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.

He Who Controls the Spice Controls the Universe | Dune (1984) ViaVision Limited Edition Blu-ray

Dune (1984) - Kenneth McMillan as Baron Harkonnen

For a movie infamous as a box office disaster, one still widely disparaged by both general viewers and fans of the book it was based on, David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune has had a remarkable shelf life on home video. Over the past four decades, numerous distributors around the world have licensed the film… Read More He Who Controls the Spice Controls the Universe | Dune (1984) ViaVision Limited Edition Blu-ray

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Some Things Never Change | Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) on Netflix

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) - John Ashton, Eddie Murphy, & Judge Reinhold

Three and four decades, respectively, since they each debuted, producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s Bad Boys and Beverly Hills Cop action franchises both returned with belated fourth entries in 2024. Bad Boys was apparently deemed still fresh enough to merit another theatrical release, but former box office juggernaut Beverly Hills Cop wound up relegated to a Netflix… Read More Some Things Never Change | Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) on Netflix

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Can Never Have Too Much Firepower | Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 4K Ultra HD

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) - Brigitte Nielsen, Dean Stockwell, & Eddie Murphy

When the time came to make a sequel to their smash hit Beverly Hills Cop, producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer knew they’d have to step up their game. In the three short years between the two films, audiences had already been conditioned (by Simpson and Bruckheimer in particular) to expect a greater sense of… Read More Can Never Have Too Much Firepower | Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 4K Ultra HD

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Tell Me, Can You Feel It? | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 4K Ultra HD

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - Eddie Murphy

1984 was a year of explosive success at the theatrical box office, with a number of huge blockbuster hits that would remain beloved decades later. When the final results were tallied at the end of the year, no movie was bigger than Beverly Hills Cop. The action-comedy outgrossed the likes of The Karate Kid, Gremlins,… Read More Tell Me, Can You Feel It? | Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 4K Ultra HD

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Nothin’ Worse Than a Bad Cop | Another 48 Hrs. (1990) 4K Ultra HD

Another 48 Hrs. (1990) - Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy

After his big-screen debut in 48 Hrs., Eddie Murphy quickly skyrocketed to become one of the biggest movie stars of the 1980s, headlining hit after hit after hit. At the start of the next decade, Murphy returned to the role that launched him with the sequel Another 48 Hrs. Unfortunately, the follow-up was not as… Read More Nothin’ Worse Than a Bad Cop | Another 48 Hrs. (1990) 4K Ultra HD

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What the Hell Kind of Cop Are You? | 48 Hrs. (1982) 4K Ultra HD

48 Hrs. (1982) - Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy

Just 21-years-old when his first feature film was released, Eddie Murphy had already dominated the stand-up comedy circuit and had single-handedly kept Saturday Night Live afloat on television. By the time Hollywood came calling, it seemed like nothing could stop his star from rising. Unlike other SNL alumni, Murphy chose to launch his movie career… Read More What the Hell Kind of Cop Are You? | 48 Hrs. (1982) 4K Ultra HD

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She Has Potential | La Femme Nikita (1990) 4K Ultra HD

La Femme Nikita (1990) - Anne Parillaud

The French Cinéma du look movement of the 1980s and ’90s crashes headfirst into the Hollywood action blockbuster in director Luc Besson’s très cool assassin thriller La Femme Nikita. Criticized at the time for prioritizing style over substance, Besson’s film was nonetheless very popular, has proven quite influential, and remains a thrilling piece of pop… Read More She Has Potential | La Femme Nikita (1990) 4K Ultra HD

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This Is What Happens When You Hire an Amateur | Hit Man (2024) on Netflix

Hit Man (2024) - Glen Powell

In his more than three decades doing it to date, Richard Linklater has had an erratic career directing movies. He’s made a small handful of classics, several other worthy efforts, and a few cult favorites, but also a whole bunch of middle-of-the-road misfires that went nowhere. His latest feature, Hit Man, is a pleasant enough… Read More This Is What Happens When You Hire an Amateur | Hit Man (2024) on Netflix

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Good Old American Action | Tango & Cash (1989) Blu-ray

Tango & Cash (1989) - Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone

Released December 22, 1989, the action blockbuster Tango & Cash was (alongside Steven Spielberg’s Always) literally the last movie of the 1980s. Big, loud, dumb, and defiantly unwilling to take itself seriously for even a second, the film could almost be read as commentary on a decade famous for its excess, and a genre that… Read More Good Old American Action | Tango & Cash (1989) Blu-ray

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Don’t Be Fooled by the Bot That She’s Got | Atlas (2024) on Netflix

Atlas (2024) - Jennifer Lopez

Hollywood has been warning us about the dangers of A.I. for decades. Look to the Terminator franchise for the most famous example of that, of course. However, as A.I. tools work their way into the real-world film production chain, such that a good chunk of Netflix originals often feel like they were probably scripted by… Read More Don’t Be Fooled by the Bot That She’s Got | Atlas (2024) on Netflix

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