Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2012
"I'm Jimmie DeRamus. Folks call me Big Daddy. My family's been in Louisiana since before the Civil War. Today we run one of the largest pawn shops in the South. Where I live there's no such thing as business as usual. I'll buy and sell anything. And by that I mean anything."
The formula worked for the guys in Vegas for several years, and it's still bringing in a solid number of viewers. Like any successful series, someone decided that two shows would be twice as good. Someone was wrong.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 25th, 2012
"Ancient monuments precisely aligned to celestial events. History written in stone honoring otherworldly rulers. And a calendar accurately predicting shifts in the Earth's axis every 26,000 years. Did the Mayans of Central America really create one of the most advanced civilizations of ancient times? Or did their intelligence originate somewhere else? Perhaps out of this world."
Ever since Eric von Daniken released his speculative book and its subsequent 1970 film Chariots of the Gods, there has been an entire field of study created around something commonly called Ancient Astronaut Theory.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 25th, 2012
Not too long before he was heading Impossible Missions, Peter Graves spent a television season in Australia on the western series Whiplash. It was a traditional western in the sense that all of the standard elements were there. There were outlaws and saloons, posses and gunfights. What made this half-hour series stand out was the genuine Australian locations. The show was filmed in the Outback and was even aired on Aussie television. The locations gave the show a unique backdrop and a scenic look that certainly set it apart from the many American westerns on television at the time.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2012
"You've broken the law and I am here to arrest you. I am fate with a badge and a gun protecting the prey from the predators, the good from the bad. We are the police."
David Ayer is no stranger to police dramas. You might say it's his favorite cinematic subject. Just look at his list of screenplays which include the likes of S.W.A.T. and Training Day and a director resume that includes Harsh Times. He's not afraid to delve into the darker nature of the police. He's at it again with End Of Watch which he both wrote and directed.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2012
It turns out that 13 is going to be your lucky number this Halloween. The folks at Busch Gardens are celebrating their 13th year of Howl-O-Scream and it appears they've created an eerie night of spooks and spectaculars for your fright. Upcomingdiscs will be there for all of the action and we'll be reporting back in early October.
In the meantime, yours truly was invited to sneak into the bowels of the park at 2:00 AM just a few days ago. No, I didn't have to climb over the walls or outrun the Cheetahs. It was all part of a media night invitation to preview one of the new haunted houses for Howl-O-Scream. It was a blast, to be sure. Best of all, they've captured my descent into Oglethorpe Asylum where "The Creature" is stirring and he isn't a mouse. Check out my early morning adventure and then check out Howl-O-Scream for yourself. Bang it here for the video: Gino Scream Cam
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2012
I'm a Minnesota Vikings football fan. Yes, I accept the condolences. However, I didn't say that to get sympathy, and I'm not yet in need of the services of the suicide hotline. After two games, I will keep the number on speed dial, just in case. A thousand years ago we had a star player who made the by now infamous statement that he plays when he wants to play. For a young athlete with an already troubled past, it didn't go over too well. But, over the last decade or so Clint Eastwood appears to be in that same mindset. He acts when he wants to. He's only appeared in three films in the last ten years. The difference is that Clint has earned the right to be picky
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 21st, 2012
In the 1950's and 1960's Hammer picked up where Universal had left off. They became the studio for the very best in horror films. With names like Lugosi, Karloff and Chaney finally reaching the end of their reign, Hammer offered up the likes of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. They resurrected all of the famous Universal monsters in their own image. Now we had a new cycle of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Mummy. While the films were somewhat low-budget and released mostly through the drive-in circuit, these films made a bloody splash with horror fans all over the world.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 19th, 2012
“There’s always a story. You just have to find it.”
What happens when you’re a popular murder-mystery writer and someone starts to use your stories and ideas to kill people in the real world? At first you become the prime suspect, particularly if you’re found to be completely self-centered and annoyingly arrogant. That’s where a pretty good alibi might come in handy. Is playing poker with the Mayor and the Chief of Police good enough? So, you’re no longer a suspect. Now what do you do?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 18th, 2012
Blue Bloods is the first television drama to capture the best of the police procedural and also the warmth and charm of the family drama. It's like NYPD Blue invaded the set of Brothers & Sisters. The show brings incredibly good writing and production values that do look and feel like a film every week. You hear that a lot from series show runners, but this is one of those rare cases where it is true. It doesn't hurt that the show has a strong cast that includes the like of Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg. It doesn't work unless everyone connected with a show buys into a common goal. That's exactly what you get here, and it shows on the screen.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 18th, 2012
The changes in the 6th season of The Virginian were not intentional, to be sure. They were the direct result of a real-life tragic event. Actor Charles Bickford who was playing John Granger became ill. He was temporarily replaced by John McIntire, who joined the cast as his brother Clay. Clay and his wife Holly, played by McIntire's real-life wife Jeanette Nolan, were looking after the ranch while John was out of town. Bickford continued in the credits, but was not fated to return. His illness lead to his death, and the characters of Clay and Holly remained
