The Last of Us and more: Warner’s Blu-Ray releases for July
Summer 2023 is getting even hotter with home-video releases from Warner Bros Discovery, which for July and August is offering a very rich offering that literally spans all genres and satisfies every palate.
Between superheroes, apocalyptic worlds and haunted houses, the package of the Warner Bros Blu-ray delivered to Freaking News contained three news items fresh off the press: Shazam: Fury of the Gods, sequel to the hit cinecomix Shazam! from DC Studios once again directed by David F. Sandberg and played by Zachary Levy; the new chapter in the acclaimed cult horror saga Evil Dead, which changes its appearance with Evil Dead Rise of Lee Cronin and of course, you may have already read it from the title of the article, the acclaimed TV series The Last of Us, which we had promoted in these parts with flying colors in our preview (here our review of The Last of Us) and who has since nabbed a record number of nominations at the Emmy Awards 2023..
But now immediately room for Blu-rays – literally though, we have no more room!
Shazam: Fury of the Gods
From New Line Cinema comes the sequel to the story of Billy Batson, a teenager who only needs to utter the magic word “SHAZAM!” to transform into the Superhero and his adult alter ego Shazam: endowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and the other members of the foster family with whom he lives are still learning to juggle teenage life and adult superhero life. However, they will find themselves facing the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods who have come to Earth in search of the magic that was stolen from them long ago. So Billy, a.k.a. Shazam, and his family will return to action to save their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.
In the cast of the new film in the saga – whose fate is uncertain after the birth of James Gunn’s new DC Studios and above all, an unsatisfactory result at the box office – return among the stars of the first chapter Zachary Levi in the role of Shazam Asher Angel as Billy Batson, as well as Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody and Djimon Hounsou, in addition to the new entry Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren.
Based on the characters DC Comics created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, Shazam: Fury of the Gods in 4K version also includes over 90 minutes of special content, including featurettes ‘Mythology of Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ ‘Shazam! Scene of Destruction,’ ‘Sisterhood of Villains,’ and as many as 30 minutes of deleted scenes.
Evil Dead Rise
Again New Line Cinema, in collaboration with Renaissance Pictures, presents the return of the iconic horror franchise created by Sam Raimi with this fourth installment, Evil Dead Rise, the brainchild of screenwriter and director Lee Cronin (Hole – The Abyss).
The movie, starring Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols and Nell Fisher, for the first time moves the action and horror from the woods to the city, and tells the disturbing and bloody tale of two sisters whose touching reunion is interrupted by the rise of flesh-and-blood demons: the horrible creatures conjured from hell will drive them to a primordial battle for survival That will pit their family members against each other.
Powerful change of direction for the franchise, which turns its back on the grotesque comedy irony of the original chapters to become true horror, closer to the 2013 sequel/remake/reboot directed by Fede Alvarez than to Raimi’s films, The House: Awakening of Evil is a remix film, a DJ film, that changes and reinvents while keeping in close touch with the original matrix: there is a gore ferocity, in this extremely violent and increasingly bloody film scene after scene, that if it’s not a record in film history for the use of fake blood, it’s not far off..
The Last of Us
The Last of Us, the long-awaited TV adaptation of one of the most beloved titles for gamers that has captivated audiences worldwide, is available in 4K Ultra HD steelbook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The series, which premiered last January, recorded the second largest debut for an HBO-branded series, behind only House of the Dragon, achieving steady audience growth over the course of its airing, with a 75 percent increase in share in its season finale..
The story of The Last of Us takes place 20 years after the destruction of modern civilization and follows Joel, a cunning survivor who is tasked with smuggling Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of a quarantine zone under tight security. A seemingly easy task that soon turns into a brutal and harrowing journey across the United States, in which the two will have to depend on each other to survive.
The 4K Steelbook Limited Edition version that Warner Bros. has gifted us with not only includes all 9 episodes of the first season, but also boasts nearly 3 hours of never-before-seen special content, including three brand-new, must-see featurettes.
- The Last of Us: Stranger Than Fiction – The series cast and filmmakers rub shoulders with experts in survival, microbiology and parasitology for a chilling insight into the reality of parasitic fungus and the subsequent apocalypse presented in The Last of Us.
- Controllers Down: Adapting The Last of Us – Follow the journey of The Last of Us from console to screen as the cast and filmmakers take us through the process of expanding the world by giving new life to the game’s beloved characters.
- From Levels to Live Action – Learn how The Last of Us TV shows incorporated and expanded on fan-favorite gaming moments.
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