Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 10th, 2017
Hans Zimmer has composed the music for some of the most iconic films of the last 20 years. That list includes Gladiator, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Crimson Tide, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Dunkirk, and even some of The Lion King. He's the go-to composer for directors like Ridley Scott and Christopher Nolan. His music is on par with household names like John Williams. I own a few scores that I've felt compelled enough to pick up over the years, and one of my favorites has been Gladiator for some time. When I heard that Eagle Rock Entertainment was going to release a Blu-ray containing a tour stop of this incredible music live, I was quick to sign up to review. Still, I had little idea what to expect. A veteran of many rock concerts since the 1970's, I've never really watched or attended a concert dedicated to film scores before. Would it be more like going to the symphony to hear the likes of Bach or Mozart, or would it be something more akin to a progressive rock band with orchestral elements like ELO? The answer came down somewhere in between, and it turned out to be the most unique concert experience I've had the pleasure to review.
The concert begins more like a rock concert. Zimmer comes out, not to direct, but to play along with the other musicians. He ends up on piano, guitar, and a few other instruments before the show concludes. In the start the music is rather fast and furious. The stage is lined with an eclectic array of instruments played by a decidedly international collection of musicians. There are a couple of violins and an electric cello. But there are also several drum sets, electric bass, and a couple of electric guitars to round out the sound. And for the first few tracks taken from Driving Miss Daisy, Sherlock Holmes and Madagascar, the concert resembles a Jeff Lynne-assembled rock concert more than anything else. The band goes from one piece to another with nary a pause or introduction. In fact many tracks throughout the concert run together, and you might want to keep the track list (provided on a nice insert) handy to follow along. After this first high-energy performance, Zimmer finally stops to chat a moment with the audience. That's when the back curtain is lifted, and we discover that there is a full orchestra tucked away behind the "band" along with an extensive choir. That's when the concert moves into the more classical feel for such films as Thin Red Line, Angels And Demons, and, of course, selections from Gladiator. But there remains a bit of an edge to the music, provided by that front line of spotlighted musicians.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 8th, 2017
“Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality.”
As things in our world become exponentially more chaotic and inexplicable by the day, the theory that we're all living in a computer simulation becomes a little harder to completely dismiss. The idea that our reality is an illusion dates back to the 17th century but most recently gained traction thanks to a 2003 paper published by Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom. It's also been a popular theme in classic sci-fi works like Blade Runner, Total Recall, and The Matrix. To that list, we can now add HBO's Westworld, a slick and star-studded sci-fi/Western mash-up that features the requisite shoot-em-ups and pay cable sexcapades, but is actually most interested in exploring the nature of humanity.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2017
"All of human history has led to this moment. The irony is we created you. And nature has been punishing us ever since. This is our last stand. And if we lose... it will be a Planet of Apes."
I was always a fan of the original Planet Of The Apes series of films. While they often flirted with a camp style, I was impressed with John Chambers' makeup effects and the performances of Roddy McDowall as both Cornelius and Caesar. Then came the television show, and I was just as enchanted, and that was helped along by McDowall's appearance as a third ape, Galen. The show didn't last a season, and before long the Apes franchise was left in some kind of limbo. Then along came Tim Burton, and I was excited to see what he could do with the material. Could this be the beginning of a new series of films? No, it was horrible, and the franchise suffered another lingering death. I had now given up hope that the Apes would ever return. Then came Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, and I was suddenly enchanted once again. Little did I know that combined with Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and now War For The Planet Of The Apes, science fiction's greatest trilogy would emerge. Where will they go from here?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2017
"C'mon, you apes, you wanna live forever? I have only one rule. Everybody fights, no one quits. The bugs have breached Mars, and the Federation's fleet is too far to help. It's up to us to save the planet. On the bounce, Troopers! The only good bug is a dead bug! Oorah!"
Robert Heinlein wrote the Starship Troopers novel in 1959. Since that time it has taken on many forms from pulp fiction to comic books. It was finally translated on film in 1997 by director Paul Verhoeven and scripted by Edward Neumeier. The film wasn't greatly received at the time but became a bit of a cult classic thanks in no small part to home video. There were attempts at live-action sequels, but none of them enjoyed any real success at all. One of the problems with the franchise on film is the inability to really showcase some of the iconic equipment described in the original novel. And while Verhoeven's film actually did a pretty good job with the alien bug race, the film wasn't able to feature the amazing suit technology that was the core of the Federation military's fighting force. So the suits just never became a part of the cinematic universe of Starship Troopers. That all changes with Starship Troopers: Traitor Of Mars.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on October 5th, 2017
“This is a corpse infected with the plague. It is uncaring, unfeeling.”
When it comes to the overwhelming majority of zombie fiction, it’s all about brains (or rather, BRAAAINS!!!) It’s what the undead hunger for, and a well-placed headshot is usually the only way to kill them (again). And that doesn’t even cover the popular device of using the walking dead as an allegory for an increasingly mindless society. Warm Bodies stands out because it’s more concerned with an entirely different bodily organ. Based on Isaac Marion’s popular novel of the same name, the zombie romantic comedy deals directly with matters of the heart.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 29th, 2017
“These movies that I’ve done, they are massive movies. They take a lot out of you.”
That’s director Michael Bay talking about his decade-long work on the Transformers franchise on the eve of the fifth(!) film’s arrival. The movie also doubles as Bay’s swan song in the director’s chair, so when he says, “They take a lot out of you,” the filmmaker is presumably talking about the massive amount of energy and manpower (and horsepower) these big-budget bonanzas require. The problem is “They take a lot out of you” has also applied more and more to each subsequent movie in this series. Transfomers: The Last Knight isn’t just a bad movie…it is painful and exhausting to watch.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by John Delia on September 28th, 2017
Taking a few ideas from superhero films, the animated adventure Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie flies onto DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD for home viewing. The comical kids’ movie has some great characters and a cool plot that will keep tots to tweens laughing and talking about the fun film. The movie comes with over 30 minutes of fascinating extras, mostly for the youngsters. The movie opens with fifth-grade-schoolers George Beard and Harold Hutchins showing off the comic book they created about a world called “Underpanty” where people only wear underwear. Much like the beginning of Superman, there hero gets catapulted to Earth from a distant planet about to blow up. Landing on Earth, the child starts to save cities from the likes of Egg Salad Sandwich Man.
Switch to reality and we find George and Harold in the school yard being surprised by their Principal, Mr. Krump. He thinks that George and Harold spend too much time thinking up and drawing comic book characters instead of schoolwork. The boys are remanded to Krump’s office where he goes over many of the pranks the two have played and warns them if he ever gets proof, they’ll be sorry.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 27th, 2017
"In between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world. Then came the dark empire of Acheron, where cruel Necromancers sought 'Secrets Of Resurrection'. They crafted a mask from the bones of kings, and awakened its wrath with the pure blood of their daughters. The mask summoned spirits of unspeakable evil, giving them power that no mortal man should possess."
The character started as a pulp fiction serial by Robert E. Howard in the 1930's. But Howard killed himself in 1936, and the character stood still for a time. There were several attempts to revive him, but it was likely Marvel Comics that gave Conan his greatest popularity in the 1970's. By 1982 the character was huge enough to justify a major feature film. That movie would start the movie career of a bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnie would return to the character a couple of years later for Conan the Destroyer. The franchise was doing well, but a third film fell into development hell, and nothing much happened for a while. Rights would move around, and finally the property was rebooted in 2011 with Jason Momoa in the lead role. He appeared perfectly cast. He was a somewhat barbarous alien in Stargate: Atlantis and was a hit in HBO's Game of Thrones. Conan appeared to be a good fit for the action actor, and it was. Momoa is quite good in the part, helping return the character more to his Howard origins. But that's about all that went right with the reboot.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 25th, 2017
“You have been my greatest love. Be careful, Diana…they do not deserve you.”
Ever since Richard Donner made us believe that a man can fly with 1978’s Superman — considered by many to be the first modern superhero film — we’ve gotten three different Men of Steel, along with five different versions of Batman (if you don’t count Will Arnett’s voiceover work). Heck, in the last 15 years alone we’ve had three Spider-Men and (incredibly) gone through three Hulks! Yet in all that time, a movie starring Wonder Woman — a superhero just as iconic as all the ones I just mentioned — could never get off the ground…until now. I’m happy to report it was worth the wait.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 19th, 2017
By John Delia, Jr.
"Death is but a doorway to new life. We live today. We shall live again. In many forms shall we return." - Egyptian Prayer Of Resurrection.
