Disclaimer: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment requests that we note it provided a free copy of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm for review purposes. The opinions I share are my own.
Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis returned as Laurie Strode in 1998 for a terrifying reunion with Michael Myers, 20 years after the original Halloween. Now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, Laurie must face the horrifying events of her past as the life of her own son hangs in the balance. — from Paramount
Yes, before the most recent trilogy via Blumhouse, Curtis returned for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and its sequel. (The continuity kinda veers all over the place over the course of the franchise.) Not only that but Jamie Lee’s mom, Janet Leigh (yes, Marion Crane from Psycho), is in it as well. This film is hitting 4K Ultra HD SteelBook for the 25thAnniversary. It comes with the hi-def on disc, a digital copy, and that’s all. Which is a shame, since there was a pretty good array of bonus bits on a previous Blu-Ray release. Still, if you’re a fan of 4K horror or one of those SteelBook addicts, you’re going to want to grab it. You can do that from Amazon.
Overly enthusiastic guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets thrown out of his bar band and finds himself in desperate need of work. Posing as a substitute music teacher at an elite private elementary school, he exposes his students to the hard rock gods he idolizes and emulates — much to the consternation of the uptight principal (Joan Cusack). As he gets his privileged and precocious charges in touch with their inner rock ‘n’ roll animals, he imagines redemption at a local Battle of the Bands. — from Paramount
Children, I know you won’t believe this: but there was a time before Jack Black was Everywhere. No, I’m serious. He had been around for a while (Did you remember he was in Bob Roberts? I sure didn’t.) But as part of the one-two punch that was High Fidelity and School of Rock, he became inescapable. (And the legacy of the film lives on…because the stage musical is actually quite good. Again, I’m serious.) We’re in SteelBookville again, although this time we have legacy content from previous releases. This includes a commentary by the director and Black, a commentary from the kids, and more. If you want to have this in 4K or again, are fond of the SteelBook thing, you’ll definitely want to snag it. It is eminently snaggable from Amazon.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm opens with the city’s most feared gangsters being systematically eliminated, and assumed blame falling on the Caped Crusader. But prowling the Gotham night is a shadowy new villain, the Phantasm, a sinister figure with some link to Batman’s past. Can the Dark Knight elude the police, capture the Phantasm and clear his own name? Unmasking the Phantasm is just one of the twists in this dazzling animated feature, which provides new revelations about Batman’s past, his archrival the Joker, and Batman’s most grueling battle ever – the choice between his love for a beautiful woman and his vow to be the defender of right. — from Warner Brothers
Again, children, I must tell you another tale of pop culture history. There was a time when the best Batman movie was an animated one. Yes, before Christopher Nolan started coming in and busting up everything, Mask of the Phantasm was widely considered to have nailed it. And now it’s back with new content, in honor of Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman. He passed away last year, and this half-hour docu brings a shedload of folks together to remember him. There is also a bonus episode of Justice League Unlimited where the Phantasm makes an appearance. It’s the best looking version of the film to hit home video to date, so if you need to upgrade your copy, now is the time. Procure a copy for yourself from Amazon.
