Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on September 11th, 2018
“It's hard to believe your pathological inability to make a decision finally paid off.”
Since its debut, Silicon Valley has brilliantly lampooned the tech industry by showing us both the proverbial “guys in a garage” and the self-important, aggressively eccentric billionaires obsessed with staying ahead of the curve. Given the fact that we're now in season 5 — and the Pied Piper gang has improbably managed to stay in business this long — the days inside the boys' fratty “hacker hostel” seem especially far off. But while Silicon Valley still delivers an entertaining mix of brainy and bawdy laughs, the series seems to be running out of ways to show us how these brilliant dorks can continue to fail upwards.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 7th, 2018
“Our group of friends has been playing the same game of tag for 30 years.”
The tag(haha)line on the Blu-ray cover for this film states, “Based on a True Story. We're Not Kidding.” The idea of a life-long game of tag is so ridiculous, the people who made this movie can hardly believe it themselves. But while Tag has some fun presenting a children's game as if it were a big-budget action flick, the film ultimately (and ironically) falters when it veers away from the silly real-life premise and tries to shoehorn dramatic moments to make it feel more like a movie.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on September 4th, 2018
With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, summer has officially come to an end. Yes, friends...fall is upon us. But while we won't start properly celebrating the spooky season until next month, we are getting a jump on our monster hunting duties this week. Thanks to Warner Bros., we are hitching a ride with the Winchester brothers for Supernatural: Season 13. Warner also takes us back to the first “Bazinga!” with Young Sheldon: Season 1. CBS heads back to the West Coast with NCIS: LA — Season 9, picks the right jury with Bull: Season 2, and books 'em (Danno) with Hawaii 5-0: Season 8. Finally, RLJE Films digs deep with Trench 11, and you can already check out our interview with director/co-writer Leo Scherman.
Before you run off until next week, here's 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: Disc Reviews by J C on August 30th, 2018
You can’t call your TV show Masters of Sex and not expect to elicit a few chuckles. (You also can’t be surprised if people go looking for it on Skinemax Cinemax rather than Showtime.) But placing its titillating title aside, Masters of Sex turned out to be an engaging, often-excellent, and low-key adventurous period drama for four seasons. The show shined brightest when it was conveying the thrill of discovery and exploration. (Also, it turns out there was a fair amount of sex.)
The series is based on the Thomas Maier biography, “Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love.” (Excellent call by Showtime and the creators paring title down.) The real-life duo studied human sexuality from the late 1950s until the 1990s. The show’s first season chronicles their first meeting, as well as the relentless effort it took to get their pioneering sex study off the ground.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 28th, 2018
Since 1990, it's taken four different actors to bring Jack Ryan to the big screen. This week, Tom Clancy's CIA analyst arrives at UpcomingDiscs headquarters in UHD. Thanks to Paramount, we'll be reviewing the Jack Ryan 5-Film Collection in 4K. Magnolia appeals to a Higher Power, while over on the small screen Warner speeds through The Flash: Season 4 and makes a deal with the devil in Lucifer: Season 3. Finally, CBS taps into its dark side with Criminal Minds: Season 13.
We've also got a theatrical release on the docket as a father goes on an online hunt for his missing teenage daughter in Warner's Searching. 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 August 24th, 2018
“Who do you think you are, Jackie Chan?!”
I'm going to do my very best to describe how insane this movie is, but it still might not be enough. I want to try and be fair because there aren't many people who have worked harder to entertain audiences than Jackie Chan. The 64-year-old martial arts legend has more than 100 acting credits to his name in a career that has spanned well over 50 years. Naturally, there are bound to be some turkeys along the way. Unfortunately, Bleeding Steel — an obnoxiously incoherent sci-fi departure for the action star — firmly (and gloriously) falls into the turkey category.
Chan stars as Lin, a Hong Kong special agent with an ailing daughter who is in critical condition. Lin is rushing to the hospital to be by her side when he gets an urgent work call about a witness that needs to be protected. The witness is Dr. James, a geneticist who has been working on creating a mechanical heart(!) and bioengineered blood to create super soldiers. Lin chooses duty over his daughter and rushes to protect Dr. James just in time to be ambushed by a deranged, mech-enhanced villain named...Andre (Callan Mulvey), who looks like Darth Vader without his helmet on. Lin and his team face off against Andre's stormtrooper-sequel army, Dr. James gets caught in the crossfire, and half a dozen explosions later we finally get the Bleeding Edge title card. (Yes, everything I've just described happens in the first 15 minutes!)
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 21st, 2018
The Fall TV season is upon us! While the number of channels and streaming services producing original content has erupted in recent years, the five major broadcast networks still roll out a glut of new and returning small screen offerings each September. This week's Round Up features a handful of shows that has us playing catch up before next month. Warner Bros. makes its mark with Blindspot: Season 3, while a young dark knight continues to rise in Gotham: Season 4. Over on CBS, family comes first in Blue Bloods: Season 8, while justice is served in NCIS: Season 15. Meanwhile, Mill Creek isn't afraid to experiment with Masters of Sex: The Complete Series. We've also got a couple of big screen offerings arriving on Blu-ray from Lionsgate as Jackie Chan springs into action in Bleeding Steel, while Ethan Hawke questions his faith in First Reformed. Fox comes alive with Deadpool 2 The Super Duper $@%!#& Cut out on UHD/4K.
Don't forget: 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 August 20th, 2018
“We take a look back at the films that helped shape, change, and innovate the world of documentary.”
Between the rise of streaming services like Netflix and the growing number of nonfiction films making noise at the box office, documentaries have never been hotter…or more accessible. At the very least, they certainly don’t feel like the cinematic equivalent of eating your vegetables anymore. As a result, this feels the perfect time for Mill Creek to release the first two seasons of IFC’s obsessively hilarious comedy series Documentary Now!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 16th, 2018
“Nothing...no one...will ever separate us. We are one.”
Four young siblings take this vow shortly after arriving in America from Great Britain, having just experienced their latest tragedy. Unfortunately for them, these words are spoken less than 10 minutes into Marrowbone, so you just know their vow is bound to be severely tested. But while the movie looks and sounds like a typical horror flick on the surface — and is even largely set in what seems like a classic haunted house — Marrowbone is much more of a soulful, spooky family drama than it is a bloody good time.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 14th, 2018
Figuring out which movie to highlight in this week's Round Up was a snap. We'll be reviewing Disney/Marvel's spectacular superhero smackdown Avengers: Infinity War on Blu-ray. The Mouse House will also host play time with Muppet Babies: Time to Play. Elsewhere, CBS returns to the Big Easy with NCIS: New Orleans — Season 4 and goes on high-stakes missions with Seal Team: Season 1. Shout! Factory visits the House of Tomorrow, while HBO gets in on the action with Strike Back: Season 5. Finally, Mill Creek makes a mockery out of some of the most well-known nonfiction flicks with Documentary Now! Seasons 1 & 2.
Before you run off until next week, here's 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!
