Posted in: 1.78:1 Widescreen, 1080p, AVC MPEG4, Blu Ray, Disc Reviews, DTS HD 5.1 MA (English), Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Warner Bros. by Brent Lorentson on October 6th, 2019
When it comes to the DC universe on television, I feel like Warner Bros. knows exactly what they are doing and truly understands the comics as well as their audience. Ever since they launched their streaming service they’ve been putting out new material that is arguably upping the stakes, knowing that soon Disney will be putting out there new streaming service in a matter of weeks. I was impressed with Season 1 of Titans. I loved how it was a show targeting a more mature audience, but it was Doom Patrol I wasn’t so sure about. All I had known about the Doom Patrol was from their one episode in Titans, and from what I saw, I really enjoyed the possibilities. Well, now that I’ve seen all 15 episodes of Season 1, I can honestly say What the F***?, followed by that was certainly a unique experience.
You think you’ve seen some weird and off-the-beaten-path shows? Well, Doom Patrol is without a doubt the most fun, unique show I’ve seen. This makes Twin Peaks seem normal, and really, calling the show bonkers is putting it lightly. Oh, and for those of you with young kids, you definitely may want to steer them clear of this show until you’ve seen what it offers. From talking cockroaches, town swallowing donkeys, asses with feet that can eat you, and talking streets, that is just a tiny glimpse at the oddball fun this show has in store for its audiences, and seriously, I haven’t even gotten to some of the more absurd aspects of the show. But please don’t let this scare you off, because this motley crew of misfit superheroes are a hell of a good time to watch, and even more surprising is how lovable they all are.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 2nd, 2019
"I mean who knows what kind of creatures are out there wreaking havoc on history?"
DC's Legends of Tomorrow has become somewhat the odd man out when it comes to the DC Television Universe, or the Arrowverse, as it is most commonly known. Last season it was not part of the annual crossover, and it aired later in the year with fewer episodes. And while it will be a part of the huge crossover coming in December, it still doesn't appear to get the same respect as the other shows. I like the series, but it is my least favorite of the franchise. Warner Brothers Home Entertainment isn't as high on the show either. They crammed extra episodes on the discs so that all 16 episodes of the fourth season end up on just two discs. Ouch. It doesn't help that every year sees a huge shake-up of the cast, and this season was no exception. The crew of the Waverider change over faster than teens at a fast food joint. Of course, you might be left asking yourself what is this Waverider of which you speak? It's hard enough to keep track of the players without a program, but it's a near impossible feat if you are trying to join the festivities in the fourth season. You might want to check out our reviews of the previous years and then rejoin me for the breakdown of the Blu-ray release of DC Legends Of Tomorrow Season 4. Just bang it here to catch up: Legends Of Tomorrow Reviews.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 28th, 2019
"You don't throw guns out an open window. Kids live up in here."
So, the announcement of this film was of particular interest of me. Of course, I have familiarity with the character of Shaft from childhood. Not to mention the remake that wasn’t really a remake that premiered in 2000 starring Samuel L Jackson. The most interesting thing about the film is that it brings three generations of the character under the umbrella of one film, with Richard Roundtree and Samuel L Jackson reprising their roles as the titular character and introducing Jesse T Usher into the franchise as the latest addition to pick up the mantle. Another interesting thing is that despite it being a sequel, it shares the same name as the 2000 version. Though this does introduce a certain level of confusion, it just proves just how bad a mother-shut-your-mouth Shaft is; he can name his movies whatever he wants.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 27th, 2019
"Who are we? Are we simply what others want us to be? Are we destined to a fate beyond our control? Or can we evolve? Become something...more?"
The simple reality is that this franchise should have ended with Days of Future Past. That would have been a good point to call it quits; it had a good resolution and all, but the chasing of additional box office revenue has forced us to have to endure two more mediocre additions to the franchise. Though Dark Phoenix is better than Apocalypse, and it is a better telling of the Dark Phoenix Marvel Storyline, Fox’s second bite at the apple is still not the film that I hoped it would be. Fortunately, with Marvel recovering the property, we are undoubtedly due for another reboot, and perhaps the third time will be the charm. Picking up after the events of Apocalypse, the X-Men have become a national treasure, widely considered to be the world’s first line of defense. It would seem that Charles Xavier’s dream of mutant unification is within reach. However, the realization of his dream comes at a cost of those closest to him. Matters come to a head during a questionable mission to rescue astronauts following a failed space exploration. With a solar flare closing in, the team pushes themselves too far, resulting in Jean Grey taking the full force of the cosmic energy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2019
The biggest complaint I hear about today's movies is that there's no originality at the box office anymore. While it's true that most of the big earners are comic book heroes, sequels, reboots, monsters, or fantasy book franchises it's simply not accurate at all to say there isn't anything original happening in cinema anymore. If you are willing to take a chance on something different, you'll find it everywhere, and while it might not dominate the media buzz, it's there all the same, and your local multiplex likely dedicates at least a couple of screens to these kinds of films. Yesterday is certainly one of those little gems that go by not completely unnoticed but receiving far less buzz than it deserves. The fact is, there's still room for all species of film. After pulling in a more than respectable $150 million at the box office, Yesterday is now out on home video, including this UHD Blu-ray release in 4K.
Have you ever imagined what the world would be like with (fill in the blank)? For me it's cell phones. For others it might be a particular person. What if it were The Beatles? Better yet, what if you were the only one who remembered them?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 20th, 2019
"My name is Kara Zor-El. I'm from Krypton. I'm a refugee on this planet. I was sent to Earth to protect my cousin. But my pod got knocked off course, and by the time I got here, my cousin had already grown up and become... Superman. I hid who I really was until one day when an accident forced me to reveal myself to the world. To most people, I'm a reporter at CatCo Worldwide Media. But in secret, I work with my adopted sister for the D.E.O. to protect my city from alien life and anyone else that means to cause it harm. I am Supergirl."
So, you're asking yourself, who the heck is Kara Zor-El, and what is this D.E.O.? I get it. You're just not caught up on the CW series Supergirl. It's not such a good idea to start here, however. You can check out our reviews for the first three seasons here. Catch up on the episodes, and then join the rest of us for Supergirl: The Complete Fourth Season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 13th, 2019
"I know what it's like to see monsters. And I know that when they're gone, they never go away. Me and my brother, we're the guys that stop the monsters. We're the guys that scare them."
Truer words were never spoken. The big news to come out of the world of Supernatural is that it is indeed going away. The brothers made an emotional announcement during the airing of the previous season that the upcoming 15th year would be the final season of the show. It's hard to believe that we'll soon know a television landscape without the Winchester brothers. It's the last show that goes back to the original WB Network that eventually lead to the current CW Network that has become more and more the home of the Warner Brothers-owned DC Comics television universe. But in the middle of speedsters, archers, aliens, and time travelers, there was always room for the Winchesters. It'll be a bit of a culture shock to have them gone. Hard to imagine, but if you were a young 15-year-old kid when you started to watch the show, you're now 30, likely with kids of your own. You live in an entirely different world than you did when you first came aboard. How will you feel without it?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 11th, 2019
"I think it's time I told you about Aladdin, the princess, and the lamp."
There is very little new coming out of the Walt Disney Studios in recent years. For the last few years and into the near conceivable future, there has been a concerted effort by the Mouse House to remake as live-action films the vast library of animation classics. It pretty much started with the huge success of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau in 2016. The film did a wonderful job of bringing these jungle creatures to life through the modern-age miracle that is CGI. Somehow the film captured the very heart of the original animated feature and immersed us more fully into that world. No, it wasn't the first time Disney recreated an animated feature with live-action releases. But it was so dominant at the box office that it appeared to set the mold for these conversions going forward. This summer Disney set an ambitious schedule, delivering no less than three of these remade films to the summer schedule. In March it was the tepidly-received Dumbo. In July it will be The Lion King, where Disney is playing with the most successful classic animation film in box office history, and eyes will be keenly on how that unfolds. With Elton John's recent resurgence with a new Farewell Tour and the upcoming bio-film Rocketman, The Lion King might deliver Sir Elton a hat trick, or at least a large hat filled with money. Set between these two films is another Disney animated classic: Aladdin. Will that deliver the same three-point bounty to Disney this summer?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 4th, 2019
When you have a movie that features Gary Oldman, you’d expect it to be pretty good. I feel Gary Oldman is one of the best actors who is working in the business, and I’ve been a fan since the Romeo is Bleeding and Leon days. So when a movie comes along about killers and government assassins and Oldman is playing a character in the middle of all the drama, you’d think this is going to be something great. After all, the man finally got an Academy Award, which was long overdue. The best way I can describe my experience with this is film is to imagine you’re going to a restaurant, one that is a two star rating in the Michelin Guide. While it may not be the best, it should still be good; yet when you get there, rather than getting a great meal you instead are given a plate of lukewarm Spaghetti-O’s fresh out of the can. From poorly framed shots to insipid plot twists, I can’t help but wonder, what did Gary Oldman do so wrong to be stuck in this film?
For those curious about what Jessica Alba is doing in the film, well, she’s Jade, an assassin we meet in the opening of the film, and one of her scenes is with Gary Oldman, whose character is cleverly named The Man. The way the conversation is shot is jarring, going from an oddly framed wide shot with too much negative space to these close-ups where the characters are talking into the camera. Not even Gary Oldman can save these shots, and when it shifts perspectives it becomes all the more painful. If this was a more personal scene, or simply a long shot with just one character speaking, maybe this could have worked better. The scene then jumps to a strip club where Alba’s character is with a blonde character we got a glimpse of from the previous scene. Apparently no one else is at this strip club where the only dancer is a hologram we can see in the background, but this odd little hook-up scene then turns into the girls fighting for their lives; apparently the blonde was hired to kill Jade. This fight is sloppy and cut with the opening credits that are animated depicting portions of the fight.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 29th, 2019
"My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive. To the outside world, I'm an ordinary forensic scientist. But secretly, with the help of my friends at S.T.A.R. Labs, I fight crime and find other meta-humans like me. But when my daughter came back from the future to help, she changed the present. And now our world is more dangerous than ever, and I'm the only one fast enough to save it. I am the Flash."
The fifth season begins almost immediately after the crazy reveal that ended the previous run of episodes. A young woman arrives at the West home and identifies herself as Nora (Kennedy) She claims to be the speedster daughter of Barry (Gustin) and Iris (Patton) and has arrived from the future so that she can meet her dad, because in the near future he is destined to disappear and remain missing for 25 years into that future. If all of this sounds a bit confusing to you, you're starting in the wrong place. Check out our reviews of the previous four years here.
