Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2019
31 Nights Of Terror is back at Upcomingdiscs. We have another giveaway for you. TNT has given us The Last Ship: The Complete Fifth Season on DVD. It was the final season of the series where the world might finally be recovering from the big bad virus. You can see how it all ended, and it's all on the house for one lucky winner.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2019
"I mean who knows what kind of creatures are out there wreaking havoc on history?"
DC's Legends of Tomorrow has become somewhat the odd man out when it comes to the DC Television Universe, or the Arrowverse, as it is most commonly known. Last season it was not part of the annual crossover, and it aired later in the year with fewer episodes. And while it will be a part of the huge crossover coming in December, it still doesn't appear to get the same respect as the other shows. I like the series, but it is my least favorite of the franchise. Warner Brothers Home Entertainment isn't as high on the show either. They crammed extra episodes on the discs so that all 16 episodes of the fourth season end up on just two discs. Ouch. It doesn't help that every year sees a huge shake-up of the cast, and this season was no exception. The crew of the Waverider change over faster than teens at a fast food joint. Of course, you might be left asking yourself what is this Waverider of which you speak? It's hard enough to keep track of the players without a program, but it's a near impossible feat if you are trying to join the festivities in the fourth season. You might want to check out our reviews of the previous years and then rejoin me for the breakdown of the Blu-ray release of DC Legends Of Tomorrow Season 4. Just bang it here to catch up: Legends Of Tomorrow Reviews.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2019
Every era has their Hollywood good guys and their Hollywood bad guys. Back in the early days we had Nazis to pit against our heroes. When they didn't quite fit the bill, we had the Japanese. For much of the Cold War, we had great Russian villains to test the mettle of our heroes. Terrorists fit the bill a lot today, but perhaps the only group hated by large segments of American audiences more are the 1%ers. Anyone who makes an obscene amount of money must have cheated to get there. It doesn't hurt that financial power companies have been immersed in the last couple of economic disasters. Michael Douglas taught us that greed is good, and while every single one of us wants to be at the top, it's not quite the politically correct thing to express... at least out loud. Billions gives us the kind of power broker who is just too much fun to hate. It's the classic struggle of good guys versus bad guys. Of white hats versus black hats. But nothing is that simple in Billions, and if you haven't yet spent some time with the likes of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis as Chuck Rhoades and Bobby "Axe" Axelrod you're missing one of the more compelling dramas on television right now. Get yourself caught up and join us for Billions: The Complete Fourth Season out now on DVD from CBS Home Entertainment.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2019
The setting for Gunsmoke was the by-now-famous Dodge City, circa 1870’s. Phrases like “get out of Dodge” would enter the popular lexicon as a result of this resilient series. Marshall Dillon (Arness) was charged with keeping the peace in Dodge City. The only other character to see the entire 20-year run was kindly Doc Adams (Stone). Star Trek’s own Doc, Leonard McCoy, took many of his traits from Doc Adams. He was the humanitarian of the city, always looking to help someone. Like McCoy, he had a taste for bourbon and a soft heart underneath a rather gruff exterior and was always ready with free advice. Dillon’s love interest throughout most of the series was Miss Kitty Russell (Blake). While there were certainly a few romantic undercurrents, the romance never came to fruition. Miss Kitty was a prostitute on the radio and was likely one here as well, but CBS chose to underplay that aspect of her character as a “saloon girl”. Finally Dillon’s faithful sidekick deputy was Chester (Weaver). Chester often found himself in trouble and was the naïve son figure to Dillon.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on October 1st, 2019
31 Nights Of Terror is back at Upcomingdiscs. It's our 11th annual event. We always like to kick things off with some free stuff for all of our followers out there. We're going to start things off with Bonehill Road. It's out of the frying pan and into the fire for Emily & Eden, who escape an abusive home only to find themselves hunted by a werewolf. It's out on DVD from WildEye, and one lucky winner is going to get it for free.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on September 28th, 2019
"Sometimes I wish upon a star..."
Sometimes the brightest stars shine for the shortest times. That could certainly be said for Judy Garland. 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of the release of The Wizard Of Oz. There have been plenty of celebrations, but it's fitting that we also use this milestone as a chance to do some tribute to Judy Garland, who as a young girl brought the central character of Dorothy to life for generations of movie fans. It's an entirely appropriate time to offer some empathy to her, and that's exactly why Judy couldn't have come at a better time. It's based on the stage play End Of The Rainbow by Peter Quilter. The film offers us a rather intimate look at a time in the life of the actress just a year before she died from a drug overdose.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 27th, 2019
"It's what I do."
What David Boreanaz does is create iconic television characters. He has had no trouble getting work over the years. He has had the ability to jump from one successful series to another and enjoy longevity in those roles. Unlike many actors who have had big television roles, he doesn't get at all pigeonholed or typecast. In Buffy The Vampire Slayer he originated the role of the vampire Angel, who spun off to his own series for several years. Immediately after that he took on the role of an FBI agent and partner to the title character on Bones. That job lasted a decade. Before the remains of Bones could be laid to rest, he was already working on his next new series. Now he's the field leader of a Navy Seal team, and if the first season of Navy Seals is any indication, he's going to be dodging bullets and RPG's for the foreseeable future. CBS has a big tradition of long-running shows, and I wouldn't be surprised if a decade from now I'm talking to you about the 10th season of Navy Seals.
Posted in: Random Fun by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
"...Til the one day when the lady met this fellow, and they knew that it was much more than a hunch
that this group must somehow form a family. That's the way we all became the Brady Bunch."
Sept 26th, 2019 Marks the 50th anniversary of the debut of The Brady Bunch.
Has it really been 50 years? Nothing make me feel as old as when a film or television show I watched as a kid celebrates some grand anniversary milestone. It's like birthdays without the ice cream cake. On September 26th, The Brady Bunch celebrate its 50th anniversary. And we're talking about The Brady Bunch 50th Anniversary TV & Movie Collection. They call it the Bradiest collection ever, and that's no exaggeration. The 31-disc collection features just about anything that was ever associated with the name Brady. I'm surprised there isn't a complete collection of New England Patriot football games for the last decade or so. What you will get is pretty impressive:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
The biggest complaint I hear about today's movies is that there's no originality at the box office anymore. While it's true that most of the big earners are comic book heroes, sequels, reboots, monsters, or fantasy book franchises it's simply not accurate at all to say there isn't anything original happening in cinema anymore. If you are willing to take a chance on something different, you'll find it everywhere, and while it might not dominate the media buzz, it's there all the same, and your local multiplex likely dedicates at least a couple of screens to these kinds of films. Yesterday is certainly one of those little gems that go by not completely unnoticed but receiving far less buzz than it deserves. The fact is, there's still room for all species of film. After pulling in a more than respectable $150 million at the box office, Yesterday is now out on home video, including this UHD Blu-ray release in 4K.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
"Oh no. Has it been a year already?"
The 10th season of Modern Family has arrived on home video. The series entered its 10th season with a bit of a tease. It was revealed that during this season one of the cast members would die. Of course the expectation being built was that it would be one of the regulars, and speculation had it that Jay was going to be the one to go. I never bought any of that. Jay's the patriarch of this family and the one piece of the enormous puzzle that might be the most essential. What I and many fans of the show didn't expect was that it would actually be a recurring character, and that the core family was safe for one more season. After the 11th season, it all comes to an end. Modern Family will be riding off into the sunset come spring of 2020, and it will be a sad day indeed. But that's a ways off, and we still have Season 10 on home video to watch.
