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Category:    Home > Reviews > Horror > Comedy > Satire > Hollywood > Show Business > Awards Shows > Animation > Holiday > Environment > TV > Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K (2024/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/For Your Consideration (2006/Castle Rock/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Infinite Santa 8000 (2013/Synapse*)/Toxic Crusaders: The Series (1991 - 19

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K (2024/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/For Your Consideration (2006/Castle Rock/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Infinite Santa 8000 (2013/Synapse*)/Toxic Crusaders: The Series (1991-1993/Troma/*both MVD Blu-ray)



4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: X/B+/B+/B- Sound: B+/B+/B+/B- Extras: C/C+/B/B Main Programs: C/B/C/C+


PLEASE NOTE: The For Your Consideration Blu-ray is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.


Now for some creepy comedy for the holidays...


Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K (2024) is the highly belated, yet still hoped for sequel to the 1985 hit Michael Keaton horror comedy with Keaton (as big and as relevant as ever!) is back as the title character and it is as if after about 40 years, he never stopped. The Deetz Family has an unfortunate, sad event happen that brings three generations of them together as a result, with Lydia (Winona Ryder, full rejuvenated by her remarkable work on the instant classic Stranger Things) is still upset and haunted by the title character. It will get worse when he finally returns.


Unfortunately, it takes forever for him to return and the screenplay drags out, especially if you are not a fan of the original hit film. There is some goof work here in costumes, production design, visual effects and other money on the screen, but really helping out beyond that is a supporting cast that tries to keep this going. They include solid turns by Catherine O'Hara, Jenny Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Arthur Conti and Monica Bellucci. That makes it all the more disappointing that it never gels and worse. Even some big fans were unhappy and even all these decades later, this could have worked better. Too bad, but it has been a moderate hit and one of the few Burton has had since he massacred Planet Of The Apes so horrifically back in 2001.


If you have not seen it and are very curious, see it and fans who have not already will do just that. At least the 4K disc is top rate.


The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K looks good and is an all-HD shoot, but I do not like the color highlights or approach chosen, trying to match the first film, yet not totally succeeding or complementing it. I thought the look would change after the first few minutes or even scenes, but no. It just goes on and on and on and on in the same form and it is ultimately miserable and is barely the best performer on the list. The lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) is also decent, well recorded, mixed and mastered and professional. However, it too is only so engaging, so its fine for what it is, but limited and the combination is too. Fans will hopefully be happier.


Extras include Digital Code, while the disc adds:

  • Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Commentary by director Tim Burton

  • The Juice is Loose! The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

  • The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns

  • Meet the Deetz

  • Handbook for the Recently Deceased

  • Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere!

  • An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

  • and 'Til Death Do Us Park.


For more on the original film, here is our coverage of the film in 4K...

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15774/Best+Of+Cher+(1975,+1978+-+2013/Time+Life


And on regular Blu-ray years before...

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7924/Beetlejuice+%E2%80%93+20th+Anniversary+Delux


A hilarious-yet-dated Mockumentary that goes behind the scenes of a Hollywood production that gets some Oscar buzz from this new fangled thing called ''the internet'', For Your Consideration (2006) has a huge cast of familiar faces including Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, and Ricky Gervais to name a few.


The film offers Director Christopher Guest's sharp filmmaking skills in top form as he tells the story of a troubled production infiltrated with egos from different departments that fuel a traveling rumor about an Oscar nomination for one of the stars that gets bigger and bigger as it goes along. It is also a time capsule of a recent, older Hollywood that is slightly gone, but much of this remains as true and comically as realistic and true as ever.


For Your Consideration is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) soundmix. The film has been nicely restored on Blu-ray and looks great on this Blu-ray release which is surprisingly its first release on Blu-ray in the states.

Special Features:

Commentary by writers Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest

Over 30 Minutes of Hilarious Bonus Material

and an Original Theatrical Trailer.


For Your Consideration is pretty hilarious with a strong cast that carries it through.


The crudely animated Infinite Santa 8000 (2013) gets a new transfer from Synapse Films in time for the holiday season. From the mind of filmmaker Michael Neel and originally a web series, the adult Christmas film feels like a low budget adult swim episode that goes to great lengths to demonize innocent characters from not just Christmas, but other holidays as well..


The film features the voice talents of Duane Bruce, Tara Henry, and Michael Neel.


A heavy metal Christmas tale set in the year 8000 where everyone must kill to survive in the war torn post apocalyptic world. Its up to Santa and his sidekick Martha to fight a hellish landscape of evil robots, mutated animals, and of course The Easter Bunny leading up to a Mad Doctor that is hellbent on world domination. The film goes to great lengths to be shocking and ''evil heavy metal'' in its execution of hellish animation. Not much of it works and it feels more like a desperate attempt to be controversial.


Infinite Santa 8000 is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a lossless English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo (48kHz, 24-bit) soundmix. The sound track is predominately death metal style music that lends itself well to the zany content therein. Considering the animation style, the transfer is up to the high standards set by Synapse who consistently make great looking discs.


Special Features:

Audio commentary with creators Greg Ansin and Michael Neel

The complete original 13-part web series (including optional audio commentary)

and multiple interview featurettes with cast and crew.


Infinite Santa 8000 will appeal to a certain crowd, but it tries a bit too hard on the whole though is not without its own brand of creativity.


A spin off of The Toxic Avenger films from Troma Entertainment, the Saturday Morning Kids Cartoon vibe of Toxic Crusaders: The Series (1991 - 1993) which is for the whole family unlike the film series which is definitely for adults only. Fans of the Troma have been eagerly awaiting this release for some years to have as a companion piece to The Toxic Avenger Collection, which out on 4K UHD and reviewed elsewhere on this site at...


http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16363/Equalizer+3/Gran+Turismo+(both+2023/Sony+Blu


With an underlying environmental message similar to Captain Planet (reviewed elsewhere on this site,) but with a Troma spin, the bizarre superhero Toxie uses his new powers to clean up the evil and greedy forces that are willing to poison the environment. Meanwhile, the sinister Dr. Killemoff wants to destroy the Earth with toxic chemicals and radioactive waste, so it resembles his polluted planet Smogula and its up to Toxie and his team to stop them.


The animated series features the voice talents of Gregg Berger, Susan Blu, Rodger Bumpass, Paul Eiding, and Ed Gilbert. Two major guest voices were Michael J. Pollard (Bonnie and Clyde) and Chuck McCann (Far Out Space Nuts and Pac-Man). The first episode was written by Chuck Lorre, who went on to create Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and HBO's Bookie.


Of course Troma's co-founders, Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, also co-wrote a few scripts too.


13 Episodes span two discs and include The Making of Toxie, This Spud's For You, Club Fred, Tree Troubles, The Pollution Solution, A Site for Sore Eyes, Mr Earth-Superhero, Toxie Ties The Knot, Invasion of the Biddy Snatchers, The Snail Must Go Through, Nab that Toxie Cab, Still Crazy After All These Shears, and That's No Villain That's My Mom.


Toxic Crusaders is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and lossy English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps) Stereo sound vs. a lossless track not here for some reason. The series is dated for sure and the transfer reflects that of a dated television cartoon with a transfer that isn't pristine. The film has been remastered and looks as good as it can considering its low budget nature and age. The imperfections actually work in its favor as it's an aged '80s style Saturday Morning Cartoon.


Special Features:

New introduction by Lloyd Kaufman

Commercials for Toxic Crusaders toys

TV spots

Lost archival footage

and a documentary on the video game.


Toxic Crusaders is fun for fans of the Toxic Avenger character and for nostalgic pop culture reasons. It is almost a bit absurd that a film as violent and sexually charged as The Toxic Avenger would get a children's show spin-off in the first place, but maybe that's part of the joke. Considering the character is popular more with cult film fanatics than your normal everyday joe, it's something of a small miracle that this animated series even exists and is a product of its time.



To order the For Your Consideration Blu-ray go to this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:


https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20



- Nicholas Sheffo (4K) and James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/



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