Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 8th, 2015
The Star Wars universe is famously vast, and that's before the Force even Awakens this Christmas and kicks off a new series of feature films. (And let's not even go down the Expanded Universe rabbit hole.) My point is that it's been almost 40 years since Star Wars premiered, and the army of artists who have taken on George Lucas' iconic creations haven't even come close to running out of material to explore. Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels is an engaging, thoroughly zippy entry that is likely to entertain its intended young target audience along with those who have been obsessed with the Force since a long time ago.
“The Emperor has foreseen a new threat rising against him. The children of the Force...they must not become Jedi.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 4th, 2015
If nothing else, The Curse of Downers Grove lives up (or rather down) to its morose title. It’s too bad because this (non-)thriller actually has a promising premise: every year, a supposed curse in the titular suburban Illinois town kills a senior at the local high school. The movie could’ve gone for darkly comic thrills or tried to construct a mystery around who the latest victim might be, to name just a couple of examples. Instead, this shoddy, inert flick squanders a variety of opportunities on the way to its preposterous conclusion.
The action here picks up with one week to go in the school year. Chrissie Swanson (Bella Heathcote) is a sharp, skeptical senior who doesn’t fully believe in the curse, despite witnessing the previous year’s victim plunge to his death. Did the curse kill him and the other teens or was it bad luck and good ol’ fashioned stupidity? I’m sure the fact that the high school was built on sacred Native American ground has nothing to do with anything.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 4th, 2015
The D Train was not what I expected...and thank goodness for that. The film boasts that it's from the “comedic geniuses who brought you Nacho Libre and Wayne's World,” although the only thing those two movies have in common is that they're both comedies with, um, people in them. Meanwhile, the glossy poster makes it look like an inspirational drama, which doesn't exactly mesh with the phallic-sounding title. In other words, there's nothing about The D Train that hints at the intriguing dramedy lurking underneath.
Dan Landsman (Jack Black) is the unpopular self-appointed chairman of his high school's alumni association. The group is struggling to lure former students to their upcoming reunion when Dan spots former cool kid Oliver Lawless (James Marsden) on TV in a Banana Boat sunscreen ad. (Given the comically inflated significance of the commercial, I assume/hope The D Train producers were handsomely compensated by Banana Boat.) The commercial is a light bulb moment for Dan: if he can get a “hot-shot” actor like Oliver to attend the reunion, more people will follow and Dan will be a hero to the committee colleagues who mock and shun him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 2nd, 2015
“You got the St. Louis blues, the Chicago blues, the gin house blues, the “my man done left me” blues...they all the same song, ain't they?”
By now, anyone who's seen a musical biopic realizes these films also whistle a pretty similar-sounding tune. The bad news here is that Bessie is no exception, rushing from one familiar Troubled Artist Beat (hardscrabble childhood, rise to stardom, substance abuse, troubled marriage, etc.) to the next. The really good news is that this HBO biopic of “Empress of Blues” Bessie Smith is elevated by some truly powerhouse performances.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on September 1st, 2015
What a lovely day! The 3D Blu-ray for Mad Max: Fury Road leads a stacked pack of 23(!!) new releases that we’ll be reviewing here at UpcomingDiscs, breaking a record set way back in…ok, it was two weeks ago. Fortunately, we’ve gotten a pretty good head start: you can already read our takes on CBS/Paramount's The Originals: Season 2 and Hawaii Five-O: Season 5, Anchor Bay’s Lost After Dark and Felt, Lionsgate’s Panic 5 Bravo, Image Entertainment’s Run Hide Die, Shout! Factory's Out of the Vault: Halloween collection, and IndiePix’s Falling Star. CBS/Paramount will also hop on The D Train, sting us with Scorpion: Season 1, offer up a Good Kill, introduce us to Madame Secretary: Season 1, and (roundhouse)kick butt with a Walker: Texas Ranger 4-Film Collection.
In addition to Mad Max, Warner Bros. presents a bloody good dose of The Vampire Diaries: Season 6. You won’t have to visit a website far, far away to read about Star Wars — Rebels: Season 1 from ABC/Disney, which is also turning over the keys to Castle: Season 7. Anchor Bay attempts to avoid The Curse of Downer’s Grove, HBO sings the blues with Bessie, A&E Home Video saddles up for Texas Rising, and Comedy Central Studios intimidates with I Am Dale Earnhardt. Last but not least, Entertainment One rises to The Surface while XLrator Media goes for a Five Star rating.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 31st, 2015
“And you thought the '80s were dead.”
The tongue-in-cheek tagline for this film is the first of many signs that this throwback slasher flick doesn't take itself too seriously. I've always thought the best parodies are the ones that show genuine affection, rather than superiority, toward the genre they're mocking. Lost After Dark sometimes wobbles as it walks the tricky tightrope between homage and legit horror movie, but there's no doubt the filmmakers enjoyed their many sleepless nights with the likes of Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees, Leatherface, and more.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 27th, 2015
“This film was inspired by a court case, the public stages of which have been filmed, broadcast, reported and commented on throughout the media worldwide. Nonetheless, the characters portrayed in the film and all sequences depicting their private lives remain entirely fictional.”
The disclaimer that appears at the top of Welcome to New York is only the first indication that this flawed, unflinching drama — based on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair — seeks to blur the line between fact and fiction.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 27th, 2015
“I guess I could use some of that magical happiness you always seem to have.”
David DeSanctis, the novice performer with Down syndrome making his feature film debut here, is easily the best thing about Where Hope Grows. Both the actor and the character he plays radiate genuine warmth and irrepressible positivity. Those qualities help boost this well-meaning redemption drama, which suffers from one too many storylines and an unintentionally appalling ending.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 25th, 2015
We have some hungry, undead guests shuffling into this week’s Round Up. Anchor Bay will release the latest batch of episodes from one of the most popular shows on television with The Walking Dead: Season 5. We’ll also have a review of Anchor Bay’s high-stakes Big Game. Meanwhile, CBS/Paramount brings us a trio of network hits with Elementary: Season 3, Criminal Minds: Season 10, and The Good Wife: Season 6. MPI Home Video offers a hearty Welcome to New York, Cinedigm introduces us to Camilla Dickinson, Oscilloscope Laboratories unleashes Animals, Lionsgate reveals Where Hope Grows, and Warner Bros. assembles Lego animated flick Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom!
As always, don’t be shy about letting us know which of these titles you’re most excited to watch or read about. And since we know people love free stuff almost as much as ravenous zombies walkers enjoy the taste of human flesh, don’t forget: once a month we’re going to give away a free DVD title from among the comments in our weekly Round-Up posts. You tell us what you’re interested in, and you might just get something free for sharing. The winners and their prizes will be announced the first week of every month right here in our Tuesday Round-Up post.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 25th, 2015
DC Comics buffs have been obsessively analyzing every frame of the latest Batman v. Superman trailer for clues that nod to a live-action appearance by their favorite hero. But for fans of Lego's “DC Comics Superheroes” brand — which includes various movies, TV shows and videogames — the idea of a superpowered team-up is old hat. In fact, Lego is so far ahead of the curve that its newest offering — Attack of the Legion of Doom! — explores what happens when the bad guys form their own all-star team.
“Villains...working together?!”
