Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 27th, 2010
By 1978 the television detective model had been nearly complete and possibly already a cliché. Dan Tanna might have well been the complete model as far as the formula goes. It was almost as if you could go down a checklist and, like Dr. Frankenstein creating a monster, check off the necessary elements. The scripts could then almost write themselves, and you let the show fly on autopilot for three seasons or so until someone decides to look behind the curtain.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 27th, 2010
Three-time widower Ben Cartwright (Greene) runs his famous Ponderosa Ranch with the aid of his three grown sons from three different mothers. There’s Little Joe (Landon), Adam (Roberts) and Hoss (Blocker). Set some time in the mid 1800’s, this long-running series followed the family’s many exploits. In the late 1950’s westerns accounted for six of the top ten programs on TV. Only Gunsmoke had a longer run than Bonanza. From 1959 to 1973, Ben Cartwright and his boys rode across the small screen.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 27th, 2010
On the 3rd Day Of Christmas we looked under the tree here at Upcomingdiscs and what did we find? The Santa's Helpers over at CBS slid a few DVD's under the tree when no one was looking. The first of these titles is called Christmas Treats. It's a collection of Holiday episodes from 9 classic television comedy shows. (The Beverly Hillbillies, The Lucy Show, Petticoat Junction, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, The Odd Couple, Cheers and Love, American Style) To win a copy of this hilarious collection, just follow these two steps…
contest is now closed Winner is Angie
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 26th, 2010
On the 2nd Day Of Christmas our friends, the elves at Warner Brothers have given us another wonderful holiday classic to giveaway as part of the 12 Days Of Christmas Giveaways. Enter to win 'Twas The Night Before Christmas on DVD. To win a copy of this exciting vintage Rankin & Bass classic show, just follow these two steps…
contest is now closed Winner is Judy Williams
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 25th, 2010
We begin our Holiday string of contests with one of the most classic Christmas specials ever made. A Charlie Brown Christmas has come to high definition. Enter to win a copy for your family.
To enter to win a copy of this Family Classic, just follow these two steps…
Posted in: News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on December 24th, 2010
Merry Christmas to you all, from all of us here at Upcomingdiscs.
A few of our good friends at the various studios have become Santa's Helpers again this year.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2010
"I have come to tell you a story..."
Director Phillip Noyce is no stranger to the spy-and-espionage genre. His father was an intelligence officer with the Australian government, and he spent many years of his childhood listening to tales of derring-do. He often recounts in interviews how he would play spy as a young man. He would pick out some stranger he'd see while out and about.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2010
"And now I wish to present an entertainment which has given pleasure to many of the crowned heads of Europe. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight for your eyes alone..."
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.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2010
Michael McDonald has been around for a very long time. In fact, with his white hair and beard McDonald makes a perfect little musical Santa. The man began his career as a backup singer for Steely Dan but made his real fame when he became part of The Doobie Brothers in the 1970's. But by 1982 it was already all over for the super-group. After about 5 years of wall-to-wall hits the group disbanded, and McDonald went out on his own.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2010
He's been called the King Of Late-Night. Today when there are so many talk shows on at pretty much every hour of the day, that might not appear to be such a huge distinction. There were talk shows on before Johnny Carson, but there can be no doubt that he invented the modern late-night show. For 30 years Johnny Carson was like a member of the family for millions of Americans. He was a friendly face at the end of a long, stressful day.