Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 11th, 2011
Oh, how the rich can get into mischief. This DVD set is smack dab in the middle of Dynasty’s successful nine season run. The mudslinging, both literal and figurative, was at its height in this fifth season, and no $200 haircut or $1000 outfit was left unruffled by the various scandals and plots set into the web of these wealthy Denver residents. In fact, this season was the one and only time this series won a Golden Globe for best TV drama.
Both my age and lack of interest from the time I was between the ages of 1 to 5, when this show originally aired, betray any memories I may have of this program. Approaching it these days, I can clearly see how it was derivative of Dallas, its CBS rival (Dynasty having aired on ABC). If these wealthy folk are not in each other’s faces, they’re in each other’s beds.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 30th, 2011
"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 space men. 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 June 30th, 2011
“As an exterminator I'm called upon to curb the destruction by beasts both great and small, be it eliminating a deadly menace or safeguarding a lake from ruin. But sometimes one wrong turn on the job can become a question of life or death."
Billy Bretherton is the owner of Vex Con Pest Control in Shreveport, Louisiana. It's a family-run business. Mom is the office manager and takes all of the service calls and then dispatches the technicians to their various jobs. Dad is the office mascot. He's had a heart attack along with a few other medical scares, so he's not really very hands-on. You might say his main job is to worry and complain. Ricky is Billy's brother and often his partner on many of his two-man jobs. It's interesting that we're constantly told that Ricky is deathly allergic to wasp stings. One sting and it's an airlift ride to the ER, Billy is always reminding us. But when a wasp call comes in, who do you think Billy takes along to help? Of course, it's Ricky. Mom always reminds us of the allergy and admonishes Billy to be sure his brother doesn't get stung. It's things like this that make this the most frustrating A&E series I've ever watched.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 30th, 2011
Written by Bamboo
Shot in the Dark is a very well done documentary by Adrian Grenier (before he starred on HBO’s Entourage) about what it means to be a father. The film starts as a series of interviews with random people in New York, as well as Adrian’s friends and family members. Adrian has not seen his father in over eighteen years. He feels as though he doesn’t know what it means to have a father or how he should feel about not having a father around while he was growing up. Adrian hopes to gain some insight through this documentary.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 5th, 2011
Many times when you see a trailer over and over, one has to ask themselves: Do they really want to see the movie or is repetition to the point of acceptance playing its fatal card? In the case of Legend of the Fist: Return of Chen Zhen, I had seen the trailer several times in front of Ip Man and the sequel. I wasn’t sure if I was anxious for the movie, so much that I really wanted to see Donnie Yen go absolutely crazy with his kicks and amazing martial arts.
The First World War is going on across Europe. The Allied Forces aren’t doing so well. In 1917, one hundred and fifty thousand workers were dispatched by the Chinese government to help the Allied Forces. Each of these workers were given a wristband for identification and the imprint left behind by these markers were symbols of survival. These workers fought and also did manual labor on the lines. We join the story with a mighty blast as we start our story in France.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 1st, 2011
"In the farthest corner of America lies the nation's largest swamp. A hidden world where nature rules and man fights back. Welcome to the swamp."
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 31st, 2011
"Sketch comedy, what is it? What is required? The first thing that is needed is a premise."
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 28th, 2011
Unlike most people my age, I still have a surreal view of love despite a plethora of failed relationships and a horrendous first marriage. Sometimes, I feel like I am the only person who doesn’t have a screwed up concept of love. But thankfully I did find my true love before anything happened to my ideology. Enter the movie Year of the Carnivore, a movie that disguises itself to be about sex when in reality it is more a statement about good old fashioned love.
Eight O’ Clock. Just another day for Sammy Smalls (played by Cristin Milioti) until she peers out his window and stares at a guy engaged in a self sexual act. (it is not graphic, just disturbing). Interested, she doesn’t even realize she is eating off her parent’s picture. So off Sammy goes to the grocery store to do her job as store security. She catches a old man stealing a steak and hands him over to the store manager, Dirk (played by Will Sasso) who mulls him over.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 28th, 2011
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 25th, 2011
"I'm Brad Meltzer. I've spent my life collecting stories. The best include signs, symbols and coded messages that are hidden in plain sight. Some have become the basis for my novels. But I've only scratched the surface of what's out there, and now History has given me the resources to investigate the rest. This is Decoded."
What if I told you there was an author out there who was known for writing novels that include historical conspiracies, secret societies and buried treasures, and that this author has found a way to parlay his moderate writing success into a television series for History?
![Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/legend-of-the-fist-the-return-of-c-large.jpg)
