Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 20th, 2011
“I'm just a hard working man trying to get by.”
HBO has a way of making series that feature cities like one of the major characters, and How to Make it in America showcases New York City. Not the NYC of Sex and the City, which was all uptown preppie, How to Make it in America takes it to the streets. Not since Woody Allen have the boroughs been so lovingly represented. Much like the hustle of the NYC, How to Make it in America crackles with street-savvy vigor and style.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 20th, 2011
"This is not the opening of a TV show. This is real life."
If you had to describe the fourth season of Chuck in one word it would be Mother. This season Chuck learns that his mother was also a spy and that she didn't really just abandon her family. She went deep undercover and now may or may not be one of the bad guys. It helps that Momma is played by genera favorite Linda Hamilton who makes some sweet references to her earlier works on Terminator and Beauty And The Beast. The man she went undercover to get was Alexei Volkoff, played by one of my favorite and incredibly underrated James Bonds, Timothy Dalton. This is the story that really dominates the season, but there are some other events of note to be found:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 20th, 2011
"In May 1980, Fidel Castro opened the harbor at Mariel, Cuba with the apparent intention of letting some of his people join their relatives in the United States. Within seventy-two hours, 3,000 U.S. boats were headed for Cuba. It soon became evident that Castro was forcing the boat owners to carry back with them not only their relatives, but the dregs of his jails. Of the 125,000 refugees that landed in Florida an estimated 25,000 had criminal records."
One of those refugees was Tony Montana.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 19th, 2011
Just look at the title, A Horrible Way To Die, and I'll bet you pretty much know what you're in for. You could very well be expecting a gore-fest that borders on the torture-porn genre, and you might be preparing yourself for some imaginative and bloody kills. Looking at the title you'd have every reason to believe that's what you were going to get. You might expect it, but that's not really what you're going to get. The title is quite misleading, in fact. Yes, it's a horror tale about a brutal serial killer. No, it's not the kind of film that lingers on mutilated victims or covers the surroundings in blood and guts. Instead, this is a surprisingly good tension boiler with tons of atmosphere and a few clever twists and turns. Your disappointment could turn into a rather pleasant surprise if you give this one a chance.
There are two stories going on here that are heading toward a climactic collision. The first involves incarcerated serial killer Garrick Turrell (Bowen). He's about to be released for bad behavior. Okay, so "released" isn't quite the word I was looking for. He kills a few guards and manages to escape. He attempts to change his appearance, but he can't quite shake the habit of killing people. Habit is exactly the word I'm looking for here. Garrick doesn't appear to kill in some passionate rage. He's actually quite polite and even-tempered, for the most part, except for the ....you know... killing part. He's working his way back home and leaving bodies along the way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 18th, 2011
"This is a simple story, but not an easy one to tell. Like a fable, there is sorrow. And, like a fable, it is full of wonder and happiness."
Roberto Benigni has been somewhat of a staple in Italian cinema for nearly 40 years. He has a solid reputation not only as a talented actor but as a writer and director, as well. He has been known mostly for his comedy, and that's exactly how many people see Life Is Beautiful. On first glance you might read the description and be somewhat skeptical about watching a comedy about the Jewish Concentration Camps during World War II. But Benigni manages to mix just the right amount of whimsical comedy into a very serious backdrop. It isn't very easy, and I know of only a handful of cases where serious material has successfully translated into comedy. Hogan's Heroes and M*A*S*H stand out as notable examples.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 16th, 2011
“Rush Week just became Death Week!”
Let me say first off that director Alex Pucci knows something about production values. For a film shot on Super 16mm for a reported budget of around $1 million, Pucci delivered a film that looks and sounds far more expensive. Reportedly attempting to be a homage to the seventies grindhouse slasher/revenge flicks, Pucci’s focus on detail is amazing, even if his seventies period piece comes with a few anachronisms.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 15th, 2011
“I find that the only way to get through life is to picture myself in an entirely disconnected reality.”
15 year old Welsh schoolboy Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) has an amazing amount of self esteem for a kid his age. He fantasizes about his own funeral and the tragic impact it would have on his community and Wales in general. In reality, Oliver is severely socially retarded and unpopular. His mother, Jill (Sally Hawkins) is a neurotic, frustrated housewife, and his father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor) a bipolar marine biologist. His two goals for the summer are to lose his virginity (while it is still illegal) and save his parents’ marriage from reintroduction of one of his mum’s former flames, Graham (Paddy Considine), a lecherous, self-help scam artist. Somehow, against his best efforts to sabotage the courtship, he meets and falls for fellow quirky class mate, Jordana (Yasmin Paige). She quickly takes control and leads him on his coming of age summer tour.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 14th, 2011
“You have the right to remain silent... forever!”
Maniac Cop is a movie that has all the elements of being a cult classic.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on October 14th, 2011
For those who do not know, I am not a typical sports fan. I primarily watch three sports, none of which are football. I love me some wrestling, hockey, and the legendary sport of baseball. The Phillies have been my team for over 30 years and even though they took it hard this year in the playoffs, I look forward to more baseball in the years to come. I also appreciate the history of baseball so I was certainly curious to see a couple of great Red Sox teams come to Blu-Ray in this A&E presentation.
The 2004 Boston Red Sox (narrated by Dennis Leary) were expected to do some great things right out of the gate in spring training. But this was the Red Sox we were talking about, they had the curse of the Bambino to contend with for the last eighty-six years. They had failed at every opportunity, even years when it looked like a sure thing that the Red Sox were going to get the big one. But this year was poised to be different from the very start.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2011
"From the day we arrive on the planet and blinking, step into the sun, there's more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than can ever be done. There's far too much to take in here. More to find than can ever be found..."
There's a period in the 1990's that has often been referred to as the second golden age of Disney animation. The studio had fallen from its once mighty perch, and most film historians tend to agree there was a creative dark ages through the 1980's. But the renaissance of the studio began with Aladdin in 1992 would go on to include such tremendous classics as Beauty And The Beast and The Little Mermaid. None of these films speak to the resurgence of the animated feature like The Lion King. The film set every animated record there was and holds some of those box office records today. It can be safely stated that the great flood of animated projects that followed can be traced to the impact of The Lion King. In 1996 Simba was the most popular name chosen for new housecats. Elton John saw his appeal extend to children, and there could be no mistake that the animated feature was back.
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