Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2010
"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone."
Posted in: Disc Reviews by BABY on November 23rd, 2010
"Sometimes you just gotta let a dog do his thing."
Hey everybody. Baby back again to bring you yet another dog movie from a dog's point of view, which is the floor, in case anybody out there really wants to know. You see, Gino won't let me on the furniture in the theater. He says that just because the seats look like chew toys, and smell like chew toys, doesn't mean they actually are chew toys. I mean, really, people. You wanna talk about your special effects, which reminds me of something else I'm not supposed to do in the theater, but let's not talk about that right now.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2010
"Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? Did ancient aliens really help to shape our history? And if so, what if there were clues left behind, something hiding in plain sight? What if we could find that evidence?"
Ever since Eric von Daniken released his speculative book and its subsequent 1970 film Chariots of the Gods, there has been an entire field of study created around something commonly called Ancient Astronaut Theory. The idea is that extraterrestrials have visited many of our ancient civilizations. The theory continues that these visitors had a hand in shaping our development whether it be through technology or even manipulation of our very DNA. These believers point to a world of evidence to support their claims. There are tons of images from earlier civilizations that could certainly be interpreted as depicting modern devices, concepts, or even spacemen. There is plenty of speculation that some of the knowledge and accomplishments of these peoples could not have been possible without some outside interference. There are even those who believe that aliens best explain our religious beliefs and that God himself was/is an extraterrestrial being. Whatever your own beliefs on the subject, there are certainly some fascinating points to be made. There is no question that the speculations and observations bring up some interesting queries that deserve our attention. This series attempts to document much of this evidence and the beliefs these findings have inspired.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 22nd, 2010
Imagine a world where Winston Churchill battles deadly machines from space intent on dominating the universe, a place where Santa is a deadly menace, and a rather eccentric fellow travels about in a police call box with a rather deceptively spacious interior. To Dr. Who fans of all ages, this is all very familiar territory. I fell in love with Dr. Who as played by Tom Baker from 1974 – 1981. He was the fourth actor to portray the Doctor and arguably the most popular. With a pocket full of jelly babies and a trusty sonic screwdriver, the Doctor rather muddled his way about with a massive wool scarf around his neck, all the while solving the mysteries of the universe. It was through PBS stations in the late 70’s that Americans were first introduced to these adventures on a regular basis. Before long the Doctor would develop a cult following of sorts, particularly at college campuses. The Doctor was an alien from the planet Gallefrey. A time lord, he traveled through space and time in his TARDIS, disguised as a police call box by a chameleon device. He was accompanied by a line of companions that would serve as the representative of the audience. These women provided a place for the Doctor to bounce his ideas off of, and from time to time they would require a bit of rescuing. The show was noted for its low budget f/x and over-the-top villains. The cardboard sets often appeared as if they would collapse at any moment. All of this created more than a little bit of campy cheese. But for some reason there was a charm to the entire play that was oddly compelling. To ensure longevity, the character was able to regenerate when faced with death. The new Doctor would not only look different, but he would sport an entire new range of mannerisms. This way the series would continue through several changes in the actor playing him. It all worked, and Dr. Who became the longest running scripted science fiction show ever in the world. Of course all good things do come to an end, and so did Dr. Who, in spite of an American television film attempt to bring the character back. But what started with Peter Cushing in a couple of films finally ended for good…
…but not so fast.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 22nd, 2010
In 1887, readers of the popular periodical Beeton's Christmas Annual were to receive quite a special treat. There wasn't much fanfare or hype to the event. Inside the pages of the magazine was a story called A Study In Scarlet. It was a detective story, perhaps like many published before, except for the detective himself, a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Together with his faithful companion and chronicler Dr. Watson, Holmes would win the hearts of those holiday readers. It might have been an ordinary day, but the world was about to change. Sherlock Holmes would become the most famous detective in the world. His stories would remain in print nearly 130 years later. Over 100 films would be made featuring the character. There would be television shows and cartoon spoofs. No other character has appeared in more productions. When his creator dared to kill the beloved detective in order to move on to newer stories, his very life was threatened. It would seem that Doyle was on the verge of becoming a victim much like those in his stories. There was only one man who could save him from such a grim fate, and he did just that. It was Sherlock Holmes himself.
Today, Holmes has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence. There's been a stage production of Hounds Of The Baskervilles. Robert Downey, Jr. played a more modern action-figure version of Holmes in a very successful blockbuster film. A sequel is on the way. It seems that Holmes has more lives than a cat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 22nd, 2010
Some of you might know that even though I couldn't fight my way through a sturdy paper bag, I am an avid fan of all types of martial arts and combat sports. There is something about the grittiness of two men pounding each other into submission that keeps me riveted to my seat. My curiosity was peaked when I saw a copy of Human Weapon, Season One appear on my doorstep. Hopefully this History Channel show would help me appreciate martial art combat that much more.
Imagine traveling the globe from week to week learning about various martial art styles from the originating country. Once you get to that country, you spend a whole week in intense training from a variety of experts that happen to live there. Then you take all that you gathered that week and use it against somebody who has studied the martial art for years, perhaps even a master and try to beat him. Sound impossible? Well tell that to Jason Chambers and Bill Duff.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 21st, 2010
As a kid and teenager, I watched a steady diet of cartoons (I still do). I never really adventured much into the high school television programs and movies except maybe ones like Saved by the Bell or Head of the Class. Most of them were too sweet and perfect and last time I checked I’m not perfect so I couldn’t relate (the sweet jury is still out). Hopefully 16 Wishes which did quite well on the Disney Channel would be a little different. I wouldn’t count on it.
Abby Jensen (played by Debby Ryan) is about to wake up to a very special day. It is her 16th birthday!! (Papers and streamers everywhere, oh glorious!) In fact, this little lady right here has something more than a 16th birthday, she has 16 wishes printed on construction paper!! (More streamers!!). They are wonderful wishes but there is a special one at number sixteen, a picture of Logan Buchanan (played by Keenan Tracey), high school quarterback, yadda yadda yadda. She must want to make kissy face with this boy, we'll see if she ever gets her chance.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 18th, 2010
They’ve been called The Greatest Generation, and who are we to argue the point? Sitting here writing reviews from my comfortable seat in a state-of-the-art home theater, I’m in no position to lay claim to the title. They fought in the bloodiest conflict in modern human history. Over 20 million were killed. That’s a staggering number. If you’re like me, it’s not even real. I can honestly say that those facts have never really reached home as much as they did while watching this footage.
World War II has been a favorite topic for Hollywood films since before the war itself ended. There have been some truly remarkable efforts and some equally unremarkable disasters. Many of these films have been long forgotten. Heck, many of them deserve to be forgotten. But something that should never be forgotten is the stuff of this footage. To do so would be a sacrilege of the worst kind. But these war films, no matter how startling the scenes, no matter how real we might think they are, no matter how visceral the experience might appear, nothing can ever capture the reality like this footage has done.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 17th, 2010
It was in 1843 that celebrated writer Charles Dickens created one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas with his publication of A Christmas Carol. It was a cautionary tale for an industrial revolution that was getting caught up in its material worship. Dickens intended the story both to entertain and to put the spotlight on what he considered already then was an over-commercialization of the Christmas season. Little did he know that his very story would become a huge part of that commercialization. While the writer gave us many memorable characters like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Little Nell, perhaps none have become so well known as Scrooge and Tiny Tim. It's certainly true that no other story has been used as much in film, television and on the stage.
For most modern folks it all started in 1951, almost 100 years after the story's publication, with the definitive film staring Alastair Sim. That movie has captured the hearts of several generations. But it didn't begin nor did it stop there. The three Christmas ghosts have haunted over 100 film and television versions over the years. Even Fred Sanford was visited by the specters, resulting in at least a temporary temperance of his biting grouchiness. With such a classic tale, it was only a matter of time before the computer-animated genre and the motion-capture technology were used to deliver a new movie for the holiday masses. Thank our lucky stars, my gentle reader, that it was Walt Disney Studios that took up the task. The results could have been rather unfortunate.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 16th, 2010
My dad was a Vietnam veteran. He did his time and came home to his wife (and eventually me). Because of when I was born, I never knew my father before the war. Therefore, I can’t really speak on his personality changes after he went off to fight the good fight. But in the same breath, I can tell you that we really don’t talk about that time except in very broad brush strokes. War is heck and hopefully my experience with The Dry Land is one that isn’t such a painful undertaking.
James (played by Ryan O’Nan) is an Army man and has come home from Iraq and arrives in the El Paso airport. He is greeted by his wife, Sarah (played by America Ferrera) and his best friend Michael (played by Jason Ritter). They exchange pleasantries and affection and go home to their doublewide trailer so that James can adjust to civilian life once again.
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