Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 1st, 2023
Most people who know me know that I adore Scooby Doo. Some of my favorite episodes of Scooby Doo are those where they have famous guest stars solving mysteries. Addams Family, Harlem Globetrotters, Batman, etc. Classic Scooby goodness with characters that I enjoy and always wondered how they would work in another universe. Today, I have the benefit of seeing how Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other Justice League members will look and react in the RWBY world of Remnant. Let's take a look.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 29th, 2023
I can’t help but feel a bit hoodwinked by this film. From the director of Friday the 13th, we are talking the original film before Jason decided to take over the duties of slaughtering camp counselors. Yes, I’m talking the Sean S. Cunningham who also delivered us the guilty pleasure The New Kids and a little later in his career Deep Star Six. As though to sweeten the deal and make this film all the more tempting to horror fans, Bruce Campbell even stars in the film. Campbell at this point had been successful with the Evil Dead films, Maniac Cop, and the criminally underrated but cult classic TV series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. I thought for sure I had stumbled across a gem of a film and that I’d be excited to write about it. Sadly, within 20 minutes of watching the film, I immediately understood how this film had slipped past my radar. Thankfully the film isn’t rotten, but it is the kind of straight-to-video or late-night film that is meant for a rare breed of cinephile, one who can ignore the cheap effects and generic plot; in other words, people not so different from myself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 27th, 2023
"Superman's journal, final entry. My cells are breaking down at an alarming rate. I'm running out of time. I have few regrets. My life has been a wonder. I've traveled across space and time, seen and done things beyond imagination. I had parents who loved me. Good friends like Pete, Lana, and Jimmy. I got to help people while living an incredible adventure. I loved a good woman, and she loved me back. I'm tired, but I still have one more job to do ..."
We all know the story and its many incarnations. All-Star Superman is one of the more unique stories to be told through Warner Brothers Animation's DC feature films. It's not the latest. It was released in 2011 before Warner Brothers started to release their films on UHD. Of course, there was no UHD Blu-ray in 2011. In addition to the recent and upcoming animated features, Warner Brothers is going back to those earlier films, and All-Star Superman is as good a place as any to start.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 27th, 2023
Well, it would seem that Tyrone Power’s Mark Fallon can’t catch a break. Despite remaining honorable and showing compassion, it would seem that dishonorable and disreputable people try to bring about his ruination. The Mississippi Gambler is the story of one gambler’s efforts to succeed while also acting morally and ethically. This was a principle that I enjoyed watching, as I wondered whether his conviction would waver as the film went on. I mean, in a land of cheats and dishonor, how can one expect to remain honorable in kind? However, such ethics make for a compelling character, and that is certainly the case here. In fact, when we first meet Mark Fallon, his first official act is to bust and convert a would-be con man. Fallon’s charisma is such that he and this con man forge a unlikely friendship and bond. The backdrop is the Mississippi River and New Orleans, which worked well for the film’s purposes, providing a sophisticated and elegant background for the film. Rounding out the cast is Piper Laurie of The Hustler and Carrie fame, Julie Adams of The Creature from the Black Lagoon fame, and John McIntire of westerns Wagon Train and The Virginian fame.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 27th, 2023
I’ve never been much for spoof movies. There are some exceptions, like the first two Scary Movies or Don’t Be A Menace. However, for the most part, these types of movies have never resonated with me. The jokes are usually not of great quality and kind of cheesy. Unfortunately, The Big Bus fell into this category. From the premise, I couldn’t wrap my head around the plot of this movie. A nuclear-powered double-decker bus piloted by a disgraced bus driver accused of cannibalism. It just didn’t resonate with me. I understand that films of this type were popular during this time, such as Airplane and its sequel, but for me, I couldn’t get past the sheer ridiculousness of the film to get any enjoyment out of it. Of course, my opinion is not the be-all end-all, as my research suggests that the film has apparently obtained cult classic status in this genre as well as won the audience award at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival in 1977. So clearly someone enjoyed it. However, as you are reading this review, I will assume that you are interested in my opinion, and my opinion is that it was not for me.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 26th, 2023
Nothing like a corruption charge to damper the romance between a cop and an assistant district attorney. The Big Easy is a lighthearted look at where the line is between right and wrong in more ways than one. Dennis Quaid is Lt. Remy McSwain, a native of New Orleans, who reckons that he is an honest cop, despite his willingness go along with the kickbacks from his precinct’s “Widows and Orphans Fund.” To put it plainly, he teeters on the line between being corrupt and being good police. On the one hand, he is a capable investigator and believes in justice. However, on the other, he is aware of and takes advantage of the extra incentives, such as free meals and the occasional envelope of money for extra protection. To him, it’s just the cost of doing business and how things work. That view is challenged when he meets straitlaced and by-the-book assistant district attorney Anne Osborne, played by Ellen Barkin. Each represents everything that the other hates about the law. To him, she is uptight and has no idea how the law really works; and to her, he is nonchalant and knows nothing about the slippery slope of corruption. By all accounts, they should hate each other, and yet they are drawn to one another like magnets.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on April 26th, 2023
In 1962, I can understand why Hell is for Heroes would be a successful film. You have Steve McQueen just getting hot after his success with The Magnificent Seven, and then you have a cast with Bobby Darin, James Coburn, and Bob Newhart making his big screen debut, not to mention that war films were still pretty popular at the time; and then you had director Don Siegel at the helm. Some films are simply a product of their time, and they simply don’t age well; then there are films that are classics and are simply timeless. Hell is for Heroes ends up somewhere in the middle for me. It’s not a bad film; actually I think it is pretty good, but I think its legacy is more about how it manages to have so much talent together before these actors and filmmakers really hit their stride or were in their prime.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on April 26th, 2023
“Well, I’ve been knocked down, blown up, lied to, s$#t on, shot at; I’m not a virgin except in my heart. Nothing much surprises me anymore except what people do to each other. I’m a licensed pilot, I lectured on economics at Yale, and I can memorize the front page of the New York Times in five minutes and read it back to you in five weeks. I was national Golden Gloves Champion three years in a row, and I’m fluent in four languages. And I lie … a lot.”
This was quite the experience for me. While watching this film, I keep experiencing an intense feeling of deja vu. It was as if I’d watched the film before. Burt Reynolds stars as a chaperone who hires himself out to escort folks while gambling in Las Vegas. He is eventually approached by an old friend after being roughed up, and he becomes embroiled in a situation that is far more complex than initially thought.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 25th, 2023
If someone were to read my biography below, one would probably learn one of two things, I have an unhealthy obsession with Alyssa Milano movies, and I deeply appreciate Basil Rathbone, the man who popularized Sherlock Holmes films. While many would argue who the best Holmes would be (Downey, Brett, Cumberbatch, etc), my heart will always go to Basil. So naturally, when I saw the movie Rio with him in the starring role had come to Blu-ray, I jumped at the opportunity to review it. Let's take a look.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 25th, 2023
"If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?"
There are a handful of films in Hollywood history that have stories as compelling if not more so than the story the film itself tells. I don't know if there has ever been a film about the making of Rebel Without A Cause. There have certainly been several books, but this is one of those classic films which is surrounded by so many legends, some of them urban myths, but so many of them were true that I find it rather difficult to watch the film on its own terms. With Warner's 100th anniversary celebration of 100 classic films, I had a nice chance to revisit the classic motion picture, and this time I tried my best to watch it without all of the noise that goes along with it.
