Posted in: The Reel World by J C on February 11th, 2017
“Black...all important movies start with a black screen...”
I completely understand if you're Batman-ed out by now. The Caped Crusader barely had a chance to catch his breath since the end of Christopher Nolan's landmark superhero trilogy in 2012 and being pressed back into duty to help kickstart Warner Bros.' budding superhero universe last year. But between those two iterations, we got a glimpse at a fresh, knowingly funny version of a hero that takes himself entirely too seriously. Batman was a scene-stealing supporting player in 2014's block-buster The Lego Movie, and now he once again takes center stage in a sharp, hilarious, irreverent adventure that celebrates practically every version of the beloved character.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 10th, 2017
Don’t call it a comeback, but World War II movies are having a bit of a renaissance. (Seriously, don’t call it a comeback…they’ve been here for years.) There are seemingly endless ways to approach a WWII story — Hacksaw Ridge and Allied were in theatres recently, while the next few months will bring The Zookeeper’s Wife and Dunkirk — but the majority of movies that actually get made skew toward the American/British perspective. That’s the main reason Come What May — a somewhat sappy, intensely personal film from France — stands out from the pack.
“The German offensive of May 10th, 1940 drove almost eight million people from their homes.”
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on February 7th, 2017
They stole his car and killed his dog…what more motivation does an impossibly deadly ex-hitman need to come out of retirement?! And now, John Wick is coming for us! Fortunately, it’s a friendly visit as Lionsgate releases John Wick in 4K ahead of this Friday’s release of John Wick: Chapter 2, which we will also be reviewing. On top of that, Lionsgate goes back in time with American Pastoral, gives us nightmare fuel with The Crooked Man, and offers a monster double feature with Frankenstein: The Real Story/The Real Wolfman. HBO misbehaves with Vice Principals: Season 1, while Sony stays up From Dusk Till Dawn: Season 3, and RLJ Entertainment gallops to the Dead West. (Be sure to check out our chat with Dead West star Jeffrey Arrington.) CBS/Paramount boldly goes to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — The Complete Series, Cohen Media Group returns to the dawn of World War II with Come What May, and Warner Bros. saves the day thanks to Justice League Dark.
And speaking of “dark”, we have a pair of Reel World reviews coming this weekend to keep Mr. Wick company. Be sure to check back for our take on Fifty Shades Darker and to read whether everything in The Lego Batman Movie is awesome. Now it's time for your weekly reminder before signing off: 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 February 7th, 2017
To put things mildly, Warner Bros. still has a bit of a 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 (Smallville, Arrow, The Flash) and with their animated, direct-to-video offerings. The latest in that latter category is Justice League Dark, which mostly sidelines DC's best-known heroes in favor of a team of mystical outcasts led by a charming, abrasive rogue.
“The capes and tights group...useless against dark magic.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 3rd, 2017
“In chess, the small one can become the big one.”
It's hard to stand out in the Disney family when your big brothers and sisters are Star Wars, Marvel, and the studio's own blockbuster animated offerings. (Not to mention live-action re-imaginings of its own classic animated offerings.) While those properties have been making a racket at the box office, the Mouse House has also been quietly cranking out family-friendly, multi-cultural sports dramas in recent years, including 2014's Million Dollar Arm, and 2015's McFarland U.S.A. I'm not sure if Queen of Katwe is the best of that bunch (I really enjoyed McFarland) but it certainly has the most unlikely hero.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on January 31st, 2017
Welcome to an extra special edition of our Tuesday Round Up! This week, you have a chance to win $1 million! (OK, that's not exactly true.) Actually, we're giving away a brand new car! (Still not totally accurate.) How about a set of shiny new steak knives?! (Nope!) OK, OK, I'll come clean...especially since my nose has grown so much from all this fibbing that it is currently poking my laptop screen. What can I say? I was so inspired by Disney's Pinocchio: The Signature Collection release that I couldn't help but stretch the truth. (Check back soon for our review of the cartoon classic.) Disney is also several moves ahead of us with the release of family chess drama Queen of Katwe. Finally, HBO lives the high life with Ballers: Season 2.
One last reminder before signing off for the week (and for January): 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 23rd, 2017
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: single gals 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. It’s an effective, timeless story hook that has gotten a funny, druggy, tremendously weird spin thanks to the queens kweens of Comedy Central’s Broad City.
The stars of the show here are Abbi and Ilana (co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer), a pair of uncommonly attached besties living and playing in NYC. (Except for Ep. 6/“Philadelphia”, which finds the pair visiting Abbi’s suburban childhood home in Wayne, Pennsylvania.) Season 3 kicks off with a bit of literal toilet humor, as we get an amusing split-screen montage of Abbi and Ilana in their respective bathrooms.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 19th, 2017
“My husband used to tell me I have an overactive imagination…”
The idea at the core of The Girl on the Train is equal parts provocative and relatable: a lonely commuter observes an attractive couple from a distance and imagines what their seemingly perfect lives must be like. Anyone who’s ever done any people-watching will recognize the appeal of inventing a backstory for a stranger, and the story is a healthy reminder that things are never quite what they seem from the outside. But despite a powerhouse lead performance, this Train is ultimately derailed by an unsatisfying mystery and a lack of flair that causes this potentially juicy story to lose steam as it chugs along.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on January 17th, 2017
All aboard! We’re only a hair more than two weeks into 2017, but there’s already plenty of exciting stuff going on around these parts. (For example, check out our review of one of the top-of-the-line Ultra HD Blu-ray players on the market.) Fortunately, there’s still more than enough time for you get on this UpcomingDiscs train. Speaking of which, Universal hops aboard The Girl on the Train in 4K and plays a deadly game with Death Race 2050. Fox puts its faith in The Story of God: Season 1, while Magnolia Home Entertainment counts down to Zero Days. Candy Factory delivers The Babymooners, while Warner Bros. bids farewell to Rizzoli & Isles: The Final Season. Meanwhile, Paramount returns with Jack Reacher: Never Go Back in 4K and boldly goes to Star Trek: Enterprise — The Complete Series.
But wait…there’s more! We’ve got a couple of theatrical releases we’ll be reviewing for the weekend. So be sure to check back and see if we’re lovin’ The Founder, and how we rate XXX: The Return of Xander Cage.
Posted in: The Reel World by J C on January 13th, 2017
Too soon? That’s a question filmmakers looking to tackle a real-life tragedy from the recent past must ask themselves. The past several months have nevertheless brought us a mini-run of movies based on true calamities. Clint Eastwood’s Sully used the “Miracle on the Hudson” to explore the nature (and context) of heroism. Peter Berg’s Deepwater Horizon painstakingly chronicled the events that led to the famous oil rig disaster on the Gulf of Mexico. But the best movie of that bunch is Patriots Day, Berg’s visceral, all-encompassing, and thrilling account of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
Patriots’ Day is a state holiday that commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution, and it is most closely associated with Massachusetts. The Boston Red Sox play a morning game at home, and (more famously) the city hosts the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual event of its kind. The film’s surprisingly humorous opening scene takes place on the eve of the big day and introduces us to Boston P.D. Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg), who is stuck in the department’s doghouse for some unspecified reason. Part of Tommy’s punishment is being forced to work near the marathon’s finish line the following day.
