Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 30th, 2016
Shout Factory is churning out the 1980's horror films to provide us with a steady diet of schlock-o-rama. Through their Scream Factory series we've been getting many double-header collections along with the occasional horror film that stands alone, if not standing out. The films are the kind of thing you gather a bunch of friends together and have yourself a marathon of films that make you laugh as much as make you scream. The latest in this series is the 1987 Zombie High.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 26th, 2016
"The way of life depicted in this program dates back 300 years. Hunting, especially alligator hunting, lies at its core. Some images may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised."
And they're not kidding. Gator hunting is a bloody business, and this show gets you right up close and in the action. The hunters set hooks with bait, and once a gator is hooked they must reel it in and shoot it in a very small vulnerable spot in the back of the head.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 23rd, 2016
I have to admit that I'm not much of a Keanu Reeves fan. However, I'm a huge fan of Keanu Reeves movies. Let's face it, Keanu can be quite wooden with as much screen presence as a test pattern. OK, I'm showing my age with that line. But one thing he knows how to do well is pick great films to star in. From The Matrix and the recent very hit John Wick to the underrated The Devil's Advocate, Reeves can sure pick 'em. The worse case scenario here would be Keanu in an uninteresting movie. Well...Knock Knock. Who's there? An uninteresting Keanu Reeves film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 21st, 2016
"Did you ever have a dream but didn't know where it started?"
Some dreams did indeed start with the box office flop Nomads. It was the first starring role in a feature film for future James Bond Pierce Brosnan. It was also the first film directed by John McTiernan and his only screenwriting credit to date. Both would go on to have quite flourishing careers, and I suspect neither spends much time looking back at Nomads, and with good enough reason. And those careers did not take long. For McTiernan his next three films would be, in order: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt For Red October. The film also sports a score by legendary Bill Conti
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 20th, 2016
"So that’s what it’s like to be Simonized."
Years before he became the iconic suave British secret agent with the license to kill, Roger Moore might just have put himself in the running through his six-year run on British television’s The Saint. The show was part of the British Invasion of spy shows that came close on the heels of the first James Bond film Dr. No. Moore played Simon Templar, known throughout the globe as The Saint. While Templar wasn't really a spy, he acted like one most of the time, and the series managed to cover most of the conventions of the genre.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2016
Howdy partners. Gino here again. Johnny’s out on the high seas running from the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow and Flint. If he makes it back, I’m sure he’ll be filling you in on titles again real soon. If not, we’ll be sure to send out a search party real soon.
This week Shout Factory keeps it in the family with Sisters: Season 3. Timeless Media canonizes The Saint Seasons 3 & 4. Indiepix has faith in I Believe In Unicorns. Universal climbs Everest in 3D and menaces us with Sinister 2. Warner Brothers gives us Robert De Niro in The Intern. A&E grabs the gator by the tail with Swamp People Season 6. Sony logs in with The Diary Of A Teenage Girl. Lionsgate passes judgment on The Condemned 2 and raises our awareness with Stonewall.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on January 16th, 2016
"Welcome to Benghazi."
It shouldn't matter what your politics might be. The events in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 bring up some very important questions. Contrary to one 2016 presidential hopeful's declaration, it does make a difference. It did to the people who were there. It does for the families of the four who lost their lives. And it should make a difference to you. With such a political hotbed issue, you'll find that 13 Hours goes out of its way to avoid the political questions. Some might view this as an oversight, but I think it gives the film a greater sense of credibility and makes its impact on the audience to fill in their own political blanks.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 12th, 2016
"Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? Did ancient aliens really help to shape our history? And if so, what if there were clues left behind, something hiding in plain sight? What if we could find that evidence?"
Ever since Eric von Daniken released his speculative book and its subsequent 1970 film Chariots of the Gods, there has been an entire field of study created around something commonly called Ancient Astronaut Theory, the idea is that extraterrestrials have visited many of our ancient civilizations.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on January 11th, 2016
Painkillers is the new fantasy/thriller out from RLJ Entertainment. Colm Feore stars as Dr. Troutman who is running a top secret operation that involves special ops specialists in Afghanistan a new brain drug and a secret artifact. This one will play with your head and I got to get inside the head of star Colm Feore last week. We talked about the film and his take on the character. I remember him best from HBO's Gary Sinese film Truman. We talked a little about that film, as well. It was a great conversation, to be sure. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Colm Feore.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 10th, 2016
"Four weeks ago, an invisible dome crashed down on Chester's Mill, cutting us off from the rest of the world. The dome has tested our limits, forcing each of us to confront our own personal demons... rage... grief... fear. Now, in order to survive, we must battle our most dangerous adversary... the enemy within."
Under The Dome began life as a Stephen King novel. The basic idea was that a mysterious clear dome isolates the town of Chester's Mills from the rest of the world. Of course, the story was populated with King's trademark characters that represent his own special version of Americana.
