Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 9th, 2012
"Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't really go in for that sort of thing anymore."
It was 1962 and Ursula Andress emerged from the tropical island surf sporting a provocative swimsuit, and a tradition was born. The seductive scene would become the first iconic image in a line that has lasted a half a century and counting. Fifty years; 23 movies makes it the longest running film franchise in motion picture history. He had many faces over those 50 years: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby and even David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen in a 1967 spoof. For the last three films he's been played by Daniel Craig. They all had somewhat different styles. They all had a line of beautiful women. They all faced different challenges and foes. But they all shared the same name: Bond...James Bond.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 2nd, 2012
"I'm bad and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad."
One of the easiest ways to let your age show is to talk about your favorite video games. If you're old enough, you even remember a time when there weren't any video games at all. Most people refer to this era as The Dark Ages. But I'm willing to admit that I put a deposit down on an Atari 2600 system these many years ago. If you have a love of all things video games and a great appreciation for the history of the field, Wreck-It Ralph was built just for you.
Posted in: Super Round Up by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2012
Anyone who is a fan of horror or science fiction knows who Forry Ackerman was. He gave more to the industry than anyone else. He coined the term sci-fi and inspired the likes of Stephen King, John Landis, Steven Spielberg, and many others. He was the editor of Famous Monsters Of Filmland and held the largest collection of movie memorabilia anywhere in his famed Ackermuseum.
I’ve been lucky enough to have counted Uncle Forry as a friend since 1991, when I first visited the Ackermuseum. I’ve spent many hours and meals with him and miss him greatly.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 31st, 2012
"Fairlake, West Virginia, established in 1814. The entire population disappeared in 1817. To this day nobody knows what happened to them."
I know what you're thinking. When I look at a direct-to-video horror series and see a number 5 next to the name, it's usually time to roll my eyes and reluctantly place the disc in my Blu-ray player so that I can warn you guys just how bad it really is. But we're not talking about just any horror title. We're talking about the Wrong Turn franchise, which has actually gotten better since it went into sequel-hell. We're also talking about a director in Declan O'Brien who knows that his job isn't to create the next museum piece of art. He doesn't care one bit if he's inspired conversations about form and style. He's a horror film fan himself who has only one goal in mind each time he takes over a project: let me entertain you. And as hard as you might not want to believe it, Wrong Turn 5 does just that. You will be entertained.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 30th, 2012
"Somewhere in the valley, there is a woman living in a basement. She's actually amassing followers. These people believe that she will actually lead them to salvation, or whatever. And yes, she's dangerous - but we have to see this thing through. All the way."
When The Sound Of My Voice opens you really don't know what to expect. We watch a group of people acting almost as though they have been taken hostage. They are given drab clothes to wear and ordered to clean themselves very thoroughly. They are then bound and hooded and placed into a van for transport to where? Soon we discover that these people have not been abducted at all. They have done these things willingly so that they may be brought into the presence of Maggie (Marling) who claims to be from the year 2054. Her disciples gather around her in a circle as she delivers her enigmatic teachings. Then again, perhaps they are captives after all, but not in the manner you might expect. They are obviously captivated by Maggie's personality, and we soon discover that they fear banishment from her side more than anything else. They are there for enlightenment, of sorts. The earlier routine has been put in place because Maggie is apparently allergic to our time and is dying. She must maintain a germ-free environment at all costs. She's more than a religious leader. She's a martyr who just hasn't died yet. Yet her subjects would gladly die for her.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 29th, 2012
2k Games has been a leader video games for years. Many of you have been waiting for it and now it's here. We have a copy of XCOM: Enemy Unknown for the PS3 to give away to one lucky winner. Michael Durr's about to drop his review on us soon. Control Earth's defenses against an alien invasion with this exciting new game from 2K Games.
To win follow these directions:
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on October 29th, 2012
Our friends over at Lifetime have given us a copy of What Color Is Love and The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not A Fairytale to giveaway. This is a wonderful you pick-em contest. What Color Is Love tells the story of a sports reporter who falls for an athlete. The romance leads to a dramatic court battle over their mixed-race son. In the second film a single teenage mom has to overcome great obstacles to become a singing sensation.
To win just follow these instructions.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 28th, 2012
There are many kinds of horror films. Today's trend appears to go the route of graphic blood and guts. It's what we call torture Porn. You know the kind I'm talking about. The Saw and Hostel franchises best illustrate that kind of sub genre. The more classic horror films often feature a monster or creature of some kind. The best of these portray the monster not as evil, but terribly misused or misunderstood. These films have been with us since James Whale and Boris Karloff delivered Frankenstein to our collective consciousness. Then there's the good vs. evil fight that was best brought out in The Exorcist. But perhaps the most frightening films of all come from none of these extremes of violence or supernatural forces. The most frightening circumstances come from those things which are most realistic. The kind of situations and events that we know could actually happen to us. Open Water was a very effective film in that respect. There's an almost instinctual fear of sharks, helped along no doubt by a certain Mr. Spielberg. Most of us can relate to being in the ocean with a killing machine that's as real as the very air we breathe. Enter the misleadingly titled 247°F.
The film starts pretty much according to the standard formula. Four young adults are heading to an isolated cabin on a lake for a before-season getaway. There's the standard drug and alcohol breakout and the expected pairing off for a romp in the bed. There's the mysterious caretaker, and before long our pre-programmed minds are expecting someone or something to deliver the traditional slice-and-dice routine. But that's where 247°F deviates from the norm.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on October 27th, 2012
I had a chance to talk with Christina Ulloa from the recent direct to video film 247°F. We'll be posting the review tomorrow. While you're waiting for that, hear what the actress has to say about the project.
Bang it here to hear my chat with Christina Ulloa
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2012
Our friends over A&E are staying in the baseball post-season spirit by giving us three copies of 100 Years As The Heart Of Red Sox Nation. Now you have a chance to visit the "green monster" any time you like. The best part? It's free.
To win just follow these instructions.
