Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 9th, 2012
This series from Comedy Central began as a low-budget film hosting show in a small television station in Minnesota. It was the brainchild of Joel Hodgson. It ended up running for 11 years and a feature film version. Mystery Science Theatre is an acquired taste. For me, I’ve really got to be in that certain mood to watch it. That’s the beauty of these DVDs. You pop them in when you’re ready. The idea is pretty whacked. Depending on the season you’ve got, Joel or Mike is trapped in space on the “Satellite of Love”. Doomed to spend his life watching very bad films, our hero makes the best of a bad situation.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 9th, 2012
The 2012 baseball season has started and this might be what we call a rough year. My team, the Phillies are 14-16 and 5 games out of first. What is worse is that going up and down the roster, I do not see too many familiar faces. Sure, there are injuries and sure there are over 130 games left, but I do not see it improving any time soon. But today is not about the Phillies, today is about a team that has been around for 50 years and is full of history. I present to you, the Houston Astros.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 8th, 2012
"Every insect lives for just one purpose: Survival of its own kind."
In 1997 Guillermo del Toro made his first English-language film. Mimic was based on a rather creepy short story by Donald A. Wollheim. Unfortunately, for del Toro and film fans everywhere, the director had more than his fair share of struggles with the studio powers that be, and he never really had the chance to make the movie he really hoped to make. The result is certainly an atmospheric and interesting film, but one wonders what the movie might have been like if del Toro had had his chance to make his own movie.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on May 8th, 2012
“The man of virtue is invincible.” - Wong Fei-Hung
This is a reference to the eternal struggle between good and evil. It is war on an extremely personal level. Hand-to-hand warfare is best shown in intensely emotional films dealing with Asian martial arts. They are full of discipline and morality. Ric Meyers wrote a book that he has turned into a movie, and it is a thorough and passionate work.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on May 7th, 2012
When people think of super-producer J.J. Abrams and his television projects, images from Alias, Fringe and a little show called Lost probably spring to mind. On the other hand, a significantly smaller portion of weirdos the TV-watching population may think of the relationship dramedies Abrams has produced, such as What About Brian, Six Degrees and Felicity, by far the best of this latter group. (Then again, Felicity — co-created by Abrams and Matt Reeves — resorted to time travel towards the end of its run, so it probably has more in common with the producer's genre shows than you think.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 7th, 2012
As I get older, I find myself slightly more forgetful. Perhaps I will not remember where I put my watch (even though I own half a dozen), or maybe I will not see my sunglasses when they are conveniently strapped to my head. But at least I am not old enough yet to be clueless. This brings us to our next review starring Alicia Silverstone as the one and only Cher, a 15 year old Beverly Hills girl who is clearly Clueless.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on May 3rd, 2012
Ever since Ralphie May first appeared on Last Comic Standing, it seems his career has exploded and he has become one of the most recognizable comedians of the past decade. He’s just released his fourth Comedy Central DVD and has done numerous appearances on television talk shows. The guy simply is a rock star in the comedy world and shows no signs of slowing down as he is doing a US tour throughout the rest of the year. He’s always come off as a likeable guy,
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on May 3rd, 2012
In terms of major conflicts involving the United States, the Korean War has sort of gotten the short end of the cinematic stick with American audiences. Most people can easily rattle off their favorite movies dealing with World War II, the Vietnam War or the U.S. Civil War, but when it comes to the Korean War the options are comparatively more limited. Off the top of my head, there's M*A*S*H, the original Manchurian Candidate, and Don Draper suffering one of the most famous cases of identity theft. (I realize Mad Men is a TV show, so forgive me for reaching.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 3rd, 2012
As of late, I have found myself picking up some classic albums by Madonna. Her early stuff mostly, but I have even picked up Truth or Dare on Blu-Ray within the last week or so. Why? I honestly can not explain. Maybe I miss her voice, her sex appeal and the music that has made her a legend. What I did not expect was that I was going to be reviewing a movie directed by her. So let us sit back and see how the movie W./E. plays out.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on May 2nd, 2012
Are you a very, very big fan of horror films? If you are, you are part of a small but passionate core of fans who live to gobble up anything that is gory and creepy and disgusting. Many people enjoy a good horror film from time to time, but that is not the same thing as thinking every day about what obscure monster or murder film you haven’t seen. If you read Fangoria or any number of websites or fanzines devoted to the subject, you know what I mean. There is a worldwide group of fans who have a bloodthirsty need for more and more and more horror.