Arrow Video’s 4K Re-Issue Of ‘The Last Starfighter’ Will Find Appeal Among Targeted Audiences

Courtesy: Arrow Video

The annual summer movie season officially got underway over the weekend, with the premiere of Disney’s latest reboot, that of its 19819 animated movie, The Little Mermaid.  Just the latest in Disney’s now never-ending stream of live action/CG reboots – not the long ago it was also announced that Moana is going to get a reboot along with pretty much every vintage Disney flick – it is just one of the movies that will make up this year’s all-too-familiar slate of summer movie fare, which will feature more superheroes, sequels, another biopic and something truly stupid in the form of Barbie.  There is one potentially promising offering in the form of Focus Features’ independent release, Asteroid City.

This slate of same old-same old is important to note because odds are those movies could be the last new theatrical releases for a while unless the Writers Guild of America’s ongoing strike ends sometime in the near future. As a matter of fact, it was announced over the weekend that production on Marvel’s Thunderbolts movie has come to a screeching halt thanks to the strike, which passed the one-month mark over the weekend.  With the general lack of much real worthwhile theatrical (and even televised) content on the way this summer (save for the noted indie flick and the upcoming superhero flicks – including the new Transformers sequel and maybe the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel), audiences have plenty of reason to be concerned about ways to escape the workaday world.

Arrow Video will at least partially address viewers’ concerns Tuesday when it re-issues Universal/Lorimar’s 1984 science fiction flick, The Last Starfighter, on 4K UHD.  The re-issue (which ironically was itself a summer release, having made its theatrical debut in July 1984) will come more than two years after Arrow Video re-issued the same movie on separate, standalone DVD and Blu-ray platforms.  The only reason one can imagine Arrow Video would re-issue the movie on 4K now is that maybe 4K tech was not as widespread in 2021 as it is now.  It definitely is a head scratcher.  Regardless, the forthcoming re-issue is a mixed bag that will find its largest appeal among a very targeted audience that does not already own the movie in its previous re-issues from Arrow Video.  That is due primarily to the fact that it is presented exactly as it was in the noted DVD and Blu-ray re-issues, right down to the bonus content, which will be discussed shortly.  The video resolution in the new 4K UHD print is its own positive and will be discussed a little later.  The forthcoming re-issue’s average price point rounds out its most important elements, considering the collective content.  It will also be addressed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of this latest re-issue of The Last Starfighter.  All things considered they make the re-issue a presentation that will appeal to the noted very targeted audiences.

Arrow Video’s forthcoming 4K UHD re-issue of Universal/Lorimar’s 1984 sci-fi flick, The Last Starfighter, is an intriguing presentation from the independent British distributor.  It is a presentation that will appeal primarily to audiences who do not already own the movie in its previous DVD and BD re-issues, which were released in late 2020 by Arrow Video.  That is due in large part to its bonus content.  Audiences get in this new 4K UHD re-issue, all of the same bonus content that was featured in the previous re-issues.  From the standard “Making Of” featurette, to the separate feature-length audio commentaries, to the interviews and more, all of the bonus content from those previous re-issues has been carried over to this re-issue.  That means that audiences who already own either the DVD or Blu-ray re-issue will not be missing out if they do not buy the new 4K UHD re-issue.  One of the most notable bonuses is the interview with the composer of the movie’s musical score, Craig Safan.  Safan notes early in his interview, scoring the movie was not easy, pointing out that early on as he and the musicians who recorded the movie’s music, they had no footage to reference for cues.  That was because he was enlisted to score the movie while it was in production, so they only had dots on a screen to reference as they wrote and performed the music.  That could not have been easy, but the result was and still is so enjoyable today.  Safan also makes direct reference to movie music legend John Williams, openly noting he took Williams’ work into account as he composed the movie’s main theme.  That is interesting to note because the movie’s main theme really does have that similarity to Williams’ bombastic compositions in its sound and style.  The full discussion will be left for viewers to discover for themselves.  On another equally interesting note, Safan also makes note of legendary composer Jean Sibelius as an influence in his style in composing the movie’s score.  That reference serves well to show the depth of Safan’s musical knowledge.  In turn it makes him and his work all the more respectable.

Screenwriter Jonathan Betuel, who wrote the story for The Last Starfighter gets his own bonus feature, here, and it is another notable extra.  That is because of the insight he offers in his interview.  Right from the outset of his interview, Betuel reveals that he wrote the movie’s script while he was working a blue-collar job, driving cabs.  That is important to note because Alex, the movie’s main character, was himself an average blue-collar-type figure who was going nowhere in life until he is recruited to become a Starfighter pilot.  In the decades since the movie’s debut, it has gone on to become just as great (at least as a cult movie) as Alex even though it has not had the blockbuster legacy of other sci-fi flicks.  As a matter of fact, it sounds like a long-awaited sequel may finally be in the works.  It sounds like when and if a sequel happens, it will be one of the rare sequels out there actually worth watching.  Another intriguing revelation that Betuel makes during his interview is that his intent was to make the movie an Arthurian tale.  In hindsight, that influence is definitely there, however, the fact that Betuel was able to write the story in fashion that kept it from being a total rip-off makes for so much more appreciation.

On a related note, Betuel reveals that he wrote the movie’s script in only four days.  Considering that it doesn’t just come across as another of so many rip-offs of the Arthurian legend in having been written in such a short time adds even more to the appreciation.  Add in that for the most part the story progresses fluidly and that its pacing is relatively stable, the result of four days’ work is even more impressive.  There is maybe only one hole in the story.  It comes as Maggie accuses Alex’s double of being a sexual deviant of sorts without a prior scene for context.  Other than that moment, the story does well to keep viewers engaged and entertained.

Speaking of keeping people engaged and entertained, viewers were not the only ones so influenced.  Catherine Mary Stuart, who played the part of Maggie, admits during her bonus interview, that the story largely kept her engaged and entertained, too.  She openly states that was a credit to Betuel and his work.  She also tackles her working relationship with fellow lead star Lance Guest during the movie’s production.  She has only positive things to say of working with him (and with director Nick Castle).  Her recollections of her time working on the movie add their own touch of enjoyment of and appreciation for the movie.  When her interview and the others noted here are considered along with all of the movie’s other bonus features, the whole of the bonus content makes for plenty of enjoyment.  However, it should be reiterated here that all of the same bonus content featured in this re-issue of The Last Starfighter is also in the movie’s previous re-issues on DVD and Blu-ray from Arrow Video.  That means audiences who have the movie’s previous re-issues from Arrow Video would be largely wasting their money to buy the same content all over again.  That is the case even for those who own the movie but who perhaps own 4K TVs with Blu-ray players.

Audiences who own 4K TVs will get about the same resolution in the upscale of the movie as those who watch the movie on a 4K TV with the new 4K re-issue.  The CG special effects are crystal clear throughout the movie.  It is clear the starfighters are fully CG, as are the vehicles of the evil alien invaders, the Kodan Empire.  The clarity of the footage in the new 4K scan makes the CG look as impressive as that which would be used nearly two decades later in another underrated sci-fi presentation, the modern classic sci-fi series, Babylon 5.  That show’s CG was another early example of the direction special effects were taking at the time and was impressive considering the era and available technology.  Keeping that in mind, the only comparable CG special effects presented around the time The Last Starfighter debuted were in Tron, which was released only two years prior by Disney.  Obviously, the special effects budget was not there for The Last Starfighter, but were obviously still worthy of applause by comparison, and this new 4K scan makes that clearer.  It is one more aspect that shows why audiences who do not already own The Last Starfighter will want to own the movie in its new 4K UHD re-issue.

Without question, the content featured in the new 4K UHD pressing of The Last Starfighter offers audiences who do not already own the movie’s previous re-issues reason to buy this re-issue.  Keeping that in mind the movie’s pricing proves relatively positive in its own right, too.  Using listings through Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart, the movie’s average price in its new 4K UHD platform is $34.99.  Interestingly enough, each retailer also lists the movie’s 4K re-issue at the same price.  Comparatively speaking, $34.99 is about the average price that so many 4K UHD movies from other studios are being priced at through the same retailers.  That means that the movie’s average and separate price listings are right in line with those of most other 4K UHD releases.  In other words, viewers who buy the movie will not feel like they are paying an arm and a leg for the movie in comparison to what they will and do pay for other 4K UHD movies.  When this element is considered along with the overall primary and secondary content featured in the movie, the whole makes the latest re-issue of The Last Starfighter a welcome addition for any fan of the movie who does not already own the movie in its previous re-issues but have upgraded to 4K TV and player.

Arrow Video’s forthcoming 4K UHD re-issue of Universal/Lorimar’s 1984 movie, The Last Starfighter, is a presentation that while fully engaging and entertaining, should only be considered by fans of the movie who do not already own the movie in its previous DVD and Blu-ray re-issues (which were released in 2020 through Arrow Video, too) and who have upgraded to a 4K TV and player.  That is due in large part to its featured bonus content.  All of the bonus content featured in this latest re-issue is also featured in the noted DVD and BD re-issues, so those audiences will not be missing out on anything on that note.  The picture resolution is quite impressive, but the thing is that anyone who watches the movie on Blu-ray through a 4K TV, those viewers will get the same resolution through the upscale that happens in the process.  The pricing of the new 4K UHD re-issue is positive in that it is right in line with the price of most 4K UHD movies being released today.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the new 4K UHD re-issue of The Last Starfighter.  All things considered they make the re-issue successful, but only for the noted specific audiences.

More information on this and other titles from Arrow Video is available at:

Website: http://www.arrowfilms.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ArrowFilmsVideo

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and ‘Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘The Last Starfighter’ Getting 4K UHD Re-Issue

Courtesy: Lorimar Films/Universal/Arrow Video

The Last Starfighter is getting the re-issue treatment from Arrow Video again.

The 1984 science fiction story from Universal and Lorimar Films is scheduled for release on 4K UHD May 30. Its latest re-issue will come more than two years after the company released it on DVD and Blu-ray.

The story of The Last Starfighter follows a young man named Alex Rogan who is recruited to battle a group of evil aliens through a video game. He is at first reluctant to join the galactic force that is working to stop them, but then agrees. It is, at its heart, a sort of underdog story that follows a young man who was going nowhere and sees him become an unsuspecting hero of the galaxy.

More information on this and other titles from Arrow Video is available at:

Website: http://www.arrowfilms.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ArrowFilmsVideo

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and ‘Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

‘Super Wiggles’ Is A Super Addition To This Year’s Field Of New Family Music Albums

Courtesy: ABC/Universal

Veteran family entertainment act The Wiggles released its latest album this spring in the form of Super Wiggles.  Released April 1 through ABC/Universal, the 22-song record is the act’s 57^th (yes, 57^th) studio recording and comes more than 30 years after the release of the band’s self-titled debut in 1991.  It is another addition to the group’s expansive catalog that families will find entertaining, too.  Its success comes in part through its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical themes that accompany that musical content is of its own import and will be discussed a little later.  The record’s sequencing rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make the album another of the best of this year’s new family music offerings.

 Super Wiggles, the latest studio offering from The Wiggles, is another record that the whole family will find entertaining.  Its appeal comes in part through its musical arrangements.  From beginning to end, the arrangements are diverse in their sounds and styles.  ‘The Friendship Song,’ for instance, presents a sort of kindie-ska sound and style.  That is evidenced through the use of the horns and drums.  That instrumentation pairs with the more familiar kindie vocal styling from the group to make this song’s arrangement overall something that is truly unique from its counterparts in the album.  ‘Land of the Missing Socks,’ which comes late in the album’s run, is the polar opposite of ‘The Friendship Song.’  This is a full-on kindie arrangement.  The almost Renaissance style and sound here does well to compliment the silly, sort of fairy tale lyrical content featured here about…well…the land of missing socks.  ‘Big Strong John,’ on yet another note, is its own unique composition, too.  The use of the muted trumpet alongside the piano and the children’s xylophone makes the whole sound like something that one might expect to have heard on Sesame Street early on in the show’s history.  That is meant in the most honorable way, too.  Such musical content is a big part of what made the show so beloved back in those days.  It is just one more way in which the album’s musical content shows its diversity and in turn makes it so engaging and entertaining.

Building on the content itself, the arrangements’ run times are relatively short from beginning to end, too.  The longest song in this 42-minute presentation clocks in at two minutes, 55 seconds.  It comes more than halfway through the album in the form of the nautical-themed song, ‘Put Your Life Vest On.’  The pirate-style vocal delivery here pairs with the ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’-esque musical arrangement to make for even more engagement and entertainment.  The record’s shortest song comes even later in the record’s nearly 45-minute run time in the form of the aforementioned ‘Land of the Missing Socks.’  The song clocks in at a “hefty” 56 seconds.  In other words, what audiences get in the record’s musical arrangement is an expansive collection of music that is diverse and that ensures listeners’ attention because of the songs’ run times.  All things considered the musical content featured here creates a solid foundation for the album.

As much as the album’s musical content does for its presentation, it is just part of what makes the record appealing to the whole family.  The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical content make for their own interest.  The lyrical themes featured throughout the album are just as diverse as their musical counterparts.  From beginning to end, they vary from the serious to the silly.  The very early entry, ‘Sing Together’ is one of those more serious lyrical presentations.  It is a song that addresses the matter of accepting and appreciating our differences.  It is done in a fashion that makes it fully accessible to young listeners, too.  The theme is presented clearly in the statement that “Some people like to run around/Some people jump up and down/Other people like to go for a swim/Everyone together/Let’s all sing/Some people like to sweep the floor/Some people like to mow their lawn/Some people like vacuuming/Everyone together, let’s sing.”  This is a simple statement that again points out we are all different, but even with those differences, we can all come together.  It is a message that will never get old and is just as certain to appeal to grown-ups as children. 

As the album progresses, the group pays tribute to the world’s teachers in the equally simple ‘Hooray for Teachers.’  The song only runs one minute, 21 seconds, but in that short time, the group outright celebrates teachers, signing about their happy smiles as children come into the classroom and the safety that they provide on the playground.  Considering everything going on around the world in schools, the teaching profession has become somewhat maligned.  Teachers are leaving the profession in droves around the world.  To that end, reminding listeners of all ages what makes teachers so beloved will hopefully make listeners appreciate teachers, and in turn motivate teachers to stay in their jobs.  Again, this message is presented in such simple, accessible fashion.  It is yet another example of what makes the record’s lyrical content so important.

The silly comes in the form of ‘Land of the Missing Socks.’  Again, it clocks in at less than a minute, but in that time, the silliness of the theme here will have the whole family laughing.  Everyone knows the jokes about socks going missing in the laundry, so one can’t help but wonder if in fact there is a land of missing socks.  It’s fantastical, sure, but is still just funny and fully entertaining.  When this hilarious concept is considered along with the other themes examined here and with the rest of the record’s lyrical content, the whole makes clear why the album’s overall lyrical content is just as important as its musical content.

The overall content featured throughout Super Wiggles does plenty to keep audiences engaged and entertained.  It is just part of what makes the record successful.  The sequencing of said content puts the finishing touch to the whole.  From the record’s opener to its end, the sequencing ensures the energy remains stable even as the sounds and styles change in the songs, and as the lyrical content changes.  At the same time, the sequencing also shows that plenty of time and thought was put into the content itself in terms of changing it up throughout.  That time and thought resulted in just as much success as in the stability in the record’s energy.  To that end, the sequencing proves even more important to the album’s presentation.  When it is considered along with the album’s overall content, the whole makes Super Wiggles a super addition to this year’s field of new family music albums.

Super Wiggles, the latest studio offering from The Wiggles, is a presentation that the group’s established audiences will appreciate just as much as family music fans in general.  That is due in large part to the album’s musical content, which provides plenty of diversity throughout.  The record’s lyrical themes are just as varied from one to the next, ranging from the silly to the serious.  They are presented in a fashion that makes each theme fully accessible to young listeners, too.  The sequencing of that content shows that plenty of time and thought was put into that aspect, too.  That is because it makes the record’s energy stable from beginning to end and ensures the content remains diverse throughout.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation.  All things considered they make Super Wiggles a welcome addition to this year’s field of new family music albums. 

Super Wiggles is available now through ABC/Universal. More information on The Wiggles’ new album is available along with all of the group’s latest news and more at:

Website: https://TheWiggles.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWiggles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheWiggles

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Angeles’ Latest LP Will Appeal To A Very Targeted Audience

Courtesy: Courtesy: Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal

Veteran rock band Angeles returned this week with its latest album, Running Like An Outlaw.  Independently released Friday, the record is the band’s 14^th and came less then two years after the release of the band’s then latest album, Hell on High Heels.  The eight-song record will appeal primarily to the band’s established audiences, as has already been proven by the album’s current singles, ‘Nothing But Love’ and ‘Witch Hunter.’  Each song will be discussed here.  When they are considered along with the likes of ‘She’s On Fire,’ the album’s closer, and with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Running Like An Outlaw a record that Angeles’ most devoted audiences will find engaging and entertaining.

Running Like An Outlaw, the latest album from veteran rock band Angeles is a presentation that will find appeal among a very targeted audience.  That is evidenced through the album’s musical and lyrical content.  The record’s lead single, ‘Witch Hunter,’ is just one of the songs that serves to support the noted statement.  The musical arrangement featured in ‘Witch Hunter’ is a mostly driving composition. The combination of the vocals alongside bassist Cal Shelton’s performance, Dale Lytle’s work on guitar, and the time keeping gives the song a sound and stylistic approach that will appeal to any classic rock fan. The whole shows an interesting mix of influence from the likes of Judas Priest, Motley Crue, and Ozzy Osbourne. Yes, it sounds like quite the eccentric mix, but it works here.

No information was provided about the song’s lyrics. In listening to the song, listeners are left to infer that this song’s lyrics center on…well…a witch hunter. That would match up with lyrics of so much music from that era.

‘Nothing But Love’ shows how Angeles’ new album also through its musical arrangement.  The arrangement in this case is another upbeat, guitar-driven composition.  The combination of the vocals and the distinct vintage guitar rock approach and sound will take audiences back to that eera of big hair and even bigger riffs.  Influences from the likes of Motley Crue and Poison are evident throughout the four minute-plus composition. 

The lyrical content featured alongside the song’s musical arrangement is just as familiar as the musical content.  It focuses on the all too familiar topic of a broken relationship.  New front man Mason Oliver (who replaced Louis Collins) last year, makes that clear when he sings here about seeing that love interest everywhere he goes. He sings, “There’s nothing but love for you/No matter where I go…I still see you.”  Again, the theme here is clear. Whether intended or not, Oliver also makes references to songs from Metallica, and Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in the lyrical content.  That makes for its own interest.  All these considered, the song’s lyrical and musical content collectively just one more example of what makes this album appealing for the band’s noted audiences.  ‘She’s On Fire,’ the album’s finale, is yet one more way in which the noted statement is supported.

‘She’s On Fire’ stands out musically because while the vintage rock sound is just as present as in any of the album’s other songs, the overall arrangement takes the band more in a Led Zeppelin direction.  Even the vocal delivery here is comparable to that of Robert Plant while the guitar riff sounds so much like that of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog Mountain’ at points.  Even the drums sound so rich, thanks to the production that went into the song.  The whole of the arrangement makes the song appealing in its own right.  The energy in the arrangement works well with the song’s lyrical content, which once again focuses on a woman.

In the case of this song, the woman in question is one over which the song’s subject is head over heels.  This is made clear as Oliver sings, “Hey, girl/I see the fire in your eyes/Hey, girl/So many times, you tried to hide.”  He goes on later to sing, “She’s on fire” amid everything else.  Again, the whole is a man declaring how crazy he is for said woman.  It’s another classic rock standard that is certain to appeal to the noted audiences and to fans of classic rock in general.  When the song in whole is considered along with the others examined here and with the album’s other songs, the whole of that content ensures that Angeles’ established audiences and casual vintage rock fans alike will enjoy this record.

Angeles’ new album, Running Like An Outlaw, is a presentation that will appeal to avert distinct range of listeners.  That is due to its combined musical and lyrical content (and its production).  The band’s established audiences will find the record appealing just as much as casual classic rock fans because of said content and production.  The songs examined here make that clear.  When they are considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes the overall album worth hearing at least once.

Running Like An Outlaw is available now through Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal. More information on Angeles’ new album is available online along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.angelesband.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAngelesBand

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and ‘Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Kids, Grown-Ups Alike Had Lots To Like From 2021’s New DVD/BD Box Sets

Courtesy: Arrow Video

Between families and grown-ups, plenty of positive content has been released this year on DVD and Blu-ray in the form of newly released box sets. Shout! Factory and Nickelodeon’s full series presentation of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Arrow Video’s classic creature feature collection, Cold War Creatures, and the latest collection of classic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood do well to support the noted statements. Between them and so many others, there is more than enough to create a list of this year’s top new DVD/BD box sets overall. Enter Phil’s Picks’ 2021 Top 10 New DVD/BD Box Sets.

As with every other list from Phil’s Picks, this list features the top 10 titles from this year as well as five honorable mention titles for a total of 15. There’s already some positive news about new releases coming in the new year about new box sets, but in the meantime, the titles on this list will help people pass the time. Without any further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks’ 2021 Top 10 New DVD/BD Box Sets list.

PHIL’S PICKS’ 2021 TOP 10 NEW DVD/BD BOX SETS

1.Cold War Creatures

2. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius: The Complete Series

3. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Mister Rogers Meets New Friends Collection

4. All Creatures Great & Small: Season 1

5. The Watch

6. How To Train Your Dragon: Ultimate Collection

7. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Tigertastic 50 Pack

8. Jekyll & Hyde

9. Spongebob Squarepants: Season 12

10. Rugrats: The Complete Series

11. Star Trek Discovery: Season 3

12. Doom Patrol: Season 2

13. Josie & The Pussycats In Outer Space: The Complete Series

14. Human: The World Within

15. Thundarr The Barbarian: The Complete Series

Okay that it’s for this list. There is still one more list to go for this year. It will come tomorrow in the form of the year’s top new family friendly DVDs/ Stay tuned!

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Shout! Factory, Arrow Video, Others Offer Audiences Plenty Of Alternatives To All The Prequels, Sequels, and Remakes Hitting Theaters, Streaming Services

Courtesy: Shout! Factory

It seems like ever year, audiences everywhere are seeing an increase in the number of classic TV shows and movies that were once popular everywhere they go.  It really is a sad state of affairs.  Of course that is not the only avenue in which older content is getting renewed so to speak.  The originals also get new life every now and then on DVD and Blu-ray through various distributors, sometimes in better form than others and vice versa.  This year saw a handful of classic TV shows and movies get some laudable re-issues and some less so. 

What is most interesting about this year’s field of top new DVD and BD re-issues is the wide range of companies that released said titles.  It shows that along with the likes of Shout! Factory – which has made quite the name for itself over the years in the home entertainment field – other familiar and up-and-coming names are really working to make their names known in that field, too, such as Arrow Video and Corinth Films, making for so much more variety.

From Shout! Factory’s re-issue of Explorers, to Arrow Video’s re-issue of the original Dune, to even Mill Creek Entertainment’s re-issue of the classic, short-lived animated series, The Critic, this year’s re-issues and the companies that released them offered audiences plenty of alternatives to the never-ending ocean of prequels, sequels, and reboots that filled theaters and streaming services this year.  As with every list from Phil’s Picks, this list features the Top 10 titles in the given category with five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15.  This year’s list was not easy to compile but is complete.

Without any further ado, here for your consideration is Phil’s Picks’ 2021 Top 10 New DVD/BD Re-Issues.

PHIL’S PICKS’ 2021 TOP 10 NEW DVD/BD RE-ISSUES

1. Explorers

2. Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In: The Complete Series

3. The Final Countdown

4. The Belles of St. Trinian’s

5. Ken Burns’ Baseball

6. The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang – Live at Copacabana Beach

7. Dune

8. Motorhead: No Sleep Till Hammersmith

9. The Interrogation

10. The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch

11. The Transformers: The Movie

12. Superman: The Animated Series

13. The Critic: The Complete Series

14. Star Trek: The Original Series

15. Emergency: The Complete Series

It should be stressed here that in the case of Emergency and Star Trek, those two series sets are intentionally set at the bottom of this year’s list as, their positives are few.  They are the least of the year’s best new re-issues.  Audiences would do well to largely avoid these sets.  There is a reason they are at the bottom of even the honorable mention titles.  Keeping that in mind, this year’s list of top new DVD and BD re-issues is officially wrapped.  There are still plenty of other lists coming, such as the year’s top new box sets for grown-ups, families, and even family DVDs/BDs.  Stay tuned!

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.   

Angeles Announces New Album Details, New Lineup

Courtesy: Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal

Angeles will release its next album next year.

The band made the announcement through a news release distributed Friday. The document states the band is scheduled to release its next album, Running Like An Outlaw in March through Darkstar Records/Sony/Universal. Its exact release date is under consideration. Pre-orders are open now.

The album’s track listing is noted below.

“Running like an Outlaw“ tracklisting reads as follows:
1. All Night
2. Nothing But Love
3. Running Like An Outlaw
4. Creatures Of The Night
5. Lords Of Thunder
6. Witch Hunter
7. Magic Touch
8. She’s On Fire

In other news, Angeles has also announced a new lineup ahead of the album’s release. Mason Oliver has replaced Louis Collins on vocals. Collins handled vocals for the band on its most recent album, Hell on High Heels last year. The replacement makes Olver the band’s 12th vocalist.

Also new to the band is bassist Steven Stiers. Stiers replaces Cal Shelton who recorded ‘With Hunter’ with the band ahead of his recent departure from the band. Founding member Dale Lytle and current drummer Danny Basulto are still in the band’s current lineup. Basulto is the band’s sixth drummer while Stiers is the band’s seventh bassist behind Shelton.

In more news, Angeles is scheduled to perform live March 20 at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in support of its new album. The band performed most recently, Nov. 13 at Buffalo Rose in Colorado. The band released two videos from the performance. Audiences can check out the videos at the links below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Peej2TGN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKJhelyxxgU

More information on Angeles’ new album is available online along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: https://www.angelesband.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAngelesBand

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to https://www.facebook.com/philspicks and ‘Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Arrow Video Announces Release Date, Specs For ‘The last Starfighter’ Re-issue

Courtesy: Arrow Video/Lorimar Films Entertainment/Universal

The Last Starfighter will fly again next month.

Lorimar Film Entertainment/Universal’s 1984 sci-fi flick is scheduled for re-issue Oct. 27 through Arrow Video in a new 4K scan on Blu-ray.  The movie follows its central character Alex Rogan, a high school student who ends up being recruited to fight an evil empire after playing a video game that turns out to in fact be a training program to find pilots for the war.

Arrow Video’s forthcoming re-issue comes with lots of bonus content, such as an archived audio commentary from Nick Castle, the movie’s director, and Rob Cobb, the flick’s production designer; new feature-length audio commentary from Mike White, host of The Last projection Booth Podcast, and the archived four-part documentary “Crossing The Frontier: The Making of The Last Starfighter.

More bonus content will be announced soon.  Pre-orders are open for Arrow Video’s forthcoming re-issue of The Last Starfighter.

More information on Arrow Video’s The Last Starfighter re-issue is available along with all of the company’s latest news at:

 

Website: http://www.arrowfilms.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ArrowFilmsVideo

 

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/phispicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Mark Slaughter Announces Solo Sophomore Album’s Release Date

Courtesy: EMP Label Group/Amped/SPV/Universal

Mark Slaughter will release his new solo album next month.

The Slaughter founder’s sophomore solo album, Halfway There, will be released via EMP Label Group/Amped on Friday, May 26 in North America and EMP/SPV in Europe. It will be released May 10 via EMP Label Group/Universal in Japan.  Its release comes roughly two years after the release of Slaughter’s solo debut record, 2015’s Reflections in a Rearview Mirror.

Slaughter will support RATT next month in a Japanese tour in support of his new album.  The tour will include performances in Nagoya, Osaka and the Toyo Metal Summit on May 14 with RATT, Sebastian Bach E’Nuff Z’ nuff, and other veteran acts.

More information on Slaughter’s new album and tour is available online now along with all of his latest news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.markslaughter.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/markslaughterofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/markslaughter33

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Virgil Films’ New ‘Back To The Future’ Doc Is A “Heavy” Presentation

Courtesy: Virgil Films

Throughout the course of its rich, ages-long history Hollywood and its major studios have carved out so many new cinematic highways on which audiences have traveled.  It is on those same roads that audiences have been introduced to just as many iconic cars and more.  In 1964 audiences were introduced to James Bond’s now famed Aston Martin for the first time.  Four years later in 1968 audiences were introduced to yet another iconic car in the form of the Ford Bullitt Mustang GT 390 Fastback.  And in 1985 audiences went for another ride with one of the single most iconic cinematic cars of all time in the form of Doctor Emmett L. Brown’s DeLorean time machine.  That car is the focus of today’s review.  Or rather, a new documentary focused on the car in question is the focus of today’s review.  Just last week Virgil Films released a new documentary title OUTATIME:  Saving The DeLorean Time Machine.  The roughly 63 minute documentary follows the efforts of a dedicated team of fans who made it their mission to reconstruct the car, which for years had sadly been left to the elements by the very studio that made it famous.  That story in question sits at the center of the documentary as its most important elements.  The transitions that are used to advance the story are just as important to note as the documentary’s central story.  The bonus material that is included in the documentary rounds out its most important elements.  It brings everything full circle in the program’s presentation.  Each element plays its own unquestionably important part in the program’s presentation.  Altogether they make OUTATIME: Saving The DeLorean Time Machine a must see not just for Back to the Future fans but for car nuts and film buffs, too.  They come together to make the program in whole potentially one of the year’s top new documentaries.

Virgil Films’ new cinematic documentary OUTATIME: Saving The DeLorean Time Machine is potentially one of 2016’s top new documentaries.  It is a must see not just for Back to the Future fans but for car nuts and film buffs, too.  That is exhibited in large part through the story that makes up the body of the program’s main feature.  The story follows a group of dedicated Back to the Future fans who make it their mission to bring back to life the famed DeLorean time machine used in the filming of the beloved film series (and apparently its animated spinoff, too as audiences will learn in watching this documentary).  As the story goes, the car in question was Universal’s “A” car.  It was one of three that were used in the filming of the original trilogy and is the only one of the three cars that survived the filming.  The problem is that the car was largely neglected in the years following the trilogy’s filming.  If it wasn’t being used at special events and around the Universal back lot, it was being left open to the elements and overzealous fans, many of whom picked pieces of the car and took them home for themselves.  So, as the story presents, it was up to these dedicated fans to reconstruct the car to its original, pristine condition.  It was anything but an easy chore, too.  It took the team a whole year to find get the job done.  From looking through military surplus yards to contacting fans who had taken pieces of the original car (including the original flux capacitor) to even building parts from scratch and more the reconstruction team had quite the job in store.  Lead man Joe Walser made certain, too that the car was rebuilt right down to the smallest detail.  Perhaps most incredible of all is that not a single member of the team was paid for its efforts.  One man drove three hours either way from beginning to end while another even flew 7 hours at one point and was instantly put right to work upon arrival.  The end result of the team’s efforts is incredible to see.  Interestingly enough had Universal taken more care of the DeLorean, this documentary might have ironically never happened.  But now thanks to the efforts of the build team, it does exist.  Not only that but the DeLorean now sits in one of the world’s most renowned automotive museums for all to see after being moved from Universal Studios.  This is revealed in one of the program’s key bonus features, and will be discussed later.  Getting back on the subject at hand, the story at the center of OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine is a key element to the documentary’s presentation.  It is only one of the program’s key elements.  The transitions that are used in telling the story, and advancing it, are just as important to the program as its story.

The story at the center of OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine is a key element in the program’s presentation.  It is just one of the documentary’s key elements.  The transitions that are used to help tell the story and advance it are just as important to its overall presentation as the story itself.  Viewers will be pleased to see just how smooth the transitions in question are.  Each segment is launched by the use of yet another iconic BTTF element, the clock from the clock tower.  As each month ticks by so does the clock tick back to zero.  Within each segment viewers are presented with a specific portion of the rebuild–the time circuits, reacquiring the pieces that had been picked from the car, the hunt to find other parts, etc.  The beginning and end of each segment is wholly clear, making the story in whole that much easier to follow.  That in turn leads to insurance of viewers’ engagement from the beginning of the program to its end.  It works with the story directly to make the presentation of the program’s central story key in itself to the documentary’s overall presentation.  It still is not the last of the documentary’s most notable elements.  Its bonus material is just as important to note as its story and transitions therein.

The story at the center of OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine and its related transitions are both key pieces of this documentary’s presentation.  The story centers on the efforts to restore what is one of the most iconic cars in Hollywood’s modern history.  The transitions ensure viewers’ engagement from beginning to end.  While both elements prove to be undeniably important to the documentary’s overall presentation they are not its only important elements.  The bonus material that comes with the documentary is just as important as the story and its elements.  That is because the bonus material collectively brings the whole presentation full circle beginning with the “Petersen Automotive Museum” featurette.  This bonus features Joe Walser and a representative from the Petersen Automotive Museum discussing the addition of the DeLorean time machine to the museum’s collection.  Walser is so ecstatic as he discusses the car’s move from Universal Studios post reconstruction to the Petersen Museum.  He notes that he could not have been happier because unlike its time at Universal Studios, it is not encased in a giant box.  It is on display for everybody to see.  And as the museum’s rep notes, it is presented so that people can walk almost all the way around it as they admire it.  But it is also monitored very closely so as to prevent anyone from touching it, again bringing the story full circle since people originally taking parts from the car was part of what led to its near demise.  Speaking of the car’s parts the documentary also features a short piece discussing the names for the various parts that make up Doc Brown’s famed time machine and how said names came to be.  Walser and another member of the team note that many of the car’s parts were named by other BTTF fans, not by the people behind the cameras.  As a result of that dedication to the car and the franchise that made the car so famous, the names for the parts have, in turn, stuck to this day.  On a similar note, there is also a feature on sci-fi archivist Bob Burns and how his dedication to archiving and maintaining props and other pieces from Hollywood’s history served as the inspiration for Walser and others.  It is eye-opening to see Burns’ vast collection and the state in which the props remain today.  It is a compliment to Burns’ efforts to say the very least.  As if that isn’t enough there is also an extensive collection of deleted scenes that adds its own share of enjoyment to the program.  The bonus feature-length commentary adds just as much entertainment and insight to the documentary if not more than the other noted bonus features.  That aside, audiences will agree that each bonus plays its own part in the whole of the program’s presentation.  Altogether they prove to be just as important to the documentary as its story and the story’s related transitions.  All things considered they make OUUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine a must see for any Back To the Future fan as well as any car nut and cinema history buff.  It is the kind of program that would be a good fit on History Channel and even Velocity network because of that reach and the networks’ similar programming.  Considering all of this, the documentary proves to be such a solid work that it is potentially one of 2016’s top new documentaries.

OUTATIME: Saving the DeLorean Time Machine is potentially one of 2016s top new documentaries.  That is due in large part to its original story and the transitions therein that ensure viewers’ engagement from beginning to end.  The story makes it a good fit not just on Blu-ray but also alongside programming offered on History Channel and even Velocity network.  The bonus material that is included with the program’s home release makes the documentary even more worth the watch.  That is because it brings the program full circle with its presented material.  Each element plays its own important part to the program, as has already been noted.  When they are set against one another, they show this documentary to be one that every car nut, cinematic history buff, and Back to the Future fan alike will appreciate.  Considering that reach and overall enjoyment, the documentary in whole proves to be potentially one of 2016’s top new documentaries.  It is available now in store and online.  More information on this and other titles from Virgil Films is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.virgilfilmsent.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VirgilFilms

Twitter: http://twitter.com/virgilfilms

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.