Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 24th, 2013
“Midnight is the most evil part of the night. If someone dies at 23:59 hours, his soul will not rest in peace and will return to the mortal world.”
Every culture has its own set of ghost stories. They’re usually passed around very late at night by a group of very impressionable young people. That’s precisely where 23:59 — an atmospheric and thoroughly effective Malaysian/Singaporean horror flick — picks up, with a group of army recruits on an island training camp sitting around telling spooky tales. The only thing missing was the campfire.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on June 21st, 2013
The boys are back, and I only have one question. What the heck took so long? I have a lot of respect for Pixar and the groundbreaking films they've created over the last couple of decades, but I have to question someone's marketing good sense when they get a sequel to Cars out before anyone bothered to look towards what is arguably the studio’s best creation to date. For me it's all about Monsters, Inc. I hadn't fallen so hard for an animated film since The Lion King, and so I was thrilled when I got the invitation to graduate early from Monsters University.
Who are "the boys", you might ask. If you're serious, then you might actually be reading the wrong piece. For the rest of you, "the boys" are Mike Wazowski (Crystal) and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (Goodman). And it's been a dozen years since we last saw them in Monsters, Inc. A sequel to that film might be a bit problematic. We learn that laughs provide far more power than screams, and we leave the power structure of Monsteropolis on its head. Pixar's imaginative team took the best route available to them and decided to go the prequel pathway, and we get to see Mike and Sully as college students. Both have their sights on becoming master scarers. For Sulley, it's in the blood. He comes from a long line of successful scarers, and he's not really taking the college scene very seriously. For Sulley it's about fun. Mike, on the other hand has stars in his eyes and works harder than anyone else on campus. But he might have to come to grips with the fact that he just might not have what it takes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 20th, 2013
"On the evening of April 13th, 1865 John Wilkes Booth initiates his plan not only to kill Abraham Lincoln, but to decapitate the government of The United States."
Whatever you may think of Fox News or Bill O'Reilly, it would be a terrible mistake to discount seeing Killing Lincoln because of purely political leanings. The Department Of The Interior tried it when the book came out and underwent a campaign to keep the book from the public gift shops with claims of inaccuracies. Give O'Reilly credit for not taking the accusations lying down. He challenged any of the naysayers to point out these mistakes and, of course, nothing ever came out of the accusations. That's because the book is hauntingly accurate and tells a story most of you didn't get in your American History high school classes...unless you happened to have been in any of mine over the years. I can tell you not only as a film reviewer but a former history honors teacher and avid presidential reader that this account passes every test you can put to it. Of course, it's impossible to know every detail or intimate fact of an event we cannot witness. This comes as close as any production I've seen to date.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on June 18th, 2013
Our new friends over at Pictures From the Fringe have given us a copy of Saving Lincoln on DVD to give away to a lucky Upcomingdiscs reader. The unique film uses vintage Civil War photography to enhance the drama of the life of Abraham Lincoln. Saving Lincoln – featuring: Tom Amandes (TV’s “Everwood”), Lea Coco (J. Edgar), Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Bruce Davison (X-Men¸TV’s “Last Resort”), Josh Stamberg (TV’s “Drop Dead Diva”) Creed Bratton (TV’s “The Office”) and Saidah Arikka Ekulona (Righteous Kill).
To win just follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 18th, 2013
"Now, this game has 12 rounds. You win more than you lose, I turn myself in. You don't, a lot of people die including you. If you refuse to cooperate, people die. If you make any attempt to contact the police, people die."
I'm usually pretty skeptical when it comes to movies that are made by any of the various fighting federations out there. W?? usually stands for "What The F***". I get it. There are a lot of tough guys out there who would like to follow in the footsteps of guys like The Rock. But for every successful transition to acting there are a hundred stories of mindless muttering substituting for actual... I don't know.... words. The idea is if enough guys beat up enough other guys we'll take the necessary testosterone injections to come along for the ride. Did I mention I hate needles? Still, I actually quite enjoyed John Cena in the original 12 Rounds and gave it a pretty respectable 3.5 in my review back in 2009. It's taken someone four years to figure out that the title has yet to be mined for another outing. Take away John Cena, director Renny Harlin and a guest cast that included the likes of Ashley Scott, and I found myself wishing that whomever that certain "someone" was would have contracted a serious case of amnesia.
Posted in: Random Fun by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2013
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2013
Our great pals over at CBS/Paramount have given us a copy of Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters IN 3D for one lucky Upcomingdiscs reader. If you have a 3D player this one will really show off your system. It's unrated and a three dimensional blast in the past. The Avengers' Jeremy Renner and Quantum Of Solace's Gemma Arterton turn the Grimm tale on its head. Be sure you can play 3D discs before entering.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2013
Our friends over at Walt Disney Studios want to help kick-off your Father's Day by giving us all something Dad can really enjoy. That's a high definition passage to the land of Oz. We're giving away Oz The Great And Powerful on Blu-ray to one lucky reader.
To win just follow these instructions.
Posted in: Bitchy Rants by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2013
You know, it sure ain't easy taking care of our kids these days. Everywhere you turn there's a Russian mobster trying to kill you, or another dirtbag throwing a terrorist party. And guess who's always around when it's time to open up the presents? That's right. It's me. At least the kid has decided to get into the family business: Killing Scumbags. Being a father means having to give up your vacation once in a while. Yippee Ki Yah, Happy Father's Day from John McClane.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on June 14th, 2013
"What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater?"
It's appropriate that exactly 75 years ago this very month Superman was born at the hands of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. He was born to be the patriotic hero symbol for a nation on the brink of a devastating world war. The war came and went as many others would since the hero's inception. Styles would change. Technology would come and go. Superman would find himself invading each and every medium that has come along since. Television shows, cartoons, comics, novels and even previous films have all continued the ongoing adventures of the man from Krypton. In those years styles have changed so much that the symbols of the hero himself have become quite dated. But in any time there will always be a need for larger than life heroes. They don't come any larger than Superman, The Man Of Steel. Can he be as relevant today as he was in 1938?
