Poltergeist, the 1982 paranormal thriller classic, stars JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and Beatrice Straight, and was co-scripted and produced by Steven Spielberg. The 4K UHD was released on September 20th.
Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection is a great and near-perfect set that includes excellent video and audio transfers now in 4K and Atmos tracks for each film.
Although I have not fully grasped the cultural influence The Goonies has had over the past 35 years, I still found the movie to be a fun, adventurous romp with one of the better ensemble gathered who had such great chemistry with one another.
James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction is a must-watch for any fan of cinema, science fiction or otherwise, and while you’re not going to really learn very much new information but do hear from some experts in the genre or involved with it over the years.
War of the Worlds certainly is not top shelf Steven Spielberg and generally I didn’t like it quite as much as I did 15 years ago, however I will say the visual effects mostly held up and I can’t say I was ever bored.
Ready Player One was an all around fun and entertaining sci-fi action-adventure from Steven Spielberg that does a wonderful job of throwing nostalgia in your face, but the filmmakers seemed to be having a hell of a time with the material, and the story itself was compelling.
The “Limited Edition” release of the current roster of the Jurassic Park franchise (that is until June) is a well done package by Universal, though the 4K transfers weren’t exactly incredible upgrades over their Blu-ray counterparts, outside of maybe the audio.
Saving Private Ryan is just one incredible experience from the amazing war sequences from the D-Day invasion to the Ramelle scene but in between are some excellent performances headlined by Tom Hanks, and should’ve taken home Best Picture especially over Shakespeare in Love.
E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial isn’t just a 1980s classic but a classic period and influential to many generations due to a tightly written script, characters we can actually care about and just an adorable little alien who evokes emotions from laughter to sadness. It may not be Spielberg’s masterpiece, but it is timeless.
The Steven Spielberg: Director’s Collection is a fine selection, that Universal has access to, that general movies fans will appreciate, even if a couple aren’t that great (1941 and Always specifically). However, given the studio’s history, those who already own previous releases like E.T. and Jurassic Park, could wait as I’m sure the exclusive titles will come available on their own at some point down the road.
The Terminal is a nice small yet big drama featuring yet another solid performance from Tom Hanks re-teaming with director Steven Spielberg. It is a bit long clocking in over two hours but it’s still an immersive film that has held up well over the 10 years since its release.
Amistad is another well made film from Steven Spielberg and features several good performances including Morgan Freeman, Djimon Hounsou and Matthew McConaughey who reminds you he’s always had the dramatic acting chops…
The Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures is a great set for fans of the franchise. Each of the film’s 1080p HD transfer is amazing to go along with the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. The only drawback is that features from the previous releases, including Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were not ported over.
Jaws might not have been impressive as I had hoped, but understanding the cultural, and box office, impact it has had puts it in a different light versus others. The film might lack substance but it more than makes up for it in well-rounded characters, great casting and impressive practical effects.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is hardly the high point of action but I must admit that I actually mostly enjoyed this installment possibly because the previous sequel was so bad that it made this film look like Citizen Kane. In any case, once again the visual effects are incredible and the story was at least acceptable.