Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on December 16th, 2016
"You have to start somewhere."
I could sense a great disturbance in the Force. I could not quite put my finger on the reason, but there appeared to be much to worry about with the debut of the first ever Star Wars film that was not one of the driving episodes in the epic story of the Skywalker family and friends. There was worry that Disney might have been pushing their luck with these sidetrack stories. The Force Awakens was very good, but should the Mouse House really be tempting fate with such "filler" material? Then there were the disturbing reports that the film required so many rewrites that as much as $5 million had been spent on the services of Tony Gilroy to provide those touch-ups. There were reports of extensive reshoots, and all of this was enough to have Star Wars fans worried. We needn't have wasted the stress or time. Not only is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just fine. it's better than fine. It's actually a very good movie.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 14th, 2016
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. Let's take a look at what Paramount has to offer in the television on Blu-ray department.
by Brent Lorentson
Posted in: Release Announcements by Gino Sassani on December 12th, 2016
We were one of the first sites to start reviewing UHD Blu-ray releases. I managed to get my hands on the Samsung player a bit early and started reporting on those first discs. What you don't know is how much of a pain that Samsung player really is. From the remote down to the function it is a bit of a nightmare to operate. Of course, I've been spoiled by the Oppo players I usually use for my reviews here. Oppo took their time launching their unit. I suspect they wanted to make sure they got it right. You have been emailing me for months about an Oppo UHD player. I was sworn to secrecy...until now. Meet the Oppo UDP-203. I'll be reviewing a unit as soon as I can get my hands on one. I'm told it will be soon. For now here's the official press release from Oppo:
OPPO Releases UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on December 12th, 2016
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. You should not just be considering home video for that special person on your shopping list. This time of the year Jimmy Stewart often comes to mind. Of course, there's the annual classic showings of It's A Wonderful Life. But Jimmy Stewart was more than an Academy Award-winning actor. He was a bomber pilot during World War II. Stewart didn't like to talk about his service and so most of us know very little about those days.
Now Robert Matzen has written Mission: Jimmy Stewart And The Fight For Europe. It's a wonderful (pardon the pun) look at those days of heroic service. Matzen takes us inside of Stewart's own thoughts and feelings thanks to interviews with surviving brothers in arms. He's scoured Stewart's own words and the histories that exist out there. This is a Jimmy Stewart so much like the man we remember from the movies, yet so much more complicated and courageous. This is a fascinating read. I'm going to be talking with the author next week and I can't wait to share that chat with all of you here. In the meantime, you might want to check this book out to round out your Christmas shopping lists. I'm reading it now and it's been hard to put down. Now you know why I'm falling behind on my work here. I'm going to be telling you more soon.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 1st, 2016
"In penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the death, until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."
Now that all four films are out on UHD Blu-ray in glorious 4K, we have the opportunity to view them all again from the very beginning. It's easier to catch the subtle nuances that were planted in the earlier films that would pay off over the four-film run. It took us four years to do that originally. Now you can do it in a day. Gino Sassani takes us on the next part of that journey with The Hunger Games The Mockingjay Part 1 (2014).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 1st, 2016
"Sometimes a dragon gets lost...and winds up far from his home."
It appears to be the intention at Walt Disney Studios that each of its animated classics is to be remade as a live-action film. You can certainly understand the why that might be so. Computer-generated images have passed into the realm of photo-realistic presentations. Today there isn't anything you can't bring into the "real" world to interact with actual flesh and blood actors. The concept brought us the brilliant Jon Favreau version of The Jungle Book. Not all of these attempts have been or will be quite so successful. I count Pete's Dragon among one of those lesser-than films.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2016
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. This Christmas season is the time to give the gift of 4K. Shout Factory has found the perfect movies to allow your special someone to see the true potential of 4K. Bringing IMAX films to the format is a stroke of genius. The short running times allow for very high bit-rates, and the IMAX source material provides for a higher resolution film source than standard 35mm. They also allow you to give 4K titles at a pretty low price. Combine all of these things and this one is a no-brainer for that home entertainment tech on your Christmas list.
The documentary was financed by Pacific Life. They’re a good choice, as they have incorporated the whales into their logo for years. It’s narrated by Ewan McGregor. The IMAX cameras take us on a journey to three important stops in the humpback’s 10,000-mile roundtrip migration across the planet. In Alaska the whales feed. In the more tropical waters they mate and eventually give birth, and the cameras are there. No footage has ever been taken of humpbacks actually mating, but we do get to see the courtship. We get to see a mother caring for her baby, which is already 14 feet long at birth. The film is loaded with field footage including their dramatic leaps into the air. And let’s not forget the songs. This film certainly didn’t forget anything. Forty minutes of spectacular footage of humpback whales.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 29th, 2016
1n 1972 Charles Bronson played The Mechanic, Arthur Bishop. He was a hitman with a high level of skill. When he tries to pass on that skill, he's betrayed, and he has to get himself a heaping helping of revenge. In 2011 Bronson did indeed pass the character to Jason Statham when the film was remade. Unfortunately, Bronson had passed in 2003 and couldn't actually pass the torch on the screen. Statham turned the character into more of an action anti-hero, and the film really didn't perform at the box office. It never made back its budget in the domestic market and barely made money when the worldwide take was finally counted. It certainly didn't appear as if the world was clamoring for a sequel. Instead of going for a direct-to-video release, the film tanked at the American box office but was saved by a reasonable take worldwide. Not enough, I suspect, to see the character return, at least not to the box office. The Mechanic: Resurrection couldn't raise the franchise from box office death, but it might just be a solid direct-to-video franchise if the star and filmmakers have the desire to keep playing in this particular sandbox.
Arthur Bishop (Statham) is a professional killer who is believed dead himself. He's no longer in the assassin business. He's been keeping a low profile until he's approached by a woman who represents a Mr. Crain (Hazeldine). Crane wants Bishop to kill three targets that are almost impossible to get to. If he doesn't do the job, Crain will reveal to the world that Bishop is still alive. Of course, Bishop refuses, but it sends him on the run hoping to find Crain before Crain can find him. That's when he meets Gina (Alba) who is also being blackmailed by Crain and has been placed in Bishop's path as a damsel in distress to force him to do the jobs. When that doesn't work, Gina is kidnapped, and now Bishop sets out to do the jobs while trying to rescue Gina.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2016
"Santa ain't no arms dealer?"
OK, maybe he's not selling arms to the Middle East, but when Billy Bob Thornton puts on the Santa suit, there's no telling what kind of dirty dealing might be going on. Bad Santa was a kind of surprise hit back in 2003. It made a respectable $60 million at the box office and pretty much disappeared from most people's holiday film radar. Let's be honest here. Bad Santa wasn't going to make the list for traditional family gatherings in quite the same way as It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street, or even among the irreverent favorites like A Christmas Story. I just can't see the grandkids on granddad's knee watching Santa tell some kid to go f#%@ himself. The whole Spirit of Christmas thing, and all. But it was a rather funny movie. Still, I never expected there would be a sequel. But someone's Christmas list must have been begging for some naughty, and Billy Bob is back, older if not any wiser. If you can handle some rough language and a rather raunchy good time, Bad Santa 2 might just be on your Christmas list, too.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2016
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. We shine our first spotlight on two great gift ideas from Universal Studios.
Just in time for the holidays, Universal offers The Gregory Peck Centennial Collection on Blu-ray. It’s two of Peck’s most important films in restored high definition. It’s all part of Universal’s celebration of 100 years since Peck’s birth. If you have a classic film fan on your shopping list, this is an easy choice indeed.
