Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on August 8th, 2018
“My knee shall bow to none but to the king.”
In 1996, Aussie filmmaker Baz Luhrmann unleashed a star-studded, outrageously modernized version of “Romeo and Juliet” that retained William Shakespeare's original language while replacing the story's swords with gleeful gunplay. But five years earlier, Derek Jarman — an English director who left his mark on both stage and screen — beat Luhrmann to the Elizabethan punch with an even more provocative update of “Edward II,” a play written by Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on August 7th, 2018
Melissa McCarthy tends to be the life of the party whenever she appears on screen. So it’s no surprise that she’ll be livening up our weekly Tuesday Round Up with her latest comedy: Warner Bros. is releasing Life of the Party on Blu-ray this week! Warner is also looking to comics for inspiration by steeling itself for the Death of Superman and returning to Riverdale: Season 2 to check in on Archie, Veronica, and the rest of the gang. Elsewhere, Magnolia cuts down to the Marrowbone, while Shout! Factory goes on summer vacation with Boxcar Children: Surprise Island. Universal looks to break out with Breaking In, while Mill Creek enlists for WWI: The War to End All Wars, seeks out American Hunter: Season 1, and gets the lay of the land with Flora.
And now it's time 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: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 31st, 2018
Having Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) as the star of your TV show is enough of a reason for us here at Upcomingdiscs to check it out. But the only thing better than getting J.K. Simmons to front your show is having *two* J.K. Simmons butting heads! One of the new releases we’ll be reviewing this week is the Starz doppelganger drama Counterpart: Season 1, courtesy of Lionsgate. Meanwhile, Acorn will be putting their trust and Keeping Faith: Season 1.
Later on in the week, we’ll have our tissues ready for an emotional return to the Hundred Acre Wood with Disney’s Christopher Robin. 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 July 25th, 2018
“The charm of this little escapade is rapidly wearing thin.”
Who doesn’t love a good heist comedy? The genre comes ready-made with stylish characters trading clever quips while trying to out-smart one another (and the audience). And with its surprisingly starry cast, The Con is On looked to be an especially promising entry into the heist comedy canon. So how did it go so wrong? Well for starters, the con artists here are just as (if not more) unlikable than the screwy suckers they are targeting.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 24th, 2018
What do the Iron Giant, King Kong, Chucky, and about a thousand other pop culture icons have in common? Well, they can all be found in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One (4K), which is getting a splashy and flashy UHD release this week courtesy of Warner Bros. Elsewhere in 4K Land, Shout! Factory dares to Dream Big (IMAX)(4K) and embarks on a National Parks Adventure (IMAX)(4K). Finally, Lionsgate gives us the gift of grift with heist comedy The Con is On.
Later on this week, we’ll also have reviews for a pair of big screen releases: Lionsgate’s Blindspotting and (should you choose to accept it) Mission: Impossible — Fallout. 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: No Huddle Reviews by J C on July 20th, 2018
“I would say I outdid myself, but I'm always this good...so I simply did myself.”
Season 1 of NBC's The Good Place received top marks from me for its inventive, good-hearted, and hilarious approach to comedy. But what really put the show over the top was a game-changing finale twist that rivaled anything we've seen on the big screen in terms of shock value. (There's no way to avoid discussing this swerve going forward, so if you've never seen the show, go binge the first season real quick.) Blowing up everything we thought we knew about an already Good great show was a risky move, but I'm delighted to report that season 2 maintains (and builds upon) the show's excellence.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on July 18th, 2018
“Don't be jealous of a ghost.”
In Ismael's Ghosts, a French filmmaker's wife strolls back into his life 21 years after her sudden disappearance...much to the chagrin of the director and his current girlfriend. The tension created by the long-lost wife's return — combined with the question of where she's been and why she returned — is intriguing enough to carry this film. Unfortunately, Ismael's Ghosts is filled with way too many silly, half-baked tangents and ends up being as messy and frustrating as its main character.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 17th, 2018
You’ve probably noticed that Upcomingdiscs HQ is already pretty canine-friendly, but this week’s Round Up has truly gone to the dogs. Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs (Blu-ray) arrives courtesy of Fox, and I'm sure your tails are wagging in anticipation of what we have to say. Meanwhile, big meets bigger in Warner Bros.’ Rampage (4K), starring Dwayne Johnson...and some even larger beasts. Finally, Shout! Factory is on its best behavior in order to get to The Good Place: Season 2.
But wait…there’s more! Denzel Washington returns to theaters as a badass avenging angel in The Sequelizer The Equalizer 2, and we’ll have a review posted later this week. And now it's time 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: Disc Reviews by J C on July 13th, 2018
“This may very well be our last mission, Ethan…make it count.”
You wouldn’t know it from looking at him, but Tom Cruise was 53 years old when he did this film. So it’s only natural to wonder how many more Missions the indomitable superstar has left in him. Well, if Rogue Nation is any indication, the above quote is meant to be more winking than prophetic. Just like its tireless star, the fifth installment of the 19-year-old Mission: Impossible film franchise is spryer, tighter, and more energetic than its age might suggest with the sixth just about to drop at the box office.
Posted in: Tuesday Round Up by J C on July 10th, 2018
Shhhhhh…don’t make a sound. No, you didn’t wander into a library, but we are trying to keep things down this week at Upcomingdiscs HQ in honor of a certain surprise horror blockbuster. Paramount made a lot of noise with A Quiet Place in theaters, and we’ll soon have a review of the film in 4K. Elsewhere, Magnolia comes back to haunt us with Ismael’s Ghosts. There's also a pair of theatrical releases we'll be reviewing later in the week: Dwayne Johnson goes to great heights to entertain us in Skyscraper, while Sundance breakout Sorry to Bother You finds its voice.
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!
