Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 15th, 2018
“We have to be ready. You, me, the others… there’s an attack coming from far away.”
The DC and Marvel rivalry can be quite fierce at times. I never completely understood the polarized fan base, however. Some of us are just fans of the genre and will welcome a good comic book movie from either and preferably both studios. When it comes to a cinematic universe, however DC has had some real issues with trying to bring together a combined hero world. Most of the films leading up to Justice League have been dark and filled with brooding heroes. With Batman that kind of thing is appropriate and works. With Superman it has been a severe letdown. When the two came together in Batman v Superman, the disappointment started to lead to a resigned conviction that DC was doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Then came Wonder Woman, and it was no surprise that she was the single standout of the caped-hero duel. Wonder Woman, both the character and the film, appear to have changed something in the DC landscape, and she is, once again, the single most hopeful character in Justice League. And while Justice League isn’t quite the movie that Wonder Woman was, there are signs that things are changing. Justice League is not a great movie. But it’s not a bad film, either. Superman actually smiles and has begun to return to the “golly” innocence of his best comic years. This film may not be everything we fans of both brands were hoping for, but it’s actually a good start.
Posted in: Contests by Gino Sassani on March 12th, 2018
Cinedigm is releasing When the Starlight Ends on DVD this week. It’s the major motion picture debut of Arabella Oz, daughter of the famous television Dr. Oz. A writer loses his muse only to find himself rewriting their time togetheer looking for a happy ending. You’ll have to separate real from fantasy with this one. To help you along, Cinedigm has sent a copy for a lucky Upcomingdiscs fan.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 12th, 2018
"Well, I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets, so hardly anyone turned up. Except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate. As punishment, I was forced to be in here and become a gladiator. Bit of a promotional disaster that one, but I'm actually organizing another revolution. I don't know if you'd be interested in something like that? Do you reckon you'd be interested?"
DC has finally gotten a recent comic superhero movie right with Wonder Woman. We'll know in just a few days if they can bring the streak to two films when Justice League hits the box office this month. Marvel, on the other hand, has a streak going that dates back to 2008 and reached a truly astonishing 16 films leading up to the third Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok. With three more films on tap for next year, that run could reach 20 films very soon. Not all of these efforts have been great by any means. I found the last Thor film to be one of the franchise's weaker moments. But all of these movies do have one thing in common. With even the least of these films, they have all been entertaining. And that's exactly where Thor: Ragnarok fits the mold perfectly. I wouldn't call this Marvel's finest moment. I would call it one hell of an entertaining ride through the Marvel Universe. Fasten your safety harness. Remember to keep hands and feet inside your seat at all times. No flash photography. You are encouraged to have food and drink; however, there is a choking hazard, as some of this movie is so funny there could be fountains of popcorn and sugary syrup substances ejected toward the rider in front of you.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2018
It was just two years after the release of the first Tomb Raider film that the second one reached the big screens. The film came with a ton of expectations not only from fans of the first one but fans of the video game who either loved the first movie or were disappointed and had hopes that their particular quirks would be addressed. To be sure, some of them were. Without the need to establish character and settings, Cradle Of Life wastes no time getting to the action at the heart of the video game experience. Gone were the rather laughable inflatable breasts as new director Jan de Bont wanted a more natural look for the character, abandoning the prominent look of the video game. But if it was more action both groups of fans wanted, this was the film to deliver on that demand. But whatever it really was that fans demanded, they stayed away from this sequel, which delivered less than half of the box office of the first. Whatever you might think of the movie itself, it pretty much spelled the end for the cinematic life of Lara Croft... until now. With a reboot just around the corner, expectations are high again, indeed. Until then Paramount has decided to whet your appetite with the original films in a 4K upgrade on UHD.
Cradle Of Life begins with the discovery of an underwater temple once built by Alexander himself. An earthquake nearby has shifted the tides and revealed to Lara Croft (Jolie) where the long-hidden treasure is located. It is within this find that Croft expects to uncover an orb that leads to either great treasure or great disaster. It's the key to the location of the Cradle of Life and Pandora's Box. Unfortunately, Croft isn't the only one alerted to the find. A Chinese organization called the Shay Ling have also discovered the site and take the box from our heroine. It's a rather nicely constructed scene as the temple begins to self-destruct as a fight for the orb plays amid the crumbing ruins.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2018
"It's begun."
It's been nearly 15 years since the last Tomb Raider movie was released. The franchise continues to be a popular video game series, and another film was inevitable. 2018 finally sees the release of a reboot of the title with a new actress playing the iconic Lara Croft. There's a lot of anticipation and box office potential here. What better time for Paramount to shake the dust off of their own relics and see if a UHD release in 4K could both create some new interest and ride along a little on the coattails of the big-budget reboot. It's good timing, and these are certainly two films that might benefit from the 4K upgrade. So now you have a little excuse to look backwards before you buy your ticket for the next chapter in the Tomb Raider franchise.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2018
"Welcome to game night".
Everybody loves playing games. OK, most people like playing games. Friends have been getting together for game nights since there have been games. From the couples’ bridge days of the 1950's to poker night with the guys, most of us have gotten together to play some kind of a game with friends. The thing about games is that they're frivolous. Playing games with some buddies is a good excuse to kill a few hours, maybe have a few drinks. You're not solving the world's problems, and it's usually just a simple night of entertainment. The same can be said for New Line Cinema's Game Night starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, and Kyle Chandler. It's not an important film, and it isn't going to go down in the books as a timeless classic. It's a chance to get together with a few of our own friends and spend about 100 minutes or so having a few laughs and taking a break from all of those problems we're not solving. It wouldn't hurt to pick up an extra large tub of popcorn. Yeah, it'll kill you, but then you won't have so many of those problems, right?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2018
"Maybe we could use a dad's night out."
Let me begin this review by stating that I did not see the first Daddy's Home film. There are pros and cons to that situation. I'm not really in a good position to judge the film's value or quality as a sequel, and I wasn't familiar with any of these characters when I started to watch the film. It does, however put me in a good place to evaluate this film on its own merits. Is it the kind of sequel that functions as a standalone film, or will you be lost from the start with no chance to catch up? I'm happy to say that I never felt like I was at a disadvantage. Yeah, there were moments where I felt like I wasn't part of the inside joke, but those moments are actually quite rare. I was able to enjoy this one just fine. The relationships were a bit confusing when it came to which kid really belonged to which parents, and some of that I never completely sorted out. The performances allowed me to get at what kind of characters the leads were from the beginning. I might have been the new "in-law" invited to this family's holidays for the first time, but that doesn't mean I didn't manage to have a lot of fun along the way.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 15th, 2018
"Tell me a story."
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the comic book character of Black Panther in 1966 for an issue of The Fantastic Four. He became the first black superhero in the comic world. He starred in Marvel's Jungle Action title before getting his own comic. The character was popular, but through an unfortunate set of circumstances he was at times thought to be related to the militant group of the same name that popped up that same year. For a short time he went by the name Black Leopard, but the original name rose above the unintended connection and continued to enjoy on and off success over the decades. Black Panther was introduced to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) with Captain America: Civil War. He's finally getting his own film, and with the release of Black Panther, the MCU is developing and evolving in new and interesting ways. It's all leading to the May release of the third Avengers film and eventually into an entirely new MCU. That's a lot to ask of a single film. Is Black Panther up to the task?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 15th, 2018
Meet the most dysfunctional crime family since The Sopranos. Not quite at the same level either on-screen or in quality, but once again we're drawn toward another dangerous clan with criminal intent. I guess we could call them The Baritones. Actually, Animal Kingdom is an apt description for television's latest baddies. They've now wrapped up their second season of mayhem on TNT where the series was the network's top ratings winner. Now that second season is out from Warner Brothers, and it's another crazy ride, of that you can be certain. It's based, rather loosely by now, on an Aussie film starring Guy Pearce.
Meet Josh Cody (Cole) His mother was a junkie who died of a heroin overdose. Josh called his estranged grandmother, who goes by the name Smurf, and is played by Ellen Barkin. Smurf takes him into her home, but it's not the Waltons. Smurf is a regular Ma Barker. She organizes criminal jobs that are carried out by her four sons. She collects the money and doles it out on an allowance basis. Her right hand is adopted son Barry, who goes by Baz (Speedman). He helps plan the jobs and is the only one with a family of his own. His girlfriend has mysteriously left him alone with a young daughter. If you saw the first season, you know what happened to her, and that secret is about to come out. Brother Pope (Hatosy) has just returned home from over three years in prison. He took the fall for the entire family, but he's off his meds and is quite crazy. He's by far the quietest brother, and the most dangerous. Brothers Darren (Weary) and Craig (Robson) are pretty much interchangeable bookends. They end up doing the heavy lifting, but they also are the hardest partiers in the family. From coke to jumping out of planes, these two do everything fast and furious. His uncles are not quick to trust Josh, and he has to find a balance with very little time to breathe.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 10th, 2018
Clint Eastwood has been at the top of the game both as an actor and a director, often both at the same time. There's no question that he still has the skills. Unfortunately, 15:17 To Paris isn't a great example of his direction skills. Don't get me wrong. There is a nice intense film in here, but it only lasts for about 10 minutes and hungrily screams out for more of the same. Eastwood's problem is much the same that he had in Sully. He doesn't really have enough material for a truly great feature film, so he is forced to fill the screen time with something he hopes will entertain us long enough to stay with him for the good stuff. But as Clint said once as Dirty Harry: "A man's got to know his limitations."
On August 21, 2015 a terrorist boarded a bullet train to Paris in Amsterdam. He carried several weapons including an automatic rifle with over 300 rounds of ammunition, enough to take out nearly all of the passengers on that route. He didn't get very far because of the heroism of some of the passengers aboard. Three of the passengers were friends taking a cross-continent backpacking trip in Europe. Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, and Alek Skarlatos had been friends since childhood. They were instrumental in stopping the terrorist before he could cause too much damage.
