Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2019
Our friends over at Walt Disney Studios wanted to help us celebrate our brand new design here at Upcomingdiscs. They've sent over 2 copies of their DVD Playtime With Puppy Dog Pals. We're going to pass them along to 2 lucky fans at Upcomingdiscs. This is a Disney Junior favorite. Join puppy brothers Bingo & Rolly as they get into the coolest adventures. There are 2 bonus episodes introducing new puppy dog pal Keia.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 1st, 2019
When did it become mainstream to root for the bad guys? Certainly our pop culture has been propagated with colorful villains since Shakespeare, goons we love to hate or even just love. Still, the rule always seemed to be that the white hats always win and the black hats get what’s coming. Television once demanded that shows follow that simple code. When Alfred Hitchcock did his television show, the stories often ended with the bad guys appearing to win. To comply with the code, he developed a habit of offering us a usually humorous sidebar about the unfortunate fate of the stories’ bad guys. It became a trademark that was created to keep to a moral code. But when did all of that change? Was it with The Sopranos? We all became enamored by this lovable teddy bear of a guy in Tony. We don’t have to spoil it by pointing out he’s a killer, adulterer, and all-star criminal sociopath
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
"If the human features of Hitler are lacking in the image of him that is passed on to posterity, if he is dehumanized and shown only as the devil, any future Hitler may not be recognized simply because he is a human being."
We have become so removed in time and experience from the evils of Nazi Germany that the entire experience has been cheapened. When politicians call another politician a Nazi or compare them with Hitler, it's absolute proof that they have no idea of what they're talking about.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
"They are working. They have been working for us for over 10,000 years. They have been called man's best friend. Soft fur and wet nose. Smart and loyal. Aiding us in transportation, hunting, companionship, protection, and many more ways. They share a bond with us like no other animal. They are career dogs, and this is a look into the history, training, and duties: jobs that can only be filled by our four-legged friends."
Dogs on the Job is a seven-part series that takes a closer look at the various breeds of dog and the kinds of jobs they were bred to perform. The first episode gives us a pretty good lesson on how dogs became to be associated with humans and why those early wolves would become so cooperative with humans.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
"I have no motive, my friends, to deceive you. I am sincerely desirous to promote your welfare. Listen to me, therefore, when I tell you that you cannot remain where you now are. Circumstances that cannot be controlled which are beyond the reach of human law and render it impossible that you can flourish in the midst of a civilized community. You have but one remedy in your reach, and that is to remove to the West. The choice now is before you. May the great spirit teach you how to change. Your friend, Andrew Jackson"
With friends like that, who needs enemies, or so the saying goes.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
I was quite reluctant to attend the screening for The Oath. My reluctance wasn't based on my willingness to see the film. People like us will go to any kind of a movie. I love films. My issue was the impression I received from the trailer. The film appears to be ripped from today's political climate and quite possibly to be a close parody of the actual present political situation. No matter on what side of that issue I might personally happen to fall, we here at Upcomingdiscs try our best to keep our politics out of our work. It's not fair to fellow writers for them to be brushed with any other writer's ideals, and it's simply unnecessary to create a hostile environment here for any of our readers or staff. So I approached the screening with the caveat that I might not actually review the film. When the studio agreed to those terms, I set out to experience The Oath. I'll give you a little "inside baseball" into the movie review business.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
"So dark. You sure you're not from the DC universe?”
What if you took out the darkness and made the film a little more family-friendly? Could that work? My initial reaction was that it was a mistake to try. But this film actually has some charm going for it, and I was a bit surprised at how seamless it was. This is essentially Deadpool 2 with the hard-core stuff removed. Gone are the sword fights that used to start the film. And Fred Savage is the key to making the entire idea work.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2019
The fabled story of the Nutcracker has many experiences, from plays, to musicals, to theater, and to operas; it has entertained us all for a century. What if these stories are real, and these Christmas toys really do have a world of their own? That would be a tale we all would love to hear. Enter Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. After the death of their mother, Clara (Mackenzie Foy), Fritz (Tom Sweet), Louise (Ellie Bamber), and their father, Mr. Stahbaum (Matthew Macfadyen), must endure the Christmas holidays without her. Struggling to move on with the events of the season, Mr. Stahbaum pushes them all to attend the annual event at Drosselmeyer’s house.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Gino Sassani on January 25th, 2019
On Dec 1st, 2008 after eight years working at Upcomingdiscs as a writer, I became the owner. It's been 10 years, and in that time I've found a few ways to make my mark upon the site. In that time I was able to gather a wonderful local Tampa staff that has allowed the site to grow while freeing me to discover new ways to serve our faithful followers. We added an October Halloween celebration called 31 Nights Of Terror. We started to bring you interviews with the folks that work to make the films and television shows you guys love so much. We've tried to keep up with tributes to lost industry giants and provide you with a weekly roundup of what you can expect each week here at the ranch. We expanded our contests and giveaways by working hard to maintain good relationships with the studios that provide all of our review and contest material. Of course, those relationships never got in the way of honest reporting with every review we write. We were the first home entertainment site to bring you a UHD 4K review. I was invited to join the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA). I managed to score a player before the guys at Best Buy had even seen one before. Every year I would ask you what we could do better. What changes you would like to see here at Upcomingdiscs. I have read each and every one of your answers. Most of you have been happy with our appearance, but it's gotten a little old, and you deserve better. So I welcome you to the new look for Upcomingdiscs. I hope you'll take a look around and let us know what you think
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 23rd, 2019
"That's one small step for (a) man. One giant leap for mankind."
July 20th, 1969. If you were alive and even somewhat old enough to be aware of your surroundings, you likely still remember that date. There are many such dates in history; unfortunately so many of them revolve around tragic events like 9-ll or the attack on Pearl Harbor. But on that night I was eight years old, and I know exactly where I was. I was watching Walter Cronkite on television as he brought us the first landing on the surface of the moon. Today that's a bittersweet memory. For an 8-year-old boy it was a promise that has remained unfulfilled. If you had told that 8-year-old who just saw humans walking on the moon that 50 years later we would have gone no further, he would have been dumbfounded. If you told him that not only would we go no further but that we would stop going to the moon in just a few short years, he would have been devastated. I can only imagine what that first man on the moon thought about it all so many years later.
