Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 7th, 2016
"That's me, Mike Hanover, and I just killed a man in a taco shop bathroom. Hey, he started it. I been hiding near the border looking for The Vigilante..."
You've found him. Anchor Bay's The Vigilante actually started life as a web series. The web episodes followed the exploits of The Vigilante, played by Paul Sloan and his sidekick The Kid, played by Kevin L. Walker. It was pretty much a hyper-superhero kind of series with ramped-up action on a limited budget. Now we have a feature film version that is quite the mixture of genre films. You get a little grindhouse mixed with some Leone Spaghetti Western with extra sauce. Throw in The Expendables with a side of Deadpool. Stir in some graphic novel clichés and season it all with a bit of exploitation film violence and characterizations. The result is a film that doesn't take itself very seriously and might be good for an entertaining ride. That is, if you don't overcook the whole thing. At about 108 minutes, let's just say it was bordering on overcooked.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 6th, 2016
"I don't know if it's a demon or a devil, or just some hungry thing from some dark place in time. I just know it's not going to stop coming after you or anyone else it wants to. 'Cos once it has the scent of something it likes, it can't be stopped."
Just days before the tragic events of 9/11 brought so much real-life horror into our lives, Victor Salva attempted to resurrect some old-school monster movie magic on the movie-going public. The low-budget thriller hit the box office with a bang. Its $13 million opening weekend was a record for Labor Day and is partly responsible for studios taking a closer look at the traditionally slow release weekend. It was the #1 film, beating out sequels to both Rush Hour and American Pie. Unfortunately for all of us, 9/11 fell upon us, and box office numbers tanked. We had other things on our minds. The last thing the American public wanted suddenly was to be scared... we already were. Still, that strong opening weekend was a signal that monster movies might be back, and Jeepers Creepers might be the film to lead the genre into the 21st century.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 5th, 2016
"What does sex have to do with criminal law?"
Shonda Rhimes pretty much has an answer for that. It doesn't matter if it's a hospital or a law firm, Rhimes knows how to interject the musical-beds routine about as well as anyone can. Of course, it's really Peter Nowalk who is the creator and showrunner for How To Get Away With Murder, but while Nowalk might be driving the bus, Rhimes’ touch can be found in every corner of the sophomore ABC series. It's a formula that appears to work for both Rhimes and the ABC network which finds her first hit, Grey's Anatomy, just finishing its 11th season. I guess you can't argue with success. Let's see if I can argue with How To Get Away With Murder Season 2.
Posted in: Site News by Gino Sassani on June 30th, 2016
My review of the Director's Cut of Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan pointed out some glitches in the audio presentation. I promised I would seek an answer from Paramount. That answer has arrived. You can get a replacement disc. The paramount response is below:
It has come to our attention that there is a slight master assembly error on the recent Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Director’s Cut Blu-ray release. Fans who would like a replacement should contact our customer service department at wrathofkhanreturns@tce.com or toll free at 844-898-4365. The corrected product will be shipped free of charge.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 26th, 2016
American football has been making the news of late, and not just in the sports pages. For the last couple of years there has been an increasing concern for players’ safety. From our president declaring he wouldn't let his fictional son play the game to the hard-hitting Will Smith film Concussion, football has taken some heat over its violent nature. Players are retiring early, and the subject of life after football becomes more of a social question than ever before. That's where HBO's Ballers comes in. It's a half-hour look at the NFL from the player perspective, both current and retired. It's intended as a light bit of dramedy, and it certainly is that. Even so, the series doesn't hide from some of the brutal realities of the sport, from the trappings of fame and fortune to the realities of its eventual end.
Meet Spencer Strasmore, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Spencer was a star defensive player for the Miami Dolphins. In his retirement years he has joined a financial advisor firm, teaming up with buddy Joe, played by Rob Corddry. Together they are charged with getting their NFL buddies to sign up with the firm. What Spencer ends up being is a fixer to his former friends and clients, mostly trying to help them get out of their own way. All the while he's haunted by a hard hit he delivered that ended the career of a Bills player years earlier. He's still having flashbacks. He's also concerned that he might have suffered head trauma in his years playing football. Finally through the pleas of girlfriend and sports journalist Tracy (Kebbel), he gets himself checked out. It's all in a day's work for Spencer.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on June 25th, 2016
We're heading back to the All American Bikini Car Wash. This time I got to talk with Ashley Park who plays Brittany. Ashley is also the reigning Miss Asia USA. She also has a pretty busy slate of new stuff coming out. We had a lot to talk about and she was a total blast to interview. Get the inside scoop from the set in Vegas. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Ashley Park and enjoy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2016
"Space...The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before!"
Paramount was bold indeed when they undertook the remaster project of the original series. Not only did they clean up the prints, but they took the decidedly risky option of redoing most of the f/x shots from the original prints. We all know just how cheesy the old work looked when compared to today’s computer abilities. You could see a box around spacecraft that allowed the obvious cutout to maneuver through a cardboard star field. There were often mix-ups where phaser shots would be used for photon torpedo commands and the opposite. The planets often utilized matte paintings that look somewhat ridiculous now. We forgave these flaws with a complete understanding of the limitations the crew had at the time. While Star Trek showed us computers that were remarkably similar to the PC’s we use today, down to the floppy drives of our own yesteryear, the use of computers to create f/x was still many years away. So Paramount decided to “fix” these “flaws” and make much of the show look like it might have had it been produced today. It was a serious risk because of the extreme possessiveness fans have for these kinds of shows. Just ask George Lucas how much fans like their sci-fi tinkered with. The project encompassed a few years, and the results are quite attractive. But how do they stand up for the fans?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2016
"My name is Fox Mulder. Since my childhood, I have been obsessed by a controversial global phenomenon. Since my sister disappeared when I was 12 years old in what I believe was an alien abduction. My obsession took me to the FBI, where I investigated paranormal science cases through the auspices of a unit known as the X-Files. Through this unit, I could continue my work on the alien phenomenon, and the search for my missing sister. In 1993, the FBI sought to impugn my work, bringing in a scientist and medical doctor to debunk it... which only deepened my obsession for the better part of a decade, during which time that agent, Dana Scully, had her own faith tested. In 2002, in a change of direction and policy, the FBI closed the X-Files, and our investigation ceased. But my personal obsession did not."
Just in case you don't know what the heck we're talking about here.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2016
Summer is here and Upcomingdiscs has been cooling off at the All American Bikini Car Wash. We thought it would be a good idea to talk to the guy who came up with the whole thing. That would be writer Patrick Rodio. I had a chance to talk with Patrick about the film. It was a lot of fun and I got the story behind the story. Bang it here to sit in on my chat with Patrick Rodio.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2016
"Space...the final frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!"
Every Star Trek fan has had that phrase beaten into their brain about as many times as Uncle Ben's mantra about great power and great responsibility. Who knew that the tagline was appropriate to filmmaking? When J.J. Abrams signed on to direct the reboot/remake/reimagining/rehash (insert your own word here) of Star Trek, he quickly made it known that he was not really that into the franchise. He considered himself a Star Wars man, and a chill went through the spine of every Trek fan on the planet. I approached the 2009 effort with dread.
