Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 13th, 2016
“Everything they've built will fall! And from the ashes of their world, we'll build a better one!”
Since Disney has taken over The Bullpen at Marvel, they have had an unprecedented run of successful comic book superhero films. During that same time DC/Warner has had trouble finding a direction for their cinematic universe. But the Marvel titles still in the hands of other studios haven’t shared in that run of good fortune. Sony finally had to relinquish control of Spider-Man, and Fox has followed disaster with disaster with The Fantastic Four. The single exception to that rule has been the Fox handling of The X-Men universe. Since Bryan Singer’s 2000 hit the series has had some ups and downs, but the box office verdict has generally been good. Since the series was revived with prequels in 2011, we’ve enjoyed two solid X-Men films sporting a younger cast. Spinoffs with Wolverine and Deadpool have added to the Fox/Marvel winning combination. But it seems the X-Men can fight end-of-the-world events but can’t seem to quite get the hang of third movies in trilogies.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2016
"...And then all light will end, and the world will live in darkness. The very air will be pestilence to mankind. And our brethren, the night creatures, will emerge and feed."
We could be talking about the end of the world. We could also be talking about the untimely demise of Penny Dreadful with just its third season at Showtime. It came with a suddenness, and not without controversy. John Logan originally planned for the series to go 6-7 years. Something abruptly changed, and he has stated rather forcefully that it is impossible to continue the show beyond this third season. The finale is marked with a solid The End to punctuate his feelings. Showtime did not want to part with the show so quickly. Neither did the fans, and quite frankly neither did I. I haven't been this disappointed in a creator since Calvin & Hobbes went away because Bill Watterson got tired. Hell, I get tired, too. John Logan might have been finished with Penny Dreadful, but I wasn't.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2016
Who wants to party in Hawaii? Fox Home Entertainment and Upcomingdiscs are going to send one lucky winner on a vacation to Hawaii. Okay, we're not actually going to fly you out to the islands. We're going to send you a copy of Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates on UHD (4K) Blu-ray. Zac Efron and Adam Devine will be your hosts. Don't have a UHD 4K player yet? No problem. There's a Blu-ray copy included in the package. In ultra high definition it will just be like sending you on vacation... without the airfare/hotel/rental car hassles. This is our first 4K giveaway; let's make it a big one.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2016
Our pals over at Broadgreen Productions wanted to get in on the act for our 31 Nights Of Terror. They've sent us over an extra copy of The Neon Demon to give away. This one has some wickedly crazy images for you. Keanu Reeves stars in this modern-day metaphor. Explore the killer model industry through the lens of Nicolas Winding Refn.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 10th, 2016
This continues to be a crowded 31 Nights Of Terror contest year. Once again it’s thanks to the great folks at Arc Entertainment. This one is for the kids. Maybe not so scary, but a lot of fun. Arc Entertainment has given us a copy of their zany adventure Under Wraps. The animated feature is loaded with mummies, pharaohs, and other things that go bump in the night. It features the voice talents of Brooke Shields, Drake Bell, and Matthew Lillard. Who’s your Mummy? Upcomingdiscs and Arc Entertainment, that’s who.
To win just follow these instructions
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 7th, 2016
"Did I miss anything while I was gone?"
Did you ever. Banshee came to an end with this, the fourth season, and it did not go quietly, to be sure. But it's not how it ends, but how this final season begins that's a bit of a mystery. There is a time jump of a little over 18 months that will cause you to feel like you might have missed something. If that doesn't confuse you, the season's constant tripping around in time will turn this season into a show very different from the Banshee we've come to know and love. It's not just one or two timelines that are presented here. The time can shift by any number of days, weeks, or months. Still the "current" story takes place nearly two years in the future. Fans appear to be divided on the season's dramatic departure from the show's style. The question has to be whether the team knew it was their final season from the beginning and felt the need to cover more ground to tell what story they had left to tell.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 7th, 2016
"Over 68 million Americans leave the safety of our borders every year. If danger strikes, the FBI's International Response Team (IRT) is called into action."
In these days of international terrorism, I'm not sure that anyone feels particularly safe here or abroad. If recent events have taught us anything at all, it's that evil knows no country and that no quarter is completely safe. You would also get the idea that terrorism is one of the biggest issues this IRT deals with. The first 13 episodes of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders don't really deal with that kind of danger with the single exception one episode.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2016
Our new buddies over at Artsploitation Films wanted put some bite into 31 Nights Of Terror. Believe me when I tell you they went right for the jugular by giving us 2 copies of Vampyres on DVD to give to a couple of lucky winners here at Upcomingdiscs. It's a little bit like the 1974 cult classic but with a few wicked modern edges. This one is not for the kiddies as it contains plenty of blood and some killer female vampires wearing only that blood. The disc includes an interview with star Caroline Munro.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2016
"Book 'em, Danno."
It's been 30 years since we first heard that phrase. Still it persisted in the modern lexicon along with the term Five-0, which is still shouted in high-crime areas in cities all over the country whenever a police presence is felt closing in on the bad guys. Hawaii Five-0 ended in 1980. That's when Tom Selleck took over the sets and production crew on Hawaii to work as Magnum P.I. until 1988 when it all closed down for good -- or did it? Wouldn't you know it, the show has been resurrected and become the hottest drama on television. A younger Steve McGarrett and company are back in action and Hawaii ...the world might never be the same again. Not sure what I'm talking about? You've got five seasons of the new Hawaii Five-O to catch up on. Let's give you the quick 411. Roll wave...
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 4th, 2016
He's been called the King of Late-Night. Today when there are so many talk shows on at pretty much every hour of the day, that might not appear to be such a huge distinction. There were talk shows on before Johnny Carson, but there can be no doubt that he invented the modern late-night show. For 30 years Johnny Carson was like a member of the family for millions of Americans. He was a friendly face at the end of a long, stressful day. He was that dependable routine that you could set your biological clock by. You would lie back in bed and let Johnny bring the world to you. You could count on a wide assortment of entertainment experiences. Johnny would deliver a monolog that often touched on the hot topics of the day. The news programs might be depressing, but Johnny always gave you a reason to crack a smile at the worst of times. There were characters like Aunt Blabby and Carnac who became comfortable old friends. The top names in show business competed for precious minutes on his stage, and if you were very lucky you spent some time on the couch and some face time with Johnny and his faithful sidekick Ed McMahon. Johnny could make or break your career in three minutes. He brought you the best of the new comics and musicians while delivering the big stars just as well. When you made it to The Tonight Show, you really made it.
There will never be a complete season or complete series set for Johnny Carson. There are several problems that present themselves almost immediately. Johnny was on nearly every night for thirty years. Do the math and you'll realize there have been thousands of episodes. The sad fact is that many of these moments are lost forever. Footage has either been lost completely or is in such bad shape as to be almost unwatchable. There was so much variety that having a full season would be a logistic nightmare to find those favorite moments. No, there just isn't ever going to be a complete anything when it comes to Johnny Carson. But leave it to Time-Life to go into the vaults and at least bring out some gems. This is the second volume, so the discs start with # 7.
