Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 30th, 2019
“Extremely rich, very married, eminently corruptible, and a willing infidel.”
That description is used to describe the unwitting marks targeted by the titular con men in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. But except for the “very married” part, it’s also a pretty accurate depiction of the Scoundrels themselves, played here by Steve Martin and Michael Caine in a pair of very different but equally winning performances. The movie was released a little more than 30 years ago — Christmastime 1988 — which makes this a fine time to revisit the breezy, sleazy con men comedy thanks to this Collector’s Edition from Shout Select.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 24th, 2019
“You ready to stir some s--- up?”
In The Hate U Give, the fatal shooting of a young, unarmed black man by a police officer serves as the catalyst for a story about racial identity, police brutality, and much more. The film features some undeniably powerful performances and moments that, quite frankly, spoke to me on a personal level. The problem is that as the story’s level of outrage rises, the movie itself becomes more outrageous and harder to take seriously.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on January 22nd, 2019
While this week might represent one small step for man, it’s also one giant leap for this here website. Not only will we soon be reviewing Universal’s Neil Armstrong drama First Man (4K), but we are days away from unveiling an exciting new redesign for this very site! (Be sure to check back in and tell us what you think.) Elsewhere, Fox shows us some love with The Hate U Give (4K), Lionsgate navigates politics and family with The Oath, and Shout! Factory swindles some laughs out of us with con man comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
FYI: we are wrapping up our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways at the end of this week, so be sure to head to our contest page and enter for a chance to win. One last reminder before signing off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 16th, 2019
“You know, the first time we met, I really didn’t like you that much.”
I didn’t become acquainted with When Harry Met Sally… until well after the Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan flick had established itself as a bona fide romantic comedy classic. (I was 7 when the film came out in 1989.) So when I finally got around to watching it in my late teens, the “I’ll have what she’s having” punchlines and general set-up involving an unlikely romantic pairing felt overly familiar. I enjoyed it just fine, I definitely appreciated it, but I wouldn’t quite call what we had love. Shout Select, an imprint of Shout! Factory, has released a 30th anniversary Blu-ray of When Harry Met Sally… And after revisiting this film years later, I’m asking myself the same question that Harry and Sally ponder after being friendly for years: is this love?
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on January 15th, 2019
Please allow me to kick things off with a belated, "Happy 2019, everybody!" In the first Tuesday Round Up of the new year, Michael Myers comes home …again! Universal made a killing last fall with its Halloween reboot, and we’ll soon be reviewing the horror hit in 4K. Elsewhere, Lionsgate puts the pedal to the metal with Speed Kills and tries to find the light in After Darkness, while Omnibus Entertainment contends with the Oddsockeaters. Finally, Fox is in for some Bad Times at the El Royale (4K) and swings by Quahog for Family Guy Greatest Hits.
But wait…there’s a bit more! Later this week, we will be reviewing the first would-be blockbuster of 2019: M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass. It might be a new year now, but you're going to get the same weekly reminder before we sign off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon and you do it through one of our links, it’ll help keep the lights on here at UpcomingDiscs. See ya next week!
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on January 9th, 2019
“This is Gilda Radner…her voice and her writing.”
Since its debut in 1975, Saturday Night Live has churned out more comedy superstars than you can count. However, the first performer that SNL creator Lorne Michaels cast for the show wasn’t Chevy Chase or even John Belushi. It was Gilda Radner, the daring and vivacious comic who became a breakout star on the show…and passed away much too soon in 1989. So while Love, Gilda is certainly a love letter to the late comedy legend, the documentary is at its best when it relies on Radner’s own musings to tell her story.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 3rd, 2019
“You kind of loud.”
It made all the sense in the world on paper. Pairing Tiffany Haddish (coming off her outrageously profane, scene-stealing breakout in Girls Trip) with Kevin Hart (one of the shrillest most successful comedians in the world) seemed like a match made in loudmouth heaven. Instead, it turns out that almost all the creativity that went into Night School — which actually has a pretty decent premise — was limited to envisioning its two stars on a poster.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on December 20th, 2018
“Oh, he’s better than good…he’s a Crumb!”
Our parents always told us that we shouldn’t have too much Candy. The late comedy legend John Candy spent most of the 1980s either playing a scene-stealing sidekick (Splash, Spaceballs) or sharing top billing with fellow funnymen like Steve Martin (Planes, Trains & Automobiles) and Dan Aykroyd (The Great Outdoors). In 1989, Candy released four films and graduated to solo leading man status. One of those movies was Who’s Harry Crumb? a kooky caper that hasn’t aged very well but still serves as a showcase for Candy’s talents.
Posted in: The Reel World by J C on December 19th, 2018
“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: Disc Reviews by J C on December 14th, 2018
“I'm sorry there is so much pain in this story. I'm sorry it's in fragments, like a body caught in crossfire, pulled apart by force, but there is nothing I can do to change it.”
To say there is pain in The Handmaid’s Tale might be the biggest understatement of 2018. The series is set in a dystopian near-future in which women — even the ones who are supposedly part of the ruling class — are enslaved and tortured in a variety of heinous ways. Handmaid’s Tale immediately became Hulu’s flagship show and picked up an Emmy for Best Drama Series last year. So expectations were high for this second season, which too often proves to be torturous for viewers as well.
