Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2018
Our friends over at Film Movement have been bringing you some diverse and interesting films over the years. We have certainly told you about many during that time. Now they have launched a new way to deliver these films directly to their fans. Yes, this site is called Upcomingdiscs, and we generally deal with home video releases that you pop into your trusty player and enjoy. Film Movement has been a part of those DVD releases. But we don't just limit ourselves to discs. We bring you the latest films direct from the local multi-plex and even talk about some of the equipment to make your experience the best it can be. We don't often talk about streaming services, because they are generally bringing you the same kind of mass-consumption content. Let me introduce you to Film Movement Plus. These aren't the kinds of things you're likely to find anywhere else. With a library of 250 critically acclaimed independent films, they are growing with each month.
To help celebrate this new service, they have generously offered us some free subscriptions to give away while we spotlight some of the best as they are introduced to the members of Film Movement Plus. With each announcement we're going to give away a few of those free subscriptions to help you get started.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2018
In one corner you have U.S Attorney Chuck "The Scholar" Rhodes, played by Paul Giamatti. He's the reigning world champion with a record of 80+ to 0. In the other corner is Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis; he could also be considered undefeated. He runs a sexy brokerage firm. Both of these guys walk and talk like champs. There's a lot of trash-talk between them, but both have very lurid and potentially devastating skeletons in their perspective closets. But what happens when both find themselves in deep trouble? That's the question as Billions heads into Season 3, where you'll get all 12 episodes on four discs with very minimal extras.
The strength of two very strong performances immerses us in each of these worlds to a point that we discover something none of these players know, or at least would be willing to admit. They are very much the same, and the culture of their careers is more alike than not. Both are willing to bend a rule for "the common good", and both believe themselves to be the heroes of their own stories. And that's where the writing and acting come together for a nice perfect storm. Both characters are heroes to the people around them. They've developed almost cult followings. Both are admirable people. Of course, the opposite is just as true. These guys can both play the anti-hero with the best of them. There is both great good and great evil in both. If that sounds complicated here, just imagine how hard it would be to actually pull off.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. Keep checking back to see more recommendations for your holiday shopping. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them.
Universal has released a strong slate on both Blu-ray and 4K this year. The Universal Monster films is a particularly nice gift for a fan to find under their tree. Here's more on that Blu-ray set and some 4K titles from Universal.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. The kinds of things we recommend here are things I would be delighted to find under the tree.
Paramount has taken the 4k/UHD Blu-ray release to the next level. They are the first studio to really offer franchise sets so that you can watch your favorite film series in a complete collection. Here are some of the best from 2018 that any home theatre nut would be grateful to have under their tree. Just don't expect to spend a lot of time with them for a while. They're going to have some watchin' to do.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2018
The end of the year is coming. That means holidays and some cooler temperatures (at least for some of you). In the movie industry, it's awards season. That means yours truly will have the opportunity to see tons of films looking for recognition when it comes time for me to vote. One of these films is Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game. It features Oscar winner Martin Landau in one of his final films, along with Paul Sorvino. It's a bit surprising to see these big stars when you discover it was directed by a first-time director who also happens to be a medical doctor working at Harvard. Those are some huge credentials... in the medical industry. I'm talking about Dr. Howard Lee Weiner M.D. This was a story I just had to hear for myself. So I ended up with a chance to talk to Dr. Weiner about this accomplishment. It's one of the more interesting film stories I've heard. Now you can check it out. Bang it here to listen to my conversation with director Howard Lee Weiner M.D.Director Howard Lee Weiner M.D.
You can also discover more about the film by checking it out here: Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. The kinds of things we recommend here are things I would be delighted to find under the tree.
CBS still has the highest rated dramas on television. There have been quite a few good DVD sets from the network in 2017. Here's a look at my recommendations. These first two are shows that are currently airing reboots. But these Blu-rays are the original shows.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2018
"In the ring, you got rules. Outside, you got nothing. Life hits you with all these cheap shots. People like me, we live in the past. You got people that need you now. You got everything to lose; this guy has got nothing to lose."
For the last couple of decades the sport of boxing has lost much of its popularity, at least here in the United States. The big matches used to be events where neighbors and friends would gather and enjoy the spectacle together. It likely started when long-time fighting fan and announcer Howard Cosell distanced himself from the sport, and the collapse appeared finally complete around the time Mike Tyson added ear to his menu. It's devolved so far that I haven't known who the champ is for more than 10 years. Everyone used to know the champ. It didn't matter if you followed the sport. The names used to be household names. No longer. That doesn't appear to be as true with the boxing movie. Films like Rocky and Raging Bull helped to create an entire genre of the boxing movie, and it has survived the real thing. In 2015 Sylvester Stallone partnered with director Ryan Coogler to revitalize the aging Rocky franchise and focus the new films on the son of Rocky's friend and ring-rival Apollo Creed. Together with Michael B Jordan in the new titular role, the franchise saw new light, and Stallone would finally give the performance of his life. Coogler and Jordan went on to join the Marvel Universe and create one of the highest box office takes in history with The Black Panther. Now he's back as Adonis Creed without Coogler in the director's chair. This time Steven Caple, Jr. directs from a story co-written by Stallone, who wrote the original Rocky back in 1976. I'm happy to say there's still some heart left in the old man and his franchise.
Posted in: Holiday Gift Guides by Gino Sassani on November 22nd, 2018
I think I see your problem. You have this list. It’s a list of people you need/want to buy a Christmas gift for. The trouble is that they’re into home theatre, and you don’t know Star Trek from Star Wars. You couldn’t tell a Wolf Man from a Wolverine. And you always thought that Paranormal Activity was something too kinky to talk about. Fortunately, Upcomingdiscs has come to the rescue every Christmas with our Gift Guide Spotlights. These gift guides ARE NOT paid advertisements. We take no money to publish them. The kinds of things we recommend here are things I would be delighted to find under the tree.
Warner Brothers continues to lead the industry with television on Blu-ray. Other studios have experimented with some of their shows but no one puts more TV out in HD than Warner Brothers. Here are some of my favorite titles from 2018. Any of them would look great under the tree this season. Warner also has a nice collection of DC films out on Blu-ray.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 21st, 2018
"The rest as they say is history... and math... and science."
Saved By The Bell became somewhat of a cult classic and a teen icon of the 1980's. It was likely the most popular out of prime time series on television for its run. What makes the show's story so compelling is indeed its rather unique history. It actually all started as a badly failed NBC prime time situation comedy called Good Morning Miss Bliss. The show had been inspired by the network's president Brandon Tartikoff, who had fond memories of a grade school teacher he once had named Miss Bliss. Yes, this was the famous guy who took NBC from last to first in the 80's by creating the fabled "Must See TV" campaign. The show lasted six episodes and was quickly taken from the network's schedule. NBC was finished, and what happened next truly is television history.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 20th, 2018
"Loyalty is tricky. It's a moving target."
As the summer wound down from the season's requisite anchor film blockbusters, there was increasing room for a few independent films that will make their way from the festival circuit to fill the newly vacated screens at your local multiplex. For some it was to attain eligibility for the year-end award season. For others it was a short window to turn a profit from what was conceived more as a work of art. For others it was a chance to become a sleeper hit. And for others yet, an opportunity to deliver a social message on the larger soapbox of the big screens. Blindspotting appears to be on the cusp of all of these things. But perhaps it came a little early for any awards consideration, and at a time where it was still competing with the mega-films of the summer. There's no doubt that the film attempts to hit us with a message, but it falls just short of that accomplishment. Blindspotting works best as a character study, and it's in that mode that the film almost approaches compelling.
