Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2012
There were a ton of changes in the 5th season. There would be a rather large cast shake-up. Lee Cobb and Roberta Shore were now completely gone. It was only a matter of time for Cobb, who was never really happy doing the show but never let it get in the way of his performance or attitude toward the rest of the cast and crew. Enter Charles Bickford in his only season as the Granger family head, John. He brings his grandchildren Elizabeth, played by Sara Lane, and Stacy, played by Don Quine.
The Virginian set itself apart from the others in two ways. The first was found in the source material. The series was based on a 1902 novel by Owen Winsler, a man who actually lived in the Wyoming badlands during the time the series was set. The source material helps to add a sense of authenticity that might well have been a slight step ahead of the rest. It wasn't as violent as the others, again reflecting a more realistic sense of direction.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 21st, 2012
I completely understand if you bailed out on Weeds a long time ago. The fact is the current show bears little resemblance to the subversive, suburban sitcom that became one of Showtime's first comedy smashes. That's partly because the tone of the show took a dark turn into Mexican cartels and human trafficking after the end of season 3. Even worse, the once-fresh characters had become, at best, reliably annoying — think Kevin Nealon's Doug Wilson — or, at worst, completely unlikable (like Mary Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin, the leader in the clubhouse for the title of TV's Worst Mom.)
But here's why I'm actually ok with the way Weeds has played out (besides my immense crush on Mary Louise Parker): what else were creator Jenji Kohan and her team supposed to do? If season 7 rolled around, and Nancy was still dealing pot in Agrestic, the show would get crushed for never evolving. In fact, given Nancy's relentless ambition and reckless behavior, I think the show has progressed in a semi-realistic way. Well, except for the part where she always gets out of impossible jams.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on February 19th, 2012
Jimmy is a clinically overweight teen who is starting high school. He is immediately the target for relentless bullying but tries ignoring his classmates' tormenting by focusing his attention on losing weight and trying to win over a girl he fancies in his classroom.
Based on a novel by Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan, this is a serviceable lesson about how children can attempt to keep a positive attitude despite facing all sorts of adversities. Said adversities Jimmy faces start as typical bullying, which is portrayed in this film in a realistic fashion, and escalates to extremely serious issues regarding his best friend, whom is facing even greater challenges living in a broken home with an alcoholic father.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 19th, 2012
Make no bones about it, Storage Wars is one of my favorite television shows of all time. Most people would refer to it as a modern day treasure hunt, but when it comes down to it, the cast of characters is what keeps me watching. Of course, the "what is behind Storage Locker #1?" is going to lure me to the dance though. Needless to say I was pretty excited to see a second volume of Storage Wars hit my door. Let us see what the boys (and girl) find this time around.
Since Storage Wars has not received a review on this site as of yet (Season One is readily available), I thought I would take some time and share the basics. Ever rent a storage locker? Sure, most of us have. We tend to throw just about everything in there, from absolute crap we can not bear to get rid of to perhaps something valuable that we are saving for a rainy day. Well, just like anything else that costs money, some people decide not to pay it. Well, unfortunately the owners have to do something about it to recoup their losses. Auction it off to the highest bidder.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 18th, 2012
The yesteryears of Disney were full of classic movies from Aladdin to 101 Dalmations. Each of those films holds a special place in my heart due to its warmth and very colorful, cute story. Having never seen Lady and the Tramp before picking up this early copy, I didn’t know what to expect of the film. Many declare it to be one of Disney’s best, which is certainly a remark that is quite distinguished. Would Lady and the Tramp capture my emotions and heart like so many old, classic Disney films did years ago? Read on to find out.
The basic story to Lady and the Tramp is as follows. A man named Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a mysterious box for Christmas. Inside that box is the ever-so-cute little cocker spaniel puppy, which Darling decides to name Lady. Lady spends most of her period growing up with two neighborhood dogs, Trusty and Jock. One day a dog named Tramp walks over the railroad tracks. When Darling has a child, we are introduced to two super ugly and vicious cats, Si and Am, courtesy of Aunt Sarah. Due to these evil cats and the new baby, Lady winds up in the doghouse. What happens next is cinematic history: the spaghetti scene and the start of a romance between Lady and Tramp.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 18th, 2012
"I don't have to worry about how it all happened. It is what it is. We're genetically engineered to stop aging at 25. The trouble is, we live only one more year unless we can get more time. Time is now currency. We earn it. We spend it. The rich can live forever and the rest of us?"
Well...the rest of us lose a couple of hours by watching films with tremendous potential that end up leaving us disappointed and more than a little bit cheated. Hopefully, you haven't yet taken the plunge and I've gotten to you In Time.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on February 16th, 2012
Despite their pop culture ubiquity these days, zombies are getting somewhat of a raw deal. To be clear, I'm talking about the old-school, George Romero-style creatures that slowly lumbered toward their victims and whose only ambition in life was to snack on human flesh. Nowadays, a lot of filmmakers seem to be more interested in making zombie movies that don't technically have "zombies" in them ("infected" is a popular alternative term) and who are almost fast enough to earn a spot on their country's track and field squad for this summer's Olympic games. Even The Walking Dead — fresh off setting a new ratings record for basic cable viewership earlier this week — has conspicuously avoided having any of its characters refer to the living dead as "zombies" over its two seasons. (Instead, they're "walkers" or, most recently, "lame-brains.")
The Dead strives to be a return to Romero-esque horror. Billing itself as “the first zombie road movie set against the spectacular scenery of Africa,” the film follows American Air Force Engineer Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman), who survives a plane crash in war-torn, zombie-infested West Africa only to find himself in a brutal, unforgiving landscape that is completely barren...except for the undead shuffling in his direction. Murphy eventually crosses path with Sgt. Daniel Dembele (Prince David Osei, a poor man's Djimon Hounsou), whose village has been ravaged by the reanimated dead and who is determined to find his missing son.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 16th, 2012
Somehow, I should have known that when my wife started to read the Twilight Series, I would eventually get dragged into watching the movies. The first one, I probably saw three times, the second one, only once. The interesting thing was that my wife was turned off by the movies and I am not sure I remember how the third one ended up. But low and behold, the fourth chapter of the series did not escape my grasp. Not because of my wife, but because of my webmaster knowing I am a glutton for punishment. Enter Breaking Dawn.
Remember kids, this is part one. The new thing in this day and age is if you are adapting a book to film and really want to place emphasis on that last book, you release it in parts. This is two fold, one there is usually a lot of information that needs to get onto screen (since books are more detailed than movies) and two, everybody involved wants to milk the cash cow at least one more time than they would normally be allowed. This only works by the way if the movie is ultra successful. See Harry Potter, and now of course Twilight.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on February 15th, 2012
Mexico's most powerful crime lord, Julian Perez, wishes to redeem himself in his mother's eyes. Her wish is for him to find his estranged younger brother and return him home to Mexico. Julian agrees before knowing that his brother has been taken hostage while he was serving with the US Army in Iraq. A misfit team of mercenary types are assembled to infiltrate Iraq and fulfill Julian's vow to his mother.
The characters in this film all look like caricatures of 1970s cop movie characters merged with hipster cowboys. Obviously a team of warriors that look this unusual could only exist in a comedy. And indeed, this film is billed as an action-packed comedy. Though I fear that much of the more subtle humour is lost in translation for me as I found most of gags existed in the aforementioned costuming of the characters. Then again, not all was lost on me. Some of the gags, both physical and verbal, were effective. In fact, I am particularly partial to the reoccurring joke about their chosen war cry of “Tomatoes!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 15th, 2012
Back when I reviewed the original Blu-ray/DVD combo release, I said that those wanting special features should wait for the inevitable double-dip. Well, here it is, and so loaded with features that they get a Blu-ray to themselves.
Following the events of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the Autobots are working hand-in-mechanical-glove with human authorities (in other words, the apparently all-powerful CIA), keeping close watch for Deception activity, but also helping out in human-on-human conflicts. Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf has traded in improbably hot girlfriend Megan Fox for the equally improbable Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (an improbability that the script does have some fun with). He is also out of work and dismayed at not being given due consideration as a saviour of the planet.
