Author: Josh Zyber

Josh Zyber is a veteran movie and home theater reviewer from Laserdisc to Blu-ray and beyond. He previously wrote for DVDFile.com, DVDTalk.com, Primetimer.com, and Home Theater magazine.

Days of High Adventure | Conan the Barbarian (1982) Arrow Video 4K Ultra HD

Conan the Barbarian (1982) - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was already a celebrity by the early 1980s from his bodybuilding career, TV appearances, and featured screen time in the popular documentary Pumping Iron, but his attempts at acting didn’t really take off until he landed the lead in Conan the Barbarian. A screen vehicle well-tailored to both his strengths and limitations, the… Read More Days of High Adventure | Conan the Barbarian (1982) Arrow Video 4K Ultra HD

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Snap-On, Stay-On | The Art of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Blu-ray Digipack (2024)

The Art of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Blu-ray Digipack (2024)

At the end of 2023, collectors of the 1980s G.I. Joe toy line received a wonderful gift in the form of a huge coffee table book documenting The Art of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (reviewed here previously). Supporters of that project’s original Kickstarter campaign were additionally promised a supplemental Blu-ray set to follow… Read More Snap-On, Stay-On | The Art of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Blu-ray Digipack (2024)

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Skynet in the Shell | Terminator Zero: Season 1 (2024) on Netflix

Terminator Zero (2024)

Once an unstoppable box office powerhouse, the Terminator movie franchise has seen its fortunes dwindle with subsequent installments as audiences moved on to other sci-fi diversions, many of which have borrowed from the foundation James Cameron originally built. Nevertheless, the property remains valuable enough to keep active in some form, if no longer on movie… Read More Skynet in the Shell | Terminator Zero: Season 1 (2024) on Netflix

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A Visual History of The Fifth Element (1997) on Home Video

The Fifth Element (1997)

A couple weeks ago, a local community event space put up a makeshift screen and hosted a viewing of Luc Besson’s 1997 sci-fi epic The Fifth Element in my neighborhood. Although admittedly not, on a technical level, the best cinematic experience I’ve had in my life, and certainly not up to my usual home theater… Read More A Visual History of The Fifth Element (1997) on Home Video

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Can’t Stay Awake Forever | Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Arrow Video Blu-ray

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Leonard Nimoy, Donald Sutherland, & Jeff Goldblum

Two decades following its debut, the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers saw its reputation elevated from a cheesy B-movie to a respected science-fiction classic. What Hollywood saw in that was an opportunity for a remake. Of course, the inherent irony of remaking a famous story about evil clone duplicates practically begs for dismissive comparisons… Read More Can’t Stay Awake Forever | Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Arrow Video Blu-ray

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They’re Already Here! | Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 4K Ultra HD

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Likely the quintessential 1950s sci-fi B-movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers could easily have disappeared into obscurity if not for the efforts of producer Walter Wanger and director Don Siegel. Hired by the studio to churn out quick and cheap filler for a forgettable double feature, the creators instead delivered a film with such a… Read More They’re Already Here! | Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 4K Ultra HD

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You Stick with These Boys, You Have a Great Future | Time Bandits (1981) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Time Bandits (1981)

While technically his third feature film as director, Terry Gilliam’s 1981 Time Bandits was only his second outside of Monty Python and, in most fans’ eyes, the first that truly marked him as an auteur in his own right. As a surprise box office smash (a top-ten money earner for the year on the short-list… Read More You Stick with These Boys, You Have a Great Future | Time Bandits (1981) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

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How Swift Thy Sword | Hero (2002) ViaVision Imprint Asia Limited Edition Blu-ray

Hero (2002) - Jet Li

Upon its belated release in this market in 2004, Zhang Yimou’s Hero set a milestone as the first foreign-language film to open at the top of the American box office. That achievement was notable in a few respects, not least of which is that the movie was already two-years-old by that point and a good… Read More How Swift Thy Sword | Hero (2002) ViaVision Imprint Asia Limited Edition Blu-ray

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Welcome to Star City, Boys | One False Move (1992) Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD

One False Move (1992) - Bill Paxton

Originally intended as a direct-to-video production, the 1992 crime thriller One False Move received so much advance praise from critics that distributor I.R.S. Releasing (the short-lived film branch of music label I.R.S. Records) opted to give it a limited theatrical run first. While the movie ultimately made only a pittance at the box office, it… Read More Welcome to Star City, Boys | One False Move (1992) Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD

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