Evans Above

2026 marks the 75th anniversary of Raoul Walsh’s 1951 swashbuckler Captain Horatio Hornblower and Warner Archive has just released a new restoration of it on Blu-ray. Gregory Peck has the title role in a cast that includes Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty, Terence Morgan, and James Robertson Justice. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, Hornblower commands a Royal Navy vessel on a secret mission to Central America to support a rebellion against France’s Spanish allies and their colonial authorities. Besides dealing with war and geopolitics, Hornblower must take on a female passenger (Mayo) and finds romance is added to the mix. Thanks to Warner Archive and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to take a look at this release. 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 Blu-ray transfer is from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor nitrates. It’s just stunning. When you’ve only seen some of these movies decades ago on TV or on a DVD, you forget how good they look as you approach a quality equivalent to their original theatrical release with a fresh print. Details are everywhere, in the faces of Peck and his sailors, the uniforms, and the ship itself. The Technicolor palette is wide from the muted tones of the uniforms to the occasional popping primary and blue skies. Black levels are nice and deep.

On the audio side, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack with English SDH subtitles. Dialogue is clear in the mix and both audio effects and Robert Farnon’s score add drama and adventure to the soundscape. 

The Captain Horatio Hornblower Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. As always, Warner Archive does give us a nice selection of extras. We get the 1954 Merrie Melodies short Captain Hareblower which pits Bugs Bunny against a pirate Yosemite Sam. There’s also the 1950 Oscar-nominated short documentary My Country ‘Tis of Thee, which gives a brief look at US history, a Lux Radio Theater broadcast of the story with Peck and Mayo, and the theatrical trailer.

The Captain Horatio Hornblower Blu-ray combines the dashing Gregory Peck and beautiful Virginia Mayo, adds a serving of swashbuckling adventure, a great audio and video presentation and a nice dose of bonus materials. Recommended. 

Warner Archive have just released the Laurel and Hardy comedy Bonnie Scotland on Blu-ray and I couldn’t be happier. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the Three Stooges and Abbott and Costello were a big part of the Sunday Morning Funnies TV show that beamed across the border from Buffalo. My Dad and I would watch them each week and laugh our brains out. 1935’s Bonnie Scotland, directed by James W. Horne, sees the pair heading off to Scotland, where they unwittingly sign up for the Scottish Regiment and get shipped off to India. Their time in India sees them clashing with their stern Sergeant and a local terrorist threat. Thanks to Warner Archive 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 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The Blu-ray transfer is sourced from a 4K scan of the nitrate protection elements. I’m getting very used to the great job that Warner Archive does. The presentation has nice details and a wide range of greyscale between dark blacks and crisp whites. The feature presentation has been beautifully restored (compare it to some scratchy shots from the included trailer) and it’s head and shoulders above what I saw as a kid.

On the audio side of things, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Dialogue is clear and the sound effects that accompany their slapstick are nicely presented in the track as well. There’s no hiss or pops to speak of.

The Bonnie Scotland Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. As for extras, we get an audio commentary from Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann, who both have written and lectured about the duo. We also get scenes from the movies Hollywood Party (1934) and Pick a Star (1937) that featured Laurel and Hardy, as well as a theatrical trailer.

It’s great to see Warner Archive giving Bonnie Scotland a restored Blu-ray release. Fans of the legendary Laurel and Hardy will want to add this to their collection.

The fictional documentary crew that chronicled the lives of Dunder Mifflin in The Office now turn their cameras on the newsroom of the struggling local paper, the Toledo Truth Teller in The Paper. Produced by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, The Paper stars Domhnall Gleeson as Ned Sampson, the new editor-in-chief who is tasked with reviving the publication while dealing with a quirky staff, many of whom think clickbait equals journalism. (So, a reverse Bari Weiss.) He’s joined in the cast by Sabrina Impacciatore,  Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key,  and Óscar Núñez who reprises his role from The Office. Universal has now released The Paper: Season One on Blu-ray and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to take a look.

The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is sharp with good detail on faces, textiles and busy newsroom backgrounds and only the occasional softness. The ten episodes are spread over two discs, so there’s room to breathe with no compression artifacts. The show has a mostly muted, natural palette that befits its setting. Black levels are nice and deep.

The Paper: Season One comes with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Though the surrounds occasionally get some usage for ambient sounds, this is a front heavy soundtrack. Dialogue is clear and centred. Subtitles are available for English SDH.

The Paper: Season One’s ten episodes are on two discs. The set does not include any extras or a digital code.

The Paper has been renewed for a second season and it will be interesting to see what happens in their sophomore year. If you’re a fan of the show, The Paper: Season One Blu-ray combines good audio and video and releases your from the whims of streaming services. 

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.

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