Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 19th, 2011
Written by Diane Tillis
When I first heard about Hot in Cleveland, I thought the show would be a modern remake of The Golden Girls. Both shows have four older, single women, living under one roof, as they try to survive each day with a little bit of humor. Before watching the show, I was worried that Hot in Cleveland would appear to be a hasty decision by TV Land because they wanted to jump on the Betty White bandwagon. However, I truly enjoyed the first season more than I thought I would. Hot in Cleveland is not a rip-off of The Golden Girls. While they have many similarities, they also have more differences.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 18th, 2011
Written by Diane Tillis
You know him from Baywatch, Knight Rider, and America’s Got Talent. After nearly four decades in the entertainment business, David Hasselhoff created quite a name for his career as a pop icon. Now at a point in his dwindling career, Hasselhoff takes the plunge to be the center of attention at a Comedy Central Roast production. The man of a thousand voices, Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), hosts the production.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 12th, 2011
I have never watched Little House on the Prairie, so I admit to having no frame of reference when I approached this set, which actually contains two separate made for television movies: Beyond The Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Beyond The Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder Continues. Now, since I’ve used up a large portion of my review space just mentioning the titles of these two films, I will try to be as succinct as possible. Suffice to say that, while I was aware of the show, all I really know about the lady is that she grew up on the prairies in a small house of some kind, and that she is beloved by a certain portion of the population. Also, if memory serves, she may or may not have been friends with NFL Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen.
The two films chronicle the life of Ingalls Wilder, from her days as a teenager growing into womanhood on the 19th century Dakota frontier to her eventual marriage to Almanzo Wilder and their emigration to Missouri. The films are quite authentic in their depiction of the harsh realities of frontier life, particularly the Dakota winters, and show death and loss as a constant danger, even when the focus is on wholesome family drama. Blizzards, hail storms, starvation, and disease are among the constant threats that loom over these characters, and the films do a pretty good job making these things real.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 12th, 2011
Paranormal Activity 2 is both a prequel and a sequel to the first film, Paranormal Activity. Paranormal Activity followed Katie Featherston and her boyfriend Micah Sloat. For some unknown reason, a demon was terrorizing the couple. By the end of the film (October 8, 2006), Katie was possessed by the demon. She kills Micah and then mysteriously disappears. When Paranormal Activity first came out, I had no interest in seeing it. My friends talked about the film, and said it was ‘jumpy’ especially the scene when Katie is pulled out of bed. However, I always thought the film was about aliens, not demons! Flash-forward to late October 2010; I decided to watch a marathon of horror films to celebrate the Halloween holiday. Paranormal Activity was on the list of must-see films, partly because I wanted to be able to say that I had seen it! It was simple, realistic, but left me wanting more.
Two weeks later, Paranormal Activity 2 was released into theaters on Halloween. I am going to keep this review spoiler-free. I want you (our readers) to experience Paranormal Activity 2 spoiler-free, because if you know what is coming, the film will be less interesting. This horror film is not like the majority of others released on DVD in recent years. There are no trails of blood, decapitated heads on spikes, or people sewn together to make a human centipede. Paranormal Activity 2 relies on its shock value to get people into the theaters and to buy the DVD. Believe me when I say, Paranormal Activity 2 has more than enough shock value to satisfy anyone looking for an adrenaline rush.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2011
I always hated Moonstruck, but do not get me wrong, this is a positive review. See, it seemed like, back in my childhood, every time I wanted HBO or Showtime to play The Goonies, they were always in the middle of yet another airing of this Academy Award-winning romance. It was a boring movie about love with that lady Cher, who needed to stick to the radio, and stay off my movie screens. My, how a little age and maturity can alter perceptions. As a seven-year old boy, I just did not have the sensibility for this film. And while many would argue I have not grown up much in the years following, I gauge all such detractors wrong by the simple fact I now enjoy her shining moment thoroughly. I mean, there has to be some growth there. Right?
Moonstruck is a modern film, which uses the model of classical Italian comedies as its primary structure. In fact, some elements are directly lifted from the divine comedies of yore, but Norman Jewison, along with a top-notch script, and a terrific cast, lend a freshness not seen in the romantic by-products of today, which make the film more homage than rip-off. For one, the story centers on a 37-year old widow (Cher) not your common leading lady role whose superstitions dictate her happiness. She agrees to marry an older man, whom she admittedly does not love, just to bring some structure and stability to her life. Then she meets her fiance and his estranged younger brother, and a spark ignites that turns her world upside down in a good way. The eccentricities of her Italian-American family are mined to perfection with both warmth and humor. The film explores how cruel the closest people can be to one another without wrapping viewers up in any negativity. I can finally see what the critics were raving about – a good, solid film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2011
Written by Diane Tillis
24 is a political-thriller television series that spans eight seasons. The show focuses on Jack Bauer, a prominent and controversial agent within the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Jack Bauer using the real-time method of narration. The episodes are marked by the hour with onscreen digital clocks. For instance, episode one of Season 8 relates to 4:00 P.M. through 5:00 P.M. of that day. The show also uses the split-screen technique. The screen will display multiple images that coordinate with the different story lines that occur throughout the season. This technique is used when the opening credits are rolling, before-and-after cuts for commercial breaks, or before the concluding scene. At the conclusion of its eighth and final season, 24 became the longest-running espionage-themed television drama ever.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2011
Written by Diane Tillis
24 is a political-thriller television series that spans eight seasons. The show focuses on Jack Bauer, a prominent and controversial agent within the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Jack Bauer using the real-time method of narration. The episodes are marked by the hour with onscreen digital clocks. For instance, episode one of Season 8 relates to 4:00 P.M. through 5:00 P.M. of that day. The show also uses the split-screen technique. The screen will display multiple images that coordinate with the different story lines that occur throughout the season. This technique is used when the opening credits are rolling, before-and-after cuts for commercial breaks, or before the concluding scene. At the conclusion of its eighth and final season, 24 became the longest-running espionage-themed television drama ever.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 10th, 2011
Countless documentaries and dramas chronicle the life of John Lennon. They make each film unique from all the others by taking different approaches, use different archival materials, or new first-hand interviews. LENNON NYC explores a time in Lennon’s life that is rarely exposed. It focuses on Lennon’s life in New York City from 1971 to his death in 1980.
In 1971, after the breakup of The Beatles, John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono moved to New York City. The nine years Lennon spent in the city was a time for him to focus on family. While he did create some of the most acclaimed songs and albums of his career, Lennon wanted to be a proper father to his young son, Sean. A strong icon in the count-culture movement, Lennon was very active in anti-war protests and other political causes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 6th, 2011
Written by Dave Younger
Set in 1945 Germany, WWII is winding down, and The Japanese have just surrendered. A bunch of American officers have commandeered a castle outside of Frankfurt, Germany, and the discovery of a wine stash leads Colonel Jack Durant (Billy Zane) to thinking: What else could Princess Sophie have hidden before she fled? Jack is first seen flirting with Lt. Kathleen Nash (Lyne Renee), but she’s not buying. Then they discover a mother lode of jewels, enough to make them rich for the rest of their lives, and suddenly she’s hooked. Is it love, or money? There’s no time to wonder as many other, more vexing problems crop up: Princess Sophie discovers the theft of her jewels, a military investigation ensues, and how do they get the jewels to New York and fence them?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 5th, 2011
Written by Dave Younger
Twelve (2010, Rated R, 93 min.) stars Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) as White Mike, drug dealer to the stars of the Upper East Side’s prep schools. They’re young, rich, white, beautiful, and vapid: texting and whining are their main activities. That and scoring drugs. And then there’s Molly (Emma Roberts, Julia’s daughter (niece. Thanks Robert) who’s quite effective as the one good person here. Although they’ve been friends forever, she doesn’t know White Mike is a drug dealer. He can’t tell her for fear of losing her friendship and, because she reminds him of his mother (who passed away recently), it would be like telling your mom you’re a dealer.
![Moonstruck [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/moonstruck-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![24: Season Eight - The Complete Final Season [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/24-season-eight-the-complete-fin-large.jpg)
![Lennon NYC [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/lennon-nyc-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Twelve [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/twelve-blu-ray-large.jpg)
