Posts by Gino Sassani

“It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight…”

What do the following huge stars all have in common: Elton John, George Burns, Peter Sellers, Don Knotts, Bob Hope, John Cleese, Madeline Kahn, and Milton Berle? They all were guests on The Muppet Show.  It would be pretty hard to argue that the series didn’t became the in place for A-list entertainers to have a little fun. Like a neighborhood clubhouse, the top stars would come to the show and allow themselves to be often upstaged by Henson’s cute little creatures.

"When this world was still young, long before man or beast roamed these lands, there was a war in the heavens. Immortals, once thought incapable of death, discovered they had the power to kill one another. Lost in the war was a weapon of unimaginable power: The Epirus Bow."

I know there are a lot of you out there who can’t wait for the huge 300 sequel: 300 The Battle Of Artemisia. You might even have your calendar circled for the Clash Of The Titans remake sequel Wrath Of The Titans, also on the horizon.

Our good buddies over at HBO have decided to rock your world with a chance to win The Game Of Thrones: The Complete First Season on high definition Blu-ray. This HBO series has gained great critical acclaim and a rare 5 rating from us here at Upcomingdiscs. The second season is on the way and what better chance to get caught up? You can add this brilliant prize to your collection.

To win this collection just follow these instructions.

"Even today there are organizations that have America as their prime target. They would destroy the safety and happiness of every individual and thrust us into a condition of lawlessness and immorality that passes the imagination."

The phrase could very easily describe the world we face today. The above quote could very well have come from a post-9/11 narration, but it didn't. It was spoken nearly a century ago by the long-time director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

Dr. Seuss and his cast of strange and wonderful characters have been around since before I was born. The first book I ever read by myself was Green Eggs And Ham, and I can remember the experience quite vividly still. Each Christmas I run the 1960's Boris Karloff version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It's been a tradition at the Sassani household for decades. It started with television broadcast that led to videotaped copy which found its way to a laserdisc, followed by a DVD and now a beautiful Blu-ray from the folks at Warner. If these things don't qualify me as a bonafide fan of the good Doctor, I'm not sure what else will.

"Your mission, should you decide to accept it..."

Those words have certainly been a part of the American pop culture for almost 50 years. It all started with the Desilu television series that hit the airwaves in 1966. That first year is probably unfamiliar to most of us. It was in black & white and starred Steven Hill as the leader of the Impossible Mission Force. A year later the show jumped to color and Peter Graves took over the team as the indomitable Jim Phelps. The show lasted a good seven seasons. The Impossible Mission Force was a black-ops team that worked under the "secretary" who would disavow their mission should any of the team be caught or killed.

To Catch A Thief is not typical Alfred Hitchcock territory, but then again, it really is. It’s not a terribly suspenseful film coming from the acclaimed “Master of Suspense”, nor is it at all a frightening film even though it was directed by one of horror’s genius minds. What really is scary, however, is how close to a different film this almost was. Cary Grant had exiled himself into retirement. If you can believe his statements at the time, he was concerned that the moviegoing public was pretty much sick of seeing him and preferred the younger actors just then coming of age.

Our good friends over at 2K Games have given us a copy of Darkness II for the PS3 to give away to a lucky reader. This sequel has been a long anticipated game. We talked about it earlier with links to some trailers and Michael is working on a review. This is the special Limited Edition. Now you can win one for your own. Go to the dark place, if you dare.

Bang it here for those wonderful Darkness II trailers: Darkness II Trailers

"In valor there is hope"

It would be easy to dismiss Act Of Valor as either a recruiting tool piece of propaganda or yet another in an endless line of war films attempting to capture some form of authenticity. It would be easy, if you haven't seen the film. I can promise you that no matter what your views on war or the military in general, the one thing you simply won't be able to do is dismiss Act Of Valor.

"There's no need to fear. Underdog is here!"

Indeed, Underdog was the champion of many a child's fantasies in the 1960's when it first reached the airwaves. The show would become the most famous title from the team at Total Television Productions who also brought us the likes of Tennessee Tuxedo and his many friend.