine
We Reveal 7 Secrets from Cult Favorite Hocus Pocus for its 25th Anniversary
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
2 MINUTE READ

7 Secrets from Cult Favorite Hocus Pocus for its 25th Anniversary

Ready for a serious flashback? Hocus Pocus is 25 years old.

That means it’s been a quarter century since the coven of evil witches played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy were accidentally set free to wreak havoc on Salem, Mass. And it’s been 25 years since a cult favorite was born.

hocus pocus 1140x733 - We Reveal 7 Secrets from Cult Favorite Hocus Pocus for its 25th Anniversary

For many of us, October means grabbing a pumpkin spice latte, loading up on candy corn, hitting the DVR and lining up every single showing of Hocus Pocus so we can just keep watching over and over and over again. It’s become Halloween tradition in many a household thanks to Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween. But just maybe there’s a better way? Read More

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Sunday, September 9, 2018

25 Things We Learned from the ‘Hocus Pocus’ 25th Anniversary Blu-ray

Posted Sep 9, 2018 1:09 am by Mister D

Collider
25 Things We Learned from the ‘Hocus Pocus’ 25th Anniversary Blu-ray
BY DAVE TRUMBORE SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

25 Things We Learned from the ‘Hocus Pocus’ 25th Anniversary Blu-ray

Hocus Pocus, one of the campiest cult classics ever to be cooked up in a cinematic cauldron, delighted audiences 25 years ago. And as the new anniversary Blu-ray proves, the movie has never lost its magical touch. The story centers on the witchy Sanderson Sisters played uniquely and expertly well by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, who haunt Salem, Massachusetts upon awakening from their 300-year slumber. The only ones who can stop them are, ironically, the ones who woke them up in the first place: teenagers Max (Omri Katz) and Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and Max’s younger sister, Dani (Thora Birch), assisted by a cursed, immortal, talking cat, and a resurrected zombie (Doug Jones). There’s a reason that Freeform plays this flick a bunch of times during their annual 31 Nights of Halloween fest, but now you can pick up a tricked-out copy of your own. Read More

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Saturday, September 1, 2018

Blu-Ray Review: “Hocus Pocus” Anniversary Edition

Posted Sep 1, 2018 4:09 pm by Mister D

Laughing Place
Blu-Ray Review: “Hocus Pocus” Anniversary Edition
by Alex Reif | Aug 31, 2018

Hocus Pocus Painting, Bette Midler

It’s been 325 years since the Sanderson Sisters were hanged by the Salem townsfolk. That means it’s been 25 years since the witches came back to life in 1993 to terrorize Max, Dani, and Allison on All Hallows Eve. In celebration, Disney is re-releasing Hocus Pocus in a brand-new Anniversary Edition with bonus features for the first time ever on September 2nd!

Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) Sanderson are back for one night of frightful fun in this highly quotable comedy. When teenage Max lights the Black Flame Candle to impress a girl he has a crush on, he accidentally brings three of Salem’s most terrifying witches back to life. Along with a talking cat named Binx, these kids will spend their Halloween trying to stop the witches from sucking the lives of children before sunrise if they want to send these “Hags” back to hell where they belong. Read More

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Friday, August 3, 2018

25th Anniversary ‘Hocus Pocus’ Blu-ray Coming in September With Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook

Posted Aug 3, 2018 5:08 pm by Mister D

Bloody Disgusting
25th Anniversary ‘Hocus Pocus’ Blu-ray Coming in September With Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook
Published 53 mins ago on August 3, 2018 By John Squires

Bette Midler, Book, DVD, Blu-Ray, Anniversary

This year marks 25 years of Halloween classic Hocus Pocus, and there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a fan of the film. Not only is Spirit Halloween going to be carrying an exclusive wave of Sanderson Sisters POP! vinyl toys, but an official sequel book was just released and a 25th anniversary extravaganza is coming to Freeform in October. Read More

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Monday, June 8, 2015

Criterion’s Blu-ray presentation of The Rose is cause for celebration by fans of the film

Posted Jun 8, 2015 6:06 pm by Mister D

The Morton Report
Blu-ray Review: The Rose – The Criterion Collection
June 08, 2015
By Chaz Lipp, Contributor

Dem-3 Photo. Helene Jeanbrau © 1996 cine-tamaris.tif

The Rose launched Bette Midler’s film career upon its release in 1979. It’s not hard to see why she earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Mary Rose Foster. The character is very loosely based on Janis Joplin (the film was originally conceived as a Joplin biopic and the screenplay was initially called Pearl). Midler throws her entire being into an unforgettable performance, viscerally displaying the downward spiral of self-destruction that Rose is trapped in. She’s slowly drinking her life away, taking poor care of her singing voice, and basically drowning in terminal self loathing. The rock concert sequences are some of the most realistic ever staged in a work of fiction, with Midler pushing her blues-drenched vocals to the limit. Read More

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

REVIEW: “THE ROSE” (1979) STARRING BETTE MIDLER; CRITERION BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION

Posted May 28, 2015 8:05 am by Mister D

Cinameretro
REVIEW: “THE ROSE” (1979) STARRING BETTE MIDLER; CRITERION BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION
“SEX, DRUGS, AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL”
By Raymond Benson
May 28, 2015

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Mark Rydell’s 1979 rock ‘n’ roll drama, The Rose, made Bette Midler a star. While she had already done theatre, some television, and live musical acts, as well as uncredited or tiny bits in some films, Midler broke through to the mainstream with this picture and earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination. There were many who felt that Midler should have won the statue (Sally Field snagged the award for Norma Rae). The point is arguable, for Midler indeed displayed top-notch acting chops as well as singing prowess. She also proved she could rock out. Read More

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Rose looks and sounds incredible on the new Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Posted May 27, 2015 11:05 am by Mister D

Slant Magazine
The Rose
BLU-RAY REVIEW
4.5 out of 5
BY CLAYTON DILLARD ON MAY 20, 2015

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The Rose is a prestige studio film that wants to be mistaken as a cry from the bowels of hell, as an authentic, gritty depiction of the tribulations and toll of fame. The film is anchored by an unbridled lead performance from Bette Midler as the titular rocker, whose legion of fans gravitate to her on-stage presence without realizing the consequences of their devotion. Director Mark Rydell and screenwriters Bo Goldman and Bill Kirby construct a fictional character and scenario that have resonances with the lives of musicians like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, which were prematurely ended by the same circumstances facing Rose. In effect, that’s part of the film’s problem: It’s too busy lamenting the consequences of myth to realize that its fetishizing of suffering as part of the artistic process only furthers the myth. Although the film opens with a handful of reporters barging into Rose’s childhood home, seeking answers to why her career came to such an abrupt end, the filmmakers display little interest in deconstructing or interrogating the cult surrounding feminine pursuits of stardom (Gus Van Sant‘s To Die For is perhaps the best instance in American filmmaking of this kind of critique). Read More

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Friday, May 3, 2013

Oliver And Company Blu-Ray Set For August 6th Release

Posted May 3, 2013 6:05 pm by Mister D

Disney‘s animated take on Charles Dickens’ classic is singing and barking its way toward Blu-ray in August.

In an early announcement to retailers, Disney/Buena Vista is preparing ‘Oliver and Company‘ for Blu-ray on August 6.

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A timeless classic inspired by Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist,” ‘Oliver and Company’ is a fun-filled, action-packed musical adventure voiced and sung by one of the most talented casts in Disney history! The film artfully blends lovable characters, cool songs, and action-packed adventure into a contemporary classic. Disney’s hip, high-energy tale begins in the concrete canyons of New York City, where Oliver, an adorable orphaned kitten, is befriended by Dodger, a carefree mutt with a certain street savoir faire. The mischievous little cat is welcomed by Dodger’s pack of pickpocket pooches, including dim-witted Einstein, ravishing Rita, and live-wire Tito. This ragtag family of misfits runs into trouble when the evil mastermind Sykes — aided by his two daunting Dobermans — schemes to kidnap the lonely little rich girl who just adopted Oliver! It’s up to the brave kitten and his newfound friends to race to the rescue in an electrifying chase through the city’s subway system. The movie features five outstanding original songs and the musical talents of Billy Joel, Bette Midler, and Huey Lewis. Read More

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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Beaches: Blu-Ray Review ~ Out November 6, 2012

Posted Oct 28, 2012 7:10 pm by Mister D

DVD Talk
Beaches (Blu-ray) Review
Review by Francis Rizzo III | posted October 28, 2012

In 10 Words or Less
Bette Midler makes half a great Lifetime movie

Reviewer’s Bias*
Loves: Paul F. Tompkins as Garry Marshall
Likes: Bette Midler
Dislikes: Barbara Hershey
Hates: Tear-jerker lady movies

The Movie
When I reviewed the special edition DVD of Beaches back in 2005, I had just started a new job, I was just under a year away from becoming a father, and my life was considerably different from what it is now. In 2012, I sit here with the Blu-Ray version of the film, with that same cover art, wondering if my opinion on this film has changed along with my life. Read More

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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Hocus Pocus ~ Ahead Of It’s Time

Posted Oct 27, 2012 12:10 pm by Mister D

Seattle Gay News
Screen Queen
Hocus Pocus
by Chris Azzopardi – SGN Contributing Writer

Hocus Pocus
When Hocus Pocus flew into multiplexes on a broomstick in 1993, it was a silly farce that, in hindsight, had lots of Gay cred going for it: Besides Bette Midler, it also starred a pre-Sex and the City/Glee Sarah Jessica Parker. Ahead of its time, it was already mirroring a culture that would become obsessed with using Botox to erase wrinkles. But these three witches (also including Kathy Najimy as the really stupid one) were more resourceful than we were when it came to hiding the fact that they’re actually three centuries old. Just give them the youthfulness of a child and all those years go bye-bye. (Talk about hocus-pocus.) The tricky trio ham it up in this Disney flick – especially Midler, with her serious rabbit grill – that’s as much for kids as it is for diva-obsessed, Carrie Bradshaw-loving Queers who revel in the awesomeness of seeing their girls cause trouble and ride on hard sticks. The hi-def experience certainly makes this movie more magical, but someone should conjure the Spirit of Special Features – they’re nowhere to be found on this Blu-ray. Read More

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