Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on March 20th, 2018
After last week's jam-packed Round Up, we decided it might be a good idea to downsize. More specifically, we'll be reviewing Paramount's inventive satire Downsizing in 4K. (The film stars Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, and others.) Meanwhile, Universal does it vocal exercises in preparation for Pitch Perfect 3 (4K), the final(?) chapter in the popular aca-trilogy. Elsewhere, Fox stylishly travels back in time for Archer: Season 8 (Dreamland), while Shout! Factory goes north of the border to answer When Calls the Heart: The Heart of Homecoming.
Before you run off until next week, here's for your customary reminder: 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 March 16th, 2018
“I was just trying not to offend you and yet I wound up offending you, which is quite ironic.”
Six long years passed between the last Curb Your Enthusiasm episode in 2011 and the show's season 9 premiere last fall. And yet it only takes about two minutes for Larry David — the curmudgeonly comic genius who stars as an exaggerated(?) version of himself on the long-running HBO sitcom — to utter the words above after inadvertently offending his latest unsuspecting victim. In other words, even though portions of this season feel creakier than past years, it is absolutely great to have Curb back!
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on March 13th, 2018
You can't save the world alone. You also can't properly kick off your week without knowing what Blu-ray/4K/DVD releases are on the horizon. I'm sure you've probably guessed this by now, but one of the titles being released this week is Warner Bros. superstar-laden superhero smackdown Justice League, which we'll be reviewing both on Blu-ray and in 4K. It's also case closed for Warner as they release Major Crimes: The Sixth and Final Season. Elsewhere, Indiepix is feeling spirited thanks to Pastor Paul, while MPI Home Video delves into the life of famous cop Frank Serpico. CBS/Paramount fights The Good Fight: Season 1, and Cinedigm searches for love When the Starlight Ends. (FYI: you can win a free copy of When the Stralight Ends.) Last and certainly not least, Lionsgate shuffles into the mix with Fear the Walking Dead: Season 3.
On top of all those home video releases, we are also embarking on an adventure to review the new big screen incarnation of Tomb Raider. 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: The Reel World by J C on March 10th, 2018
“We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.”
Much has been made about the fact that Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time is the most expensive movie ever directed by a woman of color, carrying a reported $103 million price tag. The good news is the filmmaker has absolutely infused her own personality and perspective into this live-action Disney spectacle. (No small feat, by the way.) The bad news is that DuVernay has taken those considerable resources and made a wildly uneven movie that, at various points, somehow manages to look both way more expensive and way cheaper than its budget would suggest.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on March 8th, 2018
“Sometimes I think I'm cursed.”
Up until recently, Pixar Animation Studios had a pretty spotless reputation. (At least when it came to the quality of their films.) But while the studio's last three efforts (Cars 3, Finding Dory, The Good Dinosaur) have been financially successful, Disney's own in-house animation studio (Moana, Zootopia, Big Hero 6) has been out Pixar-ing Pixar in terms of delivering creative, crowd-pleasing blockbusters for all ages. (I didn't even mention a little movie called Frozen.) That's why I'm pleased to report that Coco — Pixar's moving, colorful and exhilarating take on Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday — is a thrilling and touching return to form.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on March 5th, 2018
“Keeping the country safe is big business now. It's getting bigger.”
Much of this sixth season of Homeland is spent exploring the notion that the CIA's cloak-and-dagger activities in the Middle East might have outlived their usefulness and a new course of action is required. But considering that Showtime's previously white-hot spy drama — a Best Drama series Emmy winner for its stellar first season — is six seasons in and a lot less buzzy these days, it's hard not to extend that central question to the show itself: Is Homeland obsolete? Well judging by this twisty and thrilling collection of episodes, the answer is a resounding, “No!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 28th, 2018
I have to start by talking about the mustache. You’ve probably already seen the outrageous facial hair Kenneth Branagh rocks as Hercules Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective who appeared in 33 Agatha Christie novels (including 1934’s Murder on the Orient Express). But it is truly a sight to behold on the big screen! Up close, it looks like a fake, ridiculously twirly mustache has been layered on top of an even longer fake, ridiculously twirly mustache. I bring this up because the two things that truly separate this sumptuous, all-star take on Poirot’s most famous case from previous (and superior) adaptations are the film’s eye-popping production values and…well, Branagh’s mustache.
“My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2018
If The Wire isn't the greatest television show of all time, it's certainly in the conversation. That landmark HBO series was created by David Simon, who took a journalistic and novelistic approach in telling the story of a decaying city (Baltimore) and its various institutions. Now, Simon has teamed up with crime novelist George Pelecanos for The Deuce, which takes a similarly 360-degree approach in examining Times Square in the early 1970s and the evolution of the porn industry. Capturing every facet of that time and place doesn't just mean that The Deuce depicts the lives of pimps, prostitutes, and police officers. It also means the show is alternately thought-provoking, tragic and darkly funny.
“You got some pimp in you.”
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on February 20th, 2018
I know Father's Day isn't until June, but we don't feel like waiting around that long to celebrate. For this week's Round Up, we're moving the paternal holiday up by a few months in honor of the UHD release of Paramount's Daddy's Home 2 (4K). But wait there's more! Check back at the end of the week to get our take on a pair of theatrical releases: Natalie Portman ventures into dangerous territory in Annihilation, while Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams try to survive a raucous Game Night.
Before you run off until next week, here's for your customary reminder: 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 February 15th, 2018
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: single gal pals looking for love — among other things — in the big city. On television, the trope dates back to the days of Laverne & Shirley and continues with more contemporary entries like Sex and the City and Girls. The queens kweens of Comedy Central's Broad City have given that timeless story hook a funny, druggy and tremendously weird spin for the past four seasons. That includes this most recent batch of episodes, which is lighter on comedy than usual as it explores the origin of NYC besties Abbi and Ilana's relationship...and the way even the closest friends can inevitably drift apart.
Broad City chronicles the (mis)adventures of Abbi and Ilana (co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer), a pair of uncommonly attached best friends living and playing in New York City. Season 4 begins with a long-overdue flashback episode (“Sliding Doors”) that reveals how Abbi and Ilana met...along with a darker, alternative outcome for their friendship. (Abbi is saddled with the most unfortunate wig I've seen in a very long time.) The rest of the season still contains the bizarre flights of fancy that have become the show's signature. The most polarizing example is the half-animated Ep. 4/“Mushrooms,” which will feel like an especially bad trip if you're not on Abbi and Ilana's wavelength.
