Frighteners
4K
(1996/Universal*)/Landman:
Season Two
(2025-2026**)/Last
Boy Scout 4K
(1991/Geffen/Warner/*both Arrow)/Mobland:
Season One
(2025/DVD**)/Supergirl
4K
(2026/Warner Ultra HD Blu-ray)/Tulsa
King: Season Three
(2025/Blu-ray/*all Paramount)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B/B/B+ Picture: B-/B-/X/C/X/B- Sound:
B/B/B/C+/B+/B Extras: C/C/C/D/C/D Main Programs:
C/C-/C-/C-/C-/C
The
following releases are genre works to a fault...
Peter
Jackson's The
Frighteners 4K
(1996) gets the deluxe treatment in Ultra HD as Jackson is more well
known than ever and star Michael J. Fox continues to survive a horrid
disease that he is bravely fighting. That makes this so-so hit a
curio that not many talk about and I was not a big fan of. We
covered Director's Cut releases in two different formats as follows:
HD-DVD
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5484/The+Frighteners+%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%80%9C
DVD
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3291/The+Frighteners+-+Director's+Cut+(Universal+DVD
The
old 'huckster turns out to be wrong' tale never works for me (if we
are watching, it is either a comedy or a predictable bit where the
supernatural (or the like) will be real and even Fox cannot save
this, playing the star system by doing a performance in line with
most of his other feature film turns (Bright
Lights, Big City
a rare exception) so only see it if you are very, very, very, very,
very, very, very curios.
Extras
include a
reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
Collectors'
booklet featuring Peter Jackson's 1998 introduction to the LaserDisc
release, original production notes, and two 1996 articles from
American
Cinematographer
DISC
1 - THEATRICAL AND DIRECTOR'S CUTS (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
Original
lossless theatrical mix in DTS-HD MA 5.1 (theatrical cut only) and
original lossless PCM 2.0 Stereo audio (both cuts), plus DTS-HD MA
5.1 home video mix (both cuts) and optional Dolby Atmos remix
(director's cut only)
Audio
commentary by co-writer/producer/director Peter Jackson (director's
cut only)
Peter
Jackson's 10th anniversary introduction to the film
Theatrical
trailer
DISC
2 - OPEN MATTE VERSIONS (BLU-RAY)
High
Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of both cuts, with the same
audio/subtitle options and extras as Disc 1
DISC
3 - EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
No
Way to Make a Living: A Look Back at The Frighteners,
a feature-length documentary produced in 2022, featuring new
interviews with actors Dee Wallace Stone and Jake Busey,
cinematographer John Blick, production designer Grant Major,
creature and miniatures
The
Making of The Frighteners,
an exhaustive 225-minute documentary exploring every aspect of the
film's production, from script development and casting to
post-production and release, produced in 1998 for the LaserDisc
release, with a 2005 retrospective
A
Conversation with Richard Taylor and Alexandre Poncet,
a 2022 interview with the man behind the film's creature and
miniature effects
and
an Image Gallery.
Landman:
Season Two
(2025-2026) continues the unlikely Yellowstone
spinoff we covered in its debut season at this link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16627/Dune+Prophecy:+The+Complete+First+Season+4K+(2
It
is not only more of the same, but feels like less and the transition
for the lead to become the title character from the previous hit show
slowly feels more and more like a stretch. Of course, its a moderate
hit, so fans could care less. For the rest of us, the ten episodes
might feel like 20 in a not so good way, but the combination (again)
of lead actors like Billy Bob Thornton, Andy Garcia, Demi Moore, Sam
Elliott and underseen Ali Lauter is apparently enough to override the
show's many flaws. I would at least start with the first season if
you are not familiar with it all.
Extras
include to Making Of featurettes.
Tony
Scott's The
Last Boy Scout 4K
(1991) is another mess of a silly screenplay by Shane
Black, who managed to spin the success of the original Lethal
Weapon
script into a career with more duds than you'd think. Dark, cynical,
odd, flat and angry, this is some of the worst work of all involved
as Bruce Willis is paired with Damon Wayans of all people, but any
comedy here is also angry, lame and pretty useless.
The
duo land up teaming up to uncover a pro sports scandal (not the NFL
concussion one) and it is contrived very early on and just keeps
going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on in
the unusually negative mode it starts with and somehow gets worse. A
disappointment in its time, its a curio, but a bad one. Thus, only
see this dud if you are very, very, very, very,very very, very, very
curious. It has aged very badly too.
Extras
include a
Brand new feature length audio commentary by film critics Josh Nelson
and Martyn Pedler
And
Then Some,
a newly filmed interview with screenwriter
The
Daughter of the Last Boy Scout,
a newly filmed interview with actress Danielle Harris
The
Art of Tony Scott,
a newly filmed appreciation by film historian Stephane Moissakis,
editor of Tony
Scott: The Style and the Substance
Shane
Black at the American Cinematheque,
an on-stage interview from Beyond Fest 2025 in which the celebrated
screenwriter discusses his career with film historian Jim Hemphill
Extended
& Alternate Scenes, a selection of scenes from a pre-release
workprint version of the film
Theatrical
trailers
Image
galleries
Original
screenplay
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam
Hadley
and
a collectors' booklet containing new writing on the film by critics
Jedidiah Ayres, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Justin LaLiberty, Andrew
Male and Priscilla Page.
Mobland:
Season One
(2025) has a great trio of leads in Helen Mirren, Tom Hardy and
Pierce Brosnan, but the cliches are more dense than the dark
cinematography and limited teleplays in a hit that I had some
expectation for, but was very disappointed very soon into it all.
The
Harrigans and the Stevensons are waring families in the U.K. with
Hardy's character sort of in the middle, but it is done in such a
flat way and is so highly predictable, that even with the leads and
some decent supporting characters, this is for people who hardly know
the genre. I was really looking forward to this one, but The
Sopranos
have nothing to worry about, nor do The Krays, as Hardy himself could
relate to.
There
are no extras, just the ten episodes.
Craig
Gillespie's Supergirl
4K
(2026) is the mess you have heard it is, but not because it is just
failed out of nowhere. When she made her debut as a cameo in the
James Gunn Superman
movie a few years ago, her smarty pants, profanity-laced attitude
could go two ways: witty and actually funny in an ironic way, or just
cliched and making her boring, predictable and the total opposite of
what she has been at her best in print. Milly Alcock is not a bad
choice per se, even after the surprisingly long run of the TV series
that just
wrapped with Melissa Benoist better than her material and visual
effects.
They
have more money here for better effects, but I guess that left little
for a screenplay that could deliver. A strange storyline about
freeing enslaved young gals is borderline exploitive, but then so is
the whole film, then Jason Momoa shows up a Lobo. Unfortunately, he
is written here as a bad combo of Hellboy and Ghost Rider, reminding
me how much better he had it as Conan and Aquaman before they ruined
that.
When
not making the same mistakes as The
Flash,
veering too far away from Gunn's Superman
film and badly imitating Star
Wars
among other things, it is reported Gunn may have done some reshoots,
but to no avail. The acting is usually bad, pacing and editing off
and music not particularly memorable or good, down to licensed music.
David Krumholtz steals his few scenes as her father in flashback,
the only sign of intelligence in this dud.
Supergirl
first appeared in print in 1961 during the Bobby Soxer era, a fun
character as DC built families around some of their characters in the
Shazam! mode. By 1971, when she entered her best print era, The
Beatles had come and gone, but Vietnam, Watergate, the Civil Rights
Movement and so much more were happening, so she grew into her own.
After Superman:
The Movie
(1978,) she would soon be changed for thew worst and never recover
(then they killed her off!! But that's another essay.) However, the
1984 Supergirl
feature film was a very hopeful project when they got Helen Slater,
who looked like the character as much a Christopher Reeve looked like
Superman. They botched that film very badly and the genre payed for
it for years. This film is as bad in many other ways, but once
again, Warner and DC botched her badly and it will take 40 more years
(!!!???!!!) to try again and do it better next time, if there is a
next time.
Alcock
is probably not finished playing the character, but like Slater, it
is not her fault. See this one with VERY LOW expectations and the
only one good thing we can say about it: its not Black
Adam!
Extras
include Digital Movie Code, a lenticular slipcase packaging include
(per the press release) The
Making of Supergirl
- Consider Supergirl a "Hero's Journey" for Milly Alcock.
She transformed throughout the process of leading her first feature
film. We watch as a fly-on-the-wall during key moments of
production.
Flying
Off the Page - Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,
written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely, was the jumping off
point for DC to adapt Supergirl into a film. We follow the comic
authors, screenwriter Ana Nogueira, and filmmakers, as they make the
leap from page to screen.
Space
is a Bad Neighborhood, Babe
- Explore with Production Designer Neil Lamont, as he takes us
through the many worlds that Kara Zor-El steps into on her journey
to hunt down Krem of the Yellow Hills.
A
Practical Legacy
- There are so many aliens and unique looks in this film that are
literally out of this world! Legacy Effects and Peter Swords King
explain the creative process behind this diverse group of creatures.
Showdown
at Evely Square
- Production spent a month filming this action set-piece. From
stunt training, to crashing tanks, to classic superhero flying
moments, this breaks down the making of an incredible action scene.
The
DC Dream: Lobo
- Jason Momoa has been outspoken over wanting to play Lobo for
years, and now his time has come. Go behind the scenes as he
transforms into this iconic and chaotic character.
Mixtape
for a Hero
- What does Supergirl, as a character, sound like? Director Craig
Gillespie and Composer Claudia Sarne answer this question as they
discuss the score for the film.
You
Are Here: A Supergirl Map of the Galaxy
- If you want to know more about all the planets visited in the
film, check out this piece, narrated by Ruthye herself, actress Eve
Ridley, to learn some more details, and enjoy the alien aesthetic of
the film up close!
Girl's
Best Friend
- Krypto is Kara's badly-behaved BFF and last connection to her home
world of Krypton. We delve into their relationship and what makes it
so special.
Krypto
Saves the Day: Coastal Catastrophe
- An animated short that tells the story of a fun day at the beach
which goes sideways when some sneaky foes get between Krypto and his
hot dog.
and
Deleted Scenes.
For
more on
Supergirl,
try these links:
1984
Movie Blu-ray/DVD set
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15236/Changeling,+The+(1980/Severin+Blu-ray)/Predator+4K
1984
Movie DVD
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4690/Supergirl+%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%80%9C+Interna
TV
Series on Blu-ray Season
Three
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15260/Murdoch+Mysteries:+Home+For+The+Holidays+(2017/
Season
Four
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15555/Doom+Patrol:+The+Complete+First+Season+(2019/Bl
Season
Five
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15781/Batwoman:+The+Complete+First+Season+(2019)/Deat
Season
Six/Final
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16097/The+Batman:+The+Complete+Series+(2004+-+2008/
Tulsa
King: Season Three
(2025) continues Sylvester Stallone's surprising small-screen turn,
another cliche-fest, but has the unexpected feature of making
Stallone act and say far more dialogue than most of his feature
films, so that alone is rare enough to propel ratings, fans and even
surprise longtime viewers like myself who still feel bad he gave up
on films that tried to be more like Paradise
Alley,
F.I.S.T.
and even Nighthawks.
Does that make it the return of 'vintage Stallone' or something?
Not
exactly, but even he can only do so much, but the show creates its
own formula and sticks to it. So how much longer can this go on?
Having a cast that also includes Robert Patrick, Kevin Pollak, Dana
Delaney, James Russo, Neil McDonough and even Frank Grillo only helps
and outdoes the series' many limits. We'll see where this all goes.
There
are no extras.
Now
for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby
Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition
image on Frighteners
4K
looks a little better than the previous versions we covered, but is
still a little lacking in overall definition, though some of that is
from style, while the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is
softer still and not as convincing as the 4K. The DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes (theatrical and slightly better home
theater versions) are on par with what we expected from past
editions, meaning the 4K is about as good as this will get.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Last
Boy Scout 4K
also is a little disappointing in 4K, style again is part of it, but
some of the visual approach just did not hold up. As for sound, the
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) is
decent, but shows the age of the old soundmix, while the DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix works well enough and even the PCM
2.0 Stereo is a little better than expected.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Supergirl
4K is
the best performer on the list, with fine color, but more than its
share of dark scenes and is state-of-the-art as intended. The
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) is
also sonically the best entry on this list. Too bad the film lands
as a big thud otherwise.
The
1080p 2.00 X 1 High Definition image transfers on Landman:
Season Two
and Tulsa
King: Season Three
are more stylized than they needed to be, Video Black and detail
suffer as a result and you will only enjoy them if you like the
styles chosen. I though both were too monotonous for their own good,
while the Dolby TrueHD lossless mixes on both are both set's default
highlight.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.00 X 1 image on Mobland:
Season One
had the same issue, but looking worse in lower definition/standard
def. The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes on each show fared a bit
better, but this all also wears out its welcome quickly.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
