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.
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.
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.
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.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on July 20th, 2015
How long has it been since you’ve spent some time with Mama? It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 25 years. Our good friends at StarVista have decided that it’s just been too dang long. Of course, we’re talking about the television classic Mama’s Family staring Vicki Lawrence. We’re teaming up to give you a good deal of time to spend with Mama. It's called Mama's Favorites and it's a DVD with 6 of Vicki Lawrence's hand-picked favorite episodes from season 6.
To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on July 19th, 2015
"Different thing, entirely."
I have been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid. Mixed amidst those Universal horror films I watched with my Pop on weekend chiller shows was an occasional Universal Holmes film with Basil Rathbone as the master of deduction. Soon followed the Doyle books, and a new world was opened for me forever. Since those days we have seen every kind of incarnation of the character possible, or so I thought. I've seen Holmes as a child in Spielberg's Young Sherlock Holmes. There have been several comedies and even a musical or two. Robert Downey Jr. has turned him into an action hero, and Benedict Cumberbatch has brought him into the modern world.
