Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2012
"I'm back. You're welcome."
I didn't see the series during either of its first two seasons on HBO. When the second season arrived to be reviewed I was more than a little nervous about jumping in without knowing what had come before. Certainly, I checked out the buzz on the show and got an idea of what it was about. But nothing could have prepared me for what I finally encountered when I popped that first disc in my Blu-ray player. It's safe to say that you can join this show for the third season without having seen the first two. I'm sure it helps, but it didn't take me more than five minutes to completely understand who and what Kenny Powers was. He literally speaks for himself. I'll give you a quick up-date.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on December 4th, 2012
We recently reviewed a pretty good direct-to-video film with Bruce Willis called Fire With Fire. Jeremy Butler provided the review. The two of us had the great honor to chat with the director David Barrett. Barrett has directed some of the best television shows running. He's worked on hits like Blue Bloods, Castle, The Mentalist and Once Upon A Time. He's even been a part of the new Arrow series over at the CW. His father was the first to break the sound barrier on land. This was certainly one of our most interesting conversations at Upcomingdiscs. Bang it here to listen to us chat with David Barrett
Posted in: News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on December 4th, 2012
Go ahead... Make our day!
You can shop at Amazon.Com and help to keep all of the contests and reviews flowing here at Upcomingdiscs simply by thinking of us before you order from Amazon. If you order through our links, you'll be helping us to continue providing the best home video reviews/contests/and release news. It doesn't cost you a cent more. Just follow any of our cover art links (like the one to the right of this post) to Amazon. While you're there browse the items you want and help us out in the process. You do not have to buy the item you clicked on to get there. Once there, get whatever it is you want. It's that simple.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2012
One of the most impressive gifts available this holiday season has to be the James Bond 50: Complete 22 Film Collection. With the arrival of Skyfall in theaters, it's the perfect time to catch up on the entire 50-year history of Ian Fleming's famous British agent. The collection includes all 22 official James Bond films. There's even a slot that is "reserved" for Skyfall when it hits Blu-ray early next year. Bond turns 50, and now MGM is delivering the party favors.
All 22 films are included completely remastered and presented in full 1080p high definition. Most of these films have already been out on Blu-ray, and the transfers here are identical along with about 120 hours of bonus content. A 23rd disc offers some new high-definition bonus content. The new material catches up with each of the men who have played Bond over these last 50 years.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 29th, 2012
Erle Stanley Gardner wrote crime fiction, and while many of his 100 or so works are unknown to most of us, he created a character who has become as identified with criminal lawyers as any other in fiction. It was in these crime novels that Perry Mason first faced a courtroom. He developed a style where he would investigate these terrible crimes his clients were on trial for. He would find the real killer, and in what has become a Hollywood cliché, reveal his findings in a crucial moment during the trial. While we may not remember the novels, we all remember the man in the persona of Raymond Burr. Burr had a commanding presence on our screens and enjoyed a well-deserved 11-year run as the clever lawyer. What makes this run so amazing is that the show followed pretty much the same pattern the entire time. We always know what’s going to happen, but we wait eagerly for that gotcha moment when Perry faces the witness on the stand. We know when he’s got the guy squarely in his sights, and we can’t sit still waiting for him to pull the trigger. OK, so maybe that’s a little over the top, but so was Perry Mason. From the moment you heard that distinctive theme, the stage was set. To say that Perry Mason defined the lawyer show for decades would be an understatement. Folks like Matlock and shows like The Practice are strikingly similar to Perry Mason. If you haven’t checked this show out, this is your chance. See where it all began.
Raymond Burr did not carry the show on his own. There was a very fine cast of supporting characters. The most famous has to be his faithful secretary Della Street, played by Barbara Hale. The two were inseparable. Perry had the help of a good private investigator in the Raymond Chandler style. William Hopper played the tough-as-nails Paul Drake. One of Orson Welles’ famous Mercury Theater Players took on the part of Police Lt. Tragg. Ray Collins starred in Citizen Kane as the political party boss Gettys. He was a fine example of top talent working in television. Mason was often pitted against prosecutor Hamilton Burger, whose name too often reminded me of hamburgers. There wasn’t anything funny about Burger, however. He was a worthy opponent who drew the short straw most of the time because he was up against Perry Mason. The task was accomplished with a lot of style by William Talman, a one-time evangelistic preacher.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2012
"I promise you the secrets of the universe, nothing more..."
It's been an astonishing 15 years since Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones first teamed up as Agents J and K respectively for the intergalactic police force Men In Black. The film was like a breath of fresh air. It combined top-flight science fiction fantasy with whimsical humor. It was a hit at the box office, and like most wonderfully original hits it was quickly followed by a sequel that had almost none of the cleverness and freshness of the original film. The film was so unmemorable that I sat with other critics getting ready to see Men In Black 3 and none of us could actually remember what the second film was even about. Years went by and most of us put the franchise in our rearview mirror.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2012
"Contestants are experienced marksmen operating on a closed course. Do not attempt this at home."
So just in case you have access to all kinds of firearms and a few spare acres to set up a range, you might want to think twice before trying to reproduce the challenges you'll find in History's latest reality show Top Shot. It's part Survivor and part Big Brother with the added dimension of marksmanship. And, honestly, it's quite a bit more compelling than either of those shows.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2012
Warner Brothers Gift Guide
If you have a television fan on your Christmas list, you can't do much better than Blu-rays from Warner Brothers this year. No other studio gives you more of your favorite television favorites on Blu-ray. They have some of television's hottest titles, and these babies are all in wonderful high definition. This is not a paid advertisement. The picks we're providing here are really some of our favorite titles this year. Here's a few of our favorites that are available from Warner Brothers for this Holiday Season:
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2012
A&E just might be able to help you to play Santa for that special home theater fan on your Christmas list. Here are some excellent suggestions from us here at Upcomingdiscs. This is not a paid advertisement. Each of these titles comes highly recommended. Continue reading to find out how A&E can help you out with those last-minute Christmas shopping needs. Don’t forget to order through Amazon and help us at Upcomingdiscs to bring you another year of reviews and contests. Look for some incredible A&E giveaways for our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways.
Do you have someone on that Christmas list who just got a 3D television and/or player? A&E/History have the best starter kits for that elf on your list.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on November 21st, 2012
Our friends over at Lifetime want to help kick-off your Thanksgiving Day by giving us all something to be thankful for. While you sit down to that great feast don't forget to thank Mom. Here's another great way to thank Mom. Lifetime is giving us a copy of their Moms To The Rescue Collection. That's four movies in one set. You get Honeymoon Mom the story of a young woman left at the alter. Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story and Mom, Dad And Her the coming of age story for one troubled teen. Plus Mom At 16 where a young mom seeks to start fresh in a new town.
To win just follow these instructions.
