Review: “OLD” Blu-ray Combo Pack

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Thanks to Universal Pictures, we were given a copy of the blu-ray combo pack of “OLD” to review. Read on for our thoughts on the product, and be sure to grab yours on 10/19/21!

About OLD: Take a thrilling trip from the mind behind The Sixth Sense (1999), Signs (2002) and Split (2016) in M. Night Shyamalan’s OLDavailable to own on Digital October 5 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 19 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Take a seat behind-the-camera with never-before-seen deleted scenes and bonus features that offer a deep dive into this mystery of a family vacation that quickly turns sinister.

Starring an impressive international cast including Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist, A Knight’s Tale), Alex Wolff (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit), Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending), Ken Leung (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Lost’), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Aaron Pierre (‘Britannia’), Embeth Davidtz (Schindler’s List, Matilda) and Emun Elliott (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens). OLD is directed and produced by critically acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan.

This chilling, mysterious new thriller follows a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd, BLU-RAYTM, DVD and digital:

  • DELETED SCENES 
  • SHYAMALAN FAMILY BUSINESS – We look at what Night’s two daughters, Ishana and Saleka, contributed to the film and how collaborating with family made filming outside Philadelphia still feel like home.
  • ALL THE BEACH IS A STAGE – Shooting a film in a wide-open space is challenging because angles have to be created, much like theatre. Night explains the significance of his camera movements and the cast discuss the unique experience of filming without coverage.
  • NIGHTMARES IN PARADISE – When making a film like OLD, finding the right shooting location is everything. Hear the story of why Night took the production to the Dominican Republic and how Mother Nature both challenged and helped the production.
  • A FAMILY IN THE MOMENT – Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie and Alex Wolff recount one very special, emotional night of filming that brought them closer than they ever imagined.

OLD will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital.

  • 4K Ultra HD delivers the ultimate movie watching experience. Featuring the combination of 4K resolution, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR).
  • Blu-ray Combo Pack includes Blu-ray, DVD and Digital copy.
  • Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can buy or rent instantly.
  • The Movies Anywhere Digital App simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-rayTM and DVD disc packages from participating studios and stream or download them through Movies Anywhere.  Movies Anywhere is available only in the United States. For more information, visit https://moviesanywhere.com.

HNS Review: Firstly, if you haven’t yet watched the film, it is definitely a must watch! The story was so unique to me and had me -as the kids say – SHOOK at that ending! It’s truly so well done and is a great thriller with so many unexpected turns along the way. There was never a dull moment. I also appreciated how it starts with the family arriving at the resort, wasting no time diving into the action. But alas, this is a review of the blu-ray and not the film itself, so I digress.

About the product: Universal Pictures does it again with this product. As a consumer, I truly appreciate the 3-in-1 you get with the Blu-ray/ DVD/ Digital code. I think now more than ever people are watching movies differently, and it’s really nice to have the physical discs with the blu-ray and DVD as well as the digital code so I can easily add it to my digital library. The product comes in a protective outer sleeve, and the cover photo is super eye-catching. I also appreciate that the cover photo is very realistic to the film itself, as a big pet peeve of mine is when the poster of a film is misleading to what the film itself is. This one was perfect.

About the special features: The deleted scenes were all pretty short, so there wasn’t a lot to unpack there, but some of them were interesting because it offered more foreshadowing and a deeper look inside the characters. “Shyamalan Family Business” was very interesting because I wouldn’t have known how the different personal connections M. Night Shyamalan felt when writing the film. The first thing he says is this is a film about watching your children grow up. He also talked about his parents aging, and how we all need to live in the moment more. One of his daughters was a 2nd unit Director and she informed us during an interview in this feature that this is the first time they’ve worked together. It was really sweet to hear her talk about how she grew up on sets and picked up all of these things from being around her father at work. Another one of his daughters sang the song that’s featured in the movie. It was so funny to hear M. Night Shyamalan talk about how as a little kid she would sing in the car and was a terrible singer, then suddenly she grows up and is this fantastic singer. “All the Beach is a Stage” was a more behind-the-scenes look at the location and the rewards and challenges of shooting there. This feature also had some input from the actors. M. Night Shyamalan is a Director who does a lot of preparation work and plans everything out very precisely. The actors clearly appreciated this and praised his approach. It was really cool to learn how he used the camerawork to tell the story, and showcase time moving. “Nightmares in Paradise” feels like a continuation of the previous feature, and flows very nicely. They talked about how they scouted this location and the importance of finding a location that could accomplish finding a place like this that could feel like both paradise and a claustraphobic nightmare of a place. This feature also showcased how much of a tight time crunch they were on while also battling hurricane season and COVID restrictions. Crazy fact I learned here – the wall is completely fake and made by the crew! They actually had to build it twice as the first time around it got torn down by a hurricane. Also fun to learn was to hear about the sea turtles on the beach and how they protected them as well as to see all the stray dogs on the beach. Cutest fact of all time – 2 crew members adopted 2 of the stray dogs and brought them back home to their home states of California and Pennsylvania. One of the dogs was struggling and limping on the beach. As a huge animal lover, this really warmed my heart to hear that a crew member adopted the dog and took him home to help get him vet care and give him a home. “A Family in the Moment” is a special feature that talks about the emotional final scene with the four main characters that make up the family. What was beautiful about this special feature is how much the actors felt united and connected in it. There is also parallels between the family in the film here and M. Night Shyamalan’s family. It was also beautiful to see the very end where the cast and crew took the flowers and threw them in the ocean. There’s a lot of gratitude among this cast and crew, and that’s a beautiful message to see.

This Blu-ray Combo Pack, along with all of the other versions listed above, is available for purchase on October 19, 2021!