Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on August 3rd, 2015
Our buddies over at RLJ Entertainment want you to know about their new DVD release: Blackbird. Julian Walker stars as young Randy who must find himself during a time of personal loss with others who depend on him. It's a tale about being true to who you are. We've got 2 copies to give away. Dan will be giving us his thoughts later. For now you can enter to have a copy sent to you for free.
To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 30th, 2015
Shout Factory has brought yet another 1980's Empire Pictures horror film to high definition on Blu-ray. This is another one of those Schlock-O-Rama films that are best viewed with a group of friends. While it's certainly a step ahead of some recent entries on this list, there's plenty of fun to be had in a gathering. This release also has the advantage of just one film on the disc. Of course, I'm talking about Ghost Town, directed by Richard Governor, but did you know that Mac Ahlberg of Ghoulies and Re-Animator fame was an uncredited assistant director on the film? The man's a pretty good cinematographer, and his eye lends itself to a better-looking shoot with more atmosphere than you might ordinarily find on these things.
Kate (Hickland) is driving through the desert in her red Mercedes Benz convertible, having the time of her life. A veil discarded to the winds tells us she's just left some poor sap waiting at the altar, and she's making her escape. Her flight of freedom is short-lived, as she finds herself in the middle of a terrible sandstorm that carries her away. Her car's found by the local sheriff with terrible damage.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on July 30th, 2015
In August Entertainment One will be releasing 10 Cent Pistol. The film is about two brothers who deal with the L.A. underworld. What better way to make that work than casting two actual brothers in the roles? It's a great idea, and those two brothers are Damon and JT Alexander. I spent a few minutes on the phone with them both, and it was a great time. We talked about the movie, brothers, and folding your pizza. Want to know what that's all about? There are only two ways to find out. Watch the film when it releases. You can also bang it here to listen to my chat with The Alexander Brothers
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 29th, 2015
It's almost upon us. After many long years and two less-than-stellar films, the original X-Files is returning to its rightful place on television. In the years since it left the airwaves, there have been many attempts to recreate its style and place in the hearts of fans. Helix was an attempt to take something that would have been a great X-Files episodes and turn it into a complete series franchise of its own. You remember the scenario. Mulder and Scully would be locked in the arctic where an ancient disease or worm would contaminate the people there. It would be up to these guys to solve the mystery and rescue what was left of the base scientists. Helix played out that very arc in its first season. Of course, there was much more than a disease or organism going on, and the first season turned out to be a rather interesting, if not great, watch. By the time it was over, they had thrown in a highly complicated story involving immortals and a company made up of them who want to control the world. Throw in some zombie-like contaminates, and you had 13 hours of somewhat entertaining television.
It came time for season 2, and the powers that be decided they might not have time to play out whatever other elements they had prepared for the show's ultimate run. They were absolutely correct, of course. But it didn't help the cause that someone decided to throw every idea they might have had for the show into one convoluted mess of a 13-hour season. If it had not yet been slated for cancellation, it deserved it by the time these episodes had run their course.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2015
Howdy, Partners. Johnny's working down at the bunkhouse today, so here I am to let you know what might be causing a stampede down at your local video store. It's a slow week here on the ranch, but that doesn't mean we won't be bringing you a few things to look at. We already have the early review up for Magnolia's White God out on Blu-ray. I'll be telling you more about Sony's release of the final season of Sy-Fy's Helix. Shout offers up some more "Shlock-O-Rama" with the release of Ghost Town. I'll be sharing my thoughts on that one later, as well.
There are a few other titles of note this week. MPI circles back with Comet. Monarch declares She Loves Me Not. Section 23 delivers a 5-disc high-definition Anime collection on Blu-ray with No Game No Life. We're looking forward to hearing what you're planning to pick up this week.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on July 25th, 2015
"Don't get hit too much."
Come on, it's the fight game. Warren Zevon said it best when he told us the name of the game was to be hit and hit back. If Southpaw highlights anything about the fight game, it's that basic principle. Director Antoine Fuqua makes sure that we see the physical toll of a fight in all its slow motion and gory detail. Such painful detail can be tiresome if there isn't something else to balance the experience. Southpaw certainly has that. But is it really enough?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 23rd, 2015
"You wanna see something cool?"
If you're old enough to remember audio tape, you might be old enough to remember Memorex. If you remember Memorex, you should recall their popular slogan: "Is it live or is it Memorex?". Of course, the idea was that the tape quality was so good you couldn't distinguish it from the real thing. What if robotics and artificial intelligence reached that same plateau? The point where you could not tell the difference between an actual human being and an artificial one. The threshold is determined by something called a Turing test. And that's exactly what writer/director Alex Garland presents you the audience with in Ex Machina. The question is, did it pass?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2015
"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. The theory continues that these visitors had a hand in shaping our development, whether it be through technology or even manipulation of our very DNA. These believers point to a world of evidence to support their claims. There are tons of images from earlier civilizations that could certainly be interpreted as depicting modern devices, concepts, or even spacemen. There is plenty of speculation that some of the knowledge and accomplishments of these peoples could not have been possible without some outside interference. There are even those who believe that aliens best explain our religious beliefs and that God himself was/is an extraterrestrial being. Whatever your own beliefs on the subject, there are certainly some fascinating points to be made. There is no question that the speculations and observations bring up some interesting queries that deserve our attention. This series attempts to document much of this evidence and the beliefs these findings have inspired.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2015
by Dustin P. Anderson
This is a documentary on the growing concern for the rising number of African-American children being born into unwed households. The film’s title 72% is a statistic of how many African-American single mothers are currently living in America. The documentary asks scholars and television personalities for their take on the growing crisis among the community. I feel I must make this quick addendum: as a white male I can only take this movie for how I saw it and how it made me feel. I am aware that I am not necessarily the target audience intended for this documentary, but it was a good watch besides.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2015
"Baby, if you've ever wondered, wondered whatever became of me, I'm living on the air in Cincinnati,
Cincinnati, WKRP. "
It almost sounds like a take on Harry Chapin's WOLD, and in many ways it is. The song was hot for a while on radio stations. It seems that DJ's couldn't resist songs about DJ's. Who saw that coming? Of course, the song is the opening theme to WKRP In Cincinnati. The show is back on DVD thanks to the folks at Shout Factory. If that's not big news, this absolutely is: it's back with most of the original music intact including the opening and closing themes. For fans of the show, it's the news we've been waiting for for decades now.
