Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 7th, 2012
The considerable talents of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass are probably best known for their Christmas classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's been an annual holiday classic since the 1960's. There have been quite a few other television classics over the years. But the team did not restrict themselves to just doing television specials. Not at all. With the enormous success of Rudolph they looked toward the feature film business. At that time Disney pretty much had a monopoly on the animated feature, and Rankin & Bass decided to give the Mouse House a run for their money.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Bob Ross on September 7th, 2012
What’s the latest home video gimmick? 3D, of course. And what’s the leading genre for cheap thrills on a low budget? The goofball horror movie, right? So it makes sense – sort of – for an enterprising filmmaker to throw together a low-comedy fright flick with cheesy gross-outs and bouncing breasts. See, in 3D, those babies can bounce big-time. And if that’s not enough boost for the boys in the audience, you also get severed heads, detached limbs, barf jokes and the dopiest plot this side of Lake Placid the Final Chapter. OK, you caught me. I never saw that one, it just sounds ridiculous.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 7th, 2012
To the point, Criminal Minds is very compelling television. Ever since The Silence Of The Lambs and perhaps long before, we have been fascinated by serial killers and the profilers who try to get inside their heads. To see evidence of the continuing trend, one needs only look toward the success of films like Zodiac and shows like Dexter. Of course, serial killers are not the only prey this FBI team pursues, but they are certainly the marquee item on the agenda. To be sure, there are equally disturbing subjects such as arsonists, bombers, kidnappers, and rapists to give the show a touch of variety, but let’s face it, it’s the killers that keep us tuned so attentively to Criminal Minds.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 7th, 2012
“It’s times like this you need to think like a stoner.”
It’s not every day you get the chance to say the quote above and apply it with conviction. But when you watch High School or any other “stoner” movie, you simply have to view them through smoke-filled glasses or the viewing experience will be in vain. Kind of like watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as a movie it’s bad, but when you see it with a live performing act it becomes a completely new experience.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 7th, 2012
Watching this film is like unearthing a time capsule, not just to another time, but what seems like another world. It’s crazy to see how much has changed since this film’s original theatrical release back in 1975. One moment that stuck out in particular: when they are driving along the streets of Los Angeles you might notice a sign at a gas station posting gas at 56 cents a gallon. This is a family that is already sick of life in the big city. I can only imagine how they would react to big city life now; would they run further into the hills or simply accept the advances in modern technology?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on September 6th, 2012
Everyone on TV has nicer clothes and a bigger house than you do. And I’m not just talking about TV doctors or lawyers. Even small-screen characters with relatively modest incomes manage to live in palatial apartments. (Friends is probably the most famous example.) We complain about how unrealistic it is for a barista and a line cook to be able to afford such a nice place, but part of the appeal of turning on the tube is temporarily turning off our real-world problems.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2012
“Ride into this world all alone. God takes your soul. You're on your own.
The crow flies straight, a perfect line on the devil's back until you die.
Gotta look this life in the eye”.
If you've already read previous reviews, skip ahead to find out what's new this season
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 5th, 2012
"There is a town in Maine, where every storybook character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth, and only one can break her spell."
ABC has had a very important asset going for it for years. It's one that the network has seldom taken any advantage of. That asset is its parent company. You see, ABC is part of the Walt Disney family. With the rich history of stories the studio has in its arsenal going back to the 1920's, it was only a matter of time before some clever people decided to find a way to use that rich history in a television series.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 4th, 2012
Before watching this Blu-ray my knowledge of Staind consisted of only what I’ve heard in passing on the radio. I wouldn’t call myself a fan or go so far as to say I dislike them, I simply view (or hear) them as something to fill the void when the radio is on. Where I did grow a bit of an appreciation for the band was in an interview that’s included on the disc that turned out to be more insightful than the standard fluff piece you may expect.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on September 4th, 2012
“Money, right yeah it matters, but it’s one piece of the puzzle. Let me tell you something. Sometimes who you are doing business with is a lot more important than the business that you are doing.”
When How to Make It in America season two begins, Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and his best friend, Cam (Victor Rasuk) return from their business trip to Japan after spending their new-found cash on a load of “Japanese soft cotton” hoodies they intend to silk screen with their new Crisp fashion label and find a way to mass distribute. Ben’s ex-girlfriend Rachel (Lake Bell), now unemployed, hits the job market and scores a gig with an uptight home improvement magazine.