Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 8th, 2015
MacGyver (v) To act in an extremely resourceful manner. To utilize everyday items in unconventional ways to achieve a difficult task. I predict it will not be long before you can open your trusty copy of Webster’s and find this character has officially entered our lexicon. There is little doubt but that it is an unofficial part of it now. Crossing over from the realm of pop culture and into our language is a phenomenal achievement for a television show.
I came to the MacGyver party rather late. Like everyone else on the planet, I was certainly aware of the show and the clever abilities of the lead character. Still, with so many other shows to watch, I never saw a complete episode. Then came Stargate SG-1. This was another series I at first avoided. I thought the original film was OK, but nothing I’d care to see week in and week out. One day while my wife was taking our neighbor’s dog to the vet I was bored and sat down to an episode on Showtime. I was hooked, not only on the series, but the characters, along with their alter-ego actors. Richard Dean Anderson I found most compelling. I must admit to confusing him at first with the Richard Anderson of The Six Million Dollar Man fame (Oscar). Finally I sat down to some MacGyver on DVD.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on April 7th, 2015
"The following is kind of based on a true story, a little bit."
In 2005 British folk singer/songwriter Steve Tilston found out something amazing had happened to him but he never knew it. John Lennon had written a letter to him in 1971 providing him with some career encouragement and his home phone number. It was after an interview with the musician in ZigZag Magazine revealed that Lennon was one of Tilston's idols that got the attention of the former Beatle. Of course, Lennon didn't know how to reach the musician, so he sent it to the offices of the magazine where it was intercepted by someone who saw some value in the letter and sold it instead of passing it along. It sounds like one of those stories that's just too wild to be true. The event provides the inspiration for the latest Al Pacino film Danny Collins.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 4th, 2015
"It's a comedy...hopefully."
It's been six years since Hugh Grant teamed up with director Marc Lawrence. It's their fourth collaboration. It doesn't appear that Lawrence is willing to direct a film that doesn't feature Hugh Grant, because he hasn't. Let's just say the fourth time wasn't the charm. In fact, it wasn't even all that charming. And the problem is that Grant and Lawrence have attempted to build careers out of making Grant charming. By now they're just trying too hard, and the result is a poor showing that was in desperate need of a Rewrite.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2015
They started as a local band in Philadelphia. By 1972 they had released their first album on the national stage called Whole Oates. The duo has been together for over 40 years and have remained playing through most of that time. Even with stops for solo projects, Daryl Hall and John Oates have remained a team throughout those years. It's rather rare for a rock team to remain together and friends for so long. Their endurance has paid off in so many ways, but 2014 would be a year they would see a lot of that hard work and partnership be recognized as they became the first Philly band inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They are also the best selling duo in recording history. Sounds like the books can be closed on Hall & Oates, right? Wrong. It's also true that in all of their world tours the group never played Ireland. That mistake was corrected when Hall & Oates appeared at the historic and intimate Olympia Theatre in Dublin on July 15, 2014. High-definition cameras were on hand to record the event. And now Eagle Rock Entertainment is releasing the historic event on Blu-ray. It's Hall & Oates Live In Dublin.
While the core duo for whom the act is named has remained intact all of those years, many musicians have come and gone. Fortunately, for this release the band featured here is one of the best the duo has ever assembled. This is absolutely one of the tightest groups of performers I've seen or heard in quite a while. The longest-standing member of the band is sax player Charlie DeChant. He's been with the guys since the fun started in the 1970's. His riffs provide much of that Philly sound that makes the Hall & Oates experience one of the more unique ones around. There's a fusion of rock, funk, and old time rhythm & blues to the sound, and it's distinctive. Count Charlie has one of the huge contributors to that element. The band here also features three members of the 1970's Average White Band. We're talking about Eliot Lewis on keyboards, Brian Dunne on drums, and bass player Kyle Jones. Both bands had a very similar vibe, and the combination is one of those natural things that just work out perfectly. Throw into the mix guitarist Shane Theriot and percussionist Porter Carroll, and you have a recipe for good music.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on March 31st, 2015
There’s a new horror film out from Anchor Bay. It’s called Muck, and it’s actually the middle part of a trilogy. If you find that more than a little bit confusing, Upcomingdiscs is here to help you sort it all out. We’re going to be delivering a series of interviews with cast and crew to answer all of those burning questions. Our final interview was plagued with some connection issues so I won't get to share much of my interview with Lachlan Buchanan. He plays Troit in the film. It's only a snippet but you should bang it here to listen to some of my chat with Lachlan Buchanan.
Posted in: News and Opinions, Site News by Gino Sassani on March 26th, 2015
If you think you might like to write for the site, click on the rest of this post for more information. Please read the entire post carefully before you apply.
Ok. So, you're interested in writing reviews.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 26th, 2015
"Antarctica, an inhospitable wasteland, but even here, on the Earth's frozen bottom, we find life. And not just any life: penguins. Joyous, frolicking, waddling, cute and cuddly life. Look at them, tumbling onto their chubby bum bums. Who could take these frisky snow-clowns... seriously?"
This one has been a long time coming. I like the Madagascar movies and have been fairly positive about them in these pages. Each time I pointed out that the highlight of these films were the antics of those military-minded penguins and their grand schemes. The film's powers that be have also noticed this, as the penguin characters have been trending with more screen time as the franchise went along. Now those flightless maniacs have finally gotten a film of their own, and dare I say it, The Penguins Of Madagascar are flying higher than the source films with this frosty little tale.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 26th, 2015
I’m not really a big Beatles fan. That will shock, anger, and dismay many of you. Sure, I’ve got a couple of favorites, but nothing I feel the need to hear over and over again. Now, with that said, I am a fan of Paul McCartney. Of all the Beatles he has evolved the most. He has gone from a kid who was nothing really special, just in the right place at the right time, to a very accomplished musician. Few musicians today can match his performance skills on almost any instrument. While a lot of celebrities talk about compassionate subjects, I get the impression McCartney is more sincere than most. Perhaps it’s this sincerity that makes him such a good songwriter.
Paul McCartney is a great example of what Darwin meant by survival of the fittest. No one in the music business has learned to adapt and thrive like Paul McCartney. The term timeless has been applied so often to so many performers that it might have lost any meaning. Still, if anyone deserves that description, it is Paul McCartney. With The Beatles he helped define the 60’s and reinvent Rock and Roll. In the 1970’s and 80’s he continued the hits with Paul McCartney and Wings. When Wings finally disappeared into the midnight sky, McCartney was still at it as a solo artist. Certainly, McCartney albums are fewer and far longer between. Still, each new release is an exercise in quality. Even when I don’t care for a particular McCartney song, it’s easy to hear the work that went into each note.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on March 25th, 2015
There’s a new horror film out from Anchor Bay. It’s called Muck, and it’s actually the middle part of a trilogy. If you find that more than a little bit confusing, Upcomingdiscs is here to help you sort it all out. We’re going to be delivering a series of interviews with cast and crew to answer all of those burning questions. This time it was actress Laura Jacobs who spent some time talking to me. She talked about the film and her budding music career. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Laura Jacobs.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 23rd, 2015
"Will you follow me, one last time?"
It's time to say goodbye to Middle Earth, at least from a cinematic perspective. The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies marks the last time we shall see Peter Jackson's version of Middle Earth. Sure, Ian McKellen has told us he wouldn't be surprised to see some kind of a return. I would. There is certainly enough work from Tolkien to support future adventures, but the rights to anything beyond these books belongs to the Tolkien estate. To say they are not very fond of Jackson, New Line, Warner, or the six films themselves would be an understatement. There is great animosity there, and no amount of money is going to change that.
