Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on April 13th, 2018
Brad Anderson is a television actor who has puttered around that industry going back to David Simon's Homicide: Life On The Streets and The Wire. This is pretty much his first feature film opportunity in the director's chair, and Beirut certainly shows that he has a lot of talent... as a television director. No question the chops are there, but the framing and pacing of Beirut suffers from a kind of small thinking that fails to keep one's attention for very long. He hasn't learned how to take advantage of large set pieces and exotic locations to expand the experience for his audience. Some will believe I'm talking about action or the kind of cheap thrills that sell tickets, but that's not exactly my point.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 13th, 2018
When David Ayer's Suicide Squad film was released a couple of years ago, the reviews were certainly mixed. One of the biggest complaints from the diehard fans was that Warner opted for a PG-13 version of the film, which took away much of the edge of the material. One only need look at the success of Deadpool to understand that there is a place for a comic film that pushes envelopes and doesn't shy away from an R rating. It almost appears that the new Warner/DC animated feature film Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay would attempt to make up for that decision. This may very well be an animated "cartoon" film, but it's a hard-edged R-rated experience that doesn't shy away from brutality, blood, and violence.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 11th, 2018
"Hey, it's Hannah... get a snack. Settle in because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. But if you're listening to this tape, you're one of the reasons why."
13 Reasons Why started out as a novel in 2007. It didn't catch the world on fire and went largely unread until something appeared to cause the novel to pick up steam in 2011. It hit the New York Times Best Seller list and started to become a teen phenomenon around middle and high school campuses throughout the nation. If Harry Potter didn't provide enough proof that kids were still reading and doing it for their own enjoyment, this novel should do the job.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 7th, 2018
Sports movies have been something of a cliché for years now. And it's not really a recent phenomenon. Everybody remembers Ronald Reagan appearing in the Knute Rockne All American as the famous George Gipp. That was 1940, and Hollywood is still selling films that ask teams to "win one for The Gipper". That's exactly what you get in director Sean McNamara's The Miracle Season. Substitute high school volleyball for college football, and you likely already know the story before you even order your popcorn and soda. Of course, even with established Hollywood formula and a well-trodden story, things are never quite that simple.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2018
You might call me jaded, but I am pretty disappointed by the state of horror movies. It's not just the last few years. The truth is I haven't seen 10 really good horror movies in over a decade. Now that I've had a chance to see A Quiet Place, that number isn't going up. A Quiet Place is not a really good horror movie. It ends up making a lot of the same mistakes that filmmakers think define a horror film in the modern age. It relies too heavily on jump scares and characters who do some of the most idiotic things, thus placing them in a somewhat self-created dangerous situation. But I will make the argument that A Quiet Place is still a pretty good horror film because of a rather clever and unique concept and a filming process that allows us care for these characters more than the usual horror film red shirt fodder that too often leaves me rooting for the monster in a Darwin-like weed-out-the-gene-pool kind of way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 5th, 2018
"And so we ran on. Into Summerland and the place they said did not exist. And all the while, wolves were at our heels. Black masks, boots and the one they called The Eye. We had come to do the work that must be done. To strip ourselves of the fog of life before."
If the first season of Legion was intended to lift any fog, it failed miserably. In fact, keeping you in a fog is series creator Noah Hawley’s superpower. He was also the creator of the television adaptation of Fargo, which was often more than a little confusing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2018
"A long time ago in a galaxy far far away..."
It was exactly 40 years ago that we first saw those words flash across the screen. Star Wars was born, and it has become one of the most enduring franchises in film history. The franchise survived a long drought when it didn't seem likely we would ever see those words again. The franchise survived the throes of George Lucas, who created it all and then went a little rogue when he finally did follow up his iconic trilogy. If The Last Jedi and the two previous films are any measurement at all, the best thing George Lucas ever did for the universe he created was to give it up.
Posted in: Podcasts by Gino Sassani on March 25th, 2018
Upcomingdiscs was at the Tampa premier of Followers. I found the film to be quite good and a nice turn on the found footage format. Director Ryan Justice delivered and the home-field crowd stuck around to hear him and other cast and crew members. The house remained full even at 1:00 AM. The film still has the rest of the week to run in 10 cities across the nation. If you are in one of those towns I highly recommend you get yourself a seat. (Check below for a screen near you. Just click on the image to get a better view.) I'll be covering the film in more detail in the weeks to come. I was lucky enough to be invited to hang out with Ryan and film star Nishant Gogna over beer and iced tea while they prepared for the big night. Now you can sit in on some of my conversation with Ryan Justice. Just bang it right Here.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 22nd, 2018
After six seasons I don't really think of Major Crimes as a spinoff from The Closer. It has gone on to establish itself as a much better show than its former version ever was. We have become very comfortable with most of these characters, and the series isn't really looking over its shoulder anymore, if it ever did. This is one of those shows that's just easy to watch. There might not be anything groundbreaking going on here, but it feels like that old worn shirt that you love to wear because it just feels good having it on. That's the kind of thing that can go on for many years, and it did. But Major Crimes is shutting its doors with this sixth and final season now available on DVD from Warner Brothers.
Posted in: Contests, Expired Contests by Gino Sassani on March 21st, 2018
Many of our followers know that Upcomingdiscs is headquartered in sunny Tampa, Florida. Except for the occasional hurricane, it's a pretty bright place to live. It looks like something dark is on the way and it isn't a storm. Tampa Bay filmmaker Ryan Justice and his crew have invaded our paradise with their new found-footage thriller Followers. The film will premier at the Movie Studio Grill at the University Square Mall Friday (March 23rd) starting at 11:00 PM. Some cast and crew will be on-hand for fans. If you're not in the area you get a perfect chance to catch the film on-line. The powers that be are handing out TEN ($10) iTunes Gift Cards to 10 lucky Upcomingdiscs readers. You can pick up your own copy of the film when it streams March 23, 2018. I'm going to pick a new winner every day starting on Friday the 23rd for 10 days. Once you enter you are eligible for the entire run of the contest.
To win a copy of this prize, follow these instructions.
