Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 7th, 2017
"In the future, the line between human and machine is disappearing. Advancements in the technology allow humans to enhance themselves with cybernetic parts. Hanka robotics, funded by the government, is developing a military operative that will blur the line even further. By transplanting a human brain into a fully synthetic body, they will combine the strongest attributes of human and robot."
...and resistance is futile. OK. Wrong franchise.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 7th, 2017
In times of war it is very easy to think of your enemy as the embodiment of evil. Sometimes it is necessary to do so. However, more often than not, the person on the other side of the line is just like you, a patriot doing their duty for their country, with mild to moderate understanding of the overall big picture. 1944 helps to illuminate this point, as the audience gets to experience the war from both sides of the battle. In this case it was Estonians fighting on both sides, further complicating the morality of the situation.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 28th, 2017
"Two can keep a secret as long as one of them is dead."
The Pretty Little Liars have finally reached the end of their rope. And while you discovered who little mini-A's were over the previous six years, you're finally going to get to the bottom of the entire mystery. I'll admit it's a bit of a shocker. With the end upon us, this is no place for beginners. If you don't know who Aria, Spencer, Emily, Hannah, and Alison are, it's time for you to head back to the beginning and catch up. You can find our reviews from those seasons here. For the rest of you, let's talk Pretty Little Liars, shall we?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 26th, 2017
"Guns change everything, and a bullet is forever."
This new USA Network series is based very loosely on the 2007 film staring Mark Wahlberg. The film was based on the bestseller novel Point Of Impact by the ironically named Stephen Hunter. The series started life with several events going against it. The film really didn't make much of an impact itself. It lost money with a domestic box office total under $50M and about the same in the world-wide box office. So it wasn't necessarily a no-brainer for a television series adaptation.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on July 21st, 2017
Hot cars and plenty of explosive action. If that sounds like your idea of a good time our good friends over at Universal Studios have just the thing. They've given us a copy of The Fate Of The Furious on Blu-ray to give to one lucky Upcomingdiscs reader. It's family against one of their own in this eighth entry in the Fast And The Furious franchise. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron want to bring the party over to your house.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on July 21st, 2017
If you're looking for a little nostalgia on DVD, you have a lot of options out there. Front and center you'll find that Time-Life has been bringing out a lot of memories. We've already looked at such shows as The Wonder Years, Dean Martin Roasts, and Mama's Family over the years. We've also got some insight on another classic television milestone in the coming weeks. For now we take a look at four recent releases that bring back the good old days. I'm talking about: Hee Haw: Pfft! You Was Gone, Bob Hope Salutes the Troops, The Best of Tim Conway and The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson: Johnny And Friends Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy. It's song, dance, and laughs on DVD. And away we go
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 20th, 2017
"We'll figure something out. We always do."
You should know the setup by now. If not, you can check out our previous reviews: The 100 Reviews. You'll discover a series that changes quite substantially with each new season. In fact, the title itself was no longer relevant to the series after the first episode. The originally 100 was quickly whittled down in size. Then the rest of the Ark came down, and in Season 4 there are about 500 of the Ark's inhabitants on the planet.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 16th, 2017
They know who you are. They know how you think. They have mastered the nuances of your language. Most important, they know exactly what it is you like to do in that little dark room you have tucked away in a corner of your home. They know all about that private little collection, and they know how you use it. It's not the NSA. They're an electronics company called Oppo, and if you are an audio-videophile like me, they know you cold. And the reason they pay so much attention to what you want is because they are committed to giving you the best home video player of any kind, hands down. I'm talking about the Oppo UDP-205. It's been only months since Oppo entered the world of UHD Blu-ray and they quickly dominated it. Now Oppo is already delivering what I consider a second generation (but not really) player before most companies have figured out their first players.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on July 14th, 2017
"All of human history has led to this moment. The irony is we created you. And nature has been punishing us ever since. This is our last stand. And if we lose... it will be a Planet of Apes."
I was always a fan of the original Planet Of The Apes series of films. While they often flirted with a camp style, I was impressed with John Chambers' makeup effects and the performances of Roddy McDowall as both Cornelius and Caesar.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 14th, 2017
"Freedom has a price. I died 7 years ago. Left behind a brother, a wife, a son, but the dead talk if you listen. They're there with you. Reaching out. Trying to tell us something. Because not all deaths are the same. Some are real. Some are a story. Question is: do you believe the story? Was the man who died who you thought he was? The dead talk. If you listen..."
The same can be said for dead series. Fox has been riding a wave of series revivals that have brought shows back from the dead in a limited-run event series format, and it has actually been doing well for the network
