Posts by Gino Sassani

There have been very few films of this stature that I have not had the chance to see over the years. Even if I don't think I might enjoy a particular movie, there are those titles that have become so well known or a part of the culture that one feels a sense of obligation to take in. For years The Last Tango In Paris was one of those films for me. Thanks to a new Blu-ray release by MGM, I was finally afforded the opportunity.

"This is Fairfax County in the state of Virginia. I was born here. It's peaceful, beautiful, and a long long way from Wyoming; beautiful, too, in its special way. Vast, proud and lonely; it's my country now, Wyoming. But not exactly a peaceful one."

Of course, if it were all that peaceful it wouldn't have made for very compelling television. But The Virginian did make for compelling western drama in a television landscape that was as populated as prairies in those plains with western dramas.

"A child born into a world with helicopters lives in a world where the miraculous is commonplace, a world where doctors swoop down from the sky..."

That's the world of the helicopter. Straight Up: Helicopters In Action was an IMAX feature created by the Smithsonian for the Air And Space Museum IMAX theater. A quick check of the museum's website reveals that the film is no longer part of the schedule. And, while this wasn't one of the bigger name IMAX films to make the circuit, it provides plenty of the exhilarating imagery that has made the format famous.

"Good morning, young Prince."

The forest is alive with the news. It travels from tree to tree, from animal to animal. A new prince has been born, and the creatures of the woods gather to welcome the young fawn. His name is Bambi, and he soon wins the hearts of the entire population of the forest.

"Detroit ain't so bad, in fact it's kind of charming."

Director Benny Boom decided to move the S.W.A.T. franchise away from L.A. and bring it to Detroit. But he's not going to be winning any accolades from the Detroit Chamber of Commerce anytime soon. He openly admits that he picked the city because he was attempting to create an environment with a lot of decay.

It's my great pleasure to welcome the latest addition to the Upcomingdiscs family.

Bob Ross was the Tampa Tribune's film critic from 1985 to 2007. Before that, he worked as a proofreader, reporter and pop music critic. He also helped manage the first video store in Tampa in the early 1980s. A Florida resident since 1956, he graduated from Ocala High School and Eckerd College, where he majored in political science. A lifelong movie buff, he has published more than 4,000 reviews for the Tribune in addition to writing two weekly video columns and hundreds of entertainment-related feature stories. Now semi-retired, Bob is still a member of the Florida Film Critics Circle. He's also a Facebook addict, easily reached at www.facebook.com/bob.ross1.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has made a career out of redefining himself. Of course, we all know that he started as a rather flamboyant wrestling personality. He had a pretty good run, but it was never going to be enough to really satisfy Johnson's own drive to perform. He made the natural transition into movies, faring far better than most of his fellow wrestlers have been able to do. He naturally gravitated toward the action films where his bulk and toughness more than made up for his inexperience.

Scooby Doo has spanned generations and over 40 years. Since the 1960’s the name and conventions have become a part of the pop culture. The original cartoon series had a series of conventions. The Scooby Gang would drive around in their green Mystery Machine van and solve ghostly mysteries. Fans of the show quickly grew to learn that these spirits and goblins were usually just normal people using scare tactics to get revenge or make a profit

In the 1930’s and 40’s MGM was trying to get in on the lucrative animation game. The field was dominated at the time by Warner Brothers with their Loony Tunes shorts, and of course, the iconic cast of animated characters coming out of the Walt Disney Studio. For years they had failed to find the right property to take advantage of the market.

We continue our celebration of the release of Bambi on Blu-ray with some art lessons. Veteran Disney Animator Andreas Deja shows you how to draw the popular Disney character. Watch it with the kids. It'll make a great art project to go along with your family sharing the movie together.

Just Bang it Here: Learn To Draw Bambi