Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on December 11th, 2018
It’s been almost 15 years since the legendary Gene Hackman was last seen on screen. (His last film was 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport, which is bad…but not bad enough to quit movies altogether!) While the on-screen drought for Hackman continues, the Oscar-winning actor can at least be heard in one of this week’s Round Up offerings. Shout! Factory takes us through the journey of joining We, The Marines (4K), which is narrated by Hackman. Elsewhere, CBS heads west for Yellowstone: Season 1 and trusts its Instinct: Season 1. Finally, Lionsgate goes on a violent spree with Deadman Standing, while Comedy Central gets into business with Nathan For You.
One last reminder before signing off for the week: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon — a Christmas present for a loved one, perhaps — 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 December 7th, 2018
“They destroyed the man I was, but then I was reborn. And this time I came out breathing fire.”
Season 1 of Westworld — HBO’s mega-budget adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name — spent a lot of time exploring the nature of reality and humanity through a high-tech theme park’s robotic hosts. And while the show still has plenty of time for those themes, the second season can be tidily summed up with a phrase that nods to another Part II of an iconic sci-fi franchise: The Hosts Strike Back.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on December 4th, 2018
The mission for this week’s Round Up, which we quickly chose to accept, was to let you know about some of the new releases we'll soon be reviewing on this very website. Thanks to Paramount, that list includes the latest Tom Cruise spy adventure Mission: Impossible — Fallout (4K), which will be helicoptering (and HALO jumping…and motorcycle riding…) its way onto these pages before long. Elsewhere, Warner Bros. finds some spooky religion with The Nun and returns to the world’s most dangerous theme park with Westworld: Season 2 (4K). Finally, RLJE Films snags tickets for The Ride.
While this is the start of a new month, you're going to get the same ol' reminder: if you’re shopping for anything on Amazon — maybe a Christmas present for a loved one — 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 November 29th, 2018
“I get it. You’re taking me back in time to show me my mother and father, and I’m supposed to get all goosey and blubbery. Well, forget it, pal…you got the wrong guy!”
Bill Murray was the absolute best at being a jerk on screen during the 1980s, which made him the right guy to step into the role of a modern-day Scrooge. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” had been adapted countless times before Scrooged and there have been dozens of versions since the movie’s 1988 release. But while this sarcastic, intentionally gaudy update isn’t exactly the most faithful version of Dickens’ classic tale, it remains a personal childhood favorite.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on November 29th, 2018
“It’s handled, baby.”
Scandal, which followed the exploits of elite Washington D.C. fixer Olivia Pope and her torrid on-again/off-again relationship with the president of the United States, was never the Best Drama on television. But if the Emmys handed out a prize for “Most Drama,” this Shonda Rhimes-created soap opera would’ve been a shoo-in each of its seven seasons. So the fact that ABC released the final two seasons of Scandal in a handy bundle means there are almost too many twists and turns to count.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 28th, 2018
“…I’ll show you how to be rich.”
HBO’s fantastic and fiercely funny Succession is about a group of people who are great at being rich…and not much else. The show’s fictional Roy family controls the powerful conglomerate Waystar Royco, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the late Rupert Murdoch’s media and entertainment empire. The show would be entertaining enough if it merely lampooned the spoiled brats who stumble into becoming masters of the universe. But Succession goes to another level by wringing legitimately powerful family drama out of an objectively absurd and despicable cast of characters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 23rd, 2018
“Not all heroes wear capes.”
To put things mildly, Warner Bros. still has a bit of ways to go before its stable of DC Comics superheroes catches up to Disney’s dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Warner and DC have long had the upper hand on both the small screen (The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow) and with their animated, direct-to-video offerings. One of those small-screen flicks — 2015’s Justice League: Throne of Atlantis — has just been granted a nifty “Commemorative Edition” 4K release before Aquaman splashes onto the big screen next month.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 14th, 2018
Pixar’s animated films have a staggeringly-high approval rating among both fans and critics. Much of that goodwill extends to the short films that play before each theatrical release (or can be found on subsequent Blu-ray versions). The shorts often compress the warmth, humor, and creativity of the Pixar brand into a neat six- or seven-minute package. For the third time, Disney and Pixar have helpfully packaged a group of short films into a collection that will alternately have you laughing out loud and reaching for a box of tissues.
Pixar Short Films Collection — Volume 3 features 11 previously released Pixar shorts and two all-new mini movies. (These go all the way back to 2012’s Partysaurus Rex.) There is no Play All option, so you have to use the “Short Selection” option from the Main Menu to select the film you want to watch each time. Each short includes an optional introduction with the director talking about his or her inspiration for the film you’re about to see. (I highly recommend you watch the intros before each short film.)
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on November 13th, 2018
This week’s Round Up is boldly going where we haven’t gone before to review the newest addition to the Stark Trek canon. Thanks to CBS, we’ll be transporting to Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1, the streaming series that will soon feature a very familiar face. CBS also follows the clues to Elementary: Season 6. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. takes a UHD bite out of shark adventure The Meg (4K), Time Life goes back to school with Saved by the Bell: The Complete Series, and Disney keeps things brief (and emotional) with Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 3.
There’s also magic in the air on the big screen thanks to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, while a group of Widows look to settle some debts. 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 November 8th, 2018
“You’re not good...you’re super.”
For a while, it honestly felt like Disney/Pixar was messing with us. When The Incredibles swooped into theaters in 2004, it was simultaneously one of the best animated/action/superhero movies I’d ever seen. Plenty of people shared that opinion, so a sequel seemed like a no-brainer. That’s why it seemed like a cruel joke when we got not one but two forgettable Cars sequels before The Incredibles got a chance to suit up again. Guess what…the wait is officially over!
