Evans Above

Bud Yorkin’s 1970 period comedy Start the Revolution Without Me stars Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland in the dual role of mismatched identical twins separated at birth. One set is raised as aristocrats, while the other set get the peasant life. It’s the start of the French Revolution and the aristocratic DeSisi brothers are tasked with protecting Louis XVI, while the dim-witted Coupé brothers are part of the angry mob trying to overthrow him. Mayhem ensues when the twins are mistaken for each other. The cast also includes Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Victor Spinetti, and Orson Welles as the narrator. Warner Archive has now released the movie on Blu-ray and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to take a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The Blu-ray transfer comes from a 4K scan of the original elements and Warner Archive has once again done a great job. There’s great detail in every palace room, every period costume, and every facial exprssion. Though the colour palette is mostly muted, the aristocratic primaries and other lush tones pop. Whites are bright and dark levels are deep without any real sign of crushing. While an occasional soft shot occurs, none warrants the guillotine.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Despite the revolution, comedy is still king. It needs understandable dialogue, which is clear and well-prioritized in this mix. The score fits perfectly with the film’s action and period.

The Start the Revolution Without Me Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. We do get an audio commentary from Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, and Bud Yorkin, a theatrical trailer, and two classic Warner Bros. cartoons that fit the subject of the film: 1950’s The Scarlet Punpernickel and 1956’s Napoleon Bunny-Part.

Wilder and Sutherland make a fun comic duo in both of their settings and the supporting cast is stellar. Warner Archive does its usual great job with the audio and video and there’s a fun selection of extras. That’s why the Start the Revolution Without Me Blu-ray is recommended.

Mervyn LeRoy’s 1944 war drama Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, written by Dalton Trumbo, follows the training, execution, and aftermath of the Doolittle Raids. When United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle (Spencer Tracy) plans a dangerous carrier-launched bomber raid on the Japanese mainland after Pearl Harbor, pilot Captain Ted W. Lawson (Van Johnson) says goodbye to his expectant wife (Phyllis Thaxter) and volunteers for the mission. The film also stars Robert Walker and marks the film debut of Robert Mitchum. Warner Archive has now released the film on Blu-ray and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to take a look. Warner Bros. likes disclaimers, so though this disc was provided to me, the thoughts and opinions are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. It’s almost repetitive to say that Warner Archive does a good job with these releases. The video presentation has great detail from facial features to textiles and environments. The black levels are nice and deep and there’s a pleasing film grain.

On the audio side, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Dialogue is clear, effects have sufficient weight, and there is no real sign of hiss or pops.

The Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. Bonus features include the patriotic music medley “Ode to Victory”, the Oscar-nominated short
“A Lady Fights Back” which details the luxury liner’s path to becoming a troop transport, the Tom and Jerry short “Mouse Trouble”, and the theatrical trailer.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is a wartime record of an important event in America’s war against Japan. A great cast combined with Warner Archive’s excellent work on the audio and video and a nice selection of extras make this a recommended release.

Universal has just released The Office: The Complete Series — Superfan Extended Episodes Blu-ray, a title that’s nearly as long as the series itself. Running from 2005-2013, the US version of The Office starred Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, B.J. Novak, Oscar Nuñez, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper and more. The new Superfab episodes seamlessly integrate over 25 hours of scenes that didn’t make it to broadcast. For fans who can’t get enough of the Dunder Mifflin gang, now you’ve got more. I had a chance to take an early look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It’s a really good transfer, with excellent detail from close-up facial reactions to cluttered office desks, and a nice colour palette of workplace appropriate clothing, especially when Michael Scott shops the Missterious brand. There’s no real compression artifacts to speak of and though this release is 4 discs smaller than the previous Blu-ray release, this one doesn’t have the commentaries and promo pieces that would take up more room.

On the audio side of things, you have the set has an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH, with seasons 5 to 9 also having Spanish subtitles. The surrounds immerse you into the office environment from clicking keyboards and ringing phones to the whir of the photocopier and hum of the fluorescent lights. Dialogue is clear and centred.

This new release of The Office is, by definition of being extended, full of deleted scenes. If you’re looking for the other supplemental material like gag reels and commentaries, you’ll have to look to he previous non-extended editions. There is no Digital code.

If you’re a fan of Scranton’s best paper company, then The Office: The Complete Series — Superfan Extended Episodes Blu-ray is for you. Recommended.

Clarence Brown’s 1932 pre-Code drama, Letty Lynton, has long been considered a “lost film”. Starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther, the movie was tied up in a legal case involving the play Dishonored Lady. As the copyright to the play expired in 2025, Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde, felt it was safe for the film to come back out and, spearheaded by Warner Archive Collection historian George Feltenstein, a 4K restoration was commissioned. The film sees Crawford as a wealthy socialite swept up in a tale of murder and blackmail involving an obsessive former lover. Warner Archive has now released Letty Lynton on Blu-ray and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to look at it. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The restoration was done from the best available preservation elements, and like most Warner Archive restorations, it looks great. Most scenes exhibit great sharpness and detail, with softness only raising its head occasionally. There’s a fine film grain and print flaws are mostly absent. Black levels are nice and deep.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Again, kudos to the restoration team. Except for some occasional hiss, this 90-year-old film sounds great.

The Letty Lynton Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. The star of the extras is “Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood”, a 74 minute documentary on the prolific producer. We also get five radio productions starring Crawford and others. A serving of vintage audio.

As mentioned, Letty Lynton has been in legal limbo for decades and now film lovers have a chance to see it again. Warner Archive has done a great job restoring it. Recommended.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is, as of this review, the highest grossing film of 2026, pulling in a whopping $1 billion+ at the worldwide box office. The story sees our intrepid plumbers, Mario and Luigi (Chris Pratt and Charlie Day), head off to outer space to try and save Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) from the clutches of Bowser and Bowser Jr. (Jack Black and Benny Safdie). The voice cast also includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Donald Glover, and Glen Powell. For fans of the games, there’s plenty of fan service and Nintendo Easter eggs. For the young ones, there’s bright, colourful, fast-paced action. The rest of the audience might just look at the spectacle and wonder what the fuss is about. With a billion dollars worth of tickets sold, the film knows who its audience is and serves them what they want. Universal has just released The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on 4K and I had a chance to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The computer animation from the team at Illumination is simply stunning. The art is full of detail, from textiles, woods and surfaces, to scales and fur. The colour palette pops, or rather jumps out, with bright reds, blues, and yellows, while vegetation is lush greens. Whites are bright and blacks are inky and deep.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos track that folds down to TrueHD 7.1 as well as Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks for French and Spanish. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. None of the speakers in your sound system will feel lonely as action and ambient sounds make great use of the immersive soundscape, while the subwoofer adds extra heft to the action as well. Dialogue is clear and prioritized in the mix.

The 4K for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a digital code, though there is no code included in the Canadian edition. Extras include a behind-the-scenes piece with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and the cast, as well as materials on the characters, creating the galaxy, story themes, music, and Nintendo Easter eggs.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie 4K will dazzle viewers with an excellent audio and video experience. Though fans of the game will get the most from this movie, even casual viewers might be pleasantly surprised for its 98 minute run time.

Based on George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel to Game of Thrones. Peter Claffey stars as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, a hedge knight (knight-errant) who is joined on his adventures by his squire, Aegon “Egg” Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). The six episode first season aired on HBO Max in January 2026 and now Warner Bros. has released A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Complete First Season on 4K. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio. There may be knights in this tale, but clarity is the king here, with amazing detail in every outfit and fabric, facial features, and natural and manmade environments. The colour palette is full of muted tones and earthy hues. Black levels are deep and there’s no loss of detail in darker scenes. Digital noise and compression artifacts are not an issue.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos soundtrack that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 as well as French, German, Italian and Spanish (Castellano and Latino) Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks and a Czech Dolby Digital 2.0 track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, and Swedish. Though it’s a dialogue-driven story, the surrounds are full of ambient noise that puts you into their world and also comes alive during action scenes.

The six episodes of the show are spread over two 4K discs. The set does not include a digital code. Extras include “A Knight in the Making” and “Into the Episode” featurettes that sort of overlap in their purpose. There’s also a look at the production design, a blooper reel, character studies of Dunk and Egg and a tour of the Ashford Meadow set.

While Game of Thrones was epic in its scale and intrigue, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Complete First Season concentrates on the bond, warmth and humour of Dunk and Egg’s relationship and is a great intro into the world of Westeros. Combined with excellent audio and video and a nice selection of extras, this set is recommended.

The psychological thriller series You, based on the books by Caroline Kepnes, premiered on Lifetime in 2018, before moving to Netflix for seasons two through five. Penn Badgley stars as Joe, whose handsome and literate exterior hides a dangerous and psychopathic inner life. Over the seasons, the cast also includes Elizabeth Lail, Luca Padovan, Zach Cherry, Shay Mitchell, Victoria Pedretti, Carmela Zumbado, Jenna Ortega, James Scully, Ambyr Childers, Saffron Burrows, Tati Gabrielle, Shalita Grant, Travis Van Winkle, Charlotte Ritchie, Tilly Keeper, Amy-Leigh Hickman, Ed Speleers, Lukas Gage, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp, and Griffin Matthews. Warner Bros. has now released You: The Complete Series on DVD and thanks to Allied Vaughn and Warner Bros. I was able to get a look. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.

I should probably just save this next bit as a text shortcut. People ask, “Why isn’t this show on Blu-ray, it was HD on the streaming services?” A lot of it boils down to economics. There’s a market for shows on home media as people don’t always want to have another monthly bill or be subject to the whims of a streamer that may decide to no longer keep a show in their library. It’s not a huge market for most shows. So while something like Game of Thrones might sell enough to merit a Blu-ray or 4K release, for most studios it still makes sense to release TV shows on DVD. You: The Complete Series is presented in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Though obviously not as sharp and detailed as a Blu-ray, the video presentation looks quite good but does have some softness. The 50 episodes of the series are spread over 12 discs, but with about 4-5 episodes a disc, I would like to have seen a few more discs to lower the compression a bit and give the picture more room to “breathe.”

On the audio side of things, there’s a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Though not the most immersive experience, ambient effects put us in Joe’s world. Dialogue is clear and centred in the mix.

You: The Complete Series DVD is presented on twelve MOD DVD discs. It does not come with a digital code nor any supplemental materials.

You was a very popular Netflix series, with dedicated fans. If You love the series and don’t want to be subject to the whims or fees of a streamer, then You’ll want to pick up You: The Complete Series on DVD.

Bennett Miller’s 2011 biographical sports drama Moneyball was adapted by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin from Michael Lewis’ book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The film looks at the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics and studies how GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) used sabermetrics to assemble a winning team for a much lower salary than the team’s wealthy competitors. Jonah Hill’s character, Peter Brand, introduces him to the mathematical study of stats that favours things like a team’s overall on-base percentage over individual success. Brand is based on Paul DePodesta, who asked for his name to be removed when he thought the script no longer accurately portrayed him. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays manager Art Howe, Robin Wright is Beane’s ex-wife Sharon, with Chris Pratt and Stephen Bishop as two of the players. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (we covered the red carpet) and went on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Sony has now released the film on 4K and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I was able to take a look.

The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The video transfer is a standard dynamic range (SDR) presentation as apparently director Miller made the decision not to do high dynamic range (HDR) processing. The presentation has crisp detail on facial features, textiles and locations, and there is a nice film grain. The colour palette looks good from muted greens to the popping primaries and sunshine in the ballparks. There’s no crush or loss of detail in darker scenes. It may not have HDR, but I really don’t feel like we’re missing much here.

On the audio side of things, you have the choice of English, French, and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available for English, English SDH, French, and Spanish. The 5.1 mix does put us in the offices and locker room, but with Zaillian and Sorkin writing the script dialogue is always going to be the focus, so not getting an Atmos upgrade isn’t really a problem.

NOTE: Some outlets and consumers received an earlier version of the release that had an issue with the low frequency effects channel in the audio mix. Sony and Allied Vaughn set up a replacement program. If you have an affected disk, contact MovieZyng customer support. According to posts online, the fixed version has a UPC SKU of 043396647381.

The Moneyball 4K disc does come with a US-only digital code. Extras include deleted scenes, a Brad Pitt blooper reel, a piece where Michael Lewis, Bennett Miller, Aaron Sorkin and Billy Beane discuss the game, the novel and bringing it to the screen, a piece on casting the team, a look at recreating the games of the 2002 season, a piece on the screenplay adaptation, and a theatrical trailer.

Moneyball combines baseball, a great cast, and great audio and video with a nice selection of extras. While some 4K sticklers may decry the lack of Dolby Atmos and an HDR pass, this is still a recommended day at the ballpark.

Henry King’s 1952 film The Snows of Kiliminjaro is based on Ernest Hemingway’s 1936 short story of the same name. Gregory Peck stars as Harry Street, a writer who is slowly dying from a gangrene infection he received while on safari. He is tended to by his companion, Helen (Susan Hayward), and as he lies there, he reflects upon his life, and his love for Cynthia (Ava Gardner) when the two were part of the Lost Generation in Paris. The film was a commercial success and was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Art Direction, Color. Film Masters has released the film on Blu-ray as part of their Archive Collection. Thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I was able to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. I don’t have detailed notes on what restoration was done, but given the quality of the presentation, I assume the quality of the sources varied. There is some good detail in some textiles and locations, but the grain appears to have been smoothed away with faces almost appearing waxy at times. I wasn’t sure if I was watching Gregory Peck or his Madame Tussauds waxwork. The colour palette still looks pretty good, from the muted tones on safari to the popping primaries of Paris, but stock footage of Africa seems quite faded and flesh tones sometimes seem off.

On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. English subtitles are available. The mono soundtrack is chock full of ambient effects. Though there is occasional hisses and pops, the dialogue and score fare well in the mix.

The Blu-ray of The Snows of Kiliminjaro does not come with a digital copy. Par for the course of Film Masters’ Archive Collection it does not contain extras either, unlike Film Masters’ Special Editions which bubble over with supplements.

The Snows of Kiliminjaro was the third highest grossing U.S. film of 1952, but it doesn’t hold a place in our memories like the lower-grossing 1952 films High Noon and Singin’ in the Rain. If you’re a Peck completionist, you may want this Blu-ray release, but the video presentation stops it from being recommended when, as a public domain film, it’s available everywhere.

Film Chest Media Group has released Dark Film Mysteries IV on DVD. A collection of 12 film noir titles, it has over 17 hours of guns, gangsters, femme fatales, and bad life decisions. The twelve films in this three-disc set are: The Big Combo, Borderline, The Chase, The Second Woman, Too Late for Tears, The Naked Kiss, Please Murder Me!, St. Louis Bank Robbery, Dishonored Lady, The Kennel Murder Case, The Man with the Golden Arm, and The Man Who Cheated Himself. The casts of these dozen movies include Mary Astor, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Lee J. Cobb, Cornel Wilde, Fred MacMurray, Raymond Burr, Robert Cummings, Peter Lorre, Robert Young, Angela Lansbury, and Steve McQueen.

• The Big Combo, from 1955, was directed by Joseph H. Lewis and stars Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte and Brian Donlevy, and Jean Wallace alongside Lee Van Cleef, Earl Holliman, and Helen Walker. Wilde plays a police lieutenant obsessed with bringing down a sadistic gangster.
• Borderline, from 1950, was directed by William A. Seiter and stars Fred MacMurray and Claire Trevor as two agents both working undercover to take down a smuggler (Raymond Burr).
• The Chase, from 1946, was helmed by Arthur Ripley and stars Robert Cummings, Steve Cochran, Michèle Morgan, and Peter Lorre. Cummings is a veteran with PTSD who ends up as driver for a mobster. Things go further downhill when he tries to help the mobster’s wife get away from her cruel husband.
• The Second Woman, from 1950, was directed by James V. Kern and stars Robert Young, Betsy Drake, John Sutton, and Florence Bates. Young plays a successful architect whose fiancée died in a mysterious car crash. When a series of accidents begin happening around him, the question arises: Is someone trying to kill him or is his mental state imagining these dangers?
• Too Late for Tears, released in 1949, was directed by Byron Haskin and stars Lizabeth Scott, Don DeFore, and Dan Duryea. When a couple has $60,000 tossed in their car, he wants to turn it in and she wants to keep it. She ends up working with a tough guy on her plan, but how will that work out for all involved?
• The Naked Kiss, a 1964 film directed by Samuel Fuller, stars Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, Michael Dante, and Virginia Grey. In this Sixties noir, Fuller explores themes of prostitution, corruption, and child abuse.
• Please Murder Me!, from 1956, was directed by Peter Godfrey and stars Angela Lansbury, Raymond Burr, and Dick Foran. Burr plays a suave defence attorney who is involved with a woman (Lansbury) accused of murdering her husband. As the case concludes, layers of greed and deception become evident.
• The St. Louis Bank Robbery, also known as The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, is a 1959 film directed by Charles Guggenheim that stars Steve McQueen as a college dropout hired as a getaway driver. The film also stars Crahan Denton, David Clarke, and Martha Gaye.
• Dishonored Lady, a 1947 film directed by Robert Stevenson, stars Hedy Lamarr, Dennis O’Keefe and John Loder, and William Lundigan. Lamarr plays a fashion editor. When a former lover is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect.
• The Kennel Murder Case, from 1933, was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars William Powell, Mary Astor, and Eugene Pallette. Powell plays detective Philo Vance, who is investigating the murder of a dog show competitor with more enemies than trophies.
• The Man with the Golden Arm, a 1955 film, was directed by Otto Preminger and stars Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, Eleanor Parker, and Darren McGavin. Sinatra plays Frankie Machine, a card dealer and recovering addict who finds himself tempted when he’s released from prison. He has dreams for his life, but the old life beckons. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards.
• The Man Who Cheated Himself, from 1950, was directed by Felix E. Feist and stars Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, and John Dall. Cobb plays a homicide detective, Ed Cullen, who’s romantically entangled with a wealthy socialite. When she kills her abusive husband, Cullen covers it up and attempts to misdirect the investigation.

The twelve films are all presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. They have all fallen into the public domain due to lapsed or incorrect copyright filings and can be found in many outlets in varying states of quality. Film Chest has collected these films into these good budget collections, but as they themselves state in the line notes, the films having varying quality in their source materials. Film Chest has done their best to do some restoration but the films do have some issues. Some have visible scratches. Some scenes have dropped frames. Some of the scenes are very dark and lose detail. While this isn’t a perfect, and expensive, frame by frame restoration done from original negatives, I do applaud Film Chest for curating these film noir films and presenting them in an easily accessible and affordable collection that allows someone exploring film noir to get their foot in the door.

On the audio side of things, the films come with English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtracks. Subtitles are available for English, but note you have to choose the captions from your player’s menu as a subtitles option is not on the DVD menu screen. As with the video, source quality does fluctuate, so the audio does have the occasional hiss and pop.

Dark Film Mysteries IV presents the twelve movies in a three-disc DVD set. There is no digital code and there are no supplemental materials. There is a four-page glossy insert with synopses and poster art. The film posters are also displayed in the DVD menus.

Dark Film Mysteries IV is a budget-friendly way to get an introduction to the film noir genre, giving you twelve films and seventeen hours of entertainment. Yes, the audio and video quality can fluctuate, but I’m still able to tip my hat to Film Chest for compiling these films that most streaming services would just ignore in favour of the latest franchise flick.

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