Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 5th, 2019
Ever since I was a kid I used to love to hear and read stories about the iconic filmmakers from the days before I was born. I soaked up material on John Ford and Hitchcock. Fritz Lang and James Whale were superhuman, it seemed. Meeting Robert Wise was a dream come true, and getting an invitation by Ray Harryhausen himself to attend his Hollywood star ceremony was an honor. But all of these folks were either already gone or at the end of their careers by the time I got to this planet. Since that time there have been plenty of great talents, but the only one in my lifetime who ever seemed to live up in that rarified air was Clint Eastwood. As both an actor and director, I'm not sure anyone has made more of a mark during my generation. Clint's approaching 90, and reality dictates that his days of directing movies are coming to a close.
Posted in: Blu Ray, No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2019
"One night will remind you how we touched and went our separate ways"
There's a Chinese proverb that says a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. In rock "n" roll history that proverb is a little different, and it goes something like, “A Journey into the Rock "n" Roll Hall Of Fame starts with a dozen hit songs.” And that's exactly where Journey landed in 2017 after kicking the year off with a return to one of the first arenas to hear those hits 35 years earlier. In 2017 Journey was inducted into that Hall Of Fame and played two sold-out nights at the Budokan in Japan where the band first debuted the hit songs from their 8th and first hit album, Escape. Eagle Rock Entertainment was there for the band's triumphant return where the band played both the albums Escape and Frontiers in their entirety for the first and only time in the band's history. If you're a Journey fan, you're going to want to get your hands on this one.
Posted in: Super Round Up by Gino Sassani on April 1st, 2019
Howdy Partners. It's Gino down on the Upcoming ranch, and it's time once again to move some titles your way. This week Fox has a lot to say with If Beale Street Could Talk on Blu-ray. Warner Brothers is moving Clint Eastwood's latest, The Mule in UHD Blu-ray, which means 4K. Paramount gets more with honey when they release Bumblebee on UHD/4K. Showtime fixes us up with Ray Donovan The Complete Sixth Season on DVD. Eagle Rock takes us on a trip to the East with Journey Live In Japan 2017 on Blu-ray. Omnibus goose-steps with Nazi Junkies on DVD. On the big screen Warner Brothers digs up their remake of Stephen King's Pet Sematary.
And, Partners, don't forget. If you'll be making that video withdrawal from Amazon, lasso yourself one of our many links to get there. It helps keep us going here on the Upcomingdiscs ranch. Until next week, share some light with someone this week... television light, that is. Now let's get those titles rollin'!
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 31st, 2019
"Welcome to The Taj. Home to statesmen and celebrities for over a century."
There are times when movies come almost uncomfortably close to real life experiences. This can be both a blessing and a curse. I've heard World War II vets have mixed feelings after watching Steven Spielberg's relentless portrayal of the D-Day storming of the beaches of Normandy. Many cried because it brought them back to a place that lives vividly in their own minds. Some were resentful for the pain they experienced. As an audience member who has never experienced anything close to battle, it was compelling and also fatiguing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 22nd, 2019
“Everything is possible…even the impossible.”
To be clear, the fact that Disney has delivered a big-budget, star-studded follow-up to one of the most beloved family films in its staggering catalog is *exceedingly* possible. This is, after all, the age of reboots and live-action remakes of movies we already love. What seems impossible is that Mary Poppins Returns and its sensational leading lady both live up to and (re)capture the spirit of the Walt Disney-produced Julie Andrews classic from more than 50 years ago!
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 22nd, 2019
Foreigner was one of those bands that managed to bridge the sounds of the 1970's and 80's. They had that solid classic rock sound but managed to work in some legendary hooks that gave the band life beyond most of the members themselves. Eagle Rock Entertainment has unearthed quite a little unpolished gem from the archives here. The band hit pretty well with their first self-titled album moving around four million copies with an almost instant hit in Cold As Ice. That song established the band's best moments of synth pop and edgy vocals and lyrics. So with just one album under their belt the band set out on the road and managed a successful tour.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 15th, 2019
Green Book represents an historical milestone for me as a critic. In my decades of reviewing and more decades following films, I have never selected a personal Oscar Best Picture two years in a row. I tend to be somewhat out of touch with the voting members of the Academy or even my fellow SEFCA (Southeastern Film Critics Association) members. But it finally happened. Last year my selection was The Shape Of Water, and it took the top prize. This year I went against the grain of the SEFCA members who chose Roma as the best film, and Green Book meandered to # 7 on their list. Fortunately, the Academy saw it my way for the second consecutive year, and Green Book took home the statue. Spike Lee threw a temper tantrum, and I'll talk about that in my conclusion.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 15th, 2019
"The wizarding and non-wizarding worlds have been at peace for over a century. Grindelwald wants to see that peace destroyed."
Back in the early days of the internet before videos went "viral", there was a Thanksgiving cartoon about a chef who needed to serve too many people with a small turkey. So to compensate, he kept stuffing that sucker until it eventually exploded. Watching the latest entry in the J.K. Rowling Wizarding World, I was very much reminded of that early video. There's an attempt to make the running time a bit leaner than we've typically seen with these films.
Posted in: Uncategorized by Gino Sassani on March 14th, 2019
Our friends over at Walt Disney Studios are going to be keeping us very busy over the next few weeks. They've decided that our faithful followers deserve some free stuff and I couldn't agree more. First up we have the Disney classic The Little Mermaid: The 30th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray. We can resist the wonderful animation and those great songs? It's perfect for kids of all ages and you should absolutely let us treat you to a copy on us and Disney.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 14th, 2019
"I love a comedy. Is there cake?"
The Favourite is a somewhat awkward film. Director Yorgos Lanthimos took on a rather brave but dangerous task when he decided to create a farce. Most audience members don't understand the term. They use it rather synonymously with comedy or spoof, but it is truly something very different. A comedy is meant to deliver as many laughs as possible. You get pratfalls, one-liners, slapstick, and other over-the-top methods to bring about those laughs. Spoofs take a specific subject or genre and expose some of the more innate aspects of the material, all in good fun. Leslie Nielsen was a master of the spoof with his Airplane and Naked Gun films.
