Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 8th, 2012
Some music due to my age and music exposure, I just do not quite get. Led Zeppelin, Eagles (once I got out of college) or Black Sabbath, I love. Rush? I can not stand them. Pink Floyd? Way over-exposed to the point where I just do not want to listen to them except one in a while and only to certain songs. The Doors? Hrmmm, well I do like some of their songs. As it just so happens, the Blu-Ray review I have for you today involves my favorite Doors song, L.A. Woman.
The Doors always envisioned themselves as a four man band, a modern jazz quartet of rock and roll. They were working on intellectual levels higher than a lot of bands. In 1970, they were working on their six studio album. Previous albums had been the same, an almost standard rock and roll band with guitarists, drummers, keyboards, and Jim Morrison. They want to try and do something different: bluesy, with horns and elements of jazz. Work started in the December of 1970 to produce: L.A. Woman.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on February 1st, 2012
The title of this documentary stems from the quote “In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." In this film, said “love” refers to the love and support Paul McCartney, and other major celebrities, give to New York in the immediate wake of 9/11. Starting from early rehearsals and finishing with McCartney's closing performance at the “Concert for New York” benefit, we watch one of the most famous people on the planet demonstrate his uncanny sense of humility and humanity as he proves he is a “man of the people.”
The camera is mostly candid as we witness McCartney not be able to walk a single foot on the streets of New York without getting endlessly mobbed by fans. It is refreshing to see that, whether surrounded by starry-eyed civilians or fellow celebrities, McCartney never loses his playful mien.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 23rd, 2012
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has always been an interesting subject for me to research and learn about. It is a story of chivalry, adventure, and fantasy. It has great characters and even though it is hard to pinpoint an actual person in history that this legend could be assigned to, nobody can neglect the impact it has had on English culture. The History Channel decided to give us a collection of specials on the subject entitled: King Arthur and Medieval Britain
There are five specials included in this 2 disc package. They are basically programs that aired on the History Channel or A&E from the last 15 years on the subject of either King Arthur or Britain during this time period. The time period they are discussing is primarily 5th-6th century A.D. and it spreads to roughly 12th century where a lot of this material was written down by various authors.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 23rd, 2012
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table has always been an interesting subject for me to research and learn about. It is a story of chivalry, adventure, and fantasy. It has great characters and even though it is hard to pinpoint an actual person in history that this legend could be assigned to, nobody can neglect the impact it has had on English culture. The History Channel decided to give us a collection of specials on the subject entitled: King Arthur and Medieval Britain
There are five specials included in this 2 disc package. They are basically programs that aired on the History Channel or A&E from the last 15 years on the subject of either King Arthur or Britain during this time period. The time period they are discussing is primarily 5th-6th century A.D. and it spreads to roughly 12th century where a lot of this material was written down by various authors.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on January 18th, 2012
Frozen World is a four-part History Channel mini-series about the Ice Age. The History Channel tends to have a sensationalistic bent to a lot of its programming. That’s one way of saying that they like history to come alive. This series begins with the battle between Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal human cavemen 40,000 years ago in Clash of the Cavemen. It outlines the differences between these totally different kinds of humans. The Neanderthal is stronger. The Cro-Magnon is smarter. The scientists are just beginning to differentiate between the DNA’s of the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. We know little about them except they were more brutish and animal like. The Neanderthals had to travel at the time when the ice pushed them south into Germany. Leading scientists are interviewed on the many differences between the two types of humans that led to the eventual extinction of the Neanderthals.
The second installment is called Volcanic Winter. It deals with a massive volcanic explosion 75,000 years ago that shrouded the world in ash and smoke. It details the earth-changing climatic shift caused by the event. The volcano was called Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. This explosion was 3,000 times bigger than Mount Saint Helens. There has not been a volcano since that has ever been even a small fraction as massive. The closest was another Indonesian explosion in 1815 at Mount Tambora. It was called the year without a summer. Strangely, after the effects of the massive volcanic explosion 75,000 years ago subsided, then a 1,000-year ice age took hold. Once the climate change was established, it fed on itself. Some scientists suggest that the climatic shift was already happening naturally and this event just added a catalyst. Also worth noting is that there are many potential super volcanoes that potentially exists even today. The biggest potential threat is in Yellowstone National Park.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 23rd, 2011
"This film documents the Vietnam War in the words of Americans who served there. It features home movies and rare archival footage collected during a worldwide search and now presented in HD. Many scenes are graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised."
A while back History brought us one of the best war documentaries I've seen for television. That was called WWII In HD and put you as close to the real battlefield as any American has come since the brave soldiers who fought there so many years ago. The images were stunning and the descriptions came from the words of several people who were actually there. We reviewed the release. Bang it here to read up on that title: WWII In HD Review. Not content with that wonderful accomplishment, the network has turned those same talents on the far more controversial war in Vietnam. Enter Vietnam In HD.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 1st, 2011
My parents were always an oddball lot when it came to music. My mom liked the crooners and if she ever did touch rock and roll, it was something very light and airy. My dad however was a totally different animal. He listened (and still does) to Led Zeppelin, the Moody Blues and Queen. But perhaps one of his favorite albums of all time is Paranoid by Black Sabbath. The front man for Sabbath is the one and only Ozzy Osbourne. I find myself in a fortunate position where I get to review his documentary, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne.
As we open up this documentary, we are told that the makers of this movie have spent the last two years on the road with Ozzy Osbourne. Nearly everyone survived. We visit Argentina as one of Ozzy’s tourstops. We get a very candid look at Ozzy as he puts on makeup, exercises his body and his voice and his slow walk to the stage. He seems to be an everyday normal heavy metal singer but this person who is always been labeled as “Rock n Roll’s definitive crazy person” has a special tale to tell.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 28th, 2011
For those who might not already be aware, I am currently living in the state of Texas. I would say great state of Texas but my lack of a straight face would give that away. “Go back to where you came from”. Well, I would love to go back to North Carolina and perhaps the Minnesota transplant that is using four letter words against me can do the same. However, I am very interested in how some of these states got their shapes. Perhaps the first season of “How the States Got Their Shapes” can help.
Most people take the shape of their states for granted. However, the shapes of the United States of America have went through a library list of changes to get to their current shape. Often, the story of that shape is far more interesting than the cracks and bends that many states currently possess. Thankfully, we have our host: Brian Unger who is willing to be our Johnny Cash of cable television and “Walk that Line”.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 17th, 2011
"There are many among us who in the past closed their eyes to the events of war, because they believed that what was taking place in Europe was none of our business. That we could maintain our physical safety by retiring within our continental boundaries. Obviously, a defense policy based on that is merely to invite future attacks. For those who would not admit the possibility of the approaching storm, the past weeks have meant a shattering of past illusions."
No, that quote wasn't George W. Bush. It was Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 26th, 1941. And yes, it was over 6 months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America's unceremonious personal invitation to World War II.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on October 29th, 2011
“Do you want to paaarrrty!”
If one loves zombies, one loves The Return of the Living Dead. This wonderful, unofficial sequel to Night of the Living Dead seamlessly combined horror and comedy in a way that has rarely been achieved. I would say the only other movie which did that as well was An American Werewolf in London. I had often heard stories in interviews about the insane experience making this movie was, but never knew the whole story. Or should I say stories?
![The Love We Make [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-love-we-make-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![God Bless Ozzy Osbourne [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/god-bless-ozzy-osbourne-blu-ray-large.jpg)
![WWII in HD (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/wwii-in-hd-collectors-edition-b-large.jpg)
