Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 15th, 2015
At the end of 2013 Shout Factory released a horror marathon on DVD called Scream Factory All Night Marathon. OK, so it only had four films averaging about 90 minutes each, hardly all night. But it was a nice collection of more obscure 1980's horror that made a rather nice night in with the boys...or the girls. Two of those films have now found their way to a single Blu-ray disc and released by...you guessed it, Shout's Scream Factory division. While I'm not a huge fan of having two or more films on one disc, this pretty much amounts to the same as the standard four episodes on a disc that you'll find in many television releases in high definition.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 15th, 2015
"This story is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war" - Erich Maria Remarque
Like most people from my generation, I suspect, I saw this version of All Quiet On The Western Front first in a high school history class. I can't for the moment recall if it had been a world history class or American history.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 14th, 2015
"What you're talking about is a one-way street, you understand? Once you start there is no going back."
Ah, but there is going back if you're watching Kill Me Three Times. I don't necessarily mean that you'll want to watch the film over again (you might). Kill Me Three Times is a bit of a collection of vignettes that continue to circle back upon each other. Each time you get a different perspective or a bit of new information is unveiled. For those of you who insist on a linear logic to your films, this one's not for you. In fact, those of you who insist on logic at all might not quite get this one.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 14th, 2015
Typically I do not seek out modern war films for leisure watching. They may take great strides to make battles seem realistic, or just more extreme. Normally with the focus on cinematography and editing, the depth of the story is sacrificed in the process. Sure, you have a narrative to follow, but ultimately what satisfies is the visual masterpiece. For me, ’71 followed this pattern accurately, though I was pleasantly surprised with the visuals, as they went above and beyond my expectations.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on July 10th, 2015
It's Christmas in July because our good friends at ARC Entertainment just went crazy. Their insanity is your good fortune. They've given us a July Gift Pack of three films on DVD for one lucky winner. First up is The Squeeze. A young golf talent gets caught up with a ruthless gambler. All he wants to do is take care of his family and now it might cost him everything. It’s a mix of a con film with the added interest of golf. On second base is See You In Valhalla. It stars Sarah Hyland from Modern Family. A young girl must face some tough secrets when her brother dies and she returns home. It’s a heart-warming tale that also stars Connor O’Farrell, Emma Bell, Bret Harrison and Steve Howley. To complete the triple threat you get Bank$tas. Can you mine comedy out of a financial crises and the student loan issues in this country. You can if you’re Arc Entertainment. Play in the world of high finance with the likes of Alan Thicke and Supergirl herself Laura Vandervoort. It's all going to one lucky winner.
To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 9th, 2015
"There was a time when, if you told me werewolves existed that I would have laughed. I don't laugh at much anymore."
From the very beginning one can see there is great potential here. The show is based on a collection of books that appear to be popular. They're called The Outworld series, written by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong. The show avoids most of the standard clichés. There is no full moon reference at all here. The werewolves "change" at will or when emotionally charged (“you won't like me when I'm angry”). There are no silver bullets.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 9th, 2015
In 1976 a New York media group conducted a survey of the NYPD detectives. The question was: “Of all the TV cop shows, which most accurately portrays life as a detective?” The overwhelming response was the comedy Barney Miller. Seems real cops related to the daily grind and weekly wackos of Barney Miller. Let’s not put aside that this was also one of the most consistently funny shows on television. I remember it took me a while to accept Abe Vigoda in such a light role as Fish. My first exposure to Vigoda was the ruthless mobster in The Godfather. Barney Miller always managed to be funny while still telling a good short story. The characters were always wonderful.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 7th, 2015
"When I first took the deal to become an undercover informant in a biker gang, I did it to save my own skin. But over the next three years, putting bad guys away became my personal mission. I saw it as a chance to make amends for my past mistakes, but I paid a heavy price. I'm Charles Falco, and this is my story."
So, who the heck is Charles Falco? For a while he was a rather successful meth cook who was pulling in 100 g's a month. He appeared to have it all: fast cars, big house, and a trophy wife. The problem is that he got hooked on his own product. That leads to mistakes
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on July 7th, 2015
There are some great folks over at ARC Entertainment who like to take good care of us. That's good news for us. It's even better news for you. They've sent over three copies of their new DVD Echoes Of War. We're giving them to you. It's Texas just after The Civil War and there's plenty of grief to go around. When it appears that there's also some stealing going on, one man decides to take justice into his own hands. The bad blood threatens to grip this community once again. The film stars James Badge Dale, Ethan Embry and William Forsythe. It's now out on DVD. It can also be yours.
To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 6th, 2015
"During the long, dark period of the Great Wars, an elite class of soldier rose from battle. Their unbreakable code was simple: possess a noble heart of courage, right conduct, and absolute devotion to one's master. From out of those years of bloodshed an empire would emerge. Its power would assimilate persons of every color, creed, and faith. This uncontested rule eroded the traditions of the great knights... but not for all."
Last Knights is an ambitious direct-to-video production. It sports a rather elite class of actors headed by Morgan Freeman, who adds a ton of gravitas to any role he plays.
