Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 4th, 2013
There's a saying that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. No one would have expected that a one-eyed man could become the king of 3D. But that's exactly what happened with House Of Wax. The film has become one of the definitive films in the 3D format. To look at it on Blu-ray now, it holds up quite nicely in a day where 3D has become almost passé. Still, it's hard to believe that Warner Brothers would choose a man with only one eye to shoot their 3D film. That man was Andre' De Toth
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2013
31 Nights Of Terror is in full swing. That means ghostly giveaways. Thanks to the ghoulishly great folks at Timeless Media Group we have a simply horror-able 4 movie collection to give away on DVD. You get The Face Of Marble with John Carradine, I Bury The Living with Richard Boone, The Four Skulls Of Jonathan Drake with Grant Richards and The Snake Woman with Susan Traver. That's over 5 hours of horror. Chilling isn't it. Are there more contests to come? You're bloody well right there will be.
You can check out other Timeless Media Group collections.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2013
All good things must come to an end, and so it was at Walt Disney Studios. The Golden Age of feature film animation had started with Snow White And The Seven Dwarves in 1937. By the end of the 1970's it was all but gone. As the studio entered the 1980's the things had gone from bad to worse. Walt was gone, and so it seemed was the magic. Most of The 9 Old Men had either retired or passed away. The studio leadership was considering closing the animated studio and moving on to live-action films only.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2013
Time-Life and Star Vista have rescued Mama's Family from home video oblivion. Finally, the entire series is available on DVD. We're going to have more on that later. On Tuesday I had a chance to chat with the show's star. That's right. I talked with Mama herself: Vicki Lawrence. You might remember her from the Carol Burnett Show where Mama first started. You could even recall her talk show a few years back. Most of you will always remember her as Mama. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Vicki Lawrence
Posted in: News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2013
If you live in the Tampa Bay area you should already know about Tampa Theatre. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world to catch a film. It doesn't matter if you're into classic cinema or the latest art film. This is the place to go. The wonderful spires and classic trimmings make it the most atmospheric place to be. Organ music still entertains the crowds here. If you're into horror films you can't beat the mix of atmosphere and haunts. Then there's the movies. Check out their October slate of films and events. Lose the trick. It's time to treat yourself. Read on to see what they have in store all October.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2013
We all remember Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy from Married With Children. It's an iconic role that he'll never be able to shake no matter what he does for the rest of his life. After that series ended its 11-year run, he even attempted to get out of comedy and take more dramatic roles. I'm sure there was a deliberate intent to try to distance himself from Al. It's not that he likely didn't love playing the role. He just wanted to avoid getting forever typecast in the mold. Those efforts weren't all that successful. But now he's back where he belongs again in a pretty solid sit-com
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 1st, 2013
"I met him fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil."
In 1968 Marvin Gaye / Tammi Terrell hit the American pop charts with the song Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing. They didn't know it at the time, of course, but they were talking about John Carpenter's original 1978 Halloween.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 1st, 2013
"Toilet time is the last bastion of American freedom."
In this case it's toilet humor. I often have trouble believing that South Park has been around for as long as it has. It’s not just the passing of 16 years, but the sheer brilliance in the face of an increasingly politically correct society. It’s like watching old episodes of All In The Family. Who believes that Archie Bunker would have any chance of survival in the 21st century? It’s no wonder that Norman Lear has become involved in the series. It’s the last remaining vestige of a once great freedom to be ridiculous and offend
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2013
"My name is Oliver Queen. For five years I was stranded on an island with only one goal: survive. Now, I will fulfill my father's dying wish to use the list of names he left me and bring down those who are poisoning my city. To do this I must become someone else. I must become something else."
That someone...that something else is the DC Comics character Green Arrow. Not to be confused by the same-colored Hornet or Lantern
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 24th, 2013
To the point, Criminal Minds is very compelling television. Ever since The Silence Of The Lambs and perhaps long before, we have been fascinated by serial killers and the profilers who try to get inside their heads. To see evidence of the continuing trend, one needs only look toward the success of films like Zodiac and shows like Dexter. Of course, serial killers are not the only prey this FBI team pursues, but they are certainly the marquee item on the agenda.
