Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2010
"The Douglas family is back and ready for seconds in volume two of the second season of My Three Sons. Join America's favorite pipe-smoking single dad Steve Douglas as he raises sons Mike, Robbie, and Chip with a winning combination of laughter, love and world-class fatherly advice."
Just to look at it you would think that My 3 Sons was a Disney production. Its star Fred MacMurray had appeared in many Disney films of the 50’s and 60’s and is most likely recognizable from those appearances. Two of the three boys were also known for work with Disney. The eldest boy, Mike, was played by Tim Considine, who starred with MacMurray in Disney’s The Shaggy Dog. Middle son Robbie was played by a former Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer, Don Grady. The youngest son, Chip, was played by Stanley Livingston, the only non Disney alum in that group. Another reason for the confusion is the decidedly Disney-like material the series covered. Steve Douglas (MacMurray) was a widowed single parent who was trying to balance his job with that of raising his three sons. Most of the stories involved the warm and fuzzy heartwarming stuff that Disney had pretty much cornered the market on in the films. Whatever troubles arose, no problem was so bad that a heart-to-heart talk couldn’t fix it. The style would prosper and continue in the form of 70’s shows like The Brady Bunch. The four guys were also joined by Steve’s father-in-law, Bud, played by I Love Lucy favorite William Frawley. That was no surprise, since the show was actually produced, not by Disney, but the Desilu studios.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 21st, 2010
Most people who read this site frequently are aware with my love for cartoons. More often than not, my favorite cartoons are those from the 90’s or 80’s cartoons and included such shows as Batman Animated, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Darkwing Duck. But there are some cartoons that have been made in the last decade that twenty years from now will be considered classics. As it turns out, I got to review one of those modern classics with the help of a very special and biased friend.
Hi there, my name is Michael Durr and you might remember me from such great reviews as Superman: The Complete Animated Series and Duckman, Seasons 3 and 4. Today, we are talking about Johnny Bravo: Season One. Johnny Bravo was a fantastic cartoon on the Cartoon Network that premiered on July 7th, 1997 and would then last sixty seven episodes until it ended in the hot summer of 2004.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 19th, 2010
If one were to ask my theory on creation or what role God plays in this wonder we call life, I probably couldn't give you a definitive answer. Since I possess both a creative and analytical mind, I often find myself going back and forth on thoughts that for the most part have stuck me in the middle of the belief ideology. It was only fitting that I was able to review Creation, a movie where Darwin was having many of those same conflicts before he wrote his legendary book.
Charles Darwin (played by Paul Bettany) is a renowned English naturalist. He lives south of the small village of Downe in the parish of Kent in London. He is a devoted family man and is married to Emma (played by Jennifer Connelly) and has a loving daughter named Annie (played by Martha West) among many other fine children. In addition to developing his theory, he spends many of his days telling stories to his children of his travels.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 18th, 2010
You may not know the name Patricia Highsmith, but you do know her work. She penned the novel that brought us Alfred Hitchcock's excellent thriller Strangers On A Train. You might also know her character Thomas Ripley, who was the subject of several of Highsmith's novels including the famous The Talented Mr. Ripley. Most of these works appeared in the 1950's and 1960's. Still, her work has been tapped for motion pictures right up through the most recent film The Cry Of The Owl.
Now see if you can follow any of this. The film is a cooperation between an American company and Britain's BBC as well as a French company. The lead is Paddy Considine, a Brit. Of course, he's playing an American in the film. The film is set in some undisclosed, but presumably New York, American big city and a surrounding small town. But, the film was lensed in Ontario, Canada. Got that? It's very much an independent-feeling film and is a direct-to-video release.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2010
Elvis Presley is often referred to as The King Of Rock And Roll, at least to his fans. There's no denying the impact that he had on the music scene. He was the first rock and roll star, to be sure. Colonel Tom Parker, his long-time manager and partner, created many of the marketing traditions that are commonplace in the industry today. He knew the value of his star, not only as a performer, but as a brand. For the first time, a musician's image and name started to appear on everything from bath towels to women's underwear. Fans are often split on their feelings for the self-styled Colonel, but Elvis would not have become the name brand he still is today, without him.
One of those brand expansions tapped into Elvis's own boyhood fantasy. Elvis had worked as an usher at a local movie theater as a teen. He's often related that he would linger in the auditoriums, watching those movies and fantasizing that he was James Dean or Marlon Brando, two of his idols. With the help if Colonel Parker, Elvis would get to see that dream become a reality. The King was to expand his realm to include the movie business and Hollywood. No experience? No problem. After all, if Elvis could go from failing music in high school to becoming the highest paid musician on the planet, he could certainly tackle the world of acting. And he did just that.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2010
"What you are about to see has a mechanical gopher in it."
Recently I was having a bit of a playful, and at times aggressive, back-and-forth with a friend over our top 50 films of all time. While we disagreed at almost every turn (of course his list had Speed and Pretty Women and not Jaws, Unforgiven, King Kong, or Gladiator). What we did seem to agree upon was that neither of us was willing to allow very many comedy films into our lists. There's something about a very good comedy that doesn't fit with the likes of The Godfather or Gone With The Wind. Caddyshack wasn't on either of our lists. But Caddyshack did make AFI's funniest films back in 2000. I suspect it made a lot of lists over the years. It should. It's a very funny film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 16th, 2010
The closest I ever got to regularly watching a medical show in my life was watching General Hospital, a soap opera with my mom growing up. When I was out of school, I would catch here and there an episode of Scrubs which was a wonderful comedy. I then wondered how I would fair with the brand new medical drama: HawthoRNe which just wrapped up its first season on TNT. Man, do I miss Luke and Laura.
Richmond Trinity Hospital is one of the finest medical establishments in Richmond, Virginia. Like most hospitals, it is run by a board of directors. However, if one were to walk the hallowed halls, one would immediately realize it is really run by the chief nursing officer, Christina Hawthorne (played by Jada Pinkett Smith). She and her quite adequate nursing squad handle a multitude of patients with unique personalities and different aliments.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2010
"Three years of filming. Seven continents. 70 camera crews. 3,000 shooting days. 200 different species. Groundbreaking technology. It all adds up to the most ambitious natural history series ever created."
The BBC has been at the forefront of natural history documentaries since the 1950's. Each decade the teams from the British unit have traversed the globe with what has always been, for the time, the latest in technology. The images that have been captured have entertained and educated the world for more than half a century. In today's high- definition world, the BBC has not failed to impress with its acclaimed Planet Earth series, among other notable projects. The latest of these is the three-year project, Life.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2010
“My name is Michael Weston. I used to be a spy until, ‘you’ve got a burn notice’. When you’re burned, you’ve got nothing. No cash, no credit, no job history. You’re stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in. You do whatever work comes your way. You rely on anyone who’s still talking to you: a trigger happy ex-girlfriend, an old friend who used to inform on you to the FBI, family too, if you’re desperate. Bottom line: Until you figure out who burned you, you’re not going anywhere.”
Burn Notice has all the earmarks of a really great television series. It has Bruce Campbell, and that alone should make it worth watching. The concept is a clever one and not the usual kind of spy show we’ve already seen too much of. The problem is that it’s not a great show. It’s not even a very good show. Campbell is way too underutilized and would have improved this series if he’d been in the lead role. I can see him as Weston big time. The series is also way too over-stylized. Ever since 24 and those distracting frames, there has been this race to see who can be the most distracting and annoying. Burn Notice wins hands down. There is this incessant need to freeze-frame the image at the most ludicrous moments. Somehow this is intended to up the drama ante. If that’s the ante, I fold. There’s too much annoying narration from Weston. Back in writing school you’re taught over and over again that you need to show, not tell. Here the Weston narration treats us like we’re kindergarten kids who need every little action he takes explained in incredibly boring detail. He then throws in some not very funny moments of wit that just fall flat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 14th, 2010
If you are a fan of the original Kolchak: The Night Stalker, you were more than likely disappointed in the remake a couple of years ago on ABC. Your hope is now once again restored. Supernatural is the closest thing I’ve ever seen to the Night Stalker. Like Kolchak, the Winchester brothers are faced with weekly incarnations of evil. They’re forced to research these legends and figure out a way to stop them. As Kolchak discovered, it’s a thankless job. Sure, Supernatural is populated with all sorts of beasties and nasties, but it also manages to hold on to a sense of humor that rounds out these adventures to make this one of the most entertaining shows around. When UPN and WB merged, I was a little worried about Supernatural. You do the math (that was another review). Two networks worth of shows, one network worth of programming time. Half of the shows needed to vanish, and I was concerned Supernatural would be one, if history of respect for genre shows was any indication. Fortunately for us, the show has not only survived, but it has thrived, looking to be around for quite a while yet.
What amazes me most about Supernatural is the incredible balance the show manages to keep up week after week. Of course, there is that creature-of-the-week idea, but without taking anything away from each episode, there is an overall story arc that ties these creatures and moments together in such an intricate yet easy-to-follow fashion. Each episode blends just the right mix of darkness, comedy, and series mythology. Even The X-Files wasn’t able to spin this flawless a tapestry. I also can’t say enough about the leads. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles have a wonderfully complicated chemistry that gives us an element even Kolchak never had. This is not a one-trick-pony relationship. Under all of the brotherly love and shared tragedy, there are far more emotional themes that surface from week to week. There are resentments and rivalries that can suddenly dominate their intercourse. Unlike most shows, these conflicts are real and remain a part of the fabric of this relationship, not to be brought out and then quickly overcome never to be seen again. Each of these events leaves a visible mark on their personalities. This kind of continuity is almost unheard of. It requires discipline and dedication by everyone involved: actors, writers, and production staff. And again, the season finale will leave you counting the hours until the next episode.
![Life [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/life-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Supernatural: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/supernatural-the-complete-first-se-large.jpg)
