‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘The Goonies’ Stun on 4K
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced this summer that director Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985) and Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) would be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in September, and having fully sunk our teeth into both new releases, we are happy to report these classics have never looked better.
The 4K Ultra HD presentation looks phenomenal on both films, as it felt like watching these favorites for the first time again, with the crisp contrast bringing out all of Burton’s visual talents, allowing the vivid colors to really pop, and giving new appreciation to Donner’s amazingly detailed and expansive set design. The films, both iconic favorites from the 1980s, totally hold up and are as joyous to watch as I remember they were when I first saw them in theaters over 30 years ago. The jokes in both are not all 100% timeless, as a few don’t exactly work in 2020 like they did in 1985, but the overall tone is anything but dated and the themes are always timely.
The Goonies and Beetlejuice are available now on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, each including an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR, as well as a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features in HD, and a Digital HD* version of the feature film.
The Goonies
From the imagination of Steven Spielberg, The Goonies plunges a band of small heroes into a swashbuckling surprise-around-every corner quest beyond their wildest dreams! Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden doubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys… and a mild-mannered monster with a face only a mother could love.
The Goonies stars Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Academy Award® nominee (2009) Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Avengers: Endgame), Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys franchise), Martha Plimpton (TV’s “Raising Hope”), Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) and Lupe Ontiveros (TV’s “Lies in Plain Sight”).
The Goonies was directed by Richard Donner (Superman) and written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter series, Mrs. Doubtfire) from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. Donner produced with Harvey Bernhard (The Lost Boys) and Spielberg executive produced with Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy (Indiana Jones series, Back to the Future, Curious Case of Benjamin Button).
Beetlejuice
What’s a couple of stay-at-home ghosts to do when their beloved home is taken over by trendy yuppies? They call on Beetlejuice, the afterlife’s freelance bio-exorcist to scare off the family – and everyone gets more than she, he or it bargains for! Tim Burton guides this PG-rated comedy monsterpiece whose stars include Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Winona Ryder. And Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice, the ghost with the most who flings one-liners, spins into grotesque forms, gobbles insects, and who just can’t leave the ladies (living or dead) alone. Ghoul love it!
Beetlejuice was brought to life from the imaginative mind of Tim Burton who went on to produce and direct some of the most visually stunning films of our time such as Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Beetlejuicealso received an Academy Award® for Best Makeup with renowned makeup artist and three-time Oscar-winner Ve Neill, and went on to be ranked on AFI’s Top 100 list of Funniest American Movies.
There is unfortunately no new bonus material included in either of these 4K editions, as both releases contain the same special features that were included on each of the film’s previous Blu-ray releases.
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Beetlejuice does, however, feature a new Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead, but it does not include the music-only audio track that was included on the previously released 20th anniversary edition DVD/Blu-ray. The Blu-ray in the 4K combo pack does include the same three episodes of the animated Beetlejuice series that were included in that 2008 release.
Previously released extras included on the Blu-ray of the The Goonies 4K combo pack include a fun commentary track (carried over from the 2007 DVD) with Donner and cast members Sean Astin (Mikey), Corey Feldman (Mouth), Jeff Cohen (Chunk), Ke Huy Quan (Data), Kerri Green (Andy), Martha Pilmpton (Stef), and even Josh Brolin (Brand), as well as a brief behind the scenes “The Making of The Goonies” featurette, outtakes, the original theatrical trailer, and the full two-part music video for Cyndi Lauper’s soundtrack song “The Goonies ‘r’ Good Enough”.
Beetlejuice (click here to buy) and The Goonies (click here to buy) are available now on 4K from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
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