Author Archive

DA pressured by theater chain to prosecute teen

By Rod on February-23-2008 in News and Opinions

I’m Canadian, thank god. Our legal system may be going downhill, but it hasn’t reached the depths of that in the states yet. A teenage girl in Virginia filmed 20 seconds of Transformers on a digital camera for her little brother - leading to her arrest, and prosecution in court. Regal Cinemas pushed the prosecution.

Regal Cinemas, part of the Regal Entertainment Group, says it’s the world’s largest motion picture exhibitor. The group comprises of Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres. The group says it operates 6,386 screens in 539 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia. [from Wired]



12 Days of Contests! Day 12: Atlas of the Natural World!

By Rod on January-30-2008 in Expired Contests


head_imageWell it has all come down to this… Day 12 of our 12 Days Of Contests promotion. Today, to wrap it all up, we are giving 2 copies of the 6-disc (2×6= 12) set Atlas of the Natural World - Africa/Europe released by BBC.

So - enter away below by commenting! We have extended the draw dates for all 12 of our “12 Days of Contests” contests to Tuesday, February 5th… so check back at that time so see who won!

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS
Day 8: FULL HOUSE
Day 9: DEER HUNTER
Day 10: PLANET EARTH
Day 11: BEN-HUR
Day 12: ATLAS OF THE NATURAL WORLD - Enter Below

Thanks to everyone who has participated in this series of contests. You have only a few days left to get your entries in for each of the contests listed above. Check back next week to see who won each of the prizes!



12 Days of Contests! Day 11: Ben-Hur!

By Rod on January-29-2008 in Expired Contests


head_imageWe are back once again, trying to conclude our 12 Days Of Contests promotion. Today, for our Day 11 Edition, we go way back to 1959! That’s right, we are giving away a copy of Ben Hur - 4-disc collector’s edition (winner of 11 academy awards).

So - enter away below by commenting! We have extended the draw dates for all 12 of our “12 Days of Contests” contests to Tuesday, February 5th… so check back at that time so see who won!

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS
Day 8: FULL HOUSE
Day 9: DEER HUNTER
Day 10: PLANET EARTH
Day 11: BEN-HUR - Enter Below

For those interested in gaming, please check out our weekly gaming column Dare to Play the Game. This blog covers weekly releases, reviews and even an ode to Morgan Webb.

The contest is now close - congrats to “cpeters” who won this prize.



12 Days of Contests! Day 10: Planet Earth!

By Rod on January-14-2008 in Expired Contests


head_imageAfter a short delay over the holidays, we are back to conclude the last three days of our 12 Days Of Contests promotion. Today, for our Day 10 Edition, we explore our planet with two copies of the 5-disc BBC Planet Earth series. Yes… that equals 10 discs of Planet Earth being given away!

So - enter away below by commenting! We have extended the draw dates for all 12 of our “12 Days of Contests” contests to Tuesday, February 5th… so check back at that time so see who won!

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS
Day 8: FULL HOUSE
Day 9: DEER HUNTER
Day 10: PLANET EARTH - Enter below!

For those interested in HD DVD and Blu-ray reviews, please check out our sister-site HDDB.net, which is a High Definition Database for all HD DVD and Blu-ray reviews found around the world wide web.



12 Days of Contests! Day 9: Deer Hunter!

By Rod on December-22-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 9 Edition! Today we throw our first HD DVD into the mix… The Deer Hunter, nominated for nine academy awards (winner of five, including best picture in 1978).

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS
Day 8: FULL HOUSE
Day 9: DEER HUNTER - Enter below!

For those who like industry news and insight, we publish four weekly columns…

This contest is now closed… congrats to “mike klassen” who won this prize.



12 Days of Contests! Day 8: Full House!

By Rod on December-20-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo! Have you seen the “Baddest Mofo in a Cardigan Sweater” video? Bob Saget is definitely not on Santa’s good list. No, I’m not linking to it, so as to protect people’s illusions about Bob Saget’s family values. But if you search on YouTube, you will find. But - before Saget went bad, there was Full House! Yes, welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 8. The TV-on-DVD theme continues, with the eighth season of Full House up for grabs. If you want an idea of what’s in store, check out the reviews for Season Four and Season Five. The verdict? Great releases for fans of Saget-humour or masochists. (don’t get me started on the twins - shudder)

If I may make a recommendation: check out our TV-on-DVD section for lots of other series on DVD, or if you’re seeking Saget-free humour, our comedy section is a good starting point. If you need some instant gratification, we’ve got 36 comedy trailers ready to go for you too.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS
Day 8: FULL HOUSE - enter in the comments below!



12 Days of Contests! Day 7: Gilmore Girls!

By Rod on December-18-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 7 Edition! Today we are switching back to the world of TV-on-DVD… giving away a copy of Gilmore Girls - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD! Go figure, the seventh season on the seventh day of contests - how fitting.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT
Day 7: GILMORE GIRLS - Enter below!
Day 8: Stay tuned!

We currently have over 600 TV-on-DVD sets reviewed… so whether you like Arrested Development, C.S.I or even Beverly Hills, 90210, we have you covered.



12 Days of Contests! Day 6: Tony Bennett!

By Rod on December-17-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 6 Edition! Today we are celebrating Tony Bennett’s SIX decades as a recording artist by giving away 2 copies of Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends on DVD! This 2-disc set contains archival footage, live performances, and interviews conducted by none other than Clint Eastwood depict the life and career of Tony Bennett.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE
Day 6: TONY BENNETT - Enter below!
Day 7: Stay tuned!

If you enjoy watching concert footage, feel free to check out our other music/concert DVD reviews such as The Hits and History of the Bee Gees, U2 – Elevation Tour 2001 & The Complete Monterey Pop Festival.

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12 Days of Contests! Day 5: Dante’s Cove!

By Rod on December-16-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 5 Edition! Today we are mixing things up with an alternative flavor… the here! networks gay & lesbian television series Dante’s Cove. In keeping with the day 5 theme, we are giving away the FIVE-disc Dante’s Cove - The Guilty Pleasure Collection! Not only do you get the complete first and second seasons of this show, you also get the lost pilot episode.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL - SEASON FOUR
Day 4: BOB HOPE
Day 5: DANTE’S COVE - Enter below!
Day 6: Stay tuned!

If this genre floats you boat, then check out our other gay/lesbian DVD reviews.

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12 Days of Contests! Day 4: Bob Hope!

By Rod on December-15-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 4 Edition! Time to bring some classic comedy to your holiday season with a copy of the FOUR-disc Bob Hope Ultimate Collection!

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL - SEASON FOUR
Say 4: BOB HOPE - ULTIMATE COLLECTION - Enter below!
Day 5: Stay tuned!

If you would like to make comments/suggestions about UpcomingDiscs, or just feel like having some online discussions about DVD/Film/Etc, feel free to register for our Feature Forum and let your thoughts be known.

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12 Days of Contests! Day 3: One Tree Hill!

By Rod on December-14-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 3 Edition! We have taken care of the sci-fi and drama genres with one copy of ALIEN SEIGE and two copies of Pearl Harbor (Blu-ray), so now we turn to TV-on-DVD. Today, we are offering up THREE copies of One Tree Hill - Season Four.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR
Day 3: ONE TREE HILL - SEASON FOUR - Enter below!
Day 4: Stay tuned!

Might you be curious to what discs are hitting the streets in the coming weeks? If so, feel free to check out our Release Calendar!

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12 Days of Contests! Day 2: Pearl Harbor!

By Rod on December-14-2007 in Expired Contests


head_imageHo HO HO!! Welcome back to the 12 Days Of Contests, Day 2 Edition! Yesterday (well, this morning) we opened up for entries on one copy of ALIEN SEIGE. Now you’re probably wondering how we could top the raw festiveness of a blood devouring alien rampage - well, how about 2 copies of the Ben Affleck fueled interpretation of Pearl Harbor in Glorious Blu-ray Vision!

In all seriousness: say what you will about this movie and Mr. Affleck, the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor was a truly infamous day: it saw the death of thousands, the end of America’s perceived aloofness, and the true beginning of World War II. You can read all about the attack on the National Geographic special site.

Again, say what you will about the movie, it does include a spectacularly harrowing recreation of the attack which I imagine would shine in a high-def format. We reviewed the Blu-ray Pearl Harbor release here.

So - enter away below by commenting! Contest draw date is Tuesday, Jan. 1st - the same for all of the 12 Days contests.

Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE
Day 2: PEARL HARBOR - Enter below!
Day 3: Stay tuned!

By the way, since you’re here: do you like watching trailers? We’ve got 29 good ones in our Action Films category - enjoy!

contests,


12 Days of Contests! Day 1: ALIEN SEIGE! Ho Ho Ho!

By Rod on December-13-2007 in Expired Contests


Merry Christmas, readers all! In celebration of the season, UpcomingDiscs is going to merrily subject you too… 12 DAYS OF CONTESTS! Its a little holiday-themed fun, a way to put something in your stocking in early to mid-January (mail is slow, sorry), and our festive “thank-you” to the readers that make up our community and keep things lively.

As an added (stupendous) twist, were actually tying the prizes to the days: the first day gets a single disc release; the second day’s contest - two discs. By the 12 day (wait for it…) 12 DISCS ARE BEING GIVEN AWAY. Now - by the end, we might be talking about one box set with 12 discs, or a tasteful collection of 12 individual titles - but rest assured, that’s a no-foolin’ massive quantity of material coming your way.

So without further preamble…

December 12 (ok, this one is a day late, so were going to cram in two today, of which this is the first…)

What could be more festive, than the Sci-Fi Essentials release of ALIEN SEIGE, which comes to you with the merry tagline of “They’ve come for our blood!” Why aliens could possibly need liquified humans to save their planet is beyond me, but then again, I believed in Santa Clause until I was 16, so I’m willing to suspend my disbelief for this one too and embrace what appears to be a decent sci-fi romp.


As always, please enter by commenting below, don’t post your address, etc. And stay tuned for contest number 2, coming later today!

Contest is open to residents of the U.S. & Canada only, and will conclude on Tuesday, January 1st. Winners to be announced shortly thereafter.

Please - only one entry per person per contest!

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Futurama: Bender’s Big Score Official Announcement

By Rod on November-7-2007 in Release Announcements, Release News, Blog Posts

Direct to DVD comes #1 of 4 direct-to-DVD Futurama feature length movies - “Bender’s Big Score.” Of note: lots of PR flackery over the fact that this production is “carbon neutral” with Fox apparently ponying up for offset credits against CO2 releases from energy and materials used in production. The extras (after the jump) also include a “Terrifying Message from Al Gore” - Huzzah!

Uncancel your plans for the future — Futurama is back! In this all-new, feature-length epic, evil nudist aliens send Bender on a rampage through time, forcing him — slightly against his will — to steal all of Earth’s priceless historic treasures. Will the heroic Planet Express crew save the planet? Will Leela find true love? Will the ancient and terrible secret of Fry’s buttocks be exposed? All will be revealed in Futurama: Bender’s Big Score, the greatest adventure of our time, and also the greatest adventure of several other times! In the words of a certain beer-fueled robot . . . “We’re back, baby!”

Pricing: $29.98 U.S. / $37.98 Canada

Special Features follow after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

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Feel the Farce: The Family Guy’s “Blue Harvest” in 3D (?!)

By Rod on November-5-2007 in Release Announcements, Release News, Blog Posts

January 15th is the just announced release date for the Family Guy “Blue Farce” - apparently an extended version of the season six premier that is a protracted sendup of Star Wars.

I’d link to a trailer or some clips, but hey! Fox has taken everything related to this down off of YouTube. And of course, the Fox media site is lagging their press releases with no coverart, trailers, stills, or anything related to this release available. So enjoy some mildly descriptive text instead!

Featuring hysterical cameos from Rush Limbaugh, Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Helen Reddy, Family Guy Presents: “Blue Harvest” is “a dead-on homage that hilariously picks apart Star Wars, along with much of real life” (Associated Press). The DVD features more than four minutes of never-before-seen material; an uncensored track; animatics; commentaries; interviews with Seth MacFarlane and George Lucas…

Man, these guys are bundling hard on the SE release. T-shirts, 3-D glasses, trading cards (meh), and, of course 3D footage to go with the glasses…

See the full specs after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

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Kevin Bacon’s “Death Sentence” - January 8th

By Rod on October-30-2007 in Release Announcements

FOX is on a roll today with announcements. “Death Sentence” comes out Jan. 8th…

CENTURY CITY, Calif. – The hardcore story of one man’s quest for vengeance and justice featuring thrill-a-second action and pulse-pounding stunts, Death Sentence arrives in an all-new Unrated Edition DVD January 8th from Fox Home Entertainment. Kevin Bacon (Mystic River, Hollow Man) stars as Nick Hume, an everyday family man living a stable, comfortable life - a good job, a loving wife and two teenage boys. But when a gang initiation takes the life of his eldest son in the blink of an eye, Hume’s perfect life comes to a screeching halt. What follows is a series of violent confrontations, forcing Hume to transform into someone he never thought possible. Directed by innovative filmmaker James Wan (Saw, Dead Silence) from the powerful novel by James Garfield…

The Death Sentence DVD features two versions of the film – both the theatrical rated and an “unrated” cut of the film that includes over 10 minutes of never-before-seen footage that was too intense for theaters, additional bonus features include two Fox Movie Channel specials and several behind-the-scenes webisodes. Death Sentence will be available to own for the suggested retail price of $29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada.

Sorry for regurgitating press release stuff today — in a bit of a rush.

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“2 Days in Paris” DVD Release Announcement: Feb 5, ‘08

By Rod on October-30-2007 in Release Announcements, Blog Posts

FOX is announcing with customary PR fanfare that Adam Goldberg comedy “2 Days in Paris” will hit the streets on Feb. 5th of the next year - just in time to cash in on Valentine sales.

Adam Goldberg delivers “an uproarious study in transatlantic culture panic” (MTV) as Jack, an anxious, hypochondriac-prone New Yorker vacationing throughout Europe with his breezy, free-spirited Parisian girlfriend, Marion (Delpy). But when they make a two-day stop in Marion’s hometown, the couple’s romantic trip takes a turn as Jack is exposed to Marion’s sexually perverse and emotionally unstable family, her coarse temperament with cab drivers and her ex-lovers…her many ex-lovers. Culture-shocked and ego-bruised, Jack finds himself hoping that their relationship can survive as their love is revealed in surprising ways.

Extras include extended scenes and an interview with Director/Writer/Editor/SoundPerson Julie Delpy.

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New & Improved Review Index

By Rod on October-19-2007 in Blog Posts, Site News

I’m happy to report that after a bunch of work the “Reviews” tab at the top has been significantly revamped. Its now, hopefully, a quicker, easier way to find a particular movie, or just browse our archives.

Click the “Reviews” tab to get started, and you’ll a big page full of different categories - so that you can see a list of our Blu-ray reviews, for instance, or Horror reviews (just in time for Hallowe’en), or Adult Swim reviews for when you’re feeling maturely humorous, or all reviews of films from Tartan Studios, when you’re feeling Asian.

The list pages are organized with 50 results per page (alphabetically), and include thumbnails of the covers where available. Click the cover or the title to go to the review, and you’re done!

Anyway, please comment any feedback, and happy browsing!

UPDATE: Some of the pages will be slow to load the first time - that’s the covers loading from Amazon. Fortunately, I tacked on a caching system to speed these requests, so as covers are cached, performance site-wide should perk up slightly (over the next few days).



Vincent Price is the Last Man on Earth: Dec. 4

By Rod on October-17-2007 in Blog Posts, News and Opinions

Vincent Price’s “The Last Man on Earth” precedes the Will Smith vehicle “I Am Legend” by 10 days, due for DVD release on December 4th. Both movies are based on the same, highly influential horror-screed “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson.

From the press release:

Scientist Robert Morgan is the only human immune to the air-borne plague that has transformed the entire population of the Earth into vampire-zombie like creatures. Alive among the lifeless, alone among the undead, Morgan must find a way to survive in a world that is no longer his.

4 stills of Price nattily hammering stakes into zombie/vampires while dressed in tweed follow after the jump….

Read the rest of this entry »

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Survey: Would you buy a Vudu set-top box?

By Rod on October-1-2007 in News and Opinions

Vudu is launching a $400 set top box that will let you purchase ($20) or rent ($1-4) high-def movies, which are downloaded to the Vudu box over a high-speed internet connection. It promises a big selection, easily accessible - the long-sought “blockbuster in your living room.”

Now: please share your thoughts in the comments: is Vudu the future? Would you buy one? Why or why not?

vudu


THE SIMPSONS, December 18: DVD + Blu-ray, Specs & extras!

By Rod on September-25-2007 in