Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 30th, 2014
It's a sad state of affairs. The road that Blood Ties has taken to get to this Blu-ray release is far more interesting than the film itself. It all starts with a French film Les liens du sang that was itself a reflection on the American cop drams genre. One of the original French screenwriters collaborated to bring the idea full circle to become an American cop drama. The film made the film festival circuit with mixed reviews and results. For some reason Director Guilaume Canet decided to go back to the editing room and remove nearly a half hour of the original film's running time.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on June 27th, 2014
When I was a young boy I loved playing with my toys. We didn't have Transformers in those days, but we did have Major Matt Mason, plastic dinosaurs, Hot Wheels and Creepy Crawlers Thingmaker sets. Yeah, in those days a toy could cause third degree burns, and no one really worried about getting sued. Kind of takes the fun out of being a kid today. You know who else, I bet, loved to play with his toys? Michael Bay. I bet he had the coolest toys in his neighborhood. He probably wasn't the best guy to be friends with, however. He didn't invite the kids over to play with his toys. He likely charged you a nickel to watch him play with them
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2014
"Congratulations! You have been selected to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime game show. Of a long list of candidates in financial need, you have been chosen to compete for a fantastic cash prize."
Elliot Brindle (Webber) is having a tough patch in life. He wants to marry the woman who is about to have their baby, but his financial situation isn't going to support a new family.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2014
"There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called Bardo. It literally means in-between state, the state between life and death."
If you're a fan of the 1985 comedy staring Michael J. Fox, that statement is particularly appropriate. We all remember the cute high school romp where Michael J. Fox discovers that his family has been hiding a long dark secret: they are werewolves. Now the young teen finds himself having to deal with the usual growing pains of adolescence on top of dealing with the family curse.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2014
Our good friends over at Anchor Bay have given us an exciting Blu-ray to pass on to a lucky Upcomingdiscs fan. It's Gina Carano, Luis Guzman and Danny Trejo in the thriller In The Blood. It's action and thrills from director John Stockwell and it could all be yours.
To win just follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2014
"A mouse can only be friends with a bear in a fairy tale."
And that's exactly what we have here. Ernest And Celestine is a charming little tale told through a wonderful watercolor world of animation. It certainly looks very much like the storybooks I remember reading from as a small child. Indeed, the film is based on a series of book from Belgian artist Gabrielle Vincent. The first book appeared in 1981 and continued for 20 years, delighting children the world over. As an artist it makes some sense that the books had a very unique visual style
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 19th, 2014
"You're either gettin' or gettin' got".
It's very tricky to make an historical drama. Writers and directors have to carefully balance the needs of entertainment over facts and authenticity. There comes the inevitable moment when they will be in conflict, and a decision must be made as to which direction will have priority in the telling of the tale. It might have been an unfair expectation on my part, but when an historical drama mini-series comes to a place like The Discovery Channel I tend to look for any conflict to be resolved in the favor of historical accuracy
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 17th, 2014
It's hard to start a series in its fourth season. That's particularly true of today's huge mythology-arc shows that require you to be up to date at all times. Such was the task I found myself facing when we got a copy of Rizzoli & Isles to review. Fortunately, this is one of those pleasant exceptions to the rule. While I'd suggest that newcomers pick up the first three seasons anyway it's not an absolute necessity. So if, like me, you're discovering this one a little late, fear not. They'll be a little work to catch up, but the fun kind.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2014
"Uncooperative witnesses are becoming a specialty of mine."
That statement clearly describes Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson...except it doesn't. Not anymore. The Closer was a stand-out hit for the folks at TNT. It's no surprise that when the show’s star Kyra Sedgwick wanted to leave that the network would want to continue the show. That's a little harder when the lead leaves. Shows have survived the loss of their lead, but the remaining years were usually something lesser than it once was. That's not the case here.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 13th, 2014
"It's a different world out there."
You can say that again. The television landscape is changing, at least on cable. Ray Donovan is the latest in the string of new shows that are attracting talent once thought out of reach for television. A show starring Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight, this Showtime series looked to be something very special... and it almost is.
