Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 4th, 2010
These last couple of years have seen a resurgence of a particular kind of character study. For me I think it started with The Wrestler. For Mickey Rourke, it was a powerful comeback and led to an example of grand theft at that year's Oscar celebration. Now, I wouldn't exactly say that Jeff Bridges was in any particular need of a comeback. He's had some pretty steady work over the years. Still, you just can't watch Crazy Heart and not be reminded of The Wrestler. These characters could not be more different in a lot of ways. But they are also cut from the same cloth. Both have already seen their glory days behind them. They've each indulged in some pretty self-destructive behavior. In The Wrestler, it could be argued that the abuse he put on his body was a necessary part of the life he chose. With Crazy Heart, we're talking alcoholism, pure and simple. Still, any of those old cowboys might make the argument that booze is as much a part of the life they choose as the drugs and physical punishment are for a wrestler. It's a pretty good point. Both characters are looking for some kind of redemption with a past child. In this case it's a son. Both are attempting to find healthy relationships, perhaps for the first time in their lives, with single moms who have had some bad luck in the romance department. Finally, both characters are looking for a comeback. Here is where the stories truly diverge. For Mickey Rourke's Ram, he returns because it's the only thing he knows. His job defined him. His comeback will likely mean the end of his life. For Bad Blake, the new career in music could well be his salvation and a chance at a longer life. Whatever the comparisons, both are strong character-driven pieces.
Bad Blake (Bridges) was once on the top of the country charts. But that was a long time ago. Today, he's driving around in his Suburban from gig to gig with about 10 bucks to his name. He's gone from great arenas to bowling allies and small-town dives. He still has a small core group of fans that make even this life possible. The trouble is that Bad chain smokes and drinks his health away. He can barely stand for one gig. His old guitar player Tommy Sweet (Farrell) has offered him the chance to open for his act. More important, Sweet wants him to write some new songs for him, and is willing to pay well for them.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 4th, 2010
Most of my growing up and living occurred in the 1980’s. From ages five to fifteen, I grew up in an era that was famous to many different types of cartoons. It helped to shape my personality, from bad jokes to that unmistakable sarcasm. So, it was easy to attract me to a cartoon set that showcased odds and ends from that familiar era. Join me as we take a step back in history, a history that hits very close to home.
The first toon we find is one called Goldie Gold & Action Jack. They fight by air, by sea and by the seat of their pants. They aren’t kidding. Goldie is a certified lunatic: she rides a helicopter indoors, jumps out windows and talks to hobos. Doesn’t she know that she is blonde and rich? Jack really isn’t all that Action, he’s just good at being lucky. The show is very gadget heavy and has a little Scooby Doo sleuthing thrown in.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 30th, 2010
The review you are about to read is true. Nothing has been changed. These are the actual people who performed in this great movie and this is exactly the way it really happened. I truly believe this. Signed, Michael Durr also known as Kedrix. Trust me on this one, I couldn’t make up what I’m about to write for this review. If I were to brainstorm for the next twenty years, there would be absolutely nothing to lead me to this movie. (well except for the boobs).
(*warning* The following review might contain salty language, bad jokes and gushing about the female naked anatomy. The writer of this review bares no responsibility for this work and the director, Fred Olen Ray would have wanted it that way.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 30th, 2010
Tenure revolves around Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) an insecure college professor who is up for a tenure position in his English department. Charlie has an ongoing problem getting his work published and to add a further complication, the university decides to hire another applicant, Elaine Grasso (Gretchen Mol) for the position. Through the competing for the job, Charlie begins to have feelings for Elaine. As their relationship emerges, Charlie needs to make a decision about what his passions are.
The film blends comedy and drama fairly efficiently. The comedy is hammered home with Charlie’s friend Jay (David Koechner). Whether its herbal enhancements or a fruitless pursuit of Bigfoot, no comedic stone is left unturned. The drama is left for the dark and charming Charlie Thurber. Luke Wilson’s performance is bland. He doesn’t showcase much of a range. Even after his deciding moment in the film, audiences are left feeling shortchanged. However, his comedic moments in the film are timed well and his chemistry with Koechner is undeniable.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on April 30th, 2010
A young girl, who is obsessed with purity, appears on a “Chicks Go Crazy” video (a parody of Girls Gone Wild) and gets a group of rowdy (by comparison to her) friends to go on a road trip to track down the dvd and its maker (played by an easy paycheck receiving Rob Schneider), all the while resisting the temptations of drinking and sex.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by David Annandale on April 29th, 2010
The wonderful thing about the Warner Archive Collection and its burn-on-demand approach to DVDs is that it permits the release of titles that would otherwise be aimed at so narrow a niche as to be nonviable as a commercial release. And this two-disc set is a case in point. Hosted by Robert L. Ripley himself (yes, believe it or not, he was a real person), here are 24 ten-minute shorts from the early 1930s. They're an entertaining hodgepodge of interesting facts, oddball trivia, quirks and freaks of nature, and travel footage. Among other things, what we have here is the ancestor of the shockumentary, and there are plenty of items that are still pretty eye-opening (such as the horned man).
As hosts go, Ripley is a fine illustrator. In other words, he's a rather stilted, charisma-free speaker, but there's a certain innocence to his delivery, and indeed to the entire proceeding, that is most engaging. I say “certain” innocence, and that qualification is important. Given the times, it should come as no real surprise that casual racism and sexism are rife. Ripley's trip to Africa (the subject of Episode 12), for instance, presents the cultural practices there (and “Africa” is treated as if it were a single, unified country) as subjects worth of amused and horrified fascination. Some segments are stronger than others, usually depending on how much actual footage or live demonstrations Ripley presents. The passages that are little more than a litany of facts spouted by Ripley (there are no legal holidays in the US!) are rather less mesmerizing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 28th, 2010
"Every town has a story... Tombstone has a legend."
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 28th, 2010
Cocoon was based on a somewhat obscure novel by David Saperstein. It was also an unlikely film for beginning director Ron Howard. He had made it known since his career began that he had little respect for the science fiction genre. In an interview provided on this very release, he condemns the genre as not being about character or story. I'd say that Ron Howard just hasn't watched the right science fiction. I beg to differ with his assessment. Science fiction has been a remarkable tool to discuss some of the most important issues facing our society. When issues can be couched in aliens and other worlds, the censors and those who avoid socially conscious messages tend to make certain allowances, which has made it a very powerful genre over the decades. Still, that's not the way Howard sees things, and that's why he was likely a bad fit for Cocoon.
The movie has a lot of great actors and some very memorable characters. But Howard left the story somewhere else. Was it the cutting room floor? I don't know, but it never really appears on the screen. What we end up with is a movie with a ton of emotion and charming characters and moments, but it never quite comes together in a memorable film. It did well in 1985, pulling in a respectable $76 million at the box office and earning itself the number 6 spot for the year. There were Oscar nominations, and even a win. These are all impressive accomplishments. Still, Cocoon very swiftly passed out of interest and revealed itself as more a fad than an enduring film. To show just how far and how quickly the film fell, you need look no further than the 1988 sequel. While Ron Howard was not a part of Cocoon: The Return, most of the exceptional cast was back. The film bombed, pulling in just about $18 million, not enough to cover its budget.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 28th, 2010
Spectacular Spider-Man is back with his eighth volume and the final one for the 2nd season. As we saw in the last few episodes, it appears that Green Goblin is again rearing his ugly head and looking to get rid of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Furthermore, there are other super villains chomping at the bit to get back at Spider-Man for being put behind bars. Can Spidey survive this onslaught? Let’s find out.
Episode 24 opens up with Spider-Man in a battle with Molten Man at a local pool hall while Liz Allan (Peter Parker’s girlfriend at this point) and Mary Jane Watson are trapped behind the bar. We later find out that Molten Man is Liz’s brother: Mark who has a severe gambling problem. Somehow you know that Green Goblin is the cause of what is going on. Is Spiderman all-in or will he bust?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 27th, 2010
"This is the Earth at a time when dinosaurs roamed a lush and fertile planet. A piece of rock just six miles wide changed all of that. It hit with the force of 10,000 nuclear weapons. A trillion tons of dirt and rock hurtled into the atmosphere, creating a suffocating blanket of dust that the sun was powerless to penetrate for a thousand years. It happened before. It will happen again. It's just a question of when."
When was 1998 with the summertime blockbuster movie Armageddon. This film was the poster child for summer tent pole movies. It had everything to combat any of those summertime blues. There was adrenaline-pumping action and adventure. We got to witness groundbreaking, for the time, special effects. Who can beat the threat of global devastation and a ragtag team of unlikely heroes sent to save the day? There's space travel and plenty of explosions. The movie sported an all-star cast. There's even a classic red or blue wire moment. And, of course, there were computer generated lifelike dinosaurs munching on the panicked citizenry. Okay, so I made that last part up. There were no dinosaurs. But, who would dare to deny this was a film loaded for box office bucks? It was often hounded by the critics for being somewhat unbelievable. There were also the usual complaints of a thin plot covered over by a huge spectacle. And every one of those accusations is dead on true. Who cares? This was an imaginative amusement park ride from beginning to end. It was never intended to do anything more than entertain. And entertain it did in the summer of 1998. And, entertain it continues to do today on a sweet Blu-ray high definition release. The theatergoers agreed with me then to the tune of $201 million at the box office and $350 million worldwide. Consider that this reviewer accounted for about 8 bucks of that money. If I hadn't gotten an advance copy of the Blu-ray, I would have been in line to relive the fun in glorious high definition. Since I already have mine, it means I saved you a place in line. Don't blow it.
![Crazy Heart [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/crazy-heart-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Tombstone [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/tombstone-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Cocoon [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/cocoon-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![Armageddon [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/armageddon-blu-ray-large.jpg)
