Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 16th, 2019
These days when the studios are cutting together trailers to promote their upcoming films, I feel one of the number one complaints people have is that the trailer gives too much away, so why bother shelling out the cash to see it on the big screen? When it comes to the trailer for Bad times at the El Royale, it gives you a glimpse at what is to come, but the result is something clever and ambitious. Unfortunately, it feels a bit too familiar. This is the second feature film from writer and director Drew Goddard, who first made a splash onto the screen with his hit film Cabin in the Woods. While I enjoyed his first romp that played with many of horror’s stereotypes, I still felt the film fell a bit flat. Unfortunately, though I enjoyed this fun little noir film he’s put together, I feel it too falls a bit flat, but mostly this is due to its 140-minute runtime.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 16th, 2019
“You know, the first time we met, I really didn’t like you that much.”
I didn’t become acquainted with When Harry Met Sally… until well after the Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan flick had established itself as a bona fide romantic comedy classic. (I was 7 when the film came out in 1989.) So when I finally got around to watching it in my late teens, the “I’ll have what she’s having” punchlines and general set-up involving an unlikely romantic pairing felt overly familiar. I enjoyed it just fine, I definitely appreciated it, but I wouldn’t quite call what we had love. Shout Select, an imprint of Shout! Factory, has released a 30th anniversary Blu-ray of When Harry Met Sally… And after revisiting this film years later, I’m asking myself the same question that Harry and Sally ponder after being friendly for years: is this love?
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on January 14th, 2019
Pick of the Litter indeed. I never quite understood that phrase until I saw this documentary which follows the 18-month training period from the birth of a service dog to their placement with blind people to act as guides. I also didn’t realize how extensive a process that it was to train a guide dog, but when you think about it that makes sense given the importance these animals will play as people’s eyes. According to statistics, out of 800 dogs born to be service dogs, only 300 make it through the training process. So that means that 500 dogs don’t become guides. That’s surreal, but after watching the documentary, and seeing how in-depth the training is and the importance for the dogs to have the right temperament; I am glad to see how seriously the trainers take this task.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 10th, 2019
"The list is an absolute good. The list is life."
It had been nearly 20 years since I had seen Schindler's List. I believe this was only the second time I've watched it since seeing it in the theaters back in 1993. It's one of those films that doesn't lend itself to repeated viewings. It clocks in at over three hours, and the material is emotionally draining. That doesn't mean the film shouldn't be on everyone's shelf. It should. It should, because it tells a brutal story that civilization must never forget. It's clear that while the event remains in our collective memories, the reality of the Holocaust has been lost on too many people. Watch this film, and you will be completely amazed that anyone could throw words like Hitler or Nazi to describe anything that could be happening in American politics today. I'm convinced that the people who use those descriptions need to sit down for three hours and watch Schindler's List, maybe for the first time. It belittles this horrific moment in history to throw it about as a political hit or hate speech.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on January 9th, 2019
“This is Gilda Radner…her voice and her writing.”
Since its debut in 1975, Saturday Night Live has churned out more comedy superstars than you can count. However, the first performer that SNL creator Lorne Michaels cast for the show wasn’t Chevy Chase or even John Belushi. It was Gilda Radner, the daring and vivacious comic who became a breakout star on the show…and passed away much too soon in 1989. So while Love, Gilda is certainly a love letter to the late comedy legend, the documentary is at its best when it relies on Radner’s own musings to tell her story.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 3rd, 2019
“You kind of loud.”
It made all the sense in the world on paper. Pairing Tiffany Haddish (coming off her outrageously profane, scene-stealing breakout in Girls Trip) with Kevin Hart (one of the shrillest most successful comedians in the world) seemed like a match made in loudmouth heaven. Instead, it turns out that almost all the creativity that went into Night School — which actually has a pretty decent premise — was limited to envisioning its two stars on a poster.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2019
IMAX films are the perfect source material to show off the capabilities of the UHD Blu-ray/4K format. Most of the films we watch in theaters today have been shot around 2.8 K and mastered at just 2K. A 35mm film actually shot on film has a native resolution of 4K. The IMAX film format uses 65mm and 70mm film that increases its native resolution well beyond our 4K televisions and players. They are relatively short and have a ton of bandwidth to deliver the best possible image and audio. Shout Factory discovered this as soon as the format was launched, and Upcomingdiscs was there to check them out. Now there's a new player in the IMAX UHD business, and it's Mill Creek Entertainment. They get it, and so now you can expect a few of those gems coming your way from Mill Creek. The first one that I've had a chance to see is Journey To The South Pacific, and it's sweet.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 3rd, 2019
Though this wasn’t a film I remembered first seeing, the VHS box art is one I’ll never forget for how cheesy it was. For those who don’t know, it had a man having a kebab impaled into his mouth. While the cover art isn’t the most appealing, what got me interested was seeing that the film was directed by J. Lee Thompson, who has a fun and diverse body of work. With films like The Guns of the Navarone, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Cape Fear (the one starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum) and numerous others, for film lovers this should be enough to garner some interest to want to check out. Does the film hold up as an 80’s slasher, or should this be a title that should have remained shelved to collect dust? It’s time to strap on those party hats and find out.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 2nd, 2019
Family Guy has reached a level of impact upon the American pop culture where I believe the characters need little to no introduction. Is there anyone really that doesn’t recognize Stewie? After all, he’s reached the status of icon and has even become a fixture of the Thanksgiving parade as one of the many floats. Where The Flintstones, then later The Simpsons, were at one time the dominating animated family on the television tackling day to day struggles of the modern American (each in their own and unique way), Family Guy (love it or hate it) now seems to be the go-to animated family.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 28th, 2018
In 1983 when Krull first came out it was riding the wave of sci-fi and sword-and-sorcery films that were attempting to cash in following the success of Star Wars. I didn’t see this in theaters, but I did eventually see it once it was on VHS. My memories of the film were vague at best, but what I never could forget was the “glaive” weapon that you see displayed on the cover art. For many, though, I can understand if you are just now hearing about Krull for the first time considering the film’s age and its lack of commercial success. While Krull isn’t a great movie, it’s still a silly (unintentionally) yet fun movie that was directed by Peter Yates. In case you need a little reminder, Yates is responsible for a little-known film some may have heard of called Bullitt. So, after three decades, how does the film hold up? Well, saddle up; I’m about to tell you.
In the opening moments we get an opening shot in space, and we are watching a massive ship pass across the screen (no, this is not Star Wars). Not to be too judgmental so early on, but it does bother me that the spaceship looks like a giant log in space. The ship lands on the planet on Krull. It’s here where Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) is marrying Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony).
