Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2010
Whenever there is a disaster, there are always the inevitable questions that follow. Where did it all begin? Could it have been avoided? What can we learn from this? No, I'm not talking about the oil leak in the Gulf. Hollywood is no exception. You have your disaster movies like Earthquake, and you have your movies that are disasters like Waterworld. Of course there are even disaster movies that are also disasters like the recent 2012. Some disasters you never see coming. But, many such events could have been predicted and possibly avoided if only the right folks had been paying attention. This is the story of one such event: Showgirls.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 23rd, 2010
The Griffins, residents of Quahog, Rhode Island, aren’t the standard sitcom familial unit. The patriarch, Peter, a thick-necked, thicker-accented simpleton, has a wonderful grip on eighties television shows and bad musical groups, but lacks in social graces (soiling oneself at a neighbor’s funeral?). His wife, the animated-hot and ever-loving Lois, seems hell-bent on keeping some semblance of normalcy in the household, even if it means burying her feelings and ignoring reality a bit. Their oldest child, Meg, is the very definition of unpopular, but trying. Chris, her thirteen-year-old brother, is a dense lug who fears the evil monkey only he can see.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2010
MacGyver (v) To act in an extremely resourceful manner. To utilize everyday items in unconventional ways to achieve a difficult task. I predict it will not be long before you can open your trusty copy of Webster’s and find this character has officially entered our lexicon. There is little doubt but that it is an unofficial part of it now. Crossing over from the realm of pop culture and into our language is a phenomenal achievement for a television show.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2010
"The Douglas family is back and ready for seconds in volume two of the second season of My Three Sons. Join America's favorite pipe-smoking single dad Steve Douglas as he raises sons Mike, Robbie, and Chip with a winning combination of laughter, love and world-class fatherly advice."
Just to look at it you would think that My 3 Sons was a Disney production. Its star Fred MacMurray had appeared in many Disney films of the 50’s and 60’s and is most likely recognizable from those appearances. Two of the three boys were also known for work with Disney.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 21st, 2010
"Centuries ago in England, it was the era of chivalry and magic. The evil Prince John unleashed an iron fist of tyranny on the people. They called out for a champion. One man answered that call. His name was Robin Hood..."
Speak the name Robin Hood and one immediately conjures images of the swashbuckling hero of medieval England. The character's origins go back as far as 15th century ballads that herald the daring deeds of an outlaw who fought against tyranny and injustice.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 18th, 2010
You may not know the name Patricia Highsmith, but you do know her work. She penned the novel that brought us Alfred Hitchcock's excellent thriller Strangers On A Train. You might also know her character Thomas Ripley, who was the subject of several of Highsmith's novels including the famous The Talented Mr. Ripley. Most of these works appeared in the 1950's and 1960's. Still, her work has been tapped for motion pictures right up through the most recent film The Cry Of The Owl.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2010
Elvis Presley is often referred to as The King Of Rock And Roll, at least to his fans. There's no denying the impact that he had on the music scene. He was the first rock and roll star, to be sure. Colonel Tom Parker, his long-time manager and partner, created many of the marketing traditions that are commonplace in the industry today. He knew the value of his star, not only as a performer, but as a brand. For the first time, a musician's image and name started to appear on everything from bath towels to women's underwear. Fans are often split on their feelings for the self-styled Colonel, but Elvis would not have become the name brand he still is today, without him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2010
"What you are about to see has a mechanical gopher in it."
Recently I was having a bit of a playful, and at times aggressive, back-and-forth with a friend over our top 50 films of all time. While we disagreed at almost every turn (of course his list had Speed and Pretty Women and not Jaws, Unforgiven, King Kong, or Gladiator). What we did seem to agree upon was that neither of us was willing to allow very many comedy films into our lists.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2010
"Three years of filming. Seven continents. 70 camera crews. 3,000 shooting days. 200 different species. Groundbreaking technology. It all adds up to the most ambitious natural history series ever created."
The BBC has been at the forefront of natural history documentaries since the 1950's. Each decade the teams from the British unit have traversed the globe with what has always been, for the time, the latest in technology. The images that have been captured have entertained and educated the world for more than half a century. In today's high- definition world, the BBC has not failed to impress
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2010
“My name is Michael Weston. I used to be a spy until, ‘you’ve got a burn notice’. When you’re burned, you’ve got nothing. No cash, no credit, no job history. You’re stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who’s still talking to you: a trigger happy ex-girlfriend, an old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI, family too, if you’re desperate. Bottom line: Until you figure out who burned you, you’re not going anywhere.”
Burn Notice has all the earmarks of a really great television series. It has Bruce Campbell,
![Showgirls (15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition) [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/showgirls-15th-anniversary-sinsati-large.jpg)
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